Thy mercy, my God, is the theme
of my song. The Lord raised up the nation
of Israel above all nations of the earth and committed unto
them the law and the prophets. He made a conditional covenant
with them which required their strict obedience to the law.
His purpose in raising them up was twofold. One is that he would
demonstrate to men his sovereign prerogative to love and cherish
a people of his choice, even as he said, Jacob have I loved,
but Esau have I hated. Secondly, he would demonstrate
the impotence and inability of men to obey the law and to keep
that covenant, thereby demonstrating the natural unrighteousness of
any who should be called the sons of God, and the absolute
necessity of an imputed righteousness by which they might stand before
him. Those who were Jews by natural
birth have for the most part stumbled at the revelation of
Jesus Christ as the righteousness of his people, because they have
continued to seek to establish their own righteousness in the
sight of God by an outward conformity to the letter of Moses' law,
or at least by an adherence to its moral code. Many Gentiles
have adopted the same notion and do indeed perish in their
own supposed righteousness and confidence in their acts of religion
and faith. In order to understand the prophecies
and promises dealing with Israel in the scriptures, it is vital
that a man has a clear understanding of the fact that they are not
all Israel, which are of Israel. It is necessary to grasp the
fact that national Israel is but a type of that true chosen
nation, which is spoken of throughout the scriptures as a remnant.
Even so, then, at the present time also there is a remnant,
according to the election of grace. This remnant is made up
of men from every nation, tribe, and tongue. It is this remnant
which is the recipient of all the promises which are made to
Christ in the covenant of redemption. 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
that 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 a 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.
And they shall teach no more every man his neighbor, and every
man his brother, saying, Know the Lord. For they shall all
know me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them, saith
the Lord. For I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember
their sin no more." This is a covenant without conditions, which is
the manifestation of grace. The people of God are a despised
and persecuted people. They have no natural defense,
not having the ability to deliver themselves from their enemies
or to prevent themselves from being led to the place of their
own demise. Yet the Lord would magnify the
glory of His grace in showing Himself to be their shepherd
and mighty Savior, a true and faithful deliverer. He said,
I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance. It
is the purpose of God not to simply put his people in a salvable
state, but rather to effect their complete deliverance from destruction,
and to provide them with the necessary provisions, as he leads
them in and out to find pasture. He calleth his own sheep by name,
and leadeth them out. And when he put it forth his
own sheep, he goeth before them, and the sheep follow him, for
they know his voice. John says, And the word was made
flesh, and dwelt among us, and we beheld his glory. The glory
is of the only begotten of the Father. full of grace and truth. For the law was given by Moses,
but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ. Truth is indeed that
which is the beauty of his people. Honor and majesty are before
him. Strength and beauty are in his sanctuary. He said, I
am the truth. The Lord Jesus prayed for those
whom he loves. Sanctify them through thy truth.
Thy word is truth. So the Lord Jesus Christ has
come to deliver His people by the truth. And ye shall know
the truth, and the truth shall make you free. But the hour cometh,
and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit
and in truth. For the Father seeketh such to
worship Him. It is in and by the truth of the gospel of the
Lord Jesus Christ that the children of God are delivered from those
that oppress them. John the baptizer prophesied
that Christ would give knowledge of salvation unto his people
by the remission of their sins. The grace of God is the active
demonstration of the application of his love to that people which
he chose in Christ from before the foundation of the world.
The grace of God does not just provide an opportunity of blessing
for the sons of God, but rather it is the very avenue by which
all the promises which the Lord has made to His people are delivered
to them. Have you experienced His grace? If you would like a free transcript
of this broadcast, email us at forthepoor at windstream.net.