Welcome, friends, to another
broadcast of Morsels for Zion's Poor. Yet the Jews assumed, as
do many today, that God's promise to Abraham was a blanket promise
to all who sprang from the loins of Abraham. Yet the scripture
clearly states that the promise was given to the seed of Abraham,
which is Christ. Thus it is plain that the giving
of this promise is the single most important covenant which
exists in the kingdom of God. It is according to the promise
of this covenant that all of the blessings which are given
to Christ are found to be equally shared by those who are in Christ. The Spirit itself beareth witness
with our spirit that we are the children of God. And if children,
then heirs, heirs of God, and joint heirs with Christ. We presently
enjoy the benefits of all that Christ possesses. Thus we can
say with the psalmist, glory dwells in our land. It is in
him that we find the source of all of our joy and the hope of
an even greater manifestation of that joy when we are enabled
to see him face to face. Mercy is the sovereign prerogative
of him who has said, I will show mercy to whom I will show mercy.
Men have no claim upon it, nor any reason rising from within
themselves to expect that he should show mercy to them. Yet
the glorious revelation of Jesus Christ discloses to men the great
willingness of God to show mercy. This was a glorious and comforting
message given to the shepherds. And the angel said unto them,
Fear not, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy,
which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day
in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord. This
is that which the psalmist describes. Mercy and truth are met together.
Righteousness and peace have kissed each other. Christ came
on a mission not to do away with the law, but to satisfy its every
claim which might present itself against the sons of God in the
courts of heaven. Paul declares as much, Who shall
lay anything to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justifieth. Who is he that condemneth? It
is Christ that died. Yea, rather, that is risen again,
who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession
for us. Who shall separate us from the
love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress,
or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?
For I am persuaded that neither death, nor life, nor angels,
nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things
to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature shall
be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ
Jesus our Lord. To the thinking of natural men,
justice and mercy cannot coexist. Men might from time to time suspend
justice in order to show mercy. Out of this notion arises the
thought that God will weigh the good of men over against their
evil and in some measure seek a modification. This is what
they generally consider when they think of mercy. Yet God
is perfect in all of His ways, and He will not at all acquit
the wicked, nor by any means clear the guilty. The soul that
sinneth, it shall die. There are no modifications attached
to that judgment and its swift recompense of justice. When the
woman was taken in adultery, many believed that the Lord ignored
her crimes, and due to the fact that she was no worse than the
man involved, He let her off the hook. Yet the reality is
that he forgave her because he became sin for her and took upon
himself all of her crimes. It was impossible that any man
could condemn her whom the Lord made clean. The Pharisees hated
this revelation when he forgave the sins of the man with his
palsy. And behold, they brought to him
a man sick of the palsy, lying on a bed. Jesus, seeing their
faith, said unto the sick of the palsy, Son, be of good cheer,
thy sins be forgiven thee. And behold, certain of the scribes
said within themselves, This man blasphemeth. And Jesus, knowing
their thoughts, said, Wherefore think ye evil in your hearts?
For whether it is easier to say, Thy sins be forgiven thee, or
to say, Arise and walk? But that ye may know that the
Son of Man hath power on earth to forgive sins, then saith he
to the sick of the palsy, Arise, take up thy bed, and go unto
thine house. This harmony of justice and mercy
exists nowhere in heaven or earth except in Jesus Christ. For when
we were yet without strength in due time, Christ died for
the ungodly. For scarcely for a righteous
man will one die, yet peradventure for a good man some would even
dare to die. But God commendeth his love toward us, and that
while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more than being
now justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through
Him. Have you tasted of His mercy
and rejoiced in His justice? Christ is all. For a free CD
containing 15 of these radio broadcasts, send an email to
forthepoor at windstream.net.