Chapter 5. Today's message is called Christ
Altogether Lovely. Christ Altogether Lovely. What a wonderful picture we have
of Christ and His Bride all through this book. And here in Chapter
5, We have the Bridegroom, who is Christ, visiting the Bride,
who is the Church. Christ and the Church are here
set forth before us all through this book as a man and the woman
that he loves. And in this chapter before us,
the woman awakes after he calls her. And she opens the door and cannot
find her beloved. And she searches for him in the
night. She's asked how her beloved differs
from another man. And how her beloved is better
than other men. And why she would seek him out
in the middle of the night. And she describes her beloved
in detail and sums up her love and her
explanation of who he is with. He is altogether lovely. She is ravished by him, enamored
by him. What a picture of Christ in the
church. We are captivated, we who believe
are captivated by the beauty of the Lord. We have found, we have had revealed
to us, the One who is altogether lovely. And by faith we behold the beauty
of Christ. We have found all spiritual blessings
in Him. And we behold the glory of God
in Him. He is altogether lovely to His
Church, to His Bride. He is altogether lovely. We looked on Wednesday night
at some of the riches we have in Christ. When the believer
looks at what they have in Christ, we see our own insufficiency. And we see in Christ that we
are complete. We're complete in Him. The world
no longer allures us like it did at one time, when we look to the One who is
altogether lovely. altogether lovely to us, to His
Church, to the Bride of Christ. The problems and cares of this
world, they fade away when we look to the One who is altogether
lovely and when we set our hearts and when we set our minds upon
Him. What comfort the believer has when we seek those things
which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of
God. What comfort we have when we look away from the cares and
worries of this world and we look to Christ. What comfort
we have. What peace, what rest when we
set our affection on things above and not on things on the earth. When we set our affection on
He who is altogether lovely. So let's look at this chapter
with this in mind. Praying that God, the Holy Spirit,
will illuminate the Scriptures for us. That we might see Christ. That we might leave this place
rejoicing in the One who is altogether love. Altogether love. Look at Song of Solomon, verse
1. Chapter 5, verse 1. I am coming to my garden, my
sister, my spouse. I have gathered my mireth. with
my spice, I've eaten my honeycomb with my honey, I have drunk my
wine with my milk. Eat, oh friends, drink, yea,
drink abundantly, oh beloved. I sleep, but my heart wake, it
is the voice of my beloved that knocketh, saying, open to me my sister,
my love, my dove, my undefiled. And this is the groom speaking,
this is Christ speaking of his bride. For my head is filled
with dew, and my locks with the drops of the night. I have put off my coat, how shall
I put it on? I have washed my feet, how shall
I defile them? My beloved put in his hand by
the hole of the door, and this is the bride speaking, and my
bowels were moved for him. My beloved put in his hand by
the hole of the door, my bowels were made firm. I rose up to
open to my beloved, and my hands dropped with mirth and fingers
with sweet-smelling mirth upon the handles of the lock. So the
bride awakens, the bride awakens at the voice of her beloved. And I, people, shall be made
willing In the day of my power, my sheep hear my voice, and they
follow me. Oh, I opened the door, I opened
to my beloved, but my beloved had withdrawn himself and was
gone. My soul failed when he spake. I sought him, but I could
not find him. I called him, but he gave me
no answer. The watchmen that went about
the city found me. They smote me. They wounded me.
The keepers of the walls took away my veil from me. What a
picture we have of the church in the following verses coming
up here. Proclaiming the loveliness, the loveliness of Christ, who
is altogether lovely. Look at verse 8, I charge you,
O daughters of Jerusalem, if you find my beloved, that ye
tell him that I am sick of love. The bride proclaims the loveliness
of her beloved to the daughters of Jerusalem. They ask, why is
thy beloved more than another, O thou fairest among women? Now
notice, the daughters of Jerusalem call the bride the fairest among
women. What is thy beloved more than
another that thou dost so charge us? So the daughters of Jerusalem
ask the bride who pictures the church why her beloved is more
desirable than any other. And note the daughters of Jerusalem,
the fairest among women. This is what Christ calls the
church. Look over in chapter 1 of Song of Solomon. This is
what Christ calls the church, his bride. Look at Song of Solomon
1.8. If thou not, O thou fairest among
women, Go thy way forth by the footsteps of the flock and feed
thy kids beside the shepherd's tent. This fairest among women,
turn if you would to Song of Solomon chapter 4. This fairest
among women is said to have no spot in her. No spot. God's people are washed
clean by the precious blood of Christ. Look at Song of Solomon,
chapter 4, verse 7. Thou art all fair, my love, there
is no spot in thee. She's perfect. God's people are
made righteous by the righteousness of Christ. What a picture of the church.
