Alright, turn with me to the
book of Genesis. We're going to continue our study
here in Genesis chapter 1. In our study, we've talked about
one of the first things that I talked to you about was a beginning
before the beginning. There is a beginning which begins
with God. And there is a beginning which
begins with men. All through the Scriptures it
talks about this. It talks about it in different
ways and different language and by different types and symbols,
but it is declared all through the Scripture. There is that
which only the eternal God can give witness to, can declare. He says in John chapter 1, talking
about the eternal Word, the Word who was with God and who was
God, and he said, No man has seen God at any time except the
Only Begotten, who is in the bosom of the Father. He hath
the clarity. There are things and times and
covenants and purposes and counsels that only God can declare the
beginning of. That's the beginning before the
beginning. And I don't know, listen to this. In Genesis, when we talk about
Genesis, we're talking about things that begin to materialize. We're not talking about before
the foundation of the world, we're talking about the foundation
of the world. And in Genesis, that's the beginning of the manifestation
of what God purposed and determined from all eternity. I want to
read you just a few verses here from Proverbs chapter 8. But the Lord is spoken of here
in Proverbs chapter 8 as one set up from everlasting. Set up from everlasting. From
the beginning, or ever the earth was. That's Proverbs chapter
8 verse 23. And he goes on and he talks about
before the mountains were raised into their place and before the
waves were commanded to come so far, before the firmament
was divided from the waters, before all these things come
to be. And then down in verse 30, he
speaks as one by Him, brought up with Him, who was daily His
delight, rejoicing always before Him. Now listen to this next
verse. rejoicing in the habitable part
of his earth, and my delights were with the sons of men." But
there was no earth. Huh? There was no earth. This is before. He just spent
eight or nine verses telling you that he was set up from everlasting,
that he was with God before any of these things took place. And
being with God, he rejoiced in the habitable parts of the earth,
and his delight was with the sons of men. But there were no
men, and there was no earth, and there was no mountains, and
there was no sea. There was nothing there except
the purpose and counsel of God. And I had this discussion Sunday
morning with a lady and she's getting confused because she's
going one place where they deny the eternal purpose of God and
say that we preach all things accomplished in eternity and
we don't preach the actual manifestation of them. That's not so. I don't
do that. But when God purposes a thing,
it's done because He's God. Who's going to stop Him? Who's
going to defeat him? Who's going to turn him? Who's
going to change him? He's unchangeable. He's omnipotent. He's all-wise. He can't make
a mistake. He's everywhere present, all
at the same time. He said, I am the end. I'm the
beginning and I'm the end. I'm Alpha and Omega. What's going
to take him by surprise? But when I talk about these things,
I'm talking about them the same way Scripture does in the mind
and counsel of God. Does that mean He won't come
in time? No, no. It doesn't mean that at all.
Does that mean He won't come and create an earth? Because
He accomplished all these things back in eternity. Does that mean
He's not actually going to come and die on a cross? Does that
mean He's actually not going to create a world? Does that
actually mean there's not going to be a fall? Not at all. But
that establishes the reason and purpose behind it. That's what
that does. When we talk about the eternal
counsels of God, and that's why I'm spending so much time here
in Genesis chapter 1, I'm trying to show you that creation wasn't
just set into play and then God reacted to how things happened. That's not what went on. God
purposed these things before He ever made the earth. And He
made this earth to display this purpose of His glory. That's
what He did. And that's what we've been looking
at here in Genesis chapter 1. I've never actually bothered
to count them, but there are several passages of Scripture
that make reference to this time before the world began. I'm going
to read you just a few of them. If you're taking notes, I'll
give you the chapter and verse. In our Lord's high priestly prayer
over in John chapter 17, listen to this. He makes reference. to the glory, he said, that glory,
glorify thy son as thy son might also glorify thee with the glory
that I had with thee before the white world began. Huh? That's what it says, isn't it?
Listen to this, down in verse 24, same chapter. He talks about
the Father's love for it before the foundation of the world. In Ephesians 1, verse 4, he talks
about the Father having blessed us with all spiritual blessings
in heavenly places in Christ, according as He has chosen us
in Him, when? Before the foundation of the
world. Well, how can He choose you,
John? He hasn't even created an earth. He hasn't created the
first man. But He chose you and He put you
in Christ. Listen to this, Revelation 13.8
calls him the Lamb slain before the foundation of the world.
