Well, this evening, God willing,
we'll continue our meditation in Paul's epistle to the Galatians,
chapter 3, and we'll read verses 25 and 26. The epistle of Paul
to the Galatians, and reading chapter 3, verses 25 and 26. But after that faith is come,
ye are no longer under a schoolmaster, for ye are all the children of
God by faith in Jesus Christ. These two verses really are the
verses which divide that which the Apostle has been speaking
to the Galatians and of course to us today. And the first is,
but after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster.
And he is therefore addressing, in those words, his brethren,
the Jews, because he says, we are no longer. And then he moves
on to verse 26 and says, for ye, which includes the Gentiles,
so the Jews and Gentiles, are all the children of God by faith
in Christ Jesus. So there is a very wonderful
statement here, joining together Jew and Gentiles to know that
we are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus. Now what a blessing it is therefore
to realise that we are indeed amongst those that the Apostle
speaks of here and as he speaks the Jews and Gentiles really
we can consider this as a number of wonderful blessings to the
whole Church of God and it really comes in a number of blessings. First of all there is the loving
relationship which is between the Lord Jesus Christ and his
people, remember, are all the children of God. And this is,
of course, a spiritual being. All the children of God in this
loving relationship. And the Apostle John speaks to
us in this in the 10th chapter of John, that familiar chapter
about his sheep, and he tells us this, my sheep, hear my voice. That means whether Jew or Gentile.
My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me, and
I give unto them eternal life, and they shall never perish,
neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. My Father which
gave them me is greater than all, and no man is able to pluck
them out of my Father's hand. Now we see there then a loving
relationship with our heavenly shepherd and his church. here
described as his sheep. And then a wonderful thing it
is to be those who share in the characteristics of God and we
read that in this verse in the second of Peter we just read
together in the first chapter in the fourth verse tells us
wherefore are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises that
by these you might be partakers of the divine nature, having
escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust." Again,
that's a wonderful favour to be united to the Lord Jesus Christ
and to realise that we share then those wonderful characteristics. And then also those that he is
addressing here who are all the children of God by faith, It
is, of course, by faith that we come to Jesus, both Jew and
Gentile. And that, of course, is God-given
faith. And through that, we today have access, access unto the
Father. And Romans, as the Apostle speaks
to the Romans in the fifth chapter, in the first verse he tells us,
therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God
through our Lord Jesus Christ. by whom also we have access by
faith into this grace, wherein we stand and rejoice in hope
of the glory of God. So that we have a great blessing,
the whole true Church of God have this access to the throne
of grace, as we may have here tonight, and we pray we may.
It's a wonderful blessing to know that access, so that our
prayers don't just hit the ceiling as it were and come back, as
they enter in to the holy place through the access of the Lord
Jesus Christ. And then we can come to this
great and blessed Saviour with a humble expectancy of the blessing. If we come by faith, if we pray
by faith, we surely are to come with that true desire that we
might receive the blessing. And so when the Apostle wrote
to the Romans in chapter 8 and verse 32, he says, he that spared
not his own son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall
he not with him also freely give us all things? You see, here
we have the gracious expectation of all the blessings which are
to be found in Christ Jesus. We should surely desire that
we're amongst those who truly do enjoy blessings of God and
we're not satisfied with the poor things of this world which
perish with the using for ye are all the children of God by
faith in Christ Jesus. So what a wonderful thing it
is to have faith to come humbly and yet expectantly expecting
that God will hear and that God will bless. And then just two
more points first of all to the whole Church of God, what is
that? God's provision. God provides for his people. And what a mercy that is. And
he speaks to us in that Sermon on the Mount, and in the sixth
chapter in verse 31, etc. He tells us, Therefore take no
thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink?
or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? For after all these things do
the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knoweth
the need of all these things, but, and this is so important
really, but seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness,
and all these things shall be added unto you. Take therefore
no thought for the morrow, for the morrow shall take thought
for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the
evil thereof. God has provided and God will
provide. Naturally, and bless God, if
we are amongst those spoken of here, we are all the children
of God. By faith in Christ Jesus, we
shall receive those blessed spiritual blessings which are eternal. And finally, those who are amongst
the children of God, by faith, will be heirs, heirs of God. to inherit the promises. And again turning to Romans 8
and verse 16 and 17, we read, the Spirit itself beareth witness
with our spirit. And how true that is. The Holy
Spirit beareth witness with our spirit that we are the children
of God. And if we are therefore the children
of God, and if children, then heirs, heirs of God, and joint
heirs with Christ, if so be that we suffer with him, that we may
be also glorified together. So may we rejoice tonight in
this great and wonderful blessing, for ye, and may we be amongst
those, may we have the evidence that we are amongst those spoken
of here, for ye are all the children of God, by faith in Jesus Christ,
and we will be amongst those if we know something of the truth
of this last verse, the Spirit itself beareth witness with our
spirit that we are the children of God. May we all unite for
the honour and glory of God. Amen. Russell, will you lead
us in prayer, please?