Proverbs chapter one, we're looking
at the parables of peace, the five parables of peace that the
Lord reveals in the first six verses. We know that's what Solomon's
name means is parable, or perhaps what proverbs mean is parable,
and Solomon name means peace. These are the parables of peace
to the Lord's people. This is the fourth one that we're
gonna look at tonight, and it's to give, to give. Let's read
our text here. In Proverbs 1, verse 1, the Proverbs
of Solomon, the son of David, king of Israel, to know wisdom
and instruction, to perceive the words of understanding, to
receive the instruction of wisdom, justice, and judgment, and equity,
to give subtlety to the simple, to the young man knowledge and
discretion. A wise man will hear and will
increase learning, and a man of understanding shall attain
unto wise counsels. to understand a proverb and the
interpretation, the words of the wise and their dark sayings. Verse four is where the fourth
parable of peace is. He says, to give subtlety to
the simple, to the young man knowledge and discretion. To give. To give means to grant,
to bestow, to be permitted to, Subtlety means clear understanding
and good judgment. And to the simple means those
that are without the ability to understand. So what is he
saying? saying, I'm writing these parables of peace to give understanding
to those who have no ability to understand. That's what he's
saying. Everyone is born without understanding,
understanding of spiritual things about who God is and about who
they are, spiritually speaking, unable to attain to spiritual
things or come to a knowledge based upon what we do in the
flesh to have understanding. We're utterly depraved, utterly
depraved. We have no idea how holy he is. Scripture tells us this, there
is none that understandeth, none. What does that word none mean?
There's none that understandeth. There's none that seeketh after
God, Romans 3.11. No one can gain understanding
by doing. No one can acquire knowledge
by learning, spiritually speaking. Physically, we can learn all
kinds of things. Not spiritually speaking. This is a gift. This
is why this is written right here, is to give, to bestow. He is not saying I'm making a
way so that you can now find out these dark sayings as we
read in verse six. That's what he calls them. Dark
saying, that's not what he's saying. He's saying, I'm giving you this.
This is my gift. This is what I am doing. Not
what you've done or not what you're going to do. This is me. I've done this and you shall
have understanding because I've given you understanding. These are written to God's elect
to grant to bestow clear understanding to his people. See, we have no
ability. We have no ability to understand.
We don't just. We lack the ability, don't we?
It's not that we haven't figured it out yet. We don't have the
ability to figure it out. It's not that we. don't understand
because we haven't done something, we lack the ability to understand
the things of the Lord. This is all by His Spirit. It's
all given by His sovereign grace. This ability to understand Him,
this ability to have the knowledge of who the Lord Jesus Christ
is, this ability to hear the gospel, this ability to see Him
as Isaiah saw Him, high and lifted up. What did the scripture say?
He was seated. He was seated on his throne and
his train filled the temple. This is the only way we can see
him that way. Prior to that, how did Isaiah
see him? Well, Isaiah wasn't really talking much about him.
He was talking about self, wasn't he? Lord, these Israelites are
doing this and these Israelites are doing that and they're unclean.
They're of unclean lips, Lord. He was complaining to the Lord.
But when the Lord revealed himself, Isaiah said, I saw the Lord high
and lifted up and seated and his train filled the temple.
There's no other room for any other glory, but his in the temple.
And what did he say? The angel took a coal from off
the altar and touched my lips. And whenever the Lord revealed
himself, what was Isaiah's confession then? I'm a man of unclean lips. I'm undone. This is what. Proverbs
is being written to the Lord's people about to give us understanding
of who God is and about who and what we are. It's his free gift by his sovereign
right. It's his choice to bestow it.
Otherwise, we will have no knowledge. We will never receive it. Will
be of all men most miserable in utter darkness. You know what
utter darkness is? The absence of light. Well, who
is light? It's the Lord Jesus Christ. It's
the absence of Him. That's us by nature. That's what's
in our heart is utter darkness. Lord, you're gonna have to shine
your light if I'm to see you. You're gonna have to give grace
and then make me see you. It's not that we have an ability
that we haven't exercised. Men talk about exercising your
faith. That means you have the ability. No, what did we read
in Ephesians just then? It's the faith of Christ. It's
the faith of Jesus Christ. This is the same gift. This is
life eternal that we may know him and the power of his resurrection. If you don't cause us to know
him, we'd be in utter darkness, never seeing the light." Henry
Mahan said this, and I said this recently, but he said, you're
wrong on the fall. Maybe it was Rolf Barner, I can't
remember which one. I'll just say, a dear brother said this,
if you're wrong on the fall, you're wrong on it all. You're
wrong on the fall, you're wrong on it all. That's a very good
statement. That's a very true statement.
