Address—G. Hayhoe
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Tune my heart to sing Thy Grace streams of mercy, never ceasing Call for ceaseless songs of Praise #5 in the appendix.
Come the.
I'd like to start by looking at a verse in First Samuel chapter 12.
I'll read the two verses before, that is particularly the 24th verse I had in mind. First Samuel 12, verse 22. For the Lord will not forsake his people for his great namesake, because it hath pleased the Lord to make you his people. Moreover, As for me.
God forbid that I should sin against the Lord in ceasing to pray for you, but I will teach you the good and the right way only. Fear the Lord and serve him in truth with all your heart, for consider how great things He hath done for you.
Well, brethren was particularly that expression. Consider how great things he hath done for you.
We're very forgetful people. We know what to the Lord has done for us. But as we get involved in things that go on about us, and perhaps in our family life and business life, we forget what the Lord has done for us. But isn't it blessed that as Spirit of God is the remembrance there? The Lord Jesus said, when the Spirit of truth is come, he shall bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you and Peter writing by the Spirit of God.
Said to those to whom he was writing that he would tell them of the things though they once knew them and had been established in the present truth. And So what I may speak about may be very familiar to some of us, but I hope that it will touch our hearts afresh. We eat the same things over and over again, and if they're dishes we especially enjoy, we don't mind having them quite a few times, because they're specially nice to us. And how can we think of how richly we are blessed in Christ?
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Without being encouraged in the path of faith. Well, brethren, with the Lord's help, I'd like to just speak of these things.
And notice that verse again. Consider how great things.
The Lord has done for you well, He has done great things for us, not only in that glorious work that He accomplished on the cross of Calvary, but even since we have been saved, has He not proved himself to us over and over again? And as we learned more of His truth, He became increasingly precious to us. And so I would just like to speak a little of those. Perhaps we might say simple things. I wonder if we could turn first of all to Acts, Chapter 13.
And verse 38.
Be it known unto you, therefore, men and brethren, that through this man is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins.
And by Him all that believe are justified from all things from which he could not be justified by the law of Moses. Well, it's a blessing and glorious thing to know that when we receive the Lord Jesus as our Savior, we can rejoice that our sins are forgiven, says that whom we have remission or forgiveness through His blood, the forgiveness of sins. It's something that we possess and I hope every person, young and old in this room can say.
I know my sins are forgiven. God is the only one who can do that and he does it righteously. He doesn't pass over our debts. I heard of a judge and it was near the festival time of the year at the end of the year, and when a number of traffic cases came before him, he said, well, this is the festival time of the year, so I'm just going to let you all go and you won't have to pay any fine today.
Well, that seemed very kind, but it wasn't righteous. But if that judge had put his hand in his pocket and he said, I'm going to pay everyone of these fines for you, that would have been righteous as well as kind. And that's what God has done. He didn't pass over any of our sins. No, the Lord Jesus paid the debt in full. We have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins. He paid the full penalty. We know that.
But we need to be reminded of it. It's what we're going to sing about for all eternity in the in the glory above, it says thou was slain and has redeemed this to God by thy blood out of every kindred and tongue and people and nation. But this passage in Acts 13 goes a little farther than the forgiveness of sins, because God delights to add up the blessings. We might say that to know our sins are forgiven is like the very starting point of Christian life.
To know that they've all been blotted out in the precious blood of Christ. But the word justified is a very precious word too. And it says here by him all that believe are justified from all things. Now there are many people I believe who have a mistaken idea of justification. I've heard people say justified means just as if I'd never sinned. But you know, if that's all God did for me, I would be in the same position as unfallen atom.
He hadn't sinned, but he was capable of sinning, and he did sin, and he forfeited everything.
So justification must go in Christianity farther than just be in the position of unfallen atom and his very beautiful expression in the 5th chapter of Revelation, a fifth chapter of Romans that says justification of life, justification of life. For when your sins are forgiven and God justifies you, he places you before him in a life that never sinned and cannot sin.
Tells us in Colossians 3 when Christ, who is our life, shall appear.
Then shall we also appear with him in glory, It tells us also in John's epistle.
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That we may have boldness in the Day of Judgment, because as he is, so are we in this world. In 2nd Corinthians 5 it says He hath made him to be sin for us who knew no sin that we might be made the righteousness of God in him. And just to show, perhaps my little illustration, how much more it is to be justified justification of life.
