Well, fasten your seatbelts. I just hope there's enough time for John's message after this reading. Psalm 117. Psalm 117, verses 1 through 2. This may be the shortest book in the Bible, but it's by no means any less powerful, and by far more powerful than any of man's literary works of all time.

Because this is the Word of God. This is the Word of Life and the Word of Truth. Psalm 117, O praise the Lord, all ye nations, praise Him, all ye people, for His merciful kindness is great towards us, and the truth of the Lord endureth forever. For His merciful kindness is great towards us, In the truth of the Lord, endure it forever. Praise ye the Lord. And may the Holy Spirit grant us understanding. Would you turn in your Bibles to Philippians chapter 3? Beginning at verse 1, we read these words, Finally, my brethren, rejoice in the Lord. We are so quick to rejoice in things of the flesh, are we not?

I saw a video recently of a kid, a little kid pulling in a huge bass. His dad did most of the work. Baiting the hook, getting it tied and hooked on there, kind of, whatever bait they were using. Tossed it out there and handed the fishing reel to his son and had his son reel it in and boom! I don't know. About half the size of the kid. He got that thing in there and he was, oh, did you see what you did? Did you see how big that fish was you caught? Man, what a great job, son. What a great job. Just building him up. And the boy was all excited.

Not only were we catching a fish, but his dad was giving him so much praise. Folks, that's our nature. In reality, those of us who've been fishing for some time know that that doesn't come around every time you catch. If you could master that catch, those guys you see in those fishing shows, those guys make all kinds of money out there doing the fishing, even they don't catch a fish every catch. Fishing is one of the things God has used throughout all time to show his authority over everything. Over everything.

Finally, my brethren, rejoice in the Lord. He that glorieth, as it says in 1 Corinthians chapter 1, let him glory in the Lord. See what the Lord has done for me? I wish I would have known that when I raised my kids. I wish I would have raised my kids under the truth of the gospel. That wasn't the Lord's will, though. I pray that the day is coming that it will be His will for them to be called out of darkness. Oh, how I wish I had done some things differently.

To write these same things to you, writes Paul, to me indeed is not grievous, For you, it is safe. He's telling us here, for me to write what we're going to read next, it's safe for you to hear this over and over and over again, because it's your nature, the nature of your flesh, to glory in yourself. To say, see what a good job I did. What a great thing I have accomplished.

Then he says in verse 2, beware. Beware of dogs, beware of evil workers, beware of the concision, those who bring in division, bring in confusion. Those who take your minds, who try to take your minds off of the things of Christ and onto the things of the flesh. Verse three, for we are the circumcision which worship God in spirit and rejoice in Christ Jesus and have no confidence in the flesh.

Though I might also have confidence in the flesh, writes Paul, if any other man thinketh that he hath whereof he might trust in the flesh, I more. Paul was raised steeped in religion. He was raised by the best teachers of the world that there were at that time. He says, if anybody has anything to glory, I have more.

Verse five explains why, because I'm circumcised the eighth day of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, and Hebrew of the Hebrews, as touching the law of Pharisee. Oh, they thought they were following the law real good. See my walk before God? Look what I've been doing. I go to church on time, I feed the poor, I do all those things that loving the world that I should love. Verse 6, concerning zeal, persecuting the church, touching the righteousness which is in the law, blameless, he says.

But what things were gained to me under those circumstances, those I counted lost for Christ. Yea, doubtless, and I count all things but lost for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord. For whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and you count them but dumb, that I may win Christ.

Verse 9, and be found in him not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ. Did you catch it? Did you grab a hold of that? not through the righteousness of my own which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith. That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death, if by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead, not as though I am already attained, either, or already perfect, but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ.

Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended, but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forth into those things which are before, I pressed toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.

Now, I think that most men and women have one kind of faith or another. There are many who profess faith in Christ, But it's evident that the faith produced by the modern day churches, evangelism and the religious world around is not a true faith at all. It's a faith that puts their trust in man. How often have you heard someone who, in my opinion, just feels like they're very religious?

