There's a phrase in the Bible,
is of the Lord. It's used six times in the scriptures. The interesting thing about that
four word phrase is the word is, is italicized each time the
phrase is used. As you know, when a word is italicized
in the Bible, it simply means that it was added to the original
text to make the verse easier to understand. And the most familiar
use of the phrase is of the Lord is, as you know, found in Jonah
chapter two, verse nine, which reads salvation is of the Lord. And the word is there is italicized
and it makes the original text actually read salvation of the
Lord. It's in this blessed phrase,
the verb is, is italicized and added, but it's always in agreement
with the subject. Let me give you an example. If
one discovers and says, there's a colony, there is a colony of
ants underground. The colony of ants, the subject
of that sentence agrees. This particular colony of ants
is underground. If I make a statement, 300 years
is a long time, 300 years, the subject of which I speak agrees,
and 300 years is a long time in comparison to my short time
on earth. If a medical expert makes a statement,
cancer is a disease that affects many people, cancer, the subject
agrees, and it does affect many people. And when the Bible declares
that salvation is of the Lord, the salvation of sinners, the
subject, agrees. For salvation is of the Lord. Now the word is is added, but
it's not needed. The word is doesn't change the
meaning of the statement. Salvation of the Lord. Actually, I kind of like that.
Translation. It cuts to the chase, doesn't
it? Salvation? What about it? Of the Lord. Of
the Lord. So this morning I've titled my
message in the form of a question. What is of the Lord? Have you ever really thought
about it? What is of the Lord? Well, whatever it is, it will
agree with the subject and the subject is everything is of the
Lord. The subject is the Lord. There's
nothing that is not of the Lord. Did you hear me? There is nothing
that is not of the Lord. The subject is the Lord and everything
that comes to pass is of Him. Now, I will say, and this goes
without saying, that sin is not of the Lord. Sin is of man. Man
rebelled against God. Man said, I'm not gonna have
God rule over me. I'm gonna be my own God, gonna
do my own thing. That's of man. But there's nothing
or anything other than sin that is not of the Lord. Now, I know
this will cause some to fly hot. Not long ago a man got upset
and he stopped coming because I preach that everything is of
the Lord. But I don't preach this because
it's what I believe. Because what I believe really
doesn't matter. I preach this because it's what
God in His Word says. And I do believe it and that's
why I preach it. Because that's what God says
in His Word. What is of the Lord? Everything
is of the Lord. God's word is in agreement with
that. Now by inspiration of the Holy
Spirit, Paul wrote in Ephesians chapter one, verse 11, in whom
also we have obtained an inheritance being predestinated according
to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel
of his own will. It is the Lord who predestinates,
who predetermines, determines beforehand all things. And He does so according to His
own purpose and after the counsel of His own will. That reads pretty
plainly there. The Lord, through the prophet
Isaiah, said the same thing in Isaiah chapter 46, verses 10
and 11. He said, God, declaring the end
from the beginning and from ancient times, the things that are not
yet done, saying, this is what God says, my counsel shall stand
and I will do all my pleasure. That's what God said. He said,
calling a ravenous bird from the east, the man that executed
my counsel from afar country, God does that to accomplish his
will, if need be. He says, yea, I have spoken it,
I will also bring it to pass. I have purposed it, I will also
do it. That sounds to me like everything
is of the Lord. than it to you. Do we dare disagree
with God Almighty? Nothing comes to pass apart from
the permission of God. David said, but our God is in
the heavens, and He hath done whatsoever He pleased. David
went on to say, whatsoever the Lord pleased, that did He. Where? In heaven. and in earth and in
the seas and in all deep places. This is what God says about himself
in this book. In other words, God is not only
in control of all things, everything, God is the cause of all things
and everything. This is why God alone can cause
and make all things work together for the good of them who are
the called according to what? Again, His purpose. All things
work together for them because they are the ones that He has
called. They're the ones that He saved.
They're the ones that He gave to Christ. They are His people. And He, God, causes everything. to work together for good for
them. God purposes all things. God
causes all things. God is in control of all things. And all things come to pass according
to God's purpose. All things and everything is
of the Lord. Why would that upset anyone?
