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First Peter chapter one, verse 15. But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation, because it is written.
Be holy, for I am holy. And if you call on the Father, who without to respect a person's judges according to every man's work.
Past the time of your sojourning here and fear.
For as much as you know that you were not redeemed with corruptible things as silver and gold from your vain conversation received by tradition from your Father's.
But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb, without blemish and without spot.
Who verily once foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you, who by him to believe in God, that raised him up from the dead, and gave him glory, that your faith and hope might be involved.
Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that you love one another with a pure heart fervently.
Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible by the word of God, which liveth in abideth forever.
For all flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of grass. The grass Withers, and the flower thereof falls away, but the word of the Lord endures forever.
This is the word which by the Gospel is preached unto you. You are reminded yesterday, that in the 14th verse it should read Children of Obedience.
In Ephesians 2, we read Sons of Disobedience. That's an entirely different thing. That's man and his natural lost state. But here it's it's interesting to see how the Lord looks at us as children of obedience. That's the nature and character of the family. We often come across some dear Saints, dear believers who think they can be lost again.
And they often make this plea.
Now if you believe you're saved once and for all that you cannot be lost, then you will become callous and do as you please. But what does a Christian please do? Notice what we get here? Peter doesn't say. Well now you've been elect verse two and you're brought to the sprinkling of the blood of Christ you redeemed. So now just go your own way.
And all he says.
The holy right holy so that the doctrine or truth of eternal security is definitely linked with a holy war. And may I add this thought, those dear souls who think they can be lost do not realize the subtle pride that's in their hearts. Because if you ask them at the moment, are you saved now?
They say yes. What does that mean? That they think?
That they've lived such a perfect life that they've been able to keep their salvation. And they'll tell you and me. And he that thinketh he stand. Take heed lest he fall. They're the ones that think they stand because they're not resting on what Christ has done, but on their supposed holy life. So that we get the the momless fact that as children of obedience we're called upon to be holy as he is.
This is one of the principles.
Set forth in the Old Testament, one of the principles of God that doesn't change from dispensation to dispensation. So it's it's given us over in Leviticus be holy, for I am holy. It's God that's speaking. And the principle still holds in this dispensation. It never changes because God is holding that principle never changes.
That we are responsible to be holy.
Garden of Eden was innocent for the fall. Our innocence there is not the knowledge of good and evil.
When man fell, he got the knowledge of good and evil, but only had the power to do the evil. Now holiness is not innocence. Adam was not holy, he was innocent. Holiness supposes the knowledge of good and evil and only doing the good, doing that which is in accordance with God's nature. So Christ is that holy one.
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That holy thing that shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God.
So holiness brings in the thought of God's nature. We couldn't hate or abhor sin if we didn't have a new nature, a new life. We that develops that later in the chapter, of course, but that's the principle of it.
Standard.
Our fooling us.
Is in correspondence to the person.
We see that as has been remarked in the different dispensations back in Genesis when God called Abraham, he said I am the Almighty God, walk thou before me and be thou perfect. It's the same standard. It's in relationship to the Almighty God for him. And then in Matthew 5.
Five, it says, be therefore perfect even as your Father, which is in heaven's perfect. Now he's revealing the Father.
But it's the same standard and it never changes here. For us. It's holiness, and it's as he which have called you is holy.
Directions here that we should notice very carefully in the 14th verse at the end it speaks of.
The former lusts in your ignorance, and then in verse 18.
From your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers.
So that.
There's no excuse now for ignorance.
And we have the whole word of God.
But the Spirit of God brings before us here something else that's very important for us to notice.
And that is the operation.
Of the father in connection with his children.
Now we know that the the Lord Jesus is seen as the great shepherd in Hebrews and that's one aspect of the work that goes on as he as our great high priest is, is keeping his people in contact with heaven and the enjoyment of heavenly things. But here we have the Father and I believe the Father's is connected with.
The.
Discipline, the bringing up of the child.
And so in Hebrews 12, he's spoken of as the father of spirits.
In the Old Testament we have at least two places where.
God has spoken of as the God of the spirits of all men, but it comes closer in the New Testament. He's the father of spirits.
Now there's there's a tremendous work going on in the soul of each believer.
I don't want to be misunderstood.
The thief on the cross was made 5th for that glory. That's true. The work was finished and he was made fit for the glory. But I believe there is a work by the Spirit of God today, the Father Himself over it, preparing each heart for that coming day of glory.
A tremendous work going on in each.
Person and the preparing of the Spirit.
Of men.
Think of what it means.
What a what a change has taken place when that work was finished on the cross, but still there is a work going on that we might enter into the appreciation of these things in our own souls.
We know that they are true of us, but have we grasped the meaning of all that we've been brought into? And I believe that that is a part of the work that the Father is doing and it's connected with what we had earlier in the chapter.
