There are two ways to be fooled. One is to believe what isn’t true; the other is to refuse to believe what is true. —Soren Kierkegaard. "…truth is true even if nobody believes it, and falsehood is false even if everybody believes it. That is why truth does not yield to opinion, fashion, numbers, office, or sincerity–it is simply true and that is the end of it" – Os Guinness, Time for Truth, pg.39. “He that takes truth for his guide, and duty for his end, may safely trust to God’s providence to lead him aright.” – Blaise Pascal. "There is but one straight course, and that is to seek truth and pursue it steadily" – George Washington letter to Edmund Randolph — 1795. We live in a “post-truth” world. According to the dictionary, “post-truth” means, “relating to or denoting circumstances in which objective facts are less influential in shaping public opinion than appeals to emotion and personal belief.” Simply put, we now live in a culture that seems to value experience and emotion more than truth. Truth will never go away no matter how hard one might wish. Going beyond the MSM idealogical opinion/bias and their low information tabloid reality show news with a distractional superficial focus on entertainment, sensationalism, emotionalism and activist reporting – this blogs goal is to, in some small way, put a plug in the broken dam of truth and save as many as possible from the consequences—temporal and eternal. "The further a society drifts from truth, the more it will hate those who speak it." – George Orwell “There are two ways to be fooled. One is to believe what isn’t true; the other is to refuse to believe what is true.” ― Soren Kierkegaard
Now therefore go, and I will be with thy mouth, and teach thee what thou shalt say. (Exodus 4:12)
Many a true servant of the Lord is slow of speech, and when called upon to plead for his Lord, he is in great confusion lest he should spoil a good cause by his bad advocacy. In such a case it is well to remember that the Lord made the tongue which is so slow, and we must take care that we do not blame our maker. It may be that a slow tongue is not so great an evil as a fast one, and fewness of words may be more of a blessing than floods of verbiage. It is also quite certain that real saving power does not lie in human rhetoric, with its tropes, and pretty phrases, and grand displays. Lack of fluency is not so great a lack as it looks.
If God be with our mouth, and with our mind, we shall have something better than the sounding brass of eloquence or the tinkling cymbal of persuasion. God’s teaching is wisdom; His presence is power. Pharaoh had more reason to be afraid of stammering Moses than of the most fluent talker in Egypt; for what he said had power in it; he spoke plagues and deaths. If the Lord be with us in our natural weakness we shall be girt with supernatural power. Therefore, let us speak for Jesus boldly, as we ought to speak.
How you begin your morning shapes everything that follows. Start your day anchored in Scripture with these powerful truths to pray and speak over your life before the world has its say.
We are surrounded by things which tell us about God — a glimpse of His power here, a hint of His goodness there. But not everything that tells us about God will let us get to know God as our Saviour. Robert Traill (1642–1716) names four places where we will find out something about God yet may still fall short of salvation. A friend of William Guthrie and James Guthrie, Robert Traill studied at Edinburgh University, was exiled to Holland, and pastored presbyterian churches in Kent and London. The following updated extract is taken from one of the sermons preached on Jesus’ prayer in John 17, which he calls “the Lord’s prayer.”
You cannot know God except as He reveals Himself. He reveals Himself no other way but in Christ, so as to be savingly known. There are four books (if I may so call them) that many use in studying to know God, but they are only poor scholars if they do not have better, and fitter, and plainer books.
God in Himself
Some study an absolute God, God in Himself. But an absolute God is an abyss, and all that go near it, fall into it and are destroyed. Luther boldly said, “Let hypocrites and unbelievers do as they please, I will have nothing to do with an absolute God.”
God in His Son, God in covenant with His Son, God clothed with grace and mercy and shining in His promises in Christ, is the God we must seek to know, and when by grace we attain to knowing Him, we may humbly glory in it. “Let him that glorieth, glory in this, that he understandeth and knoweth me, that I am the Lord, which exercise loving-kindness, judgment and righteousness in the earth, for in these things I delight, saith the Lord” (Jeremiah 9:24).
And I will establish my covenant between me and thee and thy seed after thee in their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be a God unto thee, and to thy seed after thee. (Genesis 17:7)
O Lord, Thou hast made a covenant with me, Thy servant, in Christ Jesus my Lord; and now, I beseech Thee, let my children be included in its gracious provisions. Permit me to believe this promise as made to me as well as to Abraham. I know that my children are born in sin and shapen in iniquity, even as those of other men; therefore, I ask nothing on the ground of their birth, for well I know that “that which is born of the flesh is flesh” and nothing more. Lord, make them to be born under Thy covenant of grace by Thy Holy Spirit!
I pray for my descendants throughout all generations. Be Thou their God as Thou art mine. My highest honor is that Thou hast permitted me to serve Thee; may my offspring serve Thee in all years to come. O God of Abraham, be the God of his Isaac! O God of Hannah, accept her Samuel!
If, Lord, Thou hast favored me in my family, I pray Thee remember other households of Thy people which remain unblest. Be the God of all the families of Israel. Let not one of those who fear Thy name be tried with a godless and wicked household, for Thy Son Jesus Christ’s sake. Amen.
Who was Malchus? If you grew up around the church, you might know the answer. Malchus was the servant of the high priest whose ear Peter cut off during the arrest of Jesus. For many of us, that question belonged to a familiar game: Bible Trivia.
I grew up playing games like that. We’d compete over names, numbers, and details. How many stones did David pick up? Which king was weighed in the balance and found wanting? Who was the wee little man who climbed up in a sycamore tree (for the Lord he wanted to see)? There’s nothing wrong with knowing those things. Familiarity with the Bible is a good thing.
But knowing Bible trivia isn’t the same thing as knowing the Bible. A person can remember scattered facts but still struggle to know what the Bible is, how it fits together, or what its message is. The Scripture isn’t given to us so we can win a game. It’s given so that we can read, meditate, understand, and be trained in righteousness and holiness. With that in mind, there are certain things every Christian should know about the Bible — not obscure details or academic debates, but foundational truths that shape how we read, study, and receive God’s Word.
Every Christian should know the Bible’s divine authorship. The Bible was written by real men. They wrote in different places, over many centuries, and in different styles. But behind the many men who wrote is a single Author: “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God” (2 Tim. 3:16). Or, as the Apostle Peter said, “For prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit” (2 Pt. 1:21).
