Brethren, we're gonna be in 1
Samuel 29. 1 Samuel 29. The last time we were here in chapter
28, we left Saul being utterly forsaken of God. And rather than seeking the Lord
and crying out to the Lord and staying upon him till he answered
him, Saul turned from the Lord. And Saul turned to death. He turned to hell and death for
direction, for understanding, for light. He turned to darkness
for light. He turned to death for life. And what he got for that was
a death sentence for his sin and rebellion. He was told, tomorrow
you're going to be with me in death. Death. It was a terrible
thing. And it shows us we're not going
to, if you want to hear from the Lord, don't turn to dead
things that are only going to give you death. And darkness,
turn to the Lord. Wait on the Lord. He's gracious
to all who call upon him. When we're that stressed and
in that dire of a need, and you know that he's the only
one that can save you and provide for you, that's the one who he
said, I'll hear. You that call upon the Lord.
That means there's a calling with understanding that he's
the only one that is able to save. I must have him. And so Saul found no comfort.
But now in chapter 29, It goes back to David. We're now looking
at David. And David, under his own wisdom
and under his own counsel, thought that it was best for him to take
himself out of Judah and to join himself to the Philistines. So
we see foolishness in Saul, but we're seeing foolishness in David,
too. And he turned from, without consulting God, he left Judah
and went over to the Philistines to Achish, king of Gath. And that's what he's doing. He's
serving this king now among the Philistines. David is now in
great temptation. He's in a great temptation. And
though he's not showing it, he doesn't show any signs of even
realizing or sweating this out. We don't know. We can only speculate
what he's thinking about this time. But he's in great temptation
because David is the anointed king of Israel. He's the anointed
king of Israel, but here he is serving with the Philistines. the Philistines. So what I want
to do this morning is we're going to go through this chapter, we're
going to read this chapter together, and I'll provide some comments
in the hopes of bringing out this dilemma that David actually
is in, whether he realizes it to the full extent or not, but
we're going to see that that it's the Lord. It's the Lord
that delivers David graciously. He takes David out of this great
temptation that he's in. And then once we've done that,
we'll just return back up to this text because also as I was
reading this chapter and studying this chapter, I couldn't help
but see these gospel themes, these gospel truths, that are
highlighted that not only speak of what the Lord did for David,
but what the Lord does for you and I, child of God. What he
does to graciously save us, his people, in delivering us from
death and saving us from death. That death that came to Saul
without mercy, is given to, is a mercy. Our God gives us mercy
and light and grace, though we don't deserve it. All right,
we'll see that here, Lord willing. So the Philistines, they are
going to war with Israel. The Philistines are going to
war against the people of God. And Achish has previously stated,
his intention for David is that David be the protector of his
head, He has a vision for David in his administration. He wants
David to be part with them, to be a warrior with them, one of
his generals. And he's excited to have David
with him. He's going to be a key piece.
If Akish gets his way, David will be a key piece in his administration. So let's begin in verses one
and two. 1 Samuel 29, one and two. Now the Philistines gathered
together all their armies to Aphek. And the Israelites pitched
by a fountain which is in Jezreel. And the lords of the Philistines
passed on by hundreds and by thousands. Remember, Philistines
are a picture of sin. And here they go marching by
in the hundreds and the thousands. They're marching by. But David
and his men passed on in the re-reward with Achish. And what that means is basically
David is the rear guard. He's at the end of the army with
Achish. And all these Philistines, their
armies are passing on by. And they're seeing David there
with Achish. Now, it's never explicitly stated. It doesn't really bring this
out. There's no commentary on this. But David is in an awful
situation. David's in a bad situation. We don't know what David's heart
is, what his intention for being there, we don't know what his
mind is on this, we don't know what he's thinking because it's
never mentioned, but we do know that had David remained in Judah
and continued relying on the Lord and trusting the Lord to
deliver him from Saul as he did time and time again, If he stayed
in Judah, he would not now be in this situation. This would
not have happened, but it did, and he's in this awful temptation,
an awful temptation. We have to ask, is David really
going to go to war with Israel? Is David really going to join
with the Philistines and go on the offensive to attack Israel? Is David going to do that now?