Than just to have our sins forgiven. Let me suppose such a thing as this.
Now that I had stolen some money from you, perhaps a large sum. And you and your kindness, You forgave me. You forgave me, you said. Gordon, I forgive you everything. Well, I I'm sure I would be, I trust most grateful for what you had done and forgiven me. But I'm going to tell you this. I would never feel thoroughly at home in your presence. I would think, down in the bottom of my heart that perhaps every time you looked at me, you said, Well, I've forgiven him.
But I look upon him as a forgiving thief. I wouldn't trust him. God's forgiveness is not of that character.
When God Forgives, he places you before him in the very life of praise. Who is your life and sees you as though you had never done that deed. Isn't that a wonderful thing? I can lift up my eyes and my heart to God my Father.
And say he's not only forgiven me, but he sees me the righteousness of God.
In Christ he sees me in that precious position.
That as Christ is before him, with all the judgment behind him, so are we in this world. I hope that every young believer is in the enjoyment of this. That'll give you great peace in your soul To know this. It's blessedly true. It's what God says it. It may be very simple, but some of the blessed things in life are very simple. The complicated things aren't always quite as enjoyable. It's the simple things in life that are often the most precious. And so.
We are forgiven and we are justified. And So what a wonderful thing that is that we are justified and then God has done more. He has also given us His Holy Spirit. And now if he turned with me to for Second Corinthians chapter one.
Verse 18.
For as God is, as God is true, our word towards you was not yay and nay for the Son of God Jesus Christ, who has preached among you by us, even by me and Sylvanus. And to Bothius was not gay and nay, but in him was yay, For all the promises of God in him are yay, and in him a man unto the glory of God. By us Now he would establish up with you in Christ, and hath anointed us is God.
Who also has sealed us, and given the earnest of the Spirit in my in our hearts. Moreover, I call God for a record upon my soul, that to spare you I came not as yet unto corn. Not that not for that we have dominion over your faith, but our helpers of your joy. For by faith you you stand. I'd like to just mention that last verse, not that we have dominion over your faith.
And So what I'd like to bring before you is not that I am trying to have dominion over your faith, but I would like to help your joy. Because I believe our joy increases in the measure in which we lay hold of these great things the Lord has done for us. Well, a new nature. The new life that He has given to us is the very life of Christ. I could read in Colossians one. I'll just quote it though. It says when Christ, who is our life.
Shall appear. Then shall we also appear with him in glory, so Christ himself.
Is the believer's life, and that life has a certain character.
What was true of the Lord Jesus? He did no sin.
In him is no sin. He could not sin well you and I.
Are partakers of the divine nature. It tells us. It tells us whosoever it is born of, God does not commit sin, and his seed remaineth in him, and he cannot sin because he is born of God. Do you know that the new life that God has given to you when you receive the Lord Jesus as Savior is, as we said, the very life of Christ and cannot sin? But you know we also need power.
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And.
Just before the day of Pentecost, the Lord Jesus was talking to the disciples, and he said, Ye shall receive power. After that the Holy Ghost is come upon you, and ye shall be witnesses unto me. So we need power. And what is the power? That we have the Holy Spirit of God. After that she believes you were sealed with that Holy Spirit of promise, which is the earnest of our inheritance.
Until the redemption of the purchased possession. So we have a new life, the very life of Christ. And we have power because the Spirit of God indwells us, and it tells us in John's Gospel, chapter 3, God giveth not His Spirit by measure. Our translation adds the words unto him, but you'll notice through an italics, and they're not in the new translation, Mr. Darby's.
And so God doesn't give his Spirit by measure, because the Spirit of God is a person.
How would it be possible for him to give us? Shall I say apart? The Spirit of God is a person. Your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost, which is in you, which you have of God. So you have the power. Never say I haven't got the power to please God. I'd like to.
Yes, the Newman would like to please God, but never say I don't have the power because we have the power that is given to us and how wonderful this is. You know the reason we fail. I might have a very good car and a very powerful engine under the hood, but I could stall on the hill if I don't step on the gas. I could come to a steep hill and just stall.
And it's not because I don't have available for me all the power, but I'm not using the power.
