Well I want to turn you back
to Isaiah and chapter 9 this week. We looked at the first
five verses of Isaiah chapter 9 last week. We looked at the
light or the truth of God revealed in the darkness of the human
condition. We looked at the salvation of
a people accomplished, promised, guaranteed, their liberty secured
as promised by God in his faithful word. We looked at these things
last week, and you might say, well, what relevance does that
have to me? There are so many in this day
in which we live who choose to live their lives without any
reference to God. The concept of God is an utter
irrelevance to them. They talk about bothering God. You know, I'm not a God-botherer.
Leave him alone, and I'll get on with my own business. Let's
leave it like that, I tell you. If God in his grace condescends
to enlighten you to the truth of his glorious being, your soul
will cry out, how can I be right with God? Let me say that again. If God in his grace condescends
to enlighten you to the truth of his glorious being, his majestic
being, his awesome being, his holy being, your soul will cry
out, how can I be right with God? Job said it. How should
a man be just with God? It's exactly the same question.
The Philippian jailer cried out, what must I do to be saved? How can I be right with God?
And all other questions of life will appear trivial by comparison. Oh, I need to get this done.
Oh, I need to get that done. Oh, I tell you, if God stops you
in your tracks and gives you a sight of the truth of his glory
and grace, you will cry out, how can I be right with this
God? You see, I can preach and you
can listen. but only God by His Spirit can
speak to your soul in your inner man. Oh, that He might. Each
one, everyone listening now and those who will listen to the
recording later. Oh, that He might speak to each one. that
each one might take up the prayer of the penitent. Do you remember
Jesus saw the Pharisee and the publican praying by the wall
of the temple and the publican was so proud, the Pharisee was
so proud of his religion and what he was and his status before
God and how he was not like this vile publican next to him and
the vile publican knew he was a vile publican. like we should
all know that we're vile sinners in the sight of God. And he cried
out, the only thing that a sinner can cry, God be merciful to me,
the sinner. God be merciful. God have mercy
on me. I've got nothing that I can bring
to recommend me to you. I've got nothing that I can do
that will change the reckoning of me before a holy God. God
be merciful to me, the sinner. But having seen the promise of
God in those five verses concerning the accomplishment of salvation
from sin and of its eternal burden in verses one to five, that begs
a question, doesn't it? God had promised that, yes, you're
going to be saved and the burden of sin and the burden of Satan's
oppression is all going to be lifted off you. But it begs a
question. How? How? How is he going to do that? How will God justify a sinful
people? How will God declare just a people
who by their very nature are anything but just? How will God
justify a sinful people? How will He fit them? How will
He qualify them for eternal bliss in His presence? How will He
do that? And the answer is in the next two verses, verses six
and seven. Look at them. Four, unto us a
child is born. Unto us a son is given. All this
salvation is going to be accomplished. How? For, in this way. Unto us
a child is born. Unto us a son is given. What's
he going to be like? The government shall be upon
his shoulder. What's his name going to be?
His name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, the Mighty God. This child, the mighty God, the
everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace. Of the increase of
his government and peace there shall be no end. Upon the throne
of David and upon his kingdom, to order it and to establish
it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even forever,
the zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this. This isn't
a text for the pagan festival of Christmas. Yes, you heard
me right. The pagan festival of Christmas. Yes, that's what
it is. The Christmas that our society celebrates is not a Christian
festival. It's a pagan festival. This is
not a text for the pagan festival of Christmas. Rather, it's an
abiding truth. It's a truth we celebrate all
of the time. The true believer rejoices every
single day of his walk through this life that unto us a child
is born, unto us a son is given. Who can plumb the depths of the
meaning of these two verses. Of course we can't, we can barely
scratch the surface in the time we have available. But let's
try, let's think about some things. First of all, the Saviour announced. I say, the Saviour. Why a Saviour? Because there is a need for one
to come and save his people from the consequences of their sins,
from the condemnation that their sins cause for. How does God
keep his promise of salvation, of a spiritually darkened people
being saved? How does God keep his promise
that he will save a spiritually darkened people? You see, there
they are in verse two. The people that walked in darkness have
seen a great light. They've seen the truth, they've
seen the light. The people walking in darkness. He answers the demand
of his own justice, that's how. He, God, answers the demand of
his own justice. What is the demand of his own
justice? What does his own justice, his
own righteousness, his own holiness, his own law, what does it require?
