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Psalm 63: The Marrow and the Fat

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Introduction

John Donne says of this psalm that it is one of the imperial psalms—suitable for every occasion, and one with universal applications. Christians can resort to it under all kinds of circumstances, and according to Chrysostom, a portion of the ancient church would not let a day pass without singing it. All the various challenges of modern life have made even more suitable for regular use.

The Text

“O God, thou art my God; early will I seek thee: My soul thirsteth for thee, my flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty land, where no water is . . .” (Psalm 63:1-11).

Summary of the Text

The heading says that David wrote this while in the wilderness of Judah. He appears to have been king (v. 11), but in some danger, which would likely place this turning his brief exile during the revolt by his son Absalom. As such, it is a prayer of dedication and faith, with the object of that faith not yet realized. He will seek God early because of an intense desire to do so (v. 1). What he yearns for is to see God’s power and glory as he has previously seen it in the sanctuary (v. 2). He states that God’s loving-kindness is better than life (v. 3), and as a result David will worship the Lord, lifting up his hands (v. 4). He praises God in faith now, but will praise Him from a position of satisfaction later (v. 5). He will remember the Lord during the night watches, while he lies upon his bed (v. 6), remembering all the ways God has helped him (v. 7). David “follows hard” after the Lord, and the Lord helps him (v. 8). Those who seek David’s life will descend to Sheol (v. 9), falling by the sword (v. 10), only to be consumed by jackals (v. 10). But the king will rejoice and his followers will glory. Those who oppose him will have their mouths stopped (v. 11).

Lovingkindness Exalted

David exalts the loving-kindness of God, exalting it highly. Having placed it on the throne, saying that it is better than life itself, he then appoints seven retainers for that court, seven faculties of his body and mind. These are his lips (v. 3), his tongue (v. 4), his hands (v. 4), his will (v. 5), his mouth (v. 5), his memory (v. 6), and his mind (v. 6). The greatest commandment is to love God with all that you are and have and this is a good example of someone doing just that. David says that God’s loving-kindness is better than his life, and by way of showing this, he throws all the faculties of his life into praising God’s loving-kindness.

Marrow and Fatness

The Christian life is not a lo-fat business (v. 5). Godliness is clotted cream, not skim. Isaiah speaks of the new covenant era this way: “And in this mountain shall the Lord of hosts make unto all people a feast of fat things, a feast of wines on the lees, of fat things full of marrow, of wines on the lees well refined” (Is. 25:6). If you lived in a society which thought milk was a poison and honey was toxic—and you very nearly do—then you would be living in a society at odds with God’s descriptions in Scripture

of how He made the world. The promised land, famously, was flowing with milk and honey (Deut. 6:3). When Isaac blessed Jacob (unwittingly), he blessed him with fatness of the earth, and with plenty of

corn and wine (Gen. 27:28). Do not let those in high rebellion against the blessing of God become the arbiters and definers of what blessing is. The Christian life is a potato with melted butter all over it. The soul of the diligent is made fat (Prov. 13:4).

God in the Sanctuary

David is parched in the wilderness, and he wants to pursue God in order to see His power and glory, the way he has seen it before in the sanctuary. The ordinances of God are precious to Him, and ought to be precious to us. Remember that David was out in the wilderness, which meant that he could go out and look at a spectacular array of stars in the sky—but he wanted to see God’s power and glory in the sanctuary. It is better to be in the wilderness with God than to be in the sanctuary without Him, obviously. And the ordinances and sacraments of God without Him present for blessing are nothing but dry breasts and barren wombs. While we can rejoice in natural revelation (Ps. 19), and we can rejoice in private devotions in the houses of Judah (Ps. 87:2), the worship of God in the gates of Zion is greatly to be preferred.

Following Hard After Him

David says here that God is not always easy to find, and so he pursues hard after Him. There are two ways in which a chasm exists between God and ourselves, and true evangelical faith (given by grace) bridges it both ways. The first is the ethical divide, created by our sins, and by the fact that we live in a fallen world. We must seek God diligently, aware that moral traps are set for us on every side. We sin, when we sin, downhill. Isaiah is undone when he sees the Lord “high and lifted up,” but he is undone because of how aware of his sinfulness he has become. His lament should remind us of our spiritual leprosy (Is. 6:5; Lev. 13:45). We put a cover on our lip, and we cry “unclean.” But God cleanses with a coal from the altar.

