Zechariah 3:4 "Take away the filthy garments from him... Behold, I have caused thine iniquity to pass from thee and I will clothe thee with change of raiment." Some think our filthy flesh will be changed into righteous flesh when we meet Christ Jesus in the air. What that really would mean, is that this evil flesh would be 'modified' or 'altered'. But no, Scripture teaches that the LORD will "take away" this prison of sin because: "...in my flesh, dwelleth no good thing..." (Romans 7:18) We will be given a "change of raiment": pristine, incorruptible and immortal as the risen Christ Himself: "...flesh and blood cannot inherit the Kingdom of God... We shall not all sleep but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye... and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed... this corruptible must put on Incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality." (1 Corinthians 15:50-54) We will be born again of the Water (Christ Jesus) and His Spirit: "Jesus answered... Except a man be born of Water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the Kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is Spirit." (John 3:3-6) His afflictions for us are to make sure we don't get too attached to this filthy rag but that we wait for our robe of righteousness: the fine, white linen bought by His blood at His cross: "...and I will clothe thee with change of raiment."

John 3:5 "Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of Water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the Kingdom of God." This passage in Scripture reveals the Gospel in very few Words. The essentials of salvation are all in this one line. All men born into flesh are sinners and therefore cannot enter the Kingdom of God except they are born again of Christ; the Water of Everlasting Life and born again of the Spirit of God. He is the Promise that had to come to the earth; the union of flesh and the Eternal Spirit of God; Christ the God-Man. Christ's seed, chosen before the foundation of the world, were brought to life with the Water released by His obedient death, "But when they came to Jesus, and saw that He was dead already...one of the soldiers with a spear pierced His side, and forthwith came there out blood and water." (John 19:33-34); "I am poured out like water..." (Psalm 22:14) The Kingdom of God is Everlasting Life in Christ. His seed are born Spiritually dead in sin in our flesh. He had to give His own righteous flesh as the Sacrifice, in our place, to pay for our sin and then quicken, raise us to Spiritual Life, in Himself, by His Spirit, "It is sown a natural body; it is raised a Spiritual body...The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a Quickening Spirit." (1 Corinthians 15: 44-45) All glory and honour to our LORD Jesus Christ, our Water of Life, our Spirit of Life, our Kingdom of God!

Psalm 143:8 "Cause me to hear Thy Lovingkindness in the morning...." How beautiful the sound of Lovingkindness is! But how do we 'hear' Lovingkindness? Only from the lips of God, with His ears, by His Spirit. David's crying out in this Scripture, by the Holy Spirit, to hear the WORD, Christ Jesus our LORD; God's Lovingkindness made manifest on this earth for His sinners, for His glory. He is the WORD Who walked on this earth in the flesh at the precise time ordained in eternity. The WORD incarnate Who lived a life of perfect obedience because not one of His chosen children could. The WORD Who suffered and died on a cross meant for each of us, the Sinless One Who paid the price for our sin, the Just for the unjust. Christ Jesus is the WORD Who shed His blood unto an obedient death, in our place, the ultimate act of love from a Just and Holy God, tender toward His sheep. "Have mercy upon me, O God, according to Thy Lovingkindness: according unto the multitude of Thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions." (Psalm 51:1) According to God's lovingkindness: His Son, our Dayspring of Life, "Through the tender mercy of our God; whereby the Dayspring from on High hath visited us..." (Luke 1:78) Thanks be to our God Who sent us His Son, His Lovingkindness!

