Back in Psalm 84, we'll take
our text from verse 11. These few words in the middle
of the text, the Lord will give grace and glory. The Lord will
give grace and glory. Grace plus glory. Grace plus
glory. Before we consider those precious
gifts, grace and glory, consider the giver. That's what makes
them good. That's what makes them certain.
It's been said that a promise is only good as the word of the
man who gives it. Well, this promise is from the
lips of God Almighty and makes it good. In the very first verse,
He is Lord Almighty. In verse 2, the Living God. This is who makes the promise
to His people. In the third verse, He's my King. The seventh verse, God. The eighth
verse, Lord God Almighty. The ninth verse, God our shield. Verse 10, my God. The last verse,
Lord Almighty. And in our text, the Lord God. Anywhere you see the word Lord,
all in capital letters, it should be translated Jehovah. Jehovah
Lord God Almighty Lord over all when we read the Lord God will
Stop right there the Lord God will Whatever follows that it
doesn't matter what it is when it's preceded with these words
the Lord God will Then whatever whatever follows must be It must
be That makes it certain. It must be realized. It must
come to pass. Why wouldn't it? Why wouldn't
it? When we read the Lord God wills,
then why wouldn't what he wills come to pass? Who's going to
stop it? Who's going to stay his hand?
Who can prevent him from accomplishing his will? This is exactly what
we read in Isaiah 46. Remember, God says, Remember,
remember this, it'll do you good. Remember this, it'll comfort
you. Remember the former things of old. For I am God, and there
is none else. I am God, and there is none like
me. Declaring the end from the beginning,
and from the ancient times the things that are not yet done,
saying my counsel shall stand, and I will do all. I like that,
don't you? I will do all, not some, not
most, and not the majority of, but I will do all my pleasure. And its pleasure is in our text
to give grace and glory. Calling a ravenous bird from
the east, the man that executed my counsel from a far country,
yea, I have spoken it, I will also bring it to pass. I have
purposed it, I will also do it. One's as certain as the other.
So when we read that the Lord God has purposed to give grace
and glory, there can be no question that somebody, oh no, no, no,
A multitude of somebodies will receive grace and glory without
question. In due time, both as needed. Both to the full. Both with absolute
certainty. The Lord has both grace and glory
in infinite abundance. He's never in short supply. His
funds never run out. Jesus is always full of both. And as his chosen people, we
will receive both as the gift from God of our salvation. What more rather can the Lord
give or we desire or receive than grace and glory? I like
the word here, the Lord will give, give. That declares that neither grace
nor glory can be earned. It's not up for bids. It's not
up for an auction. It can't be merited. It can't
be purchased by man in any way. This text, like all the Word
of God, stands upon the footing of God's free grace. Billy, you
can't stand on better ground than that. You can't be on a
more solid foundation as that. We stand before God, accepted
and to be loved on the footing of his free and sovereign grace. And both grace and glory are
gifts of God. And where he gives the one, he'll
give the other. There is no such thing of any
sinner who's ever experienced, ever tasted that God is gracious
who shall not also experience what it will be to be with Him
in glory. There is no question about that. Grace is glory in the seed. Glory
is grace in full bloom. Glory begins in grace and grace
is completed in glory. Someone put it this way. Grace
is glory begun and glory is grace consummated. Grace is glory in
the bud and glory is grace in the fruits. Grace is the lowest
degree of glory and glory is the highest degree of grace. Under the name grace all spiritual
good is wrapped up and under the name glory all eternal good
is wrapped up. These are two great and marvelous
truths which God bestows upon the fallen sons and daughters
of Adam in Christ." Only in Christ. Grace and glory. The first thing
he gives is grace, and the last thing that he'll give is glory. Consider that first one for a
moment. The Lord will give grace. Now ask yourself, child of God,
ask yourself, pilgrim, sojourner, Ask yourself, is there anything
you need more in this life than grace? Anything at all. Will anything else enable you
to hold on your way? Will anything else other than
that keep you? from following the insinuation,
the temptation of Satan to curse God and die? Will anything else
enable you to say in the midst of storms and heartaches and
suffering, it's the Lord, let him do what seemeth him good? Oh, what a blessed declaration.
