John 18:37 "Pilate therefore said unto Him, Art thou a king then? Jesus answered, 'Thou sayest that I am a king. To this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth. Everyone that is of the truth heareth my voice.'" What is Truth? This timeless question, first posed by Pilate, has been asked through the ages, with people seeking answers through philosophy and education. Many quote the words of Jesus, "And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free" (John 8:32) , but often without understanding the context. Every word in Scripture has meaning, and it's essential to study the biblical definition of truth. Jesus declares, " I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me" (John 14:6). The LORD Jesus doesn’t merely show the way or teach the truth—He is  the Truth. We cannot arrive at truth apart from Christ. Christ is the Truth. Every mention of Truth in Scripture ties directly to Christ and His death. There is no separation between the Truth and the Faith; both are singular and absolute. The Bible speaks of the  Truth, not truths . Some preachers today try to make room for multiple truths, but Scripture affirms there is only one Truth, which is Christ. People often argue against being too absolute about the Gospel, questioning if there’s room for error. But no, there is only one Gospel that saves: the Gospel of Christ and Him crucified. God is precise, Christ is precise, and His work is precise. There is no room for the notion that there are different ways to heaven. Jesus is clear: "I am the way, the truth, and the life." All truth is embodied in Christ. "No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, He hath declared Him" (John 1:18). Salvation comes through Christ alone. It should not surprise us when people oppose the truth. Just as the ones who condemned Christ before Pilate rejected Him, so too do many today. As John writes, " And we know that the Son of God is come and hath given us an understanding, that we may know Him that is true, and we are in Him that is true, even in His Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God, and eternal life" (1 John 5:20). Christ’s coming is an objective revelation of truth. We are in Him, and through Him, we know what is true. The message of Truth in Scripture is Christ’s Person and work. It's not just about how He died, but why  He died and what His death accomplished. Some mistakenly view Christ’s death as only a partial act, as if He did His part, and now we must do ours to secure salvation. This is not the salvation Scripture teaches. Salvation is not a cooperative effort between the sinner and Christ; it’s an operation of God, entirely by grace. From eternity, God chose whom He would save, gave them to His Son, and in time, Christ came to lay down His life for that specific people (Ephesians 1:3-14). Christ did not die for everyone. There is no one in hell for whom Christ died. Psalm 85:10-11 declares, "Mercy and truth are met together; Righteousness and peace have kissed each other. Truth shall spring out of the earth, And righteousness shall look down from heaven." None of God’s attributes contradict one another. Many people struggle to reconcile His attributes, asking, “How can God be both loving and just?” In their attempt to explain God, they reduce His attributes or ignore one. Some focus only on God’s love, trying to explain everything through it. But when they come to difficult topics like wrath and justice, they are left without answers. The key is to place God’s holiness at the center. The angels cry, "Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty" (Revelation 4:8). Holiness explains how God’s love can be extended to sinners without compromising His justice. Truth shines brightest against the darkest opposition. Christ’s enemies did not do anything outside of God’s ordained purpose. Christ was delivered up not because they were stronger, but because it was God’s will for Him to be crucified. In doing so, God offered His Son as the Sacrifice for the sins of even the worst sinners. Christ is King, and His Kingdom is here. He is currently calling out those for whom He died. Not one will remain lost. He will save every one of His people.  "And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation; And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth. And I beheld, and I heard the voice of many angels round about the throne and the beasts and the elders: and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands; Saying with a loud voice, Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honor, and glory, and blessing. And every creature which is in heaven, and on the earth, and under the earth, and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, heard I saying, Blessing, and honor, and glory, and power, be unto him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb forever and ever. And the four beasts said, Amen. And the four and twenty elders fell and worshipped him that liveth forever and ever." Revelation 5:9-14

Proverbs 16:6,7 "By Mercy and Truth iniquity is purged: And by the fear of the LORD men depart from evil. When a man's ways please the LORD, He maketh even his enemies to be at peace with him." "By Mercy and Truth iniquity is purged" Iniquity purged is sin "expiated." This does not refer to sinners who may perform acts of mercy toward others in their time of need, nor to speaking the truth when giving advice or counsel. Men's acts of mercy—such as giving alms or showing mercy to the poor—cannot in any way diminish or put away one's sin. Likewise, speaking truth—such as keeping promises and doing justice between man and man—may draw respect from fellow creatures and accolades for being "good" persons, but cannot serve as payment or penance for sin. As the hymn writer penned the words: "Not the labor of my hands Can fulfill Thy law’s demands; Could my zeal no respite know, Could my tears forever flow, All for sin could not atone; Thou must save, and Thou alone." Through His "Mercy," in the fullness of the time, God sent forth His Son to be the Propitiation for the sin of His elect (Galatians 4:4) —whom He chose for salvation before the foundation of the world (Ephesians 1:3-7) . The only One who could save His elect from their sin is Jesus Christ, the Son of God (Matthew 1:21, Mark 1:1). Sin required a sacrifice that could meet the demands of the penalty. Since the penalty was death, only the shedding of blood unto death could put away sin (Hebrews 9:22). Only the life of the Creator could be a sacrifice for sinners whom God the Father purposed to save (John 1:1-4, 14). The blood of Jesus Christ expiated the guilt—not just covering the sin, but completely putting it away and thereby redeeming the sinner from eternal death. Through His "Truth," God has fulfilled His promises concerning Christ. In particular, He has fulfilled the Promise of pardon through the sacrifice and satisfaction of the LORD Jesus, where mercy and truth have met together, or through the grace and truth that came by Jesus Christ (Psalm 85:10-11). Through His effectual sacrifice unto death, He has finished transgression, made an end of sin, and made reconciliation for iniquity (Daniel 9:24). Some see mercy and truth as opposites, but everywhere in Scripture we find that these are attributes of God that are eternally and inseparably united when it comes to the salvation of sinners. 