Matthew 13:45,46 "Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a merchant man, seeking goodly pearls: who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had, and bought it." Our Lord spoke in parables so that He could reveal the truth of His kingdom to the children of His kingdom and hide it from those who are not of His spiritual kingdom: "And He said unto them, 'Unto you it is given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God; but unto them that are without, all these things are done in parables: that seeing they may see, and not perceive; and hearing they may hear, and not understand; lest at any time they should be converted, and their sins should be forgiven them" (Mark 4:11-12). How precious this truth is when He opens it up to us by His Spirit. "The kingdom of heaven is like unto a MERCHANT MAN."  This can be a reference to none other than the LORD Jesus Christ, who came into the world as a man to purchase a people unto God the Father and would most certainly redeem (purchase) and bring them to God. "For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit" (1 Peter 3:18). He paid their sin debt by paying their ransom, and God, once and for all, approved, accepted, and declared righteous each one upon completion of payment, declaring them to be forever His inheritance. "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'" (Revelation 5:9). In Middle Eastern culture, a merchant was more than a traveling salesman. They represented very wealthy individuals and were entrusted with the charge of increasing their wealth and caring for their goods on behalf of the one who appointed them to the work. An example is Joseph, who was given charge of Pharaoh's kingdom (Genesis 47:31-44). The LORD Jesus is the Merchant Man who came to earth, having been given the charge of His wealthy Father's business—to redeem and save them from utter loss and make them heirs of the Kingdom. Not only did the LORD Jesus come to purchase them, but also to keep and manage them as members of the Father's kingdom, ensuring their eternal salvation. "Seeking GOODLY PEARLS."  The "goodly" (well-pleasing) pearls are the people that God chose from eternity and created to be His precious jewels (vessels of honor), according to God’s good pleasure and what He purposed to make them through the blood and righteousness of the LORD Jesus. "According as He hath chosen us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love" (Ephesians 1:4). The word 'good' in 'goodly' derives from the character of God, who is GOOD (James 1:17). "No one is good—except God alone" (Luke 18:19) . To say that these were goodly pearls is not because of any inherent goodness in themselves, representing sinners Christ came to save, but because God saw them as those He would declare good through the work of the GOOD Shepherd. “For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost” (Luke 19:10). "When he had found one pearl of GREAT PRICE, he went and sold all that he had, and bought it."  The pearl (God’s elect sinners in Christ) of great price (paid for by the precious blood of the Lamb) could not have been purchased with any greater price. He sold all He had and bought it. "For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that ye through His poverty might be rich" (2 Corinthians 8:9).