You know, often, Scripture, because you're looking for this here,
often scripture will give you some insight. It'll reveal something
in the heart, some hidden purpose in why this was happening. For
example, in Judges, I think it's 14, in Judges, when it's talking
about Samson, Samson went to the Philistines. They lived near
the Philistines. I believe they were in the tribe of Dan. And
there were some Philistine settlements nearby. And he saw a beautiful
woman. Philistine woman and said, I
want her. And he asked his parents, he
said, you go get her for me because that's the one I want. I want
to marry her. And his father and mother, they
were displeased with this. They didn't like this, but they
were going to do it for their son. And his father and mother
knew not that it was of the Lord that he sought an occasion against
the Philistines. For at that time, the Philistines
had dominion over Israel. So oftentimes, the scriptures
will bring this hidden thing out, reveal this thing that's
otherwise kept from us. But that's never done here with
David, the whole time. The chapters leading up to this,
from the time when it says David said, I'm going to flee Judah,
lest Saul get me one of these times, to this time, there's
been no commentary, no word on David being there with those
Philistines. It's just, it's silent. And so
we're left to conclude the worst, that David's going to go to war
with the Philistines against the people of God. That's what we're left to conclude,
because there's nothing said about it. So let me just say
this about this temptation. David has accepted the kindness
of Achish, who, when David was fleeing Saul, received David
and gave him safety. Didn't let any Philistines armies
come against him, no harm was done to him, didn't take anything
from him, put him up in the royal city of Gath, and provided for
him and his men, 600 men, that's a lot of mouths to feed, provided
for them, and then even gave him an appointed place in the
countryside. And so now Achish has obliged
him to go to war with him. He's got a vision. He's implementing
his vision for David here. If David said, no, I can't do
that. That would have revealed David's
heart, that he's still in league with Israel. Well, then why are
we putting you up here? Why are we allowing you to stay
here? Go back. Get out of here. Or just maybe put him to death
right there. He's betraying his heart. Or if David is given an
objective in the battle, and then David realizes, what am
I doing? And he pulls back from his post and says, I am not going
against Israel. Now he's come under even greater
reproach among the Philistines, because they gave him something
to do. He said he was with them. They provided for him. And now
this is what he's going to do? He's going to turn against us?
So that would have put him in great reproach and great danger.
And then if David actually goes ahead and fights against Israel,
now he's justly imputed to him that he's a traitor. He's lifted
up his hand against Israel, the people of God. They could justly
charge him with being a traitor and going against Israel. He's in a great fix, a great
temptation here. And he's brought it upon himself. He's the one who took himself
out of Judah to escape Saul, even though God was providing
for him over and over again. And he did it by his own counsel,
his own wisdom. It never says that David consulted
the Lord about this. When he had the ephod, and he
asked, should I go and save this people? Is Saul going to kill
me? The Lord answered him, but it
never says anything about David asking whether or not he should
leave Judah. All right, continuing in verse
3. Then said the princes of the Philistines, what do these Hebrews
hear? What are these guys doing here?
And Achish said unto the princes of the Philistines, is not this
David, the servant of Saul, the king of Israel, which hath been
with me these days or these years? He spent days with me in the
royal city of Gath. He spent a little over a year
or two in the countryside in the place where I appointed him.
