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2nd Corinthians chapter 3 and verse 6.
Who also have made us able ministers of the New Testament, not of the letter, but of the Spirit. For the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life. But if the ministration of death written an engraven in stones was glorious.
So that the children of Israel could not steadfastly look or behold the face of Moses for the glory of his countenance, which glory was to be done away. How shall not the ministration of the Spirit be rather glorious?
Or if administration of condemnation be glory, much more doth administration of righteousness exceed in glory.
Or even that which was made glorious had no glory in this respect, by reason of the glory that excelleth.
Or if that which is done away was glorious, much more that which remaineth is glorious.
Seeing then that we have such hope, we use great plainness of speech, and not as Moses, which put a veil over his face, that the children of Israel could not steadfastly look to the end of that which is abolished. But their hands were blinded. But excuse me, but their minds were blinded. For until this day remaineth the same veil untaken away in the reading of the Old Testament, which Vale is done away in Christ.
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But even unto this day, when Moses is read, the veil is upon their heart.
Nevertheless, when it shall turn to the Lord, the veil shall be taken away.
Now the Lord is that Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is there is liberty. But we all with open face, beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory.
Even as by the Spirit of the Lord.
Perhaps we should mention that in Mr. Darby's translation there is a parenthesis which begins at the seventh verse and ends at the end of the 16th verse, so that you read the sixth verse. Who also has made us able ministers of New Testament, Not of the letter, but of the Spirit. For the latter killeth, but the Spirit giveth life. The 17th verse. Now the Lord is that Spirit, but where the Spirit of the Lord is.
And where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. I just mentioned this, so we get the thought. So what is, uh, begun in the seventh verse is really what took place at Mount Sinai. And also when Moses went up and received the instructions about the building of the Tabernacle. And, uh, so that, uh, the sixth verse, uh, is really carried on in the 17th, but it's necessary to consider what comes between.
And that was the administration of the law.
Certain sense is a little bit like the 11Th of Romans, between the 6th chapter and the 8th chapter is that, well, that is not Christian experience. It's the experience of many Christians is that they discover by looking for good in self that there's no good in I at all.
Just wondered that we may pass through that experience of that struggle. And that was really the point of the law, wasn't it wasn't to minister life, but to minister death and to prove that there was no good in man. And so, as you pointed out, the law was a schoolmaster to bring us to Christ. But it is good if a man used it lawfully. And so somebody takes up to say that they're going to keep the law.
Then unless they keep all of it, then they're guilty of all of it. And so the commandment that slew Paul was.
Thou shalt not covet. Imagine a person meeting a person who had never taken the Lord's name in vain, who had never lied, who never done any of those things, and yet the commandment that slew him was that thou shalt not covet. And so the law had the ministry of death with him, didn't it?
Yes, it was the Ministry of Condemnation.
He was seeking to correct something in the Corinthian assembly by not laying down the laws that were, but turning them to Christ. And that if they did what they did to please him, then it wouldn't be that they had to. It wouldn't be a thou shalt and thou shalt not, that's the letter, but doing it because they wanted to please the Lord. And where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. So we don't do things because we have to.
In Christianity, the new man delights in obedience, and the Lord Jesus could say, The good pleasure of thy will, O God, is my delight.
Nice to see that very commandment basketball felt salute him. You know coveting be overcame by the grace of God in the 20th after of Acts because there when he addresses the Ephesian elders, he says in verse 33 as coveted no man's silver or gold or apparel.
That's the greatest global owned that will enable us to live above that, aye, overcome these things that naturally we cannot.
And he was ministering the unsearchable riches of Christ. So what did all those things, their gold and silver and apparel, compared with that which he was ministering the unsearchable riches of Christ. And that's really what sets us free. It isn't just say, well, this is wrong and that is wrong, but it's having a, a portion in Christ, seeing how richly we're blessed, living in the enjoyment of that. There's liberty, there's joy, and that's what he is bringing before them. That's what these dear Corinthian Saints needed to see.
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That what he had brought before them in connection even with the judgment of sin was necessary to maintain the holiness of God. But it was that they might enjoy their portion. Because when Akan reached out and took that goodly, uh, Babylonish garment, and the wedge of gold and the silver and so on hit it in his tent, he was a loser by it, not the gainer, because he lost the, the precious enjoyment of what he could enjoy.
God giving them that lamb and all the enjoyment of it, in company with the Lord who dwelt in their midst.
This is another side, it seems striking that while he's pointing this out in connection with the law that I believe it's 10 times in Corinthians he writes know ye not or do you not know? And he uses the law to touch their conscience, but it's in no thought of trying to bring them under it. And I think that that's very beautiful because it shows the word of God maintains its authority over our conscience without bringing us under it. And that was the the law.
