stand together and we'll sing hymn number 450.

450. There will never be a sweeter story
The story of the Savior's love divine,
Love that brought him from the realms of glory,
Just to save a sinful soul like mine.

Isn't the love of Jesus something wonderful?
Wonderful, wonderful

Oh, isn't the love of Jesus something wonderful

Wonderful it is to me
Boundless as the universe around me
Reaching to the farthest soul away,
Saving, keeping love it was that found me.

That is why my heart can truly say,
Isn't the love of Jesus something wonderful?

Wonderful, it is wonderful. Oh, isn't the love of Jesus something wonderful? Wonderful it is to me.

Love beyond our human comprehending.
Love of God in Christ, how can it be?
This will be my theme and never ending.
Great redeeming love of Calvary.

Isn't the love of Jesus something wonderful? Wonderful, it is wonderful. Oh, isn't the love of Jesus something wonderful? Wonderful it is to me.

Be seated, we'll sing hymn number 255.

255. Blessed assurance Jesus is mine.
Oh, what a foretaste of glory divine.
Heir of salvation, purchase of God,
born of His Spirit, washed in His blood.

This is my story

This is my song

Praising my Savior

All the day long This is my story This is my song.

Praising my Savior all the day long.

Perfect submission. perfect delight.
Visions of rapture now burst on my sight.
Angels descending ring from above.
Echoes of mercy, whispers of love.

This is my story This is my song Praising my Savior All the day long This is my story This is my song Praising my Savior All the day long

Perfect submission
All is at rest,
I in my Saviour am happy and blessed.
Watching and waiting, looking above.
Filled with his earnest, lost in his love.

This is my story. This is my song. Praising my Savior all the day long. This is my story. This is my song. Praising my Savior all the day long.

Good morning, I tell you what, it's good to see everybody. I've looked forward to this day, I have. We watched both services while we were gone and greatly blessed by them. And love how they got to Christ so quick, so ably. And Luke Coffey, I tell you, God's really got his hand on him. He really does. Makes me think of his daddy, you know, Bob, when Bob used to come preach for us. So good. And thank you all for the gift. Thank you very much. And I appreciate it. I appreciate it very much. And it's so good to be back in the saddle.

Now, you look with me in Luke chapter 2. Start reading at verse 21 and go down to verse 25. And when eight days were accomplished for the circumcising of the child, his name was called Jesus. Why was it called Jesus? Because the angel named him before he was conceived in the womb. 4 in the Old Testament, 1 and 2 in the New Testament, John and Jesus. You know what? The Jehovah, our Savior.

And when the days of her purification, according to the law of Moses, were accomplished, they brought him to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord, present Christ to the Lord. And as it is written in the law of the Lord, all the law of Moses, the law of the Lord, Every male that openeth the womb shall be called holy to the Lord, and to offer a sacrifice according to that which is said in the law of the Lord, a pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons.

And behold, there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon, and the same man was just and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Ghost was upon him. Our great, blessed, glorious God of heaven and earth, the God that the heaven of heavens can't contain Him, and there's nowhere we can look to the stars above, the moon, or the sun, or things on this earth where you're not, Lord, You created this universe, and you made a planet and put on it, and you made a son made through a woman to come into this world to save sinners like ourselves, to save people who are helpless, to save people who are dead in sins and give them life.

Oh, Lord, how we bless you for your son, the Lord Jesus Christ. And we're so grateful that you called his name Jesus, and you told us what he'd do, that he'd save his people, his people, from their sin. Save them from all their sins. Save them completely and perfectly. Save them absolutely. Make them acceptable. Give us access into your blessed presence. Oh Lord, what a blessing. What a blessing, oh God, that you've given your people in this world to be in the kingdom of God, to be a child of God, to be elected of God, to be loved of God, to be one whom God himself says he's not ashamed to be called our God. Christ is not ashamed to be called our brother.

