Seeking for the help of the Lord,
I direct your prayerful attention to Luke chapter 11, the chapter
that we read, and reading from our text, verse 34. Verse 34. The light of the body
is the eye. Therefore, when thine eye is
single, Thy whole body also is full of light, but when thine
eye is evil, thy body also is full of darkness. Luke chapter 11 and verse 34. The subject upon my spirit is
a single eye, a single eye, and of course We don't mean in a
literal way a person just having one eye. But what we mean is
that when we look, we're only looking at consistently one thing,
not evil things at one moment and good things at another, but
being consistent that that eye is a single eye in one way, a
righteous way, a godly way, and not seeking to serve God and
mammon, to look at those things that are pleasing to God on one
hand, and those things that are grieving to Him on the other. We would remember that the eye
is one of those gates into the body. We have, as God's creation,
five main senses or entrances. We have the vision, which is
the eye. We have the hearing, which is
the ear. We have the smell, which is the
nose. We have the touch, which is our
skin, and our taste, that is the tongue. And through each
of those senses it then goes through our brain, it affects
what we think, it affects what we feel, it really has all the
input from without coming into our bodies. And so in that way
it's very, very important to guard those inputs if you like. We're used to this in any analogy. The amplifier that we're using
this evening, the inputs are the microphones and whatever
is joined to that, that's what's going in and that's what then
goes out to those listening online. And we think of any computer,
anything where there's things going in and then going out again. Bunyan in his holy war, he speaks
of man's soul and those gates, eye gate and ear gate. And it
was through those gates that the enemy sought to come in. And it is to this end, especially
our Lord is speaking here, of having a single eye. how we're reminded what a blessing
it is to have sight. Of course there are those that
do not and many of us know those that are not blessed with sight. Some have lost it during their
lives, others have been born blind and they rely on the other
senses, hearing and smell and taste, those other touch senses
to be able to know where they are and to have the input that
would be normally given through sign. But maybe really before
we come really into the subject this evening, just ponder what
a blessed thing it is to have our eyes. And maybe then really
think of how important it is to be responsible as to what
we use them for what we view them, what we view through them,
how we allow them to be used to influence us and to bring
into our minds things that maybe will never ever be erased. You know an image is a very very
powerful thing. If we see a picture, see an image,
then that may be remembered all of our lifetime. Some of us can
remember things that we have seen while we were children and
we cannot get them out of our mind. Those things are there. They can't just be erased like
we could erase something on a computer if we've taken a photograph and
that image is then in the computer and we think, well, we don't
want that there. We're going to erase it, we might
erase the image there, but that which we have seen, that which
is in our mind, that is still there. We can't erase that. And may that make us very, very
careful about what we do look at. We are told in our text that
there is a tremendous effect of that which we see. The light
of the body is the I. Therefore when thine eye is single,
thy whole body is full of light. The effect is upon the whole
body. But when thine eye is evil, thy
body also is full of darkness. And the way it's set here is
it's not just thy eye is partially full of light or thy body is
partial, Darkness, no, it is full of light or full of darkness. We read in 1 John chapter 1,
in him, that is in the Lord Jesus Christ, there is no darkness
at all. He is all light. And we as his people should desire
to be as much like our creator, maker, redeemer as we can be. Now of course there is an equivalent
to a natural eye. There is a spiritual eye, the
eye of faith. Now we read in the Word that
faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God. And yet faith is the eye of the
soul. It sees things that we otherwise
would not see and not know. There are no pictures, and God
has wisely withheld them, no pictures of our Lord Jesus Christ,
no pictures of his disciples, but we have word pictures, and
we have the truths of God set before us in the word, and faith
that views what is set before us and believes it to be real,
and embraces it as real, sees it as real as if we would be
looking at a picture. So it's a blessed thing to have
spiritual sight. We know all men do not have faith,
but God's children, those that are blessed with a new birth,
they do have faith. And we would be mindful then
of the word of God, using our eyes, our literal eyes, to read
that word and then that word convey a spiritual side so that
again our whole body is full of light. I want to look then
with the Lord's help this evening at four points, so we introduce
them as we come to them. But each one, it begins with
a single I. Now first is this, a single I
to Christ for salvation. A single I to Christ for salvation. How vital that that is. The Apostle Paul, when he wrote
to the Galatians, He wrote to them because they did not have
a single eye to God's salvation, God's plan of salvation. They had believed the Lord Jesus
Christ, they had embraced the gospel, then they had those that
were coming teaching a gospel which the Apostle Paul said was
not a gospel. because it said that except they
were circumcised and keep the law, they couldn't be saved. So they were adding works, they
were adding the deeds of the law. We're told in the Word that
by the deeds of the law shall no man living be justified. By grace you are saved through
faith and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God. It is
that no flesh might glory in his presence. And the Apostle,
when he wrote to the Romans, he spoke of his countrymen, that
he so longed that they would be saved, and he said that they
had a zeal, a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge. They
were going about to establish their own righteousness, and
had not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God.
