Micah 7:19

 

𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗦𝗶𝗻 𝗜𝘀 𝗡𝗼𝘁 𝗮 𝗟𝗶𝗳𝗲 𝗦𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲

"𝘏𝘦 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘢𝘨𝘢𝘪𝘯 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘱𝘢𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘰𝘯 𝘶𝘴; 𝘏𝘦 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘵𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥 𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘪𝘯𝘪𝘲𝘶𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘦𝘴 𝘶𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘧𝘰𝘰𝘵. 𝘠𝘰𝘶 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘤𝘢𝘴𝘵 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘴 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘥𝘦𝘱𝘵𝘩𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘦𝘢."

— Micah 7:19 (ESV)

If you’ve ever felt haunted by the sins of your past, you’re not alone. But the gospel doesn’t let our past define our future. The Lord, in His covenant faithfulness, does not merely cover our sin—He casts it into the ocean floor. Gone. Forgotten. Irretrievable.

That’s not therapeutic language. That’s redemptive reality.

Audio Adrenaline captured it like this:

"𝘛𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘣𝘦𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘥 𝘺𝘰𝘶, 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺’𝘭𝘭 𝘯𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘧𝘪𝘯𝘥 𝘺𝘰𝘶, 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺’𝘳𝘦 𝘰𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘰𝘤𝘦𝘢𝘯 𝘧𝘭𝘰𝘰𝘳..."

This echoes Micah’s Spirit-inspired confidence:

God pardons iniquity (v.18)

God delights in steadfast love

God does not retain His anger forever

God tramples our sin beneath His feet

God casts it to the ocean floor

Why? 𝗕𝗲𝗰𝗮𝘂𝘀𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝗿𝗼𝘀𝘀.

The wrath we deserved was satisfied by Jesus. Justice was not ignored—it was fully executed on Christ in our place. And in Him, we are 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗷𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗴𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗻—𝘄𝗲 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗳𝗿𝗲𝗲𝗱.

𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗳𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹𝘀, 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀, 𝗯𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀—𝗱𝗼𝗻’𝘁 𝗹𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗶𝗻𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝗮 𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗴𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗻 𝗽𝗮𝘀𝘁.

Your sin has been drowned in the depths because your Savior conquered it completely. If you are in Christ, your failures are not your identity—His righteousness is (2 Cor 5:21).

Walk forward not in guilt, but in 𝗴𝗼𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗹-𝗳𝘂𝗲𝗹𝗲𝗱 𝗴𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝘁𝘂𝗱𝗲.

He has hurled your sin away—𝗻𝗼𝘄 𝗹𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲 𝗶𝘁.

It will be worth it all.

 

It Will Be Worth It All

Verse 1:
Oft-times the day seems long, our trials hard to bear,
We're tempted to complain, to murmur and despair.
But Christ will soon appear to catch His bride away,
All tears forever over in God's eternal day.

Chorus:
It will be worth it all when we see Jesus,
Life’s trials will seem so small when we see Christ;
One glimpse of His dear face all sorrow will erase,
So bravely run the race till we see Christ.

Verse 2:
Sometimes the sky looks dark with not a ray of light,
We're tossed and driven on, no human help in sight.
But there is One in heav’n who knows our deepest care,
Let Jesus solve your problems — just go to Him in prayer.

(Chorus)

Verse 3:
Life’s day will soon be o’er, all storms forever past,
We'll cross the great divide to glory safe at last.
We'll share the joys of heav’n — a harp, a home, a crown,
The tempter will be banished, we'll lay our burden down.

(Chorus)

Feelings are not God.

 My feelings are not God. God is God.

My feelings do not define truth.
God’s word defines truth.
My feelings are echoes and responses to what my mind perceives.
And sometimes – many times – my feelings are out of sync with the truth.
When that happens – and it happens every day in some measure – I try not to bend the truth to justify my imperfect feelings, but rather, I plead with God: Purify my perceptions of your truth and transform my feelings so that they are in sync with the truth.

— John Piper, Finally Alive

Sob and Lament

 “I sob and lament for that I cannot be rid of sin. I desire to live a more perfect life.”

— John Knox

The Giving King.

1 Samuel 8.  Saul was a king who would "take."  (six times).  But the people were rejected God as King, though God was a giving King.  Despite the sin of the elders, God promises to send a holy King; and a King who gives.  These adjectives are not drawn from 1 Samuel 8, but still inspired to consider the nature of Jesus as the godly King and the King who gives.  

The Needed King.

The Promised King.

The Incarnate King.  (fully human! And fully God.)