But there is another aspect to it—which is the infinite gulf between the Creator and the created. This is not a transcendence that severs us from Him, for in Him we live and move and have our being. God does not have to overcome His “transcendence” in order to be near to us. But the Bible teaches us that we have to overcome it to be near to Him—this is another way of “following hard after Him.” God dwells in unapproachable light, whom no man has ever seen (1 Tim. 6:16). We are to praise His great and terrible name, for it is holy (Ps. 99:3). The voice of the Lord is full of majesty (Ps. 29:4). He sits on the circle of the earth, and we are invited to view ourselves as little grasshoppers of the field (Is. 40:22). The Lord answered Job out of the whirlwind (Job 38:1). But in another gospel irony, we overcome this chasm by embracing it—again, by faith.

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The David Chronicles 3: The Song of Hannah

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Introduction

God heard the prayer of Hannah, and He gave her a son. She understood what was at stake, and utters a glorious psalm of triumph, a prayer that served as a model for our Lord’s mother, Mary, when she triumphed in much the same way. The horn of Hannah was exalted—and this is a striking image of masculine authority and power. But in order to do this, God would have to bring about a great reversal.

The Text

“And Hannah prayed, and said, My heart rejoiceth in the LORD, mine horn is exalted in the LORD: my mouth is enlarged over mine enemies; because I rejoice in thy salvation. There is none holy as the LORD: for there is none beside thee: neither is there any rock like our God. . . .” (1 Sam. 2:1-36).

Summary of the Text

Recall that the first chiasm in this book ends with v. 11 here in chapter 2, when Elkanah and family return to Ramah without Samuel. This chapter also includes another chiasm (vv. 12-26) that is worth noting.

a The sons of Eli are worthless and do not know God (2:12)
b The wickedness of Eli’s sons is described (2:13-17)
c Samuel ministers before YHWH (2:18)
d Hannah is given more children (2:19-21b)
c’ Samuel grows up before YHWH (2:21c)
b’ The wickedness of Eli’s sons described(2:22-25)
a’ Samuel grows in favor with YHWH (2:26)

Hannah prays in exaltation; her horn is exalted (v. 1). No one else is a rock like our God (v. 2). God is a God of knowledge, and so human boasting and arrogance must cease (v. 3). Mighty men are brought low, and the lowly are raised (v. 4). The full are empty, and the empty full. The barren are fruitful, and the fruitful come to nothing (v. 5). The Lord kills and raises to life (v. 6). He makes poor and rich, and brings low and raises up (v. 7). He brings the poor from the dust and the beggar from the dunghill, and sets them among princes, on thrones of glory (v. 8). He keeps His saints, and the wicked are silenced (v. 9). He brings His enemies low, and sustains His king (v. 10).

Elkanah returns home (v. 11). The sons of Eli were sons of Belial, who did not know God (v. 12). Their custom with the sacrificial meat was to take the first for themselves (vv. 13-14). In addition, they took the fat (which was the Lord’s) for themselves by threat of force (vv. 15-16). Their sin was very great, and they brought the worship of God into disrepute (v. 17). But Samuel ministered before the Lord (v. 18). His mother would visit him annually, and bring a coat she had made (v. 19). Eli blessed her, and she had five more children (vv. 20-21). And Samuel grew before the Lord (v. 21b). Eli was old, and heard about all his sons were doing, including their adulteries. He didn’t stop them, but just admonished them (vv. 22-25). Samuel grew in favor with God and man (v. 26).

An unnamed prophet then came to Eli and delivered the word of God to him (v. 27). Didn’t God choose Eli’s line to minister in the first place (vv. 27-28). The prophet charges Eli with honoring his sons above the Lord, and with making himself fat with the offerings (v. 29). But God will honor those who honor Him, and will light esteem those who despise Him (v. 30). Eli’s priestly line will therefore be cut off (vv. 31-33). The sign that this will happen will be the death of his two sons on the same day (v. 34). God will then raise up a faithful priest who will serve forever (v. 35). The house of Eli will then serve this new house (v. 36).

