if we're not under the law, why does God still give us commands?

"... the gospel changes my view of God's commandments, in that it helps me to see the heart of the Person from whom those commandments come. When I begin my train of thought with the gospel, I realize that if God loved me enough to sacrifice His Son's life for me, then He must be guided by that same love when He speaks His commandments to me. Viewing God's commands and prohibitions in this light, I can see them for what they really are: friendly signposts from a heavenly Father who is seeking to love me through each directive, so that I might experience His very fullness forever."

-Milton Vincent, A Gospel Primer, p.18

The Holy Spirit reveals Jesus to blind eyes

"The point of a spotlight is not to stand in front of it and stare into its bright light (that would blind you). A spotlight is useful only when it's pointed at others, enabling us to see them more clearly. And that's what the Spirit does. That's the most living, powerful thing he can do in our lives -help us to see and treasure Jesus Christ."

-Joshua Harris, Dug Down Deep, p.192-193

The self-sufficiency of God

Were all human beings suddenly to become blind, still the sun would shine by day and the stars by night, for these owe nothing to the millions who benefit from their light. So, were every man on earth to become an atheist, it could not affect God in any way. He is what He is in Himself without regard to any other. To believe in Him adds nothing to His perfections; to doubt Him takes nothing away.

-A.W. Tozer, The Knowledge of the Holy, p.33

‘God, I thank you that I am not like other men...'

(see Luke 18:9-14)

One person may be a relatively decent sinner and another may be a flagrant sinner, but both are sinners... If sixty is the passing grade... it does not matter if you scored forty and I scored twenty. We both failed to get a passing grade. There is no point in your boasting that your failing grade is superior to mine. The only thing that matters is that we both failed the exam...

This eliminates any room for comparison of ourselves with others who may appear more sinful - or at least less holy - than we are. So if we are to live by the gospel every day, all tendency to compare ourselves with other believers, not to mention unbelievers, must be put away. Rather we must measure ourselves against God's perfect standard and daily confess that we have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.

-Jerry Bridges, The Discipline of Grace, p.52-53

He is Jesus lyrics

There’s a treasure great in beauty
Far surpassing earth’s great wealth
He is Jesus, Prince of Glory
Source of all grace, peace, and health
There’s a fountain ever flowing
Satisfying all who drink
He is Jesus, spring of joy
To all who hail Him as their King


There’s a power, holy power
Breaking bonds of captive men
He is Jesus, mighty Jesus
Holy warrior and sinner’s friend
There’s a Savior rich in mercy
Quick to pardon all our sins
He is Jesus, great Redeemer
Reconciling God and man


There’s a glorious Lord returning
And all will bow to Him alone
He is Jesus, King of nations
Reigning from His gracious throne
There is one to whom our praises
Will through every age ascend
He is Jesus, King forever
Whose wondrous rule will never end

-Stephen Altrogge, lyrics to "He Is Jesus", In a Little While (album), Sovereign Grace Music

God is sovereign over ALL

Proverbs 16:4 The Lord has made everything for its purpose,even the wicked for the day of trouble.

“Jehovah works everywhere, and all things are His servants.”
-Spurgeon, At the Master’s Feet, May 22.

what are we doing when we sin?

... "for to set our will against the will of God is to dethrone God and make ourselves supreme in the little kingdom of Mansoul."

-A.W. Tozer, The Knowledge of the Holy, p.30

which came first: your decision... or God's election?

“A man is not saved because he believes in Christ; he believes in Christ because he is saved.”

- Loraine Boettner, The Reformed Doctrine of Predestination (Philadelphia, PA: P&R Publishing, 1965), 101.

as stated to me today by a kind elderly woman, after talking my ear off for 20 minutes

blogger's note: though somewhat lacking in theological profundity, this quote will nevertheless remain one of my all time faves...

“Sorry I don’t look cute. If I’da knowed you was comin’ today, I’da put my teeth in.”
-friendly old lady named Rose

what is true joy?

A deep, durable, delight in the splendor of God, that ruins you for anything else.
-Sam Storms, sermon called “For Your Joy” 02-01-10, 2010 Desiring God Conference for Pastors

suffering: God's forge

Affliction is God’s forge where He softens the iron heart. You cannot work with iron while it remains cold and hard. Put it into the fire though, and make it red hot there and you may stamp upon it any figure or impression you please. Melted vessels are impressionable to any form. So it is with the heart of man, by nature it is cold and hard, and this is much increased by prosperity and the longsuffering of God toward sinners. The furnace makes the soul pliable to God’s counsel, and sometimes God is forced to make the furnace heated seven times hotter to work out the dross that renders men so resistant to the ministry of the Word.
-Thomas Case, as quoted by Eric Mason at Desiring God Conference for Pastors 2010

ELECTION: your will? or God's?

But there are some who say, "It is hard for God to choose some and leave others." Now, I will ask you one question. Is there any of you here this morning who wishes to be holy, who wishes to be regenerate, to leave off sin and walk in holiness? "Yes, there is," says some one, "I do." Then God has elected you. But another says, "No; I don't want to be holy; I don't want to give up my lusts and my vices." Why should you grumble, then, that God has not elected you to it? For if you were elected you would not like it, according to your own confession...
...You love this world's pleasures better than religion; then why should you grumble that God has not chosen you to religion? If you love religion, he has chosen you to it. If you desire it, he has chosen you to it. If you do not, what right have you to say that God ought to have given you what you do not wish for?...
...If you believe [these things] to be good and desire them, they are there for thee. God gives liberally to all those who desire; and first of all, he makes them desire, otherwise they never would. If you love these things, he has elected you to them, and you may have them; but if you do not, who are you that you should find fault with God, when it is your own desperate will that keeps you from loving these things—your own simple self that makes you hate them?
-C.H. Spurgeon, a sermon called “Election” on 2 Thessalonians 2:13-14

God: far beyond all comprehension

To admit there is one who lies beyond us, who exists outside of all our categories, who will not be dismissed with a name, who will not appear before the bar of our reason, nor submit to our curious inquiries: this requires a great deal of humility, more than most of us possess, so we save face by thinking God down to our level, or at least down to where we can manage Him. Yet how He eludes us! For He is everywhere while He is nowhere, for "where" has to do with matter and space, and God is independent of both. He is unaffected by time or motion, is wholly self-dependent and owes nothing to the worlds His hands have made.
-A.W Tozer, The Knowledge of the Holy, pp.26-27

major in the Gospel!

The gospel isn’t one class among many that you’ll attend during your life as a Christian – the gospel is the whole building that all the classes take place in! Rightly approached, all the topics you’ll study and focus on as a believer will be offered to you ‘within the walls’ of the glorious gospel.
-C.J. Mahaney, The Cross Centered Life, 75-76

what are we saying about God?

When I complain, I'm informing the world that God isn't very good at running my life.
-Stephen Altrogge, on Twitter, 2009