Turn with me to the book of Revelation
chapter 14. In the opening words of this
chapter, the Spirit of God gives great comfort and relief to the
church through the vision of the Apostle John. We had just
looked in the thirteenth chapter of this blessed book, and we
read and looked at and considered the war that rages right now
between Satan and the woman, the church. the bride of the
Lord Jesus Christ. We saw where the dragon, Satan
himself, tries to drown the woman with false doctrine. He has used
the means of two beasts. That is what we looked at in
chapter 13. One of the beasts was described
in the first portion of the 13th chapter. And we saw where this
beast is actually made up of the kingdoms of this world, the
economies of this world that Satan actually uses to tempt
God's people with continually. He uses the economies, and you
just, you know, as we looked at all of those indications there,
and this is bottom line, this is what He's saying. Through
the kingdoms, the economies, the nations, the kings, whatever
you want to look at it, this is what He says to the bride.
You cannot trust God. You just can't. I was telling
someone last Sunday night, I said, if you think that this is not
a battle. You think that the believer is
not susceptible to this war. You just, you know, you work
all your life and you, you know, you've got your retirement and
you just, you know, and you're depending on, you know, this
is how you get a check and stuff. And then you, you watch the news,
you know, tomorrow afternoon and let the stock market be down
237 points. And you tell me what you think.
Don't tell me it's not a battle. It's a struggle. Satan will come
and through this beast, through these kingdoms, he'll tell you
this, you've got to worry about your life. What are you going
to eat? What are you going to drink? What are you going to
put on? And the Lord specifically in Matthew 6 told His people
as a word of comfort, don't give thought. But do we? Sure we do. You know we do. Remember, Satan
says, God helps those that help themselves. That is your great
security. It is a battle. But then there
was another beast that was spoken of in the 13th chapter. And the
Scripture said, beginning in verse 11, John said, he said,
I beheld another beast. Coming out of the earth, two
horns like a lamb, he spake as a dragon." This is the false
prophet. This is the one whose number
we saw is 666. Man, man, man. Failure, failure,
failure. The one who attempts to look
like a lamb, but he speaks like a dragon. And Scripture says
he does great deceiving wonders. And he has power to convince
the darkened heart and mind to create an imaginary God, an image. That's what it's all about. He
has the ability or power to create an image or to indicate to folks. Create in your mind what he says
who God really is. And he has the ability to cause
to them, to the darkened mind, darkened heart, to them He has
the ability of the power to cause them to think that their God
speaks and lives to them. He does. In their mind He does. And the name of that beast, the
number of His name is written in their foreheads. symbolizing
that their mind and their heart serves Him. And they do. They're convinced that they can,
in that last portion, verse 17, that no man might buy or sell,
save he that had the mark or the name of the beast or the
number of his name. And as I said last Sunday, I'm
not saying and I don't want to imply that there There may not
come a time when the church is so persecuted and so hated and
so despised that maybe they may have oppression put on them and
they're not able to trade. I know that that's the general
consensus. I'm not saying that won't happen.
It may. But I will tell you the context
of that Scripture right there is when it says that no man might
buy or sell, save he. What is actually indicated here
is that these people who have the number 666, the number of
the beast, man, man, man, written in their forehead, they are convinced
when it talks about buying and selling, they are convinced that
they can negotiate, that they can negotiate by herself through
their own ability their salvation. They have the power within themselves
to buy a salvation. How much does it cost? My free
will? Oh, I've got that. I can pay
that. No problem whatsoever. Man by
nature has the thought written in his mind I can negotiate my
own salvation." Well, in chapter 14, what comfort we behold for
God's people. Here, John has seen in that thirteenth
chapter, struggle after struggle after war after war after war,
and you that believe, you know exactly what I'm talking about. You might, in our minds, and
we're convinced of this, Almighty God has given us hope in the
person of the Lord Jesus Christ. We know whom we have believed
and we are persuaded He is able. But let me ask you this, do you
ever have a struggle with the other beast? Do you ever struggle
within yourself and in your mind? Yeah, I think you do. Well, in
verse 1 of chapter 14, John says, And I looked, and lo, a lamb
stood on the Mount Sion, and with him a hundred and forty
and four thousand having his Father's name written in their
foreheads." What a contrast from those that had the number of
the beast written in their forehead. And that number, don't be thinking
that that number is one of these dates, you know, going to be
written in this later time. They're going to have this number
666 written. That number has been written
in the mind of all of the wicked since the fall. The mind of the
beast. That number. So John says, I
looked and lo, what a joy, what a privilege in the midst of all
of this trial, in this battle, in this tribulation, John says,
I looked and lo, a lamb. Here is the one that has been
eternally the elect's surety. in the midst of this battle,
while you're struggling this morning. And there's folks in
here, I know, that's struggling. What do you find your comfort
in? In looking around and seeing how things are going and how
the uncertainty. I can't even keep my power on.
