A People KNOWN OF GOD

We're gonna come back to Galatians 4 here in a minute. That'll serve as our text, but our Lord, He spoke of a group of people over in Matthew 7, and He said these words to them. He said, and I can't imagine, I can't imagine a more frightening phrase than this. He said, I'm gonna say unto you in that day, I never knew you. I never knew you. Can you imagine? I mean, we've all at some time heard some type of bad news, something that just shook us to the core. But to hear this from the Lord, I never knew you.

Men say, Men say things like this, they say that God loves everybody, that He unconditionally loves everybody. Is that so? Men say a lot of foolish things. Just listen to some scriptures. Just listen to some of these scriptures. In Malachi 1, beginning with verse 1, it says, the burden of the word of the Lord to Israel by Malachi.

He said, I've loved you, saith the Lord. Yet say ye wherein hast thou loved us? Was not Esau Jacob's brother? Saith the Lord. Yet I've loved Jacob. And I have hated Esau." I hated Esau. And I laid his mountains and his heritage waste for the dragons of the wilderness.

In the book of Romans, God's word declares this concerning Pharaoh. He said, it's not of him that willeth, it's not of him that runneth, but of God that showeth mercy. For the scripture saith unto Pharaoh, Even for this same purpose have I raised thee up." One reason, one reason for which Pharaoh existed. He said, I raised thee up that I might show my power in thee and that my name might be declared throughout all the earth. Hath he mercy on whom he will have mercy? And whom he will, he hardeneth.

In Psalm chapter 5 verse 4, let me just read these words to you. He says, David said, For thou art not a god that hath pleasure in wickedness, neither shall evil dwell in thee, that the foolish shall not stand in thy sight. Thou, He doesn't say lovest, Thou hatest all the workers of iniquity, and shalt destroy them. Destroy them that speak leasing, destroy them that speak lies. The Lord will abhor the bloody and hateful man. We read this in Scripture, the Word of God, that the Lord is angry. With who? He is angry with the wicked every day.

Now back to Matthew. Back to Matthew 7. We'll get back to Galatians, but Matthew 7. Let's see this. Consider who's speaking here, okay? Matthew 7 in verse 21. Think about who's speaking. This is the Lord of glories speaking. This is God in human flesh speaking. The Lord Jesus Christ, and he speaks to this crowd of people. Look at verse 21.

And he says, not everyone that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter in to the kingdom of heaven." Well, there's a lot of people in this world doing exactly that, aren't they? Lord, Lord. Not everyone that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven, but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven, and many, many, a bunch, will say unto me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? And in thy name cast out devils? And in thy name done many wonderful works?

And I'll profess unto them, I never knew you. Depart from me. Depart from me, ye that work iniquity. Now listen. Think about the group that he's talking to here, okay? He's not talking about harlots and publicans. He's not talking what we would consider just the worst of the worst. Listen to what they said.

They said, didn't we prophesy in your name? Didn't we preach a bunch of messages, a bunch of sermons, and we talked about Jesus, and we talked about God, and we talked about man and sin? In your name, didn't we cast out many devils? We had tent meetings, and we had healing services. We did all these things. We did many wonderful works in your name. We traveled to foreign countries. We took water to people that were thirsty. We taught them how to plant crops and this and that and the other. We did many wonderful works in your name. We did all these things. Preachers, elders, deacons, again, religious. And listen to what he said. He said, in that day, in that day, I will say unto you, depart from me. I'll say unto you, I never knew you." Never. Never. Isn't that a scary, isn't that a sobering thought?

Depart from me. Oh, what a terrible sentence. Depart from me into everlasting darkness. Depart from me. From me, from the Lord Jesus Christ, the only source of love. Depart from me to everlasting hatred. Depart from me, the Lord Jesus Christ, the way, the truth, and the life. Depart from me. Depart from me, the great... He's the great physician. Depart from me to eternal death and condemnation. Judgment. Depart from me for my friendship, for my grace, for my mercy, for my fellowship, for my presence. Depart from me. I never knew you.

