Chicago Conference: 1980
Table of Contents
Forgiveness in Five Aspects
Address—E. Pilkington
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Changing time for this stupendous gift of heaven. What grateful honour shall we show?
Where much transgression is forgiven, May love with fervent art, or glow by love inspired. May all our days, with every heavenly grace be crowned. May truth and goodness, joy and praise in all abide, and all abound.
One at the back of the book.
Forgiveness was a joyful song.
The hymn we sung together is a theme that I have in my heart. Forgiveness.
And I'd like to look at it in five different ways that we have in Scripture.
First of all, could we turn to the 13th of Acts, Acts 13, and we might read from verse 36 for David after he had served his own generation.
By the will of God, fell on sleep.
And was laid unto his father's, and saw corruption.
But he whom God raised again saw no corruption.
Be it known unto you, therefore, men and brethren.
That through this man is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins.
And by him all that belief are justified from all things from which he could not be justified by the law of Moses.
We will call this judicial forgiveness that we have in these verses.
Because, dear friends, it is only God that can forgive sins.
And we have here David mentioned how that he fell asleep and he did his body saw corruption. We know that David is a little picture of the Lord Jesus, just a picture or type in some ways and here the Lord.
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Is speaking to us this afternoon and God will remind us.
That the Lord Jesus, when he died, he saw no corruption.
All be allowed. How wonderful to know that He died for our sins.
And that he was raised again for our justification the other day.
In this very room.
There was a man in this room.
And in speaking to him.
I found out that he did not have peace with God.
He told me I am seeking peace. I want peace.
And I'm sure that illustrates the heart of everyone of God's creatures.
We all want peace.
Dear friends, there is only one way to have peace in your heart.
And that is to be cleansed from your sins.
It says here.
In this verse 39.
Speaking of the Lord Jesus, by him all that believe are justified.
From all things.
From which he could not be justified by the law of Moses.
We've had that verse mentioned to us this morning in the 5th chapter of Romans.
And there the apostle says, therefore, being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.
I realize and speak into such a large company as this.
That there are those I am sure have not peace with God.
There are those who have never laid hold with the hand of faith and receive the Lord Jesus into their hearts.
And I want to say to this to you, dear ones, this afternoon, if you haven't laid hold with the hand of faith, if you haven't received the Lord Jesus by faith into your heart.
You are still in your sins and as such you will not be able.
To enter into what it means to have peace with God.
All there are many today in this world.
That are seeking for peace.
He eats.
There isn't anyone of us here this afternoon, I'm sure.
That wants trouble. That wants distress.
Know the heart of man Grace, peace, peace.
Well, that dear man is here this afternoon. I don't know.
But I am sure that there are others like him in this room.
And that's why I addressed my remarks in this manner.
All there is only one way to have peace with God, and that is to have your sins forgiven.
Oh, thank God for His precious word that assures our hearts of the forgiveness of sins.
All the apostle speaks in Ephesians 2IN Ephesians one rather, in whom we have redemption through his blood.
Even the forgiveness of sins. All Yes friends, God would not have you and I to forget the price that our blessed Lord and Savior paid in order to have our sins forgiven. Oh, he went to that cross of Calvary and he suffered, He bled and he died.
Yes, he gave his life blood.
In order that you and I might have forgiveness of our sins, and this afternoon we would emphasize strongly that there is no other way whereby you might have forgiveness of your sins.
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There's only one way, and it is God's way.
And if you try any other way, you'll be like the dear man I was talking to.
He's wandering here and wanting there to this city and that city.
And he hasn't Peace.
All dear friends, God wants you to have peace in your heart. Yes, peace. And so here the apostle Paul, he makes it plainly that there's only one way to receive forgiveness of our sins.
And that's through the work of the Lord Jesus on the cross. In verse 39 he says from which he could not be justified by the law of Moses.
All you know, there are many today that are seeking a justification on the ground of keeping the law.
But I want to tell you this, beloved, The law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.
John's Gospel chapter one. Yes, the law was given by Moses.
But grace and truth came by Jesus Christ. The law could not save anyone.
The law could not get peace to a soul. The law can only condemn.
But all they love I'm thankful for. John 5 and 24. Yes, the words of our precious Savior, when he could say, Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word unbelievable, Him that sent me hath everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment passed from death unto light.
Oh yes, there is a way to receive forgiveness of sins.
But it is God's way. God's way. I like to read one verse in Hebrews 10.
And we'll read from verse.
12.
But this man, this is the Lord Jesus. This man after he had offered one sacrifice, 4 sins forever sat down on the right hand of God, verse 14 or by one offering he hath perfected forever them that are sanctified, this man, all the Lord Jesus.
He offered up himself an offering to God.
For your sins and for mine.
And as we leave this to turn to another scripture.
Because this afternoon.
This is that address for young people.
And we want to go on a little because.
There are those who have the idea that when they are saved and have the forgiveness of their sins.
That they can't sin anymore.
And then there are those, and there might be some here this afternoon, I know not.
Perhaps you're saved and you found out your sorrow that you still have that old sinful nature within you.
And perhaps because?
Of not obeying the word of God and walking in the truth and keeping your eye on the Lord Jesus.
Perhaps.
Dear one, you have fell into sin.
Perhaps you have grieved the heart of the Lord Jesus and there are those who have done that.
And I'm sure.
That each one of us here this afternoon is guilty of that very same thing. Yes, there is none righteous. No, not one. We've all sinned. And I'd like to turn over now.
To the first Epistle to John.
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And here we have a Sabbath of restoration, a restorative forgiveness, and he first Epistle to Job.
And I would like to read from verse 6.
For if we say that we have fellowship with him and walk in darkness, we lie and do not the truth.
But if we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin. If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us if we confess our sins.
He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins.
And to cleanse us from all unrighteousness, if we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in US.
Well, I believe this is very clear.
Very simple.
And how true it is.
If we say that, we have fellowship with him, the Lord Jesus.
And walk in darkness, we lie.
In John 8 and verse 12 That the Lord Jesus says.
He that followeth me shall not walk in darkness.
What shall have the light of light, Oh beloved, that you and I are falling, the Lord Jesus.
There's something here we're going to have, we're going to have fellowship and how sweet the fellowship has been these last two days.
Oh, how lovely to have fellowship one with another.
What I want to say this to anyone who may be walking carelessly. You may be saved and yet you are going your own way.
I would like to say this.
When I do it is with sore of heart.
A young man said to me once I'm saved.
And I can't be lost.
And I'm going my own way for now.
I want to say this, if there's one in this room this afternoon, who is taking that profession as being saved and belonging to the Lord Jesus Christ.
What do you want to do? Do you want to go your own way? If you go your own way, you'll have no peace.
Now there be no peace, there be no joy in your heart, there be no fellowship. And all they love. There's nothing sweeter in this life than fellowship. And how many dear Christians this afternoon did I have peace, Do not have the joy of the Lord in their heart, because they're not walking in the truth.
And so if we walk in the light.
We're going to have fellowship. Well, how wonderful to have the light of God's word to direct us. Now notice verse eight. It says if we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in US. I've met some that have taken this attitude that they are saved and that they have a new nature and now they belong to Christ.
They belong to him.
And they can't sin. Their sins are forgiven.
All I want to say this.
You are mistaken. You are mistaken.
Because we can sin. Yes we can. And what does it say here? If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sin and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. Oh, isn't that lovely?
If we confess, is there one here this afternoon that perhaps has grieved the heart of the Lord Jesus through your disobedience to Him?
Have you confessed that matter to him?
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All I want to say, if you're saved, you can't be lost. If you're truly trusting in the finished work of the Lord Jesus, you're his. You can't be lost.
But all I want to say this if you're walking carelessly.
You won't have this peace that the Lord wants you to enjoy.
Oh, the peace of God.
You have that this afternoon again, I warned any who are walking carelessly.
Do not think you can go on in sin and get away with it. You might deceive your brethren.
You might even deceive your own family.
I don't want to tell you. The eyes of the Lord runs to and fro throughout this whole earth, and God is discerned of the thoughts and intents of the heart, and there's nothing hid from his all searching eye. Yes, and if you have sinned.
Oh, I want to say this this afternoon, dear ones, confess it to the Lord, confess it to Him. What does it say here? If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
Verse 10 If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in US.
Several months ago.
And speaking to a man.
On the islands of Vincent.
After speaking about how nice the soon he was, I directed a conversation to the Lord Jesus.
And I asked him if he was saved.
And you know, he looked at me.
He didn't know what to make of Maine.
He didn't understand.
What do you mean?
Oh, I said. Are your sins forgiven?
Sins, He said. I don't have any sins. I don't have any sins. When God created man, he created in the image of God created him, and he made him perfect without sin.
He says I can't send. There's no centers in the world. God made everybody perfect.
All dear friends, what does this say?
If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar.
And his word is not in US.
And that man had the boldness to tell me that he was a Superintendent of a large Sunday school.
All. How sad.
That man has been deceived. Who isn't deceived?
Ah, it's the God of this world, Satan.
And you know he's a clever deceiver, he deceive Adam and Eve and you know he's been successful in this, even the souls of men, right from that time onward. Yes, he is a deceiver. Well, may we read the word of God?
And obey it. And so I had to leave that man.
When he refused to bow to what the word of God says.
I could carry no longer carry on a conversation with them and I left him.
Well, how blessed if we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. Notice in the second chapter of this same Epistles of John and verse 12.
I write unto you, little children, because your sins are forgiven you for his name sake. Isn't that sweet? I write unto you, little children.
Because your sins are forgiven you. Isn't that nice? Oh, that's how we can have peace with God. That's how we can join the peace of God in our hearts.
I've known the truth of this.
Oh, I write unto you, little children, because your sins are forgiven you. Well, we're speaking about restorative forgiveness, and I just like to turn to the 51St Psalm for an example of a dear man of God who fell into sin and was restored.
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Here we have David.
Mention.
And we'll read from verse 5.
For verse 3.
For I acknowledge my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me.
Against the the only have I sinned, and done this evil in thy sight.
That thou mayest be justified when thou speakers, and be clear when thou judge us.
Behold, I was shaped in inequity and in sin did my mother conceive me.
Behold, thou desires truth in the inward parts and in the hidden part. Thou shalt make me to know wisdom.
Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean. Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. Let's go down to verse 12. Restore unto me the joy of Thy salvation, and uphold me with Thy free spirit. Then will I teach transgressors always, and sinners shall be converted on to Thee.
Notice verse 17.
The sacrifices of God.
Are broken spirit.
Are broken and a contrite heart. Oh God, thou wilt not despise.
Here once this afternoon.
I feel that there are many.
That have sinned against the Lord.
Who are truly the Lord's? They have sinned.
And they have come under his governmental dealings, which we'll look at later.
And like they in the world.
There's no peace, there is no enjoyment of the Lord.
I once had someone come to me.
And on a sin they said I have sinned.
But you know, they didn't come and own it till they were found out.
And when they did it, there was number brokenness, there was number sorrow.
In what they have done.
All they loved.
Dear one, this afternoon, if you got away from the Lord, if you sinned against him.
There's only one way back and it's his way. There has to be repentance. And with the psalmist here, there was repentance in his heart and he owned his transgression. There was that sore of heart.
And I want to say to anyone here who has sinned, and perhaps your sin has found you out.
There will be no true restoration.
No true enjoyment of the Lord Jesus until you acknowledge that.
Transgression against God.
Yes, sin is a terrible thing.
And all be love.
For the unsaved, it will rob them of salvation. To those who are safe, it will rob them of the joy of the Lord. And poor David, he's unhappy here. All he said he's troubled. And I want to tell your friends.
If there's no brokenness of heart in your soul.
I want to say there will be no true restoration.
And if there's no true restoration, there'll be no true enjoyment of that Blessed One who loved you and died for you. Oh, the psalmist could also say, Restore unto me the joy thy salvation. Then will I teach treasures I ways. Oh beloved, do you want to teach transgressors?
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Do you want to give out the gospel?
All if you want to serve the Lord in any little way that the Lord might open the way for you to do.
All I want to tell you, your life must be right with him. Yes, our lies must be right with him. And if there is failure in our lives, oh let's not hesitate, but let's go into the Lords presence and honor to him. And so how sweet to know that the Lord forgive David.
And you know, I like that 103rd Psalm where David.
And praying could say, He hath not dealt with this after our sins, or reward us according to our iniquities.
And I would just like to add a little more, it's not in adverse.
Over 45 years ago.
There was a dear old brother in our meeting.
And every prayer meeting we heard him quote that verse. He hath not dealt with us after our sins. All beloved, If he had had, I wouldn't be here.
No, He hath not dealt with our sins, our reward us according to our iniquities. And then he say, But he dealt with us in love.
All the memory that dear old man's prayer is sweet to my soul.
Yes, when I think of that dear old brother, I think of his prayers and the prayer meeting.
All Hall blessed to know that and so we have restorative forgiveness, but it is only after there is a true confession.
And owning our sin to the Lord.
Now I might turn to Matthew 6. We might look at governmental forgiveness.
Matthew 6.
And verse 14.
For if ye forgive men their trespasses.
Your Heavenly Father will also forgive you.
But if you forgive, not been their trespasses.
Neither will your father forgive your trespasses.
Is there anyone here this afternoon?
That needs the forgiveness of God because of some failure.
Are you holding the grudge against another? Are you holding a grievance against another because they have transgressed against you?
Oh, I want to say under the government of God there be no forgiveness.
No, before you'll have that sweet sense that peace with God, there must be that forgiving one another, yes.
If you forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your father forgive your trespasses.
And you know, I can think of some that I have trespassed against.
And I'm sure each one of us here have trespassed against somebody at some time or other.
And that we liked to be forgiven, don't we?
Oh, as a boy I remember being forgiven some of my trespasses.
And all it brought feast to my heart.
It brought joy to my soul.
Yes, it's nice to be forgiven.
But how about it the other way, when somebody is trespassed against us?
Are we holding an unforgiving spirit?
All there is the government of God.
And beloved, if we refuse to forgive others.
We remember we're going to come under the governor of God.
Yes.
Let's turn to Matthew 18.
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Here we have brotherly forgiveness mentioned.
Reading from verse 21.
Then came Peter to him, and said Lord.
How shall my brother sin against me?
And I forgive him.
Till seven times.
Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee until seven times, but until 70 * 7.
How often is that? It's 490 times in one day.
Could it be that anyone of us here have been sinned against 490 times?
Oh, I take balls to say no, no. And as Peter asks this question, shall I forgive him seven times?
The Lord says no.
70 * 7 Could it be?
That you and I.
Are not, shall I say, manifesting this brotherly forgiveness?
To one another.
I remember.
And here I look back a good many years, over 45 years.
When a friend of mine gave me a little autographed book to sign my name.
And like most people, before I sign my name, I look to see what the other person had signed.
Because you sign your name, you know, on the page which tells your birthday.
Year you were born.
And I read there above on that same page these words.
And I've never forgotten.
And I hope, beloved, this afternoon there won't be anyone here. Forget it.
And these were the words I read.
When you find it hard to forgive others.
Remember how much has been forgiven you and all, beloved, I remember how much has been forgiven me.
Kind of be that I would still hold on and have an unforgiven spirit to my brother or sister, God forbid.
That dear man wrote that near the end, getting along towards the end of his life. He's with the Lord now, many years, and there he wrote those words when you find it hard to forgive others. Yes, sometimes it is hard to forgive, but oh, if we just remember how much the Lord has forgiven us.
Who would help us to forgive others? Would it not?
After quoting that and telling someone later.
This person was very familiar with that man who wrote that.
And he said that man knew what he was talking about.
He had occasion to put that into practice.
Because he had been sinned against, he had been transgressed against, but he forgave. Yes, he forgave.
Oh beloved, let cultivate a forgiving spirit and remember when it's hard. Let's remember what the Lord has done for us.
Now let's turn to John 13.
And verse 34.
A new commandment I give unto you, that ye love one another as I have loved you.
That you also love one another.
This shall all men know, that ye are my disciples, if ye have loved one to another.
All be loved.
And the previous.
The next chapter of the Lord says, If ye love me, keep my commandments.
Yes, if we love me, John 14 and 15, keep my commandments or my words.
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And what does he say? All he says this. By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, when you love one another. Now let's turn to John 15.
And verse 17.
These things I command you that ye love.
One another.
Oh, may the Lord help us and to love one another.
Now could we turn to John 20?
And here we have.
Administrative forgiveness, I believe.
Brought before us.
Verse 23. John 20. Verse 23.
Whosoever sins ye we met, they are remitted unto them, and whosoever sins ye retain, they are retained.
Turn back to Matthew 16.
And.
Read from verse 18.
I say also unto thee, Thou art Peter. Upon this rock I will build my church.
And the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.
And I will give unto thee the keys of the Kingdom of heaven. And once serveth, thou shalt bind on earth, shall be bound in heaven.
And whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth, shall be loose.
In heaven.
Now this authority was given to the apostles.
And we don't have any apostles today.
Let's turn to the 18th chapter, Matthew 18.
Verse 50.
Moreover, if thy brother shall trespass against thee, go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone.
If he shall hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother.
But if he will not hear thee, then take with thee one or two more.
Then in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established.
And if he shall neglect, he will hear them. Tell it unto the assembly, but even neglect to hear the assembly. Let him be under thee as a heathen man and as a publican. Verily I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall be, ye shall bind on earth, shall be bound in heaven.
And whatsoever ye shall loose on earth, shall be loosed in heaven.
So we have administrative forgiveness here. Whatsoever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.
And how solemn it is as we think of this, what we have here.
If thy brother transgress against thee, what do we do?
Do we carry out this verse? Go to Him.
I must confess.
Some of us haven't always done that.
And what is the result of not doing this?
It might be.
Their brother wanders off. He gets offended.
He wanders off, and that's the end of it. Oh, what's it say here? If thy brother trespass against thee, go and tell him his fall.
Oh, how many have been offended because all their brethren have found out about their failure?
Oh, they love. Let's carry out the principle that we have here. Let's go to the brother or the sister. Let's not go and tell the assembly. Let's go to the brother or the sister.
Be a lot of sorrow and a lot of trouble avoided if we have made scripture as we have it here.
But I realize there are some who won't listen, perhaps. And so the Lord goes on and says.
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If he will not hear take of thee one or two, then a month of two or three witnesses. Every word may be established. Now 2IN Scripture is a testimony, and three is abundant testimony. And so here we have the principle that if the matter can't be settled, why the brother or sister should take.
Witnesses along.
And try to get the matter cleared up.
But if they won't listen, then the matter may have to be brought to the assembly according to the nature what whatever the crash might pass might be. I think sometimes if it's just a personal trespass, why we ought to call it a forgiving spirit and bear with them.
But you know, we're not under rules if it is something that affects the honor and the glory of the Lord Jesus.
It must be brought before the assembly.
Or we might be the cause of someone.
Eating and drinking damnation to themselves.
As we get in First Corinthians 11.
So in verse 17, if he shall neglect to hear that talent unto the church, but if he neglect to hear the church, let him be unto thee as a heathen man and a publican.
And the matter comes before the assembly, and this one is confronted by the assembly now with this fault or failure or sin.
If he shows a rebellious spirit and will not listen, then the assembly has the power to act.
An assembly that doesn't act and judge evil wickedness.
Sooner or later.
God will have to speak to it.
And if they don't?
On their failure, perhaps the Lord will remove the Candlestick.
But oh, our God is a loving God. He's very gracious. Yes, he is.
And so was it saying if he won't listen to the assembly?
And be under the as a heathen man and a publican. What does that mean?
It means this, dear brethren, just what it says.
It means just what it says.
If one at the Lord's table.
Dishonors the Lord through some wickedness or immortal act.
The honor, the truth of our Lord Jesus must be maintained.
God is a holy God and sin must be judged.
And in the assembly, the assembly is responsible to judge sin.
And I want to say this to perhaps someone who may be offended because they have come under this discipline. I know not any here, but I just mentioned this because some are offended, they have their feelings hurt.
That everything is brought before the assembly, but they must be dealt with and put away.
He must be treated as a heathen man and.
What does that say here? And a publican? A Sinner?
Are we carrying out this principle?
Or are we acting towards such a one just as if he had never committed one sin? Are we acting towards him just as if his life was righteous?
Oh beloved, this afternoon.
We must.
Maintain the truth of God.
And we have administrative forgiveness, but there can only be that administrative forgiveness shown when there is true confession.
And so it says here, Whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven.
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I'd like to make a comment. The brother has been with the Lord many many years ago.
This dear brother came under the discipline of the assembly in a certain city.
And he had to be put away.
There was number question.
He must be put away. What he did demanded discipline.
And so he was put away.
They were one or two.
Who didn't recognize the seriousness of sin?
And they acted toward this brother, this man, we won't call him a brother.
And they shook hands with him and carried on, just like if nothing happened. Is this the way we are to act?
What does the scripture say?
All they loved this afternoon. We must be faithful and we don't hold fast the truth of God. We're going to lose it.
Well, this dear brother, after a long time.
All there was true repentance, such as when he was interviewed, there wasn't one dissenting voice against him being received back into fellowship.
And I'll never forget.
After the breaking the bread when he was first received.
After the meeting, he got up and says, brethren, I'd like to say something.
And so no one said no.
He said. I want to thank those who refuse to shake hands with me.
Because it was because of those who refused to shake hands with me, it produced that deep exercise of my soul.
The Lord showed me the seriousness and the awfulness of that sin, and there was, like David, true repentance.
I want to thank those who refused to shake handlessly to show fellowship.
Ah, that exercisable, but I like to say this.
They love because sometimes we forget what the Lord Jesus said. What does he say? Love one another.
And I do believe.
If an occasion should arise when we can't shake hands, I believe when that brother sees our face.
He should see by our face, our whole attitude.
That we're grieved with what he has done, yet we love him.
Oh, how often the attitude is taken while he's out. Now lock the doors, never let him back.
Is this the mind of God? No.
Oh, he returned to 2nd Corinthians 2.
Here the apostle Paul.
Is writing to the Corinthians.
And the first Epistle of Man through Wickedness.
I have been put away from a large table.
And now let's read what he writes here in the second epistle, verse four. Throughout a much affliction and anguish of heart, I wrote unto you with many tears, not that you should be grieved, but that you might know the love which I have more abundantly unto you.
But if any have caused grief yet, not grieve me, but in part that I may overcharge you all.
Sufficient to such a man is this punishment which was inflicted of many.
So the contrary wise ye ought rather to forgive him and comfort him.
Lest perhaps such a one should be swallowed up with over much sorrows.
Wherefore I beseech you, that ye would confirm.
Your love toward him.
Oh, isn't this lovely? Here we have this man who had come under.
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Discipline now being restored. Isn't this nice? The apostle says, sufficient to such a man, and he writes here.
Out of much afflicts of Angus of heart, Or it was a sorrow to the heart of the apostle, that this man was being overtaken with a deep sorrow.
There had been true repentance manifested, but there had been slowness.
There had been that love, that concern for this failing 1.
They had been slow to put them out and now they are much slower to receive them back after.
Repentance has been manifest all they love. May we, each one of us lay hold these truths for ourselves.
Individually and in our assemblies, may we know more what it is?
To confirm our love to such who have manifested through repentance. Oh yes, this, I believe is a mind of God.
And may the Lord Himself help each one of us.
To value these truths and to know more what it is to walk in the power of an ungrieved spirit, we sing at hymn, O Lamb of God, still keep us.
Close to thy peers inside #318.
Tis only there in safety and peace We can't abide with foes and stairs around us. And lost some fears within. The grace of Sodom found us alone can keep us clean 318.
Oh, I'm across still.
In my head.
Sorry, there's no.
It's we can't have fun where we're at the end of the world to stand for the world.
Members of Christ's Body
Address—C.D. Andersen
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Shall return to 1St Corinthians chapter 6.
First Corinthians, chapter 6.
And verse 15.
Know ye not that your bodies are the members of Christ?
Shall I then take the members of Christ?
And make them the members of an harlot. God forbid or far be the thought.