It requires this, the soul that breaks that law, the soul that
is not perfectly righteous every single moment of its life. The
soul that is not absolutely pure and perfect in every thought
and deed, as pure as God in every thought and deed, that soul that
sins, it shall die. Its life-blood shall be poured
out, for the life is in the blood. And without the shedding of blood,
says Scripture, there is no remission of sins. It demands blood-shedding
for the remission of sins. And so here are two questions.
How is the debt of sin to be paid if a people is to be justified? And for whom is the debt of sin
paid? Let's answer the latter of those
two questions first. Look in verse 6. For unto us
a child is born. Unto us a son is given. Who is the us in verse 6? It's
not everybody. It isn't everybody. It cannot
be everybody. In verse 3, it's called the nation. Thou hast multiplied the nation.
The nation. The elect nation. The nation
of God's elect. In verse 2, they are the people
walking in darkness who have seen by grace a great light. You see, all walk in darkness,
but many, many, many do not know they're walking in darkness.
They're quite content with their condition. But when God by grace
comes to a people and shines His light, that great light,
into that darkness, and they see that great light, they are
that people of His choice, to whom He has determined that He
will reveal that light. This people, this us, this nation
is the elect of God. The elect of God. Now, so many
religious folks say they don't like the doctrine of election.
Oh, it would be so much nicer if the Bible didn't have a doctrine
of election, and it was all down to us all being on the same level.
The Bible is absolutely full of it, from front to back. You
cannot read the Scriptures without it. You have to take your scissors
and you have to cut away the vast majority of the Bible, because
it all speaks of the election of God. It is not of him that
wills, nor of him that runs, but of God that shows mercy.
God is a God of sovereign grace. Why do you think God chose that
little nation of Israel? Why do you think God called Abraham
out of his idolatrous darkness? Why do you think Noah found grace
in the eyes of the Lord? Why do you think all of those
things happen? Because God is a God of sovereign
grace, and he has chosen, out of all of humanity that would
ever exist, an innumerable multitude. As far as we are concerned, as
far as the people of God are concerned, the number of them
is as uncountable as the stars of the heaven are uncountable,
or as uncountable as the grains of sand on the seashore are uncountable. And yet, they are a number that
is exactly determined by God's sovereign choice before time,
outside of time. He knows them from the beginning
because he ordained them from the beginning. Ordained? Why
do I say that? Acts 13, 48. They preached to
the Gentiles. The apostles preached to the
Gentiles. Who believed? Those who were
ordained to eternal life believed. That's what the book says. That's
what it says. Will you make up your own religion?
If you do, it's idolatry. It's Baal worship in its modern
form. It's what the vast majority of Christianity, so-called, has
gone into, which is Baal worship in its modern form. No, God is
a God of specific, particular, sovereign grace. And to us, it's
a multitude that no man can number. In Ezekiel 37, in verses 10 and
11 we have in the first part of Ezekiel 37 we have the account
of the valley of the dry bones he took me to a valley and there
was a valley of dry bones and they were very dry they were
very dead and he says can these bones live son of man can these
bones live oh lord you know you know whether these bones can
live and he's told to preach to them prophesy to them And
they stand on their feet, but there's no life in them. Then
prophesy again, prophesy, call on the Spirit of God to come
and give them life. And the life came upon them.
And they, this is it, they stood on their feet, a great and mighty
army. I've used the illustration many
times, but in just over a month's time, in early June, it will
be the Queen's Trooping of the Colour. And if you've ever been
or watched it on the television, you've ever been to Horse Guards
Parade, and you've seen there whichever of the regiments it
is that will be privileged, they regard it this time to parade
their colours, their regimental colours before the Queen. You
look at that parade, and especially if the weather's nice, it really
is, it's a spine-tingling sight, and the bands and the music and
the horses and all that, it really is. But one thing you notice,
every soldier. in his or her place. Every single
one of them. It is the most obvious thing
is when one of them has fainted because of the heat of the occasion,
or something like that. You know, it's like there's a
full mouth of beautiful teeth is very nice, but you know when
the great big front one's missing, wow, it stands out, doesn't it?
