Welcome, friends, to another
broadcast of Morsels for Zion's Poor. Many have thought that
the law of God was given as a means of keeping men in check, but
the truth is that unless God constrains a man to follow his
law, he will disregard it, regardless of the extent to which the law
is published. The man who is spiritually awakened sees the
law of God is that which reveals the innate sin of his heart and
can grant him no comfort in the thought of thinking that he possesses
the ability to keep it. Paul said, for I was alive without
the law once. But when the commandment came,
sin revived, and I died. And the commandment which was
ordained to life, I found to be unto death. For sin, taking
occasion by 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 was 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. Now what Paul
is saying is that whenever the spiritual nature of the law was
revealed to him, he was slain by it. He despaired of keeping
it, and it was the law which revealed his inborn love of sin.
Paul said, for though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after
the flesh. We're not sent to conduct a moral crusade and try
to get men to alter their behavior by declaring to them the law
of God. Rather, that message we are sent with is mighty, as
it is empowered by the Holy Ghost to pierce the very hearts of
those whom he sends it to. He changes men's hearts and turns
them from darkness to light. As a result of this power, their
very thoughts are made captives to Christ. In the midst of the
chaos around us, the people of God have a place of refuge in
Jesus Christ, so that we may boldly say, the Lord is my helper,
and I will not fear what man shall do unto me. The psalmist
said, he shall hide me in his pavilion. Christ is our pavilion. This pavilion of which the psalmist
spoke is a place of safety. He said, He shall hide me there,
or cover me, so that I am shielded from that which befalls those
outside. Truly He is our covering and
deliverer from the raging tempest. He shall cover thee with His
feathers, and under His wings shalt thou trust. His truth shall
be thy shield and buckler. Thou shalt not be afraid for
the terror by night, nor for the arrow that flyeth by day,
nor for the pestilence that walketh in darkness, nor for the destruction
that wasteth at noondays. There shall no evil befall thee,
neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling. This pavilion
is not of this world. The Lord did not come to deliver
us out of the world, but rather to be our deliverer in the world.
These things have I spoken unto you, that in me ye might have
peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation. But be of good
cheer. I have overcome the world. We
are not hidden from the sorrows and trials which befall all men.
We are, however, kept from the power of those trials to destroy
us. There hath no temptation that
is trial taken you, but such as is common to man. But God
is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that
you are able, but will with the temptation make a way to escape,
that ye may be able to bear it. Sickness and disease may invade
this house of clay, but we cannot be destroyed, because he has
undertaken our cause and will be our portion forever, for we
are hidden in him from the foundation of the world. This pavilion is
the only place of comfort for the sons of God. David said,
One thing have I desired of the Lord, that will I seek after,
that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my
life, to behold the beauty of the Lord, and to inquire at his
temple. The men of this world seek comfort and safety in a
variety of means, but there is only one place where the awakened
sons of God have sought refuge. Job said, Though he slay me,
yet will I trust in him. Peter said, Lord, to whom shall
we go? Thou hast the words of eternal
life, and we believe and are sure that thou art that Christ,
the Son of the living God. Many men have sought out help
in religion of one type or other, the assurances of men or even
acts of righteousness, which are supposed to salve the conscience.
But none of these things can give any aid to that man who
is awakened by the Spirit of God and enabled to see and hear
spiritual things. This man can find no rest in
his soul except in the words of Christ. He seeks no dwelling
place except that one in which Christ is the head and owner.
He might not always be as comfortable as he would desire to be, but
he is always convinced that the only place wherein he might find
that peace is to be found rejoicing in the beauty of the Lord. As
for me, I will behold thy face in righteousness. I shall be
satisfied when I awake with thy likeness. For a free CD containing
15 of these radio broadcasts, send an email to forthepoor at
windstream.net.