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

7 Gospel Mercies. Part 3 by D. G. Miles McKee   Over these last few weeks, we have been considering a few of the mercies we receive as believers.  We continue today with, 4) A New Heart.   This is what the theologians call regeneration.   Regeneration is neither a process nor an improving of the old nature. In the Old Testament, the Lord prophesied through Ezekiel, “A new heart will I give you and a new Spirit will I put within you” (Ezekiel 36:26). God invades us by His Holy Spirit and makes us spiritually alive. What a wonderful work the Spirit does within us. Not only does He generate new life, He continues to work within every believer both to will and to do of His good pleasure (Philippians 2:12-13). He will cause us to know His will, to love it and to do it! He puts His laws into our hearts and writes them in our minds (Hebrews 10:18). All of this is a wonderful ‘Gospel Mercy’.   As followers of the Lamb, we neither have to work up a feeling of...

" All things are lawful unto me, but all things are not expedient." —I Corinthians 6:12 [KJV] The constraints of love and jealousy of fear sweetly unite in the believing heart. Where the faith of Jesus prevails, love constrains. It holds and keeps us in our station and duty, as soldiers are kept together under a banner or ensign displayed. What cheerfulness and activity of soul do we experience, when we can say with the church in the Canticles (Songs of Solomon), ch. 2, vs4. "Jesus' banner over me was love!" Then how sweetly do we judge and determine our conduct by the law of Christ, which is LOVE!  This excites a godly fear lest we should allow ourselves a latitude in things in themselves indifferent, to the wounding and hurt of our souls or our fellow-soldiers. Though all things of an indifferent nature, which are innocent in themselves, are lawful to us; yet the cause and interest of our dear Saviour, and the good and edifying of His beloved memb...

"And the work of righteousness shall be peace; and the effect of righteousness, quietness, and assurance for ever." —Isaiah 32:17 [KJV] The light of this day assures us the sun is risen upon the earth. That is not a more evident truth in nature, than this is in reason; that righteousness, once lost, can never be regained by all that sinful man can do. Consequently no peace can subsist between a holy, righteous God, and guilty, unrighteous man. "There is no peace, saith my God, to the wicked." But who are the wicked? Even all those who through unbelief reject the truth as it is in Jesus.  It is the essence of wickedness to oppose a righteous God, to reject the righteousness of Jesus, and to go about to establish one's own inherent righteousness, so as not to submit to the righteousness of God Jesus. Hence the conscience is defiled with guilt, the heart impure, and the life is unholy. Yet pride blinds men's eyes, and self-righteousness deludes th...

" At that day ye shall know that I am in My Father, and ye in Me, and I in you." —John 14:20 [KJV] "To every thing there is a season, and a time for every purpose under the heaven." "God hath made every thing beautiful in His time." —Ecclesiastes 3:1, 11 . In the beginning of time God created all things by Jesus Christ. In the fulness of time the Son of God was made flesh, dwelt among us for a time, and at the end of it finished salvation for lost sinners. The man Jesus ever lives in glory, and therefore His members must be made spiritually alive upon earth; to Him they must all be gathered. There is a day of grace appointed them: a time, a set time to favor them. —Psalm 110:3 .  A day of power, wherein they are made willing to come to Jesus, and choose Him for their only Saviour, and trust in Him as their only hope and their all. Various are the spiritual statutes of God's children. Different are their degrees of light, faith, knowledge, ...

" Casting all your care upon Him; for He careth for you." —I Peter 5:7 [KJV] We are now called to confess Jesus in a day of mildness; the fury and rage of persecution is restrained; bonds and imprisonments do not await us; yet we must not think to be exempt from trials and difficulties of various kinds. The adversary is not dead; nature's lusts and corruptions are alive, and daily fight against us. The love of Jesus is ever accompanied with the world's hatred. Disciples of Jesus are not mere stoics; they feel the exercise of these things more or less.  Sometimes it may be their lot, like the disciples, to be in the midst of a sea of troubles; tossed with the wave of difficulties, the wind of providence seems contrary to them; and to the eye of nature and sense, Jesus seems asleep to their sorrows; as though He intermits in His kind love to them, and tender care over them. Here is the trial of faith; but this grace never consults nature and appearances; i...

" As sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life, by Jesus Christ our Lord ." —Romans 5:21 [KJV] Sin, like some mighty conqueror, hath obtained a victory and reigns over the whole human race. All men are naturally under, and well pleased with its reign and government; but sovereign, almighty grace dethrones this usurping monarch in the hearts of the elect; triumphs over its spoils and conquests, delivers their captive souls from its dominion, and reverseth the sentence of death they were under: and all this is effected in a just and righteous way.  For though salvation is all of grace to poor sinners, yet eternal life is a just debt due to the blood and righteousness of Jesus Christ: He hath a right to challenge it from the hands of justice; and He doth so by promise, "Father, I WILL that they Whom Thou hast given Me, be with Me where I am." —John 17:24 . To think of doing something to procure the fav...

  When Jesus Christ’s count rymen tried to force Him to be their king, He withdrew from them (John 6:15). But when they came to arrest Him as a criminal, He let them take Him (John 18:1 - 5). Think of it! Jesus refused an earthly kingdom, but submitted to cruelty from it.   • He refused being enthroned by men, but accepted being killed by them.   • He refused their rule over men, but accepted their mistreatment of Him.   • He refused their royal throne, but accepted their shameful cross.   • He refused their crown of gold, but accepted their c rown of thorns.   • He refused their royal robe, but accepted the taking of all His garments.   • He refused to be a man of privilege, but accepted being a man of sorrows.   • He refused a life of ease, but accepted a death in grief.   And He endured all this for the salvation of His people. -preacher Daniel Parks