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Though now for a season if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations, all these things.
Are allowed in our lives for a purpose.
The preparing of man's spirit, and all in view of that coming day of glory. Now it says here.
If you call on the father.
Who without respect of persons, judgeth according to every man's work past the time of your sojourning here in fear.
Now, that's not the fear in the sense that there's going to be.
Wrath. That's all taken care of long ago. It's not that subject to talk. We have that salvation, we've already noticed.
But it's unless we should.
Find ourselves in a position where we resist this work that's going on, preparing our souls for that coming day of glory. We want to gain every bit of it, and we want to have it in the Spirit that becomes one who is seen as an obedient one. We've been called to the obedience and the sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ. That's Our Calling.
The obedience of Christ we find.
We have that very same nature and we have been covered by that precious blood.
In the present day, that there's a movement, a trend toward unholiness, and I believe the book of Jude brings that before us. What's going to characterize the last days?
The End of the Age and Jude speaks of contending for the faith.
Which was once delivered unto the Saints about. There's something else connected with this faith. It's more the holiness of faith that is enjoined here. And examples of unholiness are brought before us, examples of corruption, for instance, in the fifth verse.
Speaks of the children of Israel.
Saved out of the land of Egypt that were afterward destroyed because they believed not well what happened? They went on with idolatry. They fell into that snare of idolatry.
Forsaken God, and there was corruption that characterized them in that connection. And then the angels, which kept not their first estate, but left their own habitation.
Reserved and everlasting change under darkness, under the judgment of that great day. Well, there are things connected up with that that we don't understand. We don't know everything. Every detail isn't told us. But the whole thing in connection with the fall of angels seems to be sort of veiled and covered over because it was such an awful thing that took place there. And then we have Sodom and Gomorrah.
Brought in and I think we are pretty much aware.
That the day in which we're living is characterized by the things that characterize Sodom and Gomorrah. A ****** is becoming more rampant in this country, and it just makes us feel old. It's just like the days of Sodom, and the Lord reminded us of that, that the days of Sodom and Gomorrah and the days of Noah would come upon us.
That the same things that characterized him then would come upon us in the last days.
And we need to look to the Lord for grace to withstand that, not to make light of grace as it says here in Jude in verse four, turning the grace of God into lasciviousness. The idea is, oh, God is a good God. He's a gracious God. He won't judge us for this. We can do what we please and we can go on with all of this kind of thing and the Lord isn't going to take.
Ask us to give account for it. No, we we must watch this and walk in fear that we don't turn the grace of God into lasciviousness.
Just satisfying the lust of our flesh, giving way to the lust of the flesh. May God give us grace that we might take a stand in these days. And as Peter tells us, to pass the time of us. So journey here in fear. Fear of what? Fear of dishonouring the Lord, fear of displeasing him. Fear of doing anything that will bring shame upon God and the name of the Lord Jesus Christ.
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Peter was concerned about this because he also speaks of apostasy in his second official.
And what's going to characterize the last days? All that we might be characterized by what He has already brought before us as being children of obedience, obedient to the Lord in everything. I feel that we need to go on in such a way in the spirit of self judgment, that we might be sensitive to everything that God brings before us by His Spirit that will please Him.
And sensitive as to that which dishonors the name of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Visions one. I'd like to call attention to a passage in relation to this where we get God's purposes in Ephesians 1.
We got the the fourth verse when verse three says blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who have blessed us with all spiritual blessings and heavenly places in Christ according as he had chosen us in him before the foundation of the world that we should be holy.
And without blame before him, in love now. Holiness is God's character. God is without blame in all his ways. And God, God's nature, love. Now. If God is going to have children before him, and he determined here that he would, they must indeed.
Be in line with his own nature and holiness. I call attention to this because.
It doesn't say in that fourth verse, according to the good pleasure of His will. I say this reverently. God couldn't have it any other way than holding it without blame. But when it came to what He predestinated us to, then He had a choice. And so in verse.
Five, having predestinated us under the adoption by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, Now, according to the good pleasure of His will, He's made our sons. That's what the adoption really is. But as to our place before Him and His purposes, we ought to have his nature and the manifest holiness.
And as we have in that third, fourth verse, holy without blame.
Before him in love.
I would take new birth then too, would it not? I love to think of that that.
By adoption, you can't do part of nature, can you? You can choose, you can select, you can adopt. And the adopted son can look at his father and say I possess a rather the adopted son to look at his father and say he wanted me and he chose me.
And he calls me son, but he cannot look at his father and say, as I possess, that every life and nature of my father. But one born into a family can say I possess the very life and nature of the one whom I address as my father. But he could not say that he wanted me, that chose me. But by the very wonderful councils and grace of God, both are true about it. That's all.
