Let us commence our service this
evening by singing together hymn 197. The tune is St. Patrick,
814. How mighty thou art, O Lord,
to convert! Thou only couldst conquer so
stubborn a heart, For thy love to lost man alone could constrain,
So stiff-necked a rebel to love thee again. hymn 197, tune St
Patrick, 814. O come, let us adore Him, O come,
let us adore Him, Christ the Lord. God in us all May constrain,
shall stiff nectar revel to love thee again To thee I am praised, Thou art
salvation, A figure most noble, And God in my faith. My spirit will be full of those
of thy hand. When thy spirit were gone and
I was gone still, In vain I whistled, and fled
from my God. No mercy would save the earth,
hers as his God. I felt it, how kind and lovely,
joyfully kind. Remember that, Fatherland, remember
that, O sinners like me, thy mercy
explain, who have prevented the redemption by thee? God gather thee home in this
heavenly home, from heav'nly to heavenly home. Let us read together from the
Holy Word of God in Paul's epistle to the Ephesians and we will
read chapter 5. The fifth chapter of the epistle
to the Ephesians. Be ye therefore followers of
God as dear children and walk in love, as Christ also hath
loved us and hath given himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice
to God for a sweet-smelling savour. But fornication and all uncleanness,
all covetousness, let it not be once named among you, as becometh
saints. Neither filthiness, nor foolish
talking, nor jesting, which are not convenient, but rather giving
of thanks. For this ye know, that no whoremonger,
nor unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, hath
any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God. Let no
man deceive you with vain words. For because of these things cometh
the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience. Be not ye therefore
partakers with them? For ye were sometimes darkness,
but now are ye light in the Lord. Walk as children of light. For
the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness
and truth, proven what is acceptable unto the Lord. I have no fellowship
with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather approve
them. for it is a shame even to speak
of those things which are done of them in secret. But all things that are reproved
are made manifest by the light, for whatsoever doth make manifest
is light. Wherefore, he saith, awake thou
that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give
thee light. See then that you walk circumspectly,
not as fools but as wise, redeeming the time because the days are
evil. Wherefore be ye not unwise, but
understanding what the will of the Lord is. And be not drunk
with wine wherein is excess, but be filled with the Spirit.
Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs.
Singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord. Giving
thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the
name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Submitting yourselves one to
another in the fear of God. Wives, submit yourselves unto
your own husbands as unto the Lord. For the husband is the
head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church, and
he is the saviour of the body. Therefore, as the church is subject
unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in everything. Husbands, love your wives, even
as Christ also loved the church and gave himself for it, that
he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water
by the word, that he might present it to himself a glorious church,
not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that it should
be holy and without blemish. So ought men to love their wives
as their own bodies, He that loveth his wife loveth himself. For no man ever yet hated his
own flesh, but nourisheth and cherisheth him, even as the Lord
the Church. For we are members of his body,
of his flesh, and of his bones. For this cause shall a man leave
his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and
they too shall be one flesh. This is a great mystery, but
I speak concerning Christ and the Church. Nevertheless, let
every one of you, in particular, so love his wife, that even as
himself and the wife see that she reverence her husband. May the Lord bless the reading
of his own precious word and grant unto us a spirit of real
prayer. Almighty, most merciful and eternal
God of heaven. Help us now to bow before thy
great majesty, to call upon thy great and holy name. Help us
to come before thee in a spirit of confession, repentance, godly
sorrow, for our sins, for our wanderings, for our backsliding,
Lord, may we not live in sin, but may we live to him that died.
May we be surrendered to the crucified one. We have to prove
continually, O Lord, that sin lives in us, and that the old
man is corrupt with his deeds, with his desires, with his lusts.
Gracious God, we pray to be delivered from the dominion of sin and
the power of sin, and that we may be brought into the glorious
liberty of the people of God, that we may be guided by thy
good spirit and directed into the truth as it is in Jesus,
and that the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ and the love of
God our Father and the sacred fellowship of the Holy Spirit
may rest and abide upon us. We do humbly beseech thee, be
with us in this service and grant us that spirit of true worship.
