Would you turn with me to James
epistle, the epistle of James chapter 4. James chapter 4. In our hymn book, there's a hymn
on page 219 entitled, Grace is a Charming Sound. The first verse
of this hymn says, Grace is a charming sound, harmonious to the ear.
Heaven with the echo shall resound, and all the earth shall hear. Say by grace alone, this is all
my plea. Jesus died for all his own, and
Jesus died for me. Grace is a charming sound. And looking out tonight at you
faithful ones, They're always present in these evening services,
Sunday evening services. I believe it's evidence that
the message of God's grace, as the old hymn writer expressed
it, has charmed your heart and ear. It's a sweet, harmonious
sound to you that continue, and it continues to be so throughout
our lives. I would like to continue that
blessed thought tonight about God's grace. This morning, we
looked in John 1 and spoke about the fullness of God's grace,
grace upon grace, grace because of grace, and that grace is in
the person of Jesus Christ. It comes by him, always has,
always will. different way of sinners being
saved in Old Testament times as there were in New Testament
time. They were all saved by grace through the Lord Jesus
Christ. The title of my message tonight
is Grace Continued. Grace Continued. And aren't you
glad that's so? Aren't you glad that's so? That
once we're his, we're his forever. And nothing, not even ourselves,
nothing from his love can sever. He giveth and he giveth and he
giveth more grace. Look at verse 6, just the first
sentence of verse 6 in James chapter 4. But he giveth more
grace. And James is writing, of course,
to believers. And in the context of that verse,
in this chapter and the previous chapter. He's warning them against
strife and discord and reminds them where that arises from. Look, if you will, at verse 1
of chapter 4. He asked these believers, for
whence come wars and fighting among you? You mean that can
happen amongst God's people? Well, Barnabas and Paul fell
out over John Mark and went their separate ways. Yes, it can happen. And James tells us why it can
happen. Why do you have these problems?
Where do they come from? He says, come they not hence
even of your own lust at war in your members? For the source
of strife and discord, James tells us, you don't have to look
any further than yourself. Stand in front of a mirror, child
of God, and you'll see the source of discord when it may arise
because of this evil nature. This is what he speaks of, these
members that lust within us. So we don't have to look far
for any source of this spiritual warfare. This is exactly what
Paul said in Romans chapter 7. I want to do the things that
are pleasing to God. But he said, I see another law,
another principle in my members, just like James said, warring
against. the law of my mind, and bringing
me into captivity of the law of sin and death. And he cried
out, O wretched man that I am, who shall deliver me? And Paul said, the Lord Jesus
Christ. And James says, but he giveth
more grace. In the light of this warfare
within, in the light of a discord that may break out amongst us,
James says the only place to look to prevent that, verse six,
but he giveth more grace. The only reason that we're not
overcome while we do not completely devour one another or ourselves,
while we don't again, as James says in verses four and five,
run back to the world, I don't think any of us can honestly
say that we're not attracted by the world, that it still doesn't
from time to time have a strong magnetism. It appeals to something
yet within us, and too often we're more than willing to lend
an ear or an eye to it. James speaks of that as well.
And the only reason why we don't fall completely out of love with
Christ and back in love with the world and commit spiritual
adultery is because of this alone. But, and as I've often said,
and I say it again, and this is not an apology, I'd like to
do so, and I think you enjoy hearing it. But, there's that
little word, but. He giveth more grace. James himself is an example of
the truth of those words that he just wrote, or rather that
we just read that he wrote. But he giveth more grace. James was our Lord's half-brother. Turn back, if you will, to Acts
chapter 15. We'll see an example of this great grace that James
speaks of. the difference that it makes. Have an example of it in his
very life, and Peter's, and Paul's, all in Acts chapter 15. In John
chapter 7, we'll look at Acts 15 in just a moment, you hold
your place there, but in John chapter 7, we read these words. And I'm sure that this would
include James. It speaks of him when we read,
for neither did his brethren believe in him. Was James raised
up in the same household, at least for a time, that our Lord
Jesus Christ was? I suppose so. But we read in
John 7, neither did his brethren believe in him. Did they ever
witness anyone to live a more perfect life? Could they point
at anything in their elder brother and find fault? Anything where
it truthfully could be considered as wrong? Did he not say, I do
always those things that please the Father, and would that not
include all the commandments, the five pertaining to man, the
five pertaining to God? And yet we're told his brethren
still didn't believe in him. In another place we're told they
heard what he was doing and saying, claiming to be the Son of God,
and they said, he's beside himself. Imagine that. He's beside himself. He's lost his mind. Let's go
get him and bring him back home. They were embarrassed by it,
by Christ. But here in Acts chapter 15,
We see James as the pastor of the church at Jerusalem, our
Lord's half-brother, overseeing what some refer to as the first
Bible conference. But the reason they're gathered
together, Barnabas, and Paul, and Peter, and James, and others,
and certain Jews, the reason they're gathered together is
to answer this question, is the believer under the law? Because
that's what some taught. Look in verse 1 of chapter 15.