Purpose of the law, remember standing the gas Bay and with a sister there, with a woman there rather. And her husband had been brought up in a Christian home and there were some other Sarah and she was going on about keeping the law that you needed to keep the law to, uh, to, umm, be saved, to not eat pork and keep the Sabbath and so on. And her brother-in-law warned me that, you know, you won't get a word in edgewise. And she went on and she kind of turned in and asked, gave a opportunity for a word and.
Said a law is good if a man used it lawfully. And I said I'm going to use it lawfully and I quoted a verse to her about what she was wearing.
That she made herself an abomination to the Lord. And she sat down quietly and she listened. And there was a bit of opportunity then. And I, I was kind of upset with myself afterwards. But the woman really softened in her conscience because I believe it needed to be touched that she, she was approaching God on the basis of the law, but she wasn't keeping all of it. And therefore she was really destroying the law's authority by that in that way, because it wasn't meant to bring life.
I remember hearing story about two men. One was saying that Christians should be under law. He was insisting, well, doesn't the law say thou shalt not steal and Christians shouldn't steal and so on. And they were walking along and they came to a place where they're going to go into a store. And so this brother who had been saying we're not under law, he took this other brother by the coat and he said, now listen, don't you steal anything while we're in that store. The law says thou shalt not steal.
And he said, what kind of a man do you think I am? Well, he said, I'm just telling you what the law says. Thou shalt not steal.
Well, they went into the store and neither one of them stole. But why? Not because the law said thou shalt not steal, but because they sought to honor the Lord Jesus and live a life that's pleasing to him, and it wouldn't be pleasing to him to steal. So we're not under law, but we're under grace. But the righteousness of the law is fulfilled in US who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit, so that we're really not under law. But the righteousness of the law is fulfilled in US, not the letter of the law, because there are many things in the letter of the law.
Which only had to do with God's earthly people.
Another case, why we're in a place in this man was trying to show to me that we should be under law. And so I said to him, uh, does the law have anything to say to people that are lying out in the cemetery? Oh no, he said, they're dead. And I said, well, I read in my Bible that we're dead to the law by the body of Christ, that we should be married to another, even to him that is risen from the dead. So I said, I, I've Rhode Island died out of that position where the law has something to say to me, but I'm alive to another.
And now you and I have a new life that delights in pleasing God. And so the Lord could say his commandments are not grievous, because whatever he requires us to do, the Newman delights in doing. And to myself, brethren, the his sayings and his words and his commandments are all the same. But that is, if you want to please a person, you don't say, are you commanding me not to do it? Or are you asking me not to do it? If you really want to please the person by.
Isn't a question whether it's a saying or a word or a command.
It's a question of pleasing that person, and when you find out what pleases them, if you really want to please them, you do that thing. And so if you love me, keep my commandments. If there's really a response of love in our hearts, then we do what pleases to the Lord, the Lord, and not because it's a command, but it becomes a command to our hearts if love is operative within our hearts.
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His brother Gordon and Steph mentioned the commandments and sayings and I was just thinking of a saying of.
Uh, David in Second Samuel chapter 3 rather 23, Second Samuel 23.
And David, long and sad.
All that one would give me drink of the water of the well of Bethlehem, which is by the gate.
Three mighty men breakthrough the hosts of the fellow signs, and through water out of the well of Bethlehem that was by the gate, and took it.
And brought it to David.
Nevertheless, he would not drink thereof.
But forward it out on to the Lord. That's the response, Edmond. The Lord changed to the Lord's commandment.
As should be responsible hearts too.
In reading this portion, I think it's well to know that.
Moses went up onto the mount twice. He went up into the mount and God gave him those 10 commandments written in tables of stone. And Moses came down after 40 days, and the people were already worshipping the golden calf, breaking the first commandment. Thou shalt not have, no, thou shalt have no other gods before me. And so he broke the tables of stone in the foot of the mound. And actually.
The law never actually came in among them, because if they had been placed under pure law, it would have been pure condemnation because they had broken the first commandment. So he blows up, and he said, per adventure, I'll make an atonement for you. Well, he couldn't do it, but there was a, shall I say, a pattern established, and God gave him instructions in connection with the building of the Tabernacle of the ark, the blood sprinkled on the mercy seat and the sacrifices and so on.
A little picture of how God could go on with the guilty people without changing His requirements one bit.
And so he said to Moses, write tables of stone, exactly the same commandments as were made before.
