Thy mercy, my God, is the theme
of my song. Regardless of the amount of knowledge
a man may receive from a study of the scriptures, his understanding
is incomplete if he fails to see the glory of Christ upon
every page. To read the Bible as a collection
of stories and not see Christ as the subject of each one is
to miss the purpose of those accounts. To preach from the
scriptures as a source of sound doctrine and not see Christ revealed
in that doctrine is to declare a message which is as dead and
dry as the skeletons in the valley of dry bones, and as useless
to the awakened sons of God as that advice which the physicians
of no value brought to Job. Christ is the giver of all sound
doctrine, as well as the one to whom all true doctrine points.
His doctrine is not primarily concerned with lessons of morality,
but rather to testify of the gospel of the glory of the blessed
God. To declare his truth is to exalt
the finished work of the Redeemer and the establishment of his
kingdom in the earth. This kingdom is not one which
is entered into or comprehended by flesh and blood. It is not
concerned with geography or specific tribes and nationalities. The
weapons of those who are called to wage its war are not made
of natural materials, but are mighty even to the casting down
of imaginations, and every high thing which would exalt itself
against him. To read of the trials and sorrows
of God's people upon the pages of the sacred scriptures, and
not consider that such are but an illustration of that man of
sorrows who was tempted in all points like as we are, is to
focus upon the wrong person. This world is truly a lowland
of sorrow and temptation for all of its inhabitants, but is
most especially a grievous dwelling place for the sons of God who
are awakened to behold the corruption that is in them by nature and
choice. To spend our days in lamentation
and commiseration about these trials in our conversations to
one another is to turn our eyes away from the only source of
comfort in the midst of such troubles. We would never wish
to make light of the physical suffering of anyone, but at the
same time we would wish to remind those who have fled to Christ
for refuge that He is a man of sorrows and acquainted with our
grief. He is the way that we might escape
all trials. May our focus be ever upon Him. As the Lord Jesus bore the curse
of the law for those whom he made his soul an offering for
sin, he endured a greater agony in his soul and spirit than he
did in his body by physical sufferings, as horrendous as they were. The
Lord demonstrates the judgment which is due to all who have
transgressed his law and disregarded his sovereign right to rule in
the glorious dominion, yet he has not appointed all of the
inhabitants of the earth to taste of that judgment. For he has
a people which he hid in Christ from before the foundation of
the world, and he has gladly come into this world in order
to take the cup of condemnation from them and drink every last
dreg for them. He is the advocate, mediator,
and intercessor of those whom he has loved with an everlasting
love. He has taken this cup of judgment
out of their hand. Though he has ever stood as their
mediator, yet it pleased him according to his purpose to magnify
the glory of his grace to come into this world and make his
redemptive work known. He took upon himself the form
of a servant that he might demonstrate the purpose of God to be both
just and the justifier of his elect bride. There is no doubt
that she, just like all of mankind, stood guilty of breaking the
holy law of God, and as a lawbreaker was worthy of death and destruction,
yet due to the depths of His love and the wideness of His
mercy, He came into the world to pay the debt that she owed.
He paid it all, in full, treading the winepress of God's wrath
alone to accomplish it. She cannot pay that debt which
is canceled, nor can any accusation ever be brought against her.
But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities.
The chastisement of our peace was upon him, and with his stripes
we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray,
we have turned every one to his own way, and the Lord hath laid
on him the iniquity of us all. If you would like a free transcript
of this broadcast, email us at 4the4 at windstream.net.