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

" Hear now, ye rebels; must we fetch you water out of this rock?" — Numbers 20:10 [KJV] It is most probable that this harsh, severe speech of Moses, cut many of God's dear children to the very heart and struck terror to their souls. Here we see the true nature of the holy law. It demands attention with power and authority, HEAR. Its voice is of terror; it speaks nothing but wrath to poor sinners' consciences; it calls them by their proper name, REBELS. And what can the poor guilty trembling soul do to appease its terror and escape the wrath to come? Nothing.  Alas, it "concludes him under sin," and leaves him as much without hope of mercy, as he has of drawing liquid streams from a barren rock. But by the gospel eye of faith we see that spiritual rock, Jesus, whom the law struck, and thirsty souls in all ages drink living water from this rock of their salvation. Jehovah loves His people; from the affection of his heart (notwithstanding their m...

"Let us therefore fear, lest a promise being left us of entering into His rest, any of you should seem to come short of it." — Hebrews 4:1 [KJV] Fear without faith enslaves the soul to wrath and bondage. Faith without fear tends to licentiousness. But a loving, filial fear of offending our dear Father and precious Saviour, ever accompanies the grace of faith in the heart. Jesus is the rest of His people. This rest is by promise: and therefore it is sure to all His spiritual seed. They now enter into it and enjoy it by faith. But, from awful instances of others falling away from the hope of Jesus, the apostles ever exercised a loving fear and a godly jealousy over their dear converts, lest any of them should even seem to come short through unbelief.  The Lord only knoweth who are His elect according to the covenant of grace. This did not lie open to the eyes even of His chosen apostles. It could only be made manifest by their faith and its fruits. Hence they wer...

"But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them that despitefully use you and persecute you." —Matthew 5:44 [KJV] Love is the very badge and characteristic of a disciple of Jesus. Love is of God. All tempers and passions which are contrary to love, "are earthly, sensual, and devilish." Let no disciple say, This is a hard saying, who can obey it? Nay, but it is the command of thy loving Saviour; He practised it; He has left thee an example. To this end art thou born from above of the Spirit of love; and art possessed with "faith, which worketh by love."  Therefore though hard and impossible it may seem to carnal reason, and to flesh and blood; yet we are under the indispensable obligation to follow the steps, and obey the commands of that Jesus, who loved us and died for us, though His enemies. He hath blessed us, and prays for us, and does good unto us, though we have rebel...

  Nothing in Faith that Saves! by D.G. Miles McKee   There is no saving quality in faith. It is nothing in and of itself. Yet, the scriptures clearly proclaim that we are justified by faith (Romans 3:28).  How is it possible that faith is nothing in and of itself, yet it saves multitudes?   Here’s how: Faith lays hold of Christ (1 Timothy 6:12a) and grasps that saving merit is found in Christ alone (Romans 3:24). Genuine faith understands that it is not because Christ is in us that we are saved, but rather salvation is ours because we are in Christ.  We are saved by the perfect accomplishments of the Lord Jesus 2000 years ago .   The summary of our faith is this: Christ Jesus is our Saviour; He is in heaven; He is our righteousness and right standing before God; He is our treasury of grace and mercy; He is on the throne of Omnipotence and at the same time, He is our ever-living High Priest (Hebrews 4:14, Ephesians 1:11; I Corinthians 1:30; R...

"... Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season (if need be) ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations." — 1 Peter 1:6 [KJV] Though a Christian be not always in a joyful frame, yet he has abundant cause to "rejoice always." Though many things may rob him of his frame, yet nothing can deprive him of the foundation of his comfort. Happy for us, this is permanent and abiding for ever: for it is founded in the love and truth of an unchangeable God. These disciples to whom the apostles wrote, "rejoiced greatly." Why? was it because they were perfectly delivered from a body of sin and death? that they were not like thee and me, O disciple, sinners? No; but the matter of their joy, the cause of their rejoicing was, their "election according to the foreknowledge of God the Father— sanctification by the Spirit—sprinkling of the blood of Jesus, being begotten to a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus;" —and the assurance ...

" If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." —I John 1:9 [KJV] Doubtless there are many confessions of sin made by the lips of men which are vain and fruitless. Yea, a man may be under a sense of legal terror and wrath in his conscience; and, like Judas, in the anguish of his spirit confess that he has sinned, and yet never obtain forgiveness from God. But every believer in Jesus is made a priest unto God, to offer spiritual sacrifices by Jesus Christ. And as the high-priest under the law laid both his hands upon the scapegoat and made confession of sins, Leviticus 16:21 —so the Christian, every anointed one, lays both his hands of faith and hope on Jesus Christ, confessing the evil of sin, the desert of sin, the sin of his nature, and the sin of his life, and pleads for forgiveness.  The sacrifice of Jesus is the alone object of his faith. And the blood of the Lamb is his only hope for par...

" My sheep hear My voice; I know them, and they follow Me." — John 10:27 [KJV] All our mercies in time and eternity flow from Jesus' knowing us as His sheep. To all such salvation is certain; both as to present grace and future glory. As a shepherd knoweth every sheep committed to his care; so doth our Good Shepherd. All His sheep were everlastingly beloved of the Father, "chosen in Christ before the foundation of the world," and given to Jesus in the eternal counsel. He became surety for them, He redeemed them to God by His own blood. Hence He calls them " MY SHEEP ,"—Mine by gift—Mine by redemption. Thus He hath a distinct knowledge of them, and special property in them. For "died Jesus as a fool dieth?" spilt He His precious blood at uncertainty? paid He the dreadful debt of law and justice at a peradventure, whether any soul would receive the eternal benefit or not? Surely no: for His undertaking was in infinite wisdom and...