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

"Casting all your care upon Him; for He careth for you."   -I Peter 5:7 [KJV] Yes, blessed Jesus, I would cast all upon Thee: sins, sorrows, trials, temptations. Thou art the Almighty Burden-bearer of Thy people; for the Lord Jehovah hath laid on Thee the iniquity of us all. And as Thou bearest all our sins, so Thou carriest all our sorrows. And dost Thou not bear all the persons of Thy redeemed? Dost Thou not bear all our troubles, all our exercises, all our temptations, trials, difficulties? The government is upon Thy shoulder; the care of the churches is all with Thee.  And shall I not cast all my care upon Thee? Shall I be careful for many things, while Jesus saith, "Cast thy burden upon the Lord, and He shall sustain thee?"  Oh for grace to sit loose to all things, and to leave all things with Thee. Lord, do Thou bear me up when I am falling, support me when weak, uphold me against all mine enemies, carry me safe through a life of grace here—an...

"And ye are Christ's; and Christ is God's."   -I Corinthians 3:23 [KJV] "Christ is God's."  These are remarkable words, and need to be carefully and reverently opened up. The fulness of the mystery is beyond our grasp. Still, we may attempt to look at it in faith and godly fear. How, then, is Christ God's? First, He is God's Son—not a Son by covenant or by office; in other words, not a nominal, but a true and proper Son—a Son by nature, by His eternal mode of subsistence as a Person in the Godhead. "This is My beloved Son"  was twice proclaimed by God the Father with an audible voice from heaven.  Second, but He is also God's servant. "Behold My servant whom I uphold" (Isaiah 42:1) . "It is a light thing that Thou shouldest be My servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob" (Isaiah 49:6) , and this He was as Messiah. But because He is by office God's servant, He is not less by nature God's Son. He...

" And Israel said unto Joseph, Now let me die, since I have seen thy face, because thou art yet alive."   -Genesis 46:30 [KJV] Strange request! What, just come to the sight and embrace of thy long lost son, and yet want to leave him at the very first interview? One should have thought the language of Jacob would have been, Happy man! I not only see my beloved son, but also see him governor over all the land. Well, I hope I shall live long to enjoy his riches and grandeur. But, no. The good man had lived long enough to make an estimate of the uncertainties of life: to know the evil of days, the vicissitudes of time, and how soon the day of brilliant joy might be changed into the night of gloom and sadness.  The sight of his son was the summit of his wishes: that granted, he sought no more. He wished to be at home with his Lord. Happy Christian! thus to set loose to all creature enjoyments, even when there is the highest enjoyment of them, than to have one’s min...

"I have chosen thee, and not cast thee away."   - Isaiah 41:9 [KJV] Is this thy portion, my soul? Hath the Lord thy God indeed chosen thee? Hath He manifested His love to thee in so distinguishing a way? Take comfort, then, in all thine exercises, when seasons of darkness .and discouragement are around; think of God's choice, and venture on God's love. Art thou distressed, exercised, afflicted? Dost thou call on God, and find no answer? Doth the enemy tempt thee to doubt? Doth thine own unbelieving heart misgive thee?  Still recollect, Jesus knows all. He chose thee—and He that chose thee knows all thine exercises; nay, He Himself hath appointed them. And remember, thou wast not forced upon Him. It was His own free choice first made thee His; and His own love will be the security of thy present dependence. Jesus resteth in His love; He hateth putting away. Cast down as thou art, thou art not cast off. Though fallen, He can raise. Though dejected, He can and...

"Whether Paul, or Apollos, or Cephas, or the world, or life, or death, or things present, or things to come; all are yours."   -I Corinthians 3:22 [KJV] "Life," says the apostle, is "yours."  But how can this be? In two ways. Life present and life future, both are the Christian's, according to the words, "Godliness is profitable unto all things, having promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come."  But life present is natural and spiritual. In three senses, therefore, is life the portion of Christ's people; life natural, life spiritual, life eternal. Life natural is theirs, for they alone can truly enjoy it. What is natural life if it hang by a thread over an awful eternity? How soon spent and gone, and how soon death and judgment close the scene.  But the Christian's very natural life is his season for faith and prayer, the seedtime of an immortal harvest. Most men are life's slave, but he is life...

“Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved." -Acts 16:31 [KJV]   About 30% of the world’s population professes to be “Christian”.  All of them would say they believe in the Lord Jesus Christ.  Two questions:  What does the Bible mean by believe and Who exactly is the Lord Jesus Christ on whom we must believe?     Most all of those 2.3 billion people would attribute their faith either to a decision they made, or something they have always had. This is not what the Bible means by “believe.”   To believe is not a choice.  It is a miraculous work of grace in the heart that shuts us up to Christ as our only hope.     It is an irresistible gift of God.  Believing is not our contribution in salvation. It is a confession , brought about by the new birth , that we have nothing in ourselves to contribute.   Who is the Lord Jesus Christ on whom we must believe to be saved?     The...

FREE WILL OR FREE GRACE? The Bible does not teach that man has a free will.  “It is not of him that willeth”   (Romans 9:16) .  The will of man is under the dominion of his sinful nature.  That does not mean the will of the new nature is not involved in a man’s salvation.  Paul said, “To will is present with me” and “It is God that worketh in you both to will and to do His good pleasure” and “Whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.”    But if  I believe any part of my salvation to be ultimately dependent upon my will, the choices I make, and not ultimately dependent upon God’s will, I am operating in the realm of salvation by works.   Every aspect of false religion begins with man’s will and the choices he  makes…. to do or not to do.  If that is the case (and it is not), then salvation and personal growth are ultimately dependent upon your will.   You get at least some of the glory, and you...