This article this morning, and
it's in the bulletin if you'd like to read along with me. It's
right underneath the announcements. And it was written by Greg Elmquist. This will be our devotional for
this morning. And he titles his article, Love
and Justice. Someone may ask, how could a
loving God send someone to hell? And the answer is this. God has
never, nor will He ever, send anyone He loves to hell. The problem with that question
is twofold. First, it assumes God loves everyone,
and that is simply not true. There is no sense in which God
loves everyone. His love is perfectly holy, eternal,
and it's immutable. He says, I am the Lord, and I
change not. Therefore ye sons of Jacob are
not consumed. You can read that in Malachi
3.6. He says, I have loved thee with
an everlasting love. That's in Jeremiah 31.3. His
love is particular for his elect. Jacob have I loved, but Esau
have I hated. That's in Romans 9.13. Most important,
His love is only found in Christ. Nor height, nor depth, nor any
other creature shall be able to separate us from the love
of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. That's in Romans 8.39.
The second problem with that question is that it ignores God's
justice. Truth is, a loving God could
never send someone to hell. But a just God will and must. He will by no means clear the
guilty as we read in Exodus 34, 7. His justice must be satisfied
and herein is love. Not that we love God, but that
He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our
sins. 1 John 4, 10. Will you bow with
me please? Lord and Savior, we praise you
and thank you for this small little glimpse, this small little understanding of what the love of God for His
people means. What a precious thing to learn
more and more of each and every day. I'm truly convinced, Father,
that this is why our brother and sister, not just Eddie and
Sarah at this time, but brother Don Fortner. It wasn't that long
ago that we saw his passing and the wonderful testimony that
he and his wife Shelby gave. So many brothers and sisters
in Christ have given this same testimony. And I could go on
for a long time listing off all the names, just to say a few. Juanita Gautina
and her husband Mike. Joyous deep. What joy, what joy
we saw and that we see in the brothers and sisters in Christ.
as the day comes. And we know, Lord, that this
joy that we see is a joy that has only come from You. The joy
of knowing the love that You have for Your people, that You
loved us so much, You laid down Your life for us. And we praise You and thank You. Lord, as I go into Your Word,
Give me the strength and the option to speak boldly, boldly
of Your love for Your people. In my Savior's name, Christ Jesus
I pray, Amen. Once again we look into the letter
that Paul wrote to the saints at Philippi, this letter of appreciation. This letter that Paul wrote in
response to what the saints at Philippi had done, they had sent
supplies, they had sent financial support, they had sent a brother
in Christ to go and tend to the needs of Paul as he was under
house arrest for preaching the gospel. You may recall that these loving
saints And Paul was responding to them
and telling them how much he loved them for their love for
Christ and that these gifts were because of their love for Christ. Paul, out of love... I lost my place, one moment.
Paul was responding to their love by expressing His love,
His love for them in our great Savior who gives us all things. You see, God's people understand
this, that all blessings, spiritual and carnal, come from and through
the Lord Jesus Christ. He gives His people everything.
All that we have is His. And if He's given us everything,
Why do we continue to boast? And I say we because I do the
same thing. Folks, this love that we just
read about in the article a moment ago in the devotional. In Romans 8.32 we
read this, he that spared not his own son. Let that sink in. God Almighty. We get this small
little inkling of what this love is because, I mean, we love our
family, right? We love our brothers and sisters.
You know, Pastor Gene tells me every day I talk to him, you
tell those people at Rescue how much I love you. He loves us. We get this very
small inkling of what that is. just that we can see a drop of
what God's mercy is to His people, because we've all sinned and
deserve His wrath. Yet He has taken our wrath for
us upon Himself. Oh, the wonder of His love for
us. He that spared not His own Son,
but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also
freely give us all things? Is that not what the Word of
Truth says? Everything. Not too long ago I made this
statement and it bears repeating. Isn't it just a blow-your-mind
thing to understand that everything that has happened before you
and I walked this earth, everything that has happened all throughout
history, is exactly so that you and I will be right here this
very day, so that John Reeves would come to this church one
day, sit in that pew right there next to you, Roger, and sit on
the edge of my chair and not even realize it. It took Shirley.