2 Timothy 1:13 "Hold fast the form of sound words, which thou hast heard of me, in faith and love which is in Christ Jesus." The Apostle Paul, in his second letter to Timothy, gives him words of instruction as the elder preacher to the younger, emphasizing what is vital in the ministry and what is the one message to which Timothy was to hold tenaciously as he faced a time of hardship and possible discouragement. In this verse, Paul exhorts Timothy to hold fast to the teaching of Christ (the form of sound words) that he had received from Paul—specifically, the foundational truth of the Gospel of Christ, salvation by His righteousness imputed alone, and the Faith essential for the Church. Paul knew the necessity of sound doctrine and understood that Timothy would face many challenges in ministry, as with any servant of Christ whom He sends into the world. Yet, Timothy is encouraged to keep teaching sound words, not as a list of legalistic dos and don’ts, but rather as a life-giving message of Christ and Him crucified—a legacy passed down through Paul’s own life and teaching. "Hold fast the form of sound words": Paul calls Timothy to "keep as the pattern (form) of sound teaching." The Christian Faith, from the beginning, has been built on the clear and faithful teaching of God's Word, founded in the Old Testament scriptures outlined in types, pictures, promises, and prophecies concerning Christ and His death on the cross, fulfilled in His coming, doing, and dying in the fullness of the time (Galatians 4:4). It is the Faith once and for all delivered unto the saints (Jude 1:3) . Paul emphasizes the preservation and faithful transfer of doctrine (teaching) that is true to the only Gospel of Christ, unaffected by falsehoods, distortions, and attacks by enemies of Christ and His cross. Today, the same call exists for us—believers and leaders alike—to stand firm in the Truth of the Word and guard it from misinterpretation. "In Faith and Love which is in Christ Jesus": The two qualities that Paul associates with sound teaching are Faith and Love. Sound teaching is not just giving information; it is the very revelation of God concerning His Son and God's purpose to save chosen sinners, for whom Christ came and paid their sin debt. Once revealed in the hearts of sinners who were redeemed and justified by the death of the Lord Jesus, the Spirit causes them to embrace the Lord Jesus and His finished work as their sole Hope in salvation, expressed through a heart of Faith and Love in the Lord Jesus. In both receiving and sharing God’s Word, these qualities are reflected in each child of God in whom the Lord Jesus is revealed by His Spirit. Faith is both the objective revelation of Christ in the heart and the receiving of that revelation with love and joy. Faith’s object is always the Person and work of the Lord Jesus. Love is the objective foundation of salvation as well as the response in those whom God has loved with everlasting love, and therefore redeemed and justified by His death on the cross. Paul encourages Timothy not only to build on the doctrine of Christ but to see it as a "pattern" (form)—a way of life, a model that he should follow by his example, not in word only, but in every aspect of his life. Sound teaching, when rightly understood, shapes how we live, influences our decisions, and guides us through all of life’s trials, persecutions, and attacks of the enemy. It’s not just information to store in our minds, but a blueprint for our walk in the Faith that is in Christ Jesus alone. What does this walk look like? Following Sound Doctrine: In an age where many voices compete for the attention of the Lord's people, it is essential to regularly and consistently hear the Word of Truth set forth in the scriptures alone, in which the Lord Jesus is revealed in every line and verse (John 5:39) . Therefore, we are to be diligent students of Christ, searching the scriptures as did the Bereans (Acts 17:11), and surrounding ourselves only with teachings that align with the truth of Christ in Scripture. We must look to the Lord to guard our hearts and minds against notions or teachings that contradict or, in any degree, water down the Gospel by the leaven of "free will" works religion. Live a Life of Faith and Love: We must ensure that the doctrine of Christ is never compromised or held as something merely theoretical, or a matter of personal opinion. It must be lived out through the Faith of Christ revealed in the heart and love for Him and others of like God-given faith in Christ. It is the Faith of Christ that causes us to trust that God’s Word (Christ) is true and enables us to love Him, who first loved us, and also love those who are of His redeemed family with kindness, grace, and sacrificial service toward them. Just as Timothy was called to guard and pass on the Gospel, we, who are the Lord's people in our generation, are entrusted with the same sacred Word of Christ. May we remain faithful to the pattern of sound teaching and live it out with unwavering faith and love, as faithful stewards of the Word of God!