Turn, if you would, over to the New Testament, to 2 Peter. 2
Peter 3, verse 14. And remember, Song of Solomon
4, 7. I'll read it again. Thou art
all fair, my love. There is no spot in thee. And
then look it over in 2 Peter 3, verse 14. Speaking of God's
people, the church. The saints of God. 2 Peter 3,
14. Wherefore, beloved, seeing that
ye look for such things, be diligent, that ye may be found of him in
peace, without spot, and blameless." Oh my, the same one spoken of
in Song of the Solve in chapter 4, verse 7, is the church that
is without spot and blameless. They that love Christ tell of
Him whom they love. And we love to hear folks speak
of Him whom we love. Let's go back to Song of Solomon,
Chapter 5. The bride will now tell the excellencies
of her beloved. The church proclaims the excellencies
which are found in Christ, in Him alone. Nowhere else. Nowhere
else. The church in the next verse
begins her answer to the daughters of Jerusalem. Look at verse 10.
My beloved is white and ruddy, the cheapest among 10,000. The
cheapest among 10,000. Now white is expressive of his
purity and his holiness as God. Christ is God incarnate in the
flesh. The God-man mediator. Fully God
and fully man. And this speaks of his purity
and his holiness. He had no sin, he knew no sin,
he's perfect, the sinless sacrifice of the Lord Jesus Christ, the
perfect spotless lamb of God, fully God and yet fully man. Ruddy with respect to his human
nature, Red being a partaker of the same flesh and blood,
so Ruddy denotes his humanity. with his people. He's the prophet
raised up from among the people. Ruddy or red also denotes his
bloody sufferings for sins. Suffering for the sins of his
people. Sins not his own. Right? He was perfect. But he
died for my sins. He died for my sins. He died
for the sins of all his people on Calvary's cross. And then Christ to the believer
is the cheapest among 10,000. We could sit there for a week. The cheapest among 10,000. Whether angels or man, He is
the cheapest among 10,000. He's the creator of angels. He's the object of their worship. He has a more excellent name.
and more excellent nature than they, and they are subject to
Him. Remember, God is in control.
No one controls Him. No creature, visible or invisible,
they are all under His domain. He is the cheapest among ten
thousand amongst men. He is superior to any man, good
or bad. Man are born sinners. And when
I say good, I mean, you know, there's none good but God. We're
all sinners. Every one of us. But He is the
perfect man. He is the cheapest among 10,000.
The perfect man. Sinless, spotless. He is Lord
of all. King of kings. Head of the saints.
Head of the church. And He has preeminence over everything. Over everything. Turn, if you would, to Psalm
89. Oh, beloved, He is the cheapest
among ten thousand in the sight and choice of God, the Father.
For Jehovah has said, I have exalted one chosen out of the
people. Look at Psalm 89, 19. Then thou speakest in a vision
to thy Holy One, and saidest, I have laid help upon one that
is mighty. I have exalted one chosen out
of the people." That's Christ. He's one exalted. He's one chosen
out of the people. The cheapest among ten thousand.
He is fairer than the children of men. And He is the cry of
every follower of Christ. He is our King. He's our Savior. He's the cheapest among 10,000
Jewish people. Now the bride continues to tell
of the excellencies of her beloved. She continues to proclaim particulars
about her beloved. And our beloved Savior is more
than any other beloved in our estimation. For the believer,
He is altogether lovely. Whatever others may think of
Him, we don't care. In the sense of if they say that
He's not lovely to them, He's lovely to us. Now we care for
their souls, don't we? We hope and pray that God will,
but what they think and say doesn't affect how we think about Him.