That's what so often hinders us in our Christian life, is that we are not using the power that has been given to us. Well, I just like to read these verses here again it says our word towards you is not yay and nay. I believe what he is referring to was what took place when the children of Israel entered the Promised Land. There were two mountains. One was a mountain where there was to be blessing.
And the other where there were to be curses and the blessings depended on the people.
It said the blessings were consequent upon them keeping God's holy law. The curses were If they dissipated, well, our blessing is not dependent on us at all. And So what Paul is saying our word toward you is not yay and nay. All the promises of God in him are yay and in him Amen. Or let it be established to the glory of God by us, because if man could keep God's holy requirements, he would have something he could glory in. He'd be able to say, I did it, I did it just like the rich young ruler our brothers spoke about.
Who wanted to know what he would do? And if he were able to do it, he would have boasted and said, I did it. But it says by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight. But in the gospel it's not yay and nay, because it all depends upon what Christ has done. And in order to make all these things good in our souls, God has given to us that divine guest your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost.
And I'd just like to notice these little points that are brought out in the 21St verse. It says, now he which establisheth us with you in Christ and hath anointed us is God. Well, I believe in Scripture The anointing has spoken of in two different ways. That is, in Acts chapter one, it's spoken of as the power he shall receive power. After that the Holy Ghost is come upon you in John's epistle.
It's the capacity to understand the things of God. You know God has written the book that cannot be understood unless he gives to the one who's born again the Holy Spirit of God to indwell him. That's what it means in First Corinthians, where it says what man knows the things of a man, say the spirit of a man which is in him. Even so the things of God knoweth no man but the Spirit of God.
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Now we have received not the Spirit which is of the world, but the Spirit which is of God, that we might know the things.
That are freely given to us of God. If you hand this book to an unsaved person, he'd say, well, nobody can understand that book.
But after you are saved, you have the capacity by the Spirit of God to understand it. Now our wills may hinder our hindering into it, but we do have the capacity God give us, not His Spirit by measure. So we have the power and we have the capacity to understand God's precious word. I'd like to say to those who are younger, if you come across a verse that you don't understand, we'll just ask the Lord by His Spirit to show you.
You may be very surprised how soon he'll open up that verse to you and make it clear and precious.
You have the anointing and he teaches us all things and then it says.
He has sealed us. You know, if you have a piece of property and you have a document that says it's yours, it's not an official document until it has a seal on it. And the seal makes the document official. And so, you know, when God gave us this rich inheritance, the unsearchable riches of Christ, it says he has sealed us. He's we have the seal, thy spirit, to the present seal of all the Father's love dwells in our hearts and does reveal.
His glorious rest above. So the ceiling is the fact that it actually belongs to us. And if neighbor says you don't own that property, you say, Well, I can show you my official document. It belongs to me. Isn't that wonderful? We God wants us to be sure. He doesn't want us to have doubts, and He wants us to know His mind. If there's any hindrance in knowing his mind, it is never on God's part. If any man will do His will, he shall know of the doctrine.
I've heard people say, well, if such great man as Mr. Darby and Mr. Kelly did not agree on certain things, who are we to understand them? I'm nobody, neither are you. But the Spirit of God is willing. If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine. God on his part is willing. But you know we need to have broken wills to this man. Will I look to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit.
And it trembles at my word. And so there's something. You read a verse in the Bible, and it makes you a little uncomfortable. Maybe it's because your will or my will is at work. God is willing. We have the anointing. We have the ceiling. We have the earnest. What is the earnest? Well, I think we all know in business dealings. It's really the pledge that a deal entered into is going to be completed.
And isn't that wonderful? God has given the earnest in our hearts. And if you know the Lord Jesus as your Savior, God has given you the pledge or the promise that he's going to complete what he has begun. That was not a sure answer for those who deny eternal security. And I would just mention too a verse that they sometimes try to spoil is in John 10. I give unto them eternal life, and they shall.
Never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand, but sometimes they will say that you can pluck yourself out.
But did you ever notice the verse has a double assurance? They shall never perish, is one thing.
Neither shall any man pluck them out by hand, is the other.
And then my father and me are one. So God wants us to have the assurance of eternal salvation through what Christ has done. He's given us this earnest. And what a wonderful earnest. You never heard of a person going to buy a piece of property and putting down more earnest money than property was worth. You're going to buy a piece of property for $50,000?
