Welcome, friends, to another
broadcast of Morsels for Zion's Poor. The natural man hates the
concept of deity, which presents him as an absolute God whose
purpose is unaffected by the will and activities of men. To
consider that God can and does do exactly as he pleases, regardless
of the desires or will of the creature, is sure to cause the
old Adamic nature to rise up and begin to accuse him of wrongdoing. Paul said they did not like to
retain God in their knowledge. When they knew who God was, they
glorified Him not as God. Neither were thankful, but became
vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.
They became wise in their own eyes, and were willing to worship
a false god of their own imagination. and making, who was like the
creature himself. Man's religious nature causes
him to want a god of some sort, and he is willing to worship
any god but the one who determines everything that shall and does
come to pass, without any consultation with his creation. By nature,
men want a God they can influence and persuade. They want rain
when it suits them, healing from whatever disease befalls them,
and in general, whatever they feel like they need. Most of
so-called Christendom believes that God is basically at the
beck and call of men. In fact, they picture Him as
hoping someone will allow Him to do what He wants to do. In
essence, they see him as quite powerless apart from the operation
of man's free will. They speak about his power but
say that he has no hands, mouths, or feet but ours. This sort of
a wheelchair God is exactly how David described the gods of the
heathen. He contrasted those gods with the true God when he
said, but our God is in the heavens. He hath done whatsoever he hath
pleased. Whether God raises us up in His
mercy or casts us forever from His presence to our own destruction
is surely His prerogative and in keeping with His own holy
and righteous character. He may not always do exactly
what we would desire for Him to do. He may confound our every
desire. He may leave us destitute and
hopeless, but He will always be God and worthy of our praise. He owes no man anything. If he
had created the world and all of its inhabitants for the express
purpose of destroying it in the pit of hell, which one of his
creatures could accuse him of wrongdoing? He will do right. He may show mercy. It is only
when a man has come to a place of understanding that fact that
he can appreciate the grace and mercy of God, which has been
revealed in the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. The doctrine
of his unconditional election must then be seen as the divine
cordial that it is. His particular and definite atonement
will appear in all of its glory as the cornerstone of His redemption.
His irresistible grace and effectual calling must be a crowning jewel
whose splendor shines as His children worship at His footstool.
The glories of His preservation of all those which were given
to Him in the covenant of redemption can be viewed with great gladness. Yet there will be many who will
grow angry at the mention of such truth, and by doing so they
will show their disdain for the true God, preferring the honor
and benefit of men over the glory of him who rules in the army
of heaven and among the inhabitants of the earth. Salvation is not
by chance, nor is it awarded on the basis of anything which
the creature can accomplish. If any man is saved, it will
be according to the sovereign mercy of God, who has appointed
such a man to receive his blessing. If any man has heard the call
of the gospel, it will be because he has given him ears to hear
and eyes to see. If any man believes the gospel,
it will be because he has in sovereign mercy bestowed the
gift of faith to that man. If any man perseveres to the
end, it will be because he has kept him from falling. Grace
is not fair, nor is mercy. Those who receive what is fair
shall be destroyed forever in hell, and not one can bring a
railing accusation against him who shall justly punish sin.
But all those who have been made the recipients of his mercy must
forever praise him who alone has made them to differ from
another and has granted to them something they did not deserve.
Grace is a charming sound, harmonious to the ear. Heaven with the echo
shall resound and all the earth shall hear. Grace first contrived
a way to save rebellious man and all the steps that grace
display which drew the wondrous plan. Grace first inscribed my
name in God's eternal book. It was grace that gave me to
the Lamb who all my sorrows took. Grace taught my soul to pray
and pardoning love to know. It was grace that kept me to
this day and will not let me go. Grace all the works shall
crown through everlasting days. It lays in heaven the topmost
stone and well deserves the praise. For a free CD containing 15 of
these radio broadcasts, send an email to forthepoor at windstream.net.