Open your Bibles, if you would,
to Song of Solomon, Chapter 6. We're already in Chapter 6. After
this chapter, we just have two more to go, and we'll finish
this book. Song of Solomon, Chapter 6. We're looking at verses 1
to 3 tonight. The name of the message is Christ
in His Garden. Christ in His Garden. Song of
Solomon, Chapter 6, verses 1 to 3. Whither is thy beloved gone,
O thou fairest among women? Whither is thy beloved turned
aside, that we may seek him with thee? And this is the daughter
of Jerusalem asking the bride in answer to the exhortation
that the bride gave in the previous chapter, in chapter 5, verses
10-16, We saw last time we met on Sunday evening, it's been
a few weeks due to the weather, but we saw the bride, just her
heart being exposed for her beloved and how wonderful, how wonderful
he is to her. And this is, the daughters of
Jerusalem are now asking about him. Whither is thy beloved gone,
O thou fairest among women? Whither is thy beloved turned
aside that we may seek him with thee? And her response is, my
beloved has gone down into his garden, to the beds of spices
to feed in the gardens and to gather lilies. I am my beloved. I am my beloved. Boy, we could
just stop there, couldn't we? I am my beloved. I'm Christ. And my beloved is mine. Oh, it
just gets better. He feedeth among the lilies.
So two weeks ago, we looked at Song of Solomon, chapter five,
verses 10 to 16. Let's read that real quick. My
beloved is white and ruddy, and this is her answer to the daughters
of Jerusalem over, why is her beloved different than other
beloveds? And this is the believers cry. in the believer's exhortation,
and we will see the beauty that she sees in her bridegroom. My beloved is white and ruddy,
the chiefest among 10,000. Oh, he's distinguished. among 10,000. He's the fairest,
the cheapest. His head is the most fine gold. His locks are bushy and black
as a raven. His eyes are as the eyes of doves
by the rivers of waters washed with milk and fitly set. His
cheeks are as a bed of spices, his sweet flowers, his lips like
lilies dropping sweet-smelling myrrh. His hands are as gold
rings set with With the barrel, his belly is as bright ivory,
overlaid with sapphires. His legs are as pillars of marble,
set upon sockets of fine gold. His countenance is as Lebanon,
excellent as the cedars. His mouth is most sweet, yea,
he is altogether lovely." She sums it all up, doesn't she?
She says, he's altogether lovely. This is my beloved, and this
is my friend, oh daughters of Jerusalem. So he's revealed himself
to his people. And this is her response. This
is her response to the daughters of Jerusalem tonight that we'll
look at. And that question they ask in verse one, whither is
thy beloved gone? Now the daughters of Jerusalem
are interested after she's expounded the beauties of her beloved.
And several commentators say the daughters of Jerusalem picture
God's lost sheep who are being drawn by the Holy Spirit of God.
Now she's inquiring. The daughters of Jerusalem are
now inquiring about, even more intimately, about the bridegroom
of the bride. Turn, if you would, to Genesis
chapter 45. Again in Song of Solomon 5, 10-16
there we saw the bride proclaiming who her heavenly bridegroom was
and what he is to her. And we know that this pictures
the church. And we know also that our heavenly
bridegroom, the only way we know him, and the only way we can
say the words that the bride said there is by revelation.
The fact that he's revealed himself to us through his word, the fact
that he's taught us who he is, and that we now have a love for
him that we never had before. And that's how we tell others
about him, don't we? We tell others because we're born again,
we're blood-bought saints of God. And he's revealed himself
to us, hasn't he? Just as Joseph revealed himself
to his brethren. They did not know who he was.
They had no idea who he was until Joseph revealed himself. Look
at Genesis 45, verses one to seven. Then Joseph could not
refrain himself before all them that stood by him, and he cried.
Now remember, they had come to him several times, and they didn't
know who he was, but he knew who they were. Christ knows his sheep. We don't
know Him before conversion, but He knows us. He knows us. What a picture, beloved. What
a picture. then Joseph could not refrain
himself before all them that stood by him. And he cried, cause
every man to go out from me. And there stood no man with him
while Joseph made himself no one unto his brethren. They had
no clue who he was. But here it says he made himself
no one unto his brethren. Beloved, we have no idea who
Christ is until he makes himself no one to us. And it's the same
with all the brethren, right? And he wept aloud, and the Egyptians
in the house of Pharaoh heard, and Joseph said unto his brethren,
I am Joseph, doth my father yet live? And his brethren could
not answer him, for they were troubled at his presence. Remember
what they'd done to him. Remember what they'd done to
him. Think of what our sins. Why did Christ go to Calvary?
to pay for our sins, to pay for our sins, beloved. And Joseph said unto his brethren,
come near to me. What's the Lord tell his people?
Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I'll
give you rest. I pray you, and they came near,
and he said, I am Joseph, your brother, whom ye sold into Egypt.
Now therefore be not grieved nor angry, with yourselves that
ye sold me hither, for God did send me before to preserve life. For these two years hath the
famine been in the land, and yet there are five years in which
there shall neither be earing nor harvest. And God sent me
before you to preserve you a posterity in the earth, and to save your
lives by a great deliverance. I ask you who are redeemed here
tonight, have you not been saved by a great deliverance? By a
great deliverance. So just as Joseph's brethren
did not know him until he revealed himself to them, we do not know
Christ until he reveals himself to us. And the daughters of Jerusalem
picturing God's lost sheep being drawn to him They don't know
him, but now they're inquiring about him. Now they're inquiring
about him. And we who are the redeemed of
the Lord again see ourselves in Joseph's brethren. We didn't
know him until he revealed himself to us and what a great deliverance
he has wrought for us. And he has saved us, beloved,
from all our sins. Now, is it any wonder then the
bride who who knows Christ, speaks of his beauty and his majesty,
as the bride did to the daughters of Jerusalem in chapter five,
which we read. Is it any wonder why she proclaims
how beautiful he is? How wonderful he is? He's the
lover of my soul. He's the one who's purchased
my eternal soul with his own precious blood. And so we as
believers, we want to proclaim him. Think of this, too, for the bride,
he's her beloved. He's her redeemer. He's her God.
The Lord Jesus Christ is all this to the believer, all this
to the believer. Now, we can only speak as the
bride does when we are born again by the Holy Spirit of God. And
it's he who teaches us about our heavenly bridegroom through
the preaching of his word. So tonight we'll be in chapter
6 where we'll see the daughters of Jerusalem here. Let's look
at that verse again, verse 1. Asking the bride where her bridegroom
is. Whither is thy beloved gone, O thou fairest among women? Whither
is thy beloved turned aside, that we may seek him with thee?
Now notice she says that we may seek him with thee. The daughters
of Jerusalem here represent an inquiring soul. which is seeking
Christ under the impressions of grace, being drawn by the
Holy Spirit of God with cords of love, with cords of love,
being drawn to the Savior. And note the latter part of the
verse again, that we may seek him with thee. With thee. See, remember, the bride has
told her of his beauty. And now she says, where is he? Where is he? That that we may
seek him with thee and see gospel preachers. We get up and we just
proclaim Christ and the beauty of him and what he's done. And
the Holy Spirit takes those words and uses it to draw his lost
sheep to him. and to build up believers in
Christ. It's amazing. It's absolutely
amazing. In note, the daughters of Jerusalem
calls her the fairest among women. The bride knows that she's only
beautiful in Christ. The believer knows this, right? We know that we're only beautiful
in Christ. In our natural state, we're black with sin. But in
Christ, we're beautiful. loathe in his righteousness,
perfect righteousness, too. There's no spot in his righteousness,
none at all. So the sole cause of the bride's
loveliness is Christ. The sole cause of that is Christ. And the daughters of Jerusalem
to be desired to be made partakers of the same. That we may seek
him with thee. Anytime the Lord blesses a preacher's
ministry to have questions concerning our Lord put to them by those
seeking Christ, it's a great joy. It's a great joy for people
to come for not just the preacher, for any any believer. It's a
great joy when people start to inquire about our Savior. When
they start to ask questions, it's a great joy because he's
the one we want to tell them about. Any time a seeking soul
asks one of the Lord's sheep about Christ, it's a great joy.
And let us take note that the inquiry he made concerning Jesus
is not who Christ is, because the daughters of Jerusalem have
already made that inquiry. Look at verse 9 of chapter 5.
