Grace Gems for APRIL 2025

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

In Psalm 17:14, David prays, "With Your hand, O Lord, save me from men of this world, whose portion is in this life!"

Worldlings may boast of their treasures and pleasures--but the Christian counts all this as loss and dross, when compared to the surpassing worth of knowing the Lord.

If our portion is in this poor world, then we will perish with it. But if our portion is the Lord Himself, then we have a treasure that never disappoints or decays, that no thief can steal, and no time can tarnish.

"You are my portion, O Lord." Psalm 119:57. God is unchanging in His love, unlimited in His mercy, and unfailing in His grace. What greater comfort can a soul have, than to know that the Almighty is his everlasting portion?

Psalm 142:5, "You are my refuge, my portion." How surpassingly glorious is the portion of the child of God!
Not merely peace of conscience,
not merely deliverance from Hell,
not merely the hope of Heaven
--but God Himself is our portion!

The true believer does not chiefly desire the gifts of God--he pants after the Giver Himself. He does not primarily long for the place where there is "no more death or mourning or crying or pain"--but for the immediate, unhindered presence of the Lord who loves him and gave Himself for him!

The highest expression of divine love, is not that God grants us many blessings, but that He gives us Himself. To say, "The Lord is my portion" is to confess that our portion is infinite, unchanging, and all-satisfying--for He is all that and more.

What greater assurance can the soul have, than to know that the omnipotent, omniscient, all-wise, and infinitely good God, has pledged Himself to be our possession forever?

How shameful it is, then, when the hearts of believers grow cold towards God, and crave the fleeting vanities of this world. How poor are those who possess earthly treasures, but not God! And how rich are those who have nothing on earth, but can say, "The Lord is my portion!" Lamentations 3:24

This truth sweetens the believer's every sorrow.
When health fails,
when friends forsake,
when comforts vanish
--still the soul may say, "My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart, and my portion forever!" Psalm 73:26

O believer, meditate deeply on this: Your inheritance is not primarily what God gives, but who He is. Yes, the essence of Heaven is . . .
to behold God's glory,
to be with Him,
to possess Him forever.

And let us not forget that every believer is God's portion as well, "For the Lord's portion is His people." Yes, our chief delight is that, "I am my Beloved's, and my Beloved is mine."

"O Lord, You are my eternal portion--my treasure, my joy, my all. Strip me of all false treasures. Detach my heart from the fleeting and the fading. Turn my eyes from worthless things, and fix my gaze on Your beauty. Anchor my soul in the eternal, the glorious, the unsearchable riches of knowing You. Be my delight, my sufficiency, my portion--both now and forever. Amen."

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

"You are . . .
a chosen people,
a royal priesthood,
a holy nation,
a people belonging to God,
that you may declare the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His wonderful light." 1 Peter 2:9

This verse is both a comfort and a challenge. It reminds every genuine Christian of their identity in Christ and the purpose for which they were redeemed.

First, Peter declares that believers are a chosen people.

Our election is not based on our merit, works, or foreseen faith--but solely on God's sovereign grace! (Ephesians 1:4–5). This humbles us, for we were not chosen because of anything in us--but in spite of our unworthiness. God's love is set upon His people from eternity past, and this should fill us with deep assurance and joy. If God has chosen us, He will surely keep us (John 10:28–29).

Next, Peter states that Christians are a royal priesthood.

Under the Old Covenant, priests were set apart to intercede before God. Now, in Christ, all believers are priests--we have direct access to God through our Mediator, Jesus Christ (Hebrews 4:16). But with this privilege comes responsibility. As priests, we are called to offer up spiritual sacrifices--our lives, our praise, and our obedience (Romans 12:1; Hebrews 13:15). We do not live for ourselves, but for the glory of our King.

We are also a holy nation.

Holiness is not optional for God's people. To be holy means to be set apart from sin, and set apart unto God.
In justification, He has made us holy in Christ.
In sanctification, He is making us holy in our daily lives.

This verse challenges us--do we live as citizens of heaven, or are we entangled in the world's ways? (Philippians 3:20; 1 John 2:15-17).

As Christians, we belong to God.

What a comfort to know that we are not our own! We belong to God by election, and are purchased by the sin-atoning death of Christ. This means we are secure in His love, but it also means we do not have the right to live for ourselves. Our purpose is not self-fulfillment, but God's glory.

Lastly, all Christians are called into God's marvelous light.

We were once in darkness: dead in sin, enslaved to the world, and blind to the beauty of Christ. But God has rescued us from the dominion of darkness, and brought us into the kingdom of His beloved Son! (Colossians 1:13). This was not a mere invitation, but an effectual summons that brought us from death to life (Ephesians 2:1–5).

Now, we walk in His light, seeing His truth, loving His ways, and reflecting His glory.

All of this--our election, priesthood, holiness, and belonging--has a purpose: that we may declare His praises! We are saved not merely for our benefit, but primarily to glorify God. Our lives should be a continual testimony to His grace. Our lips should be filled with His praises.

This verse is both a deep comfort and a weighty calling. Let us ever strive to live . . .
as God's chosen people,
as His royal priesthood,
as a holy nation,
as a people belonging to God,
and declaring His praises!

"God's people are His peculiar treasure, His special portion. What greater honor can be conferred upon a man than this--to belong to God! The Lord values His saints more than all the world!"

(You will find it helpful to LISTEN to the Audio, as you READ the text below, or you may want to WATCH the Video.)

"You will trample our sins under Your feet, and throw them into the depths of the ocean!" Micah 7:19

The picture here is of an ocean, not near the shore, but far beyond sight of land, in the midst of a wide wilderness of waters, the illimitable horizon stretching on every side; and when the sounding line is let down, it cannot fathom the depth, or reach the bottom!

There, in the solitudes of that voiceless ocean, a plunge is heard! The surface is ruffled only for a moment; then the waves resume their usual calmness. The load, whatever it is, is never more seen. It is buried somewhere in these dark caverns! No spirit of the deep can ever come up from the silent caves to tell its story! Ships cross and recross where it fell, but no distinguishing marker is left on the unstable highway, to mark the spot. The sea can be tempted by no bribe, to give up the secret of its keeping, all trace is lost from sight and memory forever!

That is a picture of what God does for all His redeemed people!

