The Law of Moses (Excerpted from Philpot’s sermon, “Not Our Own”) Imagine that you are ignorant of the gospel and of God’s way of preventing evil and of bringing about good– and were called upon to design some plan whereby a man might be most effectually restrained from the commission of sin, and made obedient […]
(John MacDuff, “Hospice of the Pilgrim” 1891) “Oh, where can rest be found?” This is the cry of weary, care worn humanity. This is the cry embracing every nation and every climate, from the yearnings of heathendom to the longings and aspirations of the present hour. From the tumultuous sea of the world’s unrest, this […]
Salvation is of the Lord. When the Lord Jesus Christ met that young-rich ruler, who sought salvation by his good works, He quickly showed this man that he actually had no good works that would justify his soul. Although this man had claimed he had kept the law, “All these have I observed from my […]
The essential difference between false and true religion is this: All false religion makes salvation to be ultimately dependent upon and determined by the worth, work, or will of the sinner; whereas true religion declares, with Jonah, “Salvation is of the Lord!” In its planning, in its purchase, in its performance, in its preservation, and […]
Secretly, quietly, insidiously, plausibly (J. C. Ryle, “Pharisees and Sadducees”) “Watch out for false prophets! They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves!” Matthew 7:15 “For such men are false apostles, deceitful workmen, masquerading as apostles of Christ. And no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light!” 2 Corinthians 11:13-14 […]
Malachi 1:7: Ye offer polluted bread upon mine altar; and ye say, Wherein have we polluted thee? In that ye say, The table of the LORD is contemptible. The next time you are baking a fresh loaf of homemade bread, mix in rat poison. Do you think you could obtain life by eating it? Why […]
The Gospel of the Bible Salvation of sinners is all about the glory of God (Rom 11:36, Col 3:11, 2 Thess 2:14) and it is in this salvation of sinners that all the divine attributes of God are gloriously revealed. The reconciliation of fallen sinners to a Holy God requires the infinitely powerful work of […]
Effectual Atonement Isaiah 53:10-12 What happened at Calvary? Did the Lord Jesus Christ redeem His people from all iniquity; or did he merely make them redeemable? Did He actually put away our sins; or did He merely make it possible for our sins to be put away? Did the Lamb of God reconcile us to […]
All true religion Jesus is . . . our sun, and without Him all is darkness; our life, and without Him all is death; the beginner and finisher of our faith; the substance of our hope; the object of our love. It is the Spirit who quickens us . . . to feel our need […]
Paying for admittance into heaven (Horatius Bonar, “Bible Thoughts and Themes”) “He saved us–not by works of righteousness that we had done, but according to His mercy.” Titus 3:5 Ritualism, or externalism, or traditionalism are all different forms of self-righteousness; man’s self-invented ways of pleasing or appeasing God, or paying for admittance into heaven. These forms of […]