You know, it really does stand out. That's the army of God. Every single one. It speaks of
God having a specific, particular people. His Israel. Do you know
Israel is not a country in the Middle East according to scripture?
Do you know what Israel is according to scripture? Don't believe those
people who tell you that it's all about that place in Palestine. Not at all. Not at all. That
was just historical. Now, the Israel of God is the
church of God, the people of God, the Israel of God, the army,
The notion that this salvation is offered to all without exception
and it becomes effective only when individuals exercise their
choice and take up the offer. That's what so many say, so many
who call themselves reformed and orthodox, that's what they
say. It's offered to everybody but
it becomes effectual, it starts to work when individuals exercise
their choice and take up the offer. That's illogical, it's
ludicrous in concept, and it's completely contrary to scripture.
Salvation as provided by God, as accomplished by God, is specific,
it's particular, and it's for his elect. Otherwise, if the
debt of sin had been paid for all without exception, that would
leave God unjust, if all without exception were not thereby justified
and taken to heaven. But they're not. They're not.
They go to hell for rejecting God. Whosoever believeth on him,
not everybody, whosoever believeth on him, hordes go to hell disbelieving
God. Whosoever believeth on him should
not perish, but have everlasting life. God would be unjust. If Christ had died for everybody,
God would be unjust sending anybody to hell, for what is the sin
debt to be paid if he has paid it all? So then, how is the sin
debt of the elect of God to be paid? Answer, verse six, unto
us a child is born. Unto us a child is born to be
his people's substitute, to be his people's representative.
You know, have you ever been in a situation where Something
needs lifting, for example, and it's far too heavy for you. And
you know you can't do it yourself. So you children, you call for
your dad, come and lift this, and he can come because he's
stronger than you. He comes and he lifts it, and he's able to
do it. He substitutes for you, and he
does that which you cannot do for yourself. So it is with this
child that was born to be the people's substitute, to be the
representative, to be the legal surety, the one standing as the
guarantor before the law for his people, made of a woman,
made under that law, says Galatians 4, verse 4. Really, really human,
but only made of a woman, without human father, because as Matthew
1, 18 says, that he will be the child of the, Mary will be with
child of the Holy Ghost, without human father. without the taint
of sin that comes down from Adam on all of his offspring. He is
without that, for he is the child of the Holy Ghost, born of Mary,
but the Son of God. Jesus, Jesus, our Joshua. Joshua is the Old Testament Hebrew
name that Jesus is the Greek New Testament name of. Jesus,
the Savior of his people. Sinful man could not pay the
sin debt of God's elect. Could he? Think of it. How could
it possibly be? A man without sin could perhaps,
for one other man, stand as a substitute. But this is not just a man without
sin. Oh yes, he is a man without sin. Unto us a child is born, but
unto us a son is given. A son. A son who is given. The son of God who is given. And therefore, if he is man,
but he's also the son of God, he is infinite God. The fullness
of the Godhead, we read it in Colossians 1, in him dwells the
fullness of the Godhead bodily. In Luke chapter 1 and verse 35,
the angel says to Mary, that holy thing which shall be born
of thee shall be called the Son of God. That holy thing which
you are going to bear, that human thing, because you are a woman
and you are going to bear this child, that holy thing which
shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God. God, who is Spirit, could not
satisfy his own divine justice for sin. He couldn't, because
it demands bloodshed. It demands the death of the sinner,
the soul that sins it shall die, and the life is in the blood,
and it demands the shedding of the blood. But The God-man could. He could. Man, even if he was
sinless, could not represent a multitude. But infinite God
can represent a multitude that no man can number. And the whole
purpose of Scripture People get this so wrong. The purpose of
Scripture is not to tell mankind how to live, and how to get on,
and how to make this world a better place, and how to be kind to
one another. It does tell us those things,
but its purpose is not that. Its purpose is to declare this
One, this Child that is born, this Son that is given, this
Christ that God has sent to save His people from their sins. How
can God, who is holy, remain just, remain perfectly just,
and true to his word, and true to his character and principles?
