The notices for the coming week
are God willing as follows. Pastor will preach here next
Lord's Day at 10.30 and 2 o'clock. There will be no service on Thursday
as it is our Thanksgiving services on Friday at 3.30 and 6.30 when
Mr. Matthew Hyde is expected to preach. The collection on Friday will
be for the Christian Institute There will be a church meeting
here on Tuesday evening at 7 o'clock. Let us commence our services
today by singing together hymn 624, the tune is Diademata, 77.
The Lord Jehovah is, our Father and our Friend, immortal majesty
is His, nor can his glory end. He guards
his children well, nor shall they starve for want. When they
their needs unto him tell, he'll answer their complaint. O Jehovah is our Father and our Friend. Thee, Lord's all-majesty is his
love and his glory evermore. He guards his children well Nor
shall they struggle hard When they are given to enter The altar
of their God. Be with the saints, O dear, know
with them a new place. ? And though he reigns a throne
on high ? ? He holds them sometimes ? ? His sympathizing voice ?
? And love divine be willing, Lord,
? ? With strength and righteousness. ? ? In the name of this Lord,
? He is the God of sin. And when his soul in flesh has
gone, He will be free. ? His children ease their minds
? ? When through their pain and tears ? ? He gives peace to raise
their minds ? ? And fill their strife ? ? Where men and devils part ? ?
Where angels chant and pray ? ? Where all men fall down ? ? Till it's
time to go their way ? The love that's in your heart
will make this world a better place for you Let us read together from the
holy word of God in Paul's epistle to the Galatians and chapter
4 the epistle to the Galatians,
chapter 4. Now I say that the heir, as long
as he is a child, differeth nothing from a servant, though he be
lord of all, but is under tutors and governors until the time
appointed of the father. Even so we, when we were children,
were in bondage under the elements of the world. But when the fullness
of time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of woman, made
under the law, to redeem them that were under the law, that
he might receive the adoption, that we might receive the adoption
of sons. And because they are sons, God
hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying,
Abba, Father, wherefore thou art no more a servant, but a
son, and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ. Howbeit
then, when ye knew not God, ye did service unto them which by
nature are no gods. But now after that you have known
God, or rather are known of God, how turn you again to the weak
and beggly elements, whereunto you desire again to be in bondage? You observe days and months and
times and years. I'm afraid of you, lest I have
bestowed upon you labor in vain. Brethren, I beseech you, be as
I am, For I am as ye are, ye have not injured me at all. Ye
know how through infirmity of the flesh I preached the gospel
unto you at the first, and my temptation, probably means affliction,
and my temptation which was in my flesh, ye despise not, nor
reject it, but receive me as an angel of God, even as Christ
Jesus. Where is then the blessedness
she spake of? For I bear you record that, if
it had been possible, you would have plucked out your own eyes
and have given them to me. Am I therefore become your enemy
because I tell you the truth? They zealously affect you, but
not well. Yea, they would exclude you,
that ye might affect them. But it is good to be zealously
affected always in a good thing, and not only when I am present
with you, my little children, of whom I travel in birth again
until Christ be formed in you. I desire to be present with you
now and to change my voice, for I stand in doubt of you. Tell
me, ye that desire to be under the law, do ye not hear the law? For it is written that Abraham
had two sons, the one by a bondmaid, the other by a free woman. But
he who was of the bondwoman was born after the flesh, but he
of the free woman was by promise. Which things are an allegory
For these are the two covenants, the one from Mount Sinai, which
gendereth to bondage, which is Agar, which is Hagar, the maid
of Sarah. For this, Agar, is Mount Sinai
in Arabia. And answers to Jerusalem, which
now is, which is in bondage with her children. But Jerusalem,
which is above, is free. which is the mother of us all.
For it is written, Rejoice thou barren that there is not. Break
forth and cry thou that travail is not. For the desolate hath
many more children than she which hath a husband. Now we, brethren,
as Isaac was, are the children of promise. And as then, He that
was born after the flesh persecuted him that was born after the spirit.