And you put down earnest money of $100,000. Well, everybody know you don't intend to back out of the deal when you put down double what it was worth. But you know that to assure you that you're going to be in glory, God has not given you any less earnest than the Holy Spirit of God, one of the persons of the Holy Divine Trinity, to indwell your heart. Oh, you know, Satan wants to get doubts into our minds. There may be young believers. He's trying to get you doubting, looking in for feelings.
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If your neighbor says I don't think you own this property, would you say I feel pretty good? I think I must be mine. I enjoyed it so long. No, you'd say I can show you a piece of paper that shows it belongs to me. Never rely on your feelings, but rely on the word of God. It's given the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts.
And so it says.
Not that we have dominion over your faith, but our helpers of your joy.
For by faith he stand. I think that's a beautiful verse. I don't have dominion over your faith. If I told you what to do, and you just did it to please me, it would have no value before God. It's what you do to please the Lord. And if this afternoon your heart, and my heart too, is stirred up in affection for the Lord Jesus and a appreciation for what he has done, then it won't be because I told you you should do something.
I believe the response of your heart will be, Lord, what will thou have me to do? What will thou have me to do? So he's given the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts. And so we have the Spirit of God indwelling us. But he has also given us. As I say, we are partakers of the divine nature. But I just like before we end with this portion, I'd like to go on to the end of the.
3rd chapter.
Perhaps I could read here.
The sixth verse.
Of the two Corinthians 3 who also hath made us able ministers of the New Testament, Lot of the latter, but of the Spirit.
For the letter Killeth, but the spirit giveth life, then going on to the.
17th verse. If you have a Darby translation, you will notice that from the seventh verse to the end of the 16th is a parenthesis. And so I'll read that sixth verse again, who also has made us able ministers of the New Testament, not of the letter, but of the Spirit. For the letter Killeth. But the spirit giveth life. Now the 17th verse, now the Lord is that spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.
But we all, with open face, beholding the glory of the Lord, beholding us in a glass, the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord. Here's how the change takes place in our lives.
He brings in in this chapter I won't read all the verses how that Moses received a law written on tables of stone and the people broke that law. But he said Christianity is not writing upon a table of stone but on the fleshy tables of the heart. Why was the law written on tables of stone? Because stone is cold. It doesn't respond and telling the people what they should do.
Didn't create any response in their heart. Telling you what you should do won't create a response in your heart. But if it were possible to write something right into your flesh, then there would be a feeling associated with it. And that's what he is showing. That when the Lord makes his desires known to us, He's writing upon the fleshy tables of the heart. I trust everyone here can say he's won my heart.
He died for me. He's my savior. And now writing on the fleshy tables of the heart.
Creates a response and Paul is saying we're not sufficient of ourselves.
But our sufficiency is of God, and so he brings before them the secret of Christian growth. Where the Spirit of the Lord is there is liberty. We don't do things in Christianity because we have to do them. We do them because we want to do them because we have the very life of Christ, created in righteousness and true holiness, the life of the Blessed One who said I do always those things that please him.
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And then we have the power by the Holy Spirit of God, and So what he is saying, occupation with Christ in glory will make us like him down. Then he came to the Jordan, the river of death, And when they had passed over little picture of the end of the first man in the death of Christ, he passed over. Then Elijah said to Elijah, what shall I do for thee before I am taken from thee?
And Alicia said, I pray that a double portion of thy spirit may be upon me. He said, I want to be like you when you're gone. I want to be like you. You've gone up there, and I want to be like you. And when you're gone, a devil of you, if you want to put it that way. And he said, if you see me when I'm taken up, it shall be so. But if you don't, it shall not be so if we lose sight of the Lord Jesus.
We won't be like him down here. We need to have him. We love our brethren, but the object before our souls is to please the Lord and dear brethren and young people. I say, if you get your eyes on your brethren, or me or anybody else, you may be disappointed, you probably will. But if you have your eye upon that perfect man, your beloved Savior, it will be so. And that's what he's telling him, he says. Here we all.
Be holding the glory of the Lord are changed into the same image.