He's altogether lovely to us. Altogether lovely. He's the cheapest among 10,000.
Look at verse 11. His head is the most fine gold. His locks are bushy and black
as a raven. The bride begins by proclaiming
about his head, which is the part of the body which is preeminent.
And she compares it to the finest gold. To the finest gold. His head is the most fine, which
speaks of glistening gold. Most fine gold, which speaks
of solid gold. And here we have his deity proclaimed.
All the fullness of the Godhead dwells in Christ bodily. This
speaks of his excellency, the excellency of Christ. As the
gold spoken of here may be rendered the gold of gold, one commentator
said. And there was a gold like this
found in Arabia. It was called apron because of
its purity. because it needed no purifying
by fire. It was called the gold of gold. Christ, like this gold, is far
superior to all men. He is the pure, perfect One,
the spotless One, the sinless One. And His Bride marvels, we
marvel in the precious truths of who He is, of what He is,
God incarnate in the flesh. The perfect man. No sin in thought, word, or deed. Perfect. And we marvel in that. Because we know what we are. He's absolutely perfect. Absolutely
perfect. Look at 1 Corinthians 11, 3. I'm sorry. Turn if you would
to 1 Corinthians 11, 3. Christ is the head of the church
and God is the head of Christ. Christ is the head of church
and God is the head of Christ. Look at 1 Corinthians 11, verse
3. But I would have you know that
the head of every man is Christ, and the head of the woman is
the man, and the head of Christ is God. So as a man, the only mediator
between God and man, he was subject to the Father's will. He was
subject to the Father's will, and supported and upheld by the
glorious Father in heaven. While he was redeeming the bride,
whom the Father had given Him in eternity. Christ's kingdom is great and
glorious, pure and spiritual, everlasting, and He receives
all the glory and all the honor and all the praise. The bride
continues to tell about the groom, proclaiming, His locks are bushy
and black as raven. This speaks of his human nature,
youth and strength signified by the raven hair. While others
wax old as a garment, he is the same yesterday, today and forever. But thou art the same, and thy
years shall have no end. In Revelation, though his hair
is spoken as of whites, and his hair is at the same time white
and black. Whiteness denotes the eternality and wisdom of
Christ. Revelation 1.14, his head and
his hairs were white like wool, as white as snow, and his eyes
were as flame of fire. Blackness speaks of Christ's
perpetual strength and power. Our Lord and King, our Beloved
has all power and all might. And the Bride of Christ, we marvel
in this. Oh, we marvel in this. He has
all power, all majesty. The Bride continues to tell of
her Beloved and how He's more desired than any other Beloved.
Look at verse 12. His eyes are as the eyes of dove
by the rivers and waters washed with milk and fitly set. Christ is full of gentleness,
purity, and the love and light of the Holy Spirit beam in His
eyes. And it's set upon His people. It's set upon His bride for eternity. Turn, if you would, to Luke 22. Remember how Christ looked at
Peter with compassion when Peter denied Him? Oh, how the Lord
loves His people. Oh, how the Lord loves His bride.
He loves His people with an everlasting love. Everlasting love. Look at Luke 22, verses 54-62. Oh, what compassion our Lord
had on Peter when he denied Him. Oh, what love Christ has for
His people, for His elect. Look at Luke 22, starting in
verse 54. Then took they Him, and led Him
off, and bought Him into the high priest's house. And Peter
falled afar off. Now, the Lord had told him, right?