You know, I turned myself over to the Lord 10 years ago. I came down to the front and I prayed a prayer. I gave myself to God. How often do we hear men brag on themselves and what they have done rather than on Christ? It's evident that the faith produced by modern day religion is not true because it gives men the glory, because it does not produce the same taught and exemplified in the Word of God.

That faith which is produced by the power and grace of God the Holy Spirit through the preaching of the Gospel. It will always be distinguished from false faith. And here are five things I want to go over with you this morning that point out this faith. True faith produces a heart truly before God, We can leave Philippians and go over to Psalms 51. This is true faith. True faith in the Lord Jesus through the preaching of the gospel produces a heart truly before God over sin.

Have mercy upon me. The writer of this psalm, the first thing he says in praying out to God, in crying out to God, this psalm, that's what a hymn is, that's what a psalm is, it's a psalm. Have mercy on me, oh God. The very one who loves to have mercy, he cries out. Remember the Pharisee and the beggar that was over in the church and how he cried out upon the Lord, have mercy upon me, a sinner. Have mercy upon me, oh God, to thy loving kindness.

Not for any reason that I have done, not because I've turned myself over to God at a certain time, faith does, it cuts us down, it cuts the feet and the legs out from underneath us, it causes us to look to the only place there is for mercy, and that's to God. According to thy loving kindness, according to the multitude of thy tender mercy, blot out my transgressions, wash me thoroughly from mine iniquity, Cleanse me from my sin, for I acknowledge my transgression. God's people know that there is nothing in this flesh but sinfulness.

We were talking about the work of the Holy Spirit in our Bible study. The spirit of life, as we went through the scriptures and saw over and over again in scriptures where it shows us that the gift of life, the quickening from the dead, comes from the Spirit of God. I acknowledge my transgressions and my sin is ever before me. That's a work of God in the Holy Spirit. That's what the Holy Spirit does.

Convicts man of sin. Look at verse 4. Against thee, and thee only, have I sinned and done this evil in thy sight. That thou mightest be justified when thou speakest, and be clear when thou judgest. Behold, I was shapen in iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceive me. Now look over at verse 17.

This is the work of the Holy Spirit. This is what true faith produces in a heart. A heart, a new heart. Not that old stony heart that shook its fist at God and says, I'll not have this one ruled over me. But the one that bows to the Lord Jesus now is God Almighty. The sacrifices of God are a broken heart, a broken spirit, and a broken and contrite heart. O God, Thou wilt not despise. Whenever a man sees himself in the light of God's glory shining upon him through the cross of Christ, he will cry out with that publican, God, be merciful to me, a sinner. This is where repentance begins.

Christ, revealed in the heart, breaks it Listen to Zechariah chapter 12 verse 10, and I will pour upon the house of David and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem the spirit of grace and of the supplications and they shall look upon me whom they have pierced and they shall mourn for him as one mourneth for his only son and shall be in bitterness for him as one that is in bitterness for their firstborn. True faith causes the heart to bow willingly to Christ as absolute sovereign Lord in all that is.

Look over at Luke chapter 14. Chapter 14, we see the Lord declaring only those who looked to Him as the Almighty God, as the Almighty Ruler of all that is, are His people. Look at verse 25 if you would with me. And there went great multitudes with Him. This is Luke chapter 14 verse 25.

And He turned and said unto them, If any man come to Me and hate not his father and mother and wife and children and brethren, and that word hate just means puts them above, It's not a contrary thing. It's not contrary to love your neighbor, love your family, love those around you, love God's people. It means to put them above. Anyone who puts these above God the Father, or God the Son, or God the Holy Spirit, they are none of His.

Let's read the rest of it. and brethren and sisters of his own life, also he cannot be my disciple. Verse 27, and whosoever does not bear his cross and come after me cannot be my disciple. Now let's go to verse 33. So likewise, whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all He cannot be my disciple. The believer's submission to Christ is far from perfect, no doubt. Folks, we can't do anything perfect.

We never want to look to our works, to our submissions, to our thoughts, to our whatever it is there is about this flesh for any part of our obedience to God. but it is a sincere, it may not be perfect, but it is a sincere, willing heart that surrenders to Christ. In our innermost being, we voluntarily commit ourselves and all things to the disposal of our gracious, sovereign Lord.