"You will trample our sins under Your feet, and throw them into the depths of the ocean!"

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

Revelation 7:16–17
"Never again will they hunger; never again will they thirst.
The sun will not beat upon them, nor any scorching heat.
For the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their Shepherd;
He will lead them to springs of living water.
And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes!"

What a sweet and glorious promise this is for the weary pilgrim in this valley of tears! In this fallen world, we are often burdened with trials, afflictions and sorrows. The scorching heat of life's troubles beats down upon our fainting souls. But here, the Lord lifts our eyes beyond the veil of suffering, to the land where tears are no more.

The heat of affliction scorches us here, but it shall never touch us there. The irksome wilderness is left behind, and the weary march is ended. No more scorching trials, no more burning temptations--only the cool, refreshing presence of the Lamb who has loved us and given Himself for us!

The Lamb, once slain for our sins, now reigns at the center of Heaven's throne. And He is still our Shepherd! He, who laid down His life for His sheep, now leads them to the ever-flowing springs of divine refreshment.

Never again will we lack. Never again will sorrow press upon our hearts. Every wound shall be healed by His own hand, and every tear wiped away by God Himself! Can you grasp the tenderness of this promise? The infinite, sovereign Lord stoops to dry the tears of His redeemed people!
The fullness of His presence,
the sweetness of His love,
and the satisfaction of His glory
--shall be our portion forever.

Press on, dear saint! The journey is hard, but one moment with Jesus, will make amends for all.

Let this promise be . . .
your anchor in trial,
your comfort in suffering, and
your hope in the darkest night.

The Lamb is at the center of the throne--therefore, all is well! Press on, weary saint, for the day is near when sighs shall be exchanged for songs, and sorrow shall flee away forever!

"You have made known to me the path of life;
You will fill me with joy in Your presence,
with eternal pleasures at Your right hand!" Psalm 16:11

Alexander MacLaren

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

"Hold me up--and I shall be safe!" Psalm 119:117

The first lesson we have to learn, is that without Divine help we cannot stand; and that with it we cannot fall. We must cultivate a spirit of lowly dependence and conscious weakness.

We need a mightier strength than our own, which shall curb all this evil nature of ours, and restrain us from sin's deceits.

When God's Spirit comes into a man's heart, He will deaden his desires after the world and forbidden ways. He will make us love and desire blessed and holier objects. He who has been fed on "the hidden manna" will not be likely to hanker after the leeks and onions that grew in the Nile mud in Egypt, however strong their smell and pungent their taste.

He who has tasted the higher sweetnesses of God, will have his heart's desires after worldly delights strangely deadened and cooled.

My heart, touched by the indwelling Spirit of God, will turn to Him--and I shall find little sweetness in the otherwise tempting delicacies that earth can offer.

God desires to cleanse us from the filth of the swine trough, and the rags of our exile--and clothe us in fine linen, clean and white. If you will submit yourself into His hands, He will give you abilities to detect the serpents in the flowers, and new resolution to shake off the vipers into the fire.

"Hold me up--and I shall be safe!" Psalm 119:117

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To live is Christ, to die is even better!

By Charles Spurgeon and others

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

Philippians 1:21, "For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain."

The apostle Paul saw his entire existence through the lens of his Savior.
If he lived, it was for Christ's glory.
If he died, it was for Christ's presence.
Either way, he was wholly surrendered to Christ!
Christ was the source, the substance, and the goal of his life.

"To live is Christ." What does this mean? It means that Christ is . . .
the purpose of our lives,
the joy of our hearts, and
the strength of our souls.
Whether in trials or triumphs, in sorrows or joys, Christ is the center of all we do.
Our lives are not our own--they are His!
To a man who lives for Christ, nothing is secular--everything is sacred.
To draw nearer to Christ is his life's ambition;
to glorify Christ is his daily business;
to live for Christ is his greatest joy.

But then Paul adds, "to die is gain." How can death--the dreaded enemy of mankind--be gain? To the world, death is the worst possible loss--it is the end of all earthly hopes and dreams. But for the believer, death is simply the doorway into eternal, unbroken fellowship with Christ! It is . . .
the shedding of all sin,
the end of all suffering, and
the entrance into the fullness of joy in our Savior's presence.
To die is . . .
to be with Christ,
to behold Him in all His glory,
and to rest in His love forever.
No more pain, no more tears--only Christ, in the fullness of His beauty and glory!

Dear Christian, do not fear what the world fears. Your life is Christ's, and your death is but a passage into His presence, to a glory beyond imagining. Take heart!
Your life is Christ,
your death is gain, and
your eternity is secure in His loving hands.

Live for Christ today, and long for the day when you shall see Him face to face!

"I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far!" Philippians 1:23

"We know that when He appears, we shall be like Him--for we shall see Him as He really is!" 1 John 3:2

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The blessedness of spiritual poverty

By Arthur Pink and others.

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

Matthew 5:3, "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of Heaven."

What is poverty of spirit? It is the opposite of that haughty, self-assertive, and self-sufficient disposition that the world so much desires and praises. To be poor in spirit, is to realize that I have nothing, I am nothing, I can do nothing--to please the holy God.

Poverty of spirit is evident in a person, when he is brought into the dust before God, to acknowledge his utter helplessness. It is the first experiential evidence of a Divine work of grace within the soul, and corresponds to the initial awakening of the prodigal son in the far country, when he "began to be in need." (Luke 15:14)

The world calls the strong, the self-sufficient, and the self-reliant "blessed." But the Lord Jesus Christ, the King of Glory, pronounces a paradox--true blessedness belongs only to the poor in spirit! These are those who see themselves as utterly destitute sinners before God. They have been stripped of all self-righteousness and self-sufficiency, standing before their Maker with empty hands, knowing they have nothing to offer God but their sin and need.

To be "poor in spirit" is to humble one's self under the mighty hand of God. It is to see our sin, our guilt, our defilement, and our utter inability to save ourselves. It is to cry out with the tax collector, "God, have mercy on me, the sinner!" (Luke 18:13). It is to confess, like Isaiah, "Woe is me, for I am undone! For my eyes have seen the King, the Lord almighty!" (Isaiah 6:5). Such a condition is not something we naturally seek, for in our pride, we all claim some worthiness before God.