How can God remain just and yet justify sinners? The answer is
by becoming a man. Becoming a man to answer justice's
demands for them, vicariously, in their place, as if it were
them, exactly for them, paid in full, Particularly, I want
you to look at some scriptures. You don't have to turn to them,
but you can if you want to. 1 Timothy chapter 3 and verse
16. You know there's lots of 3 16's
in the Bible. John 3 16, 1 Timothy 3 16, 2
Timothy 3 16. Remember them. And without controversy,
great is the mystery of godliness. The mystery of godliness. It's
not obvious to flesh. God was manifest in the flesh. Is that not a stupendous mystery,
a stupendous great declaration of the Word of God. God was manifest
in the... God who made all things, who
upholds all things, who orders all things after the counsel
of His own will. God was manifest in the flesh. We beheld His glory,
the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace
and truth. We beheld it. He was manifest
in the flesh. He was justified in the Spirit,
seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in
the world. Despite sinful flesh, never wanting to believe anything
because of God's Spirit, this one, God manifest in the flesh,
was believed on in the world and received up into glory. Philippians
chapter 2, we know this very well, I know. Philippians chapter
2 and verse 5, let this mind be in you. which was also in
Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery
to be equal with God. Why? Because he was equal with
God. He didn't take anything away from God by being thought
of as God. He is God. But though he were
God, the second person of the Blessed Trinity made himself
of no reputation. He came in humility. There was
no great fan- you know, there's just been a royal baby born,
the third one to the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge. And what
a fuss he's made, all the reporters and all the headlines and all
the hanging on what's the name going to be. When Jesus was born
in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the King, there
were no reporters there. there was just angels to tell
the shepherds, and there was just the Spirit of God guiding
the Magi, the wise men from the East, and showing them where
He was, the One who had come to be the King of the Jews, to
save His people from their sins. No, when He came, He came in
humility. He made Himself of no reputation,
and took upon Him the form of a servant. Did He not? Do you
remember the disciples in the upper room on the night before
the crucifixion? And Jesus took a bowl of water
and a towel. He who is King of kings and Lord
of lords, he who inhabits eternity, he who is the manifestation of
God in the flesh, in whom dwells the fullness of the Godhead bodily,
took a towel and got down on his knees as a servant in front
of his disciples, his sinful disciples, and he washed their
feet. The form of a servant, made in the likeness of men,
our flesh and blood, born of Mary, being found in fashion
as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient unto death. Oh, so he died like other men.
No, this was a particularly vile death. This was the death of
the cross. This was a shameful death. This
was the death the Romans reserved for those that society despised,
a shameful death, the death of the cross. But because he's done
that, God has highly exalted him and given him a name that
is above every name, that at the name of Jesus, every knee
should bow. Then Hebrews chapter two, Hebrews
chapter two and verse 10, It became him, still speaking of
this child who is born, of this son who is given, it became him
for whom are all things and by whom are all things in bringing
many sons unto glory. He brought many sons. That's
how we interpret the everyman at the end of verse nine. It's
many sons, not everyone without exception. Many sons to glory,
to make the captain of their salvation, he himself perfect
through sufferings. For both he that sanctifies and
they who are sanctified, made holy, are all of one. For which
cause he, this God come in the flesh, this child born, this
son given, is not ashamed to call his people brethren. My
brothers, my sisters. He's not ashamed to call them
brethren. saying, I will declare thy name unto my brethren. Jesus
says this. The son of God says this. My
brethren. Do you hear that? My brethren.
In the midst of the church will I sing praise unto thee. And
again, I will put my trust in him. And again, behold, that's
Isaiah eight, verse 18. Behold, I am the children which
God hath given me. Look, you've given me a multitude,
and I've saved them from their sins. Forasmuch then, as the
children, the people he has saved, are partakers of flesh and blood,
you and me, if we're his, he also himself likewise took part
of the same. Why? that through death, he had
to become a man that he could die, the death of a man, to save
his people from their sins, to satisfy the demands of the law,
that the soul that sins it shall die. Through death he might destroy
him that had the power of death, that is the devil. In what respect
does the devil have the power of death? He binds men and women
in sinful disobedience to God, and thereby their just condemnation
is assured. But Christ came. and died in
the place of his people. And he destroyed him. He bound
the strong man of the house, the devil. He bound him with
his death at the cross of Calvary. And then it says, and deliver
them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject
to bondage. For verily, he took not upon
him the nature of angels. He didn't come to save angels,
but he took on him the seed of Adam. It doesn't say that, does
it? He took on him the seed of Abraham. Abraham, the one in
whom was the promise made. The promise of the seed of the
woman to come was in him. That promise was made to Abraham,
that in him, in his seed, that he came. Therefore in all things
it behoved him to be made like unto his brethren, that he might
be a merciful and faithful high priest in all things pertaining
to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of his people. The
Savior is declared. His glorious character is declared. How unlike anyone or anything
else is the Savior that God sent? Do you realize, you know, you
say, oh, isn't preaching boring? Isn't listening to preaching
boring? I tell you, this is the most profound and stupendous
thing you can ever grasp. You can study science. You can study the wonders
of the natural world. You can study all of these things.