In 2 Timothy 1.9 he said, "...who hath saved us, and called us
with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to
his own purpose and grace which was given us in Christ Jesus
before the world began." Huh? Does that mean he's not going
to come and die? No, I don't mean that. That establishes
the reason why. He said, I come not to do my
will, but the will of Him that sent me. And this is the Father's
will which has sent me. There was a beginning before
the beginning. And it's in reference to this
eternal beginning that the Apostle Paul speaks to the church of
Thessalonica in the second chapter. And he tells them this. He said
that God had from the beginning chosen them. From the beginning.
Is he talking about Genesis 1-1? No. He's talking about that eternal
beginning. He hath chosen you unto salvation
through sanctification of the spirit and belief of the truth.
He said, wherefore He is called you by our gospel. And because Christ is before
all things, He is the first begotten of every creature. God purposed
and appointed a mediator, and He purposed him to be the God-man. Purposed him not to take to himself
the nature of angels, but the seed of Abraham. He establishes
the mediator first, and then all things. come after Him and
by Him and through Him and for Him. I've read it to you three
or four or five times now from Colossians chapter 1. All these
things created by Him and for Him What am I saying? I'm saying that creation is not
the random working of physical laws and powers and natural circumstances
and evolving and changing and presenting opportunities and
all this kind of rubbish that religion talks about. But it's
the design of the sovereign king of glory, that's what it's all
about, who has created a stage upon which he'll manifest his
glory to chosen sinners. And it's by the authority of
this mediator that creation receives her command to be, her direction
to move, and her power to be maintained. By Him. By Him. By Him all things consist. By Him. The Lord Jesus Christ
has become the errand boy in religion today. He just does
whatever man allows him to do. He can't go beyond that point. He can't go beyond the will of
a man. But the Word of God paints a different picture. He by whom
God has spoken to this world is the same one whom God has
appointed heir. Ain't that what it says in Hebrews
chapter 1? He has appointed Him heir of all things, and by whom
He made the world, who is the brightness of the Father's glory
and express image of His person, and has and is upholding all
things by the word of His power. I read an article by Joe Terrell
not too long ago and he said, man's will can't even resist
a little flu bug to keep it from coming into his system. But he's
going to stand before an omnipotent God and resist his will. Think about how ridiculous it
is for a man to talk about resisting the will of God. God speaks and there's a word
God determines, and there's a purpose that's going to be carried out
for eternity. Think about it. He doeth all
things. He said He worketh all things.
Everything that works, God is working in it and around it and
arranging it and putting and controlling and bringing together. He worketh all things, He said,
after the counsel of His own will. That eternal counsel. And that's that counsel that
goes forth from the mouth of Christ and creates to fulfill
that counsel and that will. I'm laboring in this message
to show you that Jesus, the Jesus of religion, the Jesus that's
being proclaimed from the average pulpit, is no more than an errand
boy. He cannot be the Jesus of creation. The Lord Jesus Christ, the Son
of the living God, Paul said, is God over all, blessed forever. And as God, He is omnipotent.
What He desires, He gets. What He purposes, He brings to
pass. What He determines to do, He
does. And none can stay His hand. One
of the most powerful kings ever walked on this earth said that
when God took him down. None can stay His hand. None
can stay His hand. He's not the poor little Jesus
boy, but He's the Lord Jesus Christ. And out of darkness and
chaos and utter emptiness, the Sovereign Lord of Glory spoke,
and His voice did not return in an echo in the emptiness,
but He commanded, and it was done. It was done. Think about it. I tell you, I used to yell at
my kids. I'm ashamed to say that, but I have to yell at my kids.
And I'd yell at them and sometimes they'd just keep right on doing
what they were doing. He spoke and it was done. Just
like that. It was over. Lazarus, come out
of the tomb. He come out. Those people who heard him speak
in his day said, he's not like them other people. He speaks
with authority. Even the wind and waves obey
His voice. He speaks to an empty, an empty
blackness that we can't even comprehend. Eternal blackness,
darkness, chaos. Nothing out there to perceive.