So Lord Jesus, we bless you today. Thank you again for allowing me to stand and preach and hopefully be blessed with the Holy Ghost and these dear saints will be blessed together. And we'll worship the Lord together and hopefully bring glory to his name. And Lord Jesus, if you'd be pleased to open a heart, we'd bless you. And if you're pleased not to, we're still gonna bless you. Because our salvation and everyone's salvation is up to you, not up to us, not to the will of man, not to blood, not of flesh, but, oh God, salvations of you.

And Lord, now we pray for those among us who are weak, who are sick, who are tried. Please, Rick and Helen, please be with them and bless them. Save your people in this place and bring glory to yourself for Christ's sake. Amen.

Let's all stand together and sing the hymn of the day in the bulletin.

When I look in my wretched heart, and there my nature see,
this is my hope. This is my joy, that Jesus lived for me.

When I behold God's holy law, and there my sin to see.
This is my hope, this is my joy, that Jesus died for me.

When I speak now, my days are mixed with joy and misery.
This is my hope This is my joy, that Jesus rules for me.

And when I ponder on my life, how swift if sin must be.
This is my hope, this is my joy, that Jesus lives for me.

When I look out upon this world And there God's judgment seat
This is my hope This is my joy that Jesus comes for me.

And when I stand before God's throne to hear his just decree.
Be still, my hope, and joy shall be. Jesus sits there for me.

Be seated.

All right, look with me back in Luke chapter 2, and I want you to look in verse 25. I told you there was two or three more messages in these verses, and this is one of them. And behold, there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon. The same man was just and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Ghost was upon him.

Christ, the consolation of Israel, is what my subject is, the consolation of Israel. All of us need consoling one time or another. But when you're a sinner, and you know you're a sinner, and you know you cannot save yourself, there's only one person that can console you by taking away your sin and doing something for you, and that's the Lord Jesus Christ. And Simon of Simeon was a just man. It's the only way a man can be just. Christ is the only person, God's only person can justify a man. He wasn't just because he lived right and done the right things and done works. No, no, he was just because God made him just. Abraham was justified because he believed God. And that's what he did. And then he was a devout man. He was devoted. He is devoted to Christ. He is devoted to the scriptures. He is devoted on waiting on somebody. And he was waiting.

What made him wait for the consolation of Israel? How did he know Christ was going to be the consolation of Israel? How did he know that Israel was going to be consoled, be comforted by somebody? Well, the scripture says that the Holy Ghost was upon him. That's the only way you know that he's coming, that he knows anything about him. And when it says he was waiting for the consolation of Israel, he was waiting for the fulfillment of prophecy of Christ's coming. He was waiting for the Messiah. Christ was promised to come, the prophecy of Christ to coming, the promise of Christ's coming, the Messiah. His faith, his hope, was in the promise of someone that was to come. That's why he was waiting for the consolation of Israel. He was waiting to see the Lord Jesus Christ himself.

Isaiah said, Comfort ye, comfort ye my people, saith the Lord, till her warfare is accomplished, and her sins and iniquities are forgiven. And that's what he was waiting for. He read that. Who's going to be this one that's going to comfort us? Who's going to be this one that's going to put away our sin? And, oh, my. And, you know, he come for a comfort. He come to be a comfort and a consolation. You know, Noah was a type of Christ. Lamech had a son, and he named him Noah. And you know why he named him Noah? Because his name meant comfort. It meant rest. He said, He'll give us comfort and rest from the curse that the Lord has put upon the earth. This man, and that's why Christ is called the Comforter. That's why there's rest in Christ, and He's our comfort in this world. He was promised to come. Thou shalt call His name Wonderful, Counselor, the Everlasting Father. and the Prince of Peace." And, oh, my, they was waiting for Him.