1.) Iniquity can only be purged in God’s justice where both are satisfied.  Notice the inspired Word does not say ‘either by mercy OR truth,’ but ‘by mercy AND truth, iniquity is purged.’ Elsewhere, in Psalm 85:10, we read, “Mercy and truth are met together; righteousness and peace have kissed each other.” God cannot and will not set aside one for the other to save the sinner. 2.) Mercy and truth do not leave their objects indifferent.  The Word declares, “…by the fear of the LORD, men DEPART from evil.” It is the revelation of mercy and truth in Christ, by the Spirit of God in the heart, that causes the sinner to fear the LORD and renounce every false way of approaching God. The Bible calls false worship evil, and those who promote it as workers of iniquity: "And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity" (Matthew 7:23). 3.) Mercy and truth accomplished in the death of the LORD Jesus cause a man’s ways to please the LORD.  Let no one mistake this text to say that by a man showing mercy and acting truthfully, his iniquity is purged. The original leaves no room for such an interpretation. It reads, "By mercy and truth HE shall purge iniquity." HE—God, by His mercy in sending His Son, the LORD Jesus, into the world—shall purge iniquity according to His Truth and Justice. So effectual would be the sacrifice of God’s Son that the end result would be peace, and ALL the ways of those sinners for whom He died would please the LORD. “He maketh even his enemies to be at peace with him” (Proverbs 16:7). All for whom Christ died were enemies, under condemnation and not justified until the LORD Jesus paid their horrible sin debt. "But God commendeth His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us" (Romans 5:8). However, upon completion of His death, they were once for all reconciled unto Him and declared to be righteous (justified) before Him. As a sinner saved by grace, there is great comfort and consolation in knowing that the salvation of God is just and true and that God is just in showing mercy to sinners for whom Christ died. Because He died, the Father was satisfied, and “there is therefore now [since the cross] NO CONDEMNATION” (Romans 8:1). In Christ, then, mercy and truth are agreed together in an eternal bond that can never be broken!

Isaiah 42:8 "I am the LORD: that is My Name: and My Glory will I not give to another." " I am the LORD" — The name for Jehovah God. "That is my name" — Alluding back to Exodus 3:14; and Exodus 6:3 . This is the personal name of God revealed initially to Moses in sending him to lead the children of Israel out of Egypt. The underlying Hebrew word is made of four consonants, YHWH, and occurs over 6,800 times in the Old Testament. It is the same name applied to the LORD Jesus in the New Testament, as seen through all of the "I AM" declarations by the LORD Jesus Himself. The " I AM" scriptures in the New Testament are primarily found in the Gospel of John, where Jesus repeatedly identifies Himself using the phrase "I am," including: "I am the bread of life" (John 6:35), "I am the light of the world" (John 8:12), "I am the door" (John 10:7), "I am the good shepherd" (John 10:11), "I am the resurrection and the life" (John 11:25), "I am the way, and the truth, and the life" (John 14:6), and "I am the true vine" (John 15:1). The Name of God is vital in understanding Who He is and how He exercises His sovereign will over all His creation. The name Jehovah is the Hebrew verb "to be." All things in creation, providence, salvation, and damnation have their existence and being in Him. He is the Everlasting, Unchangeable, Omnipotent God, and not only can but does fulfill all He has ordained without any influence or contribution from any of His creatures. "For of Him, and through Him, and to Him, are all things: to whom be glory forever. Amen" (Romans 11:36). This is the Name by which God has purposed to save fallen sinners. He says, "My glory will I not give to another" — Idolatry is to take what pertains to God's glory alone in anything, but particularly in salvation, and to attribute anything to what the creature may attempt to contribute. God will not suffer that honor and worship belonging to Him alone, and giving it to others or even to themselves. One area where idolatry is prominent in the world is the false message of the so-called "free-will" religion, whereby sinners are told that God has done all He can do and the rest is up to them. They wrongly think that He is waiting for their decision to save them. A common question that people like to ask is, "When were you saved?" The popular answer is, "When I made my decision for Jesus. That's when God saved me because of my accepting Jesus as my Savior." To believe that is not only to believe contrary to Scripture but to attribute salvation to something that you do as a sinner, rather than confessing that the whole of salvation is not only the work of God from beginning to end but fully accomplished at the cross when the LORD Jesus laid down His life to pay the sin debt for those that the Father gave Him to save. That’s when and where every sinner that God purposed to save was saved—AT THE CROSS! Some make their salvation occur at the point of their belief. Others, knowing that God has chosen sinners for salvation before the foundation of the world, argue that they were saved at the moment when God decreed their salvation. Yes, God the Father elected a people in eternity past, and He purposed salvation for them in His eternal decree. Yet, in justice, He could not put away sin without a just payment. Additionally, in eternity past, there was no sin because Adam had not been created, and Adam's sin had not been imputed to all men. Also, Christ had not yet come to pay for the sin of the elect. Therefore, God could not and would not justify any, because God the Father could not absolve any of the blame, nor acquit any of the guilt without a just satisfaction first. He could not pardon or remit any sin before His law and justice were satisfied. "Without shedding of blood is no remission" (Hebrews 9:22). When Adam fell sin was imputed to all men. "Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:" (Romans 5:12) . In the same manner, when the LORD Jesus was obedient unto death, Righteousness was imputed there and then to each of God's elect for whom He died. Even as Adam fell in time, and