Men do not understand, as we just read in Proverbs, that the
Lord has to give understanding. Men do not understand by nature
how bad we are, what really happened in the garden. It wasn't just
that we fell out of the good graces of God. It wasn't that
we just severed our relationship for a time with God and we then
can get it back. We died completely in Adam. I mean, death took place. We have a death sentence upon
us being born with his blood in us. This is what happened
in the garden. It wasn't that We got a little bump on the head.
No, we died. We can't fix it. It's not that
we have a broken arm and we need to exercise our ability to put
a splint on it and wrap it up good and tight and put ice on
it for swelling. No, we died. What are we going to do to become
alive again? Well, there's nothing that we can do, but here's the
good news of the gospel. to give knowledge, to give understanding
to the subtle, to the young man. This is what the Lord does in
his gospel. He reveals the Lord Jesus Christ. He gives life. He gives hope. Without God, we
would believe the lie for all time. The lie, the lie that started
in the Garden of Eden, that you can be God, that you can make
your own decisions, that you can make choices, spiritually
speaking, being dead, that doesn't make any sense, does it? Of course
it doesn't. No, it's not up to you, it's up to God. What does
the Lord say? If we, if he does not reveal,
no man come to the Father, but the Father which sent me draw
him. If he doesn't reveal it, we'll be in darkness. We'll believe
the lie. The word subtlety actually here
in our text, to give subtlety, you know what that translates
as? Grant the ability to see the lie. That's what subtlety
means. Grant the ability to see the
lie. You see the lie now, don't you? You've been made a sinner,
you see the lie. I can't fix this. I can't, everything
around, I can't fix my life. I have three daughters, as you
know, I can't fix my life. How am I gonna fix my sin problem?
How am I gonna fix my, I'm dead. No, I'm dead, I can't fix it.
He says to his people to give subtlety, the parables of peace
to the beloved. That's what David's name mean
in verse one. The parables of peace to the beloved. Verse four,
to give the ability, to grant the ability to see the lie. This
is only revealed by His will. This is only revealed according
to His purpose. Otherwise, we remain in darkness.
Otherwise, we remain dead. Now you see the last part of
verse four here, to the young man knowledge, there's a comma
separating to give subtlety to the simple. It says in the last
part, to the young man knowledge and discretion. Young man, it's
the same word as babe, babe. The word knowledge means the
word understanding. What did the Lord say as he was
praying to his father? Father, I thank thee that thou
has hid these things from the wise and prudent and you've revealed
them unto what? Babes. Babes, he told his disciples,
they were shooing away the children. He said, suffer the little children
to come unto me and forbid them not for of such is the kingdom
of heaven. That's the only way you can come to Christ is as
a babe. Complete dependency. Think of a newborn. They have
no ability to do anything to defend themselves in any way.
They're completely dependent upon the caretaker, upon the
mother and the father. Is that not how we come to the
Lord Jesus Christ? That's the only way we can come.
Completely dependent upon Him, and if we can, it's because He's
enabled us to. It's because He's caused us to. The babes are born of the Spirit
above. This isn't a decision we made to be born. Just like
a baby in this life doesn't decide to be born. You can't even remember
your birth, can you? I can't either. Nobody can. Why?
You had no part of it. Same thing it is with spiritual
matters. The Lord births us into his family.