Even so, it is now. Nevertheless, what saith the
scripture, cast out the bondwoman and her son, for the son of the
bondwoman shall not be heir with the son of the free woman. So
then, brethren, we are not children of the bondwoman, but of the
free. May the Lord bless the reading
of his own precious word and grant unto us the spirit of real
prayer. Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty,
which is an art, an art to come, We come as poor sinners before
thy great and glorious majesty. We come to plead that precious
blood that did for sin atone, the blood of Jesus Christ, thine
only begotten Son. We come to thee, our heavenly
Father, and desire that thou wouldst pour out those rich spiritual
blessings in heavenly places in Christ Jesus. and that thou
wouldst draw us unto Jesus Christ, for none come except the Father
draw. May we know that drawing. And as we've read together in
thy word, for God has sent forth the spirit of his Son into our
hearts, crying, Abba, Father, we come, Lord, in all our need,
in all our sinfulness, in all our emptiness, in all our poverty,
in all our insufficiency, in all our helplessness. We come
to Thee. We come and seek and hope to
find a portion for our soul. We come and pray to be delivered
from the law and its solemn curse, from the power and the dominion
of sin, from the workings of sin in our nature. We prove,
O Lord, the truth of Thy word that When I would do good, then
evil is present with me. And that which I would, I do
not. And that which I would not, I do. I find a law within my
members that when I would do good, then evil is present with
me. Lord, we pray to be delivered
from the power and from the dominion of sin. And though sin lives
in us, may we not live in sin. but may we live to him that died.
May we be surrendered to the crucified one. May we be enabled
to present to our bodies a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable
unto thee, which is our reasonable service, and that we be not conformed
to this world, but may we be transformed by the renewing of
our mind, that we might know what that good and perfect and
acceptable will of the Lord is. Show us thy ways. O Lord, come
this day and open thy word and open our hearts and open our
ears and open our eyes. O Lord, we do pray that it may
be with us the eyes of your understanding being enlightened. We pray that
it may be so, Lord. Maybe there's one here in darkness,
may they be brought into light. May there's one here in bondage,
may they be brought into liberty. There's one here, O Lord, that
is far off, may they be made nigh. May they hear the voice
of Jesus. May that voice come with power
into their hearts. Breathe thy word by thy blessed
spirit into our hearts, O Lord, we do beseech thee that it may
be with us here as it was with the dear apostle when he testified
Our gospel came unto you not in word only, but in power, in
the Holy Ghost, and with much assurance. And we pray, O Lord,
that it may be so here today, that the word may be a living
word, a powerful word, an effectual word, and that the word of the
Lord may have free course, and thy name be honoured and glorified. O most gracious Lord, we pray
that thou wouldst remember us then as a church and as a congregation,
and that thou wouldst work mightily, powerfully and effectually among
us, that it may be to the great glory of thy holy name. We pray
that the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God our
Father, and the sacred fellowship of the Holy Spirit, they rest
and abide upon us. Lord, we thank thee for our Heavenly
Father. We thank Thee that He has sent
His Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, to redeem us and to deliver us
from the curse and condemnation of the law. For Lord, we all
have sinned and come short of Thy glory. But we thank Thee
for the precious blood of Jesus Christ, God's Son, cleanseth
us from all sin, that precious blood that satisfied all the
demands of divine justice, that precious blood that washes away
all iniquity. This is our only hope, Lord,
in the adorable Redeemer, our Lord Jesus Christ. Oh, we do
thank Thee. We would seek a spirit of adoration
unto Thee, our Heavenly Father, that we may truly worship thee
in the person of thy son, our Lord Jesus Christ, for there
is one God and one mediator between God and man, the man Christ Jesus,
who gave his life for ransom for all to be testified in due
time. And Lord, we need thy blessed
spirit. They that worship thee must worship
thee in spirit and in truth. So we pray for the divine power
and the heavenly unction of the Spirit of God in our hearts,
enlightening, setting at liberty, for where the Spirit of the Lord
is, there is liberty, revealing the things of Jesus. O most blessed
Spirit, we do pray for thy heavenly power and thy divine unction. We pray that thou would remember
our brethren, the deacons, and give needed grace, wisdom, and
help in all their concerns and graciously undertake for us a
church and a congregation. Remember each one of our brethren
and sisters in church fellowship and graciously grant that we
may walk together in the bonds of Christian love, union and
communion and that we may pray for one another and that we may
bear one another's burdens and thereby fulfilling the law of
Christ. We pray that we may be as lights
in this world, that we may not hide our light under a bushel,
but that it may be openly displayed in the way that we live and the
things that we do and the things that we say, that it may be down
to the great glory of thy saving grace in our Lord Jesus Christ. Lord, we do pray that thou wouldst
bless us together as a church and a congregation and work mightily,
powerfully, effectually, bless the little ones and the children.
Put the fear of the Lord, which is the beginning of wisdom, into
their hearts, an unctuous light to all that's right, a bar to
all that's wrong. Remember our young friends. Remember
them with the favour that thou bearest unto thy people and visit
them with thy great salvation. Bring them to see and to realise
that one thing is needful and that all other things are secondary.
