Well I'd like you to turn back
to the book of Numbers and chapter 24 this week. Two weeks ago when
we were last together we looked at God's unchangeable blessing
and this week I want to look at God's unique blessing. So Numbers chapter 24, the context
of this is Israel, they've come out of Egypt in the Exodus, they're
going through the wilderness journeys and they're at the borders
of the promised land. And there are all sorts of enemies
that would prevent them, but God has given them victory. And
there's one of these nations, which is Moab, who were related
to the Israelites. They were the descendants of
Lot and his daughters. Those people, Moab, were terrified
of what Israel might do to them. They'd seen what they'd done
to some of the other nations under the instruction of God,
for their wickedness was so great. God hates sin. This world knows
nothing of that. God hates sin and God will punish
sin. We don't see it now because it
will be in eternity, but then here, graphically, Israel was
told to destroy those nations round about it. Don't for one
minute, I don't want anybody who's listening to this anywhere
to think I've got anything to say about the conflict between
modern-day Israel and the Palestinians in Gaza. Nothing to do with what
I'm talking about. I'm talking about all these years
ago in the Old Testament, so please let me make that absolutely
clear right from the start. Israel was told to destroy the
wicked nations before they went into that land. They're a picture
of the Church of God, of the true Church of God. Balak, who was the king of Moab,
was terrified of what Israel might do to Moab. So he called
for Balaam, who was a bit of a wizard, a bit of an enchanter,
a bit of an astrologer, a bit of a soothsayer, but he also
knew something of the living God. And he called for Balaam
to curse Israel. Put a curse on them so that they
can't do to Moab what they've done to the other nations. And
Balaam said, I can only do what God says. And God's spirit came
upon Balaam, who is a false prophet. We know this for sure. You just
read the little epistle of Jude and you read Revelation chapter
2 and you'll see the scriptures are in no doubt. Balaam was a
wicked man. Balaam was a false prophet. Don't
be under any delusions. Nevertheless, it's a lesson for
us. Those who are truly not gods can, in certain circumstances,
speak that which is true to the Word of God. And he did. Balaam
did. And he stood up, and when Balak
wanted a curse, he couldn't. The Spirit of God came on him.
And he blessed Jacob, and said, I can't bring anything against
them. He said, I can't do that. Because
you see, in sovereign grace, God has determined to bless a
people. Oh, I don't like that, say so
many people. Well, that's what God has determined
to do. God has determined from before
the beginning of time to bless a people. He calls them his elect. Oh, we better not talk about
the elect of God because it'll offend people and it'll put them
off. The scriptures talk about the elect of God. We're going
to talk about the elect of God. The scriptures talk about the
elect of God. God has a people who he calls
his elect. And where has he got them from?
not just Jewish Israel, but every tribe and kindred and tongue
and nation. Every one of them is where his
people are from. They're innumerable in the sense
that no man can count them. They're pictured in the Old Testament
by Israel. Anyone who thinks You can get
the doctrines of modern religion and Arminian religion from the
Old Testament, hasn't read it. You read how God deals with Israel. It's a story of sovereign grace.
It's a story of particular redemption. It's the story of the gospel
of God's grace. So there they are, they're sinners
like all others, for there is none righteous, no not one. But
there are, amongst that national Israel, the true Israel of God. Sinners saved from their sins. And that is contrary to all natural
reasoning. Contrary to it. You can't persuade
somebody by natural reasoning that this is the truth. it's
only by the spirit of God enlightening it's only by the scriptures being
at the root and foundation of our doctrine you know what distinguished
the noble Bereans it wasn't that they heard Paul preach and they
went now let's think about this let's put it to the test of our
theories do we think that's a reasonable thing you know and there were
nice kindly sorts of people and so they decided yeah Paul's a
decent man no what they did was Remember, listen to this, they
searched the scriptures daily to see whether these things were
so. What was the test? What was the acid test? They
searched the scriptures daily to see whether these things were
so. God has blessed a people. How had he blessed these people?
