Titus 3:1-5 Niv

For Reading and Meditation:     Psalm 85:1-13

We continue our study of the Beatitudes - the study of Jesus' declarations of how to become "the happy ones". Today we come to the fifth of Christ's famous sayings: "Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy" (Matthew 5:7). What does our Lord mean when He uses...

For Reading and Meditation:     Ephesians 2:1-10

A Hindu once said in my presence: "A man may change his acts but not his character." He was saying that a change is possible, but not a vertical change; there can be improvement, modification, a change of attitude, but no deep radical change. The Christian church is not without a sprinkling of what yesterday I called...

Speak of no man from an unholy motive, or with a design to injure him; this is decidedly wrong. We are commanded by our beloved Saviour, to love our enemies; to do good to them that hate us and despitefully use us; to pray for them and seek their salvation.

If we speak evil of them we dishonour God, bring guilt upon our consciences, grieve the Spirit, and spoil our peace of mind. If we can indulge in detraction without feeling guilty and distressed, our consciences must be blinded, and...

How sweet it is to behold the Saviour communing with his own beloved people! There can be nothing more delightful than, by the Divine Spirit, to be led into this fertile field of delight. Let the mind for an instant consider the history of the Redeemer's love, and a thousand enchanting acts of affection will suggest themselves, all of which have had for their design the weaving of the heart into Christ, and the intertwisting of the thoughts and emotions of the renewed soul with the mind of...

The mercy of God is His pity, lovingkindness and compassion on those who are guilty, failing, distressed or needy. The Scriptures emphasize that God is rich in mercy (Ephesians 2:4) and plenteous in mercy (Psalms 86:5). His mercy is abundant (1 Peter 1:3); it is great unto the heavens (Psalms 57:10). "For as the...

He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. § Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us. § Christ Jesus … became for us wisdom from God– and righteousness and sanctification and redemption. § Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out on us abundantly through Jesus...

You know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that you through His poverty might become rich. § Where sin abounded, grace abounded much more.That in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. § Knowing that a man is not...

Be imitators of God as dear children. § Love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. § Be merciful, just as your Father also is merciful.The fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness, righteousness, and truth.When the kindness and the love of...

Walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma.Having been born again, not of corruptible seed but incorruptible, through the word of God which lives and abides forever. § Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth. § Unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. § Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through...

The Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all. § [He] Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness—by whose stripes you were healed. § As by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so also by one Man’s obedience many will be made righteous.But when the kindness and the love of God our Savior toward man appeared, not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through...