Welcome, friends, to another
broadcast of Morsels for Zion's Poor. Along with an abundance
of material goods, our society is also glutted with religion,
especially that which calls itself Christianity. It is practically
impossible for one to go five miles without seeing a meeting
house of some type. There are churches of every type
imaginable, from those which you could hear a pin drop in
the midst of their worship service, to those where it is commonplace
to experience frenzied activity, hear a cacophony of babbling
tongues, and see folks stacked like cordwood who have been supposedly
slain in the spirit. If there's ever been a society
which characterizes the church at Laodicea, this is it. Because
thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of
nothing. And knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable,
and poor, and blind, and naked. Men go off to this or that school
or seminary to learn the latest techniques for sheep herding.
And it seems everyone loves to have it so, especially if you
remember their birthday and pat them on the back. Now it is easy
to look at the ridiculousness of the religious world and then
look at ourselves and have basically the same feeling of satisfaction
that they do, thinking that we have somehow arrived at a greater
spiritual plateau than all those folks who are caught up in such
foolishness. We cannot be those who compare ourselves to others,
for we have a much higher standard to which we must look. They measuring
themselves by themselves and comparing themselves among themselves
are not wise. The one to whom we look is the
one who is all of our righteousness, all of our hope, and all of our
expectation. We have no confidence in this
flesh or its understanding, but our confidence is in Him. But
of Him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom
and righteousness and sanctification and redemption, that according
as it is written, He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord. Paul
understood the natural tendency of man to boast in something
when he said, But God forbid that I should glory, save in
the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified
unto me and I unto the world. For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision
availeth anything, nor uncircumcision, but a new creature. The end of
all human pride is found in the revelation of Jesus Christ as
our Redeemer and Mediator. For God, who commanded the light
to shine out of darkness, has shined in our hearts to give
the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face
of Jesus Christ. We are not blind, yet we walk
not by the sight of these mortal eyes. But ever looking through
the eyes of faith, we have a hope which is an anchor for the soul.
Some examples of walking by sight instead of faith are, first of
all, being concerned with religious pedigrees. Every one of God's
children should seek to be a part of a church that is as typically
close to New Testament practice and order as possible. But we
must never place our confidence in the traditions and heritage
of that church to which we belong. Because the church to which we
belong can trace its roots back hundreds and even thousands of
years with unbroken succession is of little value if we are
not firmly attached to Jesus Christ. Beware lest any man spoil
you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of
men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ. Another example of walking by
sight instead of faith is basing our confidence on confessions
of faith written by others. Faith in Jesus Christ can be
defined as a reception of that truth which is revealed in the
Holy Scriptures. So then faith cometh by hearing,
and hearing by the Word of God. We believe the record of the
Scriptures concerning the Lord Jesus Christ. And this is the
record that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life
is in His Son. This faith is the gift of God
to His elect sons, and it is not given to them by the efforts
of men. The actual faith to believe must be applied directly by the
Spirit of God, who causes this faith to take root in our heart
and mind. Another example of walking by
sight instead of faith is having confidence in any outward conduct
of our own. When the Lord Jesus makes us
new creatures, He causes old things to pass away and all things
to become new. However, any man who takes any
comfort in any work performed in this body is walking by sight
rather than faith. Faith is that which continually
confesses that in our flesh dwells no good thing. All of our righteousness
is in Christ, both as to that which is performed for us and
imputed to us, and that which was performed in us by the working
of His Spirit. This sinful nature with which
we are born will continually try to make us satisfied with
that which can be seen by natural eyes, 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. In what are
you trusting? For a free CD containing 15 of
these radio broadcasts, send an email to forthepoor at windstream.net