We are his by choice adoption, we are his by birth. So we possess this wonderful nature. That's all.
Got this last part of verse 15. So be holy in all manner of conversation.
I suppose the word conversation means more than just what we talk about.
But I think in looking at it in that way, it's very important for us if we read in Ephesians 5 about some of these unholy things that our brother Anderson has called attention to, it says in verse 12.
It is a shame even to speak of those things which are done of them in secret.
So I think the exhortation fits as to what we talk about.
And what we talk about is what's in the heart. Out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaketh, and as a man thinketh in his heart, so is he. So we go right back to our thoughts, and we need to guard those so that these unholy thoughts are stopped, so the unholy words don't come out and the unholy acts produced.
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Which is very important excitation for us all.
This.
Verse here is translated.
Manner of life.
Which is not limited, of course what you say is true.
It is not limited to our expressions.
That's through our what We generally use the word conversation as though it's our what we talk 1 to another, but it's really here fundamentally and directly translated of life.
A life of holiness now without and we see follow.
Peace. This is Hebrews.
1214 Follow peace and holiness. Now this is in practice and character. In particular. Follow peace and holiness, without which no man shall see God.
This character of which our verse 14.
Surely emphasizes as to what we are.
That we are children of obedience. We sometimes call that standing.
But it's our character as to what we are. Now, if we go on and read you allow me to read from verse and where do I read verse 14 to 17? That will not be too much.
They fit together.
They develop the father.
As children of obedience is what we are.
Not conformed.
And conforming.
Enjoy your.
Former lusts not conformed to your former lusts.
In second, Timothy Pauls last better for these difficult days that we are now living in.
There he also says.
To young Timothy.
Me you for lessons. Now there are lusts.
Second first period to 11.
That are all right, but lusts that war against the soul going contrary to God's purpose of our creation, we have proper lusts.
To be hungry.
And there are other proper lusts, God-given if rightly used.
Now here if we go on and beyond that former lust in your ignorance.
And he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all your manner of life.
Because it is written in the Old Testament. Be holy, for I am holy.
As his children.
As is adopted as is those that are as their brother just emphasized that we're stunned, but we're his be holy, for I am holy. And if he call on the Father who without respect the persons, no exceptions.
No favorings? No.
Prejudices.
But just as things are God and God, so that the so be holy in all manner of your life, because is written VOA braham boy and him ye call on the Father, there's relationship who without respect to persons judges according to.
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Every man's work.
In other words, is what we really are in our lives and in our work.
Pass the time of your. This is the character of the epistle, and where it says Pilgrim is it shouldn't be translated. Sojourners on to the glory is the is the goal.
Sojourners here.
In fear we've had that explained godly fear, the children of Israel.
Were on a journey through the wilderness, and I think these to whom the apostle Peter was writing were aware of this. What had happened to their forefathers, how they've been going through the wilderness and if they knew that account and they had meditated on any in any measure.
They would realize how important this was to pass the time of their pilgrimage or sojourn with peered. They must have realized, well, our our forefathers didn't really fear the Lord, especially those who were destroyed in the wilderness. They weren't allowed to enter into the land of Canaan. They never got in there to enjoy all of this.
So there is a character of life that we can pass here.
In carelessness, so that we miss the enjoyment of all the things that God has for us, we don't enjoy the things to come. We don't enjoy thoughts of the inheritance or of that salvation that we're still waiting for, the salvation of our bodies.
That we're going to be made like unto the Lord Jesus Christ and we're going to reign with him. We're going to enjoy the inheritance with him. All of this kind of thing that we might go on with, which is put under the caption here of unholiness. Why that can rob us, rob us awfully of the enjoyment of all of these precious things that God has put before us and the Apostle Peter's concerned.
This and of course it's God behind it by his Spirit, because God wants us to be happy. He wants us to enjoy the things that he has provided for us and that he has in the future for us. So he's very careful to say we'll pass the time of his, of your sojourning here in fear. Well, we might link that with the judge machine of Christ.
We're passing through this wilderness, we're pilgrims here, and we're going to pass the judgment seat of Christ.
Where everything is going to be brought into review. Well, it's put before us in such a way as to stimulate this fear in us that we displease the Lord. And not that we're going to stand there at that judgment seat where the Lord passes everything in review and we see everything as He wants us to see it. It's not that we're going to be judged there for.
Our destiny.
But it's not a place of doom, but it's a place where everything is going to be manifested. It's all going to come out there. Not that it's going to be spread abroad before our brethren or anything like that, but it's something between US and the Lord and where He, he's going to give us to see it just as he sees it.
Well, he sees us that he sees it that way now. And so we should be aware of this, that the Lord sees everything and it hurts him, it grieves him, it dishonors him, it displeases him, it it makes him sad to see if we're careless and not passing the time of a sojourn here in fear. Mark and that connection.
