Let us commence our service this
evening by singing together hymn number 414. The tune is Saint
Luke, 834. I long for a concert of heavenly
praise, to Jesus my God the omnipotent Son. My soul should awake in
harmonious lays, should it tell half the wonders that Jesus has
done. Hymn 414. O Rapplest Thou of heavenly grace,
To Jesus my only blotted Son, My soul should awake in harmony
at day. Good and gentle, love the world, that Jesus has done. O say can you see, by the dawn's
early light, What so proudly we hailed at the twilight's last
gleaming? Whose broad stripes and bright
stars, through the perilous fight, kept pleased with his journey,
and swift in his path, he came on the kingdoms of covenant love. We've gone to the place from
how distant ago. He came, we had longed him to
greet us on high. He came to return the prejudice
of God, and took up the life to be able to die. Old heaven lifts my answer, mooring
aground. His flesh and his spirit, with
banis they tore. But a burst of sorrow lay pressing
him down, As fast as the thunder of guilt that he wrought. Thus bound in the chains of imperious
death The infinite captive and prisoner lay The infinite counted arrows from
the air, And beam to the hills of Viziria day. Then mention no more from the
vengeance of God The lions of heaven there, roaring no more On the rise to his shining abode, An outlet thousands with name
shall adore. His conquest is crowned, with
God as He was. Our Santa, through holy faith,
will reward. How He fills up His throne. How He shines. How He smothers in the sand. Let us read together from the
Holy Word of God in the First Epistle of John, Chapter 5. The First Epistle of John, Chapter
5. Whosoever believeth that Jesus
is the Christ is born of God. and everyone that loveth him
that loveth him also that is begotten of him. By this we know
that we love the children of God when we love God and keep
his commandments. For this is the love of God that
we keep his commandments and his commandments are not grievous.
For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world. And this
is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith. Who is he that overcometh the
world? But he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God. This is he that came by water
and blood, even Jesus Christ, not by water only, but by water
and blood. And it is the Spirit that beareth
witness, because the Spirit is truth. For there are three that
bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost,
and these three are one. And there are three that bear
witness on earth, the Spirit, and the water, and the blood,
and these three agree in one. If we receive the witness of
men, the witness of God is greater. For this is the witness of God
which he hath testified of his Son. He that believeth on the
Son of God hath the witness in himself. He that believeth not
God hath made him a liar. because he believeth not the
record that God gave of his Son. And this is the record that God
hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He that hath the Son hath life,
and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life. These things
have I spoken unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God,
that you may know that you have eternal life, and that you may
believe on the name of the Son of God. And this is the confidence
that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to
His will, He heareth us. And if we know that He heareth
us, Whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that
we desire of him. If any man see his brother sin
a sin which is not unto death, he shall ask and he shall give
him life for them that sin not unto death. There is a sin unto
death. I do not say that ye shall pray
for him. All unrighteousness is sin. and
there is a sin not unto death. We know that whosoever is born
of God sinneth not, but he that is begotten of God keepeth himself,
and that wicked one toucheth him not. And we know that we
are of God, and the whole world lieth in wickedness. And we know
that the Son of God is come, and hath given us an understanding
that we may know him that is true, and we are in him that
is true, even in his Son, Jesus Christ. This is the true God
and eternal life. Little children, keep yourselves
from idols. Amen. May the Lord bless that
portion of his own precious word and grant unto us a spirit of
real prayer. Gracious, merciful and eternal
God, we do humbly desire to bow before thy great majesty. We
read of thee in thy holy word. Thus saith the high and lofty
one that inhabited eternity, whose name is holy. And Lord,
we are unholy, and we are very conscious of our unholiness and
of our uncleanness. We would come, O Lord, in confession
of sin, for we all have sinned and come short of thy glory. Indeed, Lord, thy word declares
that we are born in sin, we are shapen in iniquity, and that
thou art a holy and pure God, and hate is sin and all iniquity.
