This whole Psalm, vv. 1-23, appears to be on the subject of the wicked against the righteous. And it sounds as though the wicked are speaking, as well as they are doing evil against the righteous. It sounds like the wicked are gossiping about and slandering the good character of the righteous while they vaunt and puff up themselves to try to make themselves appear better than they are. And in their pride they think that no one can see their evil.

But the wicked are those who believe the lies, even their own lies, and they convince themselves that they are not wicked, but that they are good, and that it is those who are righteous who are bad and who need to be destroyed. So they devise mischief, and they band themselves together with others to come against the righteous, to condemn the innocent to death. For they despise the righteous who are following Jesus Christ in obedience.

And so they alter and they dilute the message of the gospel to make it more acceptable to the ungodly and to human flesh. And their gospel makes no requirements of its followers to leave their lives of sin behind them and to follow our Lord in surrender to his will and in walks of obedience to his commands. For they call that “works salvation.” And they teach (out of context) that we are saved by grace, through faith, which are left undefined.

But God’s grace, which is bringing us salvation, is training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives while we await our Lord’s return. And faith, which comes from God, and which is persuaded of God, and is gifted to us by God, and is not of the will of the flesh, persuades us of God’s righteousness and of our sinfulness and of our need to die to sin and to obey God in practice.

Gospel:[Matthew 7:13-14,21-23; Luke 9:23-26; John 10:27-30; Acts 26:18; Romans 2:5-10; Romans 6:1-23; Romans 8:1-14; 1 Corinthians 10:1-22; Galatians 5:16-24; Ephesians 2:8-10; Ephesians 4:17-32; Ephesians 5:3-6; Titus 2:11-14; Hebrews 3:1-19; Hebrews 12:1-2; 1 Peter 2:24; 1 John 1:1-10; 1 John 2:3-6; 1 John 3:4-10; Revelation 2:1-29; Revelation 3:1-22]

But Jesus told us that this would take place. He told us that we who follow him will be hated and mistreated and persecuted as he was, so this should not surprise us when it happens. And the Lord is our stronghold in such times as these. He is our rock and our refuge to get us through it all. And he will, one day, bring back their wickedness upon them and destroy them in their evil because of their evil and their refusal to bow to him as Lord.

So, we are not to be afraid of what evildoers might do against us. We are not to give in to anxious thoughts, but we are to put our trust in the Lord. For worrying and fretting has never solved anything, but only makes matters much worse. And we must accept the fact that we have no control over what others might do to us or say about us without our knowledge of what they are doing behind our backs, too. We have to just keep trusting the Lord and giving it all over to him, trusting him to work it all out for our good.

[Matthew 5:10-12; Matthew 7:13-14; Matthew 10:16-39; Matthew 24:9-14; Luke 6:22-23; Luke 21:12-17; John 15:18-21; John 17:14; Romans 5:3-5; Philippians 3:7-11; 1 Peter 1:6-7; 1 Peter 4:12-17; 2 Timothy 3:12; 1 Thessalonians 3:1-5; James 1:2-4; 2 Corinthians 1:3-11; Hebrews 12:3-12; 1 John 3:13; Revelation 6:9-11; Revelation 7:9-17; Revelation 11:1-3; Revelation 12:17; Revelation 13:1-18; Revelation 14:1-13]

For Our Nation

An Original Work / September 11, 2012
Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love
Recording Via Gerry Peters, music producer and arranger

Bombs are bursting. Night is falling.
Jesus Christ is gently calling
You to follow Him in all ways.
Trust Him with your life today.
Make Him your Lord and your Savior.
Turn from your sin. Follow Jesus.
He will forgive you of your sin;
Cleanse your heart, made new within.

Men betraying: Our trust fraying.
On our knees to God we’re praying,
Seeking God to give us answers
That are only found in Him.
God is sovereign over all things.
Nothing from His mind escaping.
He has all things under His command,
And will work all for good.

Jesus Christ is gently calling
You to follow Him in all ways.

Men deceiving: We’re believing
In our Lord, and interceding
For our nation and its people
To obey their God today.
He is our hope for our future.
For our wounds He offers suture.
He is all we need for this life.
Trust Him with your life today.

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Who Will Stand Up For Me?
An Original Work / August 23, 2025
Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love

Christian denominations agree that salvation comes through God's grace and Jesus Christ, but they differ on the role of faith and works, and how a person receives and maintains salvation.
Catholics emphasize faith expressed through active good works while Protestant Denominations vary, with many holding to "faith alone" (sola fide) as the primary path, though good works are seen as evidence of true faith.
The process can be viewed as a one-time event or a lifelong journey, and denominations like Reformed Christianity emphasize predestination, while Methodists focus on achieving entire sanctification.

Eastern Orthodoxy Theosis (Deification): Focuses on salvation as a process of theosis, or becoming united with God.
Means of Salvation: Achieved through the Church's mysteries (sacraments) and sanctification, viewed as a lifelong process rather than a legal or one-time event.

These are some of the views held by the various denominations, but which if any line up with what the Bible has to say about salvation.
Romans 3:23 "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God". This verse establishes that humanity is inherently sinful and separated from God, making self-salvation impossible.

Romans 3:10-12 "As it is written: 'There is none righteous, no, not one; There is none who understands; There is none who seeks after God. They have all turned aside; They have together become unprofitable; There is none who does good, no, not one'".
These verses describe the universal fallen nature of man, confirming that no one naturally seeks God or performs righteous acts sufficient for salvation.

Titus 3:5 "Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit". This verse directly contrasts salvation with human deeds, attributing it solely to God's mercy.

Ephesians 2:8-9 "For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast".
This passage explicitly states that salvation is a gift from God, and not something earned through human actions.

Matthew 19:26 "But Jesus looked at them and said, “With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible”". In response to the disciples' question about how the rich could be saved, Jesus highlights that salvation is beyond human power.

Jeremiah 13:23 "Can the Ethiopian change his skin or the leopard his spots? Then may you also do good who are accustomed to doing evil".
While referring to the difficulty of changing evil habits, this verse metaphorically suggests a fundamental inability to change one's corrupted nature without divine help, which is relevant to the concept of salvation.

Is salvation, by grace or by works or by a combination of both.