What a promise. I love that word grace, don't
you? Oh, I just love that. Grace is,
someone put it like this. Grace is God's riches, Christ
expense in the life in the experience and hope of the believer Everything
is by grace and of grace from the very beginning To the very
end every believer gladly confesses with the Apostle Paul by the
grace of God. I'm not what I am Old John Newton. I love what he said He heard
someone quote those words, but by the grace of God, I am what
I am He said oh, I'm not what I am want to be, I'm not what
I long to be, I'm not what I should be, I'm not what I'm going to
be, but thank God, thank God I'm not what I used to be. Grace makes a man to differ. Anyone that experiences God's
transforming power of grace will never be the same. We sing, rightly
so. Oh, to grace, how great a debtor.
Daily I'm constrained to be. Let that grace, Lord, like a
fetter, bind my wandering heart to Thee. This grace belongs to
God. It's God's sovereign prerogative
to give it to whom He will. And there are some among the
fallen sons of men that will experience God's grace. God has chosen some to be the
recipients of His grace. He declares, I will. There it
is again. I will. I will. It's my will,
my purpose that can't be resisted, that can never fail. It's my
will to have mercy. Somebody is going to experience
God's mercy. Not one of those chosen and electing
love before the foundation of the world to be a vessel of mercy
shall fail to receive that grace before they pass out of this
world. Jude says we've been preserved and called, chosen. Oh, his sheep shall be preserved
until the great shepherd brings them to himself. till they experience
His grace. I love what he said in John chapter
6. These are familiar verses to
you. Most folks hate what our Lord
was teaching here. I love it. I love it. I love the sound of it. It comforts
me. It's like a warm blanket on a
cold night. He says all. Not most, but all. All that the Father giveth me
shall come to me. And him that cometh unto me,
I will in no wise cast out. No matter what. No matter what. I'll never cast him out. I'll
never let him go. I'll never lose him. For I came
down from heaven, not to do my own will, but the will of him
that sent me. And this is the Father's will
which had sent me, that of all which he hath given me, I should
lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day.
And this is the will of him that sent me, that everyone, everyone,
everyone, which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have
everlasting life, and I will raise him up at the last day."
John 15, he told his disciples, you have not chosen me, but I
have chosen you, and ordained you that you should go and bring
forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain. And that whatsoever
ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you.
Matthew chapter 11, verse 25. At that time Jesus answered and
said, I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because
thou hast hid these things from the wise and the prudent and
has revealed them unto babes. Even so, Father, for so it seemed
good in thy sight. All things are delivered unto
me of my Father. And no man knoweth the Son, but
the Father. Neither knoweth any man the Father,
save the Son. He to whomsoever the Son will
reveal Him. All whom He redeemed by His precious
blood shall have the grace of forgiveness. They'll experience
it in time. There'll be no sinner leave this
world that Jesus Christ redeemed on the cross that won't experience
His saving grace. By grace He are saved. Saved, not maybe saved, might
be saved, hath saved, you'll be saved to the uttermost with
an everlasting salvation. There's an article by Brother
Henry Mahan in the Bulletin that speaks to this very thing, the
experience of God's grace. In Ephesians chapter 1 verse
7, in whom, that is Christ, we have redemption through his blood,
the forgiveness of sins according to what? or the forgiveness of
sins. Like that woman in Luke chapter
7, our Lord said, thy sins be forgiven thee. Thy sins which
are many are all forgiven thee. Go in peace. Go in peace. Live your life in this world
with the sweet realization that your sins are all forgiven. Have
peace with God. Peace with God, oh my soul. That's almost too good to realize,
isn't it? Too good to be true. If it weren't for the very word
of God telling us that it's so, we wouldn't believe it. Oh, that
you mean to tell me there are sinners in this world that have
experienced the forgiveness of sins? To whom the Lord God has
spoken, thy sins are all forgiven thee, oh my soul. That's rich,
isn't it? That's better than anything this
world can give. In whom we have redemption through
his blood, the forgiveness of sins according to what? Your
desert, your merit, your faithfulness? No, according to the riches,
the abundant riches of his amazing grace. Every sinner redeemed
and purchased by Christ shall be his and shall obtain grace. That's exactly what the promise
tells us, does it not? The Lord will give grace. Otherwise, otherwise Christ died
for nothing. Oh, now, now, that's not possible. Christ died for nothing? He endured
the wrath of God for nothing? He tried to winepress alone for
nothing? He was made sin for nothing?