Shirley went like this. She went, bam! What you doing? What are you talking about? You're
sitting on the edge of your chair. You've been that way for an hour.
Ah! Shirley knew me well. She knew
that I had grown up going to church. And she knew that I was
the guy sitting in the back sleeping all the time. Along with my brother
and sisters. Thank the Lord that those weren't
the days when they would walk around with a little stick and
whack you on the back of the head. Of course, Dad would find
out about it later and we'd get whacked for it one way or the
other. Everything, everything in time has happened
exactly when it should so that you and I would be here this
very day. Hearing our Lord again. just as we heard last Sunday,
just as we've heard a couple of times over the week maybe,
if we've listened to a sermon or two. Everything. He laid down His
life for us. Why would He not give us all
things? These gifts provided by the Chosen
of God These chosen saints at Philippi were gifts of love.
They were of love for this One who was under great persecution
for speaking the Word of Truth, for preaching Christ in Him crucified. Do you realize that's all Paul
was doing? He was going around telling about Jesus Christ who
is God in the flesh. Jesus Christ who was born of
a virgin, perfect in every way. He was going about telling the
people God loves a people that He sent His only begotten Son so that they would be saved.
And that's exactly what He did. His name will be called Jesus
for He shall save His people. Paul was preaching the Word of
Truth. Wicked hands. persecuted and
hung our Savior on the cross, but it was by the determinate
counsel of God Almighty that it be done. By His stripes, you and I are
healed. Oh! That's such great news to this
sinner. Paul was preaching about Christ
and Him crucified and risen. Risen again. Death could not
hold Him. He's God Almighty. It was all planned out exactly
and happened exactly how He purposed it to happen. And now He sits
on His throne in Heaven, working all things out according to His
will. And Paul was thrown in prison
for that very thing. for teaching and preaching that
our Lord sits on the throne of all glory. Don't be stealing
no glory from the Lord. Don't be trying to tell the Lord
how you're helping Him by doing something. Don't be coming to
the Lord with, well, I fed the poor today. I had twelve of them. Oh wait a minute, you can count
that right. Three. And I fed him, and I told him
about a Jesus who's trying to do something, because Lord, you
know, you tried to save us, but we just won't let you. No, that's
not what Paul taught at all. He's taught that Jesus Christ
saved His people. That's a promise that you and
I can stand on with surety. It's the rock. It's the rock
that we walk through this life on. These wonderful saints in Philippi,
they loved Paul for the same reason all who know God love
each other, because Christ first loved us. In 1 Peter 3 verse
8 we read this, Finally, be ye all of one mind, having compassion
one of another, love as brethren, be pitiful, be courteous. Look with me, if you would, at
Philippians chapter 2, verses 1-5 once again. If there be therefore any consolation
in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any
fellowship of the Spirit, if any bowels and mercies, Fulfill
ye my joy, that ye be like-minded, having the same love, being of
one accord and of one mind. Let nothing be done through strife
or vain glory, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other
better than themselves. Look not every man on his own
things, but every man also on the things of others. Let this
mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus. The title for
today's message is this, This Mind Be In You. That was Philippians 2 verses
1-5. What mind is Paul and Peter speaking
of? Well, in order for us to truly
understand what these men were speaking of, we must first understand
the natural mind. You see, people come into this
world thinking that they're okay. I'm not such a bad person. I've
not killed anybody. I've thought about it, but I
haven't done it yet. You know, all it takes is to
think about a sin and you've committed it. Folks, sin is not what we do.