How does he bless all of his people? Numbers 23-21 He hath
not beheld iniquity in Jacob, neither hath he seen perverseness
in Israel. He hath not beheld iniquity in
a blatantly sinful people. who sinned and rebelled against
him, who after these two or three chapters, the next thing we see
in chapter 25 of Numbers is that they're joining themselves to
Baal Peor, to false gods again. They're a sinful nation, sinful
people, but it doesn't thwart God's grace, because God in sovereign
grace has not beheld iniquity in Jacob. Who is God? He is the
one who Habakkuk says is of purer eyes than to behold iniquity,
but he hasn't beheld iniquity in Israel, his elect people.
He hasn't beheld iniquity there. Why not? What does it mean? It
means this, he hasn't beheld it in a way it's difficult to
put it into words but he hasn't beheld it in a way that requires
justice in the judgment because justice has already been satisfied
in the Lord Jesus Christ the substitute of his people And
so he hasn't beheld iniquity that stands as a debt to the
law of God. He hasn't beheld it. It doesn't
mean that God doesn't see that his people are sinful in the
flesh. If we say we have no sin we deceive ourselves and the
truth is not in us. But he hasn't beheld it in judgment. He hasn't beheld it that there's
a debt to pay to the law of God because Christ has paid that
debt and taken it out of the way. This is how he's blessed
those people, and that's an unchangeable blessing. God in Christ has blessed
his people. by not beholding iniquity in
them, because in Christ he has taken that iniquity away. Oh,
he knows we're sinners. He chastises us in our walk through
this life for our sins. But when it comes to the day
of judgment and the judgment seat of Christ, when the books
are opened against those who are the people of God, whom Christ
represented when he went to the tree, against those, what will
be in those books? Nothing. Why? He's blotted it
out. How? How well has he blotted
it out? As a thick cloud. A thick cloud. I told you the
illustration, didn't I, when we last went to Switzerland and
we had this beautiful hotel room. And for the first 36 hours of
our being there, from our balcony, We couldn't even see the trees
on the other side of the road. The trees were blotted out as
a thick cloud. We just couldn't see them, that's
the illustration. And when it cleared, the view
was fantastic, you could see for tens of miles across the
valley, absolutely beautiful. The weather turned into weather
like it is today, sparkling crystal clear. But he says concerning
our sins, he's blotted them out as a thick cloud. How? Christ bore them. Christ has
taken them away. Christ's blood, the precious
blood of Christ, has paid the penalty. Balak, Moab's, Moab,
Balak the king of Moab, Israel's enemy, he wanted Balaam to curse
Israel. But Balaam speaks twice in chapter
23 and blesses. And Balak is furious, but it's
God's unchangeable blessing. He hasn't beheld iniquity in
his people. This is the blessing of God.
You think of this. You know, there's a verse in
2nd Corinthians, chapter 5 and verse 10, we must all stand before
the judgment seat of Christ. And those who would peddle a
form of legalism tell us to quake at those words. Believer, you
need to quake at those words. I tell you, I point you here,
chapter 23 verse 21, he hath not beheld iniquity in Jacob. Come that day, there is no, there
is no perverseness in Israel. Christ has taken it out of the
way. This is the gospel, my friends. This is the gospel. This is the
core, the heart, the truth of the gospel. If you go and listen
to those who, whatever they sound like, if they're telling you
other than this, they're not preaching the gospel of scripture.
They'll call us antinomians, they can call us what they want,
they're not preaching the gospel of scripture. I defy any of them,
any of them, to say that this is not true. In Christ, God does
not behold iniquity in his people, in his elect people. So, anyway,
Balak is furious, but chapter 23 and verse 27, Balak said to
Balaam, Come, I pray thee, I will bring thee into another place.