Nothing out there to understand. If you're a computer geek, no
input. There was nothing there. There
was nothing there. And out of that emptiness He
speaks. and creates and brings to pass. That guy is not being
preached today. He is not being preached. He spoke and it was done. He
commanded and it stood fast. Now tonight I want to talk to
you about verses 3 through 5 on this subject, the division of
light. The division of life. This is
the first thing in creation was this division of life. Now, I
often quote this scripture, but I want you to pay particular
attention to the words tonight in reference to what I'm going
to say. In Isaiah chapter 46 and verse 9, the Lord speaks
to His church and He tells her, He said, Remember the former
things of old. For I am God, and there is none
else." Now, he just spent, if you're familiar with these chapters,
and you ought to be, a lot of writers called Isaiah, they called
it the gospel according to Isaiah. It's so clear and so good, this
prophet Isaiah. But in these previous chapters,
he just goes on and on and on, making this same statement, I
am God, and beside me there is none other. He said, who has first given
to me counsel? Who did I go to for counsel?
You think I had a meeting with somebody and come up with this
thing of creation? You think somebody counseled
me on this thing of redemption and salvation and the fall and
creation? I am God. Beside me there is
none other. I existed long before things
and long before bodies and times and circumstances and things.
I was complete in myself. I am God. Beside me there is
none other. I am God. And he said, you remember
the former things of old, for I am God, there is none else.
I am God and there is none like me. I declare the end from the
beginning. Ain't that what we are talking
about tonight? We are talking about the beginning anyway. And
he declared the end from the beginning. That's what I want
you to see. And from ancient times, the things
that are not yet done, saying, my counsel shall stand and I'll
do all my pleasure. Job knew what God was all about.
He said, he's a one man, who can turn him? God has one purpose, John. It's
the purpose of redemption. He's going to show the glory
of His name through the redemption of chosen sinners. He's going
to do it all through His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. And He's
of one mind, and nothing's going to turn Him. Nothing's going
to turn Him. This is the purpose of God. It's to manifest the
glory of His name through the redemption of fallen sinners.
And no matter what it is that You might consider in this book
it has something to do with this end. I don't care what it is
you're reading about. It has something to do with this
end. Judgment has everything to do with that end. Fallen people, fallen angels,
the non-elect angels, they got something to do with this end.
Everything that comes to pass has to do with that end. Has
to do with that end. And so it is with this light.
This light was given because it was necessary to life. Nothing
survives in total darkness. Darkness is always identified
with sin and death. It starts out right here in the
beginning, out of darkness. Out of darkness. Nothing out
there. Chaos. Nothing out there. No wisdom out there. A direction
out there. There's nothing out there. It's
emptiness, void. It's a void. It's a deep that
you can't fathom. You can't see the bottom of it.
Infinite darkness. It's always identified with sin
and death. Hell is described in the book
as outer darkness. Ain't that what it says? Outer
darkness. That night of vengeance in Egypt
was called a darkness that could even be felt. And when Satan
fell and was cast into the earth, it's described here in Genesis
1 as darkness upon the face of the deep. And what I want you
to see is that this light that Christ commanded to shine out
of darkness has to do with that light of His being, that light
of His purpose, that light of redemption that He'll one day
accomplish. That's what this whole thing
is all about. That's what these six days of
creation is all about. And as there was a beginning
before the beginning, there is an end declared from it. And the end is that the light
of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ shines. It's
going to shine. It shined in His coming and it
shined in His obedience. And it shined when He was tempted
of Satan for 40 days and Satan couldn't find anything in Him.
It shined when they took Him up and nailed Him to a cross. And it shined when they took
Him down and laid Him in the tomb. And it shined when God
raised Him from the dead and called Him and set Him at His
own right hand. It shined. That light, that light of Christ,
that light purposed by God from eternity is going to shine into
the hearts of chosen sinners. And that's what this whole thing
of creation, He's setting up a stage. He's setting up a stage
to manifest His glory. Well, how do you know that, preacher?
How do you know that? Sometimes I'll say something
about a scripture and somebody will meet me out in the yard
and they'll say, how do you know that? Where did you come up with that?
