Romans-9:18-33-esv

For Reading and Meditation:     Galatians 3:1-25

The Christian Church has always struggled to get the balance right between faith and works. Romans is the great book on "faith" while James is the great book on "works." I know some Christians who never read the book of James, taking sides with Martin Luther who called it a "book of straw." Martin Luther may have been...

God is sovereign. That means that He is the supreme Ruler of the universe, and that He can do as He pleases. But having said that, we must quickly add that what God pleases is always right. His way is perfect.

Isaiah quotes the Lord as saying, "My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my Pleasure" (Isaiah 46:10). When Nebuchadnezzar was restored to his right mind, he said, "He doeth according to his will in the army of heaven, and among...

After all, there is nothing that men detest so much as a feeling of shame. We hear a great deal of calamities, bereavements, losses, sorrows, troubles, and numerous other synonyms; but all these are not near so odious to a man as a feeling of shame. There is not any calamity that men have not accepted in preference to a momentary feeling of shame. A feeling of shame in the mind of a man would make him insensible to the loss of his father, or of any other very dear friend; to the loss of...

If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. § We must through many tribulations enter the kingdom of God.Whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame. § To you who believe, He is precious; but to those who are disobedient, “The stone which the builders rejected has become...

That He might make known the riches of His glory on the vessels of mercy, which He had afore prepared unto glory" (Rom. 9:23).

Mercifully, day by day, He unfolds before our startled eyes the evil depths of the self-life. It is thus we come to know Him as the "God who is rich in mercy,"...

Beware that thou forget not the Lord thy God" (Deut. 8:11).

Our Father would be free to favor us with far more of His riches in Christ Jesus if we would keep more in mind that grace is unmerited favor - so that "He might make known the riches of His glory on the vessels of mercy"...

But though He cause grief, yet will He have compassion according to the multitude of His mercies" (Lam. 3:32).

We are going to discover that our Father's grace and mercy shine brightest against the darkness of the daily Cross.

"We make a most serious...