Alright, let's look back at Jeremiah
29. The title of this message is
taken from verses 12 and 13. Four words there. Calling, Praying,
Seeking, Finding. That's the title of the message. Calling, Praying, Seeking, Finding. But let's consider these verses
here, these first 14 verses of Jeremiah 29, leading up to the
command of God there, the work of God there actually. He says
in verse 12, then shall you call upon me. That's the work of God,
isn't it? And what's happened here now, Jeremiah, the prophet
to Judah and Jerusalem, The first wave of the Jews that had been
conquered by Nebuchadnezzar in the Babylonian Empire, the first
deportation as history records, it has already taken place. You
read that in verse 1, now these are the words of the letter that
Jeremiah the prophet sent from Jerusalem unto the residue of
the elders which were carried away captives. This is a letter
that Jeremiah sent to the captives that had already been taken to
Babylon. There were actually three deportations,
three waves. This is the first one that's
already taken place. So Jeremiah is instructed and
commanded by God to write a letter to those who are already captured
and living in Babylon. Of course you know among them
was Jeconiah the king. Look here it says, to the elders,
which were carried away captive, to the priests and to the prophets,
carried away, and to all the people whom Nebuchadnezzar had
carried away captive from Jerusalem to Babylon. After that, Jeconiah
the king and the queen. See, Jeconiah the king, he'd
been carried away too. The eunuchs and the princes of
Judah and Jerusalem, and the carpenters and the smiths were
departed from Jerusalem. This is these types of people
that Nebuchadnezzar took to Babylon in captivity. Daniel, for example,
Shadrach, Meshach, Abednego, they were among that first group.
Most scholars believe that Ezekiel, as a young child or a young man,
was taken in the second deportation. But either way, these are the
types of people that have been taken. And so God told Jeremiah
to write this letter to enlighten them and encourage them and exhort
them in their captivity. Now there's a little bit of a
division among scholars about this letter, whether it's one
letter, two letters, three or four, it doesn't matter, same
message. But he was instructed, verse
3 says, to send this letter by the hand of Elisa the son of
Shaphan and Gemariah the son of Hilkiah. Gamarat, these are
men whom Zedekiah the king of Judas sent unto Babylon to Nebuchadnezzar,
king of Babylon. So these were kind of like emissaries,
but they would just take this letter and give it, either give
copies of it or give it to one certain person who was going
to deliver the message to the rest of them. And what was this
letter about? Well, there were several things,
and tonight I'm going to deal with the first one, in the first
14 verses here. Beginning that actually verse
fourth what what the letter is about and here's what it's about
how they should live in Babylon and What they should learn from
it. That's what it's about How should they live in Babylon? in that idolatrous nation and
What they should learn from he gives him several things here
Verses 4 through 7. Listen to this. Now here, he
goes back to the same theme of submission and acceptance. In essence, what he's telling
there is you submit to the King of Babylon. You submit to your
captivity. It's God's judgment upon the
nation for their sins. Remember, I've told you that's
an emblem. That's a metaphor for repentance, taking sides
with God against ourselves, saying, God, we're just getting what
we deserve, or praying, God, oh, don't give me what I deserve,
like that old publican, God, be merciful to me, the sinner.
But he says, submit to it and accept it. But I want you to
understand, when God commanded them to submit to the rule of
Babylon and Nebuchadnezzar, He did not mean that they were to
become Babylonians. He did not mean that they were
to submit to idolatry and debauchery and immorality that was so common
among those foreign nations. He did not mean for them to lose
their identity as God's chosen people. But He does tell them,
look at it, verse 4, Thus saith the Lord God of hosts, God who
cannot be defeated, the God of Israel, the God of the covenant
there, The God of salvation. You see, God has not, He's not
lifted His hand of power from His people. He's still the Lord
of hosts. He's still Jehovah. He's still
with them in the sense of His covenant. The God of Israel,
He's not forgotten His covenant. The covenant He made with Abraham.
The covenant He confirmed in Isaac and reconfirmed in Jacob.
And then even reconfirmed it in Joseph. He's not forgotten
that. He says, the God of Israel, unto
all that are carried away captives, whom I have caused to be carried
away from Jerusalem unto Babylon. This is God's work. This judgment
is God's work. Now the reason they were there
was because of their sin, but it was God's, God's foreordinating
purpose that brought them to this place. And he says in verse
5, he says, now build houses. Why are you in Babylon? In other
words, don't take the attitude that you're just going to be
there temporarily and you don't have to put down roots. Build
a house, he says. Dwell in those houses. This is
your home now. And plant gardens and eat the
fruit of them. Plan for the future, you see.