It's the mystery, part of the mystery that Paul was talking
about, the birth, the new birth. It's a mystery. No one can understand
it. Nicodemus couldn't understand
it. How can a man, when he is old, enter into his mother's
womb a second time and be born? If I'm to have a new nature,
how am I supposed to enter into my mother's womb a second time
and be born? That's not possible. He said, that which is born of
the flesh is flesh. That which is born of the spirit
is spirit. Now the spirit bloweth where it listeth. He's the one
that births his people to life all by his grace. He bestows
knowledge. He bestows understanding. You
know what that is? Is that not repentance and faith? That's
what he's talking about here to us. This, to babes, I'm going
to give repentance and faith. That's what's right here in verse
four of Proverbs. Repentance and faith. The word discretion here means
the ability to judge rightly. The ability to judge rightly. Are we called to be judges? Yes.
Yes, absolutely. 1 John 4 says, beloved, believe
not every spirit, but try the spirits. What do you think that
word try means? It means to prove them. to deem them worthy, to
see if they're true or they're false. Is that not the word judge?
That's a judgment made. How do we do that? Not by our
spirit, but by the spirit he's given us. If a man gets up and
he's talking about preachers is what he's talking about there.
You know as good as I know, if you hear a man speaking not of
the truth, talking about a works religion, talking about being
saved by works, that's like nails on the chalkboard, isn't it?
That's the worst sound that a believer can hear because it puts you
under the law again. If it's of grace, it's no longer
of works. And if it's of works, it cannot be of grace. It's not
possible to mix one with the other. When you hear the good
news of the gospel, the simplicity that Christ did it all and it
is finished, there's rest there, isn't it? That's what Paul's
saying. Try the Spirit. See if they be
of God. Is it all of grace? Because if it's not, don't listen
to it. Don't listen to it. We've been
called and given the ability to judge rightly when it comes
to the Lord's gospel. We know the gospel. He's made
us to know it. Hereby we know, he says, we know
the Spirit of God. Every spirit that confesseth
Jesus Christ has come in the flesh as God. See, the Lord's
people have been given his spirit. This is how he gives his knowledge
to his people. He breathes the breath of life
into us by his spirit. He causes us by faith to see
Christ, to see what we are and who he is. This is what, this
is what this is written for. There's a second definition of
discretion here, to the young man knowledge and discretion.
The second definition is to cause to behave properly. To cause
to behave properly. Now, you know good and well after
being a year and a half, give or take, of being your pastor,
I'm not talking about physical things, how to behave. The Lord
teaches us how to live. I don't have to tell you how
to live. The Lord teaches His people how to live. What is He talking
about? To behave rightly. There's a man that was a maniac
in the Scripture. You know the story. You know
the account. Multiple places the Lord gives it because of
its significance, I suppose. This man was staying at the tombs. He lived at the tombs. He cut
himself day and night, day and night. They said they brought
chains and fetters and put upon him to try to bond him, and no
man could tame him. No man could hold him. No man could help him.
And he was all alone. He was naked. He was chained.
And he would break the chains. He would flee away. And what
did he do to fix it? I actually found it interesting, today's
Ash Wednesday, and that literally means that men and women start
getting real religious after gorging themselves on food yesterday.
They can't eat because they have to fast. And it's all false religion,
isn't it? It just is. They're cutting themselves. They're
making penance. That's what the word means. Penance is, that's
what this man was doing. He's cutting himself. I'm gonna
fix this problem. He was demonic. And what happened? Did he clean up his life? Did
he make better decisions? Did he start going to the right
places and stop going to the wrong places? Jesus came to that
man, didn't he? The Lord Jesus Christ came to
that man. And what happened? Well, as soon
as the maniac saw the Lord, he ran to him and fell down and
worshiped. Every time the Lord reveals himself
to a sinner, that's exactly the response. We fall down and we
worship. We see that we are nothing but
dust and we fall down to the dust we are. We're confessing,
Lord, you're God and I am not. And that's what this maniac did.
And you know the account. Legion spoke up. The Lord asked
him, what's your name? He said, Legion for where many.
Have you come to torment us before the time? They know who he was.
They said, we know who you are. Have you come to torment us before
the time? They recognized him as God. And he bid them that
they wouldn't go into the countryside, but into the swine. And he bid
them that they would go. And the swine drowned themselves.
