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

"Of late years there has been a very visible decline, and a night is coming on, which we are entered into; the shadows of the evening are stretching out apace upon us, and the signs of the eventide are very manifest, and will shortly appear yet more and more: coldness and indifference in spiritual things, a want of affection to God, Christ, his people, truths and ordinances, may easily be observed; the first love is left; iniquity abounds, and the love of many waxes cold; and it will wax yet colder and colder, and will issue in a general forsaking of assembling together, and in an entire neglect of the ministers of the gospel; when such who have been professors themselves will be shy of them, and carefully shun them." -preacher John Gill, 1697-1771 A.D.

“ Had our own righteousness any part or share in clothing us in our justification, how could the righteousness of another be said to be imputed to us, or Christ be said to be the ‘LORD our righteousness, or be made of God unto us wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption,’ I C ORINTHIANS 1:30 . As Christ was not made sin for us by any sin inherent in Him, so neither are we made righteous by any righteousness inherent in us, but by the righteousness of Christ imputed to us .”   -preacher Benjamin Keach (1640 – 1704 A.D.)

"I have chosen thee in the furnace of affliction." -I SAIAH 48:10 [KJV] According to God's own testimony, it is "through much tribulation" that we are to enter into the kingdom; and therefore there is no entering into the kingdom of grace here or the kingdom of glory hereafter without it. But let this be ever borne in mind, that whatever affliction befall the saints, it is laid upon them by the hand of God, and that for the express purpose of putting them into a situation and of making them capable of receiving those comforts which God only can bestow. None but Jesus Himself and the Father can comfort a truly afflicted heart. And He can and does from time to time comfort His dear people by a sense of His presence; by a word of power from His gracious lips; by the light of His countenance; by the balm of His atoning blood and dying love; and by the work and witness of the Spirit within. And as they receive this consolation from the mouth of God, ...

Faith is not the impulsive or moving cause of Justification. It is an act of pure and free grace, without any motive in the creature: Therefore the Apostle saith, "...being justified freely by His grace, through the redemption which is in Jesus Christ" [ E PHESIANS 1:7 ] . But this benefit would not be of grace, but of works, was our faith the impulsive cause of it: because faith is a work or act of ours, as we learn from the words of Christ: "This is the work of God, that ye believe on Him whom He hath sent" [ J OHN 6:29 ] . Salvation is not of works, in any branch of it; "for by grace are y e saved, through faith; that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God: not of works, lest any man should boast" [ E PHESIANS 2:8-9 ] . From whence it is evident that Justification, which is a considerable part of salvation, cannot be by works. The grace of God eminently appears in contriving the way of our Justification by Christ...

Just as the Samaritan came to the beaten and wounded man so “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners " [I TIMOTHY 1:15 ] . Jesus came to save sinners. What an unspeakably welcome fact. In spite of the truth that we, like Paul, often consider ourselves the chief of sinners [I TIMOTHY 3:16 ] we as believers are learning to look outward to the glorified Man, the Son of God, who has passed through death and resurrection on our behalf [ see H EBREWS 12:2 ] . He came! He, the Creator, came— He became human and suffered, ignominy, crucifixion, and death! [JOHN 1:14; J OHN 19:18 ] . He came! He was raised out of death, ascended to Heaven, and is now crowned with honour and glory [ see Revelation 1:18; 1 Corinthians 15:14; 1 Corinthians 15:7; 1 Corinthians 15:8; Matthew 27:63-66; Luke 24:45-46; 2 Timothy 2:8; Acts 4:10-11; John 20:26; Luke 24:34; Acts 17:31; John 21:1; Mark 16:9; Mark 16:19 ] . He came! Why did He come? He came to save. He came and gave H...

"That ye may approve things that are excellent; that ye may be sincere and without offence till the day of Christ." -PHILIPPIAN S 1:10 [KJV]   If divine light has enlightened your mind, divine life quickened your heart, and you love the Lord and His people, you must approve of the things that are excellent. For they are so commended to your conscience that you can no more do otherwise than you can tell a deliberate lie or call black white. And as you approve of them, you will disapprove of everything which is contrary to, or falls short of this excellency.   Now this is what distinguishes us from the world and the spirit of it, and from all whose eyes are blinded by the god of this world—that whilst they approve of the things God abhors, we approve of the things that God loves . Here is the mind of Christ; here is the teaching of the Spirit giving us in some measure to see as Christ sees, to feel as Christ feels, to love as Christ loves, and to approve as ...

"For the L ORD of hosts ha th purposed, and who shall disannul it ? and His hand is stretched out, and who can turn it back?" -I SAIAH 14:27 [KJV] To say that God is sovereign is to declare that He is the Almighty, the Possessor of all power in heaven and earth so that none can defeat His counsels, thwart His purpose, or resist His will. Whatever takes place in time is but the outworking of that which He has decreed in eternity. The sovereignty of the God of Scripture is absolute, irresistible and infinite! We insist that God does as He pleases, only as He pleases, always as He pleases! "But our God is in the heavens: He ha th done what so ever He ha th pleased" [ P SALM 115: 3] ! " Whatsoever the LORD pleased, that did He in heaven, and in earth, in the seas, and all deep places " [ P SALM 135:6 ] ! "And all the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing: and He doeth according to His will in the army of heaven, ...