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First Peter one verse 6, wherein he greatly rejoice will now for season. If need be your inhabitants through manifold temptations.
That the trial of your faith be much more precious than a goal that perishes going, be tried with fire, might be found under praise and honor and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ.
Whom having not seen ye love.
In whom though now you see him not yet believing.
He rejoiced with joy unspeakable and full of glory.
Receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls.
Of which salvation the prophets have inquired and searched diligently.
Who prophesied of the grace that should come unto you, searching what or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ, which was in them, did signify, when it testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow? Under whom it was revealed, that not under themselves, but under us, they did minister the things.
Which are now reported unto you by them.
That have preached the gospel unto you, with the Holy Ghost sent down from heaven.
Which things the angels desire to look into.
Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind. Be sober.
Hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.
As obedient children, not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts and your ignorance.
But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation.
Because it is written, Be ye holy, for I am holy.
And if we call on the Father, who, without respect of persons, judges according to every man's work.
Past the time of your soul journey here in fear.
For as much as you know that you were not redeemed with corruptible things as silver and gold from your vain conversation received by tradition from your Father's.
But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb, without blemish and without spot.
Who, verily, was for ordained before the foundation of the world? What was manifest in these last times for you?
Who by him do believe in God that raised him up from the dead and gave him glory?
That your faith and hope might be in God.
Seeing you have purified your souls, and obeying the truth through the Spirit, under unfeigned love of the brethren.
See that you love one another with a pure heart, fervently.
Being born again, not of corruptible seed.
By the Word of God, which liveth and abide us forever.
For all flesh is as grass.
All the glory of man is of the flower of grass.
The grass withereth.
Flower there falls away.
But the word of the Lord endureth forever, and this is the word which for the gospel is preached unto you.
Before we get into these verses, I would like to ask my brother Long Dean, but kindly give us a little brief on the three.
Forms of salvation that you mentioned in this chapter. Could you give us a little on that?
Yes, the.
The Apostle.
Is bringing before these Jewish Saints?
The truth.
That the prophets had prophesied.
But they weren't in the good themselves in the Old Testament.
Of the salvation and the enjoyment of it in its present.
Aspect for the believer, they didn't know of a salvation that was to come at the end.
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That is, that God would deliver his people.
But and they did know something of salvation in the sense that He delivered them through their circumstances. Now those are two forms of salvation mentioned here, that is.
When the end time comes, they knew little about it, but they knew there would be a time when the Lord would come and deliver his people. They prophesied of it.
They even prophesied of salvation in a sense that would be personal, but they didn't understand it.
About Peter brings it out now and in this.
This verse that we've had before us, the ninth verse in our reading this morning.
He shows them.
But not until he speaks of the joy.
That a cotton is the very thought of it.
That they have now the salvation of their souls.
Now, yesterday.
At the breaking of bread we noticed that there were animals offered in the Old Testament and their blood was shed. But that was only a temporary stay of judgment. There was no permanent salvation connected with that blood of animals.
But faith was looking on to the day when the blood of Christ, as we have in our chapter, would provide a way so that each individual soul would know they would have salvation through believing.
Trusting in that precious blood of Christ.
So that's what the Apostle refers to in this ninth verse.
Although previously.
He speaks of our being kept guarded.
In view of a salvation to come that is at the end of the road now, Paul speaks of it in the way in Ephesians of having bodies of glory and all these things that we will have in that day when that salvation arrives. A full salvation and the enjoyment of the inheritance that Peter speaks of, which we enjoy now by faith.
But then there's also a salvation.
That we're going to have at the beginning of our reading today that has to do with our everyday circumstances.
And so, in other words, we are saved.
We we have been saved.
That is the salvation of our souls. We are being saved through this world.
We shall be saved. All three things are true.
That right, Brother Reeves?
Thank you. That's wonderful.
Joy. And that's the point here rather than it isn't simply that we know these things. If we can't enjoy them, what are they to us? The fact that the apostle here is exalting as he speaks of these very things.
And brethren, as we speak of salvation and the precious blood, should we not rejoice as we speak of it?
How sad it is for those who reject it, but for those of us who know about it, should we not rejoice at the very thought of it that a full salvation has been provided our souls through our circumstances, and then at the end of the road when we get bodies of glory?
Speaks of it all.
We could say that put it this way to that in the ninth verse where we have the salvation of our souls that rests on the work of Christ on the cross. The present salvation are being kept now brought through the trials is connected with Christ and glory. Our great high priest, we're saved by his life, his present life.
And then thirdly in the in our chapter here, verse 5.
That salvation ready to be revealed in the last time is the salvation of the body when the Lord comes. So it's interesting to see that these three aspects of salvation are connected with Christ in three different ways. The one who died on the cross, the one who's living in glory, and the one who's coming again. What a precious inheritance and legacy we have.