I want you to look. Keep this and look with me in Isaiah 51, 3. I'm going to have you look at a few scriptures today. Isaiah 51. I want you to see this over here, talking about comfort, Christ being our consolation. Isaiah 51, 3. Look what he says. You know, Christ's a consolation. He's our consolation. He's our comfort. He consoles us. Look in Isaiah 51, 3. For the Lord shall comfort Zion. He will comfort all her waste places. Listen to this. He'll make her wilderness like Eden, her desert like the garden of the Lord. Joy and gladness shall be found therein. Thanksgiving. and the voice of melody. That's what he is waiting for. That's what he's waiting for. Has somebody gonna come and be my consolation, be my comfort, be my rest?

Now look down here in verse 52, 9 and 10. This is what he's waiting for. This is the things that he was looking for. but break forth into joy. Sing together, ye waste places of Jerusalem. For the Lord done this hath comforted his people. He hath redeemed Jerusalem. The Lord hath made bare his holy arm in the eyes of all nations, and all the ends of the earth shall see the salvation of our God. Wherever there's been the gospel priest, they've seen the salvation of God.

Now, let's go back over to our text. It says, He was devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel. Christ is the consolation of Israel. But the first thing we've got to ask, who is Israel? Who is Israel? He's the consolation of Israel. You reckon everybody that's over in Jerusalem and over in what they call the Holy Land, what they call over in Israel right now, do you reckon every one of them are Israel that God's talking about here? Do you reckon every Jew that's ever been born that God was talking about Israel, the natural Israel? You reckon that's the Israel He's talking about?

Well, look with me over in Galatians chapter 5. And I want to show you something. You know, I'm going to tell us who Israel is. I know who they are, and I believe you know who they are. But look in Galatians 6 and verse 15. You know, Paul says this, we are the true circumcision, which worship God in the spirit. and have no confidence in the flesh, but rejoice in Christ Jesus." We ought to have no confidence in this flesh. But I tell you what, and look what he said here in verse 15, Galatians 6. For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor availeth anything. Being a Jew, being circumcised, being in that covenant has nothing to do, it don't amount to anything, nor uncircumcision. That means people that tries to live right and do all the things that they think, and then there's people have so much liberty by uncircumcision. But here's what matters, a new creature in Christ, a new creation. And then he says, as many as walk, walk according to this rule. that Christ is everything. Circumcision don't mean nothing. Uncircumcision don't mean anything. But a new creature and as many as walk according to this rule, peace be on them and mercy and upon the Israel of God.

Now, these Galatians were Gentiles. Look with me in Romans 7 right quick. I mean, excuse me, Romans 9. Paul makes it so very plain over here. You know, there's two Israelites. Our Lord Jesus Christ, when he called Zacchaeus down from the tree, he said, today I must abide at your house. And the scripture said, he said, for as much as he is the son of Abraham. Nobody else there was. But Zacchaeus was a true son of Abraham. And then there was a woman that was bowed over for over 18 years or something like that. She was bowed double. And the Lord Jesus Christ asked her how long she had been like that. And he raised her up and said, seeing that she's a true daughter of Abraham. So he made a distinction in people who they were. And then there's a bunch of them says that we have never been in bondage. He said, Oh, listen, you're a servant of sin. And if you believed Abraham, like you, if you rejoiced in that, like Abraham did in me, you'd believe me like Abraham believed me.

So I tell you what, there's, I'm a son of Abraham. I'm going to tell you that right now. I'm a true Jew. I'm a true Israelite. born of God, one of the children of the promise of God. God said that he gave Abraham a people, and they were people of promise. And I tell you, the first son that Abraham had that was of promise, not had nothing to do with the flesh, was Isaac. God said, I promise you at a time I'll come and give you a child. and through that child will be another child and that child will come into this world and he'll be the consolation of Israel and listen to me he said that's the one that you're going to be looking for and I'll tell you what it didn't when I Lord said they call his name Jesus he shall save his people who are his people are you one of his people if he if you are I'll tell you something He put away every sin you ever committed. Oh, and look what he goes, now I'm going to show you something here. Look down at verse, excuse me a second, verse 7, Romans 9, 7. Neither because they are the seed of Abraham are they all children, but in Isaac shall thy seed be called. That is, they which are the children of the flesh, these are not the children of God. But the children of the promise are accounted for the seed.

