Hope Presbyterian Church

When I go to bed, the devil is always waiting for me.  When he begins to plague me, I give him this answer, "Devil, I am asleep.  That is God's command: work by day, sleep by night, so go away."  If that does not work, and he brings out a catalog of sins, I say, "Yes, old fellow, I know all about it, and I know some more sins you have overlooked.  Here are a few extras, put them down."  If he still will not quit, and he presses me hard and accuses me as a sinner, I scorn him and say, "Saint Satan, pray for me.  Of course, you have never done anything wrong in your life.  You alone are holy.  Go to God and get grace for yourself. If you want to get me all straightened out I say, 'physician, heal thyself.'" 

            —  Martin Luther

The first chapters of the Bible tell us of the sin of man. The guilt of that sin had rested upon every single one of us, its guilt and its terrible results… but… it also tells us of something greater still; it tells us of the grace of the offended God. 

            —  J. Gresham Machen

The doctrines of grace humble a man without degrading him and exalt a man without inflating him.

            —  Charles Hodge

It is a sure mark of grace to desire more."

—  Robert Murray McCheyne

The problem with the world's criticism of grace, that grace is unfair, lies in its worldview. The world wants to think that there are good people and bad people, good countries and bad countries....This is not how Christianity sees things. Christians see every person as guilty before God, subconsciously guilty at all times. External actions, as Jesus said, are not as important as internal motives  

—  Paul F. M. Zahl

I am not what I ought to be. I am not what I want to be. I am not what I hope to be. But still, I am not what I used to be. And by the grace of God, I am what I am.