In the third chapter of this book, we have a conversation without talking.
Let's turn to that third chapter. I think it's important to bring out the practical side of it. In the first verse it says, likewise ye wives the in subjection to your own husbands, that if any obey not the word that they made without the word be won by the conversation of the wives. That is, the wives were not to keep talking to them and giving them the word, they were to live the word and so on. The next verse says.
While they behold not here, but behold your chaste conversation coupled with fear. So the wives here were to walk and to live in such a way with an unsaved husband that even if they didn't have the opportunity to present the word to them.
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The husband would see the word working out and there now here is director wives at the principal. Does it not apply to all your conversation? It's our department really isn't again, it's rendered manner of life. May I say a word? I believe it's seasonable. I believe that we will recognize that it is to the point also.
In the dressing the Saints.
Of Philadelphia.
The Lord is presented in the character of.
The Holy.
And the true.
Now the seven churches in their decline had passed through.
A lack of heart.
They passed through.
Things to overcome by their lives, not counting anything but the glory of Christ, they passed through the being flattered by in the days of Constantine, given the finest jobs in the realm, the opposite from persecution.
Then comes that.
Jezebel.
That wants to take over the world.
Pergamus means double marriage, in other words, married to the Lord and married to the world. Well, it's worse when they when it gets so bad that they want to take over the world. And in second no no 17th of Revelation verse 18, we see the role of the Vatican.
Finally attains her ambition.
For an hour.
Very temporarily, she just succeeds in getting the 10 horns of the 10 nations, as it were.
Under her thumb and it doesn't last at all for the next chapter.
7/18 shows her downfall. Now I mentioned that Philadelphia.
Is introduced as the Lord Jesus, holy and true.
That is what characterize the lies and the state of God's people gathered to His name a century and a century and a half ago.
As to what characterized their state now they're standing. They held exactly the same truth as you and I are holding, but merely holding standing truth merely having correct.
Breaking of bread meetings and prayer meetings and so forth. That itself has no value. It can be to the condemnation if the life has not the Savior of Christ.
So that this is a word for a conscience that's hard to bear, brother.
We need to be as they were. Thou hast a little.
Oh, we love the The Authorized Version and excuse ourselves.
Y'all asked a little straight. We all can subscribe to that. But the real translation and the real interpretation, the real purpose of the Spirit of God is commanding them for having that which glorified Christ. And the right interpretation is, Thou hast a little power.
Or to have a little power to glorify Christ is everything in a day like this?
Now the only thing that might suggest possible failure in Philadelphia.
They're they're standing was perfect. Their state was also of God. Beautiful, beautiful fragrance of Christ is the character of that state.
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And that.
When it comes to verse 11, oh brethren, here's something for your conscience and mine.
Hold that fast which thou hast.
A meeting, brother.
And we all love these in the glory.
He said at the close of the meeting of a big meeting. It was large turn out now the true interpretation of holding that fast till I come.
Is you stay gathered to the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. Now that is no interpretation correct at all.
Our possession, our privileges are nothing like what God wants. He wants us to hold that.
Valuation of Christ, the person of Christ.
The word of Christ to hold it fast. We have it on our shelves, sewing it here.
And the and the nice stock we have here, the loneliest probably on earth in the English language is in found books and pamphlets and tracks and we have it. Are we living it? Are we holding fast the life that goes along with that kind of ministry?
If we are not diligent, we're going to be just the opposite. And there's I want to remind you of one word that I think is better than the word indifference than describing letters is the word and and all the vocabulary according to my thoughts rather than I'm only ministering what I believe.
With all conviction is.
The danger of being.
Self satisfied or what is the right word therefore?
Complacent is my word.
Or the last record of Israel and Malachi. They were impudent is what chief be characterized as Malachi. But what chiefly characterized lands here is complacent. I watch.
I am rich.
And become.
Increased in goods, that's transformation of do transformations that become.
I'm rich and increased with goods and have made of nothing.
They have everything but a heart for Christ.
Therefore, this will wind up my things I'm trying to say.
He is introduced as the faithful.
And.
True witness.
Oh, when we talk about our testimony, brethren, it is through our shame.
We reveal the complacency we should feel, the drifting in departure, the distance from what it was a century ago. We did, saying I am a brother, said that was written when Brother Darby was 45 years of age. Yes, for you, we say to him.
When he was 30.
35 years of age.
Do we have any revenue with the spiritual qualities nowadays that could write such in at the age of 35 and 45? We are not what they were when they were gathered through the Lord's name in the day of Philadelphia. So the Philadelphia state.
More important.
And more serious and solemn than Philadelphia Standing, which was perfect.
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What you're saying, Brother Brown?
