Jason K. Allen's Blog, page 29

The Gospel and Your Mind

Christianity is a heart religion. In fact, the Bible refers to conversion as the “circumcision of the heart” (Rom. 2:29). As believers, we speak of inviting Jesus into our hearts. And, as more than one preacher has promised, “Jesus will give you a new heart for a new start.”

Additionally, one way we know the power of a sermon is its effect on the heart. At Pentecost, in Acts 2, after the apostle Peter delivered one of the most powerful sermons in church history, the crowd was “pierced to the heart” (Acts 2:37).

St. Augustine famously observed, “Thou hast made us for thyself, Oh Lord, and our hearts are restless until they rest in thee.”1 That happens at conversion. Our hearts are satisfied, completely and eternally, through Christ. We then enjoy the inner peace we feel as we worship, pray, and draw near to God.

So, the gospel renews our heart, but it also renews our mind—and more so than most Christians realize. Like every other aspect of our lives, our minds are fallen, darkened by sin, and must be redeemed. The gospel does just that.

The Greatest Commandment

Did you ever notice the “Greatest Commandment” includes your mind? Recall the context. In the Gospels, the Pharisees repeatedly sought to entrap Jesus. They tried to ensnare him in complex, unanswerable questions. The Pharisees posed first-century versions of twenty-first-century trick questions, like the famous, “Have you stopped beating your wife yet?” Either answer is problematic, implying guilt.

One such trick question the Pharisees posed to Christ pertained to the Greatest Commandment. The Pharisees were fascinated with the law, frantically trying to keep it. As they did, they cultivated a polished, external self-righteousness. To onlookers, they appeared righteous and in good standing before God and man, yet their hearts were far from God.

One such question posed by the Pharisees is recorded in multiple Gospels. It had to do with the Greatest Commandment. That is to say, the commandment which ought to be prioritized above all others, the one most urgently to be kept.

When the Pharisees heard that [Jesus] had silenced the Sadducees, they came together. And one of them, an expert in the law, asked a question to test him: “Teacher, which command in the law is the greatest?” He said to him, ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the greatest and most important command.” (Matt. 22:34–38)

Interestingly, in Jesus’ answer, he synthesized much of the Old Testament law. He rightly prioritizes the inner person, the heart. Yet, he also calls us to love God with all of our minds. Jesus, who pulled no punches when confronting the Pharisees, also called them to love God with their minds. The Pharisees seemed to have this part down.

They zealously studied the law, fanatically reflecting on its teaching. They read it, wrote it, recited it, memorized it, taught it, and preached it. Their work, to a fault, was mental work. Yet, Jesus does not throw out the baby with the bathwater. He instructs them to love the Lord with their heart, soul, and mind.

If the Pharisees raced to the mind while passing over the heart, twenty-first-century Christians tend toward the opposite. We tend to race to the heart, bypassing the mind. Yet, Jesus—and all of Scripture— calls us to glorify God with our minds as well as our hearts. However, due to our sin nature, obedience in this requires significant effort.

A Renewed Mind

The good news is, when we become Christians, God redeems our minds like the rest of our personhood. It does not mean that through conversion we receive a higher I.Q., but it does mean that, for once, we can truly honor God with our minds.

At conversion, we receive “the mind of Christ” (1 Cor. 2:16). Like other dimensions of the Christian life, this is something God does in us, through the ministry of the Holy Spirit, but it is also something we are responsible to pursue and cultivate.

To this end, let’s reflect more closely on two passages. First, writing to believers in Rome, the apostle Paul implores Christians, “do not be conformed to this age, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may discern what is the good, pleasing, and perfect will of God” (Rom. 12:2).

Additionally, consider Paul’s counsel to the believers in Colossae: “Set your mind on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you will also appear with him in glory” (Col. 3:2–4).

In other words, Christians are to think Christianly.