That is, they were trying to be saved by their own works,
by their own diligence, making up amends themselves, casting
in Christ's name, perhaps for, to make up anything that might
be slightly wrong. But God's salvation requires
a single I. Our I must be solely upon what
Christ has done, and not upon what we have done. Our I must
be solely upon Calvary, solely upon that one sin-atoning sacrifice
that our Lord Jesus Christ offered there upon the cross. The word
says, without the shedding of blood, there is no remission. And the Lord Jesus Christ, the
great antitype, the paschal lamb, he shed his blood on Calvary's
tree, that perfect, pure, spotless lamb of God, And it is the word
that was given when the Passover was first instituted in Egypt
before the children of Israel were set free to go through the
wilderness and to the promised land. And that word was, when
I see the blood, I will pass over you. The Israelites were
to slay the lamb, put the blood upon the doorpost and upon the
lintel, and they were to trust in that blood, shelter beneath
it, They were to be in the houses. The angel went over the houses
that night, and where there wasn't the blood, the firstborn were
slain. Where there was the blood, then
they were safe. And it is that soul trusting
in Christ's blood and Christ's blood alone. Hymn writer says,
are the refuge, have I none, hangs my helpless soul on thee. Let the water, says another hymn,
and the blood from thy riven side which flowed, be of sin
the double cure, cleanse me from its guilt and power. And so the
message this evening regarding a single eye and salvation is
not a looking to our works, not looking to our deeds, our charitable
deeds, or whatever we might have. is looking solely to what Christ
has done. Now some, when they would be
brought up to a court of law with charges against them, they
can't answer those charges, but they seek to trot out before
the judge all their good deeds and all what they have done to
try to balance and to make it work for good as if that would
pay for that which was bad. We can never do that because
the Word says that all our righteousnesses, that is our good deeds, are but
as filthy rags. They are mixed with sin. They
stain with sin. We need atonement for them. And
so we can only trust in God's provision, that is His beloved
Son. In God's way of escape, faith
in Christ alone and our eye should be looking to Him alone. Maybe
this evening there are those of you that have been trying,
trying so hard to fulfill the law, trying hard to make yourself
better, recommend yourself to God. Maybe the lack of assurance,
your doubts, your unbelief, why do they arise? Because of things
that you've been doing. You say they haven't been right,
they haven't been good. Would you feel more assurance
if you had some works to please? Or do you really feel that what
you do feel is what the word says, that your righteousnesses
are as filthy rags? Maybe it is. Don't you have backslidden? How are you to be restored? By
trying diligently, having our eye upon the law and trying to
fix this and make this right and do this right? or looking
solely to Christ. Remember when he came, the name
of Jesus, he shall save his people from their sins, save them eternally
from their sins, in supplying that requirement to the law of
God, the precious blood of Christ, but also saving us from the power
and dominion of sin here below. God's people are to be kept through
faith unto salvation. And it is then, as God gives
faith, and may he give it this evening, to look away from where
we will not find a remedy and to Christ. Again, with Bunyan
on his pilgrim's progress, here's Christian, the burden on his
back, the sin that he had. Worthy, wise man, he sends him
to the law. You go to the law. He found that
that was but terrors to his soul. It is mercy. Mercy through blood
I make my plea, God be merciful to me. Where is our I? Is it single? Is it solely looking
to Christ? Or is it looking some other way?