It's what we are. And I need to be told this over
and over and over again because it doesn't take long for John
Reeves to start thinking of himself up here when John Reeves is really,
really down there. To understand what these men
are speaking of, we must understand the natural mind. The mind that
we are all born with. The mind that we came into this
world with. The mind that we received from
the first man to ever walk this earth. Our father, Adam. The one who sinned with his eyes
wide open. And believe it or not, that's
exactly how you and I sinned. With our eyes wide open. There's no accident that I might
think a certain thought. That's the way I am. Adam sinned willingly. He chose
not to let his wife perish alone, and his choice, in a small respect,
was to give himself for the one he loved. And in that way, He
is a small picture, yes, of One who loved us and gave Himself
for us. Yet Christ, when He did the very
same thing as God in the flesh, and being such His sacrifice,
actually did save the people for Himself. Adam didn't save
anybody. There was no power in Adam. His
blood was tainted with sin from that moment on. He died spiritually. And that's exactly how all people
come into this world, dead in trespasses and sin. Sin entered
into the world and all men came into this world with sin imputed
to them from our daddy Adam. For we were born in sin, born
of the seed of Adam, corrupted, stained, polluted from head to
toe. Job is a picture of all men who walked this earth. He had leprosy, boils, disease
from the top of His head. The word I remember, somebody
preached on this once, the actual Hebrew word was from the very
point, the highest point of the head to the very lowest point
of His body was covered with boils. That's what sin is to
mankind. That's what sin is to you and
I. Because of this sin, the whole
earth and all that is in it is cursed. Dead in trespasses and
sins, spiritually dead. It's enmity to the things of
God, separated into eternity from the holiness of the Creator.
Now turn if you would to the book of John chapter 3. Mark your place there in Philippians
if you haven't done that already, because we'll come back to it
in a moment. Excuse me. We all walked in darkness with
no desire for the light. Every single one of us loved
the darkness that we walked in. Our minds could not comprehend
the light of the world. Oh, we may have heard about a
Jesus. But we had no desire for the
true Son of the Living God, the Christ of Scriptures. Everybody
comes into this world wanting some kind of a Savior. God has
placed it on our hearts to know that we have sinned against God.
That's why you have all these different religions throughout
all these different times. People have come up with all
kinds of ways that they think they can save themselves. If
I just worship the tree, or maybe if I just worship the wolf that
runs back and forth, or maybe if I just worship... how about
if I just sacrifice one of my little ones? Or how about if
I worship myself? How about if I just come down
to the front of the aisle and decide that I will follow somebody? We've all heard about the little
Jesus in the world who is trying to do something. And we were all at one time with
absolutely no desire for the Son for the true Son of the Living
God, the Christ of Scriptures. You might ask, well, what do
you mean, John? Have you ever heard anyone say, I've always
loved the Lord? I was saved when I was a little child. I was a little one when I began
to love the Lord. Folks, I'm telling you that that's
not what God's Word says at all. In fact, God's Word says something
quite different In Jeremiah 17.9 we read this, The heart is deceitful
above all things, and desperately wicked, who can know it? That's God's Word. Or how about,
let's read, how about John 8.44, Ye are of your father the devil,
and the lusts or the desires of your father ye will do. Or how about Romans 3.11, there
is none that seeketh after God. One more for that. John 6.44,
no man can come to Me except the Father which has sent Me,
draw him. In Ephesians 2.1 we read this, Writing to the Ephesians, Paul
says, and you hath he quickened, hath he given life, hath he brought
out of death. and you who were dead in trespasses
and sin, wherein times past ye walked according to the course
of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air,
the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience,
among whom also we all had our conversation, our lifestyle,
our presence in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling
the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature That's the mind that we had when
we came into this world, our natural mind. We were by nature
children of wrath, even as others. You see the picture being painted
here? This is what we were. Yet God has loved a people from
before the beginning of time, before anything was ever created.
