All right, now open your Bibles
with me to 2 Timothy, chapter 1. 2 Timothy. Chapter 1. 2 Timothy 1, verse 12, is what
we just sang. Oh, the apostle says in verse
12, I know, for I know whom I have
believed. and am persuaded that he is able
to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day. I know whom I have believed,
or trusted, and am persuaded that he is able." The Apostle
Paul had just He was writing to a
young preacher named Timothy. He was writing to us as well.
He was telling this young fellow named Timothy to preach the Word
without fear. Do not be ashamed of the testimony
of our Lord, but be a partaker of the afflictions of the gospel.
Verse 8, that's where he says that. Be a partaker. Don't be ashamed of the testimony
or the gospel. Be a partaker of the afflictions
that come. with preaching this gospel. And then in verse nine, he sums
up this gospel. Verse nine, he tells us what
this gospel is, which God uses to save. It is God who hath saved
us and called us with an holy or a heavenly or sovereign calling,
not according to our works, that is, not because of some foreseen
thing in us, some goodness, some merit, some worth, something
deserving of His mercy or grace? No. Not according to our works,
but God has saved us and called us according to His own purpose,
because He decided to do so. For the purpose of glorifying
Himself, for the purpose of glorifying His Son, for the purpose of showing
us His glory and grace. It's all according to His purpose,
God's purpose and grace. God saves by grace. By grace are you saved, not works,
but by grace. That means it's all a gift from
start to finish. It's all a gift from repentance
to faith Salvation itself is by God's grace from beginning
to end. And all of this, he said in verse
9, was predetermined or preordained, or as he said in Ephesians 1,
is all done and decided, a done deal, as a country fellow might
say. It's all a done deal in Christ. It's all decided in Jesus Christ
before the world began. All the people God chose, all
he loved, all he determined to save, their names were written
in the Lamb's Book of Life and given to the Son to come down
and redeem, and he did just that. He saved them. He came and saved
them. Now, he warned young Timothy. The apostle warns young Timothy
here in this letter. He says there will be consequences
of preaching this, that men would persecute him
as they did the apostle Paul, that he would be afflicted for
preaching this message, for merely telling the truth of who God
is and how he saves sin. But it's just as our Lord said. You'll be hated of all men for
my name's sake." But he said, Don't be afraid, young Timothy.
It's God's word. It's God's power. It's God's
salvation. He'll honor the faithful preaching
of the gospel. And then he encourages young
Timothy by saying this. He said, Now, I am in chain. Now, this epistle
was written from prison. And as I said before, this was
no modern-day country club like some of our prisons are. This
was a dungeon. This was a prison. This was a
bad place to be, but none of the creature comforts. But if
Paul is writing this young man and encouraging him, he's comforting
Timothy. And Paul's the one that's in
seemingly dire straits. Paul's the one that's seemingly
in a bad predicament. But Paul says, I'm in bonds,
I'm in chains, I'm in prison for preaching the gospel. He
said, verse 11, I was appointed a preacher. I'm not ashamed of
that. He said, don't you be ashamed of it either. This is a good
passage for me to read. I need this. Paul says, it's
my calling, or that is, it's what God has called me to do.
to be a preacher, verse 12. And he says, "...for this cause,"
that is, for preaching the gospel, for the cause of Christ, for
the truth's sake. See, I've become some people's
enemy for merely telling the truth. But I've become the best
friend of some people for telling the truth. But for the preaching
of the Word of God, for boldly declaring what God is already
saying, for just repeating what God is saying, And you know,
all of the prophets could have written this letter, couldn't
they? All the apostles could have written this letter for
merely repeating what God is saying, for merely telling what
God told me to say, for telling the truth, for dogmatically saying
that God's God, and cannot he do with his own what he will?
Yes. He elects a people, and they
are redeemed by the Son, the Son only. and they are sanctified
by the Spirit. This thing is all of God, the
salvations of the Lord, a hundred percent, free, unmerited, unearned,
unsought grace, the gift of God. He says, for this cause, verse
twelve, for the which cause? For the cause of Christ, the
cause of God and truth. John Gill has a book entitled
that, For the Cause of God and Truth. I like that. For the witch
cause, he says, I suffer these things nevertheless. Nevertheless, it makes no matter,
is what he's saying. Imprisonment, torture, stripes,
humiliation, slander, mockings, degradation, just what our Lord
said would happen. You shall suffer persecution. Nevertheless, that's okay. That's
all right. I'd do it again because I know
whom I have believed." You see, that's the context of
when Paul said that. That's the context of when he
said that. He said, it doesn't matter. I know whom I have believed. I know whom I have believed.
