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He had forgotten the expectation to speak about the US and the children. My son is five knocked out with tasty the Lord from faith and our reducing them.
No, and scourge it there is Son whom he receiveth. He endure chastening. God dealeth with you is with sons. For what son is he whom the Father chasteneth not?
But if ye be without chastisement, where of all our partakers then are you ******** and not sons?
Furthermore, we have had fathers of our flesh which corrected us, and we gave them reverence.
Shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of spirits, and live?
For they verily for a few days chastened us after their own pleasure, but He for our prophet, that we might be partakers of His Holiness.
Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous nevertheless. Afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby. Wherefore lift up the hands which hang down in the feeble knees, and make straight paths for your feet, lest that which is lame be turned out of the way. Let it rather be healed. Follow peace with all men, and holiness without which no man shall see the Lord.
Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God.
Lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled, lest there be any fornicator or profane person as Esau, who for one morsel of meat sold his birthright. For you know how that afterward, when he would have inherited the blessing, he was rejected, for he found no place of repentance, though he sought it carefully with tears.
Correction is the way of life, is it not?
Man is a fallen creature and there must be correction.
It's the way of life. Get that in the book of Proverbs.
No chastening here. I was thinking at the close of the last meeting, the last reading, that in Joe's experience we can certainly learn this, that God will not give up, that He will have His way in the end. And we see that with Job there was real integrity, so much so that Satan could not break him down.
And it appears as though Satan went away.
Defeated, but God was not finished. He had a work that was necessary. And certainly we can learn that that God will not give up with his own. It may take a long time, but He will have His way.
That's really right. I'm thinking of that of the verse, verse seven or verse six, whom the Lord loveth, He chasteneth and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth. Well, that word scourging, I think our brother Lundin mentioned this morning that it had to do with a very hard whipping. But the word chastening has to do with or it could include a word of instruction. So sometimes when we see someone going on in a bad.
We wonder why doesn't the Lord do something? Well, the Lord may be doing something, but he does it in his own time and in his own way. It may be in the beginning, just a word of instruction or a word of warning. But if those words of warning are despised, or if they are not paid attention to, the Lord will increase that and he may go even to all the way to the end of the spectrum, to a scourging, because he's going to.
His work. But why does he do this? He does it because he loves us, whom the Lord loveth. He chasteneth and scourgeth every son. So he's got so much invested in us that he's not willing to let us go our own way. This verse is often really spoken to me as a parent to think that there are times when we overcorrect. There are times when we under correct or even do it at the wrong time but God's.
Correction is always at the right time and in the right way.
And mixed with infinite love and infinite wisdom. And we should accept it from Him. And I really enjoyed the thought this morning that it's unto them that are exercised thereby. So when things come into our lives, even though we may not understand them, we need to get on our knees and search our hearts, because their God may be speaking to us.
Someone here who is not safe. And remember that you never will know anything spiritually without correction. Repentance comes first.
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Book of Proverbs, the very first verses of the first chapter it says to know. What does that mean? To know spiritually? Is the experience of a wise man corrected and disciplined?
It's the experience of a wise man, corrected and disciplined. That's to know spiritually. You never know anything spiritually because man's a fallen creature unless he's corrected and disciplined.
Is that the thought in connection with the latter part of the sixth verse?
Scourges every man, every son whom he receiveth. Is the Scourging a part of the transformation from a lost soul to a saved soul? Yes. Discouraging, of course, would be the extreme and.
We noticed that with job that there is with each of us, I believe something going on continually because this is the way of life. We need to, we need to know these things.
And the way we know them is through the work.
And the Lord is using the word continually and if we don't bow to the word then he will use other methods to awaken us and to till we do. But still it's the word that corrects us eventually.
Something of this persistence of God in the expression in first Peter 4, where it says, If the righteous scarcely be saved, or that is, if the righteous with difficulty be saved, God persists in working with His children. And it was expressed this morning in connection with the verse in Hebrews 7 where it says.
He is able to save to the uttermost.
All them that come unto God by him see he ever liveth to make intercession for them.
It's God finishing the work, working with everyone of his children.
To bring them all the way home.
It is to realize that Jesus is Lord, that is, if thou shalt confess with thy mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in thine heart, thou shalt be saved. And so we come under his Lordship. We come under the one who has been given a name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow.
And God has given him that exalted place.
And we must give him the 1St place He will have it, because it's given to Him. So as the children of God, we come under the lordship of Christ, and to own Him daily in our lives is really going to be for our blessing, but most of all for His glory.
A book of Job when it Eli who has spoken to him and told him that if he didn't understand why he should ask the Lord. Surely it is meat to be said unto God. I have borne chastisement, I will not offend anymore. And then the 33rd verse. Should it be according to thy mind?