We think of one another in Holy Scripture, especially that dear
woman when she came to thee and she worshipped him, saying, Lord,
help me. And maybe there's one another
here tonight and that's how they have come. Lord, help me. O gracious
God, we do pray. that thou wouldst help us and
guide us and direct us in that right way. We pray that thy word
may be a lamp unto our feet and a light unto our path. We pray for the divine leading,
the heavenly unction, the power of the Holy Ghost in our assemblies. that the word of the Lord may
have free course, that thy name may be honoured and glorified,
that we may know what the dear Apostle declares, for God has
sent forth the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying,
Abba, Father. Oh, that that could be our blessed
portion, my God, my Father, blissful name, who may I call thee mine. Oh, we do pray for grace to follow
thee. Thou hast said, O Lord, in thy
word, be ye followers of me, even as I also am of Christ.
Oh, do grant us that grace to follow thee, to serve thee in
our day and in our generation, that it may exercise our hearts
what thy will is and what thy purposes are concerning us. and what thou wouldst have us
to do and where thou wouldst have us to be. Lord, may it be
a constant and continual exercise. The steps of a good man are ordered
by the Lord. We do pray that thou wouldst
establish our goings, that thou wouldst guide us in the right
way. We read in thy word and he led them forth by the right
way unto a city of habitation. We pray to be led. and taught
and guided and directed by them in that right way. Pray to be
delivered from the temptations of Satan, whether he comes as
a roaring lion to devour, or whether he comes as an angel
of light to deceive. We pray to be delivered from
him and from his power and from his influence, that we may be
made more spiritually minded and that our heart and our affections
may be set upon things above and not on things of the earth. We read, O Lord, in thy word
that as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons
of God. Oh, to have that sweet witness
that we are indeed the sons and daughters of the Lord God Almighty,
among that family on earth whose father fills the throne. Gracious
God. We pray for in large views of
the glories of Christ, of the wonders of redeeming love, of
the holy sinless life of our precious Redeemer wherein lies
our righteousness and of that holy sacrifice on the cross of
Calvary where sin has been put away We desire a heart of gratitude,
of thanksgiving, therefore being justified by faith we have peace
with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have received
the atonement, for he is the propitiation of our sins. We
thank thee for Calvary, where the Lamb was slain, where sin
was put away, where divine justice was satisfied, where God and
sinners are reconciled, where the Holy Lamb of God shed his
precious blood to cleanse us from all sin. We thank thee for
the blood of the Lamb, the blood of the everlasting covenant.
We thank thee for the glorious everlasting robe of the righteousness
of Jesus Christ. For these, O Lord, are our only
hope. My hope is built on nothing less
than Jesus' blood and righteousness. O Lord God, we do pray to give
us clear views of the glorious person of our Lord Jesus Christ. We do pray for that grace to
love each other, to serve each other, to bear each other's burdens
and thereby fulfilling the law of Christ. Fill our hearts with
gratitude, with thanksgiving, with adoration for the wonderful
glories of the gospel. for the eternal covenant ordered
in all things and sure. We do thank thee for the love
of our eternal Father, who gave his only begotten Son to redeem
us from all iniquity, from all unrighteousness, to make a new
and living way into the holy place. That, Lord, which we could
not do, he has done. And may we indeed see tonight
it is done. Salvation's work is done, it's
accomplished, it's fulfilled in the glorious person of our
Lord Jesus Christ, the eternal Son of the eternal Father that
was manifest in the flesh for us. Lord, we do pray that thou
wouldst graciously remember us as a church and as a congregation.
