Faith in its essence is relying
on his ability to save me. It's that simple. Faith is a
reliance on his ability to save me without any contributions
from me. And this story is an illustration
of that. Now, the event Paul speaks of
is when the 12 spies went into the land of Canaan. God told
them to go into the land of Canaan and search out the land. And
when they came back, 10 of them gave an evil report. That's strong language. They
gave an evil report. And this can be summarized by
this statement, Be not able. It summarizes everything they
had to say. We be not able. Well, what they said was true.
They weren't able, but faith is reliance on his ability. And Caleb and Joshua saw the
same things they did. and said, we be well able. Actually the word well is the
same word translated able. We be able, able. Because he is able, we're able. We be well able to take them
because of the Lord's ability. Now here is the response of the
people. If you'll turn to Numbers chapter
14, After they hear these two different
reports, one, an evil report, one, a good report, one, we be
not able. And Caleb's saying, we be able,
able. We be well able. Verse one, chapter
14, and all the congregation lifted up their voice and cried
and the people wept that night and all the children of Israel
murmured against Moses and against Aaron. Do you remember when I
read that passage from 1 Corinthians chapter 10, he said, neither
murmur ye as they also murmured. The issue was that of murmuring,
that feeling of disapproval, that feeling of being done wrong,
a victim mentality. And the children of Israel murmured
against Moses and against Aaron, and the whole congregation said
unto them, would God that we had died in the land of Egypt,
or would God we died in the wilderness? And wherefore hath the Lord brought
us into this land to fall by the sword that our wives and
our children should be a prey? Were it not better for us to
return to Egypt? And they said one to another,
let us make a captain and let us return to Egypt. And Moses
and Aaron fell on their faces before all the assembly of the
congregation of the children of Israel. And Joshua, Caleb
had previously spoken. Now Joshua, the son of Nun. And
Caleb, the son of Jephunneh, which were of them that searched
the land, rent their clothes." You know, they're saying, we
saw what they did. We saw the same things that they
did. And yet they're coming with this
report that we're not coming with. And they spake unto the
company of the children of Israel, saying, the land which we possessed
through to search it is an exceedingly good land. If the Lord delight
in us, here's the issue. If the Lord delight in us, then
he will bring us into this land and give it to us. A land flowing with milk and
honey. And this is the way this land
is described on numerous occasions. Milk, what you need? Honey, what
pleasure. This land has what you need and
what pleasure there is in being in this land. Now, murmuring
is disapproval. Matter of fact, 12 times throughout
their wilderness wanderings, we read that they murmured against
God and against Moses. And you and I both know that
the murmuring against Moses was actually murmuring against God. And this is the word Paul used
to summarize this event. Neither murmur ye, as some of
them murmured and were destroyed of destroyers. Concept of murmuring
comes up a lot in the scripture. Do you remember the workers who'd
worked 12 hours in the hot sun all day long? Come time to pay,
and there was another group that worked only one hour. And the
scripture says they supposed that they would receive more.
Would you? I would. That's what I would
suppose. They suppose they would receive
more. And the good man gave everybody the same thing, a penny. And the scripture says they murmured
against the good man of the house. This is not fair. I dare say, That would come into
my mind and your mind as well. They murmured. The Pharisees
murmured at Christ, the scripture says. This man receiveth sinners
and eateth with them. He doesn't care about his testimony.