But the Holy Spirit opens our blind eyes to see the depth of our depravity, and the height of God's holiness. This poverty of spirit is the first mark of all who enter Christ's kingdom, for only when a soul understands the depth of it's depravity and inability to save itself, will it seek Christ's salvation.

And what is the promise? "For theirs is the kingdom of Heaven."
Christ Himself is their portion. They have entered into . . . .
the riches of His grace,
the fullness of His love,
and the blessedness of His eternal kingdom.
While the proud and self-sufficient are sent away empty, the poor in spirit are filled with the riches of divine mercy.

Oh, what comfort this brings to the soul who feels utterly unworthy before God! Take heart, dear believer--your poverty is your riches, for Christ has become your all! The more we see of our spiritual bankruptcy, the more we treasure His abundant grace. The deeper our sense of need, the sweeter is the sufficiency of our Savior. He is near to the lowly, and He exalts the humble.

Hence, let us daily live in this blessed poverty, knowing that our sufficiency is in Christ alone. Let us not boast in our own goodness, but in the grace of God, who has given us a priceless inheritance in His everlasting kingdom. The world may pity those who are poor in spirit, but God calls them blessed!

"Lord, empty me of pride, of self-reliance, and of any thought that I can stand before You in my own merit. Make me ever more poor in spirit, that I may be rich in Christ. Thank You that the kingdom of Heaven belongs to those who realize that they are un-deserving, ill-deserving, and Hell-deserving sinners. Keep me humble before You, and let my heart always rest in the sufficiency of Your grace."

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The blessedness of mourning for sin

By Arthur Pink and others.

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

"Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted." Matthew 5:4

"Blessed are those who mourn!" This is a strange saying to the worldly-minded and sin-loving! But here again, the Lord Jesus turns the wisdom of this world on its head. He does not speak of earthly grief over loss or pain, but of a deeper, holier sorrow: a mourning over one's sin.

This is no superficial sadness, nor is it the regret of one merely caught in wrongdoing. This mourning flows from a heart that has seen the vileness of their sin in the light of God's holiness. It is the sorrow of a soul awakened by sovereign grace, grieved not only by the consequences of sin--but by its very presence. The one who mourns in this way, is crushed by the weight of having offended so good and glorious a God. Like David, he cries, "Against You, You only, have I sinned and done what is evil in Your sight!" Psalm 51:4

This kind of sorrow is a gift from God. The natural man does not grieve over sin in this way. But when the Holy Spirit convicts, He breaks the heart and draws it to repentance. And to such mourners, Jesus gives a precious promise: They will be comforted.

What is this comfort? It is the comfort of full and free forgiveness through the blood of Jesus Christ. The mourning sinner hears the gospel and discovers that Christ has borne every sin, every shame, every curse! The very sins that caused his sorrow, have been nailed to the cross, and buried in the tomb. There is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus! Romans 8:1

It is the comfort of divine assurance--that God will never cast out the broken and contrite heart. Psalm 51:17. It is the comfort of sweet fellowship with Christ, who is near to all who mourn over their sin. And it is the comfort of a sure hope--the promise that one day every tear will be wiped away, and we will dwell with Jesus forever in a place where sin can never enter!

Beloved, do not think lightly of your sorrow over sin. Do not suppress the mourning that humbles your heart. It is a mark of saving grace, and it leads to the deepest joy. Every tear shed over sin will be answered with the smile of a forgiving God. He who wounds, also heals. He who breaks the heart, binds it with cords of everlasting love.

"Father, give me a heart that mourns over my sinfulness--deeply, sincerely, and continually. Let me never grow cold to the evil of my iniquity. And yet, O Lord, comfort me with the knowledge that Jesus has borne it all. Thank You for the promise of complete forgiveness, freedom from shame and condemnation, and eternal glory with Christ! May I find my peace, my joy, and my comfort in Him alone. In His name I pray, Amen."

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Blessed are the meek

By Arthur Pink and others.

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

"Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth." Matthew 5:5

In a world that prizes self-assertion, self-promotion, pride, and personal rights--the meek are overlooked, even despised. Yet Jesus declares that it is the meek: the lowly, the humble--who are truly blessed.

This meekness is not natural to the human heart. It does not come from a gentle personality or a quiet temperament. True meekness is the fruit of the Spirit and springs from a heart humbled before a holy God. It flows from the soul that has been . . .
emptied of self-righteousness,
broken over sin, and
made to bow before the majesty of divine holiness.

The meek man sees himself rightly--as a sinner saved by grace alone. He does not fight for his own importance or honor, because he knows he has none in himself. He is content to be little, because Christ is everything. Like Job, he says, "Behold, I am vile!" Job 40:4. And like the publican, he beats his breast crying, "God, have mercy on me, a sinner!" Luke 18:13

Yet far from being weak, meekness is a mark of true strength. It takes far more power to submit to God's will, to quietly bear wrongs, and to put others before oneself--than to rise up in pride and retaliation. The meek do not demand their way--they trust God to order all things for their good and His glory.

And what is their reward? "They shall inherit the earth." Though now they may be poor, obscure, and afflicted--they shall one day reign with Christ. The proud may rule for a season, but it is the meek who will possess the earth when Jesus returns to make all things new. The new heavens and the new earth are prepared not for the boastful, but for the lowly and humble in heart.

Oh what comfort this brings to weary, struggling saints! You who feel the weight of your unworthiness and marvel that God would save you--take heart! You are blessed. You may be despised by the world, but God almighty smiles upon you. Your Savior was meek and lowly, and you are being made like Him.

"Gracious Father, humble my heart before You. Let me not seek my own honor or insist on my own way, but teach me the beauty of meekness. Let my soul be quiet under Your hand, trusting that You will lift up the humble in due time. May I find all my delight and reward in Christ alone, in whose name I pray, Amen."

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Hungering and thirsting for righteousness!

By Arthur Pink and others.

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

"Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled." Matthew 5:6

This beatitude follows naturally from the ones before it: the one who is spiritually poor, who mourns over his sin, and who is meek and humble before God--that one will hunger and thirst for the righteousness he lacks. He knows himself to be sinful, impure, and vile before God--and he longs to be clothed in the perfect holiness of Christ.