In Matthew chapter 11, I'm gonna have you turn to several scriptures,
so don't get too comfortable. In Matthew chapter 11, verse
27, the Lord said, all things are delivered unto me of my Father. All things were given unto Christ's
hands. This is why our Lord said, with
men this is impossible, but with God, all things are possible. And friends, All things are not
only possible, but they're certain if God purposes and determines
to bring them to pass. Even before his death, the Lord
prayed to his heavenly Father, and he said, Abba, Father, all
things are possible unto thee. Take away this cup from me. Nevertheless,
not what I will. but what thou wilt." You see,
the child of God, the true believer, learns to pray for the will of
their Heavenly Father, not my will. And we've learned from
experience, haven't we? That what we will and won't isn't
always what's best for us. Most of the time, it's not. But
all that God wills for us and all that God purposes for us
is always for our good. Because He who causes all things
is working those things together for our good. I love that. That doesn't make
me mad, that makes me glad. He does all things well for our
good, His glory and for Christ's sake. So with all that said,
I want to give you these six instances where the phrase is
of the Lord are given and the subject of each. So first turn
with me to Proverbs chapter 16, right after the book of Psalms,
Proverbs chapter 16. And I want you to look at verse
33. We've already discussed this
first instance in some detail, and that simply is that everything
that comes to pass, everything that happens, is of the Lord. Proverbs 16, verse 33, you got
it? Here, Solomon writes, the lot
is cast into the lap, but The whole disposing thereof is what? Is of the Lord. Now that word
disposing there gives reference to a legal term that you're familiar
with, and that is the word verdict. God, the judge of all, always,
now listen, always gives the verdict, whether it's favorable
or unfavorable. The lot is cast, but God disposes,
God determines, God decides, God gives His verdict as to how
it turns out. Men throw the dice to no prevail,
but it's the Lord who determines how the dice fall. This refers
to God's divine providence. Divine providence, we've said
this many times. I can't think of a better definition,
but it's God working out in time what he purposed to do before
time ever was. Let me let you in on a secret.
There's no such thing as luck. Did you know that? There's no
such thing as luck. There's no such thing as being
lucky or unlucky. There's probably not a day goes
by where I don't hear somebody talking about that. Boy, he sure
is lucky. No, he's not. He's unlucky, no. No, he's not. Luck doesn't have
anything to do with it. Remember, God works all things. After what? The counsel of His
own will. Now do you believe that? That's
what the Scriptures teach. According to His omnipotent purpose. We've already read it. The purpose
of God always stands. Not by man's hands, not by man's
way, not by man's will, not by man's work, not by anything that
we do, but by the hand that no man can stay. His hand. By the will and work that no
man can accomplish. His will, his work, his way. By the authority that no man
can question. Who art thou that replies against
God? Shall the thing formed say to
him that formed it, why have you made me this way? No, we
don't question him, he's God. None can stay His hand. None
can say unto Him, what doest thou? None of us can question
He who rules all things. And those who walk in pride,
Nebuchadnezzar said, God is able to abase. He's able to humble
and subdue. Again, in Isaiah chapter five,
the sovereign God declares these words. I form the light and create
darkness. I make peace and create evil. I the Lord do all these things. People get upset if you charge
God with creating darkness and creating evil. And the Scriptures
say, Woe unto him that striveth with his maker. Let the potsherds
strive with the potsherds of the earth. Shall the clay say
to him that fashioneth it, What, make us now? or thy work he hath
no hands. Let man who are made of earthen
vessels, just clay, let them strive with other men who are
made of the same mass and lump, just clay. But those who strive,
those who contend, those who enter into controversy with God
will soon perish with the doing. Does the clay have the right
to question what the sovereign potter makes it to be? Will the
clay, the earthen vessel, dare declare that God, the only potter,
has no hands, no power, no skill to make, form, or fashion the
clay as He sees fit? Paul said it this way, hath not
the potter power over the clay of the same lump? Make one vessel
unto honor and another unto dishonor. The disposing of all things is
of the Lord. The second instance of the phrase
is of the Lord is found in 2 Kings 6. Look there with me. 2 Kings
6. I'm going to turn you to at least
six scriptures. 2 Kings 6. We're second kings right after
first kings. Second Kings chapter six. Let me give you the story here.
