Judges 8:27 "And Gideon made an ephod thereof, and put it in his city, even in Ophrah: and all Israel went thither a whoring after it: which thing became a snare unto Gideon, and to his house." Judges 8:27 presents a pivotal moment in the life of Gideon, demonstrating the consequences of his actions after leading Israel to victory over the Midianites. In this verse, Gideon with good intentions creates an ephod—a sacred garment meant for priestly use—out of the gold collected from the spoils of battle. However, while initially a symbol of victory, this ephod became a snare, drawing Israel into idolatry as people began to worship it. The passage highlights the danger of turning the blessings of God's grace into objects of worship, a reminder of how easily human depraved hearts can fall into idolatry, even after experiencing Divine deliverance. The ephod was part of the priestly garment, and it covered the front of the priest, the breast, both in the front and in the back. It was worn over the shoulders and kept together by a tie or girdle; it was a breastplate. Exodus 28:4  says,  "And these are the garments which they shall make: a breastplate, and an ephod, and a robe, and a broidered coat, a mitre, and a girdle: and they shall make holy garments for Aaron thy brother, and his sons, that he may minister unto me in the priest's office." Now, we begin to see where the subtle departure is taking place. Gideon wasn’t one of these priests. It wasn’t his responsibility to make an ephod. He established the ephod in his city, but "all Israel went thither a whoring after it," and it may be that even after Gideon was gone, it became more manifest. We see that it became  "a snare unto Gideon and to his house."  This indicates that even Gideon himself saw what he had done as an evil thing. It serves as a warning to all of us that idolatry is never far from us, whether it is elevating a man, as they sought to do with Gideon, or elevating an object or a thing. In Idolatry, the word "idol" comes from the word "idea," and man has an idea of a god according to his imagination. He takes that idea and represents it, putting it in a form that embodies that god. Many forms of deities are physically represented in our races and cultures; such is idolatry. But there is more than just that. Like any sin, idolatry comes from within. It is out of the heart that corruption flows (Jeremiah 17:9). What is in the heart shapes our view of the world and affects our desires toward the things of the world. It’s important to recognize that there is a spiritual idolatry, which the Scriptures refer to as will-worship (Colossians 2:23). The number one idol of man is himself. The word "idol" begins with the word "I." When you consider that, you see that this is fundamentally what drives everything a man thinks. If God doesn't keep His hand on us, this depraved heart, without any sort of restraint, will lead us back into idolatry. In 1 John 5:21, we read, "Little children, keep yourselves from idols." If this weren’t a reality, a truth, a danger, that we all must face, even as God's children, it wouldn’t be commanded of even the children of God. We would simply say, "Well, it’s out there in the world." No, if we are the Lord's chosen, redeemed ones, called by the Spirit, we know that we continue to struggle with our number one idol: ourselves. Idolatry is a snare. A snare is something that catches you unawares. With reason we sing the hymn: "Pass me not, O gentle Savior, Hear my humble cry. While on others Thou art calling, Do not pass me by." We are brought to see that if the Lord were to ever leave us to ourselves, we would be caught in the snare of our idolatry and will-worship. But it is the Great Shepherd who keeps His sheep, even those who have wandered from the fold. He knows His sheep. He is going to have everyone He ever purchased, and He will bring them safely back to the fold, as He has promised (John 10:27-29). We know in our hearts, as sinful and idolatrous as we are by nature, that the Lord must keep us and give us rest. He said, "Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest" (Matthew 11:28) . Only the LORD Jesus can give that quietness and rest as the Representative of His people. There is no rest under the guidance and direction of men. All of us have, at one time or another, sat under pastors who ruled with a heavy hand, were very legalistic, and demanded much, lording over us. There is no rest in that kind of leadership or preaching. The Lord is King, and He directs His church. He is the Great Shepherd, and we need Him as much as anybody. Although we may be blessed to sit under the clear sound of the Gospel, yet, left to ourselves, we would quickly go our own way did the LORD not keep us. In Galatians 1:6 we have Paul's concern for those for whom He had preached Christ and His finished work, but were beginning to look away to "another gospel." " I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel ." Nevertheless, our confidence is that those who are the LORD's chosen and redeemed ones, so complete was Christ’s work, in earning and establishing Righteousness and laying down His life to pay their complete sin debt, that He is their rest from every other work or way. He keeps each one from going away into idolatry. That’s where true rest is. That’s where true quietness is. It is in Christ and His finished work accomplished to the satisfaction of God the Father.