What know ye not that we, he which is joined to an harlot, is one body?
For two says he shall be one flesh.
But he that is joined unto the Lord is 1 spirit.
Flee fornication.
Every sin that a man doeth.
Is without the body, but he that committeth fornication sinneth against his own body.
What know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost, which is in you, which you have of God, and you're not your own?
For ye are bought with a price, therefore glorify God in your body.
Which is God's.
Nor ye not that your bodies are the members of Christ.
Dear young people.
If you have confessed the Lord Jesus Christ as your Savior.
If you know the Lord Jesus Christ, you know you have eternal life.
You also have the Holy Spirit dwelling in your heart.
Because we read in Ephesians chapter one and verse 13.
Having believed, you were sealed with that Holy Spirit of promise.
Having believed you were sealed with the Holy Spirit.
The Holy Spirit has come to dwell in your heart, and by that Holy Spirit you have been joined to the Lord Jesus Christ.
And that's why it can be said that you are a member of Christ.
A member of the body of Christ. You belong to the Lord Jesus Christ in a special way.
Abraham couldn't say anything like this, that he was joined to the Lord Jesus Christ. It couldn't be said of David that he was one spirit with the Lord. No, But in this period of time in which we're living, the church age, the age of grace.
The time when the Gospel of the Glory is being preached.
This is the time that we have this wonderful experience.
Are being joined to the Lord Jesus Christ by the Spirit of God.
The Holy Spirit came down on the Day of Pentecost to join believers to the Lord Jesus Christ who had gone to glory.
And so they were on that day, on the day of Pentecost, made members of the body of Christ.
You have believed in the Lord Jesus Christ. You are likewise a member of the body of Christ. Yes, you're a child of God. That's true, Part of the family of God. You know God is your father, but you're also a member of the body of Christ.
This is something special for this period of time in which we're living, which is called the dispensation of the grace of God.
A dispensation is a time in which something special is ministered to us by God.
A time in which God deals with people on the earth in a special way, and we're living in a dispensation in which God has dealt with us and still is dealing with us in a special way.
In such a way that we're special to God, we're special to the Lord Jesus Christ.
Were members of the body of Christ? Were part of the Church of God?
And the church today.
Has a special care of God.
And God has a desire that His Church might be, according to his mind, here in this world, as a testimony.
Oh yes, it's a difficult time. It's not easy to live for God. I know that. And you young people are experiencing this, that it's not easy to live for God.
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Not easy for older folks to live for God either.
Because there is an enemy going about.
Our adversary, the devil, goes about as a roaring lion, Peter tells us, seeking whom he may devour.
Their enemies about.
To work havoc in the church, to bring in ruin. And what a ruin the church is in today.
And I feel.
That it's greatly due to the fact that little is known about our membership in the body of Christ.
There is only one membership.
The membership of the Body of Christ.
Our brother this morning, as he gave thanks for the loaf, he made mention of this, Speaking of the loaf as representing the one body.
Now we know that the loaf as it is broken, speaks of the Lord's body given in death.
But as it's sitting there whole on the table, it speaks of the one body of which all believers in the present time, sealed by the Spirit of God, are members, members of one body.
And it's not just those who were here this morning, as was intimated, who are members of that body.
All believers, all saved ones in this whole world, sealed by the Spirit of God or members of that one body.
And so it is like it says in Ephesians chapter 4, there is one body there.
There is one body you notice the tense of that verb is.
It's continuous. There is one body.
It began on the day of Pentecost.
And from that time until now, it could be said there is one body. And until the Lord comes to take us home, there is one body.
One body. There have never been two bodies. There have never been three bodies. There have never been many bodies. There is one body.
Now we have some solemn words in this scripture that we read.
Since we're members of the body of Christ, the question is asked, shall I then take the members of Christ and make them the members of an harlot? God forbid.
What a solemn thing it is.
Person to take liberties with this body that has been given to us and which has been joined to the Lord Jesus Christ.
Not simply through faith, but by the indwelling of the Holy Spirit.
Baptism of the Holy Spirit, the Body joined to Christ.
How dare we take this body then, and do with it as we please?
Because we read in verse 17, he that is joined unto the Lord is 1 Spirit Lord. Why didn't it say Christ? Why didn't it say Jesus?
The Lordship of Jesus is being brought in here in this connection.
He that is joined unto the Lord.
You have been joined unto the Lord by the Spirit of God.
You're joined to Him as Lord.
You are to own him as law.
Do we? Oh, this is our problem, isn't it? This is where difficulties come in. If the if the Lord as Lord had sway over us, there would be a lot of things we wouldn't do.
So I believe that what is needed for us is just to submit to him as Lord, bow to him as Lord, own Him as Lord own, that He has a right to us, right to have dominion over us, because that's what the word Lord intimates, dominion.
Do we give dominion to the Lord over ourselves?
Do we have the idea that we can do with our bodies what we please?
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Do we want dominion over our bodies, or do we want the Lord to have dominion over them?
Well, look what it says here.
Verse 19.
Know ye not?
Nor ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost, which is in you, which you have of God.
And you're not your own.
This body, which belongs to the Lord, is indwelt by the Holy Spirit.
And the body is the temple of the Holy Spirit.
It doesn't make any difference where you go where you are.
What you do, or when it may be the Holy Spirit dwells in this body.
And wherever you go, the Holy Spirit goes, and whatever you do, the Holy Spirit is there.
And sometimes, and oftentimes to our shame, we do those things that grieve the Holy Spirit.
And then we're in trouble. Then we have to go through exercises of soul.
To be brought to confession, to own the wrong, that we might be cleansed from defilement.
The defilement of that thing that we have allowed to grieve the Spirit of God.
That we might be restored to sweet fellowship and communion with the law.
That we might get back to that condition of our soul where we have a sense that He is our Lord and we want to please Him.
Do we really want to please the Lord, or do we want to please ourselves?
In the book of Romans we read much about yielding, yielding, yielding, surrendering.
Surrendering to God, Surrendering to the Lord Jesus Christ.
There was a time when we surrendered to sin.
Now that we're the Lord's.
We are exhorted to surrender to Him.
And you know when it speaks of yielding or surrendering, it doesn't mean just halfway. You know what happens when two armies are at war?
And the one is defeated and the other is the victor.
The victorious army, the victorious general, he's not satisfied with anything but complete surrender.
And that's what is meant by raising up the white flag. Complete surrender.
Have we completely surrendered to the Lord Jesus Christ? Is he worthy of it? Of course He is. He's worthy of complete surrender. He's the victor over all of our enemies, and we need to just surrender to Him.
Hoist up the flag.
Make it known to him.
That we surrender to Him.
Now it speaks in verse 20 of a price that's been paid for us.
For ye are bought with a price. Oh, what is that price? The precious blood of the Lord Jesus Christ that we've been hearing about.
Not Christ. That's been paid for us. Who could think of a greater price than that?
Who could think of anymore?
Anything more precious than the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ, Can you?
No, but that's what is That's the price that's been paid for us. That's what the Lord Jesus Christ paid to have us for himself.
And we belong to Him in a special way, So he says, Therefore glorify God in your body. Glorify God in your body.
I know we have problems. We have lust. The lusts of the eye, the lust of the flesh and the pride of life. All of these things are moving in our bodies.
But we are exhorted to reckon ourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, and alive unto God through the Lord Jesus Christ.
And I believe if we have the Lord Jesus Christ before us, and if we yield to the Lord Jesus Christ and own him as our Lord.
We can thank God for the victory which He gives through the Lord Jesus Christ.
Thank God for the victory that He gives through the Lord Jesus Christ.
There is not victory in anyone else but in him.
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We battle along, we try to get the victory over this and over that, but there's no victory but in the Lord Jesus Christ.
Just confide in him. Just trust in him. Just yield to him.
Ominous Lord.
When we accept the Lord Jesus Christ as Savior, really that's what we do. If thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus or Jesus as Lord.
And believe in thine heart that God has raised him from the dead. Thou shalt be saved. It's part of the confession as laid out by the apostle Paul to those at Rome in the letter he wrote to them. If thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, Jesus as Lord. And believe in thine heart that God has raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. There's Jesus and Lord linked together, Jesus Savior.
And the Lord as one having dominion over us, we confess both when we really confess the Lord Jesus.
We forget that I'm afraid, very often what we have really confessed.
Don't let's forget that. Let's not forget that we have confessed Jesus as Lord, the Lord Jesus. He's both Savior and he's Lord. Isn't it wonderful to have such a one?
That God has provided for us, the Lord Jesus Christ, the older I get.
The more I feel that I can't get along without him.
Perhaps some might think, well, you're up in years now and you don't understand us.
You don't have the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eye, and the pride of life.
You don't get beyond that. Oh no, you don't get beyond that. It's still there.
But the secret of victory is Christ.
Keeping our eye upon Him, looking after Jesus, the author and finisher of faith.
You look at the Lord Jesus. He started the pathway down here in faith, doing always those things that please the Father. He finished the pathway in faith, in total dependence upon God. All through his lifetime. He was dependent upon God, his Father.
And dear young people, that's what we need. The Lord Jesus Christ before us.
The author or the beginner and completer of faith?
A walk of faith. A life of faith. Look at him.
Keep your eye upon him.
As our brother Wakefield used to say.
Look up make much of Christ.
Oh, that's what we need to make much of Christ, make much of him.
Now I'd like to turn over to chapter 12.
Of First Corinthians.
And dwell a little bit upon.
The principal thought that.
Is before us membership in the body of Christ.
Now this is not membership in some denominational organization.
I know something about that.
And we don't find it in the word of God.
In verse 12 it says For as the body is one and hath many members, and all the members of that one body being many or one body.
So also is Christ.
Christ, the Christ, that's the mystical body.
That's the body of Christ, the Church.
The first part of the verse speaks of the human body.
For as the body is one, that is the human body.
And as many members, and all the members of that one body being many or one body, so also is.
The Christ.
This morning, our brother Reeves.
Brought a suitcase to the children's meeting.
And he used it as an illustration.
But it was empty, that suitcase, and you couldn't go very far with a suitcase like that. If you came to the end of the road to your destination, you didn't have anything in the suitcase.
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You'd be embarrassed, you wouldn't know what to do.
If you don't have the Lord Jesus Christ in your heart when you come to the end of the road.
How sad.
Well, he used a suitcase as an illustration. Now the Apostle Paul is using something here as an illustration.
Brother Reeves had to bring that suitcase as an illustration. But everyone of us sitting here in this room.
Has an illustration of what the Apostle Paul is talking about here.
The Apostle Paul is talking about the body of Christ, the Church.
And the human body he's using as an illustration of that.
Everyone has an example of it, an illustration of it.
I don't know why the Apostle Paul was led to write this, but I'm sure God was behind it.
He was inspired by the Spirit of God to write it, and it has been written for our learning, for edification, for our help.
Peter says that the things that were written aforetime were written for our learning. Well, Paul says that in Romans.
But Peter says holy men of old spacers, they were moved by the Holy Ghost.
Why was all of this written? Why is this book written?
Because God sees that we need it. We need to learn something. We need edification. We need instruction. We need help.
And I believe we need help in this day.
To learn a little more about the body of Christ, what it really is, and our responsibilities in connection with.
Being members of the body of Christ.
So he says, for as the body is one, the human body is one, when you think about your body.
Do you think of it as in different pieces or sections?
No, you think of it as one unit, as one piece, as one body altogether in one body.
That's the way we think of it, isn't it?
When you think about, well, I have a body, you don't think about the hand by itself or this hand by itself. You know it's there, yes, but you think of it as one.
So the Apostle Paul says the body is one. He's telling us that the body of Christ IS11 body.
Now it's a strange thing.
But it shows how far we go astray and how we need to be taught by the Lord. But it's a strange thing that just seemed that God had to take me way back over into the middle of Africa to what was then known as the Belgian Congo.
To teach me these things because where I was brought up.
And where I received training.
I did not have these things impressed upon me.
I was translating the Scriptures into the native language of those in the Belgian Congress, the tribe in which we were. God, by his Spirit impressed me with these things, and he showed me these things, and he's still showing me things from his word about this truth.
We never get through learning.
Thank God for that, but the very fact that I could be over there isolated in a tribe.
My wife and I, the two of us by ourselves translating scriptures into the native language.
Shows that this truth is here in God's Word.
Perhaps you hear some things in your assembly at home and you wonder, well, where did that brother get that?
Or where did he get that other thing?
It's right here in the Word of God, that's where it is.
And if you haven't seen it for yourself, it's well for you for you to get to digging, to meditating, looking at the Word of God because it's there. And as you read this portion of scripture, you'll find out it's very, very simple, really.
It's appalling to think how we miss so much of what God has for us in his Word. It's here, it's in his book.
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And so I would encourage you, dear young people, to read the Word, to meditate upon it, not just to get your head filled up with biblical facts. Sometimes that can lead people astray. They get it in an intellectual way, but you need to get it into your intellect. But further than that, you need to get it down into your soul.
And then get it down into your feet to walk in it.
Well, how was this one body formed? It tells us right here in verse 13. For by 1 Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free, and have been all made to drink into or of 1 spirit.
Everyone here this afternoon who is saved.
Has been made to drink of 1 spirit.
Everyone has the Holy Spirit dwelling in his heart, and it's that by that one Spirit that we're all baptized into one body.
When did this begin? It began on the day of Pentecost.
And surely this is what the Apostle Paul is referring to by 1 Spirit. Are we all baptized into one body?
On the day of Pentecost, there were 120.
Sitting in the upper room according to the Lord's with one of the Jews feast days.
A feast of Jehovah.
But the feast days had become known as the Jewish feast.
God had been left out of, but nevertheless, this was the day of Pentecost.
One of those feasts of Jehovah.
And on that day.
There was that rushing of a wind.
And filled the whole place, the whole house where they were sitting. That was the coming of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit came and baptized all those 120 into one body. You say, well, weren't they one body before? Not in that way.
They had things in common because they had one faith. They believed in the Lord Jesus Christ.
They had one life, They had divine life. They were born of God. They were children of God.
They were in the one family of God.
But they were not joined together yet.
You couldn't say that members of a family are joined together.
But when the Holy Spirit came and indwelt everyone of them, they were all joined together in one Unit 1 body.
One body.
Have you ever thought about that?
A great number of individuals.
Joined together in one body.
It's good for us to think about that, just to meditate on it.
You're sitting next to a brother that's saved.
You're sitting next to a sister that's saved.
We are all sitting here together. We are all together here in this room.
Well, we are together in a certain sense.
Everyone who is saved is joined to another one who is saved, and to all who are saved joined together in one body.
I like to use the illustration. I think Brother Brown AC chapter Brown used it.
And I like to use the illustration of a necklace.
You may have 120 beads will take the number that were in that upper room on the day of Pentecost.
Maybe there are 120 beads in a dish.
And they're rolling around in that dish or whatever other vessel it might be.
And they have certain similar characteristics which say they are pearls. They are all pearls.
Something else similar about them? They're round.
Something else similar about them? They have a hole through them.
And maybe there are other similarities, but some are larger and some are smaller, but there are certain certain characteristics they have which make them similar. And they're alike. Well, all children of God are alike. They have similar characteristics. Children of God, those are 120 there in the upper room on the day of Pentecost, they were similar.
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They had life, they had faith, the Lord Jesus Christ.
There were lack in certain things. They were acting alike because they had divine life within them.
But they were not yet one body.
You take those beads and string them on a thread by means of a needle.
And you put all those 120 beads on that thread.
You have them all joined together by that string.
And you tie it and you have something you didn't have before.
You had individual beads before, but now you have a necklace.
They are all joined together in one necklace.
Like the boards of the Tabernacle?
There was one rod that went all the way through the boards joining the mall together, so it became one wall.
Now the Holy Spirit has joined us all together into one body.
So there on the day of Pentecost, there were 120, all joined together by the Holy Spirit, baptized into one body.
And ever since that day, there's been one body. There is one body.
Oh, you say all of them died. They're not here now. No, they're gone.
But others were saved, and they were joined to the same body by the same Holy Spirit.
Only one baptism of to form the one body, Yes, but now each one believes and is sealed by the Spirit of God, and he in turn is made to drink of this one spirit that we read of here, and he is joined to that one body. So there still is one body.
It wasn't that there was a body there on the day of Pentecost and when they all died, then there was another bodies, no.
The same body.
In the army, they form regiments. A regiment usually has a number and a name.
The regiment may go into battle.
And maybe all of them except one or two are killed.
And perhaps later on, two others are killed and the original number of the regiment are all gone.
Does that wipe out the regiment? No. They recruit others, they bring others in.
It's still the same regiment with the same number name.
Just one regiment.
Just because some die off, that doesn't mean that they change the regiment, the number and the name. There's still 1 regiment.
And so it is now. Dear Saints of God are going home, but others are being saved, and they are brought in.
There is still one body.
I.
Well, what about all of this other membership that we see today? Membership of religious organizations?
As I said before, we don't find it in the Word of God.
And I was very much struck as I was translating this epistle.
About the figure that the Apostle Paul uses in connection with dividing the body of Christ.
In the first chapter of One Corinthians.
He brings this out.
In verse 12 of chapter one of one Corinthians now this I say.
That everyone of you says I'm of Paul, and I of Apollo's, and I have Cephas, and I of Christ.
Four systems, 4 divisions.
Of the body of Christ are brought before us here. Well, the apostle Paul is speaking under your figure because we find that out as we go on.
Over into the 4th chapter he says in verse six. These things, brethren, I have in a figure transferred to myself and to a policy for your sakes, that you might learn in us not to think of men above that which is written, that no one of you be puffed up for one against another.
Well, it's a sad thing that many divisions have come into Christendom because.
The members of the body of Christ, instead of following the Lord, have followed the men.
And we are tested on that very thing today. It is so easy for us to follow this person or that person.
Let us keep our eye on Christ and follow Him.
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And if we don't, we may reap the sad consequences.
Of a divided condition.
And how can we recognize division, all the sad divisions that have come in?
And I see.
The divisions have come because there was not a submission to the Lord Jesus.
A submission to him and his authority in the Assembly.
A decision was made in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ in a certain place.
And there were certain assemblies that dared.
To go counter to that decision wouldn't bow to that decision, or it might have been wrong, could be because the assembly is not infallible, but nevertheless it was made. The decision was made in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, and if there's any thoughts that there might be something wrong with it, that it isn't right.
To whom are we to appeal to the Lord Jesus Christ, who is the head of the Church?
Appealed to him, look to him, not look to some brother.
Look to him.
Look to the Lord to be guided by His Word and what to see what His word says. Whatsoever is bound on earth is bound in heaven.
By 1 Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free, and have been all made to drink of 1 Spirit.
All that we might keep that before us.
Now the apostle develops this a little further.
He says in verse 14 for the body is not one member but many.
The body is not one member, but many.
The tendency of the flesh in us is to desire.
Someone.
To take all the responsibility in the assembly, let's remember this.
The body is not one member, but many.
Every member of the body is responsible.
Are you a member of the body of Christ? You're responsible as a member of the body of Christ.
And the Lord alone knows what your responsibility is. But I believe that the Spirit of God will show you. God by His Spirit will show you what your responsibility is as a member of the body of Christ.
And we have the word of God for.
Example.
The sisters are told in chapter 14 that they are to be silent in the assembly.
That's their responsibility, to be silent, but they have other responsibilities. Much is made of them as an example to the younger women, the older women, to be examples to the younger. Just because you're a sister, that doesn't mean you can evade or avoid your responsibility. You have responsibility, and brothers have responsibility. We read about the elders at Ephesus.
And Paul speaks of them as those.
That the Holy Ghost had made overseers in the assembly.
The Spirit of God had laid upon them this responsibility.
And if we're in tune with the Lord, we'll find out what our responsibility is to the body is not one member, but many. I used to think that.
At least I acted like it when I would stand in the pulpit and conduct the whole morning so-called worship meeting in the denominational church where I was.
Ordained by some of those deacons or elders or whatever they call them.
They laid their hands on my head and gave me a title of Reverend.
But it was all emptiness, like our brother Macmillan used to say about himself. They laid their empty hands on my empty head. But what was that for? To make me important. To make me as though I was the one member that everybody else had to lean on. Oh, what a poor stick to lean on.
There stood and this was after we had come home on furlough. 1935, We've been over in Africa for four years.
And the Lord had already begun to deal with me, to make me understand that the Holy Spirit was not given His place in the churches, that He was set aside.
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I needed to see also that the Lord Jesus was being set aside, but I was standing there behind that pulpit that one Sunday morning.
And it just seemed like a voice from heaven came down to me and said, who are you?
To think that you are to take the whole responsibility here.
What if I should want?
Lead someone by the Spirit to give out a song to start the hymn.
To pray to read a scripture.
Maybe I don't need you at all.
Maybe I want you to sit down.
Well, I believe it was God speaking to me.
The body is not one member, but many.
And I am so thankful to see even young people getting exercised and taking hold.
Now, that doesn't mean that a young person would take liberties and he would just take over all together because he has to remember this too.
That the body is not one member, but many give room for others.
Give room for others. Oh, there's something in us that loves to take over and be the important one. May the Lord give us grace to humble ourselves under His mighty hand.
If the foot shall stay because I'm not the hand, I'm not of the body, is it therefore not of the body? Now why would the foot say anything like that? Well, you know where the foot is. It's way down here, the lowest member.
And because it's not up here like a hand doing all nice, wonderful things. Because.
A hand has been given us by God to be used in special ways.
The foot gets discouraged and says because I'm not the hand, I'm not of the body, I'm useless.
I'm not of the body. Have you ever felt like that in the assembly? I'm useless.
Well, just take the little place, the Lord will use you. Look at the feet. What do they do? They carry the whole burden, don't they?
And you can carry burdens by prey.
Interceding for the dear Saints of God.
And interceding for the loss. Pray for blessing on the gospel. We need burden bearers and all of us need to bear burdens.
We need to have the characteristic of a foot that carries burdens.
If the ears shall say, because I am not the eye, I am not of the body, is it therefore not of the body? Now why should the ear want to?
Be like an eye.
What if God had put the ears in the front and the eyes on the side? Well, God didn't do that because he has a design in making the body. The ears are needed where they are. The eyes are needed where they are.
Each one has its place, each one has its work to do, and of course, the ear cannot do the work of the eye, nor can the eye do the work of the ear. That's just as plain as it can be. Children can understand that. And I was glad for what our brother Reeves said about making it so simple that the children can understand it. And I believe that God by His Spirit has made it simple so children can understand this truth about membership in the body of Christ.
Maybe you'd like to take somebody else's place in the assembly, You see so and so doing this. Oh, I wish I could do that. I could. I wish I had that place. Don't wish it. Be satisfied with the place God has given you. If you can be a good ear, listen for the Lord.
And you know, we're responsible to use our ears to listen to good things.
We've been warned about listening to bad things. We're to turn away from those bad things.
And of course we've been told not to look at bad things either, because there's the lust of the eye that wants to look at all kinds of things, and we get into trouble when we do that.
But in the assembly we can be an ear or we can be an eye. We need eyes in the assembly.
Those who can see what's going on and discern.
And in a sense, we all need to be eyes.
That is, we need to have discernment. But an ear can have discernment too.
Listening to those sounds, I remember when I was listening to the African language, trying to get the language and writing it down word by word, I had to have a keen ear. I wouldn't be able to do that today because my ear is not keen like that anymore. I was thankful for a good ear and the assembly can be thankful for anyone that listens carefully and perhaps sometimes doctrine is put out, teaching is put out that isn't just right.
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And so.
I am thankful for those who have come to me as good ears to correct me at times.
Because we all need correcting sooner or later. Verse 17 If the whole body were an eye, where were the hearing?
Well, that's it.
If the whole body were one member did one thing, where would the rest be?
There would be an unbalanced body, but God has tempered the body together. It's a balanced thing, this unit. If the whole were hearing, where were the smelling?
If you could just hear and couldn't smell, you'd be deficient, wouldn't you? There are some that lose their smelling and they can't smell their smell what they're eating and maybe they should be able to smell it. If it's if it's got a bad smell, he probably wouldn't want to eat it.
