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

"I came not to send peace on earth, but a sword." —Matthew 10:34 [KJV] Is not our Saviour the Prince of peace? Hath He not made peace between God and man, by the blood of His cross? Doth He not give peace in the conscience, and establish peace among His people? Is it not the essence of the gospel to preach peace by Christ? All this is true. Why then doth my Lord say, "I came not to send peace, but a sword?" Conceive not of the meek Lamb as though His soul delighted in war, and that the sword of slaughter should be drunk with human blood. No: He came not to destroy men's lives, but to save them. Therefore this sword is no other than the "sword of the Spirit, the word of God."   It is rendered in St. Luke, DIVISION. This sword divides and separates a Christian from his carnal friends and relations; yea, divides asunder flesh and Spirit. Hence open war commences, and hostilities begin; for there never, never can be any peace, harmony, and a...

" Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ." —1 Corinthians 10:5 [KJV] It is fit that soldiers of Jesus should have the sentence of death in themselves. They are hereby taught not to trust in themselves. Though armed with the spiritual weapons of their warfare, yet they are no farther mighty and conquering but as aided by the power of God. Poor souls, by trusting to their graces instead of the God of all grace, have been foiled by the enemy, and have fallen. "I will not trust in my bow, neither shall my sword save me: but, through the Lord, will we push down our enemies." —Psalm 44:5, 6 .  This is the language of faith, this the confidence of humble souls: after believers have escaped the corruptions that are in the world through lust, and have been turned from their sinful courses to the Lord Jesus, then danger threatens from...

" Grieve not the Holy Spirit of God." —Ephesians 4:30 [KJV] How affectionate and condescending is this address of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ to His children! Paul writes to Philemon, "Though I might be bold to enjoin thee that which is convenient; yet, for love's sake, I rather beseech thee." So with infinitely higher authority, the Lord might command with terror, instead of beseech with love. Astonishing expression! Grieve not the holy Spirit of God. Hast thou? Canst thou, O believer, be guilty in this matter?  It is easy to conceive that we may grieve our own spirits, and the spirits of good men by our sin and folly: but to think of grieving the Spirit of God, is enough to make us cry out in amazement, What mystery of love is this? But verily, so dear are God's children to Him, that as in love to our souls He took on Him our nature, so in condescension to our weak capacities, He borrows language from nature, and assumes to H...

" Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven." — Matthew 5:16 [KJV] Can a lump of animated clay, a worm of the earth, a creature of a day, glorify the infinitely great and eternally glorious Jehovah? Yes: such honor, such exalted honor have all His saints. For His pleasure they were created at first; for His glory they are born again of His Spirit. Jesus commands His members to it as their duty; the Spirit enables to it as their greatest privilege. The Father accepts, and is well pleased with, and declares Himself glorified by the practice of His children .—Psalm 50:23.  Did Samuel consent to Saul's request, "Honor me now, I pray thee, before the elders of my people? " —1 Samuel 15:30. And canst Thou, O son of the Most High, ever need a motive, or want an argument to glorify Thy Father before men? It is to be the chief work of thy life. In this work, as Moses said to Pharaoh, s...

7 Gospel Mercies. Part 4 by D.G. Miles McKee   In preceding Wednesday Words, we discovered that, because of the gospel, we have forgiveness, acceptance as being righteous, adoption, a new heart and a spirit of repentance.    Today we consider another Gospel Mercy, 6) Good Works.   One of the great gospel mercies is that God gives us power to do works that please Him. We read in Ephesians 2:10, “We are His workmanship created in Christ Jesus unto good works which God has before ordained that we might walk in them. ”   Now remember this,   Forgiveness is not by works. Acceptance as being righteous is not by works. Adoption is not by works. The new heart is not by works. A spirit of repentance is not by works. However, now that we have all these things, we are released to do good works.   One of the reformers said it like this, “We are saved by faith alone but the faith which saves is never alone.” In other words, he was saying that we are called t...

"Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling." —Philippians 2:12 [KJV] The salvation of lost sinners, from first to last, is all of grace, not of works —Romans 11:16 . It was planned in the covenant of grace; by the grace of Jesus it is FINISHED. The moment we believe on Jesus, salvation is ours; it is OUR OWN SALVATION. Mind that. Why are we called to work it out? Consider, salvation implies deliverance from dangers and enemies. Are we not surrounded with these, without as well as within?  The legality of our spirits, the pride of our natures, the lusts of the flesh, the carnal reasonings of our minds, unbelief of the offspring of them, the rebellion of our wills, the self-righteousness of our hearts, the worldly mindedness of our desires, the carnality of our affections, the turbulency of our passions, etc., say, are not these like a legion of enemies to our salvation? Is not Satan, our grand adversary, ever working by means of these enemies to bring u...

" God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation, through sanctification of the Spirit, and belief of the truth." —II Thessalonians 2:13 [KJV] We live in a day when pride reigns, the creature is exalted, the Holy Ghost resisted, and truth is trampled under foot. The doctrine of God's distinguishing grace and electing love in Christ Jesus, is now, as it ever was, to men of corrupt minds, destitute of the truth, a bone of contention. They have railing accusations, great swelling words to utter against it; their mouths are not stopped, because they see not themselves guilty before God. —Romans 3:19 .  Saith Paul of such, "They are under a strong delusion, they have pleasure in unrighteousness." They are left to sport themselves with their own vain proud delusions. Then he adds, "but we are bound to give thanks for God's election of you brethren, beloved of the Lord." True ministers of Jesus join with blessed apostles, in giving p...