1 Samuel 12:24 "Only fear the Lord, and serve him in truth with all your heart: for consider how great things he hath done for you." This verse concludes Samuel’s solemn address to national Israel—a people often forgetful of the LORD Who, by His sovereign mercy, had delivered and preserved them. Here, the prophet tenderly exhorts them to steadfast devotion: “Only fear the LORD, and serve him in truth with all your heart: for consider how great things he hath done for you.” Here we are taught the essence of true worship—rooted not in outward form or religious duty, but in reverential awe, loving service, and heartfelt gratitude for all that God has graciously done. We who are the LORD's true Israel are called here to reflect on the greatness of our Redeemer's work and respond with whole-hearted devotion to Him Who has loved us and given Himself for us. This portion of God’s Word instructs us in three vital elements of true worship: fearing the LORD, serving Him in truth with all the heart, and considering how great things He has done for His people. "Only fear the LORD" These words in 1 Samuel are addressed to those whom God has chosen in Christ, redeemed and justified by the blood and righteousness of His dear Son, and called to Himself (v. 22) . The fear spoken of here is not that of a cowering slave before his master, but rather of a reverent, respectful son before his father. Such is the privilege and authority with which chosen, redeemed, and justified sinners are commanded to approach Him. This fear of the LORD is entirely the result of the revelation of Christ to the heart by the Spirit of God in those whom God has already forgiven for Christ’s sake (Hebrews 12:9, 22–28). "Serve Him in truth with all the heart" Service to God is not a mere duty to be fulfilled, but rather the “reasonable service” of all who are objects of His sovereign mercy. The apostle Paul wrote, “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service” (Romans 12:1). The picture is that of the bondservant who, having been given freedom to leave, willingly clings to his master and is bonded to him forever out of love: “Then his master shall bring him unto the judges; he shall also bring him to the door, or unto the door post; and his master shall bore his ear through with an aul; and he shall serve him for ever”  (Exodus 21:6). Two key characteristics mark this service: In Truth No one can truly serve the LORD except in accord with the truth as revealed in the Gospel of His blessed Son. Many claim to serve the LORD based on their own decisions, dedications, works, or zeal. But their zeal is not according to knowledge: “Brethren, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for Israel is, that they might be saved. For I bear them record that they have a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge. For they being ignorant of God’s righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God” (Romans 10:1–3). To serve the LORD in truth is the result of God graciously revealing to the heart of a sinner the glorious Person and work of the LORD Jesus, Who is  the Truth: “Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me” (John 14:6). Anyone who seeks to serve God for any reason or motive other than Christ as their only Righteousness is ultimately self-serving. Some serve out of fear of punishment, others for reward, and still others to be seen by men. The only true motive is the Truth as it is in Christ, Who He is and what He has accomplished in His life and death to satisfy all  of God’s law and justice. From the Heart True service to God—offered in praise, honor, and glory—is the outworking of God’s grace from the heart : “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord” (Colossians 3:16). It is from the heart that God causes His children to believe in the righteousness which Christ has established and which the Father has imputed to them by the death of His Son: “For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth” (Romans 10:4). It is from the heart that they worship and serve Him: “But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him” (John 4:23). "Consider How Great Things He Hath Done" For Israel, this meant remembering how God brought them up out of Egypt, settled them in the land of Canaan, nurtured them, sent them prophets, and raised up faithful judges and kings to rule over them. For the church, it is to consider God’s mercy and grace—not only in temporal provisions but especially in all spiritual blessings in Christ , such as justification, pardon, forgiveness of sins, peace, and eternal life in and through Him: “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ”  (Ephesians 1:3). What could be more necessary, more needful, or more glorious?

Isaiah 45:24 "Surely, shall one say, in the Lord have I righteousness and strength: even to him shall men come; and all that are incensed against him shall be ashamed." Many endeavor to work out a righteousness of their own that they believe is well-pleasing to God, all the while claiming that salvation is by grace alone. As the apostle writes, "For I bear them record that they have a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge. For they being ignorant of God's righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God" (Romans 10:2–3). They rationalize this foolish thinking by asserting that the death of Christ dealt with past sins, but that, with the Spirit’s help, they must deal with their present and future sins themselves, attempting to overcome them through what they call "means of grace." The depraved reasoning of the heart is that, through personal efforts at obedience—assisted by God, they can somehow gain victory over the sinful flesh and gradually sin less and less.     All such foolish reasoning stops, however, when it pleases God to begin His work of grace in the elect sinner's heart, by His Holy Spirit. Then that sinner will be persuaded that there is NOTHING in the sinner that can be counted for righteousness, for even as the apostle Paul declared “...in me, (that is in my flesh), dwelleth no good thing.” (Romans 7:18) Having been redeemed and justified by Christ’s precious blood, those taught by the Spirit of Christ will say with the apostle Paul, “For we are the circumcision, which worship God in the spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no   confidence  in the   flesh ”   (Philippians 3:3).     The Glorious, Joyful Truth in which we as the LORD’s people delight, when taught by the Spirit of God, is that although poor, destitute and having no righteousness of our own, we find Righteousness and Strength in Him and His finished work already accomplished for us at the cross. What we are as sinners by nature and practice, our LORD took on Himself and by imputation, the debt and guilt of our sin was completely put away. Simultaneously, His righteous obedience was imputed to our spiritual account upon completion of His work at Calvary, " 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) . Taught by the Holy Spirit, we continue to confess that we have NO ability, NO strength and NO righteousness in ourselves but in the LORD Jesus, we have a sure, immutable Righteousness, answerable to God’s justice and holiness in every way.       Our assurance against every accusation of the enemy is:   "In the LORD Jesus have I righteousness and strength."  He conquered sin, Satan, the flesh, the world, and death so that we may boldly say: " In the LORD Jesus I have strength."  There is everything in this flesh to condemn us. Yet, Glorious Truth! There is everything in the LORD Jesus and His finished work that has justified us fully, freely, and forever, as God's elected sinners. We are therefore 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).  and complete in Him, "" And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power:" (Colossians 2:10). This is no mere aspiration—it is the blessed reality accomplished through the finished work of Jesus Christ. In Him, the elect of God find not only the righteousness imputed by grace, but also the strength to stand justified before the throne of judgment. This prophetic declaration, fulfilled in the redemptive work of Christ at His first coming, silences every boast of the flesh and exalts the LORD alone as the Source of Salvation. Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone that believeth (Romans 10:4), and in Him alone we rest. To Him be the glory forever. Amen.

