And for thy truth, for thou has
magnified thy word above all thy name. Thou has magnified
thy word above all thy name. So today we'll continue our study
in looking at what is important to God. And again, this is by
no means an exhaustive study. We're simply scratching the surface.
All messages are scratching the surface because God is an infinite
God. He's an infinite God. He's a
holy God. He's a righteous God. And we only understand him. And
the things of him as he reveals this, he's pleased to reveal
it to us. And so that's our prayer, isn't it? That the Holy Spirit
would reveal to us Christ and reveal to us our almighty God
and who he is and and with Christ, who he is, what he's done, where
he is now. And he is the eternal one. We know from our study on his
name that he's the eternal one. He's the self-existent one. He's
the ancient of days. And so we've looked at how His
name is important to Him because it identifies who He is, right?
And Scripture here says He's magnified His Word above His
name. His Word above His name. We also looked last week at His
glory and how His glory is important to Him and how He won't share
it with anyone else. Now, folks in religion, they
want all the glory. No. No. The believer says, no,
Christ gets all the glory. He gets all the honor and He
gets all the praise. God will not share his glory
with anyone. We also look at his intrinsic glory, which is
the glory of who he is. That never
changes. We don't add anything to that at all. Our giving him
the glory and praise doesn't add anything to his intrinsic
glory because he is great and he is God and he is perfect and
he's far above us, far above us. But he will not share his glory.
He will not share His glory with anyone else with another. So
today we'll look at how His word is important to Him. Here before
us is a profound statement, for thou hast magnified thy word
above all thy name. That's a profound statement because
we know in our study in His name who He is and how it identifies
who He is. Scripture says here, for thou
hast magnified thy word above all thy name. So God's name represents
all His attributes and who He is and they're important to Him.
And the name of God includes all the perfections of God, everything
that God is, which God has revealed himself as having justice, perfect
justice. He reigns in perfect majesty,
perfect holiness. He's absolutely holy. He's absolutely
holy. Think of this, too. He's so holy
that that even the book is called the Holy Bible. And even the
angels that have to be in his presence are called holy angels.
He's perfect. He's righteous. And that's why
we must be made holy to be in his presence, because we're unholy
by by by nature and by birth. He's holy. And Christ makes us
whole. He does. It's incredible. We're
sanctified in Christ. We're made holy. That's what
sanctified means. We're made holy in Christ. So
he has magnified his name. He has magnified his word over
his name and his name speaks of his holiness, his greatness,
his glory, whatever he is in himself as a God's name. And
yet he has magnified something above his name. And that is his
word. That's his word, his truth, his
truth. Man may mock the word of God
and they do to their doom. And they may make light of it
until God casts them into hell. And this book, beloved, is God's
Word, and it's important to Him. It's important to Him. And we
see from this text that God has magnified His Word above His
name. And we know that from studying
Scripture, that this Word, the written Word, and the Word incarnate,
who is the Lord Jesus Christ, what about His name? Well, it's
a name above all names, isn't it? So he's magnified his word,
he's magnified his word, the book, and he's magnified the
word God incarnate, the Lord Jesus Christ. Philpott says about
this scripture, you may take the words either as meaning that
God has magnified his word, his eternal son, above all his great
name, that is that he has set Jesus on high above all the perfections
of his majesty, or take it as meaning His written word, which
is written in the sacred scriptures. So in that case, not only the
incarnate word in the person of Jesus, but also the written
word of scriptures of truth. So both are magnified. Both are
magnified. Think of this, beloved. What
a firm salvation the believer in Christ has. What a firm salvation
the believer in Christ has. Our salvation rests upon not
only his written word, right? Because faith cometh by hearing,
and hearing by the word of God. But our faith rests upon the
incarnate word. The Lord Jesus Christ. The Lord
Jesus Christ. God has magnified His Word above
all His name. And we know from Psalm 119, 89,
it says this, forever thy Word is settled in heaven. Forever
thy Word is settled in heaven. This is expressive of the eternality,
the eternality and unchangeableness of God and of His Word. He never
changes, does He? We know that. Scripture says
He's the same yesterday, today, and forever. This book never
changes. His word doesn't change. It doesn't
change. The grass wither and the flower
faded, but the word of our Lord shall stand forever. Isaiah 40
verse eight. Have you ever noticed how God's
works and his word stand in relation to one another? They're intertwined,
right? His his works are by his word,
whether oral, written or preached. Who created the world? The word
of God. The Lord Jesus Christ. He's the
one who created all that we see. He created every one of us here.