But Lord, we thank Thee that we can come unto Thee in the
name of Thine only begotten Son, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. So we approach Thee in His name.
and we come and plead with thee for his name's sake. We think
of those lovely words of grace, whatsoever ye ask in my name,
I will do it. For through him we have access
by one spirit unto the Father. Gracious God, we do pray for
thy forgiving love. We do pray for our sins to be
washed away. We pray that the blood of Jesus
Christ, God's Son, may cleanse us from all sin. We pray that
as we gather together, 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. Blessed divine
Spirit of truth, come and open the word of Come and open our
hearts to receive him. Come and grant that the Lord
Jesus may be lifted high on the gospel pole, that poor sinners
may look and live. Oh Lord, we do come then in the
name of Jesus Christ. And we do pray to be led and
taught and guided and directed by thy spirit. For the Spirit
searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God. Most blessed
Spirit of truth, come and open the word. Come and open our understanding. Come and open our hearts to receive
the word. And that the word of truth may
be sown in our hearts. And that the grace of our Lord
Jesus Christ may abundantly be upon us. that we might hear the
word of the Lord. O most gracious Lord, do incline
thine ear. We do humbly beseech thee. And
do bless us, we do pray. We do pray that thou would bless
us as a church and as a congregation. That we thank thee for our brethren
and sisters in Christ. That we thank thee, Lord, for
the whole of our congregation. We pray that those blessed and
many at home at this time, because of family responsibilities, do
bless them at home and do bless us here. O Lord, we do beseech
them. We pray, most gracious Lord,
that thou wouldst work mightily, powerfully and effectually among
us to the great glory of thy holy name. We pray that precious
souls may be gathered unto Christ, poor sinners may look and live,
and that the way of salvation may be made known, and that thy
spirit may seal the word of truth into our hearts, and that the
word spoken among us may be like the dear apostle himself says,
for our gospel came unto you not in word only, but in power,
in the Holy Ghost, and with much assurance. And we pray that it
may be so, as we gather around the world at this evening hour,
there may be that divine power and that heavenly unction of
the Holy Ghost. We pray, most gracious Lord,
that thou in thy precious mercy, which remember our brethren,
the deacons, in all their responsibilities, not just here, but among the
churches of God, and give them all sufficient grace. We pray,
most gracious Lord, that thou wouldst hear prayer for the whole
of our congregation. We think of the little ones and
the children that are normally with us on the Lord's Day. We
pray for each one of them, that thou wouldst graciously guide
them into thy and we feel encouraged to pray for them when we consider
the words of our Lord Jesus Christ. Suffer little children to come
unto me, and forbid them not, for of such is the kingdom of
heaven. We pray, most gracious Lord,
that thou wouldst graciously bless them in their young and
their tender years. We pray thy blessing upon the
young friends They stand upon the threshold of life's journey.
We pray that thou wouldst bless them with that rich grace that
is in Christ Jesus, that they may each be brought to living
faith in Jesus Christ and become followers of thee and of those
who through faith and patience inherit the promises. Gracious
God, that there may be a generation that shall be raised up to call
thee the Redeemer blessed. We think of that precious promise,
instead of thy fathers shall be thy children, who in their
mays make princes in all the earth. Remember the prodigals
that have wandered from the house of God, and no longer have a
desire to meet with us. Lord, we pray that thou wouldst
meet with them, and that thou wouldst draw them to the house
of God and to the ways of God and to the truth of God. Whether
they are younger or older in years, Lord, hear our prayers. We do humbly beseech them. We
pray that the glory, light, and power of the gospel may shine
into this village and the surrounding villages and hamlets, and that
thy blessing may rest upon the preached words precious souls
may be gathered unto Christ. There may be a godly increase
among us. We do humbly beseech thee. Lord,
we pray that thou in thy precious mercy would remember parents
and give them wisdom to bring up their children in the nurture
and admonition of the Lord. We pray, most gracious Lord,
that thou wouldst bless the families as they gather for family worship.
O Lord, do hear us, we pray thee. We pray for all in the midst
of the journey of life. Graciously be with each one.
