I'd like to give you all a warm
welcome to our worship here this evening. Let us ask the Lord's
blessing on our worship. Let us pray. Lord God of heaven
and of earth, we ask thy blessing on our worship this evening.
Do grant unto us the aid and help of thy Holy Spirit and that
thou hast be pleased to make thy word life and power unto
our souls and get to thy self honour and glory. as we worship
thee tonight. We ask through thy name, Lord
Jesus. Amen. Hymn 143, Tune, Norwood 505. This evening I wish to read from
two portions of God's holy word. Firstly, the gospel according
to John chapter 13. And we'll just read the first
17 verses. If you're joining us with one
of our free Bibles, the Bible box Bibles, that is page 997. The gospel according to John
chapter 13, verse one. Now before the feast of the Passover,
when Jesus knew that his hour was come, that he should depart
out of this world unto the Father, having loved his own which were
in the world, he loved them unto the end. And supper being ended,
The devil having now put into the heart of Judas Iscariot Simon's
son to betray him, Jesus knowing that the father had given all
things into his hands and that he was come from God and went
to God, he riseth from supper and laid aside his garments and
took a towel and girded himself. After that, he poureth water
into a basin and began to wash the disciples' feet and to wipe
them with the towel wherewith he was girded. Then cometh he
to Simon Peter, and Peter saith unto him, Lord, dost thou wash
my feet? Jesus answered and said unto
him, What I do thou knowest not now, but thou shalt know hereafter. Peter saith unto him, Thou shalt
never wash my feet. Jesus answered him, If I wash
thee not, thou hast no part with me. Simon Peter saith unto him,
Lord, not my feet only, but also my hands and my head. Jesus saith
to him, he that is washed needeth not save to wash his feet, but
is clean every wit. And ye are clean, but not all,
for he knew who should betray him. Therefore said he, ye are
not all clean. So after he had washed their
feet, and had taken his garments, and was set down again, he said
unto them, Know ye what I have done to you? Ye call me Master
and Lord, and ye say, Well, for so I am. If I then, your Lord
and Master, have washed your feet, ye also ought to wash one
another's feet. For I have given you an example
that ye should do as I have done to you. Verily, verily, I say
unto you, the servant is not greater than his Lord, neither
he that is sent greater than he that sent him. If ye know
these things, happy are ye. if you do them. Now let us turn
to Paul's first letter to the Corinthians and chapter 6. If you have a free Bible, it's page
1061, the Ruby Bible. We'll read the first 11 verses. Dare any of you having a matter
against another go to law before the unjust and not before the
saints? Do you not know that the saints
shall judge the world? And if the world shall be judged
by you, are ye unworthy to judge the smallest matters? Know ye
not that we shall judge angels? How much more things that pertain
to this life? If then ye have judgments of
things pertaining to this life, set them to judge who are least
esteemed in the church. I speak to your shame. Is it
so that there is not a wise man among you, no, not one, that
shall be able to judge between his brethren? But brother goeth
to law with brother, and that before the unbelievers. Now therefore
there is utterly a fault among you, because you go to law one
with another. Why do you not rather take wrong? Why do you not rather suffer
yourselves to be defrauded? Nay, you do wrong and defraud,
and that your brethren. Know ye not that the unrighteous
shall not inherit the kingdom of God? be not deceived, neither
fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor
abusers of themselves with mankind, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor
drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the
kingdom of God. And such were some, of you, but
ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name
of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God. Thus, Father, reading of God's
holy word, may he bless it to us and help us in prayer. Let us pray. O Lord God of heaven and of earth,
once more we come before thy throne to our Heavenly Father. We come by thy beloved Son, our
Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. We do thank thee for that new
and living way that thou hast consecrated for us through the
veil. Lord, we do not need to go to
a prophet or a seer or to a person on earth to be an intercessor
or mediator to us, but thou hast made that new way in which thou
art our advocate with the Father, thou art appearing in the presence
of God for us, and thou art have all men everywhere to lift up
holy hands and to make supplication unto thee. O Lord, do grant that
we might be here amongst those who, it may be said, behold he
or she prayeth. Lord, do be pleased to keep alive
that breath of prayer where it is and where it is not yet imparted. Do grant it so. Though there
might be an outward form of prayer, no doubt like the Apostle Paul
had, yet Lord do make it to be, not the prayer of the Pharisee,
but the prayer of the publican. We pray that thou'st made to
work for good those things, through which we go through, and through
which those of our friends and our loved ones go through. Lord,
thou hast said that all things work together for good to them