And so after he had seen him go up, he, you know what he did the very first thing? He took his own garment and rented in two pieces and picked up the garment of Elijah, his mantle that fell from him. It was to me as if he said that this is the end of old Alicia, Alicia. But I want to be like the person that's gone up there. And he put on his garment, and this is what we'll see in connection with the new life.
That God has given to us. And I'm quite sure that every real believer in this room wants to be more Christ. Like, I believe that when you go home from these meetings, if your heart has been touched, as I'm sure it has in some little measure with the thoughts of what the Lord has done to for you and what He means to you, there's going to be a desire to be like Him. And so he says, if you see me when I am taken up, I'll be like him. But you say.
I have within me.
An awful urge to do what's wrong sometimes, and I can't understand, I do love the Lord Jesus, but that is within me, you know? God takes up that question too. And I'd like to say a little bit about we spoke briefly of it yesterday. Perhaps we could see in Romans chapter 6 what God has done about that.
Fallen nature within us that has that kind of an urge.
You know, there are many Christians that rejoice and know that the Lord Jesus bore their sins.
But they don't see that his death was the end of the old man of our position in Fallen Adam, and I believe it's good to see that.
Perhaps you've read the story of John Bunyan called Pilgrim's Progress and this was a comment my father made about John Bunyan's pilgrims progress. There's a lot of good and helpful things that I'm not saying this to discourage anybody from reading it, and I have enjoyed many things in it myself. But he said John Bunyan when he was going to the cross with that load of sins on his back.
And he came to the cross and saw the Lord Jesus dying For him his bundle of sins rolled off into the sepulchre.
And he knew that his sins were gone, but he didn't see the end of John Bunyan. And he had a sad time the rest of his life because he didn't understand that his old man was crucified with Christ. Not only his sins, but the very nature that produced those sins, came to an end in the death of Christ. And he used to say, if he'd rolled into the Sepulchre himself, sins and all, and come out a new man, he would have been a happy man.
Because he would have seen what Christ had done was not only accepting the question of his sins.
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But the question of the nature that produced those sins, and that's what we have in the 6th chapter of Romans. Let's notice this.
Verse 6.
Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed.
That henceforth we should not serve sin. Verse 11.
Likewise, reckon ye all see yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin. That's the nature, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord. Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lust thereof. Neither yield you your members as instruments of right unrighteousness unto sin, but yield yourselves unto God as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness.
Unto God.
The death of Christ was not only.
Putting my sins away, it was the end of my Adam standing before God.
And God gives me the privilege of wrecking myself dead, indeed unto sin.
And now he tells me, these members, these hands, these feet once were, shall I say, controlled by that fallen nature within me. I did what the old nature wanted to do, wanted to do something. Well, who's going to stop me? I'm going to do it. I want to do it. I'm going to get some pleasure in it. There are pleasures in sin, and so go ahead. But God says I put an end to that old man at the cross. Don't let him reign in your body.
But let the Newman reign in our body. Heal your members.
Saw here my hands are to do what's pleasing to the Lord, and He's given me the very life of Christ. For Christ is my life that wants to please Him. And he says, don't let the hands do what the old fallen nature likes to do. Don't do those things that the old fallen nature wants to go perhaps, but heal your members as instruments of righteousness unto God.
And as those that are alive from the dead, and your members of instruments of righteousness unto God.
What a wonderful thing that we have this privilege. Now. If we turn to the 7th of Romans, we see the conflict that is described by one who does not understand this wonderful truth.
And I'd like to just point out some little things that are developed in the end of this chapter in Romans 7.
It says here in the 18th verse for I know.
That in me that is in my flesh, dwelleth no good thing.
But how to perform that which is good, I find not. Perhaps there's some young person who's in this conflict. I was in that conflict, so I think I perhaps understand a little bit of it.
He says here I know that in me that is in my but to will is present with me. But how to perform that which is good? I find that you say, I really want to please the Lord, but I don't know how to handle this because I find those impulses constantly wanting to take control of my body.
Well, isn't it good for us to see here this one thing God did not improve the flesh tells us in the 8th chapter and the UH.
Third verse, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh. Because if one doesn't understand the truth of these two natures, the old man and the new man, they don't understand that they can't understand how after they are saved there is still the desire to do what's wrong. But I won't say. Again, God himself didn't attempt to improve the old man. That which is born of the flesh is flesh.