What is thy beloved more than another beloved? So it's not
It's not concerning who Christ is because she's already asked
that. What is thy beloved more than another beloved? O thou
fairest among women. What is thy beloved more than
another beloved that thou doest so charge us? So the inquirer
of who he is has already been answered in that discourse that
we looked at from verses 10 to 16. Now we see the change in
the daughters of Jerusalem. Now they're saying, where is
he that we might seek him too? Where is he? Where is he? They
want to seek him with the bride. How shall I find him? Whither
is thy beloved turned aside that that we may seek him with thee?
Martin Luther brought forth from this verse for things for impossibilities
with men, it's impossible for a man to call on Christ unless
he believes on Christ. It's impossible for a man to
call on Christ unless he believes on Christ. It's impossible for
a man to believe on Christ unless he's heard of Christ, unless
he's heard of Christ, unless he's heard the gospel of the
Lord Jesus Christ. It's impossible for a man to
hear of Christ without a preacher. That's what scripture declares.
And it's impossible for a man to preach Christ, to truly preach
Christ in the power of the Holy Spirit unless he's sent of God
to do so. And we know also that it's impossible
for a man to come to Christ unless the Holy Spirit makes us willing,
unless we're born again by the Holy Spirit of God. So salvation
is of the Lord. It's all of him. Even the preacher
proclaiming the gospel is sent by God. He's one who's born again,
proclaiming to others the wonders of Christ, the wonders of Christ. And the preacher's sent to God
to do so. The bride had told the daughters of Jerusalem about
Christ proclaiming who He was and the beauty that's found in
Him that she sees within Him. See, at one time she saw no beauty
in Him in our natural state. We saw no beauty in Christ. We
didn't. But now we see beauty in our
Savior. He's wonderful. He's beautiful
to us. He's the fairest among 10,000.
He's the cheapest among 10,000 to our soul. Truly, He's our heart's desire. And God's preachers proclaim
who Christ is, what He's done, and where He is now. Where He
is now. The fact that He is the God,
man-mediated. The fact that He is the second
person of the Trinity, the Word of God, incarnate in the flesh,
fully God and fully man. The fact that He came to save
His people from their sins. And the fact that He's accomplished
this. He's accomplished this. All we do is rest in that finished
work, don't we? That's what we do. We look to
Him who finished the work. It's so opposite of religion,
isn't it? Which tells you you got to continue, you got to do
something, and then you got to keep doing it. The gospel preacher
proclaims salvation that's finished. That's accomplished. Accomplished. He did it all. And with his own
words and let anyone inquires about what we believe to say,
it's finished. Salvation's finished. I rest
in the finished work. Accomplished by a perfect saving
the Lord Jesus Christ. He did it all. He did it all. He saved his people from their
sins by the shedding of his own precious blood and by him dying
as a substitute upon Calvary's cross for our sins, for the sins
of his people. And then the fact that he's risen
from the grave. Where he is right now, he's victorious. He's seated
right now, right this second and the next second and all the
way to eternity and keeps on going. He's seated at the right
hand of the Father. Victorious. Victorious. And He's our mediator, isn't
He? He's our mediator. Right now. Right now. And He rules in majesty. And
He rules in power. He's not waiting to come back
and rule and reign. No. No, He rules and reigns right
now. In everything. and everyone is
subject to our great God and Savior, whether people believe
it or not. It's incredible. And where shall they hear, where
shall one hear the wondrous things proclaimed by the bride about
her beloved? Well, the answer is found in the next verse. My
beloved has gone down into his garden. to the beds of spices
to feed in the gardens and to gather lilies. In the church, where the gospel
is preached and proclaimed, where God's free grace is proclaimed
by a man sent of God, there the beloved bridegroom is in the
midst of his bride. Think upon this. It is a garden
of his choosing. Every single plant in the garden
of the Lord is a plant of God's choosing. Brother John, when
you put your garden together every every spring, you choose
the plants you want to put in there. You go to the store or
you go buy the seeds and you choose the ones that are going
to go in that garden and only those go in that garden. Same
with our Lord. He chooses every single plant. It's wonderful. And He cares
for it and watches over it. Oh, it's marvelous, beloved.