The Lord had told him that he was going to deny Him. Peter's
like, no, not me. And when they had kindled a fire
in the midst of the hall, and were sat down, Peter sat among
them. But a certain maid beheld him as he sat by the fire, and
earnestly looked upon him, and said, This man was also with
him. And he denied him, saying, Woman,
I knew him not." This is one of God's sheep. This
is one of God's elect. And after a little while, another
saw him and said, Thou art also of them. And Peter said, Man,
I am not. And about the space of an hour
after another confidently affirmed saying of a truth, this fellow
also was with him, for he is a Galilean. And Peter said, Man,
I know not what thou sayest. And immediately, while he had
yet spake, the cock crew. Now, remember, The Lord had told
him that he was going to do this, right? Now, what happens when
someone three times does something really awful to us in our estimation?
Well, usually it does take once with us, right? But this is the King of glory.
This is the God of heaven. And Peter's one of his sheep.
Peter's one of the bride of Christ. One of the ones who's explaining
how lovely Christ is. And look at the compassion. And the Lord turned, looked upon
Peter. He looked upon him. The King
of Glory. And Peter remembered the word
of the Lord, how he had said unto him, before the cock crow,
thou shalt deny me thrice. And Peter went out and wept bitterly. Remember, we know down the road
what the Lord, remember when the Lord met him? Peter, do you
love me? This is what had happened. Peter,
do you love me? Yeah, Lord. What compassion. Christ loves
his bride, beloved. He loves his bride. This was not a look of wrath
and resentment, but this was a look of love. When it says,
and the Lord turned and looked upon Peter, this was a look of
love, beloved. It was not a look of wrath. It
was not a look of resentment. It was a look of love, a look
of mercy, and a look of power. It was not only a signal to Peter
to put him in remembrance of what he had said, what the Lord
had said, but it was a melting look to him and a means of convincing
and humbling him in bringing him to repentance. Oh, the love
the Savior has for His bride. May we marvel in this precious
truth as believers. Christ loves His bride. He loves His people with an everlasting
love. His eyes lovingly look upon His people under all
their trials. under all their afflictions,
with sympathy and concern, to deliver them out of all these
things. Like the eyes of God. Jesus never
loses sight of His people. Ever. Ever. His eyes are fitly set upon His
people. Fitly set. Look at verse 12. His eyes are as the eyes of doves
by the rivers of waters washed with milk and fitly set. His
eyes are fitly set upon his elect, upon his people. Why? Why? Because they were given to him
of the Father. Because he went to Calvary's cross and redeemed
them with his precious blood. Because he's loved them with
an everlasting love. Do we deserve this? Absolutely
not. Absolutely not. But His eyes are fit upon His
people, and He is a well of living water, and He is the fairest
of ten thousand to our souls. Look at verse 13. His cheeks
are as a bed of spices and sweet flowers, His lips like lilies
dripping with sweet-smelling mirth. And here we have the Church,
the Bride, the Beloved of the Lord, describing her love in
two features are here described of Christ as His cheeks and His
lips. His cheeks represent the beauty
of our Lord. We see again how the church is
enamored with the Savior, enamored with Him. Those who have been given spiritual
eyes to see Christ, we desire no one else. We see our King in all His beauty,
and in all his majesty, and he is altogether lovely. His cheeks are as a bed of spices
as sweet flowers. The very sight of his face is
like a rich, fragrant garden, reviving, refreshing, and pleasing
to the church of God who is his bride. His lips like lilies,
dropping sweet-smelling merit, what a blessing the words of
Christ. are to His people. Those who have seen the King
in all His beauty, who have had Him revealed to them, and heard
the gracious words which proceed out of His mouth, rejoice. We
rejoice in His precious words, don't we? His words, Christ's words are
sweet to the believer. They are sweeter than honey in
the honeycomb. The kisses of His lips are better than wine.
Grace proceeds out of His lips. Grace was poured forth from His
lips as our surety when He pledged Himself to the salvation of His
chosen people. Grace comes forth from His lips
as our substitute when He says, Father, forgive them, for they
know not what they do. And He cries, It is finished.
