All right, in that passage that
Brother Bill just read in Zephaniah chapter 3, Zephaniah chapter
3, I've entitled the message this evening, God's Remnant Restored. God's Remnant Restored. And let me just give you sort
of an overview here in this last chapter as we, in I hope two
messages finish the book of Zephaniah, who was a prophet of God to Judah
and Jerusalem in the days leading up to their captivity, their
being overrun by the Babylonian army and the empire, being taken
into captivity for 70 years, God bringing punishment down
upon his people for their sins. And in this last chapter, It
kind of reads like, as we apply it to ourselves individually,
it kind of reads like our biography in many ways. In fact, you can
see what we call the three R's here, ruined by the fall, redeemed
by the blood, regenerated by the Holy Spirit. I would add
a fourth R, restored unto worship and service. In the first eight
verses, He speaks of the state of the city of Jerusalem. The
city of Jerusalem, the city of King David, the city that is
called the Holy City, not because there was any perfection in that
city, but because it was set apart. It was special. That's where the temple of God
was in Jerusalem. He talked about the state of
the nation and how awful it was, the nation of Judah. Now he goes
to Jerusalem specifically. He starts out in verse one, woe
to her that is filthy. Woe to her that is polluted.
You might have the word gluttonous in your concordance. You may even have the word crawl. And you say, well, what is that
all about? Well, what he's talking about is a city that are gluttons
for sin. That's what he's talking about.
Man is a glutton for sin. And the reason is, the way you
put that in perspective, you know, it's not that everybody's
out here trying to see how many people they can murder or how
many banks they can rob or anything like that. But the way you see
that, as God reveals it to us, is that man is a glutton for
self-fulfillment. That's what he's about. That's
what we're about by nature, isn't it? Self-fulfillment. I mean,
even in religion, you think about that. People who are looking
for a church, you know, they're looking for self-fulfillment.
They're not looking for a place where I can go to worship God.
That's what we ought to be looking for when we look for a church.
Where can I go to hear Christ preached and lifted up? Where
can I go to hear God glorified? And somebody tell me the truth
about who God is and who I am and who Christ is, where I can
go to worship God. No, I want to go somewhere where
I'm fulfilled, where I get a lot out of it. you know. And man is a glutton for self-independence. That's what Adam did when he
sinned against God in the ruination of the fall. He declared his
independence from God. I know what's best for me. I know what's right and wrong.
I don't need God's standard in God's way. So that's the gluttony
there. But in these first eight verses,
that's what he speaks of. He speaks of our ruination. And
then beginning at verse 9, to verse 13, where Brother Bill
ended his reading, where I'm going to end tonight, that speaks
of being redeemed by the blood. That's the spiritual application
here. It's a prophecy of Christ. The
first eight verses, man without God, man without Christ, man
without grace, man without truth. That's man on his road to eternal
damnation. But then in verses 9 through
13 you have the redemption. Redemption by the grace of God
through the blood of Christ and regeneration by the Spirit where
God is going to restore this remnant this remnant that he's
speaking of to faith in Christ and repentance of dead works.
And then in the last verses that I'll get to next time, beginning
at verse 14, that's talking about worship and praise. This would be the response of
grace. This speaks of the life of a
redeemed, regenerated sinner. this speaks of the the uh...