He will recompense it whether thou refuse or whether thou choose and not. I therefore speak what thou knowest.
Sometimes we have an idea how God should correct us, but the way he does it may not be according to our mind at all.
Because in our minds we always have self before us and God is seeking that which would be produced in US. I was thinking of Second Corinthians chapter 4.
2nd Corinthians chapter 4, verses 10 and 11.
Always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body. For we which live are always delivered unto death for Jesus sake.
That the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our mortal flesh.
You notice these two verses, similar indeed, but very different in another way, and that is in the 10th verse. It's when we do it ourselves. That is when we recognize that there is no good in self. When we put the sentence of death upon self, then we can receive the instruction that God has for us. But how often self stands in the way and we don't like the kind of correction?
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An idea of our own that God would correct us without bringing us down to law or humbling us because we generally have high thoughts about ourselves. And so in this tenth verse, God brings us to the recognition that in me that is in my flesh dwelleth no good thing. He brings us down so that self is not trusted. And then we learn independence, that path, that instruction our brother was talking about.
From God for our pathway. But if self is still allowed, then we have to be delivered unto death. And there's none of us that escaped that. For it says He scourges every son whom he receives. And here in this 4th chapter, we which live are all we delivered unto death. There is no one of us as believers that can say we haven't needed chastisement at some time or other, and perhaps quite.
In our lives because we're so slow to learn what is pleasing to God.
And to really put self in its right place. But it's nice to notice the way these two versus end. In the 10th verse it says that the life of Jesus might be manifest, made manifest in our body. In the 11Th verse, that the life of Jesus may be made manifest in our mortal flesh, that is.
When we learn in communion with God to put self in the place of death, self is not seen but the life of Jesus.
So that when Elisha, for instance, saw Elijah go up and the chariot of fire take him, and then he picked up, he first ran his own mantle. That was really a picture of being done with old Elijah. And he picks up the old yes, and picks up the mantle of Elijah. And when he crosses over, they said the spirit of.
Elijah doth rest upon Elisha. He had put an end to self, as it were, by rending his own mantle.
And he didn't have to tell them because they saw that manifested in him as he crossed the Jordan, that river of death. But as I say in the 11Th verse, then its mortal flesh, that is God, has to pass us through something. And perhaps like Jacob, Jacob learned in some ways the end of his pathway was brighter than Isaac and Abraham.
Because we see he had learned, and the life of Jesus was manifest in mortal flesh.
And it tells us he worshipped leaning on the top of his staff, in other words.
What he could have learned an easier way, he learned the hard way, but thank God he learned it and the life of Jesus was seen even though he was a lame man and had to lean upon something outside of himself. Well, I think this is also blessed in our chapter. The Spirit of God here brings before us that which is objected, objective looking to Jesus, being willing to recognize that anything that comes in that helps us to.
Rid of those hindrances and have her eyes upon Christ will be for our blessing. But if we don't learn that way, then he uses the other. And I say again, none of us can say we can escape it. There is no Christian that learns everything without experience in a difficult way. God wants to teach us that way brethren, but I believe we all more or less have to learn.
He chastens every son whom he receives.
And he keeps on because his desire is the life of Jesus should be seen.
And it's not nice to connect with the verse our brother read in the 17th Psalm. The life. It says, I shall be satisfied when I awake with thy likeness. That's what's going to be the end of it all. When in glory we look at one another, what will be seen? The life of Jesus and nothing else. And God is teaching us these things here, but he has that blessed end in view.
You refer to Jacob. I'd just like to mention that it's been said that if Jacob hadn't stumbled in his early life.
He wouldn't have had to halt the rest of his life because we we sometimes do things that.
Make a scar for the rest of our lives. And this was Jacob's problem. But I'd like to mention too, that Jacob spent 17 years in the land of Goshen. You don't hear much about him.
But at the end of those 17 years, he gave a prophecy concerning his sons.
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And that was through his going back over his own history and the goodness of God in connection with his ways with him, so that he had the wisdom to prophecy of his sons for.
Perhaps down through the millennial day or further, because he had spent those 17 years in God's presence in reviewing all that had passed through in his life. Now that's the the peaceable fruits of righteousness.
As a result, we have to face up to the fact that we're all too much influenced by the Laodicean Spirit about us, and we see how plain are the words of the Lord Jesus there. As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten. Be zealous therefore, and repent. He loves us too much to let us just go on and to take on that spirit of the age, the Laodicean Spirit.
I'd like to call attention to two verses in Job that might help in what we're taking up. Job has been smoking of the 33rd chapter and the 23rd verse.
