the first epistle of Peter, the
second chapter, first epistle of Peter, the second chapter,
and I want to draw your attention to that well-known phrase in
verse seven, unto you therefore which believe he is precious. So that's my subject, belief
in Christ and the preciousness of Christ to you in believing. At this gathering, this new focus
conference, those of you that have been coming to these events
down the last few years, it's a gathering of people who I think
you would agree would say, we believe the gospel. We believe
the true gospel of scripture, the biblical gospel. The gospel
that is unadulterated by human reason, and not mixed with, oh,
in this place we've always done it this way. As we were hearing
this morning, to us it's, what does this book say? To the law
and to the testimony. If they speak not according to
this word, there is no light in them. But don't you find that
many claim to believe the gospel? So many, all around us. Around
this area where we are today, near here, near where you are
from. lots of people even in this godless
irreligious world in which we live where you know as Christ
said when the Son of Man comes will he find faith on the earth
yet even here there's so much religion around even in this
country which is on the surface so much less religious than the
United States you know as somebody has already said You claim to
have something to do with preaching or something to do with the truth
of the gospel and most people in a position of schools or government,
they'll think there's something weird about you, there's something
suspicious about you. We need to do some checks on
you to see that you're not going to harm people that you come
into contact with. You'll be regarded as worse than those
that claim no such thing at all. And yet still, lots of people
say they believe. They believe. What do they believe?
They say they believe. And yet, near here, people who
say they believe the gospel are discouraging. They have discouraged
people from coming here to this gathering this weekend. They've
said that they won't let their people come to this because hyper-Calvinism
is going to be preached here. You're going to be going and
listening to an antinomian preach to you. And he'll damage your
soul if you go and listen. Don't go there. These are people
who claim to believe the gospel. They stand very, very close to
the Pharisees and the scribes who despised Christ for His message
in His day. But I don't want to show my annoyance
at such false accusations. Just look at the first verse
of the second chapter of 1 Peter. Wherefore, he says, laying aside
all malice and all guile, and hypocrisies and envies and all
evil speakings. Let's try and be positive. Let's
move on from that, the fact that people have decried this gathering.
Let's move away from that. And look at verse 2, as newborn
babes desire the sincere milk of the word that you may grow
thereby. Let's not focus on those who
seek to undermine the true gospel. but rather like newborn babes,
let's have one objective, you know the newborn babes one objective
is that milk that nourishing milk that they may grow thereby
and let's have that objective to feed on God's Word and grow
as Peter says at the end of his second epistle chapter 3 verse
18 grow in grace and in the knowledge it's an exhortation, grow in
grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ
so let's move on and verse 3 if so be ye have tasted that the
Lord is gracious. Is that you? Is that you? Ask
yourself today. We say we come here because we
believe the gospel, we want to hear the gospel. Is that you?
If so be ye have tasted. Like the newborn babe, when the
newborn babe tastes the milk of the word, what does he want?
He wants more. and more and more. He wants to
grow thereby. He can't get enough of it. It's
the main thing. Oh, give him some steak and broccoli. No, and the newborn babe wants
milk. He wants more and more of it. And so, is that you, like
a newborn babe, having tasted the milk, wanting more and more?
You know, the true children of God never tire of hearing the
Gospel of Christ. You say, what are you coming
here for? Well, we're going to listen to, what was it? One,
two, three, four. We're going to listen to five
messages on Saturday and another one on Sunday. And what's the
subject gonna be? The Gospel of Grace in the Lord
Jesus Christ. Won't you be bored after the
first one? I don't think so. It's the theme we want to hear.
This is it, to be determined with Paul to know nothing other
than Jesus Christ and Him crucified. And having tasted, having tasted,
look at verse 4, to whom coming as unto a living stone disallowed
indeed of men but chosen of God and precious having tasted, you
come. You come to Christ, the Lord,
that living stone. You come to Him, the living foundation
stone. The illusion here is of the temple
of God. Not the temple in Jerusalem,
which was just a picture in Old Testament days, of the true temple
of God. The true temple of God is a temple
made not with hands, without hands. It's a temple built, as
it says here, of lively stones, of living stones, in the next
verse, verse 5, as lively stones. It's a temple built of lively
stones, which is the people of God, and it's built on one foundation,
and it's that chief cornerstone, the cornerstone which is our
Lord Jesus Christ, built on Him. Note, note, this is Peter writing
this, you know, this is not built on Peter, as Rome would have
us believe, not at all. He's, Christ was the rock, that
rock was Christ. Peter was the little pebble.