I don't even know how to, you know. I'm telling you the truth. My cable was out. In all of the
stuff, John says, And lo, there was
a lamb, the one who bore my guilt and put away my sin. And his
position is one with company with his people. It says he stood
on the Mount Sion, standing. That standing there, I mean,
there are so many ways that our Lord is set forth. He is sitting. at the right hand
of the Father. His work is finished. But it
says here He was standing on the Mount. He stood on the Mount
Sion. I thought about that passage
of Scripture that talked about Stephen whenever Stephen was
being stoned and the persecution that he was going through. And
he says he looked and he said, I saw Him standing to receive
him to Himself. the position. He's standing.
He's with them. Psalm 125 speaks of Zion. It says this concerning Zion.
It says, Lo, there was a Lamb that stood on the Mount Zion. What is Mount Zion? Psalm 125,
1 and 2 says, They that trust in the Lord, as Mount Zion cannot
be moved, but abideth forever. The mountains round about Jerusalem,
so the Lord is round about His people from henceforth and evermore."
Mount Zion, when you hear of Mount Zion, it speaks of the
Lord's Church. That's who Mount Zion is. Hebrews
12.22 says, Mount Zion is the city of the living God, the heavenly
Jerusalem. That is Mount Zion. The bride,
you that believe, you are Mount Zion. You're the city of God. Psalm 132, 13 and 14 says, For
the Lord hath chosen Zion, he hath desired it for his habitation. This is my rest. The Lord is
speaking here. This is my rest forever. Here will I dwell, for I have
desired it. John says, I look. In the midst
of all this tribulation, in the midst of whatever you're going
through tonight, He said, I looked and I saw a Lamb. And with Him,
the Scripture says, 144,000. Now that 144,000 is a symbolic
number. I know those that have tried
to say that there's only going to be 144,000 redeemed, but Revelation
7 and 9 of that number, it says that
no man can number that. That's a symbolic number that
no man can number. The Lord does. God knows. All
of them, 144,000, are there. There's no vacancies. All of
the 144,000 chosen by Almighty God, all that the Father gave
the Son before the foundation of the world, here is Her glory,
Her strength, and her security, she's with Him. That's her comfort. And the proof of their right. What right does she have to be
there? Now, that's a good question.
She's there. And she's with Him and He's with
her. But what right do they have? Well, here's a right. Having
His Father's name written in their foreheads. That's their
right. That's their privilege. Turn
back with me to Revelation chapter 7. Revelation 7, verse 3. Revelation 7, 3. The Lord speaking here, there was,
well, in verse 1 it says, John says, I saw four angels standing
on the four corners of the earth holding the four winds of the
earth. The winds of false doctrine.
