of John, John chapter 14. John chapter 14. I'd like to read verses 24 to
26. John 14. The Lord says, He that loveth
me not keepeth not my sayings. And the word which ye hear is
not mine, but the Father's which sent me. These things have I
spoken unto you, being yet present with you. But the Comforter,
which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name,
he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your
remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you." The Lord had revealed in verse
23, if a man loved me, he will keep my words. Now, no believer is going to
say, I see myself as having kept his
word. Everything that I see in me is
disappointing to me. Actually, it is just the opposite.
Everything I see is inconsistent. That is what I see. But as the
Lord beholds the heart, man looks on the outside, God looks on
the heart. And here is the situation. The
Lord says, I have given your word, and they have kept it. Oh, for the blessing of beholding
His sight. His mercy in the Lord Jesus Christ. To see us in Him. To behold us
in our substitute, in our surety. And for Him to say, well done. I say, Lord, that's grace. Lord, that's mercy. The Scripture says that Peter
answered with a grieved heart, Lord, thou knowest all things. Thou knowest that I love thee. The actions and thoughts that
I see in myself that seem to contradict everything that he
says that a believer is and a believer does. That is to love Him. I'm like old John Newton. I put that song back in the bulletin
today. It's just a point I long to know.
And old Newton asked this, if I love, why this dull and lifeless
frame? If I love Him, and I know I do,
why am I thus? A believer doesn't excuse what
he sees in himself, that is, that inconsistency. He hates
it. A believer despises. I loathe myself, Job said. That just man? God said he was
a just man. What? Just Lot? Justified Lot? You read Lot's
actions and see. Oh, to continue after him. Strive
after him. This is a believer. A believer
is consistent. That's a believer. He has no
confidence in himself. But I'm telling you, a believer
is consistent. Consistent. He consistently admits
what he is. He consistently admits that he
is what he is by the grace of God. He consistently follows
after Christ and hates to see in him the presence of sin. That's a believer. He keeps my word. You love me, keep my words. For obedience, you do have a
heart where there is no striving with that old man. And you that
know him, strive with that old man. There is a war going on.
A war within. And there is no love for Christ
if there is no warring within. If there is no hungering and
thirsting after righteousness. And again, the Lord knows. A dead heart excuses rebellion. A dead heart beholds the Lord's
Word and treats it as if you just take it or leave it. It's
not that big a deal. We're all created equal. God
loves everybody. Before others there may be a
token or an appearance of love for Him, but if His Word and
His demand His exhortations for obedience runs contrary to my
desire or my preference. I can easily reason that there
is no reason for me to find consistency and no harm in not striving after
Him, keeping His saves. The Lord said, Loveth me not. Keepeth not my sayings. There
is no guarding of it. When I say keeping, last week,
I need to go back and remind you of what that said when you
said, keep my words. There is a guarding of it. There
is a guarding of it. I want to know what does God
have to say. You may ask me my opinion yesterday. I told myself, I've got no opinion.
An opinion? That's what I think. What does
God have to say? That's the only thing that matters.
Man, I don't want to misquote him. If I'm reading and I mess up
a word, I'm going to correct. I don't want to unnecessarily. I don't want to say one word
that he didn't say. I can't prove on it. And I sure
don't want to take away from it. The Lord said, now the words
that you hear me say, the word which ye hear is not mine exclusively,
what He's saying. I and my Father are one. They're
not mine apart from Him. But the Father's which sent me. Those words come from Almighty
God's heart and expression of His character and those that
despise the Word of the Lord. I'm telling you, when we think
about the words that our Lord has said, when He said, I lay
down my life for the sheep, you know that ends it? That just
ended it. God Almighty said, you know,
I have chosen you from before the foundation of the world that
you should be holy. And without blame before Me,
that ends it. That just ended it. Man is going
to argue, resist, despise. Our Lord said in verse 25, These
things have I spoken unto you, being yet present with you. Now
this verse right here, is continued on into verse 26. And really,
it has its meaning explained in verse 26. But our Lord, He
begins in that 25th verse, and He says, the things that I've
spoken unto you while being with you, and here's the Here's the
insinuation, because I know this insinuation because of what he
says in verse 27. But I know he's saying that I'm
speaking to you while I'm with you, but these things are going
to slip. Because look at verse 26. He says, But the Comforter, which
is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall
teach you all things and bring all things to your remembrance
whatsoever I have said unto you." If it wasn't that the Holy Spirit
of God, the Comforter, was going to bring these things back to
our memory, then we wouldn't have that tendency to forget.