The Trust-Worthy King.

The Righteous King.

The Obedient King.

The Reigning King.

The Living King.

The  Delivering King.

The Rescuing King.

The Humble King.

The Suffering King.

The Rejected King. 

The Sacrificial King.

The Resurrected King.

The Victorious King.

The Hope-filled King.

 The Eternal King.

The Giving King.

The Loving King.  Because He Loves He gives, He gives himself!

The Deserving King.

The Worthy King.

It's not our job

 Post by a J.C. Ryle twitter account, though perhaps not from the material of J.C. Ryle's works.

It’s not our job to convert people.
It’s not our job to save people.
It’s not our job to convict people.
It’s not our job to convince people.

It’s our job to tell people.

The convincing, convicting, converting, and saving is the work of the Holy Spirit.

Expect great things from God

If Christ be in you, then why should you not venture upon any work or service for God, although it do lie beyond you, and beyond your strength, and expect large and great things from him? You say, sometimes, you would do such or such a thing for God, but you have no strength to do it. But if Christ be in you, and really united unto your soul, then surely you shall have strength enough, and you may expect large and great things from him. Therefore, venture upon work and service for God; yea, although they do lie beyond your present strength, be not unwilling thereunto, but expect great things from God, because Christ is really in you. William Bridge

Rain Falls. Sure Command

 No one drop of rain falls without God's sure command.

John Calvin

Struggle

 Why Do Christians Still Struggle With Sin? Because God Is Glorifying Himself Through It.

JK is spot-on: the struggle is not evidence of fake faith, but of a living war between the new heart and the old flesh (Galatians 5:17). But let’s go a step further: Could God have glorified you immediately—removing the struggle altogether? Absolutely. He could’ve snapped His fingers at the moment of your conversion and glorified you fully—no more sin, no more fight. But He didn’t. Why? Because that struggle, that groaning, that daily war against sin is part of the design. It's not a flaw—it’s a feature. Here’s why: If God removed your sin struggle instantly, you would look like the hero. Your “faithfulness” would look flawless. Outsiders might assume: Wow, that person must have extraordinary willpower, or intelligence, or strength. Man would get the glory. But by leaving the remnants of the flesh, God ensures that your love for Him—your constant turning back to Him, repenting, running to Christ—is obviously supernatural. No one treasures God through pain unless God has changed their heart. No one says “no” to sin a thousand times unless they’ve been made new. That’s the point. This struggle puts God's power on display in the cracked clay pot of your weak, but enduring life (2 Corinthians 4:7). Your ongoing dependence on Him screams: “Christ is my treasure—more than sin, more than ease, more than pride.” And others watching? They’re not seeing perfection. They’re seeing a supernatural allegiance to Christ in the middle of the fight. And that glorifies God more than a perfect-looking life ever could. So fight. Fall. Repent. Rise again. And fight harder—not by your will, but by His Spirit. Because those who try to win by sheer human willpower will fail. But those who lean wholly on the Spirit and cling to Christ in the battle will endure—and through them, God will shine.

Ecclesiastes 10:20

 Ecclesiastes 10:20 Curse not the king, no not in thy thought; and curse not the rich in thy bedchamber: for a bird of the air shall carry the voice, and that which hath wings shall tell the matter.

Increasingly Grieved

"If you are not increasingly grieved by your own sin, you are not growing as a Christian."

— Michael Reeves

Spiritual Deadness.

 God’s children are under [felt spiritual] deadness sometimes, which happeneth to them for many causes:

1. By reason of some sin committed, and not repented of, or not fully repented of. 2. By some good omitted, especially neglect of the means [of grace] whereby we may be kept alive, fresh and lively in God’s service. If we will not attend upon God in the means of grace, he will not bring us that help, comfort, and supply that otherwise we might have. 3. Another cause is unthankfulness for benefits received, especially spiritual benefits. 4. Pride in gifts; for we are told, ‘God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace to the humble.’ The garland we put on our heads soon withers… 5. Some great and heavy troubles. When we are afflicted sore, there is a deadness upon the heart, the spiritual life clogged. 6. Another cause is carnal liberty, or intermeddling with worldly vanities. When the children of God let loose their minds to vanity, and take immoderate liberty in the delights of the flesh, there is a deadness [that] comes upon them. In such cases, the Word of God is the only means to quicken us (i.e bring us back to life, revive us). The quickening Spirit delights to work by this means. If you would be quickened, you must use the means, attend upon reading and preaching, and meditating upon the Word. —Puritan Thomas Manton, See: Works 7:429-31, 33 and 38

You can make me clean

 Repentance is the sinner covering his mouth and crying, “Unclean, unclean!” Faith is the leper coming to Christ and saying, “Lord, if You will, You can make me clean.”