Every one of us. Heaven and earth are preserved
by the word of his power. The word of his power. And by
his word, we know from Colossians by Christ, the word, all things
consist. All things consist you take you
take Christ out. There's nothing there's nothing
Because he spoke everything into existence and he by him all things
consists Christ Jesus our Lord is the living word the word of
God incarnate He's the one about whom all the written word is
about This book is about the word the word of God It's called
the word of God because it God is the author of it Different
men penned it, but he was the one who inspired them to write
what they did. But it's all about Christ. This book is about Christ. It's a hymn book, meaning Christ
and him alone. Think of this. We would not know
what sin is except by his word. We wouldn't have a clue. Because
God, the Holy Spirit, takes the preaching of the word and reveals
to us what? That we're sinners. in desperate need of Christ,
we would never have known we were sinners. I didn't know I
was a sinner until God revealed that to me. And how did he reveal
to me through his word? Through his word, but I didn't
have a clue before that. The new the new birth, let's
think of this, too. You see how everything centers
around the word, the new birth, the new birth is accomplished
by God's Holy Spirit using the word of God. Using the word of
God. Faith cometh by hearing, and
hearing by the word of God. And the Holy Spirit's the one
who what? Grants us the faith to believe on Christ. It's all
his work. It's all his doing. It pleases
God by what? The foolishness of preaching.
The foolishness of preaching to save them which believe. Well, what's preached? The word of God. The word of
God. We preach Christ from the word
of God. The word of God is all about
Christ and the good news of the gospel, that Christ came to save
sinners, to save his people from their sins. And it tells us of
a successful savior, doesn't it? It doesn't tell us of a God
who wants to save people but is trying to, but he's done all
that he could do at Calvary and now the rest is up to you. That's
so foreign to scripture. That's so foreign to the Bible.
No, Christ came to save his people from their sins, and he did it.
And this word tells us that not one of them will be lost. Not
one of them will be lost. Do you see why this word this
word must be the ground and truth of what we believe? Not man's
opinion, because man can take this word and twist it, and they
do. They do. That's why, like I say,
we study the real scriptures to know the counterfeit. Now
I know people who spend hours studying counterfeit religions.
If they study the word, that's where the truth is. Then they'll
know when someone comes up to them and says some stupid thing,
and they can say, no, that's wrong. When they say your salvation's
based upon what you do and what Christ has done, and we can look
at them and say, no, I'm complete in Christ. Right, Colossians
2.10. He did it all. He cried, it's
finished. There's nothing for me to do
but look. Now, what are the prerequisites
for us? We believe on Christ, right?
We do. I was talking to someone this week, and I said, you know,
I said, we're not robots. So you all think that because
I'm Calvinistic, and because I believe what I believe, and
the doctrines of grace, you all think that we're a bunch of robots.
That's your claim. I'm not a robot. I'm an unwilling
one who was made willing. That's what I am. And then I
ran to Christ. Is it so with you? Is it so? We're not, well, the Lord, the
Lord, but the Lord, but we say salvation's of the Lord. It's
all his doing. He's the one who granted me the faith and the
repentance to turn to Christ. He's the one who made me willing.
And you know what? I'm so thankful he made me willing
and didn't leave me where I was. Because if he had left me where
I was, I'd never be willing. You see the marvel of salvation,
how it's all of grace. It's all of his doing. And this
word tells us thy people shall be made willing in the day of
his power. That's what this word tells us.