And you can't convince me that he's otherwise. That's what Paul
is saying. I know whom I am. I know God.
He is God. Do you know that? We contend
here. And we insist on preaching here. What else is there? Huh? We insist
on worshiping a God and declaring and setting forth in no uncertain
term, unapologetically, unabashedly, unashamedly, dogmatically, leaving
no room for compromise, that God is God in every way. He is God from beginning to end. He is absolute ruler, controller
over all things, down to the very will and mind of men, down
to the dust of As a particle of dust and a ray of sunshine,
he determines where it will fall. And he did it before the world
began. We know whom we have believed
on. And I've said this so many times, for the life of me, I
can't understand why anybody would want to believe the God
that's being preached today. Why anybody would trust, you
know, faith. Belief is another word for trust. How could you trust this God
today? How could you, Henry? What's
there to trust about it? He's not able to save you. He's not able to keep you from
falling. Is it? The blood of Jesus Christ, God's
Son, is not able to save you? According to man today, what's
there to trust in this God? They don't know whom they believe.
Our Lord said to that woman, you don't know what you believe,
do you? And then he said, you know, you remember when Christ
said to that woman at the well, he said, we know what we believe. Salvation is of the Jew. You
know why he said that? What he's saying is, our God
elects people. That's what that means. God has
chosen people. God's God and he chooses people.
He says, I'm going to save these people. They're saved. I know
whom I have believed. I know whom I have believed.
That would be a good question to ask people, wouldn't it? Who
do you believe? Well, tell me about your God.
Is your God able to save you? Yeah, He will if we let Him.
No, that's not what I asked you. I didn't ask you. I said, is
God able to save you? Well, if, then He's not, is He? You ask a believer. Tell me about
your God. Is your God able to say, yes,
He's able and He does? He does. I know whom I have believed,
Paul said. I know and I'm persuaded He's
able. That's faith. That's faith. That's faith. He's able to keep
that which I have committed unto Him against that day. Look over
at Hebrews chapter 11. Hebrews 11. Salvation, salvation
is knowing God, not knowing doctrine. And I do not make light of doctrine. You know
how I love the doctrine of Christ. You know how I love, I love to
declare these doctrines. I love to hear men declare them.
I believe wholeheartedly these Blessed doctrines we call the
doctrines of grace. But all these things are. These
aren't the the. This is not the theology of a
man. Made up theology of a man named John Calvin. This is just
the way God is. And how God saved. God's sovereign. God elects. Christ's blood saves. The Holy Spirit is irresistible.
The people of God whom He determines, they'll persevere. That's just
God. All that's true because God is,
you see. Right? All that's true because
God is. I know whom and I know what. I do know what. I know what. I know what because I know a
whom. You see, your what is determined by your whom. Right? I know whom I have believed."
And only knowing a whom, people, will enable you to get through
some of the things that you're going to have to go through.
Not knowing a what, but a whom. Now, we're encompassed about
with a great cloud of witnesses, the Scripture says. God Almighty has recorded how
that men and women have suffered and endured terrible consequences
for believing just what I just said, just what we just read.
Men and women. And that's what this whole book
of Hebrews 11 is about. Men and women suffering the consequences
for believing what we just said. About who? And you see, these
people had to know of whom. They had to know whom they believed,
and they had to be persuaded beyond a shadow of a doubt. Beyond
a shadow. Look at some of them. Look at
verse 7. By faith. Now, as I said, faith is merely
believing God. Not believing in God. Right,
Nancy? The devil's believers of God.
That's not faith. The devils know there's a God.