He's saying that he's putting his stamp of approval on their
lifestyle and their conduct by not rebuking them. He receives
them and even eats with them and rubs elbows with them. They
murmured at the Lord Jesus for this. I think in John chapter
six, when he said, I'm the bread that came down from heaven, the
scripture says they murmured because he said, I am the bread
which came down from heaven. And that's when the Lord said
to them, as they murmured, no man can come to me except the
father, which has sent me. drawing. That's the way he responded
to their murmuring. And do you remember when they
said, this is a hard saying, who can hear it? After they heard
the Lord's message on Capernaum. And when Jesus knew him in himself,
that they murmured at it, a low tone of disapproval, not bold
enough to strike out. but this murmuring under their
breath, this low murmuring of disapproval. And the Lord said,
does this offend you? Does this offend you? I've entitled
this message, The Murmurers. Now, the story before us that
we read about in Numbers 13 and 14 actually began humanly speaking,
I know it began in eternity like everything else does. Whatever
happens in time was decreed in eternity and that's why it's
taking place. But as far as time Goes, this story began in Genesis
chapter 15 when God appeared to Moses in a dream and said,
your seed is going to stay in an evil land for 400 years and
they're going to be mistreated, they're gonna be a nation of
slaves and I'm going to deliver them. Now, think about 400 years,
400 years ago, The pilgrims had only landed
here, been here for four years. Think of all the history that's
taken place in this country in 400 years. You think of all the
history in the world in 400 years, that's a long time. And they
were slaves for 400 years. But God said, I'm surely gonna
visit them and I'm gonna deliver them. Now turn with me to Exodus
chapter two. This is at the end of that 400-year
period when they had been in Egypt for 400 years, mistreated,
building the pyramids. And it came to pass, verse 23,
Exodus chapter 2, it came to pass in the process of time.
Y'all love that term. Time is what God decrees. Everything
that happens is happening according to the process of His time. I love being enabled to realize
that there's nothing to worry about. Everything happens according
to the process of time. That the king of Egypt died and
the children of Israel sighed by reason of the bondage and
they cried and their cry came unto God by reason of the bondage.
And God heard their groaning, and God remembered his covenant
with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob. That covenant was
made in Genesis 12 and renewed in Genesis 15 when he told him
about this 400-year period. And God looked upon the children
of Israel, and we have this staggering statement. God had respect for
them. respect. This unbelieving, ungrateful
bunch, they didn't even know who he was. He'd gone out of
their memory. But God had respect for them. And if I'm in Christ, if you're
in Christ, God has respect for you. Look in Chapter three, verse
seven. And the Lord said, I've surely
seen the affliction of my people, which are in Egypt and have heard
their cry by reason of their taskmasters, for I know their
sorrows. And I'm come down to deliver
them out of the hand of the Egyptians and to bring them up out of the
land unto a good land and a large under land flowing with milk
and honey. Here's his promise. Look in verse
15 of this same chapter. And the Lord God said, moreover
unto Moses, thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel,
the Lord God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of
Isaac and the God of Jacob has sent me unto you. This is my
name forever. And this is my memorial unto
all generations. Go and gather the elders of Israel
together and say unto them, the Lord God of your fathers, the
God of Abraham, of Isaac and of Jacob appeared unto me saying,
I have surely visited you. That language is found in Genesis
50, where he said, I will surely visit them. Well, I have surely
visited you and seen that which is done to you in Egypt. And
I've said, I will bring you up out of the affliction of Egypt
into the land of the Canaanites and the Hittites the Amorites
and the Perizzites and the Hivites and the Jebusites unto a land
flowing with milk and honey." Now, some months later, they're
getting ready to enter this land flowing with milk and honey. And they send 12 spies. God told them to do this. They
sent 12 spies into the land, one man from each tribe. to spy
out the land and see what it was like. Now, what their job was when
they went in was to report what they saw. Not give their interpretation
of what took place. As a matter of fact, when they give their
interpretation, here's their interpretation. We saw giants
we can't beat. We saw walled cities. We are
unable to climb. We are unable to deal with this. These men were giving their interpretation
of what they saw. They weren't reporting what they
saw. They were reporting their interpretation of what they thought
would take place. That's not what gospel preaching
is. Gospel preaching is declaring what we see in the word, what
God says, not even our interpretation of it, but what God actually
says in his word. Now, I think it's interesting
of the 12 spies that went in, 10 gave this evil report. You know what that represents,
the 10 commandments. the law, and they bring an evil
report. Well, I guess they would. Indeed,
you're not able. Two, Joshua and Caleb, union. Union with the Lord Jesus Christ. Joshua, the Savior. Caleb, the
faithful dog. The two being one. We're well
able to get in. Sweat, no problem. There's no
circumstances that can prevent this. We're well able to get
into the land. Turn now to Numbers 14, verse
22, speaking of Caleb. Numbers 14, verse 22, because all those men which have
seen my glory, And by miracles, which I did
in Egypt, in the wilderness, and have tempted me now these
10 times, and have not hearkened my voice, surely they shall not
see the land which I swear unto their fathers. Me shall any of
them that provoke me see it. But my servant Caleb, now look
at the language, because he had another spirit with him, the
Holy Spirit. new nature. The only reason that
Caleb responds the way he does is he's got another spirit, a
God-given spirit, a new spirit. Because he had another spirit
with him and has followed me fully, that's what you do when
you have another spirit. You follow him. You look to him
fully. Him will I bring into the land.