*This is an excerpt from Dr. Jason Allen’s new book Being a Christian. You can purchase or find more information on the book at LifeWay Christian Resources*

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Lord’s Day Meditation: “I Will Rejoice Over Them To Do Them Good” by C. H. Spurgeon

Lord’s Day Meditation: “I Will Rejoice Over Them To Do Them Good” by C. H. Spurgeon (Morning and Evening, September 21, Morning)

“I will rejoice over them to do them good.” (Jeremiah 32:41)

How heart-cheering to the believer is the delight which God has in his saints! We cannot see any reason in ourselves why the Lord should take pleasure in us; we cannot take delight in ourselves, for we often have to groan, being burdened; conscious of our sinfulness, and deploring our unfaithfulness; and we fear that God’s people cannot take much delight in us, for they must perceive so much of our imperfections and our follies, that they may rather lament our infirmities than admire our graces. But we love to dwell upon this transcendent truth, this glorious mystery: that as the bridegroom rejoiceth over the bride, so does the Lord rejoice over us. We do not read anywhere that God delighteth in the cloud-capped mountains, or the sparkling stars, but we do read that he delighteth in the habitable parts of the earth, and that his delights are with the sons of men. We do not find it written that even angels give his soul delight; nor doth he say, concerning cherubim and seraphim, “Thou shalt be called Hephzibah, for the Lord delighteth in thee”; but he does say all that to poor fallen creatures like ourselves, debased and depraved by sin, but saved, exalted, and glorified by his grace. In what strong language he expresses his delight in his people! Who could have conceived of the eternal One as bursting forth into a song? Yet it is written, “He will rejoice over thee with joy, he will rest in his love, he will joy over thee with singing.” As he looked upon the world he had made, he said, “It is very good”; but when he beheld those who are the purchase of Jesus’ blood, his own chosen ones, it seemed as if the great heart of the Infinite could restrain itself no longer, but overflowed in divine exclamations of joy. Should not we utter our grateful response to such a marvellous declaration of his love, and sing, “I will rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation?”

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The Gospel and the Church

Have you ever heard someone say, “I am into Jesus, but not the church”? Or, put another way, “I am a Christian, but I do not believe in going to church”? Over my years as a pastor, I have encountered phrases like these many times.

Yet, what I intuitively knew then, and have come to understand more fully now, is that Christianity is inextricably linked to the local church. In fact, the local church is the New Testament’s expression of Christianity. The New Testament depicts the Christian and the local church together, like hand in glove.

However, as I continue to serve the church more broadly now as a seminary president, I consistently bump into common misconceptions about the purpose of the local church, the role that believers should play in it, and how it fits in with Scripture—misconceptions that keep well-meaning believers from the benefits of membership with a local church.

Misconception 1: Individualism and Institutionalism Extremes

First, and most common in evangelical circles, is spiritual individualism. This extreme so prioritizes a personal relationship with Christ that it forgets the role of the church. Conversion is a personal encounter with Christ and growth in Christ is fundamentally the same thing. One is nourished spiritually through books, conferences, podcasts, para-church ministries, and Bible studies.

The other extreme is an institutional approach to Christianity. In its most unhealthy form, it is seen in traditional Roman Catholicism that holds “no salvation outside the church,” and necessitates receiving the sacraments for salvation.

Both of these extremes miscommunicate the Christian life. Conversion is an individual experience that is intended to become a congregational reality. Here is the point: when you were saved, you were saved into the church. When you were baptized, you were baptized into the church. When you believed the gospel, Jesus did not only rescue you; he transplanted you into the church.

Misconception 2: Church Universal vs. Church Local

Another common misconception concerns the church universal and the church local. The church universal refers to all the redeemed, globally. The church universal also refers to the invisible church because we ultimately are not able to know who or how many comprise it.

Yet, most every reference in the New Testament is about the church local. By local church, I mean a group of Christians who are a part of a collective, covenant group, who meet together for worship and ministry.

Misconception 3: The New Testament and the Church

When you survey the New Testament you see it is all about the church. In Matthew 16, Jesus declared, “I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overpower it” (Matt. 16:18). Jesus fulfilled this promise through his own death, having shed his blood for the church (see Acts 20:28).

The book of Acts begins with the birth of the church through Peter’s preaching at Pentecost. The storyline of Acts is the church metastasizing, spreading throughout the Mediterranean region—and beyond—through the apostles’ preaching.

The New Testament epistles were all written to or about churches. In them, the authors explain what churches are to believe and teach, and how they are to minister and organize themselves. At the end of the New Testament—the book of Revelation—the apostle John records Jesus’ seven letters to seven churches and punctuates the Bible’s conclusion with Jesus’ dramatic return for his bride, the church.

In fact, Jesus likens the church to himself. In Acts 9, the apostle Paul—also known as Saul—had a dramatic encounter with Jesus. Paul was no yet a Christian, and Jesus confronted him while he was on his way to persecute Christians. Jesus asked, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?” (v. 4). Effectively, Jesus equated the church with himself; how one views, engages, and treats the church reflects how one views, engages, and treats Jesus.