That's what this word tells us. It's wonderful. It's wonderful. So God's people are comforted
by this, the word, too. Through our various afflictions
and trials and tribulations, we are taught by God from his
holy word and by the Holy Spirit. Scripture says this in Psalm
119, 71, it is good for me that I've been afflicted. Now, none
of us like affliction, but David writes that I might learn thy
statutes, that I might learn from your word who you are, what
you've done. That's right. Through various
afflictions, we learn about who God is. Thou hast magnified thy
word above all thy name. Here, in his word, God is pleased
to reveal himself to his people. And that's what he does through
the preaching of the word, right? Through the preaching of the
gospel, God reveals himself to his people. Aren't you thankful
he does? Because otherwise, we'd never
know him. We'd never know him. Scripture says, the Word says,
there's none that seeketh after God. There's none righteous,
no, not one. So if there's none that seeketh
after God, there goes Arminianism out the window, doesn't it? Because
it says that you can seek God. But Scripture says you can't.
Someone's lying. And it ain't the Bible. The Bible
is truth, beloved, truth. Again, though, the same Word
that says that there's none that seeketh after God and that there's
none righteous, right? says that we look to Christ and
live. We're made willing to look to
Him and live. You see, the Bible must be our
final authority. It must be. It must be. In the Scriptures, God is manifested
as He is nowhere else. The Scriptures declare who God
is and who Christ is and what we are. Sinners. Sinners by birth,
nature and choice. And that we, in our natural state,
when we come into this world, are born hopeless. Hopeless and
guilty before the holy God of the universe. Also in scriptures
are manifested His mighty works and His decrees. Turn, if you
would, to Job, chapter 25. Job 25. In the scriptures are
manifested His mighty works and decrees and the facts The fact
that He is the one true God, that He's absolutely sovereign.
And He will have His will come to pass. Now think of this. We
have nature all around us, right? But nature cannot answer this
question in Job. Nature cannot answer this question
in Job. Look at this question, Job 25,
verse 4. Nature cannot, creation cannot
answer this question. How then can a man be justified
with God, or how can he be clean that is born of a woman? How
then can man be justified with God, or how can he be clean that
is born of a woman? Turn to Romans chapter 3, the
answer's in the book. Only the word of God can answer
this question. A man can be justified before
God only in and through the Lord Jesus Christ. Look at Romans
321. So men can look at nature and
say, well, there's a God, but it can never answer that question,
can it? Nature can never answer that question. How can a man
be justified before God? Look at Romans 321 to 26. But
now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested,
being witnessed by the law and the prophets, even the righteousness
of God. which is by faith of Jesus Christ
unto all and upon all them that believe." There, you have to
believe. In order to be saved, you've got to believe. These
folks say, you've all experienced this before. You go to a funeral
and you know the person didn't love Christ, but all of a sudden
the guy up there is telling you that he went to heaven. They're
lying on God. They didn't even believe on God.
So according to the modern preachers, no one goes to hell. Well, that's
not what the scriptures say. You must believe on Christ. You
must call all of them that believe. And we know that believing faith
is a gift. It's a gift of God, for there
is no difference for all have sinned and come short of the
glory of God. There's the level playing field. Bam, right there.
Everyone, we're all sinners. Being justified, look at this,
look at this. Being justified freely by His grace. Oh, the grace of God. Through
the redemption, there's the payment that is in Christ Jesus, whom
God has set forth. So how can a man be justified
with God? Only through Christ, whom God
has set forth to be a propitiation through faith in His blood to
declare His righteousness, His perfect, spotless righteousness
for the remission of sins that are passed to the forbearance
of God. To declare, I say, at this time, his righteousness,
that he might be just and the justifier of him which believeth
in Jesus." So the answer to the question in Job is only found
in Scripture, and it's Christ. How can a man be justified before
God? Only in Christ. Only in Christ,
beloved. There are many facts in relation
to God of which science can shed no light. of which cannot be
found in nature or cannot be learned in the best schools through
the teaching of men, but by this Word, by the teaching of the
Holy Spirit, we can learn who God is, that He's absolutely
sovereign, that He's in full control. And that He is a God
who condescended and came down to redeem His people from their
sins and now He's in glory, a successful Savior seated at the right hand
of the Father. This book reveals all that. By the teaching of
the Holy Spirit revealing it to His people. All of nature and creation cannot
reveal We cannot reveal that Christ, the Lord Jesus Christ,
shed his blood to purchase his elect and bore all the wrath
of God, which was deserving of our sins. Deserving of our sins
in order to satisfy God's justice in our place. All of nature and
creation cannot reveal this. Cannot reveal this. The best
schools, the most learned men in the world do not know these
precious truths. But God is pleased to reveal
it to His people. To His people. To His blood-bought,
purchased people. Purchased by the blood of Christ.
