Right, we'll turn with me then
to 1 Peter chapter 5 to the end of the chapter and I want to
look for this final message in this epistle at the last six
or so verses. We saw last week an exhortation
for saints to cast all their care upon our God and Savior
for He cares for you and we looked at that in some detail but now
we come to these closing words and you know how it is that When
you write a letter, often you write a long letter and you've
said all you want to say and then you just stop. No, it's too sudden. So we tend
to ramble a little bit and we say things that don't really
say anything just to try and close the letter off. We mustn't
think of the epistles in the New Testament in the same way.
These are closing words but don't think for one moment it's just
because Peter couldn't put a full stop at the end of verse seven.
He's still got things to say. These words are rich. Rich. You know how some novelists write
an awful lot to say not a great deal. You know, you read certain
authors and you think, wow, why use 100 pages when 300 will do
perfectly well seems to be their motto. They spin it out, you
know. The scripture is incredibly rich. Very, very rich. Every word is weighted and weighed. And this is it, I'm sure. This
is why. God has ordained that it's by the foolishness of preaching,
preaching that He ordains to save those who believe. It's
by the foolishness of preaching. It's by this, what is absurd
to the world, a man standing up and proclaiming and expanding
and expounding this word with the words of grace in the Gospel.
Because there's so much here, there's so much richness here.
And so what we have in these closing verses is an exhortation
for the current situation. We're in a current situation
now. Time is ticking by. The clock is ticking. Our bodies
are getting older. Time is going on. We know that
it will come to an end at some time, sooner or later. There's
a current situation and there's an exhortation for that current
situation. But set it in the context. For
the people of God, for those who believe the Lord Jesus Christ,
for those who are in Him, it's in the context of your eternal
state your eternal state there's an eternal state which is the
whole purpose from start to finish of the purposes of God is the
eternal state of His people for His glory look in verse 10 this
time that we're in now is just for a while the God of all grace
who hath called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus after that
ye have suffered a while make you perfect it's just for a while
it's just for a time But glory is eternal. What does that mean? We think of it as a very long
time. No, it's incomprehensible. It's
outside of time. It's outside of time. But here
and now there are conflicts. Why are there conflicts? Because
as a believer you are two natures. You're the old flesh which still
has the same old affections that the old flesh always ever will
have. But at regeneration there's a new man inside. There's a new
person born of the Spirit of God. And if anyone if any man
is not born again he cannot see the kingdom of God and there
are conflicts the scriptures tell us Galatians 5 17 the spirit
wars against the flesh and the flesh against the spirit and
the two are contrary I would do this but I don't because my
flesh drags me down I would not want to do that but I do because
my flesh drags me down there's the same old flesh which never
improves but there's a new manager inside placed there by the Spirit
of God and there are temptations this world is full of temptations
and Satan comes with the most subtle temptations it's almost
um... you know it's regarded as laughable
a joke to even think of a being called the devil I remember I
remember the first time somebody told me just after I became a
Christian to beware of the devil and I almost burst out laughing
out loud I mean I just thought the whole concept was just ridiculous
but there is the scriptures are absolutely clear we read about
him earlier in Revelation 12 forces of evil, there are temptations
all around, there are sufferings that we have to go through, there
are sufferings in the flesh, there are physical illnesses
and all of these things, the degeneration of the flesh all
happens, there are emotional sufferings, there are problems
and difficulties, but it's the common lot of all God's people
for this while, suffering for a while. Look in verse 9, whom
resist steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions
are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world." You're
not alone. You're not alone. All God's people
are going through these same physical, emotional sufferings,
these same conflicts of spirit against flesh, these same temptations
all around. Don't think that there are any
who are floating around on a higher plane and untouched by these
things. The flesh is the same. and we have all of these things
but for a while but God our God verse 10 is the God of all grace
I believe this is unique in the scriptures we read of God being
a God of grace but here Peter says he's the God of all grace
who hath called us unto his eternal glory he's the God of all grace
and he is able it says at the end of that verse to make you
perfect to establish you to strengthen you to settle you. However weak
we may be in the flesh, the God of all grace is able to do all
of those things. Verse 11, He's the eternal ruler,
to Him be glory and dominion, rulership forever and ever. He's
the eternal ruler of everything and nobody can ever move us from
that position in Christ if so be that we are in Him. Now the
devil, we read in the passage, he walks about seeking whom he