Remember each one of our beloved brethren and sisters in Christ. Grant us that felt union and
communion one with another, that we may truly love each other,
serve each other, bear each other's burdens and thereby fulfilling
the law of Christ, which is the law of faith. Help us to live
as we ought to live. Help us to do what we ought to
do. Deliver us from legal bondage. We do humbly beseech thee. deliver
us from that solemn condition of going about to make a righteousness
of our own, but bring us to see the righteousness of Christ,
the finished work of Christ, the everlasting glorious robe
that covers thy people eternally. Remember our brethren the deacons
being with Andrew tonight at Tunbridge Wells and helping with
thy servant there, Remember our brethren, Lord, and give them
grace, give them help, give them wisdom, guidance, and direction. Undertake for them in all their
concerns, we do humbly beseech of thee. We pray that thou would
be with them in all their responsibilities and help them continually to
look to thee and to cleave to thee. Lord, we pray that we may
be as a threefold cord that cannot easily be broken. And Lord, we
do pray for each one, then us as a church and as a congregation,
that thou wouldst work mightily, powerfully, effectually, grant
the fulfilling of that wonderful promise. Instead of thy father
shall be thy children, whom thou mayest make princes in all the
earth. Lord, may we see such a thing here, that our young
friends may be blessed of Thee, that they may be brought to living
faith in Jesus Christ, that they may become followers of Thee
and of those who through faith and patience inherit the promises,
that they may be enabled to come and tell to sinners round what
a dear Saviour they have found point to thy redeeming blood,
and say, behold the way to God. So bless our dear young friends.
Be with them in all the paths of providence. Help them to look
to thee. Help them to seek first the kingdom
of heaven and thy righteousness, and all these things shall be
added unto them. Grant them a partner in life's
journey. We do humbly beseech thee. Lord, they are able to
do abundantly more than we can even ask or think. We lovingly
commend them to Thee. Remember the little ones and
the children, and richly bless them, teach them, lead them,
guide them in their young and tender years. O Lord, we do beseech
Thee. Remember all in the midst of
the journey of life. Remember the prodigals that have
wandered away. stretch out thy almighty arm,
cause them to be in want, cause them to return. O Lord, thou
indeed are able to do these things and we would lovingly commend
them to thee and to the word of thy grace. O gracious God,
do hear us and grant that the light and power of gospel truth
may shine into this village and the surrounding villages and
hamlets, and that thou wouldst graciously bring our sons from
far and our daughters from the ends of the earth, that as thou
hast said in thy word, they shall come from the north and from
the south and from the east and from the west. Lord, let us see
such a day. Let us see thine arm made bare.
We do humbly pray thee for thy great namesake. send real prosperity. O Lord, we do beseech thee. Thou
hast said in thy word that for as soon as Zion travailed, she
brought forth her children, that we may have poured upon us the
spirit of real travail. We do humbly beseech thee. Thou
have visited us, O Lord, with the hand of death. that has taken
our beloved sister to eternal glory, to be with Christ, which
is far better. We thank thee for her life and
witness among this church for over 60 years. And we would remember
with thanksgiving thy mercies to us, and her late husband,
the pastor of this place. Lord, may their prayers Many
prayers were offered up unto thee, and may they yet be answered,
we do humbly pray thee. Lord, we do pray that thou wouldst
be with each one of us in the evening time of life's journey,
and graciously guide us safely unto thy heavenly kingdom. And do grant us, O Lord, the
grace to pray for each other, We pray for dear Ina's family,
and that thou wouldst be gracious unto them, and that thou wouldst
bless them at this time of great loss as a family. And we as a
church, the great loss that we have sustained. For Lord, she
was truly a mother in Israel, and the church is weaker. We
pray that others may be raised up, others may be gathered in,
we do humbly beseech thee. Let thy work appear unto thy
servants, and thy glory unto their children. Lord, let thy
hand be upon the man of thy right hand, the son of man, whom thou
madest strong for thyself. So will not we turn back from
thee? Help us to look to thee, and
to cleave to thee, and plead with thee, that we may yet see
thy work, and thy power, and thy glory. as thou usest to be
in the sanctuary. O LORD of hosts, O God of Israel,
O thou that dwellest between the cherubim, shine forth. Remember
those that listen online and grant that the word of the Lord
may have free course throughout the nations of the earth. Remember