obedience and service so i would call that the restoration but
let's let's look at this in the first eight verses here we have
judgment of jerusalem and he even includes the nations now
god is very very uh... specific here that uh... that just because israel Judah,
Jerusalem, though they had a prominent place in the plan and purpose
of God throughout the Old Testament and the Old Covenant, that they're
going to be judged by the same standard that the Gentiles are
going to be judged by. It's the same standard. Listen
to what he says, woe to her that is filthy and polluted. to the
oppressing city, that is a place, Jerusalem, rather than being
a place of worship, rather than being a place of rest, resting
in the Lord, resting in Christ, rather than being a place, you
know, the name Jerusalem, on the end of it, it's Shalom, that's
what it means, city of peace. Rather than being a place of
peace, it had become a place of oppression, a place of religious
oppression. The holy city had become filthy
and polluted. She is a place where men would
come to exalt themselves rather than to worship God. And what
was wrong? What is it that she did that
was so bad? Well, look at verse 2. She obeyed
not the voice Well, whose voice? God's voice. When God spoke,
she obeyed not. Her problem was disobedience
to God's word, especially God's word of truth concerning salvation. That's what that whole covenant
was all about, the Old Covenant. It was about salvation. Now listen
to me on that. There was no salvation in the
Old Covenant in and of itself. Now that's right. The blood of
bulls and goats can never take away sin. But it's what that
old covenant, all those pictures and all those types and all those
prophecies pointed to, it's who they pointed to, pointing to
Christ. And they didn't obey the voice of God. Verse 2, it
says, she received not correction or instruction. That's rebellion. That's man's problem. He's disobedient
and he's rebellious. In other words, when the instruction
and the correction comes for not obeying, what does he do?
He rises up against it. That's us by nature, isn't it?
That's what I was. I was a rebel against God. I remember old brother Scott
Richardson said that in conversion, here's what you do. You lay down
your shotgun and bow to the Lord. You stop fighting. because he
makes his people willing in the day of his power. Here's the
next thing, she trusted not in the Lord. That's the Lord of
the Covenant, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the God of
grace, the God who justifies the ungodly. Abraham believed
this God, but Jerusalem trusted not in the Lord, Judah trusted
not. What's the problem there? Unbelief, disobedience, rebellion,
unbelief. My friend, there's no one else
to trust but God. Somebody said, well, you need
to trust your own heart. Well, read Jeremiah 17 on that
issue sometime. Remember what it says? Look over
there in Jeremiah 17. Y'all have read this. And I've
heard this. Listen, I heard a preacher say
this one time, a so-called evangelist. And I said, that's a joke, because
that's certainly not good news. That's what evangelism is. It's
supposed to be spreading good news. He said, you just got to
trust in your own heart. Well, what does he say? Verse
9 of Jeremiah 17, the heart's deceitful. And not only is it
deceitful, listen to it. It's deceitful how? How deceitful
is our heart? It says above all things, doesn't
it? That's the most deceitful thing that you can listen to. And you know why that is? I thought
about that. Why is the heart so deceived?
Because we will tell ourselves and convince ourselves of anything
we can tell ourselves and convince ourselves that'll make us feel
better about ourselves. That's right. And when we find
a preacher or a group who will feed that, boy, we just latch
on to them. Isn't that right? We will do
that. And so it says, who can know
it? It's desperately wicked. Who can know it? Now, here's
the point now. Now, that's not stated in Jeremiah
to leave me and you in despair. And I want to make that point
very plain, because I've heard people read this, people who
know the Lord now, people who trust Christ, come out of verses
like that and say, well, that means I can't even know my own
heart. No, no, listen to me. That's not saying you cannot
know your heart. That is not what this verse teaches.
It's telling the state of the natural heart without grace,
without God, without Christ, without truth. So how's the only
way that I'm not going to be deceived by my own heart? Well,
look at verse 10. I, the Lord, search the heart.
God searches the heart. I test the reins. That's what
he's saying there. I test what drives you, what
turns you, what motivates you. God tests that. And he says,
even to give every man according to his ways and according to
the fruit of his doings. You see, God's got to be the
one to search my heart. How does He do that? Through
His Word. What does His Word say? And look
up at verse 5. Here's the issue right here.
This is the problem that Zephaniah is pointing out to Jerusalem.