He's the great gardener. He's the great gardener. My beloved
has gone down into his garden to the beds of spices to feed.
in the gardens to gather lilies. The church is the Lord's garden,
and you know he purchased every plant in there. He bought every plant, just as
when we make a garden, we go and we purchase a plant or purchase
seeds and we plant them in the ground. Well, he purchased us. He purchased us with his own
precious blood. This is his garden. The plants don't decide, well,
I'm going to go in this garden, right? That's what religion claims,
isn't it? Plants say, well, I'm going to go with this garden
over here. I'm finished with this garden here. I'm going to
go on this one now. That's not how it works. This is a garden
of God's choosing. And every plant he purchases,
and he plants every single plant. And do you know he fences it
up? And he protects this garden. It's an enclosed garden. It's
a protected garden. It's protected by his providence
and it's protected by his power. It's protected by his power.
And the scripture here tells us he dwells in the garden. What's
he promised us? What's he promised his people
who are plants planted in his garden? What's he promised us,
beloved, that he'll never leave us nor forsake us? He cares and watches over us.
Think of this. You who are the beloved of God
are just like a plant in his garden. And he loves you. And he watches over you. And that wonderful. Oh. It's wonderful. All by his providential care.
My beloved has gone down into his garden. to the beds of spices,
to feed in the gardens, and to gather lilies. Now Josephus,
the Jewish historian, brings forth that Solomon used to go
very early in the morning in great pomp to Etham. Turn, if
you would, to Nehemiah 3, verse 15. He used to go to Etham. It's about two miles from Jerusalem,
called a pleasant place, according to Josephus, abounding with gardens
and flows of water. And some say that this could
be what he means here. And this could be in respect
to the king's garden, too, nearer to Jerusalem, which were at the
mount, the center of Mount Zion, and reached to the lower pool,
in which, lying lower than the king's palace, he might have
been said to go down into it. And we see that in Nehemiah 3.15. But the gate of the fountain
repaired Shalon, the son of Kohoza, the ruler of Mizpah, He built
it and covered it and set up the doors thereof, the locks
thereof and the bars thereof in the wall of the pool of Shiloh
by the king's garden and into the stairs that go down from
the city of David. And this is the one that's at
the descent of Mount Zion. And so it may speak of that,
too, meaning that he goes down into his garden. But either way,
it shows our Lord's condescension, doesn't it? The fact that he
leaves the palace which we could represent as glory, and descends
down into his garden. It also shows the condescension
of Christ when he came down to earth to redeem his people from
their sins. But let it be known, too, that the Lord is in the
midst of his people when we gather together. When two or three are
gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.
He's ever with us. So think of that. Even in our
lowest state here upon this earth, our Lord comes down in our presence,
and he comforts his people, doesn't he? He comforts us through the
preached word of God. He comforts us. My beloved has
gone down into his garden to the bed of spices, to feed in
the gardens and to gather lilies. Now turn, if you would, to Song
of Solomon, chapter two, verse two. What does the Lord refer
to his bride is? Over in chapter two, a lily among
thorns, remember? A lily among thorns, in our study
over there, Song of Solomon 2.2. As the lily among thorns, so
is my love among the daughters. Now this is speaking of the believer
amongst the world. The believer amongst the world.
As the lily among thorns. And look what it says in our
text in verse 2 of chapter 6. My beloved has gone down into
his garden to the bed of spices to feed in the gardens and to
gather lilies. When the Lord takes a saint of
God home, he's gathering a lily, beloved. He's gathering a lily,
taking it home to his heavenly garden. And what comfort we can
glean as believers from this. For loved ones who we've known
and friends who we've known who've died in Christ, they've gone
home to be with the Lord. They're lilies that have been
gathered by the great gardener. by the great gardener, our heavenly
bridegroom. And they are now enjoying everlasting
fellowship with Him. Everlasting fellowship with Him.
And soon He's coming to gather all of His lilies. Turn, if you
would, to 1 Thessalonians chapter 4. We don't know when this time
is, but we know every day it gets closer. It gets closer every
day. Any man tells you he knows what
the day is and the times is lying. But we know every day we're getting
closer. Now we will either get closer to being in the Lord's
presence by our own death, or if the Lord comes back when we're
still alive, then we'll be gathering all His lilies up at once. Oh
my, look at this. 1 Thessalonians chapter 4, verses
13 to 18. But I would not have you be ignorant,
brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not,
even as others which have no hope." What a hope the believer
has, eh, in Christ. For if we believe that Jesus
died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus
will God bring with Him. For this we say unto you by the
word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the
coming of our Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep
For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with
the voice of an archangel, and with the trump of God, and the
dead in Christ shall rise first. Then we which are alive and remain
shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the
Lord in the air. So shall we ever be with the
Lord. Wherefore comfort one another with these words. These are words
to be comforted. Comforts the believer. Comforts
the believer. One writer said of this text
we see over in Song of Solomon, my beloved has gone down into
his garden to the beds of spices to feed in the gardens and to
gather lilies. One old preacher of old says
this, he picks the lilies one by one and gathers them to himself.