Ephesians 1:7 "In Whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace;" The work of redemption and the work of salvation are the same thing. What is sometimes called God's saving His people in Scripture is referred to as redeeming them in other places. Therefore, Christ is called both the Savior and the Redeemer. Isaiah 49:26  states: "...and all flesh shall know that I, the LORD, am thy Saviour and thy Redeemer, the mighty One of Jacob." The word 'Savior' is 'Yasha,' from which the Hebrew name 'Joshua' and the Greek name 'Jesus' are derived ( Matthew 1:21 ). It means 'to deliver' or 'liberate.' The word 'Redeemer' is 'Ga'al,' which means a near kinsman ( Numbers 5:8 ). Together, these words encompass the essence of the Person and work of the LORD Jesus. To deliver His people, He had to be God, because only God can deliver [Yasha]. Yet, His authority to do so was obtained by being made like His brethren ( Ga’al , [see Hebrews 2:14-18 ]). The term 'redemption' is sometimes understood in a more limited sense, as in the purchase of salvation that Christ fully accomplished at the cross ( Galatians 4:4-5 ). In this restricted sense, we can say that the work began and finished with Christ coming in the flesh [being made of a woman] and continuing through His life until His death, which culminated in His resurrection. In this sense, the purchase was completed, and the work itself, along with everything related to it, was accomplished. However, sometimes the work of redemption is understood more broadly, including all of God's work preparatory to the purchase itself and after its accomplishment. For example, 1 Corinthians 1:30  lists redemption after wisdom, righteousness, and sanctification. This is because it refers to the final deliverance of the saints from their mortal bodies in the resurrection at the end of this world ( Romans 8:23 ). The various aspects are unified, working together to achieve one purpose and produce one effect ( Romans 8:28-30 ): the salvation of sinners by the full, free, and unmerited grace of God in Christ Jesus alone. All the requirements for salvation were accomplished by Him alone. He is both the Redeemer and the Ransom, who together constitute the complete and everlasting redemption that belongs solely to Him. Jesus Christ embodies God's love and mercy. He took on human form to reconcile chosen sinners with God the Father. Through the Son's sacrificial death on the cross, He bore the punishment for the sins of those given to Him by the Father to save. The work of redemption was so thorough in shedding His blood unto death that the immediate result was forgiveness, pardon, reconciliation, and complete justification with God ( Ephesians 1:7 ). His resurrection from the dead represents the ultimate victory over sin and death, providing hope for everlasting life to every sinner whom the LORD Jesus redeemed ( 1 Peter 1:3 ). "Blessed Redeemer, precious Redeemer! Seems now I see Him on Calvary's tree, Wounded and bleeding, for sinners pleading Blind and unheeding--dying for me."

Colossians 4:1-6 "Masters, give unto your servants that which is just and equal; knowing that ye also have a Master in heaven. Continue in prayer, and watch in the same with thanksgiving; Withal praying also for us, that God would open unto us a door of utterance, to speak the mystery of Christ, for which I am also in bonds: That I may make it manifest, as I ought to speak. Walk in wisdom toward them that are without, redeeming the time. Let your speech be always with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man." The Grace of God directs all that we are and do. In the Epistle to the Colossians, the Spirit of God teaches that in every relationship—wives and husbands, children and fathers, servants and masters—all stand on level ground before the Master in heaven. “Masters, give unto your servants that which is just and equal, knowing that ye also have a master in heaven” (v.1). There is no distinction in grace between master and servant, husband and wife, father and child. In the world, men love their titles and positions, but in Christ, there is neither Jew nor Greek, bond nor free, male nor female, for all are one in Him (Galatians 3:28). The Gospel brings every sinner to see that apart from the LORD Jesus Christ and His finished work, there is no standing before God or man. The Word of the LORD in Romans speaks to this: “For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith. For as we have many members in one body, and all members have not the same office, so we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another” (Romans 12:3–5). Christ alone is the Head. All others are members of His body, dependent upon Him. The pastor is not above the congregation; he is one sinner whom the LORD has blessed to declare His Gospel to other sinners. All the work being done is Christ’s work. The sheep are His sheep, the souls that are brought are those bought with His blood. The Spiritual house being built is His habitation, His church, His body, His glory. When we come to worship, we leave our titles at the door. The Grace of God makes no difference between the master and the servant. Every believer stands clothed in the same Righteousness, the Righteousness of God alone that Christ earned and established on their behalf. The pastor, the servant, the parent, and the child—all stand as needy sinners beneath one LORD and Master. From this truth flows the importance of prayer. “Continue in prayer, and watch in the same with thanksgiving” (v.2). Before a word is spoken about prayer, we must know the God to Whom we pray. He is the Sovereign Master of all. Many think they are praying, but they pray to a god of their own imagination, one that can be persuaded or changed. That is not prayer; that is idolatry. True prayer begins with knowing the Just and Sovereign God Who reigns over all. Prayer does not change God or His will; it aligns our hearts with His purpose. A servant who rises in the morning and never consults his master is not faithful. Neither is the servant who tries to convince the master to do what he wants. True prayer gives glory to God alone. It confesses Him as The LORD, bows to His will, and seeks His Grace to submit to His purpose. Only the Spirit of God can cause the children of God to pray. “Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered” (Romans 8:26). We are weak, and He is strong. We do not pray to inform God, but to seek His mind and will. Paul, the apostle, knowing his need, asked others to pray for him “that God would open unto us a door of utterance, to speak the mystery of Christ” (v.3). Even in bonds, he knew the Word of God cannot be bound. Prayer for the open door, for the opened heart, and for the opened lips—these are the true doors of ministry. It is God Who opens opportunity, Who opens the sinner’s heart, and Who opens the preacher’s mouth to declare the mystery of Christ. Prayer is intercession, watchfulness, and thanksgiving. It bows the heart in humility before the Master in heaven, watches for His direction, and gives thanks in all things. It is the confession that God is sovereign, that we are weak, and that Christ alone is worthy of all glory. The preacher, the master, the servant, and all of God’s people continue in prayer because of Who He is and because of what He has done. Through the blood shed unto death of the LORD Jesus Christ, the believer may cry unto God and be heard—not for his own sake, but for Christ’s sake alone. In Him, the importance of prayer is revealed: our need, His sovereignty, and His glory forever.