Grace comes forth from His lips when He cries triumphantly. It
is finished. Grace proceeds from His lips
as our Savior when He comes to His own in the time of love and
draws us to Him by the Holy Spirit of God who regenerates us and
makes us willing in the day of His power. And He declares His
love and calls us forth from our spiritual deadness. And the
believer is made alive. And just as Lazarus came out
of the tomb, we come out of the spiritual darkness and death
that we were in. He has loved his people with
an everlasting love, everlasting kindness, and he draws us with
cords of love. The words which we once despised, now we love. Now we love. The one whom some of us to our
shame Cursed His name, we now praise. We now praise. The one who we once hated by
wicked works in our minds and by our deeds, now we love. Now we love. And we glory in,
the bride glories in who Christ is. Do you not marvel in Him? Do you not marvel in the quietness
of your life when you have a quiet time? Do you not just marvel
if you think about Christ? Do you not just marvel in who
He is? And if you're a believer in what
He's done for you and for me, for all His people, what He's
actually done, I ask you, you who believe, you
who are redeemed by His precious blood, is He not altogether lovely
to you? And if you don't know Him, this
is the one we proclaim. Oh, I pray God the Holy Spirit
would move you and draw you and save you and grant you faith
to believe on the one who is altogether lovely. He's everything. He's everything to the believer. Look at verse 14, His hands are
as gold rings set with beryl, His belly as bright ivory overlaid
with sapphire. The bride, the church here again
gives us two representations of the hands which are set forth,
the bounty of the riches of His providence. the riches of His
grace, the riches of His salvation, which is only in Him. These hands
were pierced for sins not His own, but for the sins of His
people. He accomplished that which He
set out to do. Matthew 1.21 says this, And she
shall bring forth a Son, and thou shalt call His name Jesus.
For He shall save His people from their sins. And He did it.
He did it. His hands like the king's signet
seal, the covenant of God's grace. The piercing of his hands in
death was the ratification of God's covenant. Scripture goes on, his belly
is as bright ivory overlaid with sapphires. This speaks of his
body. The Hebrew term applies to the
whole body from the shoulders to the thighs. It says it's like
a piece of ivory, workmanship overlaid with sapphires. Oh, the bride of Christ marvels
in Christ. The love that Christ has for
His people, for His church, for His beloved is a strong love,
like ivory. It represents strength and it's
firm. And let us ponder the many instances
of the love of Christ which are like ivory overlaid with sapphires. This ties in with the riches
in Christ which we looked at on Wednesday night. Our Savior's
love for His people is an electing love as we were chosen in Him. Our Savior's love is a redeeming
love, beloved, as we are purchased by His precious blood, redeemed
by His precious blood. Our Savior's love is a life-giving
love, as we are born again by the Holy Spirit of God. We who
were dead spiritually, physically alive, but dead spiritually,
are made alive, regenerated by the power of the Holy Spirit.
Life-giving love. Oh, the love of Christ is preserving
love. Why? Because we are kept by the power
of God. If it was up to us, we'd fall
a thousand times a day. But the believer is kept by the
power of God. Why? Because he loves his people,
beloved. He loves his bride. He's purchased
them. He keeps us. I ask you, is he
not altogether lovely? Is he not altogether lovely?
The love of Christ is interceding love. He's our mediator between
God and man. between His people and God. And
our Lord's love is forgiven love. He has forgiven us for all our
trespasses and sins. There's nothing left. All of them. When I sit down
and I ponder how I was before the Lord saved me, how I am even,
because I'm still a sinner, I'm a sinner saved by grace, and
when I ponder the fact that Christ has forgiven me for all my sins,
it doesn't make me want to go out and go crazy, beloved. It's
true what Brother Gene Harmon says, the love of Christ constrains
us. But we're still sinners, aren't
we? But oh, what love. Forgiving
love he's forgiven us for all our trespasses and sins He Christ
has washed us clean how by his own precious blood which was
shed on Calvary Street We could we can't save ourselves from
one of our sins Christ has redeemed us from all I Ask you beloved
God is he not all together lovely to you. Oh my And Christ's love for his bride
is an unfailing love. An unfailing love. Now, folks'
love for each other can go in ebbs and flows, can't it? But Christ's love for his people
is an unfailing love. It never changes. Because he's
the same yesterday, today, And forever. It's an unchanging law. An unfailing law. He's altogether lovely. Altogether
lovely to his bride. There is no love like Christ's
love. Greater love hath no man than this, and the man laid down
his life for his friends, and he laid down his life for his
bride, for his church, for his people. Turn, if you would, to
Ephesians chapter 5. Ephesians chapter 5. Oh, how Christ loves his bride.