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You mentioned the other day, I believe the the extension of that thought, not only for the body, but.
The whole time of the Kingdom, is it not?
Leave salvation includes an old time of the Kingdom being ushered in on the earth, as well as the Church being caught away to glory and their blessings. So it includes the whole thing, doesn't it? Well, the revelation, the revealing of the difference we all know between the rapture and the revelation of or the appearing of the Lord Jesus is that in the appearing he comes to set up the Kingdom.
When eventually every eye will see him, and his enemies and strangers will render feigned obedience to Him, and, and when they see his power, they'll obey at once under fear, not faith. But that's the revelation of the Lord Jesus Christ, which is brought out so fully in the first chapter of Second Thessalonians. But when the Lord comes for us, it is not called the epiphany, the appearing, the revelation. It's just I.
You unto myself is the secret meeting in the air, but here in this verse, the salvation ready to be revealed in the last time, as a brother has pointed out a Jew that people familiar with all the Old Testament he knew that there were promises of glowing promises of a Kingdom. Second of Isaiah 11Th of Isaiah just to single out two.
Saved by his life, I think is very, very interesting and important. I wonder if it might be well to turn to just a couple of scriptures. One is in Romans 5.
Romans 5, verse 10.
For if when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of His Son, much more being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life. Isn't that a wonderful thing? Dear brethren, there was a time when you and I were animated. Even then He loved us and laid down His life for us.
Much more being reconciled now that we know that we are reconciled, that we are truly His. How wonderful to know that He who died to redeem us is now living for us. And here we are saved by his life.
As we journey through this thing, surrounded by all kinds of temptations of dangers, we are being saved by his life. The one who died for us is risen and seated, and we often perhaps think of the fact that he's just gone back there and he's simply waiting till the time comes to call us home. But so in the meantime.
He's living for us.
Or how we fail to avail ourselves on this.
And the same thought perhaps or similar in Hebrews 7 verse 25, Wherefore He is able also to save them to the uttermost.
That cometh to God by him save he ever liveth to make intercession for them. How much failure would be avoided really, if we realized this and enjoyed it and walked enough?
I've been doing to the fact that it connects with these three things in which we have heard that the Lord Jesus Himself by that very term seems to me to be associated with it, The Son of God who loved me and gave himself for me.
Then Jesus himself drew near and went with them. There were two believers who would have been discouraged.
Drifting away their backs toward Jerusalem, Jesus himself drew near and went with them. And then first Thessalonians 4 The Lord himself shall descend from heaven, the very same 1 old residence wonderful, the very same one who died to redeem us, is living to keep us, and is coming to call us home himself.
Perhaps it would be helpful to look at a few verses that would trace this thought down.
In historical way as to the thought of the believing Jewish remnant to whom Peter was writing. If we go back to Luke 2.
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And see what the thought of that people was.
There was a little remnant there then, and two of them were mentioned by name. There's Anna.
Luke 236.
And.
238, she says.
Coming in at that instant gave thanks likewise unto the Lord and speak to them of all that to him, of him to that all them that look for redemption in Israel. There was their thought they were looking for a kind of a national salvation. And if you go back and see what Simeon says in verse 30.
He had that little babe in his arms and he said.
Have seen thy salvation, a personal thing, Jesus himself. Think of that man having that babe in his arms that says, mine eyes have seen thy salvation. When you come down to the end of the book and two of them are going away from Jerusalem, their hopes have been dashed. Look in the 24th of Luke and see what these two say.
In the 21St verse.
Luke 2421 But we trusted that it has been He which should have redeemed Israel. See, they still have that thought in their minds, but their hopes have been diced about this national salvation. Now if we go to.
Acts.
Three. It seems to me perhaps others have other thoughts that.
Still, the same thought comes out here in the preaching.
In the 19th verse. Acts 3.
Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord.
And then he speaks to the restitution of all things. Well, that was the national salvation surely, that they look forward to, and that's still coming for that nation. Meanwhile the Lord has come in and saved by grace, and we find the testimony of the Lord's rejection carried up to heaven in the 7th of Acts by.
Stephen And then immediately the scattering calls in the in Acts 8:00 and 1:00.
Soil was there consenting to his death, and at that time a great persecution rose against the Church, which was at Jerusalem, and they were all scattered abroad throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles. Now in our chapter, the scattering went further. It wasn't just Judea and Samaria. We noticed these.
Provinces in the first verse hottest Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia and Bathinia.
Less further to the north, it's clear up to the north part of what's now Turkey.
Well, now they're in great trials if need be. This this remnant and.
So Peter writes to them.
And of course it fits us too, but I thought as we were reading this on Saturday might be good to.
Tried to apply it to ourselves a little more directly. I thought of Ezekiel. You know, he was sent to.
The captives in Down by the river of Babylon.