Can't be improved in me, that is in my flesh dwelleth no good thing.
Who said that? The beloved apostle Paul. He had that fallen nature and there was nothing good in it. The flesh profiteth nothing. It says in another place, and it's good for us to get hold of that. And so maybe that explains why you say, I thought I wouldn't have any more of those desires. The old man has not changed. It came to its end of the death of Christ, and we're to count that that is the truth of God.
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And live in the enjoyment of it. And so he says how to perform that which is good. I find that he doesn't realize that God has made provision in connection with that old man. So I want to say this.
To any young Christian here, you say, well, I find that continually I thought after I was saved, those impulses would be gone. No, that which is born of the flesh is flesh in me, that is in my flesh dwelleth no good thing, and God is showing us the way of deliverance here.
Then he says.
In the 20th verse. Now if I do that I would not. It is no more I that do it but sin that dwelleth in me sometimes. This chapter you'll notice that in one breath he seems to call the old man eye, another breath he calls the new man eye, as though he were acknowledging the old man which has been crucified with Christ. But he says here it's no more I could. I put it in a very simple way so you'll understand.
Maybe there's something that I did in my unsaved days, and a friend comes along to me and invites me to come to something or someplace to practice those old things that I used to do. And I say, no, I'm a Christian. I don't want to go there anymore. But after my friend is gone, the enemy says to me, Gordon, you didn't want to go. You said you didn't want to go, but you did really did want to go.
And there's a great conflict that is set up well. No, I didn't want to go because I don't recognize the old man at all. And the new man could I use the expression. The new man was answering the door. Did the new life want to go? Did the life of Christ within me want to go? You didn't tell anything. False. The old man, of course, wanted this deal. It hadn't changed. It was still corrupt according to deceitful lust.
Always answer for the Newman.
The Newman does want to please the Lord. The Newman has created in righteousness and true holiness. What a step, not expecting anything good from the old. It hasn't improved since we're saved. And then that we have this new life, the very life of Christ. And we can say it's no, the old man is no more I. It's sin that dwelleth in me. It has come to its end before God, in the death of Christ.
Isn't that a wonderful deliverance? Not a grand thing to know. You didn't tell a lie, but you let the right man give the answer. The new man did want to please the Lord, but then he goes on to say in the 22nd verse, I delight in the law of God after the inward man, but I see another law in my members warring against the law of my mind. That's what it says in Galatians. The flesh lusteth against the spirit, and the spirit against the flesh. And these are contrary, the one to the other.
So that you cannot do the things that you would bring into captivity to the law of sin, which is in my members, O wretched man, that I am Now notice who shall deliver me. He looks outside of himself. That's very important. He didn't say what, but who shall deliver me from the body of this death? I thank God, through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God, but with the flesh the law of sin.
Maybe some of her views this illustration, but perhaps it bears repeating both and I was going to build a garage on my property and I have a pile of lumber that I've been storing for a while, hoping to use it in this garage that I'm going to build. And I hire a Carpenter and I ask him to build this garage for me and I say I'd like to use that pile of lumber out there. And he goes out and he looks the pile over and he says, well, I guess I have bad news for you.
That pile is all rotten. We can't use that lumber. I say, well, that is bad news. I was so counting on that. And now you tell me it's no good. But he said I bring good news to you today. Also, he said I've brought a new pile of lumber. Every piece is sound, and it's good lumber. We'll use that. It'll cost you nothing. We'll build it out of that. Oh, you see, I feel so badly about the old pile. I thought it was so good.
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He said you're just making yourself unhappy for nothing. Why aren't you giving thanks for the new one instead of making yourself unhappy because the old pile is rotten. Just reckon this is what I said. It's rotten. And just give thanks for this sound pile of lumber. Well, after he's gone. That's what it means. God sending his own Son and in in the flesh condemned sin. In the flesh the Lord didn't attempt to improve it, He did just what the Carpenter did. He condemned it and he put an end to it.
And baptism. Beautiful figure. Puts it right out of sight. Because in baptism it's under the water. It goes out of sight. What a wonderful deliverance. Can't you see the difference? He's a wretched man. In the next verse, he's giving thanks, just like I was wretched when the man told me my pile of lumber was rotten. And I'm giving thanks when he tells me that there's a new pile and we're going to use the new pile. Dear Christian. And you made yourself wretched about that bad plow.
