Well, the Lord helping me this
evening, the scripture that I'll bring to your attention is found
in Psalm 119 and verse 89. Psalm 119, verse 89. Forever, O Lord, thy word is
settled in heaven. We read in Ecclesiastes that
where the word of a king is, there is power. Well, the The
Lord is a great king over all the earth. He is a great God
and a great king above all gods. For I am a great king, saith
the Lord of hosts, and my name is dreadful among the heathen.
Jeremiah prayed, Who would not fear thee, O king of nations? Yes, where the word of a king
is, there is power. And if that is true of an earthly
monarch, Well, how much more is it true of the Lord our God,
who is the King of heaven, all whose works are truth and His
ways judgment? If the decree of an earthly king
must be performed, then that which God has decreed must surely
and infallibly come to pass. That which God has decreed in
eternity will be brought to pass in time. in his catechism, William
Gadsby, asked the question, what are the decrees of God? And the
answer he gives is this, he says, the decrees of God are His eternal
purpose, according to the counsel of His will, whereby for His
own glory He has foreordained whatsoever comes to pass. And really, that is what we have
in the words of our text. Forever, O Lord, thy word is
settled in heaven, as God said by Isaiah the prophet, for I
am God, and there is none else. I am God, and there is none like
me, declaring the end from the beginning and from ancient times
the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand
and I will do all my pleasure now God executes his decrees
in his works of creation and providence and grace concerning
creation we know as Peter says that by the word of God the heavens
were of old and the earth standing out of the water and in the water
And in Psalm 33 we read, By the word of the Lord were the heavens
made, and all the host of them by the breath of his mouth. He
gathereth the waters of the sea together as an heap. He layeth
up the depth in storehouses. Let all the earth fear the Lord. Let all the inhabitants of the
world stand in awe of him. For he spake, and it was done. He commanded, and it stood fast. Concerning providence we read,
that he upholds all things by the word of his power again in
Psalm 107 we read for he commandeth and raiseth the stormy wind for
he commandeth and raiseth the stormy wind how often has the
stormy wind been raised in the history of the church and how
often the stormy wind is raised in the life and the experience
of the believer cross providences come into our lives and our souls
are melted as it were and it is for this purpose that
we might be brought to our wits end it is that we might be brought
to our wits end that's the purpose expressed in that Psalm 107. For he commandeth and raiseth
the stormy wind which lifteth up the waves thereof. They mount
up to the heaven, they go down again to the depths. Their soul
is melted because of trouble. They reel to and fro and stagger
like a drunken man and are at their wits' end. And the margin
says all their wisdom is swallowed up. All their wisdom is swallowed
up. They are brought to an end of
themselves, you see. And they own that all their schemes
to save themselves can do nothing. They are brought to see that their own schemes to save
themselves can avail nothing so what can they do well the
next verse tells us in that psalm psalm 107 verse 25 following
then they cry unto the lord in their trouble and he bringeth
them out of their distresses they cried unto the lord in their
trouble and he brought them out of their distresses. Let us always
remember that it is God who commandeth and raiseth the stormy wind and
the same word of a king, remember it is the word of a king, that
same word of a king that commands and raises the stormy wind is
well able to subdue it again. You remember the incident recorded
in Mark's gospel. And there arose a great storm
of wind and the waves beat into the ship so that it was now full. And he, that is the king who
is in the hinder part of the ship, asleep on a pillow. They awake him. And say unto
him, Master, carest thou not that we perish? And he arose,
and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace, be still. And the wind ceased, and there
was a great calm. You see, in providence, God might
raise the stormy wind at his command. But that same word is
well able to subdue it again. He can bring us out of all our
distresses. He does deliver, as we heard this morning. Now
we have reference to God's work of creation and providence in
this part of the psalm. Forever, O Lord, thy word is
settled in heaven. Thy faithfulness is unto all
generations. Thou hast established the earth,
and it abideth. They continue this day according
to thine ordinances, for all are thy servants. Yes, everything
in creation serves him. All are thy servants. He is working
all his purposes out in this world. All are thy servants. The psalmist takes comfort from
God's works of creation and providence. He sees that the world is established
by the Word of God and he sees that the world abides, that is,
It is sustained by the Word of God and he then proceeds to consider
his own soul's salvation. Unless thy law had been my delights,
I should then have perished in mine affliction. I will never
forget thy precepts, for with them thou hast quickened me.
