Of First Importance

What wisdom, majesty, and grace,
Through all the gospel shine!
`Tis God that speaks, and we confess
The doctrine most divine.

Down from His starry throne on high,
The almighty Saviour comes;
Lays His bright robes of glory by,
And feeble flesh assumes.

The mighty debt that sinners owed,
Upon the cross He pays;
Then through the clouds ascends to God,
`Mid shouts of loftiest praise.

There He, our great High Priest, appears
Before His Father’s throne;
Mingles His merits with our tears,
And pours salvation down.

Great God, with reverence we adore
Thy justice and Thy grace;
And on Thy faithfulness and pow`r
Our firm dependence place.

~ Samuel Stennett (1727-1795)

“Trinity and Incarnation belong together. The doctrine of the Trinity declares that the man Jesus is truly divine; that of the Incarnation declares that the divine Jesus is truly human. Together they proclaim the full reality of the Savior whom the New Testament sets forth, the Son who came from the Father’s side at the Father’s will to become the sinner’s substitute on the cross (Matt. 20:28; 26:36-46; John 1:29; 3:13-17; Rom. 5:8; 8:32; 2 Cor. 5:19-21; 8:9; Phil. 2:5-8).”

- J.I. Packer, Concise Theology

“In every duty look at Christ; before duty, to pardon; in duty, to assist; after duty, to accept. Without this it is but carnal, careless duty.

Do not legalize the gospel as if part remained for you to do, or suffer, and Christ were but a half Mediator; as if you must bear part of your own sin, and make some satisfaction.

Let sin break your heart, but not your hope in the gospel.”

~ Thomas Wilcox, Honey out of the Rock

“Here in the cross is where every enemy of joy is overcome: divine wrath, as he becomes a curse for us; real guilt, as he becomes forgiveness for us; lawbreaking, as he becomes righteousness for us; estrangement from God, as he becomes reconciliation for us; slavery to Satan, as he becomes redemption for us; bondage to sin, as he becomes liberation for us; pangs of conscience, as he becomes cleansing for us; death, as he becomes the resurrection for us; hell, as he becomes eternal life for us.”

- C.H. Spurgeon