All right, take your Bibles and
turn back with me to Hebrews chapter 12. Hebrews chapter 12. I've already read to you, we're gonna
be looking at verses. Well, I've read verse 12, but we're gonna
be looking tonight at verse 18 through verse 12. I want to preface this message
by giving us a little context here. Remember that the apostle
in this book is encouraging the saints to continue in the faith. These saints were being tried.
They were being persecuted for their faith in Christ. They were
being pressed without measure. Abandon the Gospel and return
to the Law of Moses. Their families were turning their
backs on them. They were being persecuted by
the religious rulers. And the Apostle is this, stand
fast in the faith. Hold fast. Hold fast your profession
of faith. And by all his examples and all
of his pointing, how the Old Testament only and always pictured
Jesus Christ. And now he's come down to the
end, he's talking about chastisement. And yes, believers are chastened. And he mentions this in verse
12. He says, wherefore, wherefore, because you are sons, because
you might be chastened, but if you are chastened, know this,
it's because you're sons. He says, wherefore, lift up your
hands and hang down in feeble knees. and make straight paths
for your feet, lest that which be lame turned out of the way,
but let it rather be healed. He is encouraging these believers
in their troubles. And so by way of introduction,
I want to encourage you in your troubles. I want to encourage
you to hold fast to Christ. Now every believer knows well
that in this life, this life of a believer is full of trouble. Now we say that, And then it
happens to us. It's one thing to acknowledge
it. We like Peter say, Lord, I'll die with you. Until when? Until trouble comes. And when
it comes, we fail. Is that your experience? That's mine. Trouble, this life
is full of trouble. Man is born under trouble Now listen, even though we are
chosen of God, we are the elect of God, we have been eternally put into
union with Jesus Christ who came in and displayed His love and
mercy by giving Himself a ransom for our sins. He died for our
sins. He rose again for our justification. He loved us. unto the end. Having loved his own, he loved
them unto the end. And now he is risen from the
dead, seated, and given all power in heaven so as to give life
and faith to those he died for. And all of us who have been quickened
by the Spirit of God, we have fled to Christ. We have fled
to Christ for refuge. We lay hold of the hope set before
us. And we found peace. We found peace with God. Not
peace we made with God, but peace that was already made with God. By His blood, He made peace by
the blood of His cross. And we found forgiveness of sins.
Now, look what John says about us in 1 John chapter 3. 1 John chapter 3 and verse 1. John explains, behold what manner
of love the Father hath bestowed upon us. What kind of love hath
He bestowed upon us? Can you think of words to describe
this love? How about this? eternal, effectual love. Behold what manner of love, unmerited
love, He bestowed upon us. Listen, for this purpose, that
we should be called the sons of God. Now that's it. Don't you know you're the sons
of God? Man, how could you be so arrogant?
I didn't say it. I wouldn't dare say such a thing
if it hadn't been recorded by the Holy Spirit in Scripture.
He said the world doesn't know us because it didn't know Him.
Beloved, listen, now, not in the future, right now, we are
the sons of God. We are the sons of God. But something's
wrong. Something's amiss here. And it doth not yet appear what
it shall be. It doesn't appear, does it? We
know that Christ bore our sins, He already suffered the just
for the unjust, that He might bring us to God and present us
as holy sons, but yet it doth not appear what we shall be.
