Romans 2:1-11 "Therefore thou art inexcusable, O man, whosoever thou art that judgest: for wherein thou judgest another, thou condemnest thyself; for thou that judgest doest the same things. But we are sure that the judgment of God is according to truth against them which commit such things. And thinkest thou this, O man, that judgest them which do such things, and doest the same, that thou shalt escape the judgment of God? Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance? But after thy hardness and impenitent heart treasurest up unto thyself wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God; Who will render to every man according to his deeds: To them who by patient continuance in well doing seek for glory and honour and immortality, eternal life: But unto them that are contentious, and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, indignation and wrath, Tribulation and anguish, upon every soul of man that doeth evil, of the Jew first, and also of the Gentile; But glory, honour, and peace, to every man that worketh good, to the Jew first, and also to the Gentile: For there is no respect of persons with God." We all are sinners by nature, but “the judgment of God is according to truth against them which commit such things” (v.2). God does not save anybody because He finds anything good in them, nor does He condemn anybody because of any kind of evil in them per se. He judges righteously according to righteous judgment. It is not based on outward appearance, nationality, or profession. The Jews are no better than the Gentiles. Professions are a dime a dozen; ethnicity and outward works mean nothing. God looks to His Son, the LORD Jesus Christ, as His justification to save those that He gave His Son to save. The law of God was never given as a means of salvation. "Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God” (Romans 3:19). How shall we escape? Not by our own righteousness, but “Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth” (Romans 10:4). It is nothing in us, but all in His Perfect and completed work at Calvary. Christ came and earned that Righteousness God requires and established it. He laid down His life, and when He cried, “It is finished,” it was finished. Since we are all sinners, guilty before God, there is nothing that can be said of someone else's sin that does not point back to our own. The Spirit convicts us of our own sinfulness. Anyone outside of Christ stands condemned on their own merit. “For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him” (2 Corinthians 5:21). He is the only Way to be righteous before God. “Thinkest thou this, O man, that judgest them which do such things, and doest the same, that thou shalt escape the judgment of God?” (v.3). The judgment of God is righteous, true, and impartial. Men try to cover themselves with religion, traditions, or outward morality, but none of that can hide sin from God. Just as Adam and Eve were stripped of fig leaves and clothed in the skins of slain animals, so God strips all pretense. All must be judged according to their deeds. There is a set of books called the Books of Works; outside of Christ, there is nothing but condemnation. But the book of the Lamb slain contains the names of those saved by the work of Christ in His shed blood unto death, (Revelation 13:8) . The Lamb was slain since the foundation of the world, but the names were written before the foundation of the world, for whom He should come and die (Ephesians 1:3-5). “Who shall lay anything to the charge of God’s elect? It is God that justifieth” (Romans 8:33). “Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us” (Romans 8:34). His very Presence in glory is our Hope. We are hidden with Him in God. “To them who by patient continuance in well doing seek for glory and honour and immortality, eternal life” (v.7), that is Christ ! Those who trust Christ have already been objects of God's grace from before time, but in God's appointed time are brought to trust in Him as ALL their Salvation. Those who reject Him, who are contentious and do not obey the Truth, but obey unrighteousness (self-righteousness), treasure up wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God (v.5). “Glory and honour and peace, to every man that worketh good, to the Jew first, and also to the Gentile” (v. 10). There is no respect of persons with God. The wrath of God will be poured out on all men guilty of sin outside of Christ, but His mercy is on all those chosen in Christ, Jew and Gentile alike, for whom He paid their sin debt (Galatians 3:28). Only what Christ has done will last; only His work on behalf of sinners stands. The sinner is delivered out of condemnation and clothed in the Righteousness of God in Christ. Salvation is not in us, but in Him, for in Christ alone we find Hope, Life, and Glory.

2 Corinthians 1:3-7 "Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort; Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God. For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation also aboundeth by Christ. And whether we be afflicted, it is for your consolation and salvation, which is effectual in the enduring of the same sufferings which we also suffer: or whether we be comforted, it is for your consolation and salvation. And our hope of you is stedfast, knowing, that as ye are partakers of the sufferings, so shall ye be also of the consolation." "Blessed be God, even the Father of our LORD Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort." The heart of Paul’s message beats here. Every word of praise that flows from his lips is born out of affliction and yet rises heavenward in thanksgiving. Comfort is not born in ease; it is born in the furnace of suffering. This comfort is not sentimental—it is strength. It is the divine consolation that flows from the Heart of Christ into the hearts of His afflicted people. God is called the “Father of mercies.” All mercy originates in Him, flows through His Son, and is applied to the soul by His Spirit. When we speak of Mercy, we are speaking of the very Nature of God revealed in Jesus Christ. The Father is the Fountain; Christ is the Reason. The Mercy that spares, the Mercy that saves, the Mercy that sustains—all of it comes through the Son Who suffered for us. And He is “the God of all comfort.” That phrase is the foundation of all true God-given consolation. It means that there is no sorrow to which He does not have a Word of Peace, no affliction to which He cannot minister strength, no desolation in which His presence cannot be felt. All comfort begins with God and ends with God. The same LORD Who once said, “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28), still calls His people to Himself. Paul knew this comfort in the deepest trials. He was pressed out of measure, above strength, insomuch that he despaired even of life (2 Corinthians 1:8). Yet out of that darkness he discovered that God comforts us in all our tribulation. Not in some, not in most—but in all. There is no circumstance too great for His comfort, and no child of God so broken that He cannot hold them and keep them, seeing that it is God's gracious Hand in Christ directing every loving chastisement for His glory. The comfort of God is the ministry of Christ to the soul through the Spirit, Who is the Divine Paraclete (John 14:16). He comforts us as His children, not merely to soothe us, but that we may be able to comfort others. Every believer becomes a vessel of consolation, carrying to others what they have first received from Christ. The afflictions of God’s people are not wasted. They are sanctified for the good of others. The sufferer becomes a minister. The wounded are blessed by their comfort to bring healing to others. The one who has been consoled by the God of all Comfort becomes a living testimony of His faithfulness. The sufferings of Christ abound in us, but so also does our consolation abound by Christ. He who drank the bitter cup to the very last dregs now gives the Water of Life to His people. The measure of our suffering is the measure of His comfort. As His afflictions overflow into our lives, His consolation overflows in greater measure. Christ Himself is the Comfort. He is the Mercy of God incarnate, the Divine “Yea” and “Amen” of every promise (2 Corinthians 1:20). Paul declares, "whether we be afflicted, it is for your consolation and salvation; or whether we be comforted, it is for your consolation" (v. 6). In both suffering and comfort, God is working the same purpose—to glorify Christ in us and to build His church in Love. Nothing is wasted. Every tear has meaning. Every trial becomes an instrument of Grace. Our Hope is steadfast, because Christ is ever the Faithful One. The same God Who raises the dead (2 Corinthians 1:9) sustains His people through every trial. The Comfort of the Father through the Son by the Spirit teaches us to trust Him more fully. The afflicted learn the language of praise. Out of tribulation comes thanksgiving. Out of weakness comes strength. Out of sorrow comes the sweetest fellowship with Christ, the Man of Sorrows Who is acquainted with grief (Isaiah 53:3). Blessed be the God and Father of our LORD Jesus Christ. He is the Father of mercies. He is the God of all comfort. In Christ, He comforts us in all our tribulations, that we might comfort others with the same comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God. By Him, and His gracious disciplines in love, we find again and again that all our sufficiency is of God alone, and all our consolation is in Christ.

