Welcome, friends, to another
broadcast of Morsels for Zion's Poor. It is an easy thing to
be an expert on almost any subject when one is surrounded by those
who are ignorant of the subject being discussed. A person does
not actually have to be a genius in order to sound like one if
the listeners know less than the one doing the talking. Or
if men agree on certain pet truths and doctrines, they can become
a mutual admiration society as they reinforce one another's
opinions on those things, convincing one another of the far-reaching
truths of their communal wisdom. Preachers often set forth as
much error by omitting and neglecting certain truths as they do in
actually misstating doctrinal truth. God is not impressed with
what we know, nor is what we know nearly as important as what
we do with what we know. We often quote many of Job's
sayings, yet the Lord of Glory described his ramblings as words
without knowledge. The Samaritan woman sought to
engage the Lord Jesus in a religious discussion of the relative merit
of the creeds of the Samaritans and the Jews. But the Lord basically
told her the same thing that he told Job many years before.
You don't have any idea of what you're talking about. One of Job's friends spoke the
truth when he asked Job the question, Canst thou by searching find
out God? Canst thou find out the Almighty
unto perfection? The accurate answer to that question
is no. God cannot be found out or discovered
by any of the methods and wisdom of men. He dwells in the light
to which no man can approach unto, whom no man hath seen nor
can see. Apart from a divine revelation
and the gift of grace, no man can discover His ways. Job thought
he had a pretty good handle on exactly who the Lord was and
what He would do. He was quite mistaken, however,
as are those preachers we hear from time to time talking about
God as if a man can just reach out and grab Him anytime He gets
ready. They mistake the manifestation of His mercy and grace in the
giving of His Son as an offering for sin, as a change in His nature. He is still the one who rules
in the army of heaven and among the inhabitants of the earth,
and the one whose purpose cannot be hindered or even brought into
question by mortals. It is quite common to hear some
speak of the Lord of glory as though He was attempting to save
everybody, and not quite being able to accomplish His purpose,
or that He has extended mercy to all, hoping that some would
take advantage of it according to their own free will. Sometimes
we're accused of preaching hard doctrine. I suppose we're guilty
if by that our accusers mean that we shut men up to the mercy
of God with absolutely no other hope or expectation of deliverance.
But that is the absolute truth which can scarcely be called
hard. To me, hard doctrine is that which gives men a shred
of hope in any action of their own or leaves them with the impression
that by their own understanding they can approach unto the Lord.
Free willism is a pretty tough doctrine to a man who has been
convinced by the Spirit of God of his absolute lost condition
without Christ. Such a man finds himself unable
to even approach unto the Lord. He will not so much as lift up
his eyes to heaven, but smites upon his breast, saying, God,
be merciful to me, a sinner. Sinners such as this aren't looking
for offers or opportunities, but rather need a work performed
in their behalf. Man's free will is capable only
of choosing that which he is disposed to choose. If the Lord
in sovereign mercy doesn't change a sinner's will, then he will
keep on choosing the same old way of sin that he loves. Job,
in all of his wisdom and knowledge, was actually in great ignorance
when it came to knowing the Lord. Had the Lord left him alone,
he would no doubt have perished in his ignorance while convinced
of his great knowledge. There is nothing that a lost
sinner can do to save himself. The good news of the gospel is
that Jesus Christ has paid the price and obtained eternal redemption
for his people. The mercy of God is manifested
as he opens the eyes of the blind to behold his glory and to rejoice
in the victory which he has secured. He is drawing his own to himself,
and there is no power in heaven, earth, or hell that can overturn
his glorious purpose. For he saith to Moses, I will
have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion
on whom I will have compassion. So then it is not of him that
willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that showeth mercy. Do you desire his mercy? For
a free CD containing 15 of these radio broadcasts, send an email
to forthepoor at windstream.net.