A.W. Pink

Countless Millions

 Now if there were but one mite (as you would say) amiss, it is certain that we were forthwith in danger of eternal death. But surely every of us shall find himself a sinner, not in some one point alone, but in a hundred thousand: not in some one fault, but in infinite sorts of faults. And when we shall have perceived never so many miseries in ourselves, God knows yet many more without comparison than we can: for he sees much clearer than we do.  

John Calvin.    (as found on Monergism .pdf.)

"Even if we were carefully to examine just one minute of our lives, we would find ourselves worthy of eternal death. Indeed, each one of us would discover ourselves to be sinners, not in just one area but a hundred thousand; not due to some one fault but to countless millions." 

John Calvin ,  (as found on twitter).

Rely on the God of Grace. Helplessness

 If we are not keenly sensitive to our helplessness, then we can make the means of sanctification the minister of self-righteousness and pride, thus defeating the end of sanctification.

We must rely not upon the means of sanctification but upon the God of all grace. John Murray

Valley of Vision

 “I step out into a wicked world, I carry about with me an evil heart, I know that without thee I can do nothing, and that everything with which I shall be concerned [today], however harmless in itself, may prove an occasion of sin or folly, unless I am kept by thy power.”

From Valley of Vision.

Sever Any Tie

 “God, send me anywhere, only go with me. Lay any burden on me, only sustain me. And sever any tie in my heart except the tie that binds my heart to Yours.”

— David Livingstone

he sees his sin

 The Nearer and Man gets to God, the greater he sees his sin.  Martin-Lloyd Jones.

Exalt the Power of God

 "We do not sufficiently exalt the power of God, unless we think it to be greater than our weakness. Faith then ought not to regard our weakness, misery, and defects, but to fix wholly its attention on the power of God alone.”

-John Calvin

Our Nothingness

 Growing in grace is a deepening realization of our nothingness; it is a heartfelt recognition that we are not worthy of the least of God's mercies.

Arthur W. Pink

Beholding the Glory

 “It is by beholding the glory of Christ by faith that we are spiritually edified and built up in this world, for as we behold his glory, the life and power of faith grow stronger and stronger. It is by faith that we grow to love Christ. So if we desire strong faith and powerful love, which give us rest, peace and satisfaction, we must seek them by diligently beholding the glory of Christ by faith. In this duty I desire to live and to die. On Christ’s glory I would fix all my thoughts and desires, and the more I see of the glory of Christ, the more the painted beauties of this world will wither in my eyes and I will be more and more crucified to this world. It will become to me like something dead and putrid, impossible for me to enjoy” (p. 7).

Beholding Christ’s glory is indeed the great and necessary privilege of the Christian life. The “painted beauties” of this world simply cannot compare to the true beauty that is Christ. The more we see Him, the more we become like Him. The more we become like Him, the more rest, satisfaction, and enjoyment we find in Him. May the Lord grant us grace to “experience the dawnings of eternal glory” today as we behold His glory in the Scriptures.

Thomas Watson

After grief, joy.

 After grief for sin there should be joy for forgiveness. - A. W. Pink

Divisions and Disagreements

 Divisions in a church: exposes hypocrites, sanctifies sincere believers, reveals the fickleness of those not rooted in the Lord’s Word - - and the wickedness of those who assume the appearance of good men, and they manifest the constancy and sincerity of the good.

-John Calvin Can we also extend this to "Disagreements in a church" also: provides the expression of sincere mercy, patience, love, grace, humility, sanctifying believers, reveals those rooted in the Lord, manifesting the constancy and sincerity of the saints. (Todd Lambert)

We must Look Away.

 For Christians struggling with assurance of salvation, consider:

True Christian righteousness is the righteousness of Christ who lives in us. We must look away from our own person. Christ and my conscience must become one, so that I can see nothing else but Christ crucified and raised from the dead for me. If I keep on looking at myself, I am gone. If we lose sight of Christ and begin to consider our past, we simply go to pieces. We must turn our eyes to the brazen serpent—Christ crucified—and believe with all our heart that He is our righteousness and our life. - Martin Luther, Commentary on Galatians

Don't Congratulate Yourself

 Don’t congratulate yourself for your spiritual awareness, your biblical knowledge or your theological understanding. These are all generously given gifts of God’s grace. Your eyes, heart and mind are open, because God chose to place his love on you.

a 1000 times

 The security of our salvation, “does not lie in our own hands, or strength; if it did we should lose it a thousand times every moment.”