Now is there anything in what we've read that would indicate that God loves every man? Turn back to Galatians 4. Look at verse 9. Here we read of a people that know God. A people that are known of God. Do you have Galatians 4 verse 9? But now, after that you have known God, or rather are known of God. Known of God. A people whom God has revealed himself to, in the Lord Jesus Christ. A people who know the true and living God. A God who chose that people. A God who foreknew that people. A people known of God.

Listen, eternally. A people known of God eternally. 2 Thessalonians 2 verse 13 says, God hath from the beginning, when's that? Whenever he determined the beginning was, right? From the beginning hath chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the spirit and belief of the truth. A people, listen, given him from the Father. given him from the Father, a people for whom he prayed. Turn to John chapter 17. A people known of God. Turn to John 17. Look at verse nine. John 17 verse 9, he said, I pray for them.

I pray for them. I pray not for the world, not for this world, but I pray for them, for them which thou hast given me. For they are thine and all mine. are thine, and thine are mine, and I'm glorified in them, and now I'm no more in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to thee, Holy Father." This is his prayer. Keep them. Keep them through thine own name, those whom thou hast given me, that they may be one as we are.

A people known unto God, a people, listen, for whom he prayed. people given him by the Father, a people for whom he died. Scripture says this, that there's no greater love, no greater love than this, that a man lay down his life for a friend, a people for whom he died. Listen, he knows his sheep. He said, as the Father knoweth me, So I know the Father, and I lay down my life for the sheep." He wasn't forced to lay Him down. He willingly laid down His life for His sheep. Because they're His.

It's a people... Listen, when you know somebody, you know their name, don't you? How many times in Scripture do we see the Lord calling His sheep by name? In fact, we read that, don't we? He calls them by name. Abraham, remember that? He called out Abraham's name. Moses, Moses at the burning bush. He called out Saul's name, didn't he? Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? Called him by, called him by name. Martha, remember that he called out Martha. He said, and he reminded her, he said, Martha, she's busy, wasn't she? Like we get busy. What'd he say to her?

One thing, there's just one thing that is needful. Zacchaeus, he climbed up in that tree. What's all this excitement about, right? Lord's passing by. The Lord stopped. Don't you love that? He stopped at the place. Nothing random about that, was it? He stopped at the place.

That place determined from all eternity. Right there. I used to, at school, they'd have, for kids in drama or something like that, or doing a show, they'd have a little X, right? They'd have some tape on the floor, and that's where you're supposed to stand during certain times.

The Lord didn't need that, did he? The place, he stopped at the place. And he looked up and he said, Zacchaeus? He knew his name, didn't he? And he said, come down, come down. He knew him by name. You know, at the tomb of our Lord, Mary, she didn't recognize the Lord until he spoke her name. Mary, what joy must have filled her heart. He saw a man named Philip there in Galilee. He knew his name, didn't he? He knew it was Philip and he looked at him and he said, follow me. And he did, didn't he? Philip followed him. He calleth his own sheep by name. How is that?

Because he knows them, right? And listen, he knows, He knows them so intimately, every part of them. We have a new baby come along every now and then, and boy, we're counting their fingers and counting their toes and looking at them, and boy, we think we know. Our Lord knows the very hairs of our head, numbered, numbered.

The Lord's speaking to His disciples. He said, are not two sparrows sold for a farthing? and not one of them, something as worthless as a sparrow, not one of them will fall to the ground without your father. The very hairs of your head are numbered. Fear ye not, therefore, you're of more value than the sparrows."

Known, known of God. And listen. He knows them that are His. He does. Turn to 2 Timothy 2. 2 Timothy 2, look at verse 19. We can write this down. 2 Timothy 2, 19. Nevertheless, the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, this promise, this guarantee, the Lord knoweth them that are His. and let everyone that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity.