May they have a great need given unto them of our Lord Jesus Christ,
that it may come as poor wretched sinners unto him. Oh, do hear
us, Lord. We thank thee for those Wonderful,
gracious words, the vilest sinner out of hell that lives to feel
his need is welcomed to the throne of grace, the Saviour's blood
to plead. We pray, O Lord, for parents,
that they may be given wisdom and help, guidance and direction
in the raising of their children. We pray, most gracious Lord,
that thou wouldst graciously be with the families as they
gather that for worship in the home, for the reading of the
word and prayer to be made, I will do grant that thy blessing may
rest upon them. Remember, Lord, we do humbly
pray thee for all in the midst of the journey of life and their
great needs and their great concerns. We pray that thou wouldst enable
them to bring them unto thee. The cause that is too hard for
thee, bring it unto me. Lord, may they be enabled to
do so. We pray for those that wander
far and wide, and we pray that thou would stretch out thy almighty
arm. Thou art in all places at all
times, and the Lord knoweth them that are his, and the foundation
of God standeth sure. O Lord, we do pray that thou
wouldst let thy work appear under thy servants and thy glory, unto
their children. Remember those of us, O Lord,
that are now in the evening time of life's journey. Graciously
prepare us for that great change which must come, and who can
say how nigh? Lord, we do pray to be prepared,
and we may realise our mortality. Teach us to number our days and
to apply our hearts unto wisdom, O Lord, we do beseech thee. Remember
this village and the surrounding villages and hamlets. Work mightily,
Lord. Gather precious souls. Build,
though, the walls of Jerusalem. Fulfill those wonderful gospel
promises. I will bring thy sons from far
and thy daughters from the ends of the earth. and that you'll
come from the north and from the south and from the east and
from the west. O Lord, let thy work appear unto
thy servants and thy glory unto their children. We do humbly
beseech thee. May we see Zion's offspring come. May we see one another constrained
to follow thee and to serve thee in their day and in their generation. May a seed be raised up here
to call thee the Redeemer blessed. Thou hast said in thy word, I
will abundantly bless her provision, I will satisfy her poor with
bread. O Lord, do hear us, we humbly
pray thee, and work mightily. Remember all thy servants as
they labour in word and doctrine upon the walls of Zion today.
Grant that they may dip their foot in oil and be made acceptable
unto thee, brethren, and that the word preached may be in power
in the Holy Ghost and with much assurance, that we may be favoured
to see signs following the preaching of the word, that there may be
a day of real prosperity. Lord, do hear us, we humbly beseech
thee. Pray thee, the great Lord of
the harvest, to send true labourers into the harvest and to build
the walls of Jerusalem. We pray O Lord, for those that
go forth from among us into the nations of the earth, we pray
that thou wouldst graciously gird them with thy grace by all
their many returning needs. We think of Ian Sadler and the
great work that he is doing in so many different places, and
we remember the Mombasa mission and thy servants that are labouring
there in the Gospel. We pray that thou wouldst graciously
pour forth thy spirit. We thank thee, Lord, that there
are so many that gather there to worship, and we pray that
thy spirit may be poured out from on high, that there may
be an abundant harvest in due season, and that the strongholds
of Satan may be pulled down and the kingdom of the Lord Jesus
set up. We pray for the Savannah Education
Trust and the great work that they are doing in Ghana. that
thou wouldst graciously bless their endeavours, their labours,
that it may be down to the great glory and honour of thy holy
name. Lord, we pray for our government. We live in deeply solemn days.
Iniquity abounds on every hand. We pray for all those that rule
over us, that they may be given wisdom We think, O Lord, of thy
word, by me king's reign and prince's decree justice. It's
all in thy gracious hands, O Lord, and we thank thee that it is
so. The king's heart is in the hand
of the Lord, and as rivers of water, he turneth it with us,
whoever he will. We thank thee, O Lord, for those
precious words of grace. We pray for our king. and the
royal household that those rich blessings of the grace of our
Lord Jesus Christ may be poured upon the royal household, that
they may be brought to living faith in Jesus Christ. Hear us,
O Lord, we pray thee for thy great namesake. We thank thee
for every mercy and every favour. We thank thee for all thy goodness
that has passed before us in the way. We thank thee for our
little house of prayer, for the open Bible, for the witness in
this village for over 200 years of thy faithfulness and love. We thank thee, oh above all,
for the adorable Redeemer, our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ,
the altogether lovely one, the chiefest among 10,000. We thank
thee for the fullness of that grace, is in him we thank thee
that as we've read together made of a woman made under the law
that he might redeem them that are under the law oh we thank
thee for that holy knife and that holy law he has restored
that which he took not away and we do thank thee for that precious
truth he has put away sin by the offering of himself he has
made a new and living way into the holy place In that holy sacrifice
he has satisfied all the demands of divine justice and brought
life and immortality to light through the gospel. And we thank
thee that he died for our sins and rose again for our justification
and that those sins were left in the grave never to be seen
again. We thank thee that he has bodily
ascended into heaven and sitteth at thy right hand for such an
high priest have we. who is passed into the heavens,
Jesus, the Son of God. We would bow in humble adoration
before our gracious God, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. Be with us as we turn to thy
holy word. Come and touch one's lips with
a live coal from off the heavenly altar. We ask for Jesus Christ's
sake, Amen. Let us now sing together hymn
number 79. The tune is Blackwell Hall, number
11. Behold what wondrous grace the
Father has bestowed on sinners of a mortal race, to call them
sons of God. Hymn number 79, tune Blackwell
Hall, 11. O say does that star-spangled
banner yet wave O'er the land of the free ? And always the home of the brave
? ? Tis the home of the brave ? ? And each to the other ? ?