Jeremiah 31:31-34 "Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah: Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt; which my covenant they brake, although I was an husband unto them, saith the Lord: But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the Lord, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people. And they shall teach no more every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord: for they shall all know me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them, saith the Lord: for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more." In this pivotal passage of the Old Testament, a message of hope shines through amidst judgment. The prophet foretells a coming day when the LORD will establish a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah. Unlike the former covenant made when the LORD took them by the hand to lead them out of Egypt—a covenant they broke—this new covenant is not a mere restoration of what was lost under the law. Rather, it is the Revelation of God’s eternal purpose fulfilled in His Son, the True Israel. In the old covenant, the law was written on tablets of stone. It demanded obedience, yet such obedience could never be achieved by fallen man. Even Adam, though created upright, fell. His fall was necessary, for Christ had already been appointed as the last Adam—the One Who would fulfill all Righteousness on behalf of His people (1 Corinthians 15:45-47). The law required perfect obedience; Christ alone rendered it perfectly. In Him, every demand of the law is fully satisfied (Galatians 4:4-5). Thus, the new covenant does not abolish or lessen the law, but brings it to completion in the Perfect obedience of the LORD Jesus Christ (Matthew 5:17). The LORD declares, “I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people” (v.33). This is the work of the Spirit in conversion. The Spirit takes and writes upon the heart that obedience which the law required. It is not the hand of man carving cold commandments upon stone, but the Hand of God engraving the Life and Love of Christ upon the heart. This is what it means to be born of God—to have Christ revealed in the inward parts. When the LORD says they shall no more teach every man his neighbor and every man his brother, saying, "Know the LORD," He is revealing the nature of this new covenant. It is personal, Spiritual, and inward. The knowledge of God is not learned through outward ordinances or enforced by human instruction. It is the Revelation of Christ through the Gospel, the work of the Spirit opening blind eyes to behold Him. That is what true preaching is—a declaration of Christ, not a preaching of rules, regulations, laws, and conditions. Many go back to the old law and try to mix grace and works, but “if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain” (Galatians 2:21). The new covenant leaves no room for human merit or boasting. It is all of Grace. It rests entirely upon the finished work of Christ. The LORD Himself declares, “I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more” (Jeremiah v.34). No law can do that. No mortal man’s obedience can accomplish it. This is the work of Christ the God/Man alone. At the cross, the debt was fully paid. There, in His death, Righteousness was established and sin was put away. From that moment, nothing remained but Righteousness for God to impute to His elect people. It was not accomplished when one believed it, nor when one saw it—it was accomplished at the cross. The new covenant is the covenant in His blood, shed for many (Matthew 26:28). It is the covenant of Grace, not of rules and regulations, not of do’s and don’ts, but of mercy obtained in Christ Jesus. Here is hope for the true Israel—those chosen in Christ, redeemed by His blood, and indwelt by His Spirit. The covenant made in Him cannot be broken, for it rests not on man’s will but on God’s Purpose. In the face of judgment and condemnation, this promise stands: “They shall all know me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them” (v.34). The LORD reveals Himself to elect sinners through the Gospel. He forgives their iniquity. He remembers their sins no more, because of Christ's work at the cross, (Hebrews 8:12). This is the heart of the Gospel—the new covenant sealed in His blood. It is not written on stone, but on the heart. It is not upheld by the law, but sustained by Grace. It is not accomplished by man, but by Christ, the True Israel, Who perfectly fulfilled the law, bore its curse, and obtained eternal redemption and forgiveness for His people (Hebrews 9:12). All glory be to the LORD Jesus Christ, the Righteousness of His people and the Everlasting Seal of the new covenant.