And there will be a general harvest of them in a great day, which
we just read of, when he will send forth his angels to gather
all his lilies. And he may be forever glorified
and admired in them. Let's consider verse three now.
Let's consider verse three. I am my beloved's and my beloved
is mine. He feedeth among the lilies.
Again, we see the lilies mentioned. These are the words of the bride's
own heart. They minister to her soul as
she ponders what she has said here. and my Beloved's. And my Beloved is mine. He feedeth
among the lilies. Have you ever stopped and considered
these words? Just stop and consider these
words. How much of a miracle it is by
God's grace that every believer in Christ can say, I am my beloved's. And my beloved, my beloved is
mine. It's a miracle of grace. That we who are sinners could
even say this. It's a miracle, beloved. And
it's all God's doing. It's all his doing. that we could
even say, of Christ. And we know this is the bride
speaking of Christ. Speaking of God incarnate in
the flesh. Speaking of the One who, before
we knew Him, we may have used His name as a Bible. Now the name that is absolutely
precious to us. The One spoken of whom we say,
I am my Beloved's and my Beloved is mine. This is truly a miracle
of grace. He planned this wonderful salvation. God Himself planned this wonderful
salvation in and through Christ alone. He purposed it. And He executed it. He executed
it. This wonderful plan, which is
the redemption of His people. And the believer marvels that
Christ did this for me. Is it any wonder she cries, I
am my beloved, and my beloved is mine. She marvels that she can even
proclaim this. Ponder these words. It's a miracle
that we can even say this, and it's all by God's work. We're
regenerated by the Holy Spirit of God, born again by him. redeemed
by the precious blood of Christ, chosen in Christ before the foundation
of the world. All according to his mercy and
his grace, undeserving sinners can cry, I am my beloved. And my beloved is mine. He died for me. And the whole bride proclaims
this. all the elect of all the ages,
the blood-bought saints of God. I am my Beloved's, and my Beloved
is mine. She's assured of her relationship
with Christ, knowing it is no way dependent upon herself. There's another difference between
grace and religion. Religion tells you that your
relationship with Christ is dependent upon what you do. But our relationship with Christ is in no way dependent upon our
faithfulness. Could we be in a heap of trouble?
but it's dependent upon His faithfulness. And the Scriptures declare that
God is faithful. He's faithful. Turn, if you would, to Hebrews
chapter 8. The bride of Christ is those spoken of over in the
book of Hebrews chapter 8, where the Scripture proclaims this. Hebrews 8, verses 10-13. For this is the covenant that I will
make with the house of Israel. After those days, saith the Lord,
I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their
hearts. And I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me
a people. This is speaking of the bride
of Christ, beloved. And they shall not teach every
man his neighbor, And every man his brother, saying, Know the
Lord, for all shall know me from the least to the greatest. We're
taught of God. For I will be merciful to their
unrighteousness. Oh, how merciful God has been
to us. How merciful God has been to
our unrighteousness. And let this sink in, beloved,
right here. And no wonder the bride proclaims,
I am my beloved. And my beloved is mine. Look
at this. For I will be merciful to their unrighteous. And their
sins, how many of them? All their sins, right? And their
sins and their iniquities will I remember no more. This is God speaking. God is speaking this about His
people. God who nothing escapes His eyes. And He says right here, the forgiveness
in Christ is so great and so grand and so perfect that He
says this of His people who He's redeemed by His own precious
blood. And their sins and iniquities
will I remember no more. What a great forgiveness. What
a great salvation. And that he saith the new covenant,
he hath made the first old now that which decays and waxes old
is ready to vanish away. For I will be merciful to their
unrighteousness and their sins and iniquities, will I remember
no more. That is sweet to my soul. Is
it so with you? That's sweet. And again, no wonder
the Beloved cries out. No wonder the Bride cries out,
I am my Beloved, so my Beloved is mine. See, we know our own
sinfulness, don't we? We know how unbelief plagues
us. And it does every one of us.