And is our despondency, our doubts, our downcastness, an evidence
of that actually we are not looking the right way. Yes, when we look
at self it will cast us down, but really not into despair,
because we should look away and look unto Christ. They saw no
man but Jesus only. Not self, not the law, not other
men, but the Lord's salvation. So may the Lord give us a single
eye. Why? The effect. What does the
effect say in our text? Thy whole body is also full of
light. But when thine eye is evil, you
say, is that really evil? To be looking to the law instead
of just looking to Christ? Yes. Because in effect you're
saying, Jesus, thy blood is not sufficient. I must add to that. Is it evil? Because the word
of God says, there is none other name given among men whereby
we must be saved. But you're looking somewhere
else to that other name. The Lord says, I am the way,
the truth, and the life. No man cometh unto the Father
but by Me. But when we don't have a single
eye to Him, He's not that evil. Thy whole body is also full of
darkness. Is this why you're in darkness?
Is this why I'm in darkness? Because we're looking some other
way. So that is the first point. A
single eye. to Christ to save our souls,
to keep our souls alive and to bring us safe at last to heaven. The second is a single eye to
holiness. You might say, well, how can
you say this when we are so unholy and so full of sin. The word
is very clear that without holiness no man shall see the Lord. If we truly know what it costs
Christ to suffer, if we truly know the Lord saying, ye that
love the Lord hate evil, then we will be mindful more
of the Word of God that says, through Peter, be ye holy, for
I am holy. Now, I know this is not a holiness
that's spotless, that's pure, that's without sin. But it is
a seeking to live holy, godly, God-honouring lives, and to hate
evil, and to resist evil and to flee from it. And especially
I want to look at it under this point concerning the I, a single
I to holiness. We read concerning lot, again
Peter has much to say to this in his 2nd Epistle, chapter 2,
verses 7 and 8, how God delivered just Lot vexed with the filthy
conversation of the wicked. This is out of Sodom and Gomorrah. For that righteous man dwelling
among them in seeing and hearing, now this includes both the senses
vexed his righteous soul from day to day with their unlawful
deeds. The Lord knoweth how to deliver
the godly out of temptations and to reserve the unjust unto
the day of judgment to be punished. But chiefly them that walk after
the flesh in the lust of uncleanness and despise government. And so
We have Lot, he's living in our world in which we live now. It's
very much like the days of Lot. We see and hear many things that
are done in the same sinful and vile practices and those things
that are seen. We read concerning Lot, he was
vexed because of it. We may ask ourselves, are we
vexed with what we hear and see? Or do we just say, well, we just
got so used to it, and we just so go along with it, it never
troubles our soul, we're never concerned that these things are
coming through our eyes, they're affecting our body, ourselves. The word says it is a shame to
even speak of those things that are done of them in secret. We have then, later on in that
same chapter, of those even that were mixing amongst the people
of God, having eyes, eyes full of adultery and that cannot cease
from sin. How we need to be so careful
that we train our eyes so that they're not all the time running
to every temptation that is presented to us. There's a great difference
between seeing and looking. We might drive along the road
and we might see out of the corner of our eye a billboard. Now we
might think that might be quite lewd, we might think it is something
evil, but if we do not look, we just see it, we just go on
our way. There's not a lasting impression
there, but if we turn and look, quite apart from likely having
a car accident, then we're actually looking. We are taking on board
what is there. There are many things we do in
our lives that, walking down the street, we're seeing many
things and hardly consciously taking it in. It's very different
if we stand and focus on one thing and looking at one thing. and may we be delivered from
having eyes, eyes that are full of adultery. They are looking
at, drawn without any check, to things that are evil and lustful
and sensuous, especially the great sin of mankind. We think of dear Job, the attempts
that he took is that he said, I made a covenant with mine eyes
or agreement with mine eyes as to what it can look at and what
it should not look at. And he says, why then should
I think upon a maid? He knew if he looked upon a maid,
the Lord said, he so looketh on a woman to lust after in his
heart, he had committed adultery already. Dear Job, he knew that. If he looked, and that image
was then transferred to inside him, then he would start thinking
upon it. It would defile his whole body. Our Lord, he reproved those in
Mark 7 that had an evil eye. And we have the psalmist, dear
David, and well, of course, who well knew what it was to fall
under temptation through that way, with Bathsheba seeing her
washing from the roof of his house, called her in, lay with
her, then slew her husband. All of the sorrow, the sword
shall not depart from thine house because of that one look. But
dear David says in Psalm 101, I will behave myself wisely in
a perfect way. When wilt thou come unto me? I will walk within my house with
a perfect heart. I will set no wicked thing before