Galatians 6:11-18 "Ye see how large a letter I have written unto you with mine own hand. As many as desire to make a fair shew in the flesh, they constrain you to be circumcised; only lest they should suffer persecution for the cross of Christ. For neither they themselves who are circumcised keep the law; but desire to have you circumcised, that they may glory in your flesh. But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world. For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision, but a new creature. And as many as walk according to this rule, peace be on them, and mercy, and upon the Israel of God. From henceforth let no man trouble me: for I bear in my body the marks of the Lord Jesus. Brethren, the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. Amen." The glory of the believer is not in what he has done, nor in what he has avoided, nor in what he has become. His only glory is in the cross of the LORD Jesus Christ. All boasting of the flesh is shut out, for the flesh profits nothing. Every religious work that men perform in order to attempt to make themselves righteous before God is but the same effort of Adam to cover himself with fig leaves. The world glories in the outward show, but the believer glories only in Christ crucified, and His work on the cross accomplished for their justification before God.. The apostle wrote, “God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ” (v.14). That was not the language of a man who merely admired the cross from a distance; it was the confession of one who had been nailed there in Christ as his Substitute. The cross to him was not a piece of wood nor a symbol of religion, but the place where sin was put away, where Justice was satisfied, and where Love was revealed. In that cross the believer sees the Wisdom, Power, and Righteousness of God. Those who sought to make a fair show in the flesh desired to glory in their converts’ circumcision. They were afraid of persecution for the cross of Christ. They wanted to avoid the offense of the cross. But the cross has always been an offense. It declares man’s total ruin. It leaves no room for human merit, no space for pride, no foundation for boasting. The cross says that the world is condemned already apart from Christ, and that Salvation is wholly of the LORD. In the cross of the LORD Jesus, the believer sees the end of himself. He is crucified with Christ. The world is crucified unto him, and he unto the world. There is now a separation that can never be undone. The man who once loved the world now counts it dead. Its pleasures, honors, and religion are but dust and ashes. The believer’s life is hid with Christ in God. “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me” (Galatians 2:20). This crucifixion to the world is not a product of discipline or effort, but the result of union with Christ. When He died, His people died in Him; when He rose, they rose with Him. The same power that raised up Jesus from the dead works in them that believe. “If any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new” (2 Corinthians 5:17). Because of Christ’s death, the old things of the law, with it’s condemnation have passed away. Therefore the apostle says, “For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision, but a new creature” (Galatians 6:15). The believer glories in the cross because everything he needs is found there. Righteousness, Redemption, Peace, and Life are all obtained by the blood of the Lamb. The cross is the altar where God met man in Judgment and Mercy. It is the Throne where Grace reigns through Righteousness unto Eternal Life. At the cross the sinner sees what sin deserves and what Love has procured for the Salvation of God’s elect. “He hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him” (2 Corinthians 5:21). The world cannot understand such glory. It glories in wisdom, power, wealth, and religion; but the believer glories in shame, weakness, and death, because in that death is eternal life. The cross stands as the dividing line between the old creation and the New, between the curse and the Blessing, between death and Life everlasting. So the believer says with Paul, the world behind me, the cross before me. The flesh may seek to glory, but the heart that has seen Christ crucified by the Spirit of God has nothing left to boast of but Him. All that was once gain is counted loss for His sake. The cross is the believer’s message, his Hope, his Life, and his Song forever.