We pray to be delivered from the temptations of Satan, that
old serpent, the devil. Thou hast promised in thy word
that when the enemy comes in like a flood, The Spirit of the
Lord will lift up a standard against him. Remember those of us in the evening
time of life's journey. Prepare us for that great day,
that great change which will come to each one of us. For we
must needs die and be as water spilt upon the ground that cannot
be gathered again. Gracious God, do hear us. We
humbly beseech thee, make us more spiritually minded, set
our affections on things above, draw us away from all earthly
things, all carnal things. We do humbly pray thee. We pray
for our dear aged sister. Oh, that thou wouldst bless her
in her great age, and undertake for her, and grant that truly
in a spiritual sense of the word, her last days may be her best
days. Lord, we pray for all thy servants
as they labour in word and doctrine upon the wars of Zion, that thou
wouldst set them free and at liberty, that thou wouldst help
them to preach the word and be instant in season and out of
season, and that there may be that gracious determination to
know nothing among men, but save Jesus Christ and Him crucified. Oh, we pray that the Lord Jesus
may be exalted in all things and precious souls gathered unto
Christ. We think of the wonderful promises
of thy word. 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, from the east and from the west.
Gracious God, or let us see thy work and let us see thy power
and thy glory as thou usest to be in the sanctuary. Work mightily in our nation,
work powerful and effectually up and down the land, where thy
people meet and where thy servants stand. May thy work appear, may
thy power be known, may thy grace be made manifest. O Lord, we
do beseech of Thee, send now prosperity, real prosperity unto
Zion. And instead of the closing of
chapels, we may see the opening of chapels. And instead of diminishing
congregations, we may see increasing congregations. O let Thy work
appear unto Thy servants and Thy glory unto their children. We pray for those that labour
in word and doctrine among the nations of the earth. We would
especially think of those that go forth from among us. We think
of Ian Sadler and his many labours in Pakistan and India and Burma
and Africa. Gracious God, supply all his
needs and grant good success unto his labours. We do humbly
beseech of thee. Remember the Mombasa mission
and grant thy rich blessing there. Precious souls gathered unto
Christ, we do humbly beseech of them. Remember the Savannah
Education Trust and that great work that they are doing in Ghana. Lord, grant good success, that
it may be down to the great glory and honour of thy holy name. O Lord, we do thank Thee. Thank
Thee for every mercy of Thy kind providence. We thank Thee for
our house of prayer. We thank Thee for the open Bible,
the gospel of the grace of God in our Lord Jesus Christ. We
thank Thee for the incarnation of the Son of God and that wonderful
work of salvation. the bringing in of everlasting
righteousness in his glorious person. We thank thee for the
sacrifice of Calvary where the Lamb of God shed his blood and
redeemed his people and put away sin and satisfied all the demands
of divine justice and died for our sins and rose again for our
justification. O Lord, we do bless Thee for
the wonders and glories of our Lord Jesus Christ. We thank Thee
that we have a great high priest who is passed into the heavens,
Jesus, the Son of God. Be with us now, Lord, as we turn
to Thy holy word. That come and open Thy word to
our heart and to our understanding. Come and touch one's lips with
a live cold, From off the heavenly altar, we ask for Jesus Christ's
sake. Amen. Let us continue our worship by
singing together hymn number 1095. The tune is Dale Hurst.
124. Dearest of all the names above,
my Jesus and my God, who can resist thy heavenly love or trifle
with thy blood, him ? And with you so very well ? ?