And each to the other ? ? And each to the other ? O come all ye faithful joyful and triumphant
O come ye, O come ye to Bethlehem We are safe at last. O give us hope in Christ our
Lord. ? As true as it is now ? ? If I love the Father ? ? I shall
not die ? I'm ? In heaven above and high ? ?
Praise Him in all thy glory ? ? God forevermore ? greatly feeling to need the Lord's
gracious help, I direct your attention to Galatians chapter
four, and we'll read verses six and seven for our text. Paul's epistle to the Galatians,
chapter four, verses six and seven. And because ye are sons,
God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts,
crying, Abba, Father, wherefore thou art no more a servant, but
a Son, and if a Son, then an heir of God through Christ. We have before us one of the
most beautiful, sacred, truths of our most holy faith, and that
is the spirit of adoption, central to the whole of the Gospel plan. That we become the sons and daughters
of the Lord God Almighty when the Holy Spirit enters our heart, quickens our soul, enlightens
us, Convicts us of sin, brings us to feel our helplessness,
our insufficiency, and then takes of the things of Jesus and reveals
them unto us. What a precious truth then that
we have couched in the words before us. The apostle, he was
writing to a church that was divided. It was divided. because false teachers had entered
in obviously Jews that had been converted but hadn't left the
law and they were trying to bring the Galatian churches, because
there was more than one church in Galatia, they were trying
to bring the Galatian churches back under the law to practice
circumcision to keep and various dates, etc. that the Apostle,
he says in verse 10, that he observed days and months and
times and years. It's what they did under the
Jewish dispensation, under the Old Testament. I'm afraid of you, he said, lest
I have bestowed upon you labour in vain. I'm afraid of you. He was afraid They didn't really know the truth.
He was afraid that they would turn him back, like the dog returns
to its vomit. So he writes in a very clear
way unto these Galatians. In fact, very clear. Beginning of chapter 3, O foolish
Galatians, Who hath bewitched you, that ye should not obey
the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ hath been evidently
set forth, crucified among you? This only would I learn of you.
Received ye the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing
of faith? Are ye so foolish, having begun
in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect by the flesh? One of
the great errors that these false teachers, these what were commonly
known as duodizing teachers, is to say well now you've come
to the knowledge and faith in Jesus Christ. Now you have the
ability to keep the law because you've been brought to
faith in Jesus Christ. This was the teaching that was
gaining a great hold in the churches at Galatia and the Apostle could
see so clearly that this was completely wrong. That's why he speaks so straight
to them. He says here, verse 5 of chapter
3, He therefore that ministereth to you the Spirit and worketh
miracles among you, doeth he it by the works of the law or
by the hearing of faith? Even as Abraham believed God,
and it was accounted to him for righteousness, know ye therefore
that they which are of faith, the same are the children of
Abraham. And the scriptures foreseeing
that God would justify the heathen through faith, preached before
the gospel unto Abraham, saying in these shall all nations be
blessed. You see, the gospel, my beloved
friends, is centered in the glorious person of our Lord Jesus Christ. Indeed, in the Romans, the apostle,
he speaks very clearly. He said that the gospel of Jesus
Christ is the fulfilling of the law. Which of course it is. You might
say, well how? Christ has fulfilled the law.
Listen to the words of our Lord Jesus Christ. I come not to destroy
the law, but to fulfill it. It's been fulfilled, that holy
righteous law that was against us, that holy righteous law that
condemned us because we all have sinned and come short of the
glory of God. And the law says, curse it is
every man that doeth all things that is written in the book of
the law to do them. It utterly condemned us. Now, my beloved friends, there's
only one deliverance from that condemning sentence of the law.
