The notices for the coming week
are God willing as follows. Pastor will preach here next
Lord's Day at 10.30 and two o'clock. Also on Thursday evening at seven
o'clock. And there will be a prayer meeting
here on Tuesday evening at seven o'clock. Let us commence our
services today by singing together hymn number 193, The tune is Saint Saviour, 228. I am, says Christ, your glorious
head. May we attention give the resurrection
of the dead, the life of all that lives. Hymn 193, Tunes and
Saviour, 228. O come, let us adore Him, O come,
let us adore Him, O come, let us adore Him, O come, let us
adore Him, O come, let us adore Him, O come, let us adore Him,
O come, let us adore Him, O come, let us adore Him, O come, let
us adore Him, O come, let us adore Him, O come, let us adore Him, O come, let
us adore Him, O come, let us adore Him, O come, let us adore Him, O come,
let us adore Him, O come, let us adore Him, O come, let us adore Him,
O come, let us adore Him, O come, let us adore Him, O come, let
us adore Him, O come, let us adore Him, O come, let us adore Him, O come, let
us adore Him, O come, let us adore Him, O come, let us adore Him, O come, let
us adore Him, the resurrection of the dead, the life of all
that lives. Thy faith in me does always lead
in life the dead be adorned, and he that in my name believes
shall live to find out more. The stillness within me today
Shattered my voice of praise And when I won't begin to say I welcome them forsaken. Fulfill thy promise, gracious
Lord, on our assembled day. And though thy spirit with the
world Echoes the banter here, is that the power of heaven and
life in those who love thy name. For sin and strife Daily strive to quench the sacred flames. Thy power and mercy flood
in them, from death to set us free. And after since our life
hath failed, has it not been increased? ? To Thee we look, to Thee we turn
? ? To Thee, O help, we call ? ? At life and resurrection's
hour ? Let us read together from the
holy word of God in Paul's epistle to the Romans and chapter eight. Romans chapter eight. There is therefore now no condemnation
to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh,
but after the spirit. for the law of the Spirit of
life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and
death. For 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 for sin, condemned 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. 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 be. So then they that are
in the flesh cannot please God. But ye 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. And if Christ be in you, that
the body is dead because of sin, But the spirit is light because
of righteousness. But if the spirit of him that
raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised
up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies
by his spirit that dwelleth in you. Therefore, brethren, we
are debtors, not to the flesh, to live after the flesh. For
if you live after the flesh, you shall die. But if ye through
the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live. For as many as are led by the
Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. For ye have not received
the Spirit of bondage again to fear, but ye have received the
Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. The Spirit
itself beareth witness with our spirits, that we are 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. For I reckon that the sufferings
of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the
glory which shall be revealed in us. For the earnest expectation
of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of
God. For the creature was made subject
to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of him who hath subjected
the same in hope. Because the creature itself also
shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious
liberty of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation
groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now. And not only
they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit.
Even we, ourselves, grown within ourselves, waiting for the adoption
to wit the redemption of our body. For we are saved by hope,
but hope that is seen is not hope. For what a man seeeth,
why doth he yet hope for? But if we hope for that we see
not, then do we with patience wait for it. Likewise, the Spirit
also helpeth our infirmities, for we know not what we should
pray for as we ought, but the Spirit itself maketh intercession
for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. And he that searcheth
the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he
maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God.
And we know that all things work together for good to them that
love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. For whom he did foreknow, he
also did protestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that
he might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover, whom
he did predestinate, them he also called, and whom he called,
them he also justified, and whom he justified, them he also glorified. What shall we then say to these
things? If God before us, who can be
against us, 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? Who shall lay anything to the
charge of God's elect? It is God that justifieth. Who
is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea,
rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand
of God, who also maketh intercession for us. Who shall separate us
from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation or distress
or persecution or famine or nakedness or peril or sword? As it is written,
for thy sake we are killed all the day long. We are accounted
as sheep for the slaughter. Nay, in all these things we are
more than conquerors through him that loved us. For I am persuaded
that neither death nor life nor angels, nor principalities, nor
powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor
depth, nor any other creature shall be able to separate us
from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. May the Lord bless the reading
of his own precious word and grant unto us a spirit of real
prayer Gracious, merciful, almighty,
and eternal God of heaven, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, we read
of thee in thy word, thus saith the high and lofty one that inhabiteth
eternity, whose name is Holy. Lord, we are unholy, we are unclean,
we are unrighteous, We are the fallen sons and daughters of
Adam, born in sin, shapen in iniquity. And we would bow before
thy great majesty in confession of our sin, of our unworthiness,
of our unrighteousness, and that great disparity that there is
between thus and thee. But O Lord, we come to thee We
cannot come in our own name, for all our righteousnesses are
as filthy rags, but we thank thee that we can come to thee
in the name of Jesus Christ. We thank thee for those lovely
words of grace, for there is one God and one mediator between
God and man, the man Christ Jesus, who gave his life of ransom for
all to be testified in due time, O that we might know and feel
and experience his grace in our hearts this day, that we may
be enabled to look and to live, even as thou hast said, Look
unto me, all ye ends of the earth, and be ye saved, for I am God,
and there is none else. We come pleading the precious
merits of Jesus Christ, thine only begotten Son, who was manifest
in the flesh. Gracious God, we do thank Thee
for the sacred and profound glory of the incarnation of the Son
of God, the sacred glory of that holy life that He lived as a
man here upon earth, and that the law fulfilled and honored
and magnified in His glorious person. We thank Thee for those
wonderful words of grace. He will magnify the Lord and
make it honourable. Lord Jesus, Thou hast done that.