Are you well? ? Despite the marriage of my head,
the father's daughter came. Despite the incursion, Till drawing nearer, lest I see
Thy fountain of love, Just how sacredly our cherubs
tear. God give thee heaven's praise,
and with thy love my joy begins. It's a glorious time, shameless
year, ? And praise to thee, O God, my Savior ? ? Hosanna in the
highest ? ? Hosanna in the highest ? Greatly Feeling to need the Lord's gracious
help, I would direct your attention to the chapter that we read,
the fifth chapter of the first epistle of John, and we will
read for our text, verse 20. First epistle of John, chapter
five, verse 20. And we know that the Son of God
is come, and hath given us an understanding, that we may know
Him that is true, and we are in Him that is true, even in
His Son, Jesus Christ. This is the true God and eternal
life. And we know that the Son of God
is coming, last Lawsday afternoon, we spoke
from that word in Luke chapter 19 verse 10. For the Son of Man
is come to seek and to say that which was lost. So there it says
the Son of Man is come but here and we know that the Son of God
is come. We may, of course, ask the question,
what is the difference between the Son of God and the Son of
Man? And as I think I explained on the Lord's Day, I think there
are 72 times that Jesus Christ is called the Son of Man. Mainly
in the New Testament. Mainly from his own lips. But
not always, of course. There's that exceedingly well-known
word in Psalm 80. And the prayer of David, let
thy hand be upon the man of thy right hand, the son of man, whom
thou madest strong for thyself. So that will bring us to ask
the question, the difference between the son of God and the
son of man. Well the wonderful mystery of
the gospel is that the Son of God was manifest in the flesh. In 1 Timothy chapter 3. It calls it a great mystery of
godliness. That God was manifest in the
flesh. That the Son of God came to this
earth. And he came as a man. and he
lived as a man here upon this earth. So the Son of God and
the Son of Man refer to the same person, Jesus Christ. The term, the Son of God, directs
our attention to his deity, that he's the only begotten Son of
the Father. You think of that lovely word,
God so loved the world, He gave His only begotten Son. What does
the term only begotten mean? It means that the Son of God
has been from all eternity. What it actually means when it
says only begotten Son is that He is of the same eternal spiritual
nature as the Father. He's co-equal and co-eternal
with the Father. He always has been and he always
will be the eternal God. So the term only begotten instructs
us that Jesus Christ didn't just begin when he became a man and
lived here upon earth. He had existed from all eternity. and it was decreed and purposed
by God the Father that he would come to this earth as a man to
redeem his people and this is really what we have here and
we know something that true believers know they know by experience
that the son of God is come And we know that the Son of God
is God. It's a precious truth. He's come
to this earth. He's lived as a man upon this
earth. It's spoken of here in this chapter. And of the coming
of the Son of God. It says in verse six, he that
This is He that came by water and blood, even Jesus Christ,
not by water only, but by water and blood. And it is the Spirit
that beareth witness, because the Spirit is truth. You see,
here in this epistle in particular, John, he speaks of the Father.
In verse seven here, And there are three that bear record in
heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost. And these
three are one. It's another mystery, isn't it? It's a great mystery that Jesus
Christ is the Son of God who lived as a man here upon earth.
It's a profound mystery. A great mystery of godliness,
that God was manifest in the flesh. profound mystery of our most
holy faith. God so loved the world, he gave
his only begotten Son. And the term here, the word,
refers to the divine nature of the Son of God, as we have in
our text. And we know that the Son of God
is come. And that Jesus Christ is the
eternal Son, of the Eternal Father, his Almighty God. When our Lord Jesus Christ, after
he had suffered and bled and died for the sins of his people,
he rose from the dead and before he ascended up into heaven bodily,
he said to the disciples, all power is given unto me in heaven
and in earth. It hath pleased the Father, that
in him should all fullness dwell. In Christ, it is a fullness that
is beyond our comprehension. It's an eternal, infinite fullness. We read in John chapter one that
he is full of grace and truth. He's full of grace and truth.