may destroy but he can't destroy. any, or devour, I think the word
is, any of God's people. The only ones that he succeeds
with are those whose faith was nothing more than temporary religious
interest or religious fervor, like the stony ground believers,
like the believers on the ground that brings up the thorns that
choke them. But here's the assurance that we have as believers, as
true believers. 1 John chapter 4 and verse 4. Greater is he that is in you
than he that is in the world. He's greater Oh, Satan may be
powerful. Satan may be strong. He's far
stronger than the strongest of God's saints in their own strength. But greater is he that is in
you, the Spirit of Christ. For if any man have not the Spirit
of Christ, he is none of his. Greater is he that is in you
than he that is in the world. The devil is strong, but God
is so much stronger. And God's strength You know what
Paul said, speaking of his thorn in the flesh, how he was afflicted
with a thorn in the flesh, he suffered in the flesh. I believe
his suffering was to do with his eyesight. We can't say for
certain, but that's my personal belief. I think it was something
to do with his eyesight. And he prayed again and again that
God would take that affliction away from him. What a much more
effective servant he would be if he had perfect eyesight. Or
how it afflicted him, how he couldn't see properly, there
weren't opticians, and devices like we have today. How much
he'd afflicted him. And he prayed. And do you know
something? There wasn't some great miraculous healing service
that went on where he fell to the ground and stood up and he
could see. There wasn't. It didn't happen. You would have
thought it would have done, wouldn't you? Somebody like the Apostle
Paul wouldn't you have thought that he would have had his sight
healed if anybody would have done? Boy, was anybody lacking
in faith? Why aren't you healed? You haven't got enough faith,
they tell us. Surely Paul had enough faith
No, you know what God said to him? My strength is made perfect
in your weakness. And so he said he would gladly
reside, reside in the will of God, in the will of his God and
Savior. That's 2 Corinthians 12 and verse
9. So I want to look at those things
in a bit more detail. What's the basis of this confidence
that we have that whilst we're going through these temporary,
for a while, sufferings and afflictions which a part and parcel of the
people of God in this world, what's the basis of the confidence
for eternity? Well, look at verses 10 and verse
12 together. But the God of all grace, who
hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after
that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, establish,
strengthen, and settle you. And then in verse 12, by Silvanus,
he's just talking about who it was that actually scribed the
letter for him, By Silvanus, a faithful brother unto you,
as I suppose, I have written briefly, exhorting and testifying
that this, all the words that we've been studying over previous
weeks, is the true grace of God wherein ye stand. The true grace
of the God of all grace. That's it. What's the basis of
the confidence? The true grace of the God of
all grace. When Paul writes to the Ephesians,
he says right at the very start, verse 3, That He has blessed
us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ.
In that He chose us in Him from before the foundation of the
world. Now there's the foundation of it. He chose us in Christ. And if that's God's sovereign
purpose, by definition, everything that God wills must come to fruition. He chose us in Christ before
the foundation of the world. Chosen to be united with Christ. And why is that important? if
you're chosen to be united with Christ you're chosen to be judged
against divine justice in Christ all that I might be found in
him not having mine own righteousness Philippians 3 verse 8 is it 9
something like that not having mine own righteousness but that
which is by faith of Jesus Christ not my faith in but by the faithfulness
of Jesus Christ in accomplishing all things on my behalf united
with Him and therefore judged in Him. And if I'm in Him, what
does God say of His Son? We heard it. It's recorded in
the Scriptures. They heard a voice from heaven
audibly. This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased. Are
you in the Lord Jesus Christ? By faith, by grace, given to
you as a gift from God to see these things, then that voice
comes from heaven. This is my beloved Son in whom
I am well pleased. Judged in Him. It's an absolute,
specific, particular redemption. A specific people. Just like
Israel in the Old Testament was the picture of the true Israel
of God. The God of the Hebrews is what
God calls himself. God is the God of a particular
people. And that particular people is the people he chose in Christ
from before the foundation of the world. This book could not
be clearer. There are those who stand up
to preach this book And they portray a message that is completely
contrary to what it really says. You read it again and again and
again. It is absolutely clear. Absolute, specific, particular
redemption. It's all about the union with
Christ in the flesh of this people. A multitude which no man can
number. From every tribe and kindred
and tongue and nation in all ages of human history. Those
people are chosen in Christ to be redeemed by Christ. Divine
justice satisfied by Christ. And it comes to each and every
one of them because by nature we're dead in trespasses and
sins with no knowledge of the truth. It comes to each and every
one of us by the grace of God. By the true grace of the God
of all grace. And it comes at regeneration.