Don't change them at all. God doesn't lower his standard because of Christianity.
His Holiness is unchanging. And so He got those tables of stone the second time, the very same commandments that were there before, but they were put inside the ark. And on top of the ark was the mercy seat. And there the cherubim, Speaking of the righteousness of God in His governmental ways, looked down upon the blood that was sprinkled on the mercy seat and could go on with the guilty people without changing His requirements.
And they were replaced. His face didn't shine the first time he came down because if the people had been under pure law, it would have been judgment. God said, let me alone. I'll have to destroy them in a moment. But God made a provision. He could go on. A wonderful picture of what God has done through the work of His beloved Son. He had made him to be sin for us who knew no sin.
That we might be made the righteousness of God in him or again as we have it in Hebrews chapter 10 by 1 offering a perfected forever them that are sanctified so God could go on. So he makes a comparison. He says that little second picture that when Moses came down and that was the time that his face shone is just a little picture of something far more glorious. The work of Christ that he accomplished in the place of blessing that were brought into.
Consequent upon the work that he's accomplished and the value of his precious blood.
What's wrong with his face was not intrinsic, it was reflective.
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But when the Lord went on the mountain of Transfiguration, his face shown as the sun, and says his, uh, his raiment, the king shining and feeding white as snow, it was effulgent. It was actually that which uh.
Shawn's on the bench out, you know.
But it's intrinsic. But in the case of the Lord, but with Moses it was not so I noticed the new translation. It says here that, uh, into the seventh verse administration of death written and engraved in stones began in glory because it was introduced before it was the law was wholly just good, you know, but and that honor today is a moral code of ethics, don't they? But.
Although it had that glory, yet it has no glory in respect to that glory with excellence. For instance, you may take a beautiful clear night and see the moon full moon shining. But when the sun comes out, like, uh, you don't even see the moon anymore. The moon is still there, but you are excelling. Lord of the sun eclipses the moon, doesn't it? And that's what happens when we have the, the glory of the, uh, what the Lord brings to us. It eclipses everything that you had in the Old Testament.
We have in our checks for the Word glory and in various ways important, glorious.
I'd like to pass on with our brother Clarence Londin used to say the glory is excellence in display.
In connection with what you've been saying too, Brother Reuben, I wonder if you'd return to the Exodus Chapter 33. And I think we see what you say being brought out there.
17 And the Lord said unto Moses, I will do this thing also, that thou hast spoken, for thou hast found grace in my sight, and I know thee by name. And he said, I beseech thee, show me thy glory. And he said, I will make all my goodness pass before thee, and I will proclaim the name of the Lord before thee, and will be gracious, to whom I will be gracious, and will show mercy, on whom I will show mercy. And he said, Thou canst not see my face, for there shall no man see my face, and live.
And the Lord said, Behold, there is a place by me, and thou shalt stand upon a rock.
It shall come to pass, while my glory passeth by, that I will put thee in a Cliff of the rock, and will cover thee with my hand while I pass by, and I will take away mine hand, and thou shalt see my back parts, but my face shall not be seen. This is in contrast with what we have in Christianity, all the glory of God shining out in the face of Jesus Christ. But when Moses asked, Show me thy glory, then the Lord proclaims his name.
Grace is showing mercy to whom he will, but that wasn't seen in the Old Testament. That was not until redemption was accomplished that the glory of God shines out in the face of Jesus Christ. If you notice in Second Corinthians the next chapter, chapter 4.
Says here.
In verse 6.
For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, has shined in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God.
In the face of Jesus Christ now, there's no veil between. In the Old Testament we saw his back parts, as it were. There was a partial revelation so wonderful that it caused Moses face to shine. But we with open or unveiled face can behold this, because it now shines out in all its glory and fullness in Christ that blessed One who has accomplished that work. And as you say, ours is only a reflected 1. All the glory is in Himself.
But it should reflect in us. It did in Moses, in the measure in which he saw it. And when we think of the revelation God has given of Himself in Christianity, it surely ought to make our faces shine as we reflect something of it.
And got connection with the gospel message. Gordon, I was just going back to verse four in Second Corinthians 4IN whom the God of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glory of the Gospel of the Christ, the glory of Christ, should shine unto them. So we see how, how fast, how far great greater the glory was.
That shone in the person of the Lord Jesus Christ. What a vast difference.
We find it's brought out here, the gospel of the glory of the Christ.
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It's interesting too that in that 4th chapter, God of this world blinds the minds of them that believe not, but the truth commands itself to the conscience, and the truth reaches the heart.