Isaiah 26:15-21 "Thou hast increased the nation, O LORD, thou hast increased the nation: thou art glorified: thou hadst removed it far unto all the ends of the earth. LORD, in trouble have they visited thee, they poured out a prayer when thy chastening was upon them. Like as a woman with child, that draweth near the time of her delivery, is in pain, and crieth out in her pangs; so have we been in thy sight, O LORD. We have been with child, we have been in pain, we have as it were brought forth wind; we have not wrought any deliverance in the earth; neither have the inhabitants of the world fallen. Thy dead men shall live, together with my dead body shall they arise. Awake and sing, ye that dwell in dust: for thy dew is as the dew of herbs, and the earth shall cast out the dead. Come, my people, enter thou into thy chambers, and shut thy doors about thee: hide thyself as it were for a little moment, until the indignation be overpast. For, behold, the Lord cometh out of his place to punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity: the earth also shall disclose her blood, and shall no more cover her slain." Isaiah 26 unfolds as a song of rejoicing that looks forward to a Great Deliverance worked by the LORD. It is a song born out of chastening, the kind of chastening that proves both the Love and the Sovereignty of God. Israel’s story unfolds beneath God's heavy hand of Divine correction — the ten tribes carried away by Assyria, Judah later taken by Babylon — yet none of it fell outside the LORD’s purpose. He was proving something greater: that His people, in themselves, were no better than the nations He used to judge them. The lesson remains — the heart of man is the same in every nation, and it is only Grace that makes the difference (Ephesians 2:4). In the midst of judgment, the prophet sees Mercy. “Thou hast increased the nation, O LORD… thou art glorified.” The LORD did not chasten to destroy, but to purify, to glorify Himself in Mercy. His dealings were not for Israel’s merit but for His Son’s sake. The favored nation was chosen out and preserved so that Christ might come through it. So every stroke of Divine correction upon His people was not in wrath but Love, not punishment for sin, for Christ bore that, but chastening by means of sin, that we might be turned again unto Him. “Whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth” (Hebrews 12:6). The prophet likens their pain to that of a woman in travail. It is not meaningless agony, but suffering that brings forth life. The pain is real — no one enjoys it, and no child of God seeks it — yet it is purposeful. The woman’s cry is not the end but the means to Joy. “Weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning” (Psalm 30:5). Through the throes of chastening, the LORD draws His own nearer. Every idol stripped away, every comfort taken, until the heart cries, “ O Thou in whose presence my soul takes delight. ” When there is nothing left but Christ, the soul finds Him all-sufficient. The LORD’s chastening is a Mercy. To be left alone would be the greater terror. The absence of correction would mean the absence of sonship. Every chastening, painful though it is, bears the seal of Love. “Thy rod and thy staff, they comfort me” (Psalm 23:4). The Shepherd disciplines the sheep that wander, not in anger but in covenant affection. His aim is not destruction but restoration. The same Hand that smites is the Hand that binds the chastening wounds. The people of God in captivity learned to “pour out a prayer” (v.16) when His chastening was upon them. This statement speaks not of empty words, but of the offering of the heart — a pouring out as a drink offering upon the altar, flowing from the only acceptable Sacrifice, the blood of Christ. True prayer, wrought in affliction, is shaped by Christ crucified at the cross. It comes not from formality but from need — from a soul brought low, taught to seek the LORD in secret. “In their affliction they will seek me early” (Hosea 5:15). That is the blessed Purpose of Divine correction — to bring the heart back to the place of dependence, to renew the cry of Grace. The chastening of the LORD is both painful and needful. It is tailor-made for every one of His children. The LORD knows exactly how to deal with each soul to cause it to look to Christ. No book, no counsel, no human hand can remove what He has purposed. And yet, afterward, it yields “the peaceable fruit of righteousness” (Hebrews 12:11). Peace is not the absence of trial, but the Presence of Christ in the midst of it. “Thou wilt ordain peace for us: for thou also hast wrought all our works in us” (Isaiah 26:12). He ordains Peace through conflict, Righteousness through chastening, Rest through dependence upon His finished work. All enemies that rise against His people are already conquered. “They are dead, they shall not rise” (v.14). For when Christ died, He destroyed every enemy — sin, law, and Satan alike. “Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us… nailing it to his cross… and having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a show of them openly” (Colossians 2:14–15). The believer’s Security is found in that Victory. The law can no longer condemn; the accuser has no power to touch those hidden in Christ. Even when the LORD causes affliction through the hands of men, He uses them only as instruments to do His will, never to destroy His own. And when the discipline is finished, He calls His people to rest: “Come, my people, enter thou into thy chambers… hide thyself… until the indignation be overpast.” It is a call by Christ to retreat into Christ Himself — the Chamber of Mercy, the place of Safety purchased by His blood. The world may be under judgment, but those sheltered in Him have Peace. “Seeing then that we have a great high priest… Jesus the Son of God… let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need” (Hebrews 4:14–16). Chastening drives the child of God into those chambers — away from self, into Christ. There the soul finds Defense, Comfort, and Quietness until the storm has passed. For the chastening of the LORD always ends in the same place — not despair, but Peace. The same Hand that wounds also heals His child. The same Love that corrects comforts. And in it all, the LORD glorifies Himself in His Son. Thus, Isaiah’s song becomes the believer’s song: rejoicing not in the absence of trial, but in the God Who turns chastening into grace, affliction into fellowship, and pain into peace. “Thy dead men shall live… together with my dead body shall they arise” (v.19). Every correction, every sorrow, every stroke leads to that Resurrection Life where Christ and His people shall stand together in Glory, and the chastening of the LORD shall be forever past.