—Zacharias Ursinus, Commentary on the Heidelberg Catechism, Pg. 19

Do you Desire Holiness

 Do you desire holiness?

Abide in Christ (Jn 15:4-5) Glory in Christ (Phil 3:3) Hope in Christ (Eph 1:12) Dwell in Christ (Eph 3:17) Rest in Christ (2 Cor 12:9)

--Dustin Benge.

Love to God

 The failure to love God stems from ignorance of His nature and benefits. If men truly understood God's perfections, He would captivate their hearts. Yet the allure of worldly pleasures, profits, and honors often blinds us, raising a fog that obscures His beauty. - Thomas Tuke, Love to God, p. 36

Darrell B. Harrison. 

Preach Doctrines of Grace

 “I believe that it is because the doctrines of grace have been too much kept from the pulpit, that the pews are getting so empty.

“Leave the doctrines of grace out of the preaching, and you have left the marrow and fatness out of it. “What is there to make the people rush to your houses of prayer, and crowd them, if there be no preaching of the election of grace, — no declaration of particular redemption, and effectual calling, — no proclamation of the blessed final perseverance of the saints? “If you leave these glorious truths out of your preaching, you have put on the table nothing but the horseradish and the parsley, but the joint of meat is conspicuous by its absence.” — Charles Spurgeon

Double Imputation

 However well I live, I can't make up for yesterday. However well I live as an old man, I can't make up for all the sins when I was a young man. However well I live as a young manor woman, I can't make up for the sins I did as a child. However, when I live as a child, I can't make up for the fact that I was born a sinner and even on my mother's breast I was selfish. If there's any hope for me, it's got to be that that perfect life of Jesus Christ somehow or other is put to my account. And yet my sins deserve punishment. But you can't carry my sins because you've got sins of your own to be punished for. The only one who could be punished for my sins would be somebody who never sins. Somebody who took the sinner's place but wasn't a sinner.

 

And so we're now right back in the root of the gospel. The greatest word of the gospel is imputation. Have you ever heard that word before? The greatest word of the gospel is imputation. What do we mean by that? Imputation means this: Jesus Christ's perfect life is put to my account. Isn't that wonderful? And it's because that's true, says Paul in Romans chapter 1, that I'm not ashamed of the gospel because that's what the gospel is about. His perfect life is put to my account. It's considered to be mine.

 

And what about my sin? Well, he's taken the sinner's place. My sins are put to his account. So when he dies on the cross, he didn't need to die. Only sinners die. But he chose to die. And because he's the infinite God, he can die for an infinite number of crimes from an infinite number of people. Because he's God the Son. So his righteousness put to my account, my sins put to his account. That's the gospel. It's double imputation.

You are His

 Don’t read 1 John like a spiritual SAT.

It’s not grading your performance. It’s reminding you: You believe in Christ. You love His people. You confess your sin. You are His.

“Whoever has the Son has life.” Not “has enough fruit.” Not “has perfect doctrine.” Not “has unshakable feelings.” Has the Son. That’s the heartbeat of 1 John. Christian, your love may be small, your faith imperfect, your obedience flawed. But these are not the root of your assurance— Jesus is. Christ is King. And in His kingdom, grace reigns. Not guilt. Not fear. Not self-sufficiency. Grace. John speaks to “little children.” To the struggling, the weak, the tempted. He reminds you that you’re not in the dark. You know the truth. You confess the Son. You are forgiven. You are loved. If 1 John were a test, we’d all fail. But it’s not. It’s a pastoral letter saying: You’re not like them. You’re His.

“By this we know...” That phrase shows up again and again in 1 John. Not so you’ll question, Not so you'll wonder, But so you’ll know. So you’ll rest. So you’ll stop navel-gazing and look to Christ. Obedience is a fruit of union with Christ, not a test of it. Want to grow in holiness? Start with assurance. Fruit grows from rest, not fear.

The Law tells you what God demands. The Gospel tells you what God gives. Mix them up, and you’ll either become proud… or crushed. Assurance doesn’t come from feeling, it comes from looking. Though I falter in this war with sin I set my hope on Jesus When I fail the fight and sink within I set my hope on Jesus Though the shame would drown me in its sea And I dread the waves of justice I will cast my life on Calvary I set my hope on Jesus

Biblical Worship

 Biblical worship is not primarily us performing for God—that is paganism.