And though he be an apostle, and he was inspired to write
the word of God, though he be an apostle, yet he was a little
pebble, just like all other believers. And we are of those little stones,
those lively stones, built up into a spiritual house, which
is the church of God, the temple of our Lord Jesus Christ, built
up into that holy house and holy priesthood. A holy priest? Well, you say, we're priests. Well, we don't have any priests
today, do we? Well, I know in religion they have priests. I
know in religion they try to mimic all that which in the Old
Testament all pointed to Christ. All was a blueprint of the gospel
of Christ. All was a picture of the design
of the gospel of grace, and now is fulfilled, and now is completed,
and we don't need any priests. You'll find in the Church of
England, they're always arguing about who should be priests,
and who shouldn't be priests, and somebody's a priest here,
and whether there should be women priests. I know they had that
argument 10 or 15 years ago, and they're now talking about
women bishops. and it's this idea that who should be a priest
the question is not whether women should be priest the question
is whether they should be priest at all if you read the epistle
to the Hebrews The priests in that sense of trying to mimic
what the Old Testament did have finished entirely. They finished
when the temple was destroyed in Jerusalem, when Christ came
and fulfilled all righteousness and put an end to sin. He destroyed
the sin of his people when he came fulfilling that prophecy
in Daniel. That's when it finished. There
are no priests today in that sense. He is our only priest,
our great high priest, after the order of Melchizedek, but
yet, in another sense, we're all priests. All his people,
he says, are priests. You are a holy priesthood, a
royal priesthood. able to offer up spiritual sacrifices
acceptable to God by Jesus Christ. What are the spiritual sacrifices?
We don't go slaying animals physically anymore. What are the spiritual
sacrifices? In the heart of every true believer,
there is the spiritual sacrifice which is the shed blood of our
Lord Jesus Christ which is offered constantly in our hearts in our
hearts we know that Christ has died and shed his blood to pay
the sin debt of his people and therefore in him all of our sins
are taken away all of the sins of his people are taken away
this is why his people are called a holy priesthood able to offer
up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God by Jesus Christ And is
this something new that Peter's talking about? Is this something
that's absolutely never been heard of before? No, look at
verse 6. Wherefore also it is contained in the scripture, it
is contained in the scripture, behold I lay in Zion a chief
cornerstone, elect and precious. He's quoting Isaiah chapter 28
and verse 16. and he that believeth on him should not be confounded. It's all in accordance with everything
that God has decreed in his word, all of it, concerning God's declaration
of Christ to his people. What's the message of the scripture?
It's God's declaration of Christ to his people. You can get all
sorts of other things out of it. It's good for all sorts of
other teaching, but this is the message of this book. It's God's
declaration of Christ, His Christ, to His people. So that you hear
it. So that you believe it. So that
in it you find peace. So that in it you find salvation.
This is what this is about. It's declared in all the scripture.
It's declared there, laying in Zion a chief cornerstone elect
and precious and he that believeth on him shall not be confounded. This is the message that God
gives to his people. He that believeth on him should
not be confounded, should not be ashamed, should not be distressed
in the judgment, should not be ashamed about believing in Christ,
about knowing Him, about being His witness, about trusting Him.
You won't be ashamed. You know sometimes you trust
that something's going to happen and then something goes wrong
and frustrates your plans and your plans come to futility and
you're ashamed in that moment. Jesus talks about the man who
sets about building a house and he doesn't properly cost it and
he doesn't properly plan it. and it goes so far, and then
he's ashamed because he can't finish the work, because he doesn't
have the materials or the wherewithal to finish the work. You might
trust this one and then find that it's fallen short. But here
it says, no, you won't. You shall not be confounded.
It will not fall short. He will fulfill all that he has
promised. He that believeth on him shall
not be confounded. In what way as well? You won't
be confounded. You won't be ashamed in this.