The Bible isn’t a collection of human thoughts and experiences, it’s God own speech — his breathed-out Word. This is why the Bible is true. God cannot lie, and so every word is trustworthy. It’s also why the Bible has authority. God is God over all, and what he says is binding. And it’s why the Scriptures are unified. Though written by many authors, it’s not disjointed. All its parts fit together into a single whole.
If a Christian doesn’t know this, then the Bible becomes nothing but a product of man’s creativity — it may have good advice, inspirational stories, or moral instruction, but it can rise no higher than the men who wrote it.
Every Christian should know what the Bible primarily teaches. The Westminster Shorter Catechism gives a very simple answer: “The Scriptures principally teach what man is to believe concerning God, and what duty God requires of man.” This captures the heart of the Bible’s message.
The message of the Bible isn’t about man’s seeking after God, but about God’s revealing himself to man. Beyond what creation can tell us, the Scriptures reveal the God who is, and all that he is — his justice, mercy, wisdom, truth, and power. In revealing who God is, the Bible also makes clear that we are obligated to him — both by creation and by redemption.
Faith and obedience aren’t opposed to each other because right belief shapes faithful obedience, and true obedience flows out of right belief. When we read the Bible, the two most basic questions to always ask are: What does this passage teach me about God? And what does it teach me about how I should live before him?
Every Christian should know the different genres of the Bible. The parts of the Bible fit together as a whole, but the parts are also different. It’s not written in one way.
Scripture has many different kinds of writing. God hasn’t chosen to reveal his eternal truth in a single literary form. There’s law and history, poetry and prophecy, proverbs, parables, letters, and apocalyptic visions. This matters. We don’t read Psalms the same way we read Romans, and we don’t read history the way we read prophecy. It’s so helpful to be familiar with these differences and recognize, at least generally, what they do. For example, narrative records real acts of God in history. Poetry expresses real truth in figurative language. Prophecy isn’t pre-recorded history. It uses imagery, symbolism, and metaphor communicates the acts and judgments of God in a sinful world.
Every Christian should know the covenant development of the Bible. From beginning to end, the Bible isn’t a collection of stand-alone events. Rather, it tells the story of God binding himself to his people by promise. The Bible is the record of God’s covenant dealing with humanity, and especially with his church.
This began in the Garden of Eden when God established a relationship with Adam where he promised life as a result of his obedience. When Adam fell, God was pleased to make another covenant. This is commonly called the covenant of grace. He promised that the seed of the woman would crush the seed of the serpent (Gen. 3:15). That promise is the thread that runs through the entire Bible. God gradually moves the story of his covenant forward — through Noah, Abraham, Moses, David, and finally in Jesus Christ.
Every Christian should know the Christ-centeredness of the Bible. After his resurrection, Jesus walked with two disciples on the road to Emmaus. Not recognizing who he was, the disciples were taught by Jesus from the Scriptures about himself. “And beginning at Moses and all the Prophets, He expounded to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself” (Lk 24:27). This reshapes how we read the entire Bible.
The Old Testament isn’t a historical record of Israel. It’s preparation for Christ. Its sacrifices point forward to his death. Its priests foreshadow his ministry. Its kings point to his reign. Its prophets anticipate his judgment and grace. Its promises find their fulfillment in him.
The New Testament continues this Christ-centeredness. The Gospels tell of his earthly ministry in his life, death, and resurrection. Acts announces the continuing work of Christ through the apostles to the nations. The epistles explain the meaning of his work and apply it to every day life. And Revelation shows his victorious return.
From Genesis to Revelation, the Bible witnesses to Jesus Christ in his person and work.
Every Christian should know how the New Testament uses the Old Testament. It’s often said, “The New is in the Old concealed, the Old is in the New revealed.” This is the basic way to appreciate the relationship between the Old and New Testaments.
The New Testament authors don’t treat the Old like something to be discarded, or a relic of the past. Rather, the writers are constantly quoting or alluding to the Old. They understood that the events they witnessed were fulfillment of what God had said long ago. They recognized that the doctrines they defended were contained in the faith of the patriarchs. And they knew the godliness they promoted was still the outworking of the moral law of God given in the Ten Commandments.
For this reason, the pages of the New Testament are saturated with the Old. When we see it used, we should develop the instinct to ask why and how the biblical author is doing so. After all, the New Testament is the very best commentary on the Old.
Every Christian should know the difference between command and promise. Throughout the Bible God speaks in two ways. He commands. And he promises.
His commands are given, in part, so that we can know our sinfulness. But they’re also given so we, as Christians, may know how to glorify him. He commands us to love. He commands that we believe, repent, forgive, pursue holiness, and worship him faithfully. These aren’t suggestions or good advice. God tells us how we should live.
But the Bible also makes promises — promises we can’t fulfill ourselves. God promises to give a new heart. He promises the indwelling of the Spirit. He promises to forgive sin. He promises resurrection, eternal life, and a new creation. He promises to give us everything that is needed for faith and godliness.
When we read the Bible we need to keep this in mind. Every command should drive us to his promises, and his promises should direct us back to his commands.
So, who was Malchus? He was the servant whose ear Peter cut off. That’s a useful fact to know. But if that’s all we know, we’ve missed the purpose of the Bible.
None of these are advanced insights. They are foundational for every believer — from our youngest children first learning Bible stories, to the saints who have read them for decades. The Scriptures aren’t given so we can have a knowledge of names, numbers and details. They’re given so that we might know and love the living God, understand his covenant relationship with us, behold the glory of his Son, and walk before him in faith and obedience. The Bible is God’s own speech, unified by an unfolding story and centered on Jesus Christ. Every Christian should know that.