Elihu speaking, if there be a messenger with him, an interpreter, one among 1000, to show unto man his duty, it should read duty.
That is what is his duty? Repentance.
Now in the 36th chapter.
It says.
Because there is wrath verse 18.
He's speaking to Job now.
Because there is wrath. Beware lest he take thee away with his chastisement.
That is.
Job is under discipline.
The government of God.
And even though he was a believer, he might be taken out of this world.
Solemn, isn't it?
If there wasn't a response.
To the exercises that were set before him, if he didn't respond to that duty, that.
Eliyu brought before him. He didn't repent.
Solemn thing Speaking of what you were saying there about the Lord saying as many as I love, I review can chase and I've always enjoyed how in the first one in Ephesus we read I have against thee that I was left thy first love and then in the last one the Lord says as it were, but I haven't left my first love. I still love you even though you've been willful and I'm going to have to correct you for your good.
So it's just the proof of his unchanging love that he felt it when they had left their first love. But that love may have to display itself sometimes in correcting us just as a parent. It says he that love with his child chasing at him betimes.
Even our chapter here, I believe, indicates that the parent would do the best that it could.
Where it says they according to.
Their pleasure, it slips my eye right now in verse 10. For they verily for a few days chastened us after their own pleasure. That's a little severe. I believe it should read something to the effect as seemeth good or meat unto them, as the margin reads. But what does it say but He for our prophet. Why is that? Because he is the Father of spirits. He knows what is the spirit behind this.
Or action, As a parent, we may know our children better than most, but still we can make a mistake. But he doesn't make any mistakes because he knows exactly what is the spirit behind it. That's good to consider, isn't it? What does it mean at the end of that verse that you just read?
We might be partakers of His Holiness.
Well, it speaks for itself, does it not, Brother Hamilton?
He doesn't want us to follow the way the course of this present evil world.
And He loves us too much to let us go that way. So we are holy brethren. That's our standing before God. But we know it's ever the work of the Spirit of God to bring us in practice up to our standing so that we might be partakers of His Holiness. How faithful he is.
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As the father of spirits mentioned here in Numbers, it's the God of the spirits of all flesh. But this is Christianity, so we have relationship brought in and that makes the discipline.
For us with an object, because we, we want to please the one who has done so much for us. And if we need correction, if there's the right spirit, we'll respond immediately to it.
But the Christian needs to know is the way should go. It isn't the law, but it's it's instruction that he needs. Because we don't know which way to turn, which way to go unless we're instructed from the word.
And sometimes we need the correction to awaken us to receive the word that He's given us.
Suppose when it says here be in subjection unto the Father of spirits, and live. It's a similar thought to what we have in Romans where it says, if you live after the flesh, he shall die, but if ye through the spirit to mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live. Now that is you and I have this new life, and it's the path of death to go and live after the flesh, because God put an end to that flesh at the cross our old man was.
With him And now what ought to be manifested in our lives is that.
New life. And so we're not living unless we are living as Christians. She that liveth in pleasure is dead, while she liveth saw the pathway of a believer when he's acting like the world is really a pathway of death. But now God is correcting us so that we might walk in the way of life. And the way of life, of course, is the manifestation of the life of Jesus.
And I think also there's the thought of authority here.
God has instituted authority and saw that parents are put in that place and children are to recognize it and be in subjection. How much more to the one in whom we have been brought into this new relationship, and in whom we live and move and have our being. So there is that relationship to God.
And that is even higher than the natural relationship. It's interesting in Proverbs.
We have the opening chapters have to do with parents setting before their children the way of life and death, bringing before them that pathway of wisdom in which they should lock. And then when we come to the 8th chapter, when the voice of the parent is no longer heard, we have the voice of wisdom crying and warning. And it's interesting in that chapter how in the end the Lord takes the place of being the creator of all things.
It speaks in the end of that chapter about how He made the heavens above and the earth and gave to the sea His decree. If we are learning something from our parents who are correcting us as best they can, how much more when we are in the instruction of that One who knows all about us, who always knows the right path? I, as a parent, didn't always know the right path for my child.
Didn't always correct him at the right time, but God our Father who made us who knows every part of our being. He knows our frame, our emotional build up and everything. And that's the kind of a father. Can we ever think in his ways with us that we would have been wiser? I think that's why Elihu said to Job. He said that they're in those verses we read. He said, are are you going to choose or is God going to choose?
He said. It isn't the way I choose. I'm just talking to your job. It isn't the way you choose either, but it's the way God chooses and he knows just exactly what is right and best.
Being partaker of His Holiness, would that be true with King David and what had taken place in his life?