The demons in hell know there's a God. You believe in one God,
you do well. There is one. Everybody, most everybody except
Hindus, would say there's one God. They say there's one million. But most everybody say there's
one God. Well, you do well. There is one
God. You do well. Devils believe that
and tremble. Faith is believing God. That means believing what he
has said, all he's said about himself. What has God said? He
said it right here. Believing what he has said, believing
who he is, what he's done, who his son is, what he has done,
and that he is able. He alone is able. And look at
verse 7. My faith, or Noah believing God,
being warned of God of things not seen, is yet moved with fear,
prepared an ark to save him from his house. What things not seen? What had Noah not seen after
this point being warned of? What had he not seen? What had
Noah not seen or anybody else seen up to that point? Rain! God said, I'm going to open the
windows of heaven and cause a deluge of water to come down. I'm going
to flood this earth, build a boat, get in it, and I'll batten down
the hatches and you'll be safe. build a boat on dry land, water
is going to pour out of the sky and going to destroy the earth. Now the world, 120 years Noah
was doing that, building a boat on dry land, preparing for water
to fall out of the sky, and men had never seen a drop come down. Roberta, not one drop had rained
up to this point. How could he have done that? He believed God. He believed
God, and he did it. He did it. They said, Noah, can
you imagine how he was maligned and ridiculed? And for 120 years,
people, we live maybe 70 years and And 40, 50, 20, 30, 40 of that we live as believers
and we go through just a little bit of persecution for 120 years.
Noah heard nothing but people making fun of him. Right? He was a fool for this
art's sake. What's Noah doing? He was probably
the butt of every joke. Oh no, where's Noah building
that boat? He's building that boat. Why,
Noah? God said to him. When's it going
to rain? I don't know. But God said it. He can't lie. It's going to happen. And you better get in the ark,
because the rains are coming. Prove it. I can't, but it's so.
Look at verse 8. By faith, Abraham, when he was
called to go out into a place which he should after receive
for an inheritance, obeyed and went out, not knowing whither
he went. He didn't know where he was going.
Abraham was seventy-five years old, had a job, a wife, a family,
job security. He had some seniority by this
time, Stan. He was in management by this time. He wasn't on the
assembly line. He was in management. He was
settled down, had houses and land, he had prestige and up,
and one day I said, Magdalene, where are you going? He said,
I don't know. I'm going to the promised land,
that's where I'm going. Where is that? I don't know. Who told
you? God did. He didn't know where he was going.
Knowing not whither he went, but he know whom it was that
said it. Go. Abraham, go. I don't know. I don't know where
I'm going, but I do know who said to go. I do know who I'm
going with. And I ain't leading this thing.
I'm not the pilot. I ain't even the co-pilot. Look
at verses 24 and 25. Verse 24 and 25, By faith Moses,
when he was come to Now, this man was adopted as
Pharaoh's son. He refused when it had come to
years when it was time for Moses to be heir to the throne of Egypt. Now, you're talking about a temptation.
You're talking about a temptation there. To be offered. It's to
be like John. It's to be like winning the lottery.
It sure would. It'd be like the fellow said,
here, here's ten million dollars. Live in luxury and ease or else
go with those Hebrew slaves. What'll it be? That's exactly what this man
was tempted with. All the riches of the richest
place, the kingdom, richest kingdom on our prosperity, fame and fortune. If riches is not enough, fame
would be tough, fortune. He renounced it all. It says,
verse 24 and 25, he refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's
daughter, choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people
of God. He'd rather be a bond slave to
enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season. He renounced it all.
And they asked him, they said, why, Moses, why? Well, Moses said in verse 26,
he says he saw Egypt and it looked pretty. It looked real fine. All that glitter. All that glamour
and glitz and glitter. It looked fine. But then he said,
then I saw him. Then I saw Christ. And he said
he esteemed the reproach for Christ. Or to be a disciple of
Christ, greater riches than the treasures in Egypt. He had respect
and the recompense of that reward. He heard that God was his reward.
Now back to 2 Timothy 1. 2 Timothy 1. Moses said, I saw him. I saw
Egypt and then I saw him. And then there wasn't any decision
to be made. No decision. Back to 2 Timothy
1. And this is the same testimony
of every believer. I believe God is God. I believe
Christ is my only hope. And I don't need much, really,
but I do need Him. And so I'm committing everything
to Him, lock, stock, and barrel. I'm casting all my care upon
Him. That's what Paul said. all that
I've committed unto him." He said, I'm persuaded he's able
to keep that which I've committed unto him. What has the believer
committed unto Christ? Well, I tell you, the first thing
I need to commit to him is my sin. I need done with it, don't
you? My sin is ever before me. I need to cast that on him. I
need to lay my hands on the head of my scapegoat, for him to bear
it for me. And the scripture said he did.
