Grace Audio Treasures

From all eternity, God dwelt all alone: self-contained, self-sufficient, self-satisfied. In need of nothing, dependent upon no one, He was infinitely blessed in Himself. Before the first angel was formed, before the heavens were stretched forth, before the earth was fashioned and peopled--God dwelt in solitary glory. He had no rival, no equal, and no companion. He existed in the majestic fullness of His own infinite Being.Had a universe been necessary to His satisfaction, it would have been brought into existence from all eternity. But He is independent of all His creatures. God is solitary in His majesty. He is unique in His perfections. He is supreme in His authority. He is unrivaled in His glory. Heaven and earth, time and eternity, are but the unfolding of His eternal purpose and sovereign will. He does all that He pleases—and nothing can thwart Him.In the works of creation, in the unfolding of providence, and in the accomplishment of redemption--God acts alone. He needed no counselor when He laid the fou

"Our God is in heaven; He does whatever pleases Him." Psalm 115:3To affirm that God is sovereign, is to proclaim that He is truly God--not only in theory, but in fact! Sovereignty is not merely one of His attributes—it is the expression of His Godhood. He reigns with absolute supremacy, unlimited authority, and unchallenged power. Nothing comes to pass apart from His eternal decree; no one can stay His hand, or question His purposes. He does not try to rule—He does rule, and all creation is under His feet.This sovereignty is all-encompassing. It stretches from the greatest movements in the heavens, to the tiniest detail on earth. He directs the flight of every sparrow, numbers every hair on our heads, and ordains the rise and fall of nations. There is no such thing as chance. The believer's confidence does not lie in luck, nor in the will of man, but in the wise and holy providence of an all-powerful God.This doctrine is both humbling and comforting. To the proud heart, it is a rebuke—for it leaves no room fo

"I am God, and there is no other. I am God, and there is none like Me!" Isaiah 46:9God alone reigns in absolute supremacy. He is unmatched in majesty, unchallenged in authority, and unrivaled in glory. He does not seek permission, accept counsel, or share His throne. All things—from the highest archangel, to the smallest particle—exist by His will and for His praise.He is not an accessory to human ambition, nor a servant to man's desires. He is the One who declares the end from the beginning, who works all things according to the counsel of His own will. "Yours, O Lord, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the majesty and the splendor--for everything in heaven and earth is Yours!" 1 Chronicles 29:11To acknowledge the supremacy of God, is to be brought low before Him. It crushes the pride of man and silences every boast. We are not in control. Our plans, our wisdom, our strength—all vanish before the One who sits enthroned above the circle of the earth. He is not a passive observer, but the living

"Know therefore that the Lord your God is God; He is the faithful God, keeping His covenant of love." Deuteronomy 7:9Faithfulness is not merely one of God's attributes—it is the very essence of who He is. He is infinitely and immutably trustworthy. From everlasting to everlasting, His Word stands firm, His promises are sure, and His purposes never fail. What God has said, He will surely do. What He has decreed, none can overturn. He is the covenant-keeping God who cannot lie, whose steadfast love endures forever.Though the winds of providence may fiercely blow, and the path may lie shrouded in mystery--God's faithfulness is the believer's rock. When we stumble, He sustains us. When we grow weary, He does not. When we are unfaithful, still He remains faithful—for He cannot deny Himself. He does not forget the cry of the humble, nor overlook the tears of the broken-hearted. He remembers every promise made to His people—and He fulfills them all, in His perfect time and way.The whole of redemptive history bears w

Isaiah 43:1-3"Do not be afraid, for I have ransomed you. I have called you by name; you are Mine! When you go through deep waters, I will be with you. When you go through rivers of difficulty, you will not drown. When you walk through the fire of oppression, you will not be burned up; the flames will not consume you. For I am the LORD, your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior!" Fear often grips our hearts when we face uncertainty, suffering, and trials. But God speaks directly to His redeemed people: "Do not be afraid, for I have ransomed you!" This is not a mere suggestion--it is a divine command grounded in His sovereign grace. He has purchased us at the highest cost--the blood of His darling Son, Jesus Christ! 1 Peter 1:18-19Because we are ransomed, we are also called by name. This is the personal love of God toward each of His redeemed people--He knows each of us intimately, and claims us as His own. What a comfort to know that our identity is not found in our struggles, failures, or circumstances--

