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Two and verse 10.
For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them. Wherefore remember that ye being in time past Gentiles in the flesh, who are called uncircumcision by that which is called the circumcision, and the flesh made by hands, that at that time you were without Christ being aliens from the Commonwealth of Israel.
And stranger from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world.
But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off, are made nigh by the blood of Christ. For He is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us, having abolished in his flush the enmity even the law of commandments contained in ordinances, or to making himself of twain 1 Newman, so making peace.
And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby, and came and preached peace to you which were far off, and to them that were nine. For through him we both have access by 1 Spirit unto the Father.
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Now therefore, ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the Saints and of the household of God, and are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief cornerstone.
And whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord.
In whom he also are buildeth together for inhabitation of God through the Spirit.
Thank you.
Well, works have no heart in salvation. But there are those works, the good works, which God has before ordained that we should walk in them. They are not good works unless they're according to His Word. It must be in that path that He has marked out by the direction of His Word and by the power of the Holy Spirit. So before one is saved, there are no good works. All our righteousnesses are as filthy rags.
But when we are saved, and there is a path marked out for us, and we find that in the word of God we have the power by the Holy Spirit, and it is God who works in US false to will and to do of His good pleasure.
You can Titus chapter 2 along that line.
Verse 13.
Titus 213 Looking for that blessed hope and the glorious appearing of the great God.
And our Savior Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works. That's the purpose. And you know in Hebrews.
13 of Hebrews 15 Hebrews 15 We've got the proper order and you know.
When?
Mary groped at elevast. A box.
Hebrews 15 But I'm not reading from there. I'm thinking a minute. I'm sorry, Hebrews 13. I didn't turn yet or I would have had it. Right. Sorry. I was thinking, everybody's correcting me around here.
But that's nice, isn't it? Anyways, I'll talk about Mary, they said. Why this waste?
Lord and so that's our way, that's worship. She has brought a good work upon me. That's number one. So in Hebrews 13 verse.
15 Is by him. Therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually. That is the fruit of our lives, giving thanks to His name, that is first. That's first always present worship 1St, and then 16 But to do good and communicate forget not.
For with such sacrifices, God is well pleased, you know, That's part of it. I mean, actually we should be living and showing Christ. That brings in good work. Actually, the formula goes a little farther, a little further. The first thing is where. That would be verse 13. Let us go forth therefore unto him without the camp bearing his reproach. Now there's that's a 13th verse, and there's 13 words.
And the heart of it is him That's the center that's in the midst person. And then you've got the place, and then comes worship, and then works after it. Now you read in the second chapter of Titus. I had opened my Bible to the same book, but it's in the third chapter. And every find in verse 8. This is a faithful saying, and these things I will that thou affirm constantly.
That they which have believed in God might be careful to maintain good works, and I think that includes what we do for people and fathers, and even in the end of this chapter in verse 14 and let ours, that is his fellow laborers, also learn to maintain good works for necessary uses.
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That they be not unfruitful. You know the idea that prevails in Christendom and somebody wants to serve the Lord. It is below his dignity to work with his hands. That is not what was called custom, nor his fellow laborers for necessary uses. That men that they were providing for their own needs plus for the needs of others. Now we know that those who preach to God will also have a right to live from it. And we shouldn't muscle the Ox's mouth that fed his corn. That's true.
But these passages clearly show that.
It might well be that a servant might have to labor like Paul himself did and those associated with him. There is no dishonor in working, you know. And it might well be that one serves the Lord and at the same time provide for his needs and the needs of others. That's all good works, I like to say, for the young people, and we don't point them out. But when I was young, I used to think I had to be doing something great. You know, we all think that when we're young we got to do something great.
But it isn't the great thing that that's the good work in God. Fight anything that he gives you to do the least little thing. If that's His will for you, the Lord will say that's a good word, but don't look for the big things. Anything he wants you to do. If it's His will, it's a good work. Big in the ditch, digging in a ditch or praying for the man that's digging. Either way, that's a good word, right?
It's lots of fun, the bigger dish.
But in our tenth verse it says we are his workmanship. We are his workmanship created in Christ Jesus unto good works.
So that they enlarge on a bit I was thinking of.
