Reading
DISCLAIMER: The following has been auto-transcribed. We hope it will help you to find the section of this audio file you are looking for.
Loose now stemmery turns to tell. By luck we meant unsearchable #294.
First Peter, Chapter 2.
Verse 20.
For what glory is it?
If, when ye be buffeted for your faults, you shall take it patiently, but if when ye do well and suffer for it, you take it patiently, this is acceptable with God, or even here unto were ye called, because Christ also suffered for us.
Leaving us an example that ye or we should follow.
His steps.
Who did no sin, Neither was guile found in his mouth.
But when he was reviled, reviled not again. When he suffered, he threatened not.
But committed himself.
To him that judges righteously.
That ye should follow his steps. Our God our Father, we thank thee for us.
Get into some of the gold Nuggets of the 5th chapter.
Mind of the president.
13 whatever.
Two Corinthians 413 We having the same spirit of faith, according as it is written, I believed, and therefore have I spoken.
We also believe, and therefore speak, knowing that he which raised up the Lord Jesus shall raise up us also by Jesus, and shall present us with you for all things and for your sakes, that the abundant in grace might, through the Thanksgiving of many, redound to the glory of God.
For which 'cause we think not, but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day.
For our light affliction, which is but for a moment work, is for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory.
While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal. Chapter 5. For we know that if our earthly House of this Tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God.
In house, not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.
For in this we groan, earnestly, desiring to be clothed upon with our house which is from heaven.
00:05:01
If so be that being clothed, we shall not be found naked.
For we that are in this Tabernacle do groan being burdened not for that we would be unclothed, but clothed upon that mortality might be swallowed up of life.
Now he that hath brought us for the self, same thing as God.
Who also hath given unto us the earnest of the Spirit?
Therefore we are always confident, knowing that whilst we are at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord. For we walk by faith, not by sight. We are confident, I say, and willing rather, to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord. Wherefore we labor that whether present or absent, we may be accepted of him.
For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that everyone may receive the things done in his body according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad.
Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord, we persuade men.
But we were made manifest unto God, and I trust also are made manifest in your consciences.
For which men not ourselves again unto you, but give you occasion to glory unto our behalf, that you may have somewhat to answer them, which glory in appearance and not in heart.
For whether we be beside ourselves is to God, or whether we be sober, it is for your cause.
For the love of Christ constraineth us, because we thus judge that if one died for all, then we're all dead, and that he died for all that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again.
Wherefore, henceforth knowing no man after the flesh.
Yeah, though we have known Christ after the flesh, yet now henceforth know him no more.
Therefore, if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature. Old things are passed away. Behold, all things are become new.
And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and have given to us the ministry of reconciliation to it, that God was in Christ reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them, and have committed unto us the word of reconciliation.
Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us. We pray you in Christ dead, be reconciled to God.
For he hath made him to be sin for us who knew no sin, that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.
First verse that was read to us speaks of having the same spirit of faith.
It's made very precious to my soul on an occasion.
When it says that Moses.
At a time when he had become great, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter.
Choosing rather to endure affliction with the people of God.
Affliction of Christ for the people of God, rather than to endure the temporary pleasures of sin.
Well now, in that same spirit of faith, we read here in the end of our chapter.
That we have a momentary light affliction that works for us in an eternal weight of glory. And the thought that I've enjoyed is this.
The temporary pleasures. And we have to admit there are such in sin. The temporary pleasures of sin.
Are exchanged for afflictions with the people of God.
But the affliction, the momentary light affliction, are just as fleeting as a pleasure to send that are given up.
00:10:11
But faith in the trial?
Whether in combating sin or looking down the end of the road to the finish, faith always speaks the same language, doesn't it?
That's the great thing in this, and that's what we see. We having the same spirit of faith. According is written, I believe, and therefore have I spoken. We also believe and therefore speak, knowing that he which raised up the Lord Jesus shall raise us also by Jesus and shall present us with you even in our best days. It's still not going to be like that wonderful day that's coming when all are going to be changed to be just like him. Let's not fool ourselves. We're still in a veil of tears.
There are things that beset us, there are problems and difficulties, but we can always look off to him as that one who is the author and finisher of faith.
That's really the portion of.
Psalm One 19105, isn't it?
A light, a lamp to our feet. But down at the end of the road there is a light, and that light is the final ultimate result of a path that Lord the Lord leads us in. It's like the 11Th verse of Hebrew, the last verse of Hebrews 11, that they, without love, should not be made perfect. Well, the day of perfection comes when we hear that shout, and the Lord takes us to be with itself.