Zechariah 12:10  "And I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplications: and they shall look upon me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him, as one mourneth for his only son, and shall be in bitterness for him, as one that is in bitterness for his firstborn." Here is a striking prophecy that finds its fulfillment in the redemptive work of Christ at His first coming. This passage is not a prediction awaiting some future national revival in ethnic Israel, but rather a vivid foretelling of the effectual calling of God's elect, particularly among the remnant of Israel in the first century. When the LORD says, "I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplications," He speaks of His sovereign initiative in salvation, pouring out His Spirit to bring His elect—those for whom Christ died—to Him in repentance and faith. It speaks of Christ, Whom they pierced. This was fulfilled at Pentecost and beyond (Acts 2:17) , as many elect Jews were brought to mourning and faith by the convicting power of the Holy Spirit. The weeping over the Pierced One is not merely emotional—it is Spiritual: a Godly sorrow wrought by grace in those whom God chose from eternity and redeemed by Christ’s finished work. In this way, the prophet Zechariah reveals not a future hope, but a fulfilled promise, founded in Christ’s cross and applied by the Spirit through sovereign grace. John 19:37—“And again another scripture saith, They shall look on him whom they pierced.” John connects Zechariah 12:10 directly to the crucifixion of Christ, showing the Spiritual vision of the Pierced Savior that the Spirit would later grant. "...the spirit of grace and of supplications:" Where God, by His Holy Spirit, gives grace—and grace is what it takes for Him to give life—this life-giving grace causes the sinner to look to Christ in supplication. Why is it called "supplication" ? Because where the Spirit shines the light of Christ upon the heart, that heart is brought low in humiliation, and made to see the sinfulness of its sin. Thus, the supplication is the crying unto God through the LORD Jesus Christ for mercy. That is the sign of life! When a mother is delivering a baby, what you listen for is the cry of the baby. That way, you know the baby is alive. How do we know that a sinner has been made alive by the Spirit of God? There is a cry to God! "...and they shall look upon me whom they have pierced." The "look" is the result of the Spirit of grace, but what is significant is the Object to Whom the redeemed look: Christ, " whom they have pierced ." This is not speaking of end times, but refers to the events beginning at Pentecost, as the prophet Joel prophesied: Acts 2:16–17: “But this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel; And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh...” Though Peter quotes Joel, the language of "pouring out the Spirit" mirrors Zechariah 12:10. The "Spirit of grace and of supplications" was poured out on the remnant in Jerusalem at Pentecost, granting repentance and true mourning over Christ's crucifixion. "...and they shall mourn for Him, as one mourneth for his only son, and shall be in bitterness for Him, as one that is in bitterness for his firstborn." Here we see the effectual work of the Spirit in the hearts of those whom Christ redeemed and justified at the cross. This mourning is not mere emotional sorrow, but a deep, spiritual repentance produced by the sovereign grace of God. It is the mourning of a soul awakened to see the dreadful weight of sin laid upon the spotless Lamb of God. Like one grieving over the death of an only son or a firstborn child, the elect—under conviction—mourn not only for their sin, but for what their sin did to Christ, their Redeemer. Such mourning is not a work of the flesh, but the fruit of the Spirit, revealing the glory of Christ crucified as the only Hope for sinners. This heartfelt sorrow is the evidence of grace—the result of the blood of Christ effectually applied by the Spirit to the hearts of God's people. It leads not to despair, but to faith, worship, and joy in the One Who was pierced for their transgressions and raised for their justification (Romans 4:25).

1 Corinthians 14:7 "And even things without life giving sound, whether pipe or harp, except they give a distinction in the sounds, how shall it be known what is piped or harped?" Musicians take great care to tune the instruments they use. They are equally meticulous in playing each note and measure precisely according to the music. Imagine a symphony in which every instrument plays at random—no rhythm, no harmony, just noise. Confusion replaces beauty, and the message of the music is lost. In the same way, the apostle Paul uses this vivid imagery to remind believers that even the most powerful tools—like music or spiritual gifts—are meaningless without clarity and purpose. How, then, does this verse challenge every preacher to communicate the message of Christ and Him crucified with purpose and clarity? So clearly, in fact, that there is no doubt in the minds and hearts of the hearers about the distinctive sound of the Gospel—a sound that God blesses to the edification of the souls of His elect people, and, more importantly, to the glory of the LORD Jesus Christ in His accomplished work of salvation. As Paul declared in 1 Corinthians 2:1-5:  "And I, brethren, when I came to you, came not with excellency of speech or of wisdom, declaring unto you the testimony of God. For I determined not to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified. And I was with you in weakness, and in fear, and in much trembling. And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man's wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power: That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God." Every true Gospel message must be proclaimed exactly as it is written in God’s Word, without alteration or personal interpretation. As the apostle Paul stated in 1 Corinthians 14:6, "Now, brethren, if I come unto you speaking with tongues, what shall I profit you, except I shall speak to you either by revelation, or by knowledge, or by prophesying, or by doctrine?" This verse emphasizes that the message must be communicated in a way that brings spiritual benefit and understanding. That means it must come through divine revelation—God unveiling His truth—through the knowledge of Christ, which is often expressed in prophetic insight, or through sound doctrine, meaning clear and faithful teaching and instruction. The Gospel is not just any message; it must align completely with the Truth of the Person