In corporate worship, God is the primary actor. He speaks, and we respond.

Start with Assurance

 Want to grow in holiness?

Start with assurance. Fruit grows from rest, not fear.

Isolating the Will

 Stop Affirming “Libertarian Free Will” – It’s a Bait-and-Switch Heresy:

If you're committed to a biblically consistent view of reality, it's time to drop the phrase "Libertarian free Will" like a hot heresy. Why? Because it's not just bad theology—it’s a sneaky, misleading label designed for confusion. Let’s break it down: “Libertarian free Will” is not about the Person—it’s isolating the Will from everything else that makes you, You. Your character. Your personality. Your desires. Your nature. This phrase pits "Will" against the very things that determine how the will functions. Provisionists love this trick. They use it to suggest that “freedom” means Will can choose against Your own nature, desires, and character—as if Will floats in a vacuum, free from even You, and definitely free from God's determined reality. That’s not just unbiblical. That’s nonsense. Nobody—including God—has that kind of "Will". God’s will is not “free” to act in contradiction to His own character, personality, preferences, or nature. That’s not a limitation—it’s consistency. Holiness isn’t random. Adam pre-Fall didn’t have a “Will” that was pitted against every other thing that made Adam who Adam was. Even a sinner today chooses based on what they want most in the moment—which is always in line with their nature, preferences, and character. So here's the deal: If someone wants to say we are “Free Person”, in refrence to other Created "Free Persons"—fine. That at least acknowledges the person is “free” from being externally forced by other created beings. But the will itself? It’s never independent of the person it belongs to. And the person is never independent of God's determined reality. So stop acting like it is. Stop giving "Libertarian Free Will" a platform. The real issue isn’t “can we choose?” It’s why we choose what we do. And Scripture is clear: “The heart is deceitful above all things” (Jer. 17:9), and the unregenerate mind “cannot submit to God” (Rom. 8:7-8). So let’s call it what it is: Libertarian free Will is a label that exists only to smuggle in irrationality. It’s theological make-believe that lets people pretend they’re upholding “freedom” while ignoring God's sovereignty AND HUMAN NATURE. Bottom line? Don't affirm that phrase. Expose it. Correct it. Replace it. Because a “Will” that’s free from everything, including God and your own nature, is a lie—and a heretical one at that. Let’s put "Will" back in its proper place—as the result of a chain of reasoning, NOT above the chain pretending to create it out of nothing like a god it never was.

Look at Christ

 “When I look at myself, I do not see how I can be saved.  But when I look at Christ, I do not see how I can be lost.”

— Martin Luther

When sin is small

 “If you fail to see the blazing glory of God and the beauty of His holiness, then you will fail to see how monstrous sin is. When God is small, sin is small.”

— Michael Reeves

Freeness of Grace

 Though I be the unworthiest sinner that ever had access to Christ, yet since he delights to glorify the freeness and riches of his grace in admitting those that are most unworthy, and since he expresses it by inviting me, shall I not hearken to him?

—David Clarkson, Works 1:90

Grace Gems of the Today: Merciful.

 Blessed are the merciful

By Arthur Pink and others.

[This is the fifth, in our series of eight beatitudes.]

(You will find it helpful to LISTEN to the Audio, as you READ the text below.)

"Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy." Matthew 5:7

Gospel mercy is not a product of human nature--it is the fruit of a heart transformed by divine grace. Before regeneration, we were hard, self-centered and indifferent to the souls of others. But when God had mercy on us--pardoning our sin, cleansing our guilt, and raising us from spiritual death--He made us into merciful people. This beatitude is not a call to earn mercy, but a declaration of the mercy which God's grace produces in those whom He saves.

Mercy is that compassion which is moved by the sight of misery, and which attempts to relieve those in misery.

What greater misery exists, than the misery of sin?

What deeper need can there be, than the need of pardon from the thrice holy God?

The merciful, then, are those who are moved--not merely by physical suffering--but by the eternal peril of those who are rushing madly on to a dreadful Hell! Having themselves tasted the sweetness of forgiveness, they long to see others reconciled to God. They pray, they plead, they labor that sinners might flee to Christ. They are not content to let men run undisturbed to damnation--they intervene, with the gospel of mercy in their mouths, and the love of Christ in their hearts.