all thy servants as they labour in word and doctrine upon the
walls of Zion. Set them free, set them at liberty,
We do humbly beseech thee for thy great name's sake. We pray
thee, the great Lord of the harvest, to send true labourers into the
harvest and to build the walls of Jerusalem and that thou would
return unto Jerusalem with mercies. We live in a solemn day, Lord,
when the love of many waxes cold. Many are lukewarm and half-hearted. Gracious God, stir up thy power,
stir up thy strength, that there may be a turning again unto thee,
that there may be an ingathering, that the little houses of prayer
may be filled with hungry, longing souls, that instead of seeing
churches closed, we may see them opened, that there may be a reviving,
a renewing, a replenishing. Hearken, O Lord, we humbly beseech
thee, if it could please thee to have mercy upon thy Zion,
to remember thy Zion, to make bare thine holy arm in thy Zion. O hear us, O Lord, we humbly
beseech of thee for thy great name's sake. We present not our
supplications unto thee for our righteousnesses, for all our
righteousnesses are as filthy rats. but we present our supplication
unto thee for thy great name's sake. Gracious God, do arise,
do hear us, do be with us, do remember us, and do graciously
send answers of peace. Pray that thou hast come up with
thy dear servant on the coming Lord's day. and go with one to
the place appointed, that we may truly worship thee, and that
he may be strengthened to come in and out among our dear friends
here, we do humbly pray thee. And O Lord, we do thank thee
for every mercy of thy kind providence, all thy goodness that has passed
before us in the way. We pray, O Lord, for the nations
of the earth. We think of where there is war
that thou would bring peace, that thou would bring to naught
the counsels of the ungodly. We do humbly beseech thee. What a solemn day we live in.
Tens of thousands are being taken from time into eternity. Gracious
God, do incline thine ear Do graciously hearken, we do beseech
thee. Do watch over us as a nation.
Give wisdom to our leaders and bless our beloved king with grace
and with wisdom and with healing. He and each of the royal household,
we lovingly commend them to thee and to the word of thy grace,
which is able to build them up and to grant them an inheritance
among them that are sanctified. We thank thee for our great High
Priest who is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God. We offer our prayers unto thee
in his holy name. Do come and touch one's lips
with a live coal from off the heavenly altar. We ask for Jesus
Christ's sake. Amen. Let us now sing together hymn
number 543 to the tune Everlasting Love, 942. Jesus is the way to God, Jesus
is the way to bliss. In this way the church has trod,
down from Adam's day to this. Jesus is the living way, all
beside to ruin lead. They are safe and only they,
who are one in Christ their head. Hymn 543, to everlasting love, Jesus, he is the praise to this.
In which way the judge hath strode, and from heaven hath say to this, He shall change the living Christ,
always shining, true in faith. He may not change, never remain, ? You are God in Christ the Lord
? ? Jesus is the Holy Grail ? ? His truth and death destroy the world
? Happy day, happy day! All ye things this day proclaim,
Eternity's the never end. And our dreams have been anew. Shrouded o'er each undaunted,
You and I, oh, this way home. He who pursues the humble way,
Bright and sure, must be condemned, And ignored in the least of ways.
? Ever kind is this Savior ? ?
Jesus is the way of strength ? ? Yet the truth is strength
of God ? ? Ever more ? ? The proof of faith ? ? We praise
her the victory won ? ? She cherishes the way of peace ? In glory to
Him before. Yes, it's true, the house is
Christ's. There was me, He and I. ? For ever and ever, let it so
proudly be ? ? Gloria in excelsis Deo ? ? In excelsis Deo ? Greatly feeling today the Lord's
gracious help, I would direct your attention to the chapter
that we read, the fifth chapter of Paul's epistle to the Ephesians,
and we will read verses 15, 16 and 17. Ephesians chapter 5,
verses 15, 16 and 17. See then that you walk circumspectly. not as fools but as wise, redeeming
the time because the days are evil. Wherefore be ye not unwise
for understanding what the will of the Lord is. See then that you walk circumspectly It stands out probably the clearest
in the Epistle to the Romans, that there is an intimate relationship
between the doctrine of justification and the doctrine of sanctification. That they surely follow one another. A sinner that is justified by
faith. In our Lord Jesus Christ is a
changed person. One that desires to follow the
Lord. When the love of Christ is shed
abroad in the heart. When union and communion is felt
with Christ. Old things are passed away. Behold
all things become new. and you know some people get
very stirred up and anxious about the law and whether the law is
the believer's rule of life or whether it's the gospel there