And we come to Thee in all our unrighteousness, and we plead
Thy righteousness. We come to Thee as the great
King and Head of the Church. We come to Thee as our great
High Priest who is passed into the heavens, Jesus, the Son of
God. We come to Thee as thou sittest
at the right hand of the Father. For such a high priest have we,
who is passed into the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God. Therefore,
Lord, thy word exhorts us, let us therefore come boldly unto
the throne of grace, that we might find grace to help in every
time of need. O Lord God, we do thank thee
for the wonderful glory of thy Son, Through him we have access
unto our eternal Father, and through him we receive the wonderful
precious gift of the Holy Ghost. Oh, we pray, most blessed Spirit
of truth, that thou would be present here today. Let the words
of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in
thy sight, my Lord, my strength, and my redeemer. Grant 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 in
our services today. We read, Lord Jesus, it was noise
that Jesus was in the house and we pray that it may be so, Lord,
here today. In thy presence I am happy. In
thy presence I'm secure, gracious God. Do hear us, do bless us
as a church and as a congregation. Do bless each one present in
the house of God today. Do work by thy blessed spirit
in each heart. Do bless our brethren, the deacons,
and give them grace, wisdom, and help in all their responsibilities,
not only among us here, but among the churches of God. Bless each
one of our brethren and sisters in church fellowship. Help us
to love each other, serve each other, bear each other's burdens,
thereby fulfilling the law of Christ. Help us to be kind and
tender-hearted, forgiving one another, even as God, for Christ's
sake, hath forgiven you. Gracious God, we do pray that
thou wouldst graciously bless us then. We thank thee for that
spirit of love, union and communion that we do know. And we thank
thee that these things flow from thee by thy blessed spirit into
the church of God, into the hearts of thy people. We pray for the
little ones and the children. Bless them indeed. O thou hast
said, suffer little children to come unto me, and forbid them
not. Lord, may they come. Looking
unto Jesus, grant thy blessing upon the young friends as they
stand on the threshold of life's journey. Bring them to living,
vital, saving faith in Jesus Christ. Fulfil that sacred promise,
instead of thy fathers shall be thy children, whom thou mayest
make princes in all the earth. Be with them in all the paths
of providence. help them in their education,
guide them in any future employment, grant them a partner in life
journey. Lord, we lovingly commend them to thee. Remember the prodigals
that have wandered away, no longer desire to meet in the sanctuary. Stretch out thy almighty arm,
cause them to be in want, cause them to return. Oh Lord, we do
beseech thee. Send out the light, glory, and
power of thy gospel into this village, and the surrounding
villages and hamlets. Bless the word of the Lord distributed,
all that we may see thy work, and thy power, and thy glory.
Fulfill those precious promises to Zion. I will bring thy sons
from far, and thy daughters from the ends of the earth. And they
shall come from the north, and from the south, and from the
east, and from the west. Gracious God, let thy work appear
unto thy servants and thy glory unto their children. We pray
that we may see the pulling down of the strongholds of Satan and
the setting up of the kingdom of the Lord Jesus in the hearts
of sinners. We pray, most gracious Lord,
for all in the midst of the journey of life. We think of parents,
give them wisdom and grace to bring up their children in the
nurture and admonition of the Lord. Gracious God, any and any
trouble, or triumph, or perplexity, or sorrow, help them. We think of dear Rachel in hospital
and pray that there always be Jehovah Rophi. I am the Lord
that healeth thee. May she know thy healing in her
body and her soul. Any others, Lord, in afflictions,
Undertake for them, O Lord, we do beseech thee. We pray to be delivered from
the temptations of Satan, the power and dominion of sin. Sometimes
he comes as a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. Sometimes
he comes as an angel of light, seeking whom he may deceive. Lord, deliver us from the power
of the enemy. we do humbly beseech thee for
thy great namesake. Remember that those of us that
in the evening time of life's journey, we pray to be prepared
for that great change which must come, and that we may be found
as exhorted, looking and hastening unto that great day of the Lord.