After the nation had been carried away, cap.
And he writes there and says, I sat where they sat. Now the Lord passed him through that exercise of soul and body too, I believe, to be where they were.
Well, we are a remnant too, and we are dispersed in a way yet.
We do enjoy many mercies and comforts here in this land. I thought it might be good for us to think of it this way for them. It might have been like it would be for us if we were dispersed right out of this part of North America.
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And found herself down in Central America, down in Honduras.
El Salvador, Guatemala, Nicaragua, where some of our brethren are suffering trials right now. And what was the resource of this remnant then? It was the Person of Christ and the resurrection and all that they were chosen in Him, and that they were kept and preserved, and that the inheritance was kept.
And at the end this salvation was going to be revealed as to their bodies. They had the salvation of the soul. Now that fits us to in the way we are here too as a dispersed people. Now this dispersion has fallen out for the furtherance of the gospel and I believe for the testimony as to the truth of the Church as well. So it might be good for us just to enjoy.
These things, as they fit that remnant, we were up there in the northern part of Turkey.
And the apostle writes to them to assure them of God's care over them, a salvation which would take them right on through.
And the person of the Lord is truly our salvation.
I like that expression. He sat where they sat.
I think we need to be exercised by that.
There are those that have family trials.
We need to have grace to try to sit where they sit that we might sympathize with them. Surely the Lord sympathizes with all of us. He's touched with the feeling of our infirmities. In a sense, He's sitting where we're sitting and he sympathizes with us. He's touched by what we're going through.
And we need to try to see the difficulties and trials that our brethren are going through through the Lord's eyes.
In other words, sitting where they're sitting are the trials in the assembly.
We need to be exercised about seeing those trials through the Lords eyes, to sit where they're sitting and to sympathize with them in their trials. So oftentimes we begin to criticize our brethren because of what they're going through.
May the Lord give us grace to be more sympathetic, sympathizing with one another in different trials, personal trials, family trials, assembly trials, and whatever the trial might be.
That we might have grace to enter into it. And that will lead us to praying for them, looking to the Lord for them, looking to the one who is our high priest, who is living for us. Because any trial that's allowed according to what we have here is a need speed. There's a need to be for the triumph. And we need to feel that because we get trials and we have to sense in our souls. Well, the Lord has allowed.
Purpose, because all things work together for good to them who love God, to them who are the called according to His purpose.
Thinking how nice it is in our sixth verse where we started, he greatly rejoiced speaking to those we've been speaking about, even though they're going through these heaviness of manifold temptations and great trials. And that should be the trademark of a believer, shouldn't it? The joy in God and the rejoicing we have in spite of problems down here, we have a real reason to rejoice.
The world should know it. I was thinking in Romans 5, our brother brought out much more. He shall be saved. Well, all these things that have come down in Romans 5 to that point, even peace with God and everything else is ours, but not only much more It says in verse 11, and not only so, we also joy in God.
That's a wonderful thing, isn't it? That's about the highest thing that the believer can exhibit is the joy in God.
And that goes on and it gets higher. It should, in fact, here in Peter, we have in the eighth verse, rejoice with joy unspeakable. And that's wonderful that we can have that testimony. And I believe it's really the real testimony of a believer today in this world is the joy those around him should see.
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In his face, for instance, in trouble and trials, but in his ways it should be there.
I know **** Yeager and I have the privilege last month to go to that rest school here, Massino all over in Bermuda. And all of them were together in a large room where it was cooler in size. And as we started in, we heard a voice call us. And this old lady was sitting by the garbage can, found his back and right in months, though, well, it was a cool place. She had a little shade and she called us. She saw our Bibles and she called.
To her and she had joy in her faith and it didn't take long to find out why when we talked to her and invited her in and said we're going to open this precious book she said first let's kneel down and pray. Oh, what a privilege it is and and her voice was full of joy all the time Well what would you expect joy?
Come from one who was in a restful finding her only shade and and comfort among the garbage cans.
Well, she rejoiced with joy unspeakable. And that's what we should remember. That's what we're getting at here. These scattered Saints among people who were not of their language, even these he, the people, they rejoice with joy unspeakable. They have something that Peter knew about, didn't they? We need to be more farsighted, don't we?
So often we're short sighted and we're seeing only the things right at hand, but Peter's looking off beyond the trials.
And he's rejoicing and exhorting these to rejoice.
In that which is coming, the inheritance, that future salvation, the glory that's ahead for them, pointing them to that. And that's what gives us encouragement to go on, even though their trials in this sea. But Anderson, you were saying about sympathizing with those in trial.
Would you not agree that many times the Lord might allow trials in our lives?
Prepare us for a particular service, perhaps that we can.
Be of more sympathy to those who will at a future time perhaps face such trials. Perhaps the Lord allows us to go through these trials because we have not been sympathetic, that we might in a practical way learn, and so let us, like you say, not be occupied with.