and work of the LORD Jesus as revealed in Scripture. “For if the trumpet give an uncertain sound, who shall prepare himself to the battle?” (1 Corinthians 14:8). This verse illustrates the danger of unclear or compromised preaching. Just as a soldier cannot prepare for battle if the trumpet’s signal is confusing or indistinct, so too God's people cannot be edified or warned properly if the Gospel message is muddled. This “uncertain sound” represents preaching that mixes grace with works—a message that confuses law and Gospel, human effort and divine accomplishment. Such preaching lacks the clarity and power of the true Gospel, which proclaims that salvation is entirely of the LORD, by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone. The Apostle Paul addresses this issue further in 2 Corinthians 1:17–20 , where he emphasizes the consistency and certainty of God’s promises in Christ. Paul contrasts Godly preaching with human indecisiveness ("yea and nay " ), showing that the message they preached was not wavering or double-minded, but firm and unchanging—just like Christ Himself. The Gospel is not conditional or uncertain; all of God’s promises are fully accomplished and therefore sure in Christ. There is no room for a "maybe" gospel that depends partly on man. In Christ, the answer is always “yea” and “Amen” —a finished work that brings all glory to God. Sinners must hear the clear sound of electing grace—God doing the choosing (Ephesians 1:4; Romans 9:11) —redeeming grace—Christ’s blood shed in obedient death on the cross at Calvary, where His perfect righteousness, earned through His sinless life, was imputed to His elect (2 Corinthians 5:21; Romans 4:6) —and regenerating grace—the Spirit of Christ drawing each chosen and redeemed sinner to Christ, their Redeemer (John 6:44; Titus 3:5) —all through the preaching of the singular, solitary, and sure message of Christ and Him crucified  (1 Corinthians 1:23; 1 Corinthians 2:2). Anything less or anything else than this leaves sinners in confusion. God must grant the saving sound in the preaching and in the hearing of His redeeming Word to His glory alone in Christ Jesus the LORD! " So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God" (Romans 10:17).

Deuteronomy 12:3  "And ye shall overthrow their altars, and break their pillars, and burn their groves with fire; and ye shall hew down the graven images of their gods, and destroy the names of them out of that place." This Scripture declares God's absolute disdain for false worship, and His holy command to utterly destroy every trace of it from the land, tearing down altars, breaking pillars, burning groves, and cutting down graven images. This is not a charge for us to go and destroy buildings and altars that we believe to be places of false worship. There may be some who are so zealous that they might attempt such a thing, as some have done in crusades in the past. This is more than an act of physical cleansing; it is a picture of the spiritual work that Christ accomplishes in the hearts of His people. Where Christ is revealed in the heart of a sinner, idols are cast down. As we contemplate the Word of God, we are reminded that the Gospel of Christ does not coexist with error—it triumphs over it. Christ alone is worthy of all worship, and by His sovereign grace, He purges our hearts of every rival, that we might serve Him in truth. The Word reveals the truth concerning the LORD Jesus and His finished work at the cross, which He alone has accomplished on behalf of those whom the Father has chosen and given to Him to save. It is in the message of the Gospel of the LORD Jesus that we see a clear distinction made between grace and works, between the sovereign will of God and the so-called “free will” of man. Whenever we declare that difference, are we not tearing down every false notion? We demolish every one of those altars at which they worship—the altar of “free will” works, and man-centered religion: "Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ.”   (2 Corinthians 10:5) The Gospel message of Christ and Him crucified is the singular means that God has given His ministers today to sift out the chaff from the wheat. A preacher has not done what the LORD has given Him to do if He has not laid out the work of the LORD Jesus from Scripture, line upon " line, precept upon precept "(Isaiah 28:10) . When people react against the message that gives the LORD Jesus all of the glory alone, you know that you have made it plain. As a preacher, you get hate mail. People will contest, saying, "Why did you say this? How can you say that? Aren't you excluding a great number by saying this or that?" And yet there can not be any room for compromise. Paul said that if he would be a servant of men, preaching what they want to hear rather than the clear distinct Word of God, then he could not be the servant of God (Galatians 1:10). Obviously, we are not to seek the approval of men, but the glory of God alone in Christ. If our focus is Christ alone, then we are truly the servants of Christ! We don’t need to worry about offending the LORD’s sheep. Yes, the Gospel is an offense to our flesh and to our desire to share in His glory. Yet in Christ’s sheep, He tenderly draws them to Himself, making them willing, against their will. The Gospel message will indeed offend all of us at some point, but for the goats, there is no convincing them anyway. As goats, left to themselves, they will never come to Christ. The LORD told the religious leaders of His day, "But ye believe not, because ye are not of my sheep, as I said unto you," (John 10:26). Nevertheless, Christ’s sheep must hear the Truth, because this is how God has purposed it. They must  hear the truth revealed in the LORD Jesus and His finished work of salvation at the cross alone. In hearing it—though it may not be immediate—the Lord will draw them in His time. Our LORD Jesus Christ will not lose even one of His sheep: "And this is the Father's will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day"  (John 6:39) . The true Gospel exalts Christ alone and lays waste to every idol of man's heart—whether self-righteousness, religious tradition, or worldly glory. As the light of Christ shines forth, all that is false is exposed and torn down, not by sword or fire, but by the power of God in the Gospel. It is in the preaching of Christ crucified and risen that every refuge of lies is swept away, and sinners are brought to worship the true and living God in spirit and Truth. Thanks be to our great God and Savior for His exclusive glory revealed in the singular message of the LORD Jesus!