There's only one deliverance from the curse of the law. Jesus
Christ, the eternal Son of God that was manifest in the flesh.
I come not to destroy the law, but to fulfill it. Our Lord Jesus
Christ, my beloved friends, has fulfilled the law. You see it
says in verse 10 of chapter 3, for as many as are of the works
of the law are under the curse. For it is written, cursed is
everyone that continueth not in all things written in the
book of the law to do them. But that no man is justified
by the law in the sight of God, it is evident, for the just shall
live by faith. And the law is not of faith.
But the man that doeth them shall live in them. Christ hath redeemed
us. He is, as it were, trying to
force home this tremendous message. Christ hath redeemed us from
the curse of the law being made a curse for us. For it is written,
cursed is everyone that hangeth on a tree. That is what you might
call a typical precept in the Levitical law. Cursed is every
man that hangeth upon a tree. Why should a man be any more
cursed whether he hangs on a tree or a rope, et cetera? No, that
is a typical precept. It points to Christ. Cursed is
every man that hangeth on a tree. Our Lord Jesus was crucified. That the blessing of Abraham
might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ that we might receive
the promise of the Spirit through faith, through faith, the promise
of the Spirit, the promise of the Holy Ghost. And he goes on
here and he says in verse 19 of chapter 3, wherefore then
serveth the law, it was added because of transgressions till
the seed should come to whom the promise was made. and it
was ordained by angels in the hand of a mediator. Now a mediator
is not a mediator of one, but God is one. Is the law therefore
against the promises of God? God forbid. For if there had
been a law given which could have given life, verily righteousness
should have been by the law. But the scripture has concluded
all under sin. that the promise by faith of
Jesus Christ might be given to them that belief, then that belief. You see, and then he says, but
before faith came, we were kept under the law, shut up unto the
faith which should afterwards be revealed. Wherefore, the Lord
was our schoolmaster, to bring us unto Christ, that we might
be justified by faith. And I should point out, friends,
and you will notice it, to bring us is in italics. What does that
mean? It means that it wasn't in the
original Greek. It means the translators added
to bring us in. So if you take that out and say,
wherefore the law was our schoolmaster, unto Christ, unto Christ, that we might be justified by
faith. But after the faith is come,
we are no longer under the schoolmaster. For you're all the children of
God by faith in Christ Jesus. You see my Beloved friends, he
says here there's no distinction in Christ. Verse 28 of chapter
three, there is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond
nor free, there is neither male nor female, for you are all one
in Christ Jesus. And if you be Christ's, then
are ye Abraham's seed and heirs according to the promise. What a wonderful truth, isn't
it? We're the children of God. through our Lord Jesus Christ,
through his precious blood and righteousness, through his holy
life, his holy sacrifice, his death, his resurrection. We are
the children of God by faith. Now the apostle here uses an
illustration. Illustrations are very useful
to teach us truth. He says here in chapter four,
now I say, that the heir, that is an heir to a fortune or to
an estate, an inheritance, that the heir, as long as he is a
child, differing nothing from a servant, though he be lord
of all, but is under tutors and governors until the time appointed
of the father. That's the father of the heir.
You see, King Charles, up until his mother died, was the heir
apparent to the throne. But he wasn't. He didn't. He couldn't do that until his
mother died. And then he became the heir.
He inherited everything. And he was under tutors and governors
until the time appointed of the father. Even so, we, when we
were children, were in bondage under the elements of the world.
Every one of us. born in sin, shapen in iniquity. But when the fullness of time
was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under
the law to redeem them that were under the law that we might receive
the adoption of sons. That's why Jesus came. And you
know, my beloved friends, there is nothing more sacred, precious,
when we, by faith, lay hold of this truth of the spirit of adoption. There's nothing more comforting,
there's nothing more consoling, nothing more strengthening, than
to feel that you have a Heavenly Father, who is God over all,
blessed, forevermore. And we shouldn't be surprised
that the devil sows lots of confusion concerning this precious doctrine
of adoption. Because this, the safety and
the security of the believer is in this sacred doctrine of
truth. That we have a Heavenly Father.