We read in the second chapter of the Colossians, that in him
dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead body in Christ. The Athanasian Creed states very
clearly, very God, very man. As God is infinite, eternal,
and fills all things. But the great mystery is he assumed
a finite human nature. And he lived as a man, here upon
earth. As the apostle puts it in Galatians
chapter 4, made of a woman, he's speaking of Christ, made of a
woman, made under the law, that he might redeem them that are
under the law. And we know that the Son of God
is come. What a wonderful, precious foundation
truth of our most holy faith. The Son of God is come. Now, there is something else
that is discovered here and has given us an understanding. You
know, here in the fourth chapter of this first epistle of john
and we notice in the first verse there is a a warning given to us beloved believe
not every spirit but try the spirits whether they
are of god because many false prophets have gone out into the
world Believe not every spirit. We're not to be naive or gullible,
to believe everything that people say and what people believe. You might say, how are we to
try the spirits? By the word of God. By the word
of God, by the doctrine of truth that we find from Genesis to
Revelation. It's the eternal word of the
eternal God. we have in our language a book
that has been so wonderfully blessed of God, the authorised
version, the King James version of the Holy Scriptures. And for
the past 400 years it's been wonderfully blessed of God in
the English language throughout the nations of the earth. And we are to try the spirits
whether they are of God, because many false prophets are gone
out into the world. And it gives us two reasons here,
which come in with our text, and we know that the Son of God
has come. Firstly, in verses two and three,
hereby know ye the Spirit of God, and you notice Spirit is
written with a capital S, because it's referring to the divine
person of the Holy Ghost. Hereby know ye the Spirit of
God. Every spirit that confesseth
that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God. And then he gives us a solemn
admonition. And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus
Christ is come in the flesh is not of God. And this is that
spirit of Antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should
come, and even now already is it in the world. So that anybody
that denies that the Son of God took a real true human nature
And as the Word of God says, became bone of our bone and flesh
of our flesh. Anybody that denies the true
humanity of Christ, well, we're to try that spirit. It's the
spirit of Antichrist. Solemn thought, isn't it? And
we know that the Son of God is come. Or that we may be kept
from denying that Jesus the Son of God was a real man, a real
true man, because it's fundamental to our faith. You might say,
why is it so fundamental to our faith? Because he came as the
substitute of his people. He came to do what they could
not do. His name shall be called Jesus,
for he shall save his people from their sins. That's what he came to do, to
save his people from their sins. The word of God is very clear,
isn't it? We all have sinned and come short of the glory of
God. We're sinners, we're born as
sinners, we live as sinners. We have a sinful heart, we have
a corrupt nature. The word of God teaches us this,
that we're sinners. And we're born that way, and
we live that way. And our mind works that way.
You might say to me, what's a sinner? What is sin? It's defined here
in the first epistle of John, sin is any transgression of the
law of God. If we break God's holy righteous
law of the 10 commandments, where it says thou shalt not steal,
thou shalt not kill, all those commandments that it goes through,
honour thy father and thy mother, which is the first commandment
with promise. Those ten commandments. If you
and I break those ten commandments, we break God's holy law. In other
words, we sin against God. God hates sin. He does. God hates sin. mercy has made a provision in
his son to deliver his people from their sins. And it says here in this fourth chapter, in verse nine, in this was manifested
the love of God toward us because that God sent his only begotten
son into the world that we might live through him and it says also that he that
hath the son that's the son of god hath life he that hath not the son of god
hath not life you know friends how vital is jesus christ he
he lived as a man on the behalf of his people as the Apostle
says, made of a woman, made under the law that he might redeem
them that are under the law. You and I, every one of us, and
every man and woman born into this world is born under God's
holy law, God's righteous law. And if we break that holy law,
then God will punish us. It says so in Holy Scripture.
Because we have sinned against God. And God will punish sin. God hates sin. And He will punish
sin. As it says in Holy Scripture,
in the Holy Law of God, the soul that sinneth it shall die. Now,
it's something that every one of us here knows. We're all going
to die. Every man on earth knows that.
There comes a time when we're going to die. What does the Bible
say to us about dying? As it is appointed unto man once
to die, so after death, the judgment. There's a great day of judgment
that is coming. After death, the judgment. What I always feel that that
word really teaches us is that every one of us knows that we're
going to die. It's a fact. We know that that
is going to happen. As sure as we have been born,
we will most surely die. And to my mind, just as we know
that every one of us, young or old, we're going to die, we know
it, you can be just as sure that you're going to stand at the
judgment seat of Jesus Christ, to answer before the judge of
all the earth, of the deeds done in the body. As the apostle says
in the Romans, for we must all appear at the judgment seat of
Jesus Christ. My dear, beloved friends, are
we being prepared for that great day, the great day of judgment? But we mustn't digress too far
here. We've just looked at that word,
the second and third verses in the fourth chapter. Hereby know we the Spirit of
God, every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in
the flesh is of God, and every spirit that confesseth not that
Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God. And this is that
spirit of antichrist whereof ye have heard that it should
come, and even now already is it in the world. And then let
us look at the verses 14 and 15 of chapter 4 again there's
another way of trying the spirits to see if they be of God he says and we have seen and
do testify that the father sent the son to be the savior of the
world and we know that the son of God is gone the father sent
the Son to be the Savior of the world. Now just listen carefully
to verse 15. Whosoever shall confess that
Jesus is the Son of God, God dwelleth in him, and he in God. So it's vital that we believe
who the person of Christ is. He is God manifest in the flesh. to believe that he is God. And
the Apostle he builds on that in Hebrews chapter 7. Wherefore
he is able to save to the uttermost all that come unto God by him,
seeing he ever liveth. He has the power of an eternal
life. He's able to save to the uttermost.
