Well, my dear wife reminded me
at lunch today, she didn't put it this way, but she reminded
me today that though my memory is pretty good with dates for
history, church history, natural history, civil history, when
it comes to dates for our family and our experiences, I make more
gaffes than Joe Biden. Our daughter wasn't around in
1968, we didn't get married until 69. So I wasn't looking for the
job at McLean in 68, it was 71 or 72. So just in case anybody
gets embarrassed or gets my daughter embarrassed, you can tell her
I goofed. Okay, and if you don't know what
I'm talking about, you should have been here this morning,
you'd know. All right, turn with me if you will to the Gospel
of Isaiah chapter 33. I've got a message I believe
will be helpful to you. My subject is the character and
blessedness of God's elect. The character and blessedness
of God's elect. In this portion of scripture,
God the Holy Ghost inspired his prophet Isaiah to identify God's
elect by their character. and he assures us of our blessedness
in Christ. He tells us both how those who
are born of God behave in this world and what they may confidently
expect in the world to come. Chapter 33, verses 15 through
19. He that walketh righteously and
speaketh uprightly He that despiseth the gain of oppressions, that
shaketh his hands from holding of bribes, that stoppeth his
ears from hearing of blood, and shutteth his eyes from seeing
evil, he shall dwell on high. His place of defense shall be
the munitions of rocks. Bread shall be given him, his
water shall be sure. Thine eyes shall see the king
in his beauty. They shall behold the land that
is far off. Thine heart shall meditate terror. Where is the scribe? Where is
the receiver? Where is he that counted the
towers? Thou shalt not see a fierce people,
a people of deeper speech than that thou canst perceive, of
a stammering tongue that thou canst not understand. Providence
is God's winnowing fan by which he separates the chaff from the
wheat. When things are going smoothly,
it's impossible to separate the precious from the vile. to distinguish
the wheat from the chaff, the tares from the wheats, the sheep
from the goats, true believers from mere hypocritical professors. In times of peace, prosperity,
and ease, we can't tell which are the good fish and which are
the bad. But when trying times come, when
things get tough, when adversity comes, When fires of persecution
arise, false brethren soon show themselves. When the reins of
providential judgment begin to fall, and the floods of earthly
care arise, and the winds of persecution blow, those whose
houses are built on the sand will soon fall and crumble. At such times, sinners in Zion
are afraid. and fearfulness takes hold of
hypocrites, taking them by surprise. The chapter in which our text
is found describes a time of trouble, a time of trouble that
seized the hypocrites with fear, caused the sinners in Zion, that
is, those who were in Jerusalem, those who were named and numbered
among God's people, but did not know God, caused them to be afraid. Sennacherib and the Assyrians
had invaded the land. Many nations around Judah had
fallen prey to the barbaric invader, and he was barbaric, horribly
barbaric. But the Lord God promised Judah
that he would protect her. When Sennacherib came, you read
about it in 2 Kings 18, 2 Kings 19, God said, don't worry about
a thing, I'll take care of you. And yet there were many in Jerusalem
who did not believe God. They were terrified at the sight
of Sennacherib. Though they were in Israel, they
were not of Israel. Though they had the name of God's
people, they were not God's people. Though they were Abraham's physical
seed, they were not his spiritual seed. They professed to be saints,
but they were unbelievers. They claimed to worship God,
but they were only base hypocrites. The sinners and hypocrites in
Zion in the time of trial were discovered. The sinners showed
fear. The hypocrites displayed their
unbelief. Because they didn't believe God, they began to flee,
though no one pursued. They trembled, though the enemy
was not seen. Now let us make certain of our
own calling and election. Peter says, make your calling
and election sure. How on earth can you do that?
Cast away all creature confidence and trust Christ. That's how
you make your calling and election sure. Cast away all creature
confidence and trust Christ. Trust Christ alone. Faith in
Christ is the evidence of heavenly birth. not an evidence, the evidence
of heavenly birth. Faith in Christ is that by which
we are assured that God the Father chose us in eternal electing
love. Faith in Christ is that by which
we are assured that the Lord Jesus Christ died for us at Calvary,
atoned for our sins, and brought in for us everlasting righteousness.