The thought here for we are his workmanship. Who created in Christ Jesus unto good works. Now we've been created in Christ Jesus unto those good works. Now where do we get the power or the ability to follow out what God has brought us into? Well, I think if you look at Second Timothy, we see there a little picture.
Of what we have, notice two Timothy Chapter 3.
I won't read all of it. I just read the last two verses of that chapter. All scripture is given by inspiration of God.
And is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness. Notice verse 17, that the man of God may be perfect, truly furnished unto all good works. So God has brought us into this place of his it's his workmanship. And he gives the the ability to carry out that workmanship, because all scripture is given by inspiration of God, And that is it says we're furnished.
In other words, it's like to like a vessel that is has all its parts, an instrument with all its parts, it's all equipped to do that, to follow out. And so God has equipped his people for that very good word. But why is it not always followed? Because we're not always adhering to the word of God and the provision that God has made for us. Don't you think there is a sort of a contrast that is drawn here?
We are His workmanship. We had absolutely nothing to do with salvation. That was a work of God.
He worked the work of his beloved Son on the cross, and we wouldn't have even come if He hadn't drawn us. We wouldn't have faith if He had given it, if he hadn't given it to us where His workmanship. Every one of us who are saved here today don't claim one thing that we contributed to that salvation. It was totally and completely a work of God. But now He has brought us into His family, He's given us the very life of Christ, and we have the Holy Spirit as power now in His word we have direction about those things that are pleasing to Him.
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And whether it's the natural things of life or to provide things honest in the sight of all men, whether it's the way we're to assemble, whether it's the way I'm to act as a husband or a wife, to act as a wife, we're not left to our own thoughts. God has foreordained. He's given us instruction for everything. The Christian pathway is one of obedience, but it's happy and loving obedience because he's given us this new life. And I believe that's what's taken up in Titus.
And.
They were thinking after they got saved that they had to go under law and make certain rules for their lives. But what he's developing in Titus is that it's the washing of regeneration. There's an entirely new order brought into our lives now, and he said you must emphasize that so that people would realize that there's an entirely new order, there's a new object, there's a new way of doing things. Everything is to be done according to God's plan.
But giving him all the glory because just as he worked for our salvation.
So he has given us the new life and the power to produce those good works. So it's producing, it really involves everything, whether it's the way I conduct myself in my home, whether it's the way we assemble or whether it's the way we preach the gospel or whether it's the context that we have in business.
1/2 Marked out Brethren, He's given us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, and then go ahead. Well, I was just thinking, in contrast with that the 1St Corinthians. 313 And it speaks there of the responsibility side. Every man's work shall be made manifest, for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire, and the fire shall try every man's worth of what sort it is.
That would be, as you point out, Brother Gordon, the carrying out of the equipment that God has provided for us to do it. But every one of us here today is going to be examined, that work is going to, that we're doing, is going to be examined in the light of what has been provided for us. Now the path that you're referring to, Brother Norman, has to do really with the activities.
Went into building of that which is for God the church, but it extends beyond that. I was thinking before I was saved or before inner are saved. What is our motive in working? You know, we want to improve our circumstances. You know, we might even want to enrich ourselves. Is that to be a motive? When it comes to my work as a Christian, I bring the Lord into my life.
There is a different attitude now.
And whatever I do in Word, or indeed I want to do it for the glory of God, that is, even in connection with my everyday duties, my employment, and even the boys and girls here. You can go to the school and be in school for the glory of God, you know? Do you want to be a good student so that you can show off or show how much smarter you are than somebody else or?
Do you want to do it because you belong to the Lord Jesus? And when you get assignments in school, you want to do these assignments because it brings glory to the Lord. If you do them properly, follow direction. The same in at home when Dad and Mark give you things to do at home.
What's the motive? I want to please the Lord Jesus said. Thanks and all together. Different perspective into our lives and it makes even duties that might naturally be.
Disliked by us, we do them with pleasure because we do it for the Lord Jesus. What a difference that makes. And in all of these things we can bring glory to him. That is the difference, isn't it?
Now, it couldn't possibly be without God having brought in a change in us to make us a new creature so that we have a different outlook, a different motive in life that we didn't have before.