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

Hosea 6:3 "Then shall we know, if we follow on to know the LORD: His going forth is prepared as the morning; and He shall come unto us as the rain, as the latter and former rain unto the earth." There are many things that God does not reveal to His children. It’s like a father with his children. Many times, they may be full of questions about what’s ahead. One of the favorite questions that children like to ask is, “Why?” There may be some things that the father may tell the child to calm their fears or curiosity. However, there are other things that the father may choose not to say, and when the child asks, "Why?" the father may respond, “Because I say so, and I’ll let you know when I think you need to know.” Imagine what Hosea would have felt when the LORD told him to take a prostitute as his wife. There were many things that the LORD did not explain to Hosea, but in obedience to God’s direction, he went and did as the LORD commanded. The LORD knows what He has purposed and who He will raise up to accomplish His will, but most times, it is a matter of trusting God’s sovereign direction, even though we may not see the result. “The secret things belong unto the Lord our God: but those things which are revealed belong unto us and to our children forever, that we may do all the words of this law”  (Deuteronomy 29:29). The LORD knows the end from the beginning because He has ordained the end as well as the means. Take the example of Lot in Sodom and Gomorrah. There were doubtless many days when Lot wondered why it was that the LORD had directed him to Sodom. The scriptures tell us that he vexed his righteous soul day and night at the wickedness that he observed and experienced (2 Peter 2:8). And yet, he was brought to see that the LORD had His hand on him the entire time and was brought to understand, as Paul wrote to Timothy, “Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are His. And, Let everyone that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity” (2 Timothy 2:19). Our LORD told His disciples that there were many things that He could not tell them at the point when He was preparing to go to the cross for them and lay down His life (John 16:12). The reason given was that they could not bear them at that point. In time, they would be brought to see what things they would suffer for His Name’s sake (Luke 21:12). While the LORD Jesus was going to the cross to pay their complete sin debt and would finish the work, yet they would be called upon to lay down their lives. Too much foreknowledge of what was ahead would have been humanly impossible to bear, but they would know it in the LORD’s time and would be given grace at the appointed time to take up their cross and follow Him. Without giving them the details, the LORD nonetheless told them enough to prepare them: “These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world”  (John 16:33). This was the Word of the LORD to Hosea and what lay ahead for him and the rebellious nation of Israel. Historically, Hosea was raised up to prophesy in the days of Jeroboam II. Under his reign, Israel seemed to prosper, but inside the nation was a rot that was rife with idolatry, injustice, and false worship. The LORD raised the prophet Hosea to voice God’s displeasure with the nation and warned of impending destruction. Even though the nation ignored God’s impending judgment, the day would come when the LORD’S work would be made clear, in His time. “Then shall we know if we follow on to know the LORD.”   This is to say that when the LORD brought chastening upon the nation, although there would be those that the LORD would preserve—those that He had chosen and given to His Son—others would most certainly go away. It should not surprise us when the LORD sifts the chaff from the wheat. What should cause us wonderment is that the Lord delivers and keeps what He has given to His Son in electing and redeeming grace (John 6:37-40). No matter the conflict or the persecution, the Promise of the LORD stands sure: “His going forth is prepared as the morning; and He shall come unto us as the rain, as the latter and former rain unto the earth.”   Here is God’s promise not to destroy all the tribes of Israel, but to preserve a remnant because of His Promised Seed (Christ), who would come through the seed of David and save them in His redeeming work on the earth when He would come in the fullness of the time, by God the Father Himself (Galatians 4:4). For “His going forth”   to visit, deliver, and comfort His people, to manifest Himself to them, to refresh and save them in the coming of Christ in the flesh. His going forth before His people, in His gracious, faithful, holy, just, and wise providence, for their benefit and comfort, “is prepared as the morning” —  As the dawning of a new day, so Christ, the Day Star, would arise and bring salvation and revival through His life, death, resurrection, and ascension (Luke 1:78). " And He shall come unto us as the rain unto the earth” —  The rain (a type of God’s grace in Christ) comes from heaven to earth. It refreshes it, renders it fruitful, beautifies it, and gives it new life. As the latter and former rain —the words may also be rendered, the harvest rain and the rain of seed-time—here is the fulfillment of what God promised from the beginning, but could not be fully revealed until in time, when He was brought into the world as the harvest rain of the seed-time. By His death, burial, and resurrection, He would harvest a great number of sinners to bring them to God by His precious blood shed unto death for those that the Father purposed to save (Matthew 13:1-58).

