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

" Truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with His Son Jesus Christ." —I John 1:3 [KJV] The prophet asks, "Can two walk together, except they be agreed?" —Amos 3:3. No. There can be no sweet communion, no comfortable fellowship between God and man, except they be agreed. See then, O soul, this fellowship is enjoyed by faith: for by faith we are brought into agreement with God. Consider, how the glorious THREE concur to make our souls thus happy. It pleased God the Father, that all fulness should dwell in His Son. He determined to display all His grace and glory in the MAN Jesus, for the sinner's salvation—Hence he saith to us, "This is My beloved Son, in Whom I am well pleased, HEAR YE HIM."   But we are averse to agree with God and to hear Jesus. We had rather have fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, and that the devil should rule over us; than that Jesus should have the whole glory of saving us by His grace. But the ...

Why Jesus Came by D G Miles McKee Luke 19:10   Why did Christ Jesus come to earth?  Why indeed?  Many answers have been given to that most excellent of questions. Some, for example, say that Jesus came to give us the illustration of a Perfect Man.  Some say, on the other hand, He came to show us how we should live.  Others consider Him the greatest teacher of all time and say He came to teach us right from wrong.  There are many more theories about why He came but to find the answer to this question we should let Jesus speak for Himself.   In Luke 19:10, in a simple sentence of 15 words, He declares one of His reasons for coming saying, “For the Son of Man came to seek and to save that which was lost.”  (Luke 19:10).   Let’s unpack that statement .    “ .. the Son of man came.” …   The Son of Man is a term mostly used by our Lord to denote His humanity . Yet when we examine Him, we discover that before He came to earth...

" Righteousness delivereth from death." —Proverbs 11:4 [KJV] When a poor sinner is brought to judge of himself according to the word of truth, then is he truly wise. When he sees the exceeding sinfulness of sin, he is humbled before the Lord. When he considers "the wages of sin is death," he fears and trembles. But when he is enabled to believe he is righteous in the sight of God, then he is truly happy. His soul rejoiceth, because his eyes have seen the salvation of God; and he hath found a righteousness that delivers from death.  It is never well with the soul, but when in simplicity and godly sincerity, it forms its judgment of sin and righteousness from the word of the Lord. For carnal reason and fleshly wisdom pervert and draw it aside from the truth as it is in Jesus. Sin is a transgression of the law, which is holy, just, and good. "Death has passed upon all men." Verily then I am a cursed sinner, and have need to cry daily, "Go...

" Let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful." —Colossians 3:15 [KJV] Every exhortation in the word of grace implies a contrary disposition in the fallen nature of saints. Because thou hast turbulence and disorder in thy flesh, therefore art thou, believer, called upon by the word, to oppose it in the grace of the Spirit. Here is thy daily exercise. We shall surely meet with many things from within and without, which are contrary to the peace of our minds, and the comfort of our hearts. Thou, O man of God, art to flee these things: watch against them; pray for victory over them. Thou hast the most powerful excitements hereto.  Jesus hath made peace by the blood of His cross. Every disciple is called to the knowledge and enjoyment of it through faith. Called to be of that one body whereof Jesus is the Head. Hence the handwriting of the law of accusation is cancelled in the mind; sin is dethroned in the heart; ...

" Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God." —Matthew 5:8 [KJV] Every institution of purification under the law referred to Jesus, the purifier of His people. Old-Testament saints received inward purity of heart from the same Fountain, Jesus; and through the same means, faith in Him. Without this inward purity of heart, "without holiness, no man ever did or ever shall see the Lord." When Jesus comes to His temple, even the hearts of His people, He "sits as a refiner and purifier." Sinners are the objects of His love. Sin is the accursed thing His soul hates. From this He purifies them.  In purity and holiness His soul delights: with this He blesses His disciples. He then pronounces them blessed. He tells them wherein their happiness consists: blessed are you, whose hearts are pure: blessed are your eyes, for they shall see God. Who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean? Not one of fallen Adam's race , Job. 14:4 . Such po...

" And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed." —Romans 13:11 [KJV] It is an affecting case, but a real truth, that wise virgins are apt to slumber and sleep as well as the foolish. Through the pressures of a body of sin and death, and the opiates of worldly ease and self-indulgence, they sometimes fall into a drowsy state, and a sleepy frame of soul. Hence, they lose their former delight in religious duties and spiritual exercises. Their love to God and their brethren in Christ grows cold; their zeal for the glory of Jesus and His precious truths decline.  The enemy takes great advantages against them, and would triumph in their entire destruction. But that can never be, for the Lord prevents it. "He that keepeth Israel neither slumbers nor sleeps." Will the loving father suffer his dear children to sleep in their beds till devoured by raging flames? If we being ev...

" Watch ye, stand fast in the faith, quit you like men, be strong." —I Corinthians 16:13 [KJV] Believers in the Lord Jesus now partake of an everlasting salvation. No enemy can deprive them of the full enjoyment of it in glory; because "they are kept by the mighty power of God." But we are daily to consider, it is "through faith," —1 Peter 1:5 . Do we believe in the atonement of Jesus' blood; do we rely on the perfection of His righteousness? Why so? Because the word of the Lord is the warrant for our faith.   Hence, O soul, the exhortations from the same word to duty are equally binding on thy belief and practice. The same Lord Who has saved us from our enemies, calls us to watch against them. Jesus, Who is gone to prepare a place for us in glory, directs us how to demean ourselves in the way to it. Shall the Christian soldier neglect the command of the Captain of his salvation, when the glory of God and the peace and comfort of his own...