God in his word gives us many
helps to faith, many things to encourage our faith in him, many
things revealed about him to encourage our hearts to trust
him. Nothing gives comfort and peace like the knowledge of one's
ability to perform that which is promised, like the knowledge
of one's Ability and power to do that which is promised and
the knowledge of his wisdom His wisdom He who is our God is God
all wise Turn to Romans chapter 16 When you read the benedictions
given in the New Testament and in the old and from God's servants
to his people as they're recorded in scripture. Read them for what
they are. These are inspired pronouncements
of blessing. These are promises from God given
to us in his word, promises to whom, given to all who trust
the Lord Jesus, to all who are born again by the Spirit of God.
Every redeemed sinner, Every sinner who believes on the Son
of God may rightfully hear God speak These words of promise
to him in Romans Paul concludes the book with three marvelous
benedictions beginning in verse 20 He says the God of peace Shall
brew Satan under your feet shortly What a statement Everything Satan has done in
opposition to your soul, all the trouble he has raised in
your life and in history, the God of peace shall crush the
serpent's head under your feet shortly. You will soon come to
experience what the Redeemer himself accomplished for you
Satan has no power to hurt and the God of peace shall bruise
Satan under your feet shortly The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ
be with you Grace be with you the grace of God in Christ be
with you. Amen. Amen Be assured child of
God God's grace the grace of God in Christ is with you now
skip down to verse 25 our verse 24 rather He repeats the grace of our Lord
Jesus Christ be with you all. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ
be with you individually. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ
be with every one of you. Every one of you here tonight,
you, my brothers and sisters in Christ, you redeemed by the
blood of Christ, you who trust Christ, the grace of our Lord
Jesus Christ be with you all. And again, it says, amen. Amen. As if to say, let this be verified. God, let this be verified in
the hearts of your people. Let this be verified in your
experience. Now verse 25. Now, now in the
light of these pronouncements of great blessedness to him,
that is a power to stablish you, to hold you firm and fixed. according to my gospel and the
preaching of Jesus Christ. Oh, how I want to be used of
God and the preaching of the gospel to establish you, to fix
you firmly on Christ, to establish you according to my gospel and
the preaching of Jesus Christ. Nothing works like this to establish
God's saints Firmly in the faith to fix their feet firmly upon
Christ Jesus the continual preaching of Jesus Christ Proclaiming of
his great person and his work. We don't have According to the revelation of
the mystery this gospel we preach the revelation of redemption
and grace in Christ Jesus and This is according to the revelation
of the mystery which was kept secret since the world began
but is now made manifest and by the scriptures of the prophets
according to the commandment of the everlasting God made known
to all nations for the obedience of faith. This gospel now made
manifest preached everywhere to all nations, men and women
of every rank in society and every place in the world. The
gospel is preached for the obedience of faith, that you who are gods
should obey the word of God, believing on the son of God.
To God only wise. Isn't that wonderful? What a name for our God to God
only wise, be glory through Jesus Christ forever. God, let this
be verified now. Verified in our souls. Verified
in our experience. He who is our God is God only
wise. Three times in the New Testament,
the Lord God is spoken of as the only wise God. In each of
those places, it is in connection with a benediction of grace,
a promise of grace, a pronouncement of grace given by His servants,
the apostles. And they pronounce the grace
with this blessed assurance to teach us to trust God. He from
whom the promise is given is God only wise. God only wise. My God, teach me to trust your
infinite wisdom. Wisdom is an attribute of our
God. It is essential to his character. He who is our God is the only
wise God. He is that one who indeed himself
is wisdom. like all other attributes, goodness
and sovereignty and power and holiness. Wisdom is that which
sets God apart from all his creatures as God. Now, understand this. I've chosen my words carefully.