What Reversal Means

Hannah’s song is filled with reversals. This is not a song that exalts a leveling spirit, but rather points to a series of reversals. The poor become rich, and the rich become poor. The mighty fall, and the powerless are raised to life. The lowly are exalted, and the exalted are humbled. Because this happens in time and in history, each group that is raised must remember that God must be honored before, during and after His action of exaltation.

Eli’s house was chosen, and was promised that it would remain forever (v. 30). But because God was dishonored by him, God then selected Samuel, and promised him that he would walk before God “forever” as well (v. 35). But Samuel’s sons took bribes, and a king replaced him. Later in this book Saul rises, then stumbles and falls. Then David does the same. Men love to think that their mojo, once it gets going, is the kind of thing that must last forever. Haman was really excited about getting a dinner invitation from Queen Esther. He thought he was headed for high places, which a gallows is, I suppose. Watching men try to be faithful over generations is like watching the tide go in and out. It will not come in completely until the Christ comes, and the earth is as full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea. The prophecy given to Eli is typified by Samuel, but is fulfilled in Christ alone.

A Model Psalm

Hannah’s description of “raising and lowering” is enacted immediately afterward. It is not just a model of history, but is also a model for the remainder of this chapter. Eli’s sons are set up for a humiliation, and the humble boy Samuel is set up for exaltation. They are brought low, and Samuel is promoted. At the center of the chiasm, Hannah is given a quiver full of children—she is given a seat of great honor in the Scriptures. She had the privilege of providing a model psalm to our Lord’s mother.

Eli’s Failure, Our Failure, and Gospel Promise

Eli admonishes his sons, but he does not stop them. The prophet who brings the charge against Eli says that he honored his sons over the Lord, even though Eli “agreed with” the Lord and not with his sons. It appears that Eli was in some manner dependent on his sons’ methods of getting the choicest meat—and had gotten fat through their impudence. Eli was in fact fat (1 Sam. 4:18).

Ironically, Eli’s warning to his sons actually applied to him. If a man sins against the Lord, who will intercede for him? Here is Eli’s failure, and if we are honest, we will see our own problem with sin as well. And here is where we must grasp the gospel promise.

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Psalm 52: Reading The Story Lived

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Introduction

This psalm gives us a glimpse of David’s early years, and of the faithfulness and trust he displayed in hard circumstances. But he knew what God was like, and he knew how the world worked. That being the case, he could wait patiently, trusting.

The Text

To the chief Musician, Maschil, A Psalm of David, when Doeg the Edomite came and told Saul, and said unto him, David is come to the house of Ahimelech.

“Why boastest thou thyself in mischief, O mighty man? the goodness of God endureth continually. Thy tongue deviseth mischiefs; like a sharp razor, working deceitfully. Thou lovest evil more than good; and lying rather than to speak righteousness. Selah. Thou lovest all devouring words, O thou deceitful tongue. God shall likewise destroy thee for ever, he shall take thee away, and pluck thee out of thy dwelling place, and root thee out of the land of the living. Selah. The righteous also shall see, and fear, and shall laugh at him: Lo, this is the man that made not God his strength; but trusted in the abundance of his riches, and strengthened himself in his wickedness. But I am like a green olive tree in the house of God: I trust in the mercy of God for ever and ever. I will praise thee for ever, because thou hast done it: and I will wait on thy name; for it is good before thy saints” (Ps. 52:1-9).

Summary of the Text

According to the ancient inscription above the psalm, the occasion for this was the debacle with Ahimilech and his priests in 1 Sam. 21-22. The psalm begins with asking why Doeg the mighty would boast in mischief—God’s goodness is continual (v. 1). His tongue is like a razor, capable of cutting his lies fine (v. 2). Not only were they words of mischief, but lying words of mischief (v. 2). Doeg loves evil more than good, which means he loves good not at all. He loves lies more than words of righteousness (v. 3). Selah is an invitation to pause and reflect, and we should reflect on the mystery that makes sin attractive. He loves it when deceits devour (v. 4). But it comes back around—he loves destruction, but God will visit destruction upon him (v. 5). Think about that, and selah. The response of the righteous, when he sees this judgment, is to fear and laugh both (v. 6). Isn’t that the guy who did not make God his strength, and who did trust in his own wealth (v. 7)? But the wealthy scoundrel destroyed is nothing like David. In the house of God, offering true worship, he is a green and fruitful olive tree (v. 8). David will praise God forever, because God is the one who has done this great thing (v. 9). With that trust, the judgment is as good as done, and David will wait for it (v. 9). It is good before the saints.