He says in verse 5 of Jeremiah 17, and you know, Jeremiah was
a contemporary with Zephaniah. He was preaching to the same
people. in Judah, in Jerusalem, at the same time. And he says,
Thus saith the Lord, Cursed be the man that trusteth in man,
and maketh flesh his arm, his power, his ability, and whose
heart departeth from the Lord. For he shall be like a heath
in the desert, and shall not see when good cometh, he don't
even know the difference between good and evil, but shall inhabit
the parched places in the wilderness, in a salt land, and not inhabit
it. But look at verse 7, Blessed is the man that trusteth in the
Lord. and whose hope the Lord is. You trust Christ for all your
salvation, for all your life, for all your righteousness, for
all forgiveness. See? For he shall be as a tree
planted by the waters who planted him there. God did. He didn't
plant himself, did he? He didn't fall there by accident.
And that spreadeth out her roots by the river and shall not see
when he cometh, but her leaves shall be green growth in grace
and in knowledge of Christ, and shall not be careful in the year
of drought, not be anxious is what that means, neither shall
cease from yielding fruit. How could you cease from yielding
fruit when Christ is your life? John 15, I am the vine, you are
the branches. So that's the only way. Now look
back here at Zephaniah, that's what he's talking about. She
trusted not in the Lord. Now if you don't trust in the
Lord, you're deceived. And whatever your heart tells
you, it's deceptive concerning salvation, concerning spiritual
matters. The only way we're not going
to be deceived is to trust Christ for salvation. And then it says
there in verse 2, "...she drew not near to her God." What he's
talking about there is alienation from God. What did Adam and Eve
do when they realized they'd sinned against God? and they
realized their shame. What'd they do? They ran and
hid. That's what he's talking about. Whenever the true and
living God is preached, they run and hide. Oh, you can talk
about their idol, and they'll love that. You can talk about
themselves and lift them up. If we'd spend time in this pulpit
lifting up man, we'd have more men and women here. Did you know
that? All you gotta do is lift them
up, brag on them, talk about them. But you see, and the reason
is, that's their God. But the true and living God,
they don't draw near to Him. They're like Adam, afraid of
Him. Look at verse 3. He says, "...her princes within
her are roaring lions, her judges are evening wolves, they gnaw
not the bones till the morrow." What he's talking about here
is their civil leaders. The king, the princes, the nobles,
the judges at the court. Instead of being shepherds of
the people to guide them in the ways of the Lord, they become
devouring lions, roaring lions to consume the people, to take
off the people, to live off the people. And judges like evening
wolves, what the picture there is like a wolf that's been hunting
all day and he hasn't found anything. And he's hungry. And he'll eat
anything. and he'll be gnawing the bones
in the morning. That's what he's saying. Verse
four, that's her civil leaders. Now verse four is her religious
leaders. Look here, her prophets are light and treacherous persons. You remember over in Zephaniah
and in other passages of scripture where the prophets begin their
message, they talk about the burden of the Lord. This is a
heavy message. This is a serious message. This
is a weighty message. These are words that are life
and death. But these false prophets who
are in Judah and Jerusalem, their message is light. They're light
people. They make light of the Word of
God. Old Jeremiah, he talks about them. Anytime, you know, it's
like you'd have like a hundred false prophets preaching their
message and big crowds around them. Then here comes Jeremiah.
And they'd say, oh, look who's coming, the burden of the Lord.
That's what they'd call him. Oh, burden's coming. He don't
ever have anything good to say about me or you. He just got, he's just a downer.
You know, he doesn't believe in the power of positive thinking.
He doesn't have that sparkly, Ipana smile. He's just an old
burden. But he's got a serious message.
He's got a message that men and women need to hear. because the
hearing of it is life. But he says they're treacherous
persons. They try to sneak in their own ways and their own
language. That's the way they are. He said
her priest, even the priest that attended the temple, they polluted
the sanctuary. They've done violence to the
law. They haven't kept the old covenant. and followed the instructions
of God in this particular case. They had polluted, they had corrupted
the worship of God through sacrifice. And I don't know, in this instance,
specifically what they did, but we know, we probably see something
of it in the way that they worshiped God in the days of our Lord. When they made the priesthood
political, when they made it light, it wasn't a serious matter
at all. Look at verse 5, he says, and Bill pointed this out, now
listen to this, now here's the thing. What Zephaniah's saying
here, he says, now don't you think that God's not in this
thing? Don't you think that God has
just turned a deaf ear to this? The just Lord is in the midst
thereof. God's here, folks. You may think
that this world has totally forgotten God, and they have, but God hasn't
forgotten this world. And he's just. And he will not
do iniquity. Everything's gonna balance out.
when God judges. God does that which is right.