True faith looks to Christ alone for all things. True faith trusts Christ alone in all things. True faith has two hands. With one hand it strips away all the filthy rags of our own righteousness, and with the other it puts the righteousness of Christ. Faith sees Jesus only. Faith wraps itself in Christ. That's why we read in 1 Corinthians 1, verse 30, He that glorieth, glory in the Lord. True faith will preserve and continue to believe and continue to cause us to believe regardless of circumstances. Listen to Hebrews 11,

13. These all died in faith, speaking of the cloud of witnesses that the Lord leads us through in the book of Hebrews, the 11th chapter of Hebrews. Enoch, Abel, Abraham, Sarah. All those are listed.

They all died in faith. not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off. What were the promises that they were given? That someone would come and die for their sins, that's what. You and I have the pleasure to look back on that event and see it for being done. They had to look forward to it as a promise that had not been done yet in their lifetime. Yet they all died believing. continual and relentless. The rougher the storm, the firmer faith clings to Christ. True faith never gives up. True faith produces a heart of sincere love for the people of God.

Turn over to 1 John if you would. Just before the book of Revelation, 1 John, 1 Peter, look at 1 John chapter 4. He that loveth not knoweth not God, and for God is love. Now look over at verse 1 of chapter 5. Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ of God, and every one that loveth him that begat loveth him also that is begotten of him. False faith strives to produce love. and pretends to love.

In our Friday night Bible study, we were looking at Judas of Ascariot. Did you ever stop to think? I know some of you who couldn't be here didn't hear about it, but did you ever stop to think about that? Judas did what when he betrayed the Lord? What did he betray him with?

A kiss. A sign of friendship. A sign of love. False faith strives to produce love, and it pretends to love, but love is natural to true faith. It comes naturally to it. Love for the brethren flows as naturally from the believing heart as water flows from its spring.

With that in mind, turn over to John chapter 13, if you would, and we'll see what I'd like to bring before you as a subject this morning. John chapter 13. Look with me, if you would, beginning at verse 1. John chapter 13, beginning at verse 1. Now, before the feast of the Passover, when Jesus knew that His hour would come, that He should depart out of this world unto the Father, having loved His own, which were in the world, He loved them until the end, And supper being ended, the devil having now put into the heart of Judas Iscariot Simon's son to betray him, Jesus, knowing that the father had given all things into his hand, and that he was come from God and went to God, he riseth up from supper, and lay aside his garments, and took a towel, and girded himself.

Picture this. Here we are with a group of men and this one who was not comely, not somebody you would look to and say, ooh, look at him. He's a pretty good-looking guy. Don't kid yourself, men. We all look at other men sometimes and say, that guy's a pretty good-looking guy. We would not look at Jesus Christ as being one who would be attractive in any way, or one who would be smarter than anyone else who ever walked this earth in any way. There was nothing about Christ that was attractive to anyone.

Yet here we see the majesty of God Almighty dwelling in the flesh of a man, getting down on his knees, look what it says next, after that he pours water into a basin, Again, to wash the disciples' feet. Folks, that's the lowest form of a servant, right there.

You had to have some pretty good money to have a servant that would come in and wash your feet when you came in out of the dust of the streets. To wipe them, to wash their feet and to wipe them with a towel wherewith he was dirty. Then cometh he to Simon Peter, and Peter saith unto him, Lord, dost thou wash my feet? Jesus answered and said unto him, What I do thou knowest not now, but thou shalt know hereafter.

Peter saith unto him, Thou shalt never wash my feet. Don't you just love Peter? Oh Peter, he's a stubborn man. He's just like John Reeves. And he saith unto him, Lord, dost thou wash my feet? And Peter saith unto him, Thou shalt never wash my feet. Verse 8, Jesus answered him, If I wash thee not, thou hast no part with me. Look what he says next here, Simon Peter saith unto him, Lord, not my feet only. That's a broken and contrite heart. This is that heart that we spoke about just a moment ago, the very heart that only God can give his people.

