The Saints Position (Part 1)

Q: What does the Bible say about election?

The Bible teaches that God's people are elected in the Lord Jesus Christ before the foundation of the world. Election is a key doctrine in Reformed theology, affirming that God chooses certain individuals for salvation based on His sovereign grace and purposes. In Ezra 8, we see that the names of those who returned from Babylon were written specifically, which illustrates that God's elect are known and loved by Him individually. Revelation 17:8 and John 10:2-3 affirm that the names of the elect were recorded in the book of life before the world began, further solidifying the truth that God's choice is not based on any merit, lineage, or free will of man, but solely on His sovereign will.

Q: How do we know that salvation is by grace alone?

Salvation is solely by grace through faith in Christ, as demonstrated in scripture and through God's sovereign choice. Historic Reformed theology emphasizes that salvation is granted by grace, not through human effort or merit. This is evidenced in Ephesians 2:8-9, where Paul writes that it is by grace you have been saved, through faith, and this not from yourselves; it is the gift of God. The doctrine of grace asserts that our salvation is entirely the work of Christ, and the believer can rest in the assurance that it is God alone who saves. In the context of Ezra, we see God's provision and grace manifested in His careful selection of those He called out, paralleling how He grants grace to His people in salvation.

Q: Why is understanding our position in Christ important for Christians?

Understanding our positional standing in Christ assures us of God's love and grace, essential for our faith. The positional truth of the believer in Christ is foundational for a robust Christian faith. It signifies that believers are united with Christ and share in His righteousness and inheritance. In Ezra 8, the return from Babylon symbolically represents the believer's journey from condemnation to grace through Jesus. When Christians grasp their position in Christ—that they are elected, redeemed, and secured by His grace—they find security in the trials of life. Romans 8:28-30 outlines this divine orchestration of God's purpose for believers, which includes their election, calling, justification, and glorification, reinforcing the assurance that they are eternally secure in Him.

Q: How do believers find rest in Christ?

Believers find rest in Christ by coming to Him with their burdens, assured of His grace and provision. Resting in Christ is central to a believer's spiritual journey. In Matthew 11:28, Jesus invites those who labor and are heavy laden to find rest in Him. This promise highlights the truth that the burdens of attempting to earn God’s approval through works are replaced by the peace found in Christ. As seen in Ezra's gathering at the river Ahava, believers stop to rest and reflect on God's provision mid-journey. This rest is not merely physical but spiritual, emphasizing that reliance on Christ alleviates the anxiety of maintaining one's standing before God and instills confidence in His securing grace.

Q: Why is the provision of ministers important in the church?

The provision of ministers is essential for the spiritual growth and edification of the church body. God orchestrates the gift of pastors and ministers to shepherd His people, akin to how Ezra sent for the Levites to serve in the temple. Ephesians 4:11-13 details how God equips the church with leaders for the perfecting of the saints and the edification of the body of Christ. This structure is vital for spiritual nourishment, protection from false teaching, and maintaining unity within the fellowship. The Reformed perspective recognizes that these leaders are appointed through God's providence, ensuring that His people receive the necessary guidance and teaching to encourage their growth in grace and truth.