God is exclusively wise. God is exclusively wise. That is to say, there is nothing
and no one truly wise but God. Nothing and no one truly wise
but God. But pastor, I know many men who
are wise men. I speak of men as wise men and
I appreciate that, I do too. But God alone really is wise. His holy angels, how wise they
are. And yet God charges his angels
with folly. And man, though he would be wise
and thinks himself wise, the best of men is described in this
book as a wild ass's coat before God. What's he talking about? Dumb as a bunch of donkeys. And
we're talking about by comparison with God, none are wise, but
he. We have very little wisdom in
natural things, none in spiritual things by nature, and if we attain
any, it is by the gift of God. We are wise to do evil, but to
do good, we have no knowledge. God alone is wisdom exclusively,
and he is all wise. He possesses all wisdom regarding
all things. You have in your hand the revealed
will and mind and purpose and revelation of God in his word
given in scripture. There is not a word in the book
that isn't perfect. Not a word, not a word more than
that. There is not an unwise action
in all God's works. Listen to this. O Lord, how manifold
are thy works! In wisdom thou hast made them
all. All things are of God. In wisdom
thou hast made them all. Everything that is, has been,
or shall hereafter be, flows to us from God in heaven all
wise. There's not an unwise word in
his book, not an unwise deed in his providence. God is wisdom
essentially and eternally. His wisdom is underrided. It is that which is his nature.
It is immutable wisdom, never increases and never diminishes. Moreover, God is the source,
the fountain of wisdom so that whatever wisdom we have, is the
gift of God. Whatever any man, whatever any
creature has, the wisdom we have is God's gift. Whatever wisdom
Adam had in the garden, God gave it to him. Whatever wisdom the
sons of Adam have since the fall, God gives it to them. Whatever
the wisdom is. We like to pride ourselves foolishly. We pride ourselves in so many
things that we oughtn't do. We like to pride ourselves in
strength, we like to pride ourselves in self-sufficiency, we like
to pride ourselves in knowledge, and oh, how we like to think
ourselves wise. But whatever wisdom a person
has, whatever skill he has, in any area, God gives it. Some men have great skill in
mechanical things, some great skill in electronic things, some,
we're blessed here with folks who have great skill in musical
things, Some have great wisdom in scientific things, some in
economic things, some in political and civil things. And we who
are born of God are given spiritual wisdom. But understand whatever
wisdom we have in any area of life, it's the gift of our God. It's the gift of our God not
to be attributed to our superior powers. not to be attributed
to our superior striving and improving ourselves, but rather
to God and to God alone. Wisdom in the hidden part, the
fear of God in your soul, that specifically is the gift of God. He who gives wisdom to the wise
is infinitely wise himself. So much so that the question
is raised by Job Canst thou by searching find out God? Canst thou find out the Almighty
unto perfection? It is as high as heaven. What
canst thou do? Deeper than hell. What canst
thou know? The measure thereof is longer
than the earth and broader than the sea. God's wisdom can't be
found out to perfection. It's made manifest to us. And all his wonderful works. Let's look at a few of them.
Turn back to Isaiah chapter 25. Isaiah 25. The wisdom of God is manifest
in his purposes, in his wise decrees, in his counsels of old. Isaiah 25. Oh, Lord, thou art
my God. I will exalt thee. I will praise thy name. For thou
hast done wonderful things. Thy counsels of old are faithfulness
and truth. Usually the wisest acts of men
are the result of thoughtful deliberation and sober consultation. And therefore, God's decrees,
God's purposes, God's eternal predestination, God's counsels
are described as his counsels of old. God didn't need to deliberate. God didn't need to take counsel,
but his decrees and purposes being fixed by the highest wisdom
are called his counsels. God, in his infinite understanding
of all things, knew from eternity what is best to be done. I try to wait for direction from
God. I try not to act hastily. I try
to wait for God to make manifest what ought to be done in circumstances
that require some wisdom. And I'm always guessing God from
eternity knew precisely what is best to be done in time and
he decreed it according to his own good pleasure. And in decreeing
it in sovereign predestination, God appointed the end of all
things and ordained the very best means, the very best means
to accomplish His end. God didn't just ordain the salvation
of our souls. He ordained the salvation of
our souls, but He ordained, He decreed from eternity the very
wisest, the very best means by which to accomplish that salvation
to our everlasting good His eternal praise and the glory of His own
great name, so that in all things He abounds toward us in all wisdom
and prudence. Oh, Brother Merle mentioned a
little bit ago, Brother Cecil Roundtree some years ago, referring
to a message, he said he just touched the hem of the garment.