that love God, to them that are the called according to his purpose. And we do make that our plea,
that our lives and providence and that which comes across our
path might not be separated from what thou art pleased to do in
our souls, that thou would be pleased to use those things that
are not looked for, and make them to be amongst those all
things for good. We do pray especially for when
we have afflictions or the sudden death of those around us. And we do pray that they would
comfort those that are in bereavement at South Charn. Remember them
and those at Tenderton as well. They're very different ends of
the age scale. And oh Lord, we do pray for those
that are recovering from hospital, from large operations to be with
Sandra in Holland and we do pray that those continue to heal her
and bless her and be with her. Lord we know that her condition
cannot be fully healed. Thou canst work a miracle but
We do pray lengthening of days for her. We do pray also that
thou remember Anne Garrett in Wales and that thou has grant
thy kind healing hand upon her. Lord, remember her family and
to remember the friends here. Lord, hear prayer on her behalf. O Lord, thou then be pleased
to go before in these things, and cause it to be turned about
in thy hand, and for blessing. Lord, may there be many that
are brought to a real concern in our souls, and more diligent
in the things of God, when we have eternity set before us as
such a real thing. O Lord, we do thank Thee for
the mercies of this last week. We thank Thee for the help during
the Thanksgiving services here and at Red Hill. We do seek Thy
blessing upon Thy Word that has gone forth on those occasions. And Lord, do be pleased to remember
the work for which the collections were taken, our free Bible fund. We pray Thy blessing on every
copy is taken from our Bible boxes in this town and also requested
through the web offers. O Lord, do send forth thy spirit's
power with thy word, and may we yet hear or see thy grace,
see the fruit and effect of the seed bearing first the ear, then
the full corn in the ear. O Lord, we do seek there might
be that growth. O Lord, we pray for those in
this town that there is work in this locality. And Lord, those
who did come and join with us on Thursday, Lord, do work in
their hearts that they might come again here. But do bless our souls, each
one as we gather in thy house this evening. May our souls be
precious in thy sight, to grant us an appetite for thy word,
to grant us that fellowship one with another, and to favour us,
Lord, with being like the disciples in the upper room. Them were
the disciples glad when they saw the Lord. You pray for those
joining with us online. You grant thy blessing upon that
already attended to this day. And Lord, do help those of thy
servants that are ministering elsewhere this evening. O Lord,
we seek that thou hast built us up and strengthen us as a
church and people here. Bless each of the ministries
of the church. And Lord, do be pleased to grant
unto us to see thine offspring come. Thou grant in this land,
this land of which we confess how far we have removed from
Thee, how our laws are so contrary to Thine, how we are lovers of
pleasure more than lovers of God. O Lord, send out Thy light
and Thy truth, Thy Spirit's power for a spiritual revival. Lord,
we know that in time past Thou has given revivals, often a local
revival, some revivals that have not lasted many years, but they
have been true revivals of thy spirit. So, Lord, do make Cranbrook,
make this chapel to be a difference in this land, a place that thou
wilt send out thy power and thy light and truth. and cause us
to walk in Psalm 126, that it might be said, even of the heathen,
the Lord had done great things for them, and that we might be
able to say, the Lord has done great things for us, whereof
we are glad. We will put thee in remembrance
of thy word to us over the years. To remember us who thou hast
set before us many times, an open door that none has been
able to shut. Nor thou who hast spoken to us
what I do, thou knowest not now, thou shalt know hereafter, Lord
grant that we might yet see hereafter as concerning us as a church
and people here. And we pray also that we might
be made like that vineyard of red wine. Lord, thy servant brought
that to us many years ago. And Lord, that we might be known
as a people sheltering beneath thy blood, a people of which
thy precious blood is what their hopes for heaven rest upon, not
by works of righteousness which we have done, but that which
thou hast wrought out. We do thank thee for thy beloved
Son, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. We thank thee for his
perfect life. Lord, that which is recorded
for us in thy word. This man hath done nothing amiss. O Lord, we thank Thee for him
who, if there was any imperfection in his life, would never have
raised from the dead. But we thank Thee for that sacrifice
on Calvary. the laying down of thy life and
taking it again, and the empty tomb, the assurance given unto
all men. But Lord, make it personal to
us here that thou hast raised him from the dead. Lord, do grant
us faith to trust in thy righteousness, to trust in thy sacrifice, to
trust that thou hast put away our sin, that thou hast brought
out a righteousness whereby we could stand faultless before
thy throne. O Lord, be pleased to send out
thy gospel of thy finished work, and may there be many that are
drawn unto thee, Many believe the report, Lord, who grant each