So that in the manifestation of the life of Christ and it's showing forth the death working in us, comes to the point of actually taking our lives physically, we can say in verse 14, knowing that he which raised up the Lord Jesus shall raise up us also by Jesus and shall present us with you.
Sometimes that happens, brethren, that God takes a life, but in the life that is taken, the light shines out and that has happened.
But we have this knowledge. We know. It doesn't say we think or it might be or we feel this way. We know that's the confidence of faith, so that even if life is snuffed out here in this life, it's pretty.
Fleeting life is. I mean, what is our life, brethren? We've heard it in these meetings.
It's a vapor, it appears. I'm surprised. I never really expected to get to the age I am now, and I know young people look up at those that are older and they say wowie. I don't know when I'm going to ever get that to be that old.
It'll just be around the corner. Don't you kid yourself. It's not that far away. Life is brief and life is uncertain in the world in which we live. But the important thing, brethren, is that that light.
Of that revelation, that treasure that is in these earthen vessels, that it shine out. That's the important thing. And if it takes death to make that light shine out, then we know even then that God will raise us up with Jesus in the end.
That's what was said to a sister whose son had gone into glory. The brother wrote that if the road is rough, it wears out the vehicle sooner, but at the end is the glory.
And you think of the difference that once in scripture.
Long life itself.
Is really in a sense, not the idea.
It's lovely when the ***** head is found in the way of righteousness and one has lived a long life pleasing to the Lord. But I was thinking of some of the ones that were younger, I mean John the Baptist, His ministry was finished, you know, in his mid 30s and and the different ones of scripture that we have, the blessed Lord himself. I mean, take me not away in the midst of my days, but what a comfort to us brethren, that.
That if long life or young life or whatever. But whether absent or present, it says in the next chapter we might be acceptable to him. What a glorious thing to not only start well, but to finish well. Think of my own dad. His life was finished at the age of 44.
00:15:18
Over. But it goes on, because it's not the end here. It's only a glorious moral. That's it for all the Saints of God. And I've met that that spiritual fathers that have lived into their 90s. Think of the dear brother down home, the past, the milestone of 100 years of age.
You're going to be with them all someday. What a tale of grace, really, in each light.
The contrast is between that which is for time and that which is for eternity.
And of course, that is where we are destined. Ours is an internal portion.
Inheritance incorporated, faded, not away.
Verse 16 For which 'cause we faint not, but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day.
Well, it's like we've said. A person may go on, someone said to a beloved St. don't. Doesn't your age bother you?
He said yeah, I guess the shutters are falling off and the paint is scraping and so on and so forth, but.
He said it's nice to realize that we're going to have a new home soon, and very soon. And this was the verse that was such a comfort to him. Though our outward man perished, yet the inward man is renewed day by day. What a glorious thing, brethren, when you think of it. Youth and beauty pass away, but we shouldn't be concerned about our Gray hair and our wrinkles and so on.
We're loved by one who was unchanging, and one day we're going to be just like him in the glory, fully transformed to his image.
I think that 16th verse is a key to what we've had in the first part of the 4th chapter, and it says it's sort of summarizes it For us though our outward man perish, always bearing about in the body, the dying of the Lord Jesus and the life also of Jesus might be made benefits in our body, our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day.
And when there is a disillusion, we've come to the fifth chapter in the first verse we know that first the House of this Tabernacle were dissolved. And the word, I think in the new translation is much is stronger. That is the end.
Where is that?
We are troubled, destroyed. Yes, Thank you so, for we know that if our earthly House of this Tabernacle were destroyed.
And but we have the comfort and the assurance that until that time we don't need to be fear being destroyed, but when it it is, it may come. But we know that if it is destroyed we have a building of God, and how it's not made with hands eternal in the heavens. So the theme of the 4th and the 5th blend in connection with that key verse, but though our outward man perish.
And what's the rest of it? The Inward Man is renewed day by day. It may be that the Albert Mannequin perish without us doing much about it, but the Inward Man, it takes activity, doesn't it, to have it renewed day by day. I can't just merely say, well, the Outward Man is perishing and all the Inward Man is being renewed day by day. And you say, brother, have you been enjoying? What have you been enjoying recently?
Well, you know, I don't read very much these days. Well, you're not going to be renewed. It takes activity, doesn't it?
That's Romans 12, isn't it The first part of Romans 12?
What is it that renews the Spirit? What is it that renews our energy? What is it that renews our understanding of God's things? Reading His word? That's the only way.