You won't be afraid of the judgment seat of Christ. You know, how
many in this religious world that we have all around us, how
many would preach this? Oh, there's the gospel that gets
you so far, but then there's so much you have to do, and you
better watch out because there's a judgment seat of Christ coming,
and every thought's going to be open there, and you're all
going to be parading into glory with your heads hanging down
in shame because of all the failures that you've done, for the lack
of sanctification in your life because you haven't fulfilled
the law properly. This says you will not be confounded. He that
believeth on him will not be confounded. You won't be confounded
for any failures. There will be no shame for that
in that day before the judgment seat of Christ. It will be a
day of glory and of happiness and there won't be any fear of
loss of reward in that day. You won't be confounded. will not be confounded and therefore
you who believe on him you who believe on him unto you therefore
which believe he is precious unto you which believe he is
precious this is a good test unto you which are you one of
those who believes because if you are he is precious he is
precious what is it to believe you see as I've already indicated
there are many imitations of true belief uh... you know the
mainstream religions are pretty obvious you know the mainstream
churches in this country are pretty obvious for their falsehood
but you know there are some I mean you get some of the sects come
and knock on your door and you say oh I know they don't believe
the truth but you listen to some of the things they say do you
know they're getting really really good at sounding like those that
believe some aspects of the truth they're sounding very plausible
they're getting very subtle in finding those statements which
will sound plausible. There are all sorts of others
who, churches who have a name for being alive, a name for living
in this country. They have a name for being orthodox
in doctrine and creed and practice. They have a name for being something.
Oh, go there. You're going off to university
in this town. Oh, go to that church because there, there's
an orthodox church that has a name for preaching the truth. Why
do you know that? Well, it's got a good statement of faith.
And you read each statement of faith and you can put a tick
against virtually everything there. Oh, well, this is a good
church. you go and sit there and listen
to the preaching week after week. Don't just read what the statement
of faith says, go and read what the preaching is every week.
I remember Cliff telling us a story about the statement of faith
where he was being quite clear that the law is not the believer's
rule of life and yet in the preaching from the pulpit week after week
what was preached the law is the believers rule of life the
statements of faith and the preaching and the preaching goes on into
the creed that the people believe and follow they're not the same
they're not the same at all there are many imitations of true belief
where does what you believe put you and where does it leave you
I remember being in situations where Although the statement
of faith looked sound, when you actually heard the preaching
it was utterly Christless, it was full of legalism and law,
and the people, right, this is what they believe, where did
it put them? I'll tell you exactly where it
put them, it put them in practical bondage, practical bondage, all
the time. particularly in relation to Sunday,
because that's, generally speaking, the way they work it out. You
know, generally speaking, most people who are believers don't
go robbing banks and defrauding their neighbours and things like
this, but the one point where they seem to make a real beeline
to home in on is on Sunday. and Sabbatarianism, and their
particular own local interpretations of how you ought to behave, and
the things you ought to do, and the things you ought not to do,
and what sort of padlocks you ought to use to chain up the
swings in the park, and this kind of thing. They have their
own local set of rules and regulations for what people are allowed and
not allowed to do. What you believe drives how you
think and how you believe. So you who believe, you who believe,
what do you believe? Well let me give you some things,
and you know Peter said how pleased he was first thing this morning
to be the first preacher, and so far none of us has preached
on exactly the same passage of scripture, but I'm afraid you're
going to hear some things from me now that you've already heard
today, but I think they'll bear some repetition, my being the
last of the ones to preach here at this conference. First of
all you believe the truth of God's Word. Don was very clear
on this earlier on, you believe the truth of God's Word and I
say lots of people believe the truth of God's Word, no dig,
dig, find out what are they really saying. You see, it's this book
that determines what you believe. It's not the writings of some
revered men. Now, there are some excellent
writings of men that have gone in the past. There's some excellent
writings being produced today. But always, they are the writings
of men. And in every case, the writings
of men ought to be subservient to what this book says. I'll
tell you of another situation. the church I mentioned before
where they were in a state of bondage and when we got into
discussion about why that was the case I happen to point out
that whilst I liked a lot of what JC Ryle had written in his
book Holiness when it comes to sanctification he said quite
clearly it's I could take you to the passage. It says quite
clearly, sanctification is the believer's work. Justification
is Christ's work. Sanctification is the believer's
work. And I said, well, however good
some of the stuff is that Ryle might have written, that doesn't
accord with this word. It doesn't speak according to
this word. Therefore, what do I conclude?
In that respect, there is no light there. There is no light
in... I, you know, I don't bow to what
a man tells me. I'm trying to hear the good shepherd's
voice. I bow to what his word says.
His word says Christ is made unto us wisdom from God and righteousness
and guess what? Sanctification and redemption.
