Simul Justus et Peccator

 Perhaps the formula that Luther used that is most famous and most telling at this point is his formula simul justus et peccator. And if any formula summarizes and captures the essence of the Reformation view, it is this little formula. Simul is the word from which we get the English word simultaneously. Or, it means 'at the same time.' Justus is the Latin word for just or righteous. And you all know what et is. Et the past tense of the verb 'to eat.' Have you et your dinner? No, you know that's not what that means. You remember in the death scene of Caesar after he's been stabbed by Brutus he says, "Et tu, Brute?" Then fall Caesar. And you too Brutus? It simply means and. Peccator means sinner.

And so with this formula, Luther was saying, in our justification we are one and the same time righteous or just, and sinners. Now if he would say that we are at the same time and in the same relationship just and sinners that would be a contradiction in terms. But that's not what he was saying. He was saying from one perspective, in one sense, we are just. In another sense, from a different perspective, we are sinners; and how he defines that is simple. In and of ourselves, under the analysis of God's scrutiny, we still have sin; we're still sinners. But, by imputation and by faith in Jesus Christ, whose righteousness is now transferred to our account, then we are considered just or righteous. This is the very heart of the gospel.

Will I be judged in order to get into heaven by my righteousness or by the righteousness of Christ? If I had to trust in my righteousness to get into heaven, I would completely and utterly despair of any possibility of ever being redeemed. But when we see that the righteousness that is ours by faith is the perfect righteousness of Christ, then we see how glorious is the good news of the gospel. The good news is simply this, I can be reconciled to God, I can be justified by God not on the basis of what I did, but on the basis of what's been accomplished for me by Christ.

But at the heart of the gospel is a double-imputation. My sin is imputed to Jesus. His righteousness is imputed to me. And in this two-fold transaction we see that God, Who does not negotiate sin, Who doesn't compromise His own integrity with our salvation, but rather punishes sin fully and really after it has been imputed to Jesus, retains His own righteousness, and so He is both just and the justifier, as the apostle tells us here. So my sin goes to Jesus, His righteousness comes to me in the sight of God.

Gill on Repentance

IV. The Author, and cause, and means of repentance.

1. The Author and efficient cause of it is not man himself, but God; “then hath God also granted repentance to the Gentiles”, <441118>Acts 11:18 it is not in the power of man to repent of himself, for he is by nature blind, and has no sight and sense of sin; his understanding is darkened with respect unto it, and he is darkness itself till made light in the Lord; and until he has a sight and sense of sin he can never truly repent of it; his heart is hard and obdurate, his heart is an heart of stone, and he cannot really repent of sin until that stony heart is taken away, and an heart of flesh is given; and whenever he becomes sensible of his need of repentance, he prays to God for it, saying, “Turn thou me, and I shall be turned”: nor do exhortations to repentance suppose it in the power of man to repent of himself; since these are only designed to bring him to a sense of his need of it, and of his obligation to it, and of his impotence to it of himself through the hardness of his heart, and to direct him to seek it of God, who only can give it; for,

2. Though God may give men space to repent, yet if he does not give the grace of repentance, they never will repent. Thus he gave space to the old world, threatened with a flood, which some think is meant by the one hundred and twenty years allowed them, when the longsuffering of God waited in the times of Noah, while the ark was preparing, but without effect; so Jezebel, or Antichrist, is said to have “space” given her “to repent of her fornication, and she repented not”, <660221>Revelation 2:21 and this God sometimes gives to the children of men to show his sovereignty, that he will have mercy on whom he will have mercy, and give repentance to  whom he pleases; and for the sake of his elect, not willing that any of them should perish, but that they should all come to repentance, and therefore his longsuffering towards them is salvation; and this also he sometimes gives to show his forbearance of the vessels of wrath, and to leave them inexcusable. Nay,