An old brother who's now with the Lord used to say we don't learn about God through osmosis, we learn through reading His word.
00:20:05
It's probably.
Important for us to note as we pass through these verses that the world in which we live, the world in which our young people, young families, young couples are, are living, is a world that absolutely refuses to admit to this truth. Everything you see in advertising, everything you hear, everything your eyes sees, is all built on.
The I'm going to say the idol of life and health and it's always youth and it's always exuberance and it's always hell. And the products and services are not advertised in general unless it's medication of some sort, are not advertised in general by old wrinkled, Gray haired people and every sort of excess that you see on billboards that you see in magazines.
That floods. The world in which we live is advertised and presented with the thought that beautiful, healthy, vibrant, happy young people who forever will stay that way, are involved with these things and imbibe these things and take up with these things. And it is an absolutely false world. But it's the world that we have to walk in and that our young people have to grow up in and that we all have to.
Live in and the Lord is saying, Here is the reality and.
God is light and he's loved. The Lord Jesus is full of grace and truth, and so God tells us the truth. He shows us the light. But man doesn't want that, and so he cloaks it and he hides it. And as we have said, for instance, one of the ads in the past having to do with some particular popular brand of athletic footwear, says life is short. Play hard.
And the idea is you're always going to be young. It may go fast, but don't even think about that. Just play hard. Well, we're having reality here and beloved young people. We need to get into that reality. That how? I'm not saying that we aren't to be white stewards, We certainly are. The Lord has given us bodies, health and strength in a measure, and we need to be careful of that and take care of that. But the world says we're going to pretend as though.
That time is never going to change. You're always going to be young. There's always going to be 50 or 80 or however many years ahead of you to enjoy and to plan and to get involved in all these things. And the Lord is saying and telling us very plainly that's not so. And the way to exercise that and the way to enter into that and the way to have peace with that beloved young people is not to say, OK, well, I'm just going to forget about myself. I'm not going to take care of myself.
No, that's not the issue. But the issue is to not look at yourself and that today where you are is going to always be this way. There's always going to be lots of time. There's always going to be lots of exciting things in the world to do. And scripture and doctrine and the things these old brothers and old sisters talk about, that's kind of like an aspirin to them. Because when they finally get so old that nothing else is working, then they have to fall back on that. No, it's not what it's talking about.
It's saying for all of us, young and old right now to realize the reality we're passing through this scene and we have a Tabernacle, our bodies, that wasn't meant to stay here forever. And it's not going to. And what is in reality is what I am in Christ, the life I have in Christ and the way I feed and enjoy that whether I'm 18 or 80 is to, as it's been said, get into the word of God.
And not just read it, but believe it and talk with Him, Beloved and brethren. I would say this again to me that the truths of Scripture have become so precious and simple and I just I'm I'm not even scratching the surface. But you know the Lord Jesus every day.
The blessed Lord Jesus comes to each one of us, whether we've got a strong, healthy body with naturally speaking lots of years ahead of us, or whether we're like, Ed said. And we don't like to look in the mirror anymore because we're seeing too many wrinkles and Gray hair, or we're not seeing hair at all. The point of it is that the Lord is saying today.
00:25:12
I'm knocking at your life. Will you let me in? Will you hear my voice?
He's not just knocking, but he's so interested in being a part of your life and mine today, brethren.
That, he says. I'm not just knocking, I'm calling.
I'm not just going to be satisfied with knocking and you not only know, but I'm going to call your name and I want you to open the door because I want to come in and sit down with you and eat with you.
And beloved brethren, young and old, he wants to do that every single day of our life. He's there.
And he's waiting for us to say, Lord Jesus, walk with me in my life today.
And I want to suggest that that's how we're going to fill and enjoy.
And be encouraged in that eternal life. That new life we have that's being renewed is to let him sit with me and walk with me as my very best friend and have communion with me. We're taught. If I can just finish by saying this, we're taught beloved brethren in this world to fear getting old, to fear getting wrinkles, to fear aging.
And so there's this forever young thing, and we already know that the fellow that tried it.
Several, 100 years ago, never did find a fountain of youth. But we're still still telling ourselves in our advertising, it's out there somewhere. Well, here it is right here. We've got it. We've got it in our hands. We've got eternal life. How are we going to enjoy it and walk in it and not be fearful and cast down and discouraged because of the things that come as we're aging? I would suggest it's to say to the Lord Jesus.
Yes, Lord, I want you to come in to my life today and be part of my life.
