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General meetings, Montreal, October 1973 Third reading meeting.
As well.
57.
Suggest going on the second of Ephesians where we get.
Subject of peace.
I don't think anything was said on the ninth first was there.
Seasons Chapter 2.
Verse 9.
And we read the eighth verse. For by grace are you saved through faith, and that not of yourselves. It is the gift of God, not of work.
That any man could vote.
For we are for we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should park in them.
Wherefore remember.
That he being in time past Gentiles in the flesh were called uncircumcision by that which is called the circumcision in the flesh made by Anne. At that time you were without Christ.
Being aliens from the Commonwealth of Israel, and strangers 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 have made both one, and has broken down the middle wall of partition between us, having abolished in His flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances for the making himself a plain. 1 Newman.
Soul making peace.
And then they might reconcile both unto God.
For the cross having slain the enemy thereby.
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Who came and preached peace to you, which were far off, and to them there were nine. For through him we both have access by 1 Spirit under the Father. Now, therefore hear no more strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the same thing of the household of God.
And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief cornerstone, in whom all the buildings certainly framed together growth under one holy temple in the Lord, in whom ye also are builded together for inhabitation of God through the Spirit.
I believe there's a special reason why we have this expression, not of works.
We find that the Jew and Gentile are brought together in this chapter.
And the Spirit of God makes it very clear that the old order is set aside.
Out of work.
Now if we turn to the 10th chapter of Romans.
In the first verse it says.
Bread in my heart's desire and prayer to God for Israel is that they might be saved. Now that's connected with.
The eighth verse. For by grace are you saved through faith. Then he goes on to say in the fifth verse or the fourth verse.
Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone that believeth. For Moses describeth the righteousness which is of the law, that the man which doeth those things shall live by them.
Now that's the righteousness of the law.
And the subject in this chapter is he desires that Israel might be saved. So he goes on, and he quotes from Deuteronomy, and he says, But the righteousness which is of faith speaketh on this wise say not in thine heart who shall ascend into heaven, that is to bring Christ down from above.
Or who shall descend into the deep, that is, to bring up Christ again from the dead? But what's happened? The Word is 9 Thee even in thy mouth, and in my heart that is the Word of Faith, which we preach, that if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus.
And shall believe in thine heart that God raised him from the dead. Thou shalt be saved.
So then, it's very clear here that the Spirit of God would.
Give us to see that the old order is set aside entirely and there's a there's a new order before us, and that is the peace he's Speaking of. He's brought in through Jesus Christ.
And it's not works.
Lest any man should bowl.
It's a new order of things in which Christ is everything. He's the center, He's the one who has accomplished it all, and.
God has worked here, but it says.
The workmanship We are his workmanship created in Christ Jesus, not in works of the flesh.
But in Christ Jesus.
It's important, isn't it, to see how scripture and pointing out that salvation is not of works, yet the Spirit of God insists that there must be good works.
In our Christian life.
I think a helpful way to point this out is this, that we don't work to be saved, we work.
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We are saved, but in Christendom, back to all religions, they put the cart before the horse. That is, they make salvation a matter of good works in order to be saved, instead of seeing that the work is all done, and when the soul is at rest, seeing that Christ on the cross said it is finished.
Now that all the work is done, God is glorified in that work of His Son. Now we begin a new life, and it's a life in which we can honor the one who saved us.
And that was the principle of fun which we find Scripture brought before us.
In fact, in in Titus 3, where you get.
Not by works of righteousness, which we have done, but according to His mercies, saved us by the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Ghost.
Goes right on to say, And this I will let thou affirm constantly that they which have believed might maintain good works, So the Spirit of God will keep us from relaxing and thinking, Well, I'm safe.
It isn't an important matter now how I conduct myself, it's very important how we conduct ourselves.
Because if we're saved at such an infinite cost, surely we owe everything now to live until please the one who saved us by laying down his precious life on the cross as it was read before here, that has thought we should not live unto ourselves, but unto him that died for us.
And rose again.
We have a good illustration of that in the Old Testament.
When Cain approached God with the first fruits of the ground, he was rejected. His first fruits were not acceptable to God because he was seeking to approach God on the on the ground of his own works. But God did expect Israel to bring the first fruits. Why? Because they were a redeemed people brought into the possession, enjoying the fullness of God's blessing.
Having previously rested on the blood down there in Egypt, God and Deuteronomy expects them to bring the first fruits of the ground.
So I believe we see those two things in Cain's case that salvation by works, but with Israel it's the fruit of salvation. They're rejoicing in the Lord, their God, and presenting their baskets of first fruits before him.
Do we see it? Perhaps in 2nd Corinthians 5, two, where we read those words, wherefore we labor. I like that little word. Wherefore? Because we have just read of what wonderful confidence is ours, and of what it costs God that we might have this confidence. We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body and present with the Lord.