He's able. That scapegoat was led out, John,
into the wilderness by a fit, that word means able man. A man
is able to walk all the way out in the desert and deposit that
goat and come back without it. To lose that goat in the wilderness. And I cast all my care, my sins
upon him. I cast all my needs upon him. I cast all my future on him,
my home. If the truth be known, I'm not as strong as my daughter
thinks I am. I'm not as able. I'm not as fearless
as I try to make myself out to be. They like to wear the modern
slogan of our youth today is, no fear. That's typical. That's what Romans 3, 18 says,
no fear of God before they're out. That may be the last slogan. No fear. Well, I fear God. My fears are that I can't keep
my family. I can't keep my home, my job. I'm not—my job—well, my job here
is not dependent on the good graces of you people, because
you might get put out with me. People have gotten put out with
a whole lot better men than me, and cast them out. You look down
through the years of preachers that people have gotten mad at
and said, and left and split and this and that and the others.
Hec-lickety split. Well, I'm depending on this God
to keep my job, my family, my life, my heart, my mind, my soul,
my all. My all. I cast all my care upon
Him. That which I've committed unto
Him and I'm persuaded He's able. He's able. He's able to do whatever
He says. He's able. He said, He said,
trust me, believe me, follow me, and I'll give you eternal
life. He said, cast all your care upon
me. I care for you. OK. He said that he is faithful. Confess your sins unto him. He's
faithful and he's just to forgive us all. OK. Here it goes. This is what it means to come
to Christ. To cast it all upon Him. To commit to Him. He says,
I'll give unto you eternally. He said, Him that cometh to me,
I will no wise cast out. Here I come, Lord. Here I come. You ever play that? When your
child was real, real young, you set them up on a table and said,
jump to me. I'll catch you. Jump. Come. Come on. Come on.
Come to Daddy. And they're a little bit fearful
and all, According to their trust in their daddy's strength, they'll
jump. What if he's not? Daddy says
jump. So they jump. Is he able to catch
me? He caught me. He didn't let me
fall. And Christ says, Come unto me,
I will give you eternal life. I'll keep you. I'll receive you
unto myself that where I am there you may be also. Faith. Faith. Listen to me. And I'm not going
to be much longer at all. Much longer. And if I can just
drive this point home, this will be good. You'll get something
out of this message. Faith. Well, turn over to Romans 4.
Let's just see it for ourselves. All right? Romans 4. And let's
look at what God's definition of faith. All right? for Abraham
is called the father of the faithful. Well, what did Abraham believe?
I already told you. It wasn't a what. He didn't know
much what. When he left, he didn't know
much what. What do you believe, Abraham? I don't know. Who do
you believe? Oh, that I know. Right? But what do you believe about
him? I ask you that. What do you believe about him?
God. What sayeth the Scripture, verse 3, Romans 4, 3? It says,
Abraham, verse 2, was Abraham justified by works? If he was,
he'd get in glory, but not before God. Verse 3, what sayeth the
Scripture? Abraham believed God, and it
was counted unto him for righteousness. In other words, God counted him
righteous. For what? Believing God. What
did he believe about God? Verse 21, he was fully persuaded
that what God said, God was able to do. That sounds simple enough. Well, it is. That's faith. That's
it. That's it. Faith is, listen to
me, faith is trusting, believing a person. The person of Jesus
Christ. He's God. Jesus Christ is God. Didn't he say that to his disciples
over in John? He said, you believe God? Believe
in me. I am God. I am that I am. I've said everything I've said,
all that I've spoken. I've not spoken of myself. Read
it for yourself. I've just repeated what I already
said. They said, Who are you? He said, I've said it before.
