Come Helpless

"If you can come as a helpless, unworthy sinner, without strength, without righteousness, without any hope but what arises from the worth, work, and word of Christ, this is to come aright. There is no other way of being accept¹ed."

JOHN NEWTON

Grace is Greater than our Sin

 "I thought, surely Christ is not willing to save me.

My sins were too many,
my heart too cold,
my repentance just too weak...
Grace always feels too good to be true when the sinner truly sees his sin."

– John Bunyan

Yield Him Willing Service

 "For until men recognize that they owe everything to God, that they are nourished by his fatherly care, that he is the Author of their every good, that they should seek nothing beyond him— they will never yield him willing service."

— John Calvin

The Real Work of the Spirit is Prayer

 Of all the evidences of the real work of the Spirit, a habit of hearty private prayer is one of the most satisfactory that can be named. A man may preach from false motives. A man may write books and make fine speeches and seem diligent in good works, and yet be a Judas Iscariot. But a man seldom goes into his closet, and pours out his soul before God in secret, unless he is serious.

- JC Ryle

Draw Near to God

 Without the intercession of Christ we have no hope. But if Christ intercedes for you, you can be assured that He will complete your salvation. Hebrews 7:25 tells us that Christ only intercedes for those who draw near to God through Him. Make it a daily habit to draw near to God through Christ in repentance, confession, thanksgiving, and praise.

John Owen

John Owen, also tells us that it is Christ’s intercession that renders our complete salvation possible. Christ forever pleads with the Father to sanctify us and to have mercy on us... However, Christ forever intercedes for us. When we fail, He asks the Father for mercy on us. He pleads our case with the Father and secures the grace we need to be more and more conformed to His image. And the Father, out of love for us and for His Son, always answers these prayers offered on behalf of His elect.

Called to the Feast

 Worship isn’t about us inviting God but about God inviting us.

God calls us to the Feast!

The Whole Life

 When the Holy Spirit sanctifies believers, He does a great work in them. He puts into their minds, wills and hearts a gracious supernatural principle which fills them with a holy desire to live to God. The whole life and being of holiness lies in this. This is the new creation.

John Owen

Come all you weary

 To the doubting:

Christ didn’t say, “Come unto me, all ye who have enough faith.” He said, “Come unto me, all ye who are weary.” The assurance of your salvation doesn’t come from the strength of your grip, but from the strength of His promise.

Does God Love Everyone

 Does God Love Everyone?

Martyn McGeown

Rev. Derek Dunn in the Ballymena Times (15 February, 2006) repeated the myth that God loves everybody. God loves the world but in Scripture that rarely means the entire human race (John 7:4; 12:19; Acts 17:6; I Cor. 11:32). In the Old Testament, God loved only the nation of Israel (Deut. 7:7) but even then not every Israelite, because “they are not all Israel which are of Israel” (Rom. 9:6). In the New Testament, God loves sinners from every nation, hence the term “world.” What is often denied is that God hates some sinners, both them and their sins. For example, God hated Esau (Rom. 9:13) and He “hates all workers of iniquity” (Ps. 5:5).

Christ came to save only those whom God loves, not Judas, Herod, Pilate or any “whose names were not written in the book of life from the foundation of the world” (Rev. 17:8). Rather Christ came to save those the Father had given Him (John 6:37-39; 17:2). Christ “loved his own which were in the world” (John 13:1), not everybody in the world. In Christ, elect sinners are loved (Eph. 1:4-6) but, outside of Christ, sinners are hated by God, for He has “no pleasure in wickedness” (Ps. 5:4) but “loves righteousness” (Ps. 11:7). Christ in love died for His beloved sheep but He neither died nor prayed for the goats (John 10:26-27; 17:9).

God’s love is effectual. He actually saves the objects of His love. God’s love seeks out those whom He loves and causes the recipients of that love to love Him in return (I John 4:19). Since God is obliged to love nobody but freely chooses to love whom He will, man cannot complain (Rom. 9:13-20). To teach that God loves everyone (even those who end up in hell) is to rob the child of God of comfort and to “strengthen the hands of the wicked, that he should not return from his wicked way, by promising him life” (Eze. 13:22).