Wherefore we labor? Isn't that lovely? God has given us that confidence, and we know something of what it cost him to do so. And then the very next thought is wherefore? Because we possess this, wherefore we labor?
It's not work. I stole the save that my Lord has done, and I would work like any slave. From love to God's dear son is a little falling straight. There are two other texts that we might read in connection with work. One of them is in Hebrew 6.
And verse one it says, Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto perfection, not laying again the foundation of repentance from head works and our faith for God. So there we have dead works. What other texts that call your attention to us in John the 7th chapter and?
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The seventh verse, John's Gospel 7 verse 7.
The Lord Jesus says the world cannot hate you but me. It hateth because I testify of it, that the works thereof are evil. And so we have evil works here that is a product of the ungodly and the unsafe. In the 6th chapter of Hebrews we have it works that which is the fruit and the product of the religionists around us.
To the law of the forms and the ceremony.
But the Lord of all says their skin works. So there are evil works, there are dead works. And then in our chapter here in Ephesians 2, we have created in Christ Jesus unto good works that which is the fruit of the Spirit of God, working upon the new nature, going those things that are pleasing across sight.
Then we have living works. That's Hebrews 9.
How much more, 14914 How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God? Praise your conscience From dead works to serve the living God First we have to be perfect from those dead works for those dead works for Israel, where all the ceremonies.
All the ordinances he carried out, which could never save them. Well, for a gentile too, if he's seeking to merit the favor of God by going to church or doing anything and with the hopes of getting saved, it's a dead work works. And when he's prayed from those dead works, then he can serve the living God that is, those are living works because it's the fruit of a new nature.
One born of God.
Now can live to please the one who has saved him and given him a new life.
They're not spoken of as dead works until after the work of Christ, and when the work of Christ was completed, then all that which had to do with the type and shadow became dead works. They were acceptable to God in the Old Testament when they were done out of faith, those very same things, but when redemption was accomplished, to go on with them.
They were then the dead works and I believe that's why in our chapter it says.
Under good works which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them, and that is now in Christianity. Now there is that which we can do, which God has marked out in His precious word. And how do we know that it is a good work? Well, we have the light and wisdom of the Word of God to show us there are many people today who are doing things which they think of as good works.
How can we test them and know whether they're acceptable to God? Well, we must test by the word of God. Remember those who came to the Lord Jesus and said, what shall we do that we might work the works of God? And the Lords reply, was this is the work of God that she believe on him whom he has sent? That is, they could not produce any good works now if they were still rejecting him.
And there was number value in them if he was rejected. And this is important for us to see, because many people today may be doing things, but if they're rejecting Christ, they have no value in the sight of God.
They're just that which deceives them into thinking how that God can accept the fruit of that which comes from the condemned and rejected fallen nature of man.
I just like to read here in the end of the 12Th chapter of John.
John chapter 12 and verse 49.
Perhaps we should begin from 4:48.
He that rejected me and receiveth not my words hath won the judge of him the word that I have spoken. The same shall judge him in the last day. For I have not spoken of myself, but the Father which sent me. He gave me a commandment, what I should say and what I should speak. And I know that his commandment his life everlasting. Whatsoever I speak therefore, even as the Father said unto me.
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So I speak. So we think of the Lord Jesus here in this world. He did everything to please his Father. He could say I do always those things which please him. And now God has given to us a life, the very life of Christ. And that which flows from that new life is acceptable to God. But that's the only thing that is acceptable to God. We're thankful for the kindness.
And all that we see in natural men. But we must remember that while this is very.
Good to see those kinds of things. Those works do not make them acceptable to God. Now they are dead works because they are an attempt to establish their own righteousness or to go on with those ceremonies which God has set aside, because all those types and shadows have been fulfilled in the Lord Jesus Christ. And so I just like to say that if we want to please the Lord.
Let us acquaint ourselves with His word. How are we going to know what is pleasing to Him? His word will show us. And to reject His word is to reject the good works He has set before us. To receive it and act upon these things in faith is pleasing to Him. So it says, Whatsoever is not of faith is sin.
It reminds me of what you're saying about.
The passage where the Lord says this is the work of God, that you believe. We had an old neighbor down in Kentucky, Mr. Marine, who had been a rejector of the Gulf War and the truth for many years, and his wife who had gathered.
He had denied her the privilege of coming over to our house to remember the Lord, much sorrow to her soul. But the dear old man, when he was nearly 80 years old, came to a tent meeting and got saved. Oh, it was wonderful to see the change in that hard hearted old man. And I went to his house and he.
Took me out in the yard and we sat down.
And he says, Now he says, I want you to tell me what to do.
Well, I said, Mr. Marine, when that question was asked to the Lord.
His answer was this is the work of the law of God, that he believed on him whom he has sent all, he says, I do believe, I do believe. But he says, you know, I haven't got very, very long to live. And he says I want to know what I can do now.