The New Testament makes following Christ and local church participation essentially synonymous.

So what’s holding you back from investing in or joining a local church?

It’s important to understand that there is no perfect church. That is because the church is comprised of sinners—redeemed sinners. So don’t let the imperfections of fellow believers turn you into a perennial church shopper and keep you from the benefits, fellowship, and mission opportunities that the local church offers.

*This is an excerpt from Dr. Jason Allen’s new book Being a Christian. You can purchase or find more information on the book at LifeWay Christian Resources*

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Lord’s Day Meditation: “In The Evening Withhold Not Thy Hand” by C. H. Spurgeon

Lord’s Day Meditation: “In The Evening Withhold Not Thy Hand” by C. H. Spurgeon (Morning and Evening, September 20, Evening)

“In the evening withhold not thy hand.” (Ecclesiastes 11:6)

In the evening of the day opportunities are plentiful: men return from their labour, and the zealous soul-winner finds time to tell abroad the love of Jesus. Have I no evening work for Jesus? If I have not, let me no longer withhold my hand from a service which requires abundant labour. Sinners are perishing for lack of knowledge; he who loiters may find his skirts crimson with the blood of souls. Jesus gave both his hands to the nails, how can I keep back one of mine from his blessed work? Night and day he toiled and prayed for me, how can I give a single hour to the pampering of my flesh with luxurious ease? Up, idle heart; stretch out thy hand to work, or uplift it to pray; heaven and hell are in earnest, let me be so, and this evening sow good seed for the Lord my God.

The evening of life has also its calls. Life is so short that a morning of manhood’s vigour, and an evening of decay, make the whole of it. To some it seems long, but a four-pence is a great sum of money to a poor man. Life is so brief that no man can afford to lose a day. It has been well said that if a great king should bring us a great heap of gold, and bid us take as much as we could count in a day, we should make a long day of it; we should begin early in the morning, and in the evening we should not withhold our hand; but to win souls is far nobler work, how is it that we so soon withdraw from it? Some are spared to a long evening of green old age; if such be my case, let me use such talents as I still retain, and to the last hour serve my blessed and faithful Lord. By his grace I will die in harness, and lay down my charge only when I lay down my body. Age may instruct the young, cheer the faint, and encourage the desponding; if eventide has less of vigorous heat, it should have more of calm wisdom, therefore in the evening I will not withhold my hand.

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The Gospel and Your Time

We live in an age where adults are trying to stop the unstoppable—the onward march of time. With only so many hours in a day and a limited amount of years in a lifetime, preserving and elongating one’s life has become high priority through trends like extreme fitness, nutritional supplements, human growth hormones, and the cryogenics movement. Fitness and healthy living are commendable, but the mind-set that through them you will outpace death is not.

The Bible teaches, emphatically, that we cannot outrun death. Our days are numbered and we cannot presume upon tomorrow (Job. 14:5). Therefore, we should live with the length of eternity, not the length of our earthly days, on the forefront of our minds by stewarding our time like our money—saving it, investing it, and using it, with wisdom and intentionality.

Below are 4 steps you can take each day to keep your mind and heart in the right perspective regarding time.

Reflect on the brevity of life and the length of eternity

Life passes us by at a shockingly rapid pace. With each passing year, this pace seems to pick up speed. One day our kids are born; the next day they graduate high school. One day we enter the workforce; the next day we retire.

In Psalm 90, a psalm of Moses, he describes the brevity of life and prays that God might “teach us to number our days carefully so that we may develop wisdom in our hearts” (v. 12). The brevity of life in the light of eternity creates an even starker contrast between the two, a contrast upon which we must regularly reflect and meditate.

Realize the uncertainty of tomorrow

Prudence is a biblical virtue. Presumption is not. We should save, work, plan, and prepare for life’s contingencies well into the future. At the same time, we cannot assume we will have a future. Consider what Jesus’ brother, James, has to say about this:

Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will travel to such and such a city and spend a year there and do business and make a profit.” Yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring— what your life will be! For you are like vapor that appears for a little while, then vanishes. Instead, you should say, “If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that.” But as it is, you boast in your arrogance. All such boasting is evil. So it is sin to know the good and yet not do it. (James 4:13–17)

The Bible itself describes our lives as vapors that vanish quickly. We must recognize today that we are not promised tomorrow.