Gracious God, deliver us from an evil heart of unbelief. Deliver
us from the power and dominion of sin. We pray for dear Ina
at home in her great age, graciously bless her as she listens into
the services today. May thy word enter her soul under
the sweet influence of the Spirit. We pray, most gracious Lord,
that thou would remember all thy servants as they labour in
word and doctrine upon the walls of Zion today. Set them free,
set them at liberty, Grant signs to follow the preaching of the
word. And we pray thee, the great Lord of the harvest, to send
true labourers into the harvest and to build the walls of Jerusalem.
Gracious God, we do pray. Remember our nation. Bless our
king and the royal household with that rich grace that is
in Christ Jesus. Bless our leaders with wisdom
and understanding. We live in the most solemn days,
Lord, when thy word is trampled underfoot. Thy name is continually
blasphemed. Gracious God, do return to thy
Zion. Do send out thy light and thy
truth. Do pull down the strongholds
of Satan and give wisdom to our leaders. We do humbly pray thee. We pray for the war-torn country
of Ukraine, that thou would bring a stop to war. Bring to naught
the counsels of the ungodly. Remember thy people in those
nations of the earth where thy name is hated and thy word is
abhorred, and thy people are persecuted. Help them, Lord,
send them help from the sanctuary. Strengthen them out of Zion.
Remember those that go forth from among us as a group of churches. We think of Ian Sadler as he
He labours in word and doctrine and the distribution of scripture
in India and Pakistan and Burma and Africa. Lord, supply all
his needs, bless his endeavours. Remember the Savannah Education
Trust and that great work that they're doing in Ghana. Do bless
them, Lord, we pray thee. Remember the Mombasa mission
and graciously help thy servant there. Oh, do hear us, Lord,
we humbly pray Thee. We thank Thee that there is a
throne of grace. We thank Thee for the glorious
King that sits upon it. We thank Thee that everlasting
righteousness has been brought in in our Lord Jesus Christ,
that righteousness that is for his people, that righteousness
which is by faith. 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. We thank
thee that he died for our sins and rose again for our justification,
and is bodily ascended into heaven and sitteth at thy right hand. We indeed have an advocate with
the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. We thank thee for
every mercy of thy kind providence. Come and touch one's lips with
a live coal from off thy heavenly altar. We ask with the forgiveness
of all our sins for Jesus Christ's sake. Amen. Let us continue by singing together
Hymn number 27. The tune is Trentham 73. I'll read the first two verses
and we'll commence singing at the third verse. Come, Holy Spirit,
come. Let thy bright beams arise, dispel
the darkness from our minds, and open all our eyes. Cheer
our desponding hearts, thou heavenly paraclete, give us to lie with
humble hope at our Redeemer's feet. Hymn number 27, tune Trentum
73, commence singing at the third verse. O'er the ramparts we watched,
were so gallantly streaming? ? For which the star-casted ? ?
Bailey did he descend ? ? And till the morning came ? O say can you see, by the dawn's
early light, What so proudly we hailed at the twilight's It is time to bless the house,
to sanctify the church. Turn, O Fresh Light, on every
life, and increase the flow. ? If thou, celestial power ? ?
Thine influence may grow ? ? Our deeds may make them sure ? O come, let us adore Him, O come,
let us adore Him, Hail! Hail! Hail! Hail! Hail!
Hail! Hail! Greatly feeling to need the Lord's
gracious help, I would direct your attention to the chapter
that we read, the eighth chapter of Paul's epistle to the Romans,
and we will read verse 11 for our text. Romans chapter 8 verse
11 But if the spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead
dwell in you He that raised up Christ from the dead Shall also
quicken your mortal bodies by his spirit that dwelleth in you But if the spirit of him that
raised up Jesus from the dead, dwelling in you. You'll notice
Spirit here is a capital S, which means it's speaking of the divine
and glorious person of God, the Holy Ghost. How essential is the divine work
of the Spirit of God. It's very fundamental to our
faith. And if you look at verse 9, and he speaks there, but you're
not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God
dwell in you. And then there's this solemn
word, now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, that's
the Holy Ghost, he is none of his. The divine work of the Holy
Ghost is absolutely essential. The Apostle Paul, when he writes
to the Ephesians in the second chapter, he says, you hath he
quickened, that's an old English word which means to give life,
you hath he quickened who were dead in trespasses and in sins. The Lord Jesus Christ in John
chapter three, speaking to Nicodemus, he says those well-known words,
ye must be born again. And Nicodemus, only looking at
it in a natural way, he said, can a man enter the second time
into his mother's womb? And of course the Lord Jesus,
he says, except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he
cannot enter the kingdom of heaven. And so the great emphasis here
before us in God's word today is the vital need of the Holy
Ghost. There's no real religion without
it. You must be born again. It's
not optional. It's essential. You must be born
again. Unless you and I are born again
of the Holy Ghost, we can never enter the Kingdom of Heaven. That sacred work of the Spirit
of God. The Apostle opens it so beautifully
here. Right from the beginning of this
chapter he says, there is therefore now no condemnation to them which
are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after
the Spirit. In Christ Jesus. The Lord Jesus, speaking of the
work of the Holy Ghost in that lovely discourse of his in John
14, 15, and 16. He speaks so beautifully concerning
the work of the Spirit. When he, the Spirit of truth
is come, he will reprove the world of sin, of righteousness,
and of judgment. Some would say, well that means
when the Holy Spirit came on the day of Pentecost. It doesn't
entirely, it includes that, but it doesn't entirely mean that.
