We do not proclaim grace so that anyone will make light of sin or of our duty to resist it. We herald God’s amazing mercy in order to join with the Spirit in stirring up in his people such a love for God that, when the day of evil comes, they will gladly put on the full armor he provides. Then, despite the hardships and the pain God’s people may face in the battle, they will stand strong in the power of his might.

What a difference it makes in my life and yours when we believe that the trials as well as the accomplishments, the difficulties as well as the joys, are not simply the products of brute forces in the universe but actually are all part of God’s eternal plan for his glory and our good. Do we have any assurance that such astounding truths do apply to us? Yes.

Success in the pulpit can be the force that leads a preacher from prayerful dependence on the Spirit.

Guilt should drive us to the cross, but grace must lead us from it.

The inevitable consequence of obedience without delight is the erosion of holiness.

Our preaching should reflect the uniqueness of our personalities, but our lives should.

Grace becomes not only the means by which God once justified us, it is also the means by which we are continually encouraged and enabled to serve him with undiminished delight.

There is nothing more effective than guilt to get people to obey God’s standards, and nothing less efficacious in sanctifying them to God.

Sin and Satan deceive our hearts with lies that God is distant. His hand of discipline declares he is never nearer.

Somehow proper prayer must put more trust in God’s will than in human wants; otherwise failure to get the things we want will force us to doubt either the power of prayer or the ability of God.