He didn't leave everyone to that death that they were in. Do you see the mercy of God for
you and I? I never get tired of talking about
His mercy and love for me. How about you? How about you? Look at verses 19-20 of John
chapter 3. And this is the condemnation,
that light has come into the world. Now remember, the Lord
has said that I am the light and the way and the truth. And
He says that light has come into the world and men love darkness
rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For everyone
that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light,
lest his deeds should be reproved. That means that we won't come
to the Lord Jesus Christ because we would prefer a God of our
own making. We would prefer something else
as a God. We don't want one who's going
to rule over us. We lived all of our lives saying,
no, that one who rules over everything is not going to be my God. I'll
have this little God over here and I can control and manipulate
Him the way I want Him to. For everyone that doeth evil
hateth the light, neither cometh to the light lest his deeds should
be reproved." All are born dead in trespasses
and sin, spiritually dead. Lazarus laid in the darkness
of that tomb. Think about that. Wrapped in
his clothing. You know, they didn't just take
him in there and lay the body down. No, they put oil on him.
They did all that stuff. They put a wrap around him. And
the Lord God Almighty in the flesh said, Lazarus, come forth. Did he sit up and think about
it for a minute or two? No. No. And neither does any of God's
people. We may not understand it. We
may not understand the true calling of God Almighty to us. But His call is effectual, and
it's irresistible. He makes us willing in the day
of His love. We do come willingly, but it's
only because He's made us willing. Oh, the wonders in love. I'll
have that one, and that one will not get away. This one is mine. The blood I shed on the cross
is for that one right there, and nothing can take him out
of my Father's hand." Lazarus was dead. He was so dead
he began to stink. There was no life in him. And
that's a picture of our minds that we come into this world
with. The very mind that we are all born with. How do I get? Pastor, I want
this mind. I want to know the love that you
know. How can I get this mind? How
can this mind be in me as it is in you? Turn over to Romans
chapter 10. Romans chapter 10. Speaking about
these verses with our brother Daryl. Daryl is going to have a moment
to speak in a eulogy for a friend of the family who has passed
on. I ask for your prayers for Daryl as he stands before those
folks. We've looked at some verses, and this was one of those verses.
What do you tell somebody who's been going to church for years, thinking that they're saved?
Thinking that I've been following Christ for a long time. How can
you tell me I'm not saved? What do you tell somebody when
they've heard about a different Jesus? You tell them that they're saved
through the preaching of Christ and Him crucified. The exact
same way you and I were saved. We were brought to know the Lord
through the preaching of His Word. How can this mind that
I've been speaking about this mind of knowing who the Lord
Jesus Christ is. How can I know this mind? Through
the preaching of his word. Look at verses 11 through 15
with me. For the scripture saith, whosoever
believeth on him shall not be ashamed, for there is no difference
between the Jew and the Greek. For the same Lord over all is
rich unto all that call upon Him. For whosoever shall call upon
the name of the Lord shall be saved. How then shall they call
on Him in whom they have not believed? If you're not hearing about the Lord who
works all things out according to His word, according to His
counsel, Well, how are you going to believe in him? Mike's got... I don't mean to give away what
you've already got, Mike. I know it's going to go out here
soon. He's got, you know, he's got these little panels called
Free Willer that he puts a message, short little simple messages,
something to hopefully point us to the gospel. And his latest
one just nails it. just nails it. If your God is trying, your preacher is lying. Isn't
that good? If the man standing before you
is talking about somebody who's trying to do something, they're
not talking about God. They're not talking about the
true and living God. Jesus Christ my Savior. How are you going to call on
Him in whom you have not believed? How shall they believe in Him
of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without
a preacher? How shall they preach except
they be sent? Back in our text in Philippians chapter 2. Paul, a preacher of the true
and living God, he prays for these dear saints, and his prayer
is this, may this mind be in you. What mind? The mind that Christ is God Almighty
in the flesh. Look at verses 6 and 7. Who being
in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with
God. God Almighty became flesh. The
Word was manifest in the flesh. He was born of a virgin, not
of that seed of Adam, but of the seed of the Spirit, perfect
and holy in every way. Why is that important? Because
the sacrifice that went to that cross must be perfect. He who knew no sin must have
been made sin so that you and I could be made righteous. If
we're not righteous, we can't be in the presence of God Almighty.
