Welcome, friends, to another
broadcast of Morsels for Zion's Poor. The covenant relationship
which the Lord has with His children is unbreakable and eternal. He
has loved them with an everlasting love. Because of this eternal
love for them, He is determined to establish a relationship with
them that is both intimate and mutual. While His love for them
is perfect and lacking nothing, their devotion to Him is greatly
deficient. This fact is generally recognized
by most of those who profess faith in Him. So it is not uncommon
to hear exhortations and admonitions given to his followers which
are designed to stir them up in the endeavor to love him more.
Often programs are instituted in classes taught for the purpose
of bringing about a greater devotion among those who are professedly
identified with him. Sadly, for the most part, these
activities and admonitions fail to produce the desired effect,
because this work is something which only the Spirit of God
can accomplish in the hearts of the true children of God.
Professors of faith who have not been born again by his miraculous
work can be persuaded to walk in the ways of religion, sometimes
even with great devotion for a season. The more excitement
and activity that they can be stirred with, the longer that
devotion will last. They may even develop good habits
that shape their lives both religiously and morally. It is quite common
for people to mistake these habits for a work of grace. The primary
work of the Spirit in the hearts of His children is to give them
a tender conscience and a desire to have close fellowship with
Him. It is to these privileged sons that the Lord comes, working
in them the things necessary to draw their hearts and minds
ever closer to Him. While the love of Christ for
His bride is strong, they are but weak vessels made all so
much more tender by the work of the Spirit upon their conscience.
He deals tenderly with His children, even when His faithfulness to
bring them to the place they need to be requires that He administer
the rod of affliction and correction. He will work in the hearts of
His children to give them tender hearts. with regard to his presence
and person. Paul said that I might know him.
He has made his people to delight in his fellowship and gives his
children longing hearts to be made in his likeness. Paul said,
but what things were gained to me, those I counted lost for
Christ. Yea, doubtless, I count all things
but lost for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus
my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things and do
count them but done, that I may win Christ. None of the trappings
of religion or tradition can hold a candle to the true child
of God's desire for the very person of Christ. The nominal
professor of faith may grow weary in this quest, but the pursuit
of the knowledge of Christ is the very lifeblood of the freeborn
sons of God. He will work in their hearts
to cause them to have a delight in the place of prayer and worship.
Religious men are usually careful to make prayer and worship a
part of their lives. On the other hand, God's children's
very existence depends on prayer and worship. For them, it is
not an acquired habit or duty, but the natural language of those
whose hearts are made tender by His Spirit. and because you
are sons, God has sent forth the spirit of his Son into your
hearts, crying, Abba, Father. All men will pray when the situation
is desperate enough. Only the sons of God pray because
it is their delight. Worship is not performed by them
as a duty, but because to them it is a joy. My soul longeth,
yea, even fainteth for the courts of the Lord. My heart and my
flesh crieth out for the living God. The natural man prays in
order to get something. The spiritual man prays in order
to give God glory. They rejoice in the beauty of
his word. For I delight in the law of God after the inward man.
He has written the law on the hearts of his children. Their
delight is in the fulfillment of the law by Jesus Christ, who
is unto them the very Word of God made flesh. For the law of
the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from
the law of sin and death. For what the law could not do,
and that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own
Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned
sin in the flesh, that the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled
in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.
The Lord will work in the hearts of His people to cause them to
glory in His payment for their sin. Those for whom He shed His
precious blood are moved by the understanding that He hath made
Him to be sin for us who knew no sin, that we might be made
in the righteousness of God in Him. Oh, the depths of His love! Oh, the boundless sea of His
grace! But God commendeth His love toward us in that while
we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Are you a sinner in need
of a Savior? For a free CD containing 15 of
these radio broadcasts, send an email to forthepoor at windstream.net.