May it please Almighty God to
bless us together this afternoon as we meditate in His Word. Let
us turn to the Epistle of Paul to the Romans, Chapter 8, and
we'll read verses 24 and 25. The Epistle of Paul to the Romans,
Chapter 8, and reading verses 24 and 25. For we are saved by
hope. but hope that is seen is not
hope. For what a man seeth, why doth
he yet hope for? But if we hope for that we see
not, then do we with patience wait for it? We should be very thankful that
We have in the Word of God the epistle that Paul wrote to the
Romans because it gives us some wonderful and glorious truths
and directs us to those things which every true believer needs
to know and to understand. And here we have in this account,
or these verses before us here this afternoon, the great word
of hope. Well, says the Apostle, for we
are saved by hope. And that, of course, immediately
poses the question to us, what is meant for each one of us with
regard to being saved? Well, it's something which we
all need to know that we are saved and know exactly what it
directs us to. And of course, what it directs
us to is the saving of our souls. Saving of our souls from that
eternal destiny in that terrible place of hell. And it's good, you know, if we
are constantly concerned. And the Bible does encourage
us to examine ourselves, not just go sailing along through
life without any concern about our spiritual state. We need
to examine ourselves as to whether we are in the faith or not. To know whether we are saved
or not. Whether we are on a journey which
will end and bring us safely home to glory or not. It's a
great blessing therefore if we have a good hope that it is well
with our soul. You can't just pass these things
over. If I was to ask you this afternoon, do you have a good
hope that you will be found in heaven at last? Well, I hope
you do. But if you can't say that, are
you concerned about it? Does it cause you grief? Does it cause you sorrow? Does
it cause you sadness? Does it bring urgency into your
soul that you might have that good hope to know that the Lord
has come and He has called you out of the darkness of nature
into the glorious light of the everlasting gospel? You see,
we live in a lukewarm age when people come and go and are not
really very concerned about the health of their souls. They're
very concerned very often about the health of their bodies. But
you see our bodies will perish. Our soul lives forever. How much,
much more important it is then to know that we have a good hope
through grace that it is indeed well with our soul. And therefore to be able to have
the evidence that we are saved by hope, that hope which the
Lord has given us in his mercy toward us, that he hasn't cut
us off, as the Bible tells us, as a cumbra of the ground, somebody
who is not worth any notice. Do you know, you and I are born
like that. We are already a cumbra of the ground until the Lord
in his sovereign mercy and love comes and calls us out of that
state of nature into the glorious light of the Gospel. And all
of us here this afternoon are either still in that dark condition
that we were born in or we have been blessed with spiritual light
and that we know what it is therefore to be saved and that we do therefore
have this good hope that it is well with our soul. It is the
one thing needful. Jesus said, didn't he, to Martha,
one thing is needful. Martha's chosen that good thing. My friends, this afternoon, do
we possess that one thing needful? Do we know the blessing of Christ? Do we know his wonderful favor? Well, we have here today a harvest
thanksgiving service. And I think we should always
consider this in two ways. First of all, to remember God's
faithfulness to us individually and as a nation in blessing us
with once again a harvest. And what a proof it is of God's
promise being again fulfilled year by year We see this occurring. God's faithfulness. And so we
should be very thankful, especially if we consider our own heart,
and if we consider the laws of our nation, many laws passed
which are contrary to God's law and His direction, and yet His
mercy endureth forever. Well, this afternoon then, As
we consider, first of all, our natural harvest, we need to be
thankful. One of the great problems we
have today is thankfulness to God. How many things we take for granted. Many things in our lives. The food we have, the clothes
we wear, the homes we have, the friends and families we have.