Think about this. We're talking about faith in Christ. We're talking about our salvation. The scriptures tell us to... Now the word's slipping from my mind now. Examine ourselves. But notice what it tells us to examine ourselves, what? If we're in the faith. Are we believing? If you look at this flesh, you're going to come up short of, am I saved all the time? Because everything in this flesh is sin, no matter what we do. But if we look to the gift of God, the gift to believe on the Lord Jesus, that's where we can examine ourselves. And it doesn't matter whether it's a small amount. It's not an examination of how much faith you have, it's who it is in. Who is your faith in? Are you in the faith of the Lord Jesus?

That's what this is talking about. If Christ doesn't wash us from the top of our heads to the bottom of our feet, we're going to hell. But let me tell you something, if he does wash us, If we are washed in the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ, we're going to heaven no matter what. Oh, that's the good news. That's the gospel news. He that is washed needeth not to stay washed his feet, but is clean everywhere. Here comes that, look out for those who come in dressed in sheep's clothing, wolf's clothing, sheep's clothing, who come in dressed in wolf's clothing. For he knew, it said in verse 11, who should betray him. Therefore said he, ye are not all clean. So after he had washed their feet and taken his garments and sat down again, he said unto them, know ye what I have done for you?

Do you understand the depth of what I have done for you? You call me Master and Lord, it says in verse 13, and ye say, well, for so I am. Aren't you glad when the Lord declares very clearly who He is? That's our assurance, folks. That's our assurance that we're saved is everything that He has done, it was done perfectly. And God has accepted what our Savior has done in our stead for us.

He said, well, for so I am, verse 14, if I then your Lord and Master have washed your feet, and ye also are washed one another's feet. For I have given you an example, and this is the title for this morning's message. I have given unto you an example that ye should do of that same chapter.

Therefore, when he was gone out, Jesus said, Now is the Son of Man glorified, and God is glorified in him. If God be glorified in him, God shall also glorify him in himself, and shall straightway glorify him. Little children, get a little while, I am with you.

You shall seek me, and as I said unto the Jews, whither I go you cannot come, so now I say to you a new commandment. I give to go, nothing I can do in this flesh, nothing I can think in this flesh is good enough to look at and measure my salvation with. But everything that my Savior did, He did in my stead. I may not be able to love you, as my Lord has instructed. No, let me rephrase that. Not may. I can't.

But in my Savior, if He is in me, and I am in Him, And even though He may not show it to me sometimes, He loved me with a perfect love as well. That's Christ in us. When we look to our Savior for all that we need, and we find in Him all that we need, not just salvation, not just Regeneration, not just justification, not just redemption, but all things in Him. We find Hebrews chapter 10 stands true for by one offering.

He has perfected forever them that are sanctified. Believer, I want to address those of you this morning who are believers. Those of you who put all of your faith in Christ. Those of you who know that there is nothing in this flesh that can be satisfying to God. That the only satisfaction that God has with you is what your Savior has done for you and in you. Never allow anyone to bring you into bondage again. You know what that means? What that means is if you're saved, you're going to do this. That's putting you in bondage. That's telling you to measure your salvation in something you have done.

I don't know, maybe some of you don't have any family who are religious. I have family that's religious. And they're always loving to say, John, how can you be saved if you're doing that? Or John, how can you be the pastor of a church if you don't do this? You haven't read through the Bible in a year.

I'm not ashamed to admit that to you. Folks, there's people who say they've read through the Bible in any amount of time and, oh, I know so much more about the Bible now than I did before. No, you don't. Don Fortner, a man that I know for a fact, studied almost all the time. Almost all the time. would be the first one to tell us if he were here today that he knows hardly anything about the Bible.

Don't let anyone, family, friend, or foe, ever bring you back underneath that body. We are free from the law. Jesus Christ has fulfilled the law for us. Everything about what God desires Everything about what God requires is fulfilled in our Savior. If not, then we're lost. Examine yourselves. Are you in the faith? Are you in His faithfulness?

We sing that song, great is thy faithfulness, not great is mine, great is His. having been redeemed by the blood of Christ and having our consciences purged from the guilt. You know what it tells us over there in Hebrews chapter 1? He purged us, washed us clean. Having been purged from the guilt of sin and the application of Christ's blood to our hearts, we are entirely and completely free from the law. Look over at Romans chapter 4. Turn over to Romans chapter 4. You cannot go too far with grace. Look at verses 13 through 16 of Romans chapter 4.