Remember, time is your most precious possession

Time, not money, is your most precious possession. And we often throw away our time in alarming ways: social media, television, and idle chatter. Accordingly, Don Whitney observed, “If people threw away their money as thoughtlessly as they throw away their time, we would think them insane. Yet time is infinitely more precious than money because money can’t buy time.” Yet, this is not just for our own benefit; it is for that of Christ and his kingdom. Our allotment of time is a special gift from him, for us to use in light of our divine stewardship.

Learn to say “no”

For me, saying the word “no” did not come naturally. I was equipped to say “no” over issues of doctrine, conviction, or morality, but I was much less capable of saying “no” over more subjective, less consequential issues—especially when asked to do something by someone I knew and loved, like family, friends, or fellow church members.

The result usually was not disaster, but it often brought about some other downside—a dilution of my time and resources. The old adage holds true, when you say “yes” to something, you are saying “no” to something else. As such, you will not rightly steward your time until you learn to pronounce the word no.

It matters how we use our time, because ultimately, our time is a gospel issue. How will you use your time for the gospel?

*This is an excerpt from Dr. Jason Allen’s new book Being a Christian. You can purchase or find more information on the book at LifeWay Christian Resources*

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Lord’s Day Meditation: “The Sword of the Lord, and of Gideon” by C. H. Spurgeon

Lord’s Day Meditation: “The Sword of the Lord, and of Gideon” by C. H. Spurgeon (Morning and Evening, September 20, Morning)

“The sword of the Lord, and of Gideon.” (Judges 7:20)

Gideon ordered his men to do two things: covering up a torch in an earthen pitcher, he bade them, at an appointed signal, break the pitcher and let the light shine, and then sound with the trumpet, crying, “The sword of the Lord, and of Gideon! the sword of the Lord, and of Gideon!” This is precisely what all Christians must do. First, you must shine; break the pitcher which conceals your light; throw aside the bushel which has been hiding your candle, and shine. Let your light shine before men; let your good works be such, that when men look upon you, they shall know that you have been with Jesus. Then there must be the sound, the blowing of the trumpet. There must be active exertions for the ingathering of sinners by proclaiming Christ crucified. Take the gospel to them; carry it to their door; put it in their way; do not suffer them to escape it; blow the trumpet right against their ears. Remember that the true war-cry of the Church is Gideon’s watchword, “The sword of the Lord, and of Gideon!” God must do it, it is his own work. But we are not to be idle; instrumentality is to be used–“The sword of the Lord, and of Gideon!” If we only cry, “The sword of the Lord!” we shall be guilty of an idle presumption; and if we shout, “The sword of Gideon!” alone, we shall manifest idolatrous reliance on an arm of flesh: we must blend the two in practical harmony, “The sword of the Lord, and of Gideon!” We can do nothing of ourselves, but we can do everything by the help of our God; let us, therefore, in his name determine to go out personally and serve with our flaming torch of holy example, and with our trumpet tones of earnest declaration and testimony, and God shall be with us, and Midian shall be put to confusion, and the Lord of hosts shall reign forever and ever.

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The Gospel, Marriage, and Family

What makes a good Christian marriage? At its core, it is two good Christian people, joined together in holy matrimony. Yet, a good Christian marriage is so much more than this. Two good Christian people are essential for a strong, Christian marriage—but that is not enough.

By tracing marriage all the way back to the beginning, to Adam and Eve in the garden of Eden, we can find God’s divine plan for marriage revealed in His creation as He worked to bind Adam and Eve to one another.

Completion: God saw man’s loneliness, knew it was not good, and created “a helper corresponding to him.” The Bible teaches us that, on occasion, God sets apart individuals for a lifetime of singleness, but that is the exception, not the norm. For most of us, we experience relational emptiness only satisfied through the spouse God gives us.
Compassion: Created from himself, Adam saw in Eve “bone of my bone, flesh of my flesh.” In marriage, the two become one, because the two once were one. Thus, matrimony is to be marked by a sweet communion, a relationship of love, care, and compassion.
Commitment: So attracted are we to our spouse that, in the covenant of marriage, “a man leaves his father and mother and bonds with his wife.” This commitment is a permanent one, wherein we say “no” to all others for all time when we say “yes” to the chosen mate God has given us.
Closeness: Within the covenant of marriage, the man and woman know a closeness, an exhilaration of love that can never be known outside of marriage. As they “become one flesh,” they can be “naked, yet [feel] no shame” because they are abiding in God’s divine plan, a union sanctioned by him.