And I tell you what, God gave us a promise. God gave us a promise. We'll deal with the promises in a little bit. We're spiritual Israel. That's why, Paul, you know, how are we like Israel? How are we like Israel? Well, first, they were circumcised outwardly. They had to come to circumcision outwardly. Our circumcision is of the heart. Our circumcision has to do with the heart.

I'd look at, look in Romans 2, 28 with me. You know, that's what I meant when Paul says, we are the true circumcision, which worship God in the spirit. and rejoice in Christ Jesus and have no confidence in the flesh. Now look what he said here in verse 28. Romans 2. For he is not a Jew which was worn outwardly, neither is that circumcision which is outward in the flesh. Now listen to what God says here. But he is a Jew who is worn inwardly, and circumcision is that of the heart in the spirit has nothing to do with the letter, has nothing to do with the law. Whose praise is not of men, if he has circumcised men, glories and praises in himself.

But I tell you what, you know who we praise? We praise God, not men. We praise God, not what we've done, not what we've accomplished. So we've been circumcised inwardly, inwardly. And oh my, you know what God said about them Jews? He said, you're uncircumcised in heart and ears. You don't believe me and you don't hear me. And oh my, and they had the law. We're talking about the difference in circumcision. Who are Israel? They had the law on stones, on stones. We have the law written in our hearts. The law is not with us, it's written in us.

Can you think I could show you that from the Bible? Let me show you that in 2 Corinthians 3. I told you it had several places I want you to go to. 2 Corinthians chapter 3. Verse 2 and 3. Excuse me, chapter 3, verse 2 and 3. I'm sorry. 2 Corinthians chapter 3. And Paul says, you know, God said, I'll write my law in their hearts and on their minds. And you know, when he talks about writing something in a person's heart and in their minds, what, you know, God wrote twice in the Old Testament. First of all, he wrote on stones when he gave them the law. The second time he wrote, he wrote on the side of the wall, your weight in the balances and found one. That's only two times he wrote. And here, God is writing in our hearts. He said, I'll write my law in their hearts and on their minds.

Now look what he says here in verse 2. 2 Corinthians 2. Ye are our epistle. You're our letter. Written on our hearts. Known and read of all men. For as much as you're manifestly declared, listen to this now, declared to be the epistle of Christ, the letter of Christ, written by us, written not with ink, but with the spirit of the living God. God and his spirit wrote on our hearts and spirit, not in tables of stone, but in fleshly tables of the heart. We're the written, we're the letter of Christ. We're the letter of Christ.

And oh my, now when he talks about the law written in our heart, it's not the law of nature. It's not the law of nature, but of grace. Oh, the law of faith. Oh, the law, the principle of faith, the law of sin. We truly know what sin is, and we know the consequences of sin. And oh, then there's that perfect law of liberty that he wrote on our hearts. All the things he wrote on our hearts, that God said the law of liberty set us free.

Wrote on our hearts the law of sin, that we know sin and its consequence, how deep and awful it is. And all that blessed law of faith. Oh, these are the laws he gave us.

Tell you something else why we're Israel, the true Israel, trying to decide who, you know, show us who Israel is. Israel was chosen of God, of all the nations on the earth. There was only one nation that God said, this is my people. He passed by seven nations and destroyed seven nations to give them a place to live. And he chose Israel, said, this is my nation. This is my people. And he set them apart to be chosen of him. And he protected them and saved them and kept them while they was on this earth. And I tell you what, they were his people, his peculiar treasure. God said, they're my heritage.

And then you know what? We were chosen not as a nation, but as individuals. Chosen in Christ. When were we chosen in Christ? Not when, like Israel was chosen in time. We were chosen in Christ before the foundation of the world. You know, God said, this is my people, this is my peculiar people. God says they're peculiar treasure, peculiar people. And I'll tell you something, beloved, chosen in Christ, loved eternally. God said, I loved you with an everlasting love. He said, I stretched forth my hand to them and they don't even pay any attention to me. But God stretched forth his hands to us, then we wait to listen. We want to know.