It means when he comes to our hearts, there's no spiritual
life unless the Holy Ghost has entered our hearts. When the
Apostle Paul writes to the Corinthians, he says, know ye not that ye
are the temple of the Holy Ghost? If so be the Spirit of God dwelleth
in you. And this is the question We need
to ask. We can have a lot of religion.
We can know a lot about religion. We can be very familiar with
the word of God. We may have been brought up in
Christian churches and we might say know the fundamental truths
of the gospel in our head. But my dear beloved friends,
we need something more than just in our head. We need something
more than just intellectual. As it says in one place in the
Word of God, being taught by the precepts of men, we need
the Holy Ghost first to quicken our souls, to give us spiritual
life. And it says here in the second
verse, for the law of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus, You'll
notice again that the Spirit is written with a capital S,
because it's referring to the Holy Ghost, the Spirit of Life. In Christ Jesus hath made me
free from the law of sin and death. Do we have the Spirit of Life? Have we been awakened spiritually? If indeed we do have that spiritual
awakening, spiritual life, there will be evidences of it in our
heart, in our life. Some of those evidences in the
initial stages of the spiritual journey are very gentle. One of the hymn writers, he warns
against damaging that which is gentle, the gentle work of the
spirit. There are people like Saul of
Tarsus who had a very dramatic conversion. But most of the Lord's
people, it's a much more gentle work. It's like it says in the
prophecy of Isaiah, hear a little, there a little, line upon line,
precept upon precept. Gradually, There's an opening
in your mind and your heart. Now, just think of what we quoted,
when he is calm, that's the spirit of truth, he will reprove, the
margin says convince, I prefer that word, convince the world
of sin, of righteousness, of judgment. When he comes to a
sinner's heart, they're totally convinced, they know. They don't
need anyone to tell them. They know that they're a sinner.
They feel that they're a sinner. He will convince of sin. He will
convince of righteousness, that is, that God is righteous, God
is holy. And he'll convince that soul
that God is righteous, God is holy. They are unholy. And you'll
feel it. You'll feel there's a great gulf
between you and God. and then he says of judgment.
A person under the divine work of the Spirit, under conviction
of sin, they know by the Spirit's enlightening, there's a day of
judgment. They know there's a day of judgment.
As it is appointed unto man once to die, so after death the judgment. God has appointed a time when
he will judge the world in righteousness. And when the Spirit of God begins
that work of grace in the heart, there is that sense and realization
given that you have to stand before the judgment seat of Jesus
Christ. Now, the effect of that work
of the Spirit in the heart will make you see. Naturally speaking, you would
think that it would drive you away from God, but it actually
doesn't. That divine work of the Spirit
leads you to God. It brings you to seek. Just as
the Lord Jesus in his teaching, he says, ask and you shall receive,
seek and you shall find, knock and it shall be opened unto you.
And such words will be a help to you to ask. Ask the Lord. One of the clearest marks of
divine life in the soul is prayer. John Bunyan, he called the Psalms
the lungs of the Bible, the breathings of the children of God. One of
the marks of the work of the spirit in the heart of Saul of
Tarsus, behold he prayeth. Behold he prayeth. You see there
was a need. You pray because there's a need.
You pray because you're looking for something. You're waiting
for something. How many of us here that have
come to this chapel today? How many of us are looking to
the Lord for something? We're praying for something.
We're seeking for something. We're asking for something. We're
knocking. We're knocking at mercy's door,
asking the Lord. It's great mercy, you know, friends,
if indeed we have this first work of the Spirit in our hearts.
He's called the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus. And then he speaks of the law
of sin and death. And he means that, of course,
the Ten Commandments. Those commandments that the Lord
gave to Moses and engraved them with his own finger upon the
tablets of stone. with that holy righteous law
there comes a curse if we're disobedient if we break god's
holy righteous law attached to the law is a curse it's clear
in holy scripture cursed is every man that that doeth not all things
that is written in the book of the law to do them and and when you when you realize
that Your need deepens. The longings of your heart, they're
strengthened. I need to be delivered from the
curse of the law. I need to be delivered from the
bondage of corruption. You see, that divine work of
the Spirit may be very gentle, but nevertheless, has that divine
work of the Spirit begun in your hearts? Have you begun The apostle
says in the Acts, he says, feeling after God. Are you feeling after
God? Do you need something? Do you
long for something? Are you looking for something?