here to be amongst those that embrace the promises and embrace
the finished work of our Lord Jesus Christ, and testify that
thou art their only hope, that thou art he upon whom their hopes
for heaven depend. We do seek, Lord, that thou hast
blessed us with food for our souls, and with thy sanctifying
through thy word. Deliver us from our besetting
sins and do cleanse us from all unrighteousness. Do grant us
a tender, teachable spirit, a tender conscience, a hatred of sin and
evil, even in thought. Lord, how often it begins in
thought. Lord, we would hate vain thoughts. that thy law would we love. Thou
do deliver us and save us from that way that seemeth right unto
a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death. And do grant
true fellowship with thee and thy people, and a close walk
grant us a daily witness that thou hast quickened us and made
us alive. And we do indeed walk with thee
as Enoch did. Lord, do grant us that token
of walking with Thee. Do forgive and pardon our many
sins and many iniquities and keep us from sin that aggrieve
us not. You bless the children and young
people. We thank Thee for them here to
begin a work of grace while they are very young. Oh Lord bless
the generation that is rising and do not pass any by. Remember
any that fear that they have been passed by and it is a burden
and concern and sorrow that often weighs heavy upon them. Lord
to be pleased to come and visit and bless their souls we thank
thee for many dear friends that we know who can bear testimony
to thy appearing in the even tide even of their lives but
lord let not any presume on that, but Lord, let not any despair
as years increase. But Lord, as years are given,
Lord, we would know that where is life, there is hope. We do pray for another dear friend
in terminal illness in Swayze. We pray for David Parrish to
remember him and remember his loved ones. We do pray that those
be with him and bless him in his soul. Oh Lord, do be pleased
to prepare us each to stand before thy face as we enter upon another
week We do commit it unto thee, we ask for thy blessing on the
ministries and the times of gathering for worship, whether here or
elsewhere throughout the week. We do seek, Lord, journey mercies
where we travel, where hospital appointments are attended to.
We do seek, Lord, Thy blessing on all that we do. Bless each
in their labours. Lord, may we be helped to occupy
till Thou dost come and to seek Thee even in schooling, in work,
in every place that we go, that we might be of those who commit
our works unto the Lord. And thou hast said, our thoughts
shall be established. Grant that our thoughts might
be right thoughts, and that we might know that thy thoughts
also are toward us, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to
give us an expected end. Hear prayer again for the people
of Cranbrook. Lord, we do see that thy work
might be manifest in this place where thou hast placed us. Now,
Lord, help us as we turn to thy word. Do grant us the aid of
thy spirit, both to speak and to hear. And Lord, do get to
thyself honour and glory in the blessing of songs. We ask through
thy name, Lord Jesus. Amen. In your announcements, God willing,
I'm expected to preach here on Thursday evening at seven o'clock
and next Lord's Day at 11 a.m. and 6.30 p.m. Hymn 181, Tune, St.Stephen 229 Seeking for the help of the Lord,
I direct your prayerful attention to John chapter 13, and reading
from our text, verse 8. Peter saith unto him, Thou shalt
never wash my feet. Jesus answered him, If I wash
thee not, Thou hast no part with me. John 13 and verse 8. What a solemn word! If I wash thee not, thou hast
no part with me. And we should all be concerned
to really know what is meant by these words. Well, in this
chapter, we have the Lord teaching several things. There is uncertainty
as to when this actually took place. Several of the commentators
would say it is actually at the time of the institution of the
Lord's Supper. Others, as we have indicated
in the very beginning of this chapter, It is not at the Feast
of the Passover but before the Feast of the Passover. And both
Matthew 26 verse 2 and Mark 14 verse 1 have our Lord two days
before the Passover in the house of Simon the leper where Mary
the second time with the remainder of the ointment anointed the
head of our Lord. And so many feel that this is
when this took place. We're told in the very first
verse that the Lord having loved his own which were in the world,
he loved them unto the end. And this is a preface to what
then transpires later on. And we may say that this account
then is an instance of the love that the Lord had to his own,
to his dear disciples. When we think of verses three
through to five, when our Lord humbles himself and voluntarily
brings himself down in a condescending manner to act as a servant, then
it teaches us his humility, his condescension, and we are to
take note of how the Lord served and humbled himself at this time. Then we have this section where
our text is, where we have the signifying of a spiritual washing. And as we come back to that,
I won't make further comment on that now. But lastly, we have
it as an example. Our Lord had said to Peter, in
verse just before, our text, that what I do thou knowest not
now, but thou shalt know hereafter. And then, later on, he asked
them, and he says, know ye not what I have done to you? And he tells them very clearly,