And certain men, which came down from Judea, this is in Antioch,
God opens the door, souls are saved through the ministry of
Paul and Barnabas. But here comes these Judaizers,
here comes the legalists, and say, well, we can't stand this.
What about the law? And they say, except ye be circumcised.
And they taught the brethren and said, except ye be circumcised,
after the manner of Moses, ye cannot be saved. And Paul Barnabas
said, no, this won't do. This won't do. We're going to
go up to Jerusalem, to the elders, Peter, James, others, and we're
going to settle this matter once and for all. That was the reason
for this conference. And they concluded, they concluded,
I would encourage you to read the chapter in your leisure,
but they concluded that We're not in any way, a child of God
is not in any way under the law. Christ has delivered us from
the curse of the law. We cannot mix Christ and grace
with Moses and the law. The law was our schoolmaster,
Paul would afterwards write, to bring us to Christ, but after
that, we're no longer under the schoolmaster. Writing his epistle
to the Romans, he said, the law exposes our sin. The law proves
everybody guilty. It shuts every mouth. It was
never intended to save. It was to convince those that
it is rightfully applied to to teach us we can't save ourselves. We need to look elsewhere for
that. The law can command, but it cannot
give. So this is what the conference
concluded. Look, if you will, at verse 4
in Acts 15. And when they were come to Jerusalem,
Paul and Barnabas and these others, they were received of the church
and of the apostles and elders, and they declared all things
that God had done with them. But there rose up certain of
the sect of the Pharisees, which believed, saying that it was
needful to circumcise them and to command them to keep the law
of Moses. Then Peter speaks. Afterwards,
Paul speaks. James speaks. But here's what
they conclude. In one united voice, in perfect
agreement about this question, Their answer is one. Peter is
speaking, but Paul and James, they agree with him in verse
11. But we believe. Notice what he says, we. Not
just myself, not just Peter. He said, but we believe. Paul
stands with him. James, the Lord's half-brother,
stands with him and says, we believe that through the grace
of the Lord Jesus Christ, we shall be saved even as they.
without the law of Moses. Don't entangle them again with
that yoke, with that bondage, which we ourselves were not able
to bear, neither our fathers before us. James echoes that
very truth from his epistle, but he giveth more grace. That one who at one time he said
he's beside himself. of whom we read neither did his
brethren believe in him. Now one of his very brethren
stands up and says, oh yes, we can receive grace from no other
person, from no other source than that one, the Lord Jesus
Christ. And he giveth, James says, and
he giveth more grace. Oh grace, children of God. Is
that not what binds us together? And what a bond it is. I've got
three brothers, the Lord willing, coming down a week from today,
next Sunday evening or Sunday night. And we're a pretty close
family. We did a lot of squabbling growing
up. There was always a scrap going on between four brothers
and four sisters, nine children in the house. But we loved one
another, and we're still rather close. The thing that unites
us, we have the same parents. Brothers after the flesh. But
that which unites me with you is a stronger bond than I have
with them. It's the grace of God. We're
united by the blood of Christ. We have one Lord. one master,
one common salvation, saved by grace alone, through faith alone,
in Christ alone. No wonder the hymn writer said,
blessed be that tie that binds. Oh, to grace, how great a debtor
daily we're compelled to be. Let these words from James 4,
verse 6 stand as the reason, and we'll consider several things. First of all, they serve as an
explanation why any son of Adam is ever saved. You can't hear
that enough, can you? You say, I know that. Oh, yes.
So do I. But I like to be reminded of
it. But he giveth more grace. Why did not God strike down Adam
at the very moment that he disobeyed him. He told him, he warned him,
don't eat of the fruit of that tree. Everything else is yours.