But verse 18 says, But now hath God set the members, everyone of them, in the body, as it hath pleased him?
Are you thankful for the place that you have in the body of Christ?
You ought to be because you are just in the place that God wants you to be.
You've been put in the body as it has pleased him.
If there were all one member, where were the body?
No, you couldn't have a body like that, for instance, he says here.
If there were all one member, where were the body?
Well, if there were all an eye, where would the rest be?
But now are there many members yet but one body?
To have just one big eye, you can think of that letter that stands straight up and down as I.
And sometimes it might be true that in an assembly there is one big eye.
That tries to be everything. May God give us grace to leave room for the other members.
Because God has different members that do different things.
Take different responsibilities, and the eye cannot say unto the hand, I have no need of thee.
Just recently.
My son-in-law up in Canada, he had an accident with an electric tester.
And he was testing some electrical device with it and it blew up in his face while his hands were badly burned.
But his face was, and the only reason they could figure was that the hands just flew up to protect the face, to protect the eyes.
You're not wonderful.
Are you a hand that can be used to protect the eye?
You see something coming into the assembly that's going to hurt the assembly and just protects the face, other members of the body. Is that what we're thinking about protecting, having a care for all the members, the members of the body having a care one for another. You go to wash your hands.
And if you have just one hand, how are you going to wash that hand? You need both hands.
And they wash one another.
Oh, we need one another, dear young people. We need one another. As members of the body of Christ, we need one another.
We can't do without one another.
Maybe I'm off by myself, isolated like this hand if it were alone.
And it becomes defiled. It needs help, it needs to be clean, but there's nobody around to help to clean it.
May be a word of exhortation from the scripture, word of help from the Word of God.
Would help if some other one of the other member of the body of Christ would help that one to get cleaned up. All we do need to help one another. We are responsible to one another. The I cannot say unto the hand, I have no need of thee. Everyone sat down to to eat this noon.
And what good would it have been if all I could do was look at the food and I didn't have hands to take it, to put it into my mouth? The eye needs the hand.
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Nor again the head to the feet. I have no need of you.
Now who's the head? The Lord Jesus Christ is the head of the body.
And he can't say even to the lowest member, I don't need you. He needs us. He needs everyone of us.
But sometimes some of us get paralyzed and we're like an arm that's useless, just hang by the side. The connection between the hand and the head has been disturbed, the communication, something has gone wrong with the nerves.
And it's useless, just hanging there. Are we like that? A paralyzed member out of touch with the Lord, out of communication with him?
Let's judge that thing that's hurt, that communication that's disturbed, that connection. Oh, it doesn't mean there's no life there because the arm still has life in it even though it's paralyzed. But the communication, the communion is disturbed. May God give us grace to judge that, that we might go on with the Lord because.
The Lord needs us. Yes, He needs us. He needs you. He needs everyone of us.
He can't do without us. We've been saved to be members of his body and he is head.
As lordship over every one of us, and we all must be in tune with Him.
To find out what He wants us to do. That was the first thing that Saul of Tarsus said when he was converted. Lord, what wilt thou have me to do? And it was brought to him in connection with his wonderful truth, that the members of the body of Christ he was persecuting down here, The Lord was feeling it up there.
And he says, Lord, what wilt thou have me to do right then? And there he came to know the law.
And he got all these wonderful revelations from the Lord himself that we've been reading in his epistles.
1 Peter 1:1-5
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Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ to the strangers scattered throughout quarters Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia and Bathinia.
Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ.
Grace unto you, and peace be multiplied.
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which, according to His abundant mercy, hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.
To an inheritance incorruptible and undefined, and that fadeth not away reserved in heaven for you who are kept by the power of God through faith in the salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.
Wherein you greatly rejoice, though thou, for season, if need be, year in evidence, through manifold temptation.
That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold, that perisheth nor be tried with fire, might be found under praise, and honor, and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ, whom having not seen you love, in whom, though now you see Him not yet believing, he rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory.
Receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your soul.
Of which salvation the prophets have inquired and searched diligently, Who prophesied of the grace that should come unto you, searching want, or what manner of time? The Spirit of Christ, which was in them, that signify, when it testified beforehand, the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow.
Under whom it was revealed, that not unto themselves, but unto 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 to be sober. Hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you with the revelation of Jesus Christ.
As obedient children, not fashioning yourselves according to 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 holy, for I am holy. And if you call on the Father, who without respective persons judgeth according to every man's work, pass the time, if you're so journeying here in fear.
For as much as you know that you were not redeemed with corruptible things as silver and gold from your being 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 the early was foreordained before the foundation of the world? What was manifest in these last times for you?
Who by him to believe in God that raised him up from the dead and gave him glory, that your faith and hope might be in God?
Seeing you purified your souls and obeying the truth through the Spirit onto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that you love one another with a pure heart fervently.
Being born again, not a corruptible seed, but of incorruptible by the word of God, which liveth and abideth forever.
For all flesh is grass, and all the glory of man is the flower grass. The grass withereth, and the flower thereof falleth away, but the word of the Lord endure forever.
This is the word which by the Gospel is preached unto you.
This epistle was written to certain Jews who were scattered in these provinces that are mentioned.
Remnant of Israel.
And Peter himself being a Jew.
He understood the position of the Jewish people.
And also the character of their worship.
And all the things that related to their economy.
But he contrasts here.
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The marvelous blessings and grace, a word which he loves to use. Grace.
With all that went before, which was of a temporary character.
Here we find that which is permanent, unchangeable.
And cannot decay or fade away. And we have the most of the elements of the Christian faith in this portion that we have here brought before us. We have the precious blood, we have the resurrection, we have the blessed hope.
The coming Kingdom.
All these things that are so precious to our souls are brought together here, and although we don't have the the rapture and that line of things that Paul brings before us, still we have the heavenly things.
And the heavenly calling and the heavenly blessings in anticipation of them here that Peter is given to bring before these Jewish people who had professed to believe in the Lord Jesus.
And although it is written to them, it's for us as well.
So that we can benefit by these very, very practical things that have to do with the Christian faith. Think of the precious blood, for instance. Everything depends on that precious blood and the resurrection, all these marvelous truths that our souls rest upon.
We need to meditate on these things and realize the marvelous grace that's been brought to us.
When the Lord Jesus became man.
And die that you and I might be brought into blessing far beyond anything Israel has ever known.
Might be well the coldest 3 apostles.
Or three writers who addressed themselves to the Jews in different characters. Now Paul wrote the Epistle to the Hebrews in which he visualizes the believers really as as God's people, and the warning there is against apostasy, giving up of the truth, and also to guide them outside the camp.
Outside the whole religious system, James writes to the 12 tribes scattered abroad and he's got a mixed company, got a mixture, believers and unbelievers. He says, brethren, when he's speaking to those who are of a nation, that of the 12 tribes, we do not have the same distinctness as we have in Hebrews now, as our brother has pointed out, we have in Peter.
The third address to the Jews, but now it's addressed to those who are scattered abroad Abroad.
And who are really believers? He doesn't just differentiate us. James does. And I believe it was helpful to the notice that Peter, it gives us God's governmental dealings in relation to God's people. What we mean by governmental dealings. Whatsoever man soweth that shall he also reap.
The Peter says we go over to the third chapter.
The.
10th verse. But he that will love life, and see good days, let him refrain his tongue from evil, and his lips that they speak no guile. Now God will hold against us in government, but he forgives us in grace. And so at the end of this book we find that judgment comes upon the House of God. Now in his second epistle.
He is government of God, goes beyond the Church and takes in the world.
And consequently an engine burning fire. I just mentioned this to show how practical Peter is in exhorting us to war in accordance with these truths that God has so graciously revealed to us.
I noticed an expression in this chapter.
In verse 11.
The sufferings of Christ and the glory that should follow.
I believe suffering is mentioned in every chapter in this official.
And it seems that the thought of suffering is connected with the word strangers.
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They were scattered abroad.
And it was difficult for them. They had difficult times, they were suffering.
They were feeling their their rigors of the wilderness journey. They were suffering.
Well, the Lord Jesus has pointed to in the second chapter in connection with that, and of course what we have here in chapter one is the sufferings of Christ.
And so there to be encouraged by this that Christ suffered when he was here walking through this sea. But the glory is to follow. We have another word linked with that word strangers. You have a couplets strangers and pilgrims even as you have suffering and glory and I believe suffering is connected with stranger hood and the Pilgrim characters connected with the glory looking on unto the to the.
Now this is what the Lord had before him. For the joy that was set before him. He endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of God.
Looking forward to the glory, I believe his chief joy was the glory that was before him. Now I know that the other two that he was going to have a bride, the church that's before him as well. But I believe the chief glory was that he was going to sit down and caught his right hand, knowing that he had glorified God in suffering down here. And so we have the word stranger.
Brought before us in verse one and and further on in the epistle. That word stranger is something I believe that God wants us to feel. He wants us to feel our strangerhood down here in this world.
Now everything is being set before us to get us to forget this, that we're strangers here in this sea.
And instead of looking forward up to the glory, we're looking for glory down here, a great display. And I believe the ruin of the church has been back looking for display and glory here, looking for for rainy glory before the time. Well, that's ahead. The glory. Time is to come. Suffering time is now. Reigning time is coming.
So when he addresses them as as strangers, I believe.
He's bringing before them their real character, and that's what we need to feel to our the real character we have here as strangers and that we're in a wilderness and it's a place of suffering. And if we're going to please the Lord, it's going to mean suffering. If we have the glory before us, and that's what we're thinking about, it's going to mean suffering here.
Kept his strangership, did he not? He walked in separation. But what lost his strangest ship? Have he ever really had that character? When he went down and and mixed in with Sodom, he may have vexed his righteous soul, he may have had some conscience there, but he lost the strangership. And once we lose the strangership, we lose what is involved in the Pilgrim. A stranger is one that's away from home.
Pilgrim is one of those journeying home. So we need both of those characters. That's why I remember years ago when we used to be a father among us, John James Penfield. And he was quoting that verse at first, Peter 211 like this. He said we're pilgrims and strangers. And his wife said to him, but that isn't what it says. It says strangers and pilgrims. He told us himself, you know, he said the strangest ship comes first.
And then we'll be Pilgrim in our character. We'll be looking on the subway.
Consciousness of our.
Of our portion and position.
In the heavens with Christ.
Would naturally make us a stranger here, would it not That is, if we're in the enjoyment of that and then our object is in the heavens, it's Christ And so this is what makes us a stranger It isn't that we try to be a stranger, that we try to put ourselves in a position where we're.
Trying to conform to certain ordinances or something.
But it's the object of the heart and the one who is in the heavens, as Peter brings before us so much here, that gives us a sense of strangership and being a Pilgrim here. Now the word government was used.
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And I wonder if we are all clear as to the difference between God's judicial dealings with the soul, That is the question of the destiny of the soul and the question of His government. I mentioned it because it's in this chapter.
There is a great deal of difference in the two.
That is, we find that we've been born of God, of incorruptible seed. We get that in the.
In the 3rd 23rd verse of our chapter.
Now this has to do with the work of God in the soul and once one has been born of God, there are destiny is secure. They're trusting in that precious blood that's mentioned in the earlier verse, the 19 first.
Believing.
Having eternal life, simply believing.
But then the government of God comes in, but it's really connected with the Father.
You get that in the 17th verse if you call on the Father. So when you think of the government.
You think of the father with his children.
Now when it's judgment.
I don't think judgment is spoken of in connection with God exactly. It's really the Son of Man who's going to carry out the judgment.
We find in the 5th chapter of John's Gospel that all judgments committed to the Son.
But the governmental dealings of God with his children down here.
Has to do between our souls and the Father. We must remember that if you call on the Father.
So that's the daily exercise of our soul. We pass through this world as pilgrims.
There's always that which needs to be corrected. There's that which exercises us. And the father sees to it that the government goes on in the among his children. We'll come to that later in the chapter, but I thought I'd mention it because that word government is brought out and with some it might just bring a cloud over this chapter thinking that.
We have to.
To the mark, or we won't be saved. But that's not true. One is saved through the precious blood of Christ.
One is saved through that work that the Spirit of God has done in.
We're born again of incorruptible sea and this cannot be changed. We belong to God.
Be a very, very difficult and irksome thing, would it not, for us to try to become strangers and try to act like strangers? As we have been reminded, it is really because our affections are elsewhere that we are. We are creatures here.
You know if a man is far from home and far from loved ones in a foreign land.
He may find several things very, very different. He will find the language different. He will find the full difference. He will find the customs and the appearance of the people around him difference. But these are not the real things that make that man a stranger. He can get used to the food, he can learn the language, he can adopt the customs. But if his heart is.
Always a stranger. Anyone who has experienced it knows very well that you don't need anyone to tap you on the shoulder once in a while and say don't forget you're only a stranger here. I tell you he's well aware of it because his affections are elsewhere and there is a danger of our becoming accustomed to.
That which exists around us.
Perhaps adopting the language of the world, I hope not. Perhaps adopting the food of this world, I hope not. Perhaps the customs and the appearance of this world. But if that is so, it's because our affection are absurd, as they ought to be. And the stranger in reality is one.
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Whose affections are elsewhere?
On the 12Th of Luke gives us the motive, does he not? He says.
For me a treasure is there will your heart be also and will immediately follows is coming. He says before us the we find if we have our treasure in heaven, what will we want? We want to be up there with the treasure. And so he brings in his coming there and that's the 12Th of Lucas very beautifully put there.
We can sit and talk about the Lord Jesus Christ. We can sit and talk about the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ. But that word treasure.
By the Spirit of God, it touches our heart.
Is he our treasure?
I am afraid very often.
We're doing a lot of talking about the Lord.
And those who hear us or see us.
Don't they are not made to realize that He is our treasure? Is He really our treasure? Does He really mean something to us?
If you had an ounce of gold, in a certain sense that would be a treasure, and perhaps you'd be telling everybody about it. But there would be a certain light in your countenance too, certain actions that would show that you really valued that ounce of gold. But what about the Lord Jesus Christ? We have him.
In our hearts we have him as our treasurer up there in the glory.
And I believe we need to be exercised about how much the Lord Jesus really means to us. The apostle Paul said. For to me to live is Christ.
For to me, to live is Christ.
And the enemy of our souls and the flesh in US and the world around us would try to put all kinds of substitutes in place of Christ.
For to me to live is what? Oh, that's a searching thing, isn't it? For to me, to live is what is it really now?
That's where we can judge ourselves at the end of that sentence or to me to live is may the Lord give me the grace to say he is Christ and to really mean it in my heart. Well, how does Christ become precious to us, living with him, talking with him, being in his presence. That's how you learn to know him better.
How do you learn to know your friends? Being with them?
And the more you are with your friends, the more you want to be with them. Well, if we are with the Lord Jesus, we learn to know him better. And we want more of Christ. We want to know Him more and better. It's not that we don't know him. Of course we know him if we're saved. But the thought is to know Him better. That's what Paul had before him. Is Christ really our treasure?
You never knew that he was elected according to the foreknowledge of God, that he.
He he knew that there was a Canaan and that God was leading him to Canaan and finally they came to Canaan. But we find in their whole history.
Even salvation or any part of it was still a question in their minds, except God did deliver them from time to time in their circumstances.
So we see the tremendous contrast with the portion of the Christian here to that of Israel as a nation or of an individual Jew even because I believe we do have much that is individual here for the believer as well. And so that.
The believer is elect.
But Israel didn't know anything about the foreknowledge of God.
Here we have that which God knew all about and purpose.
Elect according to the foreknowledge of God. Now this was true of the Jew to whom he's writing, those who are saved. They were elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father.
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Now he brings the Father in here, and that's Christianity.
Christianity was not known. The Father was not known in the Old Testament.
But He brings the Father in here, and He also brings in the Spirit. Now it is true that there were certain ones like.
Samson and and Jeptha and many others who the Spirit of God came upon them and they were used mightily in deliverance for Israel. But that's not what we have here. We have one who is.
It says elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father.
Through sanctification of the Spirit that is being set apart for God by the Spirit. What tremendous truth we have here.
Unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ.
Now we find that the Lord Jesus Himself.
All was obeyed always.
Now that's the kind of a life that's given the believer. The old man never obeys, but he does have a new life that loves to obey.
But it's all based upon that precious blood and the sprinkling of that blood that has set us apart for God.
And it's the precious blood in that alone that brings us into blessing.
The blood of Jesus Christ and Peter makes much of it later in this chapter.
Three things are very, very interesting compared, as you say, with the position that the Jew had previously known. He had known God only as Jehovah. That was his relationship, but now it says through.
Foreknowledge of God the Father. He had also known, had He not a separation.
But it was a separation formed by the boundaries of the Law, so that Israel was a separated people, but by no means could it be said of them sanctification of the Spirit. And also there was an obedience that the Jew was aware of the obedience and joined by the Law. And this he knew something about, although he didn't have the nature that delighted in it.
But to me it's a very, very beautiful contrast. As you have been remarking in all those three areas, they had no job as Jehovah now.
Foreknowledge of God the Father, they had known a separation by the law that separated them from the other nations of the earth. Now sanctification of the Spirit they have known also, and obedience again through the law.
But do nothing of the obedience of Christ, and the new position with the whole darkness, the whole Trinity in it, is such a beautiful contrast in this country.
Say that in Isaiah, in Isaiah 45, Israel was looked at as the elect nation, their elect as a nation. But what makes this so precious with us is that this election here and that with God's sovereignty and eternity that this applies to each individual that you and I realize the marvelous fact that.
That our names were named back in eternity.
When we did four no, we read in the also in Romans 8. So here is a contrast Peter justice all the way through. He contrasts the Jewish position in the Old Testament with what they had is a better thing in Christianity elect now election here.
According to the foreknowledge of God, the Father carries us back into eternity. Now when it comes to the sanctification of the Spirit, that brings us into time, when the Christ that shed his blood and the Spirit was given, and the Spirit separated us to bring us to the leaning upon the blood of Christ. Now with Israel, obedience and the blood went together in this way when Moses enjoined obedience on all the people.
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He sprinkled not only the book with the blood, but he sprinkled the people with the blood. What did that mean?
That man, if you don't obey your subject of death, but Peter brings in this marvelous.
Fact that the obedience of Christ and the strengthening of the God of Jesus Christ, which instead of bringing in death to us, shows the brothers already remarked the foundation on which our salvation rests. At the same time, I believe it's a marvelous fact that God chose me in Christ before the foundation of the world.
I know sometimes this thought of foreknowledge.
Is just presented this way. This foreknowledge tells us that God knew who would believe on him. But that isn't the point at all. It's a matter of persons here for knowing those persons.
Perhaps we might think of a quarry man going down into the quarry.
And he puts a mark on certain stones there before they're ever cut out, and he knows those stones.
And so because he knows that stone there, he knows there's a stone there, and he knows it as belonging to him, so he puts a mark on it.
After that, the quarrymen go down there and they cut that stone out, and then they bring it up and put it into place. But all of this other knowing it and the putting a mark on it comes before then the work of grace comes afterward.
To choose those who the people say would turn out well. He did not have a choice. God did not have a choice, and he had to choose certain persons because they were going to turn out all right. I've often used this simple homely illustration. If I go to a supermarket and I want to pick out some fruit, I say there's some Peaches on the counter. My choice is influence. I'm not going to take the bad ones.
I'm going to pick those that are almost right, perhaps.
But when God went to choose, the whole thing was decayed. It wasn't one good one there and yet in sovereign grace he chose and so God stopped. God's grace and His love are sovereign and that they are not acted upon by any influence God chose. And I believe that's important to see that now we have grace here and and peace be multiplied.
Peter makes much of this grace, in fact.
He speaks of God is the God of all grace in his last epistle.
It's rather interesting to notice in the life of Peter.
The changes that take place.
If you trace Peter in the Gospel of Luke, you would see a number of changes that take place while the Lord was here and Peter was walking with the Lord.
Those 3 1/2 years.
But then we see the tremendous change in the day of Pentecost when Peter can stand up and speak to the Jewish people and say him, have you crucified?
Completely separates himself from the nation, and he takes that position altogether wholly with the Lord. Not like before. He identified himself with the crowd before, but there's a change takes place. But now we find in these two epistles, even in his own ministry.
Like John the Baptist, you know.
John the Baptist was the forerunner of Christ, but when he he stood and looked at Jesus as he walked and explained, Behold the Lamb of God his disciples, and turn and follow Jesus.
So with Peter here in his second epistle, he doesn't say Peter an apostle, he says Simon.
Uh, Peter, a servant and an apostle.
It shows that even in his own ministry there is that growth and always taking a lower and a lower place and exalting the Lord Himself.
More and more in this ministry and and then on the subject of grace. As you read his ministry, you find that he speaks more and more of grace.
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Until he ends with God, the God of all grace. But here we have that which is usually accompanies.
An epistle at least.
Oftentimes companies of pistol, usually to the assembly.
Grace.
Unto you, and peace be multiplied. Probably is more individual here, however.
But peace multiplied. One could never have peace unless it was through the blood of Christ.
But Peter wants it to be multiplied and so.
He tells us later how it's multiplied. It's through the knowledge.
Of our Lord Jesus Christ.
It's not through anything that's developed within us, it's through an object.
That enables that peace to be multiplied in our souls. Grace too, because what we need in the path of faith is great.
Every believer has a new life.
But enabled to be unable to walk in that new life, there has to be grace.
And so Peter speaks of this here. Grace unto you with the Jew. It is a question of all the Lord has spoken. We will do, but not here. It's great if we've been called to the obedience of Jesus Christ. He never moved without a word from the Father, and that's why we have this book.
This is the path we're to walk in, and it takes grace and we receive grace on our knees.
All I'm saying to take the place of a child of God and then refuse to be obedient. Now sometimes this happens. There are certain things in the Word of God that we don't want to obey.
But this tells us that we've been set apart.
To obedience on the same principle as the Lord Jesus Christ.
The Lord Jesus Christ did always those things that pleased the Father.
That was that divine life in him.
We come to the third person that speaks of being begotten again.
That is, we have a new life, a divine life imparted to us by God Himself.
And that new life that is imparted to us.
Is as much desires of being obedient in us as it was in the Lord Jesus Christ.
Were set apart to the same principle of obedience as the Lord Jesus was.
And the Lord Jesus always obeyed.
How about us?
We have a new light, a new nature that wants to obey God.
And we need to ask the Lord for this grace we've been hearing about.
That we might be obedient.
Surely this must be why this comes in afterward, because usually you find.
Grace brought in before.
Any exhortation or any truth like this or anything that brings before his responsibility.
His grace afterward. God knows we need grace and these days to be obedient.
And let us look at the Lord Jesus Christ and his obedience.
Make any difference what he had to face, he was obedient.
We need to ask God for grace that we might be obedient to. Very happy and very easy as it comes to obey someone who understands you perfectly and loves you thoroughly. Very, very difficult to be obedient to someone who doesn't understand June is just trying to get as much as they can out of you thing under that circumstance.
But just think of what we have been Speaking of. Obedience to our will.
That comes from one who is perfect in understanding and perfect in love, as we get in Romans 12, that He may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God. And I don't speak for myself, but I can only say I'm sure.
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That anyone who has ever walked in that path of obedience.
Would surely subscribe to the truth of that it's good and acceptable and perfect.
Lord Jesus in the gospel of John speaks of in the world he shall have tribulation, but in me peace. Now when you think of the pathway of the Lord himself.
We often sing at him uncheered by human smile, led only to the cross or words of that effect. We think of him being pushed to the brow of the hill to be cast over that because of the gracious words he uttered and all the other things that happened to the Lord and that.
But he was never disturbed. He was never disturbed because he always glorified the Father in it. Now we're called upon. If we're strangers scattered abroad, we are faced with difficulties, we are faced with exercises of soul. And how do we face them?
Yeah, we've already been reminded that we faced them and taught me with the Lord Jesus that peace that he said He was giving and leaving with us. That will be what will characterize us in our difficulties. Now, peace with God is another thing, and that rests on the finished work of Christ on the blood.