Peradventure, perhaps it will please God that thou mayest curse
me them from thence. I'll take you to another place,
and perhaps there you'll be able to work your magic and your wizardry
and curse them. And Balak brought Balaam unto
the top of Peor, that looked towards Jeshimon. And Balaam said to Balak, Build
me here seven altars. Again, I told you last time,
Israel was never told to build seven altars. And prepare me
here seven bullocks and seven rams. False religion. And Balak
did as Balaam had said, and offered a bullock and a ram on every
altar. And when Balaam saw it, verse
1 of chapter 24, And when Balaam saw that it pleased the Lord
to bless Israel, he went not, as at other times, to seek for
enchantments, but he set his face toward the wilderness, where
Israel was. He didn't go as he normally did
to seek for his satanic enchantments, you know, his astrology, his
wizardry. And he spoke. He spoke. He knew
that his voodoo was impotent in the face of God's unchangeable
blessing of his people. He knew he couldn't go against
it. In verse 2, the Spirit of God came upon him. He lifted
up his eyes and the Spirit of God came upon him. When he looked
upon Israel, abiding in his tents according to their tribes, the
Spirit of God came on him. The Spirit of God came on him,
the false prophet, in prophecy, not in grace. Just as the Spirit
of God came upon Caiaphas, the high priest, at the crucifixion
of Jesus he prophesied that it was expedient that one man die
for the whole people rather than the whole nation perish and in
that in that speaking the Spirit of God came upon him and he prophesied
the gospel even though he himself hated the very thought of the
gospel he hated the Christ of the gospel he sought nothing
other than the destruction of the Christ of the gospel nevertheless
the Spirit of God came on him And he spoke words of the gospel,
it's expedient that one die, than the whole nation perish.
And he comes out with his pompous pronouncement, look at verses
three and four. He took up his parable, and he said, here am
I speaking, Balaam, the son of Beor, hath said, the man whose
eyes are open, hath said, he hath said which heard the words
of God, ooh, he's exalting himself, which saw the vision of the Almighty
falling into a trance, but having his eyes open. he's perhaps referring
back to when he was on the ass on the donkey and a pre-incarnate
Christ stood in the way to stop him going and doing his cursing
of Israel. And the ass wouldn't go, but
Balaam couldn't see. And then God opened his eyes.
You know, like with that young lad that was with Elisha when
he couldn't see, that the angels of God surrounding them were
much more numerous than the Assyrians who were against them. And Elisha
prayed, open his eyes, Lord, that he might see, and he opened
his eyes. And he could see the heavenly forces arrayed for the
people of God. Balaam had had his eyes open
to see the pre-incarnate Christ. He had had the word of God come
upon him. He'd heard the words of God regarding
the blessing of Israel. But he's pompous about it. And
then verses five to nine, he pronounces his third prophecy
concerning Israel. How goodly are thy tents, O Jacob,
and thy tabernacles, O Israel, as the valleys are they spread
forth, as gardens by the riverside, as the trees of lying aloes which
the Lord hath planted, and as cedar trees beside the waters.
He shall pour the water out of his buckets, and his seed shall
be in many waters, and his king shall be higher than Agag, who
was a very great king in those days, and his kingdom shall be
exalted. God brought him forth out of
Egypt. He hath, as it were, the strength of a unicorn. He shall
eat up the nations, his enemies, and shall break their bones and
pierce them through with his arrows. He couched, he lay down
as a lion and as a great lion. Who shall stir him up? Blessed
is he that blesseth thee, and cursed is he that curseth thee.
This is the man who was called to curse Israel, and he can't
do anything other by the Spirit of God than bless Israel. And
he reiterates the blessings of Genesis. Genesis 27 verse 29,
God said to Jacob this, reiterating the promises made to his fathers,
Abraham and Isaac. He said, cursed be everyone that
curses you, and blessed be everyone that blesses you, and there it
is again. In chapter 49 of Genesis, Judah, in the blessing of Jacob
on his sons, Judah is pictured as a lion, and here again, here
are the people lying down as a lion, as a great lion. It's
speaking of God's blessing on his church. These words are speaking
of God's blessing on his people. It's spiritual blessings that
are being talked about here. Spiritual blessings of gospel
revelation pouring down. You say, Is that right? Is that what happened? You think
about it. You think about the blessings that we have. If you
know the Christ of God, if you know the blessings of salvation,
if you know the absolute terror that there is outside of Christ
in eternity, oh what blessings there are on the people of God.