And what is the promise? "They shall obtain mercy!" The merciful shall be shown mercy in their daily walk--receiving patience, grace, and strength from their Heavenly Father.

And on that final day when they stand before the Judge of all, they will not receive the awful sentence they so justly deserved. Instead of Hell, they will be met with mercy--divine, sovereign, everlasting mercy! The One who should have banished them to Hell, will, in His great mercy on the unworthy, welcome them into glory! With nail-pierced hands, He will receive them--those who were once ill-deserving and Hell-deserving, declaring before all Heaven: "These are My merciful ones . . .
  redeemed by My Son's sin-atoning death,
  kept by My power, and
  now brought Home by My marvelous mercy!"
 

Struggling Christians

 5 things struggling Christians need to remember in the fight:

- You’re in a war—stop acting like you’re on vacation. (Eph. 6:11-12) - The enemy accuses daily—Christ intercedes hourly. (Heb. 7:25) - Victory doesn’t mean ease—it means endurance. (Matt. 24:13) - Your scars are proof you didn’t quit. (2 Tim. 4:7) - The empty tomb is your guarantee—you fight from victory, not for it. (1 Cor. 15:57)

Basing your Assurance

 Stop basing your assurance of salvation on the strength of your faith or your lack of sin.

Base your assurance on this: God chose you in Christ before the foundation of the world

Look Away from

 “Faith is the way in which I can look away from myself – both from my sin and my progress in sanctification – and look to Christ as my only hope.”

-Robert Godfrey

Looking Again

 Assurance isn’t found by staring harder at ourselves.

It’s found by looking to Christ — and looking again. -- Jeffery Perry

Read: an act of Worship

 Read as an act of worship. Read to be elevated into the great truths of God so that you may worship the Trinity in Spirit and in truth. Be selective about what you read, however. Measure all your reading against the touchstone of Scripture. So much of today’s Christian literature is froth, riddled with Arminian theology or secular thinking. Time is too precious to waste on nonsense. Read more for eternity than time, more for spiritual growth than professional advancement.

Feed My Sheep, ed. Don Kistler, Soli Deo Gloria Ministries, 2002, p. 120.

Joel Beeke

Even You

 "The essence of the doctrine of election is this: God has saved you! Because he had a plan to save you and he always fulfills his plans, it means that no one can thwart God's plan. Even you." -W. Robert Godfrey

Preserving Faithfulness

 If someone Reformed is asked on what his perseverance in the state of grace rests, then he will not answer, “On something in me, on the power and the capacity for withstanding of the new life that I possess,” but, “Solely on the preserving faithfulness of God.”

—Geerhardus Vos

Are you Weary?

 O, Christian, Are You Weary? D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones on Being “Weary in Well Doing”

Being a Christian these days can be a wearying task. We fight indwelling sin, forces of spiritual darkness, and personal trials that come our way. In addition to these difficulties, we have suffered through Covid for multiple years and now watch the effects of a new war, inflation, and whatever else might come. Do you find yourself weary in doing good?

In his book Spiritual Depression: Its Causes and Cure (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 1965), D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones gives a chapter to encourage those who are “Weary in Well Doing” (190–202). His main text is Galatians 6:9: “And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not” (KJV). He describes spiritual depression from weariness in this way: “Here, the devil does something much more subtle, in that there is apparently nothing wrong at all. What happens is that people just become weary and tired, while still going in the right direction…. shuffling along with drooping heads and hands… the very antithesis of what the Christian is meant to be in this world” (191).

He then describes weariness in general and turns these thoughts to the Christian life. Life has times of youth and old age in which people are granted “compensations” to help them through these years. Between these times, however, is especially when the weariness may come: “The most difficult period of all in life is the middle period” (192). Whereas one has worked hard to get to this point, the motivation is not the same to continue in one’s success. Goals are achieved, life is routine, and the excitement of learning and discovery may vanish. The internal push for progress dissipates once one reaches life’s plateau.

Lloyd-Jones then focuses on the Christian: “Now this is equally true in the religious or the spiritual life” (192). “The initial experience… was new and surprising and wonderful and clear” (193), but “now we have become accustomed to the Christian life” (193). It seems “routine… the same thing day after day. Then this trial [weariness] arises, and we are no longer carried over it by that initial momentum which seemed to take us through it all in the early stages at the beginning…. This is the condition with which the apostle deals with here…. some kind of doldrums…. a standstill” (193). What are we to do? How can we overcome weariness in well-doing?