Genesis 7:2 "Of every clean beast thou shalt take to thee by sevens, the male and his female: and of beasts that are not clean by two, the male and his female." Most of us know about God bringing the animals into the ark two by two, but what were these extra, clean beasts Noah was to take in by sevens, male and female? Here are several lessons we can draw from this. The distinction between clean and unclean beasts, being before the flood, was due to the sacrifices that Noah would need to offer to the LORD upon exiting the ark after the waters subsided (Genesis 8:20). Although Noah found grace [eternal, electing grace] in the eyes of the LORD (Genesis 6:8) , and God prepared the ark to preserve Noah and his family alive through the judgment of the world (a type of salvation in Christ), it all could not be without the shed blood of innocent victims—typical of the sacrifice of the LORD Jesus, and the justification of the elect in His death. "And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission" (Hebrews 9:22). Why clean animals? While some proclaim loudly today that in 2 Cor. 5:21, “...made Him to be sin for us...” means that He became guilty with the sin charged to Him and died guilty of the sin of His people, NOTHING could be more foreign to the Scripture types and teachings. Why the importance of CLEAN animals? It is because they typified Christ, the SPOTLESS LAMB: “... Who did NO sin, neither was guile found in His mouth...” (1 Peter 2:22). Scripture says that He died "THE JUST FOR THE UNJUST:" "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 ). It does not say that He died the GUILTY One for the unjust. He was made an offering for sin only by imputation, and not by personal experience- "who knew no sin" (2 Corinthians 5:21). The LORD Jesus was made sin (legally and judicially CHARGED with the sin of His people BY IMPUTATION, not infusion). If Christ died for our sins: He was affected BY our sin, not infected with it (Isaiah 53:3) He died FOR our sin, not IN it  (Isaiah 53:5). It was laid on Him, not put in Him (Isaiah 53:6). His soul was made an Offering for sin, not made sinful (Isaiah 53:10) He was numbered AMONG the transgressors; He was NOT a transgressor (Isaiah 53:12). It was for this reason that God was pleased to bruise Him because He was the Just, Holy, and PERFECT SACRIFICE, and thereby the JUST God and Savior. "Tell ye, and bring them near; yea, let them take counsel together: who hath declared this from ancient time? Who hath told it from that time? Have not I the LORD? And there is no God else beside me; a Just God and a Savior; there is none beside me" (Isaiah 45:21). " The clean animals were to be taken into the ark by sevens. Isn't seven the number of perfection, pointing to the perfect work of the LORD Jesus in His death on the cross, perfectly redeeming and justifying ALL of His elect once and for all? “Being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus...” (Romans 3:24)

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

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

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

Hebrews 10:14 "For by one offering, He hath perfected forever them that are sanctified" The Scriptures declare that by the one offering God HAS PERFECTED forever those that HE sanctified (set apart in Christ in election, redemption, and regeneration). This is the particular grace of God to cause any sinner to own their sin and to know that in this flesh " dwelleth NO GOOD THING” (Romans 7:18). It is God's Grace to give His children eyes to look to Christ by faith, who fulfilled all that the Father's law and justice required both in His perfect obedience to the precepts of the law, but also in paying its penalty. So complete was His work of righteousness that He earned and established, that upon completion of His death, God the Father justified once and for all, every sinner for whom He paid the debt. " Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him" (Romans 5:9). What a comfort to us who are God’s elected children that when the Spirit of God makes us know the weight of our sin, we are also made to see the preciousness of the blood that His Son shed unto death for us, whereby we are accepted in the Beloved. "To the praise of the