If you've found the passage, according to verse 25, there's
a great famine in the land. God sent the famine. That's who
brings about famine, right? It's not the devil. It's the
same one who brings about all things. It's God that sends famine. Now in this famine, we're told
that an ass's head, a donkey head, sold for 80 pieces of silver. People were so hungry that they
were scraping what little bit of meat off a donkey's head to
eat. It says that a dove's dung, you
know what that is. You can find it on your car. Sold for five pieces of silver. People were so famished that
that's what they were eating. Can you imagine how hungry folks
were during this famine? So hungry that mothers ate their
own children. Look at verse 26. And as the
King of Israel was passing by upon the wall, there cried a
woman unto him saying, help my Lord, O King. And the King said
unto her, what aileth thee? And she answered, this woman
said unto me, give thy son that we may eat him today and we will
eat my son tomorrow. So we boiled my son. and did
eat him. And I said unto her on the next
day, Give thy son, that we may eat him. And she hath hid her
son. And it came to pass, when the
king heard the words of the woman, that he writ his clothes, and
he passed by upon the wall, and the people looked, and behold,
he had sockcloth within upon his flesh." In other words, he
in mourning over this, put on this sackcloth. And as you can
see, the king of Israel here was deeply grieved. He was angry,
but it was not with himself. He was angry with God, but he
couldn't get his hands on God. So the next best person was the
prophet of God. And in verse 31, we see that
Jehoram desired the head of Elijah, the prophet of God. But he made
this statement. He was at least honest enough
with himself to admit that his real anger was with God. And
look what the king said in verse 83. Behold, this evil is of the
Lord. This is of the Lord. The Lord
did this. The Lord caused this. The Lord brought this famine.
The Lord famished these people. The Lord is behind this. Evil,
calamity is of the Lord. We read a moment ago where God
said, I form the light and create darkness. I make peace and create
evil. I, the Lord, do all these things. In Amos chapter three, verse
six, the Lord God Almighty said these words concerning Himself. Listen to them closely. Shall
there be evil in a city? And the Lord hath not done it. Now the word evil in this verse
means adversity, it means affliction, it means calamity, distress,
grief. It's the Lord that sends all
these things. It's the Lord that sends trouble. It's the Lord
that sends sorrow. It's the Lord that vexes. It's
the Lord that brings about disasters. You know, insurance policies
years ago used to call earthquakes and tornadoes and things like
that an act of God. You know what they're called
today? Unforeseen accidents. No, that's not right. Get it
right the first time. They're acts of God. There's
no such thing as an unforeseen accident to one who sees all
things and causes all things. No such thing, unforeseen accident. There's no accidents in a world
that is 100% controlled by God who causes all things to come
to pass. You remember what the Lord said?
I, the Lord, do all these things. I create evil, I form darkness. And here's the thing, friends,
He does them on purpose. That's what Paul is referring
to in 2 Corinthians 5, verse 11 when he wrote, knowing therefore
the terror of the Lord. We persuade men. Oh, don't we? We try to persuade men and women. What think ye of Christ? Oh,
you don't want to go out and meet God without a substitute.
You don't want to go out and meet God without a righteous
covering. Why? You need to learn something
of the terror of the Lord. David said, it's good for me
that I've been afflicted. We talked about that in the first
hour. What's good, David? Why is that good that you've
been afflicted? That I might learn by statutes. And as you
know, that word statutes means appointments. You can look it
up for yourself in the concordance. It's exactly what it means. That
I might learn your appointments, the things that you sent. God,
when You afflict me, when You send me trouble, I'm learning
something about You. I'm learning something about
my dependence, that I need to depend on You for everything.
It's good, it's profitable, it's necessary that God should and
would and does afflict us with trouble, that we might learn
that it's God who sent the trouble, appointed the affliction, and
He did so for our what? Jack Shanks, you should say,
for our good. His good, isn't it? His good. That we might lean on Him, that
we might trust the Lord God, the only One who could remove
our trouble and afflictions, knowing that it was Him that
sent them for our good and His glory. That hymn we sing, More
love to Thee, more love to Thee, O God. Have you ever noticed
the words of the third verse there? It says, let sorrow do
its work. It says, sin, grief, and pain.