I am thine, save me, for I have sought thy precepts. the wicked
have waited for me to destroy me but I will consider thy testimonies." There is a comparison here between
God's works of creation and providence and his work of grace as the
old creation and the sustaining of it was by the Word of God
and is the outworking of the eternal decree of heaven Or so
likewise the new creation, the work of grace, is by the word
of God and by the will of God. It is the outworking of the eternal
decree of heaven. A similar comparison is made
in Psalm 89. My covenant will I not break,
nor alter the thing that is gone out of my lips. Once have I sworn
by my holiness that I will not lie unto David. His seed shall
endure forever, and his throne as the sun before me. It shall
be established forever as the moon, and as a faithful witness
in heaven, Selah." There is this comparison between
the old creation and the new creation. I would suggest that
this word which we have here in Psalm 119 verse 89 speaks
of the eternal covenant, the covenant of grace. As we approach
the text this evening I would suggest three headings for our
consideration. Firstly God's word of purpose
is forever settled in heaven. And secondly, God's word of promise
is forever settled in heaven. And then thirdly, God's word
of precept is forever settled in heaven. Firstly then, let us consider
God's word of purpose. God's word of purpose is forever
settled in heaven. The Lord has purposed in eternity
to save a people and the names of every one of them are written
in the Lamb's Book of Life from the foundation of the world.
This is God's decree of election. Deep in the everlasting mind
the great mysterious purpose lay of choosing some from lost
mankind whose sins the Lamb should bear away. Paul speaks in Ephesians
of the eternal purpose of God, doesn't he? Unto me, who am less
than the least of all saints, is this grace given, that I should
preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ,
and to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery,
which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who
created all things by Jesus Christ, to the intent that now, unto
the principalities and powers in heavenly places, might be
known by the church the manifold wisdom of God, according to the
eternal purpose which he purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord." Again
in Romans he speaks of the purpose of God according to election.
where he sets before us Jacob and Esau as types of the elect
and of the reprobate. And not only this, but when Rebekah
also had conceived by one, even by our father Isaac, for the
children being not yet born, neither having done any good
or evil, that the purpose of God according to election might
stand not of works. but of him that calleth. It was
said unto her, The elder shall serve the younger. As it is written,
Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated. Solemn scripture. The word of purpose chooses one
and rejects the other. And it is not on the basis of
any works, good or evil, that the purpose of God according
to election might stand not of works, but of him that calleth.
Now see how this doctrine digs up works religion by the very
roots. It's interesting to note that
the reprobate who wander after the beast are described in the
book of the Revelation as those whose names were not written
in the book of life from the foundation of the world. but
some might object, they might say well what then is the point
of preaching? What's the point of evangelism? Well I would answer that if the
salvation of a sinner dead in trespasses and sins depends upon my persuasive abilities
or on any of my activities, or if the salvation of a sinner
dead in trespasses and sins depends upon the sinner quickening himself
or exercising any kind of duty in order that he might be saved,
then I can have no hope, no confidence that any will be saved. If it
all depends on the sinner or upon the preacher, then we can
have no confidence whatsoever that anybody would be saved. Indeed, I can be confident only
of this, that none would ever be saved, in which case there
would indeed be no point in preaching the gospel at all. If, however, God has decreed
that sinners shall be saved, then the faithful gospel minister
has a good and solid ground of hope that his labour is not in
vain in the Lord. And so we read in Isaiah, for
as the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven, and returneth
not thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth
and bud, that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the
eater, so shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth.
It shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that
which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto
I sent it. This is the purpose of God in
sending His Word, and in sending faithful ministers of the Word.
It is that His people might be saved. Thou, O God, hast prepared
of thy goodness for the poor. The Lord gave the Word. Great
was the company of those that published it. God has, from eternity,
decreed the salvation, the everlasting salvation, of his elect people. And that elect people is to be
called by the preaching and the proclamation of the Gospel, and
by the preaching and publication, of course, of the Word of God.
So then faith cometh by hearing. and hearing by the Word of God.
It pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that
believe. This is the reason why we engage in the Christian ministry. This is why I would stand here
before you this evening. This is why our pastor labors
amongst us in the Word and in doctrine. It is because the Lord
has a people to save. It is because God has, from the
beginning, decreed salvation to guilty sinners. This is why
we preach and this is why we delight in spreading the Word
of God as we are enabled. This is our confidence and this
is our motive. God's Word of purpose is forever
settled in heaven. let us go on to consider God's
word of promise what is God's word of promise well it is the
promise of eternal life and this is the promise that he hath promised
us even eternal life that's what John says and Paul
writing to Titus tells us that He tells us when the promise
was made. He says, "...in hope of eternal
life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world
began." But having due times manifested
his word through preaching, which is committed unto me according
to the commandment of God our Saviour. Yes, eternal life was
promised in the eternal covenant of grace, even before the world
began. And that word of promise is now
manifested through the preaching of the gospel. Now how do we
obtain eternal life? How do we obtain eternal life? Well, the same God who promised it
gives it. The same God who promised it
gives it. For the wages of sin is death,
but the gift of God is eternal life through our Lord Jesus Christ,
through Christ Jesus, Jesus our Lord. John says this is the record
that God has given to us eternal life and this life is in his
Son. It's in fulfillment of the word
of promise that God sent his only begotten son into the world. 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 all those to whom the promise
belongs are brought by God's grace to believe on him and to
believe the promise. He that believeth on the Son
hath everlasting life, and he that believeth not the Son shall
not see life, but the wrath of God abideth on him. Or the Lord
Jesus himself said, He that believeth on me hath everlasting life. That is the promise. That's the
promise of him who cannot lie. Now we cannot pry into the eternal
counsels of Jehovah, We cannot climb into heaven to see if our
names are written in the Lamb's Book of Life. The heirs of promise are those
who come to the Lord Jesus Christ out of a felt sense of their
need, out of a felt sense of their spiritual need as sinners. And this is the only qualification
that you or I need to come to Christ. We can only know our election
of God by our belief of the truth and by our faith in the Lord
Jesus. Paul writes to the Thessalonians, But we are bound to give thanks
away to God for you, brethren, beloved of the Lord, because
God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification
of the spirit and belief of the truth, whereunto he called you
by our gospel to the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus
Christ. This is how election is known, you see. It's made
known by corning. It is known by our belief of
the truth, by our laying hold upon the truth, by laying hold
upon Him who is the truth, even our Lord Jesus Christ. And that
belief, that faith, is wrought in the elect sinner's heart by
God Himself. It is God who gives the faith.
Jesus said, no man can come to me. That is, no man can truly
believe on me to the saving of his soul, except the father which
hath sent me draw him. And I will raise him up at the
last day. It is written in the prophets, and they shall be all
taught of God. Every man therefore that hath
heard and hath learned of the Father cometh unto me, Jesus
said. This is how we know whether we
are of the number of God's elect. We come to Christ. We come to
Christ. The Apostle Paul, writing under
the inspiration of the Spirit of God to believers at Ephesus,
says for by grace are you saved through faith and that not of
yourselves it is the gift of God and so we see that the promise
of life which is in Christ Jesus is absolutely sure and certain
all that the father giveth me shall come to me and him that
cometh to me i will in no wise cast out And so it is written, forever,
O Lord, thy word is settled in heaven. The word of promise is
forever settled in heaven. The eternal covenant is ratified
by precious blood. The Lord Jesus Christ suffered
and bled and died for all those who had given to him in that
eternal covenant, and he has forever put away their sin by
the sacrifice of himself. His blood is a perfect atonement,
a perfect covering for all the sins of all the elect. His work is a finished work.
There is nothing that could be added to that work. Nothing could
be added to that work. By the perfect law-keeping of
our Lord Jesus in our nature and by the death that He died
and by His resurrection, all the elect of God are forever
justified that is they are declared to be righteous that means that
God sees no sin in them because he has justified them freely
by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus his blood
cleanseth from all sin No charge can be levelled against
God's elect. They are justified before the
throne of God. The Lord Jesus Christ is now
ascended up into heaven and there He appears and intercedes for
His people. Wherefore He is able also to
save them to the uttermost that come unto God by Him, seeing
He ever liveth to make intercession for them. Joseph Hart is quite
correct when he says in one of his hymns, God's elect can never
fail. God's elect can never fail. God's
elect can never fail because Christ's intercession for them
can never fail. The Lord Jesus Christ is the
Word of God. He is the Word incarnate. In
the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God. and the
Word was God. The same was in the beginning
with God. And that eternal Word was manifest in the flesh, justified
in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed
on in the world, received up into glory. And there He sits,
at the right hand of the Majesty on high, Forever, O Lord, thy
word is settled in heaven. And the word of promise to all
his saints is this, that they shall sit with him there. He
prayed, Father I will, that they also whom thou hast given me
be with me where I am. The word of promise is forever
settled in heaven. To him that overcometh will I
grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and