You don't believe? You're not my sheep. My sheep
hear my voice and they follow me. They know me and follow me. I know them. Abraham rejoiced
to see my day and he followed me. Abraham, believe me, Christ
said. Abraham, believe me. And Abraham
said to Thomas and the boy, be not faithless, but believe. I'm God. Beside me, there's none
else. Believe me. Believest thou that
I'm in the Father and the Father in me? Or else believe for the
work's sake. I'm God. And if we don't believe
Christ is God, we have no faith. Faith is trusting, believing
a person, and that person is Jesus Christ, and believing what
He did, what He does, and what He shall do for you, period. And that will save your eternal
soul. You have not my word, but God's
word on it. Faith is believing a person,
Jesus Christ. And what he said, and what he
did, and what he does, and what he shall do for you. For you. Faith is believing his
person, his ability. His ability. Do you remember
Brother Nybert's illustration of giving the money to someone
to deposit for you in the bank? That was a good illustration.
An excellent illustration. You'll not hear a bad one. Maybe
you didn't hear it. I'll tell it again. He said,
if I had X amount of dollars, if I had a hundred dollars, if
I had a lard in our souls, life is precious and it's worth
a lot. We're not redeemed with corruptible
things such as silver and gold. What is the worth of soul? Well,
what did God spend to buy it? inestimable worth, the worth
of it. So, all right, if I have a billion
dollars, all my earthly possessions, their ability to take that money
and deposit it in the bank, and I can't just entrust that to
anybody, can I? Huh? I must be persuaded that
that person is able and they'll get the job done." And then he
said, after, you know, once the money is committed, then it's
out of your hands, isn't it? Whether or not that money gets
to the bank is not dependent upon your faith at all, is it? What decides whether or not that
money is going to get in the bank? Rather, who? Who decides? Whether or not that money gets
to the bank. Huh? It's the one that takes
it. All right? Paul said, I am persuaded
that he is able to keep that which I've committed. All right?
He says, come unto me. Come unto man. This is what coming
or committing to Christ is. It's taking our life, our souls,
our family, our everything, and committing it to him. And that's
the goodness of God. That's the gift of God, to enable
a man and a woman to do that, to come to him. That's merely
faith is what that is. And casting all our cares upon
him, sin, life, everything, lock, stock, and barrel. Casting it
on him. He said, now here, take this.
This is my soul. Save it. Will it be saved? Well, I don't know. I just don't
see it. But it's out of your hands. Whose hands is it in? Whether or not you're saved is
not dependent upon your ability. It's really not dependent on
how much you believe in Him either. It's dependent on His ability. Right? All your hope depends... Now, am I getting this wrong? All of your hope of salvation
is dependent upon this one named Jesus Christ's ability to get
the job done. Isn't it? That's it. Nothing
else. Nothing more. And he says, come
unto me, all you labor and heavy laden, and I'll give you rest.
He says he is able. He is able to keep that which
I've committed by God's grace unto him against that day. Listen to me. I'm not able. The Scripture says he is able
to build you up. I'm not able to do anything with
myself. I haven't grown an inch. Which
of you, by willing it, can add one cubit to your stature, one
hair to your head? Can't be done. He is able, Scripture
says, to build you up. to build you up. He is able,
the Scripture says, listen to all these, He's able. He's able
to make you stand. He is able, the Scripture says,
to make a way to escape that you may be able to bear it. You
may be able to bear it. I'm not able to do anything. I'm not able to, you know, He
tells us to use the means of grace, and I wish I could, my
graces, so to speak, were increased, you know. Scripture says he is
able to make all grace abound toward you. I can't subdue one
sin. About the time I think I have
one sin conquered, it will rear its ugly head stronger than ever
before. Right? I cannot subdue one sin. The Scripture says he's able
to subdue all things unto himself. The Scripture says he is able,
in that he was tempted, he is able to succor them that are
tempted. The Scripture says he's able
to save to the uttermost them that come unto God by him. Listen to this. The Scripture
says he is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we
even ask for. according to the power that worketh
in us. I can't keep myself one day. I cannot keep myself from falling. Scripture says he is able to
keep us from falling. I cannot keep one jot or tittle
of God's holy law. He can and he did. He is able
to present us faultless before the presence of his glory with
exceeding joy. You see, faith is just dependent
on his ability, his ability. And Paul said, To keep that which
I have committed unto him against that day. What day is that? What