Robert Hawker. I love the writings of Robert
Hawker. He lived a couple of hundred years or more ago. And
he said that the grace of God, I'm paraphrasing this very slightly
just because it wouldn't be easy to quote it out of context, but
he said, the grace of God is given to God's elect at regeneration. When you believe, when faith
comes and you believe, the grace of God is given, that's when
you're aware of the grace of God, that's when you feel it
and apprehend the grace of God. It comes to God's elect at regeneration
and it comes to them as the writings and heavenly deeds of our freehold
in glory. The deeds of our... I like that.
The deeds of our freehold. This grace of God is the deeds
of our freehold in glory. Most of us spend most of our
working lives trying to pay off a mortgage on the house where
we borrowed loads of money from whoever it was that lent it to
us. And a couple of years ago we
paid off our mortgage and it was very, very nice when the
lender who holds the deeds of your property because she says
until you've paid it off this is mine because you might do
a runner I want these deeds these belong to me and those deeds
come through to you from the land registry to say that the
the person that lent you the mortgage no longer has any call
over that property those deeds are yours and it's a very nice
feeling to go down to the bank with your deeds and say will
you put these in a safe place for us and keep them you know
you're given these deeds well Robert Hawker said the grace
of God the true grace of the God of all grace is our heavenly
deeds to our freehold in glory that's it confidence and Peter
you know we've been talking about election a lot of people don't
like it but Peter is not ashamed of election he doesn't try to
pretend it's not really there until you've become mature enough
you know he talks earlier on in this in this epistle in chapter
2 verse 2 as newborn babes newborn babes in the faith Weak, little,
can't take strong meat. Election, election, you read
it, it's all there. He doesn't regard election as
something that is not for newborn babes. In Christ, it's absolutely
fundamental. He's not ashamed of election.
It's the only reason, if you are in Christ, that you are in
Christ. Look in verse 14, the very final
words. Peace be with you all that are
in Christ Jesus. Why are you in Christ Jesus?
Look in verse 13. the church that is at Babylon,
that's physical Babylon, their place, not metaphorical, elected
together with you. Why is there a church there in
Babylon? Because they have been chosen in Christ before the foundation
of the world just as you have if you're in Christ. They're
there because of that same reason, election. This is no side issue
for theologians. This is not something that you
graduate to when you get into the deep and meaningful things.
No, it's It's regarded as something that has no practical consequence
for ordinary Christians. I'm telling you it's absolutely
fundamental. How do you know that your sins
are forgiven? If you're in Christ, by sovereign
grace, and he represented you when he walked this earth, and
you walked this earth in him, in the reckoning of God. If he
bore your sins when he went to the cross of Calvary, God has
no more God has nothing more to demand from you because he's
demanded everything from Christ in your place that's why it's
important it's fundamental to salvation if your salvation depends
on whether you made the right decision at the right time it's
no salvation at all none whatsoever if Christ died for everybody
and only applies it to those that believe well there are people
in hell today there are people in hell for whom Christ died
that cannot be he died for his elect He died for his people
according to the Scriptures that the purpose of God according
to the Scriptures might stand. I remember I know I'm being pretty
dogmatic today and that's my style but I remember there was
a sermon not very long ago about four years ago something like
that when I was just as dogmatic and there happened to be an Arminian
pastor in the congregation and somebody came and rebuked me
for preaching a sermon like this said I would have offended the
poor man I should have soft-pedaled and gone so much more gently
because he's a really nice Christian man you know and he's really
trying to do a good job and you shouldn't have offended him with
a sermon like that on election I'm sorry to the law and to the
testimony if they speak not according to this word there is no light
in them we preach what God has revealed as clearly as we possibly
can Christ is the substitute and surety of all whom the Father
elected in him and none else Look at 1 Peter chapter 1 and
verse 2. He's writing. He's very opening
greetings. He's writing to the strangers
scattered throughout all these different places. And how does
he identify them? They are elect according to the
foreknowledge of God the Father. Ah, you say, there's my get-out.