am set down with my Father in his throne. He that hath an ear,
let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches. God's word of promise is forever
settled in heaven just as his word of purpose is forever settled
in heaven. Let us come finally to consider
God's word of precept. God's word of precept is forever
settled in heaven. Those who are called according
to his purpose love not only the promises of God's word but
also the precepts of God's word there is such a thing as the
precepts of the gospel there are such things as gospel precepts
there is such a thing as the obedience of faith if we are
those who profess the name of Christ then surely we will be
those who are seeking to frame our lives according to the word
of God according to the word of God Not according to the words
of man, not according to any form of philosophy or any of
man's dictates, no. We will seek to frame our lives
according to the word of God. The gospel teaches us how we
are to live as believers in the world. Love not the world, neither
the things that are in the world, John says. Let every soul be
subject unto the higher powers, for there is no power but of
God. The powers that be are ordained of God, Paul says. Again, recompense
to no man evil for evil. Provide things honest in the
sight of all men. If it be possible, as much as
life in you, live peaceably with all men. This is how we are to
behave in the world. And we are taught how to behave
towards those who hate us too. But I say unto you, love your
enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate
you, and pray for them which despitefully use you and persecute
you. The gospel teaches us how we
are to live in the world. It teaches us how we are to behave
in the family too. Wives, submit yourselves unto
your own husbands, as unto the Lord. Husbands, love your wives,
even as Christ also loved the church and gave himself for it. Children, obey your parents in
the Lord, for this is right. And ye fathers, provoke not your
children to wrath, but bring them up in the nurture and admonition
of the Lord. Now these precepts stand. These precepts stand. Forever,
O Lord, thy word is settled in heaven. They may not be politically
correct, but true godliness never has been politically correct.
in this fallen world. It might be the fashion of the
world for fathers to desert their families, to leave their wives,
to leave their children. It might be the fashion of this
world for children to be disobedient to their parents. It might be
the fashion for wives not to submit to their husbands. It may be the fashion of the
world to render evil for evil, to get your own back, and so
on. But nevertheless, notwithstanding
all the fashions of this vain world forever oh lord thy word
is settled in heaven and the precepts of the gospel do not
change the precepts of the gospel do not change the gospel also
teaches us how we are to behave in the church Paul gives the
reason for his writing. His first epistle to Timothy
says that thou mayest know how thou oughtest to behave thyself
in the house of God which is the church of the living God,
the pillar and ground of the truth. He writes to the Corinthians
Let all things be done decently and in order. Again he says,
keep the ordinances as I delivered them to you. To the Hebrews he
writes, and let us consider one another to provoke unto love
and to good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together
as the manner of some is, but exhorting one another, and so
much the more as ye see the day approaching. John says, beloved,
if God so loved us, if God so loved us, we ought also to love
one another. We could go on. We could go on. This is how we ought to behave
ourselves in the house of God. We could speak also of church
order, of church discipline, of church membership, of the
gospel ordinances, of baptism, of the Lord's supper and so on.
This is a solemn truth. Forever, O Lord, thy word is
settled in heaven. But notwithstanding this solemn
truth, men think that they can change gospel precepts with regard
to church ordinances and conduct. and so on, and the reformers
themselves were not immune from this. Now much as I admire the
great reformer John Calvin, I cannot agree with him when he says regarding
the mode of baptism that, and I quote, the church did grant
liberty to herself since the beginning to change the right
somewhat. Well the church has no such right
to change any of Christ's ordinances. Forever, O Lord, thy word is
settled in heaven. In the present day we know that
many women are discarding their head coverings, contrary to the
precepts of the word of God. Every man praying or prophesying,
having his head covered, dishonoreth his head. But every woman that
prayeth or prophesieth with her head uncovered, dishonoreth her
head, for that is even, or one as if she were shaven. For if
the woman be not covered, let her also be shorn. But if it
be a shame for a woman to be shorn or shaven, let her be covered.
It's very clear, isn't it? Very clear. The teaching of Holy
Scripture on head coverings. This is what the Bible says.
I'm only quoting Scripture. And now we even see women entering
the ministry. Contrary to the word of God,
let the woman learn in silence with all subjection, but I suffer
not a woman to teach, nor to usurp authority over the man,
but to be in silence. Society may change, but God's
word never changes. Forever, O Lord, thy word is
settled in heaven. Preaching is despised in our
day. The pulpit has been replaced by the stage in many places.
Entertainment, drama, music seems to be the order of the day. Anything,
it seems, except faithful gospel preaching. Well, we're warned,
aren't we, of such a time as this. I charge thee, therefore,
before God and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick
and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom, preach the word,
be instant, in season, out of season, reprove, rebuke, exhort
with all longsuffering and doctrine, for the time will come when they
will not endure sound doctrine, But after their own lusts shall
they heap to themselves teachers having itching ears, and they
shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned
unto fables." God has appointed the ministry of preaching. He
has ordained preaching as the principal means of gathering
in His dear elect, and of building them up in their most holy faith.