Turn with me to the book of Ezra
chapter 8. While you're turning there, I'll
tell you what I know. I think that Doris Mahan may
be coming out of the hospital today. I want to be remembering
her. Of course, I understand that
Brother Scott had to bring Brad back up to Morgantown. He's having
some trouble with his knee. I just want to be remembering
him and others that have been sick. I know there's been a considerable
amount of sickness within our group. This morning I'd like to speak. I've entitled this message, The
Saints' Position, and I'm already aware that I'm going to probably
have to divide it up between this morning and this evening
because of the length and the weightiness of this particular
passage. If the Lord wills, I'd like to
deal with the eighth chapter. It is dealing with, as I said,
our position in the Lord Jesus Christ. I related to Brother
Gary this morning when he was looking at the songs a particular
point that I would like to deal with, and I think that it's one
that will be of great comfort and help to the believers, and
it's this particular point. It's going to be when a believer
has to make a decision when you come to a point in your life
and you need to consider, What do I think the Lord would have
me to do? Knowing that the Scripture sets
forth the glory of the Lord Jesus Christ in the lives of His people,
and that we look to Him considering our position in the Lord Jesus
Christ, we ask the Lord's blessing this morning upon the teaching
and the hearing of this Scripture, this passage of Scripture. Now,
there was a man named Ezra, and he was set apart by the Spirit
of God for the deliverance of the Jews out of Babylon into
Jerusalem. Now, this man, and no man that
God ever calls ever sought that position. You'd never find. I've
had men ask me. I've mentioned this before. I've
had men ask me, you know, how do you know or, you know, considering
preaching or Pastry, it would really bother me if someone,
if I detected someone just going after that position, Carl, I
just, you know, well, I want to be a pastor. I want to be
a, you know, I want to be a preacher. And I've told people before,
I wouldn't unless I had to. If I could do anything else,
I'd do it. If you can do something else,
do it. That's, you know, a man, doesn't
have to be a pastor to be in a position of leadership and
a position in the body of the Lord Jesus Christ. Here we see
a man that God did set apart in the bringing out of His people,
and we behold in this passage the salvation of all that God
Almighty has everlastingly loved in the person of the Lord Jesus
Christ. Now, knowing as I've said that
I'm going to consider this passage of Scripture this morning and
this evening, but there are seven things in this eighth chapter
divided up over two messages Seven truths concerning the people
of God and those things that are revealed to them in this
life. Seven things that God's people
know by revelation of the Spirit of God. Number one, the first
thing that God's people know is their election in the Lord
Jesus Christ. Ezra chapter 8, beginning in
verse 1, looking at first of all, I'd like to just read the
first 14 verses. These are now the chief of their
fathers. And this is the genealogy of
them that went up with me from Babylon in the reign of Artaxerxes
the king, of the sons of Phinehas, Gershom of the sons of Ithamar,
Daniel of the sons of David, Hattush, of the sons of Shekeniah,
of the sons of Pharosh, Zechariah, and with him were reckoned by
genealogy of the males, a hundred and fifty, of the sons of Pahathmoab, Elehoinai, the son of Zerahiah,
with him two hundred males, of the sons of Shekeniah, the sons
of Jehaziel, and with him three hundred males, of the sons also
of Aden-Ebed, the sons of Jonathan, with him fifty males, the sons
of Elam-Jeshiah, the sons of Athaliah, with him seventy males,
the sons of Shepetiah, Zebediah, the son of Michael, and with
him four score males, of the sons of Joab, Obadiah, the sons
of Jehiel, with him two hundred and eighteen males, of the sons
of Shelomith, the son of Joshaphiah, with him a hundred and threescore
males, and of the sons of Bebai Zechariah, the son of Bebai,
with him twenty and eight males, and of the sons of Asgad, Johanan,
the son of Hatkatan, and with him a hundred and ten males,
and of the last sons of Adonikam, whose names are these, Eliphelet,
Gial, Shemiah, and with them threescore males, and of the
sons also of Bigvei, Uthai, and Zabub, and with them seventy
males. I remember reading through in
the second chapter of Ezra, as I told you then, struggled through
all of those names. But the thing that I saw is that
they were specific men, specific names of those that came out
with Ezra. During that second chapter, I
made mention of this and I'll just mention it, not to labor
the point, but to say this. When you go back and you start
reading specific names, I realize that none of us here know any
of these people. But somebody did. Somebody knew
them. It was somebody's family, somebody's
brothers, somebody's son, somebody's sisters that came out with, and
I understand that only the heads of the family, the males, were
mentioned. But that doesn't mean that no
females came out. The males were mentioned, but
it was God's people that came out. And when you start considering,
you start realizing that these were specific people that Almighty