And walk with me. I want to listen to you and I want to enjoy what you have to give me.
To realize that the life we have in Christ is life in resurrection. It's it's a life that death can no longer touch at all. And that's what you're talking about, isn't it? It's a life of the Lord Jesus said he that believeth on me shall never die. Yes, death may touch.
The vehicle that houses that light, that's the outer man. But there is no such thing as getting old for the inner man, and to me it is a real blessing and encouragement to see older brethren that are really living in the enjoyment of that.
Still, remember when I was quite a bit younger, visiting brother Jackson down in Florida. He's in Tampa and it was towards the end of his life and he couldn't get up and walk by himself any longer. He was sitting in an old armchair.
And as we sat there talking to him, he got talking about the Lord's coming and did he ever get excited? He got so excited in talking about it. His arms were waving around and he started leaning forward and all of a sudden flop back into the armchair's body. His spirit was way too young for his body, but it impressed me. He had a life that never gets old.
And we need to understand that for that life we have in Christ, there is no aging like you say, it's a forever life. It's a life in resurrection. And when Christ raised from the dead, he rose to die. No more death, had no more power over him. That's the life that you and I possess. Yes, this body, this outer man, may perish. It gets old and decrepit.
Needs crutches and canes and the rest of what do we talk about? But not that inner life, But how important it is to have the right focus, and I think this is so vital in this chapter at the end says.
Talks about light affliction. In verse 17 it talks about the eternal weight of glory.
But when we look at it down here, we see the afflictions and we get bogged down under them rather than it's because we need to keep in view what's eternal and what's eternal is not seen. Notice the end of this chapter, while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen.
00:30:19
How do you look at things that are not seen?
By faith we penetrate the visible, the humanly visible we penetrate, and we look beyond to a scene that is far more real than these chairs we're sitting on and this floor that we're.
Walking around on far more real and lasting. These chairs will last a few years, yeah, but they're not going to be around forever. But we have something that is forever, and it's not visible with our eyes, our human eyes, the eyes in our head, in these bodies. It's not visible with that. And we need to be made aware of it. Brethren, we are so geared in our present culture.
To react, act and react according to what we see visibly.
But we need to gauge our lives, to base our lives on realities that are forever, that will never pass away. And that's the burden of these verses, isn't it?
And where do we learn about the things that are forever?
Right here, you again, I say you don't get it by just contemplating. You'll never get it. My mind and your mind. And your mind is capable of all kinds of things.
And let loose without direction, by the Spirit of God is going to go all over the place.
But here's the stability right here, the word of God and that last verse, as you say, while we look not at the things that they're seeing.
How do we get the things that are not seen not by contemplation, but by here, right here, the word of God. And that's where it is, and that's where you get it. And if you don't read the word of God?
You're not going to have it. I'd like to make a real positive statement to all you young folks. The time to get into the word of God is when you're young, because you have a mind that retains and keeps what you read and what you understand from God's word. When you get old, like some of us are, you don't have it anymore. You might remember what was 25 years ago, but you don't remember what happened yesterday. The thing to do is to learn the word of God. When you're young, it stays. It sticks.
How much you know? You look at your older brother and some of them maybe never read the word of God and they keep their mouth shut when they're old, believe me.
Study of the word of God. When you're young, that's when you're going to get the truth and hold on to it. There's a word called anorexia and it's a very simple word. You look it up in a good dictionary and it tells you the 1St 2 letters mean without it's Greek and the rest of it means appetite. Very simple. Anorexia is without appetite. And so you and I as believers forgetting the weight loss and the human body part of anorexia.
The spiritual anorexia is merely and only without appetite. And parents know that children that don't have an appetite. Either one of two things. Either they spoiled it by eating candy or they're sick. And it's the same with believers. Either they've been eating too much of this world, or they're sick, sick spiritually. Anorexia without appetite and all, what a wonderful thing to be kept free.
From what takes away appetite? And once you have an appetite for the word of God, that appetite never is satisfied.
So John the Apostle wrote.
These things I've written that you might know that you have eternal life. And here we have We know that the earthly Tabernacle house is if it is destroyed, we have a building eternal in the heavens, not made by hands. And so we have the contrast again of that which is now and that which is then an eternity. And we have the certain knowledge.
Absolutely, that we are going to have a new body.
00:35:04
And now in this Tabernacle house, the nature of a Tabernacle is temporary, and when it's destroyed, we have this new building. And now the new man being fed by the word of God and increasing desires to put this body off and to have put on that new eternal house, not having its source here, that house is out of heaven, and it's eternal.