And oh my, they were separated from the rest of the world. God set us apart to himself, separated us to himself, called us out of the world, set us from the darkness into the light of Christ. Oh my. And I'll tell you one last thing he did, they was down in bondage and he brought them out of bondage with power and blood. And I'll tell you, our Lord, and he destroyed their enemies. Our Lord Jesus Christ brought us out of bondage, brought us out with power, brought us out with blood, and cleansed us from our sin in his blood. And he destroyed every enemy that was ever against us. Sin against us, I killed it. Death against us, I died and rose again so that you'll have life. Your flesh is against you, I gave you the Holy Spirit. I took out that old stony heart and I put in a heart that can be touched, can be moved by me. I gave you my word. I didn't give you a law, I gave you promises. I didn't give you works to do. I gave my son a work to do for you. I didn't tell you what you must do to be saved. I gave and saved you. I didn't say, would you let me do something for you? I didn't ask you. I came and did it. Oh, bless his name. Oh, you're talking about consolation. Oh, I'm so grateful that God said, you're a son of Abraham. Circumcised in the heart, slew that enmity between us and God. Oh my.

Now he says we're a chosen generation, a royal priesthood. Tell you something else about Israel that shows us how we're Israel. Isaac was the promise. Christ was that one coming through him. Israel had his name given to him. Before he became Israel, you know who he was? He was Jacob. Well, who was Jacob? He was a worm. God said, Thou worm Jacob. Nobody likes to be called a worm. But I tell you one thing about it, it don't bother me to be called a worm. Our Lord Jesus, you know what he said about himself? I'm a worm and no man. We wouldn't dare say that if God didn't say it. But oh my. And then he was a supplanter. He was a fella come along deceiving everybody, every opportunity he could. He supplanted his brother. He supplanted his, Laban, his wife's father. I mean, everywhere he went, and I mean he was something. But one night, God gave him a new name. You know what that name was? Israel. You know what it means? Prince of God. Oh, man.

And I tell you what, God said, I'm going to give him a new name. Revelation 2, I'm going to give him a new name. What do you reckon our new name will be when we get to glory? I don't know. But I tell you what, he gave us a new name. He gave us a new name, Believer, Elect, Chosen, Loved, called Vessels of Mercy. Oh, and I tell you what, He made us to be true worshipers, lovers of Christ, and oh my.

And do you know how he received his name, received his new name? after wrestling all night long. You can read about it in Genesis 32. He was on his way and laying down there one night and a man got a hold of him. He didn't get a hold of the man, Christ got a hold of him. And he wrestled with him and whipped him. and brought him to nothing. And the scripture says that he throwed his thigh out of joint. So that changed his walk. And he says, now, tell me your name. My name is secret. My name is wonderful. And he says, listen, I'm going to give you a new name. What is it? Israel. You know, what does that mean? That means you're oppressed with God. And I tell you what, you're not longer be Jacob anymore. You know, God caught him alone and conquered him. And you know, Christ always gets his people alone. He gets them off by themselves. He gets them all. He always comes to individuals.

It's like that woman in the well. Everybody was there accusing him. But when it was all said and done, it was him and the woman left alone. Huh? That blind man that he opened his eyes in John chapter 9, you know what, when the last few verses of that says, he said, he says, you know, Christ said, who opened your eyes? He said, the name, name, Jesus. He said, I am that did that. And he worshipped him right then and there. Worshipped him, just him too. As this one, he went to just one person, the woman at the well, got her along. Zacchaeus got him alone. And he'll get you alone. You know, without your husband, without your wife, without your children, he'll get you by yourself. And when he gets you by yourself, you'll feel like you're the only person that there is. And you'll come to the place where you'll say, Lord, oh, Lord, God have mercy on me. And you know what he'll do? He'll give you a name, elect, chosen, precious, peculiar, vessels of mercy. And he'll change your walk from that day to the day you leave this world. You walk by faith, not by sight. You trust in grace and you trust in Christ. You don't trust in nothing else. That's what happens when they get you by yourself. And I'll tell you what, I hope that God gets some of you by yourself. Gets you all by yourself. When he gets you by yourself, something's going to happen.