Now, who in their right mind would sing that? Lord, let sorrow
do its work, sin, grief, and pain. Only those who know that
it's for their good. That's why God sends sorrow,
grief, and pain, to do His work, to wean us from this world. Why,
if we never had any sorrow or sickness or pain or grief or
affliction, we wouldn't want to leave here. Some of us don't want to leave now
with all those things. But, boy, I tell you, when God
sends sorrow, you're like, I'm ready to exit here. I'm ready to go. Isn't that how
the Lord works? He sends these things to wean
us from this world, to cause us to trust in Him alone. to
make us see that He's the only one who can help us. God sends
the sorrow, the grief, pain, and affliction. And many times,
those He sends it to don't run to Him. They run from Him. I don't understand that. I could
give you names right now, names that you all know that have done
just that. God sent them trouble, God sent
them loss, God sent them sickness, God sent them grief, God sent
them pain, and they ran away. They went out from us, but they
were not of us, for if they'd been of us, they would have no
doubt continued with us. But they went out that they might
be made manifest that they were not all of us. But you, those
of you that have stayed, you have an unction from the Holy
One, and you know all things." What do you know? That God is
in control of everything. That God sends grief and pain,
and He does it for our good. God makes these things manifest.
Referring to the Egyptians who enslaved His people, Psalm 78,
49, says this, he cast upon them
the fierceness of his anger. in a day where we don't hear
anything but the love of God. Well, God loves people too much
to punish them. God loves people too much. God
loves the world too much. No, the fierceness of His anger,
wrath, and indignation, and trouble by sending evil angels among
them. Who did that? God did that. He
made a way to His anger. He spared not their soul from
death, but gave their life over to pestilence. And He smote all
the firstborn in Egypt. God sent flies. God sent gnats. God sent frogs. God did that. Trouble, affliction, loss, condemnation,
sickness, grief, pain, calamity, disasters, all refer to evil. It is of the Lord. The third instance of the phrase
is of the Lord's found in Psalm 37. Turn there with me. Psalm
37, verse 39. Psalm 37, 39. Look what it says
here in verse 39. Psalm 37. But the salvation of the righteous
is, italicized, of the Lord. He is their strength in the time
of trouble. Not the salvation of the whole
world, not everyone in the world, not the unrighteous of the world,
Not those in the world that believe not, but those in the world that
the Lord Jesus calls to believe. Those that the Lord Jesus Himself
made righteous. John 3.16, heard it all my life. For God so loved the world that
He gave His only begotten Son. Who did God love so much in the
world that He gave His only Son to? It tells us right there. That whosoever believeth in Him,
In Christ, they, those who believe in Christ, they should not perish,
but have everlasting life. Not those who don't believe in
Him. That isn't who He sent His Son to die for. They're condemned
already. For God so loved those in the
world that believe on Him. That's who He's talking about.
That's who He loves, that's who He died for, that's who He came
to save. The very next verse, verse 17,
for God sent not His Son into the world to condemn the world,
but that the world through Him might be saved. He that believeth
on Him is not condemned, but he that believeth not is what
condemned already. Because, this is why, he hath
not believed on the only begotten in the name of the only begotten
Son of God. And this is the condemnation
that light has come into the world. Christ came into the world
and men loved darkness rather than light. Because, this is
why, their deeds were evil. For everyone that doeth evil
hateth the light, and neither cometh to the light, lest his
deeds should be reproved. But he that doeth truth cometh
to the light, that his deeds may be manifest, that they are
wrought in God." Our righteousness, any goodness
that we have, is only in Jesus Christ. God doesn't love those
who hate His Son. Christ didn't die for those who
hate Him without a cause. That's why the psalmist said
the salvation of the righteous, those whom he has made righteous,
those who believe, those whom God made righteous in Christ,
those that believe in him, their salvation is of the Lord. Not
the unrighteous, not the unbelieving, not those who love darkness.