for the wishing is present in me, but the doing of the good is not. For the good that I wish, I do not do; but I practice the very evil that I do not wish. (7:18b–19)
Paul had a deep desire to do only good. The wishing to do God’s will was very much present within his redeemed being. The me used here does not correspond to the me of the first half of this verse but to the I in verse 17. Unfortunately, however, the perfect doing of the good that his heart wished for was not present in his life. Slightly rephrasing the same truth, he says, For the good that I wish, I do not do. As noted in regard to verse 15, Paul is not saying that he was totally incapable of doing anything that was good and acceptable. He is saying that he was incapable of completely fulfilling the requirements of God’s holy law. “Not that I have … already become perfect,” he explained to the Philippian church, “but I press on in order that I may lay hold of that for which also I was laid hold of by Christ Jesus. Brethren, I do not regard myself as having laid hold of it yet; but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus” (Phil. 3:12–14). As a believer grows in his spiritual life, he inevitably will have both an increased hatred of sin and an increased love for righteousness. As desire for holiness increases, so will sensitivity to and antipathy toward sin. The other side of the predicament, Paul says, is that I practice the very evil that I do not wish. Again, it is important to understand that this great inner struggle with sin is not experienced by the undeveloped and childish believer but by the mature man of God. David was a man after God’s own heart (1 Sam. 13:14) and was honored by having the Messiah named the Son of David. Yet no Old Testament saint seems a worse sinner or was more conscious of his own sin. Particularly in the great penitential psalms 32, 38, and 51, but in many other psalms as well, David agonized over and confessed his sin before God. He was so near to the heart of God that the least sin in his life loomed before his eyes as a great offense.
MacArthur, J. F., Jr. (1991). Romans (Vol. 1, p. 388). Moody Press.
Ver. 19. For the good that I would I do not: but the evil that I would not, that I do.
The inward conflict:— I. THE TWO I’s; the I that wills; the I that does. II. THE STRUGGLE BETWEEN THEM. III. THE RESULT. (J. Lyth, D.D.)
Christians not to overlook the grace they have:—The sight Christians have of their defects in grace, and their thirst after greater measures of grace, make them think they do not grow when they do. He who covets a great estate, because he hath not so much as he desires, therefore he thinks himself to be poor. Indeed, Christians should seek after the grace they want, but they must not therefore overlook the grace they have. Let Christians be thankful for the least growth; if you do not grow so much in assurance, bless God if you grow in sincerity; if you do not grow so much in knowledge, bless God if you grow in humility. If a tree grows in the root, it is a true growth; if you grow in the root-grace of humility, it is as needful for you as any other growth. (T. Watson.)
Two hearts:—A well-known missionary tells of a poor African woman who once said to him that she had two hearts, one saying, “Come to Jesus,” the other saying, “Stay away”; the one bidding her to do good, and the other bidding her to do evil; so that she knew not what to do. He read to her the seventh chapter of the Romans. When he came to the verse, “O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?” she said, “Ah, Massa, that me; and me know not what to do.” And when he afterwards added the words, “I thank God through Jesus Christ,” and explained them, she burst into tears of grateful joy.
A rising barometer:—The barometer indicates approaching changes of weather—not by the high and low stand of the mercury in its tube, but by the rising or falling of the mercury. If a low barometer indicated storm, then there never would be fair weather on the tops of the mountains, where the rarity of the atmosphere causes a perpetual low barometer. But on the mountains, as everywhere else, the value of the barometric warnings lies in the tendency which they reveal. In like manner, many a poor Christian, surrounded by disadvantages and drawbacks, as by an atmosphere affording too little oxygen and lacking in pressure, displays to his own despondent self-examination a very low barometer of moral character and attainment. For his comfort we say, “Do not be discouraged; but take many readings, and find out whether the mercury is rising. It is not a high, but a rising barometer that should give you joy.” (Christian World Pulpit.)
Contrary influences:—The picture in the South Kensington Museum called “Contrary Winds” well illustrates the opposing influences of which we all—especially those who, like the drunkard, have long been the slaves of an evil habit—are more or less the subjects. A toy vessel is in a tub of water. Two little boys are seen bending over the tub, exactly opposite each other, blowing with all their might, in order to get the mimic barque to go. Which shall prove the more powerful, which shall eventually conquer in the case of the soul, ofttimes seems a doubtful question. The real and the ideal:— I. THERE IS A FACULTY IN THE MIND WHICH PHILOSOPHERS CALL IDEALITY. 1. It is that quality which figures to our inward self something higher and more perfect than the actual; showing all things, not as they are, but as they might be. 2. See how this principle operates upon matter. A diamond in the rough is hardly better than quartz crystal; but the lapidary sees in it a blazing star. He has an idea, and he reproduces it on his wheel. Then how much higher is the diamond than it was in its undeveloped state! 3. This quality is at work upon society. It is the root of refinement in language. It is at work upon dress. It removes conduct far away from the gross and the vulgar, and gives a conception under which the family becomes nobler. It presents a view of the sweetness of affection which makes love more elevating and stimulating. 4. This principle, moreover, is the root-stock of faith—that quality by which we discern relations and conditions, above all that nature knows, or that the ordinary thoughts of men have created. We hear men talking of reveries and poets’ dreams. I tell you, the best things in this world are the things that men themselves create, and that fill the air round about them with strange thoughts, and noble desires, and higher intercourse than ever the vulgar necessities of life permit. II. THIS QUALITY ENTERS INTO MORALITY AND RELIGION, BOTH FOR THEIR ELEVATION AND THEIR VEXATION. 