And I have found no fault in him since he fell unto me unto
this day. That's a peculiar word, fell
unto me. He's fallen. David's not where
he's supposed to be, so to speak. And the princes of the Philistines
were wroth with him, that is, angry with King Achish. And the
princes of the Philistines said unto him, make this fellow return,
that he may go again to his place which thou hast appointed him,
and let him not go down with us to the battle, lest in the
battle he be an adversary to us. For wherewith should he reconcile
himself unto his master? Should it not be with the heads
of these men? Is not this David, of whom they
sang one to another, and dances, saying, Saul slew his thousands,
and David his ten thousands? Now, we know from the account
here that David and Saul are never going to reconcile. They're
not going to reconcile. It doesn't matter what David
does, they're not going to be reconciled from this day forward. Even if David does do this thing
that the Philistine lords are worried about, Saul may be happy
for a moment that he's been delivered from the death sentence that
was given to him But what's it going to take? A moment or two,
a day, before he realizes, this man has now done a more glorious
thing in saving me and all Israel, in delivering the heads of the
Philistines. They said it in the song, didn't they? Saul slew
his thousands, David his ten thousands. If that angered Saul,
How much more is this going to anger Saul? He's going to realize,
I've got to eliminate this guy because he's the rightful king.
And I've got to put him to death. And so David, again, would once
again, if he did this, if David turned against the Philistines
and defeated them, then he would receive all the glory. And Saul
none. Now continuing. And then Achish
called David, and said unto him, Surely, as the Lord liveth, thou
hast been upright, and thy going out, and thy coming in with me,
and the host is good in my sight. For I have not found evil in
thee, since the day of thy coming unto me unto this day. Nevertheless,
the lords favour thee not. Wherefore, now return, and go
in peace, that you displease not the lords of the Philistines,
And if that seems odd, just remember that the Philistines had five
royal cities, five chief cities, one lord over all, and they all
shared in power and influence in that land, over the Philistines
as a whole. One man had the honor of being
the king, but he was vetoed here with the other four saying, absolutely
not. And he's not going to go against
four mighty generals that could just take him out and overthrow
him anyway. So he's not going to do that. He agrees. So that's why, even though he's
the king, he's overruled here. Verse 8, and David said unto
Achish, but what have I done? What have I done now? Is there
not a cause, as he said to his brethren when they saw him? Is
there not a cause? Well, what hast thou found in thy servants
so long as I have been with thee into this day, that I may not
go fight against the enemies of my lord the king? All right,
speak in Akish. I'm going to fight against the
enemies of my lord the king. So David makes his case to Akish
that he's a loyal and faithful servant. And here again, this
would be a great spot for the Lord, for the scriptures to reveal
some hidden occasion that the Lord purposed against the Philistines,
but it's silent. It's silent. It remains silent. So there's no justification of
David given here, and really what's shaping up is that David's
going to be delivered by the grace of God, but it's going
to be by the hand of God that delivers him. It's going to be
through the providence of God delivering David from sinking
under this great temptation. Regardless of what David's heart
was, his intentions, his thoughts in the matter, we don't know.
We don't need to know, because it ain't David saving David.
David's trying to go, and the Lord will not allow it. He will
not allow it. And Achish answered and said
to David, I know that thou art good in my sight as an angel
of God. Notwithstanding, the princes
of the Philistines have said, he shall not go up with us to
the battle. Wherefore now, rise up early
in the morning with thy master's servants that are come with thee,
those other Jews there that have come with thee, and as soon as
ye be up early in the morning and have light, depart. So David and his men rose up
early to depart in the morning to return into the land of the
Philistines, and the Philistines went up to Jezreel. So in spite
of David's protesting, whatever David was thinking, which we
don't really know because the scriptures don't tell us, God
himself provided a way of escape for David. All right, whatever
David thought he was going to do. Again, the temptation's great.