But not that. Not the tree of the knowledge
of good and evil. And the day that you eat thereof,
you shall surely die. And Adam ate. He died spiritually. He fell from God. Afterwards,
he died physically. But why did he not die eternally? Why was he not struck down at
that very moment under the eternal wrath and judgment of God? Because before the first Adam, in which we were all represented, our daddy, yours and mine, before
he sinned, there was another Adam. the second Adam, the Lord
Jesus Christ. And the reason God didn't execute
judgment upon the first Adam when he sinned, and we in him,
was because the second Adam, the Lord Jesus Christ, before
there was a sinner, there was a Savior. And he stood. He stood. before God the Father as the
substitute for his people, as the mediator for his people,
as the great high priest of his people, and promised to do all
things necessary to honor, fulfill, and magnify, and then suffer
the wrath of God's broken law. And that's why when Adam fell
and we fell in him, as the scriptures teach, all those in Adam and
we were, died, but in Christ all those in Him shall be made
alive." Oh, thank God, and the explanation lies right here.
Because He giveth grace. It's not that we deserved it.
It's not that He chose one. rather than another because he
saw something in the one, they were no different. They were
both children of wrath, even as others. Esau and Jacob had
the same nature, the same evil heart in one as was in the other. The only difference that was
made there was the difference made by God's distinguishing
grace. Oh, what a great salvation God
gives to all of his chosen by grace. Salvation that includes
everything. Turn back, if you will, to first,
second Corinthians, rather, chapter one. I think this is a good,
good verse of scripture that speaks of the nature of God's
salvation. In second Corinthians chapter
one, The apostle Paul, writing in verse 80, says, we would not,
brethren, have you ignorant of our trouble which came to us
in Asia, that we were pressed out of measure above strength,
insomuch that we despaired even of life. But we had the sentence
of death in ourselves, that we should not trust in ourselves,
but in God, which raiseth the dead, who delivered us from so
great a death, past tense, and doth deliver present tense, in
whom we trust that he will yet deliver us. future tense. That's God's salvation. It's
true and scriptural to say, he has saved me, he is saving me,
and he will yet save me. And each and every sense is because
of God's continued grace. Salvation to the uttermost. From what I yet am. Been saved
from the curse of sin. Being saved from the dominion
of sin. Paul said, sin shall not have
dominion over you. Why? Why? Because you're not
under the law, but under grace. From sin's very being, do you
ever, oh I know you do, do you often think of that child of
God, that one day This salvation to the uttermost, this salvation
by God's free grace will save us from even the very being of
sin, the very existence of sin. Say, well, I can't hardly wrap
my little mind around that. Neither can I. But that's what
the scriptures teach. One day, The psalmist said, I'll
be satisfied when I awake in his likeness. And the reason
being is this, is just this. Because he giveth and he giveth
and he giveth more grace. Aren't you glad that's so? Aren't
you glad that God doesn't treat us the way we treat others? That
God doesn't measure His grace by what we deserve? Oh, no. The very nature of grace, the
very meaning of grace is undeserved, unmerited favor. That's always the grounds. It
always was and always will be. Isn't that comforting to a weak,
needy sinner like you to know that you're Eternal salvation
is not dependent upon anything in you, but on God's mighty grace
with the Apostle Paul. Remember his testimony in 1 Corinthians
15. He said, it's not me, it's not
even fit that I should be called an apostle, because I persecuted
the church of God. But he said, but by the grace
of God, I am what I am. I was a persecutor, but I'm not
anymore. Why, Paul? What did you do that
day? Did you suddenly realize you
were persecuting the church of Christ. Did you reach down and
pull yourself up by your own free will? No, no. The Lord of
glory appeared unto me. The Lord of glory appeared to
me and opened my blinded eyes. And that's the only reason that
now I preach the gospel that I once sought to destroy. I am
what I am by the grace of God. Tony, if you will, are you still
in 2 Corinthians? Look at chapter 12. Look at these
words of the apostle. 2 Corinthians 12, verse 7. Concerning Paul's experience,
that unique experience of being caught up, caught up to the third
heaven, the paradise, seeing things he said wasn't lawful
for him to utter. God wouldn't allow him. And Paul
says in verse 7, and this is a pretty good confession that
Paul didn't consider himself any different than any other
man. He says in verse 7, unless I should be exalted, oh, you
mean you weren't beyond that, Paul? Are you telling us, Paul,
that you hadn't arrived at a state of sinless perfection? You still
had a problem with pride? Absolutely. And because of that,
Paul says, unless I should be exalted above measure to the
abundance of the revelations, what God had shown him, there
was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan
to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure. God kept
me humble. By that means, for this thing
I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me. Verse
9, And God said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee, for my
strength is made perfect in weakness. And Paul says, Most gladly therefore
will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ might
rest upon me. And these words were not restricted
to Paul alone in that particular circumstances, but they're fitting
and descriptive of every circumstance he found himself in. My grace
is sufficient for thee. And it's so concerning every
child of God. These words he can take to be
his own. Concerning God's grace, we can
say his grace is sufficient for me. Turn back, if you will, to
Acts chapter 20. Here, Paul says that very thing,
that the sufficiency of God's grace was not something restricted
to him. Oh no, but it's true of every
child of God. It's true of all those chosen,
all those redeemed, all those called. Every believer in Christ
can take these words as their own. God's grace is sufficient
for them as well. Paul is on his way to Jerusalem
here in Acts 20. And he wants to see the elders
of the church at Ephesus, but he doesn't want to go to Ephesus.