You always find in false religion there's a great deal for the mind, but in the truth of God there is something for the conscience and for the heart.
And that is, Christianity speaks to our consciences. We first see how vile and wretched and wicked we are in ourselves, But we see how God, through that work of Calvary, has taken up that whole question of sin and settled it, so that our conscience is cleared before God. We have a conscience now that we can say that if it is God that justifies, who is he that condemneth? And then we have a portion for our hearts too, because He fills our.
Our hearts and so it goes on to say that, uh, this, uh, the six words God who commanded the light to shine on darkness has shined in our hearts so that we have a, we have a conscience all at ease and the heart finding its joy and satisfaction in Christ. But you'll always notice with false religion, they have a lot for the mind.
You never had somebody with false religion come to you and speak to your conscience and heart. You'll always start by talking to your mind.
That verse to you brought to our attention Charles in 2nd Corinthians 4 verse 4.
Return over to the 53rd of Isaiah, Isaiah 53, and hold that place and turn over to the Song of Solomon, chapter 5.
Isaiah 53.
Verse two, it says, umm, in the middle of the verse. He hath no form nor comeliness. And when we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him. Then if we read in the Song of Solomon, chapter 5, the last verse, his mouth is most sweet. Yeah, he is altogether lovely. This is my beloved, and this is my friend.
The verse that you brought before, there's a connecting link between that verse and Isaiah and the verse in the Song of Solomon.
Before we were saved, there was nothing in the Lord Jesus to attract us.
And because the God of this world had blinded our minds, blinded the eyes of our hearts. But after we accepted the Lord, we were able to say, his mouth is most sweet. Yeah, he is altogether lovely.
This is my beloved and this is my friend.
Languages express, uh, is given to express thoughts, isn't it? And God's word expresses these things to us. And I was thinking about this, the, the, the tape when Moses was called up to the mount and reading in the, uh, book of Hebrews, it was a terrible sight.
We don't, we never will never realize what what a glorious and terrible thing is, what it came from. Glorious has been pointed out, but.
They said the Moses said he exceedingly fear and quake.
We, we've, uh, we've never stood in a position like that, umm, because we reject the mercy of God. But here were those that stood at the foot of that mount and everything shook and quaked and they were fearful.
I've never been in a position like that to see the fear of that, although sin comes in and gives me that fear. The fear of God is the beginning of wisdom or knowledge. And so how beautiful then to think that He brings before us here the glory of the person of the Christ. How much more glorious this is.
And sometimes God has the Thunder in our lives too, to give us to see something of the glories of the person of Christ.
And God is able to do that. So I think it's so beautiful to think that here is brought before us the exceeding greatness of the glory of the Christ that exceeds everything that ever took place before.
And who is it we're going to see? Who is it we're going to be with? Christ and glory, Christ in glory. This is what we're looking forward to. We're going to see that blessed one, no judgment has passed.
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We're gonna be in his favor and in his love for ages of ages.
I think of the apostle John.
Along his nearness and love of the Lord. When he had that vision in Revelation One, he fell on his face like a dead man. But he's the very one who says.
We shall see him as he is, and I'm sure it's not until he's completely taken away our old man, he said. Nature.
Then we won't be afraid to look upon God.
The Lord appeared there in the character of a judge, didn't they, in that first chapter of Revelation, walking in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks? A very solemn thing when we think of it. And that's why, when, if the Lord were to come in here and take the character of a judge, why we might feel the same falling on our faces? But isn't it lovely? Put his hand on him and said, fear not, I am the 1St and the last. I am he that liveth and has become dead, and I am alive forevermore.
So he dispelled his fears in that way we'll never have to do with God as a judge. Thank God. We know God revealed in Christ. We know his love so fully made known.
And then there's a little contrast here in the 13th verse, it says the children of Israel could not steadfastly. But then in the uh, it says here in the end of the 15th verse, even under this day when Moses is read, it doesn't say they could not. But the veil is not upon the face of Moses, but the veil is upon their hearts. Notice that they couldn't. And that's why the Lord said to Moses, My face shall not be seen.
He was not fully revealed in the Old Testament. There was a partial revelation, and the children of Israel couldn't even see that partial revelation. And Moses put a veil over his face. They couldn't look at it. But now, if there's any veil, rather than if you and I don't see what a wonderful place we have been brought into consequent upon the work of Christ, if we don't see the blessing that flows out as a result of that glorious work the Lord accomplished, the hindrance is not on God's part.
The veil is on our hearts. The trouble is with ourselves, and very often, isn't it true? The veil is upon our hearts. We allow other things to come in.