Go look in the mirror. It does not yet appear. Look at your conduct. It does
not yet appear. Look at providence. It does not
yet appear what we shall be. It doesn't appear in ourselves. We don't appear to be sons, nor
does providence to manifest we are as sons? I like that in Ezekiel
9 in verse 1. You cannot tell the love of God
by what's happening around you, by prominence. Look at the leper. Look at that man, I'm sorry,
the man Lazarus, begging at the rich man's gate. You suppose
everybody walked by and said, now look at the son of God right
there. Look at that son of God. You couldn't tell that, you thought
God was punishing him. God hated him by the appearance,
it looks like God hated him. God didn't hate him, God loved
him, you can't tell. By great does not yet appear
what we shall be. Now why is this? Because we are
surrounded by foes. We are surrounded by enemies. First enemy is what? Right here,
self. Self, the old nature that we
still bear about in this body, this old Adamic nature is full
of sin and corruption. Therefore, we are still prone
to the effects of the fall. Prone to any trouble, is this
right? You the believer, is there any
difference between your troubles and the troubles of the lost? You get sick, they get sick. Your family dies, their family
dies. We all experience these common
troubles. But a believer has something
on top of these common troubles. We have something the lost do
not, and that are spiritual troubles. We have spiritual difficulties,
and again, the first struggle we have is within. We have a
struggle within. The old man's sin nature. Our struggle is deeper than the
flesh. It bears deep down into the soul,
into the heart. Two natures warring within one
body. This is why our hands hang down. He says, lift up your hands and
hang down. Do your hands hang down because
of self? How often do we sin and fall short and our hands
hang down? Oh, woe is you. How weak and
feeble are our knees. We can't even hold ourselves
up. We struggle. The second enemy is the world. be hated of all men. That's not what modern Christianity
tells you, is it? That's what our king said. You
believe me and you preach my word, you shall be hated. But he that endureth to the end,
the same shall be saved. Satan, we have a real enemy. who walketh about as a roaring
lion, seeking whom he may devour. We are surrounded by foes. Therefore,
our Lord, our King, who rules all things, told us before, in
this world you shall have tribulation. Listen to this poem. Every air
of endless bliss passing through this wilderness, finds his journey
to the end vexed with trouble and with sin. This is God's all-wise
decree. May he give us grace to see. Thus he weans us from the earth's
vanity and empty mirth. Pains and sorrows, sins and woes,
Satan's roars and countless foes, every day are way opposed. Still,
God's grace sufficient proves He is strong, faithful, and true. He will guide us safely through. Oh, that now our soul's distress
will increase our endless bliss. We are vexed on every side, believer. In this world you shall have
tribulation, but what is His comfort to you? have overcome the world. I have
overcome the world. Consider this, that all that
oppose you, all that cause the appearance, it does not yet appear
what we shall be. Why? Because our flesh opposes
us. The world opposes us. Satan opposes
us. It opposes what really is. It
makes it appear as though we are not sons of God. And yet
we are sons of God. And though it doesn't appear
what we shall be, we know this, Christ has already conquered
all our foes. I have overcome the world. Jesus by his death and resurrection
has conquered for us all our enemies so that we may rejoice. because none of these can separate
us from Him. Consider this as you read that
in verse 12 now. Lift up your hands and hang down.
Do they hang down? Well, lift them up. Rejoice,
because none of these things are going to separate you from
God. Paul said, I am persuaded that
neither life nor death, nor principalities nor powers, nor things present
nor things to come, nor height nor depth, listen, in case I
miss something, any other creature shall be able, not that they
won't try, shall be able to separate you from the love of God that
is in Christ Jesus. And so if you are in Christ Jesus,
It is by this text I desire, by God's grace, to give you nine
comforts. There are nine comforting things
in this text for you. Nine comforting things, so wherefore
your hands should not hang down. Your knees should not be shaken
or feeble, but let it rather be healed. How? Through these
comforts, through the word that is preached to you. Now look
at this text with me. I've got nine things. I'm not going to re-read it,
but we're going to just go through these nine things and I'll give
you the verses and we're going to go through them. First of
all, I want you to see that you are absolutely free from the
law. Absolutely free from the law. Look at this in verse Get back
to my text now. Look at this in verse 18. There
it is. He said, for you are not come
unto the mount that might be touched, that burned with fire,
nor into blackness and darkness and tempest and the sound of
a trumpet and the voice of words. which voice that they heard entreated
that the word should not be spoken of them any more. Why? For they
could not endure that which was commanded. If so much as a beast
were to touch the mountain, it should be stoned and thrust through
with a dart. And so terrible was the sight
that Moses said, I exceeding fear and quake. You who believe
on Jesus Christ, you may rejoice, simply this, because you have
not come to God by Mount Sinai. Does this sound pleasant? That
thing I did right there, does that sound like inviting? This