God had everlastingly loved and chose unto salvation. Now, the comfort that the believer
receives from reading these actual names is that he is assured by
the Word of God that God specifically wrote these names, the names
of His elect in the book of life before the foundation of the
world. That's the first thing that God's people know, that
Almighty God has an elect. Revelation 17, verse 8 says,
"...the beast that thou sawest, was and is not, and shall descend
out of the bottomless pit, and go into perdition. And they that
dwell on the earth shall wonder, who? Those whose names were not
written in the book of life from the foundation of the world,
when they behold the beast that was and is not, and yet is."
John 10, verse 2 and 3 says, But he that entereth in by the
door is the shepherd of the sheep. To him the porter openeth, and
the sheep," who? Those whose names were written
in the book of life from the foundation of the world. I remember
listening, and I'm sure that many of you here may have heard
this. I came out, as often men do,
out of false religion, and I was taught And I had no reason to
doubt this because I didn't look. But I was taught that whenever
someone exercised their free will, that what they did was
they decided to choose Jesus. The Lord Jesus Christ was offering
salvation to everyone. And whenever someone gave their
heart to Jesus, a recording angel then wrote their name in the
book of life. Any of y'all ever heard that?
All right, where do you find that? That's not in Scripture. When was the book of life written
in the mind and will and purpose of Almighty God before the foundation
of the world? The sheep, all the sheep, they
shall, what Brother Carl was reading, these things are going
to be brought to pass in time. All that God has purposed shall
come to pass. The sheep hear His voice. He calleth His own sheep by name."
Who are these names? These people that I struggled
with. I may have a struggle with their
name, but God didn't. God knew them. God loved them. And He leadeth them out. The
saints are born not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh,
nor of the will of man, but of God. I want you to notice something
very specific though, and I won't go back and read all 14 verses,
but look at just the second verse of Ezra chapter 8. It says of
the sons of Phinehas, they came out. How many of his, well, possibly
according to that portion right there, the sons of Phinehas came
out. But look at the next part. Gershom
of the sons of Ithamar. Now, how many sons did Ithamar
have? I don't know. But who came out? Gershom. Daniel,
colon, of the sons of David. How many sons did David have?
I don't know of that David there. But Daniel did. God's elect. are not chosen by lineage, by
blood, but according to His purpose and grace. My mom and dad got
two sons, me and my brother, Howard. I've said this, my brother
has got to be one of the nicest guys that I've ever met in my
life. kindest, most sensitive fellow. And I look back. I was talking
to my mother about this the other day. I look back on my life,
and I see, I look, and I think if you'd ask me, which of these
two boys do you think that probably God would show mercy to? Well,
I'll tell you who I'd choose. My brother. I think that's who,
you know, And Almighty God in His infinite wisdom and mercy
and grace saw fit to reveal His Son to this sinner. Nobody. The most rebellious person that
I know is me. You know, if my dad, you can't
right now, he's in a nursing home, but if you talked to my
dad, he'd tell you. And if my mother was honest about
it, which you know how moms are, but if my mother were honest
about it, she'd say, yeah, yeah, he was. Still is, but for the
grace of God. But I'm telling you, my brother,
whom I love dearly, I talk to him, and if he's listening to
this tape, he'd just be honest about it. Talk to him about the
mercy and grace of Almighty God. Thank you, but no thank you.
This man right here, Gershom of the sons of Ithemar. There
may be some this morning that can truthfully say, in my family,
the Lord showed mercy to me. I found that often. My mother
came out of Roman Catholicism. And you look back in all of her
family that I know, And my mom is the only one that I know of
that the Lord has been pleased to reveal Himself to. He's got
a lot of brothers and sisters. Why does God do that? Because
it pleased Him to do so. Can we say anything concerning
God's mercy and grace? He's done that which He's done
according to His purpose. So God Almighty, that's the first
point that I know, is that in this life, God's people, God's
sheep, They know something of their election in the person
of the Lord Jesus Christ. Secondly, I know this. The people
of God know something about the rest that they have in the Lord
Jesus Christ. In verse 15, after these had
all come out of Babylon, all of those specific names, the
elect, It says, verse 15, it says, And I gathered them together
to the river that runneth to Ahava. And there abode we in
tents three days. And I viewed the people and the
priest, and found there none of the sons of Levi. Having seen
in the first fourteen verses the wonder of God's electing
grace, that God specifically called these out right here.
Who came out? I realized that those that came
out were coming out of a physical city. They were coming out of
Babylon. I understand that. And they were going to a physical