These are all of God's goodness and mercy. Do we thank him for
those things? And if we do, my friends, I hope
we can go further and thank him then for his grace toward us,
that wonderful gift of his unmerited favour, to have the wonderful
evidence that the Lord has come and given us the great gift of
spiritual life, so that we can come and say, we are saved by
that hope. We have looked to the Lord, we
have prayed to the Lord, we have called upon His name, and He's
heard and answered our prayers. Well, all of you here this afternoon,
I don't know where you stand in a spiritual sense. I don't
know whether you pray or not. I don't know whether you perhaps
pretend to pray, and yet there's no reality in the prayer. You see, if we are to pray rightly,
we are to come believing that our prayers enter in. We're not
to come with an evil heart of unbelief. The Word of God tells
us, that which is not of faith is sin. And therefore if you
and I come with just some theoretical prayer, some prayer which we're
used to saying, just mere words, with no faith believing, we're
approaching the majesty on high, then you see the truth is such
prayers are not God honouring and such prayers are sinful. It's necessary that you and I
realise what the Bible speaks to us about. So we must not just
cruise along in life hoping, hoping that somehow at the end
it'll be alright. Well, says Paul here in these
words, for we are saved by hope. Are saved by hope. He has the
evidence. The Apostle did have the evidence
in his soul that he was saved. And how necessary it is for us
here this afternoon to have the evidence that we are saved. Because
apart from there being this natural harvest, there will also be a
spiritual harvest. When you and I will be gathered
from this earth, There will be a harvest of our soul. We won't live forever on this
earth. There will be a harvest. And then what a blessing. If
as we look at the natural harvest, when is the corn harvested? It's harvested when it's ripe,
isn't it? There's no point in harvesting
it before it's ripe because you won't be able to beat out the
grain and there won't be any benefit. It has to be ripe, but
when it is ripe, then it's a time naturally to harvest. And it's
the same in our spiritual life. There is a time that will come,
if we are amongst the true Church of God, when we will be ripe
for eternity. Now, you young people, You may
think, well, I'm only young. I'm going to live for a long
time. I needn't worry about these things. I'll think about them
when I'm a bit older. Well, just remember, the Bible
tells us the old must die, but the young may. One thing is certain
in our lives. A time to be born, a time to
die. We've all been born. naturally
we'd all have to die soon. And how important it is then
that when we come to that time we are like the corn, fully ripe,
ready to be harvested. We are ripe and by that I mean
we possess the evidence of God's mercy and God's love to our souls,
so that we are ready to depart this life, as the Apostle said,
and to go and to be with Christ, which is far better. Well, see,
I don't know where you stand this afternoon, but it's good,
as I've said, to examine ourselves to see whether, if the Lord should come, even
tonight, and harvest us, whether we're ready to go and to be with
Christ, which is far better, or whether we shall perish in
our sins eternally. Now, these things are not trivial,
are they? They're so important, so necessary
for us to think upon and to consider, for we are saved by hope. Now the apostle goes on, but
hope that is seen is not hope. What he means is if there's something
which you can actually physically see and it's tangible, you haven't
got to hope for it because there it is. You can observe it, you
can see it. But you see, you and I need the
blessing of God-given faith to believe the glorious truths of
the gospel and to be Blessed with faith to believe that the
Lord Jesus has come to save my soul. Let's be clear, real religion
is personal. It's personal. You and I must
stand before that judgment seat of Christ. You and I have to
give an account of the things done in the flesh, done in our
body. We can't depend upon what anybody else says. It's between
our souls and God. And so we have this great statement,
that is seen is not hope, because it's there. But then he goes
on to say, for what a man seeth, and why doth he yet hope for?
Nothing to hope for, is it? You see, hope anticipates that
which is to come. And so, my friends, Are you and
I anticipating a glory, a glorious end at our
lives? Have we a good hope that it is
well with our soul? You see, the devil will tell
you, you needn't worry, everything will be right in the end. In
any case, you're only young and there's plenty of years ahead.
Let's reiterate, we know not what a day or an hour may bring
forth, and the Lord tells us very clearly, be ye also ready. That's the vital thing, isn't
it, in your life and my life, to be ready. The Lord should
come to harvest our soul, to have the blessed evidence that
we are ready. What a mercy then, if we have
a concern for that, Saved by hope, what a man seeth, whineth
he yet hope for. We see something positive, we
don't need to hope for it. But if we don't see it physically,
we need to hope for it. We need to have a good hope.