in those last verses leading up to verse 17, that he's done
this for an example. I have given you an example that
you should do as I have done to you. In other words, to wash
one another's feet, to look upon the walk and conduct of the brethren,
and rather than, as soon as they trip up, as soon as they do anything
wrong, to be accusing them, or taking them to law, or taking
advantage of them, to, as it were, washing their feet. We're
told in Matthew, where one offends, the first step is to go and tell
the fault between yourself and him alone. And we have other
passages where we are exhorted in a similar way how to behave
towards those that err. In the sixth chapter of Galatians,
we read, brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which
are spiritual restore such in one in the spirit of meekness,
considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted." There have
been some that have sought to use that verse to get out of
church discipline, when actually what they've been disciplined
for is not overtaken in a fault, but a persevering in a fault
and a wrong walk and wrong conduct. This is not a deliberate sinning
defiance of the Word of God and the Church of God, it is one
that is overtaken. And this is what our Lord is
setting before the disciples, that which is for the harmony
and love and union of the people of God. Consider thyself, lest
thou also be tempted in a like manner. And so we have really
those four areas that are emphasized here, the love of our Lord, his
humility, the example that he sets, but what is upon my spirit,
the vital need of a spiritual washing, the regenerating of
a soul, the washing of a soul, I want to look then with the
Lord's help this evening at three points. Firstly, I want to look
at Peter's changed attitude to having his feet washed. Either side of our text, it's
very striking. Our text makes the very big difference
to Peter's attitude. Those very words we've read as
our text, it completely changes Peter. I want to look at that
first. And then secondly, washed by
Christ, that is inseparable to a part with Christ. And then lastly, having a part
with Christ. But firstly, let us see the effect
upon Peter. When our Lord comes to wash his
feet. Peter says, Lord dost thou wash
my feet? Peter saith unto him thou shalt
never wash my feet. He is so emphatic upon this. There may be things that we also
Say, I will never do this. I will never walk in this path. Well, Peter soon changed his
mind. Because in verse nine, he says,
Lord, not my feet only, but also my hands and my head. What have made the difference?
The words of our text, if I wash thee not, thou hast no part with
me. Peter knew what it was to have
a part with Christ. He wanted to be with him. He valued Christ. He needed Christ. He viewed him as he was truly
the Christ and the thought of having no part with him, the
thought of being separated from him. If it meant then that he
had to submit to this and be washed, then he would do that
and he would do lots more. Really, everything hinged on
what Peter viewed the Lord Jesus Christ, how vital it was that
he had a part with him. One of her hymns says, I could
from all things parted be, but never, never, Lord, from thee. And the realization of the hymn
writer of how vital to be joined to the Lord Jesus Christ. Now,
notice what our Lord says. He doesn't say thou has no part
in me, but with me. God's people are chosen in Christ
from the foundation of the world and the Lord had chosen Peter. But what he is speaking here
is with him. Surely the desire of God's people
here below is not just to get to heaven, not just to be saved
in that, but to walk with the Lord here. to have fellowship,
to have communion, to be one with the Lord here, to enjoy
the presence of the Lord. And it is this that our Lord
is saying, if I wash thee not, you will not be with me. You
will not be yoked together with me. How can two walk together
except they be agreed? So here is something that Peter
viewed as was so vital and that we should view as well as being
so vital that we know what this means. And that we marvel really at
the change that was found in Peter just by these few words. May that really give us hope.
As we hear the word priest, we might find our hearts so set,
so hard, so determined like Peter. But to realize this, the Lord
has only got to speak one word or a few words through the ministry,
and it can change us completely about Faith cometh by hearing, and
hearing by the word of the Lord. And the Thessalonians, they received
the word not in word only, but in demonstration of spirit and
of power. You think of when the Lord passed
by Levi at the receipt of Custer, Matthew, follow me, he gets up
and follows. The fishermen, the same. The
power of the word that should do that, the authority that joined
with it. Now, without that, if we were
to go past someone in a natural way and just say to them, follow
me, they'd look and say, were you mad? What are you talking
about? But the effect when the Lord
speaks, it is to change the heart, to change the thoughts, to change
the direction, to change what we have said we wouldn't do to
make us to what we would do or should do. And don't think that
some of Lord's people don't have those things that they're determined
that they would never do. You know, I think I've said before
my uncle Don at Dicker, now with the Lord, but he was felt that
one day he would be a deacon, but he didn't want to be a deacon.