These are blessings, gospel blessings pouring down. pouring down, Judah
as a lion, all speaking of God's blessing on his church. It was
all literally fulfilled. several years later when David
became the king of Israel, when it became at the peak of its
prowess as a nation, when David and Solomon, those were the years
of great glory of that kingdom, a powerful kingdom. The Queen
of Sheba came to see the glory and the prosperity of Solomon,
but it's all a picture of the spiritual prosperity of Christ's
church, of His kingdom. His king shall be higher than
Agag, Yes, it's fulfilled in David, who was the prominent
king. Solomon was the prominent king.
But it's fulfilled in Christ, who is King of kings and Lord
of lords. It's picturing the spiritual
prosperity of Christ's church and his kingdom. And what's the
reaction to it? See again, come and curse Israel
for me. And all he can do is pour out
blessing. The only word of cursing you can say is, cursed is he
that curses these people. He can't curse them. All he can
say is, cursed is anyone who tries to curse them. He pours
out a blessing upon them. Verse 10, Balak's anger, the
king of Moab, was kindled against Balaam, and he smote his hands
together. Great big clap. He smote his
hands together in fury, and Balak said to Balaam, I called you
to curse mine enemies, and behold, you've altogether blessed them
these three times. Once was bad enough, twice was
bad, three times now you've blessed them. Go away, I've had enough
of this. Verse 11, flee to thy place.
I thought to give you so much to promote you to great honor,
but the Lord has kept you back from honor. And Balaam said to
Balak, I told you this was the case. When you first sent for
me, I told you that this is how it would turn out. I told you
that I couldn't go against what the Lord would do, either good
or bad, but what the Lord said, that would I speak. And now behold,
I go to my people, But, verse 14, he says, before I go, before
I go, I'm going to tell you something. So Balak's reaction was like
the reaction of the world in general to the gospel. Fury. Fury. The natural man hates God's
purpose of gracious blessing. Balak said, get out of here and
say no more. You talk to people about the
gospel of God's grace, and I know it's difficult to do, and I'm
not claiming in any way to be an expert in it. But I would
say this, that on the basis of the scriptures, if when you talk
to people, they think your gospel is reasonable, there's two things
that are happening, possibly. Either you haven't told it the
way the scripture tells it, or God's opened his eyes and made
him willing, as he does with all of his people who believe
him, in the day of his power. He thinks, if he thinks that
the person you're talking to, the neighbor or whoever it is,
that your gospel is reasonable, it's either because you haven't
explained the gospel the way the scripture does, or it's because
the God of Scripture has opened the eyes of the understanding
of the one to whom you're speaking to show him some of the light
of the gospel of God's grace in the Scripture. But anyway,
that's the reaction of the world. Now verse 14, Balaam says, before
I go, before I go, I've got something else to say. Before I go, See,
Balak doesn't want him to curse anymore, he knows that there's
only more blessing coming. He says, go to your place, and
Balaam says, okay, but before I go, I'm going to tell you what's
going to happen in the future. I'm going to tell you what this
people Israel is going to do to your people, Moab, Eden, all
of those nations round about, in the latter days. I'm going
to tell you what's going to happen, what they shall do to thy people
in the latter days, at the end of all things. And he gives his
prophecy, verses 17 to 19. And he does, verses 15 and 16,
he reiterates this pompous introduction that he's been given light from
above. But verse 17, he says this. This is his prophecy. This
is Balaam speaking. I shall see him, but not now. I shall behold him, but not nigh,
not near. There shall come a star out of
Jacob, and a scepter shall rise out of Israel, and shall smite
the corners of Moab, and destroy all the children of Sheth. And
Edom shall be a possession overrun. Seir also shall be a possession
for his enemies. And Israel, the people of God,
shall do valiantly. Out of Jacob shall come he that
shall have dominion, and shall destroy him that remaineth in
the city." And so it goes on, we read it earlier, the further
foretelling of what was going to happen to the other enemies
of Israel. What is it that makes Israel
to differ. And by Israel, I mean the Israel
of God. As Galatians 6 says, all the
true descendants of Abraham are not those by physical lineage,
but they're those who have the same faith as Abraham, who believe
the same gospel of grace as Abraham, who believe and therefore that
which they believe in is counted to them for righteousness. What
is it that makes them to differ? Those verses can apply to David's
military victories over Moab and Edom and the other enemies
of the people of Israel in the time of David, a thousand years
before Christ. But this is really speaking of
Christ, the Messiah. That's what the difference is.