He knows them that are His. The seal or stamp on the elect of God is this. He knows them. He knows them that are His. What we're reading here is the same thing we read there in Galatians. You are known known of God. He chose them. He wrote their names in His book and He'll never suffer one of them to perish. He'll not lose one. Well, turn back to Galatians 4. Galatians 4.

But now, verse 9, but now, after you've known God, or rather are known of God. Ye that are known of God. And he asked this question, he said, how? That being true, that being said, How do you turn again to the weak and beggarly elements? Where until you desire again to be in bondage? He says you're known of God.

So why in the world would you turn back to rituals? Why would you turn back to ceremony? Why would you turn back again to these worthless things like circumcision and holy days and rites and drinks? All these different things that can do nothing, nothing for you in the presence of Almighty God. Why would you ever, why would you ever want to go back into bondage? If Christ has set you free, why? Listen, this must have been a problem back then just as it is in our day, right? Why would you go back to bondage?

Well, read on in verse 10, it says, you observe days and months and times and years. And he said, I'm afraid. I'm afraid of you lest I have bestowed upon you this labor in vain. Salvation. Salvation, listen, it cannot be by grace and works. Those two things do not mix. By the deeds of the law. What's the rest of it? By the deeds of the law shall no flesh be justified in His sight. Ceremonies. Circumcision, the keeping of the law, listen.

Those aren't the things that make the redemptive work of Christ effectual. It's His blood, it's His sacrifice that makes His work effectual. And Paul says if that's what you believe, if that's the case, then this gospel is preached in vain. Because salvation, again, it cannot be by grace and by works.

Those of you who've been taught of God, those that have heard the gospel of His free and sovereign grace in the Lord Jesus Christ, the gospel of Christ clearly set before you. Paul says, you've begun in the Spirit and now you're going to be now made flesh.

Again, how do you turn? How do you turn again? You that have seen the light of Christ, the liberty of Christ, the salvation of Christ, the love of God in Christ, how do you turn back to those things? Are you going to turn back to the weak and beggarly elements? Would we go back to bondage? And we say to ourselves, well, no, absolutely not. I'd never go back to that, right? Think about the children of Israel. They were set free. They had been slaves. They had been beat down for years and years and years. They'd been set free. And not only set free, but every need they had had been provided for. But how often did they murmur? And we do, don't we? I'll let you decide for yourself, but I can tell you I do. We murmur, and we complain, and we find fault.

And then they'd say this, we were better off back in Egypt. They said this, would God that we had just died in the land of Egypt, that we would die there. or we had died in the wilderness, and wherefore hath the Lord brought us into this land to fall by the sword, that our wives and children will be prayed. Were it not better for us to just turn and go back. And they even said that at one, let's make us a captain.

Let's find somebody to be in charge and let us return unto Egypt. You reckon after they said something like that, just covered their mouth and thought, what in the world? Back to bondage. Back to the weak and beggarly elements. Would you desire to be in bondage after Christ has set you free? You that desire to be under the law, do you not hear what the law says? Law says it must be perfect. That's not me. The law says it must be perfect to be accepted.

You know, over the years, there have been many men that when they were taught the gospel. They would start teaching others the gospel. You reckon maybe back there in Egypt, like somebody, somebody said, listen, years and years ago, we were in Egypt, and boy, this is how bad it was. But the Lord, He brought us out. He brought us out. people that go start and proclaim that gospel. And listen, there's been places where people have preached the gospel and churches have put them out, right?

Remember that? Brother Henry, years ago, and I can't remember if it was, somebody told me this was like a Saturday evening broadcast or a Sunday evening broadcast, but there were some men that listened to that. and they heard the gospel. And they had a strong desire to tell others. And a few men in particular, when they heard it, they went back to false religion, they went back to their Sunday school, and they started telling that truth that they had heard.