wherein he went in his seed, and his seed shall possess it.
Now remember, of those that were over 20 years old when they left
Egypt, because of what took place in Numbers chapter 14, none of
them were allowed to enter into the promised land except Caleb
and Joshua. And do you know Moses wasn't
even allowed to come in. You see the law, Moses' representation
of the law is never gonna bring anybody into the promised land.
had to stay behind. Only Joshua, the Savior, and
Caleb, the faithful dog who had this other spirit. Now look back
in Numbers chapter 13, verse 25. And they returned from searching
of the land after 40 days. And they went and came to Moses
and Aaron, these 12 men, and to all the congregation of the
children of Israel, and to the wilderness of Baran and Kadesh,
and brought back word unto them, and unto all the congregation,
and showed them the fruit of the land." So far, so good. And they told him and said, we
came into the land whither thou sendest, and surely It floweth
with milk and honey, and this is the fruit of it. You remember
they brought grapes that they had to put on a staff, two men
carrying in, it was so heavy. This is the fruit of this land,
a land flowing with milk and honey, just as God said it would. Nevertheless, now here's where
they start interpreting. Here's where they start giving
their opinion of what they saw and their ability. Nevertheless,
this is what Paul calls the evil report. Nevertheless, the people
be strong that dwell in the land and the cities are walled and
very great. And moreover, we saw the children
of Anak there." Now, these people were giants. Somebody says, give
me some kind of explanation for that. I can't. But the Bible
says they were giants. I know Goliath was at least nine
feet, nine inches tall, a mighty warrior of Philistine. There
were giants and they saw these giants. And I am sure if you
saw people who were 10 feet tall, you would be intimidated by those
people. They were. So they're giving
their interpretation of what took place. Verse 29, the Amalekites
dwell in the land of the South and the Hittites and the Jebusites
and the Amorites dwell in the mountains and the Canaanites
dwell by the sea and by the coast of Jordan. And Caleb stilled
the people before Moses. Now they started murmuring at
this time. What are we gonna do? We can't stand before these
giants. We can't overtake these walled
cities. And Caleb stilled the people before Moses said, let
us go up at once and possess it for we are well able to overcome
it. We are able, able. You see the
Lord's on our side and that is our ability. The issue is the
Lord's ability to save. That is always the issue. It always has been, it always
will be. The Lord's ability to save. Me and you don't come in that
equation. It's the Lord's ability to save. That's what I'm relying
on, His ability to save me. I'm relying on this. When he
said, it is finished, it was finished. It was accomplished. The Lord's ability to save me. And Caleb said, we'd be able,
able. You know, he's the man who had the other spirit, the
Holy Spirit. He was given a new heart, a new
nature. And he looked at these giants
and he remembered they're very scrawny. Because if God before
us, Who could be against us? We be able, able. Don't you love his faith? We
be able, able. No problems. Verse 31, But the men that went
up with him said, We be not able to go up against the people,
for they are stronger than we. True. And they brought up an
evil report out of the land which they had searched unto the children
of Israel, saying, The land which we have gone to search it is
a land that eateth up the inhabitants thereof. And all the people that
we saw were men of great stature. And there we saw the giants,
the sons of Anak, which come of the giants. And we were in
our own sight as grasshoppers, and so were we in their sight. And all the congregation lifted
up their voice and cried, and the people wept that night."