And the farmers came and were angry at the hogs drowning themselves. They lost their herds. You can
understand the natural response to that. But they missed the
miracle right in front of them. When they found the man, how
did they find him, the maniac? He was clothed. He was seated. And he was in his right mind. He was in his right mind. Is
this not proper behavior? He was clothed in the righteousness
of God. He was seated at his feet, worshiping
him, and he was in his right mind. I no longer think that
I'm anything. God's everything. Christ Jesus is all in all. That
is proper behavior, isn't it? This is what's being said here
in Proverbs. This discretion, this to give,
to bestow, you've been clothed, you've been seated, you've been
put in your right mind by the Lord, all by his grace. Understand, brethren, religion
can only treat the symptoms, not the problem. And they really
can't treat the symptoms, truly. Every time someone tries to treat
the symptom of sin, it's called iniquity. It's called iniquity. And the Lord says, I hate the
workers of iniquity, Psalm 55. All religion can do is just treat
the symptoms. Can never treat the actual problem
or solve it. Man's problem is not a moral
issue. It's not an issue of morality or we could live a better life
and please God. It's not a morality issue. The
issue is that man is a rebel against God, born in trespasses
and in sin. We are born with our fist shaking
it at God. That's how we're born. That's
how we come into this world. We come speaking lies. We're born with a death sentence
on our head as condemned sinners by the blood of Adam. And what
is that condemnation? John 3, 19 tells us. We were
just talking about Nicodemus. This is who the Lord's speaking
to. This is the condemnation that light has come into the
world. Men love darkness rather than
light. Men love darkness rather than
light because their deeds were evil. What did the Lord say? Guarding anyone and everyone
on the face of the earth, you will not come to me that you
might have life. You will not. You will not come
to me that you might have life. But here are the good news. Here
are the good news. I love the little children's
in John. John writes, my little children,
I write unto you. That's the same word as babes
right here, isn't it? Here's the good news. Little children,
I write unto you these parables of peace to give subtlety to
the simple, to the young man knowledge and discretion. Little
children, I write unto you to give clear understanding to those,
mine elect, who have no understanding, who have not the ability. to
give my babes repentance and faith, put them in their right
mind, to put them in their right mind. God reveals the same words
to his elect sinners as John saw, behold the Lamb of God that
taketh away the sin of the world. We behold him, we see him as
the only hope that we have. This is what is revealed always
by the Lord's purpose and grace. The only way we can see it is
if he causes us to. Second Corinthians four says,
if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost in whom
the God of this world hath blinded their eyes, less the light. Here's
our only hope. Unless the light of God should
shine, should the light of his glorious gospel, the gospel of
Christ, who is the image of God should shine into them. That's grace bestowed, isn't
it? That's faith revealed, Christ in you, the hope of glory. Ephesians
5, 8 says, for you were sometimes darkness, but now are you light
in the Lord. I've quoted that before, and
I've misquoted that many times. I thought it said in darkness
and in light. That's not what it says. For you were sometimes
darkness, You were darkness. Not that you're in darkness.
You are darkness. I am darkness. But now, because of what the
Lord Jesus Christ has done, you are light in the Lord. That's what he's done. Who did
that? Who spoke the light into existence?
Who commanded light to shine forth out of darkness? It wasn't
you and I, was it? In the beginning, we're gonna look at that Sunday
Lord willing from Hebrews. In the beginning, God created
the heaven and the earth. And the earth was without form
and void, and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the
Spirit of the Lord moved upon the face of the waters. What
did the Lord say? Let there be light. Is that not
what he does? He makes this earth, this earthen
vessel without form and void with darkness upon the face of
the deep and he causes his spirit to blow by the washing of water
by the word and he says, let there be light. That's what we're
reading about right here in Proverbs. That's what he does for his people.
That's what he does for every one of his people. Now it's a distraction. I had
to unlock my tablet. So I don't know about this. Let
me just put it away. I'm sorry. Verse 4 again, to give subtlety
to the simple, to the young man knowledge and discretion. Something
commonly misunderstood is that God, now I'll make the statement
then I'll clarify, that God puts men in darkness. That God puts
men in darkness. That's a commonly misunderstood.
Now yes, He is absolutely sovereign. Yes, He is God and He has the
ability to do anything He wants to with whoever He wants to,
when He wants to, how He wants to. But man by nature is born
in darkness. It's our nature. It's not that
God places us in darkness. We're born in sin. We're shapen
in iniquity. God doesn't put men in darkness.
