Welcome, friends, to another
broadcast of Morsels for Zion's Poor. To say that we live in
a society which worships celebrities would be an understatement. Movie
stars, athletes, and even some who call themselves preachers
are revered and showered with adulation because they are either
beautiful to look upon, can run faster and jump higher than others,
or possess great skills of oratory and the ability to amuse and
deceive others. While human talent is something
that can and should be admired, we must never forget that any
talent that we or others may possess is simply the gift of
God, and He alone is worthy of worship. For who maketh thee
to differ from another, and what hast thou that thou didst not
receive? Now thou didst receive it, why dost thou glory as if
thou hadst not received it? God has a purpose for every talent
which He bestows upon any member of the human race, and all of
those talents shall bring glory to Him, even though the use of
them by the creature and the intention of their hearts may
be to glory in themselves. This activity manifests the judgment
of God's condemnation of sinners who worship and serve the creature
more than the Creator. Those who preach that the salvation
of God's elect is totally a work of God's sovereign grace, apart
from any effort or ability on the part of men, are often accused
of being those who encourage men to sin that grace may abound. In forty years of preaching these
glorious truths, I have never known of anyone who had a clear
understanding of God's grace and His absolute predestination
of all things, who ever purported or taught any such thing. It
is clear in the scripture and in the experience of the true
children of grace that God works in us both the will and to do
of His good pleasure, because He has predestinated us unto
the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to Himself, according
to the good pleasure of His will. For whom He did foreknow, He
also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of His Son. God
not only does something for His elect, He also does something
in them. Know ye not that your body is
the temple of the Holy Ghost, which is in you, which ye have
of God, and ye are not your own? The man who has no hunger and
thirst after righteousness has no reason to believe that such
a work of grace has been performed in him, regardless of his religious
affiliations or his claims of being a child of God. Now, if
any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his. God
uses the exhortations and admonitions of the Scriptures to stir up
his people unto good works, which he is the author and performer
of. Duty preachers expect to produce good works by laying
burdens upon men, using the terror of the law as their means. However,
God moves his people by the prompting and work of his Spirit, who brings
his word in an effectual way to direct them to walk according
to his desire. Paul describes the striving of
the Lord's people to do the will of God as those who are engaged
in an athletic contest. In fact, the term strive for
mysteries in 2 Timothy 2.5 is translated from one Greek word,
athleo, from which we get our English word, athlete. The true
enjoyment of any contest is to taste thrill of victory. So too
does the Spirit work in His people the will to endure hardness in
order that we might win Christ. The scripture is plain that Christ
has secured the victory of his elect by his own work. The very
victory which is purchased for them is that which causes them
to strive to enter in at the straight gate. So he that striveth,
that is the Greek word agonizoma, root of our English word agonize,
does so because the spirit works in him mightily to do so. The
true sons of God are stirred up and motivated by the word
of God to be found faithful before him in love. Is it possible that
those who are quickened by the Spirit should be content to dwell
in their same sinful ways day by day? Can those in whom the
Spirit of the living God dwells be perfectly happy with the activity
of their fleshly mind? Can they live from day to day
without prayer and fellowship with their Heavenly Father? Can
they count the assembly and fellowship of the saints as something of
secondary importance? Do they consider their standing
before God as a light matter, not ever considering the ground
upon which their hopes are built? And can they be satisfied by
the assurances of men? But he that lacketh these things
is blind, and cannot see afar off, and hath forgotten that
he was purged from his old sins. Wherefore, the rather brethren,
give diligence to make your calling and election sure. For if ye
do or are doing these things, ye shall never fall. For so an
entrance shall be ministered unto you abundantly into the
everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Do
you hunger and thirst for the righteousness of Christ? For
a free CD containing 15 of these radio broadcasts, send an email
to forthepoor at windstream.net.