Oh, how Christ loves his people. Ephesians 5, verse 25-27. Husbands, love your wives even
as Christ also loved the church and gave himself for it. Christ gave himself for his people. He willingly went to that cross.
Scripture says he set his face like a flint, which is immovable. He set his face. He knew he must
redeem his people. He came to redeem his people.
And he shall, right? And he did. He did. He redeemed his people. He's
a successful savior. That he might sanctify it and
cleanse it with the washing of water by the word. That he might
present it to himself. Remember? Remember how we saw
in Solomon that in the bridegroom's eyes, the bride has no spot? that he might present it to himself
a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle, that it should be holy and without
blemish." Sinners made holy and without blemish. I ask you, is
Christ not altogether lovely? Is He not altogether loving?
Our text continues in verse 15 of Song of Solomon, chapter 5. It says, His legs are as pillars
of marble set upon sockets of fine gold. His countenance is
as Lebanon excellent as the cedars. His legs are as pillars of marble
set upon fine sockets of gold. Pillars of marble denote the
strength and stability of Christ. He's strong and stable. His legs
are strong and stable. And we can rest and repose in
our wonderful Savior. Now, we can't rest and repose
in ourselves, can we? No. Because we're sinners. But, oh, we can rest and repose
in Christ. Christ, who is the Savior of
sinners. The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer,
my God, my strength in whom I will trust. my buckler and the horn
of my salvation and my high tower. Psalm 18, verse 2. Christ is the believer's rock,
and we are taken from the miry clay of our lives and set upon
the rock, we who believe, who is Christ. And He has all strength, and
He's stable, and we can rest and repose in Him He bought me
up also out of the horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set
my feet upon a rock, and established my going." Psalm 40, verse 2.
He did it. Turn if you would there. We're
going to look at that verse quick. Psalm 40, verse 2. Look at this. Psalm 40. Look at verse 1. I waited patiently for the Lord,
and He inclined unto me and heard my cry. Now, we are saved out
of a horrible pit, beloved. Out of the miry clay. And miry
clay is when you're in a pit. The miry clay is, you try to
climb out and you just keep slipping down. You can't get out of the
pit. And that's our natural state,
beloved. We're in a horrible pit. And what does he do for his people?
He brought me up also out of the horrible pit, out of the
miry clay and set my feet upon a rock. and established my going,
and He hath put a new song in my mouth, even praise unto our
God, many shall see it, in fear, and shall trust in the Lord."
He's altogether lovely to His people. He's altogether lovely
to the ones that He took out of that miry pit. And He set
our feet upon a rock, and that rock is Christ. It's Christ. He is a mighty Savior. He will
never be turned away from His purpose. And He is able to accomplish
what He declares to do. He shall save His people from
their sins. And He did it. All that the Father
giveth me shall come to me. They shall. Oh my. His countenance is as
Lebanon, excellent as the cedars." Our text continues in Psalm 515. His countenance is as Lebanon,
excellent as the cedars. Christ is so much higher than
all the angels in heaven and all the heavens themselves. He
is glorious and excellent to behold. His bride is enamored
with Him. We love Him. We desire no one else. He becomes
everything to the believer. He is altogether lovely. The
Lord Jesus Christ, remember this too. The Lord Jesus Christ has
no rival. None. No rival in power. No rival in majesty. No rival. There is none greater than Him.
None. None greater in grace than him.