God foresaw that these people would trust Him and choose Him.
So therefore He said, I'll have them. No, no, I'm sorry, sorry. It doesn't work like that. 2nd
Timothy chapter 1 you know this scripture I refer to it often
enough 2nd Timothy chapter 1 and verse 9 talking about the power
of God who hath saved us and called us with a holy calling
not according to our works or our choice or our anything not
according to our works but how? according to his own purpose
and grace which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world
began." Could words possibly be clearer than that? Could it
possibly be clearer? I don't think it could. There
is no salvation outside of Christ. For only in Christ is anybody
righteous enough. Only in Christ is the sin debt
paid fully. So only those elected of God
are in Him. And the evidence of it? You say,
well, what's the evidence? How do I know? How do I know?
This is the evidence. It's as simple as this. those
who are the elect of God ordained to eternal life as Acts chapter
13 verse 48 says they believe those who are ordained to eternal
life believed those who are the elect of God believe the gospel
of his grace why do they do it? because he gives them faith he
gives them life he gives them spiritual life he gives them
faith in the face of all human reasoning you see the true gospel
this gospel of sovereign grace, it has no appeal to the flesh. Do you hear me, what I'm saying?
It is not attractive to the flesh. There are those who spend their
time trying to dress up, I know we have to adorn the doctrine
of our God and Saviour in all things, but there are those who
try to dress up the doctrine of the sovereign grace of God
in the Scriptures to make it so that human logic thinks, hmm,
that's reasonable, That doesn't seem too bad to me. They spend
all their time looking at, for example, creation and evolution.
You know I'm an absolute ardent creationist. I believe what the
scriptures say. But I'm sorry, we're not going to convert flesh
by convincing them that God created the world rather than it evolving.
It won't make a scrap of difference to the flesh. Not in the slightest. The whole of the system of Christian
faith is perfectly rational when seen through the eyes of faith.
But there's no appeal to the flesh in it. It's contrary. The
true gospel is offensive. What does Paul say? He was persecuted
for the offense of the cross. And what is the offense of the
cross? That Christ died for his people on that cross. That's
the offense of the cross. And human nature as it stands
doesn't like it. No. The confidence is the grace
of God in the election of God. Choosing a people and doing all
things in Christ for those people. Verse 10 the God of all grace
who hath called us unto his eternal glory who's the us that he's
talking about he's talking about all of his elect he's talking
about calling all of his elect to eternal glory let's hear the
words of Jesus himself before he went to the cross in John
17 again you should know these words well but they bear re-examination
frequently starting in verse 1 These words spoke Jesus, and
He lifted up His eyes to heaven and said, Father, the hour has
come. Glorify Thy Son. As He goes to the cross, that
cross of shame, that cross of despising, for cursed is everyone
that hangs on a tree, says Deuteronomy. Cursed is everyone that hangs
on a tree. And He's going to that cross
to bear that curse in the place of His people. The hour has come,
glorify Thy Son, that Thy Son also may glorify Thee. as thou
hast given Him, as the Father has given the Son, power over
all flesh. I'm telling you, this world,
you know, here is the declaration of the Scriptures, the Son of
God has power over all flesh, that He should give eternal life
to as many as thou, the Father, hast given Him, the Son. All
those whom the Father gave to the Son before the beginning
of time, our Lord Jesus Christ has power over all flesh, to
give them eternal life and this is life eternal that they might
know thee the only true God and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent.