there was the once-and-for-all imputation of his sin to his race, so it was necessary that the LORD Jesus come in time and fulfill in His life the perfect righteousness required of the Father, and upon completion of His work, the Father would once and forever justify (declare righteous) those for whom He died. One imputation of sin in Adam, and one imputation of righteousness at the cross. The LORD Jesus Christ came into the world to save His people from their sins (to justify His people at His death on the cross) (Matthew 1:21) . To reconcile them, He had to be the God-Man, born of a virgin. He lived a sinless life to work out a perfect righteousness as the elect's representative. He shed His blood on the cross, and because of this, He could be both Just and Justifier (Romans 3:26). Justification is Christ's work alone. Only Christ can absolve me of all blame, acquit my guilt, pardon and remit my sin, and deliver me from the punishment I so deserve. "Being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus:" (Romans 3:24). He alone obtained eternal redemption for all His elect at the cross (Hebrews 9:12). He alone is The Justifier. What then is the role of the Holy Spirit in salvation? In time, the Holy Spirit comes and quickens the elect, who are born into the world in darkness and spiritual blindness. He convicts them of guilt, causes them to see their need for God's salvation in Christ, and shows them The LORD Jesus Christ and His complete work of salvation accomplished for them at the cross. The Spirit never speaks of Himself (John 16:8-14), but guides elected sinners into all truth (John 14:6), and causes them to see that The LORD Jesus Christ alone is their salvation at the cross. It is not when the Spirit gives life to the redeemed sinner that God justifies them. No! The Spirit's work is to glorify the LORD Jesus and His shed blood unto death as all their salvation and justification before God. Justification, therefore, is not the work of The Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit cannot absolve me of blame, acquit me of guilt, or pardon and remit my sin and its punishment. That was Christ's work. The Holy Spirit convicts me. All of the Glory belongs to The LORD Jesus Christ alone. There is no faith independent of Christ. Christ obtained justification and eternal redemption at the cross (Hebrews 9:12-15) . Faith is not the Savior. Faith looks outside itself to Christ and His work accomplished at the cross alone. Faith did not die on the cross. My faith can't absolve me of blame, nor can my faith acquit me of guilt. My faith is never able to pardon and remit sin and its punishment. This is not faith's work; if I believe my faith justifies me, it becomes " a work." Christ plus anything is salvation by works and will damn the soul. Salvation was accomplished at Calvary and is not conditioned on any personal belief. My works before men cannot absolve me of blame, they cannot acquit me of guilt, nor can they keep me from punishment. If I add one thing to Christ, to His work of justification at the cross, or His finished work there, it becomes salvation by works and will damn the soul. An elect, redeemed, and called sinner has no confidence in the flesh (Romans 3:4). Some try to conclude that the justification of sinners is four-fold: in eternity, at the cross, by faith, and by works, depending on what text and verse they want to quote. But Scripture declares only ONE justification that belongs to The LORD Jesus Christ alone. He shed His blood, bearing the shame on the cross that He might be LORD of all. To believe in justification anywhere but in the finished work of Christ on the cross is to create a rival with Christ. We cannot add to Christ's work, or His work would not be finished (John 19:30) . ALL GLORY TO THE LORD JESUS CHRIST. JUSTIFICATION IS BY HIM, AND IT HAPPENED AT THE CROSS.

1 Peter 4:12 "Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you..." As God's children living in this world, we should not be surprised that we will experience trials, afflictions, and opposition. Perhaps some think they will be protected from grief and sorrowful experiences because they are God's children. The thought is that if the LORD Jesus has paid their sinful debt, the effect will be complete protection from any evil that may confront them. Yet, here, the apostle exhorts believers to courage and steadfastness in the face of opposition, indicating that trials should be expected and should not surprise them. Here, particularly, it is not just any trial but specifically that of persecution for Christ's sake. Our LORD told His disciples before He went to the cross: "Remember the word that I said unto you, A servant is not greater than his lord. If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you" (John 15:20). Persecution for Christ's sake should not catch the LORD's children off guard. All ought to be prepared for persecution—not by dreading it, but rather as a blessing, counting themselves worthy to suffer for Christ's sake. In the book of Acts, after the apostles were beaten for testifying in Christ's name, they declared: "And they departed from the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for His Name" (Acts 5:40). Who are those to whom this exhortation pertains? The "beloved" of the LORD were chosen by God before the foundation of the world, given to the LORD Jesus, who came and died in their place, and are called by the Spirit of God to Him. "Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace unto you, and peace, be multiplied" (1 Peter 1:2). What is the nature of the exhortation that Peter writes to these beloved ones of God? It is two-fold: Think it not strange.  — The same word is used in 1 Peter 4:4: "Wherein they think it strange that ye run not with them to the same excess of riot, speaking evil of you." It literally means feeling like people in a strange country—lost and bewildered. It is further explained by the clause, “as though some strange thing were (by bad fortune) happening unto you.” These Hebrew believers were not to think that, because they had been redeemed and justified by Christ's death, they would therefore be exempt from persecution. The fiery trial which is to try you.  — The fiery trial was not future, but present. It states, "The fiery trial that is presently trying you." At this point in history, the Church in Asia was enduring fierce persecution because of the Faith that God had revealed in them and caused them to believe, in opposition to all the attempts of the Roman Empire and Judaizers to extinguish them. The word that describes this persecution that they were enduring is only found elsewhere in Revelation 18:8-9 as “burning,” hence a "fiery" trial. What confidence do God's children have when called upon by God to suffer for Christ's sake? "That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ" (1 Peter 1:7).

