There is not a sin upon you that the blood of Christ cannot wash clean. There is not an offense that the gracious God cannot forgive. The great obstacle that lies between you and God is not your sin so much as your righteousness! It is true that our sins have separated us from our God, but it is our righteousness that keeps us apart. There is a remedy for sin in the gospel, so our sin is no hindrance to our salvation in Christ. However, our righteousness will keep us from simply receiving God's grace in Christ; and that will prevent our being saved. If you have not trusted the Lord Jesus to save your soul by His blood and righteousness, it is because you yet have hope in your own righteousness: either a righteousness you have already performed or one that you hope to perform in the future. How subtle is self-righteousness! God grant you and me grace to see it for what it is and forsake it in favor of Christ who is our righteousness. -- Joe Terrell
It is a blessing to experience those times when all seems well and faith comes easily, when it seems the very air is filled with the presence of the Lord. Such times are a blessing, but they are no proof of true faith. Faith is proven when it...[ abbreviated | read entire ]
The Righteousness of GodOne of the more important phrases in our English Bibles is the phrase, “The righteousness of God.” Martin Luther claimed that a proper understanding of this phrase led to his salvation. But a word or phrase has...[ abbreviated | read entire ]
Faith and Feelings The promises of the Gospel do not deal with feelings, but reality. By the Gospel we ARE accepted in the Beloved, even if we do not FEEL accepted. We ARE forgiven in Christ, even when we do not FEEL so. Many a struggling believer...[ abbreviated | read entire ]
As the years pass, I come to a greater and greater realization of how much I must depend upon the grace of God for my salvation. My righteousness appears less and less acceptable in my sight: and if it looks poor in my sight, how awful it must...[ abbreviated | read entire ]
When Mary of Bethany anointer the Lord with her costly ointment, it was for Him and Him alone, that she did it. However, the Scriptures tell us that the perfume filled the room and all who were there were blessed and privileged to enjoy the...[ abbreviated | read entire ]
Of the twelve sons of Jacob, one was named Dan. His name means “judge.” When Jacob blessed his sons, he spoke of Dan being the judge of his brothers, likening him to a serpent that bites the heels of horses causing the riders to fall.
As children, we learned that we were not to call people by malicious names. But, sometimes we forget this childhood lesson when we are engaged in what we think is a defense of the gospel. How often have we referred to someone by some detested...[ abbreviated | read entire ]
“…we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.” (I John 2:1) As this verse went through my mind, I was suddenly brought up short by the thought of what a horrible state we would be in if we didn’t...[ abbreviated | read entire ]
Imagine yourself as that woman taken in adultery. You are undeniably guilty; you have been caught in the very act. On one side stands a group of men representing the Law of Moses given by God. They are fierce and unyielding in there demand for...[ abbreviated | read entire ]