Where did you get that? How in the world did you derive
that out of that verse? I've read that verse a thousand
times. I've never seen that. I'll tell you how I arrived at
it. By an experience of grace in my heart. How do I know that
light is going to shine? Because it shines! That's how
I know it. That's exactly how I interpret
Scripture, by the experience of grace in my heart. That's
the only way you can know it. Russell, we can read that book
until we memorize it. Who's that man they used to call
the walking Bible? Some Baptist preacher, they used
to call him the walking Bible. He could just quote him. He claimed
to have memorized this thing from cover to cover, but he didn't
know the Gospel. And you can study that book, and you can
memorize that book, and you can read all the old writers, but
you can't know God until He commands the light to shine. That's how
you know what this book says, when He shines the light. I can talk about grace, I can
scream out grace, I can cry grace until I'm blue in the face. You
can't understand grace until grace enters your heart. That's
what's going on here in creation. He didn't come in there and try
to teach creation. He didn't try to teach light
to shine. He commanded and the light shined. That's how it comes
about. That's how it comes about. That's
why I preach. Preaching ain't a sharing session.
I talked to a young man the other day, and he was talking about
maybe having me over to speak, and he said on a certain night
we had Bible studies, and the people have the opportunity to
ask questions. It's not a sharing session. Preaching
is a declaration. How can they preach except they
be sent? If I don't have the authority
of God, my voice will just go out and fall on the ground. I'm
telling you the truth. This thing of creation and light
and salvation is a new creation. It's that light of God. Read
2 Corinthians chapter 4. You can read about it there.
The same God who commanded that light to shine out of darkness
has shined in our hearts the same way, the same way, by command. That's how He does it. That's
how He does it. And when He does it, pow! Light
comes on. There it is. Man, there it is. Opens up. Just opens up. Here
it is. Here's the treasure. Here's the
treasure. Turn with me to Hebrews chapter
8. I tell you, if you're looking
for a Scripture that says, let's see, what did I say the other
day? Oh, I was talking about His face. His face. The face
of the deep being His face and that face of the waters being
His face. If you're looking for a scripture
that says over there in Genesis chapter 2, the word face means
the face of Christ, you ain't going to find it. You ain't going
to find it. But when God turns on that light, And you see that
everything that God is, and everything that God has decreed, and everything
that God is going about to do, He's doing through His Son, then
you know it can't be anybody else's face but His. And when
He lights up that face in you, that's all you can see. I ain't
interested in prophecy anymore, I'm interested in Christ. What
think ye of Christ? I'm not trying to get you to
join a club in here. I'm not trying to get you to
join a cult or come in here with some kind of off-the-wall radical
agenda. I'm trying to get folks to look
to Christ, look to Him, trust in Him, love Him, rejoice in
Him. Everything God has, everything
God's purposed, everything God is right there in His Son. Show us the Father. Have thou
been with me so long, kind? And have you not seen the Father?
Huh? You seen Him, you seen God. You haven't seen Him, you don't
know God. And once he lights up that light inside you, you're
going to start to see Christ. You're not going to see anything
else. You're not going to see all these 70 weeks and all these
mysterious stuff that people get and try to apply to this
date and that date. Pretty soon you've got this big
board up here and you've got flames going up and down and
arrows and times and dates. That's nonsense. All those things
have to do with Christ. And when you find out More and
more and more about Him, you find out more and more and more
about them symbols and what they mean. This revelation comes through
an experience of grace in your heart. The Lord Jesus Christ
called it regeneration, except you'd be born again. You can't
perceive the Kingdom of God. And he takes those covenant promises
of Christ, and by the preaching of the gospel, he shines light
into the darkness of a sinful soul. I'm going to show you that
in Scripture. Look here in Hebrews 8. Hebrews
8. This is the covenant that I will
make with the house of Israel after those days, saith the Lord. After he's been offered up, after
he's been buried, after he ascends to the right hand of God and
sends his Holy Spirit back to his church. Now listen to what
he says. After those days, saith the Lord, I will put my laws
into their mind, and write them in their hearts. And I will be
to them a God, and they shall be to me a people, and they shall
not. Now listen. They shall not teach
every man his neighbor, and every man his brother, saying, Know
the Lord, for they all shall know Me from the least to the
greatest." How? How are they going to know Him? Spurgeon was just, what
was he, about 15 when he was converted? Just a young man. How could he possibly enter in?