I'm going to stop and tell you a story. Y'all remember Brother Elvin Blaylock very well. Some of y'all remember him very well. He was the sweetest little old fella. And he was just a little man. And of course, he had a speech impediment. And he lived down in Vandiver. And he called me out there one day. And in his hog house, a bunch of hogs in there. And we sat on white buckets, turned buckets upside down, sat on them white buckets. And Elmer said, Brother Donnie, he said, I'm worse than any hog in here. I feel like garbage. I feel like I'm the worst person that ever lived. What's the matter with me?

And I did not dare tell him that he was a believer. See, God got him alone. And he told me how bad he was. God had made him know how bad he was. And when he don't even know how bad he was, then he became a believer. That's what happens when God gets you alone.

I didn't say, Albert, bless the Lord. It looks like God's done something for you. No, I just said, buddy, listen, that's the way God works. That's the way God works.

James N. Elmore. N. Elmore, I'll tell you another one. You know, he was a Calvinist for years. They first started coming, him and Ruby, and he got upset, you know, and he left for a while. Then something happened to him and he come back. And I tell you, he came back as a sinner, not a Calvinist, as a believer. And he come to sit down in front of me and he says, I've never felt so sinful. I feel so sinful. I feel so wicked. I feel so weak. Oh, what's the world's a matter with me?

God got him alone. And I tell you, that's what happens. When he does that, he changes your walk and changes your name, changes your nature. Oh my.

Well, let me give you this. Christ himself is the consolation of Israel. Christ is a consolation of Israel. You know, when he says, talking about back over in our text, You know, Christ himself is a consolation of us. He's our consolation. He's our comfort. He purchased us. He redeemed us. He bought us from slavery, from Egypt's bondage.

Keep Luke 2 and turn with me to Isaiah 43. Isaiah 43. You know, they call Isaiah the gospel, the gospel of Isaiah. It is so full of the gospel of Christ. But in Isaiah 43 and 1, look what it says. But now thus saith the Lord that created thee, O Jacob, and formed thee, O Israel, fear not, I've redeemed thee. And listen to this, I've called you by thy name. Thou art mine." Oh, he said, I bought you. Bought you, paid for you. And oh, bless his name.

He reconciled us to God. Why do we need to be reconciled to God? God, you know, he's one. And we were sinners. We were enemies of God. Well, how in the world is this enemy going to be brought down? How's he going to be reconciled? Well, God reconciled us and slew the enmity in us. And so, you know, without being reconciled us to God, there's no comfort in a heart till the sinner and God are made one, made one.

You know, this is the grace wherein we stand. We have access. by one spirit into the presence of God himself. You know, Simeon, ain't that what he said? He said, now let thy servant depart in peace. Why did he say that? Because I've seen Israel's consolation. I've seen the comfort. I've seen my rest. I've seen him. And oh my, he redeckoned us to God by his blood. He reconciled us by the blood of his cross.

If the Lord Jesus had not come, there would be no peace between us and God. Do you know that? I spent the first 22, 23 years of my life trying my best to find some kind of peace. And I never knew what peace was until I seen Christ. And He gave me peace. And you know, if Christ had not come, there would be no peace between God and man. God would be against us and we'd be against God.

Well, you know what Christ did? He came and He brought peace between man and God. He established peace by the blood of His blessed cross. And now God Almighty is not mad at us and we're not mad at God. He made us to be one. He brought us together and made us to be one. And oh my, you know what the prodigal's joy was? When he got home and he said, oh, in my father's house, I'll tell you, the servants have better than I do. You know what his joy was? When he got home and his father received him, he was reconciled to his father. And his father said, bring on the breast robe, put the shoes on his feet. That's what caused him joy, is because his father, reconciled to his father.

