I'm going to ask you to take
your Bibles and turn with me to the book of Psalms, Psalm
119. Psalm 119. I'd like to look at verse 71,
just one verse of scripture today, but oh, what a, what a blessed,
what a blessed passage. of scripture. How many times
have I said to this group here, to my kids, to different ones, you don't really, you don't really
learn anything until you experience it. You don't. You think you
do. You don't. The scripture sets forth concerning
the Lord. He learned obedience. The Lord
learned obedience in the things he suffered. The scripture sets forth in Psalm
119 and verse 71. It is good for me. that I have been afflicted, that
I might learn thy statutes. It's good. It's valuable, valuable. Now, I know that suffering, physical
affliction, obviously, is valuable, physical affliction. But the
heart of this passage of scripture is the blessed goodness and value
of learning spiritual affliction. It's good, valuable for me that
I have been afflicted spiritually. Many can be afflicted physically
and not profit spiritually. Lest the Lord is pleased to teach
somebody spiritually, but it's good for me. You know, never
would the carnal mind know or believe that it is best for him
or her to be abased. afflicted, to be humbled, and
to know how spiritually weak we really are. Man by nature
doesn't believe he's spiritually weak. Man doesn't believe that. He believes that he's capable,
he's able, that he's got the ability. Psalm has said in Psalm 119 verse
67, before I was afflicted, I went astray. Now have I kept thy word. Before I was afflicted spiritually. You know, a believer knows that
he's got a a propensity still in him, a believer has an old
man still in him. And that old man does one thing. He's going to depart. That's
what he's going to do. That old man wickedly, does what
he's always done, that there's no change in the old man. There's no change, it's not an
improvement, it's not a reform, it's not a reformation. People
talk about being reformed. Talking about when you make something
better, something that was Not good and it's, you know, somebody
goes and they get in prison and you know, they stay in prison
for a while and they're reformed. They learn to, no, God Almighty's
gonna make a new man. He's gonna make a new man. So
there's not a reformation from 1821 says, for I have kept
the ways of the Lord. I have not wickedly departed
from my God. I'm not wickedly. There's a new
man there that sinneth not. That's an amazing thing to me. All of us can see that old man. I've often, thought about that
passage of scripture when it says that which is born of God
sin is not because the seed of God remaineth in him. How many
of you that know the Lord say, I see, I see how faithful I've
been? Not a believer. What does a believer
say? He's gonna say just exactly what
the apostle Paul said. Oh, wretched man that I am. Who
shall deliver me from the body of this death? But because of
the weakness of the flesh, because of the presence of corruption,
I know that I'm prone, and you that know him are the same way. Neglect. That's what we're prone
to. Prone to wander. Lord, I feel
it. Prone to leave the God I love.
There's a battle. There's a war that's going on.
You know, if I could, if you could experience the consolation
or the comfort of God's sustaining grace without adversity, without
a true spiritual teaching. If we could experience that without
a new man, that's what we'd do. But you know what you would do
when you did that? You'd find pride. You'd rejoice in it. You'd find,
you know, well, I tell you what, I'm really not as bad as they
said I was. Oh, yes, we are. God's people
know. But the Lord knows that which
is necessary. He knows that which is best for
us. God Almighty is gonna teach His
people. Before the Lord is gonna let
His people lightly esteem the rock of their salvation, He's
gonna graciously mercifully, let them know. He's going to instruct them.
He's going to instruct them with the goads, the gold, the prods. It's hard to kick against the
pricks. That's what he told Saul of Tarsus. It's hard to kick
against God. God is going to instruct his
people concerning his his statutes, his his appointments. We need
to be We need to be instructed. And man by nature, he's gonna
fight it. He's going to fight that instruction.
But the Lord's gonna deal with his people as sons. He's gonna deal with us as what
he has called us to be, his people. I know when my kids were growing
up, I don't know how many of you ever really enjoyed, you
that's got children, how many of you enjoyed just whipping
your kids? You know, I didn't enjoy that
a bit. I did not enjoy having to spank
my children. But how many times had I told
them, I said, listen, for a mistake, I won't spank you. For disobedience,
I will spank you. And I'll be the one that decides
whether or not it was a mistake or disobedience. I'll make that
mistake. I'll make that decision. But
I would grieve over having to spank them. How many times? How many times had I told them
all, Gabe and Hannah, Sarah? I'd just tell them, say, listen,
Becca, I can't let you get away with this. Why? Because I love
you. I love you and I can't do this.