He is so holy, so holy, we cannot be in His presence with one inkling
of sin. But yet all of our sins, all
of the sins of God's chosen elect were laid upon Him. He thought it not robbery to
be equal to God, but made himself of no reputation, and took upon
Him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men."
Paul preached this. Christ Jesus is God in the flesh. He preached that Christ paid
the price for sin for His chosen people. Look at verses 8. and being found in a fashion
as a man. You see, the Lord had to be flesh
in order to die. The Spirit of God could not die. He had to become flesh so that
He could go to that cross and be killed. To be hung on that
cross. Some people say, well, you know,
God just had to think about it in the past and that should have
been all there was. No, no, no. The justice of God
had to be met. Sin had to be paid for. He, our Lord and Savior, was
made a curse. The very curse that you and I
deserve. The very curse that you and I
have earned. He bore our sins in His own body. He who knew no sin. He who walked
perfectly. He who did everything to satisfy
the Father. Oh, Paul, priest, Christ and
Him crucified. But that's not where it stopped.
No, Paul continued on with his message. Christ arose. Death
could not hold Him. Look at verses 9 of the same
chapter 2. Wherefore God also hath highly
exalted Him, and given Him a name that is above every name, that
at the name of Jesus every knee should bow of the things in heaven
and the things of the earth. He sits on His throne this very
day, working all things out according to His will. This one is mine.
That one is mine. He goes through. He will not
return until every single one of His chosen children have come
to Him. There will be no empty seats
in heaven. You see, if our Lord could lose
just one, could you truly call Him God? No, that would be that
same weak thing that other people are talking about. If you'll
just come to the front of the aisle and accept Him in your
heart. If you'll pray this little prayer, or if you'll get in this tub
of water and be baptized, or if you'll come to the table,
if you'll do this or if you'll do that. No. If God could lose one, He would
not be called God. Paul was preaching that all the
glory, and you see this is what the churches of today are stealing
from our Lord. By saying that it is something
you have done, You're stealing the glory from the Lord Jesus
Christ. The Jews of that day, they hated
that. What do you mean? How dare you
say that? Look at all the stuff I do. I
go out into the marketplace and I show everybody how pompous
I am by praying aloud so they can hear what great prayers I
have. I wear the clothes of all the... I've got the blood from
the sacrifices all over me. How can you say my works are
not good? There's only one blood, folks,
that ever paid the price of anything, and that's the blood of our Savior,
the Lord Jesus Christ. Paul preached that all the glory
belongs to God. Again, look at verse 10. That at the name
of Jesus, every knee should bow, of things in heaven and things
in earth, and things under the earth, and that every tongue
should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the
Father. I love giving Him all the glory. I try once in a while. I try
once in a while to take some for myself. Don't tell me you
don't. We all do. Aren't you thankful
that he lets us stub our toes sometimes? You're walking through
the dark, you're loving that dark, and you forget that there's
a chair right out in the middle of the walkway there, and you
stub your toe, and ah! Ah! That hurts. Can you tell I've experienced
that? That's the way That's the way our Lord teaches us sometimes.
Lets us stub our toes. He'll never let us fall. He'll never let us go back to
that pit He took us out of. But, we will stub our toes once
in a while. And that's because then we'll
turn the light on. Then we'll turn Jesus on. And we see everything
around us is the truth. The truth in our Savior, Lord.