He doesn't want to be detained. He wants to continue his journey
toward Jerusalem. So he calls for the elders of
the church to meet him at a little isle called Miletus. Verse 28,
he's speaking to them and he says, take heed therefore unto
yourselves and to all the flock over which the Holy Ghost has
made you overseers. to feed the church of God which
he had purchased with his own blood. Oh, how precious his church
must be to him, considered at what a cost he purchased it.
For I know this, Paul went on to say, that after my departing
shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock.
Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse
things, to draw away disciples after them. Therefore, he warns
them, watch and remember that by the space of three years I
cease not to warn everyone you unite in day with tears." My,
that's a pretty somber warning, isn't it? And notice Paul doesn't
say this might happen. He said it's going to happen.
It will happen. But then notice what he says.
Well, fellas, I'm on my way to Jerusalem. Do the best you can. Oh, no, no. And now, brethren,
verse 32, I commend you to God and to the word of his grace,
which is able. Again, just like at the conference
at Jerusalem, he stands side by side with James and says,
he giveth more grace. I commend you to God and to the
word of his grace, which is able to build you up. and to give
you an inheritance among all them, all them, which are sanctified. That's the result of God's amazing
grace. And only a proud Pharisee would
not consider that to be good news, would he? to be told that
the salvation of my immortal soul is in the hands of my great
Redeemer, that His grace He's promised me is sufficient, and
that grace is always overflowing, and that He will give and give
and give all the grace necessary to bring this sinner to glory,
Why would that not be good news to a needy sinner like me? The
only person that that's not good news to is someone who doesn't
need the great physician. Someone who, like those Pharisees
in Acts 15 that we read about, thought they could be saved by
mixing law and grace. those that are depending upon
their own works. To hear this, it's not of him
that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that showeth
mercy. A child of God rejoices in that,
but a self-righteous legalist, no, he doesn't like to hear it,
but it's good news to me. Isn't it you? He giveth more
grace. You could take either of those
texts from James 4, or Paul's words, or rather God's words
to him, my grace is sufficient for thee, as an explanation of
every pilgrim, every child of God that Paul mentions in Hebrews
chapter 11. You can conclude every one mentioned
there with those words, my grace is sufficient for thee. concerning
Noah, Abel, Moses, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Sarah, all that they did,
all that they endured, all that they suffered, how did they do
it? Were they different from you
and I? Were they different? No, no. James in the last chapter
of this epistle concerning Elijah said he's a man just like you.
He's made out of the same thing you are. He's subject to the
same temptations, the same infirmities as you are. No, the only explanation
is this. My grace is sufficient for thee. They were just men and women
like you and I. Turn, if you will, to that chapter
just for a moment, Hebrews chapter 11. And look how the apostle
concludes this chapter concerning all those as we've referred to
them as heroes, this roll call of the heroes of faith. Paul
says in verse 37 of Hebrews 11, They were stoned. They were sawn
asunder, were tempted, were slain with the sword. They wondered
about in sheepskins and goatskins, being destitute, afflicted, and
tormented, of whom the world was not worthy. They wandered
in deserts and in mountains and in dens and caves of the earth.
And these, all having obtained a good report through faith,
received not the promise. God having provided some better
thing for us, Paul includes us in there, that they without us
should not be made perfect. Should not be made perfect, but
rather with us. One day we with them, and all
believers shall be made perfect, body, soul, and spirit. This is what John spoke of when
he said, Behold! Behold! Consider this. Behold what manner of love the
Father hath bestowed upon us that we should be called the
sons of God. It doth not yet appear what we
shall be, but we know that when He shall appear, who? John the
Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, the one that loved us
and gave Himself for us. When He appears, we shall be
like Him, made perfect with Him. together, and so shall we ever
be with the Lord. Oh, behold. Turn, if you will,
back to Psalm, the Psalms 84. We read Psalm 85, but look at
Psalm 84. Here's another sweet promise
of God's grace. Concerning the Lord's people,
we read in verse 5 of Psalm 84, blessed is the man whose strength
is in thee. in whose heart are the ways of
them, who, passing through the valley of Baca, make it a well. The rain also filleth the pools.
They go from strength to strength. Grace upon grace. Every one of
them in Zion appeareth before God. Every one of them. Every one of them in Zion appeareth
before God. Every one. And we're not talking
about half a dozen. We're talking about a multitude.
John saw them. He said, I couldn't count them.
They were more than I could calculate. A multitude that no other man
could number either. But every one of them, every
one of them, without exception, appeareth before God in Zion. Every one of them will be brought
to glory. Isn't that good news? Oh, yes. And the explanation of that is
this. He giveth more grace. Oh, what a beautiful picture.
That is of our victorious Redeemer. When we read that He shall stand
in that day, having brought all those elect, that God the Father,
before He ever spoke this world into being, He committed the
salvation of all of His chosen into the hands, the mighty hands
of our Redeemer. And He promised to do all that
was necessary to save His people from their sins. And we're told,
every one of them in Zion appeareth before God. They appear with
Him. the one who brought them there,
the one who proved the sufficiency of His grace, the one who proved
that nothing could pluck not even one of them out of His hand,
to prove that He's kept them, preserved them, and it will be
His claim and His glory forever. Father, of all You gave me, I've
lost none. There's Peter who denied me.
I've lost none. There's that persecutor, made
a new creature by my grace, Saul of Tarsus. I've lost none. And there's a rebel. Oh, what a rebel. The only time he even used God's
name was to curse, to curse mocked Christians, ridiculed
them, cursed them, made sport of them. And my soul, after I called him
by my grace, how often he failed, how often he looked away, how
often his heart and mind wandered back into the world that I called
him out of. But he's here too. Larry, Chris, they're all here. Father, I've lost none. Remember, he's the God of all
grace. And God will not fail. God will
not fail. We hear people talk today, preachers.
They're the worst of everybody. God is trying. Not the God of
scripture. Not so, is it, Louie? No. God,
whatever He wills, comes to pass. He never fails. Not one time. Never. Never. If He does, one
time, in anything he willed or purposed, if one time it doesn't
come to pass, that is proof that he's not God. He's not God. If for one second he doesn't
absolutely rule everything and everyone, then he's not God. And that cannot be, because he
himself says, I shall do all my pleasure. saith your God. He said, I'm not a man that I
should lie. No, what I say is truth. God acts thus for his own glory. You remember. When Moses entreated
the Lord on the behalf of the children of Israel, oh, he used
a good argument in prayer, did he not? He says, Lord God, do
this for Your own sake. Do this for Your glory. If You
don't go with us, don't send us. And if You don't go with
us, what will the heathens say? What will they say? He brought
them so far, but He couldn't take them into the Promised Land?
God, you won't allow that. How would your name be slandered? No, do it for your own glory. And the salvation of God's people
is primarily and foremost for his own glory. And that means
something to the God of heaven. We read in scripture, our Lord
speaking, because he could swear by none greater, he swore by
himself. Henry Mahan made this statement.