That we were given to Christ before the foundation of the
world. Even the disciples of the Lord,
they had confusion on this issue. And when Philip said to the Lord,
show us the Father, and the Lord said to him, have I been so long
time with you, Philip, and yet thou hast not known me? He that
has seen me has seen the Father. It's a precious truth. There is one God and one mediator
between God and man, the man Christ Jesus, who gave his life
a ransom for all to be testified in due time, to redeem them,
to redeem them that were under the law. And we're all there
by nature, as we're born into this world, we're under the law. And until the grace of God reaches
our hearts, we're under the curse. But when the fullness of time
was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under
the law. The Son of God became a real
man to redeem us. He took our nature. He took our nature. He became
bone of our bone and flesh of our flesh. My mind it just goes
to the second chapter of Paul's epistle to the Hebrews and there
he so beautifully opens up this wonderful truth of our Lord Jesus
Christ in verse 14, Hebrews 2 verse
14, for as much then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood,
he also himself, who? The Son of God. The Son of God. He also himself likewise took
part of the same that through death he might destroy him that
had the power of death, that is the devil. deliver them who
through the fear of death all their lifetime subject to bondage
for verily took not on him the nature of angels but he took
on him the seed of Abraham wherefore in all things it behoved him
to be made like unto his brethren that he might be a merciful and
faithful high priest in things pertaining to God to make reconciliation
for the sins of the people for in that he himself has suffered
being tempted, he is able to succour them that are tempted. He goes on in chapter three,
wherefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider
the apostle and high priest of our profession, Christ Jesus. Consider him which endured such
contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be faint and
wearied in your mind. Consider Him. Consider our great
High Priest, our great Redeemer. You see, to redeem them that
were under the law that we might receive the adoption of sons. And then we come to our texts. There's something peculiarly
sacred in this first clause in our text. And because ye are
sons. Something very precious here.
And because ye are sons. We don't become a son of God
by believing. become a believer because we
are the sons of God. Because you were chosen in Christ
before the foundation of the world. That's why. And then you
become a believer because the Holy Ghost who proceeds forth
and the Father and the Son enters into the heart of a poor sinner
dead in trespasses and in sins and he quickens that soul into
life. Why? Because they're a son. Because ye are sons. Something here peculiarly sacred
and precious in the way that this is worded in Holy Scripture. And because ye are sons, God
has sent forth the Spirit of his Son, that's obviously the
Holy Ghost, into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father. Wherefore thou art no more a
servant, but a son. and if a son, then an heir of
God through Christ. And because ye are sons. And this is what really drew
me to this word that is before us today, this sacred truth,
and because ye are sons. You've become a believer because
you're one of the sons and daughters of the Lord God Almighty. Because
you were chosen before the foundation of the world. Because the Father
loved you with an everlasting love. He did. He loved you with
an everlasting love. Therefore, he sent forth the
spirit of his Son into our hearts. Because he loved us with an everlasting
love. There's no other reason for it.
In my mind it just goes to the book of Deuteronomy and there
we read in Deuteronomy chapter 7 and verse 6 and 7. For thou art an holy people unto
the Lord thy God The Lord thy God hath chosen thee to be a
special people unto himself, above all people that are upon
the face of the earth. The Lord did not set his love
upon you, nor choose you, because you were more in number than
any people, for you were the fewest of all people, but because
the Lord loved you. That's the only reason. That's
the only reason of divine grace, because the Lord loved you. And
because you would keep the oath which you had sworn unto your
fathers, hath the Lord brought you out with a mighty hand and
redeemed you out of the house of Pharaoh." What a humbling
thought that is. Not because you're holy, not
because you're better than any other people, but because the
Lord loved you. Yea, says in, doesn't it, in
Jeremiah 31, yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love,
therefore notice the connection. I've loved thee with an everlasting
love, therefore with loving kindness have I drawn
thee. The reason that you're drawn
to Christ is because he loves you with an everlasting love.