Ezekiel 16:6,7 "And when I passed by thee, and saw thee polluted in thine own blood, I said unto thee when thou wast in thy blood, Live; yea, I said unto thee when thou was in thy blood, Live. I have caused thee to multiply as the bud of the field, and thou hast increased and waxen great, and thou art come to excellent ornaments: thy breasts are fashioned, and thine hair is grown, whereas thou wast naked and bare." "And when I passed by thee, and saw thee polluted in thine own blood..." Although already fulfilled in the history of Israel in bringing them out of captivity from Egypt, nevertheless, it is a symbolic picture of how God finds and calls out His Spiritual Israel, the remnant of Grace, from deadness in sin (polluted in thine own blood). "I said unto thee when thou wast in thy blood, Live..." None can live but those whom God causes to live by His Spirit. That Life is in His Son, the LORD Jesus, and all who hear and believe on Him already have been given Everlasting Life by Him. "Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on Him that sent me, hath Everlasting Life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto Life" (John 5:24). That’s why they believe, and that Life is in God’s Son, "And this is Life Eternal, that they might know Thee the Only True God, and Jesus Christ, whom Thou hast sent" (John 17:3). It is by God’s command, and not man’s will, "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 1:12-13). "I have caused thee to multiply as the bud of the field" Here, the young nation of Israel, which originally went into Egypt as a small remnant of 70 (Deuteronomy 10:22) , is described as a young maiden whom God would take and espouse to Himself, through the mediator Moses. It is a figure of God’s true church (Jew and Gentile) for whom the LORD Jesus would come in the fullness of the time, pay her sin debt, and take to Himself for His Church, as a bridegroom takes His bride to Himself. The multiplying and blessing of those whom God the Father has given to His Son are described symbolically as a ‘bud’ of the field that is caused to grow and multiply. The bud (singular) of the field is the LORD Jesus. "Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to thy seed, which is Christ" (Gal. 3:16). As the Seed of God, the LORD Jesus came to be sown in the field of this world, suffer and die, and rise again to bring forth fruit—the children of God throughout the world—that He redeemed, reconciled, and justified before God. "Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit" (John 12:24). "And thou hast increased and waxen great, and thou art come to excellent ornaments: thy breasts are fashioned, and thine hair is grown, whereas thou wast naked and bare." National Israel was but small in number when the LORD brought them out of Egypt and established them in the promised land. The people are described as a young virgin that the LORD clothed with excellent ornaments, whose breasts were firm and beautiful, with a full head of hair grown and attractive, but initially naked and bare, apart from the LORD being gracious having clothed her as a young maiden in a beautiful dress. Spiritually, as jewels and rich vestments set off a beautiful person, so the Church of the LORD Jesus is adorned with every Spiritual blessing in Christ (Ephesians 1:3). He was made unto His elect Wisdom, Righteousness, Sanctification, and Redemption (1 Corinthians 1:30). The luster of her beauty (breasts and hair) is that of the LORD Jesus Christ, adorned with the choicest blessings of the riches of His grace (Ephesians 2:7). The Church (elect and redeemed sinners) was naked and bare, having nothing in themselves but poverty, stripped of any glory because of the fall. And yet it pleased God to choose her out of all the earth to make her His people for Christ's sake. The LORD Jesus, in coming to the earth in the flesh, redeemed and justified her unto God, and clothed her in His Righteousness—naked and bare no more, but resplendent in the garments of salvation with which He has clothed her and made her beautiful and accepted before God the Father, and as a bride adorned for her Husband (Christ). "I will greatly rejoice in the LORD, my soul shall be joyful in my God; for He hath clothed me with the garments of salvation, He hath covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decketh himself with ornaments, and as a bride adorneth herself with her jewels" (Isaiah 61:10).

Romans 10:17 "So then Faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God." Faith is the gift of God. "For by grace are ye saved through Faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the Gift of God:" (Ephesians 2:8). The hearing by which Faith comes is not merely the physical hearing of the Word of God, but the Spiritual hearing, by the Spirit of grace bringing THE WORD (Christ Jesus) to the heart of the sinner and drawing that heart to the LORD Jesus. " But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are Spiritually discerned" (1 Corinthians 2:14). When Faith is revealed in the heart, its object is Jesus Christ and HIM crucified. When the LORD Jesus Christ is revealed in the heart, that heart, having been given the very life of Christ, is thereby affected by the revelation of Christ and cries out after Him, much as the hart pants after the water brook in its thirst: "As the hart panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after thee, O God (Psalm 42:1). The soul is initially bowed down in condemnation before the Lord Jesus, owning God’s right to condemn: "If I justify myself, mine own mouth shall condemn me: If I say, I am perfect, it shall also prove me perverse" (Job 9:20). Being made alive by the LORD Jesus Himself, that soul is made to see its vileness before a Holy God: "The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?" (Jeremiah 17:9). Faith causes the sinner to justify the LORD rather than justify the sinner. Faith ascribes righteousness to HIM and causes the sinner to abhor himself in dust and ashes: "Wherefore I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes" (Job 42:6). Faith is the effect of the Spirit working repentance in the heart. Where there is repentance there is Faith— "testifying both to the Jews, and also to the Greeks, repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ" (Acts 20:21). There is the casting of the soul on the LORD Jesus Christ, who came, lived, died, and rose again to pay that soul’s sin debt once for all. Faith casts the soul on the Mercy of God (Christ the Mercy Seat) and rests wholly and completely on His blood and righteousness alone for salvation. Faith looks to the LORD Jesus with a singular eye, causing the awakened soul to rest solely on Him who accomplished his salvation.  How do we know when somebody has truly heard? How do you know when your children have listened to you? You can call their name. You can tell them to stop doing what they're doing, but they keep going until you get their attention. That's what it takes to be drawn to Christ. Faith comes by hearing with a Spiritual inner ear. There has to be the hearing—the inner hearing of the heart. What part do the Scriptures play in the revelation of the Faith in the heart? Many people look for some daily promise when they read scripture—something to perk them up and make them feel better—but that's not the purpose of the Bible. The purpose of the Bible is to reveal Christ. The Bible that people hold in their hands, from Genesis to Revelation, is all about HIM. The LORD Jesus told the Pharisees, “Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me” (John 5:39). The Scriptures are inspired by the Holy Spirit and therefore all about Christ. The Spirit's singular work is to reveal Christ in the hearts of sinners elected by God the Father from eternity and redeemed in time by the LORD Jesus. "[He] shall glorify me: for He shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you" (John 16:14). There are portions where we may not see right away, because to see Christ, it must be God giving us the eyes and the hearing. The LORD Jesus is the Eternal Word of God (John 1:1), the Incarnate Word (John 1:14), the Living Word (Hebrews 3:12) , revealed in the hearts of those that were given Him by the Father before the foundation of the world, that by Him (Faith revealed) they might know Him as that Word who is Life Eternal (John 17:3).

