Welcome, friends, to another
broadcast of Morsels for Zion's Poor. Yet seldom is the ire and
rancor of man towards God stirred in greater measure than when
his absolute rule and authority is set before them. Paul recognizes
this rebellious nature which is rooted in the heart of men
when he takes away the grounds upon which men will protest against
God's sovereign right to fulfill his own purpose. Therefore hath
he mercy on whom he will have mercy, and whom he will he hardeneth. Thou wilt say then unto me, why
doth he yet find fault? For who hath resisted his will?
Nay, but O man, who art thou that replies against God. Shall
the thing formed say to him that formed it, why hast thou made
me thus? Had not the potter power over the clay of the same lump
to make one vessel unto honour, and another unto dishonour? Men
in their natural religion consider that they can define and know
God according to the several degrees of limitations which
they consider that they can place upon him. They are somewhat content
in their knowledge and seldom question themselves about those
dogmas and thoughts which have become sacred in their minds
over time. Job was in a great measure in
such a place. Yet God, who is rich in mercy,
designed His multiple trials to bring Job to that place where
he would confess that in reality he knew nothing at all about
Him, who is the true and living God, as the Lord revealed Himself. The Lord confronted him, saying,
Who is he that hideth counsel without knowledge? Job replied,
Therefore have I uttered that I understood not things too wonderful
for me, which I knew not. Again the Lord said, Here I beseech
thee, and I will speak. I will demand of thee, and declare
thou unto me. Job replied quite meekly, I have
heard of thee by the hearing of the ear, but now mine eye
seeth thee. Wherefore I abhor myself, and
repent in dust and ashes. The psalmist declared the limitations
of men in this regard. Verily every man at his best
state is altogether vanity. Paul said, If any man think that
he knoweth anything, he knoweth nothing, yet is he ought to know.
For if a man think himself to be something when he is nothing,
he deceiveth himself. In our very best state, we see
through a glass darkly. Any time that we would seek to
set forth the perfections of the Almighty, we must do so with
our face to the ground and our hand upon our lips, for at best
we are full of vanity and ignorance. Yet we are compelled to give
glory unto His great and mighty name and to declare the unsearchable
riches of Christ with what little understanding we may have. Many
tell us that we should not be so extreme in our desire to publish
the glory of Him who predestinates all things, that we should be
somewhat moderate. We do confess that by nature
we find this to be a wise course of action. Yet when we read the
Holy Scriptures, we find that the Lord Himself is quite extreme
in His own declaration of the revelation of Himself. For he
said, I am the Lord, there is none else. There is no God beside
me. I girded thee, though thou hast
not known me, that they may know from the rising of the sun and
from the west that there is none beside me. I am the Lord, and
there is none else. I form the light and create darkness.
I make peace and create evil. I, the Lord, do all these things. Man is accountable for his actions
to be sure, but God determines all things that come to pass.
Thus it is in the extreme that the Lord would have glory. He
admonishes the church at Laodicea to either be cold or hot, but
not lukewarm. He has revealed his extreme justice
in sending forth his only begotten son to die for sinners, extremely
satisfying his own law in their behalf. To declare, I say, at
this time his righteousness, that he might be just and the
justifier of him which believeth in Jesus. This righteousness
is in itself extreme, for there is no other righteousness in
which a man may approach a holy God. The work of Christ in redemption
is an extreme demonstration of the extreme love which he has
for that people which he chose in Christ from before the foundation
of the world. Having loved his own which were
in the world, he loved them unto the end. Nothing can be more
extreme than the triumph of Christ over sin and death, as He broke
the bonds of mortality, rising from the grave in the same body
in which He walked among men in this world. Thus He has demonstrated
the extreme measure to which He would go in bringing many
sons unto glory. He has given His people an extreme
inheritance, making them joint heirs with Christ. He will lose
none of those which have been given to Him. May we fall down
together and worship our extreme Savior. For a free CD containing
15 of these radio broadcasts, send an email to forthepoor at
windstream.net.