The Backstory

David fell into disfavor with Saul, not because of anything he had done, but simply because the grace and favor of God was upon him (1 Sam. 20). David fled from Saul, who was seeking his life. David came to Nob, where Ahimelech was, and obtained the shewbread for his men, and the sword of Goliath (1. Sam. 21:6, 9). Doeg the Edomite saw him there. Ahimelech knew nothing about the falling out between Saul and David, and David told him he was on urgent business from the king. After this, David fled to various places in order to stay away from Saul. When Saul heard that David was in the forest of Hareth, he upbraided his courtiers. Doeg, who had been his chief shepherd, told the king that he had seen him getting help from Ahimelech. Saul summoned the priest, who answered him bravely. Saul ordered the priests slaughtered, which his men refused to do, to their credit. He then ordered Doeg to do it, which he promptly did, and then he went and sacked the city of Nob. This was probably the cause of Doeg’s ascendancy, mentioned by David in the psalm. And note how Saul, the persecutor (1 Sam. 22:8) felt persecuted. He was trying to kill David for no good reason, and wanted everybody to feel sorry for him.

Trusting in Riches

Doeg did not trust in God, but rather trusted in his riches and great wealth. He gained them by destructive deceit —he had been at Nob, and knew David was there, but he also knew that Ahimilech was innocent of any conspiracy. Nevertheless, he lied with a half truth, and then sealed his commitment to that lie with his willingness to shed innocent blood. “If riches increase, set not your heart upon them” (Ps. 62:10). Doeg had a good year, at least the way he was calculating it. But he read the story completely wrong.

Lover of Destruction Destroyed

There are four verbs that describe what God will do to Doeg, translated here as destroy, take away, pluck out, and root out. It would be hard to make the coming desolation of Doeg any more clear, and it is a destruction that is entire and absolute. The first verb means to pull down and break into pieces, the second means to pluck up by twisting, the third means to sweep away, and the last refers to him being rooted up out of the land of the living.

The Laughter of the Saints

When worldlings conspire against God, we are not surprised to find that God laughs that them (Ps. 2:4. But sometimes we think that the privilege of such laughter is withheld from us, afraid that we could not do this apart from personal vindictiveness, which the Scriptures everywhere forbid. But notice what it says. The righteous shall see and fear, and laugh. This is no petty malice. Modern saints have been so warned about the dangers of triumphalism that we have forgotten to fear God. There is a deep seated gladness in the prerogatives of God that cannot be described as jolly merriment, but is nevertheless a solemn and righteous laughter.

Thriving in the House of God

David writes this when he was still on the run, and Doeg in a position of power at court. The last time he had been at the house of the Lord, the priests had all been slaughtered as a result. Nevertheless, he saw himself, in the midst of his affliction, as a green olive tree. The olive was a symbol of Israel, and David (who knew he had been anointed king by Samuel) was that Israel, even though he was on the run. And Doeg, even though he was a mighty man at court, was a dead man walking. As you walk by faith in God, see yourself in the story that God is writing. Know the story well enough to call the shots beforehand, not in arrogance, but in humility.

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This Mind in You

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Introduction

Conservative Christians know and understand that we deserve to be brought low. We know the law of God, we know our own sinfulness, and we know that the holiness of God casts us down. This is all good, as far as it goes, but we need to follow God’s purposes all the way out. God humbles us, which we deserve, but He also exalts us, which we do not deserve at all. This is often the point where we stumble.

