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

Being a believer in Jesus Christ and resting in His good providence does not exempt us from trouble, trial, sorrow and heartache in this life. Our Lord said, "In th e world y e shall have tribulation" [JOHN 16:33 ] . But here is our comfort and help, "God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble" [PSALM 46:1 ] . Our blessed Lord said, "Come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need" [HEBREWS 4:16 ] . Our gracious God has promised wisdom to understand the trial [JAMES 1:5 ] . Grace to endure and bear the trial [II CORINTHIANS 12:9 ] . Faith to trust and believe God through the trial [ROMANS 4:19-20 ] . Peace to rest in His purpose, knowing that this trial works to our eternal good [ROMANS 8:28-35 ] . Hope to rejoice in our Lord and Saviour, Who said, "I will never leave thee nor forsake thee" [HEBREWS 13:5 ] . Surely, we must conclude that we are needy cr...

"All thy children shall be taught of the L ORD ." -I SAIAH 54:13 [KJV] The teaching of God can only be known and realised by those who have seen an end of all creature perfection, and who are completely and experimentally destitute of all wisdom in the flesh. And God's teaching does not leave a man where it found him, dead, stupefied, worldly, unfeeling, and carnal. If he is in distress, it does not leave him in distress; if he feels guilty, it does not leave him guilty; if he is in darkness, it does not leave him in darkness; but it lifts him out of these evils. Thus God's people are continually led to come unto H im for H is instruction, because they feel that without H is special teaching they can know nothing as they ought to know. Nay, the more they have, the more they want to have; for no sooner is the light withdrawn, than the darkness is more sensibly felt. If any text of Scripture has been opened up to them, it makes them want to ha...

Living in “Doubting Castle” A gospel minister once visited a lady who was living in what John Bunyan called, “Doubting Castle.” She suffered from persistent doubts and fears and was filled with all manner of misgivings about the future Judgment. (By the way, none of us are always entirely free from such bombardments of unbelief. Even the most mature believers are not always immune). To try and answer her concerns, the preacher quoted 1 John 4:18 “There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear has torment. He that fears is not made perfect in love." He then asked her, "Do you know what that means? " She paused for a moment, and then replied, "I suppose it means that when I love God perfectly, I shall get rid of my doubts and fears " “Yes, certainly you will,” he replied “but that will not be until you arrive in glory. This verse is about Jesus, not about what you are supposed to do. It is about what He has done!” The de...

It is no wonder that the religious voices of our day speak of a "grace" that is not very amazing at all. It is because the true condition of all people by nature is denied. In R OMANS 5 , the apostle Paul speaks of abundant and abounding grace. He tells of the true grace of God in the Lord Jesus Christ as it meets the true condition and need of sinful men. What is the true condition that grace meets? Grace meets those who are "without strength" [vs . 6 ] . They have no ability to save themselves, no ability to perform works of perfect righteousness and no ability to come to Christ that they might have life. Grace meets those who are "ungodl y " [ vs. 6 ] . They are "without God" and therefore without hope in this world. They do not love God, desire God, serve God, worship God, praise God, believe God, come to God or submit to God. They are ungodly! Grace meets those who are "sinners" [ vs. 8 ] . Those who must be s...

"I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain." -G ALATIANS 2:21 [KJV] It would be a miserable thing indeed, and sadly frustrating, and making void, the riches of God's grace, to join anything of the work of the creature, in whole, or in part, as in the least contributing to justification before God. For if righteousness come by the law: if any of the fallen race of Adam, could be supposed capable of working out for themselves a righteousness of their own; yea, could perform a single deed, or exercise a single thought of purity, to recommend themselves to the great searcher of hearts: in this case, it would set aside, the necessity of redemption. For this would at once show, that the creature hath a capability of somewhat, be that somewhat ever so little; and by improvement, more might then be expected from him. And then, the consequences which would follow, would be, that there could have been no cause ...

"That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world." -E PHESIANS 2:12 [KJV]   The Apostle here tells the Ephesians that in their natural state, before divinely quickened and made alive unto God, they were "without Christ," that is, without manifest union and communion with Him. Though in the purposes of God, and by their eternal election in Christ, they were members of His mystical body, they had not been baptized into Christ by the Spirit so as to be made living members of His spiritual body, the Church [I CORINTHIANS 12:13 ] , and therefore had not "put on Christ" [GALATIANS 3:27 ] .   And as they were, such were we. We were "without Christ" in our Gentile days. He had no place in our thoughts. We knew nothing of His Person and work, blood and righteousness, beauty and blessedness, grace and glor...

"O that men would praise the L ORD for His goodness, and for His wonderful works to the children of men!" - P SALM 107:8 [KJV] If we complained less, and praised more, we should be happier, and God would be more glorified. Let us daily praise God for common mercies--common as we frequently call them, and yet so priceless, that when deprived of them we are ready to perish. Let us bless God for the eyes with which we behold the sun, for the health and strength to walk abroad, for the bread we eat, for the raiment we wear. Let us praise Him that we are not cast out among the hopeless, or confined amongst the guilty; let us thank Him for liberty, for friends, for family associations and comforts; let us praise Him, in fact, for everything which we receive from His bounteous hand, for we deserve little, and yet are most plenteously endowed. But, beloved, the sweetest and the loudest note in our songs of praise should be of redeeming love. God’s redeeming ...