Some may wonder, if God does not love everybody, why the Bible uses universal language such as the Lord is “not willing that any should perish” (II Pet. 3:9) or “whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved” (Rom. 10:13). Such objections disregard context and show ignorance of language. We often use universal language. When the teacher asks, “Has everybody got a pen?” he only means his class. When a father says, “Everybody get into the car,” he refers only to his own family. Consider Matthew 10:22 (“ye shall be hated of all men”), John 3:26 (“all men come to him”), Acts 19:19 (“they burned [their books] before all men”) and Romans 16:19 (“your obedience is come abroad unto all men”). In these Scriptures, “all men” cannot be taken to mean the entire human race. Similarly, whosoever means “all those who …” It does not mean everybody. “Whosoever believeth” (John 3:16) means all those who believe or “all believers.”

II Peter 3:9 is written as an answer to scoffers and to give comfort concerning the perceived delay of the return of Christ. The Lord has not returned because God is longsuffering to “usward.” God is not longsuffering towards everybody. God does not want His people (“us”) to perish and, since the “longsuffering of God is salvation” (II Pet. 3:15), all those towards whom God is longsuffering shall be saved.

Similarly, “whosoever [i.e., all those who] shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved” (Rom. 10:13) does not mean that everybody can or shall call upon the name of the Lord. The Word of God teaches that sinners hate God (Rom. 8:7) and will not call on His name. Isaiah laments “there is none that calleth upon thy [i.e., God’s] name” (Isa. 64:7) and Paul writes, “there is none that seeketh after God” (Rom. 3:11). That some call upon God is the work of His Spirit, who graciously gives faith and repentance unto some (Acts 11:18; Eph. 2:8; Phil. 1:29), but blinds and hardens others (Josh. 11:20; Matt. 11:25; John 12:40; Rom. 9:18).

The Father Smiles

 Christian, it is Satan’s lie that behind a smiling Jesus there hides a frowning Father. The truth is that “the Father himself loves you” (Jn 16:27).

I Despair Not

 Although I am a sinner, yet I despair not: for Christ, who is my Redeemer and my righteousness, lives. In Him I have no sin, no fear, no sting of conscience, and no fear of judgment: for in Him there is no condemnation. I am indeed a sinner as touching this present life; but I have a righteousness of God which is above this life, who is Christ my Lord. In Him I rejoice!

— Martin Luther

Union with Christ is Only Way.

 God's device for the sanctification of an unholy world is that sinners unite with Christ and derive holiness from him, whom the Father has constituted the head of sanctifying influences.

Union with Christ is the only way to sanctification. Thomas Boston

Christ Says

 You say: “I can’t forgive myself.”

Christ says: “I have forgiven you.” You say: “I am unworthy of Your love.” Christ says: “I have loved you with an everlasting love.” You say: “I deserve punishment.” Christ says: “I took your punishment upon Myself.” You say: “I am haunted by my past sins.” Christ says: “I remember your sins no more.” You say: “I have sinned too much.” Christ says: “Where sin abounded, my grace did much more abound.” You say: “I have hidden sins.” Christ says: “I am faithful and just to forgive.” You say: “I am guilty.” Christ says: “I bore your guilt.” You say: “I feel condemned.” Christ says: “There is now no condemnation to those who are in Me.” You say: “I have failed again.” Christ says: “My mercies are new every morning.” You say: “I am burdened by sin.” Christ says: “Your sins are forgiven.” You say: “I am beyond redemption.” Christ says: “I am mighty to save.” You say: “I have run away from You.” Christ says: “I left the ninety-nine to find you.” You say: “l am a great sinner” Christ says: "I will in no wise cast you out.” No obstacle, no challenge, no objection can hinder the Savior. His plans are steadfast, His promises sure. Trust in Him.

I will not question

 I will not question my spiritual estate and condition for every sin.

—Puritan William Bridge, Works 4:237

Does my sin trouble me?

 Does my sin trouble me? It was laid on Jesus, why should it trouble me? Does God’s wrath distress me? It has spent itself on Jesus, how can it fall on me?

Charles Spurgeon

So few are changed!

 Preach the Word.

