Every time I hear that song,
I'm brought back to a time when I was in college. And I thought,
I'm going to seek the Lord to find him. And I spent that day
reading the scriptures, trying to pray. And by the end of the
day, I felt like I failed. I have not found him. And I read
the scriptures, they weren't speaking to me, whatever, and
I started thumbing through the hymn book, and I read that hymn. And that second verse, upon the
cross of Jesus, mine eyes at times can see the very dying
form of one who suffered there for me, and from my smitten heart
with tears, two wonders I confess. the wonders of his glorious love
and my own worthlessness." And I remember how that touched me
so long ago. So I love that hymn. Would you
turn back to Acts chapter 7? I've entitled this message, Beautiful
to God. Acts chapter seven, verse 20. In which time Moses was born
and was exceeding fair. And like I said, my marginal
reading says fair to God. And that is in the original.
I'm not sure why the translators left that out. He was exceeding
fair to God. and nourished up in his father's
house three months. In Exodus chapter two, verse
two, when his birth is spoken of, it says his parents saw him
as a goodly child, a beautiful child. And I'm sure he was a
beautiful child. Hebrews 11, 23 says his parents
saw him as a proper child. But in our text, it's literally
he was fair to God, beautiful to God. God saw this baby and
he saw one who he deemed beautiful. Let me read quite a few other
translations. These are not from the King James,
obviously, but they're better translations. Fair to God. Well-pleasing
to God. Beautiful in God's eyes. I like
this one. No ordinary child. Beautiful
in God's sight. Lovely in the sight of God. Beautiful, beautiful before God. Beautiful to God. Now, I imagine
he was a beautiful baby, but this is not speaking of physical
beauty. Now, there is such a thing as
physical beauty. You know that, and I know that. Some people are born beautiful.
The ones you like are the ones who know it. The ones you don't
like are the ones who know it. You know, I've been born beautiful,
and I think that there are certain advantages they have, and there
are certain advantages they do have. I mean, if you're A good-looking
person, you're going to have advantages in this life, unfair
as it may be. You're going to have advantages
over others in this life. You know where it says all men
are created equal? No, they're not. No, they're not. There's
some people who are born with more advantages than other people. Some people born more intelligent
than other people. I mean, that's just the way it
is. And there are certain advantages you'll have if you're one of
the, quote, beautiful people. This is not what this is talking
about. And as far as that goes, physical beauty, it'll leave
you. I don't care how beautiful you
are, if you live long enough, you're gonna look ugly. You will. It's gonna happen. Anybody, age
is going to get to you. And you're not gonna be the beautiful
person you are. But this is not talking about physical beauty. Now it said regarding Moses,
the infinite, eternal, omnipotent, omniscient, omnipresent, sovereign
of the universe looked at Moses at his birth. And he saw one
who was beautiful. Beautiful. And do you know, with
regard to everyone of God's elect, this is true. you're seen by God himself as
beautiful. God knows beauty. I mean, you don't really know it,
but he does. And if he sees one as beautiful,
they are beautiful. beautiful in God's sight. Beautiful on the outside, beautiful
on the inside. God looked at Moses, this baby,
and he was beautiful in God's sight. Now would you turn with
me for a moment to Psalm 90. Moses, like you, And I, Moses
was a sinner and Moses knew he was a sinner. And if you would
have asked Moses, are you beautiful on the inside? He'd say, Oh no,
Oh no. He didn't see himself that way at all. Now, Psalm 90,
I want you to notice the name of this Psalm and remember these
names are inspired. These names are inspired, these
titles over the Psalms. And look at the title over this
90th Psalm. The Psalm of Moses, the man of
God. Moses wrote this Psalm. I'm not
sure if he wrote any other Psalms, but I know he wrote this Psalm
and his name is above it. Now, look what he says, beginning
in verse three. Thou turnest man to destruction
and says, return ye children of men. For a thousand years
in thy sight are but as yesterday, when it's passed, and as a watch
in the night. Thou carriest them away as with
a flood. They are as a sleep. They are
as a sleep in the morning. They're like grass, which grows
up in the morning. It flourishes. It grows up in
the evening. It's cut down withers for we are consumed by that anger
and by that wrath. Are we troubled? Thou has set
our iniquities before thee. Our secret sins that nobody else
knows about, but you. They're brought in the light
of thy countenance. For all our days are passed away
in thy wrath. We spend our years as a tale
that is told. Now that's Moses' estimation
of himself. Look down at verse 17. And let the beauty of the Lord
our God be upon us. Now, how can that be? He didn't
believe himself to be a beautiful person. He talked about his secret
sins and his iniquities before the light of God's countenance.
