Welcome, friends, to another
broadcast of Morsels for Zion's Poor. No playwright has ever
written a script about a man who was in love with every woman
he met, while at the same time being a total failure in getting
any of them to love him in return. Such a play could not exist because
a central figure would be considered a pathetic failure worthy of
sympathy rather than respect. Not only that, but no one would
consider such a universal attraction as true love. True love, by its
very nature, is directed towards a specific object. A mother may
have affection for infants in general, but she will lay down
her life for her own baby. It is natural for young men and
women to be attracted to each other in general, but when true
love hits, all others are forgotten and their attention is turned
to a specific individual. Yet we have multitudes depicting
the love of God towards men in just such a way. It is quite
common to hear the message, God loves everybody, everywhere from
the pulpit to the bumper sticker. In fact, most people would be
aghast if someone was to suggest that the Bible does not teach
such a concept. Yet the message and description
of the love of God towards men is one of a particular nature.
The Lord said, Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated. Some have
tried to tone down the plainness of this declaration by saying
what he meant was that he just loved Esau less than he did Jacob.
But if we use that line of reasoning, we can as easily say that he
hated Jacob less than he did Esau. One of the very central
truths of the Gospel message is the abiding love which the
Lord has had for His elect children from before the foundation of
the world. We love Him because He first loved us. Yea, I have
loved thee with an everlasting love. His love is so strong and
absolute that He will stop at nothing to gather His people
to Himself. The father sent his only begotten son into the world
to die an ignominious and painful death in order to secure the
redemption of his own. The son, being one with the father,
gladly undertook that awful contract and willingly laid down his life
as a sacrifice in their behalf. When he agonized in the Garden
of Gethsemane as the sin of those elect children was fully laid
upon him, and he grappled with the reality of being despised
in his father's sight, he prayed specifically for them. I pray
for them. I pray not for the world, but
for them which thou hast given me, for they are thine. He bound
himself to that altar with those very cords of love, and he paid
the debt of his elect in his own body on Calvary's tree, hanging
between heaven and earth as their substitute and mediator. There
was never a time since the foundation of the earth that the Lord's
elect were not deemed honorable in his sight. They have always
been the objects of his love and have never been the objects
of his wrath, nor appointed to such. though by their very sin
nature they have acted in the same fashion as all of the rest
of Adam's race, and are as worthy of death as any. There is no
more humbling experience in all the earth than for the Lord to
make a man aware of this very fact, for it leaves him with
no room for boasting of any type, since the only reason he should
be included in the number of the redeemed is God's sovereign
love, mercy, and grace. Hail sovereign love that first
began, the scheme to rescue fallen man. Hail matchless free eternal
grace that gave my soul a hiding place. Not only did his love
for his elect move him to purchase their pardon, but also to do
whatever is necessary to draw them to himself, to win their
affection and to bind their hearts fast to his. He is intent on
making them aware of that which he has done for them and of bringing
them into conformity with Jesus Christ. In fact, He has predestined
His elect unto that very end. So the Spirit of God is at work
in the world convincing the elect children of grace that they are
unworthy sinners deserving of destruction and worthy of death.
The Lord will stop at nothing to bring His people to a place
of repentance before Him. He will even allow them to be
turned over to their sin, that it might work its awful consequences
upon their soul, body, and mind, that they might ultimately be
made mindful by a spirit's power of his gracious deliverance and
be brought to a place of embracing him and being reconciled to him. He absolutely loves his people,
absolutely, and desires their fellowship and their good, and
all other things and all else must take a back seat to the
accomplishing of that end. The gospel we preach is a message
of redemption and reconciliation. He has redeemed us from the curse
of sin, and now the gospel has been sent forth into the world
to gather the redeemed by bringing them to a state of reconciliation
in their mind and heart. We pray you in Christ's stead,
be ye reconciled to God. For he hath made him to be sin
for us who knew no sin, that we might be made the righteousness
of God in him. For a free CD containing 15 of
these radio broadcasts, send an email to forthepoor at windstream.net.