I can tell you, I've thought, I've said things, I've schemed
up thoughts in my head about why I was in some place where
I ought not to have been and said, well, I'll do this. I'll
recover myself this way. No. No, I'm a fool. I'm a wicked
man and sinful. wretched flesh. And we sometimes
tell ourselves stories and play games to justify what we're doing
when we're someplace we ought not to be, and it's only by the
grace of God that we are delivered out of that temptation, which
is stronger than we are, mightier than we are. And so if we take
this account on its face, just as it's declared to us, given
the silence of the scriptures, David was going to war against
God and his people. He was in a bad spot, and would
have been taken up in a dangerous spot. Whether he thought through
it or not, or what he was thinking, I can't say, but it was not good
for David to be there. And so what we see is the overruling
hand of God to graciously pluck David out and deliver him entirely
from that whole temptation. Again, because otherwise David
would have had, what do they say there? If you get into a
fight with a skunk, win or lose, you come out stinking. You come
out stinking. So David would have come out
stinking in some way. Some way, it would have been
bad. And it's as the scriptures tell us in 1 Corinthians 10,
13, which says, there hath no temptation taken you, but such
as is common to man. Like David, we can identify.
We're in trouble all the time. We put ourselves in bad positions,
bad spots. We open our mouths before we've
thought, and our foot's right in it, and we're just stepped
in it all the time. That's common demand, but God
is faithful. Your God is faithful, brethren. Faithful, who will not suffer
you to be tempted above that ye are able. He'll allow the
negative, as brother said this morning. There'll be some negatives
along with the positives to make the things function for us to
grow and be conformed to Christ. But he won't suffer you to be
tempted above that ye are able, but will with the temptation
also make a way to escape that ye may be able to bear it. And so the faithfulness here
And David not going down against Israel, and David not supporting
and giving aid to the Philistines. The faithfulness is not in David,
but in spite of David, God is the faithful one. God has been
faithful to David in delivering him. And so we see the grace
of God, the hand of God always doing that which is good for
his children. To them that love God, to them
who are thee called according to purpose. purpose. And so even though we are responsible
for putting ourselves in bad spots and subjecting ourselves
to temptation and playing games as if we really think we're getting
away with it, though God knows our heart, yet the Lord is faithful
and gracious to keep us and to provide for us. And thank God
that he is. Be thankful to God that he is,
because if he dealt with us according to our sins, we'd all be destroyed. We'd all be destroyed and have
nothing to boast of ourselves. That's why we read in the beginning
of Ephesians 2, the beginning of that chapter, where we see
ourselves described and how we're in league with this world and
go in the course of this world and under that influence of that
wicked one. God, verse four, but God, who
is rich in mercy for his great love wherewith he loved us, even
when we were dead in sins, and looking like, would a believer
do that? Apparently, apparently, just
walking in death there in league with the wicked one, even when
we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, by grace
ye are saved. And I'm thankful for his reminders,
both in his word and in his practice, toward us to be gracious to us
over and over again. And hath raised us up together
and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus, that
in the ages to come he might show the exceeding riches of
his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus. God was kind to David in just
plucking him right out of that. He just plucked him right out
of the fire before he got burned up and hurt and brought really
low. God plucked him out of there.
Salvation is of the Lord, and that's seen here in this account,
just as it's seen in the Gospel. It's declared in the Gospel,
and the Gospel is brought out in this passage. Right, just
as what we just saw, and we saw the emphasis of God providing
for his child, but we also see many pictures of the gospel here.
All right, so beginning with this sober picture that we have
of David among the Philistines in the midst of that sin, surrounded
by hundreds and thousands of Philistines, just surrounded
by them all, we see here This David is in what appears to be
a genuine allegiance with Achish, king of the Philistines, that
prince of darkness. That wicked one. He's in league
with him. And we see, we get a sense, David
was near destruction. This would have been a stain
on David. This would have not been good
at all. And again, the scriptures are very silent. Very silent
on... It gives no justification to
David for doing what he did. No justification. So first thing
here in the Gospel, we see what we are by nature. There's a reflection
of what we are by nature, how that we by nature are in league
with that wicked prince of darkness by nature. We're in league with
him, the prince of the power of the air. He's called that
dragon, that serpent, that devil. Beelzebub, that wicked one, the
spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience, among
whom also we all had our conversation, our walk in times past, in the
lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and
of the mind. And we're by nature the children
of wrath, even as others. There in the midst of the Philistines,
David appears to just be one of them, one of many in league
with them. Brethren, the Lord shows us this
to make us to see what we are in Adam. to see our fault, to
see the exceeding sinfulness of sin, to see the filth of sin. That's why the law of Moses was
given, to show just how far, how depraved we fell, how depraved
we are, how far we fell in Adam. That's why the law was given,
to put a light on our works, to show that our works are wicked
works. because we can't keep the law.