is no doubt when we read the epistles that the apostle says
so plainly for you're not under the law but under grace the believer
is delivered from the law The law is a legal covenant of works that man, fallen sinful man,
finds utterly impossible to keep. And he always will do. And the
law makes no difference between a believer and unbeliever. The law is the same whether you're
a believer or an unbeliever. Cursed is every man that doeth
not all things that is written in the book of the law to do
them. And it doesn't matter if it's
a believer or an unbeliever. But what the word of God makes
very clear is that the believer in Christ, those that are following
Christ, are delivered from the curse, from the bondage of the
law. and here in this beginning of
this chapter that we have, chapter five, being therefore followers
of God as dear children and walk in love as Christ also had loved
us and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice
to God for a sweet smelling savour. What a wonderful opening of the
chapter isn't it and walk in love as Christ also hath loved
us. Our example is Christ and we
are following Christ and we do not need the law to do that. Some would go as far as to say
and I profoundly disagree with them that the law has been completely
abrogated. Christ himself said, I come not
to destroy the law, but to fulfill it. And we looked at just recently
that word in the Romans, Christ is the end of the law, for righteousness
unto all them that believe. It's believers that are delivered
from the covenant of the law and they're brought into the
glorious liberty of the people of God in the glorious person
of our Lord Jesus Christ and has given himself for us an offering. He's in the one offering of our
Lord Jesus Christ. The apostle says in Hebrews chapter
10, for by one offering he hath perfected forever all them that
are sanctified. That means separated. To be sanctified is to be separated. It is spoken in different ways
in the various places in the Word of God. In the Corinthians
the Apostle says come out from among them. From among whom? The world. The things of the
world, the fashion of the world, the ways of the world. Come out
from among them and be ye separate. You could have easily put that
word there where it says, and be ye separate, and be ye sanctified,
separated. It's the divine work of the Spirit
of God that sanctifies the believer. The Spirit of God dwells in the
heart of the believer. He does indeed in the previous
chapter, the chapter four, the Apostle is being so beautifully
there. of that spirit. He says in the beginning of chapter
four, I therefore the prisoner of the Lord beseech you that
you walk worthy of the location wherewith you are called. To
walk worthy. Our walk is very important. Our walk and our conduct is very
important. He says here, walk worthy of
the vocation wherewith ye are called, with all lowliness and
meekness and longsuffering, forbearing one another in love, endeavouring. This is the work of faith in
the believer, endeavouring to keep the unity of the spirit
in the bond of peace. This is what the believer is
exalted to do. There is one body and one spirit
even as you are called in one hope of your calling. One Lord,
one faith, one baptism. One God and Father of all who
is above all and through all and in you all. But unto every one of us is given
grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ. What a
wonderful gift. to have that hope, that precious
hope in our hearts of eternal life through Jesus Christ our
Lord, to love him. David, he says in Psalm 116,
I love the Lord because he hath heard my voice, the voice of
my supplication. That love to Christ, that love
to the Spirit, that love to the Father. You know, in different ways we
are led by the Spirit into this love. The love of Christ, the
love of our Heavenly Father, the love of the Spirit, the Holy
Ghost, And as the Lord unfolds himself to a poor sinner, so
we're brought to love through faith that worketh by love. True faith works by love. It's
the heart, the affections that are set upon things above and
not on things of the earth. Oh my beloved friends, do you
know what this is? he speaks here in this fourth
chapter and he speaks of the gift of ministers and he gave
gifts unto men quoting from the book of Psalms that God gave
gifts unto men when Christ ascended up on high It says here in verse 11 of chapter
4, when he gave some apostles and some prophets and some evangelists
and some pastors and teachers for the perfecting of the saints,
for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body
of Christ. In a sense, a pastoral ministry,
a settled ministry, in some senses includes all those things. He says to Timothy, doesn't he,
do the work of an evangelist. When he settled him in the church
at Ephesus, he said, do the work of an evangelist. And I believe the Lord's servants,
as the Lord gives them those gifts and graces to preach the
word, some apostles, some prophets and some evangelists and some
pastors and teachers, And then he tells us what this is for,
