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

"I press toward the mark, for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus." — Philippians 3:14 [KJV] By effectual vocation the soul is called from a death in sin to a life of righteousness. By spiritual illumination the most desirable objects are discerned; the faith of God's elect manifests itself to be an operative grace in the heart by the conduct of the life. Blessed Paul, though such a zealous champion for sovereign operations and free-grace truths, though so averse to the pride of (-so called) free-will and the confidence of human righteousness in his writing and preaching, yet his life and exhortations are equally opposite to all licentious practices and unchristian sloth; he had a race to run, a prize to win, the end of his calling to attain.  Thus is it with all who are partakers of like precious faith; folding the hands, sitting down contented, resting in ease and indolence, may suffice when doctrines are only received as notions in the he...

" Cast thy burden upon the L ORD , and He shall sustain thee: He shall never suffer the righteous to be moved." — Psalm 55:22 [KJV] The soul, having lost its innocency by the sin of the first Adam, can never be happy till it knows righteousness is restored to it again by Jesus, the second Adam . Sensible sinners would be truly miserable when they see their nakedness and feel their want of righteousness, was not righteousness revealed as God's unspeakable gift by Jesus Christ. By Him a glorious robe of righteousness is wrought out and imputed to naked and destitute sinners. Grace reigns through His righteousness. All the mercy and favor we receive from God is in a way of righteousness.  We enjoy the knowledge and comfort that we are righteous before God through faith. If this point is not clear and settled in the mind, it is because the clouds of ignorance and unbelief are not chased away; the Sun of righteousness hath not yet arose upon such hearts; therefore ...

" O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death ?" —Romans 7:24 [KJV] Spiritual sense and feeling are peculiar to regenerate, heaven-born souls. While in a carnal state, "dead in trespasses and sins;" though the law thunders out its dreadful curses against us, we hear not. Though by nature children of wrath and deserving hell, yet our danger we see not. Though our sins are gone over our heads, and are like a sore burden too heavy for us to bear, yet we feel them not. But when the soul is alive to God, we groan, being burdened with a body of sin, and pant after deliverance. This was the experience of holy Paul. Such the experience of saints in all ages. But, thanks be to our God, though ever so deeply distressed and greatly depressed with sin, we sorrow not as without hope.  We are not ignorant of our Deliverer, but know Him, even Jesus Christ. None but Jesus is able; and He hath, He doth, He will deliver. He hath delivere...

" This is the true God and eternal life. Keep yourselves from idols. Amen." — I John 5:20, 21 [KJV] It is a common objection with the men of this world against the ministers and members of Jesus: "You can preach and talk of nothing but JESUS." Truly we "consider Him as the end of all our conversation." — Hebrews 13:7, 8 . Conscious of what He hath done FOR us, what He is TO us, and what He hath done IN us; verily, Jesus is all in all to our souls. We know that the Son of God is come in our flesh. We are sure that by the blood of His cross "He hath made an end of sin, finished transgression, made reconciliation for iniquity;" and by His holy life "hath brought in an everlasting righteousness," — Daniel 9:24 .  All this we poor sinners wanted. Nothing short of this could save us. Yea, eternal life we have in our WONDERFUL friend, the God-man, Christ Jesus. Blessed be His infinitely precious name! He hath given us an understanding heart...

" Now our Lord Jesus Christ Himself, and God even our Father, which hath loved us, and hath given us everlasting consolation, and good hope through grace, comfort your hearts, and stablish you in every good word and work." — II Thessalonians 2:16, 17 [KJV] Believers in Jesus know that "the remembrance of sin is grievous, and the burden intolerable." A sight and sense of sin affects their conscience with sorrow and distress. There is daily need that their poor hearts should be comforted; and also that they should be established in every good word and work. But from whence shall they derive this? from striving to forget, palliate, or excuse their past sins? by promising to be more stedfast for the future in the truths of God and obedience to His will?  Alas! he who truly knows what a sinful nature is, who is really acquainted with his own weakness and insufficiency to that which is good, and his proneness to all evil, will not, cannot thus deceive his ...

"We have not an high-priest who cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are; yet without sin." — Hebrews 4:15 [KJV] "Without sin!" O, cries the sanctified soul, that this was my happy state. And verily, as sure as the word of God is true, thou shalt enjoy this perfect freedom from thy worst enemy. But thou must be content to wait God's time, and live in God's way; that is, by faith upon thy best friend Jesus. Thy present blessedness is to understand and rejoice in this great mystery, that Christ who knew no sin was made sin for us. Therefore, by faith we glory, knowing that God looketh on us, blesseth us as righteous in Christ, and doth not impute sin unto us.  As the Head is without sin, so are all the members, viewed and beloved in the sight of God. And this is the evidence that we are born of the Spirit and have the mind of Christ, that we hate all sin and long for entire deliveranc...

What If Jesus Is Not God?   by D.G. Miles McKee   John 8:24, "Unless you believe that I am (He), you shall die in your sins."    From all eternity Jesus Christ was and is the eternally, self-existent One. He was and is and is to come. He is Yahweh, the great I Am, the Alpha and the Omega, the Word made flesh (John 1:14).  He was and is God. His divine nature was unborrowed, underived, and unconferred.  It is Jesus, the Lord from heaven, who is above all and over all (John 3:31).   He is the fullness of the Godhead bodily (Colossians 2:9).  He has and is both the wisdom and the power of God (1 Corinthians1:24). In Him dwells the fullness of the Godhead in all knowledge, power, grace, mercy, truth and holiness.   As believers, it is our privilege to propagate the message that the Lord Jesus possesses all that God is. If people want to know what God has said, we should point them to the words of Jesus. If they want to know how God ...