When our work is called a good work, if the fruit of the spirit, it has to be to be called the good word. When it's just the work that's the flesh, and I think in Galatians 55 is brought out very clear.
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Verse 19 Now notice the wordage. Now the work of the flesh are manifest. 17 things lifted. A characteristic list. Not all inclusive. What's the first? Adultery.
Not because it's alphabetic, because witchcraft comes ahead of hatred, but because there is spiritual adultery that God's more concerned about than the moral adults.
Spiritual adultery is a terrible thing in God's sight, you know, He says I'm a jealous God. And that's the thought. But all these things are work because it's flesh, whether it's in the things of God or our flex is worse. Now notice first verse 22. But the fruit of the Spirit, That's different. That's not worse. It's a good work if it's the fruit of the spirit, but it's of the Spirit and it's always good work. There's a difference.
In the singular.
Do we read our Bibles?
As a rule book and do we present it to others as a rule book or our children?
Or do we read it and and see it as a promised book?
Because all these things that are set for us to do that are good works. We have everything. God will complete his promises.
Says of Abraham. I think it's in Romans 41. What hath Abraham our father found?
Apparently, he had tried.
To do good works on his own energy. Or we might say, well, he tried with Hagar to help God fulfill his promises. He said, well, God needs me to help him fulfill those problems. So what did he find? No, it had to be gone.
And our side comes in in responsibility. What's our responsibilities to own the goodness and grace of God?
And if we read the book, read our Bibles as a rule book, that puts it over on us again and promise keepers and no more possibility to be a promise keeper than it is to be a law keeper.
If it's a promise keeper that I have to keep his promise, I'm sunk. But I can trust the Lord and these these things that are written for us are his promises.
That he's going to do in and through me and give me the credit for it. What will I find, I will find as Abraham found. I can't, but he can.
And responsibility is not set aside by that responsibility, just placed in the right order, responsible to own him and all that he is for me.
When you love somebody, you don't do things because you have to, but you do things because you want to, because you want to please them. And if you hear them make a request. If you love them, you don't say, do I have to do that? You do it out of love. And that's the whole thing that is brought out. We have a new life that delights in pleasing God. Do you think it was ******* to the Lord Jesus to live here to please his Father? No. He said the good pleasure of thy will, O God, is my delight. And so it's the whole thing. And I believe, I say again, that's what is developed in Titus.
He says now, don't bring them under law. That's what they were doing. In Galatians, you have to show love and you have to do this. No, he says Tell them that they've got a new life, a new order of things has been brought into their lives. Regeneration is not new birth. It's the result of new birth. It's because we have a new life that there's a new order of things brought in. The disciples couldn't understand the Lord Jesus not wanting to show himself to the world.
Things that there is no man that does anything in secret, but that he himself wants to be known openly. He says if you do something, you want everybody to know it, so you get a little credit. They couldn't understand the person who didn't have such motives at all, who would go up to the fees just at the moment that his father wanted him to go and not go for any other reason but to please his father. That is the path that God has marked out, and I believe that's the force of the expression here.
The good works which God hath or ordained, that we should walk in them. But He's given us this new life and this new power, and it's a joy to do it if we're walking in communion with him.
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It was quoted before, whereby are given unto us all things that were attained unto life of salvation.
And godliness, the ability to live this life because.
This is now that which is born into our new nature, into our new life. One of the weekly high points of a believers life is once day morning, isn't it? He made a request. The Lord made a request to us. This do in remembrance of me. Now that wasn't a command, but it has that effect on my heart. It's his desire. That's the thought. And when your wife has a you know she wants something, it's their will and she'd be pleased.
You do it. Why? It's like a command, isn't it? You don't say because you said I will love you and obey. You made the promise I'm going to do something for you. And we don't think that way, do we? I know it is a promise on his side, but we're not claiming a promise in that sense except one way. I will be in the midst. We claim that never right to. But it's really love, isn't it? It's always fun.
Of love. I was thinking of first Peter chapter 2, noticing verse 12 having your conversation or your manner of life.
Honest among the Gentiles, that whereas they speak against you as evil doers. Now notice what he says, That they may be, that they may, by your word, good works.