Take you wives and beget sons and daughters, and take wives
for your sons, and give your daughters to husbands, that they
may bear sons and daughters." Now he's not telling them to
intermarry with the Babylonians at all. That was forbidden. That
was forbidden by the old covenant law of Moses. But he's saying
you marry wives, Jewish wives, Hebrew wives and Hebrew husbands. And the proof of that is this
last line in verse six, that you may be increased there and
not diminished. Had they intermarried with the
Babylon, they would have been diminished as a nation. They
would have blended in, so to speak. But that's not what they
were to do. And then it says in verse six,
or verse seven, and seek peace of the city where I have caused
you to be carried away captives and pray unto the Lord for it.
Pray for Babylon, he says. What does he mean by that? Pray
for peace in Babylon. Lord, let us have peace. For
in the peace thereof, you shall have peace. Now hold on to that
thought. You see, You can see an analogy
here, a picture here of true believers in the world, can't
you? In essence, you might say it this way. We, even today,
we live in Babylon. We live in this world. This dark,
fallen, cursed, lost world. Babylon, as you know, is a symbol
in the Bible. It's a literal place here. They're
in a literal city of Babylon, a literal area called Babylon. But it becomes symbolic of false
religion. It becomes symbolic of that lifestyle
and attitude which is opposed to the truth of God and especially
opposed to God's way of salvation by His free and sovereign grace
in Christ. You know where the name Babylon
comes from? It comes from Babel. The Tower of Babel. And you know
what happened there? They were trying to work their
way to heaven. They were trying to secure themselves
from the wrath of God by their works in what we normally call
the Tower of Babel. And that word Babel, which really
had to do with building something that was a monument to God, but
man has been shown that he cannot build a monument to the true
and living God based on his works, based upon his own righteousness. And so that word has come to
mean babbling, gibberish, because God gave them different languages
that they couldn't understand each other and couldn't communicate.
You know in the book of Revelation, Babylon, is considered to be
the great harlot, the great whore. False religion, false government,
that is an opposition to Christ. Well, my friend, in that sense,
we who are the true people of God, we who know Christ, sinners
saved by grace, We can say without fail, we live in Babylon right
now. Now Babylon is not our home.
I know he told them to build houses there. Those houses would
be their homes as far as where they lived in this world. You
all build homes and you live in homes. We have a home. But
this world, Babylon, is not our home. We're pilgrims passing
through this world. And it is a temporary, but they
were to stay there 70 years. He tells them that later on.
He's already mentioned that. But he tells them that in the
prophecy that God had allocated 70 years for them to be in Babylon. So he says, build your houses,
marry your wives and your husbands, give your daughters to husbands,
have sons and daughters, that you be not diminished, but that
you be increased as a nation there. That's what he's talking
about. But they're living in a foreign country. They're living
outside of their original home. Just like Adam, when he fell,
he brought the whole human family into condemnation and sin and
death. Christ continually told his disciples
that the world was against them. He said in John 15, he said,
marvel not if the world hates you. You could just say it this
way, Babylon hates you. It hated me before it hated you,
he said. Even in their most religious,
he said, they'll hate you. They hate the light. Over in
John 17, in his high priestly prayer, he prayed for his people
in the world. He said, I haven't prayed that
you take them out of the world, but that you leave them here
for his purposes, that is to spread the gospel. calling God's
elect into the fold, Christ's sheep into the fold. We read
over here in Philippians chapter 2 in the opening of our service. Here's what he's talking about,
how that God's people, verse 15 of Philippians 2, that we
may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God without rebuke
in the midst, that's right smack dab in the middle, of a crooked
and perverse nation. Now that's what we're in. And
he says, among whom you shine as lights in the world. Now that's
what God is telling them through Jeremiah's letter right here.
You shine as lights in this Babylon. You're in the world. Christ told
his disciples that he spoke these things that in him we have peace,
but he said in the world you'll have trouble, but be of good
cheer, I've overcome the world. Look over at Hebrews chapter
12 with me. There's an interesting verse
here I think that's misinterpreted by a lot of people. But you know
what he's talking about in this context here. He's talking about,
well, he began talking about in Hebrews 11 of the history
of his people, God's saints, suffering for their testimony
of the gospel. That's what Hebrews 11 is about.