But peace in the pathway rests upon communion, walking with the Lord and walking in the same path that He walked in. So I believe that Peter brings that in here. The grace is needed, but peace was needed too in their circumstances as they went on to a hostile world. I thought perhaps that I want to be corrected if they thought it's not right.
I thought perhaps the Lord Himself may have been referring to this in the 20th of John, where he says to them, Peace be unto you.
And shows them his hand and his hands and his side. He had made that double promise in the 14th chapter. Peace finally with you. My peace I give unto you. So I look upon that Pearson side as being the basis of peace with God. I know my guilt is gone because from that fierce inside their clothes, that precious.
But he showed them his half. What does that have to do with peace?
Well, I just think of it like this Hebrews one says the heavens are the worker by hand. There is the evidence of a majesty and the wisdom of A and a power that is ought to be utterly beyond us, but that his cycles had also seen those hands.
Stretched out in deeds of kindness and thoughtfulness and love. To touch a poor leper that he might be flat to touch blind eyes that they might be over to break the lows. That the hungry might be fed. To be laid in thoughtful and tender love upon my heads up the little children. To reach out and rescue Peter when he began to sink. Oh, how actively.
Those hands had been displayed.
Caring for those disciples now he's about to leave that he shows them those hands and they see the nail mark and the last sight they've had of the Lord Jesus was with those very hands uplifted. I quite picture them still uplifted as he disappeared behind that cloud. No beloved, what peace it would give to us if.
Amid the problems and difficulties of life looked up at you, there is a real man up there in the glory.
Who has been all the way through this journey and right now His hands are uplifted for us in an understanding and faithful and sympathetic love. Is there some thought there in those hands that would give us this kind of peace to be popped off? Is the person He is our peace?
And even though we may be in such a state that we're tired and depressed.
Just the thought of his person alone is sufficient. Everything rests in Christ. We have no blessings except in Christ.
He is our peace. We can see so in this third verse.
The contrast with Israel, they had had an earthly hope as a nation.
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And through sin they had to file the land, and as a nation they had lost it. Now Peter is writing to believers among the Jews, and he says he has begotten us again.
Unto a living hope the nation lost what they were called to, because they failed in obedience. Now Peter brings in that which rests upon grace. So he says that blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Which according it was a fondant mercy of the godness again unto a living hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. I believe that this verse find what our brother London said earlier, gives us compressed in this verse the full outline of Christianity.
There's the relationship of the Father that's based on the person of the Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, and we have the resurrection.
Lord Jesus Christ, these are connected with Christianity and so we pray to the Father. We do not put them at a distance. So it's blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, but he's also our Father through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.
Third verse Brothers, 13.
We know that this was written by divine inspiration, and yet can we not sense the soul of this beloved servant of God coming out in this language? Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Paul uses the very same words in Ephesians one and I. I feel humbled when I read it because I am sure that we often sit and.
Read these wonderful things that listen to.
Outline of our heritage. I wonder if we ever feel like bursting out as Peter did. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. He's not really expounding something there. He's just enjoying on this page what it meant to his own soul.
I feel quite searched as I read it. Do I feel like this when I read it? Even as Peter felt when he wrote? This gives him his full title, doesn't it? Name and title.
Which is important, isn't it? And especially as Christianity has the privilege of giving God, that is, when we address him in prayer, giving him his full name and title.
It's proper, is it not?
According to his abundant mercy.
Leaders is one who has realized this personally, has he not?
He has realized personally that God is the God of mercy because.
If you trace this pathway in the Acts, you'll see that even the gates of the prison were open for him, perhaps more than once.
And all these various things that came into his life.
And even the time when he denied that he ever knew the Lord, and yet he was the one that was going to be more faithful than the others, he was never going to deny him. But when he learns his own condition and weakness, then he realizes the marvelous mercy of God personally.
And he uses it here. I'm sure it's inspiration, but he uses it here. And I believe those who wrote in the New Testament were conscious of what they were writing. They were experiencing it in measure at least.
Really, mercy was to him. It has to do, does it not? Greatly with our circumstances here, as well as the fact that it's mercy that saved us.
But he does bring in salvation in three different ways in this epistle, as we will notice later.
So that it's the mercy of God that he's so taken up with.
Grace too, of course, and here it's the abundant mercy.
Which hath begotten us again unto a living hope.
Now he takes up that subject of new birth later.
But it's really the thought of it isn't simply being born again, it's born anew. It's from an entirely new starting point. That's really what new birth in Scripture means. It doesn't simply mean again as as it's used.
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At times, but it means really to be born anew. That is a complete new start.
And I believe this is important to notice. There may be some here who have grown up.
In a Christian home, but have never been born anew.
They know the language of Christianity, but they have never had that experience.
Of knowing that they are now a child of God through faith in Christ Jesus as trusting in that precious blood.
Being born anew.
But Peter addresses these as having had this.
Experience and blessing hath begotten us again unto a living.
Our lively hope.
But as by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, that is, that completes the work.
You get that in the last verse or two of Romans 4.
Delivered for our transgressions.
Perhaps a better rate. Read it Romans the 4th chapter.
Delivered for our offenses and was raised again for our justification.
So we have the whole picture in that verse, do we not? In a way that brings in the resurrection, which is very important to see in connection with salvation.
It's Christ who has gone on high and we don't have the Spirit mentioned as coming down.
Indwelling the believer until Christ has gone on high.
He's up there and he's the one who sent the Spirit down to indwell the believer. It's brought in here because of that word dead. There is such a condition today of the unbelievers dead in trespasses and sin.
But here it speaks of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Raised from among the dead. Now this was different than in Judaism. In Judaism they only knew a general resurrection at the last day, as Mary said.
Resurrection of the last day. But here is something else. This is a resurrection from among the dead.
And now being associated with the Lord Jesus Christ, that's the kind of a resurrection.
That we anticipate should we die and.
Our spirit go to be with Christ. There would be a resurrection.
But would all the dead be raised at that resurrection? No, just those who belong to Christ. They that are Christ that is coming.
They're the ones that will be raised, those who've been associated with the Lord Jesus Christ through faith in him. They're the ones who are going to be raised from among the dead. It's an out from among the dead resurrection. I believe that's the way the apostle Paul used it, uses it in Philippians. That's a special resurrection. And this was a new thing to these Israelites, surely.
And out from among the dead. Resurrection. What's he talking about?
While we understand it, at least in a measure, the Lord has given us to see it. Why, it's a wonderful thing that there's going to be that kind of a resurrection up from among the dead, and all those who've died in their sins will be left, left behind, and they won't come forth until at the judgment seat, that is, when the Lord sits on the great white throne of judgment.
And the dead, small and great, we read of in Revelation, come, and they stand before that throne, and they're judged there.
And they're cast into the lake of fire. That's the resurrection of the unjust, but the resurrection up from among the dead, that's the resurrection of the just. So there are two resurrections, the resurrection of the just and the resurrection of the unjust, but separated by approximately 1000 years or a little more.
We praise God, belong to that first resurrection, and we are in the same category. We might use that expression as the Lord Jesus Christ because we are associated with Him. He arose from among the dead and will be raised from among the dead too.
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In connection with the resurrection, it was God's glory. God's glory was at stake if Christ remained in the grave. Why? Because on the cross, Christ fully did the work that met all of God's holy claims.
If God had allowed Christ to remain in the grave would be saying the work of the cross was not complete, but when he raised him from the dead, he was saying the work of the cross was complete. So I mentioned this to show that the resurrection forms no part of the atonement. It's God's guarantee that the atonement was fully done on the cross, and so he was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father.
Can I call attention to one of the four? We could go back to Romans 4.
Where's the brother referred to elected Notice something in connection with Romans five. I've enjoyed this. It shows what a marvelous plan God has unfolded to us in that 25th verse. He was delivered to our offenses and was raised again for or on account of our justification. That is the word. There is not a virtue of the of it, but because of it.
Now in the 5th chapter in the in the ninth verse.
Much more than being now justified by his blood means in virtue of his blood, that's what actually justifies us. The resurrection is God's acknowledgement of the work of Christ. And by God doing that, he said he's showing that our sins are gone and gone forever. And I believe that's a marvelous thing to get hold of that. The resurrection of Christ is God giving us a receipt telling us the debt was paid.
And paid fully. I like to think too, that we can even go back to Romans 3 and read being justified freely by His grace through the redemption, that it is Christ Jesus as much as to say, if we go all the way back to the origin of the whole thing, we'll find it was the grace that was in the heart of God toward us.
With all the grace of God's own hearts that never justify a guilty Sinner, it took this precious blood.
Resurrection brings in a new character of life, and that's connected with the hope mentioned in the verse.
It's the very life that we see in Christ, not now as a man down here.
But one who is seated in the heavenlies of God's right hand.
And so Peter, Speaking of heavenly things.
Our thoughts are usually connected with Earth.
Histories and so on. But here we have heavenly things that he's bringing before us.
And resurrection, which of course would suggest something entirely new.
And that's what we have here.
That's that's what the hope is about.
Not better circumstances in this world.
No.
It's something entirely new, just like the life is new, and we learn later in the chapter that the character of it is incorruptible, unfading.
Can never change.
It all is of the character that God himself intended it to be.
Permanent character and as we learn elsewhere that.
It's the very same joy that he enjoys, that he wants us to enjoy.
And that a tremendous thought.
That he could have said to us, well, now we're going to, we're going to give you a portion somewhere and you'll be happy forever. No, that's not the heart of God.
He's going to have us with himself. He's going to have us like Christ.
He's going to have us before him because he wants us there.
So we have that blessed hope, the person of Christ. It isn't the hope, simply that there's an inheritance on high. That's all very true.
But that's not the central thing, it's the person. And so we got here in the 4th.
1St we have incorruptible, they have undefiled and faded not away. Might have the forcing reserved. Now these three things were the very things that failed in connection with Israel, because God told them that you've been you've defiled my inheritance. They defiled this inheritance. They brought in idolatry and all kinds of iniquity that they borrowed from the heathen.
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Inheritance they got was corrupted and it was defiled and it certainly faded away constantly. In the book of Judges you have one invasion after another, God wanting them and so on all the way through until Nebuchadnezzar comes and takes away the nation as such and the inheritance fades away and.
Now we find that our inheritance is reserved and it is incorruptible. It's undefiled. That is, it partakes the very character of God himself, God's holiness. If God has the people around himself, He must have them in keeping with His own nature. So in Ephesians one that they should be holy and without blame before Him in love brings out three things in connection with God's nature there.
And so we see that this is brought in here. In principle, the inheritance is incorruptible and it's undefiled and the fate is not away and it's reserved.
In verse 18, it speaks of something that is corruptible.
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.
And incorruptible Christ has been paid.
And show everything connected with that that has been paid for is incorruptible, including the inheritance. It's incorruptible. How wonderful to be on the ground of grace redeemed by the precious blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. And that's why it's sure in heaven, because it's been redeemed the price the precious blood of Christ has been paid for.
And it can't fade away. It can't be defiled. It's there's no chance that we'll get there. And they'll say, well, I can't find your reservation. We sometimes have that experience when we go to a place where we've made a reservation in a motel and they said, I can't find the reservation.
That won't be the case. When we get to glory, we'll find that it's all true. It's all on solid ground.
Speaking what an important thing we anticipate a moment verse 23 there we have an incorruptible nature brought in. Now you and I need an incorruptible nature to enjoy an incorruptible inheritance. I might put it this way. I need two things to really enjoy heaven. First of all, my conscience has to be.
Clear before God, that's through the precious blood of Christ. But if I go to heaven with a corruptible nature.
Why? I look for the nearest exit Because there's nothing there that will appeal to me. I won't want anything that's there. But now I have an interruptible nature and I love everything in the place. And our our loins will not be girded there. We can let our affections go out to everything that's there. Isn't that marvelous? What an anticipation.
Of quote two, brethren, that it is preserved for you, not by you.
Look at Israel, why did they forfeit everything? Because it depended on their faithfulness, but here it is preserved for us, God Himself. The Lord Jesus has wanted for us, and God Himself will preserve it for us. And we have that in the next verse, that we are preserved for the inheritance. How beautiful to see that difference.
Our brother spoke confirmed reservations.
It makes you think of Revelation 5, where John describes what he is seeing there. I saw 4 and 20 seats, and on the seats 4 and 20 elders. We become accustomed to reading it, but when we stop and think, that's very remarkable, is it not, If you enter the room and saw 24 people seated there?
You wouldn't come back out and say I saw 24 chairs in there.
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And 24 people sitting on them. You certainly wouldn't mention a seat before you mentioned the people, but John says 4 and 20 feet and on the seats 4 and 20 elders. It's all ready, it's all reserved. And the number is repeated. In other words, nobody is looking around for a seat and can't find one. And there are no vacant seat either. The number corresponds perfectly.
Oh, what a wonderful a sure to Sir, we have.
Blessed and blood shall not inherit the Kingdom of God.
Now the flesh, we have the flesh.
An evil principle in us, but it's the dwelling place of sin. But it won't be in this new order of things.
So that everything there will be of a character that cannot be defiled, and it is reserved and preserved for us. But then in the next verse we find that we are preserved.
It says.
Are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation, ready to be revealed in the last time.
Now the believer is kept. It's true. We are kept in many ways physically as we pass through this world.
Were kept on the highways, were kept in our circumstances every day. But I believe this verse goes further than that and it has to do with.
A moral things it has to do with the.
The subject that we've just had before us in connection with the.
Second verse.
Being set apart by the Spirit unto obedience.
Sprinkling of the blood of Christ, the consciousness in our souls that we have been bought with that precious blood.
And also as we look at the Lord Jesus and we think of his constant obedience to the Father.
The Spirit of God impresses upon us, on our souls, these very things, and by this we are preserved as we go on through this world.
Not only in our circumstances.
But we are preserved, as it says.
Kept by the power of God through faith, through faith. And then he mentioned salvation, but it's the last aspect of salvation. He asked to say about other salvation here, but this is the last aspect of it. This is the day that's coming when everything will be complete and we're going to be preserved until that day.
When the Lord Jesus comes and takes us home.
Later on, he speaks of a salvation that we have now and also the salvation passing through this world.
But here he takes us on to the end and he shows us that we are being preserved. The inheritance is preserved for us. We are being preserved or kept for it.
And through faith, by the power of God, through faith unto salvation, ready to be revealed in the last time.
This is really the Father ready to be revealed. I'd like to ask a question. I know we occasionally hear the suggestion that the Lord Jesus is now preparing.
Heaven for us. And that when that preparation is finished, then He'll come and call home. I'm sure we realize that such is not the case. I believe the moment he entered that glory as a man.
All was ready for our presence there. Is that something of the thought here, ready to be revealed?
That is that the Lord Jesus had entered that home as man and nothing further needs to be done. It is long-suffering and wait is that the Son is ready to be revealed.
Fully particularly to the to the rapture when the the Lord will come. In fact, in Philippians I enjoyed the thought. I'm sure we all have in Philippians. We are waiting for the Savior from heaven, the Savior. Well, I've already been saved with their salvation in that chapter because he's going to change my body of humiliation and passionate like under his own body of glory.
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In Philippians 3, he comes as the savior.
He's going to change the body and so that that will be revealed, that will be fully brought out. Perhaps this may even go beyond. I'd like to know if there's anything further on it that it would also carry on to the to the time when the Lord will come out of heaven with his flaming, with the flaming fire with his holy angels and the Saints of God are going to be revealed to the world in that new body.
And Christ is going to be admired in that. So I believe it has a far reaching effect.
There isn't that, yeah.
I think is very applicant.
I suppose the word revealed.
Is a display or an opening up?
And uncovering it's something like.
On a stage, the curtain is drawn and the stage is all set, and then the curtain is raised and there it all is. Well, that's the way it is in the glory. It's all there. Everything is there just like God wants it, and the Lord Jesus Christ the center of that whole scene of glory, and it's all going to be unveiled to us in that day.
Oh, what a what a thrill that will be for us to see that we just have no idea what it's going to be like. We have such a very limited idea of these things that pertain to glory as the Apostle Peter. Speaking of it, glory, what is it?
Well, it's a display of the Lord Jesus Christ Himself, and we can't imagine what that's going to be like. We can read from Scripture and get some thought that the Spirit of God gives us, but how little we enter into it.
The Book of Revelation, of course, we have the word revealed, bringing something out in some translations. I refer particularly to the the Latin Vulgate, which is used by the Roman Catholic Church.
The book is called The Apocalypse. You look up the word Apocalypse and it means the rolling back of the veil. In fact, the Revelation does it. The veil is rolled back and we're able to look in and see how God is going to bring the glories of Christ to the attention of the whole world. Powers open up in this verse.
The power of God we know to be.
Kept by the power of God through faith.
Is found in the Spirit of God, who dwells in every believer.
Now God is the source of all the blessing, but the Spirit is the power of that life.
And so it's the operation of the Spirit of God in the believer.
Who occupies us with Christ and the inheritance?
Unless, of course, our wills go to work, then he will have to occupy us with our ways until they are corrected.
But it's the power of God here through faith. That is, it's the Spirit of God in operation.
In the believer continually.
He dwells within us. It is a solemn thought. He dwells there, and that is the operation of the Spirit, is the power of God, but it's through faith, and so it's the exercise of soul.
In our case, as we are occupied with Christ and his obedience.
And all the work that has been accomplished for us.
Would now keep us in the path.
Were kept by the power of God.
Before that day and the blessing of that day is found in and with Christ kept here I see in the margin has guarded.
The Spirit of God, we might say, guarding us. You get a bad conscience about something, Who's giving you the bad conscience? The Spirit of God is at work to convict. Grieve not the Spirit of God. We're by your shield unto the day of redemption. The Spirit of God can be grieved and he makes us feel it, and we should be sensitive to that. And I believe if we're living in communion with the Lord, judging ourselves.
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We will feel this, and the Spirit of God is that powerful.
To keep us, to guard us, although God doesn't want us to go into bypass and strange paths and wrong paths, and the Spirit of God is there to guard us. Remember, we have the Spirit of God dwelling in our hearts and wherever we go, whatever step we take, the Holy Spirit is there.
And he'll tell us he'll be guarding us to keep us from keep our feet from going the wrong direction. Well, we need to realize this, that we have the Spirit of God in our hearts and that we're enjoying not to grieve the Spirit of God whereby we're sealed unto the day of redemption.
1 Peter 1:6-8
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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.
1 Peter 1:9-14
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First, Peter chapter one, verse 9. Receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls, of which salvation the prophets have inquired and searched diligently. The prophesied of the grace that should come unto you, searching what or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them, that signify, when it testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ.
That should follow, and whom it was revealed, that not unto themselves, but unto 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 set down from heaven, which things the angels desire to look into.
Therefore, gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and 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 holy in all manner of conversation.
Because it is written, Be ye holy, for I am holy.
And if you call on the Father, who, without respect of persons, judges according to every man's work past the time of your sojourning 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 the early was for ordained before the foundation of the world, But it was manifest in these last times for you, who by him to believe in God, that raised him up from the dead, and gave him glory, that your faith and hope might be in God.
Seeing ye have purified your souls, and obeying the truth through the Spirit, unto unfeigned love of the brethren.
See that you love one another with a pure heart, fervently.
Being born again, not of corruptible seeds, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth forever. For all flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man is the flower of grass. The grass Withers, and the flower there fulleth away, but the Word of the Lord endureth forever. And this is the word which by the gospel is preached unto you. I think it'd be helpful for us to realize.
The difference in the actions and functions of the Holy Spirit in the Old Testament. And now in the Old Testament there was no such thing as the Holy Spirit being sent down from heaven and virtue of an accomplished redemption. So we do not have in the Old Testament Saints, even Saints indwelt by the Spirit.
Moved by the spirit, yes. And in some cases in the Old Testament the spirit comes upon ungodly man.
Balaam, the Spirit of God came upon him in the 24th of Numbers. The Spirit came upon Saul, and so David, but his son of confession desired that the Spirit be not taken from him. Now we couldn't pray that in the New Testament, because we are sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise until the day of redemption, we cannot lose the Holy Spirit and now.
God does not give the Holy Spirit in any way or shape or form to unconverted people.
Let me give one question, Scripture. Let's all turn to it. John 7 gives us this thought. John 7.
Verse 37.
In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood in pride, saying, If any man thirst that have come unto me and drink, he that believeth on me, as the Scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water. But this fakie of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive, or the Holy Ghost, was not yet given, because the Jesus was not yet glorified.
So now we're faced with A2 marvelous facts in Christianity.
We're faced with the fact that there's a man in the glory and the consequence of that man being in the glory. The Holy Ghost has come down on earth and indwells individual believers and as we know as as a brother called our attention to the other day formed the church. I mentioned this because it will come into consideration in the verses that we have here the difference between Old Testament revelation and New Testament revelation.
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I heard this thought expressed and my comments on it in connection with David expression in his confession. Take not by Holy Spirit from the that the thought was taken off the Spirit of thy holiness from me.
In other words, the fear was, I have committed sin, and there is a danger that I might become accustomed to this and not look with abhorrence upon that sin. And the desire of his heart was perhaps at least as I see it, and I want to be corrected if it's otherwise not that.
I have the Holy Spirit and I don't want it to be taken away from me.
But rather, I have sinned against one who is holy, that I don't want the spirit of holiness to be taken from me. I want always to be aware of that which in my life would be suited to one who is holy. And truth is that something of a thought finds the two thoughts, because God said He would not take His mercy from David.
As he did from Saul, because the Spirit was taken from Saul.
Now, when David says take not the Spirit by spirit of holiness, he's associating with what you said. He's connecting the Holy Spirit with the question of the of the fact he had been unholy. But I really believe as an Old Testament St. He was not sealed with the Spirit and he knew that God had taken the Spirit from Saul and he didn't want that to happen to him. But he calls it the Spirit. It's not the Holy Spirit as a brother called attention, it's the Spirit.
Holiness, because that's what David had violated so grossly.
It is well for us to be reminded that.
The godly remnant of the future.
Is anticipated.
In most all of the songs, I'd like to repeat that.
The future godly remnant is really anticipate.
And the song?
Now notice in this 51St Psalm, I do believe that our brother Albert gave a right thought.
Reimbursed.
10 to 51St Psalm create in the a clean heart.
Now that desire comes from a godly quickened soul.
From an Old Testament.
Say it could be critical, especially be of the future godly remnant who will all have the new nature. Now I'm not saying that they are saved in a Christian sense when I say that they have the new nature.
They actually doesn't put it in this term. They actually are born again for that which is born of a flesh is flesh.
But that which is born of the spirit, the product of the spirits, you know the product and the spirit. That which is born of the spirit is spirit. Now there are two different things. But neither one of those shows in John three, that the person is yet a Christian.
But it shows the nature.
And so the godly remnant has a new nature.
It as new birth.
In all of the household of faith, without exception, ever and always were quick and souls.
And I'll tell you, in the Old Testament, the quicken now me is 16 times the expression of godly ones that were already quickened.
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In the sense of revive.
Reviviate.
Lee is the way their desire is expressed. How good?
Military are such in the Old Testament, now in the New Testament.
16 times quickening is used in a different sense.
We looked at.
In the Ephesians 21 and dead.
In trespasses and sins you couldn't. We couldn't be better. We're absolutely dead and helpless altogether helpless.
But.
God sovereignly imparts light to dead souls.
It's all a work of sovereign grace and power in imparting life. That is the commencing of everything but the 1St result of a click and soul.
The 1St result is like in Romans 7.
It looks back upon the history of its life.
And is ashamed of its past history now that shows it has new life. Then it it takes science with God and is ashamed of its own past history. And so the quickening in the New Testament is a work of God's Spirit that imparts life. No, I ought to finish by.
I read again verse 10.
Creating me a clean heart. What a good desire.
Oh God, and renew a right spirit. Now this is the thought of the next verse within me. Cast me not away from Thy presence, and take not thy spirit of holiness.
It is not the Holy Spirit at all, We need to get that out of our minds, but it is a state of a quickened soul that has lost its joy of salvation.