Well, let's go a little further in the story. He goes home.
And I say to my wife, I can't believe that. I think there must be some good pieces in that.
And he's gone. He isn't there. So I started pulling the pile apart to find. I say to her, if I could just find a few good pieces, I'd feel a little better. And I start pulling it apart. And the Carpenter comes by and says, what are you doing? Well, I he's. I said I just didn't like to accept that there's nothing good there. You see? You're making yourself miserable for nothing, putting yourself to a lot of trouble. It's no good. It's rotten. Why don't you just live your life giving thanks?
And that lovely brethren, I got a pile of rotten lumber inside, but I can sit at the Lord's table. And I reckon that old pile of Lumber's dead. It came to an end in the death of Christ. And I sit there giving thanks that I not only have a wonderful Savior who bore my sins, but took care of that fallen nature inside and gave me a new life that wants to please him. And I want to say to every true believer.
You can sit at the Lords table and justice, rejoice that you have that new life, the life of Christ within the Holy Spirit of God, and don't make yourself wretched about the old man. But now you say, what if I do let one of those pieces get into the building? Wasn't after he's gone home I I take a stick that I think looks pretty good and I put it in the building. Well, I have to tell him I'm sorry, don't I? Well, dear friends.
We have also, because it was on my heart to speak of what we have in Christ. We have the priesthood of Christ and the advocacy of Christ. What is his priesthood for? It says, let us come boldly under the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need. The enemy does come try and stir us up. Things happen. Temptations come. Someone says something unkind.
We get stirred up, and the Lord says, I'll give you all the help that you need. You don't need to let that old man act. If you find that principle of sin stirring within, you don't have to give way to it. Ask me for help. His name is Wonderful Counselor, the Mighty God, the Father of Eternity, the Prince of Peace. He's living there 24 hours a day, all the help you need.
Oh, you say that I failed. We have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ, the righteous. And when we have failed, it doesn't change our standing. We have an advocate with the Father. God still my Father. And He's righteous in taking up my case because he paid for that. Samuel. I like that. It doesn't say if any man confesses sin. We have an advocate, but it says if any man sin, we have an advocate.
And before you have ever confessed it, your advocate is before the Father saying, I paid for that sin of Calvary. You'll never lose your perfect standing. It's always in Christ. You are not restored until you confess it. But we if any man sin. But in the other, the chapter before it says, if we confess our sins, he's faithful and just to forgive us our sins as governmentally. When we confess it, we are restored.
00:50:02
And to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
So isn't that wonderful, Brandon? We have a new life, Life at Camp Sam. We're forgiven. We're justified. God's taking care of that old man that I was born with. And he it came to its end. He nailed it to his cross. It all came to an end in the death of Christ. He gives me the privilege of reckoning myself dead, indeed unto sin, but alive unto God. And he shows me how when these temptations and tests come, that he can give me the strength.
And instead of constantly condemning myself, I can be giving thanks that he's given me the very.
Life of Christ within me. And then when I do fail.
He's my advocate when I need help. He's my high priest. Brethren. How wonderful. No wonder if Samuel could, say, consider how great things he had done for you. Surely we ought to consider how great things he's done for us. But then he's done more than this, too. He's invited us to his table. Isn't that a wonderful thing? He says. Now I've done all this for you.
And I want you to find your place at my table. I just like to turn to 1St Corinthians 10.
1St Corinthians 10 verse 15 I speak as to wise men. Judge ye what I say.
The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ?
For we, being many, are one bread, one body, for we are all partakers of that one bread In our meetings. We've had quite a bit to do in meetings about the truth of the one body of Christ. And perhaps you have noticed that in First Corinthians 10 the subject that's taken up is the Lord's Table. In First Corinthians 11, it's the Lord's Supper. And that's why in the 10th chapter, the cup comes first.
And then the loaf. In the 11Th chapter, the order is reversed. But in the 10th chapter, the cup comes first. What gives me title to the Lord's table? It's His Precious Blood. So it says the cup which we bless. Is it not the communion of the blood of Christ? That's what gives me a title. But I come there, and if I can put it in this way, I don't break bread merely as a forgiven Sinner. That's wonderful.