For the promise that he should be the heir of the world was not to Abraham or to his seed through the law, but through the righteousness of what? Faith. I said what, and all of a sudden I see several heads starting, yep, there it is. That's it. Through faith.

For if they which are of the law be errors, faith is made void, and the promise made of none effect. Because the law worketh wrath, for where no law is, there is no transgression. Therefore it is of faith that it might be by grace. to the end of the promise might be sure to all to see, not to that only which is of the law, but to that which is of the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all.

Listen to Romans chapter 10, verses 1 through 4. Brethren, my heart's desire and my prayer for God, for Israel, is that they might be saved. For I bear them record that they have a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge. For they, being ignorant of God's righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God.

For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone that believes. You owe the law of God a life of perfect righteousness. Do you trust Christ? He is the Lord our righteousness. By his obedience to God as our representative, Christ did what we could never do. He magnified the law and made it honorable in his life. That righteous life God imputes to us.

Hebrews chapter 10 verse 14, it says these words, for by one offering he has perfected forever them that are sanctified. You are perfectly righteous in Christ. Someone who comes to you and says, but you must do this, you must do that. It doesn't matter what they say. We stand righteous, perfect. That's what this is telling us. For by one offering, he hath perfected forever. That's right. Roger, you're perfected. No matter what you see in the mirror when you get up in the morning. And me too.

And all of you folks if you belong to him. You also owed the law of death. Did you know that? By your transgressions in the flesh, you owe the law of death. Had you died, your death must have been eternal because you could never satisfy the law's infinite justice.

But Christ, the God-man, died as our substitute. bearing our sin, and by his one sacrifice for sin, he satisfied the very justice of God. We know it's satisfied because God raised him from the dead. I accept This is what he said, I accept the offering of my son, my perfect, righteous son, who laid down his life for the sheep, who was made sin, that they would be made the righteousness of God in him. I accept it. And therefore he sits on the throne in heaven. Our Lord says in Romans chapter 6 verse 14, He says, For sin shall not have dominion over you, for ye are not under the law, but under grace.

I don't know about you guys. Not only do I have the same problem as all of you, getting up in the morning, looking in the mirror, and seeing all the things that I'm going to do wrong for today, or did wrong for yesterday, but I can see the grace of my Savior.

Examine myself. Am I in the faith? Do I believe God's Word? Do I believe that I'm saved by grace through faith? Do I believe that sin shall not have dominion over me? It doesn't say I won't commit it. It just won't rule over me. For ye are not under the law, but under grace. That's what the Lord tells us. Listen to chapter 7, verses 1 through 4. Know ye not, brethren, for I speak to them that know the law, How that the law hath dominion over a man as long as he liveth.

For the woman which hath been husband is bound by the law to her husband so long as he liveth. But if the husband be dead, she is loose from the law of her husband. So then if while her husband liveth, she be married to another man, she shall be called an adulteress. But if her husband be dead, she is free from that law, so that she is no adulteress. Though she be married to another man, wherefore, my brethren, ye also are become dead to the law by the body of Christ, that ye should be married to another, to him who is raised from the dead, that we should bring forth fruit unto God.

Again, in the book of Romans chapter 10, verse 4, for Christ is the end of the law, for righteousness to everyone Another one, if you don't mind me going just a little further. Galatians 3, verses 24-26, But before faith came, we were kept under the law, shut up under the faith, which should afterwards be revealed. Wherefore, the law was our schoolmaster unto Christ. Then we might be justified by faith, but after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster, for ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus. Again, in Galatians 5, verses 1-4, stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and not be entangled again with the yoke of bondage.

Behold, I, Paul, say unto you, that if ye be circumcised, Christ shall profit you nothing. For I testify again to every man that is circumcised, that he is the debtor to do the whole law. Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law, the appalling from grace.

One last one. blotting out the handwriting, this is Colossians 2, verse 14 through 15, blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us. That's the ordinances that are against us, the handwriting, the law, the things that we are to walk in, and took it out of the way, nailing it to His cross. and having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a show of them openly, triumphing over them in it.