So the apostle goes on, but if we hope for that we see not,
then do we with patience wait for it. The Lord tells us, your
time is always, but my time is not yet. My friends, the Lord
waits to be gracious. And if you haven't the evidence
that you are saved, may you truly be waiting and waiting patiently
indeed for the Lord to come and for the Lord to show to you that
you are a needy sinner and you need a glorious salvation and
the salvation only comes through the knowledge of the Saviour.
What a mercy then if the Holy Spirit comes and directs us to
this great and important consideration. I often think of the wonderful
illustration that we have in the Word of God in the life of
the psalmist David. It was a man of God after God's
own heart. But we're thankful he was a man,
same as we are, with the same difficulties and the same fears. And the opening verses in Psalm
40 are very instructive. And they tell us what David tells
us. I waited patiently for the Lord. He waited patiently for the Lord. He was waiting. It's no good
saying, well, I'm patient. Are you waiting? Are you waiting
patiently for the Lord? Because David waited patiently,
but he had a good answer. You see, David's experience was
positive. My friends, that's what you and
I need today. And so he's able to confirm to us the goodness
of the Lord to him. And may we be able to trace it
out in our own lives, the goodness of God toward us. I waited patiently
for the Lord and he inclined unto me and heard my cry. What was evident was David was
praying to God. In actual fact, he tells us he
was crying to God. Yes, it was an urgent desire. Sometimes think of the position
that you have with a baby. A baby isn't able to actually
speak. But when a baby needs something,
what does it do? It cries. It draws the parent's
attention. The parent goes to the baby and
does what's necessary for that little one. And so here we have
David saying this great thing, and heard my cry. Well, perhaps you cried to God. Perhaps you haven't been able
to formulate any wonderful words, any wonderful long prayer. Perhaps it's just been a cry,
perhaps it's been a groan. As you come to God, you've been
waiting patiently. And you're waiting for Him to
look upon you. You're waiting for Him to hear
and answer your prayer. And you're crying earnestly to
Him. It's not something that you do
and forget about. David was in a desperate condition. It's a
good thing when you and I are in a desperate condition with
regard to the state of our soul. And we come crying out like that
publican did, God be merciful. to me a sinner. My friends, every
true believer, praise that prayer. God be merciful to me a sinner. It never becomes old fashioned.
It never goes out of date. It's always needful. As you and
I still continue sadly to sin, you wouldn't be proud of it at
all, but we need God's mercy continually. And so David tells
us here, I waited patiently for the Lord. Remember, patiently
for the Lord, for the Lord. He wanted the Lord to come and
to speak to him and to appear for him. And he cried to him. It tells us what happened and
where he was. He says, hey, almighty God, and
that's a very humbling thought, and I hope you understand that.
To think that God, the creator of the universe, the almighty
ruler, condescends still today to hear and answer the prayers
of poor, unworthy sinners of the earth. Oh, what a gracious
God we have. What a merciful God. We have,
and I hope you can confirm that by the evidence in your own life
that God has had mercy. He has heard your cry. So David tells us, He, God, God,
He. That's the one who delivers.
That's the one who hears. God. Don't rely on people. God. He. Brought me up also out
of a horrible pit, out of the Maori clay. Well, David had got
himself into that pit. We can imagine, can't we? A pit
with steep sides, sticky mud. Impossible really to get out
of the pit because it's so slippery every time you try to Get up
the side, just slip back. You cannot deliver yourself.