The winds of life. Remember when Paul was saying,
deceived with every wind of doctrine. Here's these four angels holding
these four winds of the earth, that the wind should not blow
on the earth, nor on the sea, nor on the tree. He said, I saw
another angel. Here's the Lord Jesus Christ
ascending from the east, having the seal of the living God. He
cried with a loud voice to the four angels to whom it was given
to hurt the earth and the sea, saying, Hurt not the earth, neither
the sea, nor the trees, till we have sealed the servants of
our God in their foreheads." So what right do they have to
be there? I'll tell you the right they
have. Almighty God chose them. Almighty God said His affection
on them. Almighty God paid their debt
for them. Almighty God imputed His righteousness
to them. That's the right. Their right
is Him. His mercy. and grace. In John
17, the gospel according to John chapter 17, verse 2, the Lord praying here, and I
think as I was reading this chapter again, a portion of this chapter
this morning, I want you to realize something. Now look at the last
verse. Look at verse 33 of the 16th chapter. These things have
I spoken unto you. Now He is speaking to His disciples,
that in Me you might have peace. In this world you shall have
tribulation, but be of good cheer. I have overcome the world. Now
the Lord is speaking to His people. He is speaking to His disciples
and they are listening to it. He is talking to them. And immediately
after speaking to them, and they heard Him pray, this prayer,
Carl, they heard it. And here is that these words
spake Jesus and lifted up His eyes to heaven and said, Father,
the hour has come. Glorify Thy Son, that Thy Son
also may glorify Thee, as Thou hast given Him power over all
flesh, that He should give eternal life to as many as Thou hast
given Him. Now, number one, remember, what
right do they have? God gave them to Him. They are
the Lord. Look in verse 24 of this chapter,
John 17. Father, I will, I pray, my desire
is that they also whom Thou hast given me be with me where I am
that they may behold my glory which Thou hast given me for
Thou lovest me before the foundation of the world. This is the hope. This is the reason. This is the
comfort of these people. They are there with Him because
He chose them. He sealed them. Sealed their
foreheads with the name of His Father. And given them a new
mind and a new nature, a new heart. And He has kept them from
falling. So John says, I looked and lo,
there was a lamb. Stood on the Mount Zion with
Him, 144,000 having His Father's name written in their foreheads. And then he said, and I heard
a voice. from heaven as the voice of many waters, as the voice
of a great thunder. And I heard the voice of harpers
harping with their harps." Now, as we've looked at before and
considered before, when you find heaven referred to in this book,
often you're going to find that it speaks of the church, the
bride. This is the place where God has
set His throne. This is the Zion, the heavenly
Jerusalem, the city of God. Heaven itself. Where God is,
is heaven. The presence of God. And John
says, I heard a voice from heaven. You that believe. This is the
Zion. This is heaven. This is where
we are. He is here with us and we are here with Him. And He
said, I heard a voice. Now look at the wording here. I heard a voice from heaven as
the voice of many waters. It is a singular voice. I heard
a voice that was made up of many waters, 144,000 of them. The number that no man can number,
the redeemed, are saying the same thing is what John is saying. They have a voice. They speak
as their Lord speaks. Look back at Revelation 1, verse
15. Revelation 1, verse 15. And His feet likened to fine
brass, as if they burned in a furnace, and His voice as the sound of
many waters." So when they speak back in Revelation 14, 2, that
one voice, they say the same thing. They speak the same thing. And no doubt, their voice was
singing the same new song that we saw in Revelation 5, 9. Turn
back there. Oh, how good it is to go back
and consider these things. They sing a new song. This is
their, you know, A thing in Revelation 5, they sung a new song saying,
thou art worthy to take the book and to open the seals thereof
for thou was slain and has redeemed us to God by thy blood out of
every kindred and tongue and people and nation. Has made us
unto our God kings and priests and we shall reign on the earth.
This voice that John heard. The voice of many waters. And
all you that believe, this is the voice that you have. This
is the only voice you have. What else do we have to say?
You've redeemed us. Lord, you chose us. You called
us. You kept us. You've made us under
our God, kings and priests, one voice. We don't sing different
things. I don't say one thing and you
say another thing, Neal, and you say another thing, Carl.