Titus 3:12-15 "When I shall send Artemas unto thee, or Tychicus, be diligent to come unto me to Nicopolis: for I have determined there to winter. Bring Zenas the lawyer and Apollos on their journey diligently, that nothing be wanting unto them. And let ours also learn to maintain good works for necessary uses, that they be not unfruitful. All that are with me salute thee. Greet them that love us in the faith. Grace be with you all. Amen." Love for the brethren! They are those chosen in Christ, saved by His blood shed unto death at the cross, and called to Him by the Spirit of Grace. Here is a love that is not born from human will or sentiment, but from the cross of the LORD Jesus Christ. Every true affection toward the people of God flows out of His particular Love, that eternal and unconditional Love that brought Christ down to satisfy law and justice. Any true Love must have its Root there. " And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him" (1 John 4:16). True and everlasting Love flows from the perfect harmony between the Father and the Son—in all things about creation, providence, salvation, and even judgment. God does all things out of perfect Love for the Son, and the Son, in turn, out of perfect Love for the Father. There has never been, nor will there ever be, any tension or disagreement between them, for they are One in Love, purpose, and determination. As Christ declared, “I and the Father are one” (John 10:30–38). It is that very Love of the Father for the Son which, by the Spirit, flows into the hearts and minds of God’s chosen and redeemed people, moving them to love one another as brethren in the household of faith. The world has much to say about “love,” yet what it calls love is often self-serving—rooted in pride and human effort. Likewise, in relation to God, the religion of the natural mind teaches its followers to attempt to earn or maintain His favor through their own deeds. But Scripture clearly declares that nothing we do of ourselves can ever obtain that favor. Love that begins with self always ends in disappointment: it demands recognition, insists on repayment, and, when unacknowledged, turns bitter. The Love that is of God, however, flows freely, for it springs from Him toward His elect in Christ and is the fruit of His Grace. "We love him, because he first loved us" (1 John 4:19). Paul’s closing words to Titus reveal this Love in action. The apostle’s concern is not for himself but for the care of the LORD’s people and the furtherance of the Gospel. “When I shall send Artemas unto thee, or Tychicus, be diligent to come unto me to Nicopolis” (Titus 3:12). There is here a true oneness of mind and spirit, the fellowship of those who labor together in the Gospel. They are not bound by earthly ties, but by the Spirit of Christ Who unites His people in one direction and one purpose. Paul’s love was not a general affection. It was love for a particular people—the brethren, those in Christ. Just as a father’s love for his children is distinct and tender, so is the believer’s love for those who are born of God. The apostle names men who shared this labor—Artemas, Tychicus, Zenas the lawyer, and Apollos. These were not mere acquaintances; they were fellow laborers in the Faith, precious to him because they shared in the work of Christ. This Love could not be explained in worldly terms—it was the work of the Spirit. " We know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren. He that loveth not his brother abideth in death" (1 John 3:14). The call for Titus to bring Zenas and Apollos on their journey “that nothing be wanting unto them” (Titus 3:13) shows a love that cares for the needs of others. Everything we have has been given by God; it is borrowed goods, to be used for His glory. In the early church, “as many as were possessors of lands or houses sold them…and distribution was made unto every man according as he had need” (Acts 4:34–35). Such giving was not a forced obligation, nor was it an attempt to earn merit, but it was the natural fruit of God's Love that reaches out to those in need within Christ's church. Paul’s exhortation is: “Let ours also learn to maintain good works for necessary uses, that they be not unfruitful” (Titus 3:14). This reveals that True Love (the Love of the Father for the Son and those chosen in Him) is always active in His people through that Love. These good works are not spiritual performances to earn favor with God, but the fruit of Christ's labor on their behalf that causes them to love, serve, and honor their brethren. " Good works" are God's works in, by and through the LORD Jesus Christ toward those who are brethren in the Faith, that He has saved by His death, burial and resurrection, and called by His Grace. The believer works with his hands, as Paul did in tent-making so that he may give to help and support others more needy in the body of Christ. Love for the brethren shows itself not in mere words but in grateful service, in the quiet, steady care for one another’s needs as the LORD prospers and directs, and not to be seen of others, or desire for reward (Matthew 6:1). Finally, this love is bound up in The Faith of God in Christ Himself. “All that are with me salute thee. Greet them that love us in the faith. Grace be with you all” (Titus 3:15) . Love for the brethren flows from Love for The Faith—the Truth of Who Christ is, what He has accomplished, and for whom He has done it. Where there is a shared revelation of The Faith, there is a shared Love that cannot be broken. It is this Faith that binds believers together. It is why the church gathers, why the Gospel is preached, and why hearts are knit in one accord. The same grace that brought Christ to the cross is the grace that keeps His people in Love. It is particular, effectual, and everlasting. The scripture warning is "' If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen?" (I John 4:20). To love the brethren, then, is the love of Christ Himself, and flows from Him—to His people. This Love is not in the flesh but is from the Spirit of Christ Himself (2 Corinthians 13:14). It is not for gain, nor for recognition, but because He first loved us.