glory of His Grace, wherein He hath made us accepted in the Beloved" (Ephesians 1:6). As one dear saint of old declared, “The believer's perfection is in Christ. Oh that He may condescend to teach me, and lead me to look straight out of self—to a glorious Christ!” What others have as their goal, we as the LORD’s redeemed ones have as a reality already. While others seek to be justified by their works or will, we for whom the LORD Jesus already paid the debt are already justified by His death. When the Spirit of God opens the eyes of God's elected sinners, it is not to justify them, but rather to cause them to see and embrace the justification Christ already accomplished for them at the cross. "The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the Hope of his calling, and what the riches of the Glory of His Inheritance in the saints " (Ephesians 1:18). We dare not look to any profession for our justification, to any supposed goodness in ourselves, or even to the graces of the Spirit as our perfection. We look to the LORD Jesus Christ alone and believe the report of His Word- "And ye are complete in Him, which is the head of all principality and power:" (Colossians 2:10). Those that the Father justified upon completion of the LORD Jesus’ satisfactory death on the cross, are declared complete or fulfilled in Christ's work so that nothing more can be added to it to make it complete. It's not as if Christ did most of the work, and now the sinner completes the rest. No! "Ye are complete in Him." Here are two matters of note: "Ye are..." Present tense. Once God declared redeemed sinners complete in Him by His death, they continue in that state forever. They are not progressing in holiness, but are declared holy in Him and continue in that state. No sin, nor wandering can ever remove them from who they are in Christ...complete! Complete wisdom, righteousness, sanctification and redemption, 1 Corinthians 1:30. "In Him" Not outside of Him, nor beside Him, or near Him, but "in Him." Because this is so, we need no other experience or work to draw us closer to God. As one writer states: " So near, so very near to God, I cannot nearer be. For in the Person of His Son, I am as near as He. So dear, so very dear to God, I cannot dearer be. The love with which He loves His Son – such is His love for me.”

Joshua 1:9 "Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the LORD thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest." In the book of Joshua, we witness the moment when God commissions Joshua to lead the Israelites into the Promised Land. The weight of this task must have been daunting. Moses, the great Leader who had guided Israel through the wilderness for forty years, had just passed away, and now the charge fell to Joshua. God’s command to Joshua is clear: " Be strong and of a good courage." This call to courage and strength is not just about Joshua’s personal qualities; it is a reflection of God's ongoing faithfulness to His people in providing for them a Faithful Representative, even as He has done in establishing the LORD Jesus as the Representative Head of His elected people. As we reflect on this verse, it is essential to see Joshua not only as a historical figure but as a type of Christ—a foreshadowing of the One Who would come to fulfill God’s promises in a far greater way (Hebrews 4:8). Moses, representing the Law, could not bring the people into the Promised Land, just as the Law cannot save (Romans 8:3-14). It requires absolute perfection, which not even Moses could fulfill for himself, much less for the people of Israel. Therefore, the necessity of another, like Joshua, whose Greek name is "Jesus" (Jehovah saves). Joshua as a Type of Christ Called by God to Lead and Deliver Just as God called Joshua to lead the people of Israel into the Promised Land, God sent His Son, the LORD Jesus, to lead His people into their Spiritual Inheritance—Eternal Life with the Father. Joshua's leadership is a glimpse of Christ’s ultimate role as the Savior, Who would deliver His people, not from physical enemies, but from sin and death. In the same way that Joshua led Israel into a land of rest, the LORD Jesus has, by representation, led His people (elected by the Father) into Eternal rRest (Matthew 11:28). Commanded