Abel. He mentioned Abel first. Abel suffered as a martyr from
his own fleshly brother, Cain, because of his testimony of Christ.
because of his undaunting stand in the liberty wherewith Christ
had made him free and would not speak peace to Cain. And he goes
right on through the history of a lot of the Old Testament
saints who suffered unto death. And then he begins talking about
Christ in chapter 12. How Christ himself suffered He
said, look at verse 2, he says, looking unto Jesus, the author
and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before
him endured the cross. Paul wrote in Philippians 2,
he was obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. And it
says, despising the shame and is set down at the right hand
of the throne of God. Verse 3 says, consider him that
endured such contradiction of sinners against himself. What
a contradiction it was. That's the opposition, that's
what that means. Christ, the Holy One of God. Christ, the
Son of God incarnate. Christ Emmanuel. Christ who did
no sin, knew no sin. The perfect God-man was opposed
by sinners and he endured that. And he said, consider him lest
you be wearied and faint in your minds. And then he says, you've
not yet resisted unto blood striving against sin. Then he begins talking
about the chastisements of the Lord. And what he's saying is
that from the perspective of a sinner saved by grace. And
you think about this. From our perspective, the fact
that we're in Christ, washed in His blood and clothed in His
righteousness. Justified before God with all
of my faults, with all of my shortcomings, with all the times
I mess up, with all of my sin that still plagues and haunts
and contaminates me. I want you to think, I'm justified
in the sight of God. I'm cleared of all guilt. I'm
righteous in His sight. And it's all based upon Christ
enduring the cross. It's all based on His blood and
righteousness imputed. All of it. That's the only way
I can claim any righteousness before God. Yes, the Holy Spirit
has done a great work within us. But we're still not righteous
in ourselves. Are we? Can you honestly look at yourself
in the mirror and say, I just had a moment of sinless perfection
in my mind, and in my heart, and in my motives. I can't ever
do that. But, because of the grace of
God in Christ, I'm to look at these moments of trouble, even
persecution, as the chastisements of a loving father to his child. That's how I'm going to look
at it. And that's what he's talking about here. That's why he says,
despise not the day of chastisement. Don't despise it, because you
see, if you don't go through chastisement, then you're not
a child of God. Now everybody has troubles. Even
unbelievers have troubles. There are troubles and trials
that are common to everybody. I mean, believers get sick and
die. Unbelievers get sick and die. But it's not the trial itself
that you go by. It's God's testimony concerning
His children. That's the chastisement of a
loving Father for His child to those who are in Christ. And
so He says, look at verse 11. of Hebrews 12, he says, now no
chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous. Now
don't go around acting like just, all right, these are the chastisements
of God. They're actually, here's the
perspective he puts it in Hebrews 12 and in other passages. They're
proof that God loves you and they're proof that you're his
child. But now when you're going through that trial, don't be
fake, don't be hypocritical, don't go around acting like it's
not hurting because it does hurt. Does hurt. But don't be faithless. Look at it. Nevertheless, afterward
it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which
are exercised there being. Now what is that peaceable fruit
of righteousness? Does that mean you're holier
than you used to be? After you come out of that trial?
No. Does that mean that the next
one, even if it's harder, you'll do better? Not necessarily. I
hope you do do better. I hope I do better, but there's
no guarantee there. You know what the peaceable fruit
of righteousness is? You come out of that trial looking
more to Christ, resting more in Christ, clinging more to Christ. That's what you do. That's looking
unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith. So he says in verse
12, wherefore lift up the hands and hang down in the feeble knees,
make straight paths for your feet, lest that which is lame
be turned out of the way, but let it rather be healed. Look
to Christ. That's what he's saying. But
now look at verse 14. Now he says, follow peace with
all. Doesn't stop there, does it?
And holiness. Without which no man shall see
the Lord. What is he talking about? He
means this, it's what he's saying right over here in Jeremiah 29
verse seven. Look back, look at it again.
Seek the peace of the city, whether I've caused you to be carried
away captives and pray unto the Lord for it, for in the peace
thereof shall you have peace. Follow peace with all men and
holiness without which no man shall see the Lord. What does
he mean? You strive to live a peaceable
life in this world. To be at peace with everybody.
But don't compromise the glory of God in order to gain. And
holiness. What is that holiness? That's
that separation. In other words, don't blend in
with Babylon and the world in order to have peace. That's what
religious people want you to do. Just blend in with the religious
background. And you'll get along with everybody.
Oh no, follow peace with all men and holiness. Strive, strive
to be separate. That's what he's talking about.