Faith in Christ is that by which we are assured that God the Holy
Spirit has called us from death unto life. Faith is the substance
of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. Don't be
satisfied with being in Zion. Make certain you're part of Zion.
Don't be satisfied with being a member of the church. Make
certain you're part of the body of Christ. Don't rest until you
rest in Christ. Beware, our Lord said, of the
leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy. pretending to be
what you know you're not. Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees,
which is hypocrisy. You can be sure of this. If your
religion is not true, it will fail you in time of trouble.
The time will come when God will sweep away your refuge of lies,
If your hope in God doesn't make you calm and peaceful in the
hour of trial and in the night of sorrow, of what use is it? I wrote that question out and
I sat and looked at it for a while. If your hope in God doesn't make
you calm and peaceful in the hour of trial and in the night
of sorrow, Of what use is it? Your religion will be of no use
to you in times of difficulty if it's not true. Trials don't
produce anything. Trials only show what we are. Trials don't make us believers
or unbelievers. Trials only show what we are.
The trials we endure prove whether our faith is true or false. Our text promises safety to God's
saints, but there's no safety for the hypocrites. I want you
to listen carefully to what Mr. Spurgeon said about this text
we just read. Safety in Zion belongs to those
who are born in her by regeneration, reared in her by sanctification.
enfranchised in her by faith in the Son of God, settled in
her by fixed principles, confirmed in her by obedience to her laws,
and bound to her by intense love of her King. Now I want us to
look at this brief portion of scripture, Isaiah 33, 15 through
19, and see just two things. First, in verse 15, the prophet
declares for us the character of God's elect. Then in verses
16 through 19, he speaks of the blessedness of God's elect. The
promises given in verses 16, 17, 18, and 19 are blessed, blessed
promises. But they're promises that belong
only to those who meet the character described in verse 15. You cannot
rightly claim any promise of God unless you meet the character
of the one to whom the promise is made. All right, let's look
first at the character of God's elect. God's saints in this world
are a people known by the character of their lives. And verse 15
describes the character of every true believer. Now, when we read
this verse again, understand this book is full of gins and
snares by which to confuse and entrap men and women who refuse
to believe God. But here in verse 15, God the
prophet, by divine inspiration, describes the character of every
true believer. He that walketh righteously and
speaketh uprightly He that despiseth the gain of oppressions, that
shaketh his hands from holding of bribes, that stoppeth his
ears from hearing of blood, and shutteth his eyes from seeing
evil, he and only he will see the land far off. She and only
she will enter into heaven's glory. The last verse of Revelation
chapter 21 declares that there would be none entering in to
the New Jerusalem who work abomination or who make a lie or who practice
deceit, none. The character of the righteous
is righteousness. The character of the godly is
godliness. The character of the holy is
holiness. Don't judge the state and condition
of your own soul or anyone else's by isolated acts of righteousness
or isolated acts of wickedness. It's not by acts, but by character,
the bent, the direction, the tenor of a person's life that
his faith must be measured. But it's not our business. to
judge one another. In fact, we're forbidden to do
so. It is not my business to try to decide whether or not
you're a believer. It is not my business to try to decide
whether or not your faith is genuine. Rather, we are to examine
ourselves and judge ourselves. Paul said, examine yourselves.
This is the point. Whether you be in the faith. Prove your own selves. Know ye
not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except
ye be reprobates? That is your responsibility,
not mine. You must and you will, if you're
wise, prove yourself, whether or not you trust the Son of God.
Turn, if you will, to 1 Corinthians 11. In just a few minutes, we
will again observe the Lord's Supper. The Apostle Paul, speaking
about observing the Lord's Supper, gives us this very good word
of instruction. If we will honestly judge ourselves,
we will not be condemned with the world. 1 Corinthians 11,
verse 23. I have received of the Lord that
which also I delivered unto you. that the Lord Jesus, the same
night in which he was betrayed, took bread. And when he had given
thanks, he break it and said, take, eat, this is my body, which
is broken for you. This do in remembrance of me.