1. Of sincere and earnest Christians four-fifths might trace their troubles to not knowing the difference between ideal and real standards of conduct. Not Paul alone, but a great company bear witness, “The good that I would I do not,” &c. Is there anything this morning that seems to you meaner than a lie? And yet you will tell lies before next Saturday, and be ashamed of it, and wish you had not, and swear that you will never do it again, and then do it. There is not a man here who has not a sense of what is honourable; but you are jostled by anger, rivalry, fear, avarice, and the vision fades in the actual, and goes out, and you enter into a vulgar bargain with your neighbour by which you gain and he loses, and if the grace of God is with you you are ashamed of it. So all the way through life. 2. No man’s real conduct comes up to his ideal if he has the slightest faculty and exercise of ideality. How low, poor, unfruitful, the man who never has a sight of anything higher than that which he every day does! A man without a desire is not a man; he is an animal. And there is a perpetual struggle going on in the attempt to harmonise the ideal with the real. And this is the very groundwork of religious endeavour; and it works both ways. A man that is honestly trying to conform his life to the principles of Christ must become a miserable man. I cannot conceive of anything so horrible to a fine-strung nature as to have a vivid ideal of love, as made manifest by Christ, and then to measure by that the actual development of love in his own life. As ideality takes on the colours of things beautiful, so it intensifies the colours of things ugly. It is when the ideal comes down and gives a heightened glory to truth that transgression becomes intolerable and unbearable; and many persons are so weighed down by it that it deranges their whole balance of mind. III. SUDDEN OR RAPID REALISATION OF THE IDEAL IS NOT TO BE EXPECTED. If a cannon ball should be fired through an organ, and I should say, “Return, you ball; and you, broken pipes, get up and put yourselves in your places,” it would not be more absurd than for a man to say to himself, “Now everything in me has got to be harmonious at once.” Harmony in a man is the result of a life-long education and drill. A man feels, “It was my duty to have acted thus and so.” Yes, just as it is the duty of my apple-trees to bear fruit; but my apple-trees will not bear fruit until they are grown. And a man wants, in every process of his development, to wait for its ripeness. No one expects a young man just graduated from the law school to be an old-headed lawyer at the beginning. He may have the making of one; but there must be a great deal of unfolding by which he shall come to it. No man imputes blame to the child because he does not know the exercise of the gymnasium at first. And yet it is supposed that when a man is converted the whole weight of responsibility instantly rests upon him; and men feel, “There I come short; there I overreach; and God sets down great black marks against me”; and one and another give up. Now, rawness is not sinfulness, nor is imperfection disobedience. Where a man knows what he ought to do, and can do it, but deliberately omits it, that is a sin; but the omission is not sinful in one who is not competent or who does not know. How much more the Psalmist knew than we do (read Psa. 103:13–17). It is under the benediction of this God that I say to nervous and self-condemnatory people, who fear God and desire to obey His commandments, but who are constantly stumbling from imperfections, Be not ashamed; for you are under the administration of a God that pities as a father pities, and that bears with the world’s imperfections as a schoolmaster bears with the imperfections of his scholars. If a child of eight cannot write a fine hand, how shall a man without a period of education write the invisible letters that come from the inspiration of God’s Spirit? IV. THE ATTEMPT TO REALISE IDEALS IS NEARER PERFECTION IN THOSE GREAT NATURES WHO HAVE BEEN AT ONCE THE STARS THAT GUIDED HUMAN NATURE UPWARD, THAN THE COMETS THAT HAVE FALLEN ON IT AND BLASTED MAN’S HOPES. Jonathan Edwards was a type of Christianity that flew, and he has developed a conception of possible being. It is transcendent literature that we cannot afford to lose; and yet, let men take Edwards’ writing to test themselves by, and it will drive nine hundred and ninety-nine out of every thousand into despair; and they will say, “If that is the test of being a Christian, I am not one, and I never can be one.” And by holding up this conception before the young and the infirm, we shut the door of heaven. It throws a pall over the Christian life; whereas the voice of wisdom says, “All her ways are ways of pleasantness, and all her paths are peace.” “Come unto Me, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke; it is easy. Take My burden; it is light.” V. THE WAY OF RELIGION IN THIS MATTER IS A GREAT DEAL EASIER THAN THE WAY OF NATURE. The way upward is easier than the way downward. At every step gained the complication grows less, and the impulse grows more. The religion of the New Testament is hopeful. It is dark only to those who know what it is, and whose reason recognises it as being holy, just, and good, but who deliberately say, “I will have none of it.” They are on the same plane with him who knows very well what fire is, but who says, “I do not care, I will walk in the fire.” So he can, and he will take the consequences. They are on the same plane with the man who says, “I know that drink fires the blood; nevertheless I will drink.” So it is throughout the whole sphere of God’s law of moral conduct. God says to every man that wants to learn, “I will give you time, opportunity, and encouragement; and I will forgive all your infirmities and transgressions so long as your face is toward the heavenly land”; but if a man says, “I do not care for the heavenly land,” and does not strive to rise toward it, but follows his own devices, woe be to him. (H. Ward Beecher.)
The Christian’s conquest over the body of sin:—The text is one of those hard places of St. Paul which, as St. Peter says, the ignorant and unstable wrest to their own destruction. For the proper stating of this case of conscience there must be considered— I. WHAT ARE THE PROPER CAUSES WHICH PLACE MEN AND KEEP THEM IN THIS STATE OF A NECESSITY OF SINNING, so that we cannot do the good we would? &c. 1. The evil state of our nature which we may know by experience. 2. The evil principles which are sucked in by the greatest part of mankind. We are taught ways of going to heaven without forsaking our sins, repentance without restitution, charity without hearty forgiveness and love, trust in Christ’s death without conformity to His life, once in God’s favour always in it, that God’s laws are for a race of giants. No wonder, then, that men slacken their industry, and so find sin prevail. 3. Bad habits. An evil custom is as a hook in the soul which draws it whither the devil pleases. Thus evil natures, principles, and manners are the causes of our imperfect willing and our weaker acting in the things of God. But what then? Cannot sin be avoided? Cannot a Christian mortify the deeds of the body, or Christ cleanse us from our sins? The next particular to be inquired of is— II. WHETHER OR NO IT BE NECESSARY AND THEREFORE POSSIBLE FOR A SERVANT OF GOD TO HATE EVIL AND AVOID IT? “He that saith he hath not sinned is a liar”; but what then? Because a man has sinned it does not follow that he must do so always. “Go and sin no more,” saith Christ. The case is confessed “that all have sinned”; but is there no remedy? God forbid. There was a blessed time to come, and it has long since come; “Yet a little while and iniquity shall be taken out of the earth, and righteousness shall reign among you”; for this is the day of the gospel. When Christ comes to reign in our heart by His Spirit, Dagon and the Ark cannot stand together—we cannot serve Christ and Belial. As in the state of nature no good thing dwells within us, so when Christ rules in us no evil thing can abide. “Every plant that my heavenly Father hath not planted shall be rooted up.” “With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” As there is a state of carnality in which a man cannot but obey the flesh; so there is a state of spirituality, when sin is dead and righteousness alive. In this state the flesh can no more prevail than the spirit could in the other. Some men cannot but choose to sin (chap. 8:7); but we are not in the flesh, and if we walk in the Spirit we shall not fulfil the lusts of the flesh (see 1 John 3:9; Matt. 7:18). Through Christ that strengtheneth us we can do all things. So it is necessary and possible to mortify sin and escape the slavery of “the good that I would I do not,” &c. III. IN WHAT DEGREE THIS IS TO BE EFFECTED, for no man can say he is totally free from sin. All men’s