city. They were going to Jerusalem. But you remember this. There's
nothing in this Bible, nothing in this Word, right, that is
not a picture of the glory of Almighty God in the person of
the Lord Jesus Christ. Are they that speak of Me?" He
said. So here we see in type, I said
before, if the book of Ezra or any other book is nothing more
than history, and we're just kind of going over a history
lesson right here, what does that mean to you? What does that
mean to me? This is a type. This is a picture.
What it's saying is God has a specific people. And Ezra says that I
gathered them together to a river. that ran in this specific place,
and we rested there for three days is what he is saying. Here
we see in type the wonder of the elect's rest in the person
of the Lord Jesus. This company came out with Ezra. They needed some rest after the
first stage of their journey. They're coming out of Babylon. They're going to Jerusalem. And what they're doing is they're
at a place in the midst of their journey where they need some
rest. You that believe, we're in the
midst of a journey right now. This is a journey. This is a
race. Paul referred to it as a race. I've run the race. I've kept
the faith. Now we're in the midst of a journey. And you know, again,
this is what Brother Carl was talking about a while ago. We're
going to that place that Almighty God has ordained that His people
come to. They were in the midst of their
journey. And they needed some rest, so
they stopped. As this group with Ezra needed
physical rest, we behold the need of a spiritual rest in the
journey of a believer. Hebrews chapter 4 and verse 9
says, ìThere remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God.î
But number one, what is and where is this rest found, this spiritual
rest? What is he talking about? What
rest does a believer need right now in this life? I need rest,
and you that believe need rest, we need rest. Matthew 11, 28
says this, ìCome unto Me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden,
I will give you rest.î ìCome unto Me, ye that labor,î that
feel fatigue is what that word means, the labor, ìand are heavy
laden.î overburdened. Now, what is a believer, what
is he feeling fatigue and being overburdened with? There's a
nature that resides within every believer. It's an old nature. It's there. It's there. You're
not exempt in this life. Now, when the Lord removes His
people out of this life, that which is Mortal will put on immortality. But in this life, we're struggling
with some old baggage, some old luggage that's still hanging
around. We, by nature, before the Lord
reveals Himself to us and imparts new life, this is the way we
think. I must do whatever I can to attain
and maintain my standing before Almighty God. Now that is a labor. That is a fatigue. I can remember
thinking in my heart, I was sitting under false religion listening
to this mess and I was told that when I would give my heart to
the Lord Jesus Christ, that that's when the Lord would save me.
And I cannot tell you how many times in my mind, I didn't want
to admit this, but I would find myself very often struggling,
I wonder if I really meant it. How sincere was I? And just in case I didn't really,
really mean it, I'm going to do it again. And I'd go through
that old repetition again. I'd recite what they would call
the sinner's prayer. And I'd try as hard as I could. Lord, I really need it. I mean this. And that's a labor
and a fatigue. Come unto me, all you that labor
heavy laden. I'll give you rest. That word
rest right there, it means exempt. I had a business when I was in
Louisiana, and I sold it just before I moved to Tennessee. While I had that business, I
remembered very often I'd wake up in the middle of the night,
had a lot of guys working for me, I would think about jobs. Now you that have been in business
for yourself, you're going to relate somewhat to this. I would wake up in the middle
of the night and I'd be thinking about stuff that I had to do
the next day, jobs that I've done, bid. We were in the midst
of material and men and organization stuff. And if I ever woke up
in the middle of the night and got to thinking about it, I just
couldn't go back to sleep. I'd try to tell myself, you know,
OK, now look, OK, all right, this is going to be fine. Don't
worry about it. And you can talk to yourself all you want to.
But if you get something on your mind in the middle of the night
and you start worrying about it, it's not going anywhere.
It's there. And I can remember when I'd wake
up, I'd get mad at myself because now I'm awake. And I'd struggle
with it, struggle with it. I sold that business to a guy.
And after I sold it to him, I told him, I said, I'm going to give
you a word of advice. Because after I sold it to him,
I told him, I said, I'll stay on for six months during that
transition period. I said, I'm going to give you
a word of advice. I'm going to give you something that's going to really be a help
to you. I said, now that the responsibility is yours, I said,
when you wake up, Not if you wake up, but when you wake up
in the middle of the night, and you get to thinking about jobs
and things that you've got going on, and I'm here now. I said,
this is what I want you to think about. I'm going to talk to Marvin
about this in the morning, and I'm going to let him take care
of it. I'll talk to Marvin. And I said,
