"Salvation is of the LORD." -Jonah 2:9

Without Strength! by D G Miles McKee   ‘Without strength,’ is a literal description of our state apart from Christ  (Romans 3:12; Romans 5:6) . We have no ability to save ourselves. We are utterly helpless! You may argue the point, but God won’t. In His mind it is perfectly clear. He says that we are so weak and destitute in our natural state that we cannot hear His words (see John 8:43) or even see His Kingdom (see John 3:30) .   It is when we get a sight of our utter spiritual impotence that we realize Christ alone must be our salvation: if He doesn’t save us then we will not be saved .   It is those who are without strength whom the Lord saves.  In fact, so long as we think we have some strength to perform ‘the great act of faith’ we cannot be saved. Mr. Bonar remarks that it is when we find out that we have no strength we will cease to work and believe!   Remember how Jesus commanded the man with the withered arm to stretch out his hand ...

"Say unto my soul, I AM thy salvation." -Psalm 35:3 [KJV]   To keep water sweet, it must be perpetually running; and to keep the life of God up in the soul, there must be continual exercises. This is the reason why the Lord's people have so many conflicts, trials, painful exercises, sharp sorrows, and deep temptations,— to keep them alive unto God ; to bring them out of, and to keep them out of that slothful, sluggish, wretched state of carnal security and dead assurance in which so many seem to have fallen asleep—fallen asleep like the sailor upon the top of the mast, not knowing what a fearful gulf is boiling up below. The Lord, therefore, "trieth the righteous." He will not suffer His people to be at ease in Zion; to be settled on their lees, and get into a wretched Moabitish state.    He therefore sends afflictions upon them, tribulations, and trials, and allows Satan to tempt and harass them. And under these feelings the blessed Spirit, from ti...

"One Lord, one faith, one baptism." -Ephesians 4:5 [KJV] Jesus saith of His church, “My dove, my undefiled is but one” (Song of Solomon  6:9.) One body, composed of various members, espoused to Him, by the Spirit, as “to one husband” (II Corinthians 11:2.) Hence called His own body (Ephesians 1:23.) All such are most dear to the Lord. He nourisheth and cherisheth them. For they are members of His body, of His flesh, and of His bones (Ephesians 5:30.) He is their one Lord, and His name is ONE (Zechariah 14:9.)     This is most true in doctrine. But this is not all. For it is found most sweet in experience also. This is by one faith. By this, we enjoy and walk in sweet and holy fellowship with our Lord and Head. What if I were told, there is one sun, what comfort would that afford me, if I never were to see its light, feel its warmth, and enjoy its influence? Whatever is written of our one Lord, I enjoyed in experience by this one faith. But some talk of v...

"I sat down under His shadow with great delight, and His fruit was sweet to my taste."  - Song of Solomon 2:3 [KJV] My soul! hear what the church saith concerning her Lord, in those early and distant ages, before thy Redeemer became incarnate, and mark the strength of her faith and love. Did old testament saints thus sit down with a recumbency on the person, work, and finished salvation of Jesus, as those determined to arise no more, when they beheld Christ only through "the shadow of good things to come;" and shall not thy rest in Christ, and thy enjoyment of Christ, be equal, and even greater than their's? For shame, my soul! let it never be said, that their views of Jesus, who was then yet to come, and had all the vast work of redemption to perform, were as lively as thine, or their delight in those fruits of His salvation, which they partook of by anticipation, sweeter to their taste, than they are now enjoyed by thee. Thou hast lived to see th...