mountain, is it inviting? This is how religion wants you
to view the law, as it's inviting. God is just inviting you to obey
his law. I have seen this everywhere. When we were living in Texas,
there was a road I passed down often. And I saw this sign and
it made me just cringe. I just, I was so distraught by
this sign. It said this, 10 Commandments,
God's 10 Commandments. God's road to happiness. Read that text and tell me that
it's God's road to happiness. The apostle gives us a vivid
picture of that day when God descended upon Mount Sinai to
give his holy law to Israel. He descended in his holy character
on that mount and the mount burned with fire and darkness covered. The sound of a trumpet, the sound
of judgment, that's what that is, the sound of judgment. The
voice of God was heard. Go to Exodus chapter 19. Exodus
chapter 19. This is what Paul is describing
here. Exodus chapter 19. Beginning in verse 16. It says, And it came to pass
on the third day in the morning, that there were thunders and
lightnings and a thick cloud upon the mount, and the voice
of the trumpet a seedy laugh. And so that all the people were
in the camp trembling. And Moses brought forth the people
out of the camp to meet with God. And they stood on the nether
part of the mount, and Mount Sinai was altogether on smoke,
because the Lord descended upon it in fire. And the smoke thereof
ascended as the smoke of a furnace, And the whole mount quaked greatly,
and the voice of the trumpet sounded long and waxed louder
and louder. Moses spake, and God answered
him by a voice. And he came down on Mount Sinai,
on the top of the mountain, and the Lord called Moses up to the
mount. And Moses went up, and the Lord
said to Moses, Go down and charge the people, lest they break through,
and to gaze upon the Lord. And many of them perished. And
let the priest also come near to the Lord, sanctify themselves,
lest they break forth, lest the Lord break forth on them. So
Moses, he goes up and he gets the law, at least part of it,
and he brings it down to people. Look at verse 18, look at chapter
20 now. Chapter 20 and verse 18. Listen
to the response of the people after this, after they saw this.
People said, and all the people saw the thundering and the lightning
and the noise of the trumpet and the mountain smoking when
they saw it. They removed. They removed and stood far off. Listen, if you understand anything
about the law, if you are ever sensible about your sin, you
will not come this way. You will stand afar off. And notice what they said to
Moses. They said, Moses, you speak with us. You speak with
us and we'll hear you. but let not God speak with us
lest we die. Anyone sensible of his sin and
holiness understands this. They cannot come to God by words. They cannot come to God by their
obedience. They need a mediator. They need someone to go up to
God for them, receive His Word, and bring it to them, lest we
die. The law of God, friend, was never
intended to save or help save one sinner. Our nature is plainly revealed
in Scripture. The scripture tells us that there
is none righteous. No, not one. There's none that
understand. There's none that seek that from
God. They're all together become unprofitable. You put all of
our stuff together and it's unprofitable. And so what's the purpose of
the law? Paul says in Romans 3, the purpose of the law is
that every mouth may be stopped. That's the purpose of the law,
it shuts you up. Well, look what I, shut up! That's
what God says, I don't wanna hear what you think you've done.
You've done nothing. You have no merit to come this
way. The law is to shut us up, therefore
by the deeds of the law shall no flesh be justified in this
sight. Paul says in Galatians 3, cursed
is everyone that continue with God. This sounds pleasant. Cursed
is everyone that continue with God in all things written in
the book of the law to do this. This is why when I hear people
talk about tithing, you know what they should shut up. Why? They're trying to take one thing
from the law and trying to honor that one thing. So they may have some merit,
some good feeling about themselves. No, if you take one, you take
the whole thing. This is why we do not type. We
are not under the law. No man is justified by the law
on the side of God as evident, for the just shall live by faith.
Christ has redeemed us. This is our hope. Your hands
hang down because of sin? Because of self? Because of your
unworthiness? Do your hands hang down? We'll
lift them up. Christ was made a curse for us. Christ was made a curse for us. Christ has redeemed us from the
curse of the law by being made a curse for us. For it is written,
curse is everyone that hangeth upon a tree. See then, believer,
that we are not under the curse. This is why you should be happy.
That's not how you come to go. You do not come by Sinai. We
are not come this way, is what Paul said. Doesn't that give
you cause to rejoice? That this is not the way? we have been made free from this
curse by the offering of Jesus Christ. Why? Because he by himself
satisfied the Lord. All of that thundering and darkness
and sound of the trumpet, Christ endured for us. Christ endured Imagine that mountain on fire
and Christ's blood extinguished it forever. You're not coming
up that way. He has removed the curse. Therefore, we are free from the
law. Christ has fulfilled it. Christ has satisfied its demands
of obedience and by his obedience and satisfied its penalty by
his death. What did the law require? Perfect
obedience. Now what can the law say to a
man who has perfectly obeyed the law? What does the law have to say
to you if you're righteous? The law is not for the righteous,
but for the sinner. And you see what Christ has done.
