Honey Out Of The Rock

" When you believe & come to Christ, you must leave behind you & your own righteousness, all your holiness, duties, tears, humblings etc & bring nothing but your sins, your wants & miseries. Else Christ is not fit for you nor you for Christ."

One of the things I did on my retreat was to read through Honey Out Of The Rock by Thomas Wilcox. I highly recommend it to all.. it's a short easy read and rich with God's truth. I grew up in a Christian home and attended church most all my life. But I never really got the Gospel and how it impacts my daily life. I remember hearing "evangelistic" messages in church and thinking to myself. "Oh great, a gospel message... I guess I could just take this time to pray for those who aren't saved." Or I would think, "yeah I got the gospel give me what I need to do now." Years & years of this thinking lead me down a path of being "sanctification" focused. In a very subtle way I began to base my salvation on works. I would not come out and say I was saved by works but sadly that is how I was living. Oh how thankful I am for the Lord opening my eyes to all that I was missing. Even though it's been a few years now since I have been surrounded by gospel centered preaching/teaching & ministry, the way I used to think still has an effect on me. Often I find myself living in a low level of guilt or condemnation. Especially when confronted with ways I need to grow in Titus 2 areas. Which is nothing but the sin of pride at work. If I didn't actually think I had something to offer my sin would point me to Christ and his finished work not leave me discouraged & fainthearted.


" You must every day renounce as dung & dross your privileges, obedience, baptism, sanctification, duties, graces, tears, meltings and nothing but Christ must be held up. Every day your workings, your self-sufficiency must be destroyed"

What sweet words to my soul!

Here are a few more quotes that stood out to me.

" Do not legalize the gospel as if part remained for you to do, or suffer & 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."

"To be looking at duties, graces, enlargements, when you should be looking at Christ, that is pitiful and will make you proud"

"Remember your sins, Christ's pardonings; your deserts, Christ's merits; your weakness, Christ's strength; your pride, Christ's humility; your many infirmities, Christ's restorings; your guilt, Christ's new applications of His blood; your failings, Christ's assistance; your wants, Christ's fullness; your temptations, Christ's tenderness; your vileness, Christ's righteousness."

Hallelujah What A Savior!