He's able to save completely. He's able to save absolutely. That word uttermost, it actually
comes from a word in the Greek which means eternally, forever.
The salvation of Jesus Christ is not a temporal salvation.
It's an eternal salvation. I think it's in John chapter
10, the gospel of John chapter 10. It speaks there of this eternal
life that is in Jesus Christ. In verse 27 in John 10, 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. I and my Father are one, one
blessed, infinite, almighty, and eternal God. And we know
that the Son of God is come. The Son of God is come. Do you
know that? There are a number of times here,
especially in this fifth chapter, where it speaks of the things
that we know. For instance, if we just go back
to the third chapter and it says in the third chapter that we
know that we have passed from death unto life because we love
the brethren. There's an evidence that we have
eternal life and we know that we have passed. It's an evidence
that we have eternal life. We know. It is something that
We know through the things that we experience. That's in verse
14, of course, of chapter 3. We know that we are passed from
death unto life because we love the brethren. He that loveth
not his brother abideth in death. We know the things that we know. Here in this chapter, this chapter
4, it says in verse 15, and if we know that he hear us, whatsoever
we ask we know that we have the petition that we have we desired
of him you see it's something that we know verse 18 we know
that whosoever is born of God sinneth not but he that is begotten
of God keepeth himself and that wicked one toucheth him not we know there are things that
the child of God knows by divine teaching of the Holy Spirit in
the heart. Verse 19, and we know that we
are of God, and the whole world lieth in wickedness. He's speaking
to those who are truly born again Christians. Those that are brought
to live in faith in Jesus Christ. Those whose eyes have been opened,
he says here, and we know that the Son of God has come, and
has given us an understanding, that we may know Him that is
true, and we are in Him that is true, even in His Son, Jesus
Christ, this is the true God and eternal life. You see, we
know. And he says here that we may
know Him that is true. There is one God, it says in
1st Epistle of Timothy, 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, the glorious holy
God-man, the man Christ Jesus. The Son of God offered up that
sacred holy humanity as a sin atoning sacrifice on Calvary. He took our sins and he nailed
them to his cross. You see my beloved friends, he
did no sin. Jesus Christ did no sin. He never
broke God's holy law. But we have. And we do. But this man, he never did. This
glorious holy God man, the man Christ Jesus, and then he offered
that sacred holy sacrifice on the cross of Calvary to redeem
his people from their sins. As it says in Isaiah 53, he was
wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities,
the chastisement of our peace was upon him and with his stripes
we are healed. And we know that the Son of God
is coming and has given us an understanding.