Do you see that? Power over all flesh to give
eternal life to God's elect and so he is able Hebrews 7.25 to
save to the uttermost those who come to God by him and not one
of them will ever be lost hence we can have confidence that this
is our eternal state if we're in the Lord Jesus Christ not
one of them will ever be lost you know these words well you
don't need to turn to them I'll turn them up quickly John chapter
6 and verses 39 and 40 and this is the Father's will which hath
sent me this is Jesus speaking that of all which he hath given
me that's all those people he gave before the foundation of
the world I should lose nothing they'll all be there in heaven
they'll all be there in glory not a solitary one of them lost
that valley of dry bones in the vision of Ezekiel all standing
in their ranks as that great army of God but should raise
it up again at the last day and this is the will of Him that
sent me that everyone which seeth the Son and believeth on Him
may have everlasting life and I will raise Him up at the last
day and so He comes and the Spirit makes alive and the Spirit gives
faith which is that spiritual sight to see the things of Christ
and the salvation of Christ and the grace of God in Christ and
justice accomplished, and sanctification in Him, and redemption, and righteousness,
and all those things in Him. He gives sight to see all of
those things and brings us to God through our Lord Jesus Christ.
And Romans 8, have we got time? Yes, I think we have. Overflows
with this confidence, as you know. I'm going to start at verse
28 of Romans 8, which is this wonderful chapter. I love this
chapter. We'll have to do another series
one of these times. And we know that all things,
verse 28, work together for good to them that love God, to them
who are called according to his purpose, for whom he did foreknow. That's to know in a loving way.
Not to foreguess. Not to see into his crystal ball
what would happen and therefore... No, that's Doctor Who type of
philosophy and science. It's not true. It doesn't work
like that. The reason why God foreknows
is because he foreordains. and He determines beforehand,
whom He did foreknow He did also predestinate to be conformed
to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among
many brethren. He's bringing many brethren.
Moreover, whom He did predestinate, them He also called by the word
of the gospel of His grace. And whom He called, them He also
justified by His death on the cross of Calvary. And whom He
justified, them He also glorified. It's done. The great transaction
is done. There is nothing left to complete.
We're just working it out in time, but in terms of eternity,
he's the lamb slain from before the foundation of the world.
So what shall we say then to these things? Is God before us? Who or what can be against us?
Can the devil, can temptations, can the flesh? No. He that spared
not his own son in accomplishing this purpose, but delivered him
up for us all, how shall he not with him freely give us all things? Who shall lay anything to the
charge of God's elect? The accuser of the brethren comes.
He can't lay anything to our charge. There's no charge that
will stick. For it's God that is justified
in Christ. Who is he that condemns? It is
Christ that has died. The condemnation is done. It's
paid for. There is therefore now no condemnation,
says verse 1. He's risen again. He's even at
the right hand of God. Who shall separate us from the
love of Christ? Shall tribulation or distress
or persecution or famine or nakedness or peril or sword it is written
for your sake we're killed all the day long we're accounted
as sheep for the slaughter nay in all these things we are more
than conquerors through him that loved us and so we could go on
but for the sake of time we'll leave it there overflowing with
that confidence but here and now here and now we're in this
weak body of flesh Paul says in the chapter before that in
Romans 7 O wretched man that I am when I would do good I do
evil When I would avoid evil, I do it anyway. The things I
would long to do, I would long to do so much good and I fall
short of it. Oh, wretched man that I am! Who
shall deliver me from the body of this death? He calls it. Who
shall deliver me? It's weak flesh. It's weak flesh.
And then he goes on to say, praise God, it's in Christ, therefore
there is now no condemnation. This flesh never improves. You
know, we have this idea that the older you get the better
it gets you know the more the more mellow people get and so
on and so forth it sometimes happens the very opposite that
the older you get the more crotchety and the more bad tempered and
the more intolerant and so on and so forth you get it ain't
necessarily so, the flesh itself never improves you know Christianity
is not about trying to improve the flesh the flesh is what it
is, it's flesh it's sinful flesh there are daily conflicts of
soul as the flesh wars against the spirit for the believer there
are temptations of the world all around us seeking to attract
seeking to dazzle the lights that dazzle, all of those things
that seek to take us away but we know a broken cisterns, I
tried the broken cisterns Lord but are their waters failed and
even as I stooped to drink they mocked me as I wailed that's
it, that's the world, that's this world in which we live daily
conflicts of the soul, temptations, unbelief. Oh, how prone we are
to an evil heart of unbelief. We see God's Word, we believe
it, but so often in a different situation we're doubting it.