And oh, if the Lord had not come, there'd be no peace between heaven and earth. And you know peace, that people say all the time, that we need peace on earth. There's never gonna be peace on this earth. There's gonna be wars, fightings, rumors of wars, husbands and wives fighting, children and parents fighting. I mean, there's never gonna be any peace. You know the only places there's real peace? Between God and man. And God made that peace by the blood of Christ. And I tell you, you gotta have a peace offering. Christ is our peace offering. And you know what our ministry is? We pray you in Christ's stead be reconciled to God. He himself is our peace offering. And I tell you what, Christ is the consolation of Israel. He is our consolation.

And I tell you, the thing is, he purchased us, redeemed us, brought us, bought us. And secondly, the work of grace in us. Christ is the one who did it. Christ is the one who You imagine if he hadn't have come, what would we have? What would we have? And I've said this before and I'll say it again. If this thing all ends up to be a pipe dream, being a believer and believing on Christ and believing his word and trusting Christ is made my life so much better, so much fuller, so much comfort, so much insurance. I'll tell you what, just in this life alone, what Christ has done for me makes it worth everything. Just for what I've got in this life, not counting the life to come. Look at you. God gave me you and gave me to you. God did that. And if you have grace, God brought it, Christ gave it. He was full of grace, full of it, full of it. And he'd been given grace out of his fullness since Adam, and he's not run out yet. He's not going to run out.

I'll tell you what, I'm one of them fellas that's got to have it all the time. I got to have grace all the time, not just every once in a while. I got to have it all the time. Oh, my. The work of grace is Christ in us. Christ is the one who done the work. And I'll tell you what's built upon righteousness. I'm going to show you this. This is such a blessing to me. Look at Isaiah 32, 17. I told you we had some scriptures to look at. Isaiah 32, 17, talking about, oh, grace and peace and rest. Look what he said here in Isaiah 32 and verse 17. Oh, the work of grace is built upon righteousness. You know, Christ bought our holiness. We wouldn't be holy if had Christ not bought it. And look what he said here in verse 17. And the work of righteousness shall be peace. And the effect of righteousness, listen to this, quietness and assurance forever. That's a work of righteousness. Grace is a work of it. You know, Christ made us holy. Everything we got, Christ bought for us. Faith, he bought it. Grace, he bought it. And everything we have come through him.