Any righteousness, now listen, any righteousness that we have,
is of the Lord." Be made righteous of the Lord. That's what Paul
said in 2 Corinthians 5, verse 21. For He, God, hath made Him,
Christ, to be sin for us. Sinners! Wretched, depraved sinners. Christ, who knew no sin, was
made sin. that we, the horrific sinners
that we are, might be made the righteousness of God in Him. We're made righteous. We're not
righteous. We're made righteous. We're made
righteous in Him, in Christ. It's called substitution. Christ
was made sin for us. We were made righteous in Him. That's beautiful. That's glorious. I who was nothing but sin, Christ
took that sin upon Himself. God punished our sin on Him and
in Him. And in return, Christ gave us
His perfect righteousness. That's why we're righteous in
Him. The salvation of the righteous
is what? It's of the Lord. God punished Christ for our sin,
and God rewarded us for His righteousness. That is an amazing transaction. There's never been another one
like it ever made. Payment for sin God cannot twice
demand. First from my bleeding surety's
hand, and then again from mine. Mr. Top Lady had that right.
God is too holy and He's too just to do so. This holy and
strict justice will not allow it. If Christ took my sin and
gave me His righteousness, God's holy law and strict justice cannot
require or demand anything from you and me. Oh, you missed a good opportunity
to say amen right there. The fourth instance of what is
of the Lord. Lamentations chapter 3. Find
Proverbs and just keep turning until you get to Lamentations
right after Jeremiah. Jeremiah Lamentations chapter
3 and look at verse 22. Jeremiah, Isaiah, I mean, Jeremiah,
and then limitations, chapter three, verse 22. What is of the
Lord? Verse 22 tells us. It is of the
Lord's mercies that we are not consumed because, this is why,
His compassions fail not. The only reason that any of us
aren't consumed in the wrath and the judgment, righteous indignation,
is because of the Lord's mercies to us. This is an agreement with
the Word of God, is it not? Psalm 86, 15, Nevertheless, for
thy great mercy's sake, thou hast not utterly consumed them,
nor forsaken them, for thou art a gracious and a merciful God. But thou, O Lord, art a God full
of compassion and gracious, long-suffering, and plenteous in mercy and truth. That's why. That's why. To those
who believe that Christ died for all, to those who think that
God loves everyone, I have to ask, does God have mercy on everyone? In Romans 9, verse 15, oh, he's
going to Romans again. Well, where else are we gonna
go? Romans 9, verse 15, for God said to Moses, I will have mercy
on whom I'll have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom
I will have compassion. So then, if God has mercy and
compassion on whom He wills, so then, it is not of him that
will it, Take your free will and throw it out the window.
It's not of him that will it, nor of him that run it. It's
not you coming from the back of the church to the front of
the church. Not of him that run it, but of God. But of God, but
of God that showeth mercy. If anyone has shown mercy and
compassion, it's because God was and is pleased to show mercy
and compassion to them. No other reason. No reason outside
of himself does God show mercy and compassion to anyone. Why,
if it was something that I deserved, if it was something that I earned,
if it was something that I merited, then salvation is of me. The only reason that all of us
are not in hail is because of the Lord's mercies to us. One
to whom the Lord shows mercy can never be lost. How do I know
that? Because his compassions fail
not. Know what he said, Tom? They're new every morning, he
said in verse 23. New every morning. Great is God's faithfulness. Now there it is. That's why they're
new every morning, because He's faithful, they're promised. God
is faithful, they're promised. I've told you many times that
it's not our faith that saves us, it's God's faithfulness to
us. Great is His faithfulness. His faithfulness is so great
that it never fails. It's due to His unfailing mercy
that we're not consumed. That's what the Lord said. The
Lord said, for I'm the Lord, I change not. Therefore, this
is why ye sons of Jacob are not consumed. That's the only reason
none of us are consumed, none that trust and believe in the
Lord Jesus. Okay, the fifth instance of what
is of the Lord. Look at Proverbs again, this
time chapter 21. Verse 31, Proverbs chapter 21, verse 31. Here Solomon writes, verse 31,
chapter 21, the horse is prepared against the day of battle, but
safety is of the Lord. In Psalm 20, it is said, some
trust in chariots and some in horses, but we will remember
the name of the Lord, our God. Psalm 33, verse 17, a horse is
a vain thing for safety, neither shall he deliver any by his great
strength. Behold, the eye of the Lord is
upon them that fear Him, upon them that hope in His mercy to
deliver their soul from death and to keep them alive in famine.
