"For she loved much." It was a consciousness of God's forgiving love that drew her to this house. A soiled woman with a sin-stained soul set free. Her love was the "effect" of being pardoned by This Man; her love was not the cause of it. H.Macmillan wrote: "Therefore, as God was seen to Moses, so is grace to me, by its back parts; and as the wind, which no man can see in its proper essence, by the full sails of the ship is perceived which way it stands. Let this be a direction to us in our examination and trial of ourselves. Would I know if the sun shines? There is no climbing up to the sky to be resolved, nor examining what matter it is made of; I look upon the beams shining on the earth, I perceive it is up and shines by the light and heat it gives. Would I know if God hath elected me to life and to salvation? There is no climbing up into heaven to know His decrees and hidden counsel, but study well the marks of it from the effects. No surer way to the sea, than by taking a river by the hand. Our vocation and sanctification will carry us to election Romans 8:30; 2 Peter 1:5-10. These are the means whereby our election and salvation is made certain, not the efficient causes whereby it comes to be decreed. The sun, not the shadow, makes the day, yet we know not how the day goes by the sun, but by the shadow. In a word, as the planets are known by their influence, the diamond by his lustre, and the soul by her vital operations, so grace is more sensibly known to us by the effects thereof. And, we observe from hence, that a true and unfeigned love of Christ is a sure sign that our sins are remitted." It's not what we "do" in life. It's who we are! All I can say is that I have seen amazing grace in my own life, despite what the world views of me. And the antithesis: Judges 21:25 "everyone did as they saw fit."
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