Therefore with loving kindness have I drawn you. You're not
anything in ourselves. You have to be quickened who
were dead. That's what is in ourselves. We're dead in trespasses
and in sins. We're under the condemning sentence
of the holy law of God in ourselves. But God who is rich in mercy,
and with the love wherewith he loved us. I believe that's in
the next epistle, the epistle to the Ephesians. It says so
clearly there in chapter one. Blessed, verse 3, blessed be
the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed
us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ,
according as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation
of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before
him in love. Having predestinated us unto
the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself according to
the good pleasure of his will, to the praise of the glory of
his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved, in
whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of
sins according to the riches of his grace, wherein he hath
abounded toward us in all wisdom and prudence. You see, having
made known unto us the mystery of his will, Again, similar to
what we have in the Galatians in verse 10. You see, and notice
what it says in verse nine, having moaned on unto us a mystery as
well, according to his good pleasure, which he hath purposed in himself,
that in the dispensation of the fullness of times, he might gather
together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven
and which are on earth, even in him. even in him in whom we
have also obtained an inheritance being predestinated according
to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel
of his own will. And because ye are sons, God
has sent forth the spirit of his son, that's the Holy Ghost,
into your hearts, crying Abba, Father. If I understand it correctly,
Abba is Greek for Father. So it's in Greek and Hebrew,
Abba, Father. No distinction between Jew and
Greek. And this spirit of adoption,
crying Abba, Father. the Apostle writes in a very,
very similar way in the Epistle to the Romans and Romans chapter
8 he speaks there much of the divine work of the Spirit of
God. You know, friends, does the Spirit
of God dwell in your heart? That's what makes a son or a
daughter the Spirit of God dwelling in our hearts. You see, in Romans 8, he speaks
of the awful state and condition we are by nature. He says in
verse 6, to be kind in mind is death, but spiritually in mind
is life and peace because the kind of mind is enmity against
God. It is not subject to the law
of God, neither indeed can be so, then they that are in the
flesh cannot please God. But ye are not in the flesh,
but in the Spirit. If so be the Spirit of God dwell
in you. This is vital, vital doctrine
friends. Now if any man have not the Spirit
of Christ, that's the Holy Ghost, he's none of His. And if Christ
be in you, the body is dead because of sin, but the Spirit is alive
because of righteousness. And if the Spirit of Him that
raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, He that raised
up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies
by His Spirit that dwelleth in you. You see, my beloved friends,
it says in verse 14, for as many as are led by the Spirit of God,
they are the sons of God. For ye have not received the
spirit of bondage again to fear, but ye have received the spirit
of adoption, whereby, we cry, Abba, Father, the Spirit itself
beareth witness with our spirit that we are the children of God. That divine indwelling of the
Spirit. Paul, when he writes his epistle
to the Corinthians, he says to them, Know ye not that ye are
the temple of the Holy Ghost, if so be the Spirit of God dwelleth
in you. Jesus very clearly, very beautifully
sets before us the work of the Spirit in that lovely sacred
discourse in John 14, 15 and 16. And he says there, doesn't
he, when he the Spirit of truth is come. The point is, has He
come to your heart? Some would isolate that word
to mean in just the day of Pentecost when He the Spirit of Truth is
come. But that's not the point. When He's come to the heart, when He comes into our hearts, when He quickens our souls, when
He dwells in our hearts, The Holy Ghost dwells in our home.
And he's the teacher. And Jesus said, when he has come,
he will reprove the world of sin, of righteousness, and of
judgment. I prefer the marginal reading. It says convince. It will convince
the world of sin, of righteousness, of judgment. Of sin, that's what
the Holy Ghost does. You can do it in a moment, convince
us of our sin. We spoke of it on Thursday evening
when the Lord Jesus speaking to the woman of Samaria by the
well. And he said unto her, thou hast
had five husbands. And in those words he convinced
her of her sin. Five husbands. and He revealed Himself to her,
I that speaketh unto thee am He. See, in that little time
that the Lord Jesus spoke with divine power into her heart,
convincing her of sin and revealing Himself as the Saviour of sinners. When He, the Spirit of Truth,
is come, He will convince of sin of righteousness. What does that mean? That God
is righteous. That God is holy. That God is
pure. That God will not at all acquit the guilty. That there
is a sense then between your soul and God that you're not
reconciled unto God. You're still in your sins. and that God is holy and that
he's going to judge the world in righteousness. This holy God
is going to judge the world. So it says, convince of sin,
of righteousness, of judgment. You know, when we're convinced
of judgment, it's not a question of we think there'll be a day
of judgment. There's no ambiguity whatsoever.
When you're convinced of it, you know there's going to be
a day of judgment. You know, you feel it in your
very soul, as it is appointed unto man once to die, so after
death, the judgment. And because ye are sons, God
sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying,
Abba, Father. Wherefore, thou art no more a
servant, but a son. And if a son, then an heir of
God through faith. An heir of God. What the Apostle
is doing here is opening up to them the great liberty that they
have as the children of God. And having opened this up to
them, he says in verse 9, But now, after thee have known
God, or rather known of God, how turn ye again to the weak
and beggary elements, whereunto ye desire again to be in bondage?
He says, Christ has delivered you from that. Your heavenly
Father has sent Christ, his only begotten Son, to deliver you
from the bondage and curse of the law, and from the keeping,
observing of days and months and times. I'm afraid of you,
lest I have bestowed upon you labour in vain. You see my beloved friends, the
Apostle, he speaks of it here, was travailing in birth again.
Says verse 19, my little children of whom I travail in birth again
until Christ be formed in you. I desire to be present with you
now and to change my voice for I stand in doubt of you. tell
me you that desire to be under the law do you not hear the law
and then he has this beautiful illustration here of abraham's
two sons isaac and ishmael and abraham had two sons the
one by the bondmaid that's hagar the other by the free woman that's
sarah But he who was of the bond woman was born after the flesh.