Hunger and thirst are not mere desires--they are desperate cravings. Jesus speaks here of one who longs, not for worldly gain or fleeting pleasures, but for perfect righteousness--a righteousness he knows that he does not possess in himself.

This is not the cry of the self-righteous Pharisee who boasts in his own morality and goodness--but the cry of a person who has learned that he has not one good thing in himself, and now yearns for that perfect righteousness which Jesus wrought out by His perfect life, and credits to the believing sinner.

What is this righteousness?

It is first, the "imputed" righteousness of Christ--that perfect obedience and sinless life credited to the believing sinner by God. We hunger to be justified before God, not by good works, for we have none--but by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone.

But it is also the "imparted" righteousness of a holy life--a deep longing to be made practically righteous, to be holy, to walk in obedience, to hate what God hates--and to love what He loves. This hunger is not a passing feeling or emotion, but an abiding and powerful longing.

This continuous hungering and thirsting for righteousness, is an indelible mark of every true believer. The world hungers for wealth, fame, and comfort--but every child of God hungers to be holy!

What a soul-satisfying promise: "They will be filled!"--not partially, not temporarily--but fully and forever with all the unfathomable riches of God's grace in Christ!

God will not mock the longings He has stirred in the heart. Our hunger to be free from sin, to walk in holiness, to please our Lord--will one day give way to complete satisfaction! We will awaken in glory, fully conformed to the image of our adorable Savior. The Lord will not fill us with crumbs, but with Himself--the "Bread of Life" and "Living Water" who alone can quench our soul's deepest thirst. What comfort! What encouragement, as we traverse our pilgrim journey in this poor world of trials and temptations!

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Blessed are the merciful

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

By Arthur Pink and others.

(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!"

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Blessed are the pure in heart

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

By Arthur Pink and others.

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

"Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God!" Matthew 5:8

What a staggering promise!

The highest blessing ever spoken to man: They shall see God! This is no mere poetic figure--it is the very hope of Heaven, the unveiled beholding of God in all His holiness, beauty, and glory! Yet this privilege is not granted to the mighty, the wise, or the religious--but only to the pure in heart.

What does it mean to be "pure in heart"? It does not mean sinless perfection in this life, but rather a heart that has been cleansed by grace, and now sincerely longs for holiness. It is a heart that is no longer fixed on worldly trifles, and no longer pursuing sinful pleasures--but made single in its desire for God. It is a heart purified by the sin-atoning death of Christ, and by the sanctifying work of the Spirit. Such heart purity is not man-made, but it is God-wrought--born in regeneration and nurtured in sanctification.

While in this world of sin and temptation, the true Christian grieves over his remaining faults and sins. He longs for the day of death, when his sins and spots will be gone forever, and he will be as pure as the freshly fallen snow. He longs for the day when he will see Jesus, and be like Him. Having this wondrous hope, he strives to be as pure as Jesus.

"They shall see God!" Not through a veil, not dimly or distantly--but clearly, directly, and eternally. To see God is to be forever satisfied, forever joyful, forever changed into the likeness of His blessed Son. In that moment . . .
all sin will be gone,
all sorrow swallowed up,
and all longings for perfect holiness fulfilled.
The Lamb in the midst of the throne will be their Shepherd, and God Himself will dwell with them.

What a hope for those who mourn over their sinfulness, and yearn to walk in purity! The world chases fleeting pleasures, but the believer presses on toward the ultimate blessing--to see the King in His beauty and glory!

"O God, I long for a heart that is pure before You--a heart cleansed from sin, undivided in love, and wholly devoted to You. Thank You for the sin-atoning blood of Jesus, which alone can purify such a wretched sinner as I am. Fix my heart on the hope of that blessed day, when I shall see You face to face, and be like Jesus. In His name, Amen."

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Blessed are the peacemakers

[This is the seventh in our series of the eight Beatitudes.]

By Arthur Pink and others.

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

Matthew 5:9, "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God."

True peace cannot exist apart from God. Man, in his natural sinful state, is at enmity with his Maker--alienated, hostile, and rebellious against Him. Yet He, in sovereign mercy, sent His Son to reconcile God-hating sinners to Himself, through the sin-atoning blood of the cross. And now, those whom He has redeemed, are called to reflect His heart by becoming peacemakers--instruments of reconciliation, pleading with men to be reconciled to God.

This beatitude does not speak of those who merely promote harmony between man and man--but those who labor to bring ungodly rebels into peace with God. These true peacemakers are those who understand that the greatest war in the universe is not between nations, but between the Creator and His sinful creatures--and they strive to intervene.

But this is not a work of fleshly effort, or clever persuasion. It is the humble, God-glorifying task of proclaiming the gospel--the good news that Christ Jesus came into the world to save wicked sinners. The peacemaker knows the terror of judgment and the beauty of grace--and so with prayer and bold love, he points guilty souls to the only Savior. He speaks of . . .
God's holiness,
man's utter ruin in sin,
Christ's sin-atoning work on the cross,
and the free offer of peace through faith in Him.

And what is the promise? "They will be called sons of God"--by the glorious Father Himself! For in imitating their Heavenly Father's reconciling love, they reflect His likeness. Just as Christ, the great Peacemaker, was called the Son of God--so too are those who carry His message of reconciliation to the world.

This is a high and holy calling, and it is not without cost. The peacemaker will be . . .
hated for confronting sin,
rejected for preaching Christ, and
scorned by those who love darkness rather than light.
Yet as he bears the family resemblance of His Father, one day he will hear the voice of His Father saying, "Well done, My child! You have been a faithful peacemaker. Come and share your Father's happiness!"

"O Lord, make me a true peacemaker. I once was at war with You, but You had mercy on me. You reconciled me to Yourself through the sin-atoning death of Your precious Son. Now use me, unworthy though I am, to bring others to that same peace. Let me never be ashamed of the gospel, but proclaim it with boldness, compassion, and humility. In Jesus' name, Amen."

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Blessed are those who are persecuted

[This is the last in our series of the eight Beatitudes.]

By Arthur Pink and others.

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

Matthew 5:10-12, "Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of Heaven. Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in Heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you."

To the world, persecution is a curse to be avoided. But to the child of God, it is a badge of honor--a sign that he is walking in the footsteps of his Savior. In this final beatitude, Jesus lifts the eyes of His disciples above the hatred of men, to the eternal blessings which await them.

"Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness."
That is, those who are persecuted for Christ's sake . . .
for standing for truth,
for living in holiness,
for proclaiming the gospel,
and for refusing to bow to the world's idols.

This beatitude is a necessary conclusion to the others. The one . . .
who is poor in spirit,
who mourns over sin,
who hungers for righteousness,
and strives to bring peace with God
--will inevitably meet with persecution. Why? Because the world hates Christ. And if we are conformed to His image--then we will be treated as He was. To live righteously in an unrighteous world, is to shine a light that exposes the darkness of sin--and men love darkness instead of light, because their deeds are evil.

Yet what unspeakable comfort Jesus offers: "Theirs is the kingdom of Heaven!" The very persecution that casts us out from the world, is the evidence that we belong to the kingdom of God. And even more, "Great is your reward in Heaven!" The scoffing of puny men cannot rob us of the eternal glory that awaits. Every insult borne for Christ, every slander endured for righteousness, will be richly rewarded with joy beyond imagining!

The Lord does not call His people to endure persecution in their own strength. He supplies sufficient grace, and promises that we are never alone. He stands with His persecuted saints, just as He stood with the prophets of old. Though reviled on earth, they are honored in Heaven!

"Lord Jesus, thank You for this blessed promise. When I am hated for Your name, help me to remember that I am walking where You walked. Give me courage, humility, and steadfast faith. Let me never be ashamed to suffer for righteousness, for Your sake. And fix my eyes on that heavenly reward, where all tears will be wiped away, and I shall see You face to face in eternal glory! Amen."

"Everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted!" 2 Timothy 3:12

~ ~ ~ ~

You have gunpowder hearts!

(George Everard, "Mind Your Steps!" 1884)

(You will find it helpful to LISTEN to the Audio, as you READ the text below. Or you may want to WATCH the Video on YouTube)

"Avoid every kind of evil!" 1 Thessalonians 5:22

Be careful to guard against all occasions of sin and evil. There is no safety without setting a watch against all that is likely to prove a stumbling-block.

I read one day of the remarkable precautions which are taken to avoid danger in a gunpowder manufactory. The walls are all of stone, and no wood is allowed to be in the place. Anyone who walks through has to take off his shoes, lest the nails in them should strike a spark. Then, if he has any metal on him, he must leave it at the door. The danger is so great, that everything must be done to avoid any approach to it.

Oh that Christians would take heed in a similar way to keep from the peril of sin! Keep far away from any approach to temptation. You have gunpowder hearts--so ready to ignite from the least spark! A look, a word, an evil example, a sentence in a book, a suggestion from a bad companion--any of these may be the cause of a world of mischief.

Therefore, make it your firm resolve to keep out of harm's way.
Beware of all places, and scenes and people--that may turn you from the right course.
Don't imagine you are strong enough to go, and get no harm.
Better to keep far from the edge of the precipice.
Better to keep out of the lion's reach!
Better to keep from the long grass where the viper is coiled up!
Stop while you can--or you may go so far that it may be impossible to escape.

Be careful to guard well the various gates of access to the heart, and of egress into the world.

Guard well the eye. Keep it from vanity. Remember that one look cost Achan his life--and a lustful look embittered the whole of David's years. Let the eye look straight onward, and right upward to the throne.

Guard well the ear. Receive nothing that will pollute or defile you. Hearken to no voice of flattery or persuasion to evil. Welcome every message of the word of truth.

Guard well the memory and imagination. Let no vision or image tarry there, which will chain and enthrall the soul. If unclean birds fly over your head--do not let them settle in your hair!

Nor be less mindful . . .
to curb the tongue,
to guide the foot,
to use the hand,
according to God's holy will.

The words you utter,
the paths you go,
the deeds you perform,
tell mightily on yourself and on others. And none should be permitted to act except under the control of the fear and love of God.

Yet always remember, that it is not your careful walking, but Christ's careful keeping which will ensure your final victory!
   Your enemies are legion,
   your strength is nothing,
   your resolutions soon fail,
   your heart is easily beguiled and turned aside--
but the good Shepherd will keep His own redeemed people.
He will point out your danger--and enable you to flee from it.
He will uphold you in perilous places--and lift you up when you fall.
He will keep you from falling--and save you even to the uttermost!

~ ~ ~ ~

Chance, luck, or accident?

J.C. Ryle

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

Luke 12:6-7
"Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies?
Yet not one of them is forgotten by God.
Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered.
Do not be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows!"

Nothing whatever, whether great or small, whether blessing or harm--can happen to a believer without God's ordering and permission.

There is no such thing as chance, luck, or accident in the Christian's journey through this world. All is arranged and appointed by his loving heavenly Father: "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

Let us seek to have an abiding sense of God's hand in all that befalls us. Let us strive to realize that our Father's wisdom and love are measuring out our daily portion, and that our every step is ordered by Him.

A daily practical faith of this kind, is one grand secret of happiness, and a mighty antidote against murmuring and discontent. We should try to feel in the day of trial and disappointment, that all is right and all is well done.

We should try to feel on the bed of sickness that there must be a "needs be." We should say to ourselves, "God could keep away from me these things if He thought fit. But He does not do so, and therefore they must be for my benefit. I will lie still, and bear them patiently. Whatever pleases God, shall please me!"

~ ~ ~ ~

Here, and here alone!

(J.C. Philpot)

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

Standing at the cross of our adorable Lord, we may see . . .
the law thoroughly fulfilled,
its curse fully endured,
its penalties wholly removed,
sin eternally put away,
the justice of God amply satisfied,
all His perfections gloriously harmonized,
reconciliation completely effected,
redemption graciously accomplished,
and every true believer everlastingly saved.

Here, and here alone, we see sin in its blackest colors--and holiness in its most attractive beauties.

Here, and here alone, we see the love of God in its tenderest form--and the anger of God in its deepest expression.

Here, and here alone, we see the eternal and unalterable displeasure of the Almighty against sin, and the rigid demands of His inflexible justice--and yet the tender compassion and boundless love of His heart, to His chosen, redeemed and regenerate people.

Here, and here alone, are pardon and peace obtained.

Here, and here alone, penitential grief and godly sorrow flow from hearts and eyes.