I'll bet you that that'll be a great relief to you. I can't
tell you how many times that guy told me, he said, I just
appreciate you telling me that. He said, I went back to sleep
many times. Why? Because he was exempt in
his mind in the middle of the night from the responsibility
of taking care of it. I'll talk to Marvin about it.
Come unto me, all ye that labor heavy laden, I'll give you rest. I'll exempt you. Exempt you from
the burden of the responsibility of maintaining a standing in
righteousness before Almighty God. I'm going to trust Him.
I'm going to rest in Him. There's rest from the labor of
trying to accomplish a fit righteousness before Almighty God. There's
rest only in Christ. Man by nature thinks that he
can bear up under the heavy burden of obedience before God, but
not so. No matter how many times I struggle,
no matter how many times, if you've ever heard this terminology,
maybe you have, maybe you haven't. Coming down for a rededication,
you ever heard that one, Mark? I'm going to come down for a
rededication. I've kind of slipped by. I'm
coming down to rededicate my life, you know. I'm going to
do that, just burdened, laboring. All of man's righteousnesses
are as filthy rags. Man at his best state is altogether
vanity. Revelation 14, verse 13 says,
Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth,
yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labors, and
their works do follow them. Thirdly, I'd like to consider that the
saints know something of their provision in the Lord Jesus Christ. God's people know something in
this life about their election. They know something in this life
about their rest. And thirdly, they know something
about their provision in Christ. In verse 16 and 17, what it said
in verse 15, Ezra said, I gathered them together to the river of
Runneth There we abode in tents three days. I viewed the people,
the priests, and I found there none of the sons of Levi. Then
sent I for Eleazar, for Ariel, for Shimei, and for Elnathan,
and for Jerob, for Elnathan, and for Nathan, for Zechariah,
for Meshulam, chief men also, Joyerib, for Elnathan, men of
understanding, I sent them with commandment unto Ido, the chief
at the place Cassiphia. I told them what they should
say unto Ido and to his brethren, to the Nethanims at the place
Cassiphia, that they should bring unto us ministers for the house
of our God. Ezra had discovered He brought
these men out, women, and he came to that place. They rested
there for a few days. And while they were resting,
he watched them. He looked at them. He saw that
there were some priests, but it says he found there none of
the sons of Levi. He discovered by that river that
runs to Ahabah that there were some deficiencies. in the group. He didn't find any, it says,
of the sons of Levi. Now there were some priests,
but others of the sons of Levi were missing. And Ezra perceived
the need of these men and sent for them. That's what he did.
He sent for men of spiritual understanding, that's what it
says in verse 16, or wisdom. Ministers of the house of God,
verse 17, and sent for them at the right place. He knew where
to go, where to send these men. Unto Ido, the chief at the place
of Cassiphia. And he sent for them with exact
and precise instruction. It says in the margin there,
if you'll look, in the Hebrew, when it says in that 17th, I
told them what they should say. It says in your margin, I put
words in their mouth. As Ezra perceived the need of
men of understanding, ministers of the house of God, it is the
Lord God Himself, Ezra, is a type, remember, of Christ Himself. And as He sent, as He directed,
as He put the words in their mouth, Ephesians 4, 11-13 says
of the Lord, He sends some apostles and some prophets, some evangelists,
some pastors and teachers for the perfecting of the saints,
for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body
of Christ till we all come. in the unity of the faith and
of the knowledge of the Son of God." Ezra detected some deficiencies. I don't know the deficiencies
of this body or any other body. I don't know the men or the women
that Almighty God sets and where He sets them and doing what He
does. I don't understand the depth
and the perception of all. But He does. and perceived as
He looked while they were resting, while we're going through this
life, while we're in the midst of this journey, Ezra saw it. Ezra perceived. And he sent exact
men of his choosing. The Lord Jesus Christ sends His
Spirit, His direction, His Word. And they speak exactly when the
Lord Jesus Christ was in this world. He says, the things that
I speak, I have heard of my Father. My Father directed me as a man
obedient unto the Lord God Himself, and the Lord has promised to
supply all of our need according to His riches in glory by Christ
Jesus. The church has need of pastors
and teachers, and where ministers are needed, God supplies them. The Lord, by His Holy Spirit,
effectually, sends far, and gathers men to the good of his people,
sends for them with the right words of mercy and power, and
when God calls them, they come." As I've said before, standing
in this pulpit, you get a different perspective from sitting there
and listening. I mean, how many times I would
sit and listen, then standing here and looking, you'd be amazed. at the difference the way you
see things from this point right here. I've said this before. You have no idea standing and