Lloyd-Jones warns us of three dangers and tells us what not to do. First, we may be tempted to “give up, or give way, or give in” (194). Second, a greater temptation, “The danger of the majority at this point is just to resign themselves to it and to lose heart and to lose hope” (194). Though it may seem “heroic” or ring of “loyalty” to grit our teeth and carry on, addressing our weariness in our own strength will only lead to weariness still. And third, if we are not careful, “We will resort to artificial stimulants” (195). Even in his day, Lloyd-Jones warns against drunkenness that begins with “a little alcohol to help him to carry on” or giving in to “drugs and various other things” (195).

Finally, Lloyd-Jones offers us some solutions. “The first thing must be self-examination” (196). We have to look at ourselves to discover the root of our weariness. Are we working too hard and too much and running down our bodies? Are we doing the Lord’s work in human strength alone? Also, what is our motivation for doing what we do? To been seen of men or to please God alone? Or, has “God’s work” become not “something which you do” but “something that keeps you going” (198)? Would we know what to do with ourselves if the busyness of ministry and Christian activity was taken away? Are we “being in control” or is “the thing controlling us” (198)? If the latter, “ultimately it exhausts us and depresses us” (198).

Lloyd-Jones then goes on to give three “certain great principles” to overcome weariness in well-doing (198). First, we have to remember that “there are phases in the Christian life as in the whole of life” (198). Life in general and the spiritual life begins with infancy and moves to maturity. As infants, everything is exciting, fresh, and new. In our maturity, our energy is the same but harnessed and used in different ways. We have to remember that Christian maturity will not be quite the same experience as when we first believed.

Second, he says, “It is ‘well doing’ remember,” not just doing (199). “You are set in the midst of the most glorious campaign into which a man could ever enter” (200). If we merely look at the Christian life as “doing” and not “well-doing,” then we have lost sight of who we are in Christ, what He has done in us, and what we are doing for Him.

Are you weary? Do not give up, and do not grow weary of doing good. In due season you will reap as you persevere in serving the Lord.

Third, Lloyd-Jones reminds us, “The next principle is that this life of ours is but a preparatory one…. This life is but the ante-chamber of eternity and all we do in this world is but anticipatory of that” (200). This thought brings us back to Galatians 6:9: “for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.” Lloyd-Jones closes with a number of texts to reinforce this forward look. We have not fully seen, heard, or imagined what is yet to come (1 Corinthians 2:9). We should keep our mind on heavenly things (Colossians 3:1) and thereby bound in the work of the Lord (1 Corinthians 15:58). As Christ saw the joy set before Him and thought nothing of His cross, so also we may suffer from time to time but will one day join Him above (Hebrews 12:2, 4; cf. Colossians 1:24). If these truths guide you through your weariness, “You will go forward still more gloriously, until eventually you will hear Him saying: ‘Well done, thou good and faithful servant, enter thou into the joy of the Lord’, ‘Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world’” (p. 202; Matthew 25:21, 23, 34).

Are you weary? Do not give up, and do not grow weary of doing good. In due season you will reap as you persevere in serving the Lord.

Exiled.

 Yes, that is essentially accurate. Athanasius of Alexandria (c. 296–373), one of the most important defenders of Nicene orthodoxy against Arianism, was exiled multiple times by different emperors. Here is a more detailed breakdown of his exiles:

1. Exiled by Constantine (335–337) – At the Council of Tyre in 335, Athanasius was accused of various charges, including obstructing grain shipments to Constantinople. Emperor Constantine exiled him to Trier (modern Germany). However, after Constantine's death in 337, his son Constans allowed Athanasius to return.

2. Exiled by Constantius II (339–346) – Constantius II, who favored Arianism, opposed Athanasius. In 339, he deposed Athanasius and installed the Arian bishop Gregory of Cappadocia in Alexandria. Athanasius fled to Rome, where he found support from Pope Julius I. He was later restored in 346.

3. Exiled by Constantius II (356–362) – Under increasing Arian influence, Constantius II exiled Athanasius again in 356. He fled into the Egyptian desert, where he stayed among the monks and continued writing against Arianism.

4. Exiled by Julian the Apostate (362–363) – Julian, seeking to weaken the Christian church, allowed many exiled bishops to return, including Athanasius. However, after seeing Athanasius' influence in strengthening Nicene Christianity, Julian exiled him again in 362. Athanasius withdrew briefly but returned after Julian's death in 363.