Here, and here alone, is . . .
sin subdued and mortified,
holiness communicated,
death vanquished,
Satan put to flight, and
happiness and Heaven begun in the soul.

What a holy meeting-place for repenting sinners and a sin-pardoning God!

What a joyful forgiving-place for guilty, yet repenting and returning backsliders!

What a door of hope for the self-condemned and self-abhorred!

And what a blessed resorting-place for the whole family of grace in this valley of grief and sorrow.

"May it never be that I would boast, except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.” Galatians 6:14

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How am I to worship God?

Horatius Bonar

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

Man asks, "How am I to worship God?"

And he has answered it also in his own way: "In the gorgeous temple, in the pillared cathedral, with incense, and vestments, and forms, and ceremonies, and processions, and postures!" he says.

But these performances are the 'will worship' of self righteousness, not the obedient service of men worshiping God in ways of His own choosing.

Man cannot teach man how to worship God. When he tries it he utterly fails. He distorts worship. He misrepresents God, and he indulges his own sensuous or self righteous tastes. His "dim religious light" is but a reflection of his own gloomy spirit, and an ignorant misrepresentation of Him "who is light."

God's answer to man's question is given in the Lord's words, "those who worship Him, must worship Him in spirit and in truth." John 4:24

The vestments may or may not be lovely--that matters not.

The music may or may not be beautiful.

The knees may or may not be bent.

The hands may or may not be clasped.

The place of worship may or may not be a cathedral, or a consecrated building.

These are immaterial things; mere adjuncts of religion, not its essence.

The true worship is that of the inner man--and all these other exterior things are of little importance.

As it is with love, so it is with worship. The heart is everything!

God can do without the bended knee, but not without the broken heart!

"My son, give Me your heart, and let your eyes keep to my ways!" Proverbs 23:26

~ ~ ~ ~

It radically changes the whole man!

Charles Spurgeon

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

Genuine salvation is always transformative. It radically changes the whole man! He was once at enmity with God, and hated Him. Now he is a friend of God, and loves Him. His condition before God, his moral tone, his nature, his state of mind--are made radically different from what they were before salvation!

Genuine salvation changes the PRINCIPLE UPON WHICH HE LIVES.
He once lived for self--he now lives to please God.

His OBJECTS IN LIFE are changed.
He once lived for money, or the flesh, or the world. Now he lives for the glory of God.

His COMFORTS are changed.
The pleasures of the world and sin are now nothing to him. He finds comfort in the love of God shed abroad in his heart by the Holy Spirit.

His DESIRES are changed.
That which he once panted and pined for, he is now content to do without. That which he once despised, he now longs after as the deer pants after the water brooks.

His FEARS are different.
He fears man no more, but fears his God.

His HOPES are also altered.
His expectations fly beyond the stars. He now confidently looks forward to a city with eternal foundations, a city designed and built by God!

The saved man has begun a new life!

A convert once said, "Either the world is altered--or else I am!"

The saved man feels that the things which are seen are shadows, and the things which he hears are but voices out of dreamland. He now knows that unseen spiritual realities are substantial. He lives by faith, not by sight.

2 Corinthians 5:17, "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!"

~ ~ ~ ~

The silly moth is caught!

Henry Law, 1858

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

Why is this world such a wide sea of evil?

Why do earth's multitudes roll so easily to Hell?

The tastes of the mass of the human race are groveling and vile.

They only care to sip the vulgar cup of time and sense.

Their sin-soiled garments and polluted feet prove that they wallow in defiling mire.

See the worldling.

A temptation meets him.

A gilded bait allures.

A sweet indulgence opens its inviting arms.

What follows?

The silly moth is caught!

Pleasure whispers, "Come and partake!"

Desire acquiesces.

Nature surrenders.

Thus Satan leads his crowds down misery's downward slope.

Quickly, easily--they glide along.

The rolling pebble has no power to stop.

The downhill torrent is incapable of turning.

To them, liberty is unknown.

The clash of heavy chains attests their bondage.

Satan drags them--and they must obey.

The world gives laws--they tremblingly submit.

They crouch, the slaves of many an insulting tyrant!

"Each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed.
Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin;
and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death!" James 1:14–15

"No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it!" 1 Corinthians 10:13

~ ~ ~ ~

Laws of nature?

John MacDuff

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

Isaiah 29:6, "In an instant, I, the Lord Almighty, will come against them with thunder and earthquake and great noise, with whirlwind and storm and consuming fire."

Let us not dethrone and undeify the great Maker and Sustainer, by substituting for His sovereign rule, what are commonly called the laws of nature. Winds, and earthquakes, and tempests are not the capricious outbreaks of unregulated mechanical force.

The world's vast machinery, with all its varied and intricate movements, is under God's supervision and control.

"He holds the winds in His fists."

"He gathers the waters in the hollow of His hand."

"He makes the clouds His chariot."

"He directs the snow to fall on the earth,
and tells the rain to pour down."

This offers a lesson of soothing consolation to many a stricken heart:

That lightning which struck down my child, was an arrow out of the quiver of God!

That wave which swept him from the vessel's side; or that hurricane which overthrew my dwelling, and buried loved ones in the ruins--had their pathway marked out by God!

He brings forth the lightning out of His treasuries!

He gives the sea its decree!

      He walks on the wings of the wind!

All things are subservient to the controlling will and purposes of the Most High God.

  "I am the Lord, and there is no other!
   I form the light and create darkness,
   I bring prosperity and create disaster;
   I, the Lord, do all these things!" Isaiah 45:6-7

~ ~ ~ ~

In love

Henry Law, "Gleanings from the Book of Life"

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

"How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God!" 1 John 3:1

Behold the overflowing riches of the grace and love of Jesus. Every page of the Gospel story teaches the love of His heart to His redeemed people.

In love He receives His people as His own. Before the world was framed, He inscribed them on the tablets of His heart.

In love He undertakes their cause, and espouses them as His bride.

In love He works out for them a righteousness so bright, so perfect, so glorious--that Jehovah's eye can find no flaw, no spot, no blemish in it.

In love He beautifies them with His shining robe, and fits them for the banquet in the Heaven of heavens.

In love He guards them from every foe, and makes them more than conquerors over all the hosts of darkness.