In the Psalms where we find in chapter 51 That after he was brought to repentance and we find in verse 10.
He says, Create in me a clean heart of God, and renew a right spirit within me. Cast me not away from Thy presence, and take not Thy Holy Spirit from me. Restore unto me the joy of Thy salvation, and uphold me with Thy free spirit or Thy willing spirit.
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And the spirit of holiness.
You desired so much before.
The presence of God to so live.
That he wouldn't dishonor God as he had previously. That spirit of holiness, that desire to.
You so walk to glorify God and in first John.
First Epistle of John.
Chapter One.
In verse 9.
If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
To not only that you would know that we were forgiven, but that we would hate the thing that we had allowed to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. Bring us back so that we walk in full communion.
With him and walking the standard that he has set be holy, for I am holy.
Yes, and just might mention there that take not Thy Holy Spirit from me and the new translation, it's the Spirit of Thy holiness. In the Old Testament, believers were not indwelled by the Holy Spirit of God, although He was active and souls were born again by the Spirit. But what is characterized of this characteristic of this present time is the indwelling of the Holy Spirit.
But the thought is the spirit of thy holiness.
There's always a tendency, brethren, when we have failed to look lightly upon it, not to see it as God sees it. And he desired that when he was restored, He would always abhor that sin. I heard a young man who had failed, and after he had failed, he said, well, we all fail sometimes, but he didn't have that spirit of holiness. It's true that we do, but if he had looked at it in the light of God's holiness, he wouldn't have said that. He wouldn't have.
That way he would have thought what it cost God to put it away. That's why in the 19th chapter of Numbers, the man was sprinkled with the ashes of the heifer on the third day. And if he wasn't sprinkled on the third day, then he was not clean on the 7th. And unless we judge sin in the light of what it cost God to put it away.
We never really get restored when we say, well, I have failed but.
Others do it too, or something like that. Then we never get restored. We never really come to the third day. But when we have come to the thought of what it cost God to put away sin and see in that death the end of all that nature that produced those sins which we allowed them.
There's a true judgment of it in the presence of God and the thought in the seventh day.
Is a real restoration. So it's often said, well, that person said he's sorry.
But I wonder if he has really judged it. Well, that's really what we're saying. What is taking place there? The third day being in the presence of God. I like the little hymn that says in his spotless souls distress I have learned my guiltiness. We never really measure sin by comparing it with others or looking in or something like that.
What is sin in God's sight? The true picture of what sin is, is Calvary.
There we see the Holy Son of God made sin. We never realize what sin is properly unless we look at the cross. Well, it's lovely to see a Christian who has failed get to the meaning of that third day and then be truly and happily restored.
The 7th day, I say again, is what we would call a real or a perfect restoration.
He abhors the sand, He doesn't look lightly on it, he doesn't justify himself. I also think of the Naomi. When she came back she had learned something of that, and she said, I went out full and the Lord hath brought me home again empty. She didn't say, well, you know why I went out? There was a famine and that was my reason for going. Do you blame me?
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No, she thoroughly judges herself and says there was no good reason for me leaving God's Lamb.
I left in self will, and I didn't even come back by my own will. The Lord hath brought me home again and I didn't gain anything by all that sojourn in the land of Moab. I just thank the Lord. He's brought me back and his grace comes in. She's restored and Blessing comes to Ruth too. A lovely picture of a real restoration.
That's an important principle in the Word of God. We see how much was involved in connection with the restoration of Josephs brethren. We can see right away their conscience was hit. There's no question about that. The guilt of what they had done to Joseph immediately came before them. No doubt it was always upon their conscience all those years, but we see that Joseph kept himself estranged to them until that work was.
And thorough in their souls. We cannot hurry those things along. And I might just mention that too, in connection with Hosea. We, we've been considering this lately, and I believe it's so important to lay hold of the principle.
In the book of Hosea.
Chapter 6 or five.
Here we see how severe the measure is in verse 14. For I will be unto Ethereum as a lion. That's a very severe measure. And as a young lion to the House of Judah, I even I will tear and go away. I will take away a nun shall rescue him. I will go and return to my place, till they acknowledge their offense and seek my face.
In their affliction they will seek Me early. Well, it appears as though it was working. Chapter 6. Come, and let us return unto the Lord, for He hath torn, and He will heal us. He has smitten, and He will bind us up. After 2 days will He revive us. In the third day will He raise us up, and we shall live in His sights. So there we see that important principle, and I believe in.
