Grace Audio Treasures

"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!" 2 Corinthians 5:17 When a man is absorbed by a new master-passion, what a different man he becomes. The passion for wealth will work marvels! We have known idle people become very diligent, and profuse voluptuaries become even self-denying to their flesh--in their ambition to acquire riches. In the same way, whenever God really saves a person, He gives that person a new master-passion--the passion of gratitude to Christ, along with love to the God who saved him. These always become a new master-principle which rules the entire man. From the moment that a man sincerely believes in Jesus, his nature becomes different from what it was before. He receives a new heart. Another influence takes possession of him--and another love engrosses him. He who once loved sin--now loves God and lives for Him. By the saving grace of God, this supernatural change is possible even to the most vile and degraded people. If a man has committed every crime in the whole catalog of villainy, and his heart has become as hard as the nether millstone, and his disposition altogether vile and detestable, and groveling, and sensual, and devilish --the Spirit can turn that man in a single moment, into a lover of that which is true, and right, and just! Yes, the Spirit can passionately inflame him with the desire to be perfectly holy! We do not teach that Christ forgives men, and then lets them continue to live in the hog pens as before! We assert that the moment He gives the pardon of sin, He gives the new nature as well. The gospel hospital is not merely a place where lepers are harbored, but whe

Psalm 19:8, "The precepts of the Lord are right, giving joy to the heart." Joy is not a fleeting emotion stirred by circumstances--it is a deep, abiding gladness rooted in the knowledge of the true and living God. The one who truly profits from the Word, is the one who finds in it the fountain of true joy. This is not the joy of the world--which is shallow, deceptive, and vanishing. It is the joy of Heaven--the joy of communion with God, of sins forgiven, of a conscience cleansed, of a hope of being forever with Jesus. The Scriptures reveal the God of joy. He is a loving Father who delights to bless His children. Every line of His Word is a channel through which this divine joy flows. The soul profits from the Word when it begins to say with the psalmist, "Your statutes are my heritage forever; they are the joy of my heart!" (Psalm 119:111) This joy does not spring from emotional experiences, but from understanding, believing, and embracing divine truth. The joy that the Word imparts is a holy joy--a joy that rests in God Himself. It is not based on what we possess or what we experience--but on who God is, and what He has done for us in Christ. The promises of God kindle joy, because they assure us of His love and faithfulness. The doctrines of grace ignite joy, because they reveal the sovereign mercy that sought and saved us. Even the commands of Scripture become a source of joy to the heart that delights to obey. Yet this joy is often mingled with sorrow, for the more we are conformed to Christ through the Word, the more we will grieve over our sin. But even this godly sorrow leads to deeper joy, for it drives us again and again to the cross, where true gladness is

1 John 2:15, "Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him." One of the most searching tests of whether we are truly profiting from the Word is this: What effect is it having on my relationship to the world? The Word of God calls believers to a path of separation--a separation not of physical distance, but of moral distinction. The same grace that brings salvation, also "teaches us to deny ungodliness and worldly passions." (Titus 2:12) The man who profits from Scripture, is the man who learns to view the world as God views it: ensnaring, wicked, fleeting, and hostile to Christ. The world is not neutral--it is at enmity with God. (James 4:4) It lies in the power of the evil one. (1 John 5:19) Its pleasures are deceitful and damning, its philosophies are godless, its aims are selfish. The cross of Christ is the great divider, and the believer, being crucified with Christ, is also crucified to the world. (Galatians 6:14) To profit from the Word is to have the world's luster dimmed, its music silenced, and its alluring dainties seen in their true light. Scripture renews the mind and reorients the affections. The more one is filled with the Word, the more he sets his heart "on things above, not on earthly things." (Colossians 3:2). The heart disentangles from the world's snares, and the believer begins to live as a pilgrim and stranger. He is in the world but not of it. He engages in it without being entangled in its deceitful meshes. He works in it without worshiping it. He does not follow its fashions, absorb its values, or crave its applause. He lives for a Kingdom that cannot be shaken. But this separ

The grand design of Scripture is not merely to inform, but to transform--not to fill the mind only, but to bring the will into glad submission to God. The one who truly profits from the Word is the one who is brought into a life of increasing obedience to its precepts. Anything less than this is self-deception. As our Lord solemnly warned, "Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of Heaven, but only he who does the will of My Father who is in Heaven." (Matthew 7:21) Obedience is not optional in the Christian life--it is essential. It is the evidence of a heart made alive by grace. The Scriptures were not given to be admired from a distance, or merely studied as literature, but to be obeyed in the power of the Spirit. To profit from the Word, is to have its commands inscribed upon the heart, and worked out into the life by cheerful obedience. When the soul is brought under the rule of Scripture, obedience ceases to be a burden and becomes a delight. The believer no longer picks and chooses what to follow, but bows to all that God has spoken. Like Abraham, he obeys not knowing where it will lead. (Hebrews 11:8) Like David, he prays, "Teach me, O Lord, to follow Your decrees; then I will keep them to the end." (Psalm 119:33) And like Jesus he declares, "I have come to do Your will, O God." (Hebrews 10:7) This obedience is neither forced nor meritorious. It is the grateful response of a redeemed heart. It is the Spirit-wrought fruit of the new birth. The more the believer feeds upon the Word, the more he comes to love the God of the Word--and love always expresses itself in willing submission. "This is love for God: to obey His commands. And His c