righteousness will be found to be unrighteous if God shall enter into judgment with us: therefore after our innocence, we must pray for pardon. But concerning good men, the question is not whether or no God could not in the rigour of justice blame them for their indiscretion, or chide them for a foolish word and a careless action, a fearful heart and trembling faith; these are not the measures by which He judges His children; but the question is whether any man that is covetous, proud, or intemperate, can at the same time be a child of God? Certainly he cannot. But then we know that God judges us by Jesus Christ, i.e., with the allays of mercy; with an eye of pardon; with the sentences of a father. By the measures of the gospel He will “judge every man according to his works.” These measures are—1. In general, this. A Christian’s innocence is always to be measured by the plain lines of the commandments, but is not to be taken into account by uncertain fond opinions and scruples of zealous or timorous persons. Some men say that every natural inclination to a forbidden object is a sin; if so, then a man sins whether he resists his inclinations or not. And there is no difference but this: he that yields, sins greatest; and he that never yields, but fights on, sins oftenest: hence the very doing our duty supposes sin. But God judges of us only by the commandment from without, and from the conscience within. He never intended His laws to be a snare to us. He requires of us a sincere heart and a hearty labour in the work of His commandments: He calls upon us to avoid all that His law forbids and our consciences condemn. 2. In particular—(1) Every Christian is bound to arrive at such a state that he have remaining in him no habit of any sin whatever. Our old man must be crucified; the body of sin must be destroyed. (2) He that commits any one sin by choice and deliberation is an enemy of God, and under the dominion of the flesh. (3) Every Christian ought to attain to such a state as that he shall never sin, even by passion, i.e., no passion ought to make him choose a sin. (4) The Christian must strive to gain so great a dominion over his sins that he be not surprised on a sudden. This indeed is a work of time, and it is well if it ever be done, but it must be attempted. IV. BY WHAT INSTRUMENTS ALL THIS IS TO BE DONE. 1. Faith. He that hath faith like a grain of mustard seed can remove mountains: “All things are possible to him that believeth.” We pray in the Te Deum, “Vouchsafe, O Lord, to keep us this day without sin.” Have we any faith when we so pray? 2. Watchfulness—by running away from temptation, being always well employed, and laying in provisions of reason and religion. 3. The mortification of sin, which should be so complete that no nest egg, no principles of it or affections to it, be willingly or carelessly left. But if sin be thus eradicated some argue that we shall become proud. But how should pride spring up if there be no remains of sin left? Will a physician purposely leave the relics of a disease and pretend he does it to prevent a relapse? Is not a relapse more likely if the sickness be not wholly cured? 4. Experiment. Let us never say that we cannot be quit of our sin before we do all we can to destroy it. Put the matter to the proof, and trust to the all-sufficiency of grace. 5. Caution concerning thoughts and secret desires. “Lust, when it is conceived, bringeth forth death”; but if it be suppressed in the conception it comes to nothing. 6. If sin hath gotten the power of you, consider in what degree it has prevailed; if only a little, the battle will be more easy, and the victory more certain. But then be sure to do it thoroughly. If sin has prevailed greatly, you have much to do; therefore begin betimes. Conclusion: Every good man is a new creature, and Christianity is a Divine frame and temper of spirit, which, if we pray heartily for and obtain, we shall find it as hard and uneasy to sin as now we think it to abstain from our most pleasing sins. (Jeremy Taylor.)
Exell, J. S. (n.d.). The Biblical Illustrator: Romans (Vol. 1, pp. 607–610). Fleming H. Revell Company.
Supreme Court protects kids from school groomers: California had implemented policies that allowed and even required schools to socially transition gender-confused students without their parents’ consent or knowledge. Aghast parents subsequently brought a lawsuit over the issue and were granted an injunction by a lower court, only for the Ninth Circuit to strike it down. Yesterday, however, the U.S. Supreme Court issued an emergency ruling restoring the injunction, meaning schools may not conceal gender identity, socially transition students, or compel teachers to lie to parents while the legal battle continues. SCOTUS’s 6-3 decision was issued based on the belief that California is in violation of religious liberty and that the parents will likely succeed on the merits.
Supreme Court blocks New York redistricting map: On Monday, the U.S. Supreme Court, in a 6-3 ruling, stayed a New York judge’s decision to allow the redrawing of the state’s 11th Congressional District, which is currently held by Republican Rep. Nicole Malliotakis. This ruling will likely preserve the current red district, favoring Malliotakis and the GOP. The state judge had ordered the district redrawn to intentionally include more black and Hispanic voters, saying that the current map violated the New York constitution. Justice Samuel Alito wrote a concurring opinion with the majority, observing that the state judge’s decision ironically “discriminates on the basis of race.” Alito further observed that the judge ordered a redrawing of the map based explicitly on racial consideration, noting, “That is unadorned racial discrimination, an inherently ‘odious’ activity that violates the Fourteenth Amendment’s Equal Protection Clause except in the ‘most extraordinary case.’”
U.S. military deaths now at six: The U.S. military death toll has risen to six since the U.S. and Israel launched Operation Epic Fury over the weekend. Six Americans were killed and four seriously wounded when an Iranian missile hit a tactical operations center in Kuwait. U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) explained, “U.S. forces recently recovered the remains of two previously unaccounted for service members from a facility that was struck during Iran’s initial attacks in the region.” The identities of these service members will be withheld from the public until their families have been notified. As of Monday, CENTCOM noted that 18 U.S. service members have been seriously wounded. On Sunday evening, President Donald Trump said he anticipates more American casualties but reiterated the mission “will continue until all of our objectives are achieved.” He added, “We pray for the full recovery of the wounded and send our immense love and eternal gratitude to the families of the fallen. And sadly, there will likely be more before it ends. That’s the way it is.”
Reporter eschews the Praetorian Guard: A video clip that is going viral features CBS Austin news reporter Vinny Martorano preparing to report on groups rallying in the city following the U.S.-Israel strike on Iran. In the clip, Martorano is seen standing near a sizable gathering of pro-Iranian supporters who were celebrating and praising President Trump and Israel for striking Iran. As he is practicing and preparing to give his report, he is handed a phone by one of the CBS crew members, who shows him an apparent text message, about which he asks, “What does that mean?” The crew member answers, “It means they don’t want us to focus on this.” To which Martorano responds, dismissively, “All right. Well, I am.” He then begins his coverage, with the rally chants of “Thank you, Trump! Thank you, Bibi!” heard loudly behind him.