Well, I hadn't even got close to the hem here. God's wisdom? Who can talk about the wisdom
of God? Over and over and over we're
told he's done everything Exactly as he's done it ordained in his
eternal purpose to the praise of his glory To the praise of
the glory of his grace to the praise of his glory God has ordained
Everything that comes to pass the beneficiaries of God's purposes
and decrees are his elect we whom he's predestined to be conformed
to the image of his son in everlasting salvation. Now, in order to accomplish
his eternal purpose of grace, God wisely ordained the exact
time for everything. Turn to Ecclesiastes, Ecclesiastes
chapter three. In this light, this chapter will
make a little more sense to you. In order to accomplish his eternal
purpose of grace, God has wisely ordained the time, the season,
and the place of all things under the sun. Ecclesiastes 3. To everything there is a season,
a time to every purpose under the heaven, a time to be born
and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to pluck up
that which is planted. A time to kill and a time to
heal. A time to break down and a time
to build up. A time to weep and a time to
laugh. A time to mourn and a time to
dance. A time to cast away stones and
a time to gather stones together. A time to embrace and a time
to refrain from embracing. A time to get and a time to loose,
a time to keep, and a time to cast away, a time to rend, and
a time to sow, a time to keep silence, and a time to speak,
a time to love, and a time to hate, a time of war, and a time
of peace. What profit hath he that worketh
in that wherein he laboreth? I have found, I have seen, the
travail which God hath given to the sons of men to be exercised
in it. He hath made everything beautiful
in his time. I think probably Brother Rex
has read this chapter publicly for us more often than any of
the men who read scripture here. And every time I've heard you
read it, I've been waiting for you to give me an explanation
of that statement. And every time I've read it, I've looked
for an explanation of that statement. I've got the explanation. He
hath made everything beautiful in his time. Everything that
is, is brought to pass according to the wisdom of God all wise,
in the very best way, at the very best time possible. Those things that seem so ugly,
so painful, so out of joint, so confusing, so perplexing. God hath made everything beautiful
in his own time. Also, he has set the world in
their heart, that is in the hearts of men, so that no man can find
out the work that God maketh from the beginning to the end. I read something this afternoon
going over my notes in this message, and I'd never really thought
of this before. But no one knows anything about what God's doing
except as God's pleased to reveal it. Have you ever tried to study
scientific theory about creation and the things of nature? Have
you ever bothered to read just a little bit? If you do, you'll
find out that about every year the theory changes. Just changes. How come? How come you have to
write a new book every year? Oh, we've got new discoveries.
Yeah, but the old discovery must have been bad if you got to contradict
it. The old discovery must not have
been true if you got to contradict it. The fact is no one understands
anything with regard to what men call creation and the laws
of nature. except as God has revealed them
in his word. No man understands these things
except God make them known. He set the world in their heart
so that no man can find out the work that God maketh from the
beginning to the end. You try to figure out what God's
doing except by divine revelation, you can't know. I know there's
no good in them, but for a man to rejoice and to do good in
his life, and also that every man should eat and drink and
enjoy the good of all his labor, it's the gift of God. I know
that whatsoever God doeth, it shall be forever. Nothing can
be put to it, nor anything taken from it. And God doeth it that
men should fear before him. That which hath been is now.
