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

"Judge me, O LORD, according to my righteousness, and according to my integrity that is in me."   - Psalm 7:8 [KJV] What! is David become a self-justifier? Does he trust in, and depend upon his own righteousness? Does he plead it, even before the Lord, and expect justification by it? Hath he not elsewhere declared, “In Thy sight shall no man be justified” ? (Psalm 143:2.) Why then does he here talk of my righteousness? and why does he say, “The LORD reward me, according to my righteousness?”   (Psalm 18:20.)  It was far from David’s heart, to make his own righteousness the ground of his acceptance before God, or to place his hope of eternal life on it. He was a poor sinner. He knew it well. He confesses it constantly to the Lord. He declines it in point of justification, “I will make mention of Thy righteousness, even of Thine ONLY,”   (Psalm 71:16.) Why then does he here talk of his own righteousness? Let not this puzzle thy mind, nor pervert thy judgm...

"And righteousness shall be the girdle of His loins, and faithfulness the girdle of His reins." -Isaiah 11:5 [KJV] Mark these expressions, my soul, concerning thy covenant God in Christ. The Lord condescends by them to represent both His righteousness and faithfulness, as they are engaged to make good the purposes of redemption, in the Father and the Son. Jehovah's righteousness, and Jehovah's faithfulness, are blessed securities for this purpose; for so saith the Holy Ghost. "God is faithful and just to forgive us our sins." Wherefore? Because "Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth." And do not overlook the striking figure of the girdle, which is chosen to represent it by; for as a man binds on the girdle round his loins, as a strengthener; so Jehovah takes to Himself the righteousness of His dear Son. "Let Him take hold," saith Jehovah,  "of My strength, to make peace with Me, and ...

"Make me not the reproach of the foolish." -Psalm 39:8 [KJV] Who are these "foolish?" I think the best answer to this question is given by our Lord Himself, in the parable of the wise and foolish virgins. "The foolish" were those who had oil in their lamps, but none in their vessels. By "the foolish" in the text, therefore, we may understand those who have the light of knowledge in their heads, and the lamp of profession in their hands, but no oil of grace in their hearts.  They are "foolish," because they know neither God nor themselves, neither sin nor salvation, neither the depth of the fall nor the greatness of the remedy. They are "foolish," as regards themselves, in thinking that light and knowledge will save them, without life and grace; and they are "foolish," as regards others, for want of an experimental acquaintance with the heart. They know nothing, therefore, of the temptations of a child o...

The Question: What can a man dead in sins do before God apart from a prior work of God in Him? ‘I remember the day in seminary when my professor asked this question, ‘What can a dead man do?’ And with that one question it was like a rock was thrown into a large glass window, and that one rock shattered my entire world view in my understanding of human nature.     I was sitting on the front row, and I kept waiting for one of my classmates to answer this professor, what can a dead man do, and the answer came from the back row, ‘Stink.’ That is all that a dead man can do.  A dead man has no capacity whatsoever to respond.’     -preacher Steven Lawson, excerpt from ‘Total Depravity and the Clarity of Evangelism’

"When the chief Shepherd shall appear, he shall receive a crown of glory, that fadeth not away." -I Peter 5:4 [KJV] St. Peter speaks with the utmost confidence of the appearing of Christ, and of His members being crowned in glory. Yes, he knew better than to make his Lord a liar. For if any one of them should perish in their sins, and by the force and fraud of Satan be dragged down to hell, then they would lose their crown of glory. But how then would the goodness of their Shepherd appear, if he suffered this?  St. Peter never received, nor ever taught such absurd, unscriptural doctrine. He too well knew the unchangeable love of the chief Shepherd. He knew Christ could not be glorified, nor would His heavenly Father be satisfied, without each and every one, of His chosen, redeemed, justified, believing members, crowned in glory. He says, “I am the good Shepherd: I know My sheep, I give My life for My sheep” (John 10:11.) If but one of them was missing, He would ...

"Christ the wisdom of God." -I Corinthians 1:24 [KJV] Think, my soul, what wisdom is contained in that one word, and that one person, Christ . An whole eternity will not be sufficient to read over the immense volume. Wisdom in planning, wisdom in executing, wisdom in completing the great salvation. And what a world of wisdom, in the two natures united in one person-the God-man, the Glory-man, the Wisdom-man, Christ Jesus!  And Oh what wisdom, in making sin, which strikes at God's sovereignty, the very means of manifesting God's power and love. Such is the wisdom of God in Christ, that sin, which in its nature becomes productive of the greatest dishonour to God, should be rendered subservient to produce the greatest glory. My soul, ponder these things; then ask thyself, is there not a wisdom in this vast subject, as far as it concerns thee, yet more wonderful than all? Yes, for surely the greatest of all mysteries in this wonderful volume, to thy view, i...

"For thy Maker is thine husband; the LORD of hosts is His name; and thy Redeemer the Holy One of Israel; The God of the whole earth shall He be called." -Isaiah 54:5 [KJV] As in the marriage union man and wife become one flesh, and, God having joined them together, no man may put them asunder, so when the Lord Jesus Christ, in "the everlasting covenant, ordered in all things and sure , "  betrothed the Church unto Himself, they became before the face of heaven one in indissoluble ties. As He undertook in  "the fulness of time" to be  "made of a woman,"  she became one with Him in body by virtue of a common nature; and becomes one with Him in spirit when, as each individual member comes forth into a time state, the blessed Spirit unites it to him by regenerating grace. Such is the testimony of the word of truth. "We are members of His body, of His flesh, and of His bones;" "He that is joined to the Lord is one spirit....