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The Lamb’s Book Of Life
One of the exciting privileges of expectant parents is the opportunity to choose a name for the new baby. Nowadays, many parents know the gender of their child before it is born, such is the power of science and technology. I remember being intrigued as a young boy to hear my mother list the several possible names that had been considered for me and the alternatives depending upon whether I turned out to be a girl or a boy.
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As The Waters Cover The Sea
It is a beautiful and powerful image which God the Holy Spirit supplies to His church when He tells us, ‘the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea’ (Isaiah 11:9). Who has not stood beside of the ocean and marvelled at the majesty and magnificence of its power? Its breadth, depth, volume, ceaseless tides and crashing energy humbles our mind.
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Justified By His Grace
In Titus chapter 3 the Apostle Paul reminds his young friend to ‘affirm constantly’ the doctrine of justification by God’s grace. The free gift of God’s righteousness imputed to sinners is to be faithfully declared and frequently repeated. It is the message we as needy sinners should demand from our preachers, and which we who are preachers should be determined to declare. Being ‘justified by his grace’ is at the very heart of the gospel message. If we are ‘justified by his grace’ there can be no element of our own works involved.
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The Providence Of God
Believers rightly take great comfort in the providence of God. In an uncertain world trusting God’s providence calms our hearts for the present, and gives us confidence for the future. Yet by itself providence is not a word frequently used in our Bibles. It is used, I think, only once in the whole of scripture. However, the sense of it is found in all God’s dealings with His elect, particularly with respect to the tender loving care of our Saviour Jesus Christ, the everlasting faithfulness and grace of the Father, and the comforting ministry of the Holy Spirit.
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Law And Gospel
Gospel preachers are, says Paul, ‘ministers of the new testament; not of the letter, but of the spirit: for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life’ (2 Corinthians 3:7). The letter of which Paul speaks is the Law, so called because it was written in letters graven on stone tables. The Gospel is what Paul means by ‘the spirit’ because it speaks of spiritual things and is applied by God the Holy Spirit.
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‘Justified By His Grace’
In Titus chapter 3 the Apostle Paul reminds his young friend to ‘affirm constantly’ the doctrine of justification by God’s grace. The free gift of God’s righteousness imputed to sinners is to be faithfully declared and frequently repeated. It is the message we as needy sinners should demand from our preachers, and which we who are preachers should be determined to declare. Being ‘justified by his grace’ is at the very heart of the gospel message. If we are ‘justified by his grace’ there can be no element of our own works involved. Gospel preaching is sovereign grace preaching. If a preacher does not preach free, sovereign grace he is not preaching the gospel. Furthermore, if he does not affirm constantly this message he is…
Further Study
New Focus Magazine: New Issue (October 2025)
