Welcome, friends, to another
broadcast of Morsels for Zion's Poor. The kingdom of God is governed
by the blessed and only potentate, the King of kings and Lord of
lords. As a man, he has demonstrated his own sinless character while
being tempted in all points like other men. Who did no sin, neither
was guile found in his mouth. He is a kind and benevolent ruler.
Behold my servant whom I have chosen, my beloved in whom my
soul is well pleased. I will put my spirit upon him
and he shall show judgment to the Gentiles. While he has both
the power and right to rule as the most powerful despot the
world has ever seen and whom no man could ever call into question,
yet he has revealed himself as one whose kingdom is hedged about
by two immutable principles which emanate from his very person.
Righteousness is the scepter of his kingdom. A scepter was
that official instrument of recognition and acceptance which an ancient
king would hold in his hand, whereby either to accept a person
into his presence or by withholding it to banish them. There is but
one scepter in this kingdom of righteousness, and it is the
righteousness of Christ. Without this priceless commodity,
a man cannot be received into this kingdom, nor have any sort
of approach unto him who dwells in the light to which no man
can approach. Many are those who expect to
come into the Lord's presence with their own righteousness.
They have no knowledge that we are all as an unclean thing,
and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags, and we do all
fade as a leaf, and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us
away. For they, being ignorant of God's righteousness, and going
about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted
themselves unto the righteousness of God. What a wondrous grace
is bestowed upon men when they are made to know themselves to
be unworthy, and calls to flee unto Christ as their only righteousness
in heaven or on earth. As surely as this kingdom is
one of righteousness, so too is it a kingdom which is hedged
about with judgment. The Lord has sent his Spirit
to convince the world of sin, righteousness, and judgment.
His judgment is sure and steadfast. He may show mercy, but He shall
demonstrate judgment in the earth, even as He already has in the
heavens, when He casts out one-third of its inhabitants. It is appointed
unto men once to die, but after this, the judgment. All of the
philosophies and religions of men are designed to supposedly
prepare men for that judgment, or to put it out of their mind
as one might whistle as they pass by the graveyard. This is
primarily why we find the penchant of some to deny the creation
of all things by a sovereign creator. For if we have a beginning
which is solely in his hands, then surely we must have an ending
which involves coming into his presence. Among other reasons,
this is primarily why men hate the preaching of the gospel of
the glory of the blessed God. For nowhere in the annals of
time has the judgment of God been seen in its grandest, most
solemn, and awful display than when the Eternal Father did pour
out His wrath upon His only begotten Son on the account of the sin
of His people which was laid upon His back. But he was wounded
for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities. The
chastisement of our peace was upon him, and with his stripes
we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray.
We have turned every one to his own way, and the Lord has laid
on him the iniquity of us all. The preaching of the cross is
an offense unto the natural man because it reveals that the only
acceptable righteousness in the kingdom of heaven is the righteousness
of Jesus Christ. It is also an offense to the
natural man because it reveals the judgment of God from heaven
upon both the sin and the righteousness of men. This is totally unacceptable
to men by nature who are convinced that they can influence God by
their deeds of obedience and the activity of what they call
faith. They find it reprehensible that salvation is the gift of
God and is not determined by anything which the creature can
bring or perform. As Cain grew angry at the Lord's
rejection, so too do those men who expect to worship the Lord
as they see fit. Righteousness and judgment are
met in Christ, and all who are moved by sovereign grace to behold
themselves as sinners, and he alone is worthy of worship, will
of necessity fall down at his feet and give him praise. That
by two immutable things in which it was impossible for God to
lie, we might have a strong consolation. Who have fled for refuge lay
hold upon the hope set before us, which hope we have as an
anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast, and which entereth
into that within the veil. whether the forerunner is for
us entered, even Jesus, made an high priest forever after
the order of Melchizedek. Have you fled to Him? For a free
CD containing 15 of these radio broadcasts, send an email to
forthepoor at windstream.net.