He is our sanctification. Not the things that we do. He
is our sanctification. We may not see everything clearly
yet, there may be aspects of scripture on which we need more
light to be shared, but when God sends his servant to preach
his message to you, you who believe the truth you who believe hear
the Good Shepherd's voice and you obey him the Good Shepherd
in hearing that voice and you obey him gladly you submit to
him because there's submission to the Word of God in true belief
I may not think such and such a thing in my flesh but this
book says it This book says it, therefore I believe it. You who
believe, you'll believe that. You'll believe what this book
says. You see, it's absolutely true, and again you've heard
this already today, but the flesh may dislike, no the flesh does
dislike the doctrine of election. The flesh dislikes it, the flesh
thinks it's unfair. Why would God be gracious to
some and not to everybody? That's so unfair. The flesh dislikes
even more the doctrine that goes with it, the doctrine of reprobation.
I've raised up Pharaoh to harden his heart for my glory. Jacob
have I loved, Esau have I hated. It hates limited atonement. Oh
surely everybody's got a chance, haven't they? Surely it's down
to everybody. It hates limited atonement. It
hates the concept, oh yes I'm a sinner, I'll admit that, I'm
not perfect. But it hates the concept of total
depravity. I mean total depravity. Do you
remember the vision of Ezekiel in the valley of the dry bones?
How dead were those bones? It says they were very, very
dry. You know, do you ever see, I
used to see an abattoir van go by, because we lived near an
abattoir, and you would see these not dry bones on the back of
this abattoir lorry. These were fresh bones. They
were the sort of bones where, as the joke would have it, if
you found a good vet and gave him a few hours, you know, he'd
bring them back to life again. These were fresh bones, but no,
the ones that Ezekiel saw, which is a picture of us as we are,
these were dead, dead dry bones, absolute long dead, long dead,
beyond any medical improvement, these were dead bones, and the
flesh doesn't like that. The flesh doesn't like it, but
the new man of Christ, implanted by God's Spirit, rejoices in
them. Why does the new man rejoice
in these things? The new man who wars with that
old flesh, why does the new man rejoice in it? Because election,
reprobation, limited atonement, total depravity, the completeness
of the salvation of Christ, His particular redemption of His
people. It's an effectual salvation. They may talk about salvation,
but their salvation doesn't get anybody saved. Because it all
relies on you. The quality of your decision.
All of the things that you do, as we've heard again more than
once today. It all relies on what you do
and not on what God has done. the new man of Christ rejoices
in the certainty of effectual salvation it bows to what this
word says secondly you believe the truth of Christ because what
else is the scripture there to declare to us but Christ these
are they which speak of me in the scriptures you think you
have eternal life these are they said Jesus which speak of me
beginning at Moses and the prophets on the road to Emmaus he expounded
to them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself
He came as the God-man to fulfill all prophecy, to fulfill all
scripture, and all righteousness. Think about him. Think about
his perfection. Think about his perfect obedience
as a man. Don't just flippantly say it,
but meditate on it. Chew over it. Think about it.
His inherent divine righteousness. Who this one is? You know, when
he came it says in Isaiah that there is no comeliness that we
should desire him. They looked on him, you know,
as the artists of the Renaissance would paint him, wandering around
in pure white robes with a halo around his head. Do you think
that's what the Pharisees saw when they looked at him? They
just saw an ordinary man. They saw a man who was wearied.
They saw a man who looked older than his years, for they said,
you're not yet fifty years old, and he was only thirty and a
bit. that's what they saw nothing in his outward appearance and
yet his divine perfections his absolute perfect divine righteousness
it's that righteousness which he makes over to his people in
his death on the cross for he made him who knew no sin to be
sin for us that we might be made the righteousness of God in him
and how did he do it Think of this, the truth of Christ and
his sacrificial death as substitute for his people. Whose sins did
he bear when he went to the cross of Calvary? For the sins of my
people was he stricken. You shall call his name Jesus,
for he shall save his people from their sins. This is what
it says. This is what it says, absolutely
clear. His precious lifeblood, the lifeblood
of Christ was the price of sin. The soul that sins, it shall
die. So he bore the sins of his people,
and he, the perfect, innocent, sinless one, poured out that
precious blood, the blood of the Son of God. God, we read,
purchased the church with his, God's own blood. God purchased
the church with his own blood. it was poured out as the price
he paid for your sins, it's like a... you know the argument used
to go on, the Fullerism argument and he hated the idea of a sin
debt being paid I tell you the scriptures talk about a sin debt,
it's perfectly clear Christ paid the sin debt of his people as
much As if I had enough money too, and you had a debt, and
you had a debt, and you had a debt, and I might, out of grace, go
down to the bank and say, this man's account, this woman's account,
I want to clear their accounts. That's what Christ did. When
he went to the cross of Calvary, he paid the sin debt of the people
the Father gave to him before the beginning of time. Chosen
in Christ before the foundation of the world. This is what he
did. This is the truth that you who believe will believe. This
is it. Those who say they believe, test
it. Do they believe these things?