Present. The Lord has always purpose of blessings. There's never anything that befalls us in our lives without a cause in US, but it is never without a cause of blessing and purposes of blessing in Him. So may we learn from this.
The two things here stand out that we should notice very carefully in that connection, and that is for a season.
And needs be.
Yes, there are reasons why the Lord allows trials. We get them in Hebrews 12 not to turn to them now, but simply to refer to them, that is.
He works in our hearts now, but you'll notice it says by faith.
By faith, there is the exercise of soul in connection with it. We're very thankful that it's only for a season.
But then we learn if there's a needs be and so he never sends.
Or allows trial except there is a needs be. Now it is true he may be preparing one for service and there may be things that are needed.
Like with Peter in his day, the feet being washed and so on. But also there might be that.
He wants to keep us from trouble.
We may be heading for disaster and he allows something to come into our lives to stop us.
Now these are very solemn things.
And.
Also.
There may be a case where we are willfully naughty and if that be the case there will have to be the trial come in. There's a neat speed.
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But I think, brethren, the most important one is.
That his desire is that our souls might be.
In the enjoyment, in a fuller way, of heavenly things that are spoken of here.
In this.
Is the third verse.
In the fourth verse reserved in heaven for you, He wants us to be taken up with heavenly things. He wants us to be enriched in our souls. He wants us to be.
In the fuller enjoyment.
Of these precious things now I believe it was Emperor Fries in Colossians who prayed.
In that way that the Saints might be in the full enjoyment of the full truth.
And that's a good prayer to pray for the Saints. But we want to remember that.
If there's a needs be, there's also a limit, and the Lord never allows us to go beyond that limit. And you'll find in the book of Corinthians.
That he does provide a way of escape, that she might be able to bear it.
He never tries us beyond what we're able. Remember that, brethren, He never tries us beyond what we're able. And often times He allows us to come up against the wall. So we'll turn and find Jesus there. Now I remember the widow of Dane in the in the 7th chapter of Luke, she was carrying her son out.
To bury him. He never was buried, at that time at least.
As she turns at the gate, she sees Jesus standing there. She had come to her extremity and that's where he wanted her. Because now she turns to Him alone, and she finds that not only does he comfort her heart, but he restores the sun to her and all. What a what a joy was to her heart to find that the Lord Jesus himself had completed everything.
That she could not do for herself.
And this is what we have to learn, is it not in the needs be and in the season?
Just for a season are these trials. Now, at the end of that verse, you'll find that glory is in view. It's the glory.
There are manifold temptations.
But you find in the end of the seventh verse.
After the trial with fire.
And it might be so we find that there is.
Might be found unto praise and honor and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ.
What it be wonderful that as a result of these trials, our hearts will be filled with praise, which they wouldn't be otherwise as we see the marvelous grace at work.
In our own lives and the lives of our brethren, that in that day.
There's going to be praise as a result as we review all this pathway.
That he has brought us through.
Trials.
That we have spoken of so much in our chapter like in verse.
In verse 6.
It really there is instead of the temptations. Remember at the last word of verse 6 is really trials, and it's various trials, it's true. But if you follow through, you'll find it is a a particular character of trial.
I want to get this please in verse 7.
That the trial of your faith.
Now again in verse 7.
That.
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Through it.
Do it be tried with fire?
Now further on.
Verse 11.
Searching what or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in those Old Testament prophets then did signify when it testified beforehand, and I get this.
The sufferings of Christ.
Of course. And the glory that calls these folks.
Were Jewish.
And now they are by the truth.
Spirit, by the word of Peter, there as it were transported into a new order entirely, and that is instead of the earthly blessings of a multitude of cattle, and all that that Abraham and Isaac and others enjoyed.
Locked instead of the earthly multiplication of blessings. Jacob even multiplied his own in a way he got allowed, but now he is.
Giving them truth as to a new entirely new portion that was heavenly. Now it is related to, but it is different truth. And in Ephesians 1, where we are, we are all of us Christians are now blessed with all.
The spiritual blessings in the heavenlies in Christ.
Now this, as our brother has already suggested, is something not merely to be held in our heads, but a life of enjoy the blessings that belong to us as a as a heavenly people with a heavenly calling.
So it's a new order entirely, but I want to make this distinction. I hope it will be helpful to everybody when you are lying in the hospital, when you are undergoing an operation.
When you are having some very physical weakness, these things are a different kind of personal trial that you are experiencing in your life.
You do need Jesus to suspend you.
As a great high priest, you are weak, you do need strength is true. But our line of truth in Peter is related to suffering for Christ sake, suffering for righteousness sake, trials that are dangerous and fiery trials, and those are in connection with a faithful life of testimony for Christ.
That's a different thing than being in the hospital.