None greater in beauty than him. And he is to the believer, to
his bride, altogether lovely. Look at verse 16. His mouth is
most sweet, yea, he is altogether lovely. This is my beloved. This
is my friend, O daughters of Jerusalem. The words of Christ
are to his people wonderful, sweet, His love, His goodness,
His mercy, His grace are wonderful to the believer. Wonderful! The
promises of His Word are sweet to the believer. The precepts
and principles of His Word are sweet to the believer, to the
Bride of Christ. And the Church now sums up all
the precious words, all that she has said before, In these four words, He is altogether
lovely. Altogether. He is altogether
lovely. Summed up right there, eh? Unto God's people, His elect,
His church, Christ is altogether lovely. He is the pearl of great
price. He is precious to the believer. We say with the psalmist, turn
if you would to Psalm 73. We say with the psalmist, Psalm
73, verse 25 and 26. We say along with the psalmist,
Whom have I in heaven but thee? Psalm 73, verse 25 and 26. Whom
have I in heaven but Thee? Who does the believer have but
Christ? He's all our hope. He's all our
righteousness. He's all our wisdom. He's all
our redemption. He's all our sanctification.
And there is none upon earth that I desire beside Thee. My
flesh and my heart faileth, but God is the strength of my heart
and my portion forever. And we say also along with Peter,
Lord, to whom shall we go? To whom shall we go? Thou hast the words of eternal
life, and we believe and are sure that Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. He is altogether lovely to the
church. Turn if you would to 1 Peter.
We'll close with this. 1 Peter 2. He is altogether lovely to the
church. He is precious to the believer.
Precious? Now there was a time when he
was not precious to the believer, but oh, now he is so precious. Look at 1 Peter 2, verses 4-10.
1 Peter 2. Oh, he's altogether
lovely to the believer, precious to the believer. To whom coming
is unto a living stone disallowed indeed of man, but chosen of
God and precious, ye also as lively stones are built up a
spiritual house and holy priesthood to offer up spiritual sacrifices
acceptable to God by Jesus Christ. Wherefore, also it is contained
in the Scripture, Behold, I lay in Zion a chief cornerstone,
elect, precious, and he that believeth on him shall not be
confounded. Unto you, therefore, which believe.
Now, I really believe that this is the difference between religion
and grace. He's precious to those who believe
grace. He's precious. He's not a fire
escape. He's precious. He's wonderful. He's altogether lovely. Altogether
lovely. Unto you, therefore, which believe,
right? Faith cometh by hearing, and
hearing by the word of God, which believe. He is precious. But
unto them which be disobedient, the stone which the builders
disallowed, the same is made the head of the corner, and the
stone of stumbling, And a rock of offense, Christ is offensive
to the world. Even to them which stumble at
the word, being disobedient, whereunto also they were appointed. But ye, now here, the church,
the bride, the one who was telling the daughters of Jerusalem all
about their bridegroom. But ye are a chosen generation. A royal priesthood. a holy nation,
a particular people, that ye should sow forth the praises
of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. He took us out of that pit, didn't
he? Which in times past were not
a people, but are now the people of God, which had not obtained
mercy. I loved, I could sit right here,
but now have obtained mercy. Boy, oh boy. God's people have
obtained mercy. We don't deserve it, but we have
obtained mercy. And Christ is altogether lovely
in His humanity and in His divinity. He is altogether lovely to His
people, to His bride. He is lovely in redemption. He
is lovely in the salvation. He is lovely in all His providential
workings, whatever He does. Behold the Lamb of God, the Lord
Jesus Christ. He is altogether lovely, lovely
to we who believe. May God grant you faith to believe
on the Lord Jesus Christ, the one who is altogether lovely.
to His people. Let's go to the Lord in prayer.
Gracious Heavenly Father, thank You for Your Word. Oh, thank
You for the message of love, grace, mercy that we see in what
our Savior, what our Bridegroom, the Lord Jesus Christ, has done
for we who believe. Oh, Lord Jesus, You are altogether
lovely to Your people. Altogether lovely for what You
have done for us. You've redeemed us, purchased
us with your precious blood, took us out of the miry clay
where we're regenerated by the Holy Spirit of God. Now you're precious to who you
believe. Oh, that you'd manifest yourself to your sheep who don't
know you. Oh, that you'd draw them to you,
we pray. We give you all the glory and honor and praise. In
Jesus' name, amen.