And that which is to be hath already been, and God requireth
that which is past. That which hath been is now. And that which is to be hath
already been. Well, there Solomon's telling
us history repeats itself. That is not what Solomon's telling
us. That which hath been is now. That which God did in eternity. His purpose done in eternity
is now. And that which is to be was done
from eternity. It already hath been. And God
requireth that which is past. And moreover, I saw under the
sun the place of judgment, that wickedness was there, and the
place of righteousness, that iniquity was there. But wait
a minute, wait a minute. He hath made everything beautiful
in his time. Even when in the place of judgment,
wickedness is there and in the place of righteousness, iniquity
is there. I said in my heart, God shall
judge the righteous and the wicked, for there is a time for every
purpose and for every work. Though there are many devices,
formed by men and devils to overthrow God's work. Many devices formed
by men and devils by which they would attempt to undermine God's
work. Many devices formed by men and
devils by which they would turn God's work upside down. The fact
remains that God in infinite wisdom and in sovereign power
works even the wrath of man to the praise of his glory, so that
the psalmist sings, surely the wrath of man shall praise thee,
and the remainder of wrath wilt thou restrain. He is God all
wise. How can he do that? How can he
do that? I don't know. How can he do that
and yet not be charged with sin? I don't know. How can he do that
and yet we know clearly that God neither tempts men to evil
nor does evil himself. How can this be? I don't know.
Because I am a man described in my wisdom as a wild ass's
colt. Dumb as a donkey. As dumb as
a donkey. I don't know. But we read what
God says in his word and understand that the wrath of man shall praise
thee. And the remainder of wrath, what
evil men would do, the wickedness men would do, that God will not
use for his praise, God won't let them perform. That's God
you can worship. That's God you can trust. God
not only overthrows, but wisely and sovereignly uses the deeds
of the wicked to accomplish his holy purpose and pleasure. We
have in the last few weeks seen so many of these things. Let
me remind you. Satan's plot. He's going to take over the God
business and he does it by inspiring a revolt in heaven and the angels
led astray. One third of the heavenly host
are cast in darkness, held in judgment, in chains of darkness
until the judgment of the last day so that they are Creatures,
they were creatures of light, now creatures of darkness with
no understanding, with no understanding of anything spiritual, no understanding
of anything God's doing, held in chains of darkness under the
judgment of the last day. And Satan attempts to overthrow
God by tempting our mother Eve, and Eve giving the fruits forbidden
of God to Adam. And he would destroy God's purpose
for the human race. God made man in his own image
and after his own likeness, Satan said, I'll fix that. But all
he did was fix it so that God Almighty takes his creature and
makes him to know God like he could never have known him otherwise
through the experience of redemption and grace. Shemaiah comes out
to cuss David. And David said, the Lord will
requite me good for his cussing this day. Pharaoh's heart was
hardened. The children of Israel thought,
Moses, shut up. Leave us alone. We'll stay right
where we are. Because God hardened Pharaoh's
heart. And he hardened Pharaoh's heart.
And he hardened Pharaoh's heart. Until at last, Pharaoh drove
Israel out of Egypt. They would never have left otherwise.
And he hardened his heart again, and he pursued them. And God
drowned Pharaoh in the Red Sea, and Israel is brought to possess
God's promise. Judas betrayed the Savior with
a kiss. And for it, he went to hell.
But the kiss is the means by which the Savior was delivered
to the hands of the Jews, and then to the hands of Romans,
and was crucified as our substitute. God all wise is our God The wisdom
of God is marvelously revealed in the covenant of grace. Let's
look at two passages Hebrews chapter 8 Hebrews chapter 8 Verse 8 and when you found that
turn back to Jeremiah 31 Hebrews chapter 8 is referring
to Jeremiah chapter 31 Hebrews 8 verse 10 This is the covenant that I will
make with the house of Israel after those days saith the Lord.
I will put my laws into their minds and write them in their
hearts. That is, I'll make them new creatures.