Born again by the Holy Spirit, and then taught by Him. Christ. My. And He reveals Himself through
this Bible. That's why scriptures are so
precious to us. That's why Christ is so precious
to us. He's the Word of God incarnate.
The heavens declare the glory of God and the firmament showeth
His handiwork. From them men may see His eternal
power and Godhead. We as believers clearly see that,
don't we? We clearly see His power and
His Godhead, His work before us. That's why when I go out
at night and I look up at the sky and it's just full of stars
or walking across this morning hearing the birds just like an
orchestra chirping away. It's beautiful. But in all that
I see God's hand. I didn't before, but now I do.
But man can look at the sky and think, well, somebody made all
this, but yet still not know Christ, right? But this book
reveals who is the creator of all this. Who's the one who keeps
it all together? And I pray that God the Holy
Spirit would reveal Christ to you if you don't know him, because
otherwise we just grope around in the dark, don't we? Now in
his providential dealings, God's wisdom and goodness is
exhibited. But of his perfections, we can form no idea from his
works. We don't know about his purposes.
But when God, the Holy Spirit's pleased to reveal to us in scripture
who God is, we see him in his majesty, don't we? And we see
his purposes being worked out. That's why we can say, that's
why the last election, we knew whoever God was gonna put in
power, he put in power, right? We didn't have to get all worked
up about it. Folks were just spinning around, getting so worked
up. But God's people were like, well, we know the Lord will ultimately
put in whomever he's pleased to put in. But these things must be revealed
to us. His wisdom, his goodness, the
perfections of who he is must be revealed to us through his
book. In this wonderful book, the Word of God, all the glory
of the Godhead shines. As one commentator says, the
believer is admitted into the council chamber of the Most High
as we learn of his covenant, which he made in eternity. Think
of that. Did we even, I had no clue about this. Sister Karen
and I were talking about this, too, that how God loved us before
we even knew him. And but but and how he loved
us from eternity. But the commentator brought this
out, too, though, how we're admitted into the council chamber of the
most high as we learn and we learn by God, the Holy Spirit
revealed it to us. Right. Of his covenant, which
the father, the son and the Holy Spirit entered into eternity.
The father, what gives the people to Christ doesn't. He gives the
people to Christ, Ephesians, one for chosen in him before
the foundation of the world. whom he shall have as his inheritance.
The son shall have these people here make his soul an offering
for their sins. Isaiah 53 10. He himself himself
here atone for the guilt of our sins, putting away all the sins
of all his people, fully paying all God demanded in their place
and the Holy Spirit will, by his effectual grace, draw those
lost sheep to Christ. Regenerate. Born again. You read Ephesians two from verses
one to nine. That's what that's all about.
Dead in trespasses and sins, but God quickened by the Holy
Spirit. It's all his work. But did we
know about that until God revealed it to us in the scriptures? I
had no clue. I had no clue. Growing up, I
didn't even, I had a warped version of who God was. I did not know
him at all. But now we see justice satisfied
and the perfect Redeemer. We see all this revealed through
God's word. We learn of how God became a
man. And the death of the Lord Jesus Christ in the place of
his people. The perfect, spotless, we learn
that he's a perfect, spotless sacrifice. Absolutely sinless,
the total opposite of us. Perfect, spotless. I didn't know
that. God had to reveal that to me.
And he does through the scriptures. We behold the perfections of
God and the greatness of our God and the sovereignty of our
God. Did you ever think of that before the Lord saved you? I
didn't have a clue. Now I just marvel at all this.
