Thy mercy, my God, is the theme
of my song. All of the blessings and benefits
which are visited upon the sons of God come to them as a result
of their union with Christ from before the foundation of the
world. Their standing before Him is because they have been
made the seed of Christ and thus chosen in Him to be His heirs
and joint heirs. Christ has come into the world
in order to accomplish their redemption from the curse of
the law and to deliver them from the darkness which they inherited
from Adam. All of Adam's posterity are under
the curse of the law and made to feel its lash and suffer its
penalty. Yet the sons of God who have
been appointed to obtain his mercy must of necessity inherit
those promises which are in the eternal covenant of redemption
which is given to Christ. So while they are born into this
world with the same nature as all men, they are not appointed
to destruction but to obtain salvation. This salvation is
that which has been procured by Jesus Christ, who has come
into the world for this very purpose, as the angel declared
to Joseph. The labors and sufferings of
Christ manifest his purpose and desire to deliver those that
are his. Surely he hath borne our griefs,
and carried our sorrows, and the Lord hath laid on him the
iniquity of us all. Yet it pleased the Lord to bruise
him, he hath put him to grief. One of the chief objections which
we often hear from men who cavil against the predestination of
all things by the Lord is that they then see no reason to pray.
The Lord Jesus Christ was truly a man of prayer, even though
He knew the end from the beginning and what is in the hearts of
men. Yet He prayed, making His request known unto His Heavenly
Father, in whom is no shadow of turning. It is impossible
that a man who knows and loves the maker of heaven and earth
would not pray and seek him, glorying in seeing his will performed
in the earth. Would it not be truly foolish
to pray unto one who does not control all events and ordain
them to occur according to the good pleasure of his will? If
he must wait upon the free will of men in order to see his purposes
accomplished, then shouldn't we seek to change men rather
than ask God? The request of his lips shall
be granted, because he does always desire to see his Father glorified
and his will accomplished. Thus we see the Lord pray this
very prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane as he sets forth the
request of his lips. I pray for them. I pray not for
the world, but for them which thou hast given me. This is a
prayer which does not go out of feigned lips, but is the very
yearning of him who desires to see his Father magnified. The
request of his lips must be granted, because he and his Father are
one. He is the fullness of the Godhead
bodily, and he cannot desire anything which his Father does
not, or vice versa. Thus he always receives the request
of his lips. He prayed that his children might
be given a comforter. It is the Father's will to give
the kingdom to his children, of which he shall lose none.
He will raise his purchased possession from the grave at the last day.
In my Father's house are many mansions. If it were not so,
I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you,
and if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and
receive you unto myself, that where I am, there ye may be also. He has destroyed his enemies,
who are one and the same with the enemies and accusers of his
people. Mine eye also shall see my desire on mine enemies, and
mine ears shall hear my desire of the wicked that rise up against
me. I will bring down their strength
to the earth. None who would hurt or destroy
the sons of God shall ever be heard from again, as he destroys
even the last enemy, death. O death, where is thy sting?
His greatest intercession on the behalf of his people is not,
however, in the prayer of his lips, but in his very presence
before the throne of God as the great high priest over the household
of God and the Lamb slain for sinners. As the hymn writer said,
Five bleeding wounds he bears, received on Calvary. They pour
effectual prayers. They strongly plead for me. Forgive
him, O forgive, they cry, nor let that ransomed sinner die.
As long as he is seated upon that throne, the sons of God
shall never perish, but rather enjoy his benefits forever. This
is the request of his lips and the demonstration of his actions.
Do you worship him? If you would like a free transcript
of this broadcast, email us at 4the4 at windstream dot net.