It exposes us. It disarms us and shows us what
we are by nature. And so what the Lord is showing
us in revealing our sin, in revealing these times, just to be honest
with them, not make excuses for David, but to show us in David,
to show us our own hearts that by nature, we're spiritually
dead. By nature, we do that which is
unthinkable and impossible for even a Christian to do. And yet,
we see that we need the grace of God. And it's by his grace
that we're recovered. and brought out, plucked out
of that horrible situation that we got ourselves into. And so it's a picture of our
depravity. Paul said this, we have before proved both Jews
and Gentiles, those with law and those without law, those
with an understanding of God and those without an understanding
of God, that they are all under sin. They're all under sin. It's for good that the Lord shows
us that, that we might all hear Christ and come in faith, come
in faith to Christ, see our need of the Christ, the only Savior
of God given among men. It's written, there's none righteous,
no, not one. There's none that understandeth.
There's none that seeketh after God. They are all gone out of
the way. They are together become unprofitable. And there is none that do with
good, no, not one. Not one exception. Not one exception. So even the religious man is
not accepted. He's not accepted. So this being
the case with man, we've got to ask, how is a man that's born
spiritually dead, ignorant of the true and living God, going
to be reconciled to the Lord that he's betrayed? How can a
sinner be reconciled to the God who created him and he's already
betrayed him? How can we be reconciled to God?
How are we going to be reconciled to the family of God and his
people? Well, using this example from
our text, We see the Philistine lords actually say something.
They speak of reconciliation with regards to David and Saul. They asked in verse 4, wherewith
should David reconcile himself unto his master? Should it not
be with the heads of these men? Now, man might be able to reconcile
himself to another man with a brave and a mighty deed, right? A mighty
work that he does. But David, we know David and
Saul have what we would call irreconcilable differences. There's
no reconciliation there between them. David knows if I do this,
well, he will know that if I do this, Saul will be happy one
moment, and the next moment, he's sticking a knife in my gut
because I'm receiving all the glory. And so what this is showing
us here, so we see our sin, and what it's also showing us is
that it's impossible for us to reconcile ourselves to the Lord. We cannot reconcile ourselves
by our works. We're not going to do it. Why?
Who receives the glory? If we reconcile ourselves to
God, we get the glory. And God will not have it. He
will not give his glory to another, he said. He's given all glory
to the Son, to his darling, well-beloved Son. That's who's going to reconcile
us by grace. By his grace and power, we are
reconciled to holy God by the Lord Jesus Christ. The scriptures
show us constantly how man is trying to justify himself, Man
is trying to sanctify himself. Man is trying to make himself
and provide a righteousness for himself by our works. But the
scriptures show us it's not going to happen. both explicitly and
in type and picture, as it's seen here. There's a picture
here being given us. The scriptures are not telling
us, well, you failed, but try harder. Just put a little more
elbow grease into it. Maybe you'll get over the hump
next time. No, you and I are never going to justify ourselves
before God, because our glory is not going to be from what
we did, but from the grace of God in Christ. The glory is Christ. He's going to be our boaster.
