Welcome, friends, to another
broadcast of Morsels for Zion's Poor. The reason for the creation
of men must be viewed in light of the work of redemption and
the Redeemer, who would demonstrate the glory of His name in the
bestowal of life and light to those who sat in darkness. Before
there was ever a sinner, Christ was the Savior who created a
world into which He would come as the sinless substitute, making
atonement for that people which were chosen in Him and loved
with an everlasting love. Christ, in his redeeming work,
undertook not only to satisfy the demands of a broken law,
but to deliver those elect children for which he died 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. Every man born of flesh and blood
is dead in trespasses and sins. It is in this condition that
a man by nature 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 desire which he has for religion of the flesh
or the mind. The Lord drove Adam and Eve from
the garden that He might illustrate the impossibility of men in their
sinful condition having communion with Him or enjoying fruits of
His presence. No man can come to Me except
the Father which has sent Me draw him. By nature, all men
have a desire to live in this flesh and will go to practically
any means to preserve their life, even if it means taking the life
from another who may threaten their own. 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 sinners might have eternal life.
He made himself of no reputation, and 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. This is the evidence that
man could not, in his 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 does 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, just as Adam and Eve were prevented
from eating this tree of life in their corrupted flesh. So
too are the natural-born sons of Adam unable to live forever
in their sinful 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 the tree of life which is planted
by the rivers of waters. Those who are made the inhabitants
of this city are not 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. 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. Christ
is the truth. Do you love the truth? For a
free CD containing 15 of these radio broadcasts, send an email
to forthepoor at windstream.net.