Welcome, friends, to another
broadcast of Morsels for Zion's Poor. The purpose of God, which
is revealed in the scriptures, is that He is determined to save
and elect people in Jesus Christ from before the foundation of
the world. Yet no one in the Old Testament could have any
direct knowledge of how that was to transpire until it did.
In fact, the Jews thought that they were the object of God's
redemption by physical birth. Redemption by and through the
work of Jesus Christ is not an afterthought, but is the very
foundation upon which all of that which God has revealed in
His Word was built. Isaiah wrote some of the most
glorious prophecies concerning the redemptive work of Jesus
Christ, but he had no complete understanding of what he wrote.
He saw through a glass very darkly. John the Baptist was the greatest
of all the Old Testament prophets, but the Lord said that he that
was least in the kingdom of God was greater than John the Baptist.
The weakest of saints can clearly understand what neither John
nor Isaiah could see. Those that think the New Testament
is an extension of the Old usually try to perpetuate the practice
of circumcision because they cannot understand the temporary
nature of all those covenants set forth in the Old Testament,
except that one which is built on the promise of him who was
to come. The Judaizers wanted to make literal circumcision
a necessity for believers. However, there are some who make
the same mistake in trying to equate circumcision with New
Testament water baptism, claiming that it is the seal or sign of
the covenant of redemption rather than a simple act of obedience
which is the answer of a good conscience toward God. Some of
them err by baptizing infants who have not confessed and believe
the gospel, while others make an even more egregious mistake
by making water baptism a necessity for a man to enter the kingdom
of God, claiming that it washes away sin, and thereby they demonstrate
an ignorance of the finished work of Christ. All of this is
caused by not seeing that what has taken place at the end of
the world is the very purpose for which the world was created,
and that the unfolding of the redemptive work of Christ fulfills
all things which were given in part before the clear revelation
of God's eternal purpose, to manifest His glory and the salvation
of a people through the blood of Jesus Christ. A man can in
no wise find a place of acceptance with God through any act of his
own. Apart from the applied righteousness of Jesus Christ, which he has
imputed to his elect in all ages by his redemptive work manifested
on Calvary's cross, all men shall perish in their sin. He alone
is the savior of sinners. It is in the revelation of the
preaching of the gospel that those for whom Christ shed his
blood can view with gladness that which has already been imputed
to their account. As Paul said, for God, who commanded
the light to shine out of darkness, has shined in our hearts to give
the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face
of Jesus Christ. Now that we see the end of all
those things which went before, they can be used for our profit
and instruction, rather than us having to wait to see what
will be revealed. There is no other age in this
earth, nor is there any redemption outside or in addition to that
which is forever sealed to the elect of God by the glorious
purchase which He procured by His blood. He has put away sin
by the sacrifice of Himself. Those who labor under the law
are still trying to satisfy God, even as those did who perished
in the law. But before faith came, we were
kept under the law, shut up unto the faith which should afterwards
be revealed. Wherefore, the law was our schoolmaster to bring
us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith. But after
that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster.
He has fulfilled the law. Some are still trying to put
Christians under the lash of the law by laying duties upon
the freeborn sons of God. Yet Christ has completely fulfilled
the law and forever removed its principle of sin and death from
the Christian. There is therefore now no condemnation
to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh,
but after the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of
life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and
death. He has been made our sanctification,
and we are complete in Him. He has given his people a hope
that fadeth not away. So Christ was once offered to
bear the sins of many, and unto them that look for him shall
he appear the second time without sin unto salvation. We yet groan
in these bodies, but even as Job of old confessed, but understood
not how it could be, we know that in our flesh we shall see
him. Though the skin worms destroy these bodies, and they go back
to the dust from whence they came, we shall be raised from
the dead in a glorified body, not subject to decay. Job surmised
that it would be so, but we are witnesses of his resurrection.
But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits
of them that slept. For a free CD containing 15 of
these radio broadcasts, send an email to for the poor at windstream.net.