Ecclesiastes 7:14  "In the day of prosperity be joyful, but in the day of adversity consider: God also hath set the one over against the other, to the end that man should find nothing after him." By definition, a tragedy is a drama or literary work in which the main character is brought to ruin or suffers extreme sorrow. For some, it is the upheaval of an entire nation, whether due to political, economic, or pandemic-related problems. Towns and communities suffer tragedy when, suddenly, the “normal” day-to-day life of that community is disrupted for one reason or another. Like ants scattered by someone stepping on their world, they scramble to regroup. Some suffer tragedy individually, as one acquaintance recently shared—being in a waiting room full of people when a surgeon came out and told them that their loved one had terminal cancer. They felt alone, isolated, and devastated. How are we, as the LORD’s own, to deal with these unexpected upheavals? Are they random events that befall us? 1. These are times to bow to the LORD and consider.   The word in Scripture means to ponder, weigh, or discern. Where does one look in such times? We are to see God’s hand even in the worst of situations, knowing that He ordains all things for our good and His glory. The truth is that God has set adversity over against prosperity for His purposes. 2. These are times to thank the LORD.   We recognize His many blessings day by day, in which He mercifully gives us peace, health, and well-being—all undeserved. Yet how often we take those days for granted, until or unless He  takes them away. When He does, we are reminded that our health, wealth, or state of being is truly only loaned to us for a time, and He , the Creator and Judge, has the right to reclaim them according to His good pleasure. As Job declared in His time of suffering: “Naked came I out of my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return thither: the Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord" (Job 1:21). 3. These are times to remember that all that befalls us is ordained of HIM.   It is the mercy of the LORD when He causes us to look outside ourselves and cry unto Him  in our need, our greatest need being our sinful self, and the blood and righteousness of the LORD Jesus alone. Our nature is such that it takes tragedy, sent from God, to bring us low at Christ’s feet and cause us to look to Him  for mercy, grace, and strength. And yet, if Christ has paid the sinner’s debt, there is not an ounce of wrath in what the LORD ordains for His own, but rather a merciful drawing of our hearts to Him. A s declared by the prophet Jeremiah in Lamentations 3:32, 33 “But though he cause grief, yet will he have compassion according to the multitude of his mercies. For he doth not afflict willingly nor grieve the children of men.” God’s afflictions are not out of wrath for His people, but tempered with mercy and purposed for their good, to draw them to Himself. Here we are reminded that both joy and sorrow, prosperity and adversity, are appointed by the sovereign hand of God. The believer rests not in changing circumstances, but in Christ, who is the unchanging Rock. In prosperity, we rejoice in Christ our portion; in adversity, we are taught to consider Him who governs all things for our good and His glory. Thus, the Lord strips us from resting in the creature, that we may find all in Christ alone—our wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption. As the prophet Habakkuk declared in his day: “Although the fig tree shall not blossom, neither shall fruit be in the vines… Yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation” (Habakkuk 3:17, 18). Even in adversity, the believer finds joy, not in circumstances, but in the LORD Himself.

Colossians 3:4 "When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory." What a beautiful, triumphant summary is here set forth of the believer’s Hope.  It is founded not in works, effort, or merit, but in the gracious sovereign will of God revealed in Jesus Christ. For those chosen in Him before the foundation of the world, Christ is not merely a helper to life—He is  their Life. His perfect obedience, His sacrificial death, and His victorious resurrection have obtained the eternal standing of every elect sinner. In this text, we are reminded that the believer’s identity, righteousness, and hope are found wholly in Christ Jesus alone. And just as surely as He now reigns in glory, He shall appear—and in that blessed appearing, all those in union with Him shall appear with Him, clothed in the glory He has earned for them. The Gospel of God exalts the LORD Jesus Christ from beginning to end, and in this glorious promise, our hearts rest. First, He is the sum of the believer's life.  Many talk about Him as the most important part of their lives. Preachers give these invitations, asking people to commit their lives to a “wanna-be Jesus,” and they speak of making Him the most important part of their life. That sort of appeal is not found in Scripture. No, the LORD Jesus Christ is not to be the most important part  of our lives. If Christ is not our Life , then we don't have life. Only the true believer can say, "The LORD Jesus Christ is my life." Why? Because by His Spirit, He lives in us. And by His Spirit, we live in Him. There's that two-fold relationship: Christ in you, the Hope of glory. But then, you are in Christ. This is a mystery, but spiritual life is a mystery. Second, He's the source of a believer's life.  All people, by nature, are born into this world in spiritual death. In Romans 5:12 , it says, " 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:"   This is not just talking about physical death—although physical death is one of the consequences of being a sinner—but death by sin entered this world by the disobedience of one man. Go back to the garden. When Adam and Eve fell, did not the LORD say that the day that you eat of it, you will most certainly die? The actual day that Adam and Eve disobeyed, they did not die physically. They lived many hundreds of years more before their physical death. Does that mean that the Word of God was not fulfilled? No! The day that they ate of it, they did  die. They died spiritually. That fellowship, that communion with God was immediately cut off. As you read what they endeavored to do to rectify their sin, it shows spiritual death. Rather than confess their wrong, they tried to blame each other. Adam blamed Eve, and Eve blamed the serpent. They tried to cover their nakedness with fig leaves. They did everything that their conscience dictated, but none of it was the right thing. But it says in Genesis 3:21  that God killed an innocent animal and took the skin from that animal, and clothed Adam and Eve. The only remedy for disobedience—the only remedy for sin—is death: death by a Substitute. Our sin must either be paid in a Substitute, or we'll have to pay for it ourselves. "The wages of sin is death" (Romans 6:23). It's spiritual death now, then physical death at some point in this life, and then eternal death—unless God is pleased to intervene by His grace in this life and reveal Christ in us. "But not as the offence, so also is the free gift. For if through the offence of one many be dead, much more the grace of God, and the gift by grace, which is by one man, Jesus Christ, hath abounded unto many"  ( Romans 5:15 ). Third, He's the substance of life.  Think about what substance is. It's something concrete. It's like food and drink that are necessary to maintain physical life. Even so, the believer's spiritual life is maintained and sustained by daily feeding upon the life and death of Christ, by faith. In John 6:50 , Christ referred to Himself as the bread of life: " This is the bread which cometh down from heaven, that a man may eat thereof, and not die."  