He has made us righteous. The penalty of the law has been
forever extinguished by the blood of Christ. So let us therefore
rejoice, for Christ, Paul says, is the end of the law. For what? Righteousness. We didn't start the law. We've
honored it. We've magnified it. In Christ,
our substitute, we have magnified the law and made it honorable. You see this in, I believe it's
in Romans 8. Romans chapter 8. Look at this. What does Paul say there? There
is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus.
For walk not after the flesh but after the Spirit. For the
law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made us free
from the law of sin and death. What the law could not do when
it was weak through the flesh. Nothing wrong with the law. Something
wrong with you. Something wrong with me. Weak
through the flesh. What did God do? God sending
His own Son in the lifeless of sinful flesh and forced Him,
condemned sin in the flesh, in His flesh. He condemned sin. For what purpose? That the righteousness
of the law might be fulfilled where? In us. Well, when the law looks at you,
you know what it sees? Righteous. I don't care what you see. Isn't
that wonderful? I know what I see. Oh God, be
merciful to me, a sinner. That's what I see. But you see,
it don't matter what I see. It only matters what God sees. I like that Passover lamb. Where was the blood? On the inside
or the outside? Firstborn see? Could the firstborn
see the blood? No, it didn't matter if the firstborn
saw the blood. It only matters when God said,
when I see the blood. That's the only thing that matters.
What does God see? Oh, you that hang down, lift
up your hands. You are free from the law and
its penalty and its curse. Free from the law of happy condition.
Jesus is glad and there is remission. Cursed by the law, bruised by
the fall, but Christ hath redeemed us, what? Once for all. Once for all. Now listen, I want
you to understand this. We do not come to God by this
mountain. That's what Paul's saying here.
He's saying, look, I know you feel it. I know you feel the
burden and guilt of your sin, but know this, this is not how
you come to God. You don't come this way. And how did we come? Look back
at your text. He said, we don't come that way.
He spent a lot on the negative. He said, just want to make sure
you understand, when you hear the law being preached, I tell
you what, anyone that preaches salvation by grace and then turns
around and tries to preach law, that man should either repent
or find out that he's lost. I don't know which. That's not
for me to tell either. But I know this. We've not come this way. But
we are come, verse 22, but you are come unto Mount Sinai. Unto Mount Sinai. And this is
the second thing I want you to see, the second comfort you have
is this. Absolute access to God. Absolute access to God. Now when Paul puts his contrast,
he's contrasting these two mountains. One is full of thunders and lightnings
and darkness We go that way. We're coming
over here. Look at this mountain. Let me picture this mountain
for you. Mount Sinai. Mount Sinai. Mount Sinai was
unapproachable. But Mount Sinai, they were commanded
to come to Mount Sinai, weren't they? Remember, every male three
times a year was commanded to come to this place. Now why?
Because this was the only place that God met with men in peace. There were no lightnings at Mount
Sinai. No. There was peace. This is where God dwelt and where
God met with men. This is where the temple was
placed. Even because that was the place where the blood was
shed, the offering was made for sin, which was a figure of Christ's
offering. Go to Hebrews chapter 9. Hebrews
chapter 9, look at verse 11. Look at verse 10, but those things
which only stood in meats and drinks and divers washings and
carnal ordinances imposed on them until the time of reformation.
But Christ, being come and high priest of good things to come,
by a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands,
that is to say, not of this building, neither by the blood of goats
and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy
place, and having obtained eternal redemption for us. Look at chapter
10, verse 1. For the law, having a shadow
of good things to come, and not the very image of good things,
can never with those sacrifices they offer year after year continually
make the comers therein too perfect. Look at verse 12. But this man,
See that? The law says, that's just the
faith. All those sacrifices, all those
offerings, that place where God met with men, that place that
was peaceful, that place where there was a priest and there
was an offering and God accepted men, that was only a shadow of
Christ coming in, who by His own blood obtained eternal redemption. What did those offerings obtain? What did those blood, the blood
of bulls and the blood of goats, what did that obtain? Nothing!
It was only a picture, it was only a shadow. Christ came! And when Christ came, what happened? When He offered His body, Himself,
as a sacrifice for sin, and that His The scripture says that that
veil separated men from God, and the only person that could
go in there was a high priest. And he can't go in there without
blood. And he went in there once a year before God. But now that
his blood is shed, the veil was ripped from the top to the bottom,
making this proclamation. The way to God is open. Now, Sinai, did it sound open?