Acts 20:24, "The gospel of the grace of God."The heart of the Gospel is redemption, and the essence of redemption is the substitutionary sacrifice of Christ. The gospel is not a moral code, or religious sentiment. It is the divine proclamation that the thrice-holy God saves guilty Hell-deserving sinners—freely, sovereignly, and eternally—through the sin-atoning sacrifice of Jesus on the cruel cross. It is the gospel of grace--unmerited and undeserved.Grace authored salvation in eternity past. Grace sent the eternal Son, clothed in frail humanity. Grace . . .sustained Him in Gethsemane, nailed Him to the cross, and raised Him in triumph. That same grace now . . . calls the unworthy, convicts the hard-hearted, converts the dead in sin, and keeps them to the end.This gospel lays man in the dust, and crowns Christ with glory. It shuts every mouth, and saves the worst of sinners. It declares with finality, that salvation is of the Lord—from beginning to end. The condemned are pardoned. The dead are made alive. Reb

Proverbs 14:12, "There is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to death." One of Satan's most subtle and damning deceptions is "moralism"—the idea that man, by his own supposed goodness, can commend himself to God. Moralism substitutes external reform, for internal regeneration. It preaches behavior change, apart from the new birth. It is content with polished external conduct, while the heart remains unwashed. And it is leading multitudes to Hell!Moralism often dresses itself in religious acts. It promotes virtue, and applauds kindness. It speaks of honesty, and decency. But its fatal flaw is this: It offers these things apart from Christ. It seeks to be right with God, without the righteousness of God. It promotes "virtue" without the power of the Holy Spirit. It promotes morality—but despises the Savior.The Pharisees of old were moral men. They fasted, prayed, and gave alms. Yet Jesus said to them, "Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed

1 Samuel 7:12, "Hitherto has the Lord helped us!"The word "hitherto" is like a monument of grace planted in the path of every believer. It invites us to look back and remember the unbroken line of God's mercies. With Samuel, we too may raise our Ebenezer and say, "Hitherto has the Lord helped us"—through . . . every storm and every season, in times of plenty and times of need, through weariness and wonder, in valleys and on mountaintops. Not one step of our pilgrimage has been without the presence, power, and provision of our faithful God.Pause, dear believer, and look down the corridor of your past years. See the green boughs of God's mercy arching overhead, like a living cathedral of divine goodness. Each year, each trial, each answered prayer—these are like strong pillars holding up a sacred temple of remembrance. Listen carefully, and you will hear songs in the branches—sweet songs of God's providence, love, and care. The Lord has helped you. Not merely watched, not merely pitied—but helped with almigh

You have heard people say: "God hates the sin, but loves the sinner." That is a lie! He does not love the sinner who continues in his sin.One of the most cherished delusions of modern Christendom is the sentiment that "God hates the sin, but loves the sinner." This phrase is often quoted as though it were Scripture--yet not only does it appear nowhere in the Bible, it stands in direct contradiction to what God Himself declares. It is a subtle but deadly falsehood that seeks to soften the solemn reality of God's wrath against the ungodly, and it distorts His holy character.The Bible does not teach that God is angry merely at the sin in some abstract, impersonal way. Rather, Scripture consistently affirms that God is angry with the sinner himself. The sin has no existence, apart from the one who commits it. A theft has no moral quality, without a thief. Adultery does not happen, apart from an adulterer. It is the sinner--the moral agent who rebels against his Creator, who is the object of God's holy hatred and

Canticles 1:2, "Your love is better than wine!"The believer finds his truest joy, not in the fleeting pleasures of this world, but in the enduring and soul-satisfying love of the Lord Jesus Christ. "Your love is better than wine," says the Bride to her Beloved—and the heart of every redeemed soul echoes the same. Earthly joys may sparkle for a moment, but they soon fade. Christ's love is better—it is . . . purer, deeper, richer, and forever satisfying.Wine may gladden the heart of man, but it cannot quiet his conscience. It may brighten the face, but it cannot cleanse the soul. But the love of Christ—what comfort, what peace, what delight it brings! One moment in communion with Him, outweighs a lifetime of the world's pleasures. We have tasted His love, and it is like honey from the comb—sweeter than anything earth can offer.His presence lifts the downcast. His fellowship strengthens the weary. His nearness satisfies every longing.Beloved, consider how Christ has poured out His love for you. Not in word on

