Welcome, friends, to another
broadcast of Morsels for Zion's Poor. It does not matter how
appealing a man's message may be, how much good is apparently
done by it, nor even if it is gladly approved by the multitudes
and ratified by ecclesiastical courts. The only true standard
by which sound doctrine can be rightly judged is by that word
which has been preserved and delivered to us in the pages
of the Bible. Though God has used human instrumentality
to record His Word upon pages which can be read by human eyes,
yet those words which are written are not mere human thoughts.
Though men have died and been persecuted in the process of
preserving those words for us, let us never forget that God
Himself has brought them to us, and more importantly given us
eyes to see and ears to hear them, unless we be reprobates
or castaways. Human hands may inscribe words
on paper with ink, but only God can write those words upon the
heart. Though sound doctrine is vitally important and Paul
often sets forth the necessity of preaching it, he is not primarily
concerned with his doctrine when he says, I keep under my body
and bring it into subjection. Rather, his concern is that he
may be found to be a counterfeit by ultimately walking contrary
to that which he had exhorted others to follow. This is a sobering
thought and one which is designed and worked in the true sons of
God in order to stir them up to due diligence in mortifying
the deeds of the body. For if ye live after the flesh,
ye shall die. But if ye through the Spirit
do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live. For as many as
are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. Paul
is not here teaching that a man may become spiritual or enhance
his spirituality by some work of depriving the flesh. Rather,
he is setting forth the very fact that those who are born
again by the Spirit of God will manifest their sonship by an
attention to and a concern for this mortification. If a man
possesses papers that attest to his true identity as the child
of a king, we would count him a fool if he did not do everything
in his power to protect those documents. He cannot produce
his identity by conscientiousness, nor can he prove himself to be
someone whom he is not. But a neglect of such diligence
would prove his disregard of who he was and would show him
to be no true son at all. Wherefore, the rather brethren,
give diligence to make your calling and election sure, for if ye
do these things, ye shall never fall. God uses the means of scriptural
exhortation to preserve his children and keep them from falling. If
we are found faithful in the final day, it will not be because
of any power or ability of our flesh to effect our preservation,
but it will be manifested that he has kept us by his own power
as he worked in us both the will and to do of his good pleasure.
We must in the meantime be mindful of the dangers which lurk on
every side of the road to the celestial city. Take heed, brethren,
lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief in departing
from the living God. But exhort one another daily
while it is called today, lest any of you be hardened through
the deceitfulness of sin. For we are made partakers of
Christ if we hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast unto
the end. Therefore, we exhort the sons
of God to pray without ceasing. I exhort, therefore, that first
of all supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of
thanks be made for all men. We exhort the sons of God to
give serious attention to the things of God. Young men, likewise,
exhort to be sober-minded. God's Word is not meant to entertain.
We exhort the sons of God to contend for the faith. Beloved,
when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common
salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you and exhort
you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was
once delivered unto the saints. We exhort the sons of God to
pursue purity in thought and deed. Furthermore, then, we beseech
you, brethren, and exhort you by the Lord Jesus, that as ye
have received of us how ye ought to walk and to please God, so
ye would abound more and more. For ye know what commandments
we gave you by the Lord Jesus. And finally, we exhort the sons
of God to walk circumspectly, aware of danger. See then that
ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise, redeeming
the time, because the days are evil. Wherefore, be ye not unwise,
but understanding what the will of the Lord is. And be not drunk
with wine wherein is excess, but be filled with the Spirit.
Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith. Prove your own
selves. Know ye not your own selves,
how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates? But
I trust that ye shall know that we are not reprobates. Are you
walking in faith, or merely talking? For a free CD containing 15 of
these radio broadcasts, send an email to forthepoor at windstream.net.