Which they shall behold glorify God in the day of visitation. God expects his people to do good works. That's why he saved us. We've been saved for that very purpose, been brought into the blessings of God to and he's looking for that for from each one of us. Isn't he something that would be pleasing to him, our manner of life that would honor the Lord Jesus or bring glory to God. So I think it's so beautiful to think that.
As the expression in that verse which they shall behold. Do they see it in me? I'm You know, I have to ask myself the question, And each one of us can ask ourselves that question too.
16 that's.
See how in your testimony you find space or put together with work. That I've noticed in Psalm 37, where it says trust in a Lord but doesn't stop there. It says and do good and fairly doubtful, so dwell in the land. So shall Douglas fish. So that's a wonderful thing to realize that when we do.
Put our trust in the Lord. We do have eternal salvation, but to enjoy that salvation and to be fed in our souls, I think we need to do good.
It's an important part of.
Enjoying business?
Think it's interesting to see. I was thinking about this verse just because we run into it often in James.
Much used by the so-called Jehovah's Witnesses, The end of James.
Verse 26 Chapter 2.
Or is the body without the spirit is dead?
So faith without works is dead.
We have the outward manifestation.
And the inner support and source of that manifestation. And here is not like Romans.
It's Romans is God looking down and he can see fate is his gift, but there he sees it and honors it and justifies. Those are of the faith of Christ.
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Here is the other side of the question. Where is the body? The outward?
Visible manifestation. Without the spirit, the inner heart is dead. So fate, the outward manifestation or testimony without works, the works of God inside the person is dead. A testimony without the work of God to back it up in the heart is dead. That's what he's saying here. He's saying show me your faith.
Fate here is a testimony that we give works in the works of God on which is built just to clear that up because we do bump into that quite often in the so-called Joe Witnesses. They want to add works to whatever they else they have but.
That's not what it is. Another thing to say, I'd like to say before we move on beyond this subject of works, is.
If God has given me everything and we have heard that.
He has given us all things that pertain like and goddess he took away all my excuses.
If he gives me everything, I have no excuse left.
And the responsibility is to own what he has given me.
And living the good of it.
Now I'd like to go back and go back to Ephesians 210 just to ask this question. Is this not?
The center of these works is more is it not what follows?
As he's talking about peace between man and man and then peace between man and God.
And in the House of God, Isn't that not in this passage? Is that not the at least the center?
And and the center and the light under which we do good works, that is following out the rest of this chapter, because he goes on to say wherefore?
We are creating these good works, wherefore remember. And then he takes up an ecclesiastical or religious position without God in the world and so forth. Is that not the center of these good works that He has prepared before? And then there are individual good works that you would do different from me. But these are good works for all of us to follow. Is that correct? Well, if we're not Saints in the household of God, you haven't any faces for good work.
And that's what this brings in. It's down in. I think that's right. But 19 the width of faith and of the household of God. And so if we're not there, there is no good work. Of course, that's the heart of it all. Isn't it a diverse that our brother in the back was quoting from Matthew 5.
Showed that there are works which are seen by the world it is in connection with letting our light shine.
In the world now we have to be the salt of the earth. There's a difference evidently between earth and world. Mr. Kelly has suggested that earth, when it is mentioned, it refers either to the prophetic earth or to Christendom. And here in Matthew 5, which has to do with the millennial, not Millennium, the Kingdom, the present aspect of the Kingdom.
We are the salt of the earth.
With the spear of prison done, but the world both heard it, and so there is that which can be recognized and seen by the world the way the Christian lives, you know. And in that way he is a light and good works I mentioned in that connection. But here in Ephesians, I certainly believe that especially it refers to what we.
In connection with being the House of God and the assembly that which God has formed out of Jew and Gentile, we were once without.
A God in the world, aliens to all those things that that you enjoyed.
Now we are not brought into that which the Jew enjoyed, but we are part of this new thing that God has formed and that is the Church of God. And there we function and live by hope for the glory of God. Perhaps we could just read that 19th verse. Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the things and of the household of God.
That's why the world sees good works, isn't it? There's a verse in Mark 14.
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Issue there that one field bears upon this tenth verse.