“For one should not quit simply because so few are changed for the better in hearing the preaching of the gospel. But do what Christ did: He rescued the elect and left the rest behind. This is what the apostles did also. It will not be better for you.” —Martin Luther

Charles Simeon

 OUR TIMES IN GOD'S HAND

Psalm 31:15 "My times are in your hand!" To the ungodly it is a satisfaction to deny the providence of God, and to cut him off, as it were, from any connection with his creatures. But the saints find a rich consolation in the thought that God reigns. This it is which reconciles them to the evils they endure, and fortifies them against those which they have reason to fear. David, in the Psalm before us, complains that there were many who "took counsel together against him, and devised to take away his life." But he comforted himself in the reflection, that, however man might be his enemy, God was "his God;" and that however bitterly his enemies might be enraged against him, "his times were not in their hands, but in God's;" and, consequently, that they could do nothing against David but by God's permission. From this view of the text we are led to notice: I. Our dependence on God. God is the Governor of the universe. He appoints the stars their courses. He makes the raging elements to fulfill his will, Psalm 148:8. He imposes a restraint upon the most savage beasts, causing them to suppress or forget their instinctive ferocity, or overruling the exercise of it, for the preservation or destruction of men, as he sees occasion, (1 Kings 13:28 Daniel 6:22. Jonah 1:17. 2 Kings 2:24) The affairs of men he more especially controls. 1. In God's hands are the circumstances of life. There is nothing really casual or contingent in the world. It is God who disposes of us, from our earliest infancy, to the last hour of our lives. "He determines the bounds of our habitation, Acts 17:26." If we are called to the possession of wealth, or deprived of it by any untoward circumstances, it is "the Lord who gives, and the Lord who takes it away, Job 1:21." If we enjoy health, or pine away in sickness, it is "the Lord who both wounds and heals, who kills and makes alive, 1 Samuel 2:6-7." "There is neither good nor evil in the city, but the Lord is the doer of it, Amos 3:6." Even the falling of a hair from our head, as trifling as it is, only takes place by Gods appointment, Matthew 10:30. 2. In God's hands are the seasons of death. To every man "there is an appointed time upon earth, Job 7:1;" there are "bounds which he cannot pass, Job 14:5." "God holds our souls in life, Psalm 66:9;" and "when he takes away our breath, we die, and return to the dust, Psalm 104:29." Youth and health are no security against the stroke of death! The most vigorous constitutions are soon broken, when God is pleased to afflict us, Job 21:23-25; the skill of physicians, however useful when attended with his blessing, is of no avail, Mark 5:26. So numerous are the occasions of death, that no caution can possibly avoid them, "It will be as though a man fled from a lion, only to meet a bear, as though he entered his house and rested his hand on the wall, only to have a snake bite him! Amos 5:19." When God "requires our souls," we must surrender them at his call, Luke 12:20." Our days are protracted to an advanced age, only if God is pleased to uphold us; if not, our course is finished as soon as ever it is commenced. It is "in God, and in God alone, that we live, and move, and have our being! Acts 17:28." But though these ideas are certainly comprehended in the text, its more immediate scope is to declare, II. Our security in God. We have already observed that the words of the text were introduced by David as a consolatory reflection, under the cruel treatment which he had received from friends and enemies. We are therefore taught by them to assure ourselves: 1. That none can destroy us before our divinely appointed time. We appear to be, yes, we really are, in the midst of many and great dangers. But however we may be encompassed with enemies, they cannot prevail against us until the Lord's appointed time for our removal has come. David was continually exposed to the rage and jealousy of Saul, who repeatedly cast a javelin at him, and hunted him incessantly with armed bands "like a partridge upon the mountains." Yet though he was often in the most imminent danger, 1 Samuel 23:26, and certainly would have been betrayed by the men of Keilah, 1 Samuel 23:11-12—yet God watched over him, and kept him in perfect safety. Many sought to apprehend our Lord; but "they could not lay hands on him until his hour was come, John 7:30; John 8:20. Luke 13:33;" and even then Pilate "could have had no power against him, unless it had been given him from above John 19:11." Paul was in innumerable perils, "and in deaths often, 2 Corinthians 11:23-27;" once he was stoned, and even left for dead, Acts 14:19-20; but none could take away his life, until he had finished the course which God marked out for him. Thus we also are immortal, until our work is done. We are surrounded with "chariots of fire, and horses of fire, 2 Kings 6:17;" yes, "God himself is a wall of fire round about us, Zechariah 2:5." And sooner shall successive bands of enemies be struck dead upon the spot by fire from Heaven 2 Kings 1:10-12, than one of the Lord's little ones shall perish! Matthew 18:14." 