In love He causes all things to work together for their good.

In love He leads them to lie down in the rich pastures of Bible truth, and instructs them in the Word which is "able to make them wise unto salvation."

In love He will come again to receive them to Himself.

In love He will present them pure and blameless to His Father with exceeding joy.

In love He will dwell among them through the ages of eternity!

"I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me!" Galatians 2:20

~ ~ ~ ~

Christian, all the mercy in the heart of God belongs to you!

Charles Spurgeon

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

"For the LORD is good; His mercy is everlasting" Psalm 100:5

"The mercy of the LORD is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear Him" Psalm 103:17

"Let those who fear the LORD now say: His mercy endures forever!" Psalm 118:4

Christian, all the mercy in the heart of God belongs to you! As great as your necessities may be, my dear brother, all the mercy that is in God belongs to you, and is engaged to meet your case.

Let me put it in another light: If there were no other person in the world but you, and God loved you infinitely and exclusively--then would He not be able to do much for you, if all of His omnipotence was devoted to your good, and if all of His grace centered upon you, and you were the focus of all His wise and loving purposes?

"Oh yes!" you say, "I would be favored indeed!"

You are just as favored as that, for the multiplicity of the objects of divine love, necessitates no diminution to any one. God can love a million, and love each one as intensely as if there were but one to be favored!

Our little minds are distracted with many objects. We cannot concentrate upon many, we are therefore confined. But the full concentrated love of the eternal God is set upon each one of His dear children!

Is there not great comfort here?

"Oh, give thanks to the LORD, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever!" Psalm 118:1

"I will sing of the mercies of the LORD forever" Psalm 89:1

~ ~ ~ ~

That wretched idol, SELF!

Octavius Winslow, "Christ and the Christian in Temptation" 1877

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

Of all the sins common to our fallen nature, God has the most signally stressed that sin of idolatry, or false worship.

Man is by nature an idolater. His sinful mind, being alienated from God, seeks some object of worship other than the true and living God.

The believer is not entirely exempt from this sin. Hence we have these exhortations of the Apostles addressed to the early Christians, and in these last days addressed to us:

"Little children, keep yourselves from idols." 1 John 5:21

"My dearly beloved, flee from idolatry." 1 Corinthians 10:14

Surely, it was not the gross and senseless idolatry of the heathens, to which the Apostles thus refer--but to other idols and other worship, less palpable and degrading, but not less superstitious or offensive to God.

The worship of SELF is a natural and fearful form of idolatry. It is an innate and never entirely eradicated principle of our nature, but clings to us to the very last of life. Alas! the holiest and the best of us want to be something, and to do something--when in reality we are nothing, and can do nothing.

For the most part, we walk in our religious life upon stilts--always appearing in the eyes of others taller than we really are!

But real greatness and true humility, have ever been in alliance with abnegation of SELF. The holiest saints have always walked the lowest paths, for they saw the most of God's majesty and the least of their own worth. The nearer a man draws to God--the more he loathes the vanity of self, and clings to the sufficiency of grace.

Who can stand before the cross and gaze upon the Creator of all worlds impaled between two criminals, Himself dying as the chief, and not shrink into his own nothingness, bewailing that he should ever have been betrayed into the folly and the sin of burning the incense of idolatry before that wretched idol, SELF!

Beware of SELF idolatry! It is the most insidious, hateful, and degrading form of idolatry to which a person can be subjected!

~ ~ ~ ~

From Groaning to Glory

Charles Spurgeon, et al.

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

Romans 8:17-18, "Now if we are children, then we are heirs--heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in His sufferings, in order that we may also share in His glory. I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us."

What grace is this, that those who were once rebels and enemies of God, are now called His children. Not merely pardoned, not only adopted--but made heirs of God Himself and co-heirs with Christ. This is a staggering truth, and one far beyond human merit or imagination. It is God's sovereign grace on display, lifting the ruined sons of Adam into the royal family of Heaven.

To be a child of God is the highest privilege known to man. It is not something earned, but granted by divine grace to those who are united to Christ by faith. And with sonship comes inheritance, not merely an inheritance from God, but God Himself as our portion. We are heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ.

But there is a condition, "IF indeed we share in His sufferings." This is not a condition of merit, but of identity. To belong to Christ is to walk the path He walked. There can be no crown without the cross; no glory without the grief. This world that hated Him, will not embrace His followers. And while our afflictions may differ in kind and degree--every true believer will in some form, share in the fellowship of His sufferings.

How can that be? Because the weight of glory is infinite. The suffering is momentary, yet the glory is eternal. The trials are temporal--yet the inheritance is incorruptible, undefiled, and unfading. If we are to reign with Christ, we must be content to suffer with Him. The cross is the stepping-stone to the crown. The cross we bear today, is but the prelude to a crown of righteousness that Christ Himself will place upon our heads.

Believer, are you weary under the burden of sorrow, temptation or persecution. Are you misunderstood, slandered or lonely in your walk with Christ. Take heart. These are the marks of sonship. Do not look merely at what is seen. Fix your gaze on what is eternal. You are an heir of God. You are a co-heir with the risen, reigning Christ. Every tear shall be wiped away. Every groan shall be turned to praise. Every trial is preparing you for a glory that shall be revealed in you--a glory that is nothing less than full conformity to Christ, and everlasting communion with Him.

Yet even in the midst of these afflictions, the Spirit testifies of something far greater--the glory that will be revealed in us. This is not a hope based on feelings or fantasies. It is the Spirit-wrought assurance that suffering is not the end, but the appointed path to everlasting glory.

Paul, a man well acquainted with agony and loss, weighs both suffering and glory in the scales of eternity--and declares that our sufferings are not even worthy of comparison.

Our sufferings, though real, are fleeting shadows. The glory that awaits is full, eternal and transforming. It shall be revealed IN us, not merely before us, or around us, but WITHIN us. The glory of Christ shall shine in and through all the redeemed, when we are made like Him and be with Him forever.

Believer, when the burden is heavy and the path is dark, let your heart anchor itself to this truth--you are an heir of glory! You may groan today, but you will be glorified tomorrow. These light and momentary afflictions, are preparing you for an eternal weight of glory that far outweighs them all. Keep your eyes on the unseen. The sorrow is passing--the glory is everlasting.