Believe is found right here in the verses that follow. Now I'm thinking about what Paul and Barnabas did when they went back to visit the assemblies. They exhorted them to cleave to the Lord with purpose of heart. Well, that is the center of the thing, cleaving to the Lord with purpose of heart. And in the following verses we have both the Person of Christ and His work brought before us.
And it's introduced with the word far as much now that connection with what has gone before, what we've been talking about for as much.
As you know something we know we are well acquainted with it. This is what we learned when we were first saved. You know that you were not redeemed with corruptible things as silver and gold from your vain conversation. There you have that word conversation again, vain, empty manner of life, received by tradition from your Father, but with a precious blood of Christ.
As of a land without blemish and without spot. Now goes on to say something about the person who barely was poor, ordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times. For you who by him to believe in God, that raised him up from the dead and gave him glory, that your faith and hope might be in God.
Oh, what a wonderful combination of the work of Christ and the person of Christ.
And this is what we're pointed to now, or as that which will keep us and sustain it. Because if we don't plead to the Lord with purpose of heart, and if we don't remember the pit from which we've been digging and the work that's been done to save us, we're going to stray away.
The soul joining with the fear and fear is related to our to our standing, is it not? All our attention to the word for is much that is. This is the reason now we have we will redeem now redeemed means to be fought back.
When man sinned, he got away from God and so to speak, God lost him. But in redemption God buys back that one that was lost. I remember years ago they used to have a system of pledges in our neighborhood. I know, and people needed some money. They couldn't just go to the bank and get it as easily as some kind of a day they go to.
A A A what was called a pawn shop and they bring a watch or a suit.
And they would get a certain amount of money loan to them and it would be given a ticket of redemption. And when the time came that they wanted to get that article back again, they had to go in and pay not only the son that was loaned to them, but the interest that was charged.
It was there, a garment, it was their property, but they had lost it for the time being, as long as someone else. And if they didn't redeem it at the same time, he could sell it. And so when they went back, they had the redemption ticket, They paid the cost and the interest, and what had been theirs before was theirs again. And so in redemption, John has brought us back.
We belong to Him not simply by creation, but we belong to Him.
By redemption. So he links that up with the fact that it was not silver. Now on the 30th chapter of Exodus, we have redemption money, have a shekel of silver, and every Israelite who was numbered had to pay half a shekel of silver. The rich couldn't give more and the poor couldn't give less. That is, you can't have more than Christ, and God will accept nothing less.
That's what that silver five. But now Peter says it's no longer a question of redemption by silver or even gold, but by something even more value than all the gold and all the silver of the world.
Precious and also a very, very talented to think that we have been redeemed. Perhaps we could say that the very use of the word redeemed would remind us that we were in captivity. There was another that had the power authority, Oprah and the thought of redemption suggests that that is broken.
We are relief from that ******* that captivity in which we once were held.
00:45:06
And also suggest the price paid in order that that ******* might be broken, and the person or thing released. But the third and wonderful thought that you bring before us is it now belongs to the one who paid that price. So the Lord says, fear not, for I have redeemed thee, I have called thee by thy name.
Thou art mine now those that sound delightful, Lord of Lords, that sound like something from which we would shrink.
Well, it depends on who the one said, who it is that says thou art mine. So I'm going for there are folks here who would really appreciate very much the fact someone who loved you very, very much turns and says to you your mind.
Oh, that sounds lovely. Where the heart is truly served with both words are very bright.
President, what we think of being great names, wouldn't it be quite stressful if we said, oh, I am so glad that that ******* is broken. I am so glad that I have been released from that captivity. I am so glad that that price was made his precious blood.
I don't know whether I'm very pleased to think that I now may love to him that imagine if our hearts would ever entertain such a song. I don't know whether this drills my soul to hear him say thou art mine. There's a real and rightful frame of ownership, dear brothers and sisters, and it's the one who paid redemption price who has the right to claim that ownership. I hope the ownership.
To our heart, and that we gladly recognize what he really means, what he says. I have redeemed things. I have called thee by thy name. Thou art mine.
I'd like to remark about.
Number one.
As most of the older ones have been out to the meetings many times, I've heard this before, but our brother Adrian had just mentioned a little while ago.
There's a big difference between.
Creation and redemption.
Now we are here by creation.
But the illustration is a little boy who loved to whittle out little clothing, pieces of wood to make chips.
As he became more adept, he finally produced the best he had ever made with Sale and Brother and.
He had to get permission from his mother to go down to the water and.
To float his new sailboat.
He had a wind wiring that rudder though, that it would make it go round in a circle. He had his sail set according to how he thought the breeze would bring it back to shore again.
But as the breeze changed, the sail flopped over, and the way the little book goes further and further away, he lost patience and he wept and he went home and told his mother of his laws.