And any believer feels that way. There's no believer that does
not feel that way. And he makes this request, let
the beauty of the Lord our God be upon us. Now, how can that
be? If you're beautiful to God, it's
because his beauty is on you. I love the song, when I stand
before thy throne, dressed in beauty, not my own. When I see thee as thou art,
love thee with unsinning heart, then, Lord, shall I fully know,
not till then, how much I owe. How can the Lord's beauty be
upon me? So that when the Lord sees me,
he sees one who is beautiful in his sight. And God doesn't
pretend. He doesn't say, I know he's not
beautiful, but I'm counting my beauty to him. And that makes
you beautiful. No, it's not some kind of putting
the ledger back and forth. No, if God sees me as beautiful,
there's only one reason. I am beautiful in His sight. Now, we have to begin probably
going over some things I already said this morning. That's not
going to hurt anything. The Bible is the inspired Word of God.
That's the only way we can learn something about the beauty of
God being upon the believer. You got to begin with the Bible
being the inspired word of God and the Bible tells us how this
can be. Now in the Bible, this book of inspiration that God
has written to reveal to us who he is. There's no saving knowledge
of God apart from this book. We just read Psalm 19 read and
there we have God's two books, the book of nature, the son that
tested going across its circuit, testifying that God is God, the
firmament showing forth his handiwork. Then he talks about the word
of God. It's pure, enlightening the eyes, clean, enduring forever. The word of God reveals the inspired
word of God. All scripture is given by inspiration
of God. You got to begin there. You got
to begin there. And the Bible tells us how a
sinner can be beautiful before God. Now, the Bible reveals that
God is one God in three distinct persons, the Father, the Son,
and the Holy Ghost. Not three gods. One God in three
distinct persons, the triune God. Of course, we couldn't figure
this out on our own. I mean, if there wasn't a Bible,
and this was never heard of, and you came up to somebody who'd
been revealed to you somehow, God is one God in three persons,
you're crazy. Why, that doesn't even make sense.
Well, He is. One God and three different persons. It's a mystery we would have
never known had not God made it known. And all three persons
of the Godhead act in making the sinner beautiful. God the Father elects a sinner
to be beautiful. That's what salvation is. It's
to be beautiful to God. God the Son redeemed those people
and saved them from what made them ugly, their sins, and put
them away. And God the Holy Spirit gives
them spiritual life. Understand the Trinity? No. Believe
with all my heart and with all my soul by his grace. This is
who He is. In the beginning, I love this
scripture, in the beginning was the Word. And the Word was with
God, a distinct person. And the Word was God. The same was in the beginning
with God. Now, before creation, When there
was no time, there was no space, the universe had not been created,
the three persons of the Godhead rejoiced in one another. I love to think about that. Before
there was a moon or stars, before there were planets, before there
was a creation, when all there was was God. I know we can't
comprehend that. God's not bound by time and space. There was a, I can't even say
there was a time when there was all good, because there wasn't
such thing as time. Time didn't begin until the creation. All
there was, was God. And how the Father loved the
Son. How beautiful the son was to
the father, how the son delighted in the spirit, how the spirit
rejoiced in the son, perfect fellowship, worshiping one another. He didn't have any needs. He
didn't need to create. But here he is in the three persons
of his sacred person, loving, worshiping, and adoring one another. Turn with me for a moment to
Proverbs chapter 8. Now wisdom is personified. This
is Christ speaking under the name wisdom. It begins with does
not wisdom cry and understanding put forth a voice. Now listen
to the words of the Lord Jesus beginