Welcome, friends, to another
broadcast of Morsels for Zion's Poor. The predestined purpose
of God to redeem a people which He chose in Christ from before
the foundation of the world does not have its complete fulfillment
in simply delivering them from the condemnation of the law and
its resulting penalty. While we do rejoice that He did
indeed accomplish this very objective as He became sin for them and
they in turn were made the righteousness of God in Him, Yet we read in
the scriptures that he had a more complete deliverance of them
as his goal, which he does not fail to perform. Paul sets forth
a manifesto of the complete work of Christ in the fulfillment
of his purpose in his letter to the Ephesians. Here he points
out the very state of nature in which each of the sons of
God did abide, and the miracle of deliverance which he performed
in them by the quickening, that is, life-giving operation of
the Holy Ghost. But God, who is rich in mercy,
for his great love wherewith he loved us, even when we were
dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ. By grace
you are saved, and hath raised us up together, and made us sit
together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus, that in the ages
to come he might show the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness
toward us through Christ Jesus. For by grace are you saved through
faith, and that not of yourselves, It is the gift of God, not of
works, lest any man should boast. For we are his workmanship, created
in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained
that we should walk in them. This is not an optional scenario,
which may or may not come to pass, but is just as certain
as the decree which he made in choosing a people in Christ from
before the foundation of the world. The end for which he has
redeemed and indwelt this people must come to pass. Paul describes
to us this very situation when he speaks of being apprehended
by Christ. There was a purpose for which
he was apprehended rather than some random happenstance or response
to some general call sent out without a specific purpose in
mind. The Greek word for apprehended means to eagerly seize or possess
with a purpose in mind. Paul could speak of his own literal
apprehension as he was arrested on the road to Damascus and was
completely disabled from his ability to pursue that which
he zealously lived for as a Pharisee of the Pharisees. The Lord of
Glory, whom he met in person on that day, had a greater design
and purpose for him than he could ever have imagined. Even the
most ardent proponent of man's supposed sovereign free will
will have to agree that the Lord violated Paul's free will that
day. He had no choice but to follow
Christ, for he surely was made willing in the day of the Lord's
power. Few of the Lord's people ever encounter as dramatic an
event in their conversion as that which Paul experienced.
Yet the purpose behind each one who is called to be a follower
of Christ is exactly the same, that he might be glorified and
reveal his Son in them. To this end, they are apprehended
by Christ, even as Paul. One of the evidences that a man
has indeed been apprehended by Christ is seen in Paul's admission
that he himself had not yet fully gained that for which he was
apprehended. That man who believes he has
arrived at some pinnacle is a stranger to the grace which reminds the
sons of Adam of how far they are from that standard which
Christ has called them to. If a man considers that he measures
up to that standard, he has not been taught of the glory of Christ,
nor of his own innate depravity. We know nothing as we ought to
know, and we have nothing at all that we have not received
simply as a gift of his grace and mercy. We cannot rightly
discuss any desire we might have to apprehend the calling which
we have been given, apart from clearly expressing our total
reliance upon Him who is our apprehender, who is faithful
to call us, arrest us, and then keep us from falling. He is our
performer in all things, working in us both to will and to do
of His good pleasure. He is the author of all of our
desire to reach forth and press to the mark for the prize of
the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. He will do that which
He has purposed, and we are the recipients of His mercy, which
daily surrounds us and binds us to Him with cords of love
which cannot be broken. How else could we possibly pay
heed to the exaltations which we are given to strive to enter
in at that straight gate? Wherefore, holy brethren, partakers
of the heavenly calling, consider the apostle and high priest of
our profession, Christ Jesus. Have you been apprehended by
Christ? For a free CD containing 15 of
these radio broadcasts, send an email to forthepoor at windstream.net.