Virginia mosque honors ayatollah: The leaders of Manassas Mosque in Virginia have made known that their loyalty is to Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, not the United States of America. In a post on social media, the mosque extended its “condolences” on the “martyrdom” of “our leader.” Article III, Section 3 of the Constitution outlines treason: “Treason against the United States shall consist only … in adhering to their Enemies, giving them Aid and Comfort.” In the past, a pledge of loyalty to an enemy of the U.S. has not been interpreted as treason absent other overt actions, although red-blooded Americans may be wondering if that needs to change.
Columbia urged to fire faculty who called for death to America: Columbia University claims that it has no idea who runs the Columbia University Apartheid Divest coalition of over 80 student groups, and that it has no affiliation with the school. That argument doesn’t quite hold up given that Mahmoud Khalil was once the group’s public face. Furthermore, a May 2024 letter in support of the organization was signed by 30 faculty members. On Saturday, CUAD posted the Farsi phrase “Marg Bar Amrika” to its X account, which means “Death to America.” Later, the group posted that X had forced it to remove the post, but the sentiment still stood. Conservatives are calling for those associated with CUAD to be fired or dismissed. Columbia says it condemns the “unequivocally reprehensible language.” That condemnation rings hollow, though, when the university is actively trying to keep any individuals from being held accountable.
Drugs and 2A tea leaves: Oral arguments before the Supreme Court on Monday indicated that a federal law that disarms users of illegal drugs may be struck down. The plaintiff, Ali Danial Hemani, a “regular” user of marijuana, is facing prosecution for owning a handgun discovered when the FBI searched his home in 2022. Disarming those who consume mind-altering substances seems fairly reasonable, except in the face of the Second Amendment’s “shall not be infringed” clause. The Trump administration is arguing in favor of disarming Hemani and against his Second Amendment rights on the theory of laws used to temporarily disarm “habitual drunkards.” The Court does not seem overly fond of that theory. Justice Neil Gorsuch asked if the administration’s theory would disarm for life a Coloradoan with a medical prescription who took one cannabis gummy every other night, which U.S. Deputy Solicitor General Sarah Harris admitted it would.
Senate moves forward on bipartisan housing package: In an 84-6 vote, the Senate on Monday moved forward on a popular bipartisan push on housing legislation aimed at expanding housing supply and lowering purchasing costs. Senate Majority Leader John Thune explained, “By removing barriers to affordable housing construction and unleashing investment, this bill stands to open the door to Americans across the country.” The Senate is working off the House’s legislation, dubbed the 21st Century Act, which it passed in a 390-9 vote last month. The Senate’s version is called the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act. Given the strong bipartisan support from both the House and Senate, expect new housing legislation focused on empowering greater homeownership to be passed soon.
Amnesty loophole shut down by immigration court: A ruling that will affect hundreds of thousands of administrative “amnesty” cases was handed down Friday by the Board of Immigration Appeals. The decision closes the loophole called “administrative closure” used by immigration judges to put illegal aliens’ cases into an inactive docket, allowing them to stay in the U.S without having to face court-ordered deportations. The DOJ has led the way in shutting down this practice that has recently surged in use, creating a huge group of illegals whom ICE can’t legally touch. “The board and immigration judges have no authority to use administrative closure as a de facto extra-statutory form of relief that effectively grants amnesty to thousands of removable aliens because they may be eligible for a visa sometime in the future,” Judge Sirce Owen wrote. This ruling will streamline deportation cases and help clear the 340,000 cases currently on “administrative closure.”
Headlines
Israel bombs Iran’s top mullahs as they count votes for next supreme leader (NY Post)
U.S. shuts embassies in Kuwait and Saudi Arabia as Iran expands retaliatory strikes (Forbes)
Federal appeals court rejects Trump administration’s push to delay start of tariff refund process (CBS News)
We’ve come a long way since 1979, since the Jimmy Carter years, since Iranian students stormed our embassy in Tehran and kept 66 American hostages imprisoned there for 444 humiliating days as “guests of the Ayatollah.”
No, Donald Trump isn’t Jimmy Carter. Nor, as our Mark Alexander noted yesterday, is he like any U.S. president since Carter.
If the reasons for our weekend decapitation of the Iranian regime seem somewhat murky, you’re not alone. Was it because Iran’s nuclear program posed an imminent threat? That seems unlikely, given that, as The Federalist’s John Daniel Davidson pointed out just hours before we joined with Israel in a precision strike on Iran, Trump has repeatedly said that we’ve “obliterated” that nation’s nuclear weapons program.
Since then, however, a new threat had arisen: that of Iran’s ballistic missile program. As Arkansas Republican Senator Tom Cotton put it this morning, the Iranians “have a vast missile arsenal that far exceeds [U.S. and Israeli] combined missile defenses, and it gets worse every single month. That is an unacceptable threat to the United States.”
I can believe that. And, as President Trump said in his eight-minute address over the weekend, “We’re going to destroy their missiles and raze their missile industry to the ground. It will be, again, totally obliterated.”
The president called it “a noble mission,” and it is, even if we only consider all the American blood that’s been drying on the hands of this Islamist regime since it came to power in 1979.
Last night, Vice President JD Vance put it this way: “I think the president just wants to make it clear to the Iranians and to the world that he is not going to rest until he accomplishes that all-important objective of ensuring that Iran can’t have a nuclear weapon — not just for the next few years, not just because we obliterated Fordow or some other enrichment facility, but because the Iranians themselves commit long-term to not building a nuclear weapon.”
Donald Trump isn’t a nation-builder, though, and he doesn’t do endless wars. In fact, he got elected in part by rightly denouncing those endeavors. And former Deputy National Security Advisor Victoria Coates suggested this weekend that this conflict has “some built-in off ramps.” She’s not alone in thinking that the military aspect of it won’t last beyond “a couple of weeks, maybe a month at most.”
Still, Trump yesterday said he wouldn’t rule out American ground troops in Iran, although this might merely have been a wartime president’s message that nothing is off the table. “I don’t have the yips with respect to boots on the ground — like every president says, ‘There will be no boots on the ground.’ I don’t say it.”
