The book of Proverbs, chapter
5. The chords that draw us. The chords that draw us. Here's one of those chords in
Proverbs, chapter 5. Go down to verse 21, you with
me? Proverbs, chapter 5, verse 21. For the ways of man are before
the eyes of the Lord, and he pondereth all his goings. His own iniquity shall take the
wicked himself, and he shall be home with the cords of his
sins. He shall die without instruction,
and in the greatness of his folly he shall go astray. First of
all, we'll talk about the cords. of iniquity, the cords of sin
that hold us. What are these cords? Well, there's
several of them. Number one, and mostly, my flesh. That's the cord that holds on
to me. And in my flesh dwells no good thing, the scripture
says, but this cord of flesh enslaves me. I am captive to my flesh. Paul said it brings me into captivity. I'm enslaved by my flesh. I have a problem with me. My
problem is not with you. Actually, never with you. My problem is with me. And if
I have a problem with you, I'm not fulfilling of what the Lord
said about love hiding a multitude of sins. Isn't that right? Love hides a multitude of sins. My problem is me. The cords of
iniquity that hold me, my flesh that enslaves me. I want to do
certain things to do them right, but I don't. There are things
that I don't want to ever do and end up doing. No wonder Paul said in Romans
chapter 7, O wretched man that I am, who shall deliver me from
this body of flesh? There's only one, the next verse
tells it. I thank God through Jesus Christ,
my Lord. He is my only deliverer. We live in an age, and I have
for years thought and preached this, we live in an age where
man believes that his free will, that he can freely choose God
for himself. He can come down an aisle, sign
a card, or he can be witnessed by a soul winner, And the soul
winners say, if you'll say this certain prayer, God will save
you. Do you want to be saved? You
can be saved. The problem with that is that
I am dead. I am blind. I am dumb. I am deaf. I am haught and maimed. I am
as a filthy rag before God. I am ungodly and I am without
God. How in the world can a person
like that exercise his free will? He is there such a thing. Oh yeah, take him greatly to
sin. Take him greatly to what he wants
to do. In the flesh. John said it this way and John
Chapter 1, verses 11 through 13, it was not of blood, nor
of the will of flesh, nor of the will of man. Salvation is
not that way, it's God's free gift. Paul said it in Romans,
it's not of him that willeth, nor of him that writeth. It's
not what you're going to do, but it's God that showeth mercy. I'll be gracious to whom I will
be gracious. I will be merciful to whom I
will be merciful. It's God's choice. All mankind
is under sin. Romans chapter 3 verse 23 says,
For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God. All mankind has sinned. All mankind
is under the curse. The wrath of God is revealed
on all ungodliness and unrighteousness. All men are under the curse.
The wages of sin is death. The soul that sinneth, it shall
die. I am a sinner. I am bound by
this cord of flesh. And all I can do is iniquity.
Isn't it interesting? that even the writer of Proverbs
says, the plowing of the wicked is sin. What's wrong with plowing? Why don't
the plowshares feel it? Nothing wrong with that. The plowing of the wicked is
sin. There's no good thing within
me. None. And the reason for that
is that I am in Adam. I am under the curse of the fall
in Genesis chapter 3. The Bible says, as in Adam, all
die. Look with me in Romans chapter
5. In Romans chapter 5. There is the curse and the blessing
in these few verses in Romans chapter 5. We begin with verse
12, Romans chapter 5. The Bible says, Wherefore, as
by one man's sin entered into the world, and death by sin,
and so death passed upon all men, for a few men of sin. For until the law, sin was in
the world, but sin is not imputed when there is no law. Nevertheless,
death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over them that had not sinned,
after the similitude of Adam's transgression, who is the figure
of him that was to come. But not as the offense, so also
as the free gift. For if through the offense of
one many be dead, Much more, the grace of God, and the gift
by grace, which is by one man, Jesus Christ, hath abounded unto
many. And not as it was by one that
sinned, so is the gift, for the judgment was by one to condemnation,
but the free gift is of many offenses unto justification. For if by one man's offense death
reigned by one, Much more, they which have received abundance
of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus
Christ. Therefore, as by the events of
one, judgment came upon all men to condemnation, even so by the
righteousness of one, the free gift came upon all men unto justification
of life. for as by one man's disobedience
many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many
be made righteous. Moreover, the law entered that
the events might abound, but where sin abounded, grace did
much more abound, that as sin hath reigned unto death, even
so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life
by Jesus Christ All said it in another way, they
that are in the flesh cannot be in God. The only hope we have, the grace
of our Lord Jesus Christ. The cords of iniquity, the one,
the worst to me of all the cords, is me, my flesh. There's the cores of the world. Turn with me to 1st John chapter
1, chapter 2, 1st John chapter 2. 1st John chapter 2. And let's read verse 15, 16 and
17. John says, Love not the world,
neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the
world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is
in the world, the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes,
and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the
world. And the world passeth away, and
the lusts thereof. But he that doeth the will of
God abideth forever. the cords of the world, there
are so many things in this world that can draw our attention away
from Christ, away from God, away from the truth of the gospel. There are so many things in the
world, and James said it this way, we're drawn away of our
own lusts and enticed, in James chapter 1. And when lust is conceived,
It bringeth forth death. It bringeth forth sin, and sin
bringeth forth death. The cords of the world. They're
the cords of religion. Look at 1 Timothy chapter 4.