2. That none shall effectually harm us without God's permission. As we depend on God for our happiness as well as for our existence, so are both our being and our well-being are secured by him. Satan could not touch the person or the property of Job, until he had obtained permission from God to do so, Job 1:12; Job 2:6. "Nor can any weapon that is formed against us prosper, Isaiah 54:17," any further than our God shall see good to permit it. "His angels encamp round about us, Psalm 34:7," and have an especial charge to "keep us in all our ways, that we do not dash our foot against a stone, Psalm 91:11-12." "You will not fear the terror of night, nor the arrow that flies by day, nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness, nor the plague that destroys at midday. A thousand may fall at your side, ten thousand at your right hand, but it will not come near you! Psalm 91:5-7." We are not indeed at liberty to rush needlessly into danger, from an expectation that God will deliver us; (this would be to "tempt the Lord our God, Matthew 4:6-7.") But in the path of duty we have nothing to fear. We may "tread upon the lion, the adder, or the dragon, Psalm 91:13. Acts 28:3-6;" we may drink poison itself, Mark 16:18, or allow ourselves to be committed to the flames—without experiencing the smallest injury, Daniel 3:25-27. Nothing in the whole universe can "harm us, if we are followers of that which is good, 1 Peter 3:13;" if God sees fit to keep us, we are as safe "in a den of lions" as in a house of friends. From this subject we may LEARN: 1. To seek God without delay. There is no period of life when we can call one day, or one hour, our own. We are altogether "in God's hands;" and, if he withdraws his support for one moment, we will perish, as certainly as a stone gravitates to the earth. Shall we then, when so entirely dependent on our God, provoke him to cast us out of his hands? Shall we continue to despise his patience and forbearance, until he swears in his wrath that our "time shall be no longer, Revelation 10:6." Think, how many have lost the time afforded them, and how bitterly they now bewail their folly; and beg of God, that he would "so teach you to number your days, that you may apply your hearts unto wisdom, Psalm 90:12." 2. To serve God without fear. We are too apt to keep back from serving God through fear of the persecutions we may endure from man. But, if our times are in God's hands—then all our concerns must be there too; and nothing can befall us but by his appointment, "Who are you, then, that you should be afraid of a man that shall die, and forget the Lord your Maker? Isaiah 51:12-13." Are we not told, that "the wrath of man shall praise him, Psalm 76:10." Be bold then for God, "set your face as a flint against the world, Isaiah 49:7-9," and trust in him for protection. He will not indeed screen you from all trials; because it is on many accounts necessary for your growth in grace that you should feel them, 1 Peter 1:6; but he will allow none to come upon you which he will not enable you to bear, none which he will not sanctify to your eternal good! 1 Corinthians 10:13. 3. To trust God without worry. It is foolish as well as impious to distrust God, or to murmur at any of his dispensations. In whose hands could the disposal of all events be placed so much to our advantage, as in his who possesses infinite wisdom to devise what is best, and infinite power to effect it? Would we be made the sport of chance or fortune? Or would we have our present and everlasting concerns left wholly to our own management? If we are not fit to regulate our temporal affairs until we attain the age of manhood—then how much less can we ever be competent to take the reins of God's government into our own hands, and to order the affairs of his kingdom? But our times will be in God's hands, whether we acquiesce in it or not. Let us therefore contentedly leave ourselves to his all-wise disposal, assured that "he does all things well." "And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose!" Romans 8:28 Charles Simeon

Praying for Us

 “Jesus has entered the Holy of Holies to make daily intercession for His people. We are a people whose King prays for us by name.”

-R.C. Sproul

Leap for Joy

 “I have often, in times of frightful depression of spirit, reached down my Bible, and within a few minutes been able to leap for joy of soul.”

— Charles Spurgeon

God's Love

John Owen:

"The love of God is a fountain of all grace and mercy."

Thomas Watson:

"The love of God is a burning fire, which cannot be extinguished."

Richard Baxter:

"God's love is like a deep and inexhaustible sea, where we may always find new things to admire and rejoice in."

John Bunyan:

"O the wonderful love of God, which has lifted me up from the mire!"

Jonathan Edwards:

"God's love is so great, so deep, that it cannot be fully comprehended by finite minds."

These quotes reflect a common Puritan belief that God's love is not simply a feeling, but a powerful force that underpins creation and redemption. They encouraged believers to contemplate the depth and breadth of God's love, recognizing that it was the foundation of their faith and the source of all blessings.

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.