for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry,
for the edifying of the body of Christ. And then he tells
us the effect of a true spirit wrought pastoral ministry in
the church till we all come in the unity of faith of the knowledge
of the Son of God unto a perfect man. under the measure of the
stature of the fullness of Christ. That perfect man is Christ. Psalm
37 verse 37, mark the perfect man and behold the upright for
the end of that man is peace. And when we come to that knowledge
of Christ and understanding of that grace in a personal way,
He says that we henceforth be no more children tossed to and
fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine by the slight
of men and cunning craftiness whereby they lie in wait to deceive
but speak in the truth in love. May grow up into him in all things
which is the head even Christ. May grow up into him. into Christ. Peter, in his epistle,
he says, but grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord
and Saviour, Jesus Christ. For all that we might know, this
growing in grace, this spiritual mindedness, this love, because
love is what unites our hearts together. He says in the Ephesians,
doesn't he, for the love of Christ constraineth us. Do we know this
constraining love of Christ? You know, the Lord's people,
they're all individuals. Each one of them has got their
own character. And sometimes we may rub each
other up the wrong way. And so it produces resentment. But the exhortation is to love. And the exhortation speaketh
on this way, love covereth a multitude of sins. That means faults and
failings. It covers them. Oh that we might
know more of this love. from whom, verse 16 in chapter
4, from whom the whole body, well it says from whom Christ,
even Christ, from whom the whole body fitly joined together and
compacted by that which every joint supplieth according to
the effectual working in the measure of every part maketh
the increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love,
in love. there's a hymn writer who says
love brings to compliance the will and it does. And we're not to walk as the
world walks. This I say therefore and testify
in the Lord that ye henceforth walk not as other Gentiles walk
in the vanity of their minds having the understanding darkened,
being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance
that is in them because of the blindness of their heart, who
being past feeling have given themselves unto lasciviousness
to work all uncleanness with greediness. But ye, but ye have
not so learned Christ. If so be that ye have heard him
and have been taught by him as the truth is in Jesus. He gives us this exhortation,
he speaks of it like as if it's putting on a garment and taking
off a garment. In chapter 4 verse 22, that you
put off concerning the former conversation in the old man which
is corrupt according to the deceitful lust and be renewed in the spirit
of her mind. And now he says and that you
put on the new man which after God is created in righteousness
and true holiness. Wherefore, putting away lying,
speaking every man truth with his neighbor, for we are members
one of another. See, we're members together. He gives us an exhortation here,
and he says in verse 13, grieve not the Holy Spirit of God. You
know, friends, do not walk circumspectly, we do not walk wisely and we
do not speak wisely, we grieve the Holy Spirit. And the exhortation
here is grieve not the Holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed
unto the day of redemption, or that the Lord would enable us
to walk circumspectly. and be ye kind one to another,
tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God, for Christ's
sake, has forgiven you. That was the word that my father
spoke from at our wedding, and I never forgot it. It remained
with me right through our married life. And, you know, sometimes
you get a bit ruffled about where is this or that or the other.
And then that word would come to mind, and be ye kind. One
to another. It's a gospel precept. And be
ye kind one to another. Tenderhearted. Forgiving one
another. Even as God, for Christ's sake,
has forgiven you. You see, to walk circumspect
See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise, redeeming
the time because the days are evil. Are we, my beloved friends,
are we found redeeming the time? I preach as much to myself as
to each one of you. Are we found redeeming the time
for the days are evil? Oh that the Lord would give us
that grace to be found redeeming the time. Living unto Him. As we read in Romans 12, I beseech
you therefore brethren by the mercies of God that you present
your bodies. That is this body. We don't hear it so much today
but among our churches there was a time when I remember being
young in the way, when one spoke of the precepts of the gospel,
there was an effort to spiritualize it all. But in actual fact the
precepts of the gospel, we shouldn't spiritualize them, they are practical. They're practical. It's the way that we should live.