mine eyes. I hate the work of them that
turn aside. It shall not cleave to me. And so we have the singleness
of I, regarding holiness, really being conscious of what we are
viewing. We live in the midst of a very
visual world, not only do we have that literally, we have
it on our screens, on our computers, our phones, everything is very
powerful in the way of images and we need to be so much on
our guard to have a single eye, David's resolution, especially
within his house, and to set no evil thing before him, Job's,
they're good resolutions. And yet how oft we fail, you
know, in this point, there is so much matter, not only for
diligence and watchfulness, but prayerfulness, prayer that the
Lord would keep us, that he'd prevent us from being hardened
And if we are hardened, if these things are besetting this in
a weakness, then to be very mindful of that, to register that this
is something that is the cause of my body being full of darkness. This is why The light of the
Lord is not there. This is why I don't have the
enjoyment of the love of God, because of those things that
I am seeing and looking and bringing in to my heart and then meditating
and thinking on. So may a single heart be sought
of the Lord and desired by us. A single eye, single eye, and
then we'll have a single heart too. They do go together. Our Lord is very clear in this
matter. A single eye to holiness, not
one moment looking at things that are holy and another dropping
all of our guard and letting things be seen and enter into
us that are unholy, they are profane or vile. So that is the
second point, a single eye to holiness. The third is a single eye to
God's honor and glory. Whatsoever you do, do all to
the honor and glory of God. You say, but what can we do it
otherwise to? Well, the world has a say. We
must take pride in our work. And we all know people that are
very slothful in their work. And we think, well, that can't
be right, can it? Can it be right to be slothful
and careless and do a bad job? Shouldn't we do the best job
we can? Well, the world says take pride
in your work, but what the Lord says, whatsoever you do, do all
to the honour and glory of God. Suppose the Queen was to say,
I'm going to come and visit your house. Would you just leave it as it
was, or would you think you would go around and clean it up a bit
and make it a bit more presentable, wouldn't you do your best to
do that? But when you'd finished it, wouldn't
you look at it and you'd still see all the imperfections, you'd
see all that was wrong? Yet you'd done your best. And
you'd done it, you'd done it because of the visitor that you
were having. And you know, if we work like
that, If all that we do in the Lord's house, in our secular
employment, whatever it is, our thought was, we're doing this
as unto the Lord. The most menial task then becomes
one that is well worthy. A job well done is unto the Lord,
whether men see it or not. I think Mr. Randsbottom in his
Little book, Bible Doctrines Simply Explained, a very good
book. If you haven't read it or got it, then do get it. It's simply explaining the doctrines
of our faith. But in that book, a maid was
asked to name what was the difference when the Lord blessed her and
called her and gave her new life. And she thought a little, And
she said, well, the difference it has made, that before I was
called, I used to only clean those places that could be seen. But now I clean everywhere just
as well. She was mindful it was being
done in the sight of the Lord. And so whatever we do, whether
men see it or whether they don't see it, the Lord sees it. And He knows our heart. What
is the alternative? If we don't have a singleness
of eye to His honour and glory, maybe it is we're doing it for
our own pride, our own glory. Maybe what we're doing is to
curry favour with someone else. Maybe it is like as a bribe,
I do this and you've got to repay me in doing that. And that's
where our eye is. The Lord warned His judges on
that. that they should judge righteous
judgment and not take bribes and not turn away judgment just
for something that had been given. We can very easily not have a
single eye and there'd be some other reason for it. Maybe our
wages, we know that we do want our wages and the Lord's mindful
of that. He reproved Israel for withholding
the tithes from the Levites, they'd fled every one. to his
field because they weren't given their portions. But the Lord says, Seek ye first
the kingdom of heaven. Be content with such things as
ye have. For he hath said, I will never
leave thee, nor forsake thee. And a warning, beware of covetousness. For a man's life consisted not
in the abundance of things that he possesseth. A single eye to the Lord's honour
and glory. May we bear this in mind, because
it certainly shall have an effect upon our body. Thy whole body
shall be full of light when that is the case, but when thine eye
is evil, that is looking someone else's glory, our glory, some
other way, thy body also is full of darkness. Well then there
is a fourth point, and that is a single eye to a heavenly home. A single eye to a heavenly home. In the epistle to the Hebrews,
in that beautiful 11th chapter, the chapter on faith, one of
the marks of those that as a common mark of all of them. You know,
of course, the evidences of faith in that chapter vary considerably. Not all build an ark as Noah
did, nor did they go into a place that they should after receive
an inheritance like Abraham did, not knowing whether he went.
