2 Corinthians 5:6-21

THE Christian's path is often very rough; thorns and briars grow on either side, dark clouds hang over it, and no cheering prospects appear to animate the heart. But if he acts consistently, he still believes it is the right path; that trials are mercies in disguise, and that the path of tribulation ends in the kingdom of God. He believes it is all needful, is the very best way his Father could select; that the design of God is gracious, and his present trials are to end in his eternal...

Is there any thing but love between God and your souls? There ought not to be. God hates nothing but sin. He is offended with nothing but sin. This we profess to hate and forsake. We were once enemies, but Jesus died to reconcile us to God.

We are now professedly friends, but do we act towards God, and speak of God, as though we were His friends? Are we offended at any thing in God, or at any thing done by God? Why should we be? His nature is love. His ways are all infinitely wise. His...

How much owest thou unto my Lord? Has he ever done anything for thee? Has he forgiven thy sins? Has he covered thee with a robe of righteousness? Has he set thy feet upon a rock? Has he established thy goings? Has he prepared heaven for thee? Has he prepared thee for heaven? Has he written thy name in his book of life? Has he given thee countless blessings? Has he laid up for thee a store of mercies, which eye hath not seen nor ear heard? Then do something for Jesus worthy of his love. Give...

Mourning Christian! why weepest thou? Art thou mourning over thine own corruptions? Look to thy perfect Lord, and remember, thou art complete in him; thou art in God's sight as perfect as if thou hadst never sinned; nay, more than that, the Lord our Righteousness hath put a divine garment upon thee, so that thou hast more than the righteousness of man-thou hast the righteousness of God. O thou who art mourning by reason of inbred sin and depravity, remember, none of thy sins can condemn...

Did you ever stop to wonder why a baseball game is more exciting to most people than a prayer meeting? Yet comparative attendance records prove that it is so.

Or we might ask, "Why is the Presidency of the United States more appealing than overseership in an assembly?" Parents don't say to their sons, "Eat your food and some day you may be an elder." No, they say, "Clean your plate and some day you may grow up to be President."

Why is a successful career in business more...

Contrary to popular opinion, there are no degrees of fitness for heaven. A person is either absolutely fit or he is not fit at all. This goes counter to the common notion that at the top of God's totem pole are good, clean-living people, at the bottom are the crooks and mobsters, and in between are those with varying degrees of fitness for heaven. It is an enormous mistake. We are either fit or we aren't. There is nothing in between.

Actually none of us is fit in himself. We are all...

While it is true, as we have seen on the previous page, that there are no degrees of fitness for heaven, it is also true that there will be degrees of reward in heaven. The Judgment Seat of Christ will be a place of review and reward where some will be rewarded more than others.

Also there will be differing capacities for enjoying the glories of heaven. Everyone will be happy but some will have greater capacity for happiness than others. Everyone's cup will be full but some will have...

God has irregulars in His army, and very often these are the ones who win the greatest victories. In their zeal for the Lord they seem eccentric. They use original methods instead of sticking to the traditional ones. They are always saying and doing the unexpected. They can murder the English language and violate every known rule of preaching and teaching, yet see great gains for God's kingdom. Often they are dramatic, even electrifying. People are shocked, but they never forget...

He died for all; a glorious truth repeated in every variety of language, and oftentimes with the utmost explicitness that language can admit of. By virtue of this unlimited atonement, salvation may be offered to all, the gospel to every creature, the water of life to whomsoever will; by virtue of this, men that believe not are condemned because they have not believed on the Son of God, and men are convinced of sin be cause of unbelief. It is this that gives its pathos to the language of...

Every man's world is what his heart makes it to be. When his heart changes, the world changes. When faith has come in and renewed his heart, he thenceforth walks in a new world. A new aspect comes over the face of all things. Faith reveals to him new and most important truths concerning everything, so that he can no longer take a step in just the mood that he formerly did, nor look upon a single individual as he once did.

Imagine a man on a beautiful island where there are a thousand...