You know, in those initial breathings of life in the soul, you may
not know exactly what you need and what you're looking for,
but you need something. One hymn writer, he says, there's
an aching voice that the world can never fill. Is it so with
you? An aching void in your heart
that the world and all its pleasures and all its treasures can never
fill? You keep seeking. You remember those precious words
of our Lord Jesus Christ. Ask and you shall receive. Seek and you shall find. Knock
and it shall be opened unto you. It doesn't, there's no ambiguity.
It doesn't say ask and perhaps you'll find. Ask and you shall
find. You see, it's the word of the
Lord. Or that you may be enabled to
keep seeking and keep looking and keep waiting until Christ
is revealed to your soul. Until you see no man save Jesus
only. Jesus is the way to God. Jesus
said, I am the way, the truth, and the life. No man cometh unto
the Father but by me. We can only approach God, not
in our own person. It's like in Isaiah, we read,
all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags. Therefore, we hang our heads
in shame because of our sinfulness. We realize that great distance
there is between our soul and God or that the Lord would enable
you to continue looking and to continue praying and to seek
to be delivered from the law of sin and death he says here
for what the law could not do what does he mean by that in
that it was weak through the flesh the holy law of God cannot
give you life Peace, salvation, it cannot reconcile you unto
God. Nothing wrong with the holy law of God. It's God's righteous
holy law. The apostle says here in the
seventh chapter, that the law is good, holy, just, and good. Nothing wrong with the law. The
wrong is in you and me, in our wicked sinful hearts, in our
corrupt nature. Because we are born in sin. We fell in Adam. And we're born
in sin, we're shapen in iniquity. And that fall has taken away
our ability to fulfill God's holy law. It's a simple inability that
we have. And for 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 for sin, condemn sin in the flesh. God sent his
Son, Jesus Christ. God so loved the world, he gave
his only begotten Son. God, our eternal Father, sent
his only begotten Son to this world to redeem his people. The Apostle, he puts it so beautifully,
In Galatians chapter 4, speaking of the incarnation of the Son
of God, he says, made of a woman, made under the law that he might
redeem them that are under the law. Christ, the eternal Son
of the Father was manifest in the flesh. He lived as a man
here upon earth. And one of the great purposes
of that life was to fulfil the holy righteous law of God on
the behalf of his people. Something you can't do, something
I can't do, but it's something that Jesus Christ has done. He's
fulfilled and honoured and magnified God's holy righteous law. And he says in verse 4 here that
the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us who
walk not after the flesh but after the spirit. Or that we
may be found after the spirit. Then in verse 6 you see, for
to be carnally minded, that's our fallen sinful nature, to
be carnally minded is death. But to be spiritually minded
is life and peace. He speaks of our utter fallen
condition in verse 7, because the carnal mind is enmity against
God. For it is not subject to the
law of God, neither indeed can be, so then they that are in
the flesh cannot please God. We cannot please God in our flesh. We can only please God by faith
in Jesus Christ. He that cometh unto God must
believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that
diligently seek him. The only thing that can deliver
you and I from the curse from our wretched sinful nature is
faith in Jesus Christ. Faith in the Son of God, faith
in his precious blood that cleanses from all sin, faith in his glorious
righteousness that clothes the poor sinner, covers their nakedness,
covers their nakedness. Oh, to be more spiritually minded. But if the spirit of him that
raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised
up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal body
by his spirit that dwelleth in you. You know, he says here in
the beginning, there is therefore now no condemnation to them that
are in Christ Jesus. In the previous chapter, in chapter
seven, he speaks of that union between Christ and the church.
And he says about the law in the second verse, for the woman
which hath a husband is bound by the law to her husband so
long as he liveth. But if the husband be dead, she
is loose from the law of her husband. So then if while her
husband liveth, she be married to another man, she shall be
called an adulteress. But if her husband be dead, she
is free from that law. so that she is no adulteress,
though she be married to another man. Wherefore, my brethren,
ye also are become dead to the law by the body of Christ, that
ye should be married to another, even to him who raised from the
dead, that we should bring forth fruit unto God, to be married
to Christ. In Jeremiah, Chapter 3, the Lord,
he says to his people, for I am married unto you. It's this sacred
union between Christ and the church is likened to a marriage.
The whole of the Song of Solomon, it beautifully speaks of that
union between Christ and the church, that intimate communion
that takes place between the church and Christ. He loved his
church with an everlasting love. He loved his church. He loved
his life unto death to redeem his church. He gave his all for
his church. To save and to redeem her from
sin and from the curse of the law. He was made a curse for
us. He that did no sin. Jesus Christ
is holy, pure and righteous. He did no sin. Neither was guile
found in his mouth. And yet he suffered and bled
and died. We will die because we're sinners. As it is appointed unto man once
to die, so after death the judgment. We will die because we're sinners.