3. Though some men have the means of repentance, yet grace not being given them of God they repent not; the word, unless attended with power, is ineffectual; the most severe judgments inflicted on men are insufficient, as the plagues on Pharaoh, whose heart was the worse and more hardened under them, <021110>Exodus 11:10 and though the children of Israel were smitten with famine, with the pestilence, and with the sword, yet they repented not, nor returned unto the Lord, <300406>Amos 4:6-11 so the fourth and fifth vials poured forth on men, which will scorch and fill them with pains and sores, instead of repenting of their deeds they will blaspheme the God of heaven and his name, <661608>Revelation 16:8-11. And on the other hand, the greatest instances of mercy and goodness to men, and singular deliverances wrought for them, which should, and one would think would, lead men to repentance, and yet they do not, <450204>Romans 2:4,5

<660920>Revelation 9:20,21 yea the most powerful and awakening ministry that a man can sit under, has no influence on the minds of men to bring them to repentance, without the power and grace of God; such as was the ministry of John the Baptist, who was the voice of one crying in the wilderness, preaching in a loud, vehement, and powerful manner, the baptism of repentance; and yet though some publicans and harlots believed, the Pharisees repented not afterwards that they might believe, <402132>Matthew 21:32 our Lord spake as one having authority, yet few believed; and many cities where he preached, and mighty works were done by him, yet repented not; and if one was to rise from the dead, and describe all the happiness of the blissful state of the saints in heaven he was capable of, or paint all the horrors of the damned in hell, it would have no effect, neither to allure nor frighten to repentance, or bring men to it, without the exertion of powerful and efficacious grace, <421631>Luke 16:31.

4. The sole efficient cause and author of repentance is God, Father, Son, and Spirit. God the Father, “if God peradventure will give them repentance”, <550225>2 Timothy 2:25. Christ, the Son of God, as mediator, is exalted “to give repentance unto Israel, and forgiveness of sins”, <440531>Acts 5:31 and the Spirit of God reproves for sin, convinces of it, and works repentance for it, <431608>John 16:8.

5. The moving cause of it is the free grace of God; it is a grant and favour from him, a gift of Christ, which he, as a prince and a saviour bestows,

<441118>Acts 11:18 5:31 and an operation of the power and grace of the Spirit of God, and entirely flows from the sovereign will and mercy of God, “who hath mercy on whom he will have mercy, and whom he will he hardeneth”,  <450918>Romans 9:18 not giving grace to repent.

6. The usual means and instruments of repentance are the word, and the ministers of it; as faith, so repentance, comes by hearing the word; the three thousand were pricked to the heart, and were brought to repentance, through the ministry of the apostle Peter; and as all the apostles were ordered by Christ to preach repentance in his name among all nations, so they went forth everywhere, and God in and by their ministry commanded all men everywhere to repent; and when and where the command was attended with power it produced the effect; and so the apostle Paul declared to Jews and Gentiles, that “they should repent and turn to God, and do works meet for repentance”; and the hand of the Lord being with him, great numbers everywhere believed and turned to the Lord, <422447>Luke 24:47 <441730>Acts  17:30 26:20.

John Gill, Body of Divinity, n.d.

CHRIST IS A BETTER PROMISE

 God can no more condemn a believing soul when he looks upon Christ, than he can drown the world against his promise when he looks on the rainbow.

—Puritan Stephen Charnock, Works 3:489

FULLNESS OF JOY

 “Lord, grant that from hence I may learn to withdraw thoughts, affections, desires, and expectations entirely from the world, and may fix them upon the heavenly state, where there is fullness of joy; where reigns heavenly, sweet, calm, and delightful love without alloy; where there are continually the dearest expressions of this love; where there is the enjoyment of this love without ever parting; and where those persons, who appear so lovely in this world, will be inexpressibly more lovely, and full of love to us. How sweetly will those, who thus mutually love, join together in singing the praises of God and the Lamb. How full will it fill us with joy, to think that this enjoyment, these sweet exercises, will never cease or come to an end, but will last to all eternity.”

~ Jonathan Edwards.