When she had anointed him.
He says.
In the end of the sixth verse in Mark 14.
She has brought a good work.
CS product.
You know, isn't that what we have here in the future? God has before ordained. He knew before that she was going to do that and she did it.
But she could not say that she did it for her, his bearing. He could say that because in the current of affection she did what was purposed of God, or the glory of his Son. She has brought a good work, love it. Can we do that? Can we be in the current of his thoughts, that we have brought the good work on him?
We don't need to worry about the poor or the issues of this life, the troubles and so forth, if we have the occupation of him.
She never.
13th chapter.
When the spies came back from the land of Canaan.
They brought back some fruit from the land at #13 verse 23.
It came under the room and that's all. You come back and then the grand to one cluster of grapes.
And they gave it between two upon a staff, and they brought of the pomegranate and the big.
I had that verse in mind that we were talking about good work. That's connecting it with actually the fruit produced in our lives.
That is manifest.
And I've been joining thought as to the truth from celestial lamb penis in your picture for us of.
Let the land for the character of our testimony. Now the great pomegranate is big.
So that comparison of the great cluster of great with the two true, the spirit we had in Galatians chapter 5. That's inward truth reducing the believer likeness of Christ. And then you have pomegranates, fruits, God words, and you have the seeds, fruits, manward. So inward fruit, godward fruit and man word fruit. How is the fruit born? They bear it between 2:00.
Upon a staff.
The group was carrying on a piece of wood seen before us across the Lord Jesus Christ.
I improved advice with Christ.
That I live not I live, but quite live within me, live the life of Christ, producing truth in Word, Godward and manward. And it is in the measure which were identified with the Lord Jesus. Our old man troops are fighting him and walking in units of life a little bear fruit, but even there it says here.
They bear it between 2:00. It has to be two to bear the fruit. I believe it's the same for each one of us. We need faith and work. We need to bear fruit. We need to do good work. But we cannot produce good for love. We cannot bear fruit for God, lest we walk in fellowship with the Lord Jesus. And he produced that because of him living in a secure us by his spirit. So enjoy that very much in the Lord Jesus when he speaks in Matthew 11 That we take his yoke.
I will even bring you before us there, walking with him to learn of him, and He helped us prepare our burdens, and He will help us to bear fruit. As the Lord said, without food. You can't do encouragement from that as we had it before us this morning of all these good words.
They are in the word of God, and we can learn of them in our hearts and know them in our mind. We're only able to live them out as we walk in fellowship with the Lord Jesus, enjoying Himself, and you'll help us to bury that.
Like to make a additional?
Application.
If we don't walk with one another within the limits of the Spirit of God.
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We won't have to lay the fruit down. There were two men coming out of that land.
Bringing the fruit in. And if they had started an argument about how they were going to get back and when I'm going to go one way, one go to the other, they would have to lay the fruit down. And that's our chapter is, as the brother says, it's communion with Christ and with one another. And that's what we're going to get in the latter part of our chapter is peace. He is our peace between one another and in peace between US and God. And it's remarkable in in Ephesians.
Chapter 2 That it's peace between man and man comes first.
He had made peace, having broken down the middle wall of partition between Jew and Gentile, and then reconciled both in one body unto God. He puts peace between man and man first. Here he is our peace.
May I just mention one more word we should get on? But about Mary of Bethany that our brother spoke of? He said she couldn't say she did this in lieu of his burial. She didn't say it. That's right, the Lord said it because He reads the heart. Now what we have there with Mary in Matthew 26, in the portion of Mark, he gave his simple faith in his word.
He said on the third day.
I will rise again. She believed it. How much did she enter into his resurrection? Very little, if any. Very little. She believed his word. That's all we got to do, brother. She is the only one of the women that were there that morning early with sweet spices of unbelief. She wasn't there. She knew she couldn't do it. They thought they could.
And they just simply believed his word. They wouldn't have been there either. Or we're thankful they were, because Barry Magdalene gave that message that we still love your father and my father and my father, you know?
That's beautiful. But Mary a Bethany one there, so I do believe in her heart. She believed as much as she could hear his words, and that was enough for her. I don't think she entered into the depths we know about resurrection.