day is that? Well, it's Judgment Day. It's
the day of Christ's coming. It's the day of reckoning, whatever
you want to call it, day of reckoning, day of judgment. It's that day,
that great day, that fearful, dreadful day, the Scripture calls
it by many adjectives, a great and coming day of the Lord, the
last day. It's that day. And when Christ
comes, I need not fear. Why? Because I have kept myself,
because I have prayed through, because I have nothing. Because He was able to keep that. Well, one last thing, all right? Now, it's not enough. It's not
enough for us to say that he's merely able to do all this, is
it? You've probably had some questions
running through some of your minds. Well, I know he's able
to do this and do that. I know he's able. The Jews say at Lazarus' tomb,
cannot, could not this man who opened the eyes of one born blind,
could he not, is he not able to raise even now this one, call
upon his God and raise this one from the dead? God is able to do many things,
right? He's able. Christ is able. It's
not enough for him to be merely able to do all this. He had the
story in Ruth of a redeemer. A kinsman redeemer. OK? A kinsman redeemer. One who redeems
the one who's lost. Who's lost all their earthly
good. A kinsman redeemer. Now there are three things that
are required of a person to be a kinsman redeemer. Three things. Three requirements of a man. to be called a redeemer. All
right? Number one, he has to have the
right to redeem. In other words, he has to be
related to the one he's going to redeem. He has to be related. He has to be a near kinsman. Well, the Scripture says that
he himself took our flesh. He was made flesh, made in the
likeness of sinful flesh, made under the law, born of a woman,
made under the law, the Scriptures say. Let me find that. For as
much then as the children, God's children, are partakers of flesh
and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same, that through
death He might destroy him that had the power of death, that
is, the devil, and deliver." All right? Christ is our Redeemer
because he became a man. He has the right to redeem. He
was made flesh and dwelled among us. All right? A Kensington Redeemer
has to have the ability. Oh, Boaz, when they asked Boaz,
will you redeem Naomi? Wait a minute. Ruth, will you redeem Ruth?"
Now, wait a minute. Before you answer that, you've
got to redeem Naomi, too. And you can't just buy a part
of it. You've got to take it all. You've got to buy it all. You've got to buy back everything
they've lost. It's a steep price. Are you able
to do it? Boaz, are you rich enough? Are
you powerful enough? Do you have the means wherewithal? Do you have the wherewithal to
do it, Boaz? Boy, I said, don't worry about
it. I'm able. I'm exceedingly able
and rich to buy these and many more. He's the rich man. Christ is able. Oh, the exceeding
riches, the unsearchable riches of Christ. He's able. All right,
here's the question we need to have. The kinsman redeemer. He has to have a right. That's
the reason Christ was made a man. All right? That gives him the
right to save his brethren, the children of God. He's a man.
Number two, he has to have the ability. Is Christ able? Is he able to do this? Oh, he's
able to save. He has the riches. He has the
knowledge. By his knowledge shall my righteous
servant justify me. By his precious blood, he has
the price that needs to be paid. Here's the question. Is he willing? is he willing? You know, the kinsman redeemer
didn't have to say. Didn't have to say if they'd
asked Boaz, would you say, are you a kinsman redeemer? Yes.
Do you have the ability? Yes. Will you say these? No. But, but, but, no. I'm not willing. But Boaz, you
see, was a kind man, wasn't he? He was a merciful man. He was
a gracious man. Is Christ willing? Is He willing? Is God willing? God willing. Is He willing? Listen to this.
This is the will, Christ said. This is the will of my Father. I came down from heaven not to
do mine own will, but the will of Him that sent me. And this
is the Father's will which hath sent me. And I'll remind you,
He said, He said, What I have purposed, I'll do it. What God
hath willed, God will do. And this is the Father's will,
he said, which hath sent me. And the answer is right there.
Is God willing to save? Well, that's why Christ came. He wouldn't have come if He wasn't.
This is the Father's will which hath sent me, that of all which
he hath given me, I should lose nothing, but raise it up again
at the last hour. No one. This is the will of Him
that sent me, that everyone—it's like Him saying, Verily, verily,
I say unto you, This is God's will, that everyone that seeth
the sun, and believeth on him." Have you seen the sun? Do you
believe Him? Have you seen the sun, John?
The light? creation, S-O-N, and believeth
on him. Do you believe on him? Huh? This
is God's will. Now, he has the right, he has
the ability. Is he willing? Is it God's will
for me to be saved? Everyone that seeth the Son and
believeth on him would have everlasting life. And I will raise him up
at the last day. And you can turn to this 2 Peter.