Revelation 21:9-10 "And there came unto me one of the seven angels which had the seven vials full of the seven last plagues, and talked with me, saying, Come hither, I will shew thee the bride, the Lamb's wife. And he carried me away in the spirit to a great and high mountain, and shewed me that great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God," “Come hither, I will shew thee the bride, the Lamb’s wife” (v.9). The vision shown to John is not a literal city, but a revelation of Christ and His church —the bride, the Lamb’s wife, the redeemed people of God in glory. The angel shows him "that great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God" (Revelation 21:10). This is not an earthly structure, not mortar and stone, but the Spiritual dwelling of God with His people , redeemed by the LORD Jesus, the Lamb of God, and prepared and adorned for her Husband in that Righteousness that He earned and established for them in His obedience unto death. It is The Revelation of Jesus Christ . Every part of it—its Light, its Wall, its Gates, its Foundation—speaks of Him Who loved us and gave Himself for us . The city’s beauty is His Righteousness; its security is His Strength; its Light is His Glory. It is the bride, the Lamb’s wife , made holy by His blood and perfect by His Grace. John is carried in the Spirit to a great and high mountain , and there he sees Peace and safety, a Refuge and a Stronghold. This is not Mount Sinai , where the law thundered, and fear reigned; this is Mount Calvary , where the Lamb of God was crucified (Hebrews 12:22-29) . Sinai has no comfort, but Calvary is the mountain of Grace. There the church was founded, and there God revealed His Love to His elect in Christ. The angel’s message to John is the same to every believer in tribulation: “Come, I will show thee the bride.” In the midst of suffering and exile, God shows His servant the finished Glory of Redemption. The inheritance is sure, not because of man’s works, but because God has decreed it, and the LORD Jesus has procured it by His death as Testator, (Hebrews 9:16) . His purpose cannot fail. The angels are "ministering spirits sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation" (Hebrews 2:14). The holy Jerusalem is the city of Peace, but not the old city that has never known peace. This is the new Jerusalem, Spiritual, heavenly, and eternal (Galatians 4:26). It is the true Israel of God , the completed church, every stone set in its place, none missing, none lost. It is the fulfillment of God’s promise in Christ Jesus before the world began. The walls are strong and high, signifying separation and safety. Christ Himself is the Wall, the Refuge, the impregnable Defense of His people. The foundations bear the names of the apostles and prophets, for they proclaimed the Truth that Jesus Christ Himself is the Chief Cornerstone (Ephesians 2:20). Upon Him the whole city rests, and without Him there could be no foundation at all. The gates are twelve, never shut, always open. Each gate is a pearl, reminding us of the Pearl of Great Price —Christ Himself, Who through suffering and death became the entrance for His people. Through these gates come those whose names are written in the Lamb’s Book of Life. It’s the LORD Who determines who will see and who won’t. The gates stand open, but only those whom the Spirit draws may enter. The Gospel is freely proclaimed, but the call is divine, and the Entrance is by Grace alone (Matthew 22:14). The jasper stone, clear as crystal, speaks of His purity and perfection. The pure Gold like transparent glass reflects His divine Nature. Every gem, every color, every measure declares His worth and His beauty. The city has no temple, for "the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the temple of it" (Revelation 21:22). It has no need of the sun or the moon, for "the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof" (Revelation 21:23). This is the city prepared by the Lamb for His bride—the completed work of redemption, the assurance that all for whom He died will be gathered home. It is not being built by our prayers or works, but purposed from eternity, revealed in time, and waiting in glory. The Lamb is ALL the Glory of that city. The Beauty, the Peace, the Light—all are Christ. And those whose names are written in His book shall walk in that light forever, for " the Lamb is the light thereof" (Revelation 21:23).