ORTHODOX HEAD, REBELLIOUS HEART

  "How tragic to have an orthodox head wedded to a rebellious heart!" Dr. James Montgomery Boice

Refer it Back to God

 But we are short-sighted creatures, not only unworthy--but unable to rightly choose for ourselves.

If the choice was left to us--it would be our wisdom to refer it back to God.

We may be sure that He does not willingly grieve or afflict us. He takes no pleasure in seeing us weep and mourn--rather, every day brings us ten thousand proofs that He delights in our prosperity.

Whenever we are in heaviness, therefore, there is a need-be for it--faithful are the wounds of such a Friend! Our trials are made no sooner, nor longer--than the necessity of the case requires. He who wounds--has promised likewise to heal. He is all sufficient, and can give more than He will ever take away from His redeemed people. I trust she will find power to commit herself, and her every concern, into His hands; and that she will have reason to acknowledge, from day to day, that He does all things well!

Whatever the outcome may be--our Lord is wise and good in all His dealings. His mercies to us are new every morning--and as numerous as the minutes of our lives!

One of the excerpts from John Newton's Letters.

I CANNOT PRAY

  I cannot pray, except I sin. I cannot preach, but I sin. I cannot administer, nor receive the holy sacrament, but I sin. My very repentance needs to be repented of and the tears I shed need washing in the blood of Christ.

~ William Beveridge

Don Green Adversity

  From Don Green.

At the recommendation of the incomparable Phil Johnson, last year I read an older biography of Charles Spurgeon by W. Y. Fullerton. It was superb and a privilege to read.

Spurgeon, as most know, was often opposed during the course of his ministry. As I prepare for an online session to encourage pastors and elders on February 10, I give you this quote from Spurgeon as a preview of coming attractions:

"If we never offended, it would be proof positive that we did not preach the Gospel. They who can please man will find it quite another thing to have pleased God. Do you suppose that men will love those who faithfully rebuke them? If you make the sinner's heart to groan, and waken his conscience, do you think he will pay you, court and thank you for it?"

My brothers, your adversity in ministry is a sign of approval and blessing, not a cause for discouragement and resignation. Better and more noble men than us have walked rocky paths in ministry, only to enter glory triumphantly (albeit with scarred feet) as a result. They would all tell you it was worth the cost.

So look up for grace and persevere below. You must. And by grace, you will stand, for Christ is able to make you stand.

So preach with all your heart tomorrow, and may the Lord send His blessing on the Word as you do. I, for one, am on your side.

"Share in suffering as a good soldier of Christ Jesus" (2 Timothy 2:3).

The Blood Cleanses

 That blood that hath cleansed so many from sin, and from such multitudes of sin, in their several capacities, can cleanse you from 𝘢𝘭𝘭 your sins, were they as great as all those jointly that have been cleansed by it from the beginning of the world.

—Stephen Charnock, 3:531

Double Imputation

 John Owen – Double Imputation

These two things, then, complete our grace of acceptation. Sin being removed, and righteousness bestowed, we have peace with God—are continually accepted before him. There is not any thing to charge us with: that which was, is taken out of the way by Christ, and nailed to his cross—made fast there; yea, publicly and legally cancelled, that it can never be admitted again as an evidence. What court among men would admit of evidence that has been publicly cancelled and nailed up for all to see it? So has Christ dealt with that which was against us; and not only so, but also he puts that upon us for which we are received into favor. He makes us comely through his beauty; gives us white raiment to stand before the Lord. This is the first part of purchased grace wherein the saints have communion with Jesus Christ. In remission of sin and imputation of righteousness does it consist; from the death of Christ, as a price, sacrifice, and a punishment—from the life of Christ spent in obedience to the law, does it arise. The great product it is of the Father’s righteousness, wisdom, love, and grace—the great and astonishable fruit of the love and condescension of the Son—the great discovery of the Holy Ghost in the revelation of the mystery of the gospel.