You can become expert in the history of civilization. You can become expert in it all,
and yet, I tell you, every single bit of it pales into insignificance
compared with the glory that is declared in the Son of God,
the Child born, the Son given. His name shall be called Wonderful. We'll come back to the government
in a moment. But His name shall be called Wonderful. Wonderful. In every aspect of His person. Wonderful is a word that gets
used in our society and our culture very glibly. means full of wonder. Have you ever seen anything that
makes you gasp with wonder when you look at it? Look at that!
Wow! Wonderful! Wonderful! In every
aspect of his person. Popular culture likes to extol
human celebrity, doesn't it? Make a big thing of human celebrity.
But the God-man The child born, the son given, is truly wonderful. Wonderful in his person, in his
status, in his accomplishments, in his holiness. And he is also
counsellor. He is counsellor. Counsellor
speaks of wisdom, speaks of advice and guidance, wisdom from God. For of God he is made unto his
people, wisdom from God and righteousness and sanctification and redemption.
Therefore let us glory in the Lord, Wisdom from God. In him,
says Colossians, as we read, are hid all the treasures of
wisdom and knowledge. And yet the majority of people
ignore it and treat it lightly. When Peter was there in John
6 with the other disciples, and so many of the easy-believers
and disciples who thought, hey, this is a good man to follow.
You get free food when you follow him. He breaks five loaves and
two fishes and 5,000 plus are fed. We will go to him because
he's a good thing. This is great. Is this not the
society in which we live exactly like it? And when Jesus started
to speak of his sovereign grace and of his particular redemption,
they all started to go away and they all said, this is an hard
saying, who can bear it? And Jesus said to them, will
you go away also, you 12? To which Peter replies, to whom
shall we go? You have the words of eternal
life. Wonderful counsellor. Mighty
God! Is he not mighty God? 1 Timothy
3.16, we read it before, he's manifest in the flesh. Not just
a God, as the Jehovah's Witnesses say, but equal with God, as we
read in Philippians 2. Romans 9.5, Christ, who is over
all, God, blessed forever. What could be clearer? Christ
is God. He is the everlasting Father. It's not that he is confused
here, about the persons of the Trinity, but in Christ is the
manifestation of the Father. When Philip said to Jesus, show
us the Father and that will suffice us in John 14 verse 9, Jesus
says to him, Philip, have I been so long with you, and yet you
have not known me? He who has seen me has seen the Father. He's distinct in the Godhead
from the Father, but he is the manifestation of his being. He is the Father to his church,
and he is the Prince of Peace. The Prince of Peace, we read
again in Colossians 1, 20, that he has made peace with an offended
God through the blood of his cross. What a glorious person
is this one. We can barely scratch the surface
of this. You can see that there is such
depth here. You could spend your entire lifetime
meditating on this and never get to the bottom of it. When
Daniel, in his book, saw the Lord Jesus Christ, the pre-incarnate
Lord Jesus Christ. And when John in Revelation saw
him, they both testified this, when I saw him, I fell at his
feet as though I were dead, because the very sight drained the life
out of their bodies. It drained the life out of them.