Since I'm saying, well here the wonderful thing was he lived about 3/4 of a mile from our place, and it was the next Sunday he came trudging across the field with his Bible under his arm to that meeting that he had despised and refused his wife the privilege of attending. Well, the Lord soon taught the old man.
What was pleasing to him?
And in fact, this was the encouraging thing that that faithful godly wife had set him an example through the years as to what was pleasing to the Lord. A year after he was saved. We're having a little gathering, and here in our time, one time, one year old today, this is my birthday. Look back to that time. He was just a babe in Christ.
But all he had swapped during that short time to live for Christ, and he pointed to a verse on the wall that his wife had put there, and he said, I used to look at that, and the word was this. The actors of thy word give us light and give us understanding to the simple, he said. I used to say to myself, what does that mean? I don't see any sense to it.
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Oh, but he says, I understand now. God's word was guiding, but they're all right after all those years. And he said this to her brother. He said, you know, he said, I've been convinced for years that that meeting over there was the right place.
But he said I was too stubborn to yield and to accept it.
I believe the expression here in Christ is very important because it connects the whole epistle, does it not in fact the whole truth of Christianity? In Christ we find that the believers blessings are all in Christ.
There's no such thing as a person having something all by himself that those aren't God's thoughts.
We find that our life is in Christ. And he says in the 14th of John, because I live, ye shall live also. And so there's a man on high living for us, and we are in him. And then it says in Colossians that our life is hid with Christ in God, and when Christ who is our life shall appear.
Then shall we also appear with him in glory. It also says in the epistle of John, as he is, so are we in this world. And so there's an entirely new order of things beginning to show you're already in Ephesians. And so in contrast to what we have in the law where a man is exalts himself like Paul could say of his former life that he was a Pharisee of the Pharisees and so on.
Well, that's man exalting himself. But here we find all our blessings, our life, all our resources are in Christ and it says in this verse.
For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God before ordained or prepared that we should walk in them. I was thinking too in this connection.
Hebrews has been mentioned.
The book of Hebrews was written.
To the Hebrew people, and it was written in a way supposing that the little remnant were going on with God.
In our chapter we have the Gentiles dead in trespasses and sins.
But in Hebrews A remnant is supposed going on with God and it says in the in the 4th chapter of Hebrews.
Let us labor, therefore, to enter into that rest.
Lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief, I mentioned this because.
It's been said that Satan finds many things for idle hands to do, and we need to be exercised each while that we are occupied with that which is good.
There's so much that we can be occupied with that is good. And the apostle insists in Hebrews that these are the manifestations of real life, and those who will go on to that rest will be occupied with labouring, because they discover in this world all that which is contrary to God. And it's the.
Privilege of the believer now.
To be occupied with good works.
Because that's exactly the path that our savior took down here you're speaking about.
You're speaking about being in Christ Jesus. I think generally speaking, in the Word where we get Christ Jesus, it's the glorified man.
Isn't it? And we're in that glorified man.
All right. And then the fact that it says we are his workmanship gives a very special thought.
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For workmanship speaks of what is the very best that God has produced. He went to a fair You see the various articles that are displayed.
If it's a work of the women to get the best cake, or they don't take an inferior cake, they get the very best that they could make. Everything is the best, isn't it? In other words, just like a picture, even, that is on display from some artists, it's the very best that this painter has produced. So it is in connection with God's grace to you and me.
Why he speaks of that word as his workmanship.
Isn't that wonderful to think of God's grace, that He can speak of the work of grace in our souls as being His workmanship? He couldn't accomplish anything greater and will not accomplish anything greater through all eternities than with special work that's being produced through His grace now.
And sinners saved by grace and brought into all this blessing that we see in Christ Jesus.
Sorry, brother.
Now that we belong to Christ, we have a challenge in this same verse.
We thank God that we're saved from sins, guilt. And we thank God too, that there's one up on high who saves us every moment of the way.
From sins, power and sins, dominion and the slavery of it. And he's coming back again to save us from the very presence of sin.
This is a wonderful fact concerning salvation. But, brethren, there's a challenge here concerning that one word war.
I would like to take you for a moment to the question of Our Calling.
Our old writers link always with this verse, the question of calling.
And may we notice in chapter 4?
Verse one.
I therefore the proof of the Lord beseech you that you walk.
Worthy of the vocation wherewith your call, with all loneliness and meekness and long-suffering, forbearing one another in love, and so on, endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit, the bond of peace, now this calling.
That has our walk, has to do with this. And what is this vocation, Beloved, this question was asked us in one of our readings in Bolivia. What is this vocation?
Well, I believe that our vocation looks back.
To all God's counsels in grace concerning us.
To be lived out in a practical way by the grace of God.
So it's a holy calling war.
And let us remember, Beloved, that even if we aren't in a low state concerning A testimony, God's standard is never lowered.
No matter how far down we may get spiritually, that doesn't affect one bit.