5. Exiled by Valens (365–366) – Emperor Valens, an Arian sympathizer, ordered Athanasius' removal again in 365. Athanasius hid for a few months but was allowed to return in 366, spending the rest of his life in Alexandria until his death in 373.

In total, Athanasius was exiled five times over his lifetime, spending roughly 17 years in exile out of his 45-year tenure as bishop of Alexandria. His steadfast opposition to Arianism earned him the title Athanasius contra mundum ("Athanasius against the world").

The Secret

 The secret of a successful spiritual life is just to realize two things: I must have complete, absolute confidence in God and no confidence in myself.

—Martyn Lloyd-Jones

Completely Human Centered.

I normally do not make posts this long, but since I probably have zero readers, I will archive this material online for my own sake; but as a preface the beginnings of this post should be understood in terms of 1 Corinthians 1-2 (foolishness of the gospel.)

Provisionism is Not Foolishness:

Provisionism is not foolishness. In fact, it makes perfect sense.

It’s simple. Even children are trained in this framework from a young age:

If you choose to believe in Santa…

If you stay on the good list and endure to the end of the year…

Then you will receive good gifts as a reward.

But if you don’t believe or if you fall away into bad behavior, you get coal.

That’s Provisionism in a nutshell. Believe, behave, endure, and receive the reward. It’s not foolishness because it’s not foreign—it’s how every human system works.

For adults, it’s even more practical:

You lost your job and owe a mortgage you can’t pay.

The good news? There’s a corporation willing to help.

If you believe the owner will pay you at the end of the month…

If you stay in the corporation and endure to the end without quitting…

Then you will certainly receive your paycheck.

That’s not foolishness—that’s just a contract. Work, endure, and be rewarded.

Provisionism is not foolishness. It (Provisionism) is completely rational, completely understandable, and completely human-centered.

And that’s exactly the problem.

Paul Was Not Ashamed of the Foolishness He Preached

Paul didn’t preach a transactional system that made sense to the world. He preached a Gospel so offensive, so radical, that it was mocked, rejected, and called foolishness by those who were perishing (1 Cor. 1:18).

The world understands contracts. It does not understand a God who saves people who didn’t choose Him (John 15:16).

The world understands religious effort. It does not understand a God who says “It depends not on human will or exertion, but on God, who has mercy.” (Romans 9:16).

The world understands wages. It does not understand grace that actually saves rather than just offering an opportunity (Ephesians 2:8-9).

Provisionism is not foolishness because it’s not the message Paul preached. It’s just another works-based system with better branding.

I’m Not Ashamed of Calvinism Because It Is Foolishness

Calvinism is mocked, twisted, strawmanned, and hated—and that’s exactly how it should be.

Paul never had to defend an accepted Gospel. He had to defend a rejected one.

Paul never had to clarify a reasonable Gospel. He had to clarify a foolish one.

Paul never had to suffer for a man-centered Gospel. He suffered for a God-centered one.

So when the world rejects Calvinism, when it ridicules and distorts it—that is exactly what should happen. That’s what always happens when you preach that God alone saves, that man is powerless, and that salvation is not a paycheck but a gift given to the elect.

The only reason to say “I am not ashamed” is when the world is calling your message foolish.

And the world does not call Provisionism foolish. It makes too much sense to them. It’s too familiar. Too humanistic.

But the Gospel Paul preached? That was offensive. That was foolishness to those who were perishing.

And if that’s what Paul preached, then I’m standing right there with him.

In need

Are you in need of assurance today? Look! To Calvary, where God proved He is for us. To justification, which proves that no accusation against us will stick. To the interceding Christ, standing to assure us we can never be condemned. To the indestructible love of God that persuades us that nothing will ever be able to separate us from Jesus Christ our Lord. (from Jeffery Perry on x.com)

He wore my crown

He wore my crown, the crown of thorns; I wear his crown, the crown of glory. He wore my nakedness; I wear his royal robes. He bore my shame; I bear his honour. Spurgeon

Heap. David Dickson.

"Puritan Gold" "I have taken all my good deeds, and all my bad, and cast them together in a heap before the Lord, and fled from both, and have taken myself to the Lord Jesus Christ, and in Him I have sweet peace." "David Dickson"

Anatomy. Obadiah Sedgwick

Every self-considering Christian does see so much sin in his heart and life, that he is abased under the burden of it; how heavy then is this thought upon his heart: that there are many thousands of secret, unseen errors chargeable upon him by the all-knowing, heart-searching God. - Obadiah Sedgwick (1600-1658), The Anatomy of Secret Sins