God is no philosophic concept — Martyn Lloyd-Jones

"My dear friends, God is no philosophic concept! God is a person and, as a person, God is, and God loves, and the essence of the life of the blessed Trinity is the love of the Father to the Son and the Spirit, and the love of the Son to the Father and the Spirit, and the love of the Spirit to the Father and the Son. We cannot conceive of that perfect unity, that perfect bliss, that absolute love, and yet it is all found in salvation. ‘God so loved the world that he gave …’ (John 3:16)—yes, and I put it negatively, too, as Paul puts it in writing to the Romans: ‘He that spared not his own Son’ (Romans 8:32). It is there, you see, the love of God, in that he sent the Son of his love, the only begotten Son, into this cruel, sinful world; allowed him to live life in that way as a man, and allowed him to suffer ‘such contradiction of sinners against himself’ (Hebrews 12:3). And he placed your sins and mine upon him on the cross in such a way that at that moment Father and Son were separated, and the Son cried out, ‘My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?’ (Matthew 27:46) When I believe that that is possible within the Father-heart of God, then I cannot believe the doctrine of the impassivity of God. I say that God in his love suffered in his Son, and it is there I see the marvellous love of God displayed. And this great gospel manifests, too, the glory of God in revealing his character in this way."

— Martyn Lloyd-Jones (2000). The assurance of our salvation: Exploring the depth of Jesus' prayer for His own: Studies in John 17 (51). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books.

in Christ — Octavius Winslow

“There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” — Romans 8:1

"The believer is in Christ as Noah was enclosed within the ark, with the heavens darkening above him, and the waters heaving beneath him, yet not a drop of the flood penetrating his vessel, not a blast of the storm disturbing the serenity of his spirit. The believer is in Christ as Jacob was in the garment of the elder brother when Isaac kissed and blessed him. He is in Christ as the poor homicide was within the city of refuge when pursued by the avenger of blood, but who could not overtake and slay him."

— Octavius Winslow

the election of grace – Saint Augustine

“This is ‘the election of grace’ (Romans 11:5), that is, the election by which men are chosen through the grace of God. This is, I say, the election of grace by which one advances beyond all good, human merits. If it is given for any outstanding merits, it is no longer a gratuitous, but is rendered as due (Rom. 4:3-5). For this reason, one cannot use the term ‘grace’ in its true sense when ‘the reward,’ as the same Apostle says ‘is not credited as favor but as something due’ (Romans 4:4).
For this reason, one cannot use the term ‘grace’ in its true sense when ‘the reward,’ as the same Apostle says, ‘is not credited as favor but as something due’ (Romans 4:4). But, if, in order to be true grace, that is, gratuitous, it finds nothing in man which would rightly claim it as his due – and this is clearly understood in that saying, “For nothing shalt thou save them’ (Isaiah 52:3) – surely it itself bestows merit & is not given according to merit…

For God calls his many predestined children to make them members of His predestined only Son, & not with that call by which those who did not wish to come to the wedding were called (Matthew 22:1-14), for with that call the Jews also were called, to whom Christ crucified is a scandal, & the Gentiles were called, for whom Christ crucified is foolishness (1 Corinthians 1:23). Rather, He calls the predestined by that call which the Apostle distinguished when he declared that he preached Christ, the Wisdom & the Power of God, to those who were called, Jews as well as Greeks (1 Corinthians 1:24). For he speaks thus: “But unto those who are called,” to show that those others were not called, for he knows that there is a special & certain call reserved for those who are called according to God’s purpose, “whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son” (Romans 8:29).
This is the calling which he means when he says, "Not of works, but of him who calls, was it said to her, 'The elder shall serve the younger’” (Romans 9:10-13). Did the Apostle say, ‘Not of works but of him who believes’? No, for he took this entirely away from man, so that he might give it all to God. Hence he said, "But of him who calls," not by any kind of call but by that call whereby one becomes a believer.”

– Saint Augustine

Is Jesus Christ in forefront? Is He in the centre? - Martyn Lloyd-Jones

“A very good way in which we can test our own profession of the Christian faith is just to apply this test to ourselves. Is Jesus Christ in forefront? Is He in the centre? You will find that in this introduction the Apostle mentions Him at least five times (Romans 1:1-7). I had occasion to note recently that in the first fourteen verses of the Epistle to the Ephesians he mentions Him fifteen times. He cannot get away from Him, as it were; he must keep on mentioning the Name. He uses the terms ‘Jesus Christ’, ‘the Lord Jesus Christ’, ‘Christ Jesus our Lord’, and so on. Watch him in his epistles, he is always using the Name, and it evidently gives him great pleasure to do so, And the question, I repeat, is, ‘Is this true of us? Is Jesus Christ in the forefront of our minds, and our hearts, and our conversations? I mean - and here I am talking to Christian people, to believers – when we talk to one another, are we always talking about some experience or some blessing we have had, or are we talking about the Lord Jesus Christ? I have no hesitation in asserting that as we grow in grace, we talk much less about ourselves and our experiences, and much more about Him.”

- Martyn Lloyd-Jones, Romans (Volume 1): Exposition of Chapter 1 - The Gospel of God