We're wondering, is there even a God? It's as if heaven is as
brass above us to our prayers. We can't be heard. The temptations
of unbelief, the doubt of God's Word and His promises. We're
so confident one minute and we're so failing another minute. Remember
the story, we looked at it last week very briefly, of Christ
coming to the disciples in the boat on the storm-tossed sea
and saying to them, be of good cheer, it is I, don't be afraid. But if you look at the Matthew
account, in Matthew 14, Peter sees Christ coming on the water
and says, if it is you, Lord, bid it that I should come to
you. And so he says, come. And so Peter gets out and walks
on the waves. And he's looking to Jesus, walking
on the waves, on that storm-tossed sea. And then he starts to look
at the things around him, the boisterous wind and the waves,
and he starts to sink, because he's taken his eyes off Christ.
And so it is. We have these temptations of
the flesh to look away from Christ. But it's a situation which, as
I've already said, is only for a while, it's a temporary situation.
We're united with Christ, and as united with Christ, the Church
of Christ is the body of Christ on this earth. And there's a
level of suffering to be endured as chastening from a loving Heavenly
Father. That's the way it is. We're married
to Christ. We're one flesh. His body is
one flesh with Him. And this flesh, while we're here
in this life, as Romans 8 again, Romans 8 verse 18 and so on says,
we're groaning in this flesh, to be out of this flesh, to be
with Christ, to be free of this body of sin, to lay it down and
to be with Him in glory without all of those things. he says
in that same passage the sufferings of this present time are not
worthy to be compared for the glory that shall be revealed
and so it is this suffering, verse 10 this suffering is just
for a while but God is able to make you perfect he's able to
make you perfect in it Paul writes to the Colossians in Colossians
1.24 who now rejoice in my sufferings for you and fill up that which
is behind of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh for his
body's sake which is the church where is the church? there is
suffering while this while this order still exists until Christ
comes again there is suffering for his church in this world
but it can't shake the eternal security of his people it's just
the common lot of all believers it cannot shake that eternal
security so in that context let's go back to the first verses of
our passage and look at the exhortation because in verse 8 he says be
sober Be vigilant. You cannot be shaken. The election
of God, the sovereign purposes of God, the grace of God has
guaranteed you cannot be shaken, but be sober. Be vigilant. Because
you have an adversary, the devil. He's like a roaring lion. You
know, a hungry roaring lion. He's looking for anything, doesn't
matter what it is. You've seen the nature programs
where one minute they're chasing after a great big wildebeest,
another time a pack of them's having a go at an elephant that's
not very well. And then another time, if all they can find is
a tiny little rat, they're chasing the tiny little rat. Whoever
he can devour, that's what he's looking for. Walking about, seeking
whom he may devour. Resist steadfast in the faith. Resist him. He's seeking to devour. Satan is seeking to devour true
faith. These spiritual forces of evil
that are at work, seeking to devour true faith. Beware! You have what you think is true
faith, beware that These spiritual forces of evil are not stalking
you to take it away, to entrap, to show that it isn't true. Peter
is a much older man now than when we saw him in the Gospels
with Christ in his earthly ministry. Peter has bitter experience to
fall back on. Peter can think back to the bitterest
of experience. Do you remember, well turn over
with me to Luke. we'll not be much longer now
Luke chapter 22 Luke chapter 22 and verse 31 this is before
the crucifixion just before and the Lord said Simon, Simon that's
Peter behold Satan has desired to have you that he may sift
you as wheat he's stalking you he's stalking you but I have
prayed for you that your faith fail not and when you are converted
strengthen your brethren echoes of end of John Peter do you love
me yes Lord you know that I love you or feed my sheep strengthen
your brethren you see and he says in verse thirty three Lord
I am ready to go with you I'm confident both into prison and
unto death and he said I tell you Peter the cock shall not
crow this day before that thou shalt thrice deny that you know
me Oh, full of confidence, I tell you, before it's light, you will
deny three times that you know me. Then look at verse 60. Peter said, when he was asked,
you know him? Man, I know not what you say.