It says there that, well, the scriptures tell us in Galatians
2.16, a man is not justified, knowing, knowing that a man is
not justified. He's revealed this to you, believer,
by his spirit so that we know a man is not justified by the
works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, his faith. which he gives to us and brings
us into his faith under his faithfulness. Even we have believed in Jesus
Christ that we might be justified by the faith of Christ and not
by the works of the law. For by the works of the law shall
no flesh be justified. When the scriptures speak of
reconciliation, it's always declared in Christ. It's always shown
to be in and by the Lord Jesus Christ. All things are of God
who hath reconciled us unto himself by Jesus Christ. Again, when we were enemies,
we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son. And you that were sometime alienated
and enemies in your mind by wicked works, things we do every day,
yet now hath he reconciled in the body of his flesh through
death to present you, his will, to present you holy and unblameable
and unreprovable in his sight. God does it through Christ because
the glory is the Son's. The glory is Christ. He's our
glory. And so, if man could reconcile
himself, he'd have something to boast in with God, to indebt
God to do for him, like Achish did for David. If we could reconcile
ourselves, God would be indebted to us, and that's not gonna happen.
We're reconciled if we're reconciled by Jesus Christ, that according
as it's written, he that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord. In the Lord. And so, We're not
going to defeat our enemies. We're not going to defeat sin
in this flesh. We're not going to reconcile
ourselves to God. It's going to be the Lord doing
it. Just as we see in Genesis, at
the end of Genesis chapter 3, right after the fall, we're told,
the Lord tells us that this is his purpose, that we should be
reconciled by his promised seed, and not by ourselves. When he
said, the Lord God said, behold, the man has become, as one of
us, to know good and evil. And now, lest he put forth his
hand, and take of the tree of life, and eat that fruit, and
give himself life by his own hand, by his works, and live
forever, therefore the Lord God sent him forth from the garden. And then he blocked the way.
He blocked the way, said, we cannot reconcile. What was lost
was lost by our hand. And what is given to us is so
much greater in Christ. And Christ is the one that reconciles
us. It's to make us to hear the promise
that he gave to us in the garden, that he would raise up a seed
by whom we would all be reconciled and delivered. And so that's
how we obtain the forgiveness of our sins. And then third.
God reveals this accomplished salvation of Christ to his redeemed
children by making us new creatures. In this passage, he talks about
the new creation, about our resurrection from the dead. Man, if left to
ourselves, we would remain in bondage. We would remain in the
grave. The grip of the grave is too
strong for us. We cannot deliver ourselves from
it. We can't get ourselves out of
it. But when God comes, and by His
resurrection power, by His Spirit, by His Word, then we are delivered
from the bondage and death and the grip of sin. That is the
dominion of sin that rules and reigns over us by nature. This is how it was said to David.
Down in verse 10, wherefore now rise up early in the morning
with thy master's servants that are come with thee. All right,
that speaks to the servants there, speaks to what? The ministration
of the gospel, that this word is ministered to you and taken
by the spirit and applied effectually to your heart, made living to
you, making you alive to the word of God. Those are the servants
that have come. And as soon as ye be up early
in the morning and have light, when you have light, depart. Go out of this. Go out of this
bondage. Go out of this sin. Go out of this. You're out. You're delivered. I found a ransom. You're delivered from the snare,
David. As soon as you have light, depart. go out, and it speaks
to, in terms of the gospel, it speaks to that rising beam of
Christ, of His light, of what He's obtained, that redemption
that He's obtained for us. It speaks to what He's given
us in life, in light, and in liberty, so that we are delivered
from that bondage, delivered from that snare. David wasn't
getting out of it. David was in a fix. But God had given light
and brought him out of that trouble, out of all his trouble. It's the Lord Jesus Christ, who
by the death of himself, by his sacrifice as the Lamb of God
for his people, has obtained eternal redemption for us, has
put away our sin, has put to death our death, and given us
life in its place, life and liberty in him. in and by the Lord Jesus
Christ. And when he died, he was buried
for three days and three nights in the grave, and he rose again.
declaring we are justified. And now his word goes forth.