Trump noted that operations are “way ahead of schedule,” and Hegseth, who has experienced our wars in Afghanistan and Iraq firsthand, added, “President Trump ensures our enemies understand we’ll go as far as we need to go to advance American interests. But we’re not dumb about it. You don’t have to roll 200,000 people in there and stay for 20 years.”
Hegseth continued: “This is not Iraq. This is not endless. I was there for both — our generation knows better, and so does this president. He called the last 20 years of nation-building wars dumb and he’s right. This is the opposite. This operation is a clear, devastating, decisive mission: Destroy the missile threat, destroy the navy, no nukes.”
There it is, buttoned up tightly: “Destroy the missile threat, destroy the navy, no nukes.”
But Hegseth also mentioned a word yesterday that Trump didn’t mention in his address: blackmail. As he put it, Iran “was building powerful missiles and drones to create a conventional shield for their nuclear blackmail ambitions.”
Think about it: If we’re concerned about a bad actor acquiring nuclear weapons, we have a limited opportunity for action. And that window would’ve closed once Iran acquired nukes. We need only look to the Korean Peninsula to see what happens when a rogue nation gets nukes and threatens its neighbors with annihilation.
Congress will get its briefings today on our objectives, as well as information about casualties. At this point, six Americans have died and 18 others have been injured from an Iranian retaliatory strike on an American operations center on Sunday.
As for congressional Democrats and all their talk about the War Powers Act of 1973, it’s all rubbish. The Trump administration briefed the Gang of Eight committee heads in advance of the Iran mission, and that was their duty. All this phony talk about war powers is pure posturing, purely symbolic. The United States has one commander-in-chief, not 535. And while the Constitution gives Congress Article I authority to declare war, it’s the president who retains Article II authority to make war.
In the meantime, our forces need to keep searching for missiles and drones. Last night, two drones hit the U.S. embassy in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. No one was there, so the extent of the damage was a small fire.
This reminds us that while we’re hitting the Iranian missiles and their launchers, we should also be paying attention to Iran’s drone capability. Why? Because a typical Iranian drone costs around $25,000, and it causes us to use multimillion-dollar missiles to shoot them out of the air. You do the math.
This also points to the dangers that Americans located in the Middle East now face, and there are approximately 300,000 Americans there at any given time. As Fox News’s Jennifer Griffin reported this morning, the State Department is ordering the departure of all Americans from the Middle East.
Finally, this Riyadh drone strike also tells us something about the sort of threat we’re going to face from Iran going forward — a necessarily decentralized retaliation. Since we’ve decapitated the government, we have Iranian Republican Guard commanders and their missile units located all around the country, making individual decisions about what to do and what American and allied targets to fire at.
As constitutional scholar Jonathan Turley put it: “When you decapitate the government, most of these units are apparently operating on prior orders. So the United States government has to find these units, find these threats, and take them out. … Once we’re in a full-fledged conflict like this, everything is imminent and all attacks are pre-emptive.”
In the meantime, then, our forces will continue to wage war. And the Democrats will continue to focus-group their best talking points about “imminent threats” and “war powers,” and they’ll continue to gnash their teeth about the inconvenient truth that Donald Trump is the most forceful, most consequential American president of their lifetimes.
Nate Jackson: Hegseth Wins Concessions From Scouting America — The organization formerly known as the Boy Scouts of America has conceded that War Secretary Pete Hegseth might have a point about its standards.
Emmy Griffin: Republican DAs Are Just Better — Democrat district attorneys are for criminals. Republican DAs are for shaping community well-being and protecting public health.
Michael Swartz: Leftmedia Love for the Late Khamenei — To American activist journalists who desperately hate Donald Trump, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is just an Iranian Santa Claus.
Gregory Lyakhov: Why Striking Iran Was an America First Decision — President Donald Trump’s decision to attack was a policy initiative centered on protecting American interests and security.
Reader Comments
Editor’s Note: Each week we receive hundreds of comments and correspondences — and we read every one of them. Click here for a few thought-provoking comments about specific articles. The views expressed therein don’t necessarily reflect those of The Patriot Post.
“Charlie Kirk died from gun violence. … Was his passing tragic for those who love him? Absolutely. There is no denying that. But he was not assassinated.” —Florida State Rep. Ashley Viola Gantt (D)
“From the video I saw it looked like kids at a snowball fight.” —New York City Democrat Mayor Zohran Mamdani on the adults who assaulted NYPD cops
Can’t Fix Stupid
“I haven’t thought much about comparing presidents on the question of securing the border.” —Zohran Mamdani
Who Wants to Tell Him?
“No.” —Bill Clinton when asked, “Have you ever lied while under oath?”
Non Compos Mentis
“Trump murdered Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, former president of Iran, who — whatever you think of him — was a civilian, not in the military, and so it was murder, plain and simple. As illegal and as murderous as Iran bombing and killing, say, George W Bush at his home in Dallas.” —”journalist” Mehdi Hasan
FAFO
“The Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) killed more than 1,000 Americans over the past 47 years. [Saturday], a large-scale U.S. strike cut off the head of the snake. America has the most powerful military on earth, and the IRGC no longer has a headquarters.” —U.S. Central Command
“We also projected four weeks to terminate the military leadership and, as you know, that was done in about an hour, so we’re ahead of schedule there.” —President Donald Trump
“Turns out the regime who chanted ‘Death to America!’ and ‘Death to Israel!’ was gifted death from America and death from Israel.” —Secretary of War Pete Hegseth
Re: The Left
“There is a lot of protest from the armchair experts on the Left that there was no ‘imminent threat’ from Iran. Anyone with a modicum of knowledge about strategic operations knows that if you wait for an eminent threat, you have waited too long.” —Mark Alexander
“Here’s the depressing reality: In their quest to transform America, the Left transformed our vital intelligence agencies into weapons aimed at us. And the rot runs deep.” —Gary Bauer
“It’s coercion at its highest level. It’s telling a parent that you either need to transition your child or you don’t get to keep your child. It’s forcing a parent to socially transition their child and later medicalize their child.” —Attorney Erin Friday reporting on the legal situation in California for parents of gender-confused children
For the Record
“The single biggest threat to the world economy, the single biggest point of single failure, is that 97% of the high-end chips are made in Taiwan. If that island were blockaded, that capacity were destroyed, it would be an economic apocalypse.” —Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent
Owens: Persona Non Grata
“Joe McCarthy was famously undone by the rhetorical questions at a 1954 congressional hearing, ‘Have you no sense of decency, sir, at long last? Have you left no sense of decency?’ If the same queries were directed to Candace Owens at such a forum, she’d sail on unperturbed — since she has no idea what ‘decency’ means.” —Rich Lowry
Belly Laugh of the Day
“Congress needs to cut the [crap] and pass the Save Act. Even SOMALIA requires ID to vote and they don’t even require KIDS to RUN a Daycare.” —Jimmy Failla
Chief foreign correspondent Trey Yingst reports the latest on the war in the Middle East as the U.S. and Israel strike Iranian targets in Operation Epic Fury. #foxnews #world #iran #israel #middleeast #operationepicfury #war #trump
Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., says he is proud to stand with President Donald Trump’s actions in Iran on ‘Hannity.’ #fox #media #breakingnews #us #usa #new #ne…
— Read on www.youtube.com/watch
Joel Rosenberg calls Iran’s retaliation a “tectonic shift,” says regime miscalculated U.S.-Israel strikes and predicts major regional and spiritual change.