He said, the salvation of a sinner by grace is the greatest manifestation
of God's glory that he's been yet pleased to reveal. Sounds like that's important
to God, doesn't it? The salvation of a sinner by
grace is the greatest manifestation of God's glory He has been yet
pleased to reveal. Child of God, that fact, and
we read that in Scripture. Often God says, not for your
sakes do I this, but for my own glory, my own honor, that my
name not be blasphemed. Is that not full of comfort? weary pilgrim, your eternal salvation
has much to do with the glory of God. Think about that. Is that not important? Is that
not important? God's honor, God's glory, God's
majesty, it must be maintained and it will be maintained. When
I was raising my children and caring for them, when they were
too young to care for themselves, and trying to provide for them,
do the very best I could for them, protect them, watch over
them. That was my responsibility. And when they were still at home,
little children, if they were neglected, not watched after,
not provided for, who would it reflect on? Who would it reflect
on? It wouldn't be them. They couldn't
do it for themselves. It would be their father. It
would be me. And if God's grace ever fails to bring all of His
chosen, all of His redeemed to glory, who will it reflect on? Whose fault will it be? Who failed? No. God says, I shall not fail. Concerning our Redeemer, His
blessed servant, Isaiah said, He shall not fail. He's our heavenly father. Our
lord said, if you earthly fathers provide for your children, how
much more shall my heavenly father provide for you, O ye of little
faith. Remember our master's words,
shortly after he rose from the dead, Mary Magdalene comes to
the tomb with spices to finish preparing his body for burial.
She didn't need them. He arose just like he said he
would. And he says to Mary, But go tell
my brethren, but go to my brethren and say unto them, I send unto
my father and your father and to my God and your God." Isn't
that something? Isn't that comforting? Listen
to these words that he said in Matthew chapter 20, 25. When the Son of Man shall come
in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then shall He
sit upon the throne of His glory, and before Him shall be gathered
all nations. And He shall separate them one
from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from his goats. And
he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on
the left. Then shall the king say unto
them on his right hand, come ye blessed of my father, inherit
the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. And all of that because he giveth
more grace. Our God is in the heavens, the
psalmist said. He hath done whatsoever he hath
pleased. Then I should, I should, Oh God,
help me to do it more as we sang earlier. Oh, for grace to trust
him more. I shall do all of my pleasure.
Our God declares and we read in scripture. His pleasure includes
this. It pleased the Lord to make you
his people. It pleased the Lord to bruise
him, our Redeemer, and not without fruit. He shall see it to develop
his soul. It pleased the Lord to call you
by his grace, and his gifts and calling are without repentance.
It pleased the Lord through the foolishness of preaching to save
those that believe. What an incentive to preach the
gospel to every creature. And our Lord said to us also
these words, fear not little flock, but is your father's good
pleasure to give you the kingdom." Oh, Wesley. He wrote a hymn entitled, Arise My Soul, Arise. Listen to this. Arise, my soul,
arise. Shake off thy guilty fears. The
bleeding sacrifice in my behalf appears. Before the throne, my
surety stands. My name is written on his hands. Arise, my soul, arise. He ever
lives above for me to intercede. His all-redeeming love, his precious
blood to plead. His blood atoned for all Wesley
wrote our race, that's not right. His blood atoned for all his
race and sprinkles now the throne of grace. In light of that, oh
rise my soul, arise. In Revelation chapter 14, and
I'll wrap this up, will you turn there with me? Revelation chapter
14, verse 1 it says, and I looked and lo, a lamb stood on the mountain
Zion, Remember what we read in Psalm 85, or Psalm 84? Every one of them appeareth before
God in Zion. And I looked, and lo, a lamb
stood on the mountain Zion. But bless his name, he's not
alone, is he? And with him, a hundred and four,
a hundred, forty, and four thousand. These represent God's elect,
all God's elect. Having his Father's name in their
foreheads, they're with him. And look how they are. Verse
4. These are they which were not
defiled with women, for they are virgins. These are they which
follow the Lamb whithersoever He goeth. These were redeemed
from among men, being the firstfruits unto God and to the Lamb. And
in their mouth was found no guile, for they are without fault. Did
I see that right? Did I read that right? They are
without fault before the throne of God. In chapter 21, we read that he
that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new.
And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes, and there'll
be no more death, no more sorrow, no more crying. All things are
passed away. My, could think about that for
a long while, couldn't we? But let me give you a greater
wonder than that. In the last chapter, it says
concerning those that are with the Lamb, those that are without
fault before the throne of God, it says this as well, that they
shall see His face. They shall see His face. I'm
looking at big Louie there. One day, because He giveth and
giveth and giveth more grace, I'm going to see my redeemer
just as truly, just as really as I see Louis right now. And
even better, because I'll see him with eyes not marred by sin. Perfect vision. Looking at my
perfect redeemer. What a day is coming, brothers
and sisters. And it's not far off. God bless
you.