We despise the preaching of the Word of God at our peril. Now, what of those who would
tamper with the Word of God itself? What of those who would tamper
with the Word of God? Oh, we do live in a day, don't
we, of such confusion. Many don't even know what the
Word of God is. There is such a plethora of modern
versions, or rather perversions of Holy Scripture. Interestingly,
all the modern versions seem to have this in common. They
preach another Jesus. They do. They preach another
Jesus. In the modern perversions, you
see, He is not the only begotten Son of God. Now, begotten is
an important word. It speaks of His eternal generation. The modern unholy Bibles have
expunged and deleted the Holy Trinity from 1 John chapter 5
verse 7. You know the verse? You won't
find it in the unholy Bible. The Father, the Word and the
Holy Ghost and these three are one. The only real explicit verse
concerning the Trinity expunged from the modern versions If you do find that verse in
the modern version, it is in the New King James Version, but
there will be a question mark over it. There will be a question
mark. Yea, hath God said. Yea, hath
God said. Is this really in the original
manuscript? Is this really the word of God? Yea, hath God said. It is the serpent's ancient temptation. And it's now insinuated its way
into the pages of many a so-called Bible. Towards the conclusion of the
book of God we read, For I testify unto every man that hereith the
words of the prophecy of this book, if any man shall add unto
these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written
in this book. And if any man shall take away
from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take
away his part out of the book of life and out of the holy city
and from the things which are written in this book. We have the complete canon of
Holy Scripture. These are the true sayings of
God. These are the true sayings of
God. We don't need the Quran. We don't
need the Book of Mormon. We don't need the false prophecies
of the Charismatics. We don't need their tongue speaking.
No, these are the true sayings of God. Forever, O Lord, thy
word is settled in heaven. We thank God for the faithful
translation that we have here in our authorised version. We
thank God for faithful ministers who still use it and for faithful
churches who still use it. We thank God for faithful publishing
houses who still use it. Many don't these days who profess
to be reformed. Or may the Lord himself bless
all the labours of his servants, his true servants, who love the
true word of God and not a corrupted text, a corrupted version. Forever,
O Lord, thy word is settled in heaven. Now in conclusion, What
uses can we draw from this truth? Forever, O Lord, thy word is
settled in heaven. Well, as we look at the creation. when we see the hand of providence
that sustains it, the faithfulness of God unto all generations,
can we not look up by faith to heaven and see that the word
of the gospel, the word of salvation, is firm and immutable? Indeed
it is more firm and more sure than the earth itself. For the
mountains shall depart and the hills be removed, But my kindness
shall not depart from thee, neither shall the covenant of my peace
be removed, saith the Lord that hath mercy on thee. And secondly, though we pass
through many changes in this life, and though there are so
many tumults in the world and things happening at the present
time, and these things may trouble us and perplex us, yet we know
that the truth of God never changes. it never changed and there could
be no change in God or in his covenant. Let us then draw comfort
from this and receive it as an antidote to all our fears and
disturbances forever O Lord thy word is settled in heaven though
all is unsettled around us Though there may be those things
which are unsettling in our lives, though our own hearts might be
unsettled within us, yet all is settled in heaven. All is
settled in heaven. And then thirdly, when the strong
wind of persecution or temptation is raised against us, let us
remember our covenant-keeping God. Forever, O Lord, thy word
is settled in heaven. These words may be rendered,
forever art thou, O Lord, thy word is settled in heaven. Forever art thou, O Lord, thy
word is settled in heaven. Let us remember our covenant-keeping
God, and fourthly and finally, we need to wean ourselves from
a love of this vain world. We do. We have to confess, do
we not, that we're all prone to it, We have a fallen nature
that loves to cleave to the dust. It's like the pigeons that you
used to get in Trafalgar Square. They feed on dirty scraps. That's
what our fallen nature is like. We love the vain things of this
world. In order to wean ourselves from
the love of the world, we must remember that all that is in
this world is fading. It's all fading. and only those
things of the eternal covenant shall endure forever. For all
flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of
grass. The grass withereth, and the
flower thereof falleth away, but the word of the Lord endureth
forever. God's word of purpose is forever
settled in heaven. God's word of promise is forever
settled in heaven. And God's word of precept is
forever settled in heaven. Well may the Lord bless his word
to us this evening. May he bless the preaching of
it to our never dying souls. May he be pleased to bless the
work of the ministry here at Salem Chapel. Forever, O Lord,
thy word is settled in heaven. Amen.