God judges according to truth. And my friend, if men and women
by nature are judged by God in the balance of His scales, here's
what's going to happen. We're going to be found lacking,
wanting. That's what it is. Every morning
doth He bring His judgment to light. He fails not. He did it
through His prophets. He did it through His preachers.
And he tells them. Zephaniah is here preaching to
these people. Jeremiah was preaching to them.
All the prophets. You remember Christ said, for
so they persecuted the prophets. This is why. Right here. Why do you think they persecuted
Isaiah and Jeremiah and Zephaniah? Why do you think they... He said
they even killed the prophets. What was it? Just because they
were just mean? No. It's because these men came
along and said, what you're doing in your efforts at religion,
what you're doing in trying to make yourselves worthy by your
works is evil and wicked. You're lost. And you need to
turn to Christ. And they didn't like it. They
didn't like it. They got just as upset as people
today when the true gospel is preached and it exposes man for
what he is. Men hate the lie. That's why
they did this. And that's what he says. We come along, the just
Lord is in the midst of them. He brings this judgment to light.
God's gonna judge every sinner who is without Christ to be damned
forever. That's what the scripture teaches.
And he says, but the unjust knoweth no shame. They're not ashamed
of it. They're like those preachers in Matthew chapter 7 who boldly
stood at the judgment of God and said, Lord, Lord, have we
not prophesied, preached in your name? Have we not cast out demons? They're not ashamed of that.
Lord, you can't send me to hell. I preached. Lord, you can't damn
me forever. I cast out demons. I've done
many wonderful works. There's no shame there until,
until Christ says, depart from me, ye that worketh iniquity.
I never knew you. Think about that. Think about
that. You see, that's why when we stand
before judgment, we need to understand we have no righteousness. No
forgiveness, but Christ and Him crucified. And in Him, we won't
be ashamed, but I'll get to that in a moment. Look at verse 6.
He says, I've cut off the nations, their towers are desolate. You
see the word corners as towers. Usually in a city that was built
as a fortress, the towers were in the corners. That's what he's
talking about. And those towers were for safety,
those towers were for warning, but they're going to be desolate.
When God's judgment comes through, there'll be no warning, there'll
be no safety. He said, I made their streets waste and none
passeth by. Just a wasteland. Their cities
are destroyed so that there's no man, that there is none inhabit. In other words, the whole population
is going to be wiped out. Not one left behind. There's
not one sinner who's going to escape the judgment of God. That's
what he's saying. Verse 7. He says, he says, I
said, surely thou wilt fear me, thou wilt receive instruction,
so their dwelling should not be cut off, however I punish,
howsoever I punish them. But instead, the punishment,
the judgments of God, instead of bringing them to repentance,
here's what happened, but they rose early and corrupted all
their doings. When it says they rose early,
it's, the picture is like they can't wait to do it. They can't wait to do it. You
know, it's like kids, you can't hardly get them up out of bed
in the morning, but come Christmas Day, what happens? And that's
what he's saying there. They can't wait to get up and
get involved in this iniquity that they're doing. So the judgment
of God. Listen, the Bible teaches it's
the goodness of God that leads sinners to repentance. What brought
Saul of Tarsus to repentance? You know what it was? When he
saw the glory of God in Christ. And that's what will bring you
and me to repentance. That's what will bring every one of God's people
to repentance. Verse 8, he says, Therefore wait
ye upon me, saith the Lord. It may not happen immediately,
but it's coming. Until the day that I rise up
to the prey for my determination. This is God's determination.