1 Timothy chapter 4. We're held by the cords of iniquity,
our flesh, the world. and religion in 1 Timothy chapter
4, beginning in verse 1. Now the Spirit speaketh expressly
that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith,
giving heed to seducing spirits and doctrines of devils, speaking
lies and hypocrisy, having their conscience seared with a hot
iron. That's not all that Paul had
to say about that subject. If you look at 2 Timothy chapter
3, 2 Timothy chapter 3, Paul says this in verse 1, This
know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come, for
men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, loathsome,
proud, blasphemous, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,
without natural affection, truth-breakers, false accusers, incompetent,
fierce, despisers of those that are good, traitors, heady, high-minded,
lovers of pleasure more than lovers of God, having a form
of godliness but denying the power thereof, from such turn
away." Pretty plain words, isn't it? Pretty plain words. The religions
of our day would turn people away. They would say, lo, here
is Christ. Or they would say, lo, there
is Christ. And these are the very words that Jesus spoke to
his disciples. Lo, here is Christ. Some would
say, lo, here is Christ. Lo, there is Christ. Don't you
listen to them. Don't you go to them. For they
would deceive the very elect. Paul was aware of that when he
gathered the Ephesian believers to him to tell them that he was
going to Jerusalem and leave his last instructions in the
book of Acts, chapter 20. The book of Acts, chapter 20.
In his instructions to them, he said these words in Acts,
chapter 20, beginning of verse 28. He says to these brothers and
sisters, take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the
flock over which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed
the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood.
For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves
enter in among you, not sparing the flock, also of your own selves,
show me the right, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples
actively. The religious world has drawn
a cord around the people of this world, and draw, draw away their
thoughts. These are those folks who go
about the standard prayer all night. I'm not as bad as anybody else.
I know some people that are worse than I am. I may not be as good
as some others, but I'm not as bad as anyone. For a holy God, we're all sinners. We're all that. There's nothing
good about it. There's none good, no, not one. There's none that understandeth.
There's none that seeketh after God. There's none. There's the whores of the flesh,
whores of the world, whores of religion, and there's the whores
of the devil. It's not much like talking about him.
Now there you are. But Deacon Adler ain't doin'
nothin'. And it's no wonder that his ministers
themselves come off as ministers of no one. He's deceptive. He's diabolical. His tactics have not changed
since the days of the Garden. He will change God's Word. He
will lie about God's Word. And he'll change the truth of
God into a lie. And he will deceive. That cord
of iniquity, one of those cords is the devil. He's as a roaring
lion walking about, seeking whom he may devour. He's not a friend
of any. of God's people. He's our energy. But the steam was taken out of
him when Jesus died on the cross. He might have bruised the heel
of our Savior, but our Savior He's a defeated soul, but he's
still walking now, seeking whom he may devour. Here's what our
Lord Jesus said about him. He's a liar, he's a murderer,
he's the father of lies and murder. Let me show you something here
in Revelation chapter 12. Revelation chapter 12. One of
the cores that binds us into iniquity, the devil himself. Revelation chapter 12. I want
you to notice a couple things here, also in chapter 20. In
chapter 12, the devil is trying to destroy
the woman, the church, And in chapter 12, verse 9, here's
what the Lord, the scripture says about him. And the great
dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the devil, and
Satan, which deceived the whole world. He was cast out into the
earth, and his angels were cast with him. And that's not the
only time he's cast. Look at chapter 20 and verse
2. Chapter 20 and verse 2. And I saw it, verse 1, and I
saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless
pit and a great chain in his hand, and he laid hold on the
dragon, that old servant, which the devil and Satan had bound
him, and the devil that deceived them
was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast
of the boss prophesied, and shall be for many a day and night forevermore. I don't like to be opposed to
you. I don't like it to me. But it's
one of the chords. It's one of the chords of iniquity
in our day. You know, we are hopeless cases
in and of ourselves. The wrath of God has been revealed.