It's the way that we should behave ourselves. I beseech you therefore,
brethren, by the mercies of God. Those of you that have received
the mercy of God, those that you have received the goodness
of God, the love of Christ, the power of his love, you felt drawn
to him. You felt drawn to him. And then,
If you feel drawn to him in love, that faith that worketh by love,
you won't want to do anything that offends him. You want to walk circumspectly
in love. You don't want to offend him. That's how the
gospel works. It's a gospel of love and we
walk in love. Love to Christ, love to his word,
love to the precepts of the gospel, love to his people. Indeed, in
the first epistle of John, he puts that down as a great marker. We know that we have passed from
death unto life because we love the brethren. Oh my beloved friends,
do we love the brethren? See then that you walk circumspectly. And if we love the brethren,
we won't want to offend them. No. We won't want to do the things
that offend them. Not if we're walking in love.
It may irritate you, but walk in love. love covereth a multitude
of sins see then that you walk circumspectly not as fools but
as wise redeeming the time because the days are evil therefore be
not unwise but understanding what the will of the lord is
what the will of the lord is what what is will towards us My mind, it just goes to that.
In Paul's epistle to Titus, and he speaks there of how the grace
of God has appeared. It says in the second chapter of
the epistle to Titus, you look at from verse 7, in all things
showing thyself a pattern of good works, in doctrine showing
uncorruptness, gravity, sincerity, sound speech that cannot be condemned,
that he that is of the contrary part may be ashamed, having no
evil thing to say of you. Exhort servants to be obedient
unto their own masters and to please them well in all things,
not answering again, not polloying it, That's wasting your time,
but showing all good fidelity that they may adorn the doctrine
of God our Saviour in all things. For the grace of God that bringeth
salvation hath appeared to all men. I've observed this over
the years, friends, mainly from people like neighbours and people
that you work with. that they watch you, and they
watch what you say, and they watch what you do, and they watch
your spirit. And they'll be very quick to
point out when you walk in a way that is contrary to the spirit
and grace of the gospel. For the grace of God that bringeth
salvation hath appeared to all men, to all men. teaching us, the grace of God
teaches us. What is that grace? It's the
grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. It's the wonderful grace of the
Holy Ghost. You know, we read of the grace
of our Eternal Father, we read the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ,
we read of the grace of the Spirit of God. These three are one.
For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all
men, teaching us, it teaches us that denying ungodliness and
worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously and godly
in this present world, looking for that blessed hope and the
glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ,
who gave himself for us that he might redeem us from all iniquity,
and purifying for himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works. See, redeeming the time, zealous
of good works. These things speak and exhort
and rebuke with all authority, let no man despise them. And you know, friends, we need
these exhortations. We do, that we should walk circumspectly. Not as fools, but as wise, redeeming
the time, because the days are evil. Wherefore be ye not unwise,
but understanding what the will of the Lord is. You know, James
in his epistle, he speaks of what it is to be, to walk in
wisdom's way and to do those things that are pleasing unto
the Lord. He says in the third chapter
and in verse 13, who is a wise man and endued with knowledge
among you Let him show, out of a good conversation, his works
with meekness of wisdom. But if ye have bitter envy and
strife in your hearts, glory not, and lie not against the
truth. This wisdom, that's earthly,
fleshly, carnal wisdom, this wisdom descendeth not from upon,
but is earthly, sensual, devilish. For where envying and strife
is, there is confusion and every evil work, but the wisdom that
is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy
to be entreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality
and without hypocrisy. The fruit of righteousness is
sown in peace of them that make or that we may be ever among
those that seek to make peace. To make peace. The peace of God
that passeth all understanding shall keep your hearts and minds
through Jesus Christ our Lord. In the 8th chapter of the Proverbs
it speaks very widely there of wisdom And the eighth chapter
of the Proverbs is a beautiful revelation of Christ to us. Christ is speaking and Christ
is called wisdom. Doth not wisdom cry and understanding
put forth her voice? She standeth in the top of the
high places, by the way in the places of the path. She crieth
at the gates, at the entry of the city, at the coming in at
the doors. Unto you, O men, I call, and
my voice is to the sons of men. O ye simple, understand wisdom,
and ye fools, be of an understanding heart. Hear, for I will speak
of excellent things, and the opening of my lips shall be right
things. Christ who is wisdom himself. He is called here wisdom. For
my mouth shall speak truth and wickedness is an abomination
to my lips. All the words of my mouth, this
is of Christ, are in righteousness. There is nothing frail or perverse
in them. You see this is the perfect man.