I believe it's important to at least see the difference between these two kinds of of afflictions.
There are many other kinds. There are at least half a dozen of the kinds, but we need not go into those details now, but in our epistles.
By Peter to the elect Jewish people they are elect, and they are not only pilgrims, they are sojourners. They belong to another, now a heavenly city.
Some of it is ministry is along that line.
Let us try to heal to the character of our epistle.
Mr. Darby said.
As to that.
All who will live guard me in Christ Jesus. All who will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution. Then he says in three words. I think it's three or five.
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Are you afraid of persecutions? It's more than 5 words. Maybe it'll make your face shine like angels. I'm quoting word for word for Mr. Darby. How much of our lives are related to a persecution than because of the life of godliness?
Now these things are vital.
And so we say enough for our head and doctrine merely, but in our lives your face will shine like angels. He knows that from the bottom of the heart it says where it all comes from. A face won't shine to the Holy Spirit.
I believe we get the secret of that going on with the trial as Jews, and we've been, we've been hearing they they would have expected an earthly deliverance and it would involve the presence of their Messiah with them. It's when Christ returns personally and Israel will see him that they will repent and be restored fully as a nation.
And escape the trials and difficulties. So here it was a strange thing to them to have recognized the Messiah, have trusted Him, and to find themselves going through trial. But what was the secret of their strength? Verse 8 tells us this gives us Christianity, whom, having not seen, beloved, now the greatest to me one of the greatest blessings.
And marvelous facts of Christianity is this.
That we love and have full confidence in a man when we've never seen that man is the Son of God. But think of it. Well, here's one we've never seen. And you and I as Christians can be more certain of what is unsane than what is seen around us. You taking the case? Just to add another thought. Rebecca was called upon.
To cross the desert to be the bride of a man she'd never seen.
What filled her heart in the In the meantime, the servant type of the spirit told her about Isaac and brought before her Isaac placement position. So this is a remarkable thing that we can love one we've never seen and rejoice in Him.
And the result is joy on honorable. I think that's the thought there. It's a joy that can't be uttered. It's a different word than what Paul uses when he saw things in heaven that were unspeakable. There were there were things that words that were not spoken here. But in Peter, this joy is unutterable. And these Jews are really believing Jews had this because they were following the man they had never seen.
Oh, I believe it's a blessed thing, beloved President. No, there's a man alive in the glory, and faith can see him.
Hebrews told. But we've never seen him without naturalizing. We love him.
Since it's true that this joy is not.
Utterable. It's unutterable. There's one way it can be seen, and that's on our faces.
There's a little contrast to, is there not between the joy of verse six and the joy of verse eight in verse 6, wherein ye greatly rejoice and that sounds very, very wonderful, but in verse eight he rejoiced with joy unspeakable and full of glory. Oh, how much better that sounds.
Well, perhaps the difference would be that in verse six they are rejoicing in the inheritance as compared to that which was fading away before their eyes.
And in this they greatly rejoice. But in verse eight it is a person.
In first dated as a person, who, having not seen the loving, who though now you see him not yet believing, he rejoiced greatly. No, he rejoiced with joy unspeakable and full of glory. And in between the two there comes this trial or this proving of their faith. Dear brethren, isn't it true that if you and I had the choosing of our circumstances?
We'd have sunshine and good health all the rest of the way home. We never have a problem. We never have a problem. We have the choosing of it.
But I do believe we see this so often in Scripture that with His perfect unfailing wisdom, He chooses for us that which can make even our homework pathway happier. It was pointed out in Romans 5.
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Not only so, but we also joy in God. But that's not at the beginning of the chapter. The beginning of the chapter is therefore being justified by faith. We have peace with God.
Once you get down to that verse, not only so, but we joined on and what comes between tribulation, tribulation. It just seems so often to bring out that which is sweeter still. You come to the 23rd Psalm. The Lord is my shepherd. I shall not want how beautiful that is. It goes on with so many smooth and pleasant things.
The still waters, the green pastures. He leadeth me beside the still waters.
Restore of my soul. But then when he comes to the valley of the shadow of death, he doesn't say he is with me. Thou art with me by raw advice that they comfort me. There's a nearness there that was not known in the smooth and pleasant circumstances. When you say he, you're speaking about someone. When you say bow, you're speaking to someone.
If you love someone which is better, far better to be able to address them than to speak about them. And he never says he in the rest of that song. Thou prepareth a table before me.
That comes after the valley. I will dwell in the House of the Lord forever. Oh, it's true, brethren. Let's just say it quite plainly. If the Lord stood by my bedside this morning and said I have chosen your circumstances thus far and you've done a lot of murmuring, you've done a lot of complaining.
So today, for 24 hours, you may choose your own.