No. One voice. One Lord. One baptism. And it was the voice, John said,
as a voice of great thunder. Distinct and powerful and piercing. A strong voice. And he says,
and I heard the voice of harpers harping with their harps. Now,
we've looked at this before, but I'll just remind you, when
it speaks of these harps, this is the stringed instrument of
the soul. It's the only harp from which
a true melody can actually be offered unto the Lord. In Ephesians
5, verse 19, Paul says, speaking to yourselves. That is, worshiping
spiritually. I remember Brother Tim James
told me one time that there was someone that had come and he
had visited a few times And he said that during the service,
you know, this person would, you know. Tim came up to her and said,
let me ask you something. Why do you do that? She said,
well, I'm worshiping the Lord. And he said, no, you're not.
He said, what you're doing is bringing attention to yourself.
That's what you're doing. The Scripture says, speaking
to yourself, worshiping spiritually, internally, in psalms and hymns
and spiritual songs, singing and making melody, listen to
this, in your heart unto the Lord. Not drawing attention to
yourself. These that were singing this
voice, many waters, John says, it was the voice of a great thunder.
And I heard the voice of harpers, harping with their harps. You that believe, you know exactly
what I'm talking about. You worship internally. You hear internally. You're singing and making melody
in your heart unto the Lord. You don't have to do anything
to impress me, Bob. You know, I just, you know, inside,
internally. And the Scripture says in verse
3, they sung as it were a new song before the throne. We just
read about that in Revelation 5, 9. And before the four beasts
and the elders, and no man could learn that song but the 144,000
which were redeemed from the earth. Now that song that's referred
to there, it's a new song. Not a new song in time. It's not like a new song that
comes out. You know, you're listening to
the radio and you hear a new song. something that comes out
as far as time is concerned. That's not what this word means. It's not new in the sense of
time, but it's new in the sense of quality and form. This song is a song that is taught
the bride on earth because it reveals that the bride has sung
this new song in her heart by revelation." That's that song
we read about a while ago. You know, thou has redeemed us.
It's the song of redemption. It's a song that's new because
in Adam, the people of God, the elect of God, as they were born
in Adam, never knew this song as being in Adam. It's new in
quality. It's new in form. Turn to Genesis
3. Let me show you the song that
all in Adam, all unbelievers, let me show you the song that
they sing. Genesis 3, verse 6 and 7. Genesis 3, 6 and 7. And when
the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was
pleasant to the eyes in a tree to be desired to make one wise. She took of the fruit thereof,
and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her, and he
did eat." Verse 7, "...and the eyes of them both were opened,
and they knew that they were naked, and they sewed fig leaves
together, and made themselves aprons." If you have a marginal
of aprons right there, it says, "...things to gird about." What
is the song that the man or woman, the unbeliever, what is the song
that they sing in their heart? I can make myself a covering
before God. I can hide my nakedness before
God. I can present myself before God
and not show that I am unclothed before Him. That's the song. of every man, every woman born
in Adam. That's what they sing. These
right here, back in Revelation 14, they sung a new song. A new song before the throne. A song of their redemption in
the Lord Jesus Christ. It is a song that gives honor
and glory and praise to the Lamb that John saw standing on Mount
Zion. And this new song was sung before
the throne, it says, before the four beasts and the elders. Can
you imagine standing before God? It won't happen. It wouldn't
happen. It couldn't happen. Standing before the throne of
God and singing the song that Adam would sing, that I can provide
myself a covering? This new song is sung before
God. And they sing it before each
other also. Look at the wording. They sung
as it were a new song before the throne. Now who is singing
this? It's the 144,000. It's a new
song before the throne, before the four beasts and the elders. The elders. That's them. They're telling each other. They
sing to themselves. That's what we're doing. We sing
before Almighty God. Thanks be unto You. You redeemed
us. You called. You kept us. But
we tell each other. This is what we say. What hope
do we have? What hope do I have? This is
Him, the Lamb. And the Scripture says, And no
man could learn that song. That word, learn, there is better
interpreted, understand. No man could understand that
song but the 144,000 which were redeemed from the earth. They
couldn't learn it, but they couldn't understand it. unless Almighty
God gave them a new heart of understanding. I know that it's so. I mean, it's just the most obvious
thing in the world. But have you ever attempted to
speak to someone that believes not the God that we serve, the
sovereign God, election in Christ, redemption by His blood, and
regeneration by His Spirit. Have you ever tried to speak
to someone and say, look, I want you to look at this Scripture.