Now, let me remind you what these people had already seen. They
had seen God destroy Egypt, the most powerful nation in the world. Not only that, I suppose this
is the only time in history that this has ever happened. The people
gave them everything they had. Get out, here's my money. Leave,
please. I doubt that that's ever happened
before or since then. I mean, they spoiled the land. They saw the parting of the Red
Sea. They saw themselves go through
and The Egyptians destroyed once again, and their dead bodies
washed up on the shore. They had seen the manna come
down from heaven. They'd seen water come from the
rock. They'd had the law given to them. Now, these people had
seen a lot, and their view of these giants was without excuse,
wasn't it? True, they were big, God's infinite. God's all-powerful. If God be
for us, who can be against us? Now, the issue of faith is His
ability to save me. All I'm relying on, and this
is what faith is, all I'm relying on is His ability to save me. What was it that Abraham did?
He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief, but
was strong in faith, giving glory to God, being fully persuaded
that what God had promised, He was able. Paul said in 2nd Timothy 112,
I know whom I have believed, I'm persuaded that he is able. Are you persuaded of that? Are
you persuaded in his ability to save you? You know, the leper was. He said,
Lord, if you will, he wasn't totally sure of the Lord's willingness,
but he said, if you will, you can. You're able to save me. I think of those blind men who
came to the Lord and he said, what will thou that I do for
you? And they said, Lord, that we may receive our sight. He
said, do you believe that I'm able to do this? Yeah, Lord. Now, do you believe that he's
able to save you? Yes or no. Do you believe He
is able to save you? Do you believe He's able to make
you to be where you've never committed a sin? Do you believe
that? That He's able to make it to
where you stand before God in judgment. You're somebody who
has never committed a sin. It's called justification. Do
you believe He's able to make your sin Not to be? It never happened? Through the saving efficacy of
his blood? Do you believe he's able to do
that? Do you believe he's able to give
you a new heart that believes the gospel? Do you believe he's
able? Are you relying on his ability
because you know who he is? I love the scripture in Jude
24, now unto him the table, to keep you from falling and to
present you faultless before the presence of his glory with
exceeding joy. If you know who he is, you believe
his ability. If you don't know who he is,
You don't get it. But if you know who he is, you're
dead sure of this. He is able to save you. Now that's what was going on
at this time. Some were saying, we'd be not able. I know you're
not able, but he is. That's why Caleb said, we'd be
well able to take him. They're no match for us. They brought this evil report. That's what God, the Holy Spirit
calls it, an evil report. And if I make salvation dependent
in any way on something that I must do before he can do, it's
an evil report. That's all you can call it. It's
evil for, number one, because it's a lie. It's just not true. And number two, that makes salvation
by works. If God can't do something unless
I first do something before He can do something for me, that
is salvation by works. When the Lord said, it is finished. I've already repeated this. Let
me do it again. When the Lord said, it is finished. Was it? Yes. I am relying on the ability of
Jesus Christ to save me. I confess I have no ability to
save myself, not a drop, but I am relying on his ability to
save me. Look at Numbers 14, 6. And Joshua. the son of Nun and
Caleb, the son of Jephthah, which was of them that searched the
land." They rent their clothes. I can imagine how upset they
were when they believed God was going to bring them in because
of His ability. And they heard this garbage coming
out of the mouth of these ten spies giving this evil report.