No, it was closed. There's no way to God by that
mountain, but that's not how you came. You came by the blood
of Christ. You came by His blood being sprinkled
upon your heart, and now you have access to God. This is why you shouldn't hang
your hands down and have fear. You are free from the law, every
moment of every day you have access to God. Don't take my
word for it. Go to Romans 5. Romans 5. Therefore, therefore be justified. Justified by faith. Now listen. I was justified not because of
my faith, I was justified by His faith. Now this faith is
justification I received through faith. Yes, but really it was
His faith that justified me. We have peace with God through
our Lord Jesus Christ by whom we also have access by faith
into this grace wherein we stand. and rejoice in the hope of the
glory of God. Listen, by Christ you have access. Access by faith into this grace. What grace? The grace of justification. The grace of peace with God.
You have access to God. And we stand right now in hope. We stand rejoicing now in hope
of glory. Right now you have access to
God. How often is it that we are so miserable because we do
not avail ourselves to this access? How many times do we try to fix
things Why? When we have such access
to God. Free access. You are sons of God. And He ready stands to hear your
prayers. How often do we refuse to offer
them up? Paul says this in Hebrews chapter
4, he said, let us therefore. You hold fast the profession
of your faith, but we have not a priest. He's touched with the
feelings of our infirmities. In all points he was tempted,
yet without sin, let us therefore come boldly to the throne of
grace. Not arrogantly, but instantly. Why in the world would you do that? He carried me. Me. Even me. Because he's not saving me because
of me. He's saving me because of Christ. you'll never go. How often do we wait to feel
like going? If you wait to feel better. If you tarry till you better,
you will never come at all. Cling to God. Instant. Isn't that what it says? Be instant. I don't know how to pray or what
to pray for. You don't have to. Don't your
father know what you have need of before you ask? And yet he says this, I will
be inquired. What is it but stubborn pride
that keeps us from availing ourselves to God? You have access. Why? You have come by Mount Zion. And at Mount Zion, what separates
us from God? If we've come that way, what
separates us? Nothing. The veil is gone. It's over.
This is why your hands should not hang down. This is why you
should not be afraid. You have access to God. Now the third thing is this,
I want you to see this, go back to your text. He said, you are
come to Mount Sinai. You have access to God. You have
come and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem. Listen, you have come to the
heavenly Jerusalem because you are citizens of heaven. You are citizens of that great
country. I like that picture of Jerusalem
and going up to Mount Zion. You realize that this city, this
place was set in the midst of a mountain. It was on a hill
and mountains covered Jerusalem, all the way around, covered Zion. And there was only one way in
and one way out, the gate, only one way in. How do we come to
God? There's only one way in. Jesus
Christ and Him crucified. And listen, nobody's going to
get into this city except they be citizens of it. And the scripture
here tells us, you've come to this city. You've come into this
city. Consider this now, believer,
that the country in which we live is not our own. I know that the flesh is doing
everything it can to root itself here. Isn't it? Everything. Every instinct we have is to
bear down roots where we are. I know when Cheryl was pregnant
with Andrew, she did what they call nesting. She was fluffing
the nest. This is how we spend our fleshly
lives, trying to nest ourselves in. Friends, this is not our
home. Take your mind off of the things
of this world. It is not your home. We are just
sojourners here. Everything you have, are you
going to keep it? What do you possess that you
will keep? Nothing. Its joys, its sorrows, its difficulties,
and its triumphs are fleeting. And every believer in Christ,
we should understand that our citizenship is in heaven. In Philippians chapter 3, the
Apostle is expressing this. He says, I have pressed forward
the mark of the high calling of God. in Christ Jesus. He said,
let us therefore, as many as be perfect, be thus minded. He
wanted us to have one mind, one goal, one aim as a church, as
a body. Why would we have one aim? You
know, I like that in the early church, they had all things common.
You know what? They were ready to go. Matter of fact, in the early
church, they believed Christ is coming any moment. Why should we not feel the same?