That hindrance, like when we allow something to come into our lives that hinders us from being occupied with Christ and seeing our portion in Him. And we are the losers. But it's our problem. It's because we've allowed something. God has been fully revealed. He's fully made known. All that's in His heart has come out. There's nothing more to be revealed. It's been revealed and it shines out in the face of Jesus Christ.
No, we have an ex uh, Deuteronomy 2929 where it says the secret things belong to the Lord our God, but the things which are revealed belong unto us and to our children. Did that not refer to the secrets of grace? And, and, but now, uh, this unrevealed secrets, uh, at that time is now been revealed with God has come out to us in grace and he's made known to us as purposes, hasn't it?
You could finish that verse, Brother Reuben. It says that we may do all the words of this law. So if you said to an Israelite, well, why are you making the Tabernacle exactly that way? Why is it so precise that it has to be exactly that way? Why does that animal have to be caught in a certain way and offered in a certain way? He would have to say, well, I don't know. I just know God has said that's the way it's to be done and it's my part to be obedient.
So they were to do those things even though they didn't know why they were doing them. But now it's no longer so because God has made himself known. And you say to a person, well, why have, why did you get that baptized? He explains to you now, well, that's a figure of the death of Christ and I want to be identified with him. I died out of an old position. I've been brought into a new and in baptisms, a figure of that.
What does that loaf mean on the table? Oh, that's a figure out first of the one body of Christ composed of all believers and of the Lord Jesus body given in death so that that's why in Romans chapter 12 it says what we carry on is an intelligent service. We know, but an Israelite was to do a lot of things in connection with the instructions that God gave in the Jewish ceremonies that he didn't know why.
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But in Christianity, God explains to us and he says, I'm going to tell you why.
It's going to be an intelligent service. Isn't that very blessed? It's so wonderful. Now that God has come out and all that he is, the glory of God shines out in the face of Jesus Christ. And he says what you do, whether it's baptism, whether it's the Lord's Supper, whether it's your service that you're performing, you're not just repeating words. It's something that out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks.
We have something a little of that in the, uh, 64th of Isaiah, in the second chapter of the first epistle. It's quoted here in Isaiah 64 and four.
For since the beginning of the world men have not heard nor perceived by the ear, neither hath the eyes seen, O God beside thee, what He hath prepared for them that waiteth for Him.
He turned to 1St Corinthians chapter 2.
Verse 9.
But as it is written, I have not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man the things which God hath prepared for them, that not wait for him, but love him. But God hath revealed them unto us by His Spirit. For the Spirit searcheth all things, yeah, the deep things of God.
So the children of Israel waited, and there was a picture and all those details of the Tabernacle.
They weren't revealed to them, but they are revealed to us in Christianity.
So man asked me, he said, why? Why is it at the church I go that the, uh, that the loaf is all broken up into little cubes. I said that's a good question because in First Corinthians 10, as you were pointing out, there's one loaf on the table that speaks of the one body so that you're gathered on that ground. You just sort of hung his head. He didn't have an answer.
Answers another question that people raise and why do we use 11 loaf well it tells us you know if you turn back to the 23rd of leviticus maybe it's good to turn to that because 23rd chapter of Leviticus and the.
15th verse.
And you shall count unto you from the Morrow after the Sabbath, from the day that she brought the sheaf of the wave offering.
Seven Sabbath shall be complete even tomorrow after the 7th Sabbath shall enumerate 50 days. That's what Pentecost means. 50 He shall #50 days, and ye shall offer a new meat offering unto the Lord.
He shall bring out of your habitation two wave loaves of two tents deals. They shall be of fine flour, they shall be bacon with leaven. They are the first fruits unto the Lord. So on the day of Pentecost they would bring forth two wave loads, be bacon with leaven. We know that that's little picture of Jew and Gentile made one in Christ, the two wave loaves.
But you say why about why does it say that? Well, if I couldn't come into the Lord's presence with the old nature within, I couldn't come at all. But it it should be bacon. It should be in the place of death because our old man was crucified with him. It came to its end. And I acknowledge that. And the first man, the old man has no place now in Christianity at all under the lawman was tested, but he was in himself was tested. But as I come into the Lord's presence now consequent upon the glorious work that Christ has accomplished rather than he's not only put away my sins.
But he put an end to my old position. My old man was crucified with him.
And so I sit there, and you and Gentile are brought together, one in Christ. And so at the Lord's table, where the loaf is a symbol of that one body by those who are sitting there, they still have the old nature within. But I trust we have all learned that it has no place now in the things of God. It came to its end. It's to be in the place of death. When we break bread, then we remember what it cost the Lord to bring us into that position.