Testament. We have that thought in connection with Peter. That is, the Lord appeared to him alone. He hath appeared unto Simon. He appeared, appeared unto him alone, perhaps to assure him of His love and forgiveness. But then there was that public restoration, as we have there in the 20th chapter, where the Lord had to search him out. Simon's son of Jonas. Lovest thou me more than these three times over? That was a hard experience.
Peter But it accomplished more than just his immediate need. I believe it assured the others that the Lord valued His ministry and wanted them to know that. So I just mentioned that.
Between those two chapters, Hosea, because that's the last chapter you read, is the time when they will return. So there's been those 2000 years for Israel and they're going to be restored according to Romans.
Through jealousy.
The church is brought in in the mean time, and then they're exercised as a nation and they will be brought back.
For us to do is not to grieve the spirit that indwells enough, but they have full liberty so that we can bear His fruits as we have been a licensed Chapter 5.
There's.
22.
This is what to characterize a Christian in his daily life. But the fruit of the Spirit is love.
Joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance, these are the 9 virtues of the Spirit, the Son of gifts, the virtues of the Spirit, and But we agreed our Holy Ghost together.
We won't be able to see this fruit in ourselves, but how wonderful it is if we could show this fruit in our daily life for the glory of God. Not for our glory, but for the glory of God, because it is the fruit of the Spirit. Now I have fruit ourselves, but it is said that sometimes, as is happening with three of the Spirit in us, our holy guests.
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It's nice to see the plainness of Scripture in the 11Th verse, isn't it? Now? No chastening, for the present seemeth to be joyous but grievous. That's language we can all understand.
As has been mentioned, there isn't one of us that hasn't come along the journey without some chastening.
And none of us would ever say the chastening was pleasant. We've had this verse before us tells us prior verse. We've had the chastening of our parents when we were young and that wasn't pleasant either. But I think how it must please the Lord as it would please an earthly parent to have one who is under.
Chastening.
Accept the chastening in the spirit of true remorse and confession, and then returning to the one who administered the chastening and expressing that to such an one, the mother or father, or in our case, to the Lord, then we have that wonderful fruit thereof.
Violet was grievous as we went through it.
It afterward yielded the peaceable fruit of righteousness. But how important the last part of the verse unto them which are exercised thereby.
Some of us remember as a boy I had a certain capacity to grit my teeth, as it were, when I had discipline from my father, and bear up under it. But one looks back with sadness that there were times when there was no confession of the guilt, just accepted the punishment.
But one wondered.
The exercise by it returned then to the parents. In those suitable expressions there was a mutual.
Joy, a mutual.
Acceptance of one another's affections that off times was deeper in a relationship than existed before.
So with the Christian, these things are very practical.
And I do hope our young people will bear these in mind, because you too.
Your young brother. Young sister.
Know the Lords Hand of chastening, I know you do, we all do. And how happy it is to be exercised to that point where we are then in truth, in Verity, able to go to him and to confess. We've been speaking about David and the 51St Psalm, how he made that confession of contriteness.
And after that the Lord used him.
More than before, and Peter too. So we have these things very practically before us in the Word. And this verse, verse 11, gives us those thoughts.
The subject of conviction comes in connection with confession.
One might confess something that they have never been convicted as to the depth of it.
So the conviction and confession of sin is the ground of all.
True.
Exercise of soul and morality, because there must be a conviction of it, and that one's own heart apparently put before their child something that we're speaking now with disobedience.
But, and they may say, yes, I'm sorry I did that, but that doesn't mean there's been conviction of it. We find with Israel in those 2000 years, there's real conviction.
I don't mean that it takes 2000 years, but it's a picture to us of that which is necessary in the soul.
To come around, as our brother said, to the 7th day, an exercise of soul. We find this with a prodigal son.
He had made-up a speech in the far off country that he never gave when he came home. Make me as one of the hired servants.
He, he just said, Father, I've sinned. And that's the lesson of life, isn't it, Father, I have sinned and that's enough. He had his father's arms around him. In fact, his father had begun to to run after him before.
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And I know that the 10 pieces of silver in the in the middle of the story the account.
Speaks of something that's lost, and that's the believer.
Now he was lost and now he's found. But I do believe we have something deeper in that. We have the woman sweeping the house to recover something.
And I believe it has to do with that conviction that came about with that prodigal son. On the way home. The woman was sweeping the house. In Luke, the house is the inside of the person. In Matthew, the house is the outward profession, but in Luke, it's the N word.
The moral responsibilities brought before us in Luke. And so the woman is sweeping the house.
To do away with everything that's contrary to that new position that the prodigal would be in, because when he gets into that new position, we find it's all grace, nothing left of the old man at all. Sometimes that verse rejoiced in the Lord alway. And again I say rejoice is used out of context because here it says.