Just the same in a spiritual way. You might think, well, I'll
just rectify that and I'll change this and I'll do this. My friends,
you need God to bring you up. He brought me up also out of
the horrible pit and out of the Maori clay. See, David here is
giving a testimony of the deliverance that God granted to him. And
again, let me say this, it's always good when God comes and hears our
cry and brings us out of the horrible pit. Perhaps we got
in there Because we've done something which we shouldn't have done. Yes, perhaps no one else knows
about, apart from you and God. And there you are, and you can't
get yourself out. Well, God's the one who helps. God is the one who hears. God is the one who gives you
that hope. yet hope thou in God. Don't look anywhere else. Hope
thou in God. Because we have the glorious
testimonies of so many saints of God, in the Word of God, who
God came, He gave them good hope, and they were delivered. My friends,
God still delivers today. So He brought me up also. out
of a horrible pit and out of the mirey clay. And then we read
a glorious statement. And, you see, he didn't just
bring him out and say, well, there you are, David, get on
your way now. Fend for yourself, no. The Lord
took him and he put him on the rock. And I hope you understand
what the rock is. The rock is none less. than the
Lord Jesus Christ. Now, my friends, there is a wonderful
foundation for your faith and my faith, for our religion to
know that we are established, as he goes on to say, and established,
my goings, established in the things of God. You see, we do
want to be established in the things of God. Paul was able
to say, humbly and truthfully and honestly, I know whom I have
believed. And you and I today need the
grace to be able to say the same words. I know whom I have believed. Because we can give the reason.
David could give the reason. Paul could give the reason that
this God, this God who is my hope, The God who has saved me. This God is the one who has come
and delivered me. This is the God who has established
me in the things of God. You see, we want to be established
in the day and age in which we live, my friends. So many Christians
are not established. It seems almost they're on sandy
ground, sandy foundation. When the storms of life come,
they don't know what to do. You see, if you and I are established
on the rock Christ Jesus, my friends, that's a good and firm
foundation and we will not be moved because the rock will never
be moved. My friends, Christ is the same
yesterday and today and forever. And we can rely upon what Christ
has done and we can rely on his promises. And those promises
are, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee. Therefore we
may boldly say, the Lord is my helper. I will not fear what
man should do unto me. We are fearful sometimes of men,
poor, puny men. But my friends, may our hope
not be in man. Oh, may our hope be in God, as
it was, the Lord was the hope of the Apostle, that's why he's
able to speak with authority. But if we hope for that we see
not, then do we with patience wait for it. So the Lord had
graciously blessed him, the Lord had graciously blessed the Psalmist
David. And therefore, having established
him in the things of God, let's just read on for a moment. and
he hath put a new song in my mouth. Perhaps you've never had
this before, but you see this is the evidence of a child of
God possessing the grace of God. And this is the pattern of the
true believer. And so he says, and he hath put
a new song in my mouth. Never perhaps had it before.
Never perhaps had reason for it before. But now, if God has
heard your cry, you've got a hope in his mercy. You've got a hope
in his faithfulness, a hope in his love towards you. And so
he has put a new song in my mouth. Well, has God done that for you?
He done it for me. A new song. And what is it? Even praise unto our God. When was the last time you praised
God? When you praised God? And, goes
on to say, many shall see it and fear and shall trust in the
Lord. It was a praise to God that others
heard of Well, has God done anything for you this year that you can
praise God for? Anything in your natural life,
anything in your spiritual life? You see, the devil wants you
and me to be silent, and he's pretty clever at shutting our
mouth. He'll tell you, well, that's
not worth speaking about. There's nothing in that. No,
just carry on. My friends, don't forget the
devil's a liar. He always has been. He always will be. Therefore, don't listen to him. And he has put a new song in
my mouth. You see, if the Lord God has
come, heard your cry, delivered you, from the horrible pit you
were in, brought you up out of it. You've got great reason,
have you not? Because you have now a good hope
that this great God has looked upon you. You have reason to
praise him. Put a new song in my mouth, even
praise unto our God. Many shall see it and fear and
shall trust in the Lord. You see, there's a knock on effect.
Yes, you are able to declare what God has done for your soul.