You're already there. You are almost there. 2 Peter—turn
over there real quickly, and this has been so misconstrued. 2 Peter chapter 3, 2 Peter 3,
he says in verse 8, Beloved—he got it. If you don't have it,
listen. Beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing for your comfort,
for your consolation, for your own peace of mind. Peace of heart
and assurance. Beloved, don't be ignorant of
this one thing. One thing. Be not ignorant of this one thing.
One day is with the Lord as a thousand years, a thousand years is a
day. In other words, time is of no essence to God. God's doing
what He set out to do. He's not slack, verse 9, concerning
His promise. What's His promise? We read about
it this morning to Jacob, didn't we? I'm with thee. I'll keep you. Trust me, I've
called you. I've chosen you. I've foreloved
you. I've sent the Spirit to preach
the gospel to you. I've blessed you with all that.
I've put you in a place where my name is declared there. And
God is not slack concerning His promise, as some men count slackness. In other words, if a man doesn't
do what he says in just a few days, he didn't mean it. It's all being fulfilled, but
God is longsuffering to usward. And here it is, not willing that
any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. Not
willing that who should perish? Any of us. He's longsuffering
to usward. He's not willing that any of
us should perish. Who's the us, beloved strangers? We just read that, didn't we,
in the first Peter? Elect, according to the foreknowledge
of God. Called to be saints. Strangers. Strangers through sanctification
of spirit. Belief of the truth. God is not
willing. God is able. Is He willing? Oh,
yes. He's more than willing. And let's
read this in closing. I just quoted part of it to you
in Ephesians 3. This is a good closing verse
of Scripture. This will be our closing comment
in Ephesians 3. And this was written by the Apostle
Paul as well, who said, I know whom I have believed, and I'm
persuaded he's able, and he's willing to keep that which I
have committed unto him against that day. Now, he says here in
Ephesians 3, look at it, verse 20. Unto Him that is able. Unto Him. That's what all we
do here is about. Unto Him. It's unto Him that
is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think. You know, we've asked for something, but we know not really what we
should ask for. Just like children in it. Children
ask for things. They go in a store. They go places.
Can I have this? Can I have that? No, you don't
need that. You don't need that. Can I? Can I? Can I? Can I? You
don't need that. He knows. Father knows best.
And we ask amiss, though, to consume it upon our own. He knows
what thing we have need of even before we ask, he says. And the Spirit in Romans 8 makes
intercession for us with groanings that cannot be uttered, asking
things that we do need. And that's exactly what God gives
us. That's exactly what He gives
us, everything we need. shall not our God supply all
your needs according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus? Yes,
unto him that is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we
ask or even think according to the power that worketh in us,
unto him be glory in the church." by Jesus Christ, by Christ Jesus,
or the church that was purchased by Christ, or formed by Christ
Jesus, throughout all ages, world without end. Amen. He's able. Stand with me, and
I'll dismiss this and pray. Our great God, we thank you for
these blessed promises. We've just gone over the same
things that we've read and studied so many times together. Same
things, same truths, same things. But to write, to preach, to declare,
to read, to have read to us, to hear the same things, it's
not egregious to the people of God. It's salvation. It's safety. There's safety to be found in
the promises of our God. He is able. Lord, take this word. It might not be needed at this
very moment, but it will be at some point in time by your people. Take this word and apply it,
this incorruptible word. Fadeth not away. this seed, plant
it down in the heart and someday, at some point, sometime when
it's needed the most, when your children need it the most, hide
this word in their heart and bring it up to them again. Bring
it back up that they might, it might be recalled to their minds
and hearts and give them comfort. These things are written for
our comfort. for our instruction, for our
learning, that we, through patience and comfort of the Scriptures,
might have hope. And hope, our hope, is built
on nothing less than Jesus Christ and His righteousness. He is
able to save us. And thank God, thank You, Lord,
that Thou art willing to save. And we're willing to have it
so, according to your mercy and grace in Christ, who has made
us willing in the day of your power, the Holy Spirit. In his
name, we've met together this day. Take the word and make it
effectual. In the name of Christ, we gather
together. Amen.