I was just going to suggest that we turn for a moment to the 23rd Psalm.
And I'd like to just read it. We're all familiar with it, but I'm sure we've all noticed the change that takes place.
The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not one. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures.
He leadeth me beside the still waters. He restoreth my soul. He leadeth me in the path of righteousness for his namesake.
Ye, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for thou art with me. Thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. Thou preparest the table before me in the presence of my enemies. Thou anointest my head with oil. My cup runneth over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the House of the Lord forever.
I'm sure you notice the difference in as we went through there. The first part of that it seems kind of.
It's not quite so personal he's talking about.
He, he, he. And to me it's it's like perhaps we start out in our Christian pathway. We're talking about the Lord and we understand about the Lord, and we like to we we trust in the Lord, but we really do not have that personal walk with the Lord.
And so it's, as he allows, circumstances in our life. We notice there that it was after, he says. Yeah, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death.
That he he begins to say thou and thy he's talking more personally to the Lord. And I believe that's why the Lord allows circumstances in our life. And you know, it's not just old people that the outward man perishes.
But younger ones too. And God allows these circumstances, like it says in Hebrews.
Let's read that verse in Hebrews chapter 12.
To get it correct.
Verse 11 Now no chastening for the present, seemeth to be joyous, but grievous nevertheless afterward had yielded A peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them, which are exercised thereby and further up, he says.
What son is he of whom the Father chasing us not? And so you and I would like to go on in a bed of roses. We would like to have the pathway all easy and nothing happened to disturb our our our pathway. But if that were so, brother and I believe we would begin, we would always be talking about heat.
But when he allows circumstances in our life and perhaps the body to break down, to feel that that.
The outward man perishing. Then we get we. We begin to he begins to work in our hearts so that we realize that we we become closer to him. And now we start talking to him and referring to him as thou die. We have that more personal communion with him, and I believe that is the the intent of the Lord for us down here. He doesn't want you and me to glide through this world.
Just.
With no exercises, no problems in our life, and then get to the end of the pathway, the end of the pathway here, he says.
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the House of the Lord forever. He doesn't wasn't talking about how hard it was, he says. He says goodness and mercy.
He's not talking about how terrible his circumstances were and about the chasing hand of the Lord. I remember talking to a man once his wife had been had a tumor in her in her head. She was about in her early 20s and she passed away. And this was a man that I worked with for a while. Well, at least I, I have this acquaintance. I was talking to him and he says, you know.
00:40:17
I would.
I would.
I would never want to not go through that exercise again, he said. It was, it was so precious to him.
And it was because it brought him closer to the Lord. And He could say thou and thy not just referring to the Lord out there as somebody abstract. And so often that's the way it is with us. Perhaps that's the way it is in our younger years. But as we get older, the Lord allows these circumstances to bring us closer to Him, and He becomes more real in our souls.
It's important to.
See that we have redemption spoken of in different ways in Scripture. And so it says, Grieve not the Holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption. So that is the redemption of the body. We have the redemption of the soul, but not the redemption of the body yet.
Says in Romans 8 that the Spirit help our infirmity. It doesn't say that he removes our infirmities, but he helps us, and it's part of the disciplinary ways of God with us. There's two things we're not going to have in the glory. One is this body connected with the groaning creation in which we suffer these infirmities and these weaknesses, and we're not going to have the all nature. Those two things are going to be gone.
Going to have a body like Christ, a glorified body in that day.
In the 1St 8 verses of chapter five, we learn about what our body in this world really is.
The human is made-up of body, soul and spirit, and one of the scripture that starts the other way around, Spirit of souls, spirit and body. But the body? What is the body really? It tells us here the house.
You live in a house. Is that house you? No, I've been.
Corrected on this because we will have a body, a new body. But what is the body? It's where you live. But the soul is you, and the spirit is what communicates with you and God. And so this body that we're living in, this house that we now live in.
Is not the same house that we're going to have in glory. We're going to have a new body.
An absolutely new body, and I believe that's part of what the 17th verse is talking about. I knew creation, we're going to have a new body when we are resurrected, and that's what Romans 8 tells us, that we groan waiting.
For the redemption of the body. And so when the Lord Jesus died on Calvary's cross, he not only took care of the sin question the SIN, he took care of the sins question for those who trusted him. And he took care of the defilement that sin brought in and that was ruined the body. Someone said that our body was not designed to stay here forever. Well, when God first put Adam on the earth, it was.