I'm nearly 60 years old and I look at this stuff sometimes and it
scratches my head. How could he enter into those
things? From the least to the greatest.
How are they going to know me? That's what he said. He said,
they're going to know. Here's how they're going to know. For
I'll be merciful to their unrighteousness and their sins and iniquities
I will remember no more. That's how they're going to know.
You don't have to prove grace to a saved man. He's experienced
grace. I don't have to prove sovereignty
to a saved man because he's already bowed to the sovereign. God's
already manifested His sovereignty. And that's why I say it over
and over and over, and I think it bears repeating throughout
my ministry. I hope the Lord will give me
the grace. If it's just one more day, just give me the grace to
repeat it and repeat it and repeat it. You don't come to Christ
by doctrine. You come to Christ and then doctrine
will fall into place. Discover Christ, you'll discover
doctrine. You won't find Don's books talking
about discovering doctrine. He says, discovering Christ in
all the scriptures. Ain't that what it says? That's
the name of his book. They'll know me from the least
to the greatest by an experience of grace. and this grace of redemption
applied to the heart by the Holy Spirit. And I'm telling you,
you can go on talking about religious nonsense until you die. The only
way on God's green earth you'll ever understand this book is
if God's pleased to speak and bring light into your soul. Listen
to this here in Titus chapter 2 verse 11. Titus chapter 2 verse
11. He says, The grace of God that
bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, teaching us, teaching
us, that denying ungodliness and worldly lusts we should live
soberly, righteously, and godly in this present world. It's that
experience of grace that teaches you that. And that's what our
Lord refers to every time He talks to us, every time He talks
to His disciples. about living a wholesome life
and about doing this and about doing that, he referred back
to that grace, that grace. We had folks leave the church
up in Danville because they said they weren't learning anything.
They couldn't understand what the pastor was preaching. They
couldn't make the connection. How did they get that? How did
they get that? He's preaching through Revelations and he's
talking about the book and talking about the horsemen and talking
about this and talking about that. I can't learn anything. I just don't understand where
in the world he's coming from. Well, let me tell you something.
You can't teach the Gospel to dead men, number one. You can't
teach it to a dead man. All you can do is declare it.
And if God turns on the light, he'll hear it. If he don't, he
ain't never going to see it. I don't care how many of you
can just stack books up. You can stack them all the way
around the room. You can't teach a dead man. It
takes light to see the glory of God. It takes light to expose
the darkness of sin. It takes light to enter into
the spiritual kingdom and to see what others cannot see. Listen
to this scripture in Hebrews chapter 11. Moses believed God and forsook
Egypt, and he didn't fear the consequences, and it says he
endured, listen, seeing Him who is invisible. It takes the light of God to do
that. It takes the light of God. I don't preach like maybe some
folks think I should. I know some might want me to
go out, you know, and teach it like math class and go through
all this. I'm telling you, preaching is
a declaration. It's a declaration. It's not a sharing session. It's
not a A place for everybody to give input and ask questions. It's not a question and answer
period. It's a declaration of the gospel of Christ. You can't think about it. You
can't teach a blind man colors. You can talk depth perception
to a blind man until you're blue in the face. He can't enter in.
I've often thought, maybe I've used this illustration here before
about old Brian Bartimaeus, but he set out on that main road
that went back and forth. And you know he sat there on
that blanket for years and he'd listen to them talk. And they
was talking about the seagulls and the pelicans and that aquamarine
sea and that sky they saw, and that mountains they came down
out of, and those brooks out there, and the green meadows,
and they talked about all that stuff. And he set it home in
his imagination and said in wonder, but he didn't know what blue
was. He couldn't fathom what a mountain was. He couldn't fathom
what a brook was. It takes light! That's what it
takes. Oh, God opened his eyes, and
he saw. What would you that I do for
you, Bartimaeus?" Oh, he said, give me my sight. Let me see. Let me see. That's what it takes. That's what this whole thing
is about. God is at the point to begin
the manifestation of His purpose in eternity. And the first thing
He does, John, is turn on the light. Because if you don't turn
on the light, you can't see the glory. You see what I'm saying? It's got to be light. Light is
necessary. It's necessary to see the glory. And I tell you this, light brings
about a division. Light and darkness can't abide
in the same place at the same time. Listen to this here in
Genesis 1, verse 4. And God saw that the light was
good, and God divided the light from the darkness. They can't
abide in the same place at the same time. They can't do it.