But this man, the man Christ Jesus, he did no sin. He lived a holy life. In living
that holy life, he fulfilled that holy righteous law of the
Ten Commandments. He fulfilled it completely in
thought, word, and deed. He did it for his people. He
didn't need that righteousness. His people needed that righteousness.
So he fulfilled that law on their behalf. When it says in Galatians,
made of a woman, made under the law, it's when the Son of God
became a man. The Bible is clear. The law was
made for man. It's God's holy law. So the Son of God became a man,
under the law, and lived under the law. Says here in the Romans,
Christ is the end of the law for righteousness. You see, but if the spirit of
him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that
raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal
bodies by his spirit that dwelleth in you. You see, the spirit of
him that raised up Jesus from the dead, the mighty power of
the Spirit of God. You know, just think for a moment
of this glorious person. Some have run away with the strange
idea that the Holy Spirit is just an emanation from the Godhead,
an influence of power, but not God. But Christ, when he speaks
of the Holy Spirit, he says, when he, that term is a personal
word, He is a divine person. The Holy Spirit is a divine person. He's co-equal and co-eternal
with the Father and with the Son. These three are one, one
blessed, infinite, almighty and eternal God. And they each have
their office to hold within the covenant of grace, the covenant
of salvation, the covenant of redemption that was in God. Some try to portray that God
actually made a covenant with man. He didn't. He did in the
first, in the giving of the law, that was a covenant with man.
And man couldn't keep it. Man fell into sin, broke God's
holy covenant. So therefore he's under the curse.
But the second covenant, the New Testament, was a covenant
made in the Godhead. made between the Father, the
Son and the Holy Ghost. A covenant of redemption, a covenant
of complete deliverance from sin and Satan's power and from
the curse of the law. What a precious thing, my beloved
friends, this eternal covenant is. And here in this chapter,
and these preceding chapters, the Apostle speaking of this
union of the church with Christ. And this is the great, fundamentally
important thing, that we should know Jesus Christ. On him, Roger says, doesn't he,
and he's of course paraphrasing the words of the Apostle Paul
in Philippians 3, to know my Jesus crucified, by far excels
all things beside. To know my Jesus crucified. To know that Jesus loved me with
an everlasting love. To know that Jesus lived for
me, to make me righteous. He lived a holy life, a sinless
life. To know that Jesus suffered and
bled and died for my sins and that my sins were laid upon him
and he was crucified for me. and to know that that precious
blood of Jesus Christ, God's son, has washed away all my sins. The blood of Jesus Christ, God's
son, cleanseth us from all sin, from all sin. It's the only deliverance
you'll ever get from sin. It is in and through the glorious
person of Jesus, the son of God. He has power to save. He has
power to redeem. He has power to deliver. He has
power to reconcile. He has power to give peace and
salvation and redemption. It's all in the glorious person
of our Lord Jesus Christ. And when the spirit dwells in
the heart, he leads us to realize our lost condition and to realize
that if ever my poor soul be saved, tis Christ must be the
way. Christ must be the way. But if
the spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell
in you, He that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken
your mortal bodies by a spirit that dwelleth in you. Now, here
in this chapter, the apostle, he goes on, lays down very clearly,
beautifully, the sacred safety and security of God's people. Verse 28. And we know that all
things work together for good to them that love God, to them
who are called according to his purpose. We know. All things. You know, we tend to look at,
if we look at things naturally, we tend to think, well, this
is against me, or that's against me, or something else is against
me. But you know, if we're in the
hands of God, all things, even those difficult things, even
those trying things, even those perplexing things, even those
heavy trials, even those impossibilities that come into your pathway,
all things, they are among the all things that work together
for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according
to his purpose. You see, my beloved friends,
It's often been said over the many years I've been in the ministry
it comes not only but principally from younger people and they
will say well how do I know I'm elect? How do I know I've been
chosen? As far as I can see in the Word
of God there's only one evidence that you can know that you're
elect. That is to be called by divine grace. Your soul to be
quickened into life. and you become a seeking soul.
The evidence has been called. You're seeking, you're searching,
you're looking, you're watching, you're waiting. There the evidence
has been called. I can't find any other evidence
in the Bible as to whether you're a child of God or not. I remember
reading in a book many years ago a man, he lived on a beach
and he was in some trouble in himself, in his mind, And he
said to the Lord, there was a large seabird out on the beach. He
said, Lord, if I can get out of this building and catch that
bird and measure it from wingtip to wingtip, I'll take that as
an evidence that I'm a child of God. Friends, that is utter
nonsense. Even if he'd been able to do
it, it would have been no evidence that he's a child of God. The
only evidence is you become a seeking soul. And Jesus comes precious
to your soul. And Jesus is the need of your
soul and the longing of your soul. And that is the divine
work of the Spirit. He takes of the things of Jesus.