To the law and the testimony, if they speak not according to
this word, there is no life in them. You believe the resurrection,
I know you all do. I know you have no truck with
the debate that goes on. Of course you believe in the
literal resurrection, that he died, he went down into the grave,
and the third day he was raised from the dead. He was raised
by the power of God, and that was for our justification. we
read in Romans 4.25. It was God's declaration of legal
acquittal of his people before the justice of his law. He's
ascended into glory. This one who walked the earth
and did all these things then, don't just think then, we glory
in then, but think now. Where is he now? He's on the
throne of the universe. He's on the throne of his father's
glory. He's there now in glory. Think
of the goodness of his law because you believe in the goodness of
his law. Those who call us antinomians think we despise his law. It's
only through faith in Christ that we fulfill the law. It's
only through faith in him that the law is honored. Only in that
way. We know the inherent goodness
and justice of his law. We know the reality of sin. We
know the depravity and guilt of our own hearts, my own heart.
We know, we know, and this is such a mark of those who believe
as opposed to those who might just say they believe. Those
who believe know that God is absolutely just if he were to
condemn me for my sin. Absolutely just. We know that. We know my desperate and urgent
need for the righteousness of God. For what must I pursue?
Pursue holiness without which no man shall see the Lord. No
man. What is that holiness? The righteousness that God demands.
Where do we get that righteousness? In Christ the Lord, our righteousness
alone. We also reject on the basis of
this word in our Lord Jesus Christ. We reject the notion of providing
a homemade wedding garment. There's going to be a marriage
supper of the Lamb. Are you going to that marriage supper of the
Lamb? Have you heard the invitation to that marriage supper of the
Lamb? How are you going to go clothed there? A homemade wedding
garment? Is that what you're going to
go with? I'll refer again to that church where the people
were under bondage. I remember talking to a very
dear old lady who was revered as one of the holiest ladies
in the church. And I remember her saying how
she felt compelled always to be speaking to her neighbors
about Christ. And I thought, well, that's a
good thing. And then she said this. She said, because I don't
want to go into his presence empty-handed. nothing in my hand
I bring, simply to thy cross I cling." That's the plea from
the heart of the true believer, I've got nothing to bring, I
don't make my own homemade wedding garment, looking forward to that
day, looking forward to that marriage supper of the Lamb.
Is that the reason why some of them call us antinomians for
preaching this doctrine? I don't even, I don't even attempt
to sew the filthy rags of my own righteousnesses onto that
seamless robe of the righteousness of Christ. To believe, you believe
all these things, his word, the Christ of his word, all those
things about him, and you believe with all your heart. This is
what Philip said to the eunuch, he came down to him, into that
chariot, and expounded to him in the book he was reading, the
book of Isaiah, he preached unto him Jesus. That's what he preached
in. No other message. He preached
unto him Jesus. And he says, if you believe with all your
heart. What prevents me from being baptized?
If you believe with all your heart. If you believe. If you
believe. If you're one of these, to whom
Peter's writing, unto you therefore, which believe he is precious.
If you believe, you'll believe with all your heart. It will
be a heart thing. It will be emotional. Because
you see, the devils believe The devils know the truth of all
of these things, they know they're all correct, and the devils tremble. But the true believer, to you
who believe, to you who believe, it's emotional. You believe with
all the heart. And you see, you see with the
eye of God given faith what the natural man can't see or know. The things of the Spirit of God,
they're the gift of the Spirit of God to show to you. You don't see them. The natural
man does not see them. He hasn't got the faculties with
which to see them. And that's the reason why we
don't appeal to reason in the natural man to see the reasonableness
of the gospel proposition and then to compel him to fulfill
his duty to believe it. No, we don't do that. We don't
do that. We preach the gospel. To whom? to all and any who will
hear, without distinction. We make no distinction in any
way. We'll preach the gospel to any who will hear, by any
means. In a public hall like this, on
the internet, in our services, any who will hear, we preach
it to them and we trust the Holy Spirit to give spiritual discernment. Because if you believe, it's
only because he gave you that spiritual discernment. You were
dead in trespasses and sins. Now because we don't go along
with all these Arminian methods of trying to persuade people
of the reasonableness of the gospel, of the reasonableness
of creationism as opposed to evolution, because we don't go
along with these things, is that why we're called hyper-Calvinists
for preaching these doctrines? No, true belief endears Christ
to the soul with bonds of love. Look at verse 8 of chapter 1
of the same epistle. He's talking about honor and
glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ, whom, he says to them,
having not seen, ye love. Even in those days, in those
early days of the church, these people had not physically seen
the Lord Jesus walk this earth. Whom having not seen ye love,
you who believe, having not seen you love, in whom though now
you see him not, yet believing. Belief in place of physical sight.
