Believers often say 'live to please God, not man.' Problem: sinners can't please God. They should rather say 'be who you are in Christ,' keeping The Savior in the foreground. Christ pleased God FOR us. If you're in Christ, God IS pleased with you. That can't increase or decrease.

"Don't be afraid, for those who are with us outnumber those who are with them.". - Elisha, 2 Kings 6:16 (cf. Exodus 15:1-2; Deuteronomy 20:1-4; Joshua 5:13-15; 2 Samuel 22:7-16, 31-51; 2 Chronicles 32:7-8; Daniel 10:20, 12:1; Matthew 26:53).

Naaman was healed of skin disease, and urged Elisha to accept payment for it. Elisha refused. Dear brethren:. "Come, everyone who is thirsty,.come to the water;.and you without silver,.come, buy, and eat!.Come, buy wine and milk.without silver and without cost!". - Isaiah 55:1.

Naaman confessed that "there's no God in the whole world except in Israel.". He committed to sacrificing only to The LORD after he was cured of skin disease. He sought The LORD's pardon for participating in idolatry. Grace causes that. I expect to meet Naaman in God's kingdom.

"I have written these things to you who believe in the name of The Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life.". The apostle John wasted much ink on 1:1-5:12 if his first letter is a series of tests for salvation, only to then write 5:13. Dear brethren, it's not.

"Now I want to make clear for you, brothers and sisters, The Gospel. ". - 1 Corinthians 15:1. Why, in the second to last 'chapter' of a sixteen 'chapter' letter. say something like that?. Because believers forget, even while reading a letter. Brothers, sisters: remember Jesus.

"They will eat, and they will have some left over.". - The LORD (2 Kings 4:43b). One hundred men were fed by twenty loaves of barley bread. And, there were leftovers. That was a small taste of what The God-man would do. He fed almost ten thousand. And there were leftovers.

A widow's husband died. Yet, The LORD provided. A woman was infertile. Yet The LORD opened her womb. The woman's son died. Yet The LORD resurrected him. Israel experienced famine. Yet, The LORD provided. Brothers, sisters: may 2 Kings 4 remind us of our Father's goodness.

"Elisha went out to the spring, threw salt in it, and said, 'This is what The LORD says: `I have healed this water. No longer will death or unfruitfulness result from it.`'". - 2 Kings 2:21. The LORD heals. He saves from death and causes fruitfulness. (Exodus 15:26, Isaiah 30:26).

"My lord can see that even though the city's location is good, the water is bad and the land unfruitful.”. He replied, 'Bring me a new bowl and put salt in it.'". - 2 Kings 2:19-20 (cf. Leviticus 2:13, Numbers 18:19, 2 Chronicles 13:5, Ezekiel 43:24, Matthew 5:13, Mark 9:49-50).

Elijah's protege Elisha received 'two shares of [his] spirit.'. Elijah prefigured John the Baptist. John baptized Jesus. Jesus then 'received' The Spirit in the form of a dove, Who anointed him as The Christ. Jesus is The better and final Prophet. It all fascinates me.

"Blessed are those who have not seen and yet believe." (John 20:29). Reality: "Though you have not seen him, you love him;" (1 Peter 1:8a). Inevitability: "If you love me, you will keep my commands." (John 14:15). Confirmation: "We love because he first loved us." (1 John 4:19).

"I will purify them from all the iniquity they have committed against Me, and I will forgive all the iniquities they have committed against Me, rebelling against Me.". - Jeremiah 33:8 (cf. 1 John 1:9).

Jesus Christ is a savior. He is The Savior. More importantly. Brothers and sisters, he is our Savior. Brother, he is your Savior. Sister, he is your Savior. And he is my Savior. May we meditate on that. May we be confident about that. May we declare it with boldness.

"The Gospel isn't just the door to salvation, It's the ocean in which we swim.". - Charles Spurgeon.

"Human nature's way of salvation is, 'Do, do, do.' But God's way of salvation is, 'Done, done; it is all done.' You have but to rely by faith on the atonement which Christ accomplished on the cross.". - Charles Spurgeon.

"We may not like the fact that we have a life-long struggle with sin, but the more we realize and accept it, the better equipped we will be to deal with it.". - Jerry Bridges.