And it becomes a symbol to us of his precious body given in death for us thought the Lord's table proceeds the Lord's Supper in First Corinthians 10, the Lord's Supper in First Corinthians 11. I just mentioned these things because if we want to see the truth of God. Many of these things that are like secret things that people don't understand, they're revealed to us by the Spirit. And if we lay hold of what Christianity is.
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And that it's not a no a patch on the old thing, it's new wine put into new bottles. It's not a patch on the old garment. It's a new thing all together. And we have life abundantly.
I'm glad you mentioned that because he went on to ask me. He said, well, let my father in law's church, they have an unleavened bread. Why do they do that? Well, it's they really don't see the truth of what you're explaining.
It's coming back again to.
Uh, Reuben's reference to, uh, Deuteronomy 29, I don't want to get away from the chapter here, but it's very, very interesting. They put, uh, very, very in a precise way, I think in that 29th verse, the secret things belong unto the Lord our God.
The secret things, these are the things that God would do.
If his people would be obedient, as it says. But those things which are revealed belong unto us and our children forever, that we may do all the words of this law. So we see what Israel ought to have done.
We see what God has, what the revelation, but with us has already been said. Those secret things now have been revealed. What a difference we we have here, don't we? The secret things of God is some of the precious truth that we know is gathered to His precious name, and the principle on which we meet, and the way in which we go ahead with the re remembrance of the Lord. Those are things that have been revealed.
To us. And so it says, that we may do these things, not the words of the law here, but do on the principles of the truth of God, according to the day of grace.
A little bit about the.
Being glorious and the spirit being more glorious is that I think even a child understands that would they leave their bicycle unlocked at school, they're going to get it stolen. But you Can you imagine in the Millennium when the time is going to be that the wicked are going to be removed every day? People aren't going to need to have locks in their houses and policemen and security systems because the wicked are going to be dealt with. But it's a more glorious thing today as the child goes about and he has an opportunity to steal and he says, no, I'm not going to do that because I want to please the Lord.
Not because there's a policeman watching him, but because he desires to please the Lord. And not out of feigned obedience, because he's going to be removed if he does something wicked, but because what desire to please the Lord? That's a more glorious thing.
Because there are going to be those that are going to live all through the Millennium and, uh, it's going to be a wonderful earth to think that, you know, there's going to be no outward sin. Can you imagine living in such a world?
And yet men are going to feign obedience. It's interesting that when they rise up in rebellion, they're going to come from the four corners of the earth. They're going to come from the farthest place away from the divine center to rebel against the Lord. They want to be as far away from the Lord as possible. They're going to feign obedience. And if they don't come up and worship, pay homage to the Lord, it's not they're going to go on in this way, in an outward way, and it's going to be a wonderful earth and the the trees are even going to clap their hands and the hills are going to shout for joy.
The, the, the dogs are gonna be the cats. They're gonna, I don't wanna just speak flippantly, but it's gonna be a wonderful thing even for the animals that the Millennium when the knowledge of God, the law of God covers the earth as the waters cover the sea. But what a more glorious thing that we should walk through a corrupt earth and live to please the Lord.
Because at the end of the Millennium they are going to rise up and and say again, just in spirit, not this man.
Terrible thing to show the wretchedness of man's heart.
Written note too, that the Millennium will not be a perfect state. Uh, I just, uh, don't need to turn to them. But I was noticing a couple of verses and when you were speaking that, uh, in Psalm 99 and also in, uh, umm, are some, uh, 101 and also 125. I will early destroy all the wicked of the land.
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That I may cut off all wicked doers from the city of the Lord. And then over in the 125th Psalm he says, umm.
Verse 3 For the For the rod of the wicked shall not.
Rest upon a lot of the righteous, lest the righteous put forth their hands into iniquity. So God is going to remove it all, isn't he? So there will be, there will be sin, but God removes it each day. But when it comes to the eternal state, then that's imperfection. But we, as you say that now we have these things have been revealed to us. Let's, let's, let's go on with what has been revealed and not seek to.
Delve into something that hasn't been revealed. I think that's a good a good practice to make. Sometimes people come to the Word of God with their views, which we know is being done in Christendom. Don't come to the Word of God with your views. Come to the Word of God and get his views. Then we'll be straight. We'll be clear.
It's been sad that the new is in the old contained the old the new, the old is in the new explained. And so everything that we find revealed in the New Testament we can find in picture in the Old Testament. Sometimes that would be just like if you bought a 1997 model of a car and you had an old one, you'll say 50 years old and you found a little secret thing in this old car 50 years ago.