With no regard for my wisdom or my foreknowledge, you ask whatever you want and I'll answer it and give it to you. Who is there a moment that would say, oh, thanks, this is wonderful. I know what we do. We turn and say, Lord, pardon the complaining and the murderer, but please continue to choose for the rest of the way. And when I see this proving of their faith, which they would have shunned if they could have.
When I think of the widow of names who would have kept that son that she could have, don't you suppose at the end of the day she looked back and said, this has been the most wonderful day of my life. The day when I thought it would be the saddest, that turned out to be the most wonderful. So forever the trial or the proving of our faith.
We hear the dear disciples saying to the Lord, Lord, increase our faith. I think it would be right to say that that's not really that intelligent Christian prayer. Lord increase our faith. I believe He gives us plenty of opportunities to have that faith increase. Here is one of them passing through trials of faith with him.
Supposedly try to illustrate a dear friend of mine with.
Limitless Resources comes to me and said, now Albert, if you have any problems of any sort, if you're in need of any kind, just come to me, please. It will be my delight to care for you, to take care of your problems. And I struggle along the best I can. I do the best to meet my obligation. And every once in a while I go to this faithful friend and say, please increase my faith in you.
I think he would say, why don't you put me to the test? You've had plenty of opportunities and you've struggled along in your own resource. And brethren, everyone of us has had plenty of opportunity.
To put these very Scriptures to the test. But I do believe, brethren, that if we did, we'd know more about this joy unspeakable. That's why it doesn't show, I'm afraid, because we don't put him to the test.
The trials here are enclosed in joy at the beginning and enjoy at the end. We find that Peter himself passed through many trials and we believe he was martyred at the end. And I believe he knew that he was going to be martyred. And yet Peter can begin this subject with joy, and he can end it with joy.
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Because he's looking beyond at all.
Now in our translation here the King James, we get that word manifold.
The new translation I believe gives it various.
That is, it's the word temptation here is really trial. It's not temptation in the sense that we often speak of temptations of evil and so on, but it's trials. It's just the trials and vicissitudes of life. Or it might be, as our brother suggested, particularly here, that which has to do with the path of faith.
And the fact that we are a heavenly people. But never mind. In the 4th chapter, in the 10th verse, you'll find that Peter speaks of manifold grace. Here we have manifold trials.
Their manifold grace.
You can't go beyond the Lord has everything provided if he's going to allow for a season.
The needs be of trials. He is also going to reserve the grace for you.
And for me to pass through all of this so that.
Will be able to.
Bear it. He doesn't say I'll take it away from you. He doesn't say I'll take your trials away, but he does say I'll I'll enable you to bear it. That's in Corinthians.
Now what is the end of it? Why, He says, look what you have received, the salvation of your souls.
The salvation of your soul that you didn't know about this in the Old Testament.
It wasn't until.
The blood of Christ was shed on Calvary's cross.
And the Lord Jesus went on high that he sent out the gifts to proclaim these various truths, and the disciples went out preaching peace by Jesus Christ.
Now the subject of salvation.
Has it become a thing of commonplace to us and our thoughts? You may think this is strange that I say this, but we are creatures of habit, and sometimes we allow even truth to become so commonplace that we don't think of them, but think of the tremendous blessing we have here that they didn't know in the Old Testament. We have the salvation of our souls and we know it now.
How? By faith.
We know it by faith, the salvation of our souls. We know that He's going to save us through our circumstances by faith too. We know He's going to provide everything for us at the end, even the inheritance by faith. We have it now. We have it all by faith. But all, what a blessed thing to know that we have the salvation of our souls.
I know whom I have believed.
And am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day. What a treasure this is for us to rejoice in greatly. And, dear brethren, if we kept the morning and the evening sacrifice.
Of Exodus 30.
I believe these things would be fresh in our souls continually.
But if we don't thank the Lord for saving our souls, if we don't thank the Lord Jesus for going through all those sufferings for us?
We're going to forget about the salvation and the joy of it in our souls.
And the burnt offering you mentioned, I like to get it in the 28th and numbers. 29th and numbers.
About 30 times there and 16 times the continual burnt offering. Now the burnt offering is exclusively.
God's portion and the person and the work of His beloved Son.
It is true, if you read the most important offering in Leviticus, the first one mentioned is the burnt offering, that in it there is such a thing as our being accepted.
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In him, but I heard a brother. It was in the Lord's work.
Give an emphasis to that whole portion there, to the whole idea of our acceptance in Him. All beloved brethren, that is not God's thought at all.
Our acceptance in him is relatively.
Comparatively.
Insignificant compared to the person in whom we are accepted. And the burnt offering is God's full valuation, His eternal, infinite delight in the person of His beloved Son. And that's what the burnt offering signifies. We're living in the day, brethren.
And what I'm saying and what ministry?
On this subject of burn, offering is very, very seldom brought out. We are continually occupied on a lower level.