to Be Strong and Courageous Joshua's call to be strong and courageous echoes the LORD Jesus's perfect courage to earn and establish the righteousness necessary to satisfy God's Law and Justice as the Representative of those the Father gave Him. Notice that here, the instruction is given to Joshua to do the work on behalf of the people, and not to the people, even as the LORD Jesus was to obey on behalf of the people given to Him. When God told Joshua not to be afraid, it was because God Himself would be with him. The LORD Jesus, too, embodies perfect courage, knowing the road ahead would be filled with rejection, betrayal, and suffering. Yet, He faithfully walked toward the cross, knowing that God’s presence would sustain Him. " He shall not fail nor be discouraged, till he have set judgment in the earth: and the isles shall wait for his law" (Isaiah 42:4). The LORD Jesus had a perfect nature and, therefore, was never prone to fear, in contrast to Joshua, who was but an imperfect type. Yet, as a man, the LORD Jesus learned obedience through the things that He suffered (Hebrews 5:8). What He endured as the sin-Bearer would have caused any mere man to tremble and buckle under the weight of sin. What our LORD Jesus endured is recorded in His experience in the Garden of Gethsemane, where in His hour of temptation, He sweat as it were great drops of blood (Luke 22:44) . Yet, He was sustained and strengthened through His trial, all the way to the cross, thereby fulfilling the work of salvation for His people, culminating in His death on the cross in satisfaction of His Father's Law and Justice. God's Presence as the Source of Courage The key to Joshua’s courage was the promise that "the LORD thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest." Similarly, even as the LORD Jesus was assured of the Presence of His Father and Spirit throughout His life on this earth and was never abandoned, so the LORD Jesus assures those He redeemed that He would be with them always, even to the end of the age (Matthew 28:20). Even as the strength of the LORD Jesus, as God in the flesh, was sustained by the fullness of the Godhead dwelling in Him (Colossians 2:9), so the LORD's people are strengthened by Him and His presence with them and in them by His Spirit. " That He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, that ye may be strengthened with power through His Spirit" (Ephesians 3:16). Our courage is not found in our strength but in the abiding Presence of God with us, even as the LORD Jesus enjoyed the Presence of the Spirit of God without measure to fulfill all righteousness for His people (John 3:34). As Joshua trusted in God’s Presence to lead Israel into battle as God's appointed deliverer, so the LORD Jesus Christ trusted in the Presence of the Spirit to lead many sons into glory, as the Captain of their salvation (Hebrews 2:10) . A Picture of the Victory in Christ Joshua’s victory over the nations in the Promised Land points to the greater victory that Christ would win over the powers of the Law, sin, death, and Satan. Just as Joshua conquered the enemies in the land, Christ, through His death and resurrection, has defeated the greatest enemies that stood against those sinners whom the Father chose and gave Him to save. Because of Christ's successful work as the Savior of His people, as believers, we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us and gave Himself for us (Romans 8:37) . As with Joshua, so with the LORD Jesus Christ, Who came and conquered every spiritual enemy of His people. Zachariah the High Priest, and John the Baptist's father declared: "Blessed be the Lord God of Israel; for He hath visited and redeemed His people, And hath raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of His servant David; As He spake by the mouth of His holy prophets, which have been since the world began: That we should be saved from our enemies, and from the hand of all that hate us; To perform the mercy promised to our fathers, and to remember His holy covenant; The oath which He sware to our father Abraham, That He would grant unto us, that we being delivered out of the hand of our enemies might serve Him without fear, In holiness and righteousness before Him, all the days of our life" (Luke 1:68-75).