So he thought, well, if I'm never a church member, I can't be a
deacon. So he determined he would never, ever go forward to membership. He would never be in the church. But the Lord had a different
ways, and the Lord turned to him about. And he was deacon
for many, many years at Decker. But we can have these thoughts.
We will never go to this place. We'll never worship in this chapel.
We'll never be with this people. And the Lord changes it and turns
it about. It is the power and work of the
Lord to transform a people and to make a people willing in the
day of his power. Sometimes you might think, like
Moses, who seemed determined that he was not going to go as
bidden to Egypt and to bring the people out. But in the end,
the Lord prevailed and he did go. As a blessed thing, we can
look back on our lives and think, this was the course I was going
to go. But this is what the Lord said
and did and turned my course that way. The Apostle Paul could
say that. He could say that what I am,
I am by the grace of God. Without the Damascus Road, then
he would have gone on in the course of persecuting the people
of God and in destruction. But the Lord intervened. And
the Lord stopped him. And the Lord turned him about.
And the very people that he was persecuting, because they called
upon the name of Jesus, he, joined with them, calling. One of the
first things that was said of him, behold, he prayeth. And so may we know something
of what Peter knew here. A sudden, powerful change of
mind, change of resolution, change of the course that he was going
to go in, and what brought it about, was the word of the Lord. To come into the house of God,
intent on doing something tomorrow, and you hear the word of God,
and tomorrow you do the opposite, or you don't do what you're determined
to do. The word making the difference. I want to look then, secondly,
at the washing by Christ that is inseparable to a part with
Christ. All those for whom Christ has
died upon Calvary and shed his precious blood, he has redeemed
them He has set them free from condemnation and he will then
call them and he will set them apart for himself and sanctify
them. This is why we read our second
portion in Corinthians. The apostle gives a list of those
that shall not inherit the kingdom of God. He says, know ye not
that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God. Then
he gives a list of those things that men do, the way that they walk, fornicators,
idolaters, adulterers, effeminate, abusers of themselves with mankind,
thieves, covetous, drunkards, revilers, extortioners. All these
he gives a list of, describing their life, their course, and
what they do in their lives, that they shall not inherit the
kingdom of God. But then he says, and such were
some of you Ye Corinthians were these characters. They're not
now, but they were. But ye are washed, but ye are
sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus
and by the Spirit of our God. And this is what the Lord was
saying to Peter, was absolutely vital. that he be washed, that
he be sanctified. And may we be very clear that
in this life we are not sanctified to the point that we are sinless.
And this of course was the overall teaching of that passage, that
the Lord's people will trip up, they will make mistakes, they
will fall in those that are spiritual, restore them. and the Lord using
brothers, brethren in that way to sanctify and to cleanse his
people. Now the scriptures are very clear
in what the Lord will do and this is not a work of man, it
is God's work that does this. Remember in the words of our
text, it is the Lord saying himself, if I wash thee not. Not, Peter, if you don't wash
yourself, but if I wash thee not. That is a work of God, that
God does, to change the heart, renew the will, turn the feet
to Zion's hill. It is God's work. In Ezekiel
we have a beautiful promise of what the Lord will do, and we
apply this to The Church of God, the people of God in all ages. In chapter 36, verse 25, then,
or verse 24, they will take you from among the heathen, gather
you out of all countries, will bring you into your own land.