You live peaceably. And I'll tell you what, you know,
you know that we have a great example of that in Babylon. A
man named Daniel. Daniel, he strove to live peaceably
in Babylon and for the most part he did, but there were times.
when the glory of God in Christ was challenged, and what did
Daniel do? He stood his ground, didn't he?
You remember when he was thrown into the lion's den. You remember
when Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were thrown into the fiery furnace.
You see, they were peaceable men. They weren't troublemakers. They weren't insurrectionists.
They were law-abiding citizens. But when the king passed a law,
that would cause a child of God to deny his Savior, his Lord,
his God, what Daniel did? He stood his ground. He followed
holiness. That didn't mean he was perfect
in himself, but he followed that which honored the Lord. Now that's
what he's talking about here in Jeremiah 29. You see, God
determined and used the events of their captivity for what purpose? to keep them intact as a nation.
That's what he's doing here. God in his providence is keeping
them together as a nation. I want to tell you something. There is absolutely no other
example, no other An example in the history of humankind where
this happened. Where a nation was conquered
by another nation, taken in and tried to be assimilated with
that nation, and then remained intact as a nation itself. Never happened before, hadn't
happened since. But this nation was kept together. And it wasn't
because of their goodness, or their righteousness, or their
determination. It was because of God. God said,
I'm the one who's done this. I've caused you to be carried
away. Do you know what? Had they remained in Judah, in
Jerusalem, they would have probably, well I know it, they would have
been wiped out as a nation. But God conquered them by this
instrument and took them to Babylon. And in the process, in His marvelous
sovereign providence and power, He kept them together in spite
of themselves. Well, here's the next thing that
Jeremiah says in his letter. Verse 8 and 9. He tells them
don't listen to lies. Don't listen to lies. Listen.
He says, For thus saith the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel,
let not your prophets and your diviners that be in the midst
of you deceive you, neither hearken to your dreams which cause you
to be dreamed. For they prophesy falsely unto
you in my name. I have not sent them, saith the
Lord." Now the next time we'll see an example of that in the
rest of this chapter. But he's simply saying, while
in this Babylon, one of the things that will distinguish the true
people of God is what they listen to. Now chew on that a while. What
do you listen to? While in this world, one of the
things that distinguishes a true child of God, a true Christian
from false Christians, is what gospel do you feed upon? Do you
listen to a lie? Or do you listen to God's testimony
in Christ? What gospel feeds your soul? Is it the gospel of salvation
by works? the works of men? Or is that
that gospel that lifts up and honors Christ and Him crucified? That's what it is. You listen
to these false prophets, Jeremiah said, later on you're going to
see, he's going to say, listen, everything they're telling you
is a lie and it's death. And you're telling me that you
love God and love Christ and you can be satisfied and fed
with that? Somebody says, well, they have
some good advice. Well, good advice is good advice,
but my friend, that won't feed your soul if you hunger and thirst
after righteousness. Only the preaching of Christ
will feed your soul. And that's a good indication,
right there, a good evidence of a true child of God. What
does it take to satisfy that hunger that you have for righteousness,
for holiness, Is it the preaching of Christ or is it something
else? Don't listen to a lie. Don't hear them. And then, from
verses 10 to 14, here's the next thing that he says. He simply
says, wait on the Lord. Trust in the Lord. Look at it.
Verse 8, where thus saith the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel. See how God keeps identifying
and distinguishing Himself in this way? Let not your prophets
and your diviners that be in the midst of you deceive you
and hearken with your dreams, for they prophesy falsely unto
you in my name. I have not sent them, saith the
Lord. For thus saith the Lord. Now here it is. Verse 10. Thus
saith the Lord, that after seventy years be accomplished at Babylon,
I will visit you and perform my good word toward you in causing
you to return to this place. You're going to return to Jerusalem
and Judah. Why? Because God said so. Well, how do you know it's going
to be true? Because God put his reputation on the line. That's the way it is in salvation.
I know God's people are going to be saved. I don't have to
fret about that. I may grieve over particular
individuals that I know who never come to a saving knowledge of
Christ. I've preached funerals. And I grieve over people. But
I know this without fail. God's elect, Christ's sheep,
are going to be saved. And the main reason I know that
is this, because God said so, His reputation is on the line. That's right. His name is engaged. That's what He means when He
talks about call you upon His name. In other words, the salvation
you're seeking is that which honors God and vindicates God. It's not just that which meets
your felt need, because the felt need you have may not have anything
to do with the honor of God. You know, people all the time
looking for churches that will meet their felt needs. Well, what you feel may have
nothing to do with the honor and glory of God in Christ. It
may fill a hole for a little while, but it will not work unto
salvation. The scripture says, wait on the
Lord. What does that mean? That means to believe in Him,
to rest in Him. And did you notice here in verse
10 how He talked about the 70 years again? You remind them
you are going to be there 70 years. Remember what the 70 years
is about? Remember how they had neglected
the Sabbath of the land? You know every 7 years they were
to let the land rest and not cultivate it and plant crops. And for 490 years they had neglected
that. So that 70 years of captivity,
the punishment fits the crime. You see? What was the big deal
about this? Oh, they didn't have any crops.