1 Thessalonians 5:1-11 "But of the times and the seasons, brethren, ye have no need that I write unto you. For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night. For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape. But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief. Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness. Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober. For they that sleep sleep in the night; and they that be drunken are drunken in the night. But let us, who are of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love; and for an helmet, the hope of salvation. For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our LORD Jesus Christ, Who died for us, that, whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with him. Wherefore comfort yourselves together, and edify one another, even as also ye do." This is the distinguishing Grace of God—to call out a people for His name, to the honor of His Son. If any of us are children of Light, it has nothing to do with us having done anything. It is a work of God’s Grace. The only reason we see is that we have been given eyes to see. Who hath made thee to differ? The LORD has given us eyes to look to the cross of Jesus Christ and to see Him and His death as ALL of our salvation. Thank God for the revelation of His Son in His death on the cross for wretched sinners such as we are. Paul never strays from this Gospel of Christ and Him crucified. “Who died for us, that whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with Him.” (v.10) Here is substitution—Christ dying in the place of others. There’s One Who died, One Who paid the price, satisfied Holy God that He might justify them and justly call them the children of Light. When God declares a sinner to be a child of Light, it’s founded on the Truth of a just satisfaction for their sins. Until the LORD reveals in sinners Christ the Light, men continue to follow the imagination of their minds—just like we did who know the LORD in truth today, until He gave us Light. Darkness is ignorance and unbelief—rebellion against the Light. We were in darkness until the LORD taught us of Christ. We were not submitted to His righteousness, going about to establish our own, which was nothing but UNrighteousness (Romans 10:2,3) . But now, thank God, the obstacle that stood between us and God has been put away. Sin was put to Christ’s account, and that sin being put away, there remains no more transgression. So complete was the work of the LORD Jesus to the satisfaction of the Father that He has put His Seal of approval upon that finished work—having imputed that Righteousness, and reckoned it to the spiritual account of every one of God’s elect. God has been satisfied. “Ye are all the children of light.” (v.5) How have we been made so? The word means to have Light given. Light is understanding, knowledge, truth, and life. “ In Him was life, and the life was the light of men.” (John 1:4) To be children of the Light is to be children of Christ. He is the Light. “While ye have light, believe in the light, that ye may be the children of light” (John 12:36). This Faith is the manifestation of those who are children of light. It is God-given Faith, called THE FAITH, once delivered unto ALL the saints or justified ones by the death of Christ forever, (Jude 1:3). Christ said, “And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me” (John 12:32). This He said signifying what death He should die. Was His death effectual? Absolutely. He will have everyone for whom He died. He is the Object of God’s eternal purpose, the Object of redemption, the Object of the Spirit’s calling, and the Object of our hope in His coming again. ALL whom He draws, He paid their debt completely by His death on the cross. To learn Christ is to be taught of Him. True knowledge, when revealed by the Spirit, not only enlightens the mind but humbles the heart. The Spirit persuades us that there is no other justification, no other righteousness, no other standing before God but the Person and work of the LORD Jesus Christ. We believe it and rest in Him alone when taught by His Spirit (John 7:17). We are not of the night nor of darkness. Children of Light are watchful and sober. There’s a seriousness about their lives—a rejoicing in Who Christ is, but not the frivolity of the world. What is that Light? It points sinners to Christ. What motivates obedience? Who is the Source of Faith and Love? It’s Christ. He is the Breastplate of faith and love, the Helmet of salvation (Ephesians 6:14). He covers the heart and the head. He is our Righteousness, our Satisfaction, our Hope of glory. We have not been appointed to wrath, but to obtain salvation through our LORD Jesus Christ (v.9). Once, in Adam, we were under wrath, not as children of wrath, but having the same nature (Ephesians 2:3), but now, in Christ, the debt has been fully paid. The matter is settled—those whom the Father has given to the Son will come to Him, and He will never cast them out (John 6:37). Therefore, as God's elect, redeemed, and called out children, we comfort yourselves together and edify one another. Be thankful for the Light. Thank God for the Revelation of His Son. Thank God for the cross of the LORD Jesus Christ. We live as children of Light, waiting for Him Who died, rose again, ascended, and Who is coming again. Worthy is the Lamb that was slain.

Matthew 3:11-17 "I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance. but he that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire: Whose fan is in his hand, and he will throughly purge his floor, and gather his wheat into the garner; but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire. Then cometh Jesus from Galilee to Jordan unto John, to be baptized of him. But John forbad him, saying, I have need to be baptized of thee, and comest thou to me? And Jesus answering said unto him, Suffer it to be so now: for thus it becometh us to fulfil all righteousness. Then he suffered him. And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and, lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him: And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased." John’s message was distinct. To those drawn by the Spirit, he said, “Behold the Lamb of God" (John 1:29). He is to Whom sinners are to look for Salvation. To the curious, the religious, the Pharisees and Sadducees who observed, the message was a warning of the wrath to come. Regardless of who hears, it is a message of repentance toward the LORD Jesus Christ. John preached, “Bring forth therefore fruits meet for repentance” (v.8). Repentance is a change of heart and mind, produced by the Spirit, turning the sinner away from themselves and to the work of the LORD Jesus Christ alone. It is not something we create; it is the fruit of union with Christ, the Root, the Vine. We see it in their repentance toward God and in faith toward the LORD Jesus Christ (Acts 20:21). John addressed the religious leaders who trusted in their heritage, saying, “Think not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham to our father” (v.9) , warning that God is able of the stones to raise children to Himself. He further warned, “Every tree which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down and cast into the fire” (v.10). This is a declaration of judgment, a warning that the True Hope rests not in lineage, nor in human tradition, nor in zeal, but only in the LORD Jesus Christ. Many looked for a Messiah and wondered if John himself was that one. Yet, John points them to the One he was appointed to proclaim: the LORD Jesus Christ, the Son of God. "Behold the Lamb of God which taketh away the sin of the world" (John 1:29). Even that declaration was a pronouncement of God's distinctive grace in Christ to Gentile sinners (the world) and Him passing by apostate Israel (the Jews). " Then cometh Jesus from Galilee to Jordan to be baptized of John" (v.13). John resisted, saying, “I have need to be baptized of thee” (v.14), but Jesus answered, “Suffer it to be so now: for thus it becometh us to fulfill all righteousness. Then he suffered him" (v.15).  This baptism marked the beginning of Christ’s public ministry as the High Priest, a testimony that He would fulfill all righteousness. It is also the testimony of the work He came to do, declaring that Salvation rests only in Him. He is the Root, the Vine, the Lamb of God, the Savior, in Whom God is well pleased (v.17). His visible anointing at 30 years of age, according to the law for the entrance of the priests into the ministry, was when the Spirit descended upon Him like a dove, and the voice of the Father declared, "This is my beloved Son in Whom I am well pleased" (John 1:32-34). Jesus’ baptism was not for purification, for He had no sin. It was a declaration of the work He came to accomplish on behalf of sinners. John’s water baptism (immersion) looked forward to Christ’s work that He came to accomplish. Today, given eyes by the Spirit, we look back to His death, burial, and resurrection. That's why baptism is by immersion, Christ Himself coming up out of the water as a type of His resurrection upon completion of His death and burial (v. 16). Water baptism identifies us with Him, declaring His righteous work accomplished alone and our dependence on His finished work. John emphasizes, “He that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear” (v.11). The work of separating wheat and chaff, of gathering the elect and executing judgment on the unrepentant, belongs to Christ alone. He shall baptize with the Holy Ghost and fire. The kernel is the fruit that Christ came to redeem, the chaff is representative of sinners that are worthless before God, and are still unjust, being left to their own condemnation. Wheat represents the elect of God, and the chaff the reprobates. Christ has come and fulfilled all Righteousness by His death, burial, and resurrection on behalf of those that the Father gave Him before the foundation of the world to save (Ephesians 1:3-7). "H e came unto his own, [apostate Israel] and his own received him not. But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God" (John 1:11-13).