After the same manner also, he took the cup. And when he had
supped, saying, this cup is the New Testament in my blood. This
do ye, as oft as you drink it, in remembrance of me. For as
often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you do show the
Lord's death till it come. If you'll care to read the gospel
narratives, you will discover that our Lord Jesus gave the
bread and wine at the first Lord's Supper, even to Judas, knowing
full well what was in Judas. He didn't teach us to fence the
table and keep people from observing the Lord's Supper. And it doesn't
anywhere suggest to believers that you should at times not
observe the Lord's Supper, nowhere. That'd be like telling a believer
you ought not be baptized unless you feel like being baptized.
The scriptures don't teach like that. Our Lord said, take the
bread, knead it. Take the wine and drink it. Do
it often and do it in remembrance of me, showing forth my death
until I come again. Verse 27, wherefore? Whosoever
shall eat this bread and drink this cup of the Lord unworthily
shall be guilty of the body and the blood of the Lord. Now, preachers
everywhere in all denominations just about, they take that verse
of scripture and terrify people about taking the Lord's Supper.
Well, I don't know whether I'm worthy. I don't know whether
I'm fed. I don't know whether I've prayed enough. I don't know
whether I have any unconfessed sin in my life. I don't know
whether I behave right today. Nothing like that's what's intended
by the text. Read on. But let a man examine
himself, and so let him eat. Examine yourself, whether you
be in the faith, and so let him eat. If you're a believer, eat
the bread and drink the cup. Verse 29. For he that eateth
and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself.
Now here's the key. Not discerning the Lord's body. Not realizing he's got to have
a substitute. Not understanding who Christ
is and what he did. Not recognizing that justice
must be satisfied, righteousness must be brought in, and only
the Son of God has done it. For this cause many are weak
and sickly among you, and many sleep. For if we would judge
ourselves, we should not be judged. But when we are judged, we're
chastened to the Lord, that we should not be condemned with
the world. Judge yourself, and you'll not
perish with the world. Take sides with God against yourself,
and you'll not perish with the world. Take sides with God against
yourself, confess your sin, believe on the Son of God, and you will
not perish. You can be sure of this too.
Grace does change people. Grace does not change our old
nature. Grace does not change our depraved
hearts. Grace does not change the old
man in you. No, no, no, no. Grace puts a
new man in you. That new man in you is Jesus
Christ, the Lord, created in righteousness and true holiness.
That new man in you, you're made partaker of the divine nature.
And Christ in you changes things. The scriptures teach us very
plainly. The grace of God that bringeth
salvation hath appeared to all beings. I preach the gospel to
folks all over the world. But for you who hear, for us
who hear, the grace of God that brings salvation teaches us. It educates us. It doesn't just
lay the lesson plan out there, it makes dead sure you get the
lesson. I had, like you teachers growing up, especially in college,
I had teachers who gave out the lessons, but they weren't much
good at making sure you got the lesson. And then I had teachers,
if you got through the class, you got the lesson. They were
good teachers. God teaches his people well. And when God teaches, you get
the lesson. And this is the lesson. Denying
ungodliness and worldly lust, we are to live soberly, righteously,
and godly in this present world. Just exactly as men and women
who knew God live soberly, righteously, and godly in the days of our
Lord's ministry on this earth, in the days of the apostles,
in the days of church history, in the days our forefathers lived,
so men and women believe in God, being born of God, taught of
God, all of them live soberly. righteously and godly in this
present evil world. This particular chapter identifies
three characteristics common to God's people. Their confidence,
their conduct, and their composure. In verse two, the prophet speaks
of the believer's confidence in God. God's people are people
who trust Christ. The people who live by faith,
being born of God and taught of God, we live with confidence
in the Lord our God. Oh Lord, be gracious unto us.
We have waited for thee. Be thou their arm every morning.