Can't do it. If light occupies the space,
darkness cannot enter in. If darkness occupies the space,
it's evidence that the light's not present. Now, that's just so. That's just
so. Light is essential to glory,
and glory is the end of all things. Turn with me to Psalm chapter
19. Psalm chapter 19. I've referred
to this and I'll probably keep referring back to it. This in
Proverbs chapter 8 is two of the main scriptures that talk
about Christ before the foundation of the world and at the same
time talk about that foundation that He created and all those
things. Now listen to this here in Psalm chapter 19 verse 1.
The heavens declare the glory of God, and the firmament showeth
his handiwork. Day unto day uttereth speech,
and night unto night showeth knowledge. There is no speech
nor language where their voice is not heard. As creation has
a face, it also has a voice. That's what he's saying. He's
got a voice. And by the manifest presence
of creation, creation speaks as a witness of his power and
his Godhead. It declares it. And you can't
get around it. Read Romans chapter 1. That's
what God said. That's what the Word of God says. You're without excuse. If you
don't ever hear the Gospel, if you don't ever know anything
at all, if you're a pagan in deepest, darkest Africa, creation
cries out to you and says, there's a Creator, all-powerful, able
to command and make this world and you to be in it. And you're
answerable to Him. And God puts in you a conscience
and it cries if you're guilty before you make her. And we're
without excuse. Without excuse. Listen to this, verse 4, Psalm
19. Their line is gone out through
all the earth, and their words, think about that, their words
to the end of the world. Now watch it. In them, In this majesty and beauty of
creation, in them hath He set a tabernacle. Now you know that a Jew is writing
this scripture and he's talking about the tabernacle in the wilderness. That's what he's talking about. He's talking about this place
where God manifested all that He was going to accomplish in
type and symbol and picture in that tabernacle, in those sacrifices,
in those things. And here David said, in creation,
in them, in them, he has set a tabernacle for the sun, a place
for light to abide, a place for someone to rest, a place for
life to be, a building in which God can manifest His glory. That's what he's talking about.
And he's going to picture it with the sun. Now watch this. Which is as a bridegroom. coming
out of his chamber, anticipation, excitement, joy,
and love. And as a strong man to run a
race, a man with the ability to endure, to finish what he
begins, to finish the course, to defeat all challengers, a
strong man, John, and he's ready to run the race. He's confident. There ain't nobody going to beat
me. I'm bigger and better and faster than the next guy. You
ain't going to win. That's how Christ comes out of
the chamber. He comes out of the darkness.
And He speaks light into creation like a bridegroom. Like a bridegroom
coming out excited, anticipating the glory. For the joy, He said,
that was set before Him, He endured the cross. He was excited. He
anticipated. And He come out and spoke creation
into existence. Like a bridegroom coming out
of his chamber, like a strong man ready to run the race, confident
that he can endure, confident that he can overcome, confident
that he can do all that he said he could do. Listen to this, verse 6, He is
going forth as from the end of heaven, And it's circuited unto
the ends of it, and there's nothing hid from the heat thereof. There's
nothing in creation that can escape the effect of the sun. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. And so he starts, and
he speaks light. And he divides. He sees the light,
and he said that it's good. And he divides it. And brother,
there's been a division ever since. Where light is, you've
got a division. You've got a division. Salvation is the manifestation
of the glory of God. It brings to light the hidden
things of darkness. It uncovers and discovers His
glory. It brings into focus His holiness,
His justice, His righteousness and power. It gives me the ability
to perceive His mercy. and His grace and His kindness
and His long-suffering, it manifests His love. And this light can
only come by the power and authority of His voice. His voice. To this end, oh, I used to love
to hear Brother Barnum preach that. To this end, Christ came,
accomplished the work that He did that He might be Lord both
of the dead and the living. He's Lord. He's Lord. God must take away, and the only
way to get rid of the darkness is for God to speak and create
light. And darkness is where the sinner
lives. He's bound by it in chains. You
read through the Scriptures, and when he talks about the fallen
angels, He talks about them as those reserved in chains of everlasting
darkness unto that great day. Reserved. In another place, he
calls it bound in chains of darkness. Bound in chains of darkness.