God forbid, God forbid, and he does. All for whom the Lord Jesus
Christ was made a curse upon the cursed tree shall have the
grace of free justification. That's what our Lord said concerning
that public and that despised tax collector. Lord have mercy,
have mercy on them. He couldn't claim anything like
that proud Pharisee. He was a bragger, but the publican
was a beggar. I am nothing. I can do nothing. I have nothing. Lord, have mercy. Have mercy on me. You remember
what our Lord said concerning that publican? I tell you, not
the preacher, not the priest, I tell you, that man is going
home justified. Justified. Oh, he has a clean
record. in the courts of heaven. He's
justified. He's declared by the God Almighty
Himself. He's not guilty. He's justified. This is what Paul tells us in
Romans 8. Who is he that condemneth? Who dares condemn one of God's
children? It is Christ that died, yea,
rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand
of God, who also maketh intercession for us, Galatians 3 verse 13
Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law Being made a
curse for us for this written curse. It is everyone that hangeth
upon a tree All for whom Christ was made sin shall have the grace
of his perfect righteousness We love that first. We know it
by heart done the gospel in a nutshell For God have made him to be sin
for us who knew no sin did that happen and Did that really happen? Did God make His Son to be sin? I can't explain it. Can't explain
it. That's deeper than I can fathom. I can't reach that high, but
I read that God made His Son to be sin. Man could spit up
on His face by God's permission. They could pluck out His They
could place a crown of thorns upon his head. They could scourge
him. They could nail him to the cross. Oh, but they couldn't
do this. Only God could do this. Only
God can make him to be sinned. Man couldn't do that. Only God
could say, Awake, O sword, against the man who is my fellow. Smite
the shepherd. He was made sin. I don't understand
that, but I know that it happened. God made him to be sinned. That's
true, and so is this, one is as sure as the other, one is
as certain as the other, that we might be made the righteousness
of God in Him. Another thought, the Lord will
give grace to every sinner who trusts His Son. I've had on occasion
when men hear that I believe in sovereign grace, sovereign
mercy. when I believe that God saves
people on purpose. And he purposed to do so before
the world began. I believe in the election of
God's grace. They say, well, then why do you
even bother to preach? They say, if I believed that,
I wouldn't even preach. How foolish. How absurd. If I didn't believe
it, I wouldn't preach. I know. I know. that the Lord
Jesus Christ, the shepherd of his sheep, has purchased the
people. He paid the price of their redemption.
He was the ransom of their souls. And I know that everyone for
whom he died, for whom he suffered, will be brought to him in time.
And the means that he will use to call them is the preaching
of the gospel. Why preach? Why not? Billy, if I thought it was up
to the sinner to raise himself from the dead, to give himself
the precious gift of faith, I would say, why preach? Why bother? It'll never happen. Oh, but when
I read that salvation is of grace, and when I hear Christ say, go
preach the gospel, because my sheep will hear my voice, and
I give them eternal life, and they'll never perish, I'll give
them grace, sufficient grace. We don't know who God's elect
are. They'll know who Christ has redeemed, except as they
believe the gospel. That's the evidence. When they
believe the gospel, I know they're one of God's chosen. I know that
they're one that Jesus Christ redeemed. We know that every
sinner who trusts the Lord Jesus is chosen of God and redeemed
by Christ because he promises. He promises grace to all who
do. Mark chapter 16, he told his disciples, He that believeth
and is baptized shall be saved, but he that believeth not shall
be damned." John chapter 1 verses 12 and 13, but as many as received
Him, that's what salvation is, receiving Him. It's embracing
Him. It's believing in Him. To them
gave He power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe
on His name, who were born, not of the blood, not of blood, nor
of the will of the flesh, nor of man, but of God." John chapter
3. He's speaking the Nicodemus. And he says, as Moses lifted
up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be
lifted up, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but
have eternal life. And in this same chapter, verse
36, he that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life. And he that believeth not the
Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abideth on him. Romans 10, that if thou shalt
confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine
heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be
saved. What is this grace which God
promises to give? The text doesn't say the Lord
will give some grace, does it? It doesn't say that. It simply
says the Lord will give grace. And the implication is that wherever
God gives any grace, He gives all grace. He gives all grace. Regenerating grace. Grace that
gives us life. Eternal life. Even when we were
dead in sins, have quickened us together with Christ. By grace
you are saved. Justifying grace. Therefore,
being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our
Lord Jesus Christ. Oh, I want to pitch 10 right
there. Just pitch 10. Again, I think
of that poor publican of whom our Lord said he's going home
justified. Might be going home to an empty
house, but I'm going home justified. Might be going home with a broken
heart, but I'm going home justified. Mike, be going home with heartaches,
trials, troubles. Oh, but that doesn't change this.