No chastening, for the present seemeth to be joyous but grievous.
Sometimes jubilant spirit at a time when God is dealing is not a good sign. We don't like it with our children when we have to correct them and they just act as if it was a kind of a joke, Our correction, We expect them. We want them to feel it and feel that it's done and that it hurts them and it hurts us. But afterward, when they have learned it, then the blessing comes, and I do believe.
That there are times when a broken and a contrite heart are very much in keeping. The joy will certainly follow. Just like that boy in the far country you're talking about. He was pretty much broken down when he had to go out there and feed those pigs and not have enough for himself to eat. When he comes back and has it all out with his father, then the rejoicing takes place. And so I believe there's a proper time for.
Rejoicing and this verse for the present, that doesn't seem to be joyous but grievous, but the result afterwards in the life is the proof that it was necessary and that the person has profited by it for God's glory, and their blessing comes back and has it all out with his Father. Then the rejoicing takes place. And so I believe there's a proper time for this.
Rejoicing.
And this, this verse, for the present, it doesn't seem to be joyous, but grievous.
But the result afterwards in the life is the proof that it was necessary, and that the person has profited by it for God's glory and their blessing.
Do these things connect with James Three, in the last two verses, we're Speaking of God and His wisdom, working with us as children, seeking to bring us through, complete the work in US. And there's the fruit of righteousness here.
Reading the last two verses of James 3. But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, easy to be entreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, without hypocrisy, And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace.
Well, we try to straighten out things by our own wisdom very often, and there's envy and strife in our hearts trying to prove ourselves right very often. But if we if there are difficulties arise, it's certainly very important for us that we meet them in that wisdom that comes from above. We've often heard the expression the flesh never corrects the flesh, and so very often when we see something wrong.
We try to correct the flesh in another with the flesh in ourselves, and that had never really accomplishes anything good. But oh how beautiful this is. The wisdom that comes from above doesn't overlook sin, but it treats it as God seeks the restoration and the good.
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Of his own and we ought to do it in that way. If I ever have to speak to a brother or take up something with a brother, am I really doing it in this spirit that we have in our chapter seeking his good? Or am I really trying to prove myself right, perhaps even a little envious of him and now I'm glad he's put down a little bit or something our hearts are very, very wretched, you know but.
It can exercise us as to whether, when we try to help somebody else, whether we're doing it in the same spirit in which God our Father corrects us in love.
Thinking of peace and righteousness, we find in Romans that the Kingdom of God is not meat and drink, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Ghost.
That is the moral side of the Kingdom of God, isn't it?
That's really what it is, and that's why he's leading us, perhaps through chastening and other things, to come into the real enjoyment of the Kingdom of which we are in. Through sovereign grace, of course. But he would have it there, enjoying himself. We've been Speaking of the prodigal son.
Who thought of coming back as a servant? Perhaps that would have satisfied his heart.
But that would not have satisfied the heart of his father. So when he is truly brought back, owning his guilt, saying that he had sinned, then the father is now ready to show out his heart to him. And with his arms around him, he's ready to give him that which will cause him to rejoice.
There isn't any thought of his ever desiring to leave.
His father after that work of bringing him so low, but nevertheless, in order for him to enjoy the Father's house, this, which is true of the Kingdom of God, had to be part of his enjoyment. And for our souls it's the same, isn't it? And for Israel it will be the same, the Kingdom of God.
Is not meat and drink. It's not an outward thing, but rather an inward thing.
Righteousness.
Peace and joy in the Holy Ghost.
Brother Curry or the end of the prodigal son story. They began to be married, They the father and the son, not just the one. And there is no report of the merriment ever ceasing.
So I was almost going to say the same thing. I was thinking of the fact that.
What God was doing with the prodigal was for his own eternal enjoyment.
God is preparing each one for happiness there, which will be his own happiness when he has children in his presence. And they'll be they'll be fit for that presence.
And that's the picture we have with the product because we don't hear anymore about the prodigal, but we hear about the father's joy from then on.
That's why it immediately follows with this. Wherefore lift up the hands that hang down, and the feeble knees, and make straight paths for your feet, lest that which is lame be turned out of the way. But let it rather be healed. If that boy had come home, and his father had been unwilling to receive him, and throw his arms around him, and recognize what grace had wrought in his heart by the boy might have said, It's no use. I tried.
But after bringing before us God's chastening.
And He never lowers the standard. There has to be the fruit of righteousness. His desire is that we should be partakers of His Holiness. And again the 14th verse follow peace with all man, and holiness without which no man shall see the Lord. There is a definite spot there where a person can be discouraged instead of encouraged when God has begun to work.