Who? Not one bit the standard that God has set down in His word. This is a very great comfort for the believer, very great comfort. His standard is never lowered.
Now it's mentions in this verse.
That we should walk.
In them.
What about our walk?
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We are to walk worthy of such a vocation as this.
In close Thessalonians 2 wheel to walk worthy of God.
And also in Colossians which has been quoted where the work worthy of the Lord.
So that alongside with this matchless grace of our God, we mustn't forget the war.
This is not to obtain salvation, but this is the expression of that new birth already take have having taken place.
So here we have for by grace are you saved through faith, to do what you like? No, beloved, to go where you please? No.
To engage in anything at all that would be a bit shady. No, that has this is not in the mess. It's we have to walk worthy of such a high calling. I was noticing that it's a high calling and it's also it's a heavenly calling that we get that in Hebrew.
And in Philippians one we get the the high calling mentioned Again, it has to do with their walk. May we be very careful, brethren, to not make liberty a license.
The only We are kept by the grace of God, We're saved by his grace, and we're kept by the power of God through faith.
And it's wonderful to know that. But here is the war.
How am I walking by His grace?
Before we go on this little expression in Christ, I believe we find that it's there at least 10 times. In these first 3 chapters expressed 10 times. And I believe on Saturday it was noted that in the first three chapters we get our standing in Christ and in the last three chapters we get our state. And yet in Christ is not mentioned.
Three with only ten times on the first three, we are in Christ.
I believe it would be helpful to connect this with the first chapter, because if God has children before himself, he wants them to have the same character that he has. And there are two things said about God in the third verse of the first chapter related to Christ and now related to us. He said in the third verse to be the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, and he said to me the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
He's the God of our Lord Jesus Christ and manhood, and he is the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ as the Son of His love. Now notice that in relation to that in verse four we are we are to be before Him. We should be holy and without blame before him in love. That's in connection with God, the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, when it speaks of God and His nature, His Holiness.
Now he says that in connection with that we should be holy without blame before him in love, but then in relationship to the Father we get verse the next verse, verse 5 having predestinated us under the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to Himself. So God gives us his character as a war in relation to the One. And then we brought in His children before His face. Now what kind of children?
Does God have? If the world wants to see what kind of children God has, they have to look at us at all believers and see God's character. Do they see that which is holy and without blame? And I believe what we have in the second chapter rests on that relationship that we walk in it.
Wonderful children notice we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus, that brings the new creation before us all of a marvelous subject, that is to meditate upon and think that this work is produced in every center except price. As a senior, He becomes a new creation.
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All things are passed away.
All things have become new.
So that we only have to judge every appearance of that old nature that.
Power has deceitful according to the is corrupt according to the deceitfulness, and act and conduct ourselves according to that new nature.
That new creation.
And then these good works, I think our brother Hale is only already commented on that which God has before ordained that we should walk in them.
What a marvelous way. The Spirit of God shows that everything is of himself.
Indeed, the book of Ephesians is characterized by God for himself.
God acting for his all glory and the glory of his beloved Son. And so if the work is all of himself. For he has raised us up together and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus. And it's not of works in any way. The work is all of himself. And then when he brings good works before us.
While those are the works that he himself.
Have before ordained that we should walk in them.
So we find all works in His word. And again, beloved, let's take this to heart, the importance of reading, and not only reading, but meditating upon the word, And then when our rules we find opposed to any.
Proctor Instruction in the Word, to judge what is opposed to it, and to yield ourselves entirely to do the will of the Lord as revealed in His holy Word of truth.
I once had the joy of leading.
A.
Japanese officer to Christ.
It was when I went to Bolivia in 1920. Couldn't get a shift anywhere because of a shipping strike, so I got took a passage on a Japanese freighter and signed on as a jet. Well, when the ship came into San Diego, the capital, of course, the port rather of Los Angeles, I filled my pockets full of Japanese tracks.
And the and some of the Old Testament and and so on, and made a packet out of it, took it back to the ship. Well, this man, he could speak English pretty well, and occasionally he invited me into his cabin. I noticed there that he had.
Obscene pictures on the wall.
And I noticed all three had whiskey in the corners, and he had cards on the table and tobacco and all these things that belonged to the old man. And of course, I never commented. That was my business. And they're very proud fellows, these officers.
But he took an interest in the word of God the 4th week out.
Somewhere off the coast of.
Peru, the South of Peru, those who knock at my door before daylight and I said who is it? He said it's me and he says won't you come up to the cabin? Well I dress hardly went up to the cabin when I got in. I made the comment I said where are the pictures?
He says at 2:30 in the morning, Sir, he said. I got on my knees and confessed Christ as my Savior.
I was a lost Sinner and I felt it, and I got on my knees and confessed Christ as my Savior. And so those pictures went overboard. And what about the whiskey? They also went overboard. And then I said, and the tobacco?