He gives you an appetite. The Lord Jesus said, blessed
are they that hunger and thirst after righteousness. That's the
divine work of the Spirit in the heart. Hungering and thirsting
after righteousness. For they shall be filled. Blessed
are the poor in spirit. Blessed are they that mourn.
Opposite things to what we naturally would think, isn't it? You mourn
over your sinfulness, you mourn over your darkness, you mourn
over your bondage. The Lord's people, they mourn,
they seek, they hunger, they thirst, they long, they watch,
they wait. These are all terms that are
used in scripture to describe spiritual, inward spiritual exercises
in the heart of the child of God. Now, look at here what we
started reading in verse 29. For whom he did foreknow, he
also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that
he might be the firstborn among many brethren. Christ is the
firstborn, and the Church is the firstfruits. Moreover, whom
he did predestinate, them he also called. There's the evidence. And whom he called, them he also
justified. To be justified is to be without
sin. Therefore, being justified by
faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.
To be justified is to be declared free from sin. There's only one
place you can be justified, in the glorious person of our Lord
Jesus Christ. Justified by faith, in the precious
blood and righteousness of Jesus Christ. and whom he justified,
them he also glorified. Goes on, doesn't he here, who
shall lay anything to the charge of God's elect? It is God that
justifieth, who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather,
that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who
also maketh intercession for us. Who shall separate us? from the love of Christ shall
tribulation, distress, persecution, famine. Now look at what the
Apostle says in verse 38, for I am persuaded. You know, it's
a very precious thing when the Lord gives us a persuasion. That's how the Spirit works in
the heart. He gives you a persuasion. For I am persuaded that neither
death nor life nor angels nor principalities, nor powers, nor
things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth,
nor any other creature shall be able to separate us from the
love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Nothing can separate
us. What a precious thing that is. Nothing can separate us, whatever
it is, from the love of God. in our Lord Jesus Christ. Oh,
that the Lord may enable us to dwell a little on these wonderful
fundamental truths of our most holy faith. But if the spirit
of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that
raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal
bodies by his spirit that dwelleth in you. We have a mortal body. We preached just recently, didn't
we, from the words of the wise woman of Tekoa. For we must needs
die and be as water spilt upon the ground that cannot be gathered
again. Every one of us must die because
every one of us have sinned. For the wages of sin is death,
but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our
Lord. the gift of God. That wonder,
the apostle says, thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift. In the first epistle to the Corinthians,
and chapter 15, the apostle lays out very clearly, beautifully
concerning the resurrection of the dead. And he says from verse
20, but now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits
of them that slept. For since by man came death,
by man, that of course is Christ, came also the resurrection of
the dead. For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall
all be made alive. But every man in his own order,
Christ the firstfruits, afterwards they that are Christ at his coming.
Then cometh the end, when he shall, as the end of the world,
when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the
Father, when he shall have put down all rule and all authority
and power, for he must reign till he hath put all enemies
under his feet. The last enemy that shall be
destroyed is dead. You see, it's in Christ. He is our life. I give unto my
sheep eternal life, eternal life. You know, here in 1 Corinthians
15, he speaks of death as being like sowing a seed. So when the
body is so laid in the grave, it's like sowing a seed. Of course,
he's speaking of the death of a believer. An unbeliever enters
into eternal death at death. under the condemnation of God's
righteous law. But the believer, there's hope. There's a glorious hope of a
resurrection in the last day. He says here in verse 42, so
also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown in corruption. It is raised in incorruption.
The believer, when they're buried in the grave, buried in corruption,
but they'll be raised incorruptible. It is sown a natural body, it
is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body, there
is a spiritual body. And so it is written, the first
man Adam was made a living soul, and the last Adam, that of course
is Christ, was made a quickening spirit. Howbeit that was not
first, which is spiritual, but that which is natural. And afterwards
that which is spiritual. The first man is of the earth,
earthy. The second man is the Lord from
heaven. As is the earth is such are they
that are earthy, and as is the heaven is such are they also
that are heavenly. If we are born the image of the
earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly. You see,
this I say, Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit
the kingdom of God, neither doth corruption inherit incorruption. Behold, I show you a mystery.
We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed in a moment,
in the twinkle of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet
shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and
we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put
on incorruption. and this mortal must put on immortality. So when this corruptible shall
have put on incorruption and this mortal shall have put on
immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written,
death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is thy sting?
This, of course, is the death of a believer. O death, where
is thy sting? O grave, Where is thy victory? You see, my beloved friends,
if the spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell
in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken
your mortal bodies by his spirit that dwelleth in you. You see, my beloved friends,
our hope is built on nothing less than Jesus' blood and righteousness,
the glorious blood and righteousness of Christ. We've got nothing in ourselves.