He referred the Jews back to the Old Testament, where manna was given in the wilderness. He said, "Your fathers did eat manna in the wilderness, and are dead"  ( John 6:49 ). That manna was but a type. It couldn't maintain their lives forever. It was but a type of the Lord Jesus Christ, who was to come down from heaven. He says, in John 6:51, "I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world."  For Christ to be our life means He's the substance  of our life. We feed upon Him daily, in His Word. We see Him as the Bread of Life, and we partake of Him. Fourth, He is the solace of a believer's life.  If Christ is our life, He's our solace. He's our comfort. He's our consolation. But if you're not a believer, you have no lasting comfort. But if it has pleased God to reveal His Son in you, oh, what a solace and consolation He is! For Him to be our life, that means that He is all the comfort we need. Those who have seen Him by God's grace, high and seated upon that throne of glory, see Him there by faith. They see Him as the Great High Priest, as it says in Hebrews 4:14–16 , "Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession. For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need." Oh, that's good news! We need a righteousness that will stand us in good stead before God. We know that our righteousness is nothing but filthy rags, but, oh, His righteousness! That's the believer's comfort and consolation in the face of sin and temptation. He was tempted in all things, like as the believer, " yet without sin"  ( Hebrews 4:15 ) . It's not a throne of judgment for those for whom He paid the debt. That's been taken care of at the cross for His people. It's a Throne of Grace . Why? That we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need. Are you in need? Fifth, Christ is the standard of a believer's life.  Some preachers try to whip people into shape with the law, with rules and regulations, giving them things to do. If that's the case, there's an indication that there isn't any life there. Where Christ is someone's life, He is the standard of that life. Christ Himself is the standard by which God's children live in this world. He's the standard of righteousness—He worked it out perfectly on behalf of His people. He's the standard of forgiveness because He laid down His life. Where there's shedding of blood, there's forgiveness  (Hebrews 9:22). He shed His blood unto death. And those for whom He shed His blood are forgiven because God has accepted the sacrifice of His Son (Colossians 2:13-15). He's the standard as an example of what believers follow. He teaches us how to love, how to forgive, how to suffer, how to bear reproach, how to pray, and how to honor God in all things. The believer sets his eyes on Christ—he does not look within himself, to his neighbor, or to the law, but to Christ alone. That's what it means for Christ to be our life. Sixth, for Christ to be our life, He's our security.   "Our life is hid with Christ in God."  To be hid means that He's our refuge. If Christ is our life, then my life is secure, not only here below, but eternally. This is a glorious thought for the believer. "As He is, so are we in this world" (1 John 4:17). And where Christ is our life, we must live. That's why the Scriptures say, " And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell"  ( Matthew 10:28 ). That's God Himself. Man might be able to lay his hand on this body, but he can't lay his hand on our life. Christ said, " I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live. And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die"  ( John 11:25 ). Seventh, for Christ to be our life, He is our satisfaction.  Since Christ is our life, we can never find true satisfaction in this world or in the things of this life. As the psalmist said in Psalm 17:15 , "As for me, I will behold thy face in righteousness: I shall be satisfied, when I awake, with thy likeness."   This was the prayer of our LORD Jesus as He anticipated dying, rising again, and beholding the face of His Father upon completion of His earthly work for the salvation of His people. So it is the satisfaction of every child of God for whom Christ is their Advocate and Representative before God the Father. In conclusion, Colossians 3:4  sets our hearts and hopes upon the risen and reigning Christ, who is our very life.  For those who are His, all glory, all righteousness, all fullness, and all hope are found in Him alone. When He shall appear, the veil shall be removed, and we shall be made like Him, clothed in the perfection of His glory. Until that day, we live not for the things of this world, but by faith in Him who loved us and gave Himself for us. Let every believer rest in this blessed assurance: “Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory.”

1 Timothy 4:1,2 "Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils; Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron;" The Holy Spirit distinctly and clearly warns us that in these last days, many professing "christians" will listen to and follow evil men, who are self-proclaimed preachers, who profess to speak for God, who out of covetousness and hypocrisy handle the Word of God deceitfully (1 Timothy 4:1). They will not only listen to these deceivers but will receive their lies and false doctrines. These are not merely secular philosophies, but religious lies preached by men who claim to speak for God. They are, as Paul calls them elsewhere, “false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ” (2 Corinthians 11:13). Their aim is not the glory of Christ but personal gain, who handle the Word of God deceitfully (2 Corinthians 4:2). They speak lies in hypocrisy, having their conscience seared with a hot iron (1 Timothy 4:2). Those who follow such deceivers are themselves deceived. They are blind, ignorant, and lost. Men prefer to be told something to do or something to give up for salvation rather than bow to the LORD Jesus Christ and His work accomplished for sinners there at the cross, by His shed blood unto death for their complete justification and sanctification before God (Romans 11:2,3). This departure from the Faith  is a departure from the Gospel—the truth as it is in the LORD Jesus and the justification of sinners at the cross exclusively. It is a turning from the sufficiency of Christ’s Person and work to the empty efforts of man. Paul warned the Galatians as well: “I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain” (Galatians 2:21). To add anything to Christ's perfect work is to deny its efficacy and to insult and pervert the grace of God. The Father sent the Son to die, not as a supplement to our righteousness, but because there was no other way for sinners to be justified before the Holy and Just God. Christ is the only Way (John 14:6), and He alone has made peace “through the blood of his cross” (Colossians 1:20). Many have departed from the Faith, both preachers and their followers. These are preachers whose effort is to persuade their followers to worship God or seek acceptance before God by the works of the flesh, such as mentioned in the previous chapter, abstaining from certain meats or even from marriage or from food on certain days, and observing certain rules and days of fasting. Sound pretty familiar? These things may appear spiritual, but they are merely “a shew of wisdom in will worship, and humility, and neglecting of the body” (Colossians 2:23). It is self-imposed religion that appeals to the natural man. Men would rather do something—fast, observe days, abstain from foods—than simply bow to Christ and trust Him who finished the work. This is the religion of Cain, who brought the labor of his hands instead of a blood offering. Natural-minded men, without the Spirit of God, are inclined towards such self-righteous activity, in what the Scriptures call carnal worship, or fleshly worship of God. And, therefore, they are averse to true spiritual worship and dependence on the Righteousness and Mercy of God in the LORD Jesus Christ alone. Such men are blinded by Satan. It was so from the beginning, and this is why Paul calls it here "giving heed to seducing spirits and doctrines of devils." Such blindness is the work of GOD, who blinds the minds of those who believe not, “lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ... should shine unto them” (2 Corinthians 4:4). The religion of the flesh says, Do and live.   