Luke 2:11 "For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the LORD." Here we have the divine birth announcement—God’s own declaration of the coming of His Son into the world. The angel’s words to the shepherds echo through all of redemptive history: " a Savior, which is Christ the LORD."  Simple, yet infinitely profound. Short, yet containing the sum of the Gospel. Jesus—Whose very name means “Savior”—is called " Savior , Christ , and LORD" . These titles reveal His Person, His purpose, and His power. The Gospel in one verse: Who He is, why He came, and what He accomplished. The Reality of the Savior’s Birth “Unto you is born this day.” This is not myth, legend, or allegory—it is history. God entered time and space. Peter said, “We have not followed cunningly devised fables,” (2 Peter 1:16). The Eternal Word Who was “with God” and “was God” (John 1:1) was “born this day.” The One Who is “from everlasting to everlasting” took on human flesh. "Great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh" (1 Timothy 3:16). This is the Good News of God’s sovereign grace embodied in a Person—Jesus Christ the LORD. Promised from the beginning, He is that Seed of the woman Who would crush the serpent’s head (Genesis 3:15) . Through all the types, shadows, and prophecies of the Old Testament, the promise pointed to this moment— "born in Bethlehem, the city of David." How fitting that He should be born in Bethlehem, “the house of bread,” for He is the Living Bread come down from heaven (John 6:51). God moved kings and empires to bring Joseph and Mary to that appointed place. Caesar Augustus issued his decree, but it was God’s decree that ruled it all. He Who rules the universe brought His Son to be born in a lowly stable, laid in a manger—God manifest in the flesh. And who first heard the announcement? Not kings, not rulers, but shepherds—lowly men watching their flocks by night. The message was personal: “Unto you is born this day.” Grace is always personal, never general. It is sovereign grace that calls by name. Not “unto Caesar,” not “unto the mighty of this world,” but “unto you.” What mercy, that God would reveal His Son to poor sinners! The Identity of the Savior “A Savior, which is Christ the LORD.” He did not come to offer salvation, but to accomplish  it. “Thou shalt call his name Jesus, for he shall save his people from their sins” (Matthew 1:21). Not might  save, not try  to save—but shall save . Salvation is not a mere possibility; it is a certainty, founded in His finished work. He did not come to be a teacher, a reformer, or a revolutionary. He came to save . From what? From sin—its guilt, its power, its penalty, and one day, its presence. “He was made sin for us, who knew no sin, that we might be made the righteousness of God in him" (2 Corinthians 5:21). Christ is the Anointed One—the Messiah. As the Prophet, He reveals God to His people; as the Priest, He represents His people before God; as the King, He rules and defends them. In Him alone are the offices of Prophet, Priest, and King perfectly united. Salvation is not man’s achievement; it is God’s accomplishment. Don’t ask, “When did you get saved?” Ask, “When did God save you?”—and the answer is, when Christ died for His people. The Supremacy of the Savior He is Christ the LORD -- LORD in Bethlehem, LORD in the manger, LORD on the cross, LORD in the tomb, LORD in resurrection, and LORD in glory. The Child Who lay in the feeding trough was upholding the universe by the Word of His power (Hebrews 1:3). The Creator nursed at His mother’s breast—sustaining her even as she sustained Him. To call Him LORD is to bow to His sovereignty. “No man can say that Jesus is LORD but by the Holy Ghost” (1 Corinthians 12:3). Many may say “Jesus is LORD,” but only those taught by the Spirit truly know what that means—that Salvation is of the LORD, from beginning to end. He is not waiting to reign; He reigns now. All whom the Father gave Him shall come to Him, and none shall be lost (John 6:37). The One born in Bethlehem, crucified on Calvary, risen from the dead, and ascended on high is ruling all things according to His eternal purpose (Philippians 2:11). So we bow before Him—Jesus the Savior, Christ the LORD—and confess with joy that salvation is His work alone. He shall save His people from their sins was forward-looking to the cross, but now we can say, He HAS saved His people from their sins by His finished work at the cross. He is  LORD and to Him belongs all glory, now and forever.