Just listen to this Scripture. I use 2 Thessalonians 2.13. Paul says we're bound. We're bound to give thanks to
God for you, brethren, because God hath from the beginning chosen
you to salvation. through sanctification of the
Spirit and belief of the truth. And you think to yourself, if
you understand words at all, you cannot help but understand
that statement. And men and women left to themselves
will look at you like you have just stepped off of some foreign
planet and you're the most narrow-minded person they've ever heard in
your life. The Scripture says no man could
learn it. No man could understand it. That song, but the 144,000. No
man has the ability. No man can come. It's that word
of ability. It's just like that word we looked
at in verse 17 of chapter 13, that no man might buy or sell. That word might that we looked
at, that's not a word of permission. No man might be able to do it.
That word might right there is ability. No man can come. This is an impossibility. No
man could learn. No man could understand that
song. And those that sing that song,
they sing that song right now. There's no doubt about that.
And I'll be the first to admit, they sing it now through a glass
darkly. But then it's going to be face
to face The Scripture says no man could learn that song but
the 144,000, those that were sealed and kept precious. And we're going to look a little
bit, just the next verse or two, about their preciousness. But
no man could learn it, no woman could learn it but those that
the Scripture reveals as being the 144,000, the precious. Maybe not in their own eyes.
But I'll tell you, certainly in the eyes of Him before whom
they stand in their substitute. And the Scripture says, here's
their description, verse 4, these 144,000 which were redeemed from
the earth, these are they which were not defiled with women. They're pure spiritually. That's what it's saying. Romans
8, 1, there is therefore now no condemnation. to them that
be in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after
the Spirit. These are they, the 144,000,
these are they which were not defiled with women, for they
are virgins. And this does not speak, though
there is definitely that outward manifestation of purity within
a believer because God keeps them. That's not what this is
talking about. It is talking about spiritual purity. These are chaste virgins. They have been espoused to one
husband, the Lord Jesus Christ. They have not followed after
the Babylon, the great, the mother of harlots because their walk
has been ordered, kept by the God of all mercy. In Revelation
18.13, let me show you what everyone else, everybody will do except
the 144,000, the bride, the woman, the sealed one. Everybody else,
everybody else will do this. Revelation 18.3, for all nations
have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication and
the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her, and the
merchants of the earth are wax rich through the abundance of
her delicacies." It's talking about spiritual harlotry. The spiritual whore of this world's
religion. Is that too hard? No, it's not
too hard. I'm telling you, every religion,
every denomination, that preaches not. I said this before and I
will not, by God's grace, back up from this. Every person that
preaches not this message of free, sovereign, saving grace
in the person of the Lord Jesus Christ, electing grace, choosing
grace, keeping grace, no works of righteousness within ourselves
if they preach not That gospel Paul said, let them be accursed.
They're spiritual harlots. The Scripture refers to them
as the whore, the great whore. Turn with me to Proverbs 7. We've
read this before. I want you to look at it again.
