Welcome, friends, to another
broadcast of Morsels for Zion's Poor. The men who asked the Lord
this question, what shall we do that we might work the works
of God, assumed that it was possible for men to work the works of
God. They unblessingly asked the Lord what deeds they could
perform in order to curry favor with God. They no doubt expected
to be instructed to adopt some regimen of religious activity
or to offer some sacrifice which would be pleasing in his sight.
In this they were not much different than the average religious person
today, who is convinced that by some faithful activity they
can win the blessings of God or gain favor in his sight. Modern
churches, so-called, primarily operate on this principle. All
sorts of programs and activities are promoted for the purpose
of occupying their members with busy work so that they can consider
themselves faithful. There are classes to teach, youth
programs to run, and, of course, the ever-present offering plate
and tithe envelope. They promise men that they will
receive blessings from God for such activity and even greater
rewards in heaven to come. They are encouraged to win souls
and bring in the lost. to expand the ever-increasing
membership in their religious clubs to assure that they will
always be able to have an ample budget with which to do the Lord's
work. And on and on it goes, and where
it stops, nobody knows. There seems to be a never-ending
supply of men who can dream up more and more of the Lord's work
which is to be done by men. The God of the Bible nowhere
indicates that he has any of his work that men can perform
or that he intends that they should perform it. He asked Job,
Where was thou when I laid the foundations of the earth? Declare
if thou hast understanding. He said, If I were hungry, I
would not tell thee, for the world is mine, and the fullness
thereof. God is quite capable of performing his own work without
the aid of man, as Nebuchadnezzar discovered when he said, I blessed
the Most High, and I praised and honored him that liveth forever,
whose dominion is an everlasting dominion, and his kingdom is
from generation to generation. And all of the inhabitants of
the earth are reputed as nothing, and he doeth according to his
will in the army of heaven and among the inhabitants of the
earth, and none can stay his hand or say unto him, what doest
thou? God is still performing His own
work as He has done in every age and shall continue to do
when the mountains have crumbled and the seas have become dry
land. Some of that work which He performs is that He humbles
the pride of His elect. Nebuchadnezzar confessed, Now
I praise and extol and honor the King of heaven, all whose
works are truth in His way's judgment, and those that walk
in pride He is able to abase. One word from His lips can bring
down the mightiest of men. He awakens His own from the deadness
of their sin in His own time. Even when we were dead in sins,
He hath quickened us together with Christ. By grace, ye are
saved. God does not use any means but
His own Spirit's power to raise up dead sinners to life, even
in the same fashion as He raised up Jesus Christ from the dead
on the third day. No man can in any way participate
in this work, which is holy and completely accomplished by Him
alone. Some of the work which he performs is that he sends
his messengers with the gospel. Nothing can overturn either the
mission or the message of anyone whom he has sent. So shall my
word be that goeth forth out of my mouth. It shall not return
unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall
prosper in the thing whereto I sent it. Sometimes He may send
a man with a message to harden men's hearts, or that they might
hear and believe. In either case, it is the work
of the Lord, accomplished by His hand and according to His
purpose, which cannot in any wise be thwarted. He gives faith
to believe the gospel. For by grace, O ye say, through
faith, and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God, not of
works, lest any man should boast. The gift of faith is the manifestation
of God's work in his elect, and is an evidence that they are
the sons of God, which were born not of blood, nor of the will
of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. He indwells
his people through his Holy Spirit, and performs in them by that
same power. Paul said, 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. He shall keep his elect from
falling, and preserve them faultless to the end. And I give unto them
eternal life, and they shall never perish, neither shall any
man pluck them out of my hand." Finally, some of that work which
he performs is he has redeemed his elect with his own blood,
which he shed for the remission of their sins. Forasmuch as ye
know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things as silver
and gold from your vain conversation received by tradition from your
fathers, but with the precious blood of Christ as of a lamb
without blemish and without spot. For a free CD containing 15 of
these radio broadcasts, send an email to forthepoor at windstream.net.