Believing. What happens? You go away and
you tick all of your academic boxes and you're quite happy
with it. No. You rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory. Is that talking about emotion?
Of course it is. Have you ever known any of that
emotion? Joy unspeakable and full of glory? At the thoughts
of Christ, whom though you haven't seen him in the flesh, you believe
the gospel. You believe the soul's hope he's
given you of eternity. You believe these things. What
you love is precious to you. Whom having not seen you love,
you believe him, you love him. Whom having not seen you love,
the things you love are precious to you. Anybody that's known
me about 18 months, will know I've got quite attached to this
device. Now, anybody that works for a company that produces alternative
devices, well, that's all well and good. I won't say anything
about that. But this device, I love this device. It's very
dear to me. In fact, I really do wonder how
on earth I lived the first 59 years of my life before I got
one of these things. I really, I don't know how I
did it. Because it does, if it had a knife that would flick
out so that I could peel things, then, you know, talk about the
versatility of a Swiss Army knife. This thing is brilliant. I absolutely
love it. And I remember Peter, my son,
talking of a colleague at work who had an iPhone. And he was
in love with his iPhone. And one day he discovered that
his iPhone had gone. And he might as well have had
his right arm chopped off. It was just dreadful to him. Because
the things you love are precious to you. I suppose I ought to
say that my wife is precious to me, and my family, and my
children, my grand... They're all precious. Of course
they are. They all are. And it's true, they are, because
I'm very protective towards them. I mean, I'm probably far more
protective towards them than I should be, because I don't
realize how pathetically weak I am to do anything about most
of the situations that they're in. And they're always saying
to me, you know, back off dad, you're not capable of doing anything
about this. But the things you love are precious
to you. But all of these things are temporary
gifts from God. And all the gifts that God gives
his children, this is how we should hold them. in an open
palm, because he lends us them for a while, and he might just
as well take them off us. I'm talking about the people
that are nearest and dearest to you, the possessions. What
did Job say? His family, think how dear his
family was, all of his possessions, all of his riches, and in a matter
of days the Lord took the lot away from him. And they said
to him, curse God and die. And he said, the Lord gives,
And the Lord takes away. Blessed be the name of the Lord.
His wife said to him, Curse God and die. He said, Though he slay
me, yet shall I praise him. That's the testimony of the believing
heart. That's it. You see, although
these things are precious to us, we love them, they're precious
to us, and quite justifiably, it's always secondary for the
true believer to the preciousness of my lovely Savior, my glorious
Savior. He is precious to me. To you
who believe in him, he is precious to you. Is he precious to you?