Of the fourth offering in Leviticus, the sin offering, we are continually occupied with what he's done for us.
But the burnt offering is what Christ is and has done for His glory. No other one ever did glorify God, no human being. And the Lord Jesus was that perfect, sinless human being, uniquely so. But he did glorify God, and that counts more than anything else. That's first.
And if we learned our our lesson or I wish the talker.
Would have had more practical experience in what I'm merely talking.
That Christ might have the preeminence is better translated.
That Christ might have the first place in everything.
Chapter 3, verse 11 of the same Colossians.
The other translation, beautifully translated. Christ is everything.
Christ is everything. He is the second man, the last Adam, the 1St man, Adam and all of his fallen. A creature. Sinful race as it refers to are nothing but a burden and that a great cost of suffering those last three hours especially.
Right. That is really what is so very, very important.
The propitiation God word.
Satisfying, vindicating, justifying God, respecting sin.
Respecting the holy place, respecting the the ark and the mercy seat with the blood on it. Otherwise there would be no welcome to us whatsoever. It's all through Christ that He's made propitiation for us and for the altar of everything. That was the only things. He has purified all of that.
Now that's the first GOAT of the great Day of Atonement.
Now the second goat is the goat that we're so occupied with. It's good, it's wonderful. And that has to do with His bearing our sins in His own body on the tree. But brethren, I tell you the truth, you know it's the truth in our day.
We are occupied at least.
9 out of 10 times or more.
That are occupied with the bore our sins. Oh, it's good that he's done it, but if we are going to allow the gospel to displace the burnt offering, we're robbing God of his greatest portion.
I love it so much, I hope you learn to love it too.
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Look at some verses in Exodus 29 so we can all get clearly before us what our brother meant by the morning and evening sacrifice to carry out and also to support the comments just made in the 29th of Exodus.
And verse 38 Now this is not which thou shalt offer upon the altar 2 lambs of the first year, day by day, continually.
The one lamb and I shall offer in the morning, and the other lamb I shall offer it even, and with the one lamb a tent deal of flour mingled with the 4th part of a henna beaten oil, and the 4th part of an hint of wine for a drink off. And the other land I should offer it even shall do their their two according to the meat offering in the morning and according to the drink offering thereof.
Or a sweet.
Savior and offering made by fire unto the Lord. This shall be a continual burnt offering.
Notice it doesn't say a continual sin off. I believe what our brother has brought out is very important.
And it helps us understand the work of Christ. The more we realize that back there in Leviticus, when the Lord speaks out of the Tabernacle, not from Sinai, but from the Tabernacle, what is the first thing He tells his people about? And that was the sacrifice. That's the sacrifice that brings in.
The voluntary death of the Lord Jesus. I lay down my life, my power to lay it down, I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received of my Father. That's John's gospel. And so here it's a precious thing to start out with the Lamb, Christ, the burnt offering, and in the evening the burnt offering. And so it's a precious thing to get hold of that fact.
The burnt offering gives us God's apprehension of Christ.
The soon offering brings before us how Christ beats our need. There is atonement in the bright offering. It says so, but I'm thinking of our aspect of it. We see in the sin offering that which meets our need, but as we go on we learn more about what Christ is to God. Make this part of the statement for a crew in Leviticus. When those offerings are presented, the burnt offering comes first, the sin offering last. But when it comes to the cleansing.
Leopard, which brings in how we learn these things. The sin offering comes first and the first offering last, because that shows progress in our souls. But Analytic is one first of all chapters. It's God's side of things, and I believe it's important to get ahold of that.
Connection with us that louder.
Why we would understand the burdock side of things.
And the freshness of Christ, God, and if we couple that with the fact that the athletics.
Simply under the Beloved 1.
Give us more of a sense of the glory of the.
Of the salvation of the grace that has met our need, not only met our need, but gone far beyond that and brought us in and all the acceptableness of the person of the Lord Jesus.
To me, that's the wonderful side of this, that.
We are accepted on the basis we know our sins have been taken care of because the work of Christ, but.
We are accepted, We are accepting in the same acceptable ability that he is acceptable.
You can't go beyond that.
We're loved with the same or we're not the end of 17th of of John, but I would like to go back to a remark of brother Roach made about.
John, Chapter 10. I'm going to surprise you, dear brethren. I didn't that I want to be fancy now, but this is truth we're talking about today. Seriously.
In the 10th of John we read that chapter continually, as though the whole chapter was concerned about the Good Shepherd laying down his life or.
Us for us, his lands is sheep and so on. That is the wonderful message of that chapter. There's still one thing more important than being overlooked. And our brother mentioned that verse and he's not going to mind my getting a little more emphasis. Verse 17.
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Is the most important person in the whole chapter.
And it's not a question of his laying down his life. Free sheep. John's gospel is the bird offering or worship gospel.
