Beholding Grace » Quotes

My Part Was Running Away

Matt Kresge — Sat, 24 Mar 2012 10:34:29 +0000

“Harry A. Ironside, a great Bible teacher, told a story about an older Christian who asked to give his testimony. He told how God had sought him out and found him, how God had loved him, called him, saved him, delivered him, cleansed him, and healed him–a great witness to the grace, power, and glory of God. But after the meeting a rather legalistic Christian took him aside and criticized his testimony, as some Christians like to do. He said, ‘I appreciated all you said about what God did for you. But you didn’t mention anything about your part in it. Salvation is really part us and part God. You should have mentioned something about your part.’

‘Oh yes,’ the older Christian said. ‘I apologize for that. I really should have said something about my part. My part was running away, and his part was running after me until he caught me.’

If we understand the truth of that, we understand a great deal about the true gospel. All of us have run away. But God has set his gracious love upon us, predestined us to become like Jesus Christ, called us to faith and repentance, justified us, adopted us as his spiritual sons and daughters, begun a work of sanctification within us that will continue until the day of Jesus Christ, and has even glorified us, so certain of completion is his plan.”

– James Montgomery Boice and Philip Graham Ryken, The Doctrines of Grace. Pg. 153-154

We Are Not Alone

Matt Kresge — Wed, 21 Mar 2012 10:40:37 +0000

“Think not that your path is a isolated one. The incarnate God has trodden it before you, and He can give you the clear eye of faith to see His footprint in every step. Jesus can say, and He does say to you, “I know your sorrow; I know what that cross is, for I have carried it. You have not a burden that I did not bear, nor a sorrow that I did not feel, nor a pain that I did not endure, nor a path that I did not tread, nor a tear that did not bedew my eye, nor a cloud that did not shade my spirit, before you, and for you.”

–Octavius Winslow. MORNING THOUGHTS, or DAILY WALKING WITH GOD (Kindle Locations 177-181).

The Bible is not a Self-Help Book

Jeremy Georges — Fri, 02 Mar 2012 21:21:28 +0000

“The Bible’s purpose is not so much to show you how to live a good life. The Bible’s purpose is to show you how God’s grace breaks into your life against your will and saves you from the sin and brokenness otherwise you would never be able to overcome…the Gospel is, ‘if you are absolutely accepted, and sure you’re accepted, only then will you ever begin to obey.’” – Tim Keller

The Gospel is the Whole Building

Matt Kresge — Fri, 02 Mar 2012 19:53:04 +0000

“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

Aggressively Graceful

Matt Kresge — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 19:33:00 +0000

“The gospel does not tell us to be passive toward others in their faults. It tells us to be aggressively graceful. We overcome evil with good. ‘Overcome’ is a warrior’s term. Paul is saying, ‘Go to war with evil, and defeat it soundly with grace.’ Jesus overcame evil in us through the grace of the cross. We will overcome evil in others by being to them as Jesus was to us.”

–JD Greear, Gospel (Pg. 118)

Calvin: Enjoy and Worship

Matt Kresge — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 05:20:00 +0000

“Let each of us, therefore, in contemplating his own nature, remember that there is one God who governs all natures, and, in governing, wishes us to have respect to himself, to make him the object of our faith, worship, and adoration. Nothing, indeed, can be more preposterous than to enjoy those noble endowments which bespeak the divine presence within us, and to neglect him who, of his own good pleasure, bestows them upon us.”

–John Calvin, The Institutes of Christian Religion

A Humble Approach to Scripture

Matt Kresge — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 06:13:00 +0000

“Take every word as spoken to yourselves. When the word thunders against sin, think thus: “God means my sins”; when it presseth any duty, “God intends me in this.” Many put off Scripture from themselves, as if it only concerned those who lived in the time when it was written; but if you intend to profit by the word, bring it home to yourselves: a medicine will do no good, unless it be applied.”

–Thomas Watson

Stable Peace with God

Matt Kresge — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 18:17:00 +0000

“Our peace with God is not fragile; it is stable. When we sin, God is displeased, and He will move to correct us and convict us of our sin. But he does not go to war against us. His bow is no longer bent, and the arrows of His wrath are no longer aimed at our hearts. He does not rattle His sword every time we break the treaty.”

– R.C. Sproul, The Holiness of God

Few Quotes on Killing Sin

Matt Kresge — Tue, 04 Oct 2011 06:36:00 +0000

“If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body be thrown into hell. And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body go into hell.” (Matt. 5:29–30)

“For if you live according to the flesh you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.” (Romans 8:13)

“But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.”
(Galatians 5:16)

“Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry” (Col. 3:5)

“Do you mortify? Do you make it your daily work? Be always at it whilst you live; cease not a day from this work; be killing sin or it will be killing you.” – John Owen

“All other ways of mortification are vain, all helps leave us helpless, it must be done by the Spirit.” – John Owen

“Set faith at work on Christ for the killing of thy sin. His blood is the great sovereign remedy for sin-sick souls. Live in this, and thou wilt die a conqueror; yea, thou wilt, through the good providence of God, live to see thy lust dead at thy feet.” – John Owen

Are you putting sin to death in your life?

Run to the Cross

Matt Kresge — Tue, 01 Feb 2011 16:11:00 +0000

All that bitter agony which He endured—all that mental suffering—the sorrow of His soul in the garden—the sufferings of His body on the cross—all was for sin. See, then, the close and beautiful connection between the death of Christ, and the death of sin. All true sanctification comes through the cross. Reader, seek it there. The cross brought into your soul by the eternal Spirit will be the death of your sins. Go to the cross—oh, go to the cross of Jesus. In simplicity of faith, go. With the strong corruption, go. With the burden of guilt, go, go to the cross. You will find nothing but love there—nothing but welcome there—nothing but purity there. The precious blood of Jesus “cleanses us from all sin.” And while you are kept low beneath the cross, your enemy dares not approach you, sin shall not have dominion over you, nor shall Satan, your accuser, condemn you.

–Octavius Winslow, Morning Thoughts, or Daily Walking With God

The beautiful connection between the death of Christ and the death of sin is clearly displayed above. I have read this over and over these past two days and find my heart encouraged each time I do. This certainly impacted me and I thought I’d share with everyone.

Run to the Cross!

Matt

Anyone who has a kindle (.99 cents) or is just looking for a good devotional should pick this book up! It will encourage your soul!