The Text

“Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” (Phil. 2:5-11)

Summary of the Text

In this great hymn on the obedience of Christ, the apostle Paul urges us to have the same mind in us that Christ had in Him (v. 5). He, before the Incarnation, was in the very shape of God (v. 6), and yet did not grasp after that. Instead, He submitted Himself to the will of the Father, and took on the shape of a servant or slave, being born in the likeness of men (v. 7). As if that were not enough, once He found Himself in the form of a human, He humbled Himself even further, accepting even death on the cross (v. 8). It was for this reason that God exalted Him highly, and gave Him a name above every name (v. 9). The result of this is that every knee will bow at the name of Jesus, whether in heaven, or on earth, or under the earth (v. 10). Every knee bows, and every tongue confesses that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father (v. 11).

Together With Christ

When Paul says that the mind of Christ should be in us, he is talking about the whole process. We do not just follow Christ to Jerusalem, to die with Him as Thomas said (John 11:16). We also follow Him to Heaven, where He is now seated. If we are united with Him in His death, we are also united with Him in His resurrection (Rom. 6: 4). We are crucified together with Him (Gal. 2:20), buried with Him (Col. 2:12), raised with Him (Eph. 2:6), and we ascend together with Him to be seated in Heaven (Eph. 2:7). We would say this in English by saying that we have been co-crucified, co-buried, co-raised, co-ascended, and co-seated.

The Problem . . .

Christians tend to accept all this, and to rejoice in it until we are back at square on. We are like the prodigal son who wants to be forgiven, and restored, but to be put up in the servants’ hall. He is not expecting the fatted calf to be killed, a party to be thrown, or a small jazz band to be hired. He wasn’t expecting the ring, or the best robe (Luke 15:22). He wasn’t expecting to be exalted. His older brother wasn’t expecting that either.

So this is where our faith staggers. We expect to be forgiven—that’s God’s job, right? But we don’t expect to be exalted, and when God moves to do this, we often fight Him. We throw ourselves to the floor in repentance, and when God reaches down to pick us up, we kick and bite and scratch. But it is not true humility to fight with God. If God has determined to do something, how is it abasing the creature to quarrel with His sovereignty. The Bible teaches both—we are told to humble ourselves so that God might lift us up (1 Pet. 5:6). We are to look forward to the joy, just like Jesus did. He was worthy of that joy, and we are not. So?

For Us Who Believe?

This is a truth that is infinitely bigger than our heads and hearts, and yet God wants our heads and hearts to contain this truth anyway. This is why Paul prays for impossible things with regard to the Ephesians (Eph. 3:17-21). This is the focus of Paul’s prayers for them (Eph. 1:17-18). He wants them to know the glory of God’s inheritance in them (v. 18). Think of it.

“. . . That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him: The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints, and what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power, which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places, far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come: And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church, which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all” (Eph. 1:17-21).

This Mind In You

Jesus is the new man. Jesus is the representative man. Everything He did is ours. Everything He said is ours. Everything He accomplished is ours. He has given us all things in Him, and He has told us to strive for all things in imitation of Him. And He did everything He did for the sake of the joy that was set before Him (Heb. 12:2). We are called to the same kind of thing.

Let this mind be in you . .

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Romans 36: The Stumbling Stone (9:30-33)

Joe Harby on

Introduction

Why is the issue of faith and works so complicated? The answer is that it is not—it is the sinful human heart that is complicated. Because of that, we take something straightforward—trust God in all things—and tie it up into knots. But the issues outside the heart are simple. They binary. Either you will build your life on the cornerstone that is Jesus Christ, or that same stone will fall on you and crush you (Luke 20:17-18).

The Text

“What shall we say then? That the Gentiles, which followed not after righteousness, have attained to righteousness, even the righteousness which is of faith. But Israel, which followed after the law of righteousness, hath not attained to the law of righteousness. Wherefore? Because they sought it not by faith, but as it were by the works of the law. For they stumbled at that stumbling stone; As it is written, Behold, I lay in Sion a stumbling stone and rock of offence: and whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed” (Rom 9:30-33).