2 Thessalonians 2:13 "But we are bound to give thanks alway to God for you, brethren beloved of the LORD, because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth:" God, being Sovereign, has determined on whom He will have mercy and compassion and those He will harden. Such is the God of the Bible. If any say, "Well, then God is unrighteous,” the Apostle Paul addressed that objection in Romans 9:14, "What shall we say then? Is there unrighteousness with God?" The simple answer is, "God forbid. For He saith to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion." The conclusion is found in Romans 9:16, "So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy." Such is God's prerogative to show mercy to whom He will. Election is a subject of thankfulness, not of contention. Where you see contention, where you see railing accusations that are brought against this doctrine, in reality, it's brought against God Himself. The God of the Bible is a Sovereign God. Why do people rebel against imHom? The reason is that they've never seen their absolute guilt before God. If they did, their mouth would be stopped (Romans 3:19) and they would be utterly cast upon His mercy that He be pleased to save them if He will. The word "beloved" means "loved above all others." As you consider the world, made from one fallen mass, there are those whom God has loved above all others—those He has chosen from eternity, purposed to save, and sent His Son, the LORD Jesus Christ, into the world to accomplish their salvation by His work at Calvary. In time, the Spirit Himself draws His beloved ones to Christ. Passing by some and causing others to believe, what can we say of that? For the LORD, it was a subject of thankfulness, because He said in Matthew 11:25,26, "I thank thee, O Father, LORD of heaven and earth, because thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent," that is, wise and prudent in their own eyes, "and hast revealed them unto babes. Even so, Father: for so it seemed good in thy sight." That's where our mouths are stopped. If any is to question, "How can God do this?" The answer is, He's God and our LORD bowed to His will. When He prayed in the garden in John 17:9 , He didn't pray for the world. He wasn't praying that everybody would be saved. He said, "I pray not for the world, but for them which thou hast given me; for they are thine." Even our LORD Jesus Christ bowed to the will of the Father that He would save not one more or less than those that the Father had given Him. "All things are delivered unto me of my Father: and no man knoweth the Son, but the Father; neither knoweth any man the Father, save the Son, and He to whomsoever the Son will reveal Him" (Matthew 11:27). What is the source of this election? Some will take this doctrine of election and pervert it in their rebellion because ultimately they make it man's choice and not God's alone. It's not I that have made the decision, it is God that has chosen as Paul says, "We are bound to give thanks alway to God for you, brethren beloved of the LORD, because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation." It's not God looking down through time and seeing who would choose Him and so then He chose them. No! All that God saw from eternity was a fallen, depraved, and hardened, condemned world as a result of Adam's fall. So election then is God's way of determining who it is He would save. His justice would condemn all of humanity because of their sins, but His mercy and His grace determined that there would be those He would save and not utterly cast away. Paul writing in Ephesians 1:3,4 says, "Blessed be the God and Father of our LORD Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ: According as He hath chosen us," but notice, "in Christ." Now, when was this choice done? Some say, it’s when the sinner believes. No! Here it says, "before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love: having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, to the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved" (Ephesians 1:4-6). It all has to do with Christ and His glory. Any that are saved are the beneficiaries, but the glory belongs unto Christ alone. We see salvation in God's purpose but only in connection with redemption by the blood of the LORD Jesus (Romans 5:9-11) . When He came to this earth and lived His perfect life, working out the righteousness that God required to be just and to declare sinners righteous, we see salvation in that redemption. It is by His blood and righteousness. All salvation is of God, and we have nothing whereof to glory. A person who in some way still tries to find a reason to glory in himself, attributing any part of his or her salvation to initiating it or maintaining it, they have not bowed to the Truth in Faith (Romans 10:1-4). Where God has revealed Christ, there is a deep humility, a bowing of that sinner, and an acknowledging of our sin before a Holy God. Should God condemn sinners, He is just in doing so. Yet if the LORD has paid their debt, the Holy Spirit points out their sin and worthiness of condemnation, and will direct their heart to the Savior and causes that sinner to look outside himself to the Savior, to the One Who has paid the debt and to Whom all the glory belongs. Salvation is of the LORD from beginning to end! "Salvation belongeth unto the LORD: thy blessing is upon thy people. Selah" (Psalm 3:8).