~John Owen~

FIVE MOTIVES FOR KILLING SIN

 Puritan Thomas Brooks, on the best motive for killing sin:

“There were five monks that were studying what was the best means to mortify sin. One said, to meditate on death; the second, to meditate on judgement; the third, to meditate on the joys of heaven; the fourth, to meditate on the torments of hell;

the fifth, to meditate on the blood and sufferings of Jesus Christ: and certainly, the last is the 𝘤𝘩𝘰𝘪𝘤𝘦𝘴𝘵 and 𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘰𝘯𝘨𝘦𝘴𝘵 motive of all to the mortifying of sin.”

—The Works of Thomas Brooks, 2:379

Define the Good News in 10 Words.

 As always, this material can be altered, edited, improved, critiqued, expanded, and not hastily embraced, but I asked chatgpt: Give 10 definitions of the gospel but only use 10 words per definition. And this is what I was given back.

1. **Good News:** God's redemption through Christ's atoning sacrifice for sinners.
2. **Salvation:** Grace-fueled reconciliation with God, not earned but freely received.
3. **Repentance:** Turning from sin, embracing Christ for forgiveness and transformation.
4. **Faith:** Trusting Christ alone for salvation, abandoning self-righteousness and works.
5. **Regeneration:** Holy Spirit's renewal, birthing a new life in believers.
6. **Atonement:** Jesus' substitutionary death, satisfying divine justice for human sin.
7. **Adoption:** Believers becoming God's children, heirs of eternal promises.
8. **Justification:** God declaring the guilty righteous through faith in Christ.
9. **Reconciliation:** Restored relationship with God, ending enmity through Christ's mediation.
10. **Eternal Life:** Gift of unending communion with God for redeemed believers 10 more.

1. **Holiness:** Transformation to Christlikeness, empowered by the indwelling Holy Spirit. 2. **Grace:** Undeserved favor, God's unmerited kindness freely bestowed on sinners. 3. **Kingdom:** God's reign established, inaugurated by Christ's redemptive work. 4. **Resurrection:** Christ's triumph over death, assuring believers' future resurrection. 5. **Mission:** Spreading Gospel globally, making disciples for Christ's kingdom expansion. 6. **Sanctification:** Ongoing process, believers becoming more like Christ through Spirit's work. 7. **Sacrifice:** Christ's selfless offering, securing forgiveness and reconciliation with God. 8. **Testimony:** Believers' witness, sharing transformed lives through the Gospel's power. 9. **Commission:** Christ's directive to proclaim Gospel, making disciples of all nations. 10. **Hope:** Confident expectation, rooted in Christ's return and eternal promises.

Demoralization

 In weeks ahead it would be a great Christian ministry to provide Biblical responses to all these categories as the pressures we will face through life will come from multiple directions.

Question: What does it mean to be demoralized? Answer: To be demoralized generally refers to a state of losing confidence, hope, or morale. In the context of personal or societal aspects, it can be characterized by a sense of discouragement, disheartenment, or a decline in motivation.

Here's a list of factors that might lead to demoralization:

Repetitive Failures: Facing consistent setbacks and failures in personal or professional endeavors.

Financial Struggles: Experiencing economic challenges, job loss, or financial instability.

Health Issues: Coping with chronic illness, disability, or persistent health concerns.

Relationship Problems: Navigating difficulties in interpersonal relationships, such as conflicts or breakups.

Unemployment: Dealing with the stress and uncertainty associated with being unemployed.

Educational Challenges: Struggling academically, feeling overwhelmed, or facing learning difficulties.

Isolation: Feeling socially isolated or lacking meaningful connections with others.

Loss of Loved Ones: Grieving the death of family members or close friends.

Burnout: Experiencing emotional and physical exhaustion due to prolonged stress or overwork.

Discrimination: Facing prejudice or discrimination based on race, gender, sexual orientation, or other factors.

Existential Crisis: Questioning the meaning and purpose of life, especially during major life transitions.

Loneliness: Feeling a lack of companionship and meaningful relationships.

Trauma: Coping with the aftermath of traumatic events, such as accidents, violence, or abuse.