The pipe and the cards, he says. I clean house as who told you to do that? He said. I couldn't bear the sight of those things.
Anymore, and he says I duly dumped them into the sea off the coast.
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Oh, and then I thought to myself, as our brothers just mentioned, if any man be in Christ, he's a new creation. Old things are passed away. Behold, all things have become new. I had some happy fellowship when I got off that boat at Arica.
To enter Bolivia in the year 1920. Beloved, that man spoke to me on the way.
Of his love affairs, he was in love with one of the young woman, one of the elite of the of the city of Tokyo. And he said, you know, I propose marriages to her.
And she says never marry a Pagan like you. Never.
She says I belong to Christ.
When I got back, this is his letter, he wrote me to Bolivia. I left my address.
He said. Dear brother Smith.
When I got back, I told this young lady that I have still loved her and I told her how the Lord Jesus saved me on the high seas. And then I said, would you marry me now? And she said sure.
Sure.
A year and a half and and more and 14 months went by and he wrote me a letter saying God has blessed his brother. We have a little son to bless her home now. Isn't this wonderful? The grace of God, brethren.
Is there anything so wonderful in this world?
To see a Sinner.
At the fate of the Lord Jesus, a new creation.
Have we experienced that you dear young people, because your parents are sitting at the table doesn't mean that you are have a right there. You have a right. But have you been born again? Have you had a real experience of the new birth? Well, there was a man. Everything had to go. There was nothing left.
Christ occupied his soul. Oh, I think it's so wonderful. Well, it's been my happy Porsche to lead others, of course, to Christ in this simple way. But I thought of that brother. You know when you mentioned you creation, or indeed how true that is? If any man be in Christ, he is a new creation, not merely creature, but creation. All things are passed away.
The whole things are become new. Well, excuse me dwelling on that, but it seemed to fit in with what you said, brother Barry, concerning new creation.
Well, should we go on to the 11Th verse now?
Therefore remember that he were being in time fast Gentiles in the place which are called uncertaincision by that which is called a circumcision, in the place made by hands, that at that time you were without Christ, being aliens from the Commonwealth of Israel and strangers from the covenant of the of promise having no hope.
And without God in the world.
I'm sure all understand have to help young people to say that the circumcision is is just simply Israel and that the uncircumcision.
The Gentiles saw especially addressing the Gentiles in these verses, and this was their condition.
And we could say it the same was our position, because I suppose we're all practically and perhaps all Gentiles. And what was our condition? We were without Christ, we were without God, and we were without hope. That was our condition. Then that wonderful little word comes in. But now?
In Christ Jesus.
Again, we're seeing what you're saying, Brother Smith. You've given us an example of that now. A man in Christ Jesus, and here was a poor heathen even. We have at least had lived in a country where there are open Bibles and where there has been the light of Christianity.
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But whatever way you look at it.
The complete change comes in when it reads. But now in Christ Jesus Yahoo sometime were far off our midnight by the blood of Christ. Perhaps we all understand that the word nigh.
And far off.
Are given in a positional way, not as to anything vital. That is the Jew who had a near position to God because he had the articles or the word of God, than a Gentile who had no articles who knew nothing of the true God.
So.
It doesn't mean that they were anymore saved than than the Gentile who was a far off, but now the the Jew the gentile wants a far off has been made now by the blood of Christ.
What a wonderful work of grace it is.
The Precious Blood of Christ.
Will never lose its power.
Till all the ratchet of the Lord are saved to sing them all the precious blood of Christ. Well, in Romans 15 we we have our God. He's the God there of patience and comfort. Meanwhile while we journey home and in verse that's verse 5 and in verse 13 he's the God of hope and in verse 33 he's the God of peace.
Isn't it wonderful to have peace?
I traveled with an old servant whom JG **** led to Christ. He came across the ocean with me and I mentioned this before. And he went to be with the Lord after that journey and he just said peace, peace, Peace was gone. Peace. What a wonderful thing it is. The Lord Jesus has made peace through the blood His cross.
What a savior. Peace.
That's what the disciples went out preaching, was the peace by Jesus Christ, Lord of all.
I think that in this.
11 First, that wherefore would connect it, possibly with what we have before.
And that is that.
When we remember what we were and all that we were occupied with before, it would spur us on the good works, would it not?
So we get the same, I think, in the Old Testament of Israel that they were to remember when they were in their sins and how the Lord had delivered them as a nation from their captivity and all that belonged to the old order, as a little picture of the deliverance of the believer. Now we're really held by Satan's birthday, and now the believer is set free.
Because I believe redemption not only buys us back, but sets us free. And if we're free, doesn't forgiveness of sins isn't it? And all that we was true of us before is gone forever. And so this wherefore would suggest possibly the connection here that now.
There's entirely new order, and there's good works in view for the believer instead of that when she was occupied with before.
When he was without Christ to God.