It's an encouragement for others to believe in the great God. And this great God is one who
hears and answers prayer. And there is therefore that positive
hope He who has helped me hitherto, will help me all my journey through. Patience, my friends, for this. Patience is the gift of God. Don't be impatient. As I said
earlier, the Lord says, your time is always, but my time is
not yet. But he waits to be gracious. He waits to be gracious. My friends,
what a mercy if you're able to trace out His good hand upon
you and to therefore have that good hope that the Lord is preparing
you and me for that heavenly harvest and the Lord will come
and take us home to glory. Now, you know, these thoughts
are not morbid thoughts. to the child of God, it's a good
prospect, it's a good hope. You only have to read the testimony
of the children of God in the Word of God, and you will see
that they look forward. There's the evidence of it in
some way or another, that they are partakers of this glorious
salvation, that their hope is built on nothing less than Jesus'
blood and righteousness. What does it mean? It means that
they're resting on the finished work of Christ. My friends, that's
the blessing. And that's what you and I need,
the Holy Spirit, to give us that good hope, not in ourselves,
but a hope in what Christ has done, because he fulfilled all
that the Father gave him to do. was a glorious work and He did
not fail. Never underestimate the cost
of our salvation, your salvation and my salvation. It cost the
Lord of life and glory, of light and glory, His life. And what an agonizing death the
Saviour endured so that you and I might possess this wonderful
gift of eternal life. You and I might indeed possess
this hope, for we are saved by hope, this good hope in what
Christ has done. I often say, and I often think,
and my friends, you think and say, never weary of going to Calvary. Never weary. and by faith, viewing the suffering
Saviour on that cross, in agony, paying the price to redeem our
souls. He didn't back away. He pleaded
with his Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me, but
nevertheless, Not my will, but thine be done. And there, my
friends, is a glorious example for us today. Nevertheless, not
my will, but thine be done. Because God's will for His church,
for His people, for you and me, is best. is best. I'll tell you why. It'll have
a good end. What you and I perhaps might
propose for ourselves might end up in chaos, but you see what
God does will do us good and the great blessing is it will
bring us safe home to glory. So let's come back to what I
said to begin with. What a good thing it is if our
hearts and our affections are set upon things above, not on
things on the earth. Well, we read this beautiful
chapter, this eighth chapter of the Romans, and as we came
to the end, he said, who is he that condemneth? It is Christ
that died here, rather, that is risen again. Yes, we have
a risen Saviour today, seated in the Father's right hand in
glory, there to intercede for us in our prayers, as we approach
unto our Father, the glorious Saviour. Yes, with garments stained
in blood, there He intercedes for us. And therefore, he's able
to say, it is Christ that died here, rather it is risen again,
who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession
for us. And you know, if we are in Christ,
once in Him, in Him forever, you can't fall out. We do need
to be in Christ. Because if we're in Christ, as
the apostle tells us here, Nothing shall separate us. And he gives
us a long list to just ensure that we understand there is no
separation. Once in him, in him forever. Who shall separate us from the
love of Christ? It's a great question, isn't
it? You might wonder. Well, he gives us this list.
And he says, shell tribulation, or distress, or persecution,
or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword. As it is written, for
thy sake we are killed all the day long. Nay, we are counted
as sheep of the slaughter. Nay, in all things, that's comprehensive,
isn't it? In all things, we are more than
conquerors through him Christ conquered, he didn't fail. And
we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. How humbling to
think that this great God loved such unworthy sinners of the
earth. And therefore, the apostle then
is able to, having raised the question, having given those
negatives, He now comes and tells us the positives, for I am persuaded,
and it's good you know when you and I are fully persuaded of
the truth of God, the devil will try and dissuade you. Go to the
Bible, for I am persuaded that neither death, nor life, nor
angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor
things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature,
nothing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which
is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Well, where's our hope then? Is it upon what Christ has done?
That's a good foundation. Do we rejoice in it? I hope we
do. Rejoice in the Lord evermore
for his great love and mercy toward us. And so let's read
this again. For we are saved by hope, but
hope that is seen is not hope. But what a man seeth, why doth
he yet hope for? But if we hope for that, We see
not. Therein do we with patience wait
for it. We need patience. The Lord will
come. Wait on the Lord. Yes, wait on
the Lord and hope in the Lord and remember what the Lord says
never fails. Bless God for it. Rejoice in
the truth of God's word. rest upon it and look forward
to that great day of blessing when by his grace we will be
safely harvested into that heavenly garner to be forever with the
Lord.