I'll put in them my own son, the nature of my own son, make
them partakers of the divine nature. I will create them in
righteousness and true holiness. I will be to them a God and they
shall be to me a people. And they shall not teach every
man his neighbor and every man his brother saying know the lord
That is we won't have to we won't have to be telling you You know
the lord before they all shall know me those who are born of
god are taught of god from the least of them to the greatest
For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness And their sins
and iniquities will I remember no more? All right back here
in jeremiah 31 verse 31 Here's a longer version of that same
covenant Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that I will make
a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house
of Judah. He's going to reveal it to us so fresh in the revelation
and experience of it that it appears to be something done
in the present. But it was done in eternity,
not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers
in the day that I took them by the hand to bring them out of
the land of Egypt, which my covenant they break, although I was an
husband under them, saith the Lord. But this shall be the covenant
that I will make with the house of israel after those days saith
the lord I will put my law in their inward parts And write
it in their hearts and will be their god and they shall be my
people And they shall teach no more every man his neighbor say
and every man his brother saying know the lord For they shall
all know me from the least of them unto the greatest of them
saith the lord For I will forgive their iniquity and I will remember
their sin no more chapter 32 He goes on with this covenant,
verse 37. Behold, I will gather them out of all countries, whether
I've driven them in mine anger, and in my fury, and in great
wrath. And I will bring them again unto
this place, to the place of mercy, to the mercy seat, to Christ
my propitiation. And I will cause them to dwell
safely. And they shall be my people,
and I will be their God. And I will give them one heart
and one way that they may fear me forever. for the good of them
and of their children after them. And I will make an everlasting
covenant with them, and I will not turn away from them to do
them good. Isn't that wonderful? But I will
put my fear in their hearts that they shall not depart from me.
Yea, I will rejoice over them to do them good, and I will plant
them in this land assuredly with my whole heart and with my whole
soul. For thus saith the Lord. Like
as I have brought all this great evil upon this people, like as
I brought all the result of the fall and of sin and scattering,
all the pain and experience of life, all the pain and sorrow
of living in rebellion to God, as I brought all this evil upon
them, watch this, so will I bring upon them All the good that I
promised them I will bring upon them all The grace of god in
our lord jesus christ all the good that I promised them It
was wisdom in god that devised such a covenant And moved him
to make it Ordered in all things and sure for the glory of his
own persons and for the good of his people We see God's wisdom
in creation. Turn to Psalm 139. I can't look
at all of this, but let's look at one passage, Psalm 139. Most of you know I'm from North
Carolina, and my family is from the mountains of North Carolina.
And I never drive down toward Kingsport, across the Cumberland
Gap, never drive down Toward Winston-Salem across the mountains
go through great smoky mountains and but what I behold with majesty
the splendor of God's creation And I look at things around me
and see the wisdom of God in his creation But here is a description
of God's creation of us Psalm 139 verse 14 I will praise thee
for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Fearfully and wonderfully
made. The human body is a marvel. Not just the physical body, all
that we are. Fearfully and wonderfully made.
Marvelous are thy works, and that my soul knoweth right well.
My substance was not hid from thee when I was made in secret
and curiously wrought in the lowest parts of the earth, formed
in the womb. Perhaps he's referring here to
the mystical body of Christ, and our Lord is the one who's
speaking. Thine eyes did see my substance, yet being imperfect,
and in thy book all my members were written, when in continuance
which were in continuous were fashioned, when as yet there
was none of them. How precious also are thy thoughts
unto me, O God, how great is the sum of them. O Lord, how
manifold are thy works, in wisdom hast thou made them all. The
earth is full of thy riches. And then we think about God's
providence. God's providence, how wise, how
wise. What was that quote I referred
to by Scott Richardson that made several years ago? He said, if
we had the power of God, we would change everything. If we had the wisdom of God,
we would change nothing. I'd change the shape of your
heart right now. I'd do it right now. Just like that. But don't
imagine I'm better than God. Your husband will change it.