They're born that way. This is the nature of man. And
this is the only nature that can be externalized by us. This is the only thing that we
can act upon is this nature, this sinful, dark nature. That's
all that we can, everything that we do is subject to our nature. We can't act in outside of our
nature. I use the analogy of the dog
barking. A dog, I'm sure there's some YouTube video of a dog meowing,
but you understand what I'm saying. It can't act contrary to the
nature. We're born that way, darkness. is the absence of God's
light. And if he leaves us to ourself,
that's all that we'll ever be is in darkness, absent of his
light. We can't come to the light. We're
contrary to the light by nature. Darkness is what men seek after.
Do you know why? Darkness is what's in our heart.
Darkness is what's in our heart by nature. And it's found in
the heart of every man without exception. Turn with me, if you
will, to Romans chapter one. Romans chapter one, verse 16.
For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ. Now if he stopped
right there, you and I would be perfectly fine with that.
We agree, we're not ashamed of the gospel of Christ either.
We know it's the only hope of our eternal life. But he gives
us a reason why he's not ashamed. For it is the power of God unto
salvation to everyone that believeth, to the Jew first and also to
the Greek. For therein is the righteousness of God revealed
from faith to faith. As it is written, the just shall
live by faith The wrath of God is revealed. So now you have
the righteousness of God revealed and the wrath of God revealed
from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who
hold the truth in unrighteousness. Because that which may be known
of God, now understand what he's saying here. He's talking about
those that are ungodly and unrighteous who hold the truth in unrighteousness.
Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them, for
God hath shown it unto them. Well, how has he shown it unto
them? He tells us in the next verse, for the invisible things
of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being
understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power
and Godhead, so that they are without excuse. Who's without
excuse? Every single man, woman, boy,
and girl born upon the face of the earth ever. They're without
excuse. Verse 21, because that when they
knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful,
but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.
Here's what men do by nature, professing themselves to be wise,
they became fools and changed the glory of the uncorruptible
God into an image made like into corruptible man, into birds and
four-footed beasts and creeping things. God also gave them up
to uncleanness through the lust of their own heart to dishonor
their own bodies between themselves who changed the truth of God
into a lie and worshiped and served the creature more than
the creator who is blessed forever. Amen. Who is the creature? This
is the creature. is the creature. He gave examples
here of four footed beasts, of fowls, of creeping things. And
we could talk about when the children of Israel made the golden
calf that would be a four footed beast that men worshipped. We
could talk about you see all over Egyptians they had the gods
that had the head of the bird or whatever. We can talk about
all that. But what are they really worshipping when it comes down
to it? It is this creature right here. Men want to worship themselves. They want something that they
create, something that they get glory for in some way, shape
or form. In verse 24, he says these words,
wherefore, God also gave them up to uncleanness through the
lust of their own hearts. What does that mean? Gave them
up. Means he left them to themselves.
He left them to themselves. This is man, every man and woman
by nature. Now the rejoicing comes in the
fact that the Lord has revealed his truth to you and I, that
we have not been left to ourself. The evidence of that is that
we believe Jesus Christ is God. We believe he's the only hope
and remedy for the uncleanliness that we are. And everything that
we're reading here about how depraved our nature truly is,
he took upon himself the seat of Abraham, being born of a woman,
born under the law to redeem them that were under the law. This is the awful state of human
nature by the fall. No man comes to the father, but
the father which sent me draw him. This state of man, this
depraved state that I'm talking about here that we just read
about, if left to that state, we'll be left to the uncleanness
of our own lusts to consume them. Man left to himself is without
understanding, full of sin and without hope. Look in verse 25
as it continues on, who changed the truth of God into a lie and
worshiped and served the creature more than the creator who is
blessed forever, amen. For this cause, God gave them
up unto vile affections. For either their women did change
the natural use into that which is against nature. And likewise
also the men leaving the natural use of a woman, burned in their
lusts one toward another, men with men working that which is
unseemly, and received in themselves that recompense of their error
which was meat. And even as they did not like
to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate
mind to do those things which are not convenient. Understand
something, brethren. We don't speak on this subject
very much, but because it's here, we're gonna talk about it. Homosexuality,
that's right here is what he's talking about. This is the end
result of the first portion of this. This is the end result.
