Salvation

Fear of God is Wisdom – Thomas Watson

The fear of God is wisdom in that it makes us consider: “I considered my ways” (Psalm 119:59). A great part of wisdom lies in consideration. He who fears God considers how vain the world is, and therefore dares not love it; how short time is, and therefore dares not lose it; how precious salvation is, and therefore dares not neglect it. 

– Thomas Watson –
from The Great Gain of Godliness, 1682

What Great Love – Max Lucado

On the eve of the cross, Jesus made his decision. He would rather go to hell for you than go to heaven without you.

– Max Lucado –

The Christian Gospel – Timothy Keller

The Christian Gospel is that I am so flawed that Jesus had to die for me, yet I am so loved and valued that Jesus was glad to die for me. This leads to deep humility and deep confidence at the same time. It undermines both swaggering and sniveling. I cannot feel superior to anyone, and yet I have nothing to prove to anyone. I do not think more of myself nor less of myself. Instead, I think of myself less.

– Timothy Keller –

Jesus Christ to Love Man – John Bunyan

What we have under consideration, is so much the more to be taken of; namely that a person so great, so high, so glorious, as this Jesus Christ was, should have love for us, that passes knowledge. It is common for equals to love, and for superiors to be beloved; but for the King of princes, for the Son of God, for Jesus Christ to love man thus: this is amazing, and that so much the more, for that man the object of this love, is so low, so mean, so vile, so undeserving, and so inconsiderable, as by the Scriptures, everywhere he is described to be.

–  John Bunyan –
from All Loves Excelling, 1692