There is only one way to have this mind in you, folks, and
that is through the new birth. Through the grace of our great
God. Turn once again to the third
chapter of John. And while you're turning there,
allow me to A quote from 1 Peter 1.23 where we read, being born
again, not of corruptible seed. See, that's the seed that we
were born with in the beginning, the seed of Adam. But of incorruptible. By the Word of God, which liveth
and abideth forever. Are you with me back in John
chapter 3? Look at verses 1-8. There was a man of the Pharisees
named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. Here's one of those pompous
guys, right here, look at how good I am. You don't think so? Well, look at this, he's saying,
came to Jesus by night. He didn't want all those other
people to see that he was going to Christ. But yet the Lord was
moving in his heart, just as He does all of His people. And
said unto him, Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come
from God, for no man can do these miracles that thou dost accept
God be with him. And Jesus answered and said unto
him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again,
he cannot see the kingdom of God." You cannot see. You cannot
perceive. You can read God's Word all you
want, but unless the Lord Jesus Christ gives you a new heart,
that's why now, and don't tell me you don't know this. You know
this just as well as I do. How often do we look at Scriptures
and we say, that is just so plain. Why can't somebody understand
that? Don't we? We do it on Friday night, didn't
we? Yeah. Why is it my brother won't understand
that? Why is it my sister won't understand
that? Because God has not done a work in their heart yet. Grace. Grace. You must be born again to perceive
the Kingdom of Heaven. Nicodemus said unto him, How
can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter in the second
time to his mother's womb and be born? Can you imagine trying
to say that to somebody? Is that what you're talking about?
How can you do that? Really? See, he's not understanding
at all. And our Lord just lays it out
plain as can be. Verily, verily, I say unto thee,
except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, He cannot
enter into the Kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh
is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Marvel
not that I said unto thee, ye must be born again. The wind
bloweth where it listeth." Whew! Aren't you glad the wind was
blowing your day one day, Polly? Our Lord caused that breeze to
come right through and took you out of that darkness you walked
in, and now you walk in the light of Jesus Christ. Right, Cheryl? There we go. The wind bloweth
where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst
not tell whence it cometh and whither it goeth. So is every
one that is born of the Spirit. Man, it just gets better by the
second, doesn't it? Oh, how I pray that this mind
be in you. What mind? The mind of who Christ
is. this mind of what Christ has
done, this mind of where Christ is right now, and that it's a gift from God,
knowing by His grace we are saved from the wrath to come. In Romans
9, 16 we read this, so it is not of him that willeth, nor
of him that runneth, but of God that showeth mercy. In Ephesians
2 verses 4-9 we read this, But God, who is rich in mercy for
His great love wherewith He loved us, even when we were dead in
sins, hath quickened us, hath given us life, together with
Christ by grace are ye saved. 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 towards us through Christ Jesus. For by grace are ye saved through
faith, and that not of yourselves, it is a gift of God, not of works,
lest any man should boast, folks, as a preacher, of the true and
living God, Christ Jesus the Lord, in all of glory, it is
my prayer that you have this same mind in you. Salvation is of the Lord. Our works do nothing. Our decisions
do nothing. Paul did all kinds of works and
he thought it all to be done when the Lord opened his eyes
to the truth. But God. But God, as we read
in 2 Corinthians 4-6, for God who commanded the light. Who is the light? Our Lord and
Savior Jesus Christ. But God who commanded the light
to shine out of darkness has shined in our hearts to give
the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face
of Jesus Christ. I pray that that is in your mind. But that is the thing that is
in your mind. What is the mind of the true
child of God? That we rest in Him. We stop
trying to earn our way to heaven and we rest in His works. Grace. Grace. God's grace. Grace that
will pardon and cleanse within. Grace. Grace. God's grace that
is greater than all my sin. Where is your mind this day? Is it in your good works? Is
it in your decision? If so, then turn from that and
rest in Him. What is it our Lord said when
He hung on that cross before He gave up the ghost? He said,
it is finished. Is that not good news? to a hell-deserving
sinner. Rest in Him, and if we do, we
can take confidence in this, Philippians 1, verse 6, once
again, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform
it until the day of Jesus Christ. Amen.