Here's the way that religion is in Proverbs 7. Proverbs 7. Now, this is the
picture of Spiritual harlotry. This is false religion referred
to as a woman of the night. Proverbs 7 verse 6, For at the
window of my house I looked through my casement, and I beheld among
the simple ones, I discerned among the youths a young man
void of understanding, passing through the street. Near her
corner he went the way to her house. In the twilight, in the
evening, the black and dark night, and behold, there met him a woman. with the attire of a harlot,
subtle of heart. She is loud and stubborn. Her
feet abide not in her house. Now is she without, now in the
streets, and lieth in wait at every corner. So she caught him,
kissed him with an impudent face, said unto him, I have peace offerings
with me. This day have I paid my vows. Therefore came I forth to meet
thee diligently. I seek thy face, and I have found
thee." Look at verse 21. With her much fair speech she
caused him to yield, and the flattering of her lips she forced
him. He goeth after her straightway
as an ox goeth to the slaughter, or as a fool to the correction
of the stocks, till a dart strike through his liver as a bird hastens
to the snare, and knoweth not that it is for his life." Who
are these back in Revelation chapter 4? Or fourteen, I'm sorry. Who are these? It's 144,000. These are they which were not
defiled with spiritual harlotry. The Lord has kept them. They're
pure and faithful in Christ. Why? Because God Almighty views
them not in Adam, but He views them, sees them, chose them in
the Lord Jesus. Christ in Ezekiel chapter 11. Why are they pure? Why are they? They are not defiled. They are
virgins, pure. In Ezekiel 11 verse 19, the Scripture says, I will give
them one heart, the same heart, the heart that He gives One of
His people, He gives the other one heart. I'll put a new spirit
in you. I'll take the stony heart out
of their flesh. I will give them a heart of flesh
that they may walk in My statutes, keep My ordinances, and do them,
and they shall be My people. I will be their God. Look at Ephesians chapter 4. Ephesians 4. Ephesians 4, verse 23, Paul says, And be renewed
in the spirit of your mind, and that ye put on the new man, which
after God is created in righteousness and true holiness. Why are these viewed as being
virgins, pure, holy? Exactly what Brother Darrell
read. That which is born of God sinneth not. It cannot sin because
His seed remaineth in you. His seed of purity. These are
they not defiled with women. And they are also consistent
in their walk. They follow after the lamb whithersoever
he goeth. John 10, 5, the Lord speaking,
says, And a stranger will they not follow, but will flee from
him, for they know not the voice of a stranger. You that believe. When a man stands up and preaches, The Spirit of God bears witness
with your spirit if that man is not telling you the truth.
You look at the Word of God, and God Almighty will tell you,
speak to you, whether or not that's a voice of a stranger.
You start listening to a man, and he starts talking to you
about man's ability to do so-and-so and your ability to do this.
And we all have a little good in us. And you say, whoa, whoa,
whoa, whoa. That doesn't sound right. You know, God loves everybody. Jesus died for everybody. You
say, now wait a minute, wait a minute. That's the voice of
a stranger. That's not the voice of my Master.
My Master didn't say that. My Master said I lay down my
life for the sheep. He told some Pharisees, he said,
you believe not. You know why? You're not my sheep.
My sheep hear my voice and they follow me. They're not going
to follow the voice of a stranger. They say in their heart what
Ruth, who was a picture of the believer, said to Boaz, a picture
of our kinsman, Redeemer, the Lord Jesus Christ. Entreat me
not to leave thee, nor to return from following after thee. For
where thou goest, I will go. And where thou lodgest, I will
lodge. Thy people shall be my people,
and thy God my God. That's what they say. They follow
after Him. They love Him. That's what they
want to be. I want to be where He is. I'm
convinced, as I've said before, when He said, where two or three
are gathered in My name, I'm in the midst of you. It's the
greatest joy in my life to be by God's grace, not because of
anything that I realize that's inherent in me that is by nature
in me. that I would desire, but that
knowing that He would allow me the privilege to be in His presence
with His people. What a joy! The Scripture says,
These are they which were not defiled with women. They are
virgins. They which follow the Lamb, whithersoever He goeth. They follow and they endure to
the end because they are kept. That is the reason. You that
have believed, and have believed and believed and believed. Why? Do you think it's because of
your ability to maintain yourself? Absolutely not. You're kept by
the power of God. If He didn't keep me, that which
I believed yesterday, if He didn't keep me, I wouldn't believe it
today if He didn't keep me. And there are purchased people.