Our salvation also in the time of trouble. We don't talk much
about it. Believers don't. Religious people
do. Believers don't. But God's people are praying
people. I don't pretend to know much
about prayer and I don't say much about prayer because I don't
know much about prayer. But pray, God's people do. Oh Lord, be gracious unto us. Mark just got through leading
us in prayer. And that's just exactly the essence of what he
said. I led the congregation in prayer
this morning. That's just exactly the essence of what I said. Brother
Lindsey led us in prayer earlier. That's just exactly the essence
of what he said. Oh Lord, be gracious unto us. We know our need of grace and
feel it. What we seek from God is grace,
nothing but grace. The whole basis of our approach
to God is grace. Knowing God, we know our need
of his grace and we gladly acknowledge it. We must have his grace, his
eternal electing grace, his covenant redeeming grace. His sovereign
saving grace, His immutable preserving grace, His daily providential
grace. And believers, being a people
who pray, are a waiting people. We have waited for Thee. Like Hezekiah, we spread our
case before God and wait. Someone will say to me with regard
to this matter of trusting the Lord, waiting on the Lord. Well,
that's all we can do. Well, that is all we can do.
What better thing could we do? What better thing could we do? Oh, God teach me to wait. Wait
for Him. Knowing that God does what is
best, we wait for Him. We bow to His will. acknowledge
his wisdom, and wait for him to work. Believers are men and
women who live by faith. They live in the habit and exercise
of faith. I talked to Shelby about this
a good bit yesterday when we were working on this message,
the matter of exercising faith. I don't mean by that exercising
like you would exercise your muscles. I don't mean by that
making decisions and so on. I mean believers are people who
live continually by faith. The just shall live by faith. Be thou their arm every morning. Our salvation also in the time
of trouble. We need you this morning. As
sure as the sun arose this morning, trouble is coming. Be our arm
in time of trouble. We must have you. We must have
your grace. True believers. that do not foolishly
imagine that having trusted God years ago, they've obtained God's
salvation. No, we look to Christ now. We come to Christ now. We believe
him today. We live by faith today. Faith
for us is not an act of life or so many acts of life. Faith
is the way we live. Faith is the way we live. Because
of illness, I have, at times, some trouble breathing. And if
I start to lay back, I can't breathe, so I have to sit up.
Sometimes at night, I'll get up and lean my head forward and
put my face in my hands and rest on my knees so I can breathe,
because I have trouble breathing. And at such times, I am trying
to breathe. I'm working hard at breathing
so I get comfortable. Not so with faith. We do try
to believe, but the believer lives by faith. Just as we live
by the air that's in our lungs, we live by faith. We live by
faith in the Son of God. The Lord's fear, the fear of
the Lord is his treasure. That is, the fear of the Lord
is the Lord's treasure, and it's our treasure. The true believer
is a person of humble, present, confident faith in God our Savior. My faith has found a resting
place, not in device nor creed. I trust the ever-living one.
His wounds for me shall plead. Look at verse 15. Here the prophet
speaks of the conduct, the believer's conduct in life. He that walketh
righteously and speaketh uprightly, he that despiseth the gain of
oppressions, that shaketh his hands from holding of bribes,
that stoppeth his ears from hearing of blood, and shutteth his eyes
from seeing evil. Not only do God's elect live
by confident faith, they're righteous, they're godly people. This is
the character of saints and their conduct. Isaiah's description
is a description of the believer's holy conduct, his righteous life, his sanctified
conversation. The way we live doesn't gain
anything for us from God. Our acceptance with God, our
salvation is all together by blood, by grace, by the righteousness
of Christ. But if you and I had been made
meat to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in glory, the grace
that has saved us affects the way we live in this world. Believers
are people who walk righteously, trusting Christ and His righteousness. They speak uprightly. We walk
in the Spirit, not after the flesh. They despise gain by oppression,
ill-gotten gain, bribery. Believers refuse to hear wickedness,
violent speech, particularly with reference to their brethren.
and they turn their eyes from wickedness, doctrinal wickedness,
moral wickedness. No, I'm not going there. No,
I'm not going there. Paul urges us to put off the
old man and put on the new. Brother Todd Niberton and I talked
about this for the past several weeks. What's he telling us? He's telling us do what you know
is right, not what you want to after the flesh. In your conduct,
behave like you know you ought to behave, not like you want
to by your flesh. The believer is a righteous man.