If we're honest, it does every one of us. But remember this, you who are
redeemed of the Lord, He is faithful. He is faithful. He keeps us. He feeds us with His precious
Word. And God's people cry out, Oh,
the wonders of the sovereign grace of God in Christ. Oh, the
wonders. What wondrous love is this? Oh,
my soul. Oh, my soul. And remember the chapter before
this, the bridegroom had withdrawn from her. He chastened her for
a while, but praise God, our standing before God is never
based upon our works, but upon the works of the Lord Jesus Christ. And remember in Sunday school,
we studied this today, that we're lively stones built up, built
up in holy priesthood to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable
to God by Christ Jesus, only through our beloved, only through
our beloved. So the bride is comforted by
her own words here. I am my beloved. This springs
from a heart full of joy. This springs from a heart that's
been redeemed. And what strength we can glean
from these words here. I am my beloved. Just if something
happens through the week, just remember this. I am my beloved. If something comes up that seems
insurmountable, I am my beloved. And my beloved is mine. And that don't change. That won't change. Because we're
safe in Christ. And the believer is strengthened
and filled with joy and love for her beloved. Again, note
it says, I am my beloved's and my beloved is mine. The affections
of her heart for him are now verbalized. Are now verbalized. True love. True love for Christ
is not merely believing doctrine, although doctrine is very important,
isn't it? But true love for Christ is not
merely believing doctrine or creeds or following a set of
forms, because there's people who believe right doctrine but
are lost. True love for Christ is not merely
believing doctrine or creeds or following a set of forms and
ceremonies, no. It's a heartfelt love for Christ,
springing from a regenerated heart, one who's born again by
the Holy Spirit of God. And as a result of that, we love
Christ. And we love the great truths
and doctrines of the scriptures, don't we? Because they all spring
from Him. They all find their center in
Him, in Him alone. And true conversion makes Jesus
supreme in the heart of the believer. And when we are born again, we
cry out with the Bride here, I am my Beloved's, and my Beloved
is mine. The Bride knows again that her
standing before God is not based upon her works, but based upon
His works. Her acceptance with God is not
based upon her works, but by His works. and by all of grace. The only reason we are accepted
by God is in and through Christ Jesus our Lord, and it is all
by the grace of God. Turn, if you would, to Psalm
89. The bride holds fast by faith
the everlasting covenant which stands unbroken in Christ in
spite of our many sins. Look at Psalm 30. Psalm 89, I'm
sorry, verse 30 to 37. I got ahead of myself there.
Psalm 89, verses 30 to 37. If his children forsake my law
and walk not in my judgments, if they break my statutes and
keep not my commandments, then I will visit their transgression
with a rod and their iniquity with stripes. God chastens his
people. He does. Nevertheless, My loving
kindness will I not utterly take from him, nor suffer my faithfulness
to fail. My covenant will I not break, nor alter the thing that has
gone out of my lips. Once I have sworn by my holiness
that I will not lie unto David, his seed shall endure forever,
and his throne is the sun before me. It shall be established how
long? Forever. Forever. The covenant that God established
with Christ is forever. That's the same covenant that
we're saved in the covenant of grace. Oh, as the moon and as
a faithful witness in heaven, see law. So the bride says, I
am my beloved. I am. My beloved. Right now. I am, I am, I am my
beloved right now. And I am my beloved for eternity. And every believer can say that.
I am my beloved. I'm Christ right now. I'm his.
I'm one of his sheep right now. And I will be forever. It's wonderful. My beloved. He owns me. He created me. He purchased me. And one day
I'll be in His presence, glorified by Him, and every believer can
say this. May we as believers look upon our beloved, the Lord
Jesus Christ, despite our own sinfulness and our own corruption,
and cry out with the bride, I am my beloved's and my beloved is
mine. Think of this, we are beloved
of God, but think of this, we are Christ by the eternal gift. God chose us in him, in eternity. We are Christ by a special redemption,
by a special purchase. He didn't die for everyone. But
praise be to God, he died for his people. And he gave his life
for us. He's purchased us. every one
of His sheep with His own precious blood.
