He That Believeth On The Son by Don Fortner

A preacher once asked, what he thought was a well instructed congregation, “How can a person be saved?” An old man replied, “We must repent, forsake our sins, and turn to God.” “Yes, and with a true heart,” added another. “And with prayer,” added a third. A fourth spoke up and said, “Yes, and it must be the true prayer of the heart. `The Lord looketh on the heart.’“ “And we must be diligent in keeping the commandments,” added the fifth. Each one contributing his own part, they had come up with a creed that made the preacher realize that none of them knew God.

The carnal mind, which is enmity against God, maps out a plan of salvation that gives the sinner something to do. The very reason why some who read these lines are yet without God’s salvation is just this ― Like the Jews of old, you are trying to establish righteousness and obtain God’s salvation by works rather than by faith. You stumble over the Stumblingstone. You are, in your opinion, too good to be saved by grace alone through the merits of Christ, the sinner’s Substitute (Rom. 9:32-33). There are others who clearly understand what some have called “the plan of salvation.” They know that salvation is by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone. They fully understand that their own works have nothing to do with God’s salvation. They know that “Salvation is of the Lord.” But salvation is not a plan. Salvation is a Person! Many have a wretched tendency to leave Christ out of the gospel. They talk about salvation, but not about Christ. That is like leaving flour out of bread. Without Christ there is no gospel; and there is no salvation. The plan of a house will provide no shelter. Neither can “the plan of salvation” provide salvation.

If you would be saved, you must “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ.” “He that believeth on the Son hat everlasting life: he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.” Christ is the only Door of salvation, the only Way to God; but you will never be saved unless you enter in through the Door and walk in the Way by faith. It will do you no good to look at the Door, admire the Way, and gain a detailed knowledge of “the plan of salvation,” if you do not “believe on the Lord Jesus Christ.” Salvation is to be had only by personal faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. It cannot be had by baptism, church membership, moral reformation, or religious indoctrination. Salvation can be possessed only by personally believing on the Son of God. Will you now believe on the Son of God? Will you trust Christ alone as your Lord and Savior? If you will, if you can trust the Lord Jesus Christ, you are saved; you have been born of God. Your faith in Christ is the fruit and evidence of God’s election, Christ’s redemption, and the Holy Spirit’s effectual call. If you will not believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, you cannot be saved. The wrath of God abides on you and shall soon destroy you forever! By Don Fortner

The Authority and Inspiration of the Scriptures by B.B. Warfield

Christianity is often called a book-religion. It would be more exact to say that it is a religion which has a book. Its foundations are laid in apostles and prophets, upon which its courses are built up in the sanctified lives of men; but Christ Jesus alone is its chief corner-stone. He is its only basis; he, its only head; and he alone has authority in his Church. But he has chosen to found his Church not directly by his own hands, speaking the word of God, say for instance, in thunder-tones from heaven; but through the instrumentality of a body of apostles, chosen and trained by himself, endowed with gifts and graces from the Holy Ghost, and sent forth into the world as his authoritative agents for proclaiming a gospel which he placed within their lips and which is none the less his authoritative word, that it is through them that he speaks it. It is because the apostles were Christ's representatives, that what they did and said and wrote as such, comes to us with divine authority. The authority of the Scriptures thus rests on the simple fact that God's authoritative agents in founding the Church gave them as authoritative to the Church which they founded. All the authority of the apostles stands behind the Scriptures, and all the authority of Christ behind the apostles. – by B.B. Warfield

God willing

Ponder this question, to what extent do you believe God willing. To what do you trust to be God’s will. Do you trust it to truly be His will that your computer works ok? Do you trust it to be truly His will that you are safe and have money? Do you trust it to be truly His will and that He holds your last breath? Do you trust it to be truly His will and He decided and secured your eternal salvation? Oh wait a minute now that might be going to far… It is blasphemy to say trust in the Lord, trust in the Lord, but to never submit and trust in the Lord. To say you trust in the Lord to do and provide all things and then to say also that God loves everyone and died for everyone and it is up to you is not know or trust the Lord. At what point does man stop trusting God and instead trust themselves. It is sorrow that others will trust a sovereign God to provide and take care of the little things that in eternity mean absolutely nothing but look to themselves for the most important and greatest of all gifts that we are incapable of providing for ourselves.

Can you cry out by His grace and mercy God willing you saved me (Eph 1:5). God willing my name is in the book of Life (Rom 9:11). God willing you died for me (Rom 5:10-11). God willing you called me (Rev 19:9). Because your will would have never done it, desired it, nor could achieve it.

A grace that all can understand by J. C. Ryle

If there is one feature in Jesus' character more notable than another, it is His unwearied kindness and love. Let us, like Him, show kindness to everyone with whom we have to do. Let us strive to have . . . an eye ready to see, a hand ready to help, a heart ready to feel, and a will ready to do good to all. Let us be ready to weep with those who weep, and rejoice with those who rejoice. This is one way to recommend our religion, and make it beautiful before men.

Kindness is a grace that all can understand.

Kindness is one way to be like our blessed Savior.

Kindness is one way to be happy in the world.

Kindness always brings its own reward.

The kind person will seldom be without friends.

By J. C. Ryle

True Christian Love by A. W. PINK

Love is the Queen of the Christian graces.

It is a holy disposition given to us when we are born again by God. It is the love of God shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Spirit. True spiritual love is characterized by meekness and gentleness, yet it is vastly superior to the courtesies and kindnesses of the flesh. We must be careful not to confuse human sentimentality, carnal pleasantries, human amiability and affability with true spiritual love. The love God commands, first to Himself and then to others, is not human love. It is not the indulgent, self-seeking love which is in us by nature. If we indulgently allow our children to grow up with little or, no Scriptural discipline, Proverbs plainly says we do not love them, regardless of the human sentimentality and affection we may feel for them. Love is not a sentimental pampering of one another with a loose indifference as to our walk and obedience before the Lord. Glossing over one another's faults to ingratiate ourselves in their esteem is not spiritual love. The true nature of Christian love is a righteous principle which seeks the highest good of others. It is a powerful desire to promote their welfare. The exercise of love is to be in strict conformity to the revealed will of God.

We must love in the truth. Love among the brethren is far more than an agreeable society where views are the same. It is loving them for what we see of Christ in them, loving them for Christ's sake. The Lord Jesus Himself is our example. He was not only thoughtful, gentle, self-sacrificing and patient, but He also corrected His mother, used a whip in the Temple, severely scolded His doubting disciples, and denounced hypocrites. True spiritual love is above all faithful to God and uncompromising towards all that is evil. We cannot declare, 'Peace and Safety' when in reality there is spiritual decay and ruin! True spiritual love is very difficult to exercise because it is not our natural love. By nature we would rather love sentimentally and engender good feelings. Also many times true spiritual love is not received in love, but is hated as the Pharisees hated it.

We must pray that God will fill us with His love and enable us to exercise it without dissimulation toward all. By A.W. Pink