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Having therefore obtained help of God, I continue unto this day, witnessing both to small and great; saying none other things than those which the prophets and Moses did say should come: that Christ should suffer, and that he should be the first that should rise from the dead, and should shew light unto the people, and to the Gentiles. -Acts 26: 22, 23. This Lecture, which I am now about to take my leave of, was set up in the year l729, between six and seven and twenty years ago. I opened it with a discourse or two on the words of the Psalmist, in Psalm 71:16, I will go in the strength of the Lord God; I will make mention of thy righteousness, even of thine only: My view in the choice of those words was, partly to observe that I undertook the service of the Lecture, and engaged in this work, not in my own strength, but in the strength of Christ, hoping for and expecting the aid and assistance of his Spirit and grace; and partly to shew that my intentions and resolutions were to preach that great and glorious doctrine of a sinner’s free justification before God, by the righteousness of Christ imputed to him, with all others that are analogous to it, or in connection with it; which Luther rightly called articulus stantis vel cadentis ecclesiæ, “the article of the church standing or falling, or that by which it stands or falls;” for as that doctrine is received or rejected, the church of Christ in all ages and periods of time flourishes or declines. And through the grace of God I have been enabled to abide by these resolutions throughout my concern in this Lecture; and now I close it with a discourse on the words read, having therefore obtained help of God, &, which are part of an apology or defence, which the apostle Paul made for himself in a very numerous assembly; at the head of which were very great personages, as Agrippa king of thc Jews, Bernice his sister, Festus the Roman governor, with the chief captains, and principal men of the city of Cesarea, and all in open court; which verified what our Lord had foretold to his disciples, saying, ye shall be brought before kings and governors for my sake (Matt. 10:10). The apostle being permitted to speak for himself, addressed the king in a very polite manner, and gave an account of himself from his youth upwards; “how that he was brought up in the strictest sect of the Jewish religion, a Pharisee; trained up in the belief and hope of the promised Messiah, and of the resurrection of the

In an age when the phrase "Christian Liberty" is used to excuse open sin, it is more important than ever to understand what exactly the Christian's liberty before God really is. In this helpful article, A. W. Pink describes the abuse of the term "Christian Liberty" and gives a helpful correction to this misunderstood doctrine. In the opening article of this series (The Law and the Saint), we affirmed that the unregenerate sinner is, in heart and practice, an Antinomian; that is, one who is opposed to the Law of God. Proof of this is furnished by Rom. 8:7, which tells us, “The carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the Law of God, neither indeed can be.” It needs to be remembered that the “carnal mind” still remains in the believer. It is true that the Christian has a new mind (2 Tim. 1:7), which is part of the new nature—a mind which “serves the Law of God” (Rom. 7:25); and it is this, alone, that explains the conflict waged daily within every saint. But the presence of the carnal mind within, reveals the urgent need there is for the “casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ “ (2 Cor. 10:5). This can be accomplished only as the believer yields his members [not only the members of his body, but every “member” of his complex personality] “ servants to righteousness unto holiness” (Rom. 6:19). But does not this expression “yielding our members as servants to righteousness” savor of legality, and is not that entirely at variance with Christian liberty? And here we reach, perhaps, what has seemed a real difficulty to many who have read the previous articles. Probably our readers have felt the force of what has been set before them. The various Scriptures cited are so plain that their meaning is not open to question. The binding obligations of the Law of God upon every Christian have, we trust, been unequivocally established. But now the question naturally arises—What, then, of Christian liberty? Did not the Lord Himself promise, “If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed“(John 8:36)? Did not the apostle Paul, under the Holy Spirit, write, “Stand fast therefore in the liberty wher

