Thy mercy, my God, is the theme of my song. There are several certainties
which are set forth in the scriptures, but none is more greatly assured
than the judgment of God upon the sin of this world. He may
show mercy, but He will indeed cause His justice to be manifested
to men and angels. We need look no further than
Calvary's cross to see that demonstrated. If he would spare not his own
son, but deliver him up to die in order that his justice be
satisfied, then how foolish would a man be who would assume that
he will overlook any transgression, whether it be in the heavens
or in the earth. He would not even disregard the sin of his
own elect, that people which he loved with an everlasting
love. Then how much less shall he spare the reprobate who have
despised his counsels and spurned his overtures of kindness. Those
who will not worship at his footstool, who will not magnify his name,
and who will not repent of the evil deeds and wickedness of
their own nature shall surely be destroyed by the lash of his
holy law and the sword of his everlasting destruction. Men,
acting and thinking according to their carnal reason, believe
that they can perform some good deeds which will be acceptable
in God's sight, and that these good actions will negate the
sins which they freely admit that they have committed. Most
would declare their understanding that God helps those that help
themselves and assume that as long as they live according to
a moral code of some sort, while avoiding the grossest of sins,
that this shall be taken into account and considered sufficient
for their acceptance into the kingdom of heaven. One only has
to attend the average funeral today to see this philosophy
on full display. Others rest in their actions
undertaken by their supposed free will, as they rely upon
the religion of whatever type they have chosen. This is nowhere
more clearly demonstrated as the rank and file of those who
claim to be the followers of Christ profess that they have
brought their faith to Him, that He has recognized it, approved
of it, and granted to them justification and salvation based upon it.
This is but a refuge of lies which will be swept away in the
last day by the besom of destruction, as surely as those who consider
that their morality shall gain them that same place of favor.
The man who will trust in his own faith shall surely be disappointed,
for the faith of men is not the faith of Christ, upon which a
man alone could possibly find a true resting place. The psalmist
describes the man who shall be able to dwell in the presence
of God as he that hath clean hands and a pure heart, who hath
not lifted up his soul unto vanity, nor sworn deceitfully. There
is only one man who fits this description and who, upon his
own merits, is able to ascend into the hill of the Lord, for
he alone has performed according to this standard. The only place
of standing in the holy place is that which belongs to Christ.
If any among the sons of men hope to be found here, then they
must be found in him. The glorious message of the gospel
is that he has fulfilled all righteousness and kept every
jot and tittle of the law, not simply for himself, but for that
people which he has loved from before the foundation of the
world. They alone have a standing before God, not because of their
merits or even of their faith, but because He is their substitute,
performer, and advocate before the throne of God. They are manifested
in the earth as those who confess their irreparable wickedness
while calling upon His name and clinging to no other hope of
righteousness than that which is found in Him and applied to
them through Him. Modern Christianity, in contrast,
would give hope to men based upon the actions which they take.
Those who persuade men to make a decision to be saved in order
to escape hell preach a message which is totally centered in
men rather than in a desire to magnify the glory of God's grace
in the salvation of sinners. They would opine that men can
escape coming judgment by a simple act of their own free will rather
than being dependent on the sovereign mercy of God. The Lord will thoroughly
purge his floor as he has now come to separate the wheat from
the chaff. This purging and burning takes
place in the proclamation of the gospel of God's glory. Those
for whom it is prepared receive it with gladness, bowing down
before him who is the King of kings and Lord of lords. His
sheep hear his voice and they follow him. Have you heard him
today? If you would like a free transcript
of this broadcast, email us at 4the4 at windstream dot net.