There is nothing in ourselves that commends us to God. We're
sinful, we're born in sin, we're shapen in iniquity. As we read
here in this chapter, the carnal mind is enmity to God. Even the
carnal mind of the believer is enmity to God. It's only as the
Spirit gives that spiritual mindedness and that reconciliation in Christ
that then we're united to Christ. You know the Apostle in the fifth
chapter of the Romans, he speaks there very clearly concerning
this, what we've just looked at in the Corinthians. He says
in verse 12, wherefore, as by one man, that of course is Adam,
As by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin,
so death passed upon all men, for all have sinned. For until
the law, sin was in the world, but sin is not imputed when there
is no law. Nevertheless, death reigned from
Adam to Moses, even over them that had not sinned after the
similitude of Adam's transgression. See, my beloved friends, in verse
15, but not as the offense, so also the free gift. For if through
the offense of one many be dead, much more the grace of God, and
the gift by grace, which is by one man, Jesus Christ, hath abounded
unto many. And not as it was by one, the
one that sinned, so is the gift. For the judgment was by one to
condemnation, that's our sin in Adam, but the free gift is
of many offences unto justification. For if by one man's offence death
reign by one, much more they which receive abundance of grace
and the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus
Christ. We shall reign in Christ, through
Christ, by Christ, if we indeed know him. and that desire to
serve him and to follow him, and that grace to believe, that
grace to believe, to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. You
know, in the Gospel of John and chapter five, our Lord Jesus
Christ, he speaks very solemnly there of the day of judgment
and of the resurrection In verse 24 he says, Verily, verily, I
say unto you, He that heareth my word and believeth on him
that sent me hath everlasting life, and shall not come into
condemnation, but is passed from death unto life. My dear beloved
friends, have you passed from death unto life? Have you been
born again of the Spirit of God? Have you been brought in some
little way into union with Jesus Christ? Verily, verily, I say
unto you, the hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall
hear the voice of the Son of God, and they that hear shall
live. For as the Father hath life in
himself, so hath he given to the Son to have life in himself,
and hath given him authority to execute judgment also, because
he is the Son of Man. Marvel not at this, for the hour
is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear
his voice. Don't think there'll be a hiding
place in the grave. The voice of Christ will reach
you in the grave. You will either be raised in
your awful, sinful, wretched state to be condemned to eternal
despair forever, or you will be raised in Christ to be in
glory forever. Marvel not at this for the hour
is coming. in the which all that are in
the grave shall hear his voice and shall come forth. They that
have done good, that means believers in Christ. They that have done
good unto the resurrection of life, they that have done evil
unto the resurrection of damnation. Just think of that. They're the
words of Christ. There is a resurrection. the
general resurrection, when Christ comes a second time without sin
unto salvation. But those that are in Christ,
humble believers in Jesus Christ shall be raised to eternal life,
to be with Christ which is far better. But those that knew not
our Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity and in truth shall be raised
to eternal Damnation. But here in our text, it's to
those that the spirit dwells in you. But if the spirit of
him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that
raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal
bodies by his spirit that dwelleth in you. May the Lord have his
blessing. Let us now sing together hymn
number 489. The tune is Rest 211. Now for
a theme of thankful praise, to tune the Stammerer's Tongue Christians, your hearts and voices
raise to join the joyful song. Hymn 489, tune rest 211. ? O'er
the forest we hear a gentle breeze, ? ? Christians, your hearts and voices
raise ? ? Christians, your hearts and voices raise ? ? Then join
the joyous hymns of our native land ? Whose broad stripes and bright
stars through the perilous fight O'er the ramparts we watched
were so gallantly streaming? O'er the ramparts we watched,
were so gallantly streaming? And the rocket's red glare, the bombs bursting in air, Gave proof through the
night that our flag was still there. ? See from the regions of the land
? ? Through all eternal plains ? ? The paths of darkness have
been laid ? The clouds of darkness can't delay the truth. ? Eternal reign ? ? Joyous and
full ? ? Receive the God-bringing ? ? The angels cry ? ? God, God,
God, God, God, God, God, God, God, God, God, God, God, God,
God, God, God, God, God, God, God, God, God, God, God, God,
God, God, God, God, God, God, God, God, God, God, God, God,
God, God, God, God, God, God, God, God, God, God, God, God, God, God, God, God,
God, God, God, God, God, God, God, God, God, God, God, God, God, God,
God, God, God, God, God, God, God, God, God, God, God, God,
God, God, God, God, God, God, The angels' triumph out of love
and strange triumphant sting. Rejoice, we die for you, for
you, we bless the place. Stands thou, we sprint to guide
you through, Gentle, restricted, guided with
love. Prithee, your sins atone, For
your salvation's wings, And speak it on His Father's throne, 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. Amen.