Crisis of Identity: Struggling with self-identity and a sense of purpose in life.

Social Comparison: Constantly comparing oneself to others and feeling inadequate.

Perceived Injustice: Witnessing or experiencing injustice and feeling powerless to address it.

Global Issues: Overwhelm and despair stemming from global challenges like climate change, pandemics, or geopolitical tensions.

Cultural Pressures: Navigating societal expectations and pressures that conflict with personal values.

Lack of Fulfillment: Feeling unfulfilled in career, hobbies, or personal pursuits.

Aging Concerns: Coping with the challenges and changes associated with aging.

Imposter Syndrome: Feeling like a fraud or doubting one's abilities and accomplishments.

Lack of Control: Experiencing situations beyond one's control and feeling helpless.

Uncertain Future: Facing an uncertain and unpredictable future.

Technology Overload: Feeling overwhelmed by the constant connectivity and information overload in the digital age.

Natural Disasters: Dealing with the aftermath of natural disasters and their impact on personal and community well-being.

May we renew our mind with God's grace, faithfulness, power, love, promise, and sovereignty; Looking unto Jesus and feeding upon His Word. Greater is He who is in us, than he who is in the world.

Jonathan Edwards the Reader

Found on Twitter post, but I would like to find published sources to verify details. 

Jonathan Edwards is world famous for preaching and theology, but his biggest impact is often overlooked.

Jonathan Edwards is often remembered for the Great Awakening that sermons like, "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God," came from. But this ability to preach did not come from nowhere. He attended Yale at 13 and after he graduated, his grandfather gave him ten hours a day of reading to do until he was ready to join the church. Can you imagine graduating Yale and your grandpa thinking you were still that far behind in your studies? Yet his grandfather wanted to make sure he was well read and well studied for his upper class church in New England. Early on Edwards' preaching was considered great. There were the beginning of flames of a revival. But tragedy struck when Edwards' uncle, who attended his church, committed suicide. Edwards' was devastated. People had accused him of being too fiery and fierce in his sermons. He saw his uncle's hopelessness as a result of this. This might have been the end of Edwards' story, but the most famous pastor in the world at that time had heard about the revival in New England and wanted to help. This man, George Whitefield came to Edwards' church and preached strong, Godly truth. Edwards was said to have bawled in the pew. He was renewed for his purpose. He returned to preaching with confidence and soon revival swept New England. The sermon "Sinners in the Hands of An Angry God," was preached at a congregation that was known to be resistant to the revival. Try as they might, no one had been able to break through this nearly impossible fortress against God. Many people preached that day before Edwards did. When Edwards preached that sermon he was not able to finish it over the sound of men and women whose stone-cold hearts had melted at the power of the Gospel. They wailed and shouted, "Stop! We can't handle any more!" Soon he was a well known and famous man. His books and theology became top notch. But this was not the end of his story. After chastising some of the kids in his congregation for looking at and making lewd comments towards an anatomy book, he got into trouble with his church. The kids were children of the elders. He saw them fit for discipline. The elders saw him as being too strict. This led to a massive fight in his church that eventually got him ousted. He went out to the outskirts of New England and preached there. He also held services for the local native Americans. The story of a world-famous preacher seemed to be coming to a quiet end. But he had already done something that would change history. For a few years before a man, ragged and sick, came to his home. David Brainerd had been a missionary to the Native Americans in the area. He had been at it for years, and it was a tough, terrible job. While staying at Edwards' house, it became clear that he had tuberculosis. This didn't stop him from becoming close, even romantic (despite his terribly poor condition) with Jerusha Edwards', Jonathan's daughter. Rumors even existed that they had become engaged. David Brainerd died in the care of the Edwards' family. But not before he had passed the Tuberculosis onto Jonathan's daughter, which would eventually kill her, too. Brainerd had shared his journal with Jonathan. Jonathan thought it was a powerful testimony, and asked for permission to publish it. He thought the world might be inspired to follow his lead. Brainerd gave it. Even though this man's disease had led to the death of his daughter, and even though Jonathan was in the midst of a massive struggle with his church that would eventually lead to his ousting, he published the book. It became Edwards' best selling book. By a mile. In the 1700s you would have been far more likely to have that book than any other book by Edwards'. This book changed the world. John Wesley in England specifically said, "'Let every preacher read carefully over the Life of David Brainerd." And went out of his way to give copies of it to the world. Missionaries who changed and inspired the world such as William Carey, Adoniram Judson, and Jim Elliot cited it as books that sent them to the field. One surprising influence was Asahel Nettleton who pointed to Brainerd and Edwards as the reason he became converted. Not well known today, he was the man whose sermon sparked the Second Great Awakening. He broke with the radical elements of the Second Great Awakening, but this means that Edwards' not only helped spark the First Great Awakening but a person converted by his writings started the second one. The Great Awakening, the Second Great Awakening, and in many ways the great century of missions can trace much of their founding back to one man who remained faithful despite terrible circumstances: Jonathan Edwards. His book on David Brainerd begins with the following sentence which is the reason ALL should study Church History: "There are two ways of representing and recommending true religion and virtue to the world; the one, by doctrine and precept; the other, by instance and example." Although today Edwards' is famous for teaching doctrine, in his day and to this day, the book that showed a man's example is what left the biggest impact. And his own example of faithfulness and boldness can teach us today, too.