And it didn't take long before The elders and deacons and the pastor of that church said, hey, you can't do that. Get out. Either stop it or get out. And they got out. And then there was a neighbor in the same church that heard that same message. And they said, why don't you be our Sunday school teacher? And he started proclaiming the same truth. And what'd they do? In time, they said, get out of here.

We won't have this. Well, this word, God's people love it. They desire to hear it. That Christ, listen, I can say that to, I believe everyone in here, Christ died for a particular people. He died for His elect. We love that message, don't we? We rejoice in that message. We say there's no other message than that. And we'd go anywhere to hear it, wouldn't we?

To be taught to know the truth, that the Lord in mercy is pleased to save a people. that He would bring us out of works, that He would bring us out of false religion, that He would bring us to hear Him, to know Him, to believe Him. I ask you, you that have been brought out of false religion, would you go back? We pray the Lord would never enable us to, don't we? Our Lord asked his disciples that question.

Remember that? He said, will you go away? There were some that had went away, didn't they? He said, would you go away? Lord, to whom shall we go? Thou hast the words of eternal life. Would you go back? Would you go back to ceremony? Would you go back to circumcision? Would you go back to holy days? Would you go back to eating and drinking certain meats and certain drinks? Those things that do nothing, nothing for you before an Almighty God. Those things that do not make you acceptable, those things that do not make you righteous, that do not make you better. That's what those folks were looking to.

Remember when our Lord said, I never knew you? By what I read, they were all taken up by the things they had done, the things they had said. God's people, he says this, he said, you know God. Or even better, you are known. You are known of God. Turn with me to one more passage of Scripture. Turn to Hebrews chapter 2. There's a test. I think there's a real test as to if somebody knows you or not. Look at Hebrews 2 verse 10.

It says, It became him for whom are all things, and by whom are all things, and bringing many sons unto glory, to make the captain of their salvation, perfect through suffering, for both he that sanctifyeth and they who are sanctified, they're all one. For which cause?

He is not ashamed to call them his brethren. I've seen people pretend they be friends with someone, or they like someone. But then when they get in a certain crowd, they just kind of move off away from them. Ashamed to be identified with them, ashamed to be seen with them. And we've given the Lord every reason to be ashamed of us. But listen to what he says there.

He is not ashamed to call them brethren. He said, saying, I shall declare thy name unto my brethren in the midst of the church, and I'll sing praise unto thee. Again, I'll put my trust in thee. Again, behold, I and the children which God hath given me, a people that he will never leave, a people that he will never forsake. For as much then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same, that through death he might destroy him that had power over death, that is the devil, and deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage. A people known of God. And he knows us, and yet he's still not ashamed to call us his brethren. He is glorious, and we are nothing but shame and poverty, but he's not ashamed to call them his brethren.

Consider the great gap, the great disparity between the Lord Jesus Christ and His people. That's a great gulf, isn't it? But there's no disparity in His love for them. He still calls us. He still knows us as His brethren. We're poor, we're despised, we're persecuted, We're imperfect, we're faulty, we're sorrowful, we're cast down, and yet he's not ashamed to call him brother. Spurgeon wrote this, he said, there's such a unity between the believer, be he that he's in what sorrow he may be, and yet Christ is in what glory he may be.

And yet he's never, never ashamed to own that close relationship between them. Not ashamed to call him brethren. Known of God, loved of God, redeemed of God. He's not ashamed to be identified with them. And that being said, we should never be ashamed in being identified with him or his people, our brothers and sisters in Christ.

Our Lord said this in Luke 12, eight. He said, whosoever shall confess me before men, Him shall the Son of Man also confess before His Father, before God. He knows them. He knows them. Well, let's close by one more time. Look at this passage in Galatians 4.9. Galatians 4 verse 9. But now, after that you have known God, or rather are known of God, his people are known of God, how turn you again to the weak and beggarly elements, whereunto you desire again to be in bondage? known, known of God. I pray the Lord bless his word. Isaac, come lead us in a closing.

A People KNOWN OF GOD

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A People KNOWN OF GOD

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