We perhaps heard this illustration of a sleeve on board a ship being taken into slavery.
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And there was an Englishman that saw this man there with chains on his wrist, Feel sorry for him. So he inquired of the man in charge of him. But praise he would charge, he would have to pay for this slave.
Gave him the price, and when the poor black man.
Realized that what this man was doing was inquiring about the price of him as a slave. He was very indignant and angry, he said. The idea he says of you, an Englishman living in a free country, wanting to buy a poor slave, but he went ahead with a transaction and paid the price.
And then he set him free, and when he set him free, he fell at his feet. He said, I will serve you forever. And isn't that just the effect of the work of grace in one soul, instead of making him feel that now he is at liberty to go on and?
Enjoy our freedom to go on in sinful ways. He wants to live.
And to serve the one who set him free.
Zedrod Galatians means then the 5th chapter.
The 13th verse, our brethren, we have been called into liberty, only use not liberty for an occasion to the flake, but by love serve one another.
Because I am saved and never can perish, should never for a moment suggest to the soul that I can now go on and indulge the flesh and go on in worldly things.
That's that's really, I believe, what Jude means by.
What he speaks of as turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness, that is, I'm saying, can never perish and all I can do is I please, I can go on and live in sin. I do not believe that one who really adopts that doctrine can be considered a Christian at all for when Paul deals with that subject in the in the second.
Or the third chapter of Roman's.
His answer is very solemn. When they were accused of lettuce do evil that good may come. And here is what the apostle says.
He says in the eighth verse, and not rather this is Romans 3 and eight, and not rather, as we be slanderously reported and some affirm that we say let us do evil, that good may come.
Whose damnation is just.
I believe one who adopts that as a doctrine that he should realize that God has spoken of nothing but judgment before his soul. He could not be recognized as a Christian at all.
Turning the grace of God into lasciviousness would be.
Seen in the days of.
Belshazzar, I believe, where he took the vessels, the holy vessels, and he used them in his idolatrous feasts.
Now Jude, who speaks of this, speaks of the last days, does he not, of Christendom and apostasy that comes in. And I believe that that is the tendency today among many who make the profession of Christianity and do not have life, and they want now to couple a holy and unholy things, to use the holy to cover up.
The unholy. Well, I believe that's the thought, is it not in turning the grace of God into license or lasciviousness, It's the grace that's been brought by Christianity. And in Timothy, Second Timothy three, we find that Christendom is turning back to the old order. That was true of the heathen, but they cover it.
01:05:14
With.
The outward form of religion the.
So I believe we should be very careful, all of us, that we have nothing to do with this sort of thing in the least way.
Dreadful picture here in these verses of what we were positionally as Gentiles. In the third of Romans we get the picture of what we are individually there, and here we have the Gentiles. I was thinking particularly the expression in the 12Th verse without Christ.
Now on the 15th of Matthew, when the sire Phoenician woman first appealed to the Lord Jesus, she addresses him as Son of David, and he doesn't answer a word. If he answers a son of David, what must he do to the Gentiles? He must bring judgment upon them. And so as Gentiles we had no claim upon Christ on the Messiah, the Son of David. Anything that we'd have to do with him would be in wrath and judgment. What a position.
And each one of these details we had no connection with God's center of blessing on earth. We were not connected with the Commonwealth of Israel. The promises were given to Abraham and to His seed. We had no hope. We, our forefathers, worship idols. I remember hearing a case when.
Benjamin Disraeli, who was of Jewish extraction, someone made a remark in the British Parliament derogatory to the Jews, and he stood up and he reminded his colleagues there that when their ancestors were worshipping stocks and stones, his ancestors had the knowledge of the true God, and that was a true statement. Our ancestors were far off and without God.
The Gentiles who know not God. We read what a position we were in, but all was wonderful grace that has brought us into the place that follows here, as our brother has remarked on that word. But it stands between what we were and now what we are in Christ.
We were having a meeting Beloved in Bolivia and along these lines, these simple lines were on today and very precious and very practical. And the question we were on Galatians 5 from verse 17 on.
The really beginning of the 19th verse and the question was asked. There were 400 of us sitting together of the Saints enjoying three days meetings and this question was asked.
Could a Christian practice this list that we find in verses 19 on?
To the end of 21.
And immediately, a brother in the far corner said.
No.
And then another brother said, Brother, I believe yes. I believe we should say yes.
Oh, he said. Why? He said if if a Christian could practice these, then I would do what I like. But the brother said, if you were born again and if you belong to Christ, you wouldn't like, you wouldn't like.
And that's what it is, the new life we are possesses of divine life.
Which can never sin. It's the old nature that's causing so much trouble. Which never can be reformed, never can be changed. It goes on and on. But sin shall not have dominion over you. You're dead indeed unto sin and alive unto God. Well, that was the little discussion they had together.
A St. could practice these things.
Yes, he could.