In it alone we find the bug who came to do all the will of God to accomplish his work. And it was finished. He did. And he could say in the 17th chapter, I have glorified thee on the earth.
So in that 17th verse when he says, For this cause, my father loveth me, because I lay down my life out of word about the sheep.
It's what he's done. God word exclusively that burnt offering truth. One other important burn, two other important burnt offering truth. One is in the ninth of Hebrews, in which it says that he offered himself.
Without spot to God.
That was all God word was it not just as it says, redeemed with the precious blood of of a lamb without blemish and without spot. That's the freshest land that God had provided. Do I still have one of the criteria was to bring out the John 17 I I'm sure that.
We will get it if we if we meditated something. Brother, for this cause my father loved me. What a special reason for God's love of his son.
Whom he loved eternally, rejoicing always before him. Such a one was he.
It might be well for us to emphasize this side of things even in preaching the gospel.
Especially when we think of the value of the death of the Lord Jesus Christ to God. God has accepted all of that. He has set His seal of approval upon the work of the Lord Jesus Christ, as we had before in this chapter, by raising him from the dead because.
In in verse four or in verse three it speaks about the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.
And who raised him from the dead? He was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father. The Lord Jesus Christ on Calvary glorified God the Father, laying down his life. He glorified the Father. And what did the Father do in turn? He glorified the Lord Jesus, raising him from the dead, setting his seal of cruel upon him. I think it's well for us in our gospel to mention that God has.
Accepted the work of the Lord Jesus Christ. He has set his seal of accrual upon that work by raising him from the dead. And if God accepts the work of the Lord Jesus Christ, why shouldn't sinners accept it? Why should the poor human beings accept it? Are we wiser than God?
You see, it all comes down to this and what we have in Hebrews. He that comes to God must believe that He is, and that He's a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him. The Sinner must come to God, and he must recognize that God has accepted the work of the Lord Jesus Christ.
And so it's up to us to accept it. And why should we refuse to accept it when God has accepted? Do you think perhaps through that what we have heard concerning the burnt offering really is the basis of worship? I don't want to define things. I don't think the Bible lends itself to inflexible definitions. But I would like to suggest.
I hope for our enjoyment.
That worship is actually flows from the enjoyment of the person, a person of the Lord Jesus. What he means to the heart of God that I trust means also to our hearts praise rather that which flows because of what he has done and is doing for us. Sometimes I've tried to illustrate it. It's.
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A question of illustration, perhaps?
But a husband rightly appreciates the kindness of his dear wife in preparing for him those special things that he enjoys. He sets down before him on the table the result of her efforts in the kitchen. And if he does possible husband, he doesn't hesitate to thank her and to praise her for her.
Thoughtfulness and her skill in what she continually does for him and cooking or caring for him.
But suppose that same dear wife is sick in the hospital. She hasn't prepared that fire. She hasn't taken care of his clothes for two months.
He goes to visit her in the hospital. He can't think of a word to say. Just imagine he can't think of a word to say because she hasn't been doing all these things for him. He'll have something to say if that marriage is what it ought to be, and that is because of what she means to him.
Regardless of what she has or has not done. So I believe, dear brethren, and again, I don't say it automatically and I trust not critically.
May God grant that we shall enjoy the sweetness of what has just been ministered.
What He means to the heart of God and what he should be to us. And this I believe was produced more worship. Oh, let us not speak disparagingly of every dozen praise and Thanksgiving. He is worthy, but really the worship that flows from the heart that is occupied with a person.
Is precious to the heart of God. I like to read a verse in John's gospel that would support what has been said as to the burnt offering aspect and the Lord there I believe.
Is seen as the burnt offering, and we have in the last verse of chapter 14 this statement, but that the world may know that I love the Father.
And as the Father gave me commandment, even though I do arise, let us go hands, that is to go to the cross. That is what was before him. And to me it's beautiful to say that the Lord Jesus himself tells us that He wants the world to know that He loves the Father. He does not only want the world to know that He loves us.
And died.
Cross. Now there might be very little appreciation of that, but the Lord Jesus, in what He did, gave a demonstration to the world that He loved the Father. Perhaps we're emphasizing that too much, that He loved us and died for us. But even in the preaching of the gospel there seems to be justified His verse.
That the Lord Jesus to emphasize that truth in dying. He died because he loved the Father.
That was the only way that God could be glorified. Even as to the question of sin, when he was in the place of sin, he glorified God. And because he loved God and knew that was the only way he could be glorified, he went to the cross. The Hebrew servant said, I love my master, my wife and my children. I will not go free.
That used to surprise me so much. He mentioned the master before he mentioned his wife. The master was the one who had given him the wife.
There again is the preeminence of that law. I be son, and the Father him. What was it blessed God must be to give thy son 155.