This is not that, this is cause and effect because they burn
within themselves their own lust because God left them to themselves.
Sodom and Gomorrah didn't start out by being as bad as it was
at the very end. They progressively got worse
for one reason, God left them to themselves. Now we don't speak
on specific sins and harp on specific sins. No, we say with
Paul, but for the grace of God, no matter the sin, if you've
really been made a sinner, you will say in your heart, but for
the grace of God, there go I. If God leaves me to myself, if
God leaves me to myself, there go I. We understand that this knowledge
is bestowed. We can say we know that our flesh. Our flesh is capable of the most
depraved acts without the grace of God keeping us, keeping us
in Christ Jesus. And here we see one of the clearest
declarations of our depravity. Look in verse 28, through the
end of the chapter. This is all men by nature. This isn't just homosexuals he's
talking about here. This is every man who did not
like to retain God in their knowledge. This is every man who, as he
said here, changed the glory of an incorruptible God into
an image not, that is corruptible. This is who He is talking about.
This is us by nature. This is our depravity, verse
28, and even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge,
God gave them over to a reprobate mind to do those things which
are not convenient. Being filled with all unrighteousness,
fornication, wickedness, covetousness, malice, maliciousness, full of
envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity, whispers, backbiters,
haters of God, the spiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of
evil things, disobedient to parents, without understanding. Now, what
did we just read in Proverbs chapter one, verse four? To give
understanding. Is that not what we read? That's
the issue right here is these do not have understanding. Covenant
breakers without natural affection. How many people do you know that's
made covenants to God in false religion? They say, I'm gonna
do this and I'm gonna do that. We can't keep our covenants,
can we? We can't keep our covenants to one another or to him without
natural affection. implacable, unmerciful, who knowing
the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are
worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in
them that do them." Brethren, understand something. The scripture
tells us very clearly the unpardonable sin is blasphemy against the
Holy Spirit. And that's exactly the result
right here of blasphemy against the Holy Spirit. What is that?
It's being disobedient to the call that goes forth. It's being
disobedient, but yet, we say, turn with me over to, you're
in Romans, turn with me just a few pages over, Romans chapter
nine. would say, well if it is up to
me, are you saying it is up to me to believe or not to believe?
I'm saying no, there is a general call that goes forth. Men by
nature are without excuse. We just read that. Romans chapter
1 he says, they are without excuse because of what we see in nature,
the seed that grows, the life that is given out of death. We
see so many different things. But look here, man would say,
well if you are saying that it is all up to God then I don't
have to do anything. I'm free from the responsibility. But
what does the Lord say? Verse 19, Thou wilt say then unto me,
Chapter 9, verse 19, thou wilt say then unto me, why doth he
yet find fault for who hath resisted his will? Nay, but, O man, who
art thou that replyest against God? Shall the same form say
to him that formed it, why hast thou made me thus? Hath not Potter
power over the clay, the same lump to make one vessel unto
honor and another unto dishonor? What if God, willing to show
his wrath and to make known, make his power known, endured
with much suffering, long suffering, the vessels of wrath fitted to
destruction. There it is right there. The Lord, his long suffering
towards these other vessels that he might make known the riches
of his glory on the vessels of mercy, which he hath afford prepared
unto glory. Even us who he hath called, not
of the Jews only, but also the Greek. See, here's the difference. Man left to himself and his depravity
would always choose man and his depravity. Man would always choose
his sin, his own unbelief, his ways. But yet we see here that
the Lord himself, by his grace alone, he called. He called,
he did the work, he bestowed, he gave. Go back to Proverbs
with me. Proverbs chapter four. This is
the reason that this was written here. Brethren, if he doesn't
write this to you and I, we have no hope. You saw the depravity
of our heart. We've seen the ugly that we are
and that we could be, but for the grace of God. But he says,
this parable of peace, this parable of peace, chapter one, verse
one, Proverbs of Solomon is parable of peace. The son of David, his
name means the beloved. This is the parables of peace.
to the beloved of God, verse four, to give subtlety to the
simple, to the young man knowledge and discretion. To give subtlety to the simple,
to the young man knowledge and discretion. Brethren, if the Lord doesn't
give us, if he doesn't say in his sovereignty before time,
Give them clear understanding. Give my people clear understanding
who do not have the ability to understand. That's what he's
saying at the first part of that. If he doesn't say that, we have
no hope. If he doesn't say, give my little
children, give them life, make them babes, and give them repentance
and faith, we will remain in darkness. We will remain dead. But hear the good news, brethren.