And we see that in Second Corinthians. That man that was dealt with in First Corinthians.
God had brought repentance in his heart, and now Paul has to write specially to the Saints there of Corinth and say that such an one might be swallowed up with over much sorrow. It's very necessary and good for us to recognize where God is working repentance, even if we only see a little bit of the beginning of it. Let us be thankful and encourage us. Otherwise the person is liable, as it says here, to get thoroughly discouraged and.
00:50:18
No use. And his hand sank down, his knees become feeble, and he said.
I'm afraid that I can't go on because.
The repentance is not recognized, but there is no mistake that God our Father, He sees that He has rotted himself. He restoreth my soul. But this is an exhortation, I believe, to us in connection with it. And if any of us have failed ourselves, let us not be discouraged. When we come back, the Lord receives us, and the Lord can encourage us and help us to walk in those straight paths for our feet.
We have that illustration when Moses was praying and.
Aaron and her upheld his his arms.
In connection with the battle and the battle prospered before the Israel when.
He was stayed by these two.
And so that.
The Israel won the battle because of the intercession of Moses, but he was helped by the other two.
Is that not a reference to what we have here? Make straight?
Lift up the hands which sang down and feeble knees, and then make straight paths for your feet.
That was what was brought out about the prodigal. I think when he came back, he hadn't said a word, but his father knew that if he came back, there must be something going on in his soul that he would make that way back. And so he threw his arms around him. That made the confession much easier. And the Scripture says the goodness of God.
Leadeth thee to repentance. It's knowing that God hasn't changed toward us.
Even in spite of our failure, that really draws our hearts back and makes us want to come, because He still loves us in spite of it all. And we who are believers ought to know how to manifest that same spirit, shouldn't we? As you said, it can be premature and we only hinder the person, like in the case of Absalom. But let's be ready to notice the first signs of real repentance and it already.
Begun in the heart of that prodigal. And so then it was easy after his father showed him that he still loved him.
For him to say all that was in his heart, wasn't it?
Well, don't we have an extremely important.
Principle in these verses referred to verse 12 and 13.
In respect to our responsibility before one another, in the 10th chapter, we have provoking one another unto love and good works.
In John 16 we have the washing of one another's feet.
I see a distinction here between the washing of the feet and the upholding of one who is weak. But I like Brother London's thought that.
While we might apply the feeble hands.
And the knees.
Not functioning well to ourselves. It also I think has a dual application. As I look on another who is in that capacity and am I just going to be very casual about it and ignore him or am I going to have some concern? Am I going to seek to strengthen that one? And how can I do that except my own feet are walking in a straight path.
If I go to Section 1, no matter how earnestly, and seek to encourage him, and he can say, well, I'll find one, you are to speak, you're just as bad off as I am. There's no help, is there? But if our own pathway is correct, then the one who is hindered, his sight is dim.
He's lame, he doesn't see the way very well. Then he has one in whom he has confidence.
And feels that there's assurance in listening to this one. I feel very strongly that we do have a strong obligation by the to have this attitude toward one another.
00:55:07
And so much the more as we see the day approaching, to bear one another up where it isn't to provoke one another, but to provoke to love and to good work.
I was thinking in Galatians 6. There it says ye which are spiritual restore such in one in the spirit of weakness considering thyself, or the spirit of meekness considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted. Well, that's a real work when God can give that wisdom and ability to be of some help to another that way. But to do so there has to be that considering of self because.
We're just as liable to the same temptation and that I believe that's the thought of the spiritual man in that connection, that he has a realization that he could fail in the same way. And it's good to see that. I I was thinking of another thing too, in connection where one has been out of fellowship, the apostle says, wherefore confirm your love unto him.
That seems to indicate that love was always there, but wisely it couldn't manifest itself.
Until there was a work of repentance, how much wisdom there is needed in that connection because we're so prone to just want some set of rules to follow. But we've got to use spiritual discernment. We've got to seek wisdom from God in each individual case and consider every case on its own merits because there may be a time and a right time, of course, when.
Communication can be re established and when.
There can be and should be that confirming of the love to the individual. Well, that's going maybe into more complex things, but.
We have laid and love brought together here. Don't we follow peace with all men, and holiness without which no man shall see the Lord? And that is, we like peace. We don't like to have problems and difficulties. We perhaps are inclined at times to pass things over that should be taken up, because we have to remember that God is holy.
Well, they're both brought together.
Our feet are to be shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace. We're not to be always looking for trouble, but if it comes, it's necessary that it should be taken up and dealt with. And so we have the two. The Scripture says God is not the author of confusion, but of peace, as in all the churches of the Saints, sometimes unnecessarily, we can bring in things that.