The justice of our God demands righteousness. And because we
cannot produce righteousness, there is no way that we deserve
punishment. We were talking about that back
in the prayer room just a while ago. All of us deserve death. All of us deserve to be punished. All of us deserve the punishment
of sin because we are all sinners before a holy God. But in eternity
past, God chose a people He chose sinners. That's all
he had to choose from. He chose sinners. But God can't
look on sin, can he? So God had to do something. God
had to provide him something. God purposed this in eternity
past. It wasn't a happenstance, oh
me, now we got sinners, what we gonna do? No, it's God saying, I have purpose,
and we'll see this in just a few minutes, he may have said it
earlier, but I have purpose to love a people, and that was me,
Son of God. It began in eternity past, it
continues right now, and is effectual now, and it will continue forever
with the Lord. There's not a love like that. I was over here in Crossville several years ago. I got out of my truck and went
into, I think it was the Kmart over there. Yeah, the Kmart parking
lot. And a lady stepped out of her
car. Our eyes met. I don't know. I know some people don't believe
in love at first sight, but I fell in love with that lady, and I
showed her a picture of myself. We got to knowing each other,
dating each other. And one day she was talking to
me on the phone, She was trying to say something to me, and I
said, Peggy, are you trying to tell me that you love me? She
said, yeah, but I was thinking it was too soon. I said, it wasn't
too soon for me. But you know what? That kind
of love will not last. In the resurrection, we'll not
be married or given immunity. We'll be exchanged. In the resurrection,
I'm going to love someone because He loves me. My eyes are going to be on Him.
There's going to be love at first sight of Him. And that love is
caused by Him. Purposed by Him. which brings us to the next point. We've already got everything. This couldn't help it. I wanted
to talk about the love of God. We talk about sin. We talk about
how awful we are. Turn with me to Hosea, chapter
11. We'll find Jeremiah, Lamentations,
Ezekiel, Daniel, then Hosea. Hosea chapter 11. Oh, I love
this. Hosea chapter 11. You see, all men are drawn to
the course of iniquity. The God's people are drawn to
the course of iniquity. And that's a big difference.
Hosea, chapter 11, verse 1. When Israel was a child, then
I loved him and called my son out of Egypt. As they called
them, so they went from them. They sacrificed the Baal for
incense to the graven images. I taught Ephraim also to go,
taking them by their arms. But they knew not that I healed
them. Notice that passage. We're just like you. We didn't
even know it until one day God revealed himself to us and we
found out. He loved us for all eternity.