How will God accomplish his promised salvation for his elect? Answer,
by becoming a man in time and satisfying divine justice for
each of them, and for all of them, without exception. Unto
us, the people of God, the elect of God, a child is born, a son
is given, and his dominion is assured. The government, it says,
shall be upon his shoulder. The government, what does that
mean? The rule of everything. The sovereign rule over all things
shall be upon His shoulder. It'll be on Him. He will bear
it. His is the authority. God, as
the hymn says, God contracted to a span, the infinite God,
who doesn't dwell in temples made with hands, but He inhabits
the universe. God contracted to a span in this
flesh and blood, still exercised the government of God. over creation. When he walked this earth, did
he not? The disciples were amazed in that boat, in the storm, when
they were terrified that they were going to drown. And they
woke Jesus up who was sleeping. The man was sleeping. The man
was tired. The man was asleep in the back
of the boat. And the wind and the waves were
about to swamp the boat, and they were about to drown. And
they said, Master, wait, don't you care that we're drowning?
And he said, peace, be still. And the wind, can you imagine
a raging storm, a raging storm, peace, be still. And it stopped. It just went dead calm. Because
why? Upon his shoulder shall be the
government. This one, this child born, this
son given, rules over all creation. He spoke to people with diseases,
that the diseases should be cured. And they were. Upon his shoulder
rests the government. Evil spirits that were inhabiting
some, he drove them out. Why? Because the government rests
upon his shoulder. They all had to obey his command. He was humbled for a season for
the purpose of death, even the death of the cross. yet willingly
he laid it down. He willingly laid down his life
that he might save his people from their sins. And in verse
7 we see him as the king of his glorious kingdom. Of the increase
of his government and peace there shall be no end. Upon the throne
of David and upon his kingdom to order it and to establish
it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even forever.
This is the kingdom of God. You remember my Revelation book,
I entitled it, The Kingdom of God Triumphant, because the kingdom
of God is and shall be completely triumphant over all things. The
throne of David? What's that about? It's the kingdom
of his church, of his people. It's his eternal kingdom. Judgment
and justice satisfied. Look there, to establish with
judgment and justice, judgment and justice satisfied, and maintained
eternally in his kingship. Whatever the appearance of history
and current affairs, he rules over all. His kingdom shall prevail. Look back at Isaiah 8, 18. We read it earlier in Hebrews
2 where it's quoted, There it is. Salvation accomplished. He's
ruling over all. His kingdom His kingdom, the throne of David,
He will take His people to be with Him in glory. Lift up your
heads, O ye gates, and be ye lift up, ye everlasting doors,
and the King of glory shall come in. Who is this King of glory?
The Lord strong and mighty, the Lord mighty in battle as He comes
back from the cross. Then it says again, lift up your
heads, O ye gates, and be ye lift up, ye everlasting doors,
and the King of glory shall come in. Who is this King of glory?
The Lord of hosts, He is the King of glory. taking his people
to be with him, accomplishing salvation finally, because his
success is guaranteed. When legal commitments are made,
for example insurance or something like that, the promise to pay
up must be underwritten by someone with sufficient resources to
cover the liability. That's what happens. You can
go to any insurance company And most insurance companies themselves
don't have the means, they don't have the resources, to pay up
if all their liabilities come calling. So what they do is they
go to underwriters, they go to organizations, and they pay a
fee to a bigger organization to underwrite the commitments
they've made to their customers. Now then, the same applies with
this. Here is God's promise to save
His people out of spiritual darkness, out of the penalty for sin. Here
is God's means set forth of how it is accomplished in His glorious
Son, the Child who is born, the Son who is given. But what is
it that underwrites the commitment There it is at the end of verse
seven. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this. The
zeal of the Lord of hosts. God has committed himself with
zeal, with determination, with ability, with power to accomplish
all of his eternal purposes. So what or who can possibly stop
it succeeding? God has set forth a savior before
your eyes. Here, in the Scripture, there
he is. Have you not seen him? Is he not sufficient for every
need your soul could desire, could ever need? Is he not able
to save you from the condemnation of your sins? Is he not able
to save you from that condemnation, as Hebrews 7.25 says, able to
save to the uttermost? Yes, of course he is. Of course
he is. Then how do you respond? What
must I do? I'll tell you. I'll tell you
the answer of Scripture. What must I do? Nothing, absolutely
nothing except believe Him, embrace Him, cling to Him, rejoice in
Him, rejoice in Christ Jesus and in Him alone. No others accepted
in Him and Him alone. Amen.