And.
It's crying out or they needed help and.
I like to look at Psalm 51 as preceding Inexperienced Song 32.
And of course, Psalm 32 Comes back to 51.
But I mean inexperienced, but in order in numerical order comes first.
Where we see desires in this freshly first song, we see the desires accomplished in the 32nd song. And that's why I say the experience of the 32nd Psalm really is the answer to the desires of Psalm 51, where we're on Psalm 51.
I'd like to ask. This comes in the second book of the Psalms.
Which runs from 42 to 73 I believe and.
Earlier.
My brother spoke about the Kingdom.
Here in our chapter and Peter.
And.
I understand that the second book of the Psalms in particular is directed to the godly remnant in a future day when they're driven out just a little like.
To whom Peter wrote they were dispersed and I wonder if there isn't an application that these varied the these very books we are reading.
Peter especially, we might say Hebrews because that's been referred to, and James will not be enjoyed by that godly remnant in that time when they are driven out and they will find comfort in reading the chapter that we are reading.
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So maybe there is a future application to this portion we're reading to that remnant in that coming day.
Except for this, you won't have the heavenly side that we have here. There may be that which they would enjoy as to it and it might help them too, but they don't have the heavenly side of it. But As for the the Spirit of God here in the prophets.
What we really have in our chapter is that they wrote in those days.
For those who are living today, they didn't write for themselves, that is, they didn't understand their own writings, they didn't know what it was about. And we learned also that even the angels desire to look into these precious things that that we now have, so that the ones who wrote beforehand.
Of this salvation.
They wrote for us ready for the Jew of that day, but it's for us too today. So we say for us in that sense. But they were searching these Scriptures as it says in the 11Th verse, searching what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them.
Did signify, when it testified beforehand, the sufferings of Christ? Isaiah 53 for instance. So on, and the glory that should follow.
Now there there is that in the Old Testament we know that speaks of a coming day of glory.
And it also speaks of the sufferings of Christ, not only in the sacrifices.
But the prophets prophecy as it were, of one to come, for instance the Virgin.
Son and even the everlasting gospel, we have the reference to the woman's seed and all these things have to have a a pointing on to what's coming. So all the profits take this up. They're looking ahead.
That it was for us that they wrote and it goes on to the glory. Now in this chapter we're considering, we've already had those, that portion which belongs to us, the heavenly portion, the inheritance, the fact we're strangers here. But now this next section that we're considering is what was written and who it was written to or for.
And then what follows? We have the expectations in regard to it.
But you'll notice the word grace too in it. You don't have that in the Old Testament.
Grace and truth came by Jesus Christ, but grace came first. And it's a marvelous thing to weigh these things and to enjoy them as we read them. Grace, what does it mean? Why, it's unmerited favor that has come to us now in this very day. And the prophets wrote of it, but they didn't enter into it. They searched about it.
They wanted to know, but we have it and we should enjoy it and appreciate it.
It should in answer a form of praise in our hearts to the Lord as to what we have received through this revelation of the prophets of the Old Testament.
Concerning this verse, you're Speaking of 11.
And it's the glory, I believe in the Spanish Bible. It's poor glory. Is that right? Do you remember, Brother Swain, plural glories, the glories that should follow. I think that's a wonderful thing. It's not just one glory which embraces everything. It's a multitude of glories, and they all belong to Christ.
But the suffering came first, and then the glories that should follow him, whether those will be unfolding throughout all eternity.
In fact, this same writer takes us right into the day of God in the next epistle though the glories of Christ. Oh, but notice in the last chapter of this same book, the 10th verse first Peter 5-10 But the Lord of all grace, who hath told us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that you have suffered a what?
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Make you perfect. Establish, strengthen, settle you. We have the same order.
The sufferings first, after you have suffered a while, it's just a little while. When we think of eternity, in fact, there's no ratio of comparison. But then we're cold to that eternal glory, something that will never fade away.
Well, glory is all right, but glory is even more, it seems to me.
The glories I was noticing too. The Spirit of Christ.
It doesn't say the Holy Spirit, but it is the Holy Spirit. It's the Spirit of Christ. Because this is what characterizes the action in the hearts of the prophets while they did not understand.
Their prophecies, yet they an exercise of soul passed through the experience, as we get in the Psalms and in Lamentations, all of which spoke of Christ. You take David in the 22nd Psalm. What did he know?
About being forsaken, he says in another place once I was young or am I old yet I've I never seen the righteous forsaken nor his seed begging bread and yet he goes through the experiences through the spirit of Christ. He's identified with the suffix of Christ and that's why I bought my brother Brown mentioned before. It gives you the exercises that the godly remnant will go through.
In the coming day. But Christ went through all these things.
As the true remnant when he was here on earth. But you take it, Lamentations, we need not turn to it. God brings the terrible judgment upon Jerusalem, Jeremiah says.
To the sorrow that is done unto him, the day of his fears anger, Jeremiah takes to himself.
The Spirit of Christ, the judgment that fell upon Jerusalem, and they deserved it. And so we see Christ taking the same place in the Psalms. Not that he deserved any of these judgments. I just mentioned that in passing to say so that we can see that the Spirit of Christ is what I gave the Old Testament prophets to exercise.
Just as the Spirit of Christ preached before the flood.
The Spirit through now.
You see that the Old Testament a character, the characteristic of those men and their deep exercise of soul.
Possessing the Spirit the way we do, they didn't have the intelligence and we find in John chapter 1415 and 16 the Spirit of Truth mentioned. He's in each of these chapters called the Spirit of Truth.
And in the 14th chapter the Lord Jesus says that in verse 26. But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.
And in chapter 15.
Now here we have in verse chapter 14. I should say the things that we find in the gospel.
They didn't understand it because they didn't have the Spirit. They were born from above, but they didn't have the Spirit. Now when that spirit would come, they would understand. He would teach them. In chapter 15, in verse 26, he says, He shall testify of me. We might say this concerns Christ and the church, the assembly.
And then we have in chapter 16.
Verse 13.
He shall.
He will show you things to come. That's the prophetic scriptures. So we do see that the Spirit of God, as we possess him now, is the power for spiritual understanding and intelligence, which none of the Old Testament prophets had now when the Lord Jesus spoke to his disciples.
He said and rebuked them mildly. And.
They were slow to believe all that the prophets had said, as we have here. They testified of the sufferings of Christ and the glory which was to follow. And although they didn't have the Spirit even at that time, the prophets plainly foretold that the Lord Jesus would have to suffer. But they were looking for the Kingdom.
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And three were slow to look to death, which is not pleasant.
And beloved, this is what we also have to be reminded of that is given to us not only to believe on his name, Paul says in Philippians, but also to suffer for his name. So we need these admonitions just like these early Christians. Presently there's suffering time. The glory is to come.
But how wonderful that the Spirit comes to our aid.
To give us spiritual intelligence and understanding which none of the Old Testament prophets had. How privileged we are as Christians.
We might read in Isaiah 63 a few verses to.
Clarify as to the action of the Spirit of God in the old dispensation, and how it is indeed different since the work of the cross.
Isaiah 63.
Beginning with verse eight, he said surely they are my people, children that will not lie. So he was their savior.
In all their affliction he was afflicted, and the Angel of his presence saved them.
In his love and in his pity he redeemed them, and he bear them, and carried them all the days of old. But.
They rebel and vexed his Holy Spirit.
Therefore, he turned to be their enemy, and he fought against them.
Then he remembered the days of old Moses and his people saying, Where is he that brought them up out of the sea with the shepherd of his flock? Where is he that put his Holy Spirit within him?
Now go down to verse 14.
This simile is very remarkable as a beast goeth down into the valley. Notice that as a beast goeth down into the valley, so the spirit of the Lord caused him to rest. So that so didst thou lead thy people to make thyself a glorious name. If you think of the simile.
A beast up on a hill or a mountain, looking down in the valley and seeing something it wanted.
It just went down. It went down on its own power and thought.
And what after? What it desired? Well, the spirit of God and the old dispensation came down and worked marvelously. And there's the presence of the Lord, the Angel of his presence, Jehovah, with the people of Israel.
As we see him right through the Old Testament. But the action and the power was always the Spirit of God, wasn't it? Amen.
And it was marvelous what He did. He came upon certain men and they prophesied. Balaam, for instance, has been sighted. But now it's so different. Race has finished the work and going up on high. And in virtue of that the Spirit of God has been sent down and He has come down and He remains here. He dwells in US. Besides that, He's written this whole book.
And right here today, he's here to explain it to us. He's right here.
That's some of the difference you were thinking of, brother.
The passage you cited in Isaiah 63 is the first time in the Bible that the Spirit is called the Holy Spirit selected, brought in there in connection with Israel. Now if you go to Isaiah 59, we'll see that when the Jewish after it taken out and God works among the Jews again and raises up as we speak of the remnant.
Of poor people in the midst of the land, we'll notice that the Spirit will again act.
On the same way that is of the Old Testament matter, verse 19 of Isaiah 59, so shall they fear the name of the Lord from the West and his glory from the rising of the sun. When the enemy shall come in like a flood, the Spirit of the Lord shall lift up a standard against him, and the Redeemer shall come to Zion. So it was before the Redeemer comes to Zion. That is, the Lord comes in glory to set up his Kingdom.
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Israel, God will allow the power of the Spirit to work in Israel among the faithful, to make set up a standard against the enemy, because the enemy will come in like a flood, because Revelation 12 shows it. And God will provide an escape for the godly ones. So we see that there's no real testimony and in any age without the Spirit except now.
The difference between Isaiah and prophecy and the Apostle Paul writing has given us here.
Preached with the Holy Ghost, sent down from heaven indwelling Paul so that Paul knew and understood what he had written. 1St Corinthians 2 tells us that.
But Isaiah would have to say, I don't know what that means. He might know the meaning of words, but he would. How would he know how to apply what we now call the 53rd chapter so that we see the difference between Old Testament and New Testament action of the Spirit? Those who preach the gospel now says in verse 12, preach it with the Holy Ghost sent down from heaven.
So they understand their writings. I repeat that again. And so let's turn to 1St Corinthians 2 because it brings us in there.
1St Corinthians 2 we get the source of these things and then we get the application of verse 9 gives us the Old Testament position.
But as it is written, I have not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man the things which God have prepared for them that love him. Now what about us? But God hath revealed them unto us, unto us, by his Spirit. For the Spirit such in all things, and the deep things of God. Verse 12.
Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God.
We might know the things that are freely given to us of God. So we have these two things here, the revelation of the police truths to the apostles by the Spirit, and then we have Spirit indwelling us so that we also can enjoy what the apostles were given by the Spirit. So we see the vast blessing that flows in the fact that the Holy Ghost as he is with us now.
Was sent down from heaven by a glorified Christ who went into that place.
The first man to enter that place in view of an accomplished redemption.
I wondered if perhaps there's even a little third thought there which I know you would agree with. That is, the truth was communicated to them by the Spirit, and then the very words with which to pass that truth on to us was also by the Spirit, if we might just refer to the 13th verse of that same chapter.
Which things also we speak not in the words which man's wisdom teaches, but which the Holy Ghost teaches. So there is a three fold communication by the Holy Spirit.
The truth and trusted to be specific intuition here to the apostle Paul now he has not left to present it to us in his own words that best he knows how the very word with which the truth is passed on to us by inspiration of the Spirit of God and the way in which it is made good to us is also by the Spirit of God. I say this because.
I truly don't want to digress, but the attempt to improve on the words by the Spirit of God entrusted in a serious thing.
As though well got the truth, but he just did the best he could to pass it on. The very word were given by the Spirit of God. I also find myself here, brethren, quite humbled by what has been said. That is, in verse eleven of our chapter we find the Old Testament writers searching their own writings with profound interest. If you wish David going over.
22nd Psalm. Isaiah going over the 53rd top chapter.
They searched their right. The angels desired to look into and hear. Beloved brethren, we sit with this complete word of God in our hand, the Holy Spirit of God indwelling us. And are we half as much interested as these authors were who read their writings and couldn't understand them? They searched diligently and it was made known to them, Well, this is not for you.
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48 people yet to come, which means the angels desire to look into. And brethren, I wonder sometimes, do the angels look on right now with a bit of astonishment? Here are the very people to whom this was given, and concerning whom it is written.
And how do we value it? Is it real to us? Is it precious to us? Are we trying to understand it simply so that we might be considered good scholars in the scriptures?
Or are we?
Are we, dear brethren, seeking this day to have from the Word of God that which will be light for our pathway and good for our soul? When you think of these authors searching diligently, When you think of the angels desiring to look into and when you think of the people of golf sitting down and weep with a bottle open in their hand, and it's.
About us and the glorious heritage that is ours right now. Don't we feel a little bit humble that it doesn't mean more to us than it does Daniel?
It might be interesting to read about what Daniel says in the last chapter of Daniel. He has gotten many wonderful visions from the Lord.
About the Gentile kingdoms and the end of God's earthly people.
And in verse eight of chapter 12 of Daniel, he says, and I've heard, but I understood not.
Then said, I, Oh my Lord, what shall be the end of these things? Peter speaks of those who inquired. Peter is in our Daniel is inquiring here. He says, What shall be the end of these things? But this is what we've been having before us, partly here in theaters. The end, the salvation of our souls and the inheritance, the glory.
What shall be the end of these things? And he said unto me, Go thy way, Daniel, for the words are closed up.
And sealed till the time of the end wasn't given to him to note all then he didn't understand but I'm sure it exercised his soul. Daniel was a person that was exercised and he wanted to please God. That didn't make any difference whether it meant his life. He was willing to stand for God and with God.
It really affected him what what the Lord gave him, even though he couldn't understand him.
But he says many shall be purified and made white and tried, but the wicked shall do wickedly, and none of the wicked shall understand, but the wise shall understand. And from the time that the daily sacrifice shall be taken away in the abomination, and make of death, and set up, there shall be 1290 days. Now he's going way beyond our time.
Way beyond our time. Blessed is he that waiteth and come through 1300.
305 and 30 days.
Going way to the end, but go thou thy way till the envy, for thou shalt rest and stand in thy lock at the end of the days. But he wasn't told what that lock was either. But it just shows that they were interested in these things that the Lord was showing to them, and they were exercised by them, even though they didn't understand them all. Well, we may be sitting here.
This afternoon and reading these things and going over them and Speaking of them, and we perhaps don't understand very much about it. We enter into it a little bit, but I'm sure the Lord is giving us enough to exercise our souls. And as our brother Albert has been reminding us, we need to be stirred by these things that we're we're reading and going over that it shouldn't be just so much abstract truth, but really living truth, something that affects our hearts and.
My angels. Pardon me, brother.
First tells us wherefore that is in view of what we've been told. Gird up the loins of your mind.
That's a striking statement. We know that the in those days they wore flowing garments and they had to put on like that girdle to keep the garment from brushing against what would defile it. And it's looked at in that way, but it says it burned up the lines of your mind now in in Colossians 3, it says in the King James set your affections on things above, but it should breed.
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Set your mind on things above.
That's how our minds can be girded, by having our having our mindset upon that which is of God and that we set our mind on it, our affections ought to follow. So that's why I have the word mind is a stronger word there in Colossians 3. So we're called upon to gird up the loins of our mind that brings in the thought of being alert.
Watching, waiting, standing. These things is further clarified in 2nd Corinthians 3.
That it is by the Spirit that is what was written in the Old Testament, which we've been speaking about. The verses are very helpful. He's writing about Israel and how they were blinded in verse 14 in the reading of the Old Testament, Second Corinthians 314.
Israel is mentioned, the children of Israel in verse 13 and how they were blinded. The veil was untaken away in the reading of the Old Testament, which failed is done away in Christ, so Christ comes in. But even under this day, when Moses is read, the veil is upon their heart. Nevertheless, when it shall turn to the Lord, I suppose that's Israel.
The veil shall be taken away now. The Lord is that spirit.
And where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. I want to stress that first, because there is, really.
The key to understanding the Old Testament is seeing Christ and all of the Old Testament as revealed by the Spirit of God and that takes all the veil away. We see the whole mind of God revealed in the Old Testament because the New Testament opens it up and then the verse, the next verse goes on in a very wonderful way.
But we all, we all who have the Spirit of God.
Open face. Unveiled face.
Oh, there's no bail now that was rent when the work was done and Calvary's cross so that now there's access right into the presence of God for the Sinner that's washed. And so with unveiled face beholding as in a glass, the glory of the Lord are changed into the same image from glory to glory. Now you get the plural and you could just go on and say that and say that from glory to glory to glory and.
Even as by the Spirit of the Lord, all these things begin now we.
Have the spirit of thought to open up these things in both the Old and the New Testament to reveal all of this that was told there of the sufferings of Christ and the glories that should follow. I was just thinking the what our brother Albert was Speaking of.
The angels, however, he passed by angels.
And.
This comes just before verse 13.
That the angels desire to look into.
It's a marvelous thing that God has passed by a race that I shouldn't say race, but those who are in a higher position than men.
Angels, and he's taken up sinners.
Worthless and he's placed them above angels with Christ.
Now here we have the expectations following.
And it's already been mentioned, we're for gird up the loins of your mind.
This is the way the new nature responds, is it not to this grace that has been brought to us?
There's the answering in our souls to the grace that has been brought to us. What a position we've been placed in.
And sober, well, that would be self judgment, wouldn't it?
And.
Then the patience, the endurance that suggested here.
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A hope to the end.
For the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.
We do have salvation.
We have that salvation already, the salvation of the soul.
But we hope to the end.
For the grace, he says it's grace. Peter likes that word. He uses a great deal.
The end in view for the grace that is to be brought unto you. And this is lovely too. It isn't the energy of the flesh that gets it, it's that which is brought unto us.
I believe the truth here before us in this chapter is very simple and precious to our souls. The grace that is, is to be brought to us at the revelation of Jesus Christ and that day, that revelation of the person of Christ, all that he is. But it'll be a glory of judgment, of course, for the world.
That 14 first of Isaiah 63 that was read.
The beast goes down at the valley to rest. So the Lord has made himself a glorious name. But that's the millennial day in view, I believe. I believe that verse is is a picture of the millennial day as people have gone are going down to rest.
And then he makes himself a glorious theme. That's the revelation of Jesus Christ.
That's the fulfilling of it all. He has His people at rest. Further thought in connection with the interest of these angels, I like to notice that when the Lord Jesus was born in Bethlehem, suddenly there was with the age of multitude of a heavenly host praising God, seeing of angels. That's why they should wait the first time they had seen their Creator.
And there he is, a Bay bracket, swaddling clothes. And they just rejoiced, and their phrases resound. But then at his resurrection.
At the empty two He is not here, he is risen. Come see the place for the Lord Lake. And suddenly that was wisdom, a multitude of the heavenly host, no.
It just seems to me sometimes as though they step to one side and say, this is not for us. This is for the redeemed among men. Let us hear their praises. And what do we do? Do we really feel like crazy? In a very silence of the angels, if you wish, at the empty tomb in the rebuke to my soul. Because it just seems to me they say it's now time for math.
To fill this world with his praises. But even we are so neglectful.
It's about the beast going into the valley and the new translation what's cattle? And if you think of cattle being a farmer, who was They go into the valley in the nice times and.
When the storm comes, they go up on the top of the hill again, and today the Holy Spirit indwells us in the valley, and it also takes us up into the top of the hills and takes us up to heaven, doesn't it?
You didn't hear?
Well, the other rendering or something I believe is the cattle going into the valley.
When did they go into the valley? They go into the valley to eat.
And then the storm comes, they come up to the top of the hill again. So the Holy Spirit comes down, and then he takes us up to heaven. Is that correct?
General thought man, but in all the power of God he is God, but he comes as a man, because at the revelation he comes in judgment for the world.
And all judgment is given to the Son of Man.
And it's important to see that in the Gospels that even in John where he's seen as the Son of God.
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He's also seen as the Son of man because it's as a son of man that he fulfills all the counsels of God, and in fulfilling them he cleanses the whole scene. He actually takes away the sin of the world as we have in John One.
But he cleanses the whole scene and then he sets up his Kingdom. But it'll be the revelation of Jesus Christ. We don't have the rapture here.
In in Peter, but we have that which is just beyond the rapture and we do have the day star in our hearts and Peter so that it's it's the believer in the good of his whole portion, really.
Although it isn't detailed, but we don't have the truth of the rapture brought out here, but we do have the whole portion and goes on to the revelation of Jesus Christ. Now the revelation of Jesus Christ isn't just some facts about Jesus Christ.
Is the person himself.
And that's that's what will be before us for all eternity.
Person of Jesus Christ, not just something about him that will be true, but it's the revelation of Jesus Christ himself.
Let us read Revelation.
Chapter one and verse one carefully when I finally have it now.
There are many Saints that do not see.
Just what the word of God says here in verse one.
The revelation of Jesus Christ Which God?
Gave him or to him it should reject.
Here is a gift of God himself.
To his Son it's a gift, to his Son, the revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave to his.
To him to show until His servants now notice the links in the chain of of distance. This book is a book of judgment.
And distance is becoming a judge.
And the affections are are there in verse 13 in chapter one, the affections are there, but he's gird about the paps. The affections are pent up because he appears in the character of a judge.
It's not a question of nearness. Now motion, truth and nearness is a question. Rather have a somewhat of a distance because of judgment He gave to Him to show unto his servants. Notice that second link.
That which must shortly come to pass. And he sent and signified it by his angels. There is the 4th lake unto his servant John, the 5th link. And I think there's another link.
In verse four, our chapter 4.
Yes, now notice, John, to the seven churches, and that is to you and me and every Christian on earth is this book.
Given and in verse three, do we get blessed? Is he that readeth?
Notice that it doesn't say he didn't understand it. It is a book of symbols. 220 symbols 15 are repeated, making 235 this book, which seems like a crossword puzzle to the average person. He is a very, very happy.
Woman that God has given us to enjoy and we need help.
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By the teachers that can unfold the treasures of this book and in order to make order out of what looks like chaos. Every word is perfectly written in the way God wants to be written. But the mere professor can make mincemeat out of out of it, of course.
I want to emphasize that this book is a gift to the Lord Jesus. If we get that, we're not going to misinterpret and make out that this book is is all about revealing Christ. That is not what it says. It reveals him as a judge.
It reveals him as a prophet.
I mean, the whole thing is prophetic.
Anticipating.
Preparing for the coming.
The coming in of His Kingdom, when He shall take over all the things in heaven and in earth. You head of all things. Ephesians 110.
And it anticipates.
All of this bringing in of 1000 years of the Kingdom when the Lord Jesus shall reign with his Saints over the earth and the Authorized Version says on the earth shall reign over the earth. It furthermore goes in to an eye opening lot of truth such as revealing.
What the world is doing to its coming judgment, what the false church is doomed as this coming judgment, what the true church is to enter into like inverse chapter 21 in the glory, and that'll be in the heavenly glory during that thousand years.
It also goes on to that which pertains to the eternal state.
Chapter one verse Chapter 21 Verse is one to at least verse 8. The eternal state. Mr. Kelly has said Isaiah is the most comprehensive book in the Old Testament.
Book of Revelation is the most comprehensive book in the New Testament. It starts like with chapter one verse 5. Unto him that has loved this nuisance from our sins in his own blood. That is the Christian song for now, this age that is.
But it also gives us eye opening truth.
In the seven churches.
He is appraising the state of the anticipated history of the church and of each one. He gives them to seek to hear what the Spirit said unto the churches. In other words, here by the heart.
To hear by the heart, not to appraise to hear.
To overcome.
Is a problem in everyone of the seven churches.
Wouldn't it be sufficient for us in the chapter this afternoon to notice the 10th verse of Second Thessalonians?
One, and when he shall come to be glorified in his Saints, and to be admired in all them that believe, because our testimony among you was believed in that day.
There is a day coming when Christ will come in all his glory, and His people will come with him. I believe that Peters thinking of that day when he speaks of the revelation, is he not?