And, oh, though he was rich through his poverty, he became poor that we, through his poverty, might be made rich. Oh, my. And I'll tell you another thing that he did for us who are the truest. He put away sin. He put sin away. That's the worst enemy we've got, is sin. The only people that know anything about sin is people who grieve over it. You ever grieve over your sin? You grieve over, you know, people talk about sins, things they do. What about, I grieve over things that goes on in my mind. Oh God, how could I have thought such a thing? How could such a thing get into my brain? And I just grieve over it, just oh God have mercy. You know, you just, And our attitude so many times, an attitude when you get upset and you get angry and you get loud and you get rough and harsh and talk when you ought to be listening. Oh my, ain't you glad that God said, I put away all their sin. You know what I'm going to do? I ain't even going to remember it anymore. And I'll tell you another thing only believers do. Only believers are afraid of being a hypocrite. Unbelievers ain't afraid of being a hypocrite. That's all they ever say. They say, I'm not going up there because there's too many hypocrites. Like I told one fellow, come on, one more won't make any difference. Come on, join the rest of it. One more won't make any difference, will it? Listen, but we worry about that. We're concerned about that. We're so concerned about that. Oh, my. But, oh, he said, our sins, tell them their iniquity is forgiven. Be of good cheer, he told that man that's let down through the ceiling. He said, be of good cheer, thy sins be forgiven thee. Not only are they forgiven, but they're forgotten. He said, forgiven all your trespasses, all your trespasses. And then I tell you something else he does as the constellation of Israel. His promises are of great, great comfort. Oh, how comforting they are. The scriptures are written for our learning, for admonition, for our comfort, for our assurance. And I tell you, let me give you this. I'll be done in a little bit. Precepts, he gives us precepts for directions. He gives us threatenings and warnings so we don't go too far. Promises for comfort and consolation. And all of these things are in Christ. All the promises of God in Christ are yea and amen. And he gives us promises for tomorrow. Do you know that? I've got a promise for tomorrow. Or I've got a promise for now. Let me give you that. Promise for now. Our Lord Jesus said, I'll never leave you and I'll never forsake you. And we got promises for tomorrow. He said, as thy days be, so shall thy strength. As your days be, so shall your strength. And all we got promises for eternity. Our Lord Jesus said, you believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father's house are many mansions. If it were not so, I would have told you. But I go and I prepare a place for you. I'm going to prepare a place for you. And I prepared it by being on a cross and ascending to glory. I went to prepare a place for you. And he said, and I will come again. I will come again and I'll bring you unto me where I am. Now you're talking about a promise. Where I am, I'm gonna come and get you and bring you where I am. Ain't that something? One of these days, you know, and some of you is much closer to it than I am, but I tell you what, you never know. One of these days Christ's gonna come and get me. He said, this is a promise he made, I'm gonna come and get you. I'm gonna come, I'm gonna be the one to come get you. I come and got you in grace and saved you and I'm gonna come again and I'm gonna get you. I'm coming to get you. You know what I'm gonna do when I get you? I'm gonna bring you to where I am so that you may be with me where I am. Be with me. That's the key to it. Be with me wherever I am. And then he gave us promises for trial. Oh, my. Oh, trials. We all have them. Oh, we have them. We have them. We have them. But he says, my grace is sufficient for you. You say, oh, you don't know what I'm going through. My grace is sufficient for you. You don't want us like at home? My grace is sufficient for you. You don't know how tough I have it in life? My grace is sufficient for you. You don't know how far I've fallen? My grace is sufficient for you. Oh, my grace. And then last of all, you're talking about a consolation, justification. Justification, what a consolation. Turn to Romans chapter 8. Let me show you something. You know our justification is free, being justified freely. Romans chapter 8, and oh, look at this. Our justification, what a consolation. The promises are a consolation. Sin put away is our consolation. Christ himself, our consolation, reconciled us, bought us with his blood. But look what he said here in Romans 8, 29. For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that Christ himself might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover, whom he did predestinate, them he also called. And whom he called, listen to this, them he also justified. and whom he justified, them he also glorified." All of them in the past tense. Well, what in the world are we going to say about these things then? If God be for us, who can be against us? And this is how he says, if God be for us, who can be against us? Because God spared not his own son, but delivered him up delivered him up to sin, delivered him up to death, delivered him up to wrath, delivered him up to justice, delivered him up for us all. So if he did that, how shall he not also with him freely give us all things? Now listen to this, and then he says, so then who, who shall lay anything to the charge of God's elect? God that justifies them. Oh, we're good to justify ourselves, but oh, for God to justify you, clear you. Oh, thank God for the Gospel. Thank God for consolation. Our Father, in the blessed, blessed name of your Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, thank you for your great mercy and grace given us in Christ before the world ever began. Oh, blessed be your name. You came to be our consolation. You came to be our comfort, to be our rest. And oh, what rest we have that you bought us and paid for us. put our sin away, reconciled us, justified us, cleared us of all guilt, put all that's against us away. Thank you, Lord. Blessed be your holy name. God bless this message to the hearts and minds of your dear people. And do it for Christ's sake. Amen. Jesus, Jesus, Jesus. There's just something about that name. Master, Savior, Jesus. like the fragrance after. Kings and kingdoms will all pass away, but there's something about that name. It's good to see all of you. I've enjoyed myself very much this morning. I guess I don't know how to do anything else much, but God help me to keep on preaching. And Lord, love you, and thank you for your wonderful gift. God bless you, and I'll see you Wednesday night, Lord willing.