He did not only die, but died such a death, as indeed cannot be expressed. He was content to be counted the sinner: yea, to be counted the sin of the sinner, nor could this but be odious to so holy a Lamb as he was, yet willing to be this and thus for that love that he bare to men.
– John Bunyan –
from All Loves Excelling, 1692
You’re either a missionary or you’re a mission field.
– Unknown –
The weakest Christian is as much justified, as much pardoned, as much adopted, and as much united to Christ as the strongest, and hath as much interest and propriety in Christ as the highest and noblest Christian that breathes.
– Thomas Brooks –
from Heaven on Earth: A Treatise on Christian Assurance, 1654
Exercise great self-denial: “Let him deny himself” (Matthew 16:24). Self-ease, self-ends, whatever comes in competition with (or stand in opposition to) Christ’s glory and interest must be denied. Self is the great snare; self-love undermines the power of godliness. The young man in the Gospel might have followed Christ, but something of self-hindered (Matthew 19:20-22). Self-love is self-hatred. The man who cannot get beyond himself will never get to heaven.
– Thomas Watson –
from The Godly Man’s Picture, 1666
Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. He who calls you is faithful; he will surely do it. (1 Thessalonians 5:23-24 ESV)
The majority of us are too indifferent, too religiously sentimental to be caught up in the sweep of the Apostle Paul’s intercession. Have we a lesser idea than that God should do in us what He wants to do? Are we prepared to pray with Murray McCheyne, “Lord, make me as holy as Thou canst make a sinner saved by grace”?
– Oswald Chambers –
from If You Will Ask
There was a day when I died, utterly died to George Müller, his opinions, preferences, tastes, and will; died to the world, its approval or censure; died to the approval or blame even of my brethren and friends and since then I have only to show myself approved to God.
– George Müller –
It is no little salvation that Jesus Christ came to work out for us. It is a “great salvation,” and it saves. Hallelujah! It is not a pretense. It is not a make-believe.” It is a real salvation from all sin and uncleanness; from all doubt and fear; from all guile and hypocrisy; from all malice and wrath. Bless God!
– Samuel Brengle –
Toil on, faint not, keep watch and pray, be wise the erring soul to win; go forth into the world’s highway, compel the wanderer to come in.
– Horatius Bonar –
When the Lord takes your sins, you never see them again. He casts them into the depths of the sea, forgiven and forgotten. I even believe that He places a sign over them that reads: “No fishing allowed.”
– Corrie ten Boom –