We should be encouraged to. He said we should be all of the
same mind. Four, our citizenship is in heaven. Philippians 3 verse 20. Our citizenship
is in heaven from which we also look for the Savior. And so then, to encourage us
so that our hands will not hang down and our knees will not be
afraid, let us set our affection on things above and not on the
things of the earth. Isn't this why we sorrow so much? We set our affections on fleeting
things and expect them to last. And when they don't, we suffer
loss. But if we would realize, if God
would by grace, and I understand it takes the grace of God to
let us see this. If we could actually see in heaven, surely we will rejoice more and
be less sorrowful. May God help us to do that. I'm
going to go over this fourth one and then I'm going to have
to quit. Not going to get through nine things. So Scott, we're
going to have to change the name of this. Four things and then
five more things. He said this, look at this. You
are come to Mount Sinai, the city of the living God, heavenly
Jerusalem, to an innumerable company of angels. I'm not gonna say much on this
because I know little of it. Angels. I know this, that they are ministering
spirits, the apostle says in Hebrews 1.14. They are ministering
spirits sent to minister unto them under the heirs of salvation. God has sent his angels, these
created beings, to minister to you. How many? An innumerable company. Now consider that night that
the Assyrian army was sent out there. One angel killed 185,000
men in one night. and you are among an innumerable
company of men. Remember, Elijah, the Syrian
army sent men, they were trying to attack Israel, and every time
Elijah would hear a word from the Lord, he would tell the king,
he said, don't go down there, they're waiting to ambush you.
And they set up in another place, and he'd say, And the king of Syria said, what
in the world's going on? How do they know where we're
going to be? And they said, there's a man of God telling them where
you're going to be. And so he sent his whole army
down there for one man. Killed one man. And they surrounded
that city, and his servant got up in the morning and saw all
those soldiers. And he came and said, what are
we going to do? The Lord opened his eyes to see
that there'd be more for us than there are against us. And he
opened his eyes and there were chariots, not just chariots,
flaming chariots, surrounding innumerable hosts, surrounding
them. This tells us this, that nothing
shall happen to God's people except God allow it. Nothing. You got that? Nothing happens to you except
God decreed it. I know this is hard for us. A lot of times these trials are
difficult. They have sickness and sorrows
and difficulties. We must not let our hands hang
back. Consider what God said. He said, I have designed nothing
but for your good. Nothing. All things work together
for good. To them that love God, to them
who are the call according to his purpose. That's what this
teaches as a memorial company of angels. Not that we worship
angels. Angels are our servants. You
know the most offensive thing a Christian can hear is, oh,
you know what, now he's an angel. Are you crazy? No. I'm a son. I'm a servant. Angels are servants. I'm a son. They minister to us. I pray God will bless this. I
know I've got several more that we can go over. I'll try to get
to them next time. But I pray that God will help
us with just these tonight. Know this, in this world you shall have
tribulation, you shall have suffering, but this is what we're to be
comforted with. We are free from the law. Free
from the law. We've not come by Sinai. We've
come by Mount Sinai. where the offering of Christ
was made once for all. And now, because His offering
is accepted, we have, too, access to God. When? Now. You have constant, perpetual
access to the Father to make your requests known unto God. Number three. that you have come to Mount Zion.
You are citizens of heavenly Jerusalem. Therefore, let us
set all our affection on things above where Christ sits. And
we are come to an innumerable company of angels, which shows
this, that all things, all time and providence, are in the hands
of God and is working together for your good. I pray that God
would comfort you with these things. Are your hands hanging
down? I tell you mine are. Lift them up. What does that
mean, lift them up? It means praise God. That's what
it is. It's telling you to give thanks
unto God. And these things should heal
us. These things should strengthen us, encourage us. Doesn't make
our troubles go away, but it sure does comfort us in them,
don't it? Pray that God help you. Let's
begin to say a few dismissals first. Our Father, dismiss us with your
blessing. Help us, Father, by your Spirit,
to remember that we who believe are the sons of God. And even
though it doesn't appear what we shall be, we know this, because
of Christ, we shall be like him, and we shall see him as he is. Thank you, Father, for your eternal
love, your eternal electing grace. Father, thank you for Christ's
perfect redemption. Thank you for his resurrection
and ascension. Thank you, Father, for the Spirit
that has now come into our hearts to give us faith and love for
Christ. Thank you, Father, that you did
not command us to come by the law, but by Zion. And Father,
that the offering has been made and now we have access And Father,
we do come boldly by faith in Christ and stand in the grace
that he has provided. Father, I do pray that you would
bless us, protect us, keep us, use your saints, your angels,
whatever you will, Father, to keep your people. Deliver us
from our difficulties, comfort us in our trials, and forgive
us our sins. in the name of Christ and for
the glory of Christ. Amen.