Days later, sometimes later, in the next town, in a window that told all manner of merchandise, maybe toys, he saw a little boat in the window painted up so beautifully red and this and that, and he looked at that boat from every side.
And he said that's my sailboat.
He goes into the proprietor and he lets him know that I made that boat, that boat is mine. But the proprietor said that is a boat that was brought to me and I also paid for it and the price is so much.
Well, the little boy wondered how he could, but he finally pocketed her.
To find back is the middle vote. Oh what a charming thing to go under his arm as he went back to Maha and brought back the boat. Now that is a good illustration of creation and redemption. It belonged to him by right of creation or that he made it.
00:50:26
Now it belonged to him by right of redemption because.
He paid the price to get it back. I'm just wondering what our brother Lundy was about to tell him. I'm hearing and I was thinking along the lines of what our brother Brown was saying a moment ago about.
Acknowledgement of our failure, which is so important.
And it's in keeping with what we have in our chapter.
But I believe that there is that in the word of God.
Which would encourage our hearts, even though we have to acknowledge the failure and we should humble ourselves.
Now if you'll turn to the 45th chapter of Jeremiah.
I think it's necessary to call attention to this because.
We shouldn't be discouraged.
In the 45th chapter of Jeremiah, we have a line of things.
Where it seems like Barrick was a little bit discouraged. Now, I don't believe God intends us to be discouraged. I believe he wants us to humble ourselves to own our failure.
But we find that Jeremiah, after he had announced all the judgments that were to take place.
Upon God's people.
Because of their failure and their idolatry and their resistance to the truth.
Jeremiah goes out and he buys a piece of land, the very land that is going to be destroyed.
The land is going to be captured and he sees to it that it's sealed by the elders, so he takes possession of it.
Well, we find their real faith in the fact that God was going to fulfill His promises to His people in spite of their failure. God's purposes will never change.
In spite of us we fail. But his purposes won't change. But now in this 45th chapter of Jeremiah.
Word, that Jeremiah the prophet spake unto Barack the son of Neriah, when he had written these words in a book at the mouth of Jeremiah in the fourth year of Jehovah. Him the son of Josiah king of Judah, saying Thus of the Lord the God of Israel. Unto the old barrack thou did say, Woe is me now for the Lord, of added grief to my sorrow.
I fainted in my sighing and I find no rest.
Thus shalt thou say unto him, The Lord saith thus.
All that which I have built will I breakdown, That which I have planted I will pluck up.
Even this whole land.
And seekest thou great things for thyself?
Seek them not, for behold, I will bring evil upon all flesh, saith the Lord.
But thy life will I give thee for a prey in all places.
Whither thou goest Now here was a word of encouragement to Barrack, who was willing to step out of the of the ranks of those who had turned aside and write that book for Jeremiah. He identified himself with the prophet. He took the little the place of the little remnant.
And he's promised protection and care in every place that he goes.
I believe we should be encouraged by scriptures like this.
We must acknowledge our failure. That's true.
But I believe that God would encourage us.
In these last days and he recognizes.
The simple faith that rests upon Him and that acts in keeping with His word, even though others may turn aside.
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Not that we have anything to brag about, but there there should be with us that simplicity going on in confidence in our souls.
Trusting in the Lord, even though we have to acknowledge the failure that has come among us. All your attention to.
A line of truth related definitely to what you're saying, dear brother.
In the book of Jeremiah.
We have a faithful weeping prophet that had such a heart for the Lord's people in Jerusalem and Judas. He was a weeping prophet. He could hardly bear to be the messenger of God, a prophet to a people that God had so loved and so privileged.
And to that temple center.
Of God's worship, to think that God is going to go through the whole thing and ended up and destroy it, that would make him a weeping coffin and make him a weeping coffin because of the state of the peoples we get in his lamentations as well as in the book.
Stubborn in the book, they would not hear 49 times.
They wouldn't hear God's word from God's prophet to them. They would not. There's the will. Isn't it stubborn? I mean cotton in their ears, as they might say. But in the 16th of Jeremiah, we find in verse one that he was not married.
How could a wife bear with such a prophet in there? And they're under the roof that for 41 years was preaching against what the people wanted to hear. And they were aiming in every way that we like. They get his scalp. You know what I mean? Now when you come.
To Speaking of him as being a type of a prophet, as one brother uttered I, I heard him say it.
And type.
No, no problem of a remnant.
No in offense with the type of amendment.
And we could keep on naming. There were types of remnants, individuals like Gideon was a type of remnant. That individual was an example for you and me in the day that he knew how to overcome by the power of the spirit.
In his weakness and his nothingness, oh God made him a mighty one to be a deliverer of his people as women in the detail. Now in Jeremiah 45. I love to hear some brothers that are sitting here who have ministered on his shortest chapter in the book of Jeremiah of only 5 verses.