2 Peter 1:4, "He has given us His very great and precious promises!" The promises of God are not ornamental words meant to decorate the pages of Scripture--they are divine pledges, sealed by the blood of Christ. They are given to nourish faith, sustain obedience, and strengthen the soul in every season of life. To truly profit from the Word, is to lay hold of God's promises--not as abstract truths, but as living realities that anchor the heart to Him. Every promise is rooted in the character of God. Because He cannot lie, His Word is certain. Because He is unchanging, His promises endure. Because He is all-powerful, He is able to fulfill what He has spoken. These promises are not to be indiscriminately applied. "He has given US His very great and precious promises!" They are given to genuine believers alone, and made effectual to those who walk by faith. The promises are meant to be used. They are spiritual manna for the journey, oil for the lamp, and strength for the battle. In temptation, they shield the heart. In affliction, they soothe the soul. In trials, they inspire endurance. The one who profits from the Word, stores them in his heart, prays them back to God, and lives upon them as daily bread. They do not lead him to presumption, but to holiness--teaching him to walk in the fear of the Lord, while resting in His covenant faithfulness. God's promises are never intended to make us lazy or careless, but diligent and hopeful. As Paul said, "Since we have these promises, dear friends--let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit." (2 Corinthians 7:1) The promises stir us to persevere in the faith and in a holy life, to resist sin, an

2 Timothy 3:16-17, "All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work." The ultimate test of whether we are truly profiting from the Word is not how much we know--but how we live. Scripture never flatters the intellect while bypassing the life. It searches the heart and demands fruit. A head full of doctrine without a life full of good works--is a barren tree, destined not for praise, but for punishment. The Word of God rightly received, sanctifies the soul, and energizes the hands. It molds the heart after Christ, and moves the believer to live for the glory of God in every sphere of life. Good works are not the root of salvation, but they are the necessary fruit. They are not the means of gaining favor with God, but the inevitable result of having received His grace. As it is written, "We are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do." (Ephesians 2:10). The Scriptures instruct us in what is good, rebuke us when we fail, and spur us onward with divine promises and holy examples. A man profits from the Word when he is led to live a life of active godliness--when his thoughts, speech, and conduct, begin to reflect that of the Lord Jesus. The love of God revealed in the Scriptures, will stir him to love both God and others. The mercy of God extended to him, will cause him to show mercy. The humility of Christ displayed in the Gospels, will produce in him a servant's heart. The commands of God will no longer be grievous, but his delight. Let no one imagine that good works consist m

1 Timothy 1:5, "The goal of this command is love, which comes from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith." To profit from the Word is to grow in holy love. Love is not an abstract sentiment or a mere feeling--it is the fruit of divine life within, shaped and governed by truth. The one who truly feeds upon the Scriptures, is transformed into a vessel of love: love for God, love for His truth, love for His people, and even love for enemies. The Word not only instructs the mind, but inflames the heart with a fervent and pure affection that flows from the indwelling Spirit. The Scriptures reveal that God is love--not love as man imagines it, but love as God defines it. This love is holy, sovereign, and sacrificial. It is perfectly displayed at Calvary, where Christ "loved us and gave Himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God!" (Ephesians 5:2). To read the Bible rightly, is to see that every line points to this redeeming love, and to be drawn more deeply into its embrace. The man who profits from the Word will not remain cold, harsh, or indifferent--he will be softened, sweetened, and sanctified by divine love. Love that is shaped by Scripture, is pure and discerning. It does not embrace error or excuse sin. It does not call evil good, or treat truth as negotiable. Love rejoices with the truth, (1 Corinthians 13:6) The more a soul is filled with God's Word, the more it loves what God loves and hates what God hates. This love, grounded in righteousness, becomes the believer's badge and evidence of saving grace. Such love expresses itself not in words only, but in deeds. It labors, sacrifices, and serves. It esteems others better than self.

Romans 8:26, "In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express." The Christian life is not free from weakness, but rather full of it. We groan under . . . the burden of indwelling sin, the brokenness of the world, and the mystery of God's providence. Often, we find ourselves overwhelmed--our thoughts confused, our emotions storm-tossed, our words failing in prayer. Yet even in these frail moments, the believer is not alone. For within him dwells the Spirit of God, the divine Helper, who prays with and for him. In this verse, we see the intercessory ministry of the Holy Spirit, so often overlooked, yet profoundly necessary. The Spirit does not merely assist us when we are strong; He helps us in our "weakness". He comes alongside us when we do not know what to say. When the burden is too deep for words, when the pain is beyond expression, He intercedes with groanings that reach the heart of the Father. These are not groans of despair, but of holy longing, divinely wrought desires for the will of God, rising from within the soul. The Spirit's intercession is continual and unceasing. It is perfectly aligned with God's will. Unlike our prayers--so often mixed with selfishness or ignorance--His groanings are pure and effective. The Father, who searches hearts, hears not merely the faltering words of His children, but the Spirit's cry within them. And because the Spirit is God, His intercession always prevails. What comfort this brings to the struggling saint! Prayer is not a performance to be perfected, but a dependence to be expressed. Even when w

Above all worlds, above all space, Where measures are unknown, Jehovah has His dwelling place, Immensity His throne! My soul, consider and adore The God of truth and grace. He is "the High and Lofty One," Whose name is Holiness. Justice and Mercy are His hands, Omniscience is His eye, His Truth unchanged, forever stands, Though earth in ruins lie! With Grace and Glory He is dressed, Eternal are His days! He is "The Lord our Righteousness," And good are all His ways!