Let no man therefore judge you in meat or drink, or in respect of a holiday, or of a new moon, or of Sabbath days. Someone will come along and try to trick you. They'll say, well, if you do not live by the law of Moses, you're an antinomian, you're lawless. And if you're lawless, that means every man can go out and do whatever he thinks is right in his own mind. That's not what the people of God are held to.

Listen to this. If you wish to be polite to the legalist, you may reply this. No, my friend, we have a law to live by. Our Lord commanded us, as I read to you a moment ago, back in the book of John, he commanded us to love one another. This is our law. Maybe the legalist is trying to argue with you.

And they say something like, but love is nothing more than some kind of a cloud. It's not something you can do. It's not something you can act. Just a cloud, a whisper. You must still live by the rule of the Ten Commandments. If your patience is not worn out by that time, and you want an answer to it, listen to this, love is not a puffy cloud at all. We have Christ as our example. That's what he told them, isn't that what he told them? He said, I give you this as an example, What was it He gave us? He got down and washed the feet of His disciples.

1 Peter chapter 1 verse 22 says this, Being ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth of the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren. Love one another with a pure heart perfectly. Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible by the word of God, which liveth and abideth forever. Folks, our greatest example of how to walk in this world is to love the brethren as Christ has loved the people. in my heart, I can, because that's where the Lord Jesus dwells.

That's where God dwells, is in my spirit. Remember what it talks about over there in Romans chapter 8? In the first 10 verses of Romans? We live in the spirit. You know what, let me just read that real quick. That'll be a good introduction to the table, coming to the table of remembrance, Romans chapter 8. We looked at this in Friday night study, or no, actually I think we looked at it this morning, didn't we? Yeah, we did, part of it, in the works of the Spirit.

Verse 5, For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh, but they that are after the spirit, the things of the spirit. For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace, because the carnal mind is enmity against God, for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God. But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit. How do we worship God? We worship Him in spirit and in truth. If so be that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you. Now if any man had not the Spirit of God, Christ was not here. And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin.

No, I see all the heads. No. We have no righteousness of our own. That's why we come to this table twice a month. We come to the table to worship the righteous one who went to the cross righteously and laid down his life righteously for you and I. God made his son sin. Isn't that boggling your mind? He who is perfect in everything, even laying down his life, perfect, and going to the cross, perfect, and paying for our debt, our sin, died.

He didn't deserve to die. Yes, he did. He was made sin. God didn't kill his son for nothing. He never sinned, don't get me wrong. Don't take what I'm saying out of context. There are many a man who have had that. I'm not saying Christ sinned. I'm saying He was made sin according to the Scripture.

And He was made sin perfect. Completely. That's why He can save His people to the uttermost. Because all their sin has put away every little thought, every little deed, everything about this pledge that we walk in was paid for by Him. And that's what this is all about. This table of remembrance. with God's people to the table, remembering what our Savior had done for us. I want to read something that we all need to be reminded of occasionally.

In verse 26 of 1 Corinthians chapter 11, right after the Lord speaks of taking this bread and taking this cup, He says, For often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do show the Lord's death till ye come. Wherefore, whosoever shall eat this bread, and drink this cup of the Lord unworthily, shall be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord. Let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread and drink of that cup. For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord's throne.

Examine yourself. Am I in his faith, or am I in mine? Is His faith dwelling in me and my heart? See, this was Judas of Ascariot's problem. We looked at this in Friday night study. He had walked with God. He did all the right things. Nobody knew that he was going to be the traitor when God, when the Lord Jesus said to His disciples, one of you will betray me. They all went, is it I? Am I the one who's going to betray you? Not one person thought, or at least it's not recorded for us, thought of Judas. Everybody thought of themselves. Judas came to the Lord in his betrayal and kissed Him as a friend.

As one who loved Him. Yet in his heart, all he had, and it doesn't matter whether it was 30 pieces of silver or anything else, it's a picture of the things of the world. That's what 30 pieces of silver is. It's a picture of anything in the world that you can think of it to be. His heart was of the world and not of Christ. Examine yourself.