But we must never limit good words, only assembly, light. Good works have to do with every aspect of life. And this is where we have to be admonished, you know. And if we live as families, as husband and wife, so we God instituted it. That's a light to the world. You know. What better testimony could we be than in these natural relationships?
Glorify God and in that way we are a preservative. We are the salt and we are light in the way we live, and if we limit that only to assembly life, we fall short of what the word of God puts before us as a responsibility. But whether it has to do with our life within the assembly or it has to do with us in our family, in our marriages, that can only be what it should be. Because we have this new life and God has made us new creatures and that gives a beauty to these even natural relationships that.
The natural man cannot enjoy, and we can because we have that new nature.
And enhances and beautifies even natural relationships in Malachi chapter one don't turn to it. They gave up first the worship, the religious aspect of their life was first and then chapter 2, their own personal and social and family life broke down. No testimony left. But I do believe it has to be that first brother, I don't think.
We can put the outside first. We have to make that first. And you read Balachi one and two, it's first the priest and then the people in religion. They they had to be paid to open the doors of the temple. They wouldn't open the doors unless you pay them and so on. They just fight the table. The next, their family life, their social life and their life with others broke down.
Good to be reminded that the world knows us better than we think they do. And when I was in business, we were called to a man that had retired, that was in the sensitive political side of things. And he had called us in to do a job And and after the job was done, he said, I'd like to talk to you two boys. And so he sat us down and got some coffee and he said, you know.
00:45:08
He said you people in the Walla Walla Valley, the Saints are under observation. And he said, I want to tell you that you have a very impressive testimony here that you pay your taxes and that your business dealings are not irritating to the businessmen in this this area, that they may glorify God in the day of visitation. They're they're observing the Saints in many ways. So I'm glad this is brought up that it's not just in the assembly.
But we're known better than we realize. May the Lord give us grace to render that testimony that God may have glory in that day from the behavior of His beloved people, each one of us.
Whether it is in the family life, business life, assembly life.
Where each one of us are in a position where we could honor God.
In the family, wherever it is, and we're responsible to do so.
So some think, well, because I'm young, perhaps I don't. I couldn't do it as well as an older one.
You have every equipment. God has given you every equipment to honor him. He's given it to his people. And so I always think of each one of us here are responsible to someone. We have to answer to someone. I'm thinking of it in the world as to our testimony, whether to our boss or our wives or husbands or children or grandparents, whatever. We all have this responsibility, and I believe that if we think of it in that way.
Wherever God has put me, if I honor him in that, then there's that brings glory to God, doesn't it? We have.
4 Spheres of Responsibility. I believe in the word.
And that's human government.
And our work, our jobs.
And the family?
In the church.
Now those four, only one is called.
The pillar and ground of the truth.
And justice go back to say, you know we get in chapter five and six families those toward those without.
Et cetera, et cetera of this epistle but here in our chapter.
We're back to the core of it all, the pillar and ground. The truth is the center of all these spheres. None other is called. Even the family is so important in the family, but it's not called the pillar and grant the truth. And like in Malachi, his brothers pointed out, that is the center. That is the core of it all, where he's manifesting himself in this day.
I wanted to make a few comments on James. Two if we turn to it, please.
In James Two and verse 14.
What does it profit, my brethren, though a man say, he hath faith, and have not works, can faith save him? That is, can that faith save him Faith that doesn't produce works? If a brother or sister be naked in destitute of daily food, and one of you say unto them, depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled, notwithstanding, you give them not those things which are needful to the body.
What does it profit?
Even so, faith, if it hath not works, is dead. It is worthless.
It's a mere profession without reality being alone.
Yeah, a man may say thou hast faith, and I have works. Show me thy faith without thy works, and I will show thee my faith by my works.
Now believe us that there is one God. Thou doest well the devils also believe, and tremble.
So he's using that to illustrate that one can believe something, but like the demons believe that there's a God, But they're demons. They're evil.
So it's not enough to just say I have faith.
That's shown by what we do, what Will found no old vain man. That faith without works is dead.
These works, of course are.
Now then, he gives 2 examples of the kind of works he's talking about.