Summary of the Text

What do we say in response to the argument from Hosea and Isaiah? Our conclusion is that the Gentiles, who were not chasing righteousness, have nevertheless attained that righteousness (v. 30). The righteousness they attained to is the righteousness that is “of faith” (v. 30). Israel in the meantime was chasing after righteousness and did not catch it (v. 31). The righteousness they did not catch was something they missed because they did not understand the “law of righteousness” (v. 31). The law of righteousness is faith. This is made plain in the next verse—why did they not attain what they were chasing? Because they did not chase by faith, but rather by works of the Torah (v. 32). They tripped over the stumbling stone, and this issue of faith/works was that stone (v. 32). The quotation is from both Isaiah 8:14 and 28:16. In Isaiah 8, God sets the rock of stumbling (v. 14), and in verse 17 we see the right response to that stone, which is trust. Moreover, verse 17 is quoted in Heb. 2:13. And in Isaiah 28:16, the precious cornerstone is the one which, if someone trusts in it, they will never be dismayed. This verse is also quoted in 1 Pet. 2:6 and later in Romans 10:11. This is a stone of stumbling and it is a stone in which we are to trust—see the flow of the argument in 1 Peter. 2:6-8.

Line on Line

We know from the teaching of the New Testament that the stone of stumbling and the basic foundation stone are the same stone—Jesus Christ. The stone was rejected by the appointed builders, and so they in turn were rejected. But we must pay attention not only to the fact of their rejection of Christ, but must pay close attention to the nature of their rejection of Christ.

In Isaiah 8, the stone is a stone of stumbling. In Isaiah 28, it is a cornerstone, one in which we are invited to trust. But there are some other things in Is. 28 as well. Isaiah rebukes the people for their sin (vv. 1-8). They react to him —who is Isaiah trying to teach? Sunday School kids who can’t even read yet (vv. 8-9)? What they think is beneath them is actually way ahead of them. Then v. 11 is quoted in 1 Cor. 14:21, and applied to the gift of tongues (Dt. 28:49. So t hen, Isaiah says, you despise the abcs? ‘l’ll give it to you that way (v. 13)—so that you will fall backward, be broken, snared, and captured. But the one who trusts in the stone will be blessed (v. 16). The gift of tongues was therefore a sign of judgment on unbelievers, particularly unbelieving Jews (1 Cor. 14:22).

Faith Is a Pair of Eyes

In religious affairs there can be a vast difference between what you are doing and what you think you are doing. In our text, the Jews were “following after” the law of righteousness and, when they got there, they discovered it was actually the law of unrighteousness. The Gentiles who did not have a thought of righteousness at all found themselves tackled from behind by that righteousness. Found by God, they found they had faith in Him. Pursuing God with all their hearts, or so they thought, the Jews found that they did not have faith in God. They had faith in their way of having faith in God. The Torah was not intended for that use, but that is the use they put to it. And so when Christ came, they could do nothing but stumble over Him. Faith in faith, faith in your way of having faith, is damnable. Faith is a pair of eyes, designed to look at Christ. If they don’t see Him, they are blind eyes.

The Nature of Stumbling

Take two men. One says that we are justified by faith in Jesus Christ alone, by faith alone, plus nothing or no one else. Is he right? Of course he is right. But suppose he says this, not trusting in Jesus but rather trusting in his correct doctrinal formulation. He is lost, precisely because his formulation is correct. And flip it around. Another man can have a true heart-felt trust in Christ, but have been taught a real mishmash of doctrinal incoherencies. Can he be saved? Yes, but only because what he was taught is wrong. Was the Torah false doctrine? No, as we will see in Romans 10:6. Did God know that men would get it backwards? Yes, and He planned to use this as a way of bringing men to real faith (Rom. 10:5).

So Trust in Jesus Christ

You were lost in sin, and Jesus Christ was sent to die on the cross in such a way as to deal with all that sin. All of it. He was buried, and then raised to life again so that you could participate in that eternal life. Look to Him. That’s it —the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ for screwed up people. That’s the gospel. Don’t look to Him while holding your mouth just so. Don’t trust in Him and in your church volunteer work. Don’t believe in Him coupled with your mastery of the Westminster Confession. We are saved by grace, not law. We are saved by grace, not refined law, not doctrinal law, not the law of righteousness. No, we are justified by the law of righteousness, which is faith.

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