looking and seeing just things that would be an encouragement
to a pastor. You can detect interest. You can detect agreement. You
can even detect people when they don't agree with you. The point
is this, though someone may think, well, the only one in the whole
group that has any true weighty position is the pastor. That's
not so. That is not so. Different ones
that Almighty God has moved upon them to be of service, to be
here to do that. It's not that you try to pull
it out of them or something. They just do it. The Lord just
sends them. And they minister in that position. And that hand or that foot or
that ear does exactly what Almighty God has purposed for them to
do in the building up, the edifying. Just a nod, an agreement. It's such an encouragement. You
have no idea. The greatest blessing to anybody,
to any church body, is the raising up of those men, those women
that Almighty God gives a heart. Ladies that do what you do in
the preparation, the stuff, the service, the meals, the encouragement,
you have no idea how those things are so vital, so needed. Just words of thanks, a card,
phone calls. No idea. The Lord Himself sets
together in perfect order His body. And He knows where His
elect are. Ezra told his men, you go to
Iddo and you get them. That's where they are. They're
in that spot right there. Almighty God knows where His
people are and He comes to them and He draws them to Himself.
Fourthly, the saint know something of their security in the Lord
Jesus Christ. Verse 18 to 20 says, And by the
good hand of our God upon us, they brought us a man of understanding
of the sons of Malachi, the sons of Levi, the sons of Israel,
and Cherubiah, and his sons, and his brethren, 18, and Hashebiah,
and with him, Jeshiah, and the sons of Miriah, his brethren,
their sons, twenty, and also the Nethanyims whom David and
the princes had appointed for the service of the Levites, two
hundred and twenty Nethanyims, all of them were expressed by
name. Ezra sent for these men. He told a group, he said, you
go and you get them. And you talk to them, and this
is what I want you to say to them. sins by His Spirit. He speaks
to the heart. It's referred to in the Scriptures
as the voice of the shepherd. My sheep hear my voice. And they hear it. He speaks exactly,
effectually, calling His people out. Ezra told these men, you
go here and you get them. And then Ezra said, he said,
by the good hand of God. It wasn't because those men that
went had that persuasiveness to be able to convince someone
to do something, I could try as hard as I could to try to
explain to somebody. It's been the most amazing thing
in the world to me, Neil. You talk to somebody and you
tell them, say, look, let me show you something. Turn to John
17. Not now, but just talking to
somebody. Turn to John 17. Let me show
you something right here. Read these words right here.
And the Lord speaking in that high priestly prayer, and He
would say, He said, that you've given. I've lost none. I don't
pray for the world, I pray for those, and I'm thinking, alright,
now wait, now read this, now listen. I pray for those that
you've given me out of the world. 2 Thessalonians 2, verse 13. We're bound to give thanks all
the way to God for you, brethren, because God hath from the beginning
chosen you to salvation. through sanctification or a setting
apart of the Scripture and belief of the truth. He sets you apart
and taunts you. You thought, now, what part of
that do you not understand? You'd think, now, you'd understand
that. No. It's just blinded eyes that unless
God Almighty gives a man a heart to believe that, to see that,
he just doesn't see it. Ezra said in verse 18, hand of
our God upon us. By the good hand, by the power,
the means, and the direction, Ezra had spoken of the good hand
of our God. Now, I know this. Certainly,
all that God does is good because God is good. God does that which
is Good. But here, this word good means
His good hand in graciousness and kindness and favor. Let me ask you this. If Almighty
God judges in justice, is He not good? Sure He is. He's done
that which is right. He's good. He's a good God. But Ezra says, by the good hand
of our God, by the hand of His pardoning mercy, the one who
blots out our iniquities, by the hand of His delivering power,
by raising us up out of a horrible pit, by the hand of His heavenly
guidance that leads us in the right way, by the hand of His
sustaining grace that keeps us by His power through faith, by
the hand of His manifest providence that works all things after the
counsel of His own will, He says, by the good hand of our God upon
us, they brought us a man of understanding. Now, I understand
that in this particular instance there was a man named him, a
man of the sons of Meli, the sons of Levi, brought us a man
of understanding. But oh, how comforting it is
to know that the man of understanding, that word understanding there,
it means success and intelligence, a man of understanding. The Lord
Jesus Christ, the only wise God, the omniscient One, He who is
our friend, the friend of His people, the Redeemer, the Substitute,
the High Priest. Knowing that He represents His
people, His hand is upon us. He is heard for His people. He intercedes for His people.
He gives us great hope. The good hand of God upon us
brought us the man of understanding. What else could be said of Him