But then he says this, I will sprinkle clean water upon you
and you shall be clean. From all your filthiness and
from all your idols will I cleanse you. A new heart also will I
give you, and a new spirit will I put within you. And I will
take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I'll give
you an heart of flesh. I'll put my spirit within you
and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments
and do them. And you shall dwell in the land
that I gave to your fathers, and you shall be my people, and
I will be your God. I will also save you from all
your uncleannesses." And he goes on calling for corn, increase
it, lay no famine, things applying more particularly to the Jews
themselves. But he says in verse 32, not
for your sakes do I this, saith the Lord, be it known unto you,
be ashamed and confounded for your own ways, O house of Israel. The Lord does it for his own
glory, for his own name's sake. And at the end of that chapter,
we read, thus saith the Lord, I will yet for this be inquired
of by the house of Israel to do it for them. So we're not
to be in a fatalistic way and say, well, I'm walking in ways
I know from the word of God are not right and not good. And I've
tried making resolutions, and I haven't been very successful. But the Lord, he will come in,
and the Lord will help, and the Lord will cleanse. But you don't
turn it into prayer. He says, I will yet for this
being quiet of. And asking to be cleansed, and
asking for the Lord to sanctify us. Wash us, cleanse us, deliver
us from our sin, bringing it before Him, laying it before
Him. When the Lord says in our text,
if I wash thee not, take it to the Lord in prayer. Lord is vital,
thou hast said, vital that I be washed, wash me. Wash me, Saviour,
or I die. Let the water and the blood Then
we think of our Lord's high priestly prayer in John 17, later on from
where our text is, and what the Lord prays for his people. In verse 17, sanctify them through
thy truth. Thy word is truth. As thou hast
sent me into the world, even so have I also sent them into
the world. And for their sakes I sanctify
myself. What he means is set apart that
they also might be sanctified through the truth. And it is,
we sung of it in Our middle hymn, how the Lord has power to sanctify
us all, to cleanse us. And this is the desire of the
Lord, the prayer of our Lord, that they might be kept from
the evil. And it is through the means of
the Word, the Word of Truth, wherewithal shall a young man
cleanse his way by taking heed thereto according to thy Word. And the Lord has said in this
chapter, I have given them thy Word and the world hath hated
them. The Word of God is a lamp and
a light And those that are not of the Lord's, the Lord says,
he will not come unto me. They that love darkness will
not come unto the light, lest their deeds be made manifest. But if the Lord makes us honest,
we'll come to the light of the word of God and we'll ask that
the Lord will conform us to it and wash us. Take my yoke upon
you, learn of me, I am meek and lowly of mind. He shall find
rest unto your souls. You know, if we're yoked with
Christ, we're close with him, and to be close, we need that
sanctifying. When Paul writes to Titus, he
says to him concerning this same thing in chapter three, verses
five and six, He says, but after the kindness
and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared, not by works of
righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he
saved us by the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Ghost,
which he shed on us abundantly, how? Through Jesus Christ. The new birth, the work of the
Spirit, that which is pure, that which is from above, almost like
that which is said in Psalm 110. And in that Psalm it speaks, I believe,
of a new soul right from the very, very beginning. Thy people shall be willing in
the day of thy power In the beauties of holiness, from the womb of
the morning, thou hast the dew of thy youth. You know, as soon
as the Lord passes by and quickens a soul, as soon as that divine
life is given, that is holy life. It's the life of the Spirit of
God. And it will bring forth holy
fruits. It will bring forth that which
is answerable to God's work. and be so different than the
old nature. It will be an immediate conflict
with our old nature. If ye through the Spirit do mortify
the deeds of the body, ye shall live. If ye walk after the flesh,
ye shall die. If ye walk after the Spirit,
ye shall live. And the work of the Spirit then
is in regeneration to sanctify and a cleanse, and like the portion
we read of Paul's letter to the Corinthians, a real change that
is wrought in his people. If we were to go back to Ephesians
and Ephesians 5, we have the illustration of Christ as the
bridegroom, his church as the bride, and the Lord making his
bride ready for him. It's not something that we would
do in a natural way, we couldn't do, but our Lord does. He finds his people lost and
ruined in the fall, he finds them as hardened sinners, a hatred
to God, at peace with with hell, with God at war, sin's dark mazes
in him right, and they're wandering far. But then he speaks of the
love that he has for his church, and he says of husbands, love
your wives, but even as Christ also loved the church and gave
himself for it, that he might sanctify and cleanse it with
the washing of water, by the word, that he might present it
to himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or
any such thing, that it should be holy and without blemish." The Lord's work upon Calvary
in redeeming and paying the price allows him to do that justly
and holily for his people. If we could imagine that there
was no Calvary, there was no blood shared, could God with
his power, justly and righteously, just take a sinner and take away
the love of sinning, sanctify him, cleanse them, and to prepare
them and to bring them to himself? The answer is no, he couldn't
righteously do that. It would be said, where is the
price? Without the shedding of blood, there is no remission.