That Sabbath was a picture of a sinner's rest in Christ. That's what that was all about.
That was the main issue of the Sabbath. Oh, there were some
practical things that we could talk about, but they really don't
mean anything to you or to me. What's he talking about? The
Sabbath. The Sabbath that remains for the people of God. Hebrews
chapter 4. That's a believer's rest in Christ. And you know
what he's telling them here? You're going to be in Babylon
for one specific purpose mainly, and that is you're going to learn
to keep the Sabbath. You're going to learn to keep
the Sabbath. Why are we in this world? Why
are we in Babylon? Why does God leave us here? You
know what He is teaching us every day? To learn more and more to
rest in Christ. That's it. Why do we go through
trials, tribulations, troubles? Why me, Lord? Tell you why. Because He is teaching you to
learn to rest in Christ. That's right. For all salvation. for all hope, for all righteousness,
for all eternal life and glory. That's what we're learning. We're
learners. We're disciples. Learn of Him. He said, learn of Me. Take My
yoke upon you. Learn of Me. That's what we're
learning. We're learning how more and more. You say, I already
know how. But you need to learn more. And
so do I. Do you ever forget it? Yes, we
do. Trust in the Lord. Lean not unto
your own understanding. I have to learn that every day.
That's what this is all about. Learn to keep the Sabbath. That's
not a day for us. That's a person. That's Christ
and His finished work. And we enter into His rest. And
we learn to look to Him more and to rest in Him more and depend
upon Him more. And it's all of the Lord. It's
not conditioned on them. Listen, he said, I will visit
you and perform my good word towards you. This is God's goodness,
not man's. In causing you to return to this
place. He had to cause them. Do you
know when they finally came for them to return, somebody said
there was only about 50,000. I don't think there was that
many. But you know that was a very
small part of the nation. The rest of them chose to remain
in Babylon. Very few returned. But I'll tell
you what, whoever returned, God caused it. And that's the way
it is with resting in Christ. There's very few who really rest
in Christ. I mean really rest in Christ. and Him alone. But whoever does,
God causes it. It's by His grace, isn't it?
It's by His sovereign power and mercy. And then look what He
says. Now He says in verse 12, Then,
not before them, but then shall you call upon Me and you shall
go and pray unto Me and I'll hearken unto you and you shall
seek Me and find Me when you shall search for Me with all
your hearts. And I'll be found of you, saith
the Lord, I'll turn away your captivity, I'll gather you from
all the nations and from all the other places that have driven
you, saith the Lord, and I'll bring you again into the place
whence I caused you to be carried away captive." Did you see there, he said in
verse 11, I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith
the Lord. Thoughts of peace, not of evil.
to give you an expected end. First of all, ask yourself this
question. How can a holy and just God have any thoughts of
peace towards us? We're sinners. Well, you know
the answer to that. The only way is God made Him
to be sinned. Christ who knew no sin for us
that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him. That's how. God
was in Christ, reconciling the world, that's his elect in the
world, unto himself, not imputing, not charging, not accounting
their trespasses unto them. How can God have thoughts of
peace toward them? There's only one way, in Christ.
And that peace is made by the blood of the cross, Colossians
chapter 1. It's through the blood of the Lamb that God has thoughts
of peace. And when did those thoughts begin?
Those thoughts of peace towards His people, when did they begin? They've always been, haven't
they? Some men say, well they began
when Christ died on the cross. Oh no. Oh no. They began before
the foundation of the world. In fact, it's wrong of me to
say they began. Because they didn't begin. They've always been. You say,
preacher, I don't understand that. Join the club. But it's
true. Christ is the Prince of Peace.
Always has been, always will be. Yes, He had to come in time
and perform the work of making peace. He made peace by the blood
of His cross. But that peace in the thoughts
and purpose and eternal mind of God have always been there. Is that right? And He says to give you an expected
end. What is the expected end? Well,
in the immediate application here is to get them out of Babylon
after 70 years and bring them back into Jerusalem. And God
promised that. And God is faithful to his word.