00:50:01
Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar? See us thou how faith wrought with his works. And by works was faith made perfect. And the Scripture was fulfilled, which saith Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness. Now that Scripture is a quote from Genesis 15.
When God showed him the stars of heaven and said, so shall thy seed be, but here he's applying it to Genesis 22 where Abraham offered Isaac. That is, he's bringing in Abrahams works in and in showing the the reality of his faith. The work that he mentions that Abraham did is a faith work. You take faith away from it, and Abraham would have been a murderer putting his son to death. You take faith away from that.
And it wasn't obedience to the command of God. It was a wicked act. So it's a faith work that he's talking about.
And he was called the friend of God. You see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith. Only when God saw what that Abraham was going to carry out in obedience by faith, what God had told him to do, he stopped it. And he says, Now I know that thou fearest God.
Likewise also, was not Rahab the Harlot justified by works when she had received the messengers and had sent them out another way? Now if she hadn't done that because she believed in the true God, if she didn't have faith, she would have been a traitor. She would have been guilty of being a traitor against her own country, but she acted by faith, and so the work which without faith would have been an evil work.
Was a work of faith.
What we have been calling a good work. So here are two examples of works which without faith would have been evil. Evil acts, one a murder, one being traitor. But now they are called good works, for the body without the spirit is dead. So faith without works is dead. Also faith without works as he's illustrated in the case of Abraham and Rahab.
Would have been worthless.
But its faith works that he's talking about, isn't it in the passage. And those are good works. You divorce faith from your works, and they're not good works any longer. They have to flow from faith in God, and the works prove the reality of that faith. That works together, doesn't it?
That's the difference between Romans and James that we're talking about. In Romans it shuts out works altogether and shows that Abraham was justified by faith only. That was before God, but in James it's before men. And so he says show me thy faith, but you can't show it without an action. But God looked into the heart and so before God it was faith alone that justified him before God.
But it was an action that proved there was faith that justified him before men, and that's important to remember. God looks into the heart of every believer here, and he knows whether there's living faith there. The Lord knows them that are his.
But don't expect anybody else to think I'm a Christian unless they see some evidence of it in my life.
And so before men there is the evidence in works. I would mention for again, the young people but.
Your employment or school or college, your walk is the thing that will identify you as a believer, not so much. You talk your walk the way they know you, and that's where you're going to get the approach. If you fail, they'll accuse you because they're ready to go at you that way. The worst reproach I ever received was at work.
And it was a trial. And I was representing a Christian woman, and the other attorney was lasting her very hard. And I got upset and I laid into him and the gavel came down hard. Mr. Bowman, you say you're a Christian.
This actually happened. I apologize to the court. I apologize to my fellow lawyer, we went on. I was glad he called me short.
Yeah, I was glad because that's the flesh, you know. The Bride and the Song of Solomon got away. She was in the city at night on the Broad Rd. sad image, and when she longed to be back, and I hope many who got away long to be back where the Lord is.
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She said. If you see my beloved, tell him I'm sick of love.
I miss him, they said. What is thy beloved more than any other beloved? What's thy beloved? There's a lot of men in this city.
She described him. Now her reproach comes. Now her reproach comes, they said. Where is he, God?
Where has he left thee? They couldn't think when she described the bridegroom that she'd ever leave him. The reproach was right there. Where has he gone from thee? We would like to see him too. So we'll get a reproach if we're in the wrong place or acting the wrong way if we have a testimony.
There's a statement made by an old brother years ago, he says. If you want to know if I'm saved, you ask me. If you want to know if I'm a Christian, you ask my neighbor.
Think that's applicable to Young and Old Bill?
It's interesting that in our chapter in Ephesians that.
Seeing that the first, let's see the verses 11 and 12.
Are referring to.
Whether we have access to the Temple in Jerusalem or not.
We Gentiles who were called uncircumcision without Christ means we couldn't get into the temple over there.
Aliens from the Commonwealth of Israel and strangers of the Covenants of Promise.
No hope and without God. Without God in the world, the temple was not among the Gentiles. It is a ecclesiastical or a religious position.
Seeing that aspect, then the weight goes to verse 13.