It is vital that our Lord come, and that he die, and that the
blood is shed, that the Lord might sanctify his church, can
justly and righteously do it. Every soul that is called by
grace is called because the debt is done. And you could put this
on two sides. Without Christ dying, there would
not be a just weight, a just balance for the Lord to take
his people in hand or to bring them to him. Right through Proverbs,
Ecclesiastes, it said, a just weight and a just balance are
of the Lord. And so where we have the debt
that we've incurred, the wrath of God, the sentence of death
because of our sin in Adam and our personal sins, without that
being balanced, without that being settled, God cannot righteously
bless and deliver our souls at all. But when that blood is shed,
and when that is balanced, and when that debt is paid, then
he is, we would say, under obligation to bless those souls. How can
he completely pay the debt and settle the debt, and then still leave those souls
under condemnation and in death, and to go down to hell. His holy,
righteous law must demand that where Christ has died for his
people, he will quicken them, he will find them, he will change
their hearts. And having once begun, he will
never cease until that soul is with him in glory. He which hath
begun a good work in you will perform it unto the day of Jesus
Christ. I think again the hymn writer
says his righteousness, his justice, his honor, his glory is at stake
to save me from the burning lake. And that is so for every blood-bought
soul. When we meet round the Lord's
table, those that meet round all bear witness that their being
there is all because of the blood of Christ, the broken body, the
shed blood. We're to remember it is Christ
that died and rose again. That is our title for heaven,
not our own works, not our own deed. It is also a guarantee
that the Lord will sanctify and he will cleanse his people. He
has undertaken, when he calls them, to do that for him. He is, for them, he is the husbandman
and he will look after his vine, he will look after his garden,
he will care for it. Those of you that you do gardening
will look after in a husbandry way. You care for what you've
planted and for what you've done. You use all your skill and all
your ability to keep it alive and make it prosper and good.
And so the Lord for his people does the same. He's not a careless
gardener or a husbandman. Those that are in Christ, the
Lord will sanctify and will wash. and will prepare and it's vital
then to be washed by Christ and it's inseparable to having a
part with Christ. If someone was to say, I am a
Christian, I am with Christ, I'm walking with him and you
look at their lives and they're walking in open sin and wickedness,
you can say that they would be a liar. That's not true. You know, John in his epistles,
the first epistle, he says, if we say, in verse 6 of chapter
1, if we say that we have fellowship with him and walk in darkness,
we lie and do not the truth. But if we walk in the light as
he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood
of Jesus Christ, his Son, cleanseth us from all sin. If we say that
we have no sin, we deceive ourselves. The truth is not in us. If we
say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar. His word
is not in us. But if we confess our sins, he
is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us. from all unrighteousness. We
might think, well, if I confess my sin, I'm just as likely to
fall into the same trap and the same sins again. But the Lord
says, no, you confess it and I will cleanse you. And Peter
says, how many times should my brother sin against me and I
forgive him till seven times? No, till 70 times seven. How many times must we go to
the Lord confessing our sin and trusting in this that the Lord
will cleanse us, take away the love of sinning, deliver us from
it. Our God is a living God, He's
a powerful God. He is able to change the heart,
renew the will. He's able to take away in a moment
every sinful, vile, evil thought and affections to cleanse us. And it's inseparable part walking
with Christ. We want to look then lastly of
having a part with Christ. In the epistles of Hebrews in
chapter 10, We have in verse 22, and it flows
out from having an high priest over the house of God, having
our Lord in heaven. He says, having therefore, brethren,
boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Christ, by a
new and living way which he hath consecrated for us through the
veil that is to save his flesh. And having an high priest over
the house of God, let us draw near with a true heart in full
assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil
conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold
fast the profession of our faith without wavering for he is faithful
that promised. And let us consider one another
to provoke and to love and to good works, not forsaking the
assembling of ourselves together, the benefit, the blessing. If
one is alone when he falls, then there's none to help him. But
if two, then another can lift up his brother. As iron sharpeneth
iron, so the countenance of a man his friend. And the Lord has
ordained that for his people. And often so, and I found this
in industry, and when I was working in industry, if you make a profession
before the world, that turns for your good. Because when you
get times that you would be tempted and perhaps go after something
forbidden and evil, You've got those around you that you've
made a profession, that are watching you like a hawk, that as soon
as you put a step wrong, they'll say, ah, you're a Christian,
look what you're doing, look what you're doing wrong. And that's
a help and blessing for the child of God. And I've proved that
many times, that those who even know not the Lord, because you've
made a profession before them, they will be watching and ready
to approve, yes, accuse you, but just having that has often
been a real help. But the Lord has another way
that he deals with his people, that is in Hebrews 12. And he speaks of this to a people
that are sinners, that desire to resist sin, to walk in ways
of holiness, And he says, you have not yet resisted unto blood
striving against sin. It's often been real help to
me, that verse. Because sometimes you can think,
however can I be a Christian when I have so much sin that
keeps rising up? So much besetting sin, so many
evil thoughts, evil desires, evil affections, and so many
things that clamor to be indulged. You know, you think of that word,
abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul. Do the
Lord's people have fleshly lusts? Yes. Abstain from it. You know, if we had a table full
of food and it was not good for us, perhaps sugar, full of sugar,
and we weren't supposed to have sugar, we'd say, I'm going to
abstain from that. I want to have it, but I'm going
to abstain from not going to have it. because you know their
facts. And so it's put, with those fleshly
lusts abstain from them. They war against the soul. They
fight against the soul. But the wrestling, the striving,
the pull, the tugs, the things that go on within. And so to
read this, you have not yet resisted unto blood, striving against
sin. It's not an easy path for the
people of God. They do have a constant battle,
but made willing to be clean and to strive in a right way,
casting it before the Lord, considering the Lord. But then immediately
after that, it follows of the Lord dealing with his people
as children. Despise not thou the chastening
of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him. Yes, the
Lord's people do fall, and he chastens them, and he corrects
them, as a father would his children. And he says, for whom the Lord
loveth, he chasteneth, scourgeth every son whom he receiveth.