Just like that. Don't imagine he's better than God. If we had
the power of God, we'd change everything. If we had the wisdom
of God, we wouldn't change anything. God's providence. is such that
he works all things together for good to them that love God. His providence is universal in
its scope. It is detailed in its exercise
so that the very hairs of your head are all numbered. The very
hairs of your head are all numbered. I recall when Faith was just
a baby. Shelby would change her diaper and she'd kiss her toes
and fingers and count them. I mean, that's what mamas do,
I reckon. I never did do that, but she'd count her fingers and
toes. She'd give her a bath and put that smelly powder all over
and she'd kiss her fingers and toes and count every one of them.
I mean, did it over and over and over again, but that's just
counting to 20. I never saw her attempt to count
the hair on her head. Never saw her attempt to do so.
Well, that'd take a long time. Yeah, but if you really cared. Our father has numbered the hairs
of your head. That's the detail of his providence. That's the detail of his providence.
Well, if he's numbered the hairs of my head and he is all wise,
all good, ever gracious, omnipotent, everything must be all right.
That's the message. That's the message. God's providence
is saving in his end. Universal in scope. Detailed and precise in every
aspect. And the end is the saving of
his people. Well, how can it be possible
that Tony Raleigh in all his experience and me in all my experience
and all the wickedness of being in this world in all their experience.
How on this earth does this work for the saving of God's people?
I don't know, but God does. And everything is beautiful in
its own time. Everything exactly as God has
ordained it. Marvelous is the wisdom of God
in the redemption of our souls by Christ Jesus. Oh, here is
the manifold wisdom of God revealed in the gospel of his free grace.
Marvelous, marvelous, marvelous is the wisdom of God made known
to us in the gospel. God gave his son and put all the fullness of grace
in his son and sacrificed his son under all the fury of his
wrath, so that in the accomplishment
of our salvation, the glory of God, the glory of God always,
the glory of the triune Jehovah shines brilliantly in the face
of Jesus Christ. Behold the Son of God and learn
the wisdom of God. Worship the Son of God and learn
the wisdom of God. Come to Christ and experience
the wisdom of God. Now, turn back to Ephesians chapter
3. Ephesians 3. Let me just read this closing
paragraph of Ephesians 3 and I'll wrap this up. Verse 8. Unto me, who am less than the
least of all saints, is this grace given, that I should preach
among the Gentiles, that I should preach to lost, barbarian, ignorant,
sinful, corrupt, fallen, depraved men and women like you and me. The unsearchable riches of Christ. To me, this grace is given that
I should make all men see. I'm sent of God to make all men
see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning
of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by
Jesus Christ, to the intent that now, under principalities and
powers in heavenly places, Might be known by the church the manifold
wisdom of God so that the angels of God in heaven Might be holding
our experience of God's grace in Jesus Christ Know the manifold
wisdom of God according to the eternal purpose Which he purposed
in Christ Jesus our Lord in whom we have boldness and access with
confidence by faith of him We have boldness and access with
God by the faithful obedience of God's own darling son. Wherefore,
I desire that you faint not at my tribulations for you, which
is your glory. For this cause, I bow my knees
unto the father of our Lord Jesus Christ, of whom the whole family
in heaven and earth is named, that he would grant you according
to the riches of his glory. What a statement. that God would
grant you according to the riches of his glory to be strengthened
with might by his spirit in the inner man, that Christ may dwell
in your hearts by faith, that ye being rooted and grounded
in love may be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth
and length and depth and height and to know the love of Christ
which passeth knowledge. that you might be filled with
all the fullness of God. Now, unto him that is able to
do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think. What? Paul says, this is my desire,
that you might be filled with all the fullness of God. Now that's some desire, that's
some request, that's some ambition. Now to him that's able to do
exceeding abundantly above what I just said. Above all that we
ask or think according to the power that worketh in us, the
power of God, the power of eternal life, the power of his grace. unto him be glory by the church
throughout all ages world without end. Amen. Amen.