John 16:33 "These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world." Christ speaks these words as He stands upon the threshold of His suffering. He is on His way to the cross, where He will meet the full weight of divine justice and the darkness of the sin of those sinners that the Father gave Him before the foundation of the world, to come in the fullness of the time to pay their horrible sin debt (John 17:24). Yet His heart is steadfast. There is no wavering in His purpose, no shrinking back from the work the Father has given Him to do. He speaks peace to His disciples even while the prospect of His death on the cross looms. Here is the greatness of His love — that He, Who must soon be smitten, comforts those who would soon be scattered. The LORD Jesus Christ, the Son of God, stands as the surety for His people, and before He suffers, He declares His victory: “Be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.” The message is entirely about Him — not about what we must do, but what He has done. Every word of comfort, every note of cheer, flows from His finished work. Peace is not found in circumstance or religion or human strength, but only in Him . “These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace.” The world cannot give this peace, for it knows nothing of Him. True Peace is not the absence of trouble, but the presence of Christ in the soul — that quiet assurance that all has been accomplished at Calvary for the salvation of His people. Christ says plainly, “In the world ye shall have tribulation.” He does not hide the truth. The path of faith is not free of sorrow but filled with trials, opposition, and persecution. “Marvel not, my brethren, if the world hate you” (1 John 3:13). The disciples were to be “put out of the synagogues,” hated and hunted by those who thought they served God. And so it remains. The believer is not promised ease, but union with the One Who has already overcome. Tribulation is certain, but so is victory — for Christ’s triumph is the believer’s triumph. The word “cheer” carries the meaning of comfort, courage, and confidence. It is not a shallow optimism stirred by emotion, but the settled confidence of the heart resting in Christ’s accomplished redemption. The believer’s cheer is born at the cross, where sin was put away and righteousness established forever. On that hill, He Who knew no sin was made sin for us, “that we might be made the righteousness of God in him” (2 Corinthians 5:21). There He faced the full storm of judgment, and when the work was finished, He cried with authority, “It is finished.” The world’s power was broken. The serpent’s head was crushed. Death itself was conquered. That is why He says, even before He suffers, “ I have overcome the world.” What comfort flows from those words! “Be of good cheer.” Christ has done what no man could do. He has overcome every enemy that stood between His people and eternal life. He has overcome the world’s hatred, the law’s curse, sin’s dominion, and death’s terror. The believer’s assurance is not found in self or circumstance but in the risen, reigning Savior Who never loses one of His own. “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me; and I give unto them eternal life” (John 10:27–28). The weakest and the strongest alike are safe in His hand, for their standing rests not on their hold of Him, but His hold of them. The world offers a false peace — a peace of emotion, ritual, and outward religion. But the Peace of Christ is inward and eternal. It is the peace of a conscience cleansed by blood, the Peace of knowing that justice has been satisfied, and that nothing can separate us from the Love of God which is in Christ Jesus our LORD. When tribulation comes — and it will — His word steadies the heart: “Be not afraid.” He calls His people to look beyond their affliction to His victory. The waves still rise, but He is at the helm, the Captain of salvation Who guides His ship safely home. Thus, the believer can say even in sorrow, “Though the fig tree shall not blossom… yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation” (Habakkuk 3:17–18). Our cheer does not come from what we see, but from Whom we know. Christ has overcome the world. His cross is our victory, His resurrection our assurance, His Word our Peace. Let every trembling heart take courage. The battle is over. The victory is won. “In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.”

Obadiah 1:3 "The pride of thine heart hath deceived thee, thou that dwellest in the clefts of the rock, whose habitation is high; that saith in his heart, Who shall bring me down to the ground?" “The pride of thine heart hath deceived thee.” Here the prophet speaks the Word of the LORD against Edom, the descendants of Esau, who were lifted up in their own hearts and trusted in their own strength. They dwelt in the clefts of the rock, their habitation was high, and they said within themselves, “Who shall bring me down to the ground?” But the LORD answers with holy authority, “Though thou exalt thyself as the eagle, and though thou set thy nest among the stars, thence will I bring thee down” (v.4). The pride of man cannot stand before the sovereignty of God. Edom is a picture of the natural man—strong, confident, self-sufficient, and deceived. The pride of the heart blinds the sinner to his true condition before God. Esau despised his birthright; he sought the blessing by his own will and works, but the blessing was given to Jacob according to God’s eternal purpose. “Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated” (Romans 9:13). This is the testimony of Divine sovereignty. The LORD will have mercy on whom He will have mercy. "Salvation is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that showeth mercy" (Romans 9:16). Edom’s sin was not merely against Israel; it was against the LORD Himself. When Israel was afflicted, Edom stood aloof; when the enemy invaded Jerusalem, Edom rejoiced in her calamity. The LORD saw it all and said, “Thou shouldest not have rejoiced over the children of Judah in the day of their destruction” (v. 12). Every proud act, every boastful thought, every trust in self is rebellion against the LORD’s Christ. For Christ is the True Israel of God, and to oppose His people is to oppose Him. The pride of the heart says, “I will ascend; I will be like the Most High" (Isaiah 14:14). But God says, " For whosoever exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted" (Luke 14:11). Pride always deceives. It promises strength but brings ruin. It seeks to rise but falls into judgment. “When thou shalt make thyself small, thou shalt be greatly despised.” The wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. The strongholds of Edom’s mountains could not protect them, for “the day of the LORD is near upon all the heathen: as thou hast done, it shall be done unto thee” (v.15). Yet in this word of judgment, the LORD reveals His Righteousness and His Grace. For while Edom is brought down, Zion is lifted up. “Upon Mount Zion shall be deliverance, and there shall be holiness; and the house of Jacob shall possess their possessions" (v.17). The LORD will not forsake His chosen. The kingdoms of this world shall become the kingdoms of our LORD and of His Christ. The proud are cast down, but the humble are exalted. Christ Jesus, the True Jacob, humbled Himself and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. He took not the mountain stronghold of Edom, but the hill of Calvary. There, He bore the wrath due to the sins of His people. The judgment that fell upon Edom is the judgment that fell upon Christ in the stead of His elect. " For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him" (2 Corinthians 5:21). Now the redeemed look not to their own strength but to His finished work. Their confidence is not in the clefts of the rock of their own making, but in the Rock of Ages that was cleft for them. Pride is slain at the foot of the cross. Grace reigns through Righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our LORD. “The pride of thine heart hath deceived thee.” But the grace of God humbles and saves. The LORD brings down the lofty and exalts the lowly. Edom’s high places are made desolate, but Zion stands forever. The Deliverer shall come out of Zion, and the kingdom shall be the LORD’s. In Him alone is all our Hope, our Righteousness, and our Peace. May we then take heed to the solemn warning of Edom’s fall, for the same deceit still lurks in every human heart. Pride whispers false security, persuading us that strength, wisdom, or privilege can make us stand apart from the need of Grace. Yet the higher man exalts himself, the deeper he will fall. True safety lies only in humility before God—in casting down every lofty thought and resting wholly in the Righteousness and Mercy of Christ. May the LORD teach us to walk low before His throne, that we may find in His condescending grace the Refuge which no mountain of pride can ever provide. To Christ be the glory forever.