These were redeemed from among men. being the firstfruits unto
God and to the Lamb, a purchased people in themselves. They are no different than anybody
else. They are redeemed totally by
the grace of God. And the price of their redemption
was the precious blood of the Lord Jesus Christ, separated
to be the firstfruits Unto the Lord. Look at Revelation 14. I'll just wrap this up. Revelation
14, verse 15. We're going to look. Lord willing,
we'll look at the second thing. There's three things that John
saw in this particular chapter. What we're looking at today is
the first. He saw the lamb and the 144,000. But in Revelation
14, 15, it says, Another angel came out of the temple crying
with a loud voice to him that sat on the cloud. Thrust in thy
sickle and reap. for the time has come for me
to reap, for the harvest of the earth is ripe." These people,
these are the firstfruits of the Lord. They're the Lord's
harvest. The firstfruit in Numbers 18
belonged to the Lord. The firstfruit. So whatever is
spoken of as being the firstfruits, or described as being the firstfruits,
is the Lord's. That's the Lord's. And the rest
are the wicked. It says, who are these? These
were redeemed from among men. These were the first fruits unto
God and to the Lamb. And the redemptive price that
was paid for these particular people, God said, the blood of
the Lamb. And in their mouth, here's the
last verse for this morning, in their mouth was found no guile,
no deception, For they are without fault before the throne of God."
Wonder of wonders that God would have for Himself a people that
are without fault. I heard someone say one time,
or not one day, but yeah, it was one time just a few weeks
ago, and he said to himself, he said, I'll tell you what.
If you ever look around and find somebody perfect in this world,
well, just tell me. I thought to myself, well, I
can tell you this. In ourselves, we certainly are
not. In ourselves, Paul says, in my
flesh there dwells no good thing. There's not one thing. But I
will tell you this in the person of my substitute. There's no
condemnation. They're perfect. Perfect. Perfect. That which is born of God, whenever
Almighty God gives a man or a woman a new heart, that which is born
of God, let me tell you what it does, or let me tell you what
it does not do. It does not sin. It cannot sin
because His seed, that's what Darrell read, His seed remaineth
in Him. It cannot sin. That which is
born of God. Certainly, I know that they are
not without fault in themselves. But, oh, my faultlessness is
not of myself, but it is of another, the Lord Jesus Christ. His righteousness
charged and imputed to me, for me. And the Scripture says, In
me, Christ, in you. This is how you know it. You
want to know how I know what He's done for me? He's given
me a new heart and told me. And I know it. And I know a new
song. I've learned a new song. I've understood a new song. Because
He told me, gave me a new heart to do this. In their mouth, John
said, there's no guile. There is no deceit and no fraud
is what it means. Zephaniah 3.13 says, The remnant
of Israel shall not do iniquity, nor speak lies, neither shall
a deceitful tongue be found in their mouth. Someone can say,
Man, I just, I don't see how that can be. In myself, I don't
see any good thing. I don't either. with thanks be
unto God that I don't view myself as I see myself. You want to
talk about some hope and some peace and some comfort? It's
that Almighty God would speak to His people comfortably and
tell them to them. Tell them. When He told Isaiah,
He said, Speak comfort. Comfort you. Comfort you, My
people, saith the Lord. How do you comfort them? Oh,
you remember the words of the prophet. He said, here's your
comfort. He said, your warfare is over.
Your warfare is over. Are you telling me that Almighty
God chose me out of all the nations, kindred, tribes, and tongue just
like a bran plucked out of a fire by His infinite mercy and grace
Not because of anything that He saw in me that He chose according
to His will. Are you telling me that He chose
not because of any righteousness that I've done? You told me He
chose me just because it pleased Him to do so. And He chose me
and considered me in His Son before the foundation of the
world as my surety. And He looked upon me in favor,
in mercy, in compassion, in grace, and sent His Son to be made sin
for me, and took my place, and died in my stead. And then called
me by His grace in time, and gave me a heart, and created
in me a new heart, a new mind, that as Paul says, I serve Him
with that mind. And He taught me a new song,
a song of redemption, just because it pleased Him. And showed me
Himself and keeps me and one day shall take me home to be
with Him. Is that what you're saying? That's
exactly what I'm saying. And you mean to tell me that I don't
have anything to do with it. That's exactly what I'm saying.
You don't have anything to it. That's what I'm saying. John
says so. There's no guile in their mouth. Behold the Lamb. Worthy is the
Lamb to receive all the honor and all the glory and all the
praise. That's what John saw. That's
the first thing John saw in this chapter. Lord willing, we'll
look at the second thing tonight.