Now from verse 2.
To the end, I'm going to try to bring out what it really teaches.
There's one verse in this chapter that we often use, but we don't get the point of the whole chapter at all.
Would think of spell great things for thyself?
Seek them, ma.
I've had the wonderful principle in itself. It's a tremendous truth. But let us get the truth to the chapter now. And I only read 4 verses of the five. I want to give you a gift to the thing. Barrack was the Emmanuel instance, the big words of the children.
Emanuel by his secretary, an associate, one that was with Jeremiah, who would have him do the writing while God would give the word for him to write.
But he was right. Alone, using his hands and associated with this Jeremiah Lamination hated. They couldn't stand him. They could put him in a dungeon, the Princess and all could get together and they could condemn him to death. And they were trying to get him.
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Now, Vera had been going along with this long enough as far as he felt he was getting cold feet. You understand what I mean? Now you're going to see it in the chat.
Verse 2 Thus saith the Lord the God of Israel to thee obey now God is God. He had not been using his prophet Jeremiah in vain, and though it was not true that he's not going to do it. The people in light to have had the whole thing reversed, but God is showing.
This associated Jeremiah.
That you are going to continue and don't be concerned about yourself. See great things for your own self to save your own life as there were an escape. No, I'm going to use you. I'm going to use you to go on or I'm going to do exactly what I said I'm going to do.
Can you not see how Eric would like to do it?
Way and escaped what he looked like he was an old life would be doomed to like Jeremiah. Actually, brother, we have no record of the end of Jeremiah, but which one of the prophets had not be killed? I wonder if God intends us to Jeremiah happened to be one or I I'm inclined to believe that he met an hand.
It is not recorded.
Here we read on. Now just ask the Lord. Verse two, God of Israel to the old barrack, Thou did they wool his knee? You're thinking of yourself.
For the Lord hath added grief to my sorrow. I fainted in my sign, and I find no rest. Of this was his attitude and state of soul.
Now verse 4. Thus shalt thou stay unto him, the Lord said.
Hey, Barrett, Behold that which I have built will I break down. I'm going to break down the temple. I'm going to scatter those of Jerusalem and Judah, just like I said I was going to do. I have built. Will I break down? And that which I have planted.
I will look up.
Even this whole land. God means business. He's not going to. He's not going to change his mind a bit. And he could sell great things for thyself. Seek him not. Don't waste your time thinking about yourself. I'm going to take care of you. For behold, I will bring evil.
Upon all flesh, says Jehovah, but thy life will I give thee.
And B for a prey.
Or in all places, whether thou goest.
Brother his wife was to be alive of their pointing their finger at him.
There being mocking him, no doubt, but he was to be able to bear God would sustain him in it. And that is the message of chapter 45.
To the assembly. Now no doubt there are those that get discouraged.
In the midst of the assembly, they see what's going on and maybe there's some confusion in the assembly and they get discouraged. And the first thing we see is that they they leave the Lord. They may talk about leaving the meeting, but it's leaving the Lord when they leave the assembly.
And God doesn't want that. The Lord wants us to cleave to him. He's there. He's in the mid, and we're to cleave to Him. They're like David. He encouraged himself in the law. And we can certainly all do that. Even though we might be discouraged and beat down, we can encourage ourselves in the Lord because he's still there. And when the Lord is there, why should I leave?
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We want to be where the Lord is. Surely we want to be there when the Lord comes.
Here in the 18th and 19th verses we have a very precious thought out these Jews, believing Jews have been received from their vain conversation. That was what they went on with, what they had received from their fathers. But you know, it's a wonderful thing that we as Christians we value.
And enjoy the Old Testament, but due to the New Testament New Testament teachings.
We are not Jews, we're not brought on the Judaism. And so it's striking here. He tells them that they redeemed from the vain conversation received by tradition. And then he brings in something from the Old Testament, which is a type of Christ. He brings in the Passover lamb. Now they were all familiar with the Passover lamb and the Apostle Peter here says you cut loose now for your main tradition. But isn't it wonderful to see that God still has?
In the Old Testament, which we can enjoy as we see Christ in it, so he says, you redeem with a precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot. Now that's the Passover lamb of Exodus 12.
And as part of the stairs, who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world. Now on the 12Th of Exodus, the Passover lamb was foreordained. It was chosen on the 10th day, and kept up to the 14th day, and it was on the 14th day.
That it was killed a type of Christ being foreordained and then coming here and fulfilling it all. Now this is a wonderful thing to have the person of Christ before us. Here Peter brings as his custom all the way through by the Spirit the contrasts with the Old Testament. He's just as much contrasting here as Paul does in Hebrews. Only Paul doesn't more with a ritual system here it's.
A Passover lab.