Philippians 3:1-3 "Finally, my brethren, rejoice in the Lord. To write the same things to you, to me indeed is not grievous, but for you it is safe. Beware of dogs, beware of evil workers, beware of the concision. For we are the circumcision, which worship God in the Spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh." "Finally, my brethren, rejoice in the LORD." This is the very heart of worship. We meet as brethren to rejoice in the LORD, to sit quietly before His Word, and to hear again of His redeeming grace. The Spirit of God draws our hearts aside from the noise of this life, that we might rest and reflect upon the blood and righteousness of the LORD Jesus Christ. True worship is not a matter of fashion or form, but of simplicity — a quiet and worshipful time where we sit and listen, not to the word of man, but to the Word of God that exalts His Son. We rejoice in the LORD because Christ is our Chief Joy. He is very God of very God, the greatness of His Person, the Delight of our souls. We rejoice in the fullness of His incarnation, for the Son of God took upon Himself the form of a servant, bone of our bone and flesh of our flesh. The body prepared for Him was offered in perfect obedience unto death, even the death of the cross. There, He accomplished redemption for His people, and by His blood and righteousness, they are justified before God. That is our rejoicing — Christ our Righteousness. The Spirit of God teaches the heart to rest there, to find acceptance only in Him. The condition of salvation was fulfilled by the God-Man. His blood shed unto death, His righteousness imputed to His people — this is the one means of acceptance with God. What joy it is to hear it again and again! The LORD’s people never tire of hearing of Christ’s finished work. To the believer, it is not grievous but safe. It draws our thoughts and minds, just like a magnet, to Christ. It brings us into submission to Him and His righteousness. We rejoice also in the comfort of His good providence. In all that He brings, even affliction and trial, our hearts are taught to say, “Thy will be done.” There is comfort in that. For He works all things according to the counsel of His own will. The believer can bow and say, “Have Thine own way, LORD.” The clay rests in the hands of the Potter. His purpose and providence are perfect. We rejoice in the glory of His intercession and His glorious return. Christ is seated in heaven, His work complete. He is not now bearing our sin — He bore it away on the tree. His very presence in glory is intercession for His people. And He shall come again. When we hear of His coming, our hearts echo the words of John, “Even so, come quickly, Lord Jesus.” To love Him is to long to see Him. That is the believer’s joy — to be with the One Who redeemed him. We meet together also to be reminded of the Gospel. As Paul said, “To write the same things to you, to me indeed is not grievous, but for you it is safe.” The Gospel must be heard over and over again. It keeps us from error and guards us against false teaching. “ Beware of dogs, beware of evil workers, beware of the concision.” Beware of any who preach up conditions for salvation, any who turn the message of Grace into works. Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes. Those taught of the Spirit have submitted themselves unto the Righteousness of God. We meet as the true circumcision, who worship God in the Spirit, rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh. The Spirit of God has done a work of grace in the heart, bringing life to the soul. This is true worship — not outward form or ceremony, but worth-ship, the heart bowing before the One Who is worthy. “Thou art worthy,” we cry. Worthy in His person, worthy in His work, worthy in His glory. Gracious Father, teach us again and again of Him. Draw our hearts to Christ. Cause us to rejoice in His blood and righteousness, rest in His providence, and long for His return. For He alone is worthy. Amen.