The good news of the gospel, and you know this to be true,
unless God does this, we would have been a Sodom and Gomorrah.
That's what the scripture said. Unless the Lord left a remnant,
we would have been a Sodom and Gomorrah. But here are the good
news of the gospel. In closing, turn to Ephesians
chapter three. We read this for our call to worship. I don't usually read 12 verses,
but I'm going to and elaborate as we go, so bear with me. I
want us to see what Paul's saying here. Ephesians 3 verse 1, for
this calls, I, Paul, the prisoner of Jesus Christ for you Gentiles,
if you have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God, which is
given me to you. how that by revelation he hath
made known unto me the mystery. Now how does he reveal the mystery
to you and I by the revelation of Jesus Christ? It's the same
thing. He only reveals it one way. The sky is not gonna open
up and a bright light shone like it did for Paul because Paul
was, he said, last he was seen of me. He was an apostle. This
mystery is revealed by the revelation through the preaching of the
word of God by his spirit. He says, live. He says, see.
He says, hear. how that by revelation he made
known unto me the mystery, as I aforewrote in few words, whereby
when you read you may understand my knowledge in the mystery of
Christ, which in other ages was not made known unto the sons
of men, as it is now revealed unto his holy apostles and prophets
by the Spirit. Gentiles should be fellow heirs
of the same body and partakers of His promise by Christ, in
Christ by the Gospel." Now he is dealing obviously with the
Jews and the Gentiles here. Anything that is not a Jew in
the Scripture is a Gentile. Anything other than a Gentile
is a Jew. It doesn't matter if you are
Roman, or you are Greek, or you are Spanish, whatever else at this
time. This is who he is letting them know, this is the mystery
that we have been grafted in. The Gentiles have been grafted
in by God's grace. Verse seven, whereof I was made
a minister according to the gift of the grace of God given unto
me by the effectual working of his power. Unto me who am less
than the least of the saints is this grace given, that I should
preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ,
and to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery,
which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God. Now
that's that darkness we've been talking about, isn't it? That
darkness who created all things by Christ Jesus. Us being in
dark cannot see this mystery. But verse 10 says, to the intent
that now unto the principalities and powers and heavenly places
might be known by the church, the manifold wisdom of God. Why? It's according to the eternal
purpose which he purposed in Christ Jesus, our Lord, in whom
we have boldness and access with confidence by the faith of him. This is the mystery that's revealed.
Christ in you, the hope of glory. We no longer look to ourself
and try to fix our depraved nature. We no longer try to do anything
that would be pleasing unto him. We see how bad we truly are to
some degree. We don't see how bad God sees
us, but we see to some degree that we're a sinner and we can't
fix it. And if left to ourself, we'd
be everything written in Romans chapter one. But yet by the Lord's
purpose and by his grace, he has revealed Christ in you, the
hope of glory. The work on the cross of Calvary
being the atonement made for the Lord's people, putting away
our sin. He no longer sees our depraved nature, but he's given
us a new nature in the Lord Jesus Christ. He's given us, he's made
us babes in him. He's made us one with him. He's given us understanding. Disciples said to the Lord, Lord,
why do you speak to them in parables? And he said, it's not for them
to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but it's for
you to know. It's for you to know. According
to his own purpose and will, he has given subtlety to the
simple and to the young man, knowledge and discretion. His people are simple, aren't
we? And it's a simple gospel. It's a simple gospel. He's given
us subtlety, he's given us knowledge, and he's given us discretion,
understanding. We no longer think like we used to, but he's given
us the right mind. We no longer make the judgments
we used to make. We say Christ is all. We no longer think that
we know something. It's not what we know, it's who
we know. Everything's changed, hasn't it? That's what this verse
is in Proverbs. Let's pray. Father, we pray you'd
bless your word according to your will. In Christ's name,
amen.