Colossians 1:20 "And, having made peace through the blood of His cross, by Him to reconcile all things unto Himself; by Him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven." The Apostle Paul, writing to the church in Colossae, emphasizes Christ’s complete work for the reconciliation to Holy God of those for whom He died. This verse highlights that, through Christ's sacrifice unto death on the cross, He has reconciled to God all things—whether on earth or in heaven—bringing peace and harmony where there was once separation due to the fall in Adam's disobedience. It reveals the all-encompassing nature of the LORD Jesus’ work, not just for the individual salvation of each of God's elect, but for the entire created order, whereby one day only perfect righteousness will dwell, with the curse of the fall completely removed because of Christ's death on the cross. “Nevertheless, we, according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness” (2 Peter 3:13). When we read, "having made peace," it refers to a legal peace, a legal standing, and it goes right back up to verse 12, "which hath made us meet to be partakers." There had to be peace established between chosen sinners and the God who chose them from eternity. God's sword of justice had to be buried in this Representative's Head. " 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" (Zechariah 13:7). How was reconciliation accomplished? "Through the blood of His cross." And when was this work done? When were all those saved for whom Christ was sent into this world? It was when He earned and established righteousness equal to that required by God the Father and then laid down His life in death on the cross. That’s why, in a loud victorious voice, He cried, "It is finished!" (John 19:30). Christ did not die a whimpering victim. No, He died a successful Savior. He died the Heir. He died as the Substitute of His people, whom the Father gave Him to save before the foundation of the world (Ephesians 1:3-6). He did not die because those crucifying Him were able to overpower Him. Had He wanted to be delivered from their hands, He could have defeated them all by the Word of His Power (Matthew 26:53). But He did not come to judge the world; He came that the world (sinners from every tribe and nation) should be saved by the Offering of Himself in death to the Father as the Sacrificial Lamb. Therefore, He humbled Himself and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. He went as a passive lamb, and as a lamb who before His shearers is dumb, He opened not His mouth (Isaiah 53:7). Scripture says that He was delivered according to the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God the Father into the wicked hands of men (Acts 2:23). Those who crucified the LORD Jesus acted according to their wicked, depraved will, but could do nothing more or less than what God had already determined. His foreknowledge was not simply His prior knowledge of what they would do to Him. Foreknowledge is God knowing beforehand what He has determined to do. He knows before it comes to pass because He has already determined ahead of time what should be. The LORD Jesus was even directing everything from the cross that was being done to Him, to the glory of His Father. He bore it, but He was also directing it! Scripture says, "by Him to reconcile all things unto Himself." That is, all those the Father gave Him, all those who were appointed to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints, by Him at the cross were reconciled. Peace was made for them: "by Him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven." Whether it be those who have passed on before or those who remain, it is still going to be by Christ alone, the One Savior, the One Sacrifice, the One Righteous Offering. "Therefore, being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ." Romans 5:1

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

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).

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).

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).

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.

1 Timothy 2:6 "Who gave Himself a Ransom for all, to be testified in due time." The Bible makes redemption and justification simultaneous: “Being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus” (Romans 3:24). There are some today who say it does not matter when or where—they only want to talk about how. But can you separat them? When were sinners redeemed? When was your sin debt paid, if you are the LORD’s? Was it not when Christ paid the price of redemption by His righteous obedience unto death? Redemption means that a ransom has been paid. Christ was that Ransom; He was the precious price of redemption for all His chosen ones, "…to be testified in due time.” “Who His own self bare our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by Whose stripes ye were healed” (1 Peter 2:24). The redemption and the simultaneous justification (declaring righteous) occurred when the LORD Jesus paid the debt for HIS people. “In whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace” (Eph. 1:7). Once the ransom price was paid to satisfy God the Father’s Law and Justice, all of God’s elect, from the beginning of time to the end, were then and there justified (Romans 5:9-11). Yes, their justification was purposed in eternity and revealed by faith in God's appointed time, but it was accomplished when Christ, by Himself, purged the sins of His elect on the cross. “Who being the brightness of His glory, and the express Image of His Person, and upholding all things by the Word of His Power, when He had by Himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high” (Hebrews 1:3). God could not and would not declare any sinner justified without first putting away their sin! Was sin put away before the foundation of the world, even before the fall? Was there not a time and place of sin imputed? Was it not when Adam disobeyed (Romans. 5:12) ? Is there not a time and place of righteousness imputed? Was it not when the LORD Jesus obeyed? “For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of One shall many be made righteous” (Romans 5:19). Where our redemption and righteousness are, there is our justification. Is not righteousness accomplished and the imputation of that righteousness the same? Did Christ finish the work of righteousness in His obedience unto death or not? Did He not cry from the cross, "It is finished’ (John 19:30)? If, as some promote, as soon as God purposed the salvation of the elect in eternity it was done, what then was there to finish? When and where did that imputation occur? Is it not when Christ finished the work? “Who was delivered for our offenses, and was raised again for our justification” (Romans 4:25). So complete was the work of the LORD Jesus in His life and death that there remained nothing but righteousness to impute to the spiritual account of God’s elect, there and then—one time, one place, one Sacrifice for the elect of the Old Testament and since the cross. “And for this cause, He is the Mediator of the new testament, that by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the first testament, they which are called might receive the Pomise of Eternal Inheritance” (Hebrews 9:15). If you are the LORD’s and Christ has paid your sin debt, you have already been justified freely at the cross. “Being justified freely by His Grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus (Romans 3:24). There are no penalties or fees incurred in addition to what Christ paid. He paid the entire price in full, freely, even before you were born. The glorious Good News is that when Christ Jesus the LORD paid the debt of sinners chosen by God the Father in eternity, He did so with His blood shed unto death on the cross at Calvary, on this earth, in time. There remained nothing but righteousness to impute to their accounts because the debt had been paid in full. “Much more then, being now justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him” (Romans 5:9).