And a little picture of what it was going to be in 1997, you say, did they know in 1990, in 1947 that it was going to look like this? The model is going to come out. I always say, isn't that amazing that they knew that we find the picture of all that God has brought out now?
In the Old Testament and there it is contained the picture.
When Joseph was rejected by his brethren, he marries a Gentile bride. And over and over we find the pictures in the Old Testament of what is now revealed in the New Testament. And I just like to encourage even the young people to read the old. Even if you don't understand it right away, have it stored in your mind. And then when the time comes, the Spirit of God will bring your those things to your remembrance.
That's what the Lord was saying to the disciples. He said, he said that the whole when he, the spirit of truth, he's come, he'll lead you into all truth for he would bring to their remembrance the things that he had said to them. And so I, I just want to encourage the young people to read the Old Testament scriptures. And then sometime later on, the Spirit of God will shed light on it, help you to see that it was just a picture of something that he is going to do later.
And it's contained in picture form in the Old Testament. Oh, when we get to see this, then we appreciate the Bible far, far more. It's a wonderful book, complete in itself, showing us the mind and will of God fully made known.
It took 1500 years of animal sacrifices.
Before God was willing to explain that the Lamb of God was a perfect human being, didn't that right?
1500 years before he explained it and then almost to a man they rejected it out of hand and shows you how they they can real condition of the human heart. Only a remnant taught by the Holy Spirit. That's why it speaks of the administration of the Spirit. Only those who are taught by the by God will accept it.
Even today, after 2000 years of of a, you know, an honest gospel preaching.
Still being rejected.
One other person what connection with what you were saying Gordon in First Corinthians 10 and verse 6?
Now these things were are examples to the intent that we should not lust after evil things as they also lusted. I was just thinking that we see pipes in the Old Testament of the Lamb, for instance, as you were mentioning and the details of the Tabernacle. But also there were experiences that they passed through that are recorded in the Old Testament stories that are instructive because they will help us when we meet similar situations. We may look at a situation and talk about a situation today.
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And we're never going to come exactly as to God's judgment as to what that situation is. But when you look in the Old Testament, you have God's exact recorded, divine inspired account of the facts. And often it's repeated that He gives you not only the facts, but what His purpose in allowing that situation was in the Book of Chronicles to get His purpose. Now we may discuss something and see things from a different angle and so on, and we're only going to see it with human eyes. But when we look at these stories in the Old Testament.
And also we may repeat facts, and in a way that will be defiling, but when you take up the Word of God, he repeats exactly the details in this situation in an undefiling way, and then he gives his judgment as to what those facts were.
And so it helps us as we meet the situations of life, not just, I shouldn't say, not just that's also wonderful, these shadows that we have of, uh, things that, uh, have to do with Christianity, as you showed in the loaf and so on, but also in the experiences of life that they passed through.
Corinthians 13 and 12, Paul speaks of seeing things through a glass darkly says first.
1312 For now we see through a glass darkly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then shall I know even as also I am known.
I was thinking here, I was thinking about this verse. There's been so much been revealed to us with the Old Testament now.
That we wouldn't have known before the Lords. And then we see how the Old Testament.
Pictures of the New Testament, but there's still things we've discussed that we don't see clearly. But when the Lord we're before the Lord, we see him face to face. Everything will be made known to us. You see that Paul here, uh well, the greatest apostles gave us so much truth. But even he says.
Umm, I shall know, umm, but then so I know even as also I am known.
I think it's good to not to miss a little expression here. I don't know how Mr. Darby renders this in verse. Umm, verse 9.
For if administration of condemnation be glory much more, I call attention to that little expression. I don't know how Mr. Garvey renders that much more.
Does the administration of righteousness exceed in glory? Then he goes, I just go on downtown after verse 12 or 11. For if that which was done away was glorious, much more that which is which remains.
Remaineth is glorious and so on. We could follow that little expression out. We find it also in the throughout the book of Hebrews. Why? Because it brings before us the glory of the person of Christ above everything else. Everything else is set aside much more, much more, much more. What we can see then why he? Why the expression is given here. It says umm umm.
Verse 10. For even that which was made glorious had no glory in this respect, by reason of.
The glory that excelleth much more. Much more. When I think of that little expression, I think of Christ, the Lord Jesus, the one who has given me much more than even Moses had, or, or Abraham or or any of the Old Testament Saints. Why? Because we not only have the Word of God, we have a living Savior on on high in the glory, and we have the Spirit of God in our hearts much more than what Abraham or Isaac or any of them ever had.