But the evidences given in verse 13. These all died in faith, not
having received the promises, but having seen them afar off,
were persuaded of them, embraced them, and confessed that they
were strangers and pilgrims on the earth. For they that say
such things declare plainly they seek a country. And truly, if
they had been mindful of that country from whence they came
out, they might have had opportunity to have returned. But now they
desire a better country that isn't heavenly. Wherefore God
is not ashamed to be called their God, for he hath prepared for
them a city, a single eye to a heavenly country. If in this
life only we have hope in Christ, we have all been most miserable. The Apostle said that in 1 Corinthians
15, that beautiful chapter on the certainty of the resurrection
from the dead. This life is but as a vapour
that passeth soon away. The Lord says this is not your
rest, it is polluted. And yet we can have an eye that
looks to this. You think of the solemn case
of Elisha's servant Gehazi, where Naaman had been cured of his
leprosy. Then he offered Elisha riches,
garments, silver and gold, and he refused to take them. But
Gehazi coveted them. He went and lied, followed after
Naaman, lied to him, got them, hid them in the tower, tried
to deceive Elisha. Elisha says, is it a time to
get houses and olive yards and vineyards? We hadn't got those,
but he got the money to get those things. And that's where his
heart was. And if we have not got a single
eye, if we're saying, well, we're a Christian, and when we die,
we're going to go to heaven. But while we're here, we're going
to live as if we are living only for time. We try to get all the
money we can, and the houses we can, and all the riches we
can. And all those that look at us,
they say, well, has he really got a treasure in heaven? Has
he really got a mansion? Does he really think this world
is under the curse? Has he really grown in the midst
of all the sin and evil and sorrows that are here below? Where are
we seeking our nest? Have we got a single eye? The
apostle says, let us run the race that is set before us, looking
unto Jesus. When our Lord died on Calvary
and putting away sin, and then rose again, appeared to his dear
disciples, but he didn't remain here below. He ascended up into
heaven. But he said, Lo, I am with you
always, even unto the end of the world. That is, he is with
his people by his spirit and by his grace. But His presence,
He sat on the right hand of the throne of God on high. And that's
where our thoughts and affections and sight, our faith sight, is
to be looking, where Christ is. The Church of God is expecting,
must be expecting His second coming, who shall come with power
and great glory. And if we have a single eye to
that, We're looking above, the winds and the waves and the billows,
the sorrows, the disappointments of here below, knowing that we
have in heaven a far more enduring and eternal weight of glory. Not a test, sometimes that is
for us. The Lord said, fear not them
which kill the body and after that there is nothing that they
can do, but fear him that after they have killed they have power
to cast both body and soul into hell, yea, fear him. Our Lord clearly pointing that
though the body can be killed by men, they can't touch the
soul. And that soul released, it returns
to God that gave it. All those martyrs that died in
the flames, their ransomed souls. with Christ, which is far better. John Baptist, decapitated in
the prison at the request of a maid, a young girl. Instant departure from this life,
but present with the Lord. The reality of those things,
that I should be single there, Our desire should be for those
heavenly mansions. What is the effect? If thine
eye, when thy eye is single, thy whole body also is full of
light. That when thine eye is evil,
thy body also is full of darkness. Is that one reason why your body,
my body, is full of darkness? because our eye is not single
to a heavenly throne and to being with Christ. May we run, not
as those that beat the air, but as those that run with a real
purpose and real desire, that they might have a single eye
to Christ for salvation. A single eye to holiness of life. A single eye that all that they
do is for the honour and glory of God. This people have I formed
for myself, they shall show forth my praise. And that we might
have a single eye to a heavenly home, a hope beyond the grave. May the Lord bless us. with a
single eye in these particulars. Amen.