That body would have never died, but sin brought in destruction and that will be done away with. And that's why it says the redemption of the body. We're going to have something that's eternal.
Eternal. It says that here eternal in the heavens, reserved for us. Eternal in the heavens. What a marvelous thing to look forward to. It's important there that don't make that word eternal eternally. There's a distinct difference and amount of grammarian, but it's simple that it's not where it is but what it is. It's eternal. It's not eternally in the heavens, which is certainly true, but it's exactly as it says eternal.
It's the character of the house. It's not where it is or how long it's going to be. That's another portion. But here, it's eternal, in contrast with an earthly house. We're going to have an eternal house. Marvelous.
00:45:08
That's important. We are clear about these things in the day we live in. A lot of Eastern religion is coming into this country and what is taught is reincarnation. It is you die and you come back in another form of life. But it is important that in Christianity we have the revelation of what going to have. It's not reincarnation. It is resurrection.
Resurrection is totally different than reincarnation.
Resurrection is that he's going to take these bodies of humiliation and he's going to change them into bodies of glory like his body of glory. And so it says here it's beautiful, we know and we have. Aren't those beautiful words of confidence, brethren? Later on it says we are always confident any.
And there's not even a shadow of a doubt here in the apostles mind as he gives this to us. As to the certainty of it, how can he be so certain rather than it's because all is based on the death and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. Was Jesus raised from the dead if He was raised from the dead?
Then we can say with certainty we know we have. We are always confident, Oh how beautiful it is to have that certainty. But what is it? We have a building of God and house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. So that like you were saying, that new body we will have will never ever, ever wear out.
I just want to expand about a little job. Interesting you mentioned about, you know, Eastern religion and what it teaches and you can see the fertility and the poison of Satan in it.
Everyone of us in this room is a three-part being, as we've heard spirit, soul and body.
And our bodies give us earth consciousness, our souls give us self consciousness, and our spirits give us God consciousness. Now here's the point. I want to make animals have a body and a soul.
But they do not have a living soul. Matter of fact, not that I'm a Hebrew scholar, but there's two different words there in the Old Testament in Genesis, which describes animal life and human life. When we're talking about animal life, we use the Hebrew word nephesh. When we speak of human life, we use the word ruach. That's the difference between those two things. Now what I want to make is this, that Eastern mysticism says no, we're nothing but glorified animals.
And if we die, we come back in another state. If that were true, then snakes could speak.
Cows could talk. Now here's the interesting part about it. The world today, through their cartoons and stuff, try to do that. They try to make the animals like they talk, so you can see the poison in all of this, you know, through their different films and stuff. But isn't it wonderful in realizing that when God created man in his own image, he gave him the spirit, soul and body and it's, it's critical young people?
To see this, that's one of the lives of the enemy in Genesis chapter 3. Ye shall not surely die. They're going to come back again and again and again.
And tied with that is the law of karma. Of course, if you didn't behave yourself in a previous life, you're going to come back as a lower life form. These things are a life safety. We are when we leave this world in death. If we're saved, we're going to be with Christ, which is far better. If we leave this world in our sins, we go to that place, the awful place where the worm die of not and the fire is not quenched. How we need the revelation of the word of God in these things because we're living in a day when the lines are being.
Confused in these things, we need the word of God to tell us this wonderful revelation.
And it's the word of God which lives and abides forever, living and operative. But I thought it might be helpful just to bring that out.
Something.
I would like to.
Have us considered an overview of these verses because.
We've spoken about.
00:50:01
Growing old and.
But notice in our verse five chapter 5 and wanted it speaks about if our earthly Tavern hackle house be destroyed.
I'm going to be quoting from Mr. Darby's translation.
I think that isn't supposing the normal process of decaying.
But he's referring back to Chapter 4, which we've gone over but not brought these things out.
Paul received the gospel of the glory of Christ.
And it's shown into an earthen vessel, his body.
He speaks of that we have this treasure in earthen vessels.
Adam had an earthen vessel before he sinned and after he sinned, but it also took on mortality and so in verse 11 he says.
That Jesus may be manifest in my in our mortal flesh.
It is subject to death.
The coin Why so much about our bodies?
The burden that the apostle has on his heart, and we should have on our heart every child of God here this afternoon, this morning.
We have this glorious gospel. We've received it.
Into an earthen and mortal body.
The burden on the apostles heart is that the eternal things could be shown forth from this earthen vessel.
For Paul, it says he was delivered. It wasn't something he did himself, but he was delivered to death.