This completion, compassion, commitment, and closeness that God ordained for marriage unions sets the stage for godly and holy marriages.

But what happens when conflict arises in our marriages?

Ephesians 5:22-33 outlines the key themes that every husband and wife should embrace on a daily basis to live out the love of God to their spouse and continue to grow their marriage to a healthier, godlier state.  

Submission: The wife is called to lovingly submit to her husband, as he submits to Christ. The pattern is to be one of gracious headship, of the husband leading his wife and family as he follows Christ. Deviating from this pattern, either through the wife’s rebellion or the husband’s passivity or heavy-handedness, hinders the marriage.
Sacrifice: The husband is to give himself sacrificially for his wife. The model for such sacrifice is the greatest sacrificial act of all: Jesus’ death for the church. Such sacrificial love makes the wife’s gracious submission to her husband not only possible, but desirable.
Sanctification: Note also, the husband is called to further his wife’s own sanctification. The marital union fosters Christian growth for both the husband and the wife. Within marriage, we learn to die to ourselves and to put the needs of others first. Additionally, the marital union provides a healthy, holy context for our sexuality to be expressed, enjoyed, and celebrated—a sanctifying step in and of itself. As we grow in Christ, we grow in our love for one another, and vice versa.
Servant-leadership: Lastly, men, as we lead our wives, we do so with the heart of a servant-leader. There is no room for bravado or lording our spousal role. Rather, we are to be the type of servant-leader every woman longs to follow, putting our wife’s interests, and, most of all, Christ’s interests, first.

Remember, God has a divine plan and pattern for your marriage, and a divine picture he wants to convey. This is all for your good, for the health and prosperity of your family, and for his glory. Like every other area of your life, you cannot improve upon God’s best. It is perfect—beyond improvement. Do not crash into the wave; ride it.

*This is an excerpt from Dr. Jason Allen’s new book Being a Christian. You can purchase or find more information on the book at LifeWay Christian Resources*

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Lord’s Day Meditation: “For This Child I Prayed” by C. H. Spurgeon

Lord’s Day Meditation: “For This Child I Prayed” by C. H. Spurgeon (Morning and Evening, September 19, Evening)

“For this child I prayed.” (1 Samuel 1:27)

Devout souls delight to look upon those mercies which they have obtained in answer to supplication, for they can see God’s especial love in them. When we can name our blessings Samuel, that is, “asked of God,” they will be as dear to us as her child was to Hannah. Peninnah had many children, but they came as common blessings unsought in prayer: Hannah’s one heaven-given child was dearer far, because he was the fruit of earnest pleadings. How sweet was that water to Samson which he found at “the well of him that prayed!” Quassia cups turn all waters bitter, but the cup of prayer puts a sweetness into the draughts it brings. Did we pray for the conversion of our children? How doubly sweet, when they are saved, to see in them our own petitions fulfilled! Better to rejoice over them as the fruit of our pleadings than as the fruit of our bodies. Have we sought of the Lord some choice spiritual gift? When it comes to us it will be wrapped up in the gold cloth of God’s faithfulness and truth, and so be doubly precious. Have we petitioned for success in the Lord’s work? How joyful is the prosperity which comes flying upon the wings of prayer! It is always best to get blessings into our house in the legitimate way, by the door of prayer; then they are blessings indeed, and not temptations. Even when prayer speeds not, the blessings grow all the richer for the delay; the child Jesus was all the more lovely in the eyes of Mary when she found him after having sought him sorrowing. That which we win by prayer we should dedicate to God, as Hannah dedicated Samuel. The gift came from heaven, let it go to heaven. Prayer brought it, gratitude sang over it, let devotion consecrate it. Here will be a special occasion for saying, “Of thine own have I given unto thee.” Reader, is prayer your element or your weariness? Which?

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The Gospel, the Christian, and the Past

Every person has a past. I do. You do. Everyone does. By past, I mean things we have done at a previous point in our lives that cause regret and embarrassment, if not outright shame. It is that laundry list of attitudes, actions, and events you aren’t proud of.

How do you view your past? Has it held you captive, fearfully awaiting punishment from God?

Here’s the thing: it’s not just you. Everyone’s past is marked by, at least to some degree, foolish words, reckless decisions, and sinful acts. Everyone’s! Many would-be followers of Christ and even many Christians live with persistent, suffocating guilt. They question whether Christ will truly forgive them for what they have done. They feel they will never measure up spiritually, and thus are assigned to second-class Christian status. But nothing could be further from the truth.