Isaiah 29:9,10 "Stay yourselves, and wonder; cry ye out, and cry: they are drunken, but not with wine; they stagger, but not with strong drink. For the LORD hath poured out upon you the spirit of deep sleep, and hath closed your eyes: the prophets and your rulers, the seers hath he covered." People get offended when you ask, "Have you ever been lost?" It’s similar to the Pharisees in Christ's day who questioned Him as to whether He was calling them lost. They said, "Are we blind also?" (John 9:40) . In this world, preachers like to suggest what people already believe in their hearts: that they are good by nature. This is the mindset of unconverted, natural-minded sinners—assuming that there is some inherent good in them that will be enough for God to show them love, kindness, and mercy. But the Bible says, "The heart is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked: who can know it?" (Jeremiah 17:9). What does it mean to be lost? Have you thought about it? If the Lord has taught you, you know what it is to be lost. If He hasn’t, you won’t. It’s not something you can easily define or explain to someone who has never been shown their lost estate, which only the Spirit of God can do. When the Spirit of God draws a sinner to the Lord Jesus, that sinner will confess, "I have gone astray like a lost sheep; seek thy servant; for I do not forget thy commandments" (Psalm 119:176). A lost sheep cannot find its way back and would certainly perish if left alone. That’s what the word "lost" means here. It means "to perish, to die, to be exterminated." The psalmist is confessing that had the Lord not sought him, he couldn’t have found his way back. "For the Son of man is come to save that which was lost" (Matthew 18:11) . That’s the only kind of sinner Jesus saves—the lost. Whether in Hebrew or Greek, the word means "to be entirely out of the way, in danger of destruction." We are born into this world lost because of Adam's fall. It takes the Spirit of God to open our eyes and draw us to Christ (John 6:44). Christ came for the lost sheep of Israel. He did not come to save the entire nation, but only His sheep who were of the household of Israel. "Not as though the word of God hath taken none effect. For they are not all Israel, which are of Israel: Neither, because they are the seed of Abraham, are they all children: but, In Isaac shall thy seed be called" (Romans 9:6-7). What is clear is that God was pleased to save the sheep through Christ’s work, He cannot lose any for whom Christ paid the debt. But others are just as lost. Yet, it pleased God to leave them in that state of blindness and condemnation. Is He unjust in doing so? No! "And for this cause, God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie" (2 Thessalonians 2:11). If God causes a person to believe a lie, do you think they’ll ever know the truth? Never! He gives them over to their depraved thoughts and false worship, and no amount of instruction or warning can change their minds. They’ll live and die in false profession with false hope. The world is divided into either lost sheep or those given over to a reprobate mind. What are the characteristics of the lost? They don’t perceive their condition. They are compared to drunkards: "They are drunken, but not with wine" (Isaiah 29:9). This isn’t about physical drunkenness; it’s about deeper spiritual drunkenness that causes men to stagger in their minds. "For the LORD hath poured out upon you a spirit of deep sleep" (Isaiah 29:10). God has given them a senseless mind. When you’re in a deep sleep, you don’t perceive anything around you. This is spiritual blindness. If God gives someone over to their reprobate mind, how great is that darkness? No matter how brightly the Gospel shines, they won’t see it. "But if our Gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost: in whom the God of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not" (2 Corinthians 4:3-4). Many translations use "god" as if Satan is the god of this world blinding the minds. But the Sovereign God of this world has no rivals. The word for God is θεός (Theos), and therefore refers to God as Creator and Sustainer of all His creatures, translated in the Hebrew language as "Elohim" (Genesis 1:1) . Therefore, it is God who judicially blinds those He wills, and does so in just condemnation for their sin. As Paul asks, "Nay but, O man, who art thou that repliest against God? Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it, Why hast thou made me thus? Hath not the potter power over the clay, of the same lump to make one vessel unto honour, and another unto dishonour?" (Romans 9:20-21). The same God who blinds is the same God who must give light. "For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ" (2 Corinthians 4:6). If you have come to Christ and He has caused you to see your condemnation apart from His work, and then seen God's glory in His face (the countenance of Grace and Mercy), there is only one reason: God caused that light to shine in your heart. There is no greater Gift than HIM!

1 John 4:19 "We love Him because He first loved us." This verse is part of a broader passage in which the Apostle John writes about the nature of God’s love and how it influences how believers live and relate to one another in the body of Christ. In the preceding verses, John emphasizes that God is love (1 John 4:8) and that God's love is revealed ultimately in sending the Lord Jesus Christ to lay down His life for those whom He, the Father, loved from eternity. The LORD Jesus came to lay down His life for the sinners God the Father has loved and will love forever because of Christ's loving sacrifice unto death for them (1 John 4:9-10) . Contrary to popular opinion, the divine order of love is: God loved, therefore we love. Consider a few thoughts: God’s love is essential — “God is love” (1 John 4:8,16). This is a profound statement. It doesn’t say God has love, but that God is love. In His essence and as an attribute, God is love. He loves Himself primarily. He loves His Righteousness, He loves His Son, He loves those sinners He gave His Son to save, and He loves the finished work of His Son that has satisfied His justice on their behalf. The Scripture puts it in the present tense, and therefore: everlasting, unchangeable, and invariable to His elect in the LORD Jesus Christ. The reason all who are objects of His love love one another unconditionally, even as they have been loved by God, is because they love one another with the same love that their heavenly Father has loved them and begotten them again unto life by the Spirit. This love is because of Christ's complete work accomplished for them on the cross. God’s love is eternal — “…that the world may know that Thou hast sent Me, and hast loved them, as Thou hast loved Me” (John 17:23). By “the world,” Jesus meant the Jews and Gentiles chosen of God and given to Christ. God loves them as He loved Christ: eternally, immutably, and incomprehensibly. Note the past tense: "loved." The Father loved Christ as His own Son and as Mediator. He loved Him when He assumed human nature and became obedient to His will as the God/Man, both in doing and in suffering. When His Father left Him on the cross, (Psalm 22:1), He did not turn His back on His Son, but rather, purposed that He should remain on the cross, while He poured out His wrath (justice) upon Him, until His blood was completely poured out of Him unto death, for His sheep. Nothing less could satisfy God's law and justice. The instances of the Father's love for His Son as Mediator include His putting all things into His hands (John 3:35) , revealing to Him all that He does, concealing nothing from Him, and appointing Him the only Savior, the Head of the church, and the Judge of the world (John 17:2) because of His love for the Son. God’s love is elective — “Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated” (Romans 9:13). The context makes it clear that this is not due to the men, their decisions, or