He's published his word to his people scattered throughout all
lands. And when the morning light of
Christ is brought to you by the servants of God, that is the
preaching of the gospel word, and the spirit taking that word
and showing you Christ, making him alive in you, to live in
you, and you alive to him quickens you and brings you out of that,
that when you have that light, and that dawn shines in your
heart, and you have that light, then you depart. You go out from
that bondage, you're free. You're free, right then and there,
you are free, brethren, free. And that's how we're delivered,
by the resurrection power and glory of the Lord Jesus Christ. This is speaking of the new birth,
brethren. David's been given a new birth.
Things would have been ruined if David had gone to fight against
Israel. He'd have been a traitor. It's
over. He has no part in their inheritance. But now he has a
new birth, a new birth, a new beginning. He's a new creature.
In and by the Lord Jesus Christ, Peter said, ye do well that ye
take heed as unto a light that shineth in a dark place. Where's
the dark place? Right here. In this heart of
mine is a dark place, and the light of Christ has shone in
my heart. The day dawn and the day star arise in your hearts. Jeremiah tells us it's of the
Lord's mercies that we are not consumed. Not your goodness,
not your goodness, not your goodness, not my goodness. It's of the
Lord's mercies that we are not consumed, brethren, because his
compassions fail not. They are new every morning. Great is thy faithfulness. He's the faithful one. He's the
faithful Lord and Savior. So when we have light, the light
of Christ, that's when we depart from sin. That's when we're out
from its dominion and bondage. We're no longer subjects to it.
We're free. Free in Christ. So the Lord says
to us, a picture of that is from Isaiah 49, 9, when the Lord says
to the prisoners, go forth. To them that sit in darkness,
show yourselves. Come into the light. Where my
deeds will be reproved, come into the light. Come into the
light of Christ. And that's where we see that
all our hope, all our help, all our salvation, all our deliverance
is of the Lord. It's the Lord that has wrought
these things and not we ourselves. Just as David didn't save himself,
it was the Lord who saved him, so the Lord saves us and delivers
us. Now, it says, verse 11, so David
and his men rose up early to depart in the morning to return
into the land of the Philistines. You see, brethren, when the Lord
visits His child, when He comes graciously and visits you in
mercy to bring light and life and salvation to you, He saves
you and gives you a down payment of your inheritance, the promise
of your inheritance, which is the Holy Ghost. To dwell in you,
to reveal these things to you, to grow you more and more in
Christ, to conform you to that heavenly image, the Lord Jesus
Christ, the Lord of glory. But we remain in this body of
death. We remain in this flesh, in this
body of sin. We're still here, lugging this
thing around, this smelly old rotten thing around, which is
still dead because of sin. but we have liberty in Christ,
liberty in Christ. So that this flesh has no more
bearing upon your inheritance, right? Sin has no more dominion
over you. We were dead in the first death,
which was being born in Adam, spiritually dead, and by the
grace of God, made partakers of the first resurrection, which
is the hearing of the gospel, and believe in Christ, so that
the second death, when we go to the grave, hath no more power
over you. It hath nothing to say to you.
Sin hath nothing to say. There's no charge that can come
against you. You have an advocate with the Father. That devil has
nothing to say. Oh, he'll say it, but it has
no power, no bearing on your eternal inheritance, which is
in Christ. He speaks for us, brethren. He's
our light and our salvation. And so with liberty in Christ,
we return, as it were, into the land of the Philistines, but
we are justified by Christ. And what happens? We walk by
faith. Though we see this body, but
we walk by faith, believing the word of God, the promise of God
made to us by the light that is shown in our hearts of the
Lord Jesus Christ. So brethren, that Chapter delighted
my heart, so I pray it delights you as well and comforts you
to see what the Lord has shown us over and over again in Christ
and His grace and His salvation to strengthen you, comfort you,
and bless your hearts as it is this day in the Lord Jesus Christ,
our salvation, our light, our life, our liberty, our all. Amen.