Welcome, friends, to another
broadcast of Morsels for Zion's Poor. Today, the value of citizenship
in our nation is slowly being eroded as increasing numbers
of foreigners enter this land who, for the most part, are not
actually interested in adopting our culture, language, or values,
but are primarily interested in reaping the economic benefits
that can be found here. Some even apply for citizenship
here, but primarily for the economic benefit it will be for them,
and not because they value and delight in this nation. Few of
them renounce their citizenship in the land of their birth, but
hold on to it out of devotion and become citizens here only
for convenience. Thus they become a people with
a dual citizenship, one in the land of their birth, which they
love, and the other in a land of strange customs for which
they have no allegiance except economic advantage. This situation
is in stark contrast to the citizenship of the people of God. The Lord
has a chosen people which he has loved before the foundation
of the world. They are the objects of His love
and the reason that Jesus Christ came into the world as the Redeemer.
It is God's purpose to call them out of this world and to fit
them for that world to come, though they are born into this
world just like everyone else. As natural-born sons of Adam,
they are under the same curse and condemnation. as all other
sons of Adam's race. As such, they have sinned and
come short of the glory of God. They are worthy of death and
have no reason in themselves to expect anything other than
the just wrath of a holy God. If God should leave them alone,
they would all surely perish and receive the just recompense
of their sin. But God, who is rich in mercy
and full of grace, has extended his mighty arm of salvation to
them and rescued them from certain doom. He sent his only begotten
Son into the world to pay their sin debt and to buy them from
the slavery into which they gladly sold themselves. In time, he
awakens them out of the slumber of spiritual death and causes
them to hear the glorious sound of the gospel of Jesus Christ,
which informs them of the work which Christ has done. in the
behalf of sinners and acquaints them with the glories of His
person. They believe and trust in this One who has purchased
their pardon. God in mercy takes up residence
in them by His Holy Spirit and transforms them into new creatures. Thus begins an epic struggle
for supremacy, as their flesh strives against the Spirit. Paul
writes about this struggle in Galatians 5.17, where he says,
For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against
the flesh. And these are contrary the one
to the other, so that ye cannot do the things that ye would.
So the Lord's people, who have been regenerated by the Holy
Ghost, have now been given citizenship in a country which they could
not enter by natural birth. Though they are still living
in the country of their nativity, they have renounced that citizenship,
preferring to be called the sons of God and to dwell in that place
to which He has called them by His grace. But they are given
a resolve by the One who called them and who presently holds
them by His mighty power to press on to that heavenly land. By
the grace of God, they have renounced the hidden things of dishonesty.
They desire to know the truth which the Lord has promised would
set them free. They are uninterested in the
fables and superstitions of religion. But the hour cometh and now is
when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit
and in truth. For the Father seeketh such to
worship Him. God is a spirit, and they that
worship Him must worship Him in spirit and in truth. By the
grace of God they have turned from idols. There is but one
king for the citizens of that new country. They owe no allegiance
to any creeds, nations, or law except Christ. Therefore, brethren,
we are debtors not to the flesh to live after the flesh. By the
grace of God, they have confessed that they are strangers and pilgrims
in this world. This world has nothing to offer
us. We cannot be but hindered on our journey to the celestial
city by the things which this world sets before us. As Isaac
Watts said, is this vile world a friend to grace to lead us
on to God? Let us lay aside every weight
in the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with
patience the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus,
the author and finisher of our faith. Do you long to be free
from the shackles of this world and desire to be found as the
citizens of that heavenly Jerusalem? This world is not the home of
God's people. For a free CD containing 15 of
these radio broadcasts, send an email to forthepoor at windstream.net.