I'm still going home justified. God Almighty looks down from
the throne of sovereign majesty and he said, you see that sinner?
He's justified. He's justified. Being justified
by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,
by whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein
we stand, and rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. And
he also gives us preserving grace. Preserving grace. Philippians
1 and 6 being confident of this very thing, that he which hath
begun a good work in you will perform it into the day of the
Lord Jesus Christ. His grace has brought me safe
thus far. And his grace His grace is going
to lead me home. He's promised me that. And His
grace is sufficient, isn't it? It's sufficient. Oh, if I would
allow you to do so, even as few of us as are here this morning
could testify of your experience that proves the sufficiency of
God's grace. Oh, how many times we've said,
I can't make it. Don't know what I'll do. And He's proved that
His grace is sufficient. And he said unto me, Paul wrote,
my grace is sufficient. It's enough. My grace is sufficient
for you. For my grace is made perfect
in weakness. Most gladly, Paul said, therefore,
will I rather glory in my infirmities that the power of Christ might
rest upon me. Bobby, I remember you singing
that hymn. He giveth more grace when the burdens grow greater.
And I pray that he'll prove that to you. He giveth more grace
when the burdens grow greater. He sendeth more strength when
the labors increase. To addeth afflictions, He addeth
His mercy. To multiply trials, He has multiplied
peace. Thank God for His reigning, abounding,
all-sufficient grace that's in Christ Jesus. Oh, behold Him.
Behold Him. Sitting upon the throne of grace,
do you see any deficiency in Him? Do you see any lack? Do you have any reason to doubt
that His grace shall prove sufficient again and again until He brings
all of His sheep to glory? His love has no limits. His grace
has no measure. His power no boundary known unto
men. For out of His infinite riches
in Jesus, He giveth and He giveth and He giveth again. Grace on
top of grace. But that's not all. We're told
that the Lord will give not only grace, but glory. Grace is the foretaste of glory. The text reads, the Lord will
give grace and glory. And that little word and is like
a golden link, indestructible. It unites grace and glory. There
are many who seem to or suppose that they can take the link out,
but they can't. The text doesn't say the Lord
will give grace in perdition or the Lord will give grace in
purgatory. Oh, the Lord will give grace
and glory. And glory. Have you experienced
His grace? Have you been enabled to believe
on the Lord Jesus Christ? Have you come to Him and tasted
His grace? Then God's promise to you is,
that's the evidence. You've tasted my grace. You've
experienced grace. You'll experience glory. Glory. You can no more have glory without
grace than you can have grace without glory. The two are linked
together. God has joined them together.
And they can't ever, by any one, any power, be put asunder. If we have God's grace, we'll
have His glory too. God will not give one. without
the other. Grace is the bud. Oh, glory is
the full blossom. Grace is the fountain. Glory
is the river. Grace is the first fruit. Glory
is the full harvest. If we have grace, we shall never
perish. We'll have glory. But those who
do not have grace shall never have glory. It's not possible
to be glorified if you've not been justified. You cannot reign
with Christ in glory if Christ does not reign in your heart
by grace now. Grace and glory are inseparable
gifts of God. The Lord will give both grace
and glory. The glory of God will give us
the glory of eternity. I'm over my head. I'm way over
my head. Oh, this is an ocean. I can't
touch the bottom. Eternity. Who can define that? No one on earth can fathom the
meaning of the word eternity. We always confound it with time,
because we're creatures of time. Or we speak of the endless ages
of eternity. But that's not right. That's
not right. There are no ages in eternity.
Eternity will never pause. It will never decline. It will
never draw to a conclusion. We will never grow weary of eternity
and we will never grow weary in eternity. Eternity is unchanging,
unending bliss. Will this not be glorious? Will
this not be glorious? We're told that in heaven and
God shall wipe away all tears. Isn't that glorious? We won't
have any reason to cry in heaven. We'll have no, there'll be nothing
to cry about in heaven. There'll be nothing to make us
sad. There'll be no reason to weep in heaven. God shall wipe
away all tears from their eyes. And there shall be no more death.
Oh, how that makes us weep. We have dear friends who are
weeping now because death has taken a loved one. But in heaven,
there'll be no death. There'll be no funerals. There'll
be no cemeteries, no sorrow, crying, neither should there
be any more pain, for the former things are passed away. And he
that sat upon the throne says, Behold, I make all things new.