as being our covenant head except God Almighty by His good hand,
the good hand of His mercy and grace and kindness and favor
brought Him into the world, sent Him, commissioned Him, chose
Him to be the surety of the elect. God's people know something about
that. And then fifthly, the saints' confidence in the Lord Jesus
Christ. In verse 21 to 23, I will begin
this portion of this point, and we will probably stop here in
the next few minutes. But I want to at least give a
slight introduction, and then Lord willing, we'll pick this
up tonight. The saints' confidence in Christ. Now here's the situation. Ezra brought these people out
of Babylon, came to a river, gave them some rest. He saw some
deficiencies in them and sent for some men to come and they
came by the good hand of the Lord. And then it says in verse
21-23, that I proclaimed a fast there at the river Ahava, that
we might afflict ourselves before our God to seek of Him a right
way for us and for our little ones, for all our substance. For I was ashamed to require
of the king a band of soldiers, horsemen, to help us against
the enemy in the way. because we had spoken unto the
king, saying, The hand of our God is upon all them for good
that seek him. But his power, his wrath, is
against all them that forsake him. So we fasted and besought
our God for this, and he was entreated of us." Now based on
that Scripture right there, this is what has transpired. You know
that the king, Artaxerxes, was a king that was used by the Lord
Himself to show favor to Ezra. God moved on the heart of that
king and told Ezra, the king told Ezra, by the hand of God.
He said, now if you need anything, you let me know. Is anything
lacking? You just tell me. I'm going to
write out a proclamation and if there's been any deficiencies
in what was originally decreed for you from King Darius, he
said, I'm going to make sure they get done. Evidently, there's
been a little slack here. I'm going to make sure that there's
no loopholes anymore. So the Lord Himself moved upon
Artaxerxes. And evidently, Artaxerxes had
told Ezra, now Ezra has come out stopped by this river, the
Hava. And three days they stayed there.
They saw a deficiency sent for these men and they're getting
ready to go. Now, they're going to go from
where they are to Jerusalem, but obviously, they're going
through some pretty rough territory. And Arctic Xerxes evidently had
told Ezra, I'll tell you what I'll do. I'll provide you some
soldiers, some horsemen, band of soldiers to help against the
enemies in the way." Now, Ezra had spoken to the king and he
said in that 22nd verse, he said, "...the hand of our God is upon
all them for good that seek Him." And Ezra, as all God's people
are, are convinced of God's ability and His providence and His purpose
to protect His people. Now, let me ask you this. Is
that not so? Now, you know that's so. God's
people are convinced of God's ability to keep them. But though
a believer rests in his confidence toward Almighty God, he's never
removed from the need of His guidance. because he sees his
frailty. Now you're convinced that God
is purposed to never leave you, to never forsake you. And Ezra
longed for God to lead him in the right way. That's what he
said in that 23rd verse when we fasted and besought our God
for this. And he was entreated of us. What that word entreated there
was, we asked Him. We entreated Him. We asked Him.
We besought Him. Ezra longed for God to teach
him. And Artaxerxes had offered a
band of soldiers and horsemen against the enemy, and Ezra now
found himself in a dire strait. He felt what all believers often
feel, the struggle. He knew, as all believers do,
they knew, they know. that the Lord is going to guide
them. The Lord said that the steps
of a good man are ordered by the Lord. But he found himself
now struggling between prudence, or that is exercising what seems
to be sound judgment in a practical manner, and trusting Almighty
God. without the fear of leaning to
the arm of flesh." Now here's where he is. It wasn't that Ezra
didn't believe God. He did. He knew that Artaxerxes
had been helpful by God's good hand. Ezra never said one time
that Artaxerxes was the one that initiated the help. He knew it
was the hand of God. Psalm 20 and verse 7 says, some
trust in chariots, some in horses, but we will remember the name
of the Lord our God. And a believer finds himself,
and I mean this in a way that we'll understand it, he finds
himself often between a rock and a hard place. Am I doing
something that is dishonorable to Almighty God? If I do this,
Am I leaning to the arm of flesh? Am I trusting, you know, in horses
and chariots? I know that as the rule of life,
the Scripture certainly sets forth that the believer should
take precautions against the various forms of mischief that
we have crossed our path. There is no doubt about that.
In Joshua chapter 2, it reveals that there were two spies. that
were hidden by a Rahab, the harlot, and lowered down by a cord by
Rahab to escape detection. I know that. Turn with me to
Isaiah, and I'm going to be stopping for this morning. Isaiah chapter
28. Isaiah 28, beginning in verse
23. Isaiah 28, 23. Give ye ear, and hear my voice,
hearken, and hear my speech. Doth the plowman plow all day
to sow? Doth he open and break the clods
of his ground, when he hath made plain the face thereof? Doth
he not cast abroad the fitches, and scatter the cumin, and cast