And he will not be turned back. is to gather the nations, not
just Jerusalem, not just Judah, but all nations, that I may assemble
the kingdoms to pour upon them mine indignation, that's his
righteous indignation, that's his judgment against sin, even
all my fierce anger, this is not a temper tantrum that God's
throwing, this is his justice in action, that's his anger,
for all the earth shall be devoured, Why is all this coming about?
Devour with the fire of my jealousy. What is God's jealousy? We've
talked about that before. God is the only one who has a
right to be jealous. Did you know that in this issue?
And God's jealousy is not like ours. It's not envy. It's this, it's
the fact that God alone deserves to be worshipped and served and
He will not share His glory. Now that's a negative message,
that's the judgment, but here's how the prophet concludes his
prophecy with a message of hope. Here's the second thing, here's
the salvation and the restoration of God's remnant. And then, I'll
tell you what, this, listen folks, this right here ought to cause
chills to go up our spines. Because when you read those first
eight verses, I'm telling you, if you know the Lord today, you
know that before He brought you to a saving knowledge of Christ,
a saving knowledge of your sin, that you were in the same boat
of sin and depravity and pollution and deception just like these.
But God, Ephesians 2 says that, but God, who is rich in mercy,
God has a remnant. Look at it, verse 9. He says,
for then will I turn to the people a pure language that they may
all, not just part of them now, this remnant, He's talking about
a remnant, they may all, all this remnant, call upon the name
of the Lord to serve Him with one consent. Literally one shoulder. What does that mean? Well, this
speaks of the conversion of God's, the restoration, the salvation
and the conversion of God's elect spiritual Israel. This speaks
of those chosen of God, justified in Christ, redeemed by His blood,
regenerated and called by the Spirit. That's who it speaks
of. And listen to what he says, then
will I turn to the people. He didn't say they will turn
to me here. You know, sometimes in the Bible he says that. But
here he's getting to the source of it. Here what he's doing is
he's showing who makes us to differ. God does. Here he's saying
that if you're part of this remnant, it's by the grace of God who
will have mercy upon whom he'll have mercy and have compassion
upon whom he'll have compassion. He says, then will I turn to
the people a pure language. What is that pure language? Well,
we could talk about that quite a bit. You know, back in the
Tower of Babel, God put in confusion of languages. You remember that? That's what he called it, confusion
of languages. And men have been babbling on
ever since in their ways. They babble in confusion in religion,
in philosophy, in their theology, in their ways. That's why there's
so much confusion in religion. How many people have you heard
speak like that? They say that there's so much
confusion in religion that I don't know which way to turn. Well,
God says, I'm going to turn the people a pure language. What language? He's talking about
the language of grace here instead of confusion. He's talking about
the language of salvation by God's grace in Christ. The language
of humility instead of pride. The language of grace instead
of works. It's a language that evidences
humility, faith in Christ, and repentance of dead works. It's
a language that lifts up Christ instead of the language that
lifts up man. It's the doctrine of Christ.
Look over at 2 John chapter, or verse 9 with me. 2 John. It is the language of doctrine.
What is doctrine? It's truth. It's teaching. And it says here in verse 9 of 2 John. And this is what he's
talking about, the truth. He says, whosoever transgresseth
and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ, that pure language
that lifts up Christ, who He is and what He did and why He
did it and where He is now, hath not God. What language do you
speak? It's not talking about Spanish
and Italian and French and American. It's talking about the language
of grace. The language that God gives us
to speak. He says, he that abideth in the
doctrine of Christ, that pure language, he hath both the Father
and the Son. Now listen to what he says in
verse 10. If there come any unto you and bring not this doctrine,
this language of grace that lifts up Christ, receive him not into
your house, neither bid him Godspeed. What he's talking about there
is don't have religious fellowship with him. You know, we're not
the ecumenical movement. We're all not speak. Listen.
