Welcome, friends, to another
broadcast of Morsels for Zion's Poor. We live in an era of time
when the clear declaration of the glorious truths of the gospel
cannot be readily found. The teaching that God regards
all men with the same love has caused the glory of redemption
to be tarnished in the eyes of the multitude. The notion is
set forth far and wide that Christ has done all that he can do to
provide a means of salvation to every person on earth and
has now left the gaining of that salvation up to men who can attain
it by deciding to do so. Thus we find the blind leading
the blind and all falling into the deep ditch of free willism
and universal atonement. An atonement that is available
to everyone but actually takes away the sin debt of none is
no atonement at all, but is a mere faltering attempt to save all
men while failing to actually save any. The very basis of the
true gospel is that Jesus Christ has obtained eternal redemption
with his own blood. If he has obtained this redemption,
then it must follow that this redemption is complete. If it
is complete, then it is sure and steadfast for all that he
has obtained it for. Thus we read in the scriptures
that he has bought a people. If they are bought and paid for,
they must be his. He has not made a blanket down
payment, only to have to wait to find out what it is that he
bought. Rather, he knows them that are his, has prayed for
them alone, and has purchased their redemption quite apart
from any action taken by them. So then it is not of him that
willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that showeth mercy.
The concept of redemption is quite a simple one, which men
employ almost every day of their lives as they spend their money
to buy goods and services which they expect to possess. No one
goes into a store and pays their hard-earned cash without selecting
items to purchase in blind hope that they will get some goods.
Neither did the Lord Jesus Christ shed his blood apart from a knowledge
of that which he purchased. The glory of that redemption
which Christ has obtained is that he is buying back that possession
which was his from the beginning. He was given a people from the
foundation of the world by the Father, and it is those people
who were chosen in Him. According to His purpose to bring
glory to His name, in the manifestation of His grace, He created the
world and subjected that possession unto the vanity of this world.
They willingly sold themselves into poverty, shame, condemnation,
and slavery. In his eternal purpose, he determined
to buy them out of this impoverished state, to manifest his glory
and everlasting love. They are bought with a price.
Having bought his most precious possession, he would not abandon
it, nor leave the gathering of it to chance. Just as the faithful
shepherd searched until he found the sheep that was lost, so too
does the Lord Jesus seek those that are his, drawing them with
cords of love and overtures of kindness. Come unto me, all you
that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. He
gathers them by pricking their hearts by His Spirit. I am Jesus
whom thou persecutest. It is hard for thee to kick against
the pricks. He does so by convincing them of sin, righteousness, and
judgment, sending His Spirit to each one with the heavenly
wind of the new birth. Marvel not that I said unto thee,
ye must be born again. Indeed, he comes to seek and
to save that which is lost. The Lord's elect are bought and
sought. Having bought them with his precious
blood and imputed to them his perfect righteousness, he compels
them to come unto him, just like that certain man who made a supper.
And the Lord said unto the servant, go into the highways and hedges
and compel them to come in that my house may be filled. He does
not futilely attempt to bring them to Himself. Rather, He compels
them to come by making them willing in the day of His power. Even
as He declared, All that the Father giveth Me shall come to
Me, and him that cometh to Me I will in no wise cast out. Thus
the sons of God are bought, sought, and brought to Him according
to His power, mercy, and grace. My sheep hear my voice, and I
know them, and they follow me. And I give unto them eternal
life, and they shall never perish. Neither shall any man pluck them
out of my hand. My Father which gave them me
is greater than all, and no man is able to pluck them out of
my Father's hand. I've often heard the physicians
of no value say, you just need to take the first step and then
God will do the rest. Such a message is of no use to
that man who is dead in trespasses and sins. If a man had the power
and will to take the first step, then he could take the next one
too. Lost and ruined sinners need a savior who saves, a redeemer
who redeems, and a shepherd who calls and gathers his sheep.
Christ is that one. Have you been found by him? For
a free CD containing 15 of these radio broadcasts, send an email
to forthepoor at windstream.net.