Zechariah 13:7 “Awake, O sword, against my shepherd, and against the man that is my fellow, saith the LORD of hosts: smite the shepherd, and the sheep shall be scattered: and I will turn mine hand upon the little ones.” Christ our LORD reigns in absolute sovereignty, even over His own suffering and death. Nothing came upon Him by chance; no event diverted Him from His Father’s will. The cross was not an accident of history, but the eternal purpose of God. In Zechariah 13:7 , we hear the voice of the LORD of hosts commanding the very sword of justice to awaken against His Shepherd—His Fellow, His own Son. Here shines the glory of Christ’s sovereignty: He is the Shepherd chosen from eternity, the God-Man Who willingly submits to the Father’s decree, the One Who governs even the scattering and the gathering of His sheep. Though He was smitten, it was by His own design; though the disciples were scattered (Mark 14:50) , it was under His Hand; and though they were weak, not one was lost. Christ stands sovereign over the sword, sovereign over His people, sovereign in redemption, and sovereign in keeping His little ones forever. The Commission of the Sword God Himself gives the order: “Awake, O sword.” The sword of Divine justice had long been sheathed, restrained by the patience of God. For centuries, He passed over the sin of His elect ones in His forbearance (Romans 3:25). But here the sword is summoned—not against His elect sinners, but against the Shepherd Who stood in their place. It is God the Father Who strikes His very own eternal Son. Isaiah 53:10 declares, “Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise him; he hath put him to grief.” This teaches us that the cross was no accident of history, no tragic turn of events. It was the determinate counsel of God (Acts 2:23). Christ’s sufferings were not merely the cruelty of men, but the righteous judgment of God poured out upon His own Son, that chosen sinners might be spared. The Shepherd bore the sword so that the sheep would live. The Person Smitten Who is this Shepherd? God calls Him “my Shepherd, the man that is my fellow.” He is both near and dear to God—His chosen Shepherd, the One Who feeds, protects, and lays down His life for the flock (John 10:11). But He is also called “my fellow” —the One equal with God, the eternal Son. No angel, no prophet, no mere man could bear this title. Only the God-Man, Jesus Christ, could be both Shepherd of the sheep and Fellow of the LORD of hosts. When we see Christ on the cross, smitten and stricken, we are seeing more than a man suffering unjustly. We are beholding the eternal Son, God’s Fellow, enduring the sword of justice for His people. Such a Sacrifice reveals the depth of God’s love and the infinite worth of Christ’s obedience. The Consequence of His Smiting The verse continues: “Smite the shepherd, and the sheep shall be scattered.” When Jesus was arrested, the disciples fled in fear. Peter denied Him with cursing. They who had walked with Him, seen His power, and confessed Him as LORD, yet abandoned Him in His hour of trial. This scattering shows us the weakness of sinful men, in need of His redeeming grace. Left to ourselves, we cannot stand. Even Spirit-indwelt disciples falter when the Shepherd is struck. This scattering also magnifies the solitary nature of Christ’s work. Redemption is His work alone. No disciple could help Him in Gethsemane. None could bear with Him the wrath of God. None could share His cross. He trod the winepress alone (Isaiah 63:3). Salvation is not a joint effort between Christ and the sinner—it is CHRIST ALONE, smitten in the place of those sinners, chosen out of fallen humanity by God the Father's electing grace, accomplishing everything necessary for their redemption and justification before Him. The Gracious Effect The Good News is that this verse does not end with scattering. God promises: “ I will turn mine hand upon the little ones.” The same hand that wielded the sword against the Shepherd now turned in mercy upon the sheep. This is a Hand of Grace, not wrath; a Hand of gathering, not scattering. The disciples were not lost. Though they fled, the risen Christ restored them. His Hand gathered the weak and trembling into a bold company of witnesses filled with the Spirit. And what was true of them is true of all believers. We are little ones—weak, frail, often faltering. Yet the LORD’s Hand is upon us. He keeps us, gathers us, restores us. We are scattered at times by fear, by sin, by trial—but never lost. Christ the Foundation This verse unfolds this two-fold perspective of the Gospel: Christ crucified and His people saved, justified and preserved. We are reminded that salvation is not in us, not in our devotion, not in our strength. It is in CHRIST ALONE—the Shepherd smitten, the Fellow of God forsaken, that the sheep might be saved. If anything depended on us, we would be lost. But the Hand of God is upon His little ones. Though we stumble, though we scatter, His Grace keeps us. As Jesus promised in John 10:28, “I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. ” May this verse comfort and humble those of us who are Christ's redeemed sheep. May He Who is our Comfort and Strength uphold and keep us. For though we are weak, He is strong. We add nothing to His saving work. ALL is of Christ. The sword was awakened against Him so that Mercy might be turned toward us. Scattered, but not lost—this is the believer’s story. The Shepherd was smitten, the sheep were scattered, but His Hand is upon us still. In life, in death, in eternity, our Hope is Christ alone!

1 Corinthians 16:13 "Watch ye, stand fast in the faith, quit you like men, be strong." The apostle’s exhortation summons the elect Church of Christ to readiness for Spiritual warfare by a few commanding words. Here is not the call of human courage, but of Spirit-born steadfastness. Those who stand fast do so only because they have been made to stand in Christ, the Captain of their salvation. To “watch” is to live in wakefulness to the subtlety of sin, the deceit of the flesh, and the adversary’s assaults—knowing that our sufficiency is of Christ alone. To “stand fast in the Faith” is to rest upon that finished redemption which Christ has accomplished for His elect, unmoved by the shifting winds of human opinion, or the subtle lusts of the flesh. This text then bids us to Strength—not our own, but that which flows from union with the risen LORD, Who alone enables His people to endure unto the end. “Watch ye, stand fast in the faith, quit you like men, be strong.” These are not words of human resolution or moral grit; they are the language of Divine Grace. The apostle closes his letter to a troubled church with a command that is full of comfort for every believer who knows the weakness of the flesh. It is not us keeping the Faith—it is the Faith keeping us. To “stand fast in the faith” is to be settled, grounded, and anchored in Christ Himself. This faith is not our personal believing, not the energy of our decision or emotion, but “the Faith once delivered unto the saints.”  It is the Gospel of Christ crucified, risen, and reigning—The Faith that reveals the righteousness of God. Salvation is by grace through faith, “and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God” (Ephesians 2:8–9). True standing fast is resting in the finished work of Christ, trusting the One Who has accomplished all things for His people. “Watch ye.” The child of God is called to spiritual alertness. We are not of the night, nor of darkness, but of the day. The Spirit awakens the believer to discern truth from error, to be sober and vigilant because our adversary, the devil walketh about seeking whom he may devour. This watchfulness is not the restless striving of the flesh but the quiet awareness that comes from walking in the Spirit. “My sheep hear My voice,” says the Shepherd, “and a stranger will they not follow.” The believer stands watch not by self-discipline but by grace—listening, discerning, and clinging to Christ alone. “Stand fast in the faith.” The Faith is Christ Himself revealed in the heart. To stand fast is to remain unmoved from Him Who is our foundation. “Other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.” When the storms of false doctrine blow, when the world mocks, when the flesh trembles, and the enemy rages, the believer’s safety is found in being rooted and grounded in Him. We stand because He stands for us as our advocate (1John 2:1). We endure because He endured the cross. We hold because He first holds us. As Jude writes, "to Him Who is able to keep you from falling.”  The strength of the believer is not found in resolve but in redemption—in the covenant faithfulness of the Son of God Who loved us and gave Himself for us. “Quit you like men.” Be courageous, not in self, but in Christ. The strength of the believer is in “the LORD, and in the power of His might” (Ephesians 6:10). The armor of God is not a list of duties but the very person of Christ—our Righteousness, our Salvation, our Truth. He is the Man Who has gone before us, the Captain of our salvation. To act as men is to act as those who belong to the Man Christ Jesus, who fought the good fight and won the victory for His people. “Be strong.” Strength is not drawn from human will but from Divine indwelling. The Spirit of God strengthens the inner man so that Christ may dwell in our hearts by His Faith revealed. The power that raised Jesus from the dead now works in those who by Him do believe (1 Peter 1:21). Therefore, we do not trust in our grip upon Him but in His eternal hold on us . (John 10:28-30) “When I am weak,” said Paul, “then am I strong.” And all must be done with charity, love for Christ and His brethren because of His Love for us (1 John 4:19). Faith without love becomes cold, proud, and mechanical. True standing fast in The Faith always produces love— “the love of God shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Spirit " (Romans 5:5). Charity suffers long and is kind. It humbles, forgives, and seeks the good of others. It is the Spirit of Christ in the believer, working all things to the glory of God. So the charge remains: Watch. Stand fast. Be strong. But do so in Christ, Who alone is our Watchman, our Foundation, our Strength, and our Love. To stand fast in The Faith is to stand in Him Who is faithful— “Jesus Christ, the same yesterday, and today, and forever.”