Is he? How is Christ precious to the
one who truly believes? I'm reminded of the Shulamite,
Song of Solomon, chapter 5 and verse 9. What is your beloved
more than another beloved? And you know I won't quote how
it goes, but doesn't she just overflow with joy and praise
at the very thought of her Beloved. He's precious to her. He's the
most precious thing. She can't live without Him. She
must find Him. To you who believe, He is precious. What is it about Christ that
is precious to you who truly believe? Here are some things. I won't wear you by being too
long. His person and His character. You see, the more the world and
religion knows of the Christ of Scripture, and that's the
one I'm talking about, the Christ of Scripture, the more they really
know of Him, the more they despise Him. But to you who believe,
how admirable he is. How glorious he is. How, like
the Shulamite, those emotions are drawn from your heart when
you think of him. Think of his riches in glory,
who he is. Think of the one who walked this
earth, the one who was born as a babe, God contracted to a span. Think of him in the union of
his person in the Trinity. he who was rich Paul says he
who was rich though he was rich yet for your sakes you believer
yet for your sakes he became poor that you through his poverty
might be rich think of his supreme majesty his preeminence we read
again and again of him being given a name which is above every
name his preeminence the one who when we read in revelation
the risen ascended Lord Jesus Christ and the Apostle John sees
him in that vision and when he sees him just as Daniel when
Daniel saw him on the banks of the river and nobody else around
him saw him he saw him what did he do he fell at his feet as
though dead you know not just one who has no comeliness that
we should desire him one who shines with all the glory that
we would fall at his feet as though dead because he is such
a majestic person his person and character Isn't something
as rich as that, someone as rich as that isn't that one precious
to you? Supreme majesty, preeminence
His humility, yet, yet, so high, and yet he became so low. Let
this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus, who being
in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with
God, but made himself of no reputation, and became a servant, coming
in the likeness of sinful flesh, humbled himself, and became obedient
unto death, even the death of the cross." And that's a shameful
death. That's a despised death. He was made like the worms, we
often read it in the Gadsby's hymn collection where we're called
worms and it sounds rather quaint and antiquated language but it's
right. Such worms as we are. He was made like the worms he
calls brethren, like the worms he calls children. Like the worms
he calls friends. We sang it in a verse of Stocker's
hymn. Jesus, my friend, when he hung
on the tree. He calls us friends. And why
did he do it? Why did he lay his glorious side?
To be made like his people, to be made like the children. for
the purpose of salvation. And He's accomplished salvation
and He's exalted again. Think of His omnipotent sovereignty.
Is that not precious to you? Is that not a precious thought?
His omnipotent sovereignty. He can do everything. He does
do everything for the eternal good of His children. We know
that all things work together for good to those who love God,
who are called according to His purpose. Is that not precious
to you? When you think, the events that happen, the things that
come along in your life, with your family, with your finances,
with your situation, with your... whatever it might be, if you
believe the Scripture, you'll take comfort from this, that
He who is precious to you causes all things to work together for
your good. Think of His grace and His love. When in our flesh
we deserve nothing, while still sinners, Christ died for the
ungodly. Think of his names and his offices.
He's God our Savior. God our Savior. He is. True God. God our Savior. He's our kinsman
redeemer. Our relative that came to buy
us back from our situation. I often think of Abraham when
he heard of, he calls him Lottie's brother. He was his nephew but
the relationship is there. When he heard that his brother
had been captured. He gathered his band and he went
out to rescue. Is that not what Christ did?
He went out to rescue his brethren, his people, our kinsmen redeemer.
That where we were children of wrath, even as the others, where
we were dead in trespasses and sins, Where we were alienated
from the Kingdom of God, where we were enemies of God, He comes
with a message of peace. He's the Prince of Peace. He's
our prophet who speaks to us. He speaks the truth of God to
us. He's our priest who intercedes for us. Is this not precious
to you? He's our King. And what a king! You know, we
often say, what's the best sort of government? Is it democracy?
I don't think so. They just say that democracy
is the least bad of all the other bad ones. But what is it about
him? He's such a benign sovereign to his people. He who is God. He who is of purer eyes than
to behold iniquity. He who is a consuming fire. He into whose hands it is a dreadful
thing, a fearful thing to fall. is such a benign sovereign to
his people. Is that not precious to you who
believe? He's my Lord and my God. As Thomas,
when he saw him, having doubted, he saw him in all his glory.
This man, this risen Lord Jesus Christ, not yet ascended, but
there he sees and he knows. To the eye of faith he sees who
this is and he falls at his feet, my Lord and my God. And he's
my Lord and my God, if he's precious to me. And I fall at his feet
in worship in my heart every day. He's the one who manifests
the Father's glory to my human perception. Where else could
I find that? We've already mentioned earlier
on today, Philip. Philip, show us the Father and
that will suffice us. Philip, have I been so long with
you and you have not yet seen me? He who has seen me has seen
the Father. What a claim. He's my Passover
lamb who's taken away my sins. He's paid my sin debt with his
lifeblood. He's my bridegroom. He's my bridegroom. to whom I and all God's elect,
all his church are united and in such a glorious mystical union
whereby you know just as it was in most people would say they
don't want to go back to the way the laws were two or three
hundred years ago but in in old English law the law of marriage
was this the husband was entirely legally responsible for the deeds
and the finances of his wife in every respect now you may
object to that even those of you who don't particularly go
along with the modern feminist women's liberation movement you
might object to that but nevertheless it's a picture it was a picture
that was spoiled by sin but nevertheless it's a good picture The husband
was entirely responsible for the legal position of the wife.