Jude 1:24 "Now unto Him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy," The language of Scripture is very precise, and therefore we read it prayerfully and carefully. Does it say, "The Lord bless you to keep yourself from falling?" No! It reads, "Now unto HIM that is able to keep you from falling." All of the glory and power belong to the LORD, and the blessed truth is that those He has redeemed through the precious blood of His Son, He does indeed keep. "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ:" (Ephesians 1:3). How many times do we fall daily in our minds and hearts? By the Spirit of God, we are cognizant of the ever-present sinful nature of our hearts. We fall because we are fallen creatures as the descendants of our father Adam (Romans 5:12). But the sense here is not to be kept from falling into sin, because that we do by nature. Rather, it is to be kept by the Power of God in Christ from falling away from HIM and His saving work on our behalf, accomplished for His own at the cross. Those here described by Jude fell away from Christ, never having had His work of Grace begun in them, and therefore did not persevere. It has to do with being kept in Christ and resting in His finished work—wholly accomplished through His life and death, declared in the Gospel, and revealed in the hearts of saved sinners by the Spirit of God. This Faith gives the LORD Jesus all the glory. He stands as an invincible restraint against being drawn away, as so many were during this time, following the way of Cain, who ran greedily after the error of Balaam and the gainsayings of Korah. But here is that blessing: to the God who is able to keep you from falling away, following the error of men, or following a leavened, perverted message that does not give Christ all the glory in creation, providence, salvation, and condemnation. And certainly, that is how the LORD’s people are described—they are kept . "Now the just shall live by Faith: But if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him. But we are not of them who draw back unto perdition; but of them that believe to the saving of the soul" (Hebrews 10:38-39). "Who are kept by the Power of God through Faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time" (1 Peter 1:5). If God has chosen us and the Son has paid our complete sin debt, we are kept by the Power of God through Faith unto salvation—the Faith in connection with Christ and His sacrificial death. This Faith, revealed in time through His Word in the Gospel, is how the LORD opens the heart and mind to Christ. "Wherefore He is able to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by Him, seeing He ever liveth to make intercession for them" (Hebrews 7:25). How does God present any sinner faultless "before the Presence of His Glory?" This is not even talking about the fading glory of the Old Testament, the Shekinah Glory that even caused Moses to tremble. Even that was a veiled and temporal glory. But here, it has to do with the very Presence of God's glory and entering in with exceeding joy. If we are the LORD's and He has chosen us, it is certain that He is keeping us from falling away and that He will present us faultless. Therein we rejoice in Him and His Power that keeps us from falling away into perdition. How so? Through His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. Here is described the work of Christ, so full and so satisfactory that His shed blood unto death put away all the sin of each elect sinner. That is the only way any of us could ever hope to be presented faultless before the Presence of His Glory. The apostle Paul described it as the love between a husband and wife, whereby, being married to the husband, all of the wife’s previous debts, no matter how many, are absorbed by the husband in the marriage relationship, and the husband stands as the wife’s surety and advocate. "Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave Himself for it; that He might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, that He might present it to Himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish" (Ephesians 5:25-27). To Him who has so wisely purposed the salvation of His people, through the redeeming, justifying, and sanctifying work of His Son, and will faithfully and perfectly accomplish it, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and forever. Amen.