For his two brother, I was thinking of that same passage in the seventh verse that says, And to you who are troubled, rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels inflaming fire, taking vengeance on them that know not God, that obeyed not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ.
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So the revelation of the shining out of his coming will be when the Lord Jesus bursts upon this scene, not only will the Saints be with him.
But angels will be with them to execute his wrath and judgment, or I believe it's precious, as our brother is calling attention to that tent first, how glorious we are going to look in that day, so that we might be admired. No notice without that verse reads, when he shall come to be glorified and his Saints, and to be admired in all, in the belief who will be glorified in the Saints? Christ, who will?
Admired in the Saints Christ, because everyone of us will then appear.
And all the beauty and blessedness into which He has brought us the judgment seat of Christ will be over. The awards will have been given for faithfulness, will come forth as a war wearing our regimentals, and display to the world what a marvelous thing is. But what a practical application I don't have. If Christ is going to display us before the world to manifest His glory in the day, when then the world will know that he that the Father has sent Him.
What about the testimony now? Does the world see Christ in us now? Does the world hear Christ in us now? These are very practical things. It's all very well to look on to that revelation. We're going to be manifested with Christ and glory. But what about now? I do an illustration in connection with this tenth verse.
Of a diamond in a setting of pearls might be on a ring. It might be on some other piece of jewelry.
But the diamond is set in the midst of a setting of pearls.
Well, you might ask, well, why are the pearls there? Well, to enhance the diamond, to display the diamond, to attract attention to the diamond, to put the diamond in its true place, in its true aspect. Well, that's why we're going to be there around the Lord, to draw attention to Him, to put him on display, to attract attention to him.
All of our attention will be focused upon Him. And what for? To glorify Him. And what should it be now saying? Because so often we're pointed to the future to exercise us for the present with the Lord Jesus Christ in the midst. Why are we gathered around Him? To glorify Him, to worship Him, to praise Him. That's what we're here for.
Not to think of ourselves. And that's why on Lord's Day morning.
We don't come to get something for ourselves, we come to give to Him. It's the same principle as it will be in the glory. That's the principle that prevails now, and I think we need to remember that to exercise our soul. We noticed that this verse says.
The grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.
I've enjoyed thinking for myself.
That this begins with us, the believer, the first time we see Jesus.
The rapture will be that moment, but surely the grace will come out at the judgment seat of Christ, which has been referred to. And I think it's going to be a wonderful revelation of Jesus Christ right there at the judgment seat of Christ when all that grace.
That has kept us all the way through the desert will be revealed. Peter is writing to those who were in afflictions and trials and persecutions and a fiery trial too well there it's all going to be cleared up when they get that back backward look at the judgment seat of Christ. They'll see the grace that.
Led them to this place and to that place, and kept them all the way.
Of course, that's really just the beginning of it, and as has already been pointed out, it will just go on and on and on learning of Him, but the grace seems to stress that point. I'd like to know others would agree with that. Well, I feel that much you're afraid to force their connection with the judgment seat of Christ.
Is true because what is the judgment seat of Christ? It will be a manifestation. It's not a place of doom because that's reserved for the great white throne, but the judgment seat of Christ. Where all believers, Christians, come to stand. There will be a manifestation of their works and that will be for rewards, while some will be burned up and others will be preserved.
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But there I believe we will get such a view, such a manner of a station of the grace that's been ministered to us from the time we were saved and even before what the grace of God was doing for us. And leading up to. And we're saved by grace and we're kept by grace and we stand in grace and we'll see really what the Lord has done for us.
We may have an idea of a certain amount that the Lord has done for us that we might take in connection with the payment of our debt, the debt of our sins, which was which was death. The Lord has paid that debt well. We might think of that debt maybe as $10,000.
That the Lord is paid, but when we get there, it will be such a large sum we won't even be able to speak it. We'll see how great that debt was that we owe, but the Lord in grace paid it all on how merciful He's been to us. We will need the judgment seat of Christ to bring all that out because we we understand so little about it. How we just see a little bit. We only see in part, but then we're going to see the whole thing manifested.
Is that Ephesians 2 verse seven, brother?
But in the ages to come he might show the exceeding riches of his grace.
In His kindness toward us through Christ Jesus. There is a warning here. I believe the time must be about up, but I really ought not to pass over the emphasizing in Second Thessalonians the verses we were looking at.
And when they emphasize the privileges of those that he's going to come in flaming fire to take vengeance on them that know not God and that now notice this, that obey not the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ.
The gospel has been put before them, but they do not bow to it.
They are not subject to the sun as Savior and Lord. Now everyone and in the general context here, there is the coming apostasy.
At the beginning of chapter 2 without going into detail.
But the apostasy is going to.
See the Antichrist, this is in verse three is going to see the Antichrist the man of sin. He's going to be revealed as the son of perdition, the expression exactly the same words implied also to the devil.
This expression the son of perdition.
Now who opposeth and exalteth himself? He exalts himself above all that is called God, or that is worship, so that he himself.
As God sits as God, yes.
In the temple of God, showing himself that he is God.
Now.
The Temple is in Jerusalem. That will be the place of the Antichrist.
The beast of Roman beast will be in Rome.
Now we've dropped down to verse 9.
The end, even him who is coming, is after the working of Satan.
And with all power we said to that in the 13th of Revelation, the working of Satan with all power and signs and and and lying wonders.
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And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish.
Because.
They receive not the love of the truth that they might be saved, and for this cause God shall send them strong delusion that they should believe a lie.
That they all might be damned who believed, noticed they had the opportunity now they received not the love of the truth, they believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.
All this serious solemn warning for every year that looks into the Word of God. Read it carefully. Take warning that there be none that were preferred.
To abide in everlasting fire.
Now in verse 14.
It seems that we get two things. We get standing in state brought out here because.
It speaks of obedient children here in our translation, but it means children of obedience, that is, that have the character of obedience as being born again. They have that character of obedience. They have divine life which is characterized by obedience.
But then it says, not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts and your ignorance. Now this is something that has to do with our condition, our state, and the apostle Peter is exercising our hearts that if we are children of obedience, we ought to act like it.
I'd like to continue that thought that you've just expressed in Ephesians 4.
We have certain instructions.
To the Saints. We'll just begin with verse verse 28.
Let him that stole steal no more, but rather let him labor working with his hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give them that needed that no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good for the use of edifying, that it may minister grace under the hearers. Read not the Holy Spirit of God, whereby he is sealed unto the day of redemption, that all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and glamour, and evil speaking.
Be put away from you with all malice. Now to whom is Paul saying this? He's saying this to Saints will be told in the first chapter that they were chosen in Christ before the foundation of the world. They should be holy and without blame before God and love. He's telling them in the second chapter they're seated in heavenly places.
In the third chapter, he's telling you that they're part of that wonderful mystery, the church.
That the Jewish gentile of Pontiac is of one body. He's telling him all these wonderful things. Now he says to them, don't steal anymore. Don't lie anymore. Don't let any filthy communication proceed out of your mouth. You see, I almost remember a statement. I hope I got it closed. But my brother HG Hagel used to say something like this, that every exhortation you get in the epistles.
As to our war is based on what we've already seen to be before God.
So if I'm seated in heavenly places, if I belong to Christ, what manner have been on item B? So he says to these people, stop stealing. You know, you know, sometimes we don't like that practical ministry. You know, we often like, you know, in the work of judges. Let me use the illustration when Caleb gave that land to his daughter AXA.
She asked for springs of water, and he gave her the upper springs, and he gave her the nether springs.
Now in the first three chapters of Ephesians we've got the upper springs, our heavenly place, the place in which God has put us. But in the last three chapters we got the nether springs. We have the word of God applied to our walk and waves. And so Paul was very practical. He didn't when he preached Christ, he preached the full Christ. He preached the Christ in glory, and then he preached how we ought to walk according to Christ.
And so we ought never to hinder or object to crack up what is called practical ministry.
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God brings something home to our conscience publicly or individually. Let's not resent it. Say let's preach Christ. I said, dear brother, I won't mention his name. Years ago he said he must preach Christ. I pointed out to him, if you don't preach the practical side, you're only preaching 1/2 Christ. If you just preach Christ in glory in my association with him. That isn't how the Ephesians lie in Christ.
Paul speaks to them having blind the truth as it was in Jesus. They had never seen the Lord.
Brings in these these practical things are very important in relation to what God has done for us.
Similar thought in first Corinthians 6 and verse 17. But he that has joined unto the Lord is 1 Spirit Lee fornication. Every sin that a man doeth is without the body, but he that committeth fornication sent us against his own body.
What know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost, which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own, For ye are bought for the price.
Therefore, glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are gone.
Brother wrote, I believe not only is every exhortation based upon of lasting that God has already bestowed, but I believe the other holds true to that. Every flexing that God has bestowed brings promptly with it and exertation to follow. It's very interesting. I just simply suggest that we watch for it. Romans 12, I beseech you.
Therefore, brethren, by the compassion of God, that we present your body here, we have it as a remark in Ephesians 4.
And just a couple. I just pulled them left off because to me they're very, very beautiful. We are confident, I say, and will it rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord, wherefore we labor.
Then a whole chapter, first Corinthians 15, presenting the wonder of the resurrection. Therefore, my dear brethren, be steadfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord. And I really believe, dear brethren, that if we look for it, we'll find that no sooner have we received from Him unfolding of all of wonderful heritage and blessings.
We'll find that word, therefore, and it's followed by that, which is very searching and very practical. So it's based upon.
What God has done for us. The other is true, that every time we breathe of a blessing. Please take that safe little exhortation following #2 in the appendix.
#2 In the back of the book, Oh Lord, thy loves unbounded, so sweet, so full, so free. My soul is all transported when I think on thee yet, Lord, alas.
What weakness? Within myself I find no infants. Changing pleasure is like my wandering mind.
Our late brother Jan Darby wrote back when he was 45 years of age.
What a message it carries #2.
I.
'M great.
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My soul still.
Breath.
Of God.
My.
My soul and Jesus.
I.
I want to finish.
My soul.
In the world.
And.
1 Peter 1:15
Reading
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First Peter chapter one, verse 15. But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation, because it is written.
Be holy, for I am holy. And if you call on the Father, who without to respect a person's judges according to every man's work.
Past the time of your sojourning here and fear.
For as much as you know that you were not redeemed with corruptible things as silver and gold from your vain conversation received by tradition from your Father's.
But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb, without blemish and without spot.
Who verily once foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you, who by him to believe in God, that raised him up from the dead, and gave him glory, that your faith and hope might be involved.
Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that you love one another with a pure heart fervently.
Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible by the word of God, which liveth in abideth forever.
For all flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of grass. The grass Withers, and the flower thereof falls away, but the word of the Lord endures forever.
This is the word which by the Gospel is preached unto you. You are reminded yesterday, that in the 14th verse it should read Children of Obedience.
In Ephesians 2, we read Sons of Disobedience. That's an entirely different thing. That's man and his natural lost state. But here it's it's interesting to see how the Lord looks at us as children of obedience. That's the nature and character of the family. We often come across some dear Saints, dear believers who think they can be lost again.
And they often make this plea.
Now if you believe you're saved once and for all that you cannot be lost, then you will become callous and do as you please. But what does a Christian please do? Notice what we get here? Peter doesn't say. Well now you've been elect verse two and you're brought to the sprinkling of the blood of Christ you redeemed. So now just go your own way.
And all he says.
The holy right holy so that the doctrine or truth of eternal security is definitely linked with a holy war. And may I add this thought, those dear souls who think they can be lost do not realize the subtle pride that's in their hearts. Because if you ask them at the moment, are you saved now?
They say yes. What does that mean? That they think?
That they've lived such a perfect life that they've been able to keep their salvation. And they'll tell you and me. And he that thinketh he stand. Take heed lest he fall. They're the ones that think they stand because they're not resting on what Christ has done, but on their supposed holy life. So that we get the the momless fact that as children of obedience we're called upon to be holy as he is.
This is one of the principles.
Set forth in the Old Testament, one of the principles of God that doesn't change from dispensation to dispensation. So it's it's given us over in Leviticus be holy, for I am holy. It's God that's speaking. And the principle still holds in this dispensation. It never changes because God is holding that principle never changes.
That we are responsible to be holy.
Garden of Eden was innocent for the fall. Our innocence there is not the knowledge of good and evil.
When man fell, he got the knowledge of good and evil, but only had the power to do the evil. Now holiness is not innocence. Adam was not holy, he was innocent. Holiness supposes the knowledge of good and evil and only doing the good, doing that which is in accordance with God's nature. So Christ is that holy one.
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That holy thing that shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God.
So holiness brings in the thought of God's nature. We couldn't hate or abhor sin if we didn't have a new nature, a new life. We that develops that later in the chapter, of course, but that's the principle of it.
Standard.
Our fooling us.
Is in correspondence to the person.
We see that as has been remarked in the different dispensations back in Genesis when God called Abraham, he said I am the Almighty God, walk thou before me and be thou perfect. It's the same standard. It's in relationship to the Almighty God for him. And then in Matthew 5.
Five, it says, be therefore perfect even as your Father, which is in heaven's perfect. Now he's revealing the Father.
But it's the same standard and it never changes here. For us. It's holiness, and it's as he which have called you is holy.
Directions here that we should notice very carefully in the 14th verse at the end it speaks of.
The former lusts in your ignorance, and then in verse 18.
From your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers.
So that.
There's no excuse now for ignorance.
And we have the whole word of God.
But the Spirit of God brings before us here something else that's very important for us to notice.
And that is the operation.
Of the father in connection with his children.
Now we know that the the Lord Jesus is seen as the great shepherd in Hebrews and that's one aspect of the work that goes on as he as our great high priest is, is keeping his people in contact with heaven and the enjoyment of heavenly things. But here we have the Father and I believe the Father's is connected with.
The.
Discipline, the bringing up of the child.
And so in Hebrews 12, he's spoken of as the father of spirits.
In the Old Testament we have at least two places where.
God has spoken of as the God of the spirits of all men, but it comes closer in the New Testament. He's the father of spirits.
Now there's there's a tremendous work going on in the soul of each believer.
I don't want to be misunderstood.
The thief on the cross was made 5th for that glory. That's true. The work was finished and he was made fit for the glory. But I believe there is a work by the Spirit of God today, the Father Himself over it, preparing each heart for that coming day of glory.
A tremendous work going on in each.
Person and the preparing of the Spirit.
Of men.
Think of what it means.
What a what a change has taken place when that work was finished on the cross, but still there is a work going on that we might enter into the appreciation of these things in our own souls.
We know that they are true of us, but have we grasped the meaning of all that we've been brought into? And I believe that that is a part of the work that the Father is doing and it's connected with what we had earlier in the chapter.
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Though now for a season if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations, all these things.
Are allowed in our lives for a purpose.
The preparing of man's spirit, and all in view of that coming day of glory. Now it says here.
If you call on the father.
Who without respect of persons, judgeth according to every man's work past the time of your sojourning here in fear.
Now, that's not the fear in the sense that there's going to be.
Wrath. That's all taken care of long ago. It's not that subject to talk. We have that salvation, we've already noticed.
But it's unless we should.
Find ourselves in a position where we resist this work that's going on, preparing our souls for that coming day of glory. We want to gain every bit of it, and we want to have it in the Spirit that becomes one who is seen as an obedient one. We've been called to the obedience and the sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ. That's Our Calling.
The obedience of Christ we find.
We have that very same nature and we have been covered by that precious blood.
In the present day, that there's a movement, a trend toward unholiness, and I believe the book of Jude brings that before us. What's going to characterize the last days?
The End of the Age and Jude speaks of contending for the faith.
Which was once delivered unto the Saints about. There's something else connected with this faith. It's more the holiness of faith that is enjoined here. And examples of unholiness are brought before us, examples of corruption, for instance, in the fifth verse.
Speaks of the children of Israel.
Saved out of the land of Egypt that were afterward destroyed because they believed not well what happened? They went on with idolatry. They fell into that snare of idolatry.
Forsaken God, and there was corruption that characterized them in that connection. And then the angels, which kept not their first estate, but left their own habitation.
Reserved and everlasting change under darkness, under the judgment of that great day. Well, there are things connected up with that that we don't understand. We don't know everything. Every detail isn't told us. But the whole thing in connection with the fall of angels seems to be sort of veiled and covered over because it was such an awful thing that took place there. And then we have Sodom and Gomorrah.
Brought in and I think we are pretty much aware.
That the day in which we're living is characterized by the things that characterize Sodom and Gomorrah. A ****** is becoming more rampant in this country, and it just makes us feel old. It's just like the days of Sodom, and the Lord reminded us of that, that the days of Sodom and Gomorrah and the days of Noah would come upon us.
That the same things that characterized him then would come upon us in the last days.
And we need to look to the Lord for grace to withstand that, not to make light of grace as it says here in Jude in verse four, turning the grace of God into lasciviousness. The idea is, oh, God is a good God. He's a gracious God. He won't judge us for this. We can do what we please and we can go on with all of this kind of thing and the Lord isn't going to take.
Ask us to give account for it. No, we we must watch this and walk in fear that we don't turn the grace of God into lasciviousness.
Just satisfying the lust of our flesh, giving way to the lust of the flesh. May God give us grace that we might take a stand in these days. And as Peter tells us, to pass the time of us. So journey here in fear. Fear of what? Fear of dishonouring the Lord, fear of displeasing him. Fear of doing anything that will bring shame upon God and the name of the Lord Jesus Christ.
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Peter was concerned about this because he also speaks of apostasy in his second official.
And what's going to characterize the last days? All that we might be characterized by what He has already brought before us as being children of obedience, obedient to the Lord in everything. I feel that we need to go on in such a way in the spirit of self judgment, that we might be sensitive to everything that God brings before us by His Spirit that will please Him.
And sensitive as to that which dishonors the name of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Visions one. I'd like to call attention to a passage in relation to this where we get God's purposes in Ephesians 1.
We got the the fourth verse when verse three says blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who have blessed us with all spiritual blessings and heavenly places in Christ according as he had chosen us in him before the foundation of the world that we should be holy.
And without blame before him, in love now. Holiness is God's character. God is without blame in all his ways. And God, God's nature, love. Now. If God is going to have children before him, and he determined here that he would, they must indeed.
Be in line with his own nature and holiness. I call attention to this because.
It doesn't say in that fourth verse, according to the good pleasure of His will. I say this reverently. God couldn't have it any other way than holding it without blame. But when it came to what He predestinated us to, then He had a choice. And so in verse.
Five, having predestinated us under the adoption by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, Now, according to the good pleasure of His will, He's made our sons. That's what the adoption really is. But as to our place before Him and His purposes, we ought to have his nature and the manifest holiness.
And as we have in that third, fourth verse, holy without blame.
Before him in love.
I would take new birth then too, would it not? I love to think of that that.
By adoption, you can't do part of nature, can you? You can choose, you can select, you can adopt. And the adopted son can look at his father and say I possess a rather the adopted son to look at his father and say he wanted me and he chose me.
And he calls me son, but he cannot look at his father and say, as I possess, that every life and nature of my father. But one born into a family can say I possess the very life and nature of the one whom I address as my father. But he could not say that he wanted me, that chose me. But by the very wonderful councils and grace of God, both are true about it. That's all.
We are his by choice adoption, we are his by birth. So we possess this wonderful nature. That's all.
Got this last part of verse 15. So be holy in all manner of conversation.
I suppose the word conversation means more than just what we talk about.
But I think in looking at it in that way, it's very important for us if we read in Ephesians 5 about some of these unholy things that our brother Anderson has called attention to, it says in verse 12.
It is a shame even to speak of those things which are done of them in secret.
So I think the exhortation fits as to what we talk about.
And what we talk about is what's in the heart. Out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaketh, and as a man thinketh in his heart, so is he. So we go right back to our thoughts, and we need to guard those so that these unholy thoughts are stopped, so the unholy words don't come out and the unholy acts produced.
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Which is very important excitation for us all.
This.
Verse here is translated.
Manner of life.
Which is not limited, of course what you say is true.
It is not limited to our expressions.
That's through our what We generally use the word conversation as though it's our what we talk 1 to another, but it's really here fundamentally and directly translated of life.
A life of holiness now without and we see follow.
Peace. This is Hebrews.
1214 Follow peace and holiness. Now this is in practice and character. In particular. Follow peace and holiness, without which no man shall see God.
This character of which our verse 14.
Surely emphasizes as to what we are.
That we are children of obedience. We sometimes call that standing.
But it's our character as to what we are. Now, if we go on and read you allow me to read from verse and where do I read verse 14 to 17? That will not be too much.
They fit together.
They develop the father.
As children of obedience is what we are.
Not conformed.
And conforming.
Enjoy your.
Former lusts not conformed to your former lusts.
In second, Timothy Pauls last better for these difficult days that we are now living in.
There he also says.
To young Timothy.
Me you for lessons. Now there are lusts.
Second first period to 11.
That are all right, but lusts that war against the soul going contrary to God's purpose of our creation, we have proper lusts.
To be hungry.
And there are other proper lusts, God-given if rightly used.
Now here if we go on and beyond that former lust in your ignorance.
And he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all your manner of life.
Because it is written in the Old Testament. Be holy, for I am holy.
As his children.
As is adopted as is those that are as their brother just emphasized that we're stunned, but we're his be holy, for I am holy. And if he call on the Father who without respect the persons, no exceptions.
No favorings? No.
Prejudices.
But just as things are God and God, so that the so be holy in all manner of your life, because is written VOA braham boy and him ye call on the Father, there's relationship who without respect to persons judges according to.
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Every man's work.
In other words, is what we really are in our lives and in our work.
Pass the time of your. This is the character of the epistle, and where it says Pilgrim is it shouldn't be translated. Sojourners on to the glory is the is the goal.
Sojourners here.
In fear we've had that explained godly fear, the children of Israel.
Were on a journey through the wilderness, and I think these to whom the apostle Peter was writing were aware of this. What had happened to their forefathers, how they've been going through the wilderness and if they knew that account and they had meditated on any in any measure.
They would realize how important this was to pass the time of their pilgrimage or sojourn with peered. They must have realized, well, our our forefathers didn't really fear the Lord, especially those who were destroyed in the wilderness. They weren't allowed to enter into the land of Canaan. They never got in there to enjoy all of this.
So there is a character of life that we can pass here.
In carelessness, so that we miss the enjoyment of all the things that God has for us, we don't enjoy the things to come. We don't enjoy thoughts of the inheritance or of that salvation that we're still waiting for, the salvation of our bodies.
That we're going to be made like unto the Lord Jesus Christ and we're going to reign with him. We're going to enjoy the inheritance with him. All of this kind of thing that we might go on with, which is put under the caption here of unholiness. Why that can rob us, rob us awfully of the enjoyment of all of these precious things that God has put before us and the Apostle Peter's concerned.
This and of course it's God behind it by his Spirit, because God wants us to be happy. He wants us to enjoy the things that he has provided for us and that he has in the future for us. So he's very careful to say we'll pass the time of his, of your sojourning here in fear. Well, we might link that with the judge machine of Christ.
We're passing through this wilderness, we're pilgrims here, and we're going to pass the judgment seat of Christ.
Where everything is going to be brought into review. Well, it's put before us in such a way as to stimulate this fear in us that we displease the Lord. And not that we're going to stand there at that judgment seat where the Lord passes everything in review and we see everything as He wants us to see it. It's not that we're going to be judged there for.
Our destiny.
But it's not a place of doom, but it's a place where everything is going to be manifested. It's all going to come out there. Not that it's going to be spread abroad before our brethren or anything like that, but it's something between US and the Lord and where He, he's going to give us to see it just as he sees it.
Well, he sees us that he sees it that way now. And so we should be aware of this, that the Lord sees everything and it hurts him, it grieves him, it dishonors him, it displeases him, it it makes him sad to see if we're careless and not passing the time of a sojourn here in fear. Mark and that connection.
In the third chapter of this book, we have a conversation without talking.