Ephesians 3:18-19, "May you have the power to understand, as all God's people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep His love is. May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully!"The love of Jesus is not merely great, it is unsearchable. It defies measurement and surpasses comprehension. The Apostle Paul prayed that believers might understand this unknowable love, not by reason alone, but by the Spirit's illumination and heart-experience.The love of Christ is eternal in its origin, infinite in its depth, and effectual in its power. It is a love that stooped to the manger, and climbed willingly to the cross! He loved us when we were unlovely--when we were still sinners, enemies, rebels, and dead in transgressions! Romans 5:8; Ephesians 2:4-5.Such wondrous love can neither be earned nor merited; it is sovereign and free. Christ's love never began, and it shall never end. He set His electing love upon His people from eternity past, and will never remove it in eternit

He prays that we may experience it! Charles Spurgeon, et al. "May you have the power to understand, as all God's people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep His love is. May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully!" Ephesians 3:18-19Paul acknowledges that the love of Jesus is too great to be fully understood, yet he prays that we may experience it! The apostle is not referring to a merely intellectual understanding, but a personal, transformative relationship with the Lord Jesus. We can only truly experience this love, through the Gospel. Christ's love is most clearly seen in the cross. "God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us!" Romans 5:8As we meditate on Jesus' wondrous sacrifice for our sins, we are overwhelmed by the vastness of His love. Though we may never fully comprehend it, we can rest in the assurance that His love for us is infinite, and deeper than all of our sins and shame! May His measureles

Ephesians 2:1, 4-5, "As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins." "But because of His great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions. It is by grace you have been saved." By the Spirit's divine energy, He savingly convinces men of the truth of the gospel. Those whom He saves, are men like Saul of Tarsus, who abhor the whole thing. He pours His effectual influences upon men, and infidelity melts away like the iceberg in the warm Gulf Stream. He touches the indifferent and careless sinners, and they repent, believe, and obey the Savior. He makes proud men tremble, and wicked men quake for fear.The regenerating work of the Spirit can make . . . the harlot to be chaste, the drunkard to be sober, the thief to be honest, the malicious to be forgiving, the covetous to be generous, and above all, the self-righteous to be humble.Whether He quickens, consoles, enlightens, refreshes, sanctifies, anoints, or inflames the soul--the Spirit alw

Heavenly Father, Sovereign Lord of all creation,I come before You in humility, acknowledging that You are the God who ordains all things according to the counsel of Your will. Nothing befalls me apart from Your divine purpose, and even in my affliction, I trust that You are working all things for my good and for Your glory.Lord, You have said in Your Word that trials refine us like gold in the furnace. Though I do not always understand Your ways, I know that Your wisdom is perfect, and Your love is steadfast. Teach me to submit to Your wise providence, to see affliction not as punishment, but as a means of transforming me into the image of Your beloved Son.Strengthen me, O God, that I may not grow weary in suffering, but instead, fix my eyes on Jesus, who endured far greater affliction for my sake. Help me to take comfort in Your promises: that You will never leave me nor forsake me, that Your grace is sufficient for me, and that no trial can separate me from the love of Jesus.Father, in my weakness, uphold

Psalm 119:67, "Before I was afflicted I went astray, but now I obey Your Word."Affliction is never accidental for the believer. Every trial, pain, and hardship, is sovereignly appointed by God for His glory and our good. The world sees suffering as meaningless, or merely as an obstacle to their happiness. But Scripture teaches that suffering is a tool in the hands of our loving Father . . . to purify our faith, to humble our pride, and to draw us nearer to Jesus."But He knows the way that I take; when He has tried me, I will come forth as gold." Job 23:10 God often uses affliction: to bring His people to repentance, to teach them humility, to refine them in the furnace of affliction, to draw them closer to Himself, to cause them to live a more holy life, to strengthen their faith, and to conform them to Christ.God's rod is a pencil to draw Christ's image upon us!God's people never grow strong in grace without trials. Troubles are the tools with which God polishes His jewels. The pruning knife is never out

