Welcome, friends, to another
broadcast of Morsels for Zion's Poor. The Lord promised to give
a new covenant to the house of Israel. Behold, the days come,
saith the Lord, that I will make a new covenant with the house
of Israel and with the house of Judah, not according to the
covenant I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by
the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt, which my covenant
they break. Although I was an husband unto
them, saith the Lord. But this shall be the covenant
that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, saith
the Lord. I will put my law in their inward
parts and write it in their hearts and will be their God and they
shall be my people. This new covenant is actually
older than the old covenant, for the old covenant was only
given to demonstrate the weakness of the flesh and to serve as
a contrast to the unfolding of God's purpose, which was from
the beginning to redeem that people which He chose in Christ
from before the foundation of the world. Thus the institution
of the law as delivered to Moses was never intended to serve any
other purpose than to demonstrate the sinfulness of men and to
bring those whom he would awaken to tremble at his feet as this
law performed the work it was designed to do. As Paul described
it, for I was alive without the law once, but when the commandment
came, sin revived and I died. And the commandment deceived
me, and by it slew me. Wherefore the law is holy, and
the commandment holy, and just, and good. Was then that which
is good made death unto me? God forbid. But sin, that it
might appear sin, working death in me by that which is good,
that sin by the commandment might become exceedingly sinful. For
we know that the law is spiritual, but I am carnal, sold under sin. Apart from a clear understanding
of Christ as the fulfiller, satisfier, and performer of the law, it
is impossible that a man can have a right understanding as
to what the law is and why it was given. He set this forth
quite plainly in his words to Nicodemus. For God sent not his
Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world
through him might be saved. The work of Christ in salvation
is not merely to deliver the sons of God from the condemnation
of the law externally, but internally as well. This is spoken of by
Christ when he said, If the Son therefore shall make you free,
ye shall be free indeed. He said these words to those
Jews who thought themselves to be free, because they were of
Abraham's lineage and adherents to the law of God. There is probably
not another one of the Ten Commandments which were given to Moses that
has caused more strife and division among the sons of God than remember
the Sabbath day to keep it holy. Most of this strife has occurred
over determining which day is the correct one or how restricted
one must be in order to really keep it. All of these questions
arise because men cannot see why the Sabbath was given or
what it was. Christ is the Sabbath for the
sons of God. He is their rest, and in Him
all their labors cease. We know that it is not given
to place restrictions upon those who are free in Christ, because
the Lord plainly said the Sabbath was made for man, and not man
for the Sabbath. Therefore the Son of Man is Lord
also of the Sabbath. Christ is the supreme ruler of
the Sabbath. The Lord placed such an emphasis
on the keeping of the Sabbath that he instructed Moses that
not even a man's livelihood is to prevent an observance of it,
seed time or harvest. Whether therefore you eat or
drink or whatsoever you do, do all to the glory of God. Did
the Lord have regard unto times and seasons, or was not his reason
for this day to bring glory to him, who would bring in everlasting
joy to those countless saints who gather around his throne,
saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, to open the seals thereof,
for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood
out of every kindred and tongue and people and nation, and hast
made us unto our God kings and priests, and we shall reign on
the earth. Is he not the resting place for
the saints of God in all ages? Can a man ignore this Sabbath
and live? Can a regard to days recorded on carnal calendars
suffice to fulfill this commandment? Let no man therefore judge you
in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holy day, or of a new moon,
or of the Sabbath days, which are a shadow of things to come.
But the body, that is the substance, is of Christ. But when that which
is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done
away. There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God.
For he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from
his own works, as God did from his. Let us labor therefore to
enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example
of unbelief. Do you rest on a certain day
of the week, or is your rest found in Christ? For a free CD
containing 15 of these radio broadcasts, send an email to
forthepoor at windstream.net.