Let's turn to that third chapter. I think it's important to bring out the practical side of it. In the first verse it says, likewise ye wives the in subjection to your own husbands, that if any obey not the word that they made without the word be won by the conversation of the wives. That is, the wives were not to keep talking to them and giving them the word, they were to live the word and so on. The next verse says.
While they behold not here, but behold your chaste conversation coupled with fear. So the wives here were to walk and to live in such a way with an unsaved husband that even if they didn't have the opportunity to present the word to them.
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The husband would see the word working out and there now here is director wives at the principal. Does it not apply to all your conversation? It's our department really isn't again, it's rendered manner of life. May I say a word? I believe it's seasonable. I believe that we will recognize that it is to the point also.
In the dressing the Saints.
Of Philadelphia.
The Lord is presented in the character of.
The Holy.
And the true.
Now the seven churches in their decline had passed through.
A lack of heart.
They passed through.
Things to overcome by their lives, not counting anything but the glory of Christ, they passed through the being flattered by in the days of Constantine, given the finest jobs in the realm, the opposite from persecution.
Then comes that.
Jezebel.
That wants to take over the world.
Pergamus means double marriage, in other words, married to the Lord and married to the world. Well, it's worse when they when it gets so bad that they want to take over the world. And in second no no 17th of Revelation verse 18, we see the role of the Vatican.
Finally attains her ambition.
For an hour.
Very temporarily, she just succeeds in getting the 10 horns of the 10 nations, as it were.
Under her thumb and it doesn't last at all for the next chapter.
7/18 shows her downfall. Now I mentioned that Philadelphia.
Is introduced as the Lord Jesus, holy and true.
That is what characterize the lies and the state of God's people gathered to His name a century and a century and a half ago.
As to what characterized their state now they're standing. They held exactly the same truth as you and I are holding, but merely holding standing truth merely having correct.
Breaking of bread meetings and prayer meetings and so forth. That itself has no value. It can be to the condemnation if the life has not the Savior of Christ.
So that this is a word for a conscience that's hard to bear, brother.
We need to be as they were. Thou hast a little.
Oh, we love the The Authorized Version and excuse ourselves.
Y'all asked a little straight. We all can subscribe to that. But the real translation and the real interpretation, the real purpose of the Spirit of God is commanding them for having that which glorified Christ. And the right interpretation is, Thou hast a little power.
Or to have a little power to glorify Christ is everything in a day like this?
Now the only thing that might suggest possible failure in Philadelphia.
They're they're standing was perfect. Their state was also of God. Beautiful, beautiful fragrance of Christ is the character of that state.
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And that.
When it comes to verse 11, oh brethren, here's something for your conscience and mine.
Hold that fast which thou hast.
A meeting, brother.
And we all love these in the glory.
He said at the close of the meeting of a big meeting. It was large turn out now the true interpretation of holding that fast till I come.
Is you stay gathered to the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. Now that is no interpretation correct at all.
Our possession, our privileges are nothing like what God wants. He wants us to hold that.
Valuation of Christ, the person of Christ.
The word of Christ to hold it fast. We have it on our shelves, sewing it here.
And the and the nice stock we have here, the loneliest probably on earth in the English language is in found books and pamphlets and tracks and we have it. Are we living it? Are we holding fast the life that goes along with that kind of ministry?
If we are not diligent, we're going to be just the opposite. And there's I want to remind you of one word that I think is better than the word indifference than describing letters is the word and and all the vocabulary according to my thoughts rather than I'm only ministering what I believe.
With all conviction is.
The danger of being.
Self satisfied or what is the right word therefore?
Complacent is my word.
Or the last record of Israel and Malachi. They were impudent is what chief be characterized as Malachi. But what chiefly characterized lands here is complacent. I watch.
I am rich.
And become.
Increased in goods, that's transformation of do transformations that become.
I'm rich and increased with goods and have made of nothing.
They have everything but a heart for Christ.
Therefore, this will wind up my things I'm trying to say.
He is introduced as the faithful.
And.
True witness.
Oh, when we talk about our testimony, brethren, it is through our shame.
We reveal the complacency we should feel, the drifting in departure, the distance from what it was a century ago. We did, saying I am a brother, said that was written when Brother Darby was 45 years of age. Yes, for you, we say to him.
When he was 30.
35 years of age.
Do we have any revenue with the spiritual qualities nowadays that could write such in at the age of 35 and 45? We are not what they were when they were gathered through the Lord's name in the day of Philadelphia. So the Philadelphia state.
More important.
And more serious and solemn than Philadelphia Standing, which was perfect.
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What you're saying, Brother Brown?
Believe is found right here in the verses that follow. Now I'm thinking about what Paul and Barnabas did when they went back to visit the assemblies. They exhorted them to cleave to the Lord with purpose of heart. Well, that is the center of the thing, cleaving to the Lord with purpose of heart. And in the following verses we have both the Person of Christ and His work brought before us.
And it's introduced with the word far as much now that connection with what has gone before, what we've been talking about for as much.
As you know something we know we are well acquainted with it. This is what we learned when we were first saved. You know that you were not redeemed with corruptible things as silver and gold from your vain conversation. There you have that word conversation again, vain, empty manner of life, received by tradition from your Father, but with a precious blood of Christ.
As of a land without blemish and without spot. Now goes on to say something about the person who barely was poor, ordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times. For you who by him to believe in God, that raised him up from the dead and gave him glory, that your faith and hope might be in God.
Oh, what a wonderful combination of the work of Christ and the person of Christ.
And this is what we're pointed to now, or as that which will keep us and sustain it. Because if we don't plead to the Lord with purpose of heart, and if we don't remember the pit from which we've been digging and the work that's been done to save us, we're going to stray away.
The soul joining with the fear and fear is related to our to our standing, is it not? All our attention to the word for is much that is. This is the reason now we have we will redeem now redeemed means to be fought back.
When man sinned, he got away from God and so to speak, God lost him. But in redemption God buys back that one that was lost. I remember years ago they used to have a system of pledges in our neighborhood. I know, and people needed some money. They couldn't just go to the bank and get it as easily as some kind of a day they go to.
A A A what was called a pawn shop and they bring a watch or a suit.
And they would get a certain amount of money loan to them and it would be given a ticket of redemption. And when the time came that they wanted to get that article back again, they had to go in and pay not only the son that was loaned to them, but the interest that was charged.
It was there, a garment, it was their property, but they had lost it for the time being, as long as someone else. And if they didn't redeem it at the same time, he could sell it. And so when they went back, they had the redemption ticket, They paid the cost and the interest, and what had been theirs before was theirs again. And so in redemption, John has brought us back.
We belong to Him not simply by creation, but we belong to Him.
By redemption. So he links that up with the fact that it was not silver. Now on the 30th chapter of Exodus, we have redemption money, have a shekel of silver, and every Israelite who was numbered had to pay half a shekel of silver. The rich couldn't give more and the poor couldn't give less. That is, you can't have more than Christ, and God will accept nothing less.
That's what that silver five. But now Peter says it's no longer a question of redemption by silver or even gold, but by something even more value than all the gold and all the silver of the world.
Precious and also a very, very talented to think that we have been redeemed. Perhaps we could say that the very use of the word redeemed would remind us that we were in captivity. There was another that had the power authority, Oprah and the thought of redemption suggests that that is broken.
We are relief from that ******* that captivity in which we once were held.
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And also suggest the price paid in order that that ******* might be broken, and the person or thing released. But the third and wonderful thought that you bring before us is it now belongs to the one who paid that price. So the Lord says, fear not, for I have redeemed thee, I have called thee by thy name.
Thou art mine now those that sound delightful, Lord of Lords, that sound like something from which we would shrink.
Well, it depends on who the one said, who it is that says thou art mine. So I'm going for there are folks here who would really appreciate very much the fact someone who loved you very, very much turns and says to you your mind.
Oh, that sounds lovely. Where the heart is truly served with both words are very bright.
President, what we think of being great names, wouldn't it be quite stressful if we said, oh, I am so glad that that ******* is broken. I am so glad that I have been released from that captivity. I am so glad that that price was made his precious blood.
I don't know whether I'm very pleased to think that I now may love to him that imagine if our hearts would ever entertain such a song. I don't know whether this drills my soul to hear him say thou art mine. There's a real and rightful frame of ownership, dear brothers and sisters, and it's the one who paid redemption price who has the right to claim that ownership. I hope the ownership.
To our heart, and that we gladly recognize what he really means, what he says. I have redeemed things. I have called thee by thy name. Thou art mine.
I'd like to remark about.
Number one.
As most of the older ones have been out to the meetings many times, I've heard this before, but our brother Adrian had just mentioned a little while ago.
There's a big difference between.
Creation and redemption.
Now we are here by creation.
But the illustration is a little boy who loved to whittle out little clothing, pieces of wood to make chips.
As he became more adept, he finally produced the best he had ever made with Sale and Brother and.
He had to get permission from his mother to go down to the water and.
To float his new sailboat.
He had a wind wiring that rudder though, that it would make it go round in a circle. He had his sail set according to how he thought the breeze would bring it back to shore again.
But as the breeze changed, the sail flopped over, and the way the little book goes further and further away, he lost patience and he wept and he went home and told his mother of his laws.
Days later, sometimes later, in the next town, in a window that told all manner of merchandise, maybe toys, he saw a little boat in the window painted up so beautifully red and this and that, and he looked at that boat from every side.
And he said that's my sailboat.
He goes into the proprietor and he lets him know that I made that boat, that boat is mine. But the proprietor said that is a boat that was brought to me and I also paid for it and the price is so much.
Well, the little boy wondered how he could, but he finally pocketed her.
To find back is the middle vote. Oh what a charming thing to go under his arm as he went back to Maha and brought back the boat. Now that is a good illustration of creation and redemption. It belonged to him by right of creation or that he made it.
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Now it belonged to him by right of redemption because.
He paid the price to get it back. I'm just wondering what our brother Lundy was about to tell him. I'm hearing and I was thinking along the lines of what our brother Brown was saying a moment ago about.
Acknowledgement of our failure, which is so important.
And it's in keeping with what we have in our chapter.
But I believe that there is that in the word of God.
Which would encourage our hearts, even though we have to acknowledge the failure and we should humble ourselves.
Now if you'll turn to the 45th chapter of Jeremiah.
I think it's necessary to call attention to this because.
We shouldn't be discouraged.
In the 45th chapter of Jeremiah, we have a line of things.
Where it seems like Barrick was a little bit discouraged. Now, I don't believe God intends us to be discouraged. I believe he wants us to humble ourselves to own our failure.
But we find that Jeremiah, after he had announced all the judgments that were to take place.
Upon God's people.
Because of their failure and their idolatry and their resistance to the truth.
Jeremiah goes out and he buys a piece of land, the very land that is going to be destroyed.
The land is going to be captured and he sees to it that it's sealed by the elders, so he takes possession of it.
Well, we find their real faith in the fact that God was going to fulfill His promises to His people in spite of their failure. God's purposes will never change.
In spite of us we fail. But his purposes won't change. But now in this 45th chapter of Jeremiah.
Word, that Jeremiah the prophet spake unto Barack the son of Neriah, when he had written these words in a book at the mouth of Jeremiah in the fourth year of Jehovah. Him the son of Josiah king of Judah, saying Thus of the Lord the God of Israel. Unto the old barrack thou did say, Woe is me now for the Lord, of added grief to my sorrow.
I fainted in my sighing and I find no rest.
Thus shalt thou say unto him, The Lord saith thus.
All that which I have built will I breakdown, That which I have planted I will pluck up.
Even this whole land.
And seekest thou great things for thyself?
Seek them not, for behold, I will bring evil upon all flesh, saith the Lord.
But thy life will I give thee for a prey in all places.
Whither thou goest Now here was a word of encouragement to Barrack, who was willing to step out of the of the ranks of those who had turned aside and write that book for Jeremiah. He identified himself with the prophet. He took the little the place of the little remnant.
And he's promised protection and care in every place that he goes.
I believe we should be encouraged by scriptures like this.
We must acknowledge our failure. That's true.
But I believe that God would encourage us.
In these last days and he recognizes.
The simple faith that rests upon Him and that acts in keeping with His word, even though others may turn aside.
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Not that we have anything to brag about, but there there should be with us that simplicity going on in confidence in our souls.
Trusting in the Lord, even though we have to acknowledge the failure that has come among us. All your attention to.
A line of truth related definitely to what you're saying, dear brother.
In the book of Jeremiah.
We have a faithful weeping prophet that had such a heart for the Lord's people in Jerusalem and Judas. He was a weeping prophet. He could hardly bear to be the messenger of God, a prophet to a people that God had so loved and so privileged.
And to that temple center.
Of God's worship, to think that God is going to go through the whole thing and ended up and destroy it, that would make him a weeping coffin and make him a weeping coffin because of the state of the peoples we get in his lamentations as well as in the book.
Stubborn in the book, they would not hear 49 times.
They wouldn't hear God's word from God's prophet to them. They would not. There's the will. Isn't it stubborn? I mean cotton in their ears, as they might say. But in the 16th of Jeremiah, we find in verse one that he was not married.
How could a wife bear with such a prophet in there? And they're under the roof that for 41 years was preaching against what the people wanted to hear. And they were aiming in every way that we like. They get his scalp. You know what I mean? Now when you come.
To Speaking of him as being a type of a prophet, as one brother uttered I, I heard him say it.
And type.
No, no problem of a remnant.
No in offense with the type of amendment.
And we could keep on naming. There were types of remnants, individuals like Gideon was a type of remnant. That individual was an example for you and me in the day that he knew how to overcome by the power of the spirit.
In his weakness and his nothingness, oh God made him a mighty one to be a deliverer of his people as women in the detail. Now in Jeremiah 45. I love to hear some brothers that are sitting here who have ministered on his shortest chapter in the book of Jeremiah of only 5 verses.
Now from verse 2.
To the end, I'm going to try to bring out what it really teaches.
There's one verse in this chapter that we often use, but we don't get the point of the whole chapter at all.
Would think of spell great things for thyself?
Seek them, ma.
I've had the wonderful principle in itself. It's a tremendous truth. But let us get the truth to the chapter now. And I only read 4 verses of the five. I want to give you a gift to the thing. Barrack was the Emmanuel instance, the big words of the children.
Emanuel by his secretary, an associate, one that was with Jeremiah, who would have him do the writing while God would give the word for him to write.
But he was right. Alone, using his hands and associated with this Jeremiah Lamination hated. They couldn't stand him. They could put him in a dungeon, the Princess and all could get together and they could condemn him to death. And they were trying to get him.
01:00:02
Now, Vera had been going along with this long enough as far as he felt he was getting cold feet. You understand what I mean? Now you're going to see it in the chat.
Verse 2 Thus saith the Lord the God of Israel to thee obey now God is God. He had not been using his prophet Jeremiah in vain, and though it was not true that he's not going to do it. The people in light to have had the whole thing reversed, but God is showing.
This associated Jeremiah.
That you are going to continue and don't be concerned about yourself. See great things for your own self to save your own life as there were an escape. No, I'm going to use you. I'm going to use you to go on or I'm going to do exactly what I said I'm going to do.
Can you not see how Eric would like to do it?
Way and escaped what he looked like he was an old life would be doomed to like Jeremiah. Actually, brother, we have no record of the end of Jeremiah, but which one of the prophets had not be killed? I wonder if God intends us to Jeremiah happened to be one or I I'm inclined to believe that he met an hand.
It is not recorded.
Here we read on. Now just ask the Lord. Verse two, God of Israel to the old barrack, Thou did they wool his knee? You're thinking of yourself.
For the Lord hath added grief to my sorrow. I fainted in my sign, and I find no rest. Of this was his attitude and state of soul.
Now verse 4. Thus shalt thou stay unto him, the Lord said.
Hey, Barrett, Behold that which I have built will I break down. I'm going to break down the temple. I'm going to scatter those of Jerusalem and Judah, just like I said I was going to do. I have built. Will I break down? And that which I have planted.
I will look up.
Even this whole land. God means business. He's not going to. He's not going to change his mind a bit. And he could sell great things for thyself. Seek him not. Don't waste your time thinking about yourself. I'm going to take care of you. For behold, I will bring evil.
Upon all flesh, says Jehovah, but thy life will I give thee.
And B for a prey.
Or in all places, whether thou goest.
Brother his wife was to be alive of their pointing their finger at him.
There being mocking him, no doubt, but he was to be able to bear God would sustain him in it. And that is the message of chapter 45.
To the assembly. Now no doubt there are those that get discouraged.
In the midst of the assembly, they see what's going on and maybe there's some confusion in the assembly and they get discouraged. And the first thing we see is that they they leave the Lord. They may talk about leaving the meeting, but it's leaving the Lord when they leave the assembly.
And God doesn't want that. The Lord wants us to cleave to him. He's there. He's in the mid, and we're to cleave to Him. They're like David. He encouraged himself in the law. And we can certainly all do that. Even though we might be discouraged and beat down, we can encourage ourselves in the Lord because he's still there. And when the Lord is there, why should I leave?
01:05:08
We want to be where the Lord is. Surely we want to be there when the Lord comes.
Here in the 18th and 19th verses we have a very precious thought out these Jews, believing Jews have been received from their vain conversation. That was what they went on with, what they had received from their fathers. But you know, it's a wonderful thing that we as Christians we value.
And enjoy the Old Testament, but due to the New Testament New Testament teachings.
We are not Jews, we're not brought on the Judaism. And so it's striking here. He tells them that they redeemed from the vain conversation received by tradition. And then he brings in something from the Old Testament, which is a type of Christ. He brings in the Passover lamb. Now they were all familiar with the Passover lamb and the Apostle Peter here says you cut loose now for your main tradition. But isn't it wonderful to see that God still has?
In the Old Testament, which we can enjoy as we see Christ in it, so he says, you redeem with a precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot. Now that's the Passover lamb of Exodus 12.
And as part of the stairs, who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world. Now on the 12Th of Exodus, the Passover lamb was foreordained. It was chosen on the 10th day, and kept up to the 14th day, and it was on the 14th day.
That it was killed a type of Christ being foreordained and then coming here and fulfilling it all. Now this is a wonderful thing to have the person of Christ before us. Here Peter brings as his custom all the way through by the Spirit the contrasts with the Old Testament. He's just as much contrasting here as Paul does in Hebrews. Only Paul doesn't more with a ritual system here it's.
A Passover lab.
What a marvelous thing, a lamb without blemish, without spot or a name. That is God. Redemption was not an afterthought with God. God didn't have to make shift some salvation when man fell because Christ was for ordained before the foundation of the world. He was chosen on 1/10 day. And so we see Peter bringing that in the air and giving Christ's character.
The land without blemish, without spot.
Doesn't mean that that because one not understanding the principles had left the gathering that they had left the Lord, which you say that they had left the place where he said his name is what you meant, wasn't it? Yeah, yeah, it's up with the word of the Lord endureth forever. I thought about in connection with.
Barrack again. He learned that that word.
Would abide. He had written a stroll in the 36th chapter and it didn't please the king when it was red in his ears and he burned it. But that didn't do away with the work. He the work came from God.
And the word abides forever. He was told to take another stroll and write the same words and then add more to it.
It's not a comfort to think that we have something that can't be done away with it by.
Rest of the chapter Our time is slipping away. We have some very precious things.
We have the the precious blood of Christ.
Has been commented on that we we need to to think of this.
The the Peter Speaking of precious things, these things have become very precious to Peter and so.
By experience his pathway here, he's proved the preciousness of the work of Christ for him. He's full of it. He's in the enjoyment of it. And now he speaks of.
Who by him do believe in God?
They had believed in idols before even Israel had turned to idols.
01:10:06
In their vanity.
Who believe in God, who raised him up from the dead, that is, out from among the dead, and gave him glory.
That your faith and hope might be in God. Now this is in contrast to idols.
Or when you say Israel was not an idolatrous nation. But they did turn to idol they they sought other gods. And if you read the testimony of Stephen, you'll find that they had served Moloch all their days.
What a solemn thing of people who have the oracles of God.
We're serving idols, and here we have a truth.
That's so important.
That your faith and hope might be in God.
Now he's going to speak of things that we have.
That are.
Unchangeable, incorruptible, that can't fade, in contrast to everything in Israel and their economy that depended on the flesh, even the priests.
Their death terminated their service. We have a priest who lives forever. Everything that belonged to the economy of Israel or that which was in connection with their religion.
An earthly 1.
Everything passed away and changed.
But what we have here is.
Seeing if purified your souls and obeying the truth.
Israel didn't have that.
For one year, the judgment was stayed.
But in view of a sacrifice that was to be made in the future.
But we have purified our souls in obeying the truth.
Through the Spirit.
And to unfeigned love of the brethren, that's the proof of it.
Every believer has a new nature.
And it's manifested in affection.
For the rest of the body of Christ or every other believer is really having Peter here.
So that.
Unfeigned love of the brethren. That's divine love really manifest in the believer.
See that you love one another.
That's the practical side of it. With a pure heart, fervently.
Being born again, now that's really.
Born anew.
It's an entirely new life.
We have in Romans 5, Romans 8.
For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set us free from the law of sin and death. Or let's put it this way, the principle of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus set us free from the principle of sin and death. It's an entirely new principle that has come in.
It's an entirely new life that has come in because the life we had before wasn't really life in the sense it was only a temporary thing. We're going to soon give up this present life, the brethren. We have that which will never change and.
The word of God being born again, not a corruptible seed.
That is.
The life that we now have has its origin in that which is incorruptible. It has its origin there.
We have that life so that.
By the word of God.
The Word of God liveth and abideth forever. It never can be changed.
It's the word of the living God. This is what we are trusting in, not something that's transient, something that changes, something that fades. No, we have that which is solid and.
01:15:05
Which liveth and abideth forever.
Now the contrast is really quoting from Isaiah 40, for all flesh is as grass.
And the glory and all the glory of man. Now notice that all the glory, because he's Speaking of glory in this book.
And he says all the glory of man.
We are not going to salvage one thing from the old nature.
All the glory of man.
As the flower of grass.
It's up. One day it fades, tomorrow it's gone.
The Spirit of God would bring the contrast to us, dear ones, because the tendency of our hearts.
Is to be affected by that which we think is glorious here. But you know, poor luck. He took one look down at Sodom.
This well watered plains he never thought one thing about his family I suppose, or the end of the course.
But he saw that enchanted valley, and that's where he went. But the glory of it faded, and very quickly.
And he was taken captive by the enemy. But here we have that which will never fade.
Never pass away and.
All flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man is the flower of grass. The grass weather at it, and the flower thereof falleth away. Now the the real meaning of that is it has fallen away. That's the true rendering. I believe. It's something that's passed you might as well recognize as past. It's all fated already.
In view of the work of Christ on the cross, it's all fated, it belongs to Adam and his race, and it's going to pass away. But the word of the Lord and Doroth forever. And this is the word which by the gospel is preached of you, that glorious gospel that Peter says. Now you've received the end of your faith.
The Gospel.
Of your salvation. Salvation through the precious blood of Christ.
This is our portion.
There is a Path
Address—W.J. Prost
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Could we turn first of all to a verse in the 28th chapter of Job?
Job chapter 28. I would like to read just two verses in this book of Job chapter 28.
Verse seven, Job 28 and verse 7.
There is a path which no foul north.
And which the vultures eye hath not seen.
The lions whelps have not trodden it, nor the fierce lion.
Passed by it. This verse has often been an encouragement to me.
And I would like to share for the first few moments what I have enjoyed from it.
First of all, we read those four words. There is a path.
You know, young people, it is a difficult day to live for the Lord. You know it better than I do.
When I look back upon my brief lifetime and see the changes that have occurred in the world of today.
It makes me shudder when I see some of you young people so-called.
Starting out.
In the world.
And yet we have the word of God here, which says there is a path. And notice that this is not in the New Testament of all things. This is written by a man who lived hundreds and probably thousands of years before Christ. And yet he says there is a path.
And let me tell you this afternoon, there is a path in 1980.
Our beloved brother Clifford Brown, now with the Lord, once said that there will always be a clean path for the Christian through this defiled scene, otherwise God would not be God. Is that true today? Indeed it is. Indeed it is. There is a path. Oh, it may be a little more difficult to find, you know, in this day and age.