deeds, but to God’s will and His electing grace. Some try to soften the impact of God's sovereign choice of some in love, reasoning that this somehow means God preferred one over the other. However, this perverts both the sense of God's love and His hatred of others, referring to God as simply having loved less, rather than as the Word declares, "hated." What should amaze us is not that God hates sinners, because His holiness is the cause of His hatred for them, and justly so. Rather, what is amazing is that He set His love on any. In the case of Rebecca, Isaac's only wife, the choice of her son Jacob was the choice of one of two sons by the same mother, and of the younger in contrast to the elder—before either of them was born and before either had done good or evil to be a ground of God's choice. All this was to show that the sole reason for distinction lay in the unconditional choice of God— "not of works, but of Him that calleth" (Romans 9:11). God’s love is saving — “Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us, and sent His Son into the world to be the Propitiation for our sins” (1 John 4:10) . This was the greatest of God's saving acts. God saved from sin through, in connection with, and not without, the satisfying work of Christ, those He chose in Him from eternity. God's decree to save was not salvation itself. God's justice required that the salvation of His elect be accomplished through the satisfactory work of the Lord Jesus on the cross. “Without the shedding of blood there is no remission” (Hebrews 9:22). It is the love of God for His justice that caused Him to send His Son into the world to be " the Propitiation" [satisfactory payment] for the sins of those He loved before the foundation of the world. Such is the effectual, saving love of God for His elect. His is not a general love for everyone that doesn’t actually save them. No! Everyone whom God has loved, Christ has paid their sin debt, and therefore they are saved already when the Lord Jesus finished the work. Since He loved His elect in Christ while they were yet sinners, and the Lord Jesus died for them while they were yet sinners, for what sin would God ever turn away one that He has eternally loved, and Christ has redeemed? Not one! The Lord Jesus declared: “All that the Father giveth Me shall come to Me; and him that cometh to Me I will in no wise cast out” (John 6:37).

Philippians 1:27 "Only let your conversation be as it becometh the Gospel of Christ... stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the Faith of the Gospel." How important is one's conversation concerning character and conduct? Here, believers are encouraged to have a conversation (walk and talk) conducive to the Gospel of Christ. What does that look like? First, the word conversation  may also be translated as one's manner or conduct regarding the Gospel of Christ. The word "conversation" today often refers only to oral discourse; however, previously it referred to conduct in general—including, of course, our manner of speaking—but not limited to that. This broader meaning should be understood in every place where it occurs in the Bible. The original word used here, πολιτεύω  (politeuō), means "to administer the state; to live as a citizen; to conduct oneself according to the laws and customs of a state" (Acts 23:1). The meaning then is "Let your conduct as a citizen be as becomes the Gospel." We are reminded that, as children of God, we have dual citizenship. One aspect is our subjectivity to the laws and customs of the countries, states, and cities where we live. Citizenship comes with certain expectations regarding how we are to live. At the same time, God's children are citizens of a Heavenly Country, and their conduct—how they live—must reflect the glory of the One whose kingdom it is: the LORD Jesus Christ. Those of the Old Testament who were the LORD's elect lived their lives with that Heavenly Country in view, founded upon the Person and work of the LORD Jesus. As Hebrews 11:16 states, "But now they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly: wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God: for He hath prepared for them a city." Second, their conduct as citizens is in accord with the Gospel of Christ. There is a way of living that is appropriate to the Gospel. Some try to apply this to outward forms of dress, style of living, and entertainment, but these are often just man-made rules of " touch not, taste not, handle not" (Colossians 2:21) . Whole communities have been organized to distinguish one particular group from another, with different rules about how to wear their hair, dress, smoking, drinking, movies, etc. But here, it is not speaking of outward conduct, but rather a state of being or behavior that is conducive to the Gospel of Christ. The Gospel of Christ is one of liberty (Galatians 5:1) —liberty to serve Christ in the freedom (justification) that He earned and established for the elect of God, without being brought again into bondage by the do's and don'ts established by men. More importantly, it is the freedom to live in oneness of mind and heart with others who are citizens of Christ's kingdom (born again and drawn to Christ in repentance and faith— Acts 3:19 ). Third, the evidence of conduct conducive to the Gospel of Christ is the oneness of mind and heart whereby the citizens of Christ's kingdom live their lives together for THE FAITH  of the Gospel. THE FAITH  refers to the objective content of the Gospel that sets Christ forth as the foundation of salvation, with His blood shed unto death as how He has brought in perfect Righteousness before God for each one for whom He died. Among those who are the objects of God's Sovereign Grace, there is no disagreement concerning who Christ is, why He came to this earth, what He accomplished, for whom He did it, and where He is now. They might disagree over lifestyles, politics, sports, and entertainment, but about THE FAITH  of the Gospel, once delivered unto the saints (Jude 1:3) , they are ONE! This oneness that citizens of Christ's kingdom enjoy is spiritual, and it is for this unity that the LORD Jesus prayed: "That they all may be one; as Thou, Father, art in Me, and I in Thee, that they also may be one in Us: that the world may believe that Thou hast sent Me. And the glory which Thou gavest Me, I have given them; that they may be one, even as We are one: I in them, and Thou in Me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that Thou hast sent Me, and hast loved them, as Thou hast loved Me" (John 17:21-23). How Are Christ's People of One Mind? We are of one mind and mouth in giving God ALL the glory in our salvation, leaving no place for personal merit or self-willed profession. "That ye may with one mind and one mouth glorify God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ" (Romans 15:6). When we speak the Word in Truth (Christ), we are joined together in love for Him, likeminded in Who He is as God in the flesh, and how He established the righteousness necessary for God to be just and declare just everyone for whom Christ died, making them ALL One in Him. "Be likeminded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind" (Philippians 2:2). We are all of one love and accord for each other, as well as for the LORD Jesus, because of His work accomplished on our behalf. "And the multitude of them that believed were of one heart and one soul..." (Acts 4:32). We are bound together in truth and love, growing up in Him because of Christ's finished work on the cross on our behalf. "But speaking the truth in love may grow up into Him in all things, which is the head, even Christ" (Ephesians 4:15). We not only have one mind with the other members of Christ's body, but we also have the mind of the LORD Jesus, submitted to Him, eager to be taught of Him in all things, and exhorting others in His body to do the same. " For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? but we have the mind of Christ" (1 Corinthians 2:16).