Mark the perfect man and behold the upright for the end of that
man is peace. You see, it continues here, verse
10, receive my instruction, not silver and knowledge rather than
choice gold. For wisdom is better than rubies
and all the things that may be desired are not to be compared
to it. I wisdom dwell with prudence
and find out knowledge of witty inventions. Says here in verse
14, counsel is mine and sound wisdom I am. understanding. It doesn't say he has understanding.
I am understanding. That's the glorious person of
our Lord Jesus Christ. I have strength by me kings reign
and princes decree justice by me the princes rule and the nobles
even all the judges of the earth. I love them that love me and
those that seek me early shall find me. This is the glorious
person of wisdom. It says in the epistles, in whom
to allure the treasures of wisdom, knowledge, and of understanding.
We're in Christ, in Christ, the glorious person of our Lord Jesus
Christ. You see, my beloved friends,
these things are written for our instruction in the ways of
righteousness and of truth. see then that ye walk circumspectly,
not as fools but as wise, redeeming the time because the days are
evil. Wherefore be ye not unwise, but
understanding what the will of the Lord is. In that scripture
that we quoted from Romans earlier, Romans chapter 12, I beseech
you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present
your bodies a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable unto God,
which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this
world, but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind,
that you might know what that good and perfect and acceptable
will of the Lord is. You see, the more we're enabled
by divine grace to follow Christ. The more we have of the Spirit
of Christ, the more we shall understand what the will of the
Lord is. And the reverse is true. The more worldly we are, the
more carnal we are, then we will not understand so clearly the
will of God. These things, there's a cause
and effect. cause and effect. See then that
you walk circumspectly. There's that very important point
in the 8th chapter of the Romans where we read very beautifully
of the no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus. How
beautiful and sacred that is but never forget what's joined
to it. There is therefore now no condemnation
to them that are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh,
but after the Spirit. Spirit is written with a capital
S, it means a divine Spirit of the living God. For the law of
the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the
law of sin and death. what the law could not do in
that it was weak through the flesh God sending his own son
in the likeness of sinful flesh and forcing condemns sin in the
flesh that the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled
in us who walk not after the flesh but after the spirit it's
very important to notice those two who walk not after the flesh
but after the spirit and it's repeated again in verse four
who walk not after the flesh but after the spirit. For they
that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh, but
they that are after the spirit the things of the spirit. For
to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded
is life and peace. Because the carnal mind is enmity
against God, for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed
can see my beloved friends but he goes on in verse 9 he says
but you are not in the flesh but in the spirit if so be that
the spirit of God dwell in you now if any man have not the spirit
of Christ he is none of his so then see then that you walk circumspectly
not as fools but as wise redeeming the time, because the days are
evil. Wherefore, be ye not unwise,
but understanding what the will of the Lord is. May the Lord
add his blessing to these few remarks. Let us now sing together hymn
1006, the tune is Old Chapel, 383. Buried in the shadows of
the night, we lie till Christ restores the light. Wisdom descends
to heal the blind and chase the darkness of the mind. Hymn 1006, tune Old Chapel, ? Queen as you wise men told her
now ? ? Grace and mercy fill the world ? ? All kinsmen love
their star ? Our dutiful souls are crowned
in tears, Till in the turning of the village, When we are waking, Keep his stress, and sing the
Lord a righteousness. Father, we crave it, it is here. His spirit lifts and conjures
peace Such a truth from his sacrifice,
Lord, I want to cleanse and have him too. Jesus, behold where Satan reigns,
Bind in his chains in heavy chains. Receive, sons of prisoners, ? Pray and praise ? ? Thee I adore
? ? Angel of grace ? ? O help me, Sultan ? ? Be content
? Grace, wisdom, patience, righteousness. Thou art a mighty, all-mighty. With our own strength, stand
all still. Now may the grace of our Lord
Jesus Christ, the love of God the Father, the sacred fellowship
of the Holy Spirit, rest and abide with us each, both now
and for evermore. Amen.