That's the unique blessing of God. on his people. We have a
Messiah. We have a Christ. Other religions
don't have one. But the true people of God have
this unique blessing that only the true people of God know.
We have Christ. We have the Christ of God, the
Christ of Scripture. Verse 17, Balaam says, I shall
see him. Balaam will see Christ in the
future. Yes, he will. All shall stand
before the judgment seat of Christ. And he says, I shall behold him,
but not nigh. He won't be near him. He won't
be near him. Not like Job. Do you remember
Job's confidence in the middle of all of his physical suffering,
in the middle of all of his anguish, covered in boils, persecuted
by his so-called friends? Job's comforters who came only
to say you must have done something wrong, it's all your fault Job,
you obviously have done some sin which has brought this upon
you, but Job in the middle of that chapter 19 verse 25 says
this, I know this is the testimony of the
child of God, I know that my Redeemer lives and that he shall
stand at the latter day upon the earth I'm sorry but I only
can quote the words from the way that Handel put them in Handel's
Messiah but you know the scriptures say pretty much the same thing
Yet in my flesh, the worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall
I see God. That's the cry of somebody who
knows with confidence that he's going to see his Redeemer. His
Redeemer. Not his judge, his Redeemer.
Balaam sees Christ in the future. He shall behold him, but not
nigh in the judgment. But this is what makes God's
Israel to differ from the rest. They have Christ. They have the
Messiah. They have a Redeemer. A star
is coming out of Jacob from that lineage. A star is coming. A
capital S star is coming out of that lineage. That's why the
lineage of Christ was so important that he came in the city of David,
of that line. from David, right the way down,
that Christ might come from that line. In Matthew chapter 2 verse
2. the Magi, the wise men, they
knew this. They said, we have seen his star
in the east. When we were in the east, we
saw his star. When they were in the old, I
believe it's the old Persian Empire, the old Babylonian Empire,
when they were there, I believe that they'd seen the scriptures
that Daniel had written. They'd be in the libraries of
that kingdom. They'd seen what was going to happen and they
looked and they saw, while they were there in the east they saw
a star and they came looking because they knew the times,
the weeks were fulfilled that Christ should be born. He is
coming, a star shall come out of Jacob. Do you know in Revelation
22 verse 16 Jesus is speaking, the last chapter of the Bible,
do you know what he calls himself? the bright and morning star. A star out of Jacob. This is
what makes the people of Israel, this is what makes the true Israel
of God to differ. We have a Messiah, the bright
and morning star. He is the difference between
the true people of God and all others who think they are his
people. This is the difference. The true people of God truly
have Christ. They really do. You say, oh,
I know loads of Christians who have Christ. No, they don't.
They have an idol who is a figment of their own imagination. The
true people of God have Christ. They have the mind of Christ.
They have the knowledge of Christ. They have the blessings of his
saving work. They have the blessings of his
coming into the world to save them from their sins when that
special star shone over Bethlehem. Now only the true people of God
have this. Who are the true people of God?
Who are the true people of God? Paul tells us, Philippians chapter
3. He says we are the circumcision. He's talking to believers. He
says we are the circumcision. What do they do? What do the
true people of God do? They worship God in the Spirit.
