Welcome, friends, to another
broadcast of Morsels for Zion's Poor. The scripture indicates
that God knows all things past, present, and future, known unto
God are all His works from the beginning of the world. However,
each time the word foreknowledge, foreknow, or foreknew is mentioned
in the scripture, there is an activity described which has
to do with determining the outcome of that which is known ahead
of time. The Greek word can even be translated prearrangement.
God does indeed know all things because he has decreed all things,
and none of his purposes shall fail. In this we take great comfort. Were this not the case, then
the preaching of the gospel would be a vain endeavor, and its sweet
and refreshing sound would fall upon deaf ears that God desperately
wanted to hear. So shall my word be that goeth
forth out of my mouth. It shall not return unto me void,
but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall
prosper in the thing whereto I sent it. We can rest assured
that everyone who is intended to hear the gospel shall indeed
hear it and believe it according to the prearrangement of a sovereign
God. Nothing is left to chance. The
elect people of God are described in the book of Isaiah. He says
that he shall call his people Hephzibah, which literally means
my delight is in her, or her in whom is my delight. He says
that she shall be called Hephzibah because he delighted in her.
This prophecy of Isaiah came to pass when the Lord Jesus Christ
came into the world with the anointing to preach the gospel
and to lay down his life as a ransom for his bride, imputing his righteousness
to her and taking away her desolation. She is now called married. When
the world looked at the elect of God, they could see nothing
in them which set them apart. But the Lord our God looked upon
them with great affection and eternal love. This affection
was eternal and not because of any action on their part. There
was never a time in the annals of creation when the Lord did
not delight Himself in His elect people, according as He hath
chosen us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should
be holy and without blame before Him in love, having predestinated
us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to Himself, according
to the good pleasure of His will. They were never the objects of
His wrath, nor were they appointed under wrath, even though in their
nature they were as deserving of destruction as all sinful
men are. This affection was demonstrated
by His undertaking their redemption. The Lord most certainly could
have kept His people from falling into sin and ruin had He so desired. Yet the Lord's purpose was to
manifest the glory of His grace in the redemption of a people
by the atoning work of Jesus Christ the righteous. He so loved
these people that He gave His only begotten Son to make satisfaction
for their disregard and breaking of His law as His justice demanded. Though they were not appointed
to wrath, they were still guilty of sin. And in order to maintain
His justice, He fulfilled the law in their behalf and imputed
His righteousness to them. This affection is now made known
and openly declared in the proclamation of the gospel. The Lord's love
for his people has always been constant. They have always been
the apple of his eye, the sheep of his pasture, and the ones
in whom he delighted. His true purpose in the earth,
however, was kept secret from the foundation of the world.
The Jews thought themselves, as an earthly nation, to be that
elect bride. But the Lord appeared and forever
broke down the middle wall of partition between Jew and Gentile,
and demonstrated that He has an elect people from every tribe
and tongue in the earth. In the redemption of His people,
the Lord has now made plain His intention, which was determined
before the very foundation of the world. Though this bride
in whom he delights has always been known and loved by him,
now in the proclamation of the gospel this glorious truth is
made known to the sons of God. The curse and guilt of their
sin had convinced them of their desolation, but the gift of faith
to believe the revelation of the sweet message of mercy in
the redeeming work of Christ has brought life and immortality
to light. and has enabled them to say,
we are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy, but
now have obtained mercy. Have you been given the gift
of faith, and do you now believe on Him? For a free CD containing
15 of these radio broadcasts, send an email to forthepoor at
windstream.net.