Our soul waited for the Lord. He is our help and He is our
shield. Isaiah 31.1, Woe to them that
go down to Egypt for help, and stay on horses, and trust in
chariots, because they are many, and in horsemen, because they
are very strong, but they look not to the Holy One of Israel,
neither seek the Lord. That word safety here in verse
31 means victory. Where do you seek help? Where
do you seek safety? Victory in time of trouble. From
Egypt? which represents the world? Are
you gonna find it from the world? Do you trust in the world for
safety? Do you trust in the world for victory? Do you go to the
world for help? You better not. There said to
be many, there said to be strong. People say there's safety in
numbers, but they do not look to the Holy One of Israel, neither
seek they the Lord. I want you to look now to Psalm
121, and I'll begin to wrap this up. Look at Psalm 121. Just eight verses here. I want to read them all to you.
They say so much. Psalm 121, verse 1. The psalmist says, I will lift
up mine eyes into the hills from whence cometh my help. My help
cometh from the Lord, which made heaven and earth. He will not
suffer thy foot to be moved. He that keepeth thee, he will
not slumber. Behold, he that keepeth Israel
shall neither slumber nor sleep. The Lord is thy keeper. The Lord
is thy shade upon thy right hand. The sun shall not smite thee
by day, nor the moon by night. The Lord shall preserve thee
from all evil. He shall preserve thy soul. The Lord shall preserve thy going
out and thy coming in from this time forth and even forevermore. Now where does true help come
from? From the Lord. He's the one who made heaven
and earth. He's the one who never slumbers nor sleeps. He's the
one who preserves us from all evil. He's the one who can preserve
and keep our souls. The only one who can preserve
our going out and our coming in from this time forth and even
forevermore. Listen. in all transactions of
business and life, in all ways, works, and conversation, in all
affairs, civil or religious, He not only preserves, He prospers
us in all these things. That doesn't mean your bank account's
gonna get bigger. It don't mean that you're gonna
have a bigger house. It means that you're gonna prosper
in all spiritual things. that God's gonna do you eternally
good. God's out to do you good, eternally. The Lord not only prospers people
in life, He prospers them in death. As I said earlier, to
die is gain. It's a promotion. It's a departure
onto something better. Not only on this earth, but for
all eternity in heaven, we are kept safe from men and devils,
from wrath and malice of both. Safety and victory is ours by
Christ's finished work. God has accepted His work, and
He's accepted us in Him. Have you ever heard such good
news? And let me give you the last thing quickly. It brings
us to the sixth and last thing that is of the Lord. You already
know what it is. I won't take the time to turn
you there. We mentioned it in the beginning, Jonah 2, 9, salvation
of the Lord. You see, friends, since everything,
since all things is of the Lord, then salvation, eternal life
must be of the Lord. It just must be. If everything,
all things is of the Lord, then salvation must be of the Lord. Well, we didn't save ourselves.
If we did, salvation would not be of the Lord, would it? Salvation
would be of me, me, David Lee. But it's not of me, it's of the
Lord. We didn't cooperate with God to save ourselves. make salvation possible, and
then because of something that I added to it, He saved me. Salvation
is of the Lord. It's not a cooperative effort
between me and God. It's of the Lord. He did it all.
He did the saving. I did the sinning. He did the
saving. We're saved by grace through
faith, not of ourselves. Paul was quick to add that. Not
of ourselves, not of works that we may boast. You know what?
Men will boast. Well, Lord, haven't we done many
wonderful works in thy name? Haven't we cast out devils? Haven't
we done this? Haven't we done that? Depart
from me, ye that work iniquity. Your works are just works of
iniquity. I never knew you. the salvations
of the Lord because God, before the foundation of the world,
set His affection and His heart upon a wretch like me that didn't
deserve it before I'd done any good or evil that the purpose
of God might stand. Not of works, but of Him that
called me and saved me by His grace. That's what I'm talking
about, salvation of the Lord. Our salvation is a gift of God.
A gift is not something that you earn. It's not something
that you deserve. It's not something that you merit.
A gift is what it says it is. It's a gift. Something that is
freely given. That's what a gift is. He loved
us freely without a cause. Freely. That's what that means. Without a cause. No reason that
He should love me. No reason that He should save
me. He just did it because He did
it. Salvation of the Lord is God's gift to His people. Aren't you glad it's a gift? I certainly am.