What a marvelous thing, a lamb without blemish, without spot or a name. That is God. Redemption was not an afterthought with God. God didn't have to make shift some salvation when man fell because Christ was for ordained before the foundation of the world. He was chosen on 1/10 day. And so we see Peter bringing that in the air and giving Christ's character.
The land without blemish, without spot.
Doesn't mean that that because one not understanding the principles had left the gathering that they had left the Lord, which you say that they had left the place where he said his name is what you meant, wasn't it? Yeah, yeah, it's up with the word of the Lord endureth forever. I thought about in connection with.
Barrack again. He learned that that word.
Would abide. He had written a stroll in the 36th chapter and it didn't please the king when it was red in his ears and he burned it. But that didn't do away with the work. He the work came from God.
And the word abides forever. He was told to take another stroll and write the same words and then add more to it.
It's not a comfort to think that we have something that can't be done away with it by.
Rest of the chapter Our time is slipping away. We have some very precious things.
We have the the precious blood of Christ.
Has been commented on that we we need to to think of this.
The the Peter Speaking of precious things, these things have become very precious to Peter and so.
By experience his pathway here, he's proved the preciousness of the work of Christ for him. He's full of it. He's in the enjoyment of it. And now he speaks of.
Who by him do believe in God?
They had believed in idols before even Israel had turned to idols.
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In their vanity.
Who believe in God, who raised him up from the dead, that is, out from among the dead, and gave him glory.
That your faith and hope might be in God. Now this is in contrast to idols.
Or when you say Israel was not an idolatrous nation. But they did turn to idol they they sought other gods. And if you read the testimony of Stephen, you'll find that they had served Moloch all their days.
What a solemn thing of people who have the oracles of God.
We're serving idols, and here we have a truth.
That's so important.
That your faith and hope might be in God.
Now he's going to speak of things that we have.
That are.
Unchangeable, incorruptible, that can't fade, in contrast to everything in Israel and their economy that depended on the flesh, even the priests.
Their death terminated their service. We have a priest who lives forever. Everything that belonged to the economy of Israel or that which was in connection with their religion.
An earthly 1.
Everything passed away and changed.
But what we have here is.
Seeing if purified your souls and obeying the truth.
Israel didn't have that.
For one year, the judgment was stayed.
But in view of a sacrifice that was to be made in the future.
But we have purified our souls in obeying the truth.
Through the Spirit.
And to unfeigned love of the brethren, that's the proof of it.
Every believer has a new nature.
And it's manifested in affection.
For the rest of the body of Christ or every other believer is really having Peter here.
So that.
Unfeigned love of the brethren. That's divine love really manifest in the believer.
See that you love one another.
That's the practical side of it. With a pure heart, fervently.
Being born again, now that's really.
Born anew.
It's an entirely new life.
We have in Romans 5, Romans 8.
For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set us free from the law of sin and death. Or let's put it this way, the principle of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus set us free from the principle of sin and death. It's an entirely new principle that has come in.
It's an entirely new life that has come in because the life we had before wasn't really life in the sense it was only a temporary thing. We're going to soon give up this present life, the brethren. We have that which will never change and.
The word of God being born again, not a corruptible seed.
That is.
The life that we now have has its origin in that which is incorruptible. It has its origin there.
We have that life so that.
By the word of God.
The Word of God liveth and abideth forever. It never can be changed.
It's the word of the living God. This is what we are trusting in, not something that's transient, something that changes, something that fades. No, we have that which is solid and.
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Which liveth and abideth forever.
Now the contrast is really quoting from Isaiah 40, for all flesh is as grass.
And the glory and all the glory of man. Now notice that all the glory, because he's Speaking of glory in this book.
And he says all the glory of man.
We are not going to salvage one thing from the old nature.
All the glory of man.
As the flower of grass.
It's up. One day it fades, tomorrow it's gone.
The Spirit of God would bring the contrast to us, dear ones, because the tendency of our hearts.
Is to be affected by that which we think is glorious here. But you know, poor luck. He took one look down at Sodom.
This well watered plains he never thought one thing about his family I suppose, or the end of the course.
But he saw that enchanted valley, and that's where he went. But the glory of it faded, and very quickly.
And he was taken captive by the enemy. But here we have that which will never fade.
Never pass away and.
All flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man is the flower of grass. The grass weather at it, and the flower thereof falleth away. Now the the real meaning of that is it has fallen away. That's the true rendering. I believe. It's something that's passed you might as well recognize as past. It's all fated already.
In view of the work of Christ on the cross, it's all fated, it belongs to Adam and his race, and it's going to pass away. But the word of the Lord and Doroth forever. And this is the word which by the gospel is preached of you, that glorious gospel that Peter says. Now you've received the end of your faith.
The Gospel.
Of your salvation. Salvation through the precious blood of Christ.
This is our portion.