Christians ...

 A Christian is not a good man.

He or She is a vile wretch who has been saved by the grace of God.

[Martyn Lloyd-Jones]

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Romans 7:24 ... O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?

Romans 3:23-24 ... For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus:

Ephesians 2:8 ... For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: ❤

Unbelievers

It is a terrible state and condition. It is not just a refusal to believe. This is how the devil foils us. He persuades modern unbelievers into thinking they are unbelievers because of their great intelligence, their wonderful intellect and understanding. They think that Christians are fools who have not read or simply have not understood what they have read.

"The unbeliever thinks he is an unbeliever because of his scientific knowledge, and that it is in the light of these things that he refuses to believe. They rejoice in their great emancipation, that they have been delivered from the shackles of the Bible, that they have been emancipated from this drug, this dope of the people that we call the Gospel.

Poor things! The devil has got them. They are unconscious slaves, and they do not know that they are victims.

[Martyn Lloyd Jones]

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Psalm 14:1 ... The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. They are corrupt, they have done abominable works, there is none that doeth good.

Luke 24:25 ... Then he said unto them, O fools, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken:

Romans 1:21 ... Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. ❤

Put It Into Practice

You see the perfection of the Apostle's method. In verse 8 he has dealt with the realm of thought. Ah, but the Apostle knows the subtle danger that is always confronting us the danger of being content with theoretical knowledge, the danger of being satisfied with doctrine only, the danger of failing to put into practice, that which we know.

You can be a great student even of the Bible and live a life that is utterly contrary to it!

It is the masterpiece of Satan to make us put theory and practice into separate watertight compartments to make men so interested in the Book, that they forget to apply its teaching. "Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me," says Paul, "put it into practice!"

[Martyn Lloyd Jones]

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Philippians 4:8-9 ... Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things. Those things, which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do: and the God of peace shall be with you.

John 13:17 ... If ye know these things, happy are ye if ye do them.

2 John 6 ... And this is love, that we walk after his commandments. This is the commandment, That, as ye have heard from the beginning, ye should walk in it. ❤