Thy mercy, my God, is the theme
of my song. The Bible is a book of many certainties,
none of which can fail, because He who has created the earth
out of nothing has ordained all things to occur according to
the good pleasure of His will. He knows the end from the beginning,
because He is the beginning and the end, and does direct the
particles of dust which arise from the wheels of a car in their
particular orbits, as sure as He ordains the placement of the
stars and planets in the universe, with each moving in its prescribed
path and according to His schedule. Therefore it should come as no
surprise to find that he has ordained that those who are his
children shall both hear his word, my sheep hear my voice,
and I know them, and they follow me, and to walk in it according
to his purpose. For we are his workmanship, created
in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained
that we should walk in them. Great folly is set forth by those
who suppose that such things are left to chance, or that it
is possible that those who are the called according to his purpose
should ultimately despise or disregard the truth and precepts
which he has given them. To believe that the promises
of God are conditioned upon the activity of men is to propose
that men can overturn the purpose of him whose hand cannot be stayed,
nor any of his actions ever even brought into question. Thus we
read in the book of the revelation of Jesus Christ that the saints
keep the commandments and the faith of Jesus, for I am not
ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God unto
salvation to everyone that believeth, to the Jew first and also to
the Greek. The fruit of this redemptive work wherein he poured
out his soul unto death in their behalf was to give unto them
those gifts which he bought with his own blood. But unto every
one of us is given grace, according to the measure of the gift of
Christ. Wherefore he saith, when he ascended up on high, he led
captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men. But the fruit of the
Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,
meekness, temperance. Against such there is no law.
And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the
affections and lusts. Paul speaks of this work when
he said, For I through the law am dead to the law, that I might
live unto God. I am crucified with Christ. Nevertheless
I live, yet not I, but Christ liveth in me. And the life which
I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God,
who loved me and gave himself for me. I do not frustrate the
grace of God, for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ
is dead in vain. The Lord had sent his messengers
into the earth to declare the good news to sinners. And I saw
another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting
gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every
nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people, saying with a loud
voice, Fear God, and give glory to him. For the hour of his judgment
is come, and worship him that made heaven and earth, and the
sea, and the fountains of waters. How beautiful upon the mountains
are the feet of them that bring good tidings, that publisheth
peace, that bringeth good tidings of good, that publisheth salvation,
that saith unto Zion, Thy God ringeth. Now thanks be unto God,
which always causes us to triumph in Christ, and maketh manifest
the savour of his knowledge by us in every place. For we are
unto God a sweet saver of Christ in them that are saved, and in
them that perish. To the one we are the saver of
death unto death, and to the other the saver of life unto
life. And who is sufficient for these things? For we are not
as many as corrupt the word of God, but as of sincerity, but
as of God, in the sight of God speak we in Christ. Here is the
patience of the saints. They are described as those who
delight themselves in two things, keeping the commandments of God
and the faith of Jesus. Those two are inseparably linked,
for where you find those who rejoice in the faith of Jesus,
you will also find those who delight in the teachings of Christ.
The legalist will always try to bring the saints back under
the law of Moses, yet the yoke of Christ is easy, that is, it
does not chafe, and his burden is light, for he is the bearer
of the load. What he requires, he does also
provide the power to perform. He does work in his people both
the will and to do of his good pleasure. His commandments, therefore,
are not grievous. For against such as he is pleased
to do in them, there is no law. But the fruit of the Spirit is
love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,
meekness, temperance. Against such there is no law. And he
saith unto me, write, blessed are they which are called unto
the marriage supper of the Lamb. And he saith unto me, These are
the true sayings of God. Blessed are they that do his
commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and
may enter in through the gates into the city. Do you walk in
the faith of Christ and rejoice in his testimony? For a free
CD containing 15 of these radio broadcasts, send an email to
forthepoor at windstream.net.