If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons.
For what son is he whom the father chasteneth not? But if ye be
without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye
bastards and not sons. And he speaks of that chastening,
no chastening for the present. Seemeth to be joyous but grievous,
nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness. Not unrighteousness, not uncleanness,
The psalmist says, it is good for me that I was afflicted.
Before I was afflicted, I went astray, but now have I kept thy
word. And the Lord has used affliction
and used it for good as a sanctifying, cleansing effect. The lashes, steeps, as a hymn
writer, only lays yet softened in his blood. And this is one
of the ways that the Lord uses to sanctify his people, and it's
a way in which they're actually walking with him. If you think
with the father, with the children, and he's chastening and correcting
them, he's with them. He's with them. He's not deciding,
well, the childs, they're playing up. They're making so much noise,
and they're rebellious. I'm just going to go in my study
and lock the door and lead them to it. No. He's with them, and
he's chasing them. No, the comfort I've had, I remember
one spot in the road over in Australia where feeling that
for some time that the Lord was far off from me, wasn't speaking
to me, seemed to be far from my reins and seemed to, I could
just do anything, the Lord was not touching anything. And then
the Lord did. And as I was driving along the
road, the Lord brought to mind these things that were happening.
Father's hand. And that so softened me to think
the Lord hadn't forsaken me. These things, these troubles,
these things that had happened, it was my Father's hand. And
he was dealing with me, not in anger, but in love. And where
the Lord would have his people with him, and to have a part
with him, to not be like was said to Peter, if I wash thee
not, thou hast no part with me. The Lord will say, if thou hast
a part with me, then you'll be chastened. The Lord in effect
said this to Israel. He testified what kind of God
he would be. And if they were going to be
his people, they were to know his laws and his chastening and
his correction and to walk in that way. And if we are to walk
with the Lord, then that is what we will have as well. But we'll
know it is the Lord's hand dealing with us and dealing with us,
not that we should be banished from him, but to be with him. Same as a father correcting his
children. He doesn't correct the children
because he's going to send them away and he doesn't want them
as his children. No, he corrects them because
they are his children. And he wants them to profit and
to be blessed by what he does with them, so that their lives
are not all the time warring with him, but walking at one,
there's peace in the family and in the home. And so the Lord
deals with his people like that. Jesus answered him, if I wash
thee not, thou has no part with me. Don't just, and it's a blessed
thing that the people of God, they look for heaven. They look
beyond this world, not just this world. But remember our Lord's
name, Jesus, for he shall save his people from their sins. And
it's here below to be sanctified, made to be partakers with the
saints in light, to be washed, cleansed. And in a way, it's
a life's work. If we're walking with the Lord,
The Lord will deal with us in love, and he will deal with our
sins, and deal with our idols, and he will do those things so
that we do have fellowship with him and with his people, and
that there be that love one to another. John, in the epistle
that we read before, speaks of that fellowship. That which we
have seen and heard, declare we unto you, that ye also may
have fellowship with us, And truly our fellowship is with
the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ. This is that fellowship
that Peter so wanted, and to have a part with Christ here
below, and a part with him forever. And may we have that same desire
as well, and the thought of not being washed, the thought of
not having a part with the Lord, May it fill us with dread, with
fear that that should be so, and that our desire and prayer
be, wash me, save me, cleanse me, renew me day by day. May we walk together in love
and union. May the Lord add his blessing.
Amen. Hymn 258, Tune, Divine Love 635, The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ,
the love of God the Father, and the communion of the Holy Spirit
be with you all now and evermore. Amen.