In fact, the apostle Paul’s life proves it.

We know Paul as the man who wrote thirteen New Testament letters and traversed the Mediterranean region on three major missionary journeys. This mighty man of the faith planted numerous churches, won multitudes to faith in Christ, and laid the doctrinal foundation on which the church has ministered for nearly two millennia. The apostle Paul was a missionary-theologian unlike any other the world has ever known.

But before we meet the Paul in Acts 9 where he encounters the risen Christ, is gloriously converted, and then commissioned as an apostle, we hear of him in Acts 7. This passage records one of the most diabolical scenes in all the Bible—the stoning of Stephen, the first martyr of the early church. In that setting, we find Paul, then known as Saul, holding the coats of the stone throwers, rooting them on.

Then, overflowing with hatred and rage, Saul goes to Damascus to persecute even more Christians. On that roadway, the resurrected Christ appears to Saul, confronts him, and subsequently calls Saul to himself and commissions him into ministry.

The Apostle Paul, perhaps the greatest Christian to ever live, was also the man with worst past.

So what was Paul’s secret to overcoming his past? The key is that he looked forward to Christian service, not backward in guilt, shame, or regret.

Paul testified, “But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and reaching forward to what is ahead, I pursue as my goal the prize promised by God’s heavenly call in Christ Jesus” (Phil. 3:13–14).

However, there is also a difference—a massive difference— between overlooking your past and forgetting about it. Paul never overlooked his past. He wrote extensively about man’s sinfulness, including his own.

So what does that mean for you and your past?

View your sin as God views it: God has separated your sin as far as the east is from the west; he’s cast it into the sea of his forgetfulness. Remember, Jesus did not reluctantly accept Paul. On the contrary, he intentionally sought Paul and enlisted him into Christian service.
Rejoice in God’s providence: Whatever your background, whatever your past, rejoice in God’s plan for your life. He led you by superintending your steps and bringing you to a point of conversion. His providence is always good, beyond improvement. Thus, he crafted your story, including your past, for his own, optimum glory.  
Own your testimony: Do not see your past as an embarrassing prologue to be buried, but as a glorious story to be leveraged for the kingdom. Remind people, as you remind yourself, that if God can save you, he can save anyone. Rejoice in the mire from which you were saved; celebrate publicly God’s goodness in your life. As you do, you’ll encourage others and embolden yourself.

Friend, be encouraged. The grace of God overcomes your past and enables your growth in the future.

*This is an excerpt from Dr. Jason Allen’s new book Being a Christian. You can purchase or find more information on the book at LifeWay Christian Resources

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Lord’s Day Meditation: “The Liberty Wherewith Christ Hath Made Us Free” by C. H. Spurgeon

Lord’s Day Meditation: “The Liberty Wherewith Christ Hath Made Us Free” by C. H. Spurgeon (Morning and Evening, September 19, Morning)

“The liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free.” (Galatians 5:1)

This “liberty” makes us free to heaven’s charter–the Bible. Here is a choice passage, believer, “When thou passest through the rivers, I will be with thee.” You are free to that. Here is another: “The mountains shall depart, and the hills be removed, but my kindness shall not depart from thee”; you are free to that. You are a welcome guest at the table of the promises. Scripture is a never-failing treasury filled with boundless stores of grace. It is the bank of heaven; you may draw from it as much as you please, without let or hindrance. Come in faith and you are welcome to all covenant blessings. There is not a promise in the Word which shall be withheld. In the depths of tribulations let this freedom comfort you; amidst waves of distress let it cheer you; when sorrows surround thee let it be thy solace. This is thy Father’s love-token; thou art free to it at all times. Thou art also free to the throne of grace. It is the believer’s privilege to have access at all times to his heavenly Father. Whatever our desires, our difficulties, our wants, we are at liberty to spread all before him. It matters not how much we may have sinned, we may ask and expect pardon. It signifies nothing how poor we are, we may plead his promise that he will provide all things needful. We have permission to approach his throne at all times–in midnight’s darkest hour, or in noontide’s most burning heat. Exercise thy right, O believer, and live up to thy privilege. Thou art free to all that is treasured up in Christ–wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption. It matters not what thy need is, for there is fulness of supply in Christ, and it is there for thee. O what a “freedom” is thine! freedom from condemnation, freedom to the promises, freedom to the throne of grace, and at last freedom to enter heaven!

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