We've been healed from all eternity. There's nothing wrong. God can't
look on me now because of his great love where we are. He loved
us. Now, I know that there's much
more doctrinal lies than just that. But I'll tell you what,
that blesses my heart. Just to think that God loved
me enough that he would clean up this whole sin. So he'd leave me by me. So he
could say, Ain't nothing wrong with you,
boy. You're mine. You're part of my eternal love. I drew them, verse 4, I drew
them with cords of a man, with bands of love. And I was to them
as they that take off the yoke on their jaw. Am I right? I drew them with cords of a man. Excuse me, with bands of love. And couple that, go back just
a few books here to Jeremiah chapter 31. Couple that with
these words. In Jeremiah chapter 31. In verse 3. Jeremiah 31 verse 3. The Lord hath appeared of old
unto me, saying, Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting
love. Therefore, with lovingkindness,
what he doth, I have done. With lovingkindness, because
of his eternal love, because of his eternal love, he made
an everlasting covenant in his blood. He made an everlasting
covenant that God has a people, Jesus Christ would die for those
people and God the Father would draw them to Jesus Christ and
Jesus Christ would bring them in, bring his sheep in and that
he would give them life, they would never perish. The Holy
Spirit would do the regenerative work through the preaching of
God's word to bring them in. God's eternal love, it was eternal
love that made this everlasting covenant. It was eternal love
that made Christ willing to leave the glory of heaven and become
a man. And he became the God-man to
live the perfect life, to experience all his people's infirmity, to
be the perfect sacrifice, to bear all of God's wrath on sin,
and especially on the sinner. to satisfy God's justice, truth,
and holiness, to rise again for their justification, to carry
his people on his shoulders and on his heart to the throne of
God, to carry the blood to the holiest. No wonder John said,
he that believeth not, he that believeth on him shall have everlasting
life. It was eternal love that caused
our Lord to willingly endure the cross for us. He endured
the shame before the joy that was set before Him. It was eternal
love that caused Him to be sinned for us who knew no sin. It was eternal love that caused
Him to bear our sins in His own body on the tree. It was eternal
love that caused him to carry his blood and his people to the
holiest. It was eternal love that placed
him at the right hand of the Father to be seated on that throne,
the throne of grace. There is the mercy seat, as our
pastor told us a couple weeks ago. There is where our mediator
is. There is our advocate. And no
wonder the writer of Hebrews said, let us therefore come boldly
to the throne of grace that we may obtain mercy and find grace
to help in time of need. It was eternal love that made
salvation effectual for his sheep. He accomplished his purpose. He did exactly what God required
for you and me. He satisfied the father. He substituted
himself in our place. For God so loved the world that
he gave his only begotten son. That world If you read John chapter
3, that's the world of those who've been born. Born. That's it. The cords of love, if it is eternal
love. All men are drawn with the cords
of iniquity, but God's people are drawn with the cords of love. Rahab, the harp. It's mentioned
in Hebrews chapter 11. That's a woman of faith? Brother O, we read it for us
in Joshua chapter 2 and Joshua chapter 6. What happens to this
lady? Do you realize that there are
four ladies that are mentioned in the genealogy of Jesus Christ
in Matthew chapter 1? There was Rahab the harlot, but
before her was Tamar who made herself a harlot with her father-in-law
Judah. And then there was Rahab the
harlot, and then there was Bathsheba the adulteress, and then there was the innocent No. Rahab is mentioned in that genealogy,
because she became the great-great-grandmother of King David, and she is therefore
in the line of her seed, of her line, is Jesus Christ himself. And how did it all happen? It
was by the women in Jericho, it was by a plan. George was
red with fear. The king heard about it, and
he wanted those two guys desperately. Great happened to him. If you
turn to Joshua chapter 2, it tells us there why she hid them. Verse 9-11, and she said unto
the men, I know that the Lord hath given you the land, and
that your terror is fallen upon us, and that all the inhabitants
of the land thank the God of you. For we have heard how the
Lord dried up the water of the Red Sea for you when you came
out of Egypt, and what you did unto the two kings of the Amorites,
which were on the other side of Jordan, Simon, and of whom
you utterly destroyed. And as soon as we heard these
things, our hearts did melt, neither did there remain any
more courage in any man because of you. For the Lord your God,
he is God in heaven above and in earth beneath. The Lord your God, he recognizes
us. It wasn't just these people,
these Israelites, these Jews that were coming into the land.
It was God bringing them in. For the Lord your God, He is
God in heaven above and in earth beneath. He's God. Not our gods. Not the things we worship. He's
God. So, she let them down. got them out of there after all
was said and done, got them out of there through a window, through
a cord. These men climbed down off the wall and they took off
to the mountain for three days. And then after the pursuers got
through, they came out of the mountain. But that cord, that
same cord, these men said, you take that cord and here's what
we'll do. We'll save you and your house. Anybody that's in it will save
you a life. Now, she didn't deserve it. She was one of the Jerichoites,
or whatever you call it. She didn't deserve it. And on top of that, she was a
harlot. She didn't deserve it. Notice what we read to us in
Joshua chapter 6, and Joshua is saying this. Joshua. You know what Joshua
means? Same name as Jesus. Old Testament
Hebrew Joshua, New Testament Greek Jesus. Same name. Jehovah
is salvation. Jesus Christ our Lord, Savior. And it was through the medium
of a scarlet thread. We just look for a scarlet thread,
a rope, a cord. We just look for that rope. That
scarlet thread runs from Genesis to Revelation. It's our only
hope. It's the true token that she
asked for. Jesus Christ himself. Now, that cord wasn't something
that these spies told her. Now, before we get across the
river and come at you, maybe you can just, all of you guys,
throw that cord out the window like you did for us, and we'll
climb in and get away before it all happens. Now, if that
had happened, they'd have been dead. And that's what men today
are trying to do. We're going to climb down. We're
going to make our own books. We're going to make our own threads.