I need to hear the Word of God over and over and over. Because these things slip, I could bring up a word, you
know, propitiation. And you're thinking, okay, I've
heard that before. Propitiation. I know that. I know that. Slips. Satisfaction. That's right. Atonement. Atonement. Atonement. Covering. A covering. That's
right. That's right. Paul said, I need,
for you it's safe for me to say the same things unto you. The
Lord said, the comforter. which is the Holy Ghost, whom
the Father will send in my name. He shall teach you all things
and bring all things to your remembrance whatsoever I have
said unto you." Oh, what a comfort this surely was
to the disciples then and to us now. Lord, tell me again. Tell me again. Remind me. Bring back to my memory. by your
blessed Holy Spirit, the Comforter Himself, the actual third person
equal with God, referred to as the third person, the triune
God who is sent by God, sent in the Lord's name in His character,
in His stead, concerning His work, concerning His authority,
As the Lord was physically with His disciples right then, He
said, the Comforter will be with you, in you. Bringing back to
your memory those things that I've said. Do you know why, as
I'm preaching the gospel, setting forth the glory of the Lord Jesus
Christ to needy sinners, do you know why you remember that you're
a needy sinner? You know why you remember that
Christ laid down His life for His people, for His sheep? You
know why you remember that God has chosen you before the foundation
of the world? You know why you do? Well, I
learned that a long time ago. That's not the reason. Faith
cometh. Right now. Faith cometh by hearing. You hear the gospel and the Spirit
of God brings that to your memory. Without Him, we can do nothing.
We can't pray, we can't think, we can't remember. Without Me,
you can do nothing. And He shall teach you all things,
all things necessary for your well-being and according to your
exact need. to hear the Word of God. I listened
to this a few days ago. Brother Henry preached a message,
pulled it up on Sermon Audio, and I listened to that message,
talking to Carl and Iblew about it. And I think they listened
to it too, maybe more than once. And I'm telling you, I listened
to that, and I'm telling you, That's what I need right there.
And I'm telling you, just for a second, just for a second,
and I pray so, I thought on those two on the road to Emmaus, and
they said, did not our heart burn with us as He opened unto
us the Scriptures? I think to myself, Lord, teach
me afresh. Lord, open my eyes. Philippians
4.19, My God shall supply all your need according to His riches
in glory by Christ Jesus. I need the light of the glory
of God in the face of the Lord Jesus Christ to shine in my heart. I can't put it there. He must. And He does. He said the gifts
of God without repentance. He doesn't take them away. If
God Almighty gives them, He keeps them there. We need to be taught. I need to be taught afresh who
I am. Oh, wretched man that I am. I thank God, Paul said, with
the mind, that new mind. I serve the law of God. I bow
to it. I honor it. I can't keep it. But I own it that it's holy,
just, and good. I thank God that He's taught
me that." And he said, I thank God, this old man, I serve the
law of sin. That is, I'm thankful that God
taught me that. I don't love it, but I'm thankful
God taught me that. I'm telling you, God's people
need to be taught who they are in themselves and who they are
in Christ. I need a fresh application of
faith. Faith cometh. You say, I can live on faith
that I've had for years. That's not what Scripture says. Faith cometh. I need to hear
His Word. I need to behold His light of
righteousness by faith. Through these scriptures that's
imputed, that's charged, that's given to God's people, just the
very thought that Almighty God would tell me, remind me, robed
in His righteousness, I think, Lord, that's so comforting. Thank you. Our mind is renewed
daily by faith. to see by faith His work of redemption
and the putting away of my guilt. To hear one more time Romans
8.1, there is therefore now. I can't hardly quote that scripture
now without thinking about Brother Scott. When is now? Now. There is therefore now. No condemnation. to them that be in Christ Jesus,
who walk not after the flesh, that is, trying to establish
their righteousness before God by their works. That's what it
is to walk after the flesh. But after the Spirit, chosen, redeemed, regenerated
by the grace of God, the power of God, we need to hear how He saves
His people powerfully. Effectually. Turn with me in
closing. Isaiah 43. Isaiah 43. These are precious truths. He's
going to teach you. God says, I'm going to teach
you all things. I'm going to bring all these things back to
your memory. Watch whatever I've said unto
you. Isaiah 43, verses 1 to 7. Thus saith the Lord that created
thee, O Jacob." You know, a believer reads that,
and you say, you know what? I know in me, I know that's myself.
I know I'm a Jacob. But Jacob have I loved. Those
made to see themselves as a Jacob. Now thus saith the Lord that
created thee, O Jacob, he that formed thee, O Israel, There
is a believer in Christ. Fear not, for I have redeemed
thee. I have called thee by thy name,
thou art mine. When thou passest through the
waters, I will be with thee. Through the rivers they shall
not overflow thee. When thou walkest through the
fire, thou shalt not be burned, neither shall the flame kindle
upon thee. For I am the Lord thy God, the Holy One of Israel,
thy Savior. I gave Egypt for thy ransom,
Ethiopia and Sheba for thee, since thou wast precious in my
sight. Thou hast been honorable, and
I have loved thee. Therefore will I give men for
thee, and people for thy life. Fear not, for I am with thee. I will bring thy seed from the
east and gather thee from the west. I will say to the north,
give up. To the south, keep knocking back.
Bring my sons from far, my daughters from the ends of the earth, even
every one that is called by my name. For I have created him
for my glory. I have formed him. Yea, I have
made him." Lord, bring that to my memory. Lord, teach me that
afresh. Lord, by your Holy Spirit, cause
my heart to burn. I pray that God bless this Word
to the hearts of His people and those that know Him not according
to His everlasting covenant of grace. Lord, have mercy. Lord, save our children. Save
our wives and husbands. Save our son and daughters, grandchildren. Lord, have mercy for Christ's
sake. Amen.