Righteousness rules his heart and righteousness rules his life.
The believer certainly is by no means perfect. You and I know
that, we acknowledge that painfully with tears. Sin is what we're best at. Our righteousnesses are filthy
rags in God's sight. And yet the believer is upright. He's righteous. Grace makes him
so. Let me show you two texts of
scripture, maybe three. Psalm 15, Psalm 15. Who's going to heaven? Lord, who shall abide in thy
tabernacle? Who shall dwell in thy holy hill?
Well, here he is, he that walketh uprightly, and worketh righteousness,
and speaketh the truth in his heart. He that backbiteth not
with his tongue, nor doeth evil to his neighbor, nor taketh up
a reproach against his neighbor, in whose eyes a vile person is
contemned or despised. but he honoreth them that fear
the Lord. He that sweareth to his own hurt
and changeth not. He that putteth not out his money
to usury, nor taketh reward against the innocent. He that doeth these
things shall never be moved. Look at chapter 24, Psalm 24. Verse three, who shall ascend
to the hill of the Lord? or who shall stand in his holy
place. He that hath clean hands and
a pure heart, who hath not lifted up his soul into vanity, nor
sworn deceitfully, he shall receive the blessing from the Lord and
righteousness from the God of his salvation. Well, pastor,
we know those two Psalms gotta be talking about Christ. Nobody
ever lived like that but Christ. That's true. They're talking
about Christ. But only those who meet the character
of the one described will enter into glory. That new man created
in you in righteousness and in true holiness lives in righteousness
and in true holiness. Christ in you lives exactly the
same as Christ outside you. That which is born of God does
righteousness. That other man in you, Adam,
which is born of the devil, does nothing but sin. Paul put it
this way. That which I do, I allow not. For what I would that I do not.
but what I hate that I do. He said, it is no more I that
do it, but sin that dwelleth in me. Now, if I do that, I would
not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in
me. Oh, wretched man that I am. Turn to 1 John 3. 1 John 3. You
and I who are born of God, are two people in one body. Two natures in one body. Two
hearts in one body. Two minds in one body. One of
the devil that's nothing but sin and can do nothing but sin.
One born of God that's holy and cannot sin. Behold what manner
of love the Father hath bestowed on us. that we should be called
the sons of God? Therefore the world knoweth us
not, because it knew him not. Beloved, now are we the sons
of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be. But we know
that when he shall appear, we shall be like him, for we shall
see him as he is. Verse six, whosoever abideth
in him, in Christ, sinneth not. Whosoever sinneth hath not seen
him, neither known him. Now wait a minute, wait a minute.
Which of you is not guilty of all those things described here
in Isaiah as things that a righteous man does not do? Who? Which one is not guilty right
now? Sin. Bill is so much part of
us, we cannot not sin. That's what our nature is, after
Adam. But Adam is not one spoken of
here. This is a new man. He abides
in Christ. Merle read about him back in
the office, back in John 15. Whosoever sinneth hath not seen
him, neither known him. Verse seven, little children,
let no man deceive you. He that doeth righteousness is
righteous, even as he is righteous. He that committeth sin is of
the devil. It's talking about the same person.