And like Norm said, God doesn't get smaller. He gets greater
and greater and greater and greater. The more I study, the more he
gets, right? The more sermons we hear, the
greater he becomes. The greater he becomes. He's
a great God and greatly to be praised. And we behold in his
word the perfections of God, the greatness of God, the sovereignty
of God. We see his justice satisfied
in the perfect Redeemer, the Lord Jesus Christ. We read about
the mercy of God shed abroad to his people in Christ. This precious book is proclaimed
mercy and truth. Turn, if you would, to Psalm
85. Psalm 85. This precious book declares in
Psalm 85, verse 10 here. Look at verse 9, too. Surely
his salvation is nigh them that fear him. that glory may dwell
in our land and look at here it says in verse 10 mercy and
truth are met together in righteousness and peace have kissed each other.
Truth shall spring out of the earth and righteousness shall
look down from heaven. That happened at Calvary's cross,
beloved. Mercy and truth kissed each other. It's beautiful. It's
beautiful. Righteousness and peace have
kissed each other. So let us think of this, these
precious truths spoken of in His Word. Creation does not speak
of these things, but His Word does. His Word does. No, God is magnified. He shines
brightly, brightly through the Scriptures as the Holy Spirit
reveals these precious truths to His people. 2 Corinthians
3.8 says this, But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass
the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory
to glory, even by the Spirit of the Lord. We grow in the grace
and knowledge and truth of our Savior, beloved, as we study
His Word, as we hear it preached and proclaimed. And we behold
these precious truths with the eye of faith, which is spiritual
sight. That's why we pray that God will
give you eyes to see and ears to hear. Christ, if you don't
know him, this is why we pray that, because the only way I
can see these things is with spiritual eyes. And the Holy
Spirit's the one who's teaching me. I can't claim credit for
anything, and I don't want to. He gets all the glory. He gets
it all, beloved. He gets it all. Turn, if you
would, to Matthew, chapter 13. Matthew, chapter 13. So we behold these precious truths
with the eye of faith, which is a spiritual sight, and we
behold Christ all through the Scriptures, this Word. This Word
is important to God and it's important to His people. And
here are a few quick points pertaining to how God's Word is important
to Him. The Word of God is the seed of spiritual life by which
sinners are born again. James says this, Of His own will
begot He us, with the word of truth, that we should be a kind
of first fruits of his creature. He begot us with the word of
truth, with the scriptures. The Holy Spirit uses the scriptures.
He regenerates us and uses the scriptures. Our faith cometh
by hearing and hearing by the word of God. This is why it's
absolutely vital that we preach Christ and him crucified and
nothing else. Nothing else. Look at Matthew
13, verses three. Here, scripture gives us the
illustration of this. of this, how he begats us with
the word of truth. Here's the illustration of this
by the parable of the sower. And he spake many things unto
them in parables, saying, Behold, a sower went forth to sow. And
when he sowed, some seeds fell by the wayside, and the fowls
came and devoured them up. Some fell upon stony places,
where they had not much earth, and forthwith they sprung up,
because they had no deepness of earth. And when the sun was
up, they were scorched, and because they had no root, they withered
away. And some fell among thorns, and the thorns sprang up and
choked them. But other fell upon good ground." Now think of this.
Here's the Word of God falling upon good ground. How's it good
ground? Who's made that ground to differ
from any of the other ground that we just read about? God. God's made that ground to differ.
The ground didn't make itself to differ. No. Ain't it wonderful? I'm the only one saved in my
whole family. The only ones that I know of. It's God who prepared
the ground. It wasn't me. I wasn't looking
for God. Look at this, though. But I fell
on the good ground and bought forth fruit. The fruit of the
Spirit, right? It's all His work. Some 100 fold
and some 60 fold, some 30 fold. Who have the ears to hear, let
them hear. All that God would give you spiritual ears to hear.