Whom the Lord loveth, he chasteneth and scourgeth every son that
he receiveth. I can't let you, I've got to,
I've got to deal with kids because of my love for them. So we're,
we're, we're mended. Let me say it like that. The
Lord mends his people. How does he do it? Affliction. Spiritual affliction. Natural
affliction, yes. But it's because of their realization
of what they've done. Who I've sinned against, I've
sinned against the Lord. That's what David said, Psalm
51, against thee. against thee and thee only have
I sinned and done this evil in your sight. Oh, how desperately
do I need to be afflicted. It's good only by the experience
of affliction. I think about hurting somebody
that I love. Hurting their feelings, hurting
them. Disappointing them. Oh, isn't that painful? Isn't
that just, it's so hard. But this experience is something
that the Lord knows is best. Adversity. Loving adversity from
the Lord. God's means to open our eyes
of understanding, to teach us, to teach us. You know, Jonah
was instructed by the Lord. He said, I want you to, I want
you to go to Nineveh, go to Nineveh. And what did he do? He bought a ticket to go to Tarshish. Where did he end up going? He
went to Nineveh. It was good for him to be afflicted
because of the Lord's will, the Lord's purpose. He did go. Jonah, after coming up out of
the depths of affliction, he was made to do and learn the
benefit of God's will. Affliction. Affliction draws
us to the simplicity of Christ. The Apostle Paul said this in
2 Corinthians 11, 3. But I fear, lest by any means,
as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtlety, So your mind should
be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ. Now when I
say the simplicity, what do I mean by that? What do I mean by the
simplicity of Christ? Colossians 311 gives us this
understanding of the simplicity of Christ. Colossians 311, Christ
is all and in all. This is the simplicity of Christ.
He's everything. He's all. He's all. All. What we need is we need to be
taught. It's good for me that I've been
afflicted. And as I said, I do see the benefit
of being afflicted Physically, I get it. I know that it's good. It's good But when God afflicts
his people to their benefit to his glory Till they're good. It's good for me Oh, it's advantageous
for me How does God afflict his people
well, I can tell you this I want you to take your bibles and turn
with me to first corinthians 1 Corinthians chapter 1, 1 Corinthians
1.30. I want you to look at the verse
of scripture. 1 Corinthians 1.30. I'm going to read verses 29,
30, and 31, and make a few comments right here. And I want to, by
the grace of God, let us all see the benefit of spiritual
affliction. Like I said, people are in this
world, there's people in this world that are suffering physically. And a lot of times we always
think that, you know, a physical affliction will always drive
somebody to Christ. No, it won't. No, it won't. No. I need to be afflicted in my
heart. I need a new heart. I need a
new understanding. I need the Lord to teach me something.
But I want us to look at this, this verse of scripture. First
Corinthians. First Corinthians one. Let's
just read 29, 30, and 31. Now listen to this. That no flesh
should glory in his presence, but of him are ye in Christ Jesus,
who of God is made unto us wisdom and righteousness and sanctification
and redemption that according as it is written, he that glorieth,
let him glory in the Lord. Now, let me ask you something. We're all getting older. Some
of us are younger than others, but I'm gonna tell you something,
we're all getting older. And if the Lord tarries, we're
going to come to a point, that time when the Lord is pleased
to take us out of this world. Now at that point, whenever we
leave this world, what is going to matter? What's gonna matter? Is going to matter when I take
my last breath? What's gonna matter? Let me tell
you what it is. What think ye of Christ? What
think ye of Christ? Tell me what God has given you
understanding concerning the Lord Jesus Christ. Now, that no flesh, 1 Corinthians
1, 29, that no flesh should glory in his presence. I'm going to
tell you right now that, but for the grace of God. Let me tell you what our flesh
is going to do. glory in his presence. But for God's grace, we will
find glory. We'll look and find glory toward
us, and it'll be to our eternal damnation
that no flesh should glory in His presence. What of Him are ye in Christ
Jesus? What of Him are ye in Christ
Jesus? Now let me tell you one of the
first points of God's mercy and God's grace and God's compassion
to afflict us spiritually. I'm born with a nature that finds
glory for myself before God. I'm born with a nature that thinks
that I'm worthy of finding some glory, but of Him. Somebody would
ask, you know the Lord? Yes, I do. Ask the natural man,
what's the merit of you being found in Christ. Ask the
natural man, what is your merit of being found in Christ? Let
me tell you what the natural man's answer is. I chose the Lord. I made a decision
for Christ. I gave the Lord my heart. I rededicated
my life. I've rededicated my life so many
times, you know. come down for rededication, something
like that. Some of you know what I'm talking
about. No, let me ask you this. When the scripture says in verse
30, but of him are ye in Christ Jesus. What does that mean? I'll tell you what it means.