Mr. Hey Ho, you always said, and I remember my last chat with him, he said. Eric, we are capable of anything unless the Lord Jesus keep his hands of love upon him. That's my last talk with dear brother Hale. We are capable of anything unless the Lord Jesus keep his hands of love upon us.
01:10:04
Yes, we are capable of anything but.
You wouldn't like, you wouldn't like the new nature, wouldn't would make you like it. You would turn, get on your knees and confess it.
And put it right before God.
I was thinking of the verse in Hebrews 10 that says your sins and iniquities will I remember no more. But here in this 11Th verse it says wherefore remember and God calls to our remembrance what we were in our in our sins as before Him. And I think this is important because as we remember this and think of what we were, it helps to keep us humble, because as you said.
The Christian is capable of anything.
And we still have within us to this very day that very nature, how that did those things that are spoken of and that were in the position that is described here. And so we should always remember this, because if we trust ourselves for one moment, we're liable to fall into something that dishonours the Lord. And so we must never use that verse. Your sins and iniquities will I remember no more.
To cause us to forget the pit from whence we were digged and the rock from whence we were human, We must always bear this in mind, and this magnifies the grace of God. But it's nice that it doesn't end with the 12Th verse. But now in Christ Jesus you sometimes were far off.
Are made nigh by the blood of Christ. We can rejoice now in our present place of nearness, but even in heaven we will not forget what we were, because the song of the redeemed is as art worthy. For thou was slain, and has redeemed us to God by thy blood.
Out of every kindred and tongue and people and nation.
May the Lord be much beloved, may upon me, may the Lord keep us below and.
You know that it was her brother Billet, dear old Mr. Billet, that prayed every day that God wouldn't permit him to die a wicked old man.
Just think of it. A man like that. A man of God.
Whose writings we enjoy to this day.
Bella prayed that he would die a wicked old man. Well, the Lord kept him. The Lord kept him.
The four words is going to mention that might take us from guilt through grace to glory. Here. We have two of them in our verses here without Christ, as we've been reminded of taking our place like it was about the Syrophoenician woman and just a dog and a Gentiles. That's our past position. They were without Christ then we have in Christ athletic position that is ours.
In which there's not a flaw that can be found upon us because of the perfection of the world of the Lord Jesus Christ and the satisfaction of all of God's counsels, and and all this holiness that we're in Christ Jesus and not a charge can be laid to us because of the perfection.
Of his work. But then practically too in Christ Jesus, that place of nearness, so near we could not near be and dear to the heart of God. But then in Second Corinthians chapter 5 it says that we are ambassadors for Christ.
Were to be ambassadors for Christ. And so as we go on left in the scene, we are to be here as one to represent the Lord Jesus Christ in our walk, in our ways, and then finally the end of the pathway in Philippians chapter one. That lovely expression to depart and to be with rights. If death should overtake us as believers, it's going to be with Christ.
But our blessed hope is that he will come and take us to be with himself. So it's going to be with Christ. Oh, here's the whole pathway then from guilt through grace to glory without Christ, in Christ for Christ, and then blessedly with Christ. That's very nice, Brother Philippians 3 is precious, isn't it?
01:15:08
The standing of the believer there is.
In Christ, the object of the believer, there is Christ, and the hope of the believer is to be like Christ. Just think of it, beloved. Some of us are nearing home. These bodies of humiliation are going to be changed, you said any moment.
In the Bodies of Glory.
Like unto his own body of glory. That's the closing teaching, as their brother has mentioned, of Philippians 3.
Change these bodies. Not merely vile bodies, but we put there in the Inca tongue bodies of humiliation. I trust it's the meaning there. Bodies of humiliation are going to be changed, and it could be the day. What a wonderful hope this is.
And we're going to be like him. And oh, I always, when I was just first gathered, I memorized that 64th hymn of of J&D and that verse remains with me. I've forgotten a lot of my English, but it says in one of those verses like Jesus in that place of light and love supreme.
Once man of sorrow.
Full of grace, heavens blessed and endless theme. Well, to write like that surely he was walking by faith.
Through those Courts of Light.
By faith.
To write like that.
I was thinking here in the 15th chapter of Acts, where they went up to Jerusalem to settle this question about the matter of circumcision and putting the Gentiles under law, says in the 15th chapter in the eighth verse. And God, which knoweth the hearts, bear them witness, giving them the Holy Ghost even as he did unto us.
No difference between US and them purifying their hearts by faith. Now therefore, why tempt ye God to put a yoke upon the neck of the disciples, which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear, But we believe that through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved, even as they I think this is very lovely. Here was a difficulty that would have split the Jewish and Gentile believers to pieces.
And how is it settled? Well, here we see the spirit of grace. They didn't forget the rock from whence they were young and the pit from whence they were dinged. They didn't forget what they had been, and they didn't put themselves above the Gentiles and this humble spirit on their behalf. This sense of their own nothingness that could even say that they weren't able to keep the law. Why put it on the Gentiles? And then, when Speaking of the grace of God?
