Old Paths In Portrait

“For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. What he (Paul) demonstrates in this 7^th chapter (Romans) is that there is only one way of bearing fruit unto God, and that is, to be married to, to be joined to, the Lord Jesus Christ. To be married to the law means ‘fruit unto death’. There is only way to have ‘fruit unto God’ and to life, and that is, to be married to, to be joined unto the Lord Jesus Christ. The Apostle is going to prove that. He does so by proving that the Law could not do it, and that Christ can do it. That is the theme of this 7^th chapter.”

-David Martyn Lloyd-Jones  Welsh Minister  1899-1981

Old Paths In Portrait

“That notion of God’s last end in the creation of the world, is agreeable to reason, which would truly imply any indigence, insufficiency, and mutability in God; or any dependence of the Creator on the creature, for any part of his perfection or happiness. Because it is evident by both Scripture and reason, that God is infinitely, eternally, unchangeably, and independently glorious and happy: that he cannot be profited by, or receive anything from the creature; or be the subject of any sufferings, or diminution of his glory and felicity, from any other being. The notion of God creating the world, in order to receive anything from the creature, is not only contrary to the nature of God, but inconsistent with the notion of creation; which implies a being receiving its existence, and all that belongs to it, out of nothing. And this implies the most perfect, absolute, and universal derivation and dependence. Now, if the creature receives its all from God, entirely and perfectly, how is it possible that it should have anything to add to God, to make him in any respect more than he was before, and so the Creator become dependent on the creature?” 

-Jonathan Edwards  American Pastor, Theologian  1703-1758

Old Paths In Portrait

About Ephesians 5:33:

“The apostle sums it all up in verse 33, “Nevertheless, let every one of you in particular so love his wife even as himself, and the wife see that she reverence her husband.” As long as they both do that, there is no risk of dispute about “rights” or about “my position” or “my status.” Here is a man given headship—yes—but because he loves his wife as himself, he never abuses his position. And here is a woman submitting herself to this great and glorious ideal. She need never be afraid that she will be taken advantage of or that she will be trodden upon. Husband and wife are both dealt with, and the balance is perfect and entire…This is how a Christian man and a Christian woman become married and become this new unit—and I would repeat again that there is no more wonderful way of testifying to the difference it makes to be a Christian than just this.”

-David Martyn Lloyd-Jones  Welsh Minister  1899-1981

Old Paths In Portrait

“Having opened the wounds of sin, both the guilt of it, and the power of it, and its remainders in us, we must next seek God for the remedy, for healing and help, and from him alone it is to be expected, and he will for this be inquired of by us. And now we must affect our hearts with a deep sense of the need we have of those mercies which we pray for, that we are undone, forever undone, without them; and with a high esteem and value for them, that we are happy, we are made for ever, if we obtain them; that we may be like Jacob, wrestle with him in prayer, as for our lives, and the lives of our souls.”

-Matthew Henry  Puritan Minister, Commentator  1662-1714

Old Paths In Portrait

“Discernment is not a matter of simply telling the difference between right and wrong; rather it is telling the difference between right and almost right.”

-C.H. Spurgeon  British Minister  1834-1892