Esther 10 "And the king Ahasuerus laid a tribute upon the land, and upon the isles of the sea. And all the acts of his power and of his might, and the declaration of the greatness of Mordecai, whereunto the king advanced him, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Media and Persia? For Mordecai the Jew was next unto king Ahasuerus, and great among the Jews, and accepted of the multitude of his brethren, seeking the wealth of his people, and speaking peace to all his seed." Here we come to a day of deliverance and rejoicing. The story of Esther comes to its close, and like a good book, you almost want to turn back and read it again. These three short verses form an epilogue, and in verse 3 we behold Mordecai as a type of Christ—exalted, accepted, and speaking Peace to all His seed. “Mordecai the Jew was next unto King Ahasuerus.” Think of Joseph back in Genesis, promoted to be Pharaoh’s authority. Any that wanted anything from the land of Egypt had to come through him. So it is with Christ. Joseph was a picture of Christ in His sufferings and exaltation, and Mordecai mirrors that same Glory. Christ was to come from the tribe of Judah, and Mordecai, the Jew, stands as a testimony to that lineage of promise. His position next to the king pictures Christ, Who has been raised up to sit at the Right Hand of God the Father , having declared, “All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth” (Matthew 28:18). Mordecai was “ great among the Jews.” No matter how great the LORD Jesus Christ is among the nations, for His people, there’s none greater. Christ is not merely LORD over all the earth; He is the Beloved of His redeemed. He is “accepted of the multitude of His brethren,” even as Romans 8:29 says, “that He might be the firstborn among many brethren.” His people delight in His greatness, for He is their Salvation and their Joy. Mordecai was “seeking the wealth of his people, and speaking peace to all his seed.” What a picture of Christ’s heart toward His church! In Christ we find all of our Wealth, and in Him are hidden all the treasures of Wisdom and Knowledge. He is the One Who “speaks peace to all His seed.” “Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ” (Romans 5:1). Christ has procured by His death the eternal riches for His people and obtained their eternal Peace by His own blood. The day of deliverance for the Jews was a shadow of that greater redemption in Christ. Their sorrow was turned into joy, and mourning into a good day—a “ God day, ” for “good" is a derivative of God. “ There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus ” (Romans 8:1). What once was a day of execution became a feast day of salvation. So it is with the cross. The very event purposed for evil, as Joseph said, “Ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good” (Genesis 50:20), God turned it for the eternal Blessing of His people. The lot that was cast against the Jews—the Purim—was a type of God’s sovereign will and purpose. “The lot is cast into the lap; but the whole disposing thereof is of the Lord” (Proverbs 16:33). In that lot, we see divine election and eternal purpose. “According as He hath chosen us in Him before the foundation of the world” (Ephesians 1:4), Christ’s people were chosen in Him, their deliverance decreed before time began. Even the wicked hands that crucified Christ did so, “ by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God” (Acts 2:23). They meant it for evil, but God purposed it for good. The cross, like the gallows Haman built, became the place of victory for God’s chosen people. So we end where Esther ends—with exaltation and peace. Mordecai stands next to the king; Christ sits upon His throne. The decree of death is overturned; the Day of Salvation has come. " All things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to His purpose” (Romans 8:28). Indeed, “Mordecai the Jew was next unto King Ahasuerus.” Christ, our greater Mordecai, is next unto the King of Heaven—exalted, beloved, and reigning. In Him, and by Him every Spiritual blessing is given to His people, (Ephesians 1:3). Because of His finished work and exaltation, Peace is granted to all His seed, (Romans 5:1,2) . He is our Peace! Blessed be His name forever.