You know this, we read of Lydia, when it speaks of the heart of
a person in Holy Scripture, it speaks of their innermost being. It's not speaking of the literal
heart, it's speaking of our innermost being. And what do we read of
Lydia in the Acts of the Apostles? whose heart the Lord opened,
whose heart the Lord opened. As you know, friends, that's
what we need the Lord to do for us, to open our hearts, open
our hearts, open our mind. In Luke chapter 24, the Lord
Jesus Christ speaking to the apostles before he was to ascend
up into heaven we read that he opened their understanding and uh verse 45 look at verse
44 as well and he said unto them this is to the disciples these
are the words which i spake unto you while i was yet with you
that all things must be fulfilled which were written in the law
of moses and in the Prophets and in the Psalms concerning
me. He comprehensively there speaks about the whole of the
Old Testament, the Law, the Prophets and the Psalms. Then opened he their understanding
that they might understand the Scriptures. He opened and that
And you and I need the Lord to open our understanding, that
we might understand the scriptures. In Ephesians chapter 1, the dear
Apostle Paul, he says it from verse 17, that the God of our
Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the
spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him, as of
Christ. the eyes for your understanding
being enlightened that you may know what is the hope of his
calling and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance
in the saints and what is the exceeding greatness of his power
to us all who believe according to the working of his mighty
power which he wrought in Christ when he raised him from the dead
and has set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places. What does the apostle say? in
the fourth chapter of the Hebrews, for such an high priest have
we, who is passed into the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, and he
now sits at the right hand of the Majesty on high, far above
all principality and power and might and dominion and every
name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that
which is to come. He's exalted Christ, far above
all principality and power. You know, we mentioned just now,
as he was ascending into glory, what he said to the disciples,
all power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. And that glorious King, King
Jesus, sits at the right hand of the Father. Our great High
Priest sits at the right hand of the Father. He hears the prayers
of His people. He answers the prayers of His
people. He neither slumbers nor sleeps,
day nor night. He's there. He's always there. He's eternally there. And we
know that the Son of God has come and has given us an understanding
that we may know Him that is true. Know Him that is true. That we are in Him that is true.
and understanding that we may know him that is true and are
in him that is true. And what does Christ himself,
what testimony is he giving? John 14, I am the way, the truth
and the life. That we may know him that is
true. The apostle in Philippians chapter three, he says that I
may know him in the power of his resurrection, in the fellowship
of his soul. being made conformable unto his
death, that I may know him. And this is the longing desire
of every true born-again soul to know Christ, that I may know
him. And we know that the Son of God
is come and hath given us an understanding that we may know
him that is true, that we are in him that is true. I've often
pointed out to you in the epistles, especially in the epistle to
the Ephesians, I think it's most prominent in that epistle, but
whatever the apostle is speaking of, whether he's speaking of
doctrine, experience, that's Christian experience, or practice,
whatever he's speaking of, he uses these terms continually,
in him, this is in Christ, in him, through him, by him, unto
him, Everything's in Christ. Oh, my beloved friends, that's
where life is. That's where light is. That's
where salvation is. That's where redemption is. It's
all in Christ. And we know that the Son of God
has come and has given us an understanding that we may know
Him that is true. And we are in Him that is true,
even in His Son, Jesus Christ. This is the true God and eternal
life. This is the true God and eternal
life. And that is why the living child
of God by faith longs to know more of Him. Longs to see more
of Him. Longs to hear more of Him. There's
that longing, that desire in the heart that I may know Him. and like the apostle he highlights
there the resurrection of Christ that I might know him in the
power of his resurrection he wanted to feel that resurrection
power that is in Christ in his own soul resurrecting him from
death into life and the true believer longs for that for life
but you'll only find it in Christ that's where life is that's where
salvation is that's where Redemption is, that's where peace is. Peace
by His cross as Jesus made, the Church's ever-living Head. What does the Apostle say? And
the peace of God that passeth all understanding shall keep
your hearts and minds through Jesus Christ our Lord. Oh, that there may be among us
a real hungering and thirsting after that I may know Him, a
real hunger and a thirsting that I may be found in Him. That's
the longings of a living soul, to be found in Christ, to know
Christ, to follow Christ, to serve Christ. That's where salvation
is, that's where redemption is. You know, in the first chapter
of this epistle, and It says here if we verse 6 if
we say that we have fellowship with him that's with Christ and
Walk in darkness that's in the ways of sin and unrighteousness
We lie and do not the truth But if we walk in the light that's
in the light of his countenance. He said I am the light of the
world If we walk in the light as he is in the light, we have
fellowship one with another and the blood of Jesus Christ, his
Son, cleanseth us from all sin. What a beautiful word, isn't
it? The blood of Jesus Christ, his Son, cleanseth us from all
sin. That blood of Christ, he's the
eternal Son of the Father, manifest in the flesh. All the dignity,
worth, power and grace of the blood of Christ is in this, that
he's the Son of God. And that precious blood of Christ
is of infinite worth. It's pure blood, it's holy blood,
it's almighty blood. It's the blood of Jesus, the
Son of God. It cleanses from all sin. It
takes out the stain of sin. Now listen to what he says here.