But think all the way back to his promise made to Abraham,
his covenant. God had purposed to keep this
nation intact and bring them back until what the book of Hebrews
tells us is the time of reformation. That's the time of change. What
time is he speaking of? When Messiah would come and do
his great work. That's right. And so the expected
end, ultimately, is the time of Christ. That end there is
when Christ would come and finish the work. It's finished, he said.
Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone
that believe it. That's the expected end. Christ
is the expected end. Christ is the expectation of
His people. But then we see our own expected
end in Christ for eternal life and glory, don't we? You see,
all of this according to God's word in the everlasting covenant
of grace because we are participants and partakers of a salvation
which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began.
And what is our expected end? That is to be like him. Oh, to
be like him. To be like him. And when we see
that, what happens? He says, then shall you call
upon me. There's the call. How do you
call upon the Lord? The Bible teaches us that through
sacrifice, through Christ. That's how Abraham called upon
the Lord. That's the first time this phrase is used, calling
upon the Lord. Abraham built an altar, slew an animal. It's
through the blood that you call upon the Lord. Why? Because it's
a sinner in need of mercy calling upon the Lord. Think about that. We see men like Daniel calling
upon the Lord even in Babylon, don't we? Shadrach, Meshach,
and Abednego, Ezekiel, while they were in Babylon, they called
upon the Lord. We see men in the temporal fulfillment of this
in part of the nation when they return and men like Zerubbabel,
Nehemiah, Ezra, Joshua the high priest, they called upon the
Lord. But the ultimate eternal fulfillment of this is in the
conversion of God's elect. Jew and Gentile, spiritual Israel,
who call upon the Lord out of the circumcised heart, the convicted
heart. And then he says, you shall call
upon me and you shall go and pray unto me. That's prayer in
Christ. We come to the throne of grace
because we have a high priest who has passed through into the
very heavens. He's done his work. He's satisfied justice. He's
brought in righteousness. He's made an end of sin. And
thereby, through him, God will hear us. He said, I'll hearken
unto you. That's prayer. And then he says, you shall seek
me and find me when you search for me with all your hearts.
What is it to seek the Lord? Isaiah spoke of it, didn't he?
In Isaiah 55, 6, seek ye the Lord while he may be found, call
ye upon him while he is near. Man by nature won't seek him.
Romans 3, men will not seek the Lord. They will seek a God, but
they won't seek the true and living God. And he says, seek
him with your whole heart. With all your heart, he says.
What about that heart? Jeremiah said, the heart is deceitful,
desperately wicked. Who can know it? When do we seek
the Lord with all our heart? That whole heart is sometimes
used for that phrase. It's not a perfect heart or a
heart that has no sin. But it is a sincere heart. It
is a broken and a contrite heart. Broken and contrite over sin.
It's a circumcised heart. That's the work of the Holy Spirit,
isn't it? Convicted heart. It's a needy heart. And it's
a single heart. Recognizing that there's only
one thing I need for salvation. And that's Christ. And what He
accomplished. It's a heart's desire to know
God. And that's the gift of God. It's
a submissive heart. It's to seek Him in our true
character. Sinners in need of mercy. It's
to seek Him in His Word. Not of our own thoughts. Those
who seek with all their heart realize they don't know God.
Those who think they know God and then seek Him, all they're
seeking is confirmation of something they think they already know.
But I want to find who God is. It's to seek Him on His own terms,
not our own. Over in Romans chapter 9, Paul
wrote of the Jews who sought righteousness. They sought righteousness,
but they didn't find it because they sought it by the works of
the law and not by faith. What is it to seek righteousness
in faith? It's to seek it in Christ. Christ Himself said, Seek ye
first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these
things shall be added unto you. So therefore, to seek Him with
all your heart is to seek Him in Christ. Call upon the name
of the Lord. For God reveals Himself to His
people in the Lord Jesus Christ. And it's to seek Him submissively.
That is, willing to part from everything that you by nature
hold dear. I don't care what it is. For
Christ. For Christ. What did Paul say
in Philippians 3? I count it all but done. that I may win Christ. I must
have Christ. If I don't have Christ, I don't
have any forgiveness of sin. If I don't have Christ, I don't
have a righteousness to justify me. If I don't have Christ, I
don't have life. I don't have peace. I don't have
any hope of heaven. And here's the assured promise.
God says, I'll be found of you, saith the Lord. You see there? That's what it is. That's what
it means. calling upon Him, praying to
Him, seeking Him, and finding Him.