What else do they do? Yeah? Yeah, they don't worship
God in temples, they worship God in the Spirit. They rejoice
in Christ Jesus. Alone. They rejoice in Him. And
they have, you know it, think about it, know. How much? Know. How much? None! Absolutely none! No confidence
in the flesh. They have no confidence in the
flesh for anything to do with their relationship with God.
I know these people, they're good Christians. I mean, they
don't agree with us about sanctification. They say that we're under the
jurisdiction of the moral law of God and it's our duty to earn
our sanctification so that when we get to glory on that day of
judgment, we'll get suitable rewards for what we've done.
I wonder where their confidence is. Do you think it might possibly
be in their flesh? I do. And therefore, where does
that put them in relation to the true people of God? They're
not, because Paul tells us clearly. The true people of God have no
confidence in the flesh. If I could put that more clearly,
I would. I think it is absolutely fundamental to understanding
the gospel. We don't try to make alliances
with those who fly in the face of that truth. The true gospel
is this, the true people of God have no confidence in the flesh.
And then this prophecy goes on to talk about a scepter. Look
in verse 17. A scepter shall rise out of Israel. That's a symbol of kingly power,
the scepter. A symbol of power, a symbol of
sovereignty. And what does it do? It smites
the enemies of Israel. It smites the enemies of God's
people. Edom, plus the others listed
in verses 20 to 24. What is God's unique blessing?
It's an effectual saviour from sin and judgement. It's an effectual
saviour from the enemies of God's people. Satan would drag you
down to hell, if he could. Satan would destroy the work
of God, if he could. He brings accusations of sin
against us, which in the flesh must surely condemn us. But the
star out of Jacob the scepter out of Israel, Christ, our Messiah,
has taken away the sins of his people by paying their debt to
the justice of God. And so therefore, Paul writes
in Romans 8, as you well know, who shall therefore bring any
charge to God's elect? Christ has died. He's taken it
away. There's no more to pay. There
is no sin to pay for. Christ has overcome the enemies
of his people. And like all other religions
that have not Christ, that have a Christ that is an ineffectual
Christ, their Christ is ineffectual. He doesn't work. He doesn't do
the trick. He doesn't do what God has said,
but the true people of God have the true Christ of God, who has
overcome the enemies of God's people for them. In Matthew 12,
verse 29, Jesus said this, How can one enter into a strongman's
house and spoil his goods except he first bind the strongman and
then he will spoil his house? If you want to, and I don't recommend
this for one moment, but if you want to steal something, of value
from somebody's house, and the strongman of the house is there
keeping guard of his house, what must you do? You must first tie
up the strongman. Almost sounds like a scene from
Crime Watch, doesn't it? You know, where they re-enact
some terrible crime that's taken place. You must tie up the owner
of the house and then you can get hold of his goods and take
them away. What Jesus is talking about is
this. The strongman's house is the
natural man. And the strong man is Satan,
who has taken, who has usurped the place of Christ, the rule
of Christ in you and me, naturally, as we are. And he's made his
goods his own. He's made them his own, he's
put his own, you need to read Bunyan's Holy War to see the
picture clearly. He's put his own people in place
in the human heart. But Christ says he's coming and
in his people he will bind that strong man in there and he'll
spoil all his goods, the false people that he's put in office,
and he will spoil his house and take back his possession which
is his people. Christ has come from his people
it's told us, he's come for his people to save them from their
sins. You know why Joseph was told
at the birth of Jesus that he was to call his name Jesus. Why? For he shall save his people
from their sins. 1 John chapter 3 and verse 8. Why did Jesus come? For this
purpose the Son of God was manifested that he might destroy the works
of the devil. This is what we have uniquely
as the Israel of God, as the true people of God. We have a
Messiah who has come to overcome the enemies of God's people,
that there might be nothing that might be said against God's people
in the day of judgment. How has he done it? How has he
overcome and destroyed the works of the devil? How is Balaam's
prophecy fulfilled in the latter days? I'll give you three ways
and then we'll close. Firstly, by Christ's death on
the cross. By Christ's death on the cross
this star and this scepter has come to smite the enemies of
God's people. Listen to this, John chapter
12 verses 31 to 33. Now is the judgment of this world.