We may have to give up something to walk that path.
Perhaps you have found that out already, but there is a path.
And notice what it says about that path.
There is a path which no foul knoweth.
Now may I suggest to you that the fowl brings before us man in his intelligence.
Man and his intelligence in all those birds that fly up high in the heavens.
They have a better view of things on earth than you and I have, don't they? If we want to get a good view of things on Earth, we go up in an airplane and we can see the whole scene plainly.
And we know that those birds that fly up in the sky, they can discern with those keen eyes of theirs things that you and I could never see.
Though we be walking right on the earth, and yet it says there is a path which no foul knoweth. Beloved young people, don't expect to get your wisdom as to the pathway of faith from the minds of this world. Ah no. No matter how high that mind may be able to go, the wisdom of man is always the very opposite of man's wisdom.
Or rather, the wisdom of man is the opposite of God's wisdom.
We have heard that many times, some of us.
Know, we have heard it many times that the wisdom of God is the opposite of man's wisdom. God's wisdom is not an improvement on man's wisdom, but the very opposite of it. And so don't look to man in order to find that pathway of faith, because he'll never, never be able to be of any help to you in it.
Says and which the vultures I have not seen.
Well, the Vulture, we know, feeds on that which is dead, that which is corrupt. And so I believe the Vulture would bring before us man in corruption, man in corruption. Does the Vulture feed on that which is alive? Oh no, it looks for something which is dead.
And beloved St. of God.
And that's what you are. You know, if you're safe, that vulture, that vulture will never attack you in the pathway of faith. No, the vultures eye hasn't seen that path. We had remarked before us in the reading meeting this morning about how wicked the world had become. And you know, it's changed so rapidly in the last ten, 1520 years.
00:05:21
That we can scarcely conceive of the differences in moral values that has pervaded.
The world of today and yet the vultures eye has not seen the pathway of faith. Is it possible to avoid these things in the pathway of faith? Indeed it is. Indeed it is. Or it may be more difficult. It may require more exercise of faith. It may require more energy of soul before the Lord. It may require my being more and more familiar with the.
Book the word of God, but the vultures eye has not seen that path.
The lion's whelps have not trodden it.
Oh, I think this particularly applies to those of us who are young, and you'll forgive me if I include myself in that because I don't feel that old. You know, it wasn't so long ago that I sat in the seats where you sit and listened to those who instructed me as to being a young person and to going on for the Lord. And I still value that instruction.
Yes, I do, but here it talks about the lion's whelps have not trodden it.
Well, you know, the lion in scripture speaks of strength. The lion's whelps brings before us the Young Lions.
You might say super strength.
The word of God tells us, Rejoice so young man in thy youth. The joy of young men is their strength.
And that's true, isn't it? But the lions whelps have not tried me. What does that mean? Odd means that I cannot tread that pathway in my own strength, doesn't it? I cannot tread that pathway in my own strength.
If I try to walk the pathway of faith in my own strength, I'll soon find myself beset by enemies which are too strong for me.
And I won't be able to stand up. Know the strength of the lions. Wealth will not hold up in the pathway of faith. It may get you somewhere in this world. It may get you somewhere in business. It may get you somewhere as far as everything in this world is. But when it comes to the pathway of faith.
The lion's wealth has not trodden it.
Where do I get the strength for that pathway then?
Oh, I must walk in the strength of another. I must walk in the strength of another. Just as Christ must be the wisdom for that pathway, so Christ must be the strength for that pathway.
And then notice what it says. Nor the fierce lion passed by it.
Well, we know what the fierce lion brings before us.
Your adversary, the devil, is a roaring lion Gulf about seeking whom he may devour.
But notice he hasn't passed by that path.
He hasn't passed by it.
Why? Ah, because when you and I are walking in a pathway of dependence before the Lord.
You might say we're out of range of the devil.
He cannot attack you in the pathway of faith.
Now you and I well know, and sad to say, I speak to my own heart.
How often we stray from that pathway of faith.
And how often we are found going to where the devil can attack us.
But he hasn't passed by that pathway of faith, if we stay on it. Oh, it may be a very narrow pathway. You'll remember in the book called Pilgrim's Progress how that when Christian was going along there, he came to a place where there were two wild beasts chained, one on each side of the way, and he wondered how he was ever going to get between them.
But then he was told that if he simply followed the pathway, he would find that those chains were just a little too short.
For them to reach him straight off that path, either to the one hand or to the left, to the right hand or to the left, and he would find himself within range of those wild beasts. But if he kept to the pathway as it had been marked out, then there would be no problem or no difficulty.
00:10:13
Well, these things have encouraged me, dear young people, in reading this verse because as we remarked at the beginning, there is a path for faith. It's much more difficult today than it was even in my day, but God will give you a clean path, perhaps in a way that you don't really.
Foresee. But we don't have to foresee it. We need to take one step at a time.
Turn, just for a moment, to a verse in the 119th Psalm.
Psalm 119.
And verse 105, Psalm 119 and verse 105.
This ties in beautifully with what we have been having in job.
Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.
Does the word of God repeat itself?
I believe here we have two distinct thoughts, the lamp and the light.
Thy word is a lamp unto my feet. My feet. May I suggest, your young people, that the lamp is that which shows me the next step of the journey? It doesn't show me.
Everything all the way. It shows me the next step if I carry a Lantern in my hand.
As they go along, it gives me enough light for the next step, doesn't it? And so the Word of God, I may not be able to see what may be my portion if the Lord leaves us here a month, six months, a year, five years, 10 years. But I don't have to do that. Do I know our responsibility is to follow the light of this precious Word.
For today, for the next step of the pathway.
But then it says a light unto my path. What does that mean? Oh, I believe it shows me where the journey will end. A lamp unto my feet to show me what is immediately before me but a light to show me the end of the pathway. And after all, that's all that matters, isn't it? If I know where the end is, and I have the next step ahead of me, I don't need to know everything between now and the end, do I? And.
We tell you, dear young people, God will undertake for you in the pathway of faith in accordance with His mind is revealed in His Word in a marvelous way, if you're faithful to Him, faithful to Him. Well, these things I say to encourage each one here. And as I look around, I know that there are a large number of you here who want to please the Lord.
You have that desire to go on for the Lord.
Maybe you're discouraged, as I confess I sometimes have been. Maybe you feel that perhaps it's hardly worth going on sometimes, and I confess that I have felt that way.
But you do want to go on for the Lord. And let me tell you one thing. When we are discouraged, it is because we have gotten our eye on something other than the Lord. I become discouraged because I expected something from my brethren, from my friends, from those whom I had hoped would go on with me. Or perhaps I get discouraged because I had expected something from myself.
And it didn't work out that way.
Well, that's sad, but it happens, doesn't it? To me, and perhaps to you too. But if we have our eye on the Lord, I say it.
Realizing the lack in my own soul, we won't be discouraged. We may have to feel very sad and grieved about things. We may feel very cast down about the situation around us, about the condition of things in Christendom, about the condition of things in the assembly, and perhaps about the condition of things in our own lives. But if our eye is on the Lord, we won't be discouraged.
I was much encouraged recently in being down in Florida. When I say recently, it was last year.
And our dear brother Eric Smith said to me, referring to the table that is spread there in Port Orange, he said we're only a few here, dear brother, only a few. But he said the Lord is in the midst, and that is everything. And so just as Christ is everything to the Father, so he should be everything to you and to me.
00:15:21
But I have several things on my heart this afternoon that I'd like to talk about.
Things that.
I humbly suggest have been a burden on my heart considering the world of today. They're negative things.
But perhaps you will bear with me if we speak about them a little.
And let's turn for the first one to the book of Ephesians.
Bearing in mind now that there is a path, there is a path.
And that thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.
Ephesians chapter 5 and verse 15.
Ephesians 5 and verse 15.
See then, that she walk circumspectly.
Not as fools.
What is wise?
Redeeming the time.
Because the days are evil, Wherefore be not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is.
May I speak a little bit, dear young people, this afternoon on our lack of time, our lack of time?
There is often a desire in dear Saints of God, and I speak especially to you young people, but I speak to my own heart and to those in my own age group as well.
It is a day when we are in a world full of pressure and hurry.
And I suppose there has never been a day in the world's history when the pace of life has been so fast.
And it's very difficult to find time for the Lord.
We often hear that expression.
You can find plenty of time for something if you want to do it badly enough, and we know that that's true. But how often the duties of everyday life so crowd and honest that we seem to have no time left.
For reading the word of God.
For a time with prayer with the Lord for getting out to all the meetings.
And perhaps for some little service for him.
It's true, isn't it? And again, you can tell me better than I can. And yet.
We still have 24 hours in a day as they did 100 years ago or 1000 years ago. We still have seven days in a week.
But somehow there seems to be.
Less time.
You know, a few months ago I was reading a paper that came to me from the university where I attended a few years ago. They send it around now and then and it gives a bit of news of what's going on.
And here was a column written by a man whom I had never heard of before, and who did not make any pretense of being a Christian. But he was an outstanding man in his field, well recognized for his work. And he made this statement in the course of his column, which I was very impressed with. And I pass it on to you as being something, you and I as Christians.
Need to remember and that is this, he said. When you want to do anything well.
If you want to do anything well.
You will have to forego many other things that you might have done.
Is that true? We know it's true. If a man wants to excel in something, he does it to the exclusion of other things which might hinder him.
And so may I suggest to you that we need to learn that as Christians now, we don't need to get that from man's wisdom. The Word of God tells us the same thing. Don't we? Read in the Word of God that laying aside every weight and the sin which does so easily beset us, let us run with patience the race that is set before us.
00:20:16
No man that warreth entangleth himself for the affairs of this life.
Why, that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier. Oh, beloved young people, you may have to decomplicate your life in order to please the Lord. You may have to say no to this pleasure, and that pleasure that may be all right in themselves. You may have to say no to something which may perhaps be.
All right in itself, but which robbed you of something which is so necessary?
So necessary. And so the Lord Jesus, you know, when he was here on earth, had to say to dear Martha, he had to say, Martha, Martha.
Thou art careful and troubled about many things. And I say, yes, that's me. I fit right in there.
But Mary hath chosen that good part. Is that what he said? No. I missed a line. Didn't die. But one thing is desirable, no?
Needful. One thing is needful.
Can I afford to give up the time that I need for the Lord? It's not only.
Desirable, it's needful, needful. And Mary has chosen that good part. May you and I be given grace in a day of ruin, in a day of small things, in a day when the whole world.
Presses in on us so much that we seem to have little or no time for the Lord. May the Lord give us grace to lay aside those things that we can possibly lay aside in order that we may have time for that blessed One who loved us and died for us.
Oh, it won't be easy. You know, someone has said that the most difficult thing in the world for a Christian to do is to lay aside the cares that come with everyday duties, because it is right and proper that we should do our duty. But if the duty becomes so complicated that it robs me of my time for the Lord.
Then then I need to be before the Lord about it. You might say, well I'm in a box. I don't know what to do.
How can I possibly get out of that box? I have this and I have that. I've made this commitment. I've made that commitment. Now where do I go? Well, what can I do?
May I suggest, and I suggest this to my own heart as well as to yours, that if you and I will get before the Lord about our life and tell him the problem, say Lord, I want some more time, but I don't know where to find it. I don't know what to do.
I seem to have locked myself into things that.
I can't give up. I can't let go without being a poor testimony. Look to the Lord. He'll show you a way out. He'll show you the way out. We won't turn to the scripture, but do you remember back in the Old Testament how that there was a king who went and hired some alien soldiers?
And he gave, I think it was 100 talents of gold or silver in order to hire them to fight the battle. And the prophet came to him and said you shouldn't be doing that. You don't need those heathen men to fight the Lord's battles. You count on the Lord.
Well the king was was impressed, he was exercised, but he said to the prophet, what shall I do for the 100 talents of gold that I have given them? And oh the prophets answer is so blessed God is able to give thee much more than this, much more than this.
Not just more, much more. Beloved young person, if you give up anything in your life for the Lord, God is able to give you much more than this. Now, I don't want to be misunderstood. I don't mean to say that if we give up something for the Lord that we can expect to get it back in this life. No, God and grace may do that.
He may, but we may have to wait till the glory to get it.
00:25:00
But won't it be worth it? Won't it be worth it? Second thing I'd like to speak about is our lack of reading.
Turn for a verse in First Timothy, First Timothy chapter 4, verse 13, First Timothy 4 and 13.
Till I come.
Give attendance to reading.
To exhortation, to doctrine, or to teaching?
Verse 16.
Well, we'll read verse 15 because it's important. Verse 15. Meditate upon these things. Give thyself wholly to them, that thy profiting may appear to all.
Take heed unto thyself and unto the doctrine or the teaching.
Continuing them.
Or in doing this, thou shalt both save thyself and them that hear thee.
Now one verse in the second epistle, please. Second Epistle of Timothy, the 4th chapter.
And verse 13.
The cloak that I left at Troas with Carpus when thou comest.
Bring with thee.
And the books.
But especially the parchments. Now I suppose that our lack of reading. And again I speak to my own heart.
Is a product to some extent of the same thing that we were speaking about a few minutes ago, our lack of time and the pressure and hurry in the world in which we live.
And I am sure that each one of us here.
Would like to have more time to read. I had the privilege when I was a boy of listening to.
Our beloved late brother, John R Gill.
And he said once something like this, he said, you know.
And those who remember him much better than I do, I think, will attest to the fact that he.
Used his sense of humor quite freely.
And he said, you know, I hope that when we get to the glory, the Lord gives us some time to read because there is so much I'd like to read here and I don't have time for it.
Well, I know he didn't mean it the way that sounded, but he was saying that he hadn't had time to read as much as he wanted.
How much more today? And yet the word of God says, till I come give attendance to reading, attendance to reading again. Dear beloved young people, may I encourage you to make time to read first of all this precious book. Oh, don't neglect the word of God.
This precious book, read it as often as you can, and as it says here, not simply read it, but meditate upon these things.
Chew on it. Think about it, as our brother Harry Hayhoe used to say.
Become so saturated with the Word of God that you think in the language of Scripture.
Some of us who have studied foreign languages a little bit know what that means. When you study a foreign language at some length, eventually you get to think in that language to some extent.
We should become so saturated with Scripture that we think in the language of Scripture.
But there are other books besides the Word of God that can be a help to us. And you know, that's why I read that verse in Second Timothy 4. The apostle Paul obviously had other books.
He had other books and you know when 1 Contended with Mr. Darby once as to the inspiration of every word of Scripture using that verse that I read as an example, dear JND said, ah, he said, don't take that verse away from me. He said it was that very verse that kept me from getting rid of my library because I saw from the word of God that even the great apostle Paul who penned.
Much of the New Testament, by inspiration, found blessing from writings that were obviously other than the Word of God.
All beloved young people. We have such a rich heritage of ministry. How often do we read it? How often do we read it?
00:30:09
We can't grow in our souls properly if we neglect our written ministry. You know, if we neglect the help that God has given us, we can't grow in our souls. I can remember a dear brother giving an address in my home assembly about 15 or 20 years ago, and he gave us some good advice which I pass on to you. He said you go and read the word of God as much as you can.
And form your own thoughts on it.
But then he said go and pick up your written ministry and read what they have to say about it. If you find that your thoughts are similar, then he said that's that's wonderful. But if you find that you're at variance with what has been written, he said.
Then do some soul searching before the Lord. Notice he didn't say to swallow as we would say hook, line and sinker what's in the written ministry, but he said do some soul searching before the Lord. That's good advice. I'm thankful to say I've taken it up in a small way and it's been a blessing to one soul.
Let me speak plainly if you will forgive me.
We live in a day and age when reading is easy in some respects. We can go to a bookstore and find magazines of every description, books that we might term light reading, and you all know the type of book to which I refer. We can read it in an evening. We can take it to bed with us because we can't lay it down.
But would to God we could take something that was more food for our souls to bed and not lay it down.
Oh, if you and I get occupied with light reading, it'll spoil us. It will spoil us for the good, solid ministry that God has given us.
That God has given us.
I may be forgiven for going one step farther.
We live in a world which has had a television for over 30 years.
And may I say to you, dear young people, that it is the opinion not only of men of God, but of men of this world, that television spoils the mind for good reading. Now I won't say any more about that, but it does, it spoils the mind for good reading.
My father once said to me, he said.
The truth of God has been left to us by our brethren of the last century like a large estate, but sad to say, we have been content to live in one small part of it, and we've let the greater part grow up to weeds.
Well, I don't say that as a sweeping statement. I don't say that.
To point the finger at anyone else but to my own heart.
But May God encourage you and me to take the time to read our written ministry. You won't regret it. You may not understand everything that's said in it.
But it will pay rich dividends. Rich dividends which can never, never be gotten.
In any other way?
Don't be afraid to pull down a book of Mr. Darby and read a page or two and say, my, that really takes effort to to try and chew on that for a while. But all beloved young people, it's worth it. It's worth it, and now is the time to do it. Now you think you'll have more time when you get older.
Permit me to say that you won't. You won't. I thought my life was full when I was in my late teens. I thought my life was full when I was going to high school and college. I didn't know what it meant. I didn't know what it meant not to have time in those days. And I'm thankful. I'm thankful for the time that I did take to read in those days, because those are the days, dear young people, when your mind is keen and fresh.
When these things will sink in? When they'll stay?
And stay with you for the rest of your life. Now we we know that the Lord's coming is near.
It may only be a few short.
Hours, minutes before the Lord comes. But He may leave us here for a little longer. We hope not, but he may.
And it says till I come give attendance.
00:35:02
To reading, to exhortation, to teaching, the reading had to come first.
We can't be a help to our brethren unless we have made it our own.
And one last thing that I would like to speak about.
That seems to characterize the day in which we live.
And again, I speak to those who want to please the Lord, those who want to find that path that we have been speaking about in Job.
And that is this the gratification of self.
Turn to the Book of Philippians for a verse, please.
Libyans 2.
And verse 21.
Well, we'll read the 20th verse.
The apostle referring to Timothy has to say.
For I have no man like minded who will naturally care for your state, but all then look what he adds. For all seek their own.
Not the things which are Jesus Christ.
Turn back now, please, to Romans for a verse or two.
Romans, chapter 15.
And verse one, Romans 15 and verse one.
We then, that are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak, and not to please ourselves. Let every one of us please his neighbor for his good, to edification for.
Even Christ pleased not Himself.
We live in a world where self has become the primary motive, don't we?
Haven't you heard the expression on every hand? This is what I do for me. Isn't that what we hear? Because you're worth it.
And so on. A world where man has put himself first, both individually and collectively.
And we can't throw stones at anyone group in our society. Someone say it's the labor unions, it's all their problem, it's all their fault. They're trying to get everything they can. Some would say no, it's management's problem. They're just trying to wring everything they can out of the poor man.
But it's a world where self has become a primary motive and sad to say, there has never been a trend in the world which has not crept in amongst the Saints of God. Oh beloved young people, don't, don't be carried away by the gratification of self.
It will grieve the heart of the Lord, and it will never make you happy.
Many years ago, there was a young brother.
Who had a desire, a real desire to do something for the Lord, and he approached an older brother in his assembly.
And said I'd like to do something to serve the Lord. Do you know of anything I can do that that I could do for the Lord? He was a young man.
The old brother thought for a moment and he he said yes, yes I do, I do. I do know something that I think you could do, he said. There's a dear elderly sister in our assembly here and.
She lives in a nursing home. She's all alone there. She doesn't have any family to visit her and the only visit she gets are from her brethren and she would just love to have a young man like yourself come and have a visit with her.
That wasn't what he had in mind.
But a week later, the old brother.
Spoke to him again, he said. Well, he said, did you go and visit old Mrs. So and So And he named her by name.
Yes, the young brother said. I did.
And how did you get along?
Well, all right, I guess, but it wasn't really what I was thinking of. I really, I really didn't enjoy her very much.
00:40:05
Ah, the old brother said.
I didn't send you there that she might or that you might enjoy her. I sent you there that she might enjoy you. Did you go with that in mind?
Oh, he hadn't thought of it that way.
He did go and visit her again, and this time he went with the thought that he was going to be a cheer to her, not for what he could get out of it, but to be a cheer to her. And you know, he came back all warmed up inside. I don't even know who that young brother was. Was told to me many years ago. I don't know his name or where he lived.
But I thought it well illustrated the point. Beloved young people, if you're occupied with trying to be happy, you'll never be happy.
Because the one that is occupied with himself can never find happiness. That's what this world's doing, isn't it? This world is trying, trying, trying to be happy in every way possible. And it all comes short. And so often we find in the world of today that self comes first. And maybe it creeps into your heart as it does into mine. My own ease. My own pleasure.
Instead of thinking first of all about my blessed Savior, and secondly about others, about others.
If I am not occupied with self at all, then I'll find that God will not be my debtor. Will he be my debtor? Oh no, Oh no. If you and I are going to go out and do anything to please the Lord and seek the good of our neighbors we have here in Romans 15.
If we seek the things that are Jesus Christ and forget about ourselves.
Oh, then we have God's promise. Seek ye first the Kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you. And again it says, If any man will come after me, let him. What does it say? Deny himself? We don't know much about that in this part of the world, do we? We don't know what it is to deny ourselves.
And yet we can. We may have to deny ourselves some of our time.
Some of our money, some of our pleasure, but think of that Blessed One who gave up everything.
Who, when he had found one Pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had and bought it? Oh, dear young people, does that touch your heart and mind that someone sold all that he had and bought it? Who's the F? You and me? The Pearl of great Christ went and sold all that he had and bought it.
Our time is nearly gone.
As I say, these three things are lack of time. Our lack of reading, and the gratification of self have seemed to me to be that which are a danger to our hearts today. And I speak not merely to you young people, but to those of us who are just a little older and who are raising families.
There is a responsibility that comes with all this. I was thinking as I sat in this gymnasium today of the first time that I was privileged to be at these meetings in Wheaton now over 20 years ago. And I looked around and most of the dear brethren who.
Took most of the part in the meetings are now with the Lord. Most of the brethren who ministered the truth to us at that time 20 years ago are with the Lord. You and I and others have a responsibility.
In these things.
Turn.
Just for one last verse to the Second Epistle of John.
Few years ago.
A dear sister passed away.
And her husband, a man of God, who is now also with the Lord.
Asked me if I would be a pallbearer at her funeral.
Of course I was glad to do so, and after the funeral he wrote me a letter thanking me for it and seeking to encourage me in the Lord. And one verse he gave to me here, which I had never noticed before, but which has stuck with me ever since. And permit me to pass it on to you in the second Epistle of John.
00:45:16
Verse eight look to yourselves.
That we lose not those things which we have wrought.
But that we receive a full reward.
Dear young people, the time is coming shortly when God is going to hand out rewards. Oh, what a blessed thing that God, who gave us the power to do. Any little thing for Him, is going to reward us for what little measure of faithfulness He has seen in US.
But notice here the apostle John writes to his spiritual children and says, look to yourselves.
That ye lose not those things know that we lose, not those things which we have wrought, but that we receive a full reward. Beloved young people, if you go on well, you will receive a reward. But so, so will those who have sought to be a help to you.
And if you go on badly, if you turn away from the truth of God.
You will be the greatest loser, no doubt.
But so will those who have sought to be a help to you.
Those who have ministered the truth to you. Those who have sought to watch for your souls.
As we have in Hebrews as them that must give a they that must give account, they will lose to the apostle John says, look to yourselves, because we're going to lose a full reward if you don't go on. Well, not that that should be our motive. Oh no, Oh no, not that that should be our motive. But remember.
Remember those who have spoken unto you the word of God, as we have in Hebrews.
Whose faith follow considering the end of their conversation, or, as Mr. Darby renders that considering the issue of their conversation, imitate their faith?
Imitate their faith, O beloved young people, it would be the greatest joy to the hearts of your brethren.
Those who are here today and those who have gone before for you to go on in the pathway of faith till the Lord comes, May God give us grace to walk in it for His namesake until He come.