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

Ezekiel 16:6,7 "And when I passed by thee, and saw thee polluted in thine own blood, I said unto thee when thou wast in thy blood, Live; yea, I said unto thee when thou was in thy blood, Live. I have caused thee to multiply as the bud of the field, and thou hast increased and waxen great, and thou art come to excellent ornaments: thy breasts are fashioned, and thine hair is grown, whereas thou wast naked and bare." "And when I passed by thee, and saw thee polluted in thine own blood..." Although already fulfilled in the history of Israel in bringing them out of captivity from Egypt, nevertheless, it is a symbolic picture of how God finds and calls out His Spiritual Israel, the remnant of Grace, from deadness in sin (polluted in thine own blood). "I said unto thee when thou wast in thy blood, Live..." None can live but those whom God causes to live by His Spirit. That Life is in His Son, the LORD Jesus, and all who hear and believe on Him already have been given Everlasting Life by Him. "Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on Him that sent me, hath Everlasting Life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto Life" (John 5:24). That’s why they believe, and that Life is in God’s Son, "And this is Life Eternal, that they might know Thee the Only True God, and Jesus Christ, whom Thou hast sent" (John 17:3). It is by God’s command, and not man’s will, "But as many as received Him, to them gave He power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on His Name: which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God" (John 1:12-13). "I have caused thee to multiply as the bud of the field" Here, the young nation of Israel, which originally went into Egypt as a small remnant of 70 (Deuteronomy 10:22) , is described as a young maiden whom God would take and espouse to Himself, through the mediator Moses. It is a figure of God’s true church (Jew and Gentile) for whom the LORD Jesus would come in the fullness of the time, pay her sin debt, and take to Himself for His Church, as a bridegroom takes His bride to Himself. The multiplying and blessing of those whom God the Father has given to His Son are described symbolically as a ‘bud’ of the field that is caused to grow and multiply. The bud (singular) of the field is the LORD Jesus. "Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to thy seed, which is Christ" (Galatians 3:16). As the Seed of God, the LORD Jesus came to be sown in the field of this world, suffer and die, and rise again to bring forth fruit—the children of God throughout the world—that He redeemed, reconciled, and justified before God. "Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit" (John 12:24). "And thou hast increased and waxen great, and thou art come to excellent ornaments: thy breasts are fashioned, and thine hair is grown, whereas thou wast naked and bare." National Israel was but small in number when the LORD brought them out of Egypt and established them in the promised land. The people are described as a young virgin that the LORD clothed with excellent ornaments, whose breasts were firm and beautiful, with a full head of hair grown and attractive, but initially naked and bare, apart from the LORD being gracious having clothed her as a young maiden in a beautiful dress. Spiritually, as jewels and rich vestments set off a beautiful person, so the Church of the LORD Jesus is adorned with every Spiritual blessing in Christ (Ephesians 1:3). He was made unto His elect Wisdom, Righteousness, Sanctification, and Redemption (1 Corinthians 1:30). The luster of her beauty (breasts and hair) is that of the LORD Jesus Christ, adorned with the choicest blessings of the riches of His grace (Ephesians 2:7). The Church (elect and redeemed sinners) was naked and bare, having nothing in themselves but poverty, stripped of any glory because of the fall. And yet it pleased God to choose her out of all the earth to make her His people for Christ's sake. The LORD Jesus, in coming to the earth in the flesh, redeemed and justified her unto God, and clothed her in His Righteousness—naked and bare no more, but resplendent in the garments of salvation with which He has clothed her and made her beautiful and accepted before God the Father, and as a bride adorned for her Husband (Christ). "I will greatly rejoice in the LORD, my soul shall be joyful in my God; for He hath clothed me with the garments of salvation, He hath covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decketh himself with ornaments, and as a bride adorneth herself with her jewels" (Isaiah 61:10).