That was the work of Abraham. But the encouragement it was
why Sarah? Take my maid. And he went and lay with her.
And Ishmael was born. And then after a number of years
and the still Sarah was not had that child of promise. And the
Lord, he visited Abraham and Abraham pleaded with the Lord,
let Ishmael live before them. No, my beloved friends, Ishmael
is a type of the law. He was the son of the bond woman. But he was of the bond woman,
was born after the flesh. But he of the free woman, that
Sarah, was by promise, which things are an allegory. For these
are the two covenants. What are the two covenants? The
holy law of God, the covenant of works, and the glorious gospel
of Jesus Christ. The one from Mount Sinai, which
generates a bond, which is a Hagar. For this Hagar, usually this
is an allegory, for this Hagar is Mount Sinai. Arabia an answer is to Jerusalem
which now is and is in bondage with her children. We can say
that today my beloved friends regards the Israelites and Jerusalem
that now is still in bondage with their children still under
the law still under the old covenant but Jerusalem which is above
is free which is the mother of us all this is This is Isaac,
in Isaac shall those seed be called. For it is written, rejoice
thou barren that bearest not, break forth and cry thou that
travailest not, for the desolate hath more children than she which
hath a husband. Now we brethren, as Isaac was,
are the children of promise. But as then, He that was born
after the flesh persecuted him that was born after the Spirit,
even so it is now. Nevertheless, what saith the
Scripture? Cast out the bondwoman and her
son, for the son of the bondwoman shall not be heir with the son
of the free woman. So then, brethren, we are not
children of the bondwoman, but of the free. And if the Son shall
make you free, then shall you be free indeed. Free from the
curse, free from sin, free from his power. That freedom and liberty
that there is in our Lord Jesus Christ. If the Son shall make
you free, then shall you be free indeed. Free indeed. All this wonderful freedom, this
liberty, that the children of God have in Christ. They are
the sons and daughters of the Lord God Almighty. They are. In my mind it just goes to that
reference in the epistle to the Corinthians concerning that divine
call and in the sixth chapter of the second epistle to the
Corinthians. The apostle he says, verse 14,
be you not unequally yoked together with unbelievers? For what fellowship
hath righteousness with unrighteousness? What communion hath light with
darkness? What concord hath Christ with
Belial? What part hath he that believeth
with an infidel And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols?
For ye are the temple of the living God. As God hath said,
I will dwell in you, and walk in them, and I will be their
God, and they shall be my people. Wherefore, come out from among
them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean
thing, and I will receive you. and will be a father unto you,
and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty. And because ye are sons, God
hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your heart. Now, my beloved friends, there
are those of us here in this chapel And we know that the Spirit
of God dwells in our hearts. We know that the Spirit of God
has convinced us of our sin. We know that we were lost and
ruined and in bondage. And that same Spirit that showed
us where we are and what we are, showed us what Jesus is as the
only Saviour of sinners. or that the Lord would grant
that we may be enabled to embrace this sacred spirit of adoption,
and it may be breathed into our hearts. And because ye are sons,
God has sent forth the spirit of his Son into your hearts,
crying, Abba, Father, wherefore thou art no more a servant, but
a son. And if a son, and an heir of
God, through Christ. May the Lord add his blessing. Let us now sing together hymn
number 531. The tune is Herringgate 872. Beloved of the Lord Most
High, Let praises be your sweet employ. Ye sons of God, rejoice and sing
the honours of your Lord and King. Hymn 531. Tune Herengate
872. ? O come, O come, O come, O come,
O come, ? ? O come, O come, O come, O come, ? O say can you see, by the dawn's
early light, O'er the land of the free and
the home of the brave? O'er the land of the free and
the home of the brave? O say can you see, by the dawn's
early light, ? For every hour a little light
? ? There He will guide the world to His right hand ? ? Which came in singing loud ?
? Is brought by faith, its grace to know ? ? How high a star-spangled
banner ? ? God's grace is true ? ? The best of all ? ? In ev'ry joy and tear
? This church we come, O people
of gold, We come, we come to the song ? Which from the dawns ? ? It raised
her high ? ? In love and pride ? ? Without a doubt ? ? Shifting the suns ? ? And hills
of gold ? ? Lift up your heads ? ? Close with praise ? O'er
the ramparts we watched, were so gallantly streaming? And the
rocket's red glare, the bombs bursting in air, Now may the grace of our Lord
Jesus Christ, the love of God the Father, the sacred fellowship
of the Holy Spirit, rest and abide with us ever. Amen.