We're all not going to the same God on different roads with different
languages It's one language. He says for he that bid of him
God speed is a partaker of his evil deeds Go back to Zephaniah
Verse 9 then will I turn the people a pure language that they
may call all call upon the name of the Lord How do you call upon
the name of the Lord through Christ? Through sacrifice, that's
how Abraham called upon his name. That's how Noah called upon his
name. That's how everyone, that's how Abel called upon his name.
Through the blood and the righteousness of the Lord Jesus Christ. That's
how you call upon his name. And he says to serve him with
one consent. That's to serve him with one
shoulder. What that means is that everybody, there'll be no
rebellion against God in his way here. This is the obedience
of grace, faith, and love. It's the service of a willing,
loving bond slave of Christ, not serving to get gain or to
earn his way into God's favor, but serving out of love and grace
and gratitude. Not serving to pay a debt, but
serving because the debt's already been paid. Putting, as they say,
put your shoulder to the wheel, it's the wheel of grace. Look
at verse 10, he says, from beyond the rivers of Ethiopia, my suppliants. And what he means from the rivers,
uh, from beyond the rivers of Ethiopia, what he's showing here
is that God has a people beyond Jerusalem. He has people out
of every tribe, kindred, tongue, and nation that he's going to
bring into this pure language who will call upon the name of
the Lord. They'll call upon him through Christ. They'll come
unto Christ, all who are labored and heavy laden, he'll give them
rest, and they'll serve him with one consent, and they're called
suppliants here. What's a suppliant? It's somebody
who's in need. Brother Cecil Roach would say
they're mercy beggars. They want something. They're
hungry and they're thirsty after something. That's what they are.
And what he's saying here is that from all over the world,
even beyond the rivers of Ethiopia, God's people will come begging
Him for mercy. They're hungry and thirsting
after righteousness and they'll find it and be filled because
they'll find it in Christ. They want to be forgiven of their
sins. They're like that publican. He was a suppliant. That old
publican was a suppliant. God, be merciful to me, the sinner. He's like that old blind beggar,
Lord if thou will, I know you're able to give me sight. That old
leper, Lord if thou will, you can make me clean. I'm in need.
He's like that woman with the issue of blood. If I can just
touch the hem of his garment, I'll be healed. That's a suppliant.
And all of those who were begging for physical healing are a picture
of God's people who have been brought to Him begging for mercy,
begging for salvation, begging for forgiveness in Christ. Mercy
beggars. And they'll come pleading the
blood of Christ and submitting to His righteousness because
they're going to see that Christ meets all their need. All that God requires of me,
I find fulfilled in Christ. He that spared not his own son,
but gave him up for us all, how shall he not with him freely
give us all things? Look at verse 10, he says, he
says, from beyond the rivers of Ethiopia, my suppliants, even
the daughter of my disperse, shall bring mine offering. What
is his offering? That's talking about Christ.
That's not talking about offering themselves unto God. That's not
talking about bringing their tithes and offerings here. Talking
about bringing the right sacrifice with that pure language, a suppliant
in need, because he knows Christ can answer them. The only way
God can justify me is through Christ and Him crucified. That's
his offering. Abel's offering. Abraham's offering. Noah's offering. look at verse
eleven, in that day shalt thou not be ashamed for all thy doings
wherein thou hast transgressed against me for then I... now
what is he talking about? you know we're always ashamed
of... listen think about this, it's not that they're not sinners
anymore and it's not that they still don't need to be brought
to godly sorrow and shame over sin because we do Paul spoke
of that in second corinthians seven beautifully how we must
be continually ashamed of our sin. But he's talking about something
specific this way. There is an ashamedness that
we don't have anymore. Let me show you what he means.
