Welcome, friends, to another
broadcast of Morsels for Zion's Poor. Christ, in his redeeming
work, undertook not only to satisfy the demands of a broken law,
but to deliver his elect children from the very curse of sin itself,
and to indwell them, making them new creatures. This is that work
which is described by the Lord to Nicodemus when he said, Ye
must be born again. The result of this work is seen
in Paul's letter to the Ephesians. And you hath he quickened, or
made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins, wherein
time past ye walked according to the course of this world,
according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit
that now worketh in the children of disobedience. All men are
born into a state of being dead in trespasses and sins, In this
condition a man is condemned already, for he will not come
to the light because his deeds are evil. Christ is the light,
but men love darkness rather than light, and will seek to
hide their nakedness by their own effort. We see this demonstrated
continually by the penchant which he has for religion of the flesh
or the mind. By nature, all men have a desire
to live in this flesh and will go to practically any means to
preserve that life, even if it means taking the life from another
who may threaten their own. Even this very desire indicates
the selfish nature of sinful men, quite in contrast to the
nature of the Lord Jesus Christ, who gladly and willingly laid
down his own life in order that those sinners whom he loved might
have true life. He took upon him the form of
a servant and was made in the likeness of men. And being found
in fashion as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient unto
death, even the death of the cross. Man cannot, in his own
natural ability or will, come into the presence of a holy God.
It was therefore necessary that one who had no sin should become
the substitute of those whom he purposed to save. He satisfied
their sin debt with his own blood as their Redeemer. He delivered
them from the sin which did so easily beset them as their Savior. It was his purpose not only to
remove the condemnation of their sin from the record of the law,
but to set them free from that same condemnation in their mind
and heart by making them new creatures who delight in that
work which he has performed in their behalf. When we see the
Lord barring Adam and Eve from the garden with a flaming sword,
we understand that the Lord would not have corrupt men eating of
the tree of life. Many religions teach that heaven
is a place where men go after death to engage in whatever it
was that gave them happiness in this sinful world. Yet heaven
is the abode of him whom David described this way. Our God is
in the heavens. He hath done whatsoever he hath
pleased. Just as Adam and Eve were prevented from eating of
this tree of life and their corrupted flesh, so too are the natural-born
sons of Adam unable to live forever in that state. Destruction is
their portion. Forever, none shall enter into
that glorious city wherein dwelleth righteousness, who have not been
born from above with the seal of Christ's righteousness in
their foreheads, and the banner of his love in their hands. For
here the Lamb is the light that shineth forever, and also is
that tree of life which is planted by the rivers of waters. Those
who are made the inhabitants of this city cannot be barred
from eating of that tree, for he is that one in whom is their
delight, both in the present time and more perfectly in the
ages to come. Just as surely as their delight
is in him, his delight in them is that which ensured that they
would be welcomed into that place which he has gone to prepare
for them. If it were not so, he would have told us. The natural
man would desire to live forever, not so that he might worship
the king and his beauty, but rather to continue his carnal
rebellion against his precepts. For the wicked boasteth of his
heart's desire and blesseth the covetous, whom the Lord abhorreth.
The wicked, through the pride of his countenance, will not
seek after God. God is not in all his thoughts.
While the wicked are kept out by those cherubim with the flaming
sword, those who are in Christ are welcomed therein. Their desire
is to be found where He is. Blessed are they that do His
commandments, that they might have right to the tree of life,
and may enter in through the gates into the city. For without
are dogs, and sorcerers, and whoremongers, and murderers,
and idolaters, and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie. Here
is the truth, do you rejoice in his truth? Plenteous grace
with thee is found, grace to pardon all my sin. Let the healing
streams abound, make and keep me pure within. Thou of life
the fountain art, freely let me take of thee. Spring thou
up within my heart, rise to all eternity. For a free CD containing 15 of
these radio broadcasts, send an email to forthepoor at windstream.net