He was distressed. It wasn't a self infliction or a self denial. Once Paul determined and purposed to fulfill this ministry that had been committed to him and he said the only purpose of my being and remaining in a mortal body is that the glorious light of the gospel of the glory of Christ shine out.
The moment he started allowing that light to shine out.
Bands of men.
Banded together, took vows to put out this earthen vessel to kill this earthen vessel because it was demonstrating to all around eternal things when it says the things which are seen are temporal. The great burden of that is our body. That's what that's all we see here today is our body. That's all that men will see unless.
We let this glorious light that has come into these vessels.
Shine out. And once we start doing that, that is the purpose of our living in this body, that he had no other purpose to be here than that that which he had would receive would flow out from it. And that if he if he didn't have that, his time in the body was a waste. And it's a waste for you and me too, brother.
God wants us to let this shine out, and when that happens, we're going to suffer.
Probably not like Paul did, but these were men seeking to persecute and exterminate this mortal body. And so he said, well, if it's destroyed, I know that I have a body of glory eternal in heaven, but I do want to say this, that we need to make this clear and plain.
Mortal puts on immortality.
Resurrection is the resurrection of this body that you see.
And if there be no resurrection of this body, there is no salvation.
This body is going to put on immortality. I just say that yes, it's a new body.
But it's a changed body, and if it if this body is forever done away, dissolved, dissipates into gas, as Jehovah's Witness would teach us, there's no resurrection. And if there's no resurrection, our faith is in vain.
00:55:18
I want to make that clear and plain. It is a cardinal, vital truth. This body you see me expressing myself by today is going to be changed. It's going to put off immortality. It's going to be resurrected. The glorified body is not resurrected. It is the form that it takes in resurrection.
Well.
The purpose of Paul's ministry here is what are you and I going to do?
With our mortal bodies, are we going to waste this light or are we going to let that shine out of it which has shined into it? With Paul, it's shown out unveiled.
He lived a life of such a character that the light that shone in shown out undimmed. And that's what the basis of this exhortation is. They could look at Paul and say he is foolish.
Of all men most miserable because look what they're doing to his body.
God preserves him until that time when they did take his body. But He wants us, you know that young enrolled alike to realize we have a purpose for being here in our body.
And that purpose is to shine out this glory, this gospel of the glory of Christ, while we are here in earthly and mortal bodies and.
Turn to that 116th song where our chapter quotes from.
Because that's why it says that the dying of our Lord Jesus.
Brother David read those verses from Peter.
Even in his death has given to us in our chapter.
He has left us an example. To follow in his steps is not atoning death, but dying for righteousness sake, we might say martyrdom.
And so in the.
116 Psalm I believe the Lord is before us.
Verse eight It says thou hast delivered my soul from death.
Call the Lord died.
Down in verse.
He speaks of death.
Laid off in verse 15. Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His Saints. That's an impossibility.
If there's no resurrection.
If your body is going to stay in the grave.
It's an impossibility.
For our death to be precious in the sight of the Lord.
But well, we're floated what is quoted.
The Lord, Paul quotes. I believe, therefore have I spoken.
Why is Paul quote that he believed that if his earthly Tabernacle was destroyed?
As a result of shining forth the gospel of the glory of Christ, he would have a Tabernacle, a house in heaven not made with hand, and that it was eternal, and so the loss of life of this mortal body.
Wasn't significant to Paul because he believed.
Well.
Apostle would.
Enjoying the Saints of God.
To make our concern.
Of living in this mortal and.
Earth and vessel. The concern of living here to simply display the gospel of the glory of Christ in these mortal bodies and if it costs us the death of them or the body, I believe it's going to be just as Jesus body was raised as he gave it. For righteousness sake, our bodies are going to be raised and changed.
01:00:28
In connect with the Apostle Paul and by way of saying Amen to what you've said, there are two verses, one after the other in Colossians, one that says this.
Who now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh, for his body's sake, which is the church. So he filled up the sufferings of Christ. Now the 25th 1St, whereof I am made a minister, according to the dispensation of God, which is given to me for you to fulfill, or to fully to preach, but to fill the word of God. So for the Apostle Paul.
He was given what we know as Paul's doctrine. He was given to fulfill the word of God, but in connection with it.
And I kind of sigh, because to put ourselves in that same position is is somewhat presumptuous or pompous. But for the apostle Paul it was not only the truth, but it was the sufferings of Christ that went along with it. And that, I think, is what you have been saying.
What you've said Henry is born out in the first Christian 15 isn't it? For we shall all be changed. This mortal must put on immortality.