Look at it again, verse 11. In that day shalt thou not be
ashamed for all thy doings wherein thou hast transgressed against
me for... Now, you see that colon there
that the King James translators put in? Well, that's a good colon
there. What that means is I'm going
to explain to you what I mean here. Anytime you see that. In other words, what follows
is an explanation of what's been said before. Here's what he says,
"'For then I will take away out of the midst of thee "'them that
rejoice in thy pride, and thou shalt no more be haughty "'because
of my holy mount.'" Now what's he talking about? He's talking
about repentance of dead works. You see, what he's talking about
is how a sinner comes to God through Christ. And when you
come to God through Christ, when you stand before God in Christ,
you don't have anything to be ashamed of. You don't have to be ashamed
now. Now, if you come before God presenting your doings, remember
he said, you're not going to be ashamed for all that. If you
come before God presenting your doings, your enablements, What
you think you've done or are doing or have been enabled to
do, then you have reason to be ashamed. Because they will not
measure up. They'll fall short every time.
But when you come before God presenting Christ having repented
of your doings, you see, having repented of your dead works,
then you don't have any reason to be ashamed now. My sins are
all, did you hear what Jesus said to me? They're all taken
away. There's no record in heaven against
me of my sin because the slate has been wiped clean by the blood
of Christ and I have boldness to enter the holiest by the blood
of Jesus. Now boldness is the opposite
of being ashamed. So that's what he's talking about
here, you know. He's talking about not with pride based on
self-worth and works, but as sinners forgiven and justified
in Christ, because that glorifies God. We don't have to be ashamed
of anything that glorifies and exalts Christ. Look at verse
12. He says, I will also leave in
the midst of thee an afflicted and poor people, and they shall
trust in the name of the Lord. Now boy, doesn't that describe
us. sinners saved by grace. Blessed are the poor in spirit.
Blessed are they that mourn. Blessed are the meek. What do
they do? What's the bottom line here? They trust in the name
of the Lord. Do you have anything else to
trust in? You know why you don't? Because you're poor. That's right, you're a mourner.
We don't have anyone else to trust him for salvation. That
right there is salvation. I will also leave in the midst
of thee an afflicted. Who afflicted us? God did. He
brought us down, just like he afflicted old Jacob. Remember? He made him lame. That's what
he does. He slays us by the law. Paul
describes that in Romans chapter 7. Remember? Talking about when
I didn't know the law, the reality of the law, the extent of the
law, the spirituality of the law, I thought I was okay. I
looked at the law and I said, yes sir, I keep it. But then
the Spirit of God came in the preaching of the gospel and afflicted
me and showed me my sin, my sickness, my spiritual death, my need,
and how how poverty stricken I am when it comes to salvation
and a relationship with God. And then I saw that I have no
other hope, no other way to go but to trust in the name of the
Lord. That's salvation. Now who's all
this for? Look at verse 13. Here it is. The remnant of Israel shall not
do iniquity nor speak lies. There's a part of Israel Who's
he talking about? He's talking about the remnant
according to the election of grace. God has always had a remnant. And there are others who are
of this remnant to come. It's a remnant according to the
election of grace. He said they shall do no iniquity
nor speak lies. It's not that they're not sinners.
But he's talking about how they are perceived by God in Christ.
He says, "...neither shall a deceitful tongue be found in their mouth."
They're going to preach to God. They've got that pure language,
remember? "...for they shall feed and lie down, and none shall
make them afraid." In Christ, we have no sin, no iniquity.
You know why? Because He took it all away.
And as led by the Spirit of God, we speak that which is right
and truthful concerning how God is just to justify the ungodly,
how God saves sinners in and by Christ. And we feed upon God's
Word because that's what we have to have. We were talking about
that earlier. My friend, if you have the Spirit
Christ within you if I have the Spirit of Christ within me if
he's given me life that life Must be fed with the Word of
God you can't do without it and that's what he said they'll feed
and they'll lie down because when they feed they'll rest and
They'll lie down in the green pastures of his salvation his
word the Good Shepherd the Great Shepherd the Chief Shepherd That's
our hope. That remnant, God's remnant restored. Okay.