No, it's talking about two different people in the same person. Talking
about Adam and Christ. The old man and the new. And
the believer, that new man, Christ in you, that holy thing formed
in you. That new man created in righteousness
and in true holiness can not sin. He's born of God. That old man, that's what I used
to be. That's what I got from my daddy
Adam. That's going to the grave real soon. This new man, this
new man walks in righteousness all the time. Look at verse 22,
Isaiah 33. Here's the third thing that characterizes
God's elect. The believer is a person who
is confident in God. He's a person whose conduct is
upright. He's a person of composure in
time of trouble. For the Lord is our judge. The
Lord is our lawgiver. The Lord is our king. He will
save us. I have a very dear friend I've
known for many years who many years ago came back from the
Vietnam War, a basket case. He was in the hospital and doctors
told his wife, go home and forget him. He'll never know you. And
then God not only got him out of the mental institution, physically
made him well, spiritually made him well, gave him life and faith
in Christ. I've never been in his company
when the two of us were present. We'd bow to have prayer before
a meal. At his house or at mine, if he prayed, this is how he
prays. God, I thank you for a sound
mind. You see, God has not given us
the spirit of fear, but of power and love and a sound mind. When real trouble comes, the
hypocrite, the mere professor of faith, is revealed by his
consternation and confusion. The believer is a man or a woman
of calm composure. He rejoices in the Lord. His moderation is manifest because
the Lord's at hand and the peace of God that passeth understanding
keeps his heart and mind through Christ Jesus. If my faith in
God doesn't give me composure in the midst of trouble, my faith,
it seems to me, is more useless than the tranquilizers doctors
prescribe for people who can't cope with life. These three things
characterize every believer. Confidence in God, conduct of
righteousness, composure in the face of trouble. Now, briefly,
look at the blessedness promised us. He shall dwell on high, walking with God in faith, Setting
your affection on things above, not on things on the earth, where
your life is hid with Christ in God, you dwell on high. Not we're going to when we die. Right now, we're seated with
Christ in heaven. We dwell on high. Our life is
hid with Christ in God. His place of defense shall be
the munitions of the rocks. the rocks of the rocks, the hard
places of the rocks, the safe places of the rocks, God's covenant,
God's character, God's word, God's providence, Christ intercession,
God's promises, munitions in which we hide, bread shall be
given him, daily bread. The widow's barrel of meal did
not waste. Every time she needed it, she
would get a cup of meal and make another cake. Daily bread is
never stale. Daily bread calls for daily faith. Daily bread calls for daily gratitude. And daily bread is just exactly
what we need. It's always sufficient. I don't
need yesterday's bread. It's gone. And I don't need tomorrow's
bread. I may not be here, I need bread
today, and today's bread's sufficient. His water shall be sure, sure
to quench his thirst, bathe his soul, and refresh his heart. Thine eyes shall see the king
in his beauty. Believe in God, looking to Christ,
you see him in his beauty, the beauty of his person, God. the beauty of his obedience,
his righteousness, his blood, his suffering, his death, the
beauty of his glory. They shall behold the land that's
very far off. They walk with confident faith
with God in this world looking for a city whose builder and
maker is God. A city that has foundations,
a city perfect, four square, Thine heart shall meditate terror. Oh, I love this. I got home from
services Tuesday night, I think it was. She and I sat and talked
about this a good bit. Their heart shall meditate terror. I wonder why it's phrased just
that way. Their heart shall meditate terror. You remember? You remember that
news we got that scared us to death? What a strange thing. Do you remember that fire-breathing
dragon that was on our necks that terrified us? Isn't that
amazing? We were scared of him. Their
hearts shall meditate terror. laughing at all those things
that once terrified them. And now laughing in the face
of that which terrifies others. Astonished at the things that
once made us afraid. Their hearts shall meditate terror. Where is the scribe? Where is
the receiver? Where is he that counted the
towers? I couldn't figure out what that
was talking about until I turned over to 1 Corinthians. This is
exactly what Paul is referring to when he says, where is the
wise? Where is the scribe? Where is
the disputer of this world? God has turned their wisdom upside
down and inside out, brought it to nothing. But of him are
ye in Christ Jesus. who of God has made unto us wisdom
and righteousness and sanctification and redemption, that according
as it is written, he that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord. Thou
shalt not see a fierce people, a people of a deeper speech than
that thou canst perceive, of a stammering tongue that thou
canst not understand. The confusing babble of will-worship
idolatry has been silenced by the gospel of God and the effectual
teaching of the Spirit, by whom we believe on the Lord Jesus. And now we know we are the circumcision. For we worship God in spirit
and we rejoice in Christ Jesus. and we have no confidence in
the flesh. This is the character, and this
is the blessedness of God's elect. Amen.