Upset the peace of the assembly, but when it's a question of holiness.
Holiness become a thine House of God forever. And so there are cases when things must be brought up. So this following after holiness is not really to get it, because holiness is the nature, but following after it, that it might be constantly manifested in US. And that is that others should see what holiness really is in US. For holiness is the abhorrence of evil with delight in what is good.
And that is what ought to characterize us as Christians. That is what ought to be seen to in the assembly is gathered to the Lord's name. And so here we have them brought together. It isn't that we want to make trouble. We desire peace of God's peace as a holy peace. And so the two are brought. And then the next verse looking diligently, lest any man fail of the grace of God.
We must always remember that God's dealings with us are in grace, and what is grace is God's undeserved.
What did any of us deserve? If left to ourselves, any of us? If we received what we deserved, it would be eternal banishment from God's presence. As our brother mentioned this morning, we were saved by grace. We stand in grace, and grace will be brought unto us at the revelation of Jesus Christ. So in all these things, whether it's in God's dealings with ourselves or in our dealings with our brethren, let us never forget grace.
Because the fail of the grace of God is to perhaps exalt ourselves, and then we can't deal with these situations. But when we take our true place on our faces before God is very striking that in the Old Testament, when there was a case of uncertain evil in the camp, the only way that they could find out was to take the dust of the Tabernacle and mix it with water.
01:00:07
And when the woman drank of it, had discovered her true condition.
And so there are many things that rise among us, brethren, that we just don't have the wisdom. But if we were humble enough and got before the Lord on our faces and had a sense of grace in our own souls as well as of God's holiness, and that mixed with the light and direction of the word, that's the the water, I think many things would become clear and God would give us the wisdom and guidance that we need. There are so many complicated.
Cases come up, we say, why can't we solve them? The only way that that complicated case could be solved in the Old Testament was to get the dust of the Tabernacle mixed with water. You've got to get on your knees to get the dust of the Tabernacle, to realize that even in God's presence, what four things we are at best. And then when it's given to the woman, God made it manifest for his own glory and for her blessing ultimately.
That's the 14th 1St.
Is a little bit difficult.
Without which no man shall see the Lord.
That part.
I suppose we have the thought there that.
Where to pursue?
A piece of all men and holiness.
I think you brought out the practical side.
But the point is that unless one has that, they will never see the Lord.
Is the thought then, that our testimony here should be of that, so that those who are not saved may may see it? Is that the thought?
If we didn't have a holy nature, we could never be in God's presence, could we ourselves?
So it's a testimony really to the those about us, our walk down here.
That failing of the grace of God, I believe, is something we need to think about and consider because it has been a very real exercise to my own heart. That is, the grace is available. We have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand. So what does it mean looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God? Well, it's available. We need to ask the Lord for grace, and especially if we're passing.
Through chastisement, there may be bitterness is connected with it, and if those bitternesses aren't judged the root of them, they can spring up and trouble and it can cause a great deal of defilement. That thing will rear its ugly head and it'll affect others. It can't be hidden. If there's a bitter feeling against another, it will crop out in some way. It will manifest itself. It won't be hidden. So we really need to have.
To avail ourselves of this grace we we fail when we don't avail ourselves. It's available, we just need to ask.
The Lord for more grace to overcome these bitter feelings and heal surely.
Help us.
More often problems come among the people of God because of that very thing. I was thinking of the two cases in the Old Testament when the man of Ephraim came out to Gideon after and were upset because they weren't called to the battle. We find that Gideon meets it in wonderful grace and he says what was I able to do in comparison of you are not the gleanings of.
Ephraim better than the vintage of aviation.
Aviator. In other words, he was willing to recognize them and he met that situation in grace and the result was the whole thing was settled right then and there. But Jepsen didn't handle it that way at all. When they came along, the same people came along and chided with Gideon, then with Jeff, Sir, Rather, he.
Talked back to them very unkindly and everything and said.
Well, I was in trouble and you didn't help me. And so he made them very bitter, didn't they? And then a big battle arose and 42,000 people were slain over the pronouncing of a word. You know, we can't pretend that it's holiness. But very often there's other things. We haven't. We haven't, as it says here, we have failed in the grace of God. I think that Gideon met them in grace and Jeptha met them in the flesh. And very often, brethren.
01:05:01
I have noticed the difficulties that rise among the Saints. If you really get to the root of it, there's some there's some feeling over a difficulty and they're looking for something and then a difficulty arises. Bitterness comes in, So many things result.
We need to get back to this. It's grace. It's grace that saved us. And if we have in any way sought to live to please the Lord, it's grace. It's only the grace of God that has kept any of us.