That's where the sinner is. And he's bound by the same chains.
Chains that Satan can't break. Chains that angels can't get
rid of. Chains of darkness. He can't
break them. He can't get loose from them.
All he can do is run around in the darkness. That's all he can
do. Run around in the emptiness. All he can know is emptiness.
Just emptiness. That's all he can know. Until God speaks. And God turns
on the light. And then you think about it,
after that great day, they'll be cast after that judgment into
a place in this book described as outer darkness. What's that
mean? That means a place apart from
all the manifestations of God's glory. That's what that means.
That means a place out away from God's mercy forever. That means
a place out of way from God's grace, out of way from His love
and kindness and gentleness. A place out of the way of peace,
long-suffering, kindness, gentleness. A place outside of rest. A place out of hope, out of opportunity,
out of time, out of darkness. That's what it's called. Out
of darkness. Oh, but thank God he speaks.
He speaks in the gospel. Paul said, I'm not ashamed to
preach this gospel. I'm going to go right down to
heathenistic Rome. I can't imagine. I used to watch
documentaries on early Rome and that Roman government. I can't
even imagine anybody in our generation could hold a candle to their
immorality and their way of living in ancient Rome. He said, as
much as in me is, I'm ready to go and preach this gospel at
Rome. He said, and my confidence is
this, that this gospel is the power of God unto salvation. It's the only way God is going
to turn on the light through this gospel. How come? Because
He determined it to be so. And He demonstrated it in creation.
He could have created with a thought. Just sheer determination. God
could have just sat there and not spoke a word and had creation. Why did He speak? Because this
creation is set forth to example that experience of grace that
His people are going to have in that day and that manifestation
of His glory. And so He spoke. And that's how
salvation comes. That's how the light comes on. I tell you, we call on sinners
to trust Christ, look to Christ, rest in Christ, rejoice in Christ. Everything God has for sinners
is in Christ. He that hath the Son hath life.
This Christ that I declare. But folks won't come to it. And
I'll tell you why they won't come. It tells you right where
in John chapter 3, just a few verses down from John 3.16 where
I preach Sunday morning. It's because everybody that doeth
evil hateth the light. That's why they won't come. They
hate the light. They hate the light. Neither
cometh to the light lest his deeds should be reproved. Men
love darkness. He says, you want to know about
the judgment of God, the condemnation of God? They were all looking
forward to some day and time that was going to come and God
was going to condemn the world. He said, the world's condemned
already. I didn't come to condemn the world. I came to save. I didn't come to condemn. I didn't
have to come to condemn. The world's already condemned.
And here's the evidence. This is condemnation. Light has
come into the world, and men love darkness rather than light. No one can see the uncleanness
of their heart. That's why they love darkness.
You can't see it. I can cover it. I can hide it.
Nobody can see what's on my heart. They can't see that lust and
hatred and envy and all those things and pride, evil thoughts. But I tell you this, in order
for life to be present, light must be commanded. And where
light is commanded, life is sure to follow. And that's going to
be our subject next week. Where light is commanded and
brought to be, life has to happen. It has to, because God's voice
can't go out and fall on the ground. It's not going to go
out and fall on the ground. And His purpose is not going
to be altered or changed. It's going to accomplish that
whereunto He sent it. May God give us all the knowledge,
the ability to see these things and glorify Christ. I tell you,
our Christ, the one we worship, the one I preach, the one you
love, This Christ, we ought to have all confidence in Him. God
trusted Him, John, with everything. Everything. He trusted Him with
eternity. He said, here it is. Here it
is. You accomplish it. And He did.
He did. Oh, I'll tell you what confidence
I've got for little old daily stuff that comes up. What confidence
we ought to have in Him.