So the seed that the sower is sowing, his seed is the word
of God, the incorruptible seed, which endures forever. Endures
forever. First Peter says this. Turn if
you would to 1 Peter 1, verses 23 and 25. We'll keep in mind
what we just read with the parable of the sower. 1st Peter 1, 23-25. Being born again, not of corruptible
seed, but of incorruptible, incorruptible, by the Word of God which liveth
and abideth forever. 1st Peter 1, 23. Being born again,
not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the Word
of God which liveth and abideth forever. For all flesh is grass,
And all the glory of man is the flower of grass. The grass witherth,
and the flower thereof falleth away. But the word of the Lord
endureth forever. And this is the word by which
the gospel is preached unto you." Here it is. The word of God. It's beautiful. It's beautiful. The basis of
our faith is the Word of God. Abraham believed what God said.
For what saith the Scripture? Abraham believed God, and it
was counted unto him for righteousness. We believe what God says. There
was a time when I didn't. Now I do. Who made me to differ? God. God. It's all His work. He staggered not at the promise
of God through unbelief, but was strong in faith, giving glory
to God, and being fully persuaded that what he had promised, he
was also able to perform. We believe that what God promises,
he's able to perform. Our hope's in Christ, isn't it?
Our hope's in what he's done. We believe what God says. Now,
I've talked to folks who say, well, I believe part of the Bible,
but I don't believe it all. Well, if you're a believer, you're
going to bow your knee to what scripture says. You might have some hard time
with some verses for a little while, but you bow your knee
to it. Say, Lord, this is your word.
This is your word. This is your word. And the word of God is the foundation
of our hope. Scripture says Psalm 119 81. My soul fainted for my
salvation, but I hope in my word. I hope in my word in the Hebrew
hope is defined to wait, hope, expect to tarry. And this leads
the believer to confess, thou art my hiding place, my shield,
I hope in my word, our hopes in Christ, isn't it? Our hope
is in what the word says that is truly, truly what it says
is what it says is true. The Word of God will be the basis
of judgment. On that great day of judgment,
God will judge men under this book. John, chapter 12. Turn
up to the wood there. John, chapter 12. We're almost
finished. John, chapter 12, verses 47 to
49. And if any man hear my words
and believe not, I judge him not. For I came not to judge
the world, but to save the world. John 12, 48. He that rejecteth
me and receiveth not my words hath one that judges him, the
word that I have spoken. the same shall judge him in the
last day for I have not spoken of myself but the father which
sent me he gave me a commandment what I should say and what I
should speak and I know that his commandment is life everlasting
whatsoever I speak therefore even as the father said unto
me so I speak and the last point is the word of God will stand
forever forever For verily I say unto you, till heaven and earth
pass away, one jot or a tittle shall in no wise pass from the
law, till all be fulfilled. And in Numbers it says this,
God is not a man that he should lie, neither the son of man that
he should repent. Hath he said, and shall he not
do it? Hath he not said in this word,
and shall he not do it? Or hath he spoken, and shall
he not make it good? What he says shall come to pass.
I guarantee you, what the Lord says will come to pass, because
He's God. For as the rain cometh down,
and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth
the earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud, that it may give
seed to the sower, and bread to the eater, so shall my word
be that goeth forth of my mouth. It shall not return unto me void,
but it shall accomplish that which I please. That's God's
speech. And it shall prosper in the thing whereunto I sent
it." That's good news for sinners. It shall prosper in the thing
whereunto I sent it. God will get all his sheep, beloved.
He'll get them all. So God's word is very, very important
to him. So important to him that he exalts
it over his name. Gracious Heavenly Father, we
come before you with thankful and grateful hearts for your
goodness and mercy and grace. And we're thankful that the Holy
Spirit, for we who believe, has taught us and revealed to us
the word of truth. The scriptures are your word
to us, the written word. And you speak to us through your
word, no other way. But oh, we just are so thankful
that you have a book that reveals reveals a little who you are
just a little who you are and we are thankful that you've given
us an understanding by the by the Holy Spirit we pray that
if it's your will that you would give give those who do not know
you spiritual spiritual ears to hear and spiritual eyes to
see the Lord Jesus Christ who this book is all about in Jesus
name