James 2:1-7 "My brethren, have not the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, with respect of persons. For if there come unto your assembly a man with a gold ring, in goodly apparel, and there come in also a poor man in vile raiment; And ye have respect to him that weareth the gay clothing, and say unto him, Sit thou here in a good place; and say to the poor, Stand thou there, or sit here under my footstool: Are ye not then partial in yourselves, and are become judges of evil thoughts? Hearken, my beloved brethren, Hath not God chosen the poor of this world rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom which he hath promised to them that love him? But ye have despised the poor. Do not rich men oppress you, and draw you before the judgment seats? Do not they blaspheme that worthy name by the which ye are called?" The epistle of James is a powerful and practical letter written under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. It is concerned not merely with theory, but with the reality of God-given faith—a faith that bears fruit, that shows itself in the life where the LORD Jesus Christ has been revealed in truth. This is not a faith that the sinner produces, but a faith that God by His grace reveals in the hearts of those whom He gave to His Son before the foundation of the world, for whom the LORD Jesus Christ came into this world to pay their sin debt. James speaks to elect sinners, redeemed by Christ and called by the Spirit, who are scattered and suffering, and he exhorts them to live as those who know Christ, the LORD of Glory. He calls them to bridle the tongue, to care for the needy, and not to show respect for persons. The Faith of our LORD Jesus Christ, the LORD of Glory, cannot be joined with partiality. God Himself is no respecter of persons. The Gospel of free Grace leaves no room for distinction among men, for all men—rich and poor alike—are sinners and equally guilty before God, equally in need of God's mercy and the redemption accomplished by the death of the LORD Jesus. When James says, “My brethren, have not the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, with respect of persons,” he directs our hearts to the nature of that faith—rooted in Christ crucified, revealed by God, grounded in righteousness that He earned and established in His life and that God the Father imputed to all of the elect upon completion of His death. It is The Faith once delivered unto the saints, The Faith by which the LORD Jesus Christ is made known in the hearts of sinners. God does not regard man’s wealth, status, race, or morality—we have none. When He saves, it is always by grace alone through Christ alone. As Peter declared in Acts 10:34–35, “Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons.” In His sovereign dealings with sinners, He passes by the proud and powerful and chooses the weak, the base, and the foolish, that no flesh should glory in His presence (1 Corinthians 1:26–29). This is the humbling glory of sovereign grace: salvation rests not in the worth of the sinner but in the will and purpose of God alone. James presses this truth further: “Hath not God chosen the poor of this world, rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom which He hath promised to them that love Him?” Here is the heart of the Gospel—God has chosen. Not based on merit, but on mercy. The poor of this world, those rejected, those who have nothing but Christ as their Hope, are made rich in Faith. True riches are not silver and gold, but the unsearchable riches of Christ (Ephesians 3:8). Christ came and earned and established God's perfect righteousness to satisfy His law and justice. He laid down His life to pay the entire sin debt for those whom the Father gave Him. The Sovereign Grace of God in Christ alone is the foundation of salvation—it humbles the proud and raises the poor. Christ did not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance. In His obedience unto death, His resurrection, and His ascension into glory, He effectually saved every soul given to Him by the Father ( John 6:37; Romans 5:8). To despise the poor, as James warns, is to deny the Gospel itself. The church is not a society for the elite; it is a hospital for sinners where Christ is the great Physician. Whether they come from palaces or prisons, it is by His Grace alone that they are saved. “God, who is rich in mercy, for His great love wherewith He loved us… hath quickened us together with Christ.”(Ephesians 2:4–5) . When Christ rose, His people rose with Him; when He ascended, they were seated in Him in the heavenlies. Christ, our High Priest, has entered the heavenly sanctuary with the names of His people upon His heart. Everyone that the Father gave Him is represented before the throne, and He ever lives to intercede for them. He came for the poor in spirit—for those who know they have nothing to commend themselves to God (Matthew 5:3). Salvation is not a cooperation between God and man—it is entirely the work of the sovereign God saving those who do not deserve it. None is too far gone, none too sinful, for the grace of God in Christ. All of our righteousnesses are filthy rags (Isaiah 64:6) , but the work of Christ satisfies the Father. When He cried, “It is finished,” the debt was paid, righteousness established, and God fully satisfied. God said of His Son, “This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased.” Our Peace and Joy rest not in our works but in His. He lived the life we could not live, died the death we deserved, and rose again, having justified each sinner chosen by the Father in Him. Though we are the neediest of sinners, yet He is the greatest and only Savior.