Welcome, friends, to another
broadcast of Morsels for Zion's Poor. The Lord said that he calls
his own sheep by name. It seems clear that he is speaking
of a particular calling rather than one which is general in
nature. Peter spoke of this calling on the day of Pentecost when
he described those to whom the gospel was sent. For the promise
is unto you and to your children and to all that are far off,
even as many as the Lord our God shall call. Paul speaks of
the specific nature of this calling when he writes to the Romans.
We know that all things work together for good to them that
love God, to them who are the 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, them He also glorified. This calling is at which all
of his elect children are made partakers of. They all share
a common bond which sets them apart from the world, even as
the Lord told his disciples, Because ye are not of the world,
but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world
hateth you. This common bond which the sons
of God share with one another is even more importantly that
which they share with Christ himself, as Paul describes his
desire to be one with Christ as he denounced all earthly ties
and attainments. But what things were gained to
me, those I counted lost for Christ. Yea, doubtless, and I
count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge
of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss
of all things, and do count them but done, that I may win Christ,
and be found in him not having mine own righteousness, which
is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ.
It has been revealed to the sons of God that they have an inheritance
to which they are called and prepared by His Spirit who indwells
them. For as many as are led by the
Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. For ye have not received
the spirit of bondage again to fear, but ye have received the
spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. And if children,
then heirs, heirs of God, and joint heirs with Christ. Thus
those who are in Christ are made to be partakers with Christ in
all things. He is touched with the feelings
of their infirmities and they are caused to remember his sufferings
in their behalf as they recognize that he has borne their griefs
and carried their sorrows. They are made to mourn for his
sorrow in their behalf and to worship at his footstool in repentance
as they see him as their bleeding substitute. The kingdom of God
is not made up of those that go about to establish their own
righteousness. Rather, the sons of God are all
made to be partakers in the one righteousness which is necessary
in order to enter into that kingdom. There is no mixture of those
things which are profane and of this world with those which
are from heaven. You cannot drink the cup of the
Lord and the cup of devils. You cannot be partakers of the
Lord's table and of the table of devils. If a man would feed
upon Christ, he cannot partake of those things which emanate
from darkness rather than light. This is the fellowship of the
saints with Christ their Lord. This is that common salvation
in which all of the saints rest. not by works of righteousness
which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by
the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Ghost, which
he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior, that
being justified by his grace we should be made heirs according
to the hope of eternal life. The offense of the cross never
ceases. The men of this world and the purveyors of this world's
free will religion are set against the gospel of the glory of the
blessed God. And our hope of you is steadfast, knowing that
as you are partakers of the sufferings, so shall you be also of the consolation. Shall the sons of God shrink
back from declaring and standing upon that gospel? in the face
of those who despise it. But rejoice inasmuch as ye are
partakers of Christ's sufferings, that when his glory shall be
revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy. If ye be
reproached for the name of Christ, happy are ye, for the spirit
of glory and of God resteth upon you. On their part he is evil
spoken of, but on your part he is glorified. We have no grounds
upon which to glory, except in that which Christ has made us
partakers of. giving thanks unto the Father,
which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance
of the saints in light, who hath delivered us from the power of
darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear
Son, in whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness
of sins. Are you a partaker of this inheritance?
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