The Gospel says, Christ has done—believe and live.  Men, in their blindness, prefer to be told to do something or give something up for salvation, rather than be told that they are helpless sinners and must look only to the shed blood and finished work of Jesus Christ. But true worship, true godliness, is spiritual. It is to rejoice in Christ Jesus and have no confidence in the flesh (Philippians 3:3). The natural man is opposed to this because it strips him of all pride and ability. The Gospel declares, “Christ is all, and in all” (Colossians 3:11), and that salvation is entirely by grace through faith, not of ourselves (Ephesians 2: 8–9) . But to those who are taught of God, Christ is everything. “But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption” (1 Corinthians 1:30) . In the immediate context of this portion of Scripture, the apostle Paul exhorts Timothy to exercise himself in godliness  (1 Timothy 4:7). This word does not mean to strive for a sinless life. That would be impossible in this flesh, and it would go contrary to all that the Scriptures teach concerning our nature being sinners from birth. The Word of God declares plainly, “There is none righteous, no, not one” (Romans 3:10), and again, “They that are in the flesh cannot please God” (Romans 8:8). Godliness has to do rather with a God-fearing, knowledge of God in truth, which can only be taught by the Spirit of God. So, it is a spiritual gift which God gives, the revelation of the LORD Jesus Christ in the heart of a sinner, and stands in contrast to much of what is preached as godliness, which is nothing more than works or something that the sinner himself attempts to do to make himself like God. That’s an impossibility. It is not a product of human effort, but a gift of Divine grace. True godliness is the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5: 22–23),  and it springs from a heart that has been brought to know the LORD Jesus Christ through the power of the Gospel. It is “the mystery of godliness” (1 Timothy 3:16),  revealed not by flesh and blood, but by the Spirit of the living God. As Christ said to Peter, “Blessed art thou... for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven” (Matthew 16:17). This God-taught knowledge of Christ stands in direct contrast to the false godliness promoted in much of what passes for religion in these last days—external works, moral reform, dietary restrictions, religious rituals, and other things In which the sinner attempts to make himself acceptable to God. But Scripture is clear: “Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us” (Titus 3:5). Any effort by the natural man to be like God or to come to God by his own works is an utter impossibility. The flesh profits nothing  (John 6:63). In Christ’s death, the elect of God were declared righteous. “He hath made him to be sin for us... that we might be made the righteousness of God in him” (2 Corinthians 5:21). God accepted the one offering of Christ, and all for whom He died are perfected forever (Hebrews 10:14). This is the true Faith. It is the doctrine which is according to godliness in Christ, from which elected, redeemed, justified, and called out sinners can NEVER depart.

Galatians 2:19-21 "For I through the law am dead to the law, that I might live unto God. I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me. I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain." In this passage, the apostle Paul sets forth the heart of the Gospel and unveils the glorious mystery of sovereign grace in Christ. Life is not found through the works of the law, nor by our obedience to its commands. It is found solely through union with Christ in His death and resurrection. The righteousness required by the law was perfectly fulfilled by the sinless life and obedience of the LORD Jesus Christ. That righteousness was imputed to the account of every elect sinner when He declared, “It is finished” (John 19:30) and laid down His life as their Substitute and Surety. Why, then, was the law given if no one could ever keep it? The apostle explains, “The law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ” (Galatians 3:24). It was ordained by God to expose the utter inability and ruin of man in Adam. Through the Spirit’s work, the elect are brought to see their guilt, sin, and helplessness under the law. This leads them to be shut up to Christ—the only One Who ever fulfilled the law, both in letter and in spirit. “There is none righteous, no, not one” (Romans 3:10). No creature can satisfy God’s justice through personal obedience. Thus Paul declares, “I through the law am dead to the law, that I might live unto God” (Galatians 2:19). The law, being holy, just, and good, can only condemn the sinner, for “by the law is the knowledge of sin” (Romans 3:20). But thanks be to God, in Christ, the believer is made dead to the law—freed from its curse and condemnation—because Christ has fulfilled the law’s demands on their behalf. “For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son… condemned sin in the flesh: that the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us”  ( Romans 8:3–4) . This death to the law is not by man's effort, but by God's sovereign work of grace, imputing the obedience and blood of Christ to His elect. Paul goes on to say, “I am crucified with Christ” (Galatians 2:20). This speaks of the believer’s union with Christ in His death, a union purposed from eternity, accomplished at the cross, and made effectual by the Spirit. In this death, the old man—the Adamic nature—is judged and put away. Yet, Paul says, “Nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me.”  This is the miracle of sovereign grace: the life of Christ, indwelling and animating the believer. It is not a righteousness of our own, but the life of Christ formed in us by the Holy Spirit. “Christ in you, the hope of glory” (Colossians 1:27). Paul then adds, “And the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God” (Galatians 2:20). This faith is not of man, but of God— “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God” (Ephesians 2:8). It is the faith of the Son of God, granted by divine grace, by which the believer looks to Christ alone—resting in His finished work, trusting in His perfect righteousness, and rejoicing in His redeeming love. “ All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out”   (John 6:37). Finally, Paul asserts, “ I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain”   (Galatians 2:21). Here is the foundation and glory of the Gospel: righteousness is not earned—it is revealed and received through Christ alone. If righteousness could be attained by law-keeping, then the death of Christ would be unnecessary and meaningless. But Christ died to establish the righteousness of God for His people, that “He might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus” (Romans 3:26). Salvation is, from beginning to end, the work of God’s sovereign grace. We who are the LORD’s rejoice in this gospel: our standing before God is not based on our works, but entirely upon the finished work of Jesus Christ. We have been crucified with Him, made dead to the law, and are now alive unto God through the faith of His Son. “Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus” (Romans 3:24). This is the Gospel of sovereign grace—that God, in Christ, has justified, sanctified, and glorified every one of His elect through His death, burial, resurrection and ascension. May this sacred truth cause our hearts to rest wholly and joyfully in Christ, Who alone is our Life and Righteousness, now and forevermore.