in the principal wheat, and the appointed barley, and the rye,
in their place, for His God doth instruct him to discretion and
doth teach him." The Scripture sets forth that Almighty God
teaches His people and gives them what the Scripture refers
here as discretion. Turn to Psalm I'm not trying
to labor this, but I'm going to make this point before we
end this morning. Psalm 112, verse 4 and 5. Psalm
112, verse 4 and 5. Unto the upright there ariseth
light in the darkness. He is gracious and full of compassion
and righteous, a good man, showeth favor and lendeth, he will guide
his affairs with discretion. He will measure," is what that
last portion means, he will measure his matters with a verdict. Believers have their days of
darkness just like unbelievers. They just don't know what to
do. They may be sick. They may find
themselves with sorrow. They're indecisive. But his stand
on an issue may be questioned or doubted, but the Lord will
bring him light and an answer in due season. He certainly doesn't
want to dishonor Almighty God frivolously. or make a decision
that would bring disgrace to himself or to his Lord. And those who throw discretion
to the wind must never plead religion for an excuse. I've heard of some that foolishly
disregard good judgment and abandon an honorable practice, and they
suffer for it and try to blame God's will for their disobedience. Often indiscretion and dishonesty
is hard to distinguish between. A believer should be so discreet
in his behavior that he guards against the slightest reason
for others to suspect him of dishonesty or dishonor before
Almighty God. Mr. Spurgeon, I read this over
and over and over and I think that he probably is right. He
said true religion is sanctified good sense. And I read that over
and over and I thought, you know, I think that's right. I think
that Almighty God teaches, a man teaches a woman to be discreet
in what they do. Attention to the things of Christ
does not necessitate throwing the honorable affairs of this
life to the wind. Now, I admit that there is a
fine line between leaning, or at least in my mind there is,
between leaning to the arm of flesh and trusting the good of
this world and setting my affection on the fading stuff of this life
and trying to be truthfully and honorably prudent toward Almighty
God, looking and trusting that He is the one that has provided
for me through these means and not me myself looking to these
things at the expense of not trusting Him. Now, Ezra was ashamed
to require of the king a band of soldiers. This is where we're
going to stop right now. I know I've said that, but I
mean it this time. He fasted and besought the Lord
for this. Now, there's some here this morning
I know that's in this same boat. Is there any way that I can know? And I'm not talking about dishonorable
judgment. I'm not talking about just, you
know. I mean, I'm talking about when
I find myself in a position to where I truthfully want to know
what's the right thing to do. Where am I? Ezra, it does not
set forth in this Scripture that Ezra was trying to be frivolous.
The Lord had used Artaxerxes to provide for this man. And
Artaxerxes, it came to a point all of a sudden that Artaxerxes
says, I'll give you some soldiers also. I've given you the freedom. You can leave if you want to.
Whatever you need. Here's a blank check. I'll sign
my name here. You just fill in the blanks.
If you need any soldiers, I'm going to make those soldiers
available to you. And all of a sudden, Ezra came
to a point to where scripture says, I was ashamed because I
had just told him, I am going to trust God. Those that lean
upon God, those that look to His hand, God has blessed them.
Those that don't, the wrath of God is upon them. I jotted down
some questions that we might ask ourselves while we seek the
guidance and the discretion of our decisions. And with that
thought, we'll stop for this morning. This evening, we'll
look again, and there's about five or six questions that I
want us to consider concerning when we honorably and honestly
find ourselves in a position to where we've got to make a
decision. When do I know what's the right thing to do? When do
I know? I'm not talking about dishonorable
stuff. I'm talking about truthful I'm at a point I want to do that
which is right. I don't want to lean. I don't
want to make it appear as though that I'm dishonoring God. I'm
honest about it. I see my frailty. I don't know
what to do. Is there any way that I can know
the right thing? I pray the Lord bless it to our
hearts and teach us through His Scripture concerning the glory
and grace of His matchless Son.

The Saints Position (Part 1)

What does the Bible say about election?

How do we know that salvation is by grace alone?

Why is understanding our position in Christ important for Christians?

How do believers find rest in Christ?

Why is the provision of ministers important in the church?

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The Saints Position (Part 1)

What does the Bible say about election?

How do we know that salvation is by grace alone?

Why is understanding our position in Christ important for Christians?

How do believers find rest in Christ?

Why is the provision of ministers important in the church?

Sermon Transcript

About Marvin Stalnaker

Comments

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