GOOD HOPE THROUGH GRACE – II Thess. 2:16

The word hope means an expectation. How can any sinner have an expectation of anything good from God? Only by God’s grace freely given us in Christ Jesus. A good hope has to be by grace not by works. The only thing I can expect based on my merit is damnation. God’s elect can expect salvation from sin only because of God’s grace. Dead sinners can expect eternal life only by God’s grace. Guilty sinners can expect forgiveness only by God’s grace. Troubled sinners can expect comfort only by God’s grace. Any sinner who believes on the Lord Jesus Christ can expect eternal glory with Christ. What a glorious hope God’s grace gives!

Pastor

Christ is not valued, nor His grace appreciated until men have a genuine knowledge of their misery, helplessness, and lost condition because of sin. When sin is SIN indeed, then grace is GRACE indeed, and Christ is CHRIST indeed. If men have a superficial sense of sin, they have a superficial faith in Christ.

Thomas Manton

The Justice of God

The JUSTICE OF GOD is in itself a great barrier to the salvation of a sinner. Because God is just, our sins must be punished. Never has there been a sin pardoned without atonement since the world began. There has never been a sin remitted by the great Judge of heaven until justice has been fully satisfied.

How, then, can a sinner be saved? This is the great riddle of the law and the grand discovery of the gospel. The answer is, “God’s justice has been fully satisfied through the substitution of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ.”

He died “the just for the unjust” that He might bring us to God. Through the obedience and death of our Lord on our behalf, God can be just and justify the believer.

Pastor Henry Mahan

Faith is looking to Christ, not to how much faith I have. It is not faith that saves, but it is Christ Who saves!

Faith is looking to Christ and not to my prayers, my worship, nor my meditations.

Faith is looking to Christ and not to the name I wear nor the doctrines I hold. It is not what but Whom we believe.

Faith is looking to Christ and not the law. The law wounds but never heals; it kills but never gives life.

Faith is looking to Christ and not to His mother, nor His apostles, nor to a cross. There is one God and one Mediator.

Faith is looking to Christ, and not to the brethren; neither the best nor the worst of them – no confidence in the flesh.

Faith is looking to Christ, not to my strength nor to my weakness. All grace or strength we have is by His grace; and when I am weak, then I am strong.

Faith is looking to Christ, not my works! Our righteousnesses are filthy rags.

Faith is looking to Christ yesterday, today, and tomorrow.

Faith is looking to Christ at all times; and we never stop coming, looking, resting, trusting, believing, depending nor leaning on the Lord Jesus Christ.