Hebrews 10:8-10 "Above when he said, Sacrifice and offering and burnt offerings and offering for sin thou wouldest not, neither hadst pleasure therein; which are offered by the law; Then said he, Lo, I come to do thy will, O God. He taketh away the first, that he may establish the second. By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all." In these verses from Hebrews 10, the Holy Spirit opens to us the glorious fulfillment of God’s eternal purpose in Christ. The sacrifices and offerings of the law, though many and continual, could never take away sins. But in His sovereign eternal purpose, God the Father had prepared a body for His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, that He might come into the world to accomplish His will. By that one perfect will, accomplished through the obedience and sacrifice of Christ at the cross, all the elect of God were justified and sanctified—set apart, cleansed, and accepted once for all. May our hearts be drawn to this glorious Christ and Savior in beholding the sufficiency and triumph of His finished work, whereby grace reigns through righteousness unto eternal life (Romans 5:21). The body of the Perfect Man, Jesus, had to be prepared. He took on the sins of His people, as stated in Isaiah 53:6, " All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all. "  However, He remained sinless, being the Perfect Lamb of God, as Hebrews 7:26  describes, " For such an high priest became us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and made higher than the heavens ." His body had to endure the weight of God’s justice on behalf of the chosen sinners for whom He died, as prophesied in Isaiah 53:10, " Yet it pleased the Lord to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hand. " Remarkably, not a bone of His body was broken, fulfilling the law as noted in John 19:36, " For these things were done, that the scripture should be fulfilled, A bone of him shall not be broken ." Real blood had to be shed, " And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission" ( Hebrews 9:22),  representing the blood of a real man as the Substitute for sinners. Acts 20:28  describes it as God’s blood because it satisfied God the Father, ensuring justice while justifying those He chose to redeem once the work was completed, " Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood."   Jesus, as a real man, had to obey every aspect of the law (Matthew 5:17)  and satisfy God the Father's infinite justice, which He did, " When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, It is finished: and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost" (John 19:30).  No angel or physical lamb could achieve this, Hebrews 1:4-14; 10:4.   He fulfilled the law entirely, both in its requirements and penalties. He took on the charge and curse of sin on behalf of God’s elect, bearing their sins in His body, and as Hebrews 7:27  states, carried them away once and for all when He had shed His blood unto death.   Though Christ was purposed as the Surety of God’s elect before the world’s foundation, Scripture tells us that He became that Surety in the fulness of the time appointed by the Father through His death on the cross, " By so much was Jesus made a surety of a better testament" (Hebrews 7:22),  dying 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).  At that moment, God the Father redeemed, justified and forgave all the sins of the elect in His one sacrifice. This fulfilled the prophecy in Daniel 9:24: “He finished transgression, ended sins, made reconciliation for iniquity, and brought in everlasting righteousness.”    This glorious work of redemption, justification, and salvation that the LORD Jesus accomplished for His sheep is astounding. By the revelation of God’s Spirit in them, each of the chosen ones looks, in God’s appointed time, to the Lamb alone Who completed the work for them. " But when it pleased God, who separated me from my mother's womb, and called me by his grace" (Galatians 1:15). On the other hand, there is a solemn warning, as Hebrews 10:26-27 states, that if we sin willfully after receiving the knowledge of the Truth, there remains no other sacrifice for sins, but only the fearful anticipation of judgment.   Let us then rejoice in the perfect and finished work of Christ, by which the elect have been justified and sanctified once for all through the offering of His body. This is the will of God, fulfilled in His Son—the true and final sacrifice that has put away sin forever for those He came to redeem. All who rest in Him have peace with God and are accepted in the Beloved. But to those who remain in unbelief, there is no other offering for sin appointed by God. All who turn from this sacrifice of the LORD Jesus Christ alone do so to their eternal peril, having rejected the only Hope that God the Father has ordained for the salvation of His people. Therefore, we take refuge in the LORD Jesus Christ and His accomplished work at the cross alone. He alone has done the will of God the Father, as His Dear Eternal Son, and whose one offering is the fountain opened for sin and uncleanness (Zechariah 13:1).