And he said unto me, Write, for these words are true, and they're
faithful. Will that not be glorious? Will
this not be glorious? As we have borne the image of
the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavens. Now
this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the
kingdom of God, neither doth corruption inherit incorruption.
Behold, I show you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we
shall all be changed." Oh, I look forward to that. We shall all
be changed. Changed to be like Christ perfectly,
perfectly. We'll never cry out again like
we do now. Oh, wretched man that I am. Because
we will then love Christ with an unsinning heart. Now I can't
imagine what that'll be like. I tried to, but I just can't.
Wow. We will then obey Him perfectly.
We will worship Him perfectly. Oh yes, we shall be changed. And glory, glory will be the
glory of total complete victory. We are more than conquerors through
Jesus Christ our Lord. By the grace of God and the blood
of the lamb, we will yet be victorious over this world, flesh, and the
devil. What can separate us was the
challenge of the apostle. What can separate us from the
love of God that's in Christ Jesus? I'm persuaded that neither
death nor life nor angels nor principalities nor powers Things
present won't do it, things to come won't do it, height, depth,
any creature shall be able to separate us from the love of
God, which is in Christ Jesus. Paul wrote in Romans 16, and
the God of peace shall bruise Satan under your feet shortly. It's not gonna be long. It's
not, a few more days, a few more days. The grace of our Lord Jesus
Christ be with you all. Amen. Death shall do us no harm. No harm. Sin shall bring us no
more grief. Satan shall tempt us no more
when the Lord gives glory. This was and is the purpose,
the goal of God in predestination, in election, in redemption, in
regeneration. And God's will cannot fail. It must be accomplished. In heaven
we shall have a perfect nature, spotless, sinless, incorruptible.
Bodies without weakness, sickness, decay, or death. Souls incapable,
think of this, incapable of temptation, or sin, or worry, or care, or
trouble. Hearts free of unbelief, sorrow,
and pain. Wheels in complete harmony with
God's will. Imagine that. Imagine that. In
glory we will possess perfect natures. Perfect holiness shall
be ours. Heaven will be the glory of perfect
rest. O perfect rest! There remaineth
therefore a rest to the people of God. Heaven's glory shall
be a perpetual Sabbath, an endless day of perfect rest, perfect
peace, happiness, and security. Mr. Spurgeon said this, concerning
glory, heaven. It shall not be possible for
a man to have a wish ungratified, nor a desire unfulfilled. Every
power shall find ample employment without weariness, and every
passion shall have full indulgence without so much as a fear of
sin. This is rest, this is glory.
We shall want what our Savior wants. will what our Savior wills,
love what our Savior loves, and live for the glory of our Savior
forever. And is this not glorious? Father,
our high priest pray, I will also that those whom thou hast
given me be with me where I am, that they may behold my glory. Behold my glory. My soul, I told
you, I'm way over my head. in the first chapter of Don's
book, The Going Home. He wrote this. He concluded the
chapter by writing this. Some will receive glory very
soon. Little did he know how soon he
would receive it when he wrote those words. Sometimes, I told
Robin the other day, I'd be studying or preparing or wondering about
a text or passage. And as I've often done, I've
thought that if the thought for a moment crosses my mind, I'll
call my pastor. No, no, we can't do that. We
can't do that. He's in glory. But he wrote,
for some it will perhaps be a while yet, but of this we can be absolutely
sure, the Lord will give glory. As soon as our work here is done,
no sooner and no later, and the Lord will give glory. At the
hour he has purposed from eternity, no sooner and no later. Let us
ever comfort one another with these words. The Lord will give
grace and glory. Our trials and troubles here
are not worthy to be compared with the glory that awaits us. For I reckon that the sufferings
of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the
glory which shall be revealed in us." One hymn writer put it
this way, there's coming a day when no heartache shall come.
No more clouds in the sky, no more tears that dim the eye.
All is peace forevermore on that happy golden shore. What a day,
what a glorious day that will be. There'll be no sorrow there,
no more burdens to bear, no more sickness, no more pain, no more
partying over there. And forever I will be with the
one who died for me. What a day, glorious day that
will be. What a day that will be when
my Jesus I shall see. And I look upon the face of the
one who saved me by his grace, and he takes me by the hand and
leads me through the promised land. Oh, what a day, glorious
day that will be. And he's promised to you, child
of God, is this, he will give grace and glory. Amen. Amen. God bless you.