If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves. And the
truth is not in us. One thing that the true born-again
believer knows is their sinfulness. They do. The Holy Spirit witnesses
with their spirit that they're sinners. The Holy Spirit also
witnesses that Jesus is the Son of God and able to save us from
our sins. But he also constantly witnesses
that we are sinners. If we say that we have no sin,
We deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess
our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and
to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned,
we make him a liar and his word is not in us. This is how we
are to try the Spirit to see if they be of God. We try the
spirits by the Word of God. And firstly, try your own spirit
by the Word of God, before you start trying the spirits of others. And we know that the Son of God
is come and has given us an understanding, which is to those that are born
again of the Spirit, He hath given us an understanding. Part
of that understanding, of course, is that we're sinners. And when
the Holy Spirit enters our heart, as it says in John chapter 16,
when He, the Spirit of truth, is come, He will reprove or convince
the world of sin and of righteousness and of judgment. It's a divine
work of the Spirit. But He will also reveal, He will
take of the things of Jesus and reveal the monkey. In this divine work of the spirit
in the heart of the believer, the apostle Paul, he speaks of
it in the first epistle to the Corinthians in chapter two. And
there he speaks very clearly. He says in verse nine, But as
it is written, I have not seen nor ear heard, this is a quotation
from Isaiah, neither have entered into the heart of man the things
which God has prepared for them that love him. But God hath revealed
them unto us by his Spirit. For the Spirit searcheth all
things, yea, the deep things of God. For what man knoweth
the things of a man, so the Spirit of man that is in him. Even so
the things of God knoweth no man but the Spirit of God. Now
we have received not the spirit of the world, but the spirit
which is of God, that we might know the things that are freely
given to us of God. Which things also we speak, not
in the word which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy
Ghost teacheth, comparing spiritual things with spiritual. But the
natural man receiveth not the things of the spirit of God,
for they are foolishness-hunting, neither can he know them because
they are spiritually deserved but he that is spiritual judges
all things you see my beloved friends these things are written
for our instruction and we know that the son of god is come and
has given us an understanding and has given that we may know
him that is true and we are in him that is true even In His
Son, Jesus Christ, this is the true God and eternal life. Lastly, but not least, let us
just look at that beautiful prayer of our Lord Jesus Christ in John
chapter 17. And He says in verse 20, pray
unto His Father, praying for his brethren. Neither pray I
for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me
through their word, that they all may be one, as thou, Father,
art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us, that
the world may believe that thou hast sent me, and the glory which
thou gavest me I have given them. that they may be one even as
we are one, I in them and thou in me, that they may be made
perfect in one, and that the world may know that thou hast
sent me and hast loved them as thou hast loved me. May the Lord
add his blessing to these few remarks that we have made. Let us now sing together hymn
number 167. The tune is Diademata 77. Come
all harmonious tongue, your noblest music bring. Tis
Christ the everlasting God, and Christ the man we see. Tell how
he took our flesh to take away our guilt. Sing the dear drops
of sacred blood that hellish monsters spilt. Hymn 167. ? To hear the songs your endless
music brings ? ? Tis Christ the everlasting Lord and King of
kings ? and we sing. To the winter cafe,
to take away our fill. Sing the ? Sacred heart ? ? Eternal angels
sing of thee ? ? E'er the sun will go spinning
? ? And be near to his side ? ? Ever with the home of the brave ?
? Never trust weapons died ? The waves are swelled in praise
of thee, O God. And mountains of almighty God
Lay heavy on His throne. Down to the shades of day He
loved his awful man, Yet he arose to live and pray, When death itself is
dead. No more the bloody spear. The cross and nails, no more. For hell itself shakes at bit. ? O'er the ever-poor ? ? Let the Redeemer sit ? ? High
on His brother's hand ? That God avenged his angels by, And
smiles upon his star. E'er his old glory shine, With uncreated ways. And blessed
be saints' and angels' eyes, To everlasting life. 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 forever. Amen.