Proverbs 26:11 "As a dog returneth to his vomit, so a fool returneth to his folly." This verse illustrates the natural corruption and depravity of man  apart from the regenerating work of the Holy Spirit. It highlights the persistent nature of sin in the unregenerate heart and underscores the need for the sovereign, effectual grace of God to bring about true and lasting salvation. In ancient Israelite culture, dogs were considered unclean animals , often used as metaphors for those outside the covenant (e.g., Gentiles  or the impure —cf. 1 Samuel 17:43 , Philippians 3:2 ). The image of a dog returning to its vomit was repulsive and vividly communicated the loathsome nature of sin and the folly of unbelief and false profession. The fool in Proverbs is not just intellectually deficient but morally and spiritually bankrupt , one who despises wisdom and instruction   (Proverbs 1:7) . Returning to folly, like a dog to vomit, shows the deep-seated nature of sin that cannot be cured by mere instruction or outward reform. Nothing less than the sovereign work of the LORD Jesus Christ in redeeming the sinner and the Spirit of Christ drawing them to Christ can accomplish the work of salvation of which God is the Author and Finisher (Hebrews 12:2). What then is the spiritual significance of a fool returning to his folly like a dog to his vomit? Who are those so described in this scripture? 1. Those totally depraved and corrupted in their souls and flesh This verse is a stark reminder that, apart from the sovereign grace of God in Christ and His redeeming, justifying death on the cross, sinners will always return to sin. The heart, left to itself, is enslaved to corruption. Jeremiah 13:23 -Can the Ethiopian change his skin, or the leopard his spots? then may ye also do good, that are accustomed to do evil." John 8:34 -"Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin." Just as a dog is instinctively drawn to its filth, so is the natural man drawn to his sin. Grace must do what man cannot—save and keep the sinner from the way he would continue to go without the sovereign work of God in Christ, by the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 2:8-10). 2. False Converts and Professing Fools Peter quotes this very proverb about false teachers and apostates: 2 Peter 2:20–22 "For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ… the latter end is worse with them than the beginning… But it is happened unto them according to the true proverb, The dog is turned to his own vomit again..." Here, Peter speaks of those who had a form of the knowledge of the Truth but were never truly taught of the LORD Jesus by His Spirit. They cleaned up externally, perhaps even influenced outwardly by the preaching of the Gospel, but eventually reverted to their former ways. This is not the loss of salvation (which is impossible for the elect), but the revealing of the sin and unbelief of an unchanged heart. By contrast, the one who is born again (literally born from above, John 3:3,8 ) does not return to his old ways of sin and unbelief in the same enslaved manner as he once lived. Though the believer still has the flesh, he has been made a new creation in Christ. 2 Corinthians 5:17 "Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new." He is no longer under the condemnation of his former father, Adam, but now been put in Christ and under His Headship, whereby all things are new with regard to pardon from sin, justification before God, and sanctification full and complete already in Christ and His finished work. The Spirit of God has given such an one a new heart to serve Christ, and not the adamic flesh, and never to return to that former life of condemnation. Ezekiel 36:26–27 "A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you... I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes..." It is the work of the triune God in choosing out those that should be saved, and the Son of God coming in the flesh to earn and establish that righteousness necessary for God to justify them, and in time the Spirit of God calling each one to Christ. Kept as little dogs eating crumbs of mercy from the Master's table, Matthew 15:27-29. No longer returning to vomit, but longing for that Righteousness of God, imputed in the LORD Jesus Christ. The fool returns to his folly because he has never known Christ, and therefore pursues his own way. Only Christ, the Power and Wisdom of God, has saved and keeps each of God's elected ones ( 1 Corinthians 1:24). The one made wise unto salvation by God in Christ hears His voice, follows Him, and does not return to the ways of death (John 10:28 ). Proverbs 26:11 is a vivid illustration of what man is without grace—a fool enslaved to sin, repeatedly returning to the corruption of a false way and dead works. But the grace of God in Christ not only warns us of this reality, it delivers the elect from it. By God's sovereign will, His people are redeemed, justified, called, and preserved, never to be lost, never to be like the dog returning to its vomit. Jude 24–25- " Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy..." This is the triumph of sovereign grace in Christ—not merely saving us from folly, but keeping us in Christ forever.

Luke 8:11 "Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God." This parable of the sower is often read as a description of different kinds of people—some who hear and never believe, some who fall away, and others who bring forth fruit. But, instead of distinguishing different types of individuals, our LORD is opening to us the various ways the heart of God’s elect responds to His Word at other times, under different seasons, and according to His sovereign will. We know that the Seed is the Word of God—the Gospel of grace, the message of the finished work of Jesus Christ. The sower is Christ Himself, (Matthew 13:37) Who by His Spirit sends forth His Word through chosen instruments. The soils then represent the condition of the heart, not fixed by human will, but shaped and tilled by the sovereign hand of God. By the Wayside (v. 12) “There are some that hear; then cometh the devil, and taketh away the word out of their hearts, lest they should believe and be saved.” Even in the elect, there is a season when the heart lies hardened, trampled down by sin, pride, or spiritual ignorance. The Word comes, but seems to make no impression. How many of us, before regeneration, heard the Gospel many times and thought little of it? The devil gladly snatches away that Word, lest light enter in. Yet the elect are not left in that condition. In due time, God sends forth His Spirit and ploughs up the fallow ground. Upon a Rock (v. 13) “They...receive the word with joy...but have no root...in time of temptation fall away.” Here, we see the heart stirred emotionally, perhaps under a sense of need or fear of judgment. There is a gladness in hearing Christ preached, but without depth—many of God’s elect experience such a season—a short-lived zeal that soon wanes under trials. But the Rock does not speak of Christ here—it speaks of shallowness. And yet even in this, the LORD is not done. He will not allow His own to be content with mere excitement. He will break them, humble them, and root them deeply in Christ. Among Thorns (v. 14) “They...are choked with cares and riches and pleasures of this life, and bring no fruit to perfection.” How often the believer, still tender in faith, finds himself overwhelmed by worldly concerns! Even the redeemed can be distracted and entangled. This choking is real, but not final. It is the gracious hand of God that purges, prunes, and disciplines His children, that they may bring forth fruit. The thorns are not removed by human effort, but by the work of the Spirit, Who teaches us to set our affections on things above. On Good Ground (v. 15) “But that on the good ground are they, which in an honest and good heart, having heard the word, keep it, and bring forth fruit with patience.” This is the heart that God has prepared. Not naturally good, but made so by sovereign grace. The same heart that was once hardened, shallow, and thorn-choked is now made receptive, fruitful, and enduring. Why? Because God  was pleased to bless the Seed. This is the triumph of grace, not the difference of men, but the difference God makes in men. The heart is changed by the Sower of the Seed itself, in conjunction with the Spirit Who gives the increase. Let us then see in this parable not a reason to boast if we bear fruit, nor a reason to despair if we have not, but a call to look to Christ, the Sower and the Seed, the Author and Finisher of our Faith. The same Word that fell lifeless yesterday may spring forth today in power, when the LORD speaks life. And when He does, it will bring forth fruit—not by our might, but by His mercy. “So then neither is he that planteth any thing, neither he that watereth; but God that giveth the increase.” — 1 Corinthians 3:7