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

“For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ” (John 1:17). "Grace reigns through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord" (Romans 5:21) .    The grace that saves the sinner is not mere pity and sentiment such as we find in the creature. The grace that saves sinners is established on the principles of an honored law and a satisfied justice, (Romans 3:23-26) .  Grace does not ignore the law nor set aside its requirements. No! It establishes the law, (Romans 3:31) . Grace establishes the law because it has a Substitute who perfectly fulfilled the law and endured the death penalty for all who believe, in order that God may be both just and justifier. Law manifests what is in men- SIN! Grace manifests what is in God- LOVE!  Law demands righteousness from men! Grace brings righteousness to men!  Law sentences men to death! Grace brings dead men to life! Law speaks of what I must do! Grace tells what Christ has do...

" Not only is there is no condition of faith for the new birth, but there is no condition for the new birth at all.  It is a work of the grace of the Sovereign God." -unknown 

" Therefore, behold I will hedge up thy way with thorns, and make a wall that she shall not find her paths." -Hosea 2:6 [KJV]    Here is a contest between the (-so called) 'free-will' of the sinner, and the free grace of the Saviour. Why therefore? This alludes to what was spoken before. O how strong it savours of cursed, free-will pride! I will go after my lovers, etc. What says the Lord to this? Go, and destroy yourself, I will leave you to your own will? O ye patrons to the notion of free-will, a greater curse cannot befall you on this side hell than to be thus left. Though you have such pride, yet the Lord has more grace.  Therefore He says, Behold. Take special notice of this. Your will is to leave Me, and destroy your souls. But I will not suffer this. Grace reigns. Free-will shall be conquered: My glory shall be exalted . I will hedge up thy way with thorns. Mind: it is Thy way, not mine. I will set the briers of troubles, and the sharp thorns of...

"...b ut some are fallen asleep." -I Corinthians 15:6 [KJV] It is the united testimony of faithful witnesses, that Jesus is risen indeed. But what is this truth of a risen Saviour, to a dead sinner? He hears it, but without any affections of heart, joy of soul, desires to rise with Christ, or hopes of enjoying Him. But when, by the grace of Christ, the soul is quickened to know Him, then the believer rejoices inHis resurrection, as the best news that ever saluted his ears, or reached his heart.  Then, he delights to read the testimony of the witnesses, to this glorious event. Yea, he also becomes a witness of it himself, for he has an inward testimony of it by faith. My heart has felt joy on seeing Charity-children at Easter, with this label upon their breast, He is risen . It is this blessed truth, which changes the king of terrors, into an angel of comfort: turns that frightful monster, death, into the image of sweet sleep.  For Christ died for OUR sin, and r...

"God’s act of giving life to the spiritually dead is distinct from His truth, just as the faculty of sight is distinct from light.  Since quickening is an immediate and creative act, no instrumental and secondary causes are connected with it.  Scripture is effective only in those who are renewed (I Corinthians 2.12-14) ; it cannot produce life.  Man sees only because he is born of the Spirit (John 3:3) . Once the faculty of sight is given, the recipient is guided by the Word which is indispensable to conversion."   -preacher W. E. Best

What do you think of Christ? Part 5 “What think ye of Christ? is the test To try both your state and your scheme; You can­not be right in the rest, Unless you think right­ly of Him.” -John Newton In parts 1- 4 we discovered that  no one was ever born like Jesus, no one ever lived like Jesus, no one ever worked like Jesus, and no one ever dealt with sinners like Jesus.  This time we will consider how no one ever died like Jesus. The Lord Jesus didn´t have to die! He voluntarily dismissed His Spirit.  In John 10:18 He claimed He had power to lay down His life and power to take it up again and He did just that. When He had made atonement for our sins, He called out, “It is Finished” and gave up the ghost (Matthew 27:50). He died at will! No one else ever died at will.  You can´t do that and nor can I.  “Ah wait a minute” you say,  ” There have been people who have been so downhearted that they just wanted to die and they did die.”  Yes that´s...

“And we desire that every one of you do shew the same diligence to the full assurance of hope unto the end .”   -Hebrews 6:11  [KJV] The assurance of hope is true and lasting assurance that comes from a concentrated, determined, intense, passionate looking by faith to the Lord Jesus Christ as Surety of our salvation.  It is also called the “full assurance of faith”  (Hebrews 10:22) as the believer sees and believes the way into “the holiest , ”  the very presence of God Himself, “by the blood of Jesus”  (Hebrews 10:19).   The “blood of Jesus”   is “the righteousness of God”  (Romans 3:21-26) freely imputed to His people and which they all without exception receive in their minds and hearts by God-given faith in the Lord Jesus Christ (Romans 10:9-10). This is the ground of our salvation and the ground of our assurance of salvation.  Our hope is in Christ Jesus alone. We a...