But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off. Far off from what? From heaven, know nothing. Here, not in these. These verses, far off from God's center on earth, are made nigh. And look how by the blood of Christ.
The blood of Christ that cleanses from all sin has brought us nigh one to another one body. He is our face between you and me, and between the two of us and God in this portion.
The basis, you see, of all the truth that is revealed to you and me for now, but now in Christ Jesus, that which we are to live, if we're going to live by this book as we've heard and show works of faith.
We will honor this portion here and I would just say that peace is here in two aspects.
Peace between man and man made both one and reconciled both unto in one body unto God.
And I would adjust it by reference connected with the chapter 6 where.
We should have our feet two feet shod with the preparation of the Gospel of Feasts, both aspects.
And also that from that to tie back to the illustration in the Book of Deuteronomy about a man who had his shoe removed.
And he should be. His house should be called the House of him that hath his shoe removed. Well, that's what we have around us.
I fear is that Christendom is a house with the man with his shoe removed. They only preach one side of this. They only preach one piece between man and God, and do not preach the beast between man and man, made both one which is set before us in these passages. And faith, as we've heard to do works of faith is going to start. These works are going to start with and take a reference from and always be done in relation to.
These chapters here, and that one body and that testimony on earth that is the pillar and ground of the truth, all of the works will take a relationship to that as a Sinner, or they won't really be, according to this book.
It must be according to truth. That's the point, isn't it? It must be according to truth.
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Having made nigh, or made nigh by the blood of Christ, that is not to be introduced, as the covenant theologians say, into Israeli blessing. That's what they say. The mystery is that out of Gentiles now we have been brought into Israel's blessing, and all the promises made to the Fathers are fulfilled in the Church. No, it just shows how in the past.
We Gentiles had no possibilities really. We were outside of all these blessings. And notice too that doesn't refer to Sinai. It's the covenant of promise. You know, these are there are various covenants in the Old Testament that were made with the Father's unconditional. I believe that's what he is referring to. But we were even there outside of it all and now we are brought nigh.
Both Jew and Gentile, Out of Jew and out of Gentile, there are those that have been brought nigh in a new relationship, and I enjoy so much what we have in Acts 26. There we have Paul's conversion related, and that he was taken from the people, that is Israel, and from the Gentiles sent to the Gentiles to bring them into the position from which he was taken out of.
No, to bring them into the position where he was apart from you, apart from Gentiles, so we have now Jew and Gentile and the Church of God. This being brought nigh is important to understand.
So that we are not swept off our feet by covenant theology is a place of nearness that no Jew ever enjoyed. But now they are of the Jews. That is, under the old order the Jew never enjoyed now of Jews and Gentiles.
We have been brought nigh in a new relationship and we're part of the Church of God.
That's a mystery, you know, And that's where the grace of God has put us, Jew and Gentile, in an entirely new position. And that is described as nine. Now the Jew was administratively 9 in the order, old order of things. But what was that in comparison to what we now enjoy? You know, that was a bad difference.
We don't ever want to be desiring a place like that you had before grace came. You know, we are in such a more blessed relationship, a place of nearness in Christ that's new. That's Christianity.
Just say also that line of things that the Schofield Bible the notes or do more harm than good.
Whatever they explain as to dispensations, they take away from the heart by a confusion of that that you're talking about. They may explain and clear up a thing or two on dispensation and so forth. But then they make the believer today a party to the new covenant which puts him back where he doesn't belong. And if you just want to see some confusion and just try to read those notes on the righteousness of God in Romans 3IN Romans 6, I've been looking at them lately.
Because the scope field Bible is getting into some of the Latin American places and.
These questions are rising down there, so I went back to look through some of those notes and brother AC Browns treatment of them. But I just say as a as a considered result of judgment that they do more harm than good. Whatever they can explain to you, they'll take it away from you and worse. Which Scofield are you talking about? The old one is the one, thankfully. At least the old one was the one they took the Spanish from. Talking about. The first one, then yes.
That's the one that I've been looking at. So if you've got them, if you got it, you know, don't, don't pay attention to the notes. They'll do you more harm than good.
The 19 and the appendix.
#19
It is not in the beginning.
When I fall in love.
And it's rain and it's all over the world.
Stage and it's never.