But I break bread in the nearest possible place, as a member of the body of Christ, and at low from the table is symbolic of every true believer. We, being many, are one bread, one body. We're all partakers that that one bread, and so that loaf is a symbol of the one body.
And I say again, I am a forgiven Sinner, but I break bread as a member of the body of Christ.
And may I say to you, and especially you, dear young people, you will never really enjoy the Lord's table.
As you should, unless you see that your position there is so near so dear it could not be dearer. Perhaps if I use a little illustration you will see the point.
Rahab was a harlot. She had lived a bad life, but she put her faith in the God of Israel. She hung the scarlet line in her window, and she was spared when judgment fell upon the city near. And she was she was delivered.
She doesn't. She didn't come under that judgment. But there's more to the story. We learn from First Corinthians chapter from first chapter of Matthew that she was brought into the royal line. And just to show you what I have in mind, supposing the time comes she just married, she sits down at the table with her new husband and she looks across the table and says it's wonderful to be a forgiving harlot.
He says. Well, it's certainly true, You're forgiven, but that isn't the way I look at you.
I look at you as the bride of my choice, and you will never really enjoy the Lord's table like you should unless you sit there and see that that loaf represents you and every other believer as a member of the body of Christ. I break bread in that blessed truth because God has taken up my case. He's not only He's not only put away my sins, but He has received me and I'm in the nearest possible relationship.
00:55:06
Could God have governed more? Would his love do less? No, He couldn't do more and his love wouldn't do less. It's going to take all eternity for him to show the exceeding riches of His grace. But he wants us to know these things. If you know these things, happier if you do them. I just liked it Before I close. I'd like to look at 2nd Corinthians 5.
2nd Corinthians 5.
Verse 14 For the love of Christ constraineth us.
Because we thus judge that if one died for all, then we're all dead, and that he died for all that we as they which live, should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto Him which died for them. And rose again. What is it that makes us want to live to please the Lord? Is it because we're under law? No, we're not under law, we're under grace. But it's because when we consider how great things He's done for us.
And that his love tortoises ever the same. Doesn't that touch your heart? I've often compared this verse to some nails here on the table. And I have a magnet in my hand. And I don't say to you, now listen, this magnet should move those nails. I don't put in the word. Should I just say this magnet knows nails. And the Bible doesn't say the love of Christ should constrain us. It says it does.
Why aren't those nails moving?
If there's such power in the magnet, why aren't they moving? Well, it's just because they're not close enough to the magnet. And I bring down the magnet and I don't. I'm not saying, you know, this should happen. I bring down and say, what's what's going to happen? And then you see them begin to get close. The nails start to melt. Where do they go? They don't make a choice. They go where the magnet takes them. And that we should not live unto ourselves but unto him who died for us and rose again. And the Scripture doesn't say the love of Christ should constrain us.
And if it doesn't constrain me brethren, it's not that there isn't power in the magnet.
Is not that I am not a child of God. Praise his name, I am one of his children. But it's easy to do. Like dear Peter, he followed a far off and he didn't feel the pull of that love, but when he got close and the Lord looked on him.
Mighty, mighty change took place in His conduct because He wanted and He spent the rest of his life living to please the Savior, who had done so much for him. Well may the Lord encourage us. He has done great things for us, brethren.
And what will make us water? You can lay down a coat of rules, but quote of Paul said not that we have dominion over your faith. We're helpers of your joy. And you'll never find a real Christian who feels the love of Christ. Who knows where grace has placed him. Who would tell you that he didn't want to please the Lord? That would be just the natural desire of his heart. We do fail, brethren. God has made provision for that.
Or where would any of us be? But what we need to do is just get back close to him.
And get restored. And he hasn't changed. I am the Lord. I change not. Therefore ye sons of Jacob are not be, are not consumed. It wasn't for his grace. I wouldn't be here. It wasn't for his restoring grace. I wouldn't be here. But He does. He does, and he will. And he is.
The captain of our salvation, bringing many sons to glory. May he lead us brethren in the past. That's pleasing to him, and give us to understand, perhaps in fuller measure, the great things he's done for us.
Could we sing that little hymn love Divine, all praise Excelling?
I think it's 296 is it?
He has 296.
Joy of heaven to earth come down. Bless us with thy rich indwelling, all thy faithful mercies Crown 296.