In our chapter in verse nine is much, rather, much rather. Yeah, Mm-hmm.
Verse nine we often contrast law and grace, but in verse 9, the law of the ministry of condemnation is contrasted with the ministry of righteousness. Why is that?
Well, the holiness of God's person wasn't fully revealed in the Old Testament, but all His claims in holiness and righteousness have been fully made known. Because nothing less than the infinite sacrifice of the Lord Jesus could satisfy God's holy claims. It wasn't possible that the blood of bulls and of goats would put away sin. They were accepted to make an atonement. The word atonement means to cover. They were accepted for the time being.
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But how much more everything now that God has made known in Christianity all God's claims, He hasn't lowered his His Holiness or his righteousness. He has found a way by which all his righteous claims could be fully met and satisfied. And they have been through the work that Christ has done. So we read, yet made him to be sin for us who knew no sin, that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.
But the law was really a ministry of condemnation.
Because it pronounced judgment on anyone that couldn't keep it.
Remember when the Lord Jesus was going to leave this scene? In the 16th chapter of John's Gospel we find him saying this.
If I depart, I will send Him unto you. That is the Holy Spirit, And when He has come, He will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment. Then then He qualifies it by saying of sin, because they believe not on me. That was their own hearts of unbelief, now of righteousness.
Because I go to the Father who is my righteousness. Where is my It's at God's right hand. Christ is my righteousness.
So we see the beautiful truth of that here, don't we? Again, it points us to one person, the Person of Christ.
As it says of righteousness, because I go to my father and you see me no more. That is, they weren't not going to see him, but we're going to see him when he comes back.
Isn't it what we have in Romans 322? The righteousness of God by faith of Jesus Christ unto all, and upon all, the belief being justified freely by His grace?
And God has sent forth appropriation with faith in His blood to declare His righteousness.
We are made righteous to faith in this place.
We won't have a better standing even when we get home to glory than we have right now, because we are before God in Christ.
What a marvelous place we have been brought into.
Perhaps you could pass on here. The veil is going to be taken away. What a wonderful day it will be for Israel when they say they look on the one whom they Pierce and they're brought into blessing and.
It says their sins and iniquities will I remember no more. It'll be a wonderful day of blessing for that nation. But going on to the 17th verse as we mentioned before, if you read the verse.
Six, I read it again. Who? Who also has made us able ministers of the New Testament, not of the letter, but of the spirit.
For the letter killeth, but the Spirit giveth life. Now the Lord is that Spirit. And where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. And I think this is so beautiful that any true Christian really walking in the enjoyment of the Lord's love, knowing his standing in Christ will not counted ******* to do something to please the Lord. He'll say, that's what I want to do. I'm doing it because I want to do it.
Where the Spirit of the Lord is.
There is liberty, so we're not under law, we're under grace. God has met us in grace. And now how wonderful. And I that applies in our personal lives. I believe, brethren, it also applies in the assembly where the Spirit of God is given liberty by how He delights to take the things of Christ and show them unto us. We just give the Spirit liberty very often ourselves and the flesh in US stands in the way of blessing.
We get occupied with ourselves, we say things that have to do with ourselves, but where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty and how blessed to meet as as believers, giving the Spirit of God His way in the meeting so that he may lead whomsoever He will give out to him to pray, to minister to our hearts. I think it's so precious what is brought before us here.
Someone asked her brother a question. What is he? What uh, what he thought was the greatest evil in Christendom today, And his very brief reply was denying the power and presence of the Holy Spirit of God.
A good deal of Christendom. They don't go any farther than the truth that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost. Most believers would recognize that that when you were saved, the Spirit of God comes and indwells your body.
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But they do not seem to see that the Spirit of God dwells in the house. On the day of Pentecost He came he individually and dwelled every believer there, but He also filled the whole house where they were sitting. And it tells us in Ephesians we are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit. And that was really what gave cause to the restoration of the truth, perhaps over a century ago.
Was the recovery of that truth that not only does the Spirit of God indwell believers, but the Spirit of God dwells in the house and it hadn't been recognized. Men build up systems where they recognize that individuals had the Spirit of God, but everything was arranged by some human order to carry on the worship, the service, everything, and not giving the Spirit of God who dwells in the house liberty to act, but how?
Blessed that He really does, if we give him His place collectively, recognizing Him as the one who leads out in praises and worship and in ministry for the glory of God and for the blessing of the Saints.
Maybe we could sing that hymn 1 Spirit with the Lord.
210.
Minutes.
Ago so you need to have a barrier.
Nsnoise.
Nsnoise.