We didn't choose him. He chose us. The Lord told his
disciples that you didn't choose me. I chose you. I called you. I made you. I loved you first. Oh, we do. We do love the Lord. But we love the Lord because
he loved us first. But of him are ye in Christ Jesus. God's elect. were of God the
Father by his rich and free mercy, electing grace. God's people
were chosen in Christ before the foundation of the world that
they should be holy and without blame before him in love. Do you know what I need? Let
me tell you what I need. I need for the Lord to teach
me, to afflict me, to chasten me and teach me. I am not the author and finisher
of my faith. I'm not. I need God to teach
me that because by nature I don't know that. By nature, I think
I'm something when I'm nothing. But this divine mercy and placement
is made evident in regenerating grace. God is going to do something
that the Lord was pleased to choose. leave another to himself. That
divine pleasure of the Lord, it's the Lord. But of Him are
you in Christ Jesus. We're made new creatures not
owing to anything of our heredity. according to the will of the
flesh, not according to the will of man, but of God. Think of the blessing. I'm telling
you of all of the religions, all of the denominations in the
world. You know what they all come down
to? There's only two. There's only two thoughts. It's
either grace or works, either your works are God's grace, one
of the two. And what a miracle of God's grace
that God Almighty would be pleased to teach unworthy sinners. You're not the source of your
salvation. But of Him are ye Christ Jesus. But of Him. in 1 Corinthians
1, verse 30. But of him are ye in Christ Jesus. Now listen to this next part.
Who of God is made unto us wisdom. Who of God is made unto us, is
caused to be unto us wisdom. By nature, I am an ignorant creature
of dust. I'm an ignorant man, one that
is ignorant, ignorant of my inability, ignorant of my foe. Man, by nature, Doesn't believe
that he fell so far, he's unable, he don't believe that. I'm ignorant,
ignorant, I couldn't know anything of my lost estate, much less
my recovery. Oh, I've got everything. made,
you know, in my mind, all figured out. I've got this figured out
because somebody told me. All you got to do is just A-B-C
and God will X-Y-Z. You'll be fine. Who of God is
made unto us or caused to be unto us? Who of God is made unto
us? Wisdom. All the wisdom of God. Think of the miracle of God's
grace. that God Almighty made Christ
to be under us, his wisdom, that the Lord himself would take a
people of his choosing. But knowing also that I'm a lost
sinner, knowing that I'm a lost sinner, I need to know that,
but I tell you what, I need also to know. I need not only to realize
that I am without righteousness. I know I am. I know I am in myself
without righteousness, but I need a righteousness. I'm without
righteousness in myself, but I need righteousness before God. Scripture says, back in verse
30, 1 Corinthians 1 verse 30, But of him are ye in Christ Jesus,
who of God is made unto us wisdom and righteousness. I need righteousness before God. I need when Almighty God in His unerring in his omniscient
scrutiny. I tell you what I know. I know
this. The Lord's looked. He looked. And he saw that there was none
good. Born of woman, born of woman,
born of Adam, there's none good. Not one. There's none good born
in Adam. None good. I need righteousness. I need righteousness that I can
not produce. I can't produce it. You can tell men all day long,
you know, give them these little rules and regulations. I'm telling
you, Almighty God, is going to weigh every man in the scale
of His absolute holiness. And without holiness, what does
Scripture say? No man is going to see God. No man is going to see God, not
without holiness. Oh, the Scripture says, but of
Him, verse 30, But of him are ye in Christ Jesus,
who of God is made unto us wisdom. Righteousness. Righteousness. Oh, and after that, that blessed
truth of him being my righteousness, Christ is my Sanctification,
as we say, is made unto us. Sanctification. Holiness. I'm in this world, but I'm telling
you, I'm in this world, but God's people are not of it. They need holiness before God. God Almighty has set his people
apart, made them to be the objects of his mercy and grace and compassion. Oh, but not only is he made unto
us righteousness, sanctification, the scripture sets forth that
he is our Redemption. He's our redemption. What does
that mean? He bought me. He bought me. He paid the price. He paid the
debt. He is my redemption. He bought
me because he loved me. God Almighty has made him the
lamb The Lamb of God. I need to be taught. I need to
be afflicted. I need to be spiritually afflicted. Not again, I don't take anything
away from the afflictions, the physical afflictions of God. They're necessary, I know that.
But I'm telling you, God is gonna have to do something for me.
He's going to have to afflict me spiritually and teach me that
I am without Him lost. Tell me of the grace of God. Tell me of the mercy of God that
has delivered me from the bondage of sin. In closing, in that last verse,
31, that according as it is written, he that glorieth, let him glory
in the Lord. If a man or a woman is going
to find anything to glory in before God, it's not going to
be anything I've done. It's not going to be anything
that I've produced. It's going to be that which Almighty God
has done according to His infinite mercy and grace and compassion
because He would not let this sinner perish. Met His own demand
for righteousness. Save me by His grace. I am what
I am by the grace of God. I pray that The Lord might teach
me and teach me again and teach me again, teach me again. Why?
Because I'm so prone to forget. That's why I gotta hear the gospel. Tell me the gospel again. Tell
me again. My old man wants to argue. I
got an old man, you do too, you that know him, that wants to
argue against this. Salvation is of the Lord. God's glory. and for the eternal
good of his people. Amen.