Christ, the bridegroom, is entirely. He's taken legal responsibility
for his bride in every respect concerning the law, concerning
sin debt. He's paid it, and he's paid it
all. He's the son of righteousness. He's the Lord our righteousness.
He bestows on all who believe all the righteousness we must
have if we're to see God. Is He precious to you? He should
be precious to you in this. Is He precious on His throne
of grace to which all who believe have open access, where He bids
me to pray, where He hears my prayers, where He assures me
of His keeping power and His providential care? Is He precious
to you in the fellowship of His saints? because that's why we
love to gather like this with those who believe these things
and say yes yes I know I know what you believe I rejoice in
the same things that you do to you who believe he is precious
if he's precious to you what will you do? you'll trust your
soul to him, entirely to his eternal keeping. Paul said, I
am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I've committed
unto him against that day. That it's not up to me to add
what I need against that day. I'm persuaded that he is able
to keep that which I've committed unto Him against that day, that
day of judgment. It's all committed to Him. He
is my righteousness. He is my justification. As the true circumcision in Him,
this is what you'll do if He's precious to you. You'll worship
God in spirit. in spirit and in truth you'll
rejoice in Christ Jesus and I stress the word rejoice because the
rejoicing speaks of feelings heart feelings you'll rejoice
in Christ Jesus and you'll have only a little confidence in the
flesh it doesn't say that it says no confidence in the flesh
none whatsoever you'll have no confidence in the flesh you'll
trust him alone you'll trust him alone and when somebody puts
the proposition to you from the Word of God when somebody puts
the proposition to you that every work of yours is as filthy rags
is worthless in terms of adding anything to the salvation of
Christ you believe that you'll agree with that he'll be first
in your affection you know when When I'm thirsty, and the thirstier
I get, there's one thing in my mind, I must have something to
drink. Like Psalm 42 says, my soul thirsteth for the living
God. You'll thirst for him, you'll
long for him, you'll be genuinely thankful. Are you thankful? You
know, this is one of the accusations in Romans 1 against those who
are ungodly. They were unthankful. Are you
thankful for all the blessings of salvation? I will praise him,
I will worship him. He's brought me up out of a horrible
pit. He set my feet upon a rock. These
are the things that the psalmist was singing with delight from
his heart because he believed God. He believed the gospel of
Christ. And to him, Christ was precious.
You'll be genuinely thankful for these things. You'll delight
to meditate upon him. You'll delight to hear of him.
You'll delight to hear him preached. You'll delight to speak of him.
You'll be ready, as he says, Peter says this, you'll be ready
to give an answer to anyone who asks you a reason for the hope
that is in you. You'll want others to know about
him, don't we? This is what Free Grace Radio
is about, that others might know this gospel of grace. That it
might reach them wherever they are. And bless God in these days,
you know, for every bad thing that the internet can be used
for, praise God, it's being used by people who are entirely on
their own. And yet they love the grace of
God in the gospel of His grace. And they're able to hear it.
You want others to hear it and know it. And you'll be ready,
if required, to deny self for Him. and you'll also be distressed
constantly, daily at your own failures, your own lack of conformance
to Him. It's hardly antinomianism, is
it? When it grieves your heart the way that you fail Him. and
you'll sincerely desire his presence in glory. Where will your hope
be set? You who believe to whom he is
precious, if he truly is precious, you know, you talk to somebody
in the Royal Navy who's very happily married and he's got
a little family and he loves his wife and he loves his children
and he goes away on a year mission to somewhere, I don't know where,
And can you imagine the thoughts of his heart while he's away
and the nearer he gets to that homecoming? Because they're so
precious to him. He wants to be there with them.
He goes and does the job he has to do for the time he has to
do it. But what's in his heart? He wants to get back to that
which is truly precious to him. Do you have that sentiment? Do
you have your thoughts set on things above, your mind set on
things above where Christ is? Is He the desire of your heart
to be with Him in glory? We're not talking about any rush
to leave this life, it's all in God's own time, but oh, that's
where my heart is. I'm just traveling through here,
this is just for a while, just for a season. No, you have your
heart set on things above where Christ is. If you truly believe
the Christ of Scripture, this is my message to you. He is supremely
precious. Amen.