The hearts of natural men are exceedingly full of sin. If they had but one sin in their hearts, it would be sufficient to render their condition dreadful. But they have not only one sin, but all kinds of sin. There is every kind of lust. The heart of man is a cesspool of sin, and a fountain of corruption, from whence proceed all kinds of filthy streams. There is not one filthy lust in the heart of the devil, that is not in the heart of man! Natural men are in the image of the devil. The image of God is erased out, and the image of the devil is stamped upon them.God is graciously pleased to restrain the wickedness of men, principally by: fear of consequences, respect to their reputation, and by education. And if it were not for such restraints as these, there is no kind of wickedness that men would not commit, whenever it came in their way. Men have not only every kind of lust, and wicked and perverse dispositions in their hearts--but they have them to a dreadful degree. There is not only pride, but an astonis

God's people are called to rejoice in His vengeance upon the wicked, as it displays His justice, "Rejoice over her, O Heaven! Rejoice, saints and apostles and prophets! For God has judged her for the way she treated you!" Revelation 18:20The saints in glory will rejoice in God's perfect justice, including His righteous judgment on the wicked.The redeemed in Heaven shall be free from all sin-tainted sentimentality, and hence will regard the doom of the ungodly from the standpoint of God's righteous government. The just punishment of the finally rebellious will cause them no anguish.They will praise God for executing justice upon the wicked. "After this I heard what sounded like the roar of a great multitude in Heaven shouting, Hallelujah! Salvation and glory and power belong to our God, for true and just are His judgments. He has condemned the great prostitute who corrupted the earth by her adulteries. He has avenged on her the blood of His servants. And again they shouted, Hallelujah! The smoke from her goes

"My days are like the evening shadow; I wither away like grass." Psalm 102:11"What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while, and then vanishes!" James 4:14"Man is a mere phantom as he goes to and fro: He bustles about, but only in vain; he heaps up wealth, not knowing who will get it!" Psalm 39:6It is of the greatest service to us, to be reminded that our life is but a mist, which appears for a little while and then vanishes away. Through forgetfulness of this obvious truth, worldlings live at ease, and Christians walk carelessly. Unless we consciously live in the light of eternity, worldliness soon eats into our heart like a canker! If you have this world's riches, believer--then remember that this poor world is not your rest, and do not place an excessive value on its comforts. If, on the other hand, you are afflicted, and are burdened with poverty--then do not be too much depressed thereby, for these light afflictions are but for a moment, and are not worthy to be compared with the glor

We have fallen on very velvety days!Charles Spurgeon"All those who want to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted!" 2 Timothy 3:12A little persecution would be a grand thing for the church! We have fallen on very velvety days, when zeal for God is rare, and decision for truth is scarcely is to be met with. The church has compromised with the world, and went to sleep with Satan rocking her cradle.Many profess to be a Christian, who are really nothing better than a baptized worldling.In the same way, many a man claims to be a minister of Christ, who is really a hireling, and does little for the feeding and caring of the sheep.The winnowing fan of persecution, if it purged the threshing floor of the church, would bestow great benefits upon her!"Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in Heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you!" Matthew 5:1

Some imagine that the doctrine of election will lead to pride. Quite the contrary!The truth of God's sovereign electing grace is the very instrument which cuts pride at its root. "For who makes you different from anyone else? What do you have that you did not receive? And if you did receive it, why do you boast as though you did not?" 1 Corinthians 4:7Christian! Look around you and see many of your own family hastening down the broad way that leads to eternal destruction, perhaps wrapped in religious traditions, and slaves of sin and Satan. Now, I ask you: Who made you to differ from them? Are you by nature, any better than they are? Look around your town, and see the drunkenness, profanity, drugs, degeneracy, prisons, and broken homes--and then tell me: Who made you to differ from them? Are you by nature, any better than they are? Look around the world, and see nine-tenths of it bound in sin, superstition, decadence, and spiritual darkness--and then ask yourself: Who made you to differ from them? Are you by