We do not ask: Is Christ your “Savior", but is He, really and truly, your Lord? If He is not your Lord, then He is most certainly not your “Savior.” Those who have not received Christ Jesus as their “Lord” and yet suppose Him to be their “Savior,” are deluded, and their hope rests on a foundation of sand. Multitudes are deceived on this vital point, and therefore, if the reader values his or her soul, we implore you to give a most careful reading to this little tract. When we ask, “Is Christ your Lord?”, we do not inquire, “Do you believe in the Godhead of Jesus of Nazareth?”; The demons do that (Matt 8:28,29) and yet perish notwithstanding! You may be firmly convinced of the Deity of Christ, and yet be in your sins. You may speak of Him with the utmost reverence, accord Him His divine titles in your prayers and yet be unsaved. You may abominate those who traduce His person and deny His divinity, and yet have no spiritual love for Him at all. When we ask, Is Christ your Lord, we mean, does He in very deed occupy the throne of your heart, does He actually rule over your life? “We have turned everyone to his own way” (Isa 53:6) describes the course which all follow by nature. Before conversion every soul lives to please self. Of old it was written, “every man did that which was right in his own eyes,” and why? “In those days there was no King in Israel” (Judges 21:25). Ah! That is the point we desire to make clear to the reader. Until Christ becomes your King (1 Tim 1:17; Rev 15:3), until you bow to His scepter, until His will becomes the rule of your life, self dominates, and thus Christ is disowned. When the Holy Spirit begins His work of grace in a soul, He first convicts of sin. He shows me the real and awful nature of sin. He makes me realize that it is a species of insurrection, a defying of God’s authority, a setting of my will against His. He shows me that in going my “own way” (Isa 53:6), in pleasing myself, I have been fighting against God. As my eyes are opened to see what a lifelong rebel I have been, how indifferent to God’s honor, how unconcerned about His will I am filled with anguish and horror, and made to marvel that the thrice Holy One has not long since cast me into Hell. Reader, have you ever gone through this experience? If not, there is very grave reason to fear that you are yet spiritually dead! Conversion, true conversion, saving conversion, is a turning from sin to God in Christ. It is a throwing down of t

And not many days after the younger son gathered all together, and took his journey  into a far country, and there wasted his substance with riotous living…And when  he came to himself, he said…I will arise and go to my father, and will say unto him,  Father, I have sinned against heaven, and before thee…And he arose, and came to his  father. But when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him, and had compassion, and  ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him. – Luke 15:13, 17, 18, 20 Luke 15:11-32 11. And he said, A certain man had two sons:  12. And the younger of them said to his father, Father, give me the portion of goods that falleth to me. And he divided unto them his living.  13. And not many days after the younger son gathered all together, and took his journey into a far country, and there wasted his substance with riotous living.  14. And when he had spent all, there arose a mighty famine in that land; and he began to be in want.  15. And he went and joined himself to a citizen of that country; and he sent him into his fields to feed swine.  16. And he would fain have filled his belly with the husks that the swine did eat: and no man gave unto him.  17. And when he came to himself, he said, How many hired servants of my father’s have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger!  18. I will arise and go to my father, and will say unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and before thee,  19. And am no more worthy to be called thy son: make me as one of thy hired servants.  20. And he arose, and came to his father. But when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him, and had compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him.  21. And the son said unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in thy sight, and am no more worthy to be called thy son.  22. But the father said to his servants, Bring forth the best robe, and put it on him; and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet:  23. And bring hither the fatted calf, and kill it; and let us eat, and be merry:  24. For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found. And they began to be merry.  25. Now his elder son was in the field: and as he c

There are some very important outward ordinances and means of grace which are plainly implied in the Word of God, but for the exercise of which we have few, if any, plain and positive precept; rather are we left to gather them from the example of holy men and from various incidental circumstances. An important end is answered by this arrangement: trial is thereby made of the state of our hearts. It serves to make evident whether, because an expressed command cannot be brought requiring its performance, professing Christians will neglect a duty plainly implied. Thus, more of the real state of our minds is discovered, and it is made manifest whether we have or have not an ardent love for God and His service. This holds good both of public and family worship. Nevertheless, it is not at all difficult to prove the obligation of domestic piety.   Consider first the example of Abraham, the father of the faithful and the friend of God. It was for his domestic piety that he received blessing from Jehovah Himself, “For I know him, that he will command his children and household after him, and they shall keep way of the Lord, to do justice and judgment” (Gen. 18:19). The patriarch is here commended for instructing his children and servants in the most important of all duties, “the way of the Lord”—the truth about His glorious person. His high claims upon us, His requirements from us. Note well the words “he will command” them; that is, he would use the authority God had given him as a father and head of his house, to enforce the duties of family godliness. Abraham also prayed with as well as instructed his family: wherever he pitched his tent, there he “built an altar to the Lord” (Gen. 12:7; 13:4). Now my readers, we may well ask ourselves, Are we “Abraham’s seed” (Gal. 3:29) if we “do not the works of Abraham” (John 8:39) and neglect the weighty duty of family worship? The example of other holy men are similar to that of Abraham’s. Consider the pious determination of Joshua who declared to Israel, “As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord” (24:15). Neither the exalted station which he held, nor the pressing public duties which developed upon him, were allowed to crowd out his attention to the spiritual well-being of his family. Again, when David brought back the ark of God to Jerusalem with joy and thanksgiving, after discharging