Don't you just love the positiveness of that statement? You hear people say, well, the Bible is such a negative book. I wish they'd explain to me then why it says there in First Corinthians, this mortal must put on immortality, you know, said as only the Spirit of God can say that there we are going to put on immortality. God is telling us, and God does not lie. This mortal must put on immortality. Let's turn over to that verse and look at it because it's it's so important.
1St Corinthians 15.
And.
Times were mortal. We only have 8 minutes. OK, we'll be quick.
So verse 54 When this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, death is swallowed up in victory. Oh death, where is thy sting? Oh grave, where is thy victory?
That one who is the resurrection and the life, because he's gone into death himself, and because he rose victorious, or the grave, all of that thing in connection with the Kingdom of darkness, because he said, I live, ye shall live also. What a glorious day is ahead for all of God's people. And what a joy it's going to be for him too, dead and living, rising, changing in a moment in the twinkling of an eye, as an atheist said who was lying on his deathbed.
I know, he said that soon I'm going to meet one with real power. This is real power. Resurrection is the greatest power that's known.
One quick thought in verse 9. Just a little practical thing. It says wherefore we labor, that is, in view of what has been being brought before us.
The apostle Paul didn't say, wherefore I labor, But he said, Wherefore we labor brings us all in, brother, wherefore we labor that whether present or absent, we may be, and that should read agreeable to the Lord, or to him. And so beloved young people, and all of us here, sometimes we ask this question, or ask this question. What's our purpose? What am I supposed to do?
What's? What's my life all about? What? What direction am I supposed to go?
What's the will of the Lord for me? Well, here's one really simple, beautiful answer.
To seek to live your life to be agreeable to Christ.
And that's not a list of 1000 rules or 100 rules or five rules. That's a matter of walking individually and personally in fellowship daily with the Lord to find out what it is that I can do that is agreeable to him, and not to be looking at what someone else is doing and saying that's disagreeable. At least to me. It's not the point. What should I do today?
01:05:19
That the Lord wants me to do, to be agreeable to Him in view of what we have had before us as to our vessel. I would like to be sure that we understand the difference between accepted and acceptable, and that's what the Apostles talking about. We are accepted in the Beloved that is settled in the heavens forever, but our life should be so lived as to be agreeable or acceptable to God. The difference.
It is important that it is to him. Isn't it agreeable to him? There's so much living before the eyes of men.
That's not the thought because we are going to all.
In short order, stand before the judgment seat of Christ I think the ministry had yesterday brethren about the talents is a real challenge to us because we have short time here in this world. And I'd just like to say this in view of those scriptures that were read in Luke 19 about the talents.
You and I right now are determining by how we use what God has put into our hands.
Our place in the coming Kingdom. You and I are determining the place we will occupy in that coming Kingdom. That is very clear there from that Scripture. Are you interested in that future glory, or are you interested merely in light down here?
It's a real thing to search our souls, rather.
Everyone of us, I'd like to suggest time is gone. I'm not going to make any comments, but I'd like to suggest that everyone in this room.
Particularly the young pick up their Bible and if they can get their hands on a king on a Darby version. To read the 17th verse of this chapter is very, very important. I'm going to read it.
If I can see it.
So if anyone.
So if anyone be in Christ, there is a new creation. The old things are passed away. Behold, all things have become new. I trust that every one of us will realize that that.
When we got saved, there was a total, complete, absolute change.
In everything about us, we were in Adam before, we no longer are. We are now.
In Christ, a new creation.
Brother Henry, we've got time for your comment too. I do want because we may have obscured it.
The subject is the occupation of this body, and when the Apostle Paul speaks about being agreeable, it's at the present time in this present body.
Because we're coming into a judgement seat of Christ.
There is going to judge according to what we have done in this body, then we will be agreeable to him. Everything will be agreeable to him. But the apostle, as it were beloved, is encouraging us to live in view of the judgment seat of Christ every day of our lives, that we not wait until after the judgment seat of Christ to be agreeable to Him.
We're going to be, but he wants us to be now.
They lived as a second of thought, the 11Th verse says.
We persuade men, but we are made manifest unto God. He was not really waiting for the judgment seat of Christ to be made manifest, and in some sense that was true and for us. But now he was made manifest unto God. He so lived that he was completely transparent before God. What a state.
01:10:04
And we didn't hear the number #10 in the appendix.
Go dark, be our way, since God is our God.
Lost, his strength is broken and creators of Hell Flowering House.