Psalm 3 "LORD, how are they increased that trouble me! many are they that rise up against me. Many there be which say of my soul, There is no help for him in God. Selah. But thou, O LORD, art a shield for me; my glory, and the lifter up of mine head. I cried unto the LORD with my voice, and he heard me out of his holy hill. Selah. I laid me down and slept; I awaked; for the LORD sustained me. I will not be afraid of ten thousands of people, that have set themselves against me round about. Arise, O LORD; save me, O my God: for thou hast smitten all mine enemies upon the cheek bone; thou hast broken the teeth of the ungodly. Salvation belongeth unto the LORD: thy blessing is upon thy people. Selah." “LORD, how are they increased that trouble me! Many are they that rise up against me” (v.1). In these words David speaks, yet beyond David we behold Christ, " the Man of Sorrows and acquainted with grief" (Isaiah 53:3). As David fled from Absalom, his own son, so the LORD Jesus was betrayed by one who walked with Him, who lifted up his heel against Him and betrayed Him with a kiss. The enemies were many, and they said, “There is no help for him in God” (v.2). At Calvary they wagged their heads and mocked, “He saved others; himself he cannot save” (Matthew 27:42). Yet in all this, the purpose of God stood firm, for " it pleased the LORD to bruise Him" (Isaiah 53:10) . " He was wounded for our transgressions and bruised for our iniquities" (Isaiah 53:5). “But thou, O LORD, art a shield for me; my glory, and the lifter up of mine head” (v.3). When men looked upon Christ as forsaken, the Father was even then His Shield. Though He bore our sins and appeared stricken, smitten of God, yet He was His Beloved in Whom He was well pleased. The resurrection of Christ was the lifting up of His head . God raised Him from the dead and set Him at His own Right Hand, crowning Him with glory and honor. The Father became His glory, and in Him the glory of all His people is by Him (John 17: 5). “I cried unto the LORD with my voice, and he heard me out of his holy hill” (v.4). Here is the voice of Faith (Christ) in the night of sorrow. The Son cried to His Father in the days of His flesh, “with strong crying and tears” (Hebrews 5:7). He was heard in that He feared, not spared from death, but delivered through death. The Father heard Him from His holy hill, and the proof is the empty tomb. He Who lay in the dust of death now lives forevermore, and because He lives, we shall live also (Hebrews 7:25). “I laid me down and slept; I awaked; for the LORD sustained me” (v.5). What a picture of Christ’s death and resurrection ! He laid down His life of Himself; no man took it from Him. He slept the sleep of death in the tomb, resting in the covenant promise. On the third day, He awoke, sustained by the Power of God. The LORD raised Him, declaring His satisfaction in the finished work of redemption. In Him, every believer is raised to newness of life (Ephesians 2:6). “I will not be afraid of ten thousands of people, that have set themselves against me round about” (v.6). Here is the holy courage of our Redeemer. He set His face like a flint toward Jerusalem. The raging of men and devils could not turn Him aside. Though surrounded by “many bulls of Bashan” (Psalm 22:12), He trusted His Father perfectly. The courage of Christ becomes the confidence of His people; because He feared not, we need not fear. “Arise, O LORD; save me, O my God: for thou hast smitten all mine enemies upon the cheek bone; thou hast broken the teeth of the ungodly” (v.7). The resurrection was the LORD’s arising. In it He triumphed over all His enemies—sin, Satan, and death. Their teeth are broken; they can no longer devour. “Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God’s elect? It is God that justifieth” (Romans 8:33). “Salvation belongeth unto the LORD: thy blessing is upon thy people” (v.8). All salvation is the LORD’s doing. It is His purpose, His power, His grace from first to last. We contribute nothing; we receive everything. Even repentance, faith, and assurance are His gifts. Christ’s sorrow is not to move our pity but our praise. He bore our sin, conquered our enemies, and now blesses His people from His holy hill.

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