Daniel 4:35 "And all the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing: and He doeth according to His will in the army of heaven, and among the inhabitants of the earth: and none can stay His Hand, or say unto Him, What doest Thou?" God is the God of all nations and He does what He will do among the nations freely. None can stay His Hand or say to Him, "What doest Thou?" Nothing happens upon this earth but what comes from His Sovereign Hand. "Nay but, O man, who art thou that repliest against God? Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it, Why hast thou made me thus" (Romans 9:20)? "Our God is in the heavens: He hath done whatsoever He hath pleased" (Psalm 115:3). "Who raised the Righteous Man from the east, called Him to His foot, gave the nations before Him, and made Him rule over kings" (Isaiah 41:2)? Christ is that Righteous Man raised up from the east by God His Father. He is that One Who came and earned a righteousness, established it and upon completion of His work, God the Father imputed it to a people that He purposed to save from eternity. God has a particular people called Israel which means a "prince with God," not speaking of natural Israel, but of a Spiritual Israel that God has chosen to save: "But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of Him who hath called you out of darkness into His marvelous light:" (1 Peter 2:9). "Fear not, thou worm Jacob, and ye men of Israel; I will help thee, saith the LORD, and Thy Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel" (Isaiah 41:14). Regardless of what the world says or does, there are sinners throughout the world, in every tribe, nation, and tongue (Revelation 7:9) who are the apple of God's eye, chosen sinners for whom Christ came, lived, died, and rose again. He did not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance. Nor did He come to try to save everybody (John 17:1-12) . If any are lifted in pride and think themselves something, to be one of God's chosen, He reminds us who we are, "thou worm." If we get our backs up against one another and our heads lifted in pride, remember it is nothing but one worm lifting up its head against another worm, crawling over another. Still worms regardless. Anything we are is only by God's Grace, the work of the LORD Jesus Christ, Who came and accomplished the salvation of His people. He came as the Conquering King, He came as the Deliverer of His people, the Captain of Salvation. "But God, Who is rich in mercy, for His great love wherewith He loved us, even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by Grace ye are saved;) and hath raised us together and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus: that in the ages to come He might shew the exceeding riches of His Grace in His kindness toward us through Christ Jesus. For by Grace are ye saved through Faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: not of works, lest any man should boast" (Ephesians 2:4-9).

Matthew 23:15 "Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For ye compass sea and land to make one proselyte, and when he is made, ye make him twofold more the child of hell than yourselves." In Christ’s day, it was customary for the religious leaders to propagate their self-righteous religious doctrines, much like ‘missionary societies’ today, and yet, once they became proselytes or religious converts, Christ pronounced on them this condemnation: “Ye make him twofold more the child of hell than yourselves.” All their zeal did not make them any more fit for heaven than those they proselytized, "Brethren, my heart's desire and prayer to God for Israel is, that they might be saved. For I bear them record that they have a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge. For they being ignorant of God's righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God" (Romans 10:1-3). Their followers become twofold more the children of hell than them in that, not only have they never been made to see their condemned state as unconverted sinners, but by profession, think themselves righteous, by their acts of penance, their supposed free-will decision, or dedication to the god in whom they trust, Yet, it is false righteousness that is nothing but filthy rags before a holy God, "But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away" (Isaiah 64:6). We are not to believe every spirit. Many false prophets have gone out into the world, "Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world. Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God: and every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and that is the spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world. Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world. They are of the world: therefore speak they of the world, and the world heareth them" (1 John 4:1-5). All who are the LORD’s by electing grace, Christ has redeemed, and in time will call to Himself by His Spirit. All that He calls in His effectual Grace in Christ, He does cause to confess their lost estate and to see that it is for them that the LORD Jesus came into the world, “to seek and to save that which is lost” (Luke 19:10). The whole of salvation is in Him. Upon the completion of His death at the cross, God the Father once and forever imputed Righteousness to the spiritual account of every one of those for whom Christ paid the debt. He earned and established that Righteousness that was equal to God's Law and Justice in His Holy Life, and then finished the work in His death on the cross. "Much more then, being now justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him. For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of His Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by His life. And not only so, but we also joy in God through our LORD Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the reconciliation " (Romans 5:9-11) . This is the one, unique, Good Hope that all the LORD’S children possess and that the LORD reveals in them. Any other hope is a false and condemning hope.