This is Jesus just before he went to the cross. Now shall
the prince of this world be cast out. How is he going to do it?
And I, if I be lifted up from the earth on a cross, will draw
all men unto me, all of his people. And this he said, signifying
what death he should die. By his death on the cross, the
prince of this world, who is Satan, the enemy of God's people,
will be cast out. Colossians chapter 2, verse 13.
And you, you, believers, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision
of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, made alive
together with him, with Christ, having forgiven you all trespasses,
blotting out the handwriting of ordinances, the law that was
against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the
way. You are not under law, but under grace, nailing it to his
cross. At the cross he took it away. At the cross he died for his
people, and his people died there in him. I am crucified with Christ. nevertheless I live, yet not
I, but Christ lives in me, and the life which I now live in
the flesh, I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved
me and gave himself for me. He nailed it to his cross, and
having spoiled principalities, this is where he smote the enemies
of God's people, having spoiled principalities and powers, he
made a show of them openly, just like the Roman emperor, emperors,
used to drive the defeated rulers through the streets to show openly,
an open show of them, they're defeated, They oppose us no longer. They're defeated. This is the
illusion here that Paul is bringing. Having spoiled principalities
and powers, he made a show of them openly, triumphing over
them in it. He's defeated the enemies of
his people, of God's people. Enemies that would accuse are
utterly disarmed and impotent. Secondly, first at the cross,
when he died, there, he's disarmed the enemies of God's people.
Secondly, in the hearts of each and every one of God's people
when they believe. In regeneration, when he gives
new life, he binds Satan, who has usurped Christ's rightful
rule in the hearts. Listen to this, it's like Matthew
12, 29. It's Luke's gospel, chapter 11, verses 21 and 22. When a strong man, armed, keepeth
his palace, that's Satan, in the hearts of men and women as
they are by nature, his goods are in peace He's happy, he's
got nothing challenging it. But when a stronger than he shall
come upon him, oh this is the Spirit of God, and overcome him,
he taketh from him all his armour wherein he trusted, and divideth
his spoils. In Ephesians chapter 2 and the
first four verses we read what we all were as believers by nature
before we believed. although we were justified in
Christ from all eternity although Christ died in time on the cross
at Calvary two thousand years ago for his people nevertheless
when we're living as we are before we know by faith the truth of
these things we're dead in trespasses and sins he says Paul says to
them to the Ephesians you were dead in trespasses and sins he
says you were children of wrath even as others but he says by
the quickening grace of God the Holy Spirit he's made you alive
in that Satan is bound and defeated. He's come into the strong man's
house. He's bound the strong man. He's put his new man in
there. The new man who is born of the
Spirit of God. Unless a man be born again, he
cannot see the things of the Spirit of God. And so although
saved at the cross, although redeemed by the blood of Christ
at the cross, it's only at regeneration. that we see and understand and
know the power of these things and that which Satan thought
was his is taken from him and he's evicted and the spirit of
God sets up residence I and my father will come to him and make
our abode with him says Jesus thirdly in the second coming
at the end of time This is when, finally, Satan will be destroyed. Revelation 20 verse 10, And the
devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and
brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall
be tormented day and night forever and ever. His doom is sure. The defeat of the enemies of
God's people is certain. What is the unique blessing of
God? It's the blessing that he's given
a messiah for his people, who is an effectual savior, to save
us from our sins. I ask you this as we close, are
you his? Is he yours? Again and again
in the scriptures, God describes his people like this, he says,
they shall be my people and I will be their God. Possession. My
God, his people. Are you his? Is he yours? What
other religion has this confidence of a Messiah, a Christ, a star
out of Jacob that has done everything that is needed to bring us to
glory? Do any other religions, any flavor of Christianity have
anything to compare with God's unique blessing in giving us
his son?