They rent their clothes. This is the most ridiculous thing
we've ever heard. If God's for us, who can be against
us? Verse 7, And they spake unto the company of the children of
Israel, saying, The land which we pass through to search it
is an exceeding good land. If the Lord delight in us, then
he will bring us unto this land and give it to us. Now show me
where there's a work in there. If he delight in us, he'll bring
us into this land and he will give it to us. Sounds like grace
to me. Don't you think? He will give
it to us. Only rebel ye not. Against the
Lord, neither fear ye the people of the land, for they're bred
for us. Their defenses departed from them, and the Lord is with
us. Fear them not. But all the congregation bade
stone them with stones. After they gave the good report,
what does the congregation want to do? Put them to death. Why? Because they did not believe
this good report. They did not believe in the Lord's
ability to bring them into the land. And there's no excuse for
that. After all they'd experienced, they did not believe. Moses prays for them. And the
Lord said unto Moses, how long will this people provoke me?
How long will it be or they believe me for all the signs which I've
showed among them? I will smite them with the pestilence and
disinherit them and will make of thee a greater nation and
a mightier than they. Now, I put myself in Moses' place. I would probably say that sounds
good to me. I'm all in. But Moses, as a type
of Christ, praying for the people. And Moses said, and the Lord
then the Egyptians shall hear, for thou broughtest up the people.
in thy might from among them. And they will tell it to the
inhabitants of this land, for they've heard that thou, Lord,
are among this people, and that thou, Lord, art seen face to
face, and that the cloud standeth over them, and that thou goest
before them by daytime in a pillar of cloud and a pillar of fire
by night. Now, if thou kill all the people
as one man, then the nations which have heard the fame of
thee will speak, saying, because the Lord was not See the issue? Moses understood. The issue here is your ability. Because the Lord was not able
to bring this people into the land which he swear unto them,
therefore he has slain them in the wilderness. And now I beseech
thee, let the power of my Lord be great, according as thou spoken,
saying, and he reminds the Lord what he already said, That passage
Don read from Exodus 34. The Lord is long-suffering and
of great mercy, forgiving iniquity and transgression, by no means
clearing the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon
the children and to the third and fourth generation. Pardon,
I beseech thee, the iniquity of this people according to the
greatness of thy mercy. That's the only argument there
could be. according to the greatness of thy mercy. And as thou has forgiven this
people from Egypt, even until now, forgiven the way you've
always forgiven them freely for Christ's sake. That is the only
argument. Look in verse 36. And this is what Paul said in
first Corinthians 10. This is a reference to these
people. And the men which Moses sent
to search the land who returned and made all the congregation
to murmur against him by bringing up a slander upon the land, this
evil report. Even those men that did bring
up the evil report upon the land died by the plague before the
Lord. But Joshua, the son of Nun, and
Caleb, the son of Jephthah, which were of them men that went to
search the land, lived still." Now, let me close with this thought.
Can I say this believingly? Can you say this believingly? I know whom I have believed. And here's what comes from knowing
who he is. I am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I've committed
to him. against that day, the day of
judgment. I'm persuaded that he is able. I think a scripture that gives
us some insight into his ability when he by himself purged our
sins. He didn't have any help. He didn't
have any contribution from you or any other man. You see, because
of his ability, when he by himself purged our sins. He sat down at the right hand
of God. Are you persuaded of his ability
to save you? Now, if you're not, I pray that
that changes right this moment by the grace of God. This is
faith being persuaded and That word persuasive is in the passive
voice. The reason I'm persuaded is God
persuaded me. If you're persuaded, it's because
He persuaded you. I'm persuaded that He is able
to keep that which I've committed to Him against that day. May God give me and you eyes
to see the sufficiency of Christ, His ability to save, and look
to him alone. Let's pray. Lord, how we thank you that our
salvation is wholly dependent upon your ability to save. Not our ability to do anything,
but your great ability to save. Lord, we think of the Iris saying to Daniel, is
that God whom thou service continually able to deliver thee? And Lord, how he saw and we saw
when Daniel came out of the lion's den. Lord, give us that same
faith, trusting your ability to save us, the ability of your
son through the power of his sacrifice to make us holy and
unblameable and unreprovable in your sight. Bless this message
for Christ's sake. In his name we pray, amen.