We was talking about, back in the prayer room, we was talking
about all these new translations that are out and where they're
changing the word blood. When they find the word blood,
they're changing it to death because blood is offensive. Not for the child of God. The
blood of Jesus Christ was a small thing. His blood was effectual. Let me just close quickly here. It wasn't something to climb down
and get away. She was to stay put until they
came for her. And when they came for her, Just
think about this. They marched around the city
one time for six days. One time a day. On the seventh
day they marched around seven times and they blew the trumpet
and shouted and the walls fell down flat. Wouldn't you think
about that? She lived on the wall. The walls fell down flat. Where she had a, I don't know
if this is true or not on this side, but where she had a penthouse,
she was on ground level. And that told her. Shined out, stuck it, it was
a token. Joshua said, whoever else he's
got with him. way to get rid of them. But that was love, gospel. In love the Father draws his
own to the Son. The Father purposed our salvation. All that the Father giveth me
shall come to me, and him that cometh to me I will no wise cast
out. In love the Son draws those given
to him, and I, if I be lifted up, will draw all men unto me. The Son accomplished our salvation. In love the Spirit draws men
and women through the preaching of the Word of God. The Spirit
effects our salvation. He regenerates. He brings to
life. Peace seals us and guarantees
us. The Son was lifted up on the
cross, lifted up in the glory, we lift Him up in praise, we
lift Him up in our hearts, we bow to Him on the cross. Because God's people are gone
with pores of blood, according to Romans chapter 8, Turn there
with me and we'll close with these words, Romans chapter 8. Very familiar portion of Scripture
to us, verse 28. And we know that all things work
together for good, to them that love God, to them who are called
according to his purpose, for whom he did foreknow, he also
did predestinate, to be conformed to the image of his Son, that
he might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover, whom
he did predestinate, them he also called, and whom he called,
them he also justified, and whom he justified, then they also
go at night. You and I, who are his sheep,
who are God's people, are all those things. I'm not even going to ask you. I'm not going to ask you. God said that. I don't think
God's going to do it for you. God says So all men are drawn
to the course of iniquity, but God's people are drawn to the
course of God, and from heaven and from hell. I know I'm a sinner. I don't want to
be a sinner. And I know that Christ died for
sinners. I know that Christ died for sinners. Don't get me wrong when I say
this, but they didn't die for anybody else. I know that. I
don't. I don't. They told me to call upon Him.
So whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be
saved. I called on Him for mercy. Like
the publican, Lord be merciful to me a sinner. like a blind
bar of eggs. Jesus, thou son of David, have
mercy on me. Peggy and I cried for a little
while ago when we talked about that. Our Lord Jesus stopped. I was studying, and she had to
have something. She said, I didn't want to interrupt
you. I said, well, Lord, you interrupted so many times. I
said, remember the time when he was walking through Jericho
on his way out of the city and a blind man called out, Jesus,
thou son of David, have mercy upon me. What did he do? He stopped in his tracks. He didn't preach. The Lord had mercy
on him. Jesus loved him. Father, we thank you for your word. Thank you for the truth that
we've seen in the gospel of Jesus Christ. Thank you that Jesus
Christ is Thank you for your truth. Thank you for your people. Thank you for our church. Thank
you for the blessings of fellowship. But thank you most of all. I'll stand here, turn to level 51, and close
me out. Praise the Savior, ye who know
Him, who can tell how much we owe Him. Gladly let us render
to Him all we are and have. Jesus is the thing that charms
us, He for conflict lifts and arms us. Nothing moves and nothing
harms us while we trust in Him. Trust in Him, ye saints, forever. He is faithful, changing never. Neither force nor doubt can sever
those he loves from him. Keep us, Lord, O keep us, pleading
to Thyself and still believing, till the hour of our receiving. Promise joys with thee. Then we shall be where we would
be. Then we shall be what we should
be. Things that are not, now more
could be. Soon shall be our home. Thank you. Thank you.