He said we needed it even as they needed it. He even put himself and the and the Jewish believers in greater need of that grace than even the Gentiles. And then how lovely the grace of God came in to settle this question. Who would have ever thought that it could have been settled to Jerusalem with so many Judaizing teachers? But when there was that spirit, why? How wonderfully the Lord came in. And I remember reading in the time of a great division in the days of Mr. Darby, how he said.
5 minutes grace would have settled it. But there wasn't that 5 minutes grace to be shown. And if we don't have the remembrance of what we were as sinners and what we have been since He has picked us up will develop a haughty spirit. And there won't be that humility that alone can meet the difficulties. Not only that we have to meet in our life outside, but even with one another in the gatherings.
I'm gonna say the Spirit of God brings the person and the work of Christ before us, Christ Jesus in the 13th verse. There we have the glorified man. And then Speaking of how once so far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ takes us right to the cross, doesn't it?
01:20:11
From the glory where he's seated now find ourselves, as it were with John, seeing that Roman soldier, when he finished his blessed side, that blood flowed there, that cleanses us from all sin, as he later tells us and then.
For he is our peace there. The person of Christ now comes again before us, and I think we will agree that.
Who have made both? One that is the Joe that had a place of positional nearness that the gentile didn't have.
Now the one who was a far off rotten eye.
So he has made both one both you and Jennifer, and have broken down the middle wall of partition between us. See, that wall existed all through the Old Testament dispensation.
We read of Benjamin and Jacob's blessing of his son, that that Noah Joseph is like a war and the branches run over the wall. That is, if for a gentile was to get any blessing, it was by the blessing of Israel going beyond their people, like the Ruth of Mobius or Rehab, getting a little of the truth.
That came over the wall.
But now that wall that's separated and kept Israel in a distinct place from the Gentiles is all broken down, as he tells us here.
Having broken down the middle wall of partition between us, having abolished in his place the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances says to me again, is very touching, how the the sufferings of Christ on the cross again come before us, for it says in his.
Flesh, for he was a real man.
Filled those hands nailed to the cross. Those feet nailed to the cross. Think of that body wrecked, wrecked with pain, crowned horns upon his brow. There the Lord's suffering untold physical agony.
There. Well, that death.
That he endured there on the cross.
Has been the means of breaking down this middle wall that stood between the Jew and the Gentile. For it abolished the long commandments contained in ordinances that which made Israel distinct from the Gentiles, where they had all those ordinances that you read of in Exodus and Leviticus and Deuteronomy, and so on.
They had sacrifices.
And they had a priesthood, and there they burned incense. There was a whole ritual of ordinances that feel there that people with pride as to their being so far more important than the heathen Gentiles around them. But now that we had separated them, all those ordinances that.
That made them distinct from the surrounding nations. They've been abolished, as he tells us here.
For to making himself a clean, that is Jew and gentile one new man, so making peace.
So the peace here is the the peace between Jew and Gentile. There's no longer that antagonism.
That existed all through the Old Testament dispensation.
It's wonderful to know that we have peace through the blood that's precious. But I believe here we have a person before us as our portion. And although it's it has brought you and Gentile together yet it gives us a little picture of what we have, because what we have is in Christ, and so that it isn't simply that he has made peace.
01:25:10
Precious as that is. But he is our peace in Corinthians. He's made unto us a number of things, but redemption being the last. But here he is. He is our peace. Now this is something that will never be taken from us. This is our eternal portion, and here we can rest. I think it's very sweet.
In Group one and clause in one John's Gospel chapter one. Of times we have brought before us in these portions of the person and the work of the Lord Jesus Christ. So we all time sing that hymn. We praise thee for the glorious word which in thyself we see. We praise thee for that shameful cross endure so patiently. David is oftentimes brought before us as a type of the Lord Jesus Christ.
The other day we heard on First Samuel 18 that Jonathan stripped himself. Well, what was it that captivated him, won Jonathan's heart? He had witnessed a mighty trial. He had witnessed and looked and saw David bring down this mighty giant Goliath, and it had won his heart and he surrendered to dating. But then go on. In First Samuel 25 we read of another.
Advocated.
And this is a mighty work that she witnesses no what she occupied with David this person. And she says, I know that there is a arisen a man to pursue. She don't even call saw king. She says a man has arisen to pursue chase thing. And she says, I know that the God is going to establish you and you're going to be king over all her heart was occupied with David.
So how blessed the illustration for us. We don't have to dissect them and separate but all. We can thank God. And we can praise the Lord Jesus for the glorious work which in himself we see like advocate. And we can praise him for that shameful cross, that mighty victory that he brought. Like Jonathan who witnessed that scene, we can praise you for that shameful cross. And doing so patiently can we sing that all him and her brother Smith dropped the forest number six.