And immediately, he's denying Jesus, immediately, the cock
crew. And the Lord turned and looked
upon Peter, and Peter remembered the word of the Lord, how he
had said unto him, before the cock crow thou shalt deny me
thrice Peter went out and wept bitterly Peter's got some experience so
he's warning as an older man who's much nearer that death
that was prophesied he was crucified upside down he was told Jesus told John that
he'll go away that he doesn't want to go. He was crucified
upside down, so history says. And he's warning them. He's a
much older man, but he's got that bitter experience to fall
back on. He says, be alert to the subtle
dangers. Not just the full-on attacks.
You know, often Satan comes with full-on attacks. And you can
almost hear him coming with the attacks on your belief. You can
almost hear him coming. But do you know what's the most
dangerous? In Pilgrim's Progress there's a chapter about the enchanted
ground and it's such a lovely peaceful place and it's such
a place near to the end of the road where believers are prone
to lie down and take it easy and before they know it they've
fallen asleep spiritually there's no alertness spiritually there
and Satan has entrapped them you can read about it in Pilgrim's
Progress Peter's warning against that He says, resist steadfast
in the faith. Resist in the faith. It's the
faith of Christ, the faith in the gospel of his salvation that
is the thing which is the armor. Paul writes to the Ephesians,
chapter 6, you know it well. Put on the whole armor of God
with your loins girt with truth. The truth of the gospel you must
have. No compromise, no mixing with
other things that will ruin the purity of it. Loins girt with
the truth of the gospel of grace, with that breastplate on, because
arrows will come in and accuse you of unrighteousness. But if
you're in Christ, you're clothed with that breastplate of the
righteousness of Christ. And your shoes will be the gospel
of peace. Your shoes that you will take
everywhere with you, the gospel of peace. And your shield is
the shield of faith, so that when those fiery darts come in,
you've got that faith, that sight of the soul to see the truth.
and a helmet of salvation, protecting that most vital organ, the brain,
the helmet of salvation, and you have a sword in your hand.
And what is the sword? The Word of God, that two-edged,
that sharp two-edged sword of the Word of God. You see, faith
is God's gift. Faith. Faith in the faithfulness
of Christ in completing the work of salvation. It's not in your
own strength, but looking unto Him who has accomplished all
things for us. You see, Satan although he walks
about as a roaring lion, is defeated. He is defeated. The strong man,
as Jesus calls him, Matthew 18, the strong man is bound. The
strong man is bound. It isn't Satan's house anymore.
He's tied up. He can only do what God permits.
And God promises his people that we shall bruise him. Paul writes
to the Romans, chapter 16, verse 20, the God of peace shall bruise
Satan under your feet shortly and we have a glimpse with which
we started into eternity in Revelation 12 and verse 11 and they overcame
him the people of God the saints of God overcame him the devil
how? by the blood of the Lamb because
he couldn't bring any accusation to stick because of the blood
of the Lamb which had washed away their sins which had satisfied
divine justice and the word of their testimony of the gospel
of grace feet shod with the word of the testimony of the gospel
of grace and they loved not their lives unto death oh they even
died for this faith because eternity was such a glorious prize how
much they overcame how much is Satan defeated be alert but don't
be shaken your eternal state is absolutely sure he finishes
and we close with this he finishes with this greet one another with
a kiss of charity. Peace be with you all that are
in Christ Jesus. Greet one another, support one
another, here together, and when we're apart, further afield,
still, as a local church, and as we go away, we're still that
local church, and there are still bonds of faith and of love between
us because of what Christ has done for us. We rejoice with
our brethren around the world. We may be a small number here,
but as I've said so many times, God has his seven thousand, his
perfect completeness in every place. This is his perfect completeness
here in Nedworth for now. It doesn't sound much, but it's
in his purposes. It's enough. But in glory we'll
see a multitude that no man can number and not one of them lost.
To the praise of his glory. Amen. Well, let's sing.