God Himself. God incarnated in the flesh.
Turn, if you would, to Acts 20, 28. God incarnated in the flesh
did this. The One who was fully God and
the One who was fully man, the Lord Jesus Christ, has purchased
me with His own blood. Here's a great verse to take
people who deny that Christ is God. Here's a great verse to
take people to. Acts chapter 20. Verse 28, look
what it says. Take heed therefore unto yourselves
and to all the flock over which the Holy Ghost hath made you
overseers, to feed the church of God. So the church is the
church of God, the elect of God, the called out assembly, the
ecclesia, to feed the church of God, which he, who purchased,
who purchased the church? God purchased the church. The
Lord Jesus Christ, God incarnated in the flesh, which he hath purchased
with his own blood. To feed the church of God, which
he hath purchased with his own blood. Jesus Christ is the God-man. And the believer proclaims, of
the God-man, our beloved, I am my beloved's, and my beloved
is mine. Again, we're his by creation.
He's the creator. And the believer in Christ is
his by purchase. He redeemed us, purchased our souls at Calvary's
cross. And nothing can change this fact. Let this sink in, beloved of
God. Nothing can change this fact. I am my beloved's and my
beloved is mine. Now people say, well, if you
preach that, man, people will just go crazy and do whatever
they want. No, they won't. No, they won't. The love of Christ constrains
us from sin. Nothing can change this fact.
I am my Beloved's and my Beloved is mine. Look at the second part
though here. The second part of the statement is just as wonderful or even
better than the first. My Beloved is mine. I am my Beloved's. and my beloved is mine. He who
holds all things together by the power of His Word is mine. All that I need is Christ, and
He is mine. He is mine. All that I want by
faith, the only one we look to, the one who is the lover of my
soul, is mine. Oh, what peace we can glean from
this. What wonder. We can sit here and wonder and
look at this, I am my beloved and my beloved is mine. He is
yours because the father gave him to you. And the father gave you to him. He is yours too because he swore
that he would be. He said, I will be for thee. And he will be forever. He will never leave nor forsake
his people. It is he who has revealed himself to you because
you were one of his sheep. He is our beloved and we trust
Him because He gives us faith to trust Him. He gives us faith to rest and
repose in Him. And the believer cries out, what
a wonderful Savior is Jesus Christ, my Lord. Is He your Savior? Have you trusted Him? If not, may God make it so. May
He grant you faith and repentance to look to Christ and to look
to Christ alone. I remember over in chapter 2,
he called his people a lily among thorns. And this pictures us
in the world. The thorns being the unbelievers
of this world. As the lily among thorns, so
is my love among the daughters. Song of Solomon, chapter 2, verse
2. Now note the latter part of verse three here. I am my beloved's
and my beloved is mine. He feedeth among the lilies. He feeds among the lilies. He
meets with his people in his garden. He speaks to us through
the preaching of his word. He communes with us through his
word. He reveals himself to us through
the preaching of his word. and through the teaching of His
Word. And we here proclaimed as we
gather together to fellowship around His Word. If I am planted in His garden,
then I'm one of His. And I am among those whom He
comes to feed among. What great comfort we can glean
here, beloved of God. the faithfulness of our beloved,
the faithfulness of our great God, the faithfulness of our
Redeemer. And may we who are redeemed cherish
this, the privilege of gathering together with his saints in his
garden, where he still feedeth among
the lilies. Close with Hebrews 10 verses
24 to 25, and let us consider one another to provoke unto love
and to good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together
as the manner of some is, but exhorting one another, and so
much the more as you see the day approaching. What a great
privilege it is for the believer to gather together amongst the
saints. And what a great privilege it
is for us that God has given us a desire to do so. Because
not everyone desires to be hearing the gospel of God's free and
sovereign grace in Christ alone. Gracious Heavenly Father, we
thank thee for your goodness and mercy and grace. Again, we
thank you that you have called us together, that we are a called
out assembly in Ecclesia. And O Lord, We know that where
two or three are gathered together in your name, there are you in
the midst of them. Oh, Lord Jesus, may we glorify
you. May we marvel this week at these
precious words. I am my beloved's and my beloved
is mine. Oh, what a great salvation we
have in thee. May you be glorified and magnified
throughout this week on the praises of our lips in Jesus name. Amen.