Speaking to TBN host Erick Stakelbeck, Rosenberg, who also hosts TBN’s THE ROSENBERG REPORT, said the regime’s decision to attack Sunni Arab nations across the Middle East marked a “tectonic shift” in the region – one that could reshape alliances for years to come.
Watch RSBN LIVE for the latest updates from the White House and everything you need to know about the Chancellor’s visit. Tune in at 10:15 am EST on March 3, 2026
Day 4: THE WAR BETWEEN ISRAEL AND IRAN IS RAPIDLY ESCALATING.
IRAN IS NOW STRIKING AMERICAN DIPLOMATIC SITES IN THE REGION, AND THE U-S IS WARNING ALL CITIZENS TO LEAVE. PRESIDENT TRUMP SAID THE FIGHT COULD LAST MORE THAN A MONTH.
AND HE PROMISED EVEN STRONGER STRIKES, SAYING: “THE BIG ONE IS COMING SOON.”
For over 20 years, CBN has beamed life-giving Farsi broadcasts into Iran despite internet shutdowns. Now, with war erupting across the country today and civilians facing mass displacement and suffering, CBN is ready to deliver prayer support, emergency food, humanitarian aid, and the hope of Jesus to families whose lives have been upended by conflict. DONATE HERE — cbn.com/iran
Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, joins ‘Mornings with Maria’ to defend President Donald Trump’s Iran strikes, address the Senate War Powers vote, warn of Iranian sleeper cells in the U.S. and discuss defense spending amid rising tensions.
Chief foreign correspondent Trey Yingst reports the latest on the deadly strike at a missile impact site in Israel. Fox News’ Bill Hemmer also breaks down the operation against Iran and Dan Senor, a former Bush advisor, gives his analysis on ‘America’s Newsroom.’ #foxnews #iran #news #world #middleeast
On Monday’s “The Right Squad,” the panel discussed the gratitude of Iranians worldwide toward President Trump for supporting their fight against oppression.
CNN commentator Scott Jennings defended President Donald Trump’s recent actions involving Iran during a heated exchange on “State of the Union” Sunday,
CNN commentator Scott Jennings defended President Donald Trump’s recent actions involving Iran during a heated exchange on “State of the Union” Sunday, arguing that the administration’s approach is aimed at preventing a broader conflict rather than launching a new one, as reported by The Gateway Pundit.
Jennings, widely known as the only consistently conservative, pro-Trump voice on CNN panels, pushed back as other panelists expressed concern over U.S. strikes on Iran.
The discussion centered on whether the threat from the Iranian regime was imminent and whether Trump’s actions risk escalating tensions in the Middle East.
“I totally disagree with you about the threat not being imminent,” Jennings said.
“I spoke to senior — very senior — administration officials yesterday. They believe that the Iranian regime was about to fire ballistic missiles, not at the United States, but into U.S. military bases and civilian targets. They were going to attack Israel. They are already attacking other Gulf states.”
Jennings argued that the United States has faced hostility from Iran for decades and questioned how much longer critics believe the country should wait before responding.
“How long do you want to wait?” Jennings asked.
“‘Death to America’? ‘Death to Israel’? How long do you want to wait? We waited 47 years. We have crossed every red line. Every president says they want to do something about it. Only Donald Trump had the guts to do it.”
According to Jennings, the strikes were not intended to launch a new military campaign but to address long-standing threats posed by the Iranian regime.
He rejected the characterization that the administration was initiating another prolonged conflict in the region.
“This is not an attempt to start a war,” he continued.
“This is an attempt to prevent further conflict. This is an attempt to get the largest state sponsor of terror off the field. This is an attempt to stabilize the Middle East. I don’t view this, Ashley, as starting a war, as much as ending the people who are the preeminent terror threat in the world. They’re at war with everybody. They’re at war with us, and they’re at war with Western civilization.”
The exchange followed U.S. strikes on Iranian targets amid heightened tensions in the region. Panelists debated whether the action would deter aggression or risk wider instability.
Jennings maintained that the Iranian regime has been engaged in hostilities against the United States and its allies for nearly five decades, referencing longstanding threats and proxy conflicts throughout the Middle East.
The discussion also highlighted broader disagreements over how to interpret the administration’s strategy.
Critics on the panel suggested the move could lead to further escalation, while Jennings argued it was a decisive effort to halt ongoing aggression and protect U.S. interests and allies.
The segment gained traction on social media, where clips of Jennings’ remarks circulated widely.
Supporters pointed to his comments as a direct rebuttal to concerns about a so-called “forever war,” while detractors continued to question the long-term implications of military action.
The debate reflects ongoing divisions over how the United States should respond to Iran’s activities in the region, including its support for militant groups and threats toward Israel and American forces stationed abroad.
Jennings’ remarks framed the strikes as a necessary response to what he described as an imminent threat and a continuation of a decades-long conflict initiated by the Iranian regime.
President Trump has stated that his administration’s priority is protecting American lives and interests while seeking stability in the Middle East.
Jennings’ defense of the strategy emphasized that view, arguing the goal is deterrence and prevention rather than escalation.
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