"Father, help us to endure the sufferings of this present time with hope and perseverance. Fix our eyes on the glory that is to come, and let the promise of our inheritance in Christ sustain us through every trial. May we rejoice, not in the ease of our path, but in the certainty of our destination. In Jesus' name, Amen."

~ ~ ~ ~

They are helpers to the cause of the devil

J.C. Ryle, "The Gospel of Luke" 1858

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

"Don't even take along a walking stick, nor a traveler's bag, nor food, nor money. Not even an extra coat." Luke 9:3

Jesus charges His apostles, when He sends them forth--to study simplicity of habits, and contentment with such things as they have.

These instructions contain a lesson for all time. The spirit of these verses is meant to be remembered by all ministers of the Gospel. The leading idea which the words convey is, a warning against worldliness and luxurious habits.

Well would it be for the world and the Church, if the warning had been more carefully heeded! From no quarter has Christianity received such damage, as it has from the hands of its own teachers! On no point have its teachers erred so much, and so often, as in the matter of worldliness and luxury of life.

They have often destroyed, by their daily lives, the whole work of their lips. They have given occasion to the enemies of the gospel to say that they love ease, and money, and worldly things--far more than souls.

May we daily pray that the church may be delivered from such ministers! They are a living stumbling block in the way to Heaven. They are helpers to the cause of the devil, and not of God.

The preacher whose affections are set on . . .
money,
and prestige,
and dress,
and feasting,
and pleasure seeking,
has clearly mistaken his vocation!

"For, as I have often told you before and now say again even
with tears, many live as enemies of the cross of Christ.
Their destiny is destruction,
their god is their stomach,
and their glory is in their shame.
Their mind is on earthly things!" Philippians 3:18–19

~ ~ ~ ~

We have fallen on very velvety days!

Charles Spurgeon

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

"All those who want to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted!" 2 Timothy 3:12

A little persecution would be a grand thing for the church! We have fallen on very velvety days, when zeal for God is rare, and decision for truth is scarcely to be met with. The church has compromised with the world, and went to sleep with Satan rocking her cradle!

Many profess to be a Christian, who are really nothing better than a baptized worldling.

In the same way, many a man claims to be a minister of Christ, who is really a hireling, and does little for the feeding and caring of the sheep.

The winnowing fan of persecution, if it purged the threshing floor of the church, would bestow great benefits upon her!

"Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in Heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you!" Matthew 5:11-12

~ ~ ~ ~

The gospel of the grace of God

Charles Spurgeon, et al.

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

Acts 20:24, "The gospel of the grace of God."

The heart of the Gospel is redemption, and the essence of redemption is the substitutionary sacrifice of Christ. The gospel is not a moral code, or religious sentiment. It is the divine proclamation that the thrice-holy God saves guilty Hell-deserving sinners—freely, sovereignly, and eternally—through the sin-atoning sacrifice of Jesus on the cruel cross. It is the gospel of grace--unmerited and undeserved.

Grace authored salvation in eternity past.

Grace sent the eternal Son, clothed in frail humanity.
Grace . . .
sustained Him in Gethsemane,
nailed Him to the cross,
and raised Him in triumph.

That same grace now . . .
calls the unworthy,
convicts the hard-hearted,
converts the dead in sin,
and keeps them to the end.

This gospel lays man in the dust, and crowns Christ with glory.
It shuts every mouth, and saves the worst of sinners.
It declares with finality, that salvation is of the Lord—from beginning to end.

The condemned are pardoned.
The dead are made alive.
Rebels are adopted as sons and daughters of God.

Let us . . .
proclaim the gospel of grace with boldness,
treasure it with reverence,
and walk in its power daily.

The gospel is not man's achievement—it is God's mercy. The gospel is . . .
the refuge of the desperate,
the song of the redeemed,
and the everlasting praise of Heaven.

Amazing grace, how sweet the sound, that saved a wretch like me!

"I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile. For in the gospel, a righteousness from God is revealed, a righteousness that is by faith from first to last!" Romans 1:16-17

~ ~ ~ ~

The astonishing love of Jesus for us!

Charles Spurgeon, et al.

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

There is no greater wonder in all the universe than this: that the infinitely holy Son of God would set His heart upon vile, guilty, Hell-deserving sinners. "While we were still sinners, Christ died for us!" Not when we were seeking Him. Not when we were repenting. Not when we were bettering ourselves. But while we were rebels, with hearts full of enmity against Him--He loved us still. (Romans 5:6, 8, 10)

Paul, once a blasphemer and persecutor of Christ's church, could only marvel: "Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners—of whom I am the worst!" (1 Timothy 1:15). So it is with all who have been given eyes to see their corruption, and hearts to feel their need. When we know ourselves rightly, we are utterly astonished that Jesus would save such ungodly ones as ourselves.

Our salvation was not the fruit of our seeking, but of His. "For the Son of Man came to seek and to save those who are lost!" (Luke 19:10). It was the overflowing of His sovereign, unmerited love. Dead in sin, blind in mind, corrupt in heart—yet He loved us, and by His great mercy made us spiritually alive. (Ephesians 2:4–5).

What love is this, that stooped so low? "He was pierced for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities." (Isaiah 53:5). The pure and spotless Lamb bore the filth and condemnation of our sin. He who knew no sin, was made sin for us, "so that in Him, we might become the righteousness of God." (2 Corinthians 5:21).

It was not out of obligation, but out of sheer grace. "When the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, He saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of His mercy." (Titus 3:4–5).

Christian! Jesus loved you before the world began—He loves you now—and He will love you forever! His love for you is unfathomable--it is as boundless as infinity.

Oh, the precious love of Jesus! It is . . .
the sun in the heavens of grace,
the river in the garden of mercy,
and the foundation of the temple of redemption!

The love of Jesus is the most amazing thing under Heaven, if not in Heaven itself.

Oh, what a Savior is ours! His love is not shallow or sentimental—it is a love that bleeds, and bears wrath. It is a love that will never let us go. It is a love that astonishes us now, and will be our wonder and song for all eternity.

Let every believing heart fall low in worship. Let every mouth confess: "To Him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by His blood... to Him be glory and power for ever and ever! Amen." (Revelation 1:5–6).