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

"But T hou, O L ORD , art a shield for me; my glory, and the lifter up of mine head." -P SALM 3:3 [KJV] If your soul has ever been favoured with a taste of mercy, with a sip of the brook by the way; if ever your conscience has felt the application of atoning blood, or the love of God has ever been shed abroad in your heart by the Holy Ghost, when the law comes to curse you, endeavour always to bear in mind that THE LORD JESUS CHRIST STANDS AS THE SHIELD BETWEEN YOU AND ITS CURSE. The law has therefore nothing to do with you that believe, it has cursed Jesus Christ for you; as the Apostle declares, "He was made a curse for us ; " and again, "Who H is own self bare our sins in H is own body on the tree , " etc. Therefore the law has nothing to do with you who believe in Christ Jesus. He has intercepted the curse for you, and, by receiving it into His own body and soul, bore it harmless away from you. It is a blessed act of faith when ...

  "Behold, thy days approach that thou must die" -Deuteronomy 31:14 [KJV] Many years ago, a preacher, Dr Charles H. Berry, had, at a young age received the highest honours his denomination could confer. His fame as a preacher was as wide as the English-speaking world. But he was a theological liberal. He, at that stage of his life, didn’t believe in the fundamentals of grace, the blood and substitutionary atonement. He told the following story of his conversion to his friend, Dr J. H. Jowett.   “One night there came to me, a Lancashire girl, with her shawl over her head, and with clogs on her feet.”   “‘Are you the minister?’ she said.   “‘Yes.’   “‘Then I want you to come and get my mother in’   “Thinking it was some drunken brawl, I said, ‘You must get a policeman.’   “Oh, no,’ said the girl, ‘my mother is dying, and I want you to get her into salvation.’   “‘Where do you live?’   “‘I live at so and so, a mi...

"Friend, how camest thou in hither not having a wedding garment? And he was speechless" [MATTHEW 22:12 ] . He had a garment, but not a wedding garment. It was one of his own providing, like those who have a righteousness of their own, of whom the Lord elsewhere speaks, "Woe to the rebellious children, saith the L ORD , that take counsel, but not of Me; and that cover with a covering, but not of My Spirit, that they may add sin to sin" [ISAIAH 30:1 ] .  Precious Lord Jesus, clothe me with the wedding garment of Thy righteousness; and feed me with the rich food of Thy body and blood; yea, Lord, be Thou my covering, my joy, my all; that when at Thy church, at Thy table, at Thine house of prayer below and at Thy kingdom of glory above, the King cometh in to see His guests, my soul may cry out, in Thine own blessed words and with a joy unspeakable and full of glory, "I will greatly rejoice in the L ORD , my soul shall be joyful in my God; for He ha...

"Be merciful unto me, O God, be merciful unto me: for my soul trusteth in Thee: yea, in shadow of Thy wings will I make my refuge, until these calamities be overpast." -P SALM 57:1 [KJV] The words of this Psalm are said to have been written by David when he fled from Saul in the cave. He surely must have felt that he was being overwhelmed by a multitude of “calamities.” The Hebrew word for “calamities” is defined by words such as “iniquity, mischief, mischievous things, naughtiness, noisome, perverse things, very wickedness.” No doubt he felt the presence of these things within himself as a sinner and all around him in the world. He rejoiced and took comfort in the fact that both would end. These calamities would pass. But until God brought them to an end, where could he hide? Was there a refuge? David’s refuge was “ in the shadow of Thy wings.” He, like all believers, hid himself under the safety of divine sovereignty, in the saving work of the coming Ch...

"The LORD liveth; and blessed be my rock; and let the God of my salvation be exalted" [PSALM 18:46 ] . Salvation means the entirety of that work of Jehovah whereby sinners are delivered from sin and all of its effects and raised to the heights of everlasting glory through the blood and righteousness of Christ. Here is the message of scripture: "Salvation is of the LORD" [JONAH 2:9 ] . 1. God purposed salvation. "...Chosen unto salvation before the foundation of the world" [II THESSALONIANS 2:13 ] . 2. God provided salvation. "...God will provide Himself a lamb for a burnt offering" [GENESIS 22:8 ] . 3. God possesses salvation, it is His to give. "Shew us Thy mercy, O LORD, and grant us Thy salvation" [PSALM 85:7 ] . 4. God has the prerogative to grant salvation to whom He will. "...I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious" [EXODUS 33:17 ] . 5. God proclaims salvation. "Behold, the ...

"And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness." - ROMANS 8:10   We want two things in lively operation; a spiritual death and a spiritual life. We want death put upon the flesh, upon sin, upon everything which is ungodly, that it may not reign or rule; and we want also the communication and maintenance of a divine life which shall act Godward, exist and co-exist in the same breast, and be in activity at the same moment. Here is sin striving for the mastery; but here also is a view of the cross of Christ; here is a testimony of bleeding, dying love. This puts a death upon sin. But as death is put upon sin and the lust is mortified, crucified, resisted, or subdued, there springs up a life of faith and prayer, of hope and love, of repentance and godly sorrow for sin, of humility and spirituality, of a desire to live to God's praise and walk in His fear. The cross gives both. From the cross comes de...

"Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God." -I John 3:1 [KJV] There is a great deal said in religious circles about the love of God, but few have a real scriptural concept of the truth of God's love as it is manifested in the scriptures. The general idea most people have is, "that God loves everybody without exception and is trying His best to save everybody, but the sinner will not cooperate." The truth of God's character revealed in the word is that God is Holy, Just and His love is always in harmony with His Holy character as a Just God and a Saviour [ISAIAH 45:21 ] . Those for whom He loves in Christ [REVELATION 1:5] , elected in Christ [JOHN 6:37 ] , redeemed in Christ [ E PHESIANS 1:7 ] must be justified in Christ [ R OMANS 8:28-30 ] and will be called out of bondage into Light [ C OLOSSIANS 1:12-13 ] . Here are some scriptures that describe this true love of God to His ...