Warfield on Faith

 Of faith's subjective nature we have what is almost a formal definition in the description of it as an ‘assurance of things hoped for, a conviction of things not seen’ (Heb. 11:1). It obviously contains in it, therefore, an element of knowledge (Heb. 11:6), and it as obviously issues in conduct (Heb. 11:8, cf. 5:9, 1 Pet. 1:22). But it consists neither in assent nor in obedience, but in a reliant trust in the invisible Author of all good (Heb. 11:27), in which the mind is set upon the things that are above and not on the things that are upon the earth (Col. 3:2, cf. 2 Cor. 4:16–18, Mt. 6:25.

The examples cited in Heb. 11 are themselves enough to show that the faith there commended is not a mere belief in God’s existence and justice and goodness, or crediting of His word and promises, but a practical counting of Him faithful (11:11), with a trust so profound that no trial can shake it (11:35), and so absolute that it survives the loss of even its own pledge (11:17).

So little is faith in its biblical conception merely a conviction of the understanding, that, when that is called faith, the true idea of faith needs to be built up above this word (Jas. 2:14 ff.). It is a movement of the whole inner man (Rom. 10:9, 10), and is set in contrast with an unbelief that is akin, not to ignorance but to disobedience (Heb. 3:18, 19, Jn. 3:36, Rom. 11:20, 30, 15:31, 1 Thess. 1:8, Heb. 4:2, 6, 1 Pet. 1:7, 8, 3:1, 20, 4:18, Acts 14:2, 19:9), and that grows out of, not lack of information, but that aversion of the heart from God (Heb. 3:12) which takes pleasure in unrighteousness (2 Thess. 2:12), and is so unsparingly exposed by our Lord (Jn. 3:19, 5:44, 8:47, 10:26).

In the breadth of its idea, it is thus the going out of the heart from itself and its resting on God in confident trust for all good. But the scriptural revelation has to do with, and is directed to the needs of, not man in the abstract, but sinful man; and for sinful man this hearty reliance on God necessarily becomes humble trust in Him for the fundamental need of the sinner—forgiveness of sins and reception into favor.

In response to the revelations of His grace and the provisions of His mercy, it commits itself without reserve and with abnegation (renouncing) of all self-dependence, to Him as its sole and sufficient Savior, and thus, in one act, empties itself of all claim on God and casts itself upon His grace alone for salvation.

Benjamin B. Warfield, The Works of Benjamin B. Warfield: Biblical Doctrines, vol. 2 (Bellingham, WA: Logos Bible Software, 2008), 501–502.

Repentance and Assurance

 Repentance is a gift that is of and, therefore, from God (e.g. 2 Tim. 2:25b). Repentance, is not, nor can it be, something that we, as congenitally sinful human beings (e.g. Ps. 51:5; Eccl. 7:20; Rom. 3:23; 5:12), generate autonomously within ourselves, knowing that it is wholly against our nature, that is, in our unregenerate state, to want to be right with a holy God to begin with. Repentance, whether unto salvation (Mk. 1:15) or from sins we commit (Acts 3:19; Rom. 2:4), is something God Himself must do within us. Darrell B. Harrison.

The first step in having assurance of salvation is believing that the God who saved you to begin with (1 Corinthians 1:30; Ephesians 2:5-8; Titus 3:5), is not a liar and, as such, can be trusted to keep you saved from the moment you first believed until the moment you take your last breath in this life (Psalm 48:14; 2 Timothy 1:9; Jude 1:24). If you don’t believe that, you will most assuredly struggle with assurance. Darrell B. Harrison.

https://www.gty.org/library/sermons-library/GTY155M/the-faith-that-doesnt-fail

1 John 5:13.

 From Darrell B. Harrison.

In 1 John 5:13 (LSB), the apostle John writes, "These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know that you have eternal life."

Please note that John said, "that you may know, that you have eternal life," he did not say, "that you may feel like you have eternal life." The word "know" is the Greek verb "eido," which means to perceive, to have knowledge of, to understand. For context, that same verb is used in an eschatological sense in Matt. 25:13 (LSB), where Jesus says, "Be on the alert then, for you do not know the day nor the hour [of His return]" and, conversely, Jn. 10:4, where Jesus says, "When he puts forth all his own, he goes ahead of them, and the sheep follow him because they know his voice."

The apostle Paul declares in Rom. 10:9 (LSB), ". . . that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved." In Eph. 2:8a (LSB), Paul writes, "For by grace you have been saved through faith . . ." He did not say, "For by grace you have been saved through feelings."

If you have truly believed in Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins - and you know in your heart whether you have or not - your salvation is eternally secure solely on the basis of the nature and character of a holy God who cannot lie (Tit. 1:2), not on the basis of your mutable and unreliable feelings.

Remember that today.

The Christian life is a daily battle to believe God. May God strengthen you this day - and every day - to believe His promises in spite of what your flesh may tell you.

~DBH

This is the Reason Why

 𝘛𝘩𝘪𝘴 is the reason why God looks upon us with a forbearing eye, notwithstanding the continual matter of displeasure He finds in us: He 𝘭𝘰𝘰𝘬𝘴 𝘰𝘯 𝘶𝘴 𝘪𝘯 𝘏𝘪𝘴 𝘚𝘰𝘯; His love to us is grounded on His love to Christ.

—Puritan Richard Sibbes, Works 4:120

Growth is Silent

 "Growth is silent and at the time imperceptible to our senses, though later it is evident. Growth is gradual and full development is not reached in a day, nor in a year. Time must be allowed before proof can be obtained. We should not attempt to gauge our growth by our feelings, but rather by looking into the glass of God’s Word and measuring ourselves by the standard which is there set before us. There may be real progress even where there is less inward comforts.

Am I denying myself more now than I did formerly?

Am I less enthralled by the attractions of this world than I used to be?

Are the details of my daily life being more strictly regulated by the precepts of Holy Writ?

Am I more resigned to the blessed will of God, assured that He knows what is best for me?

Is my confidence in God growing, so that I am more and more leaving myself and my affairs in His hands?

Those are some of the tests we should apply to ourselves if we would ascertain whether or no we be growing in grace."

~ Arthur Pink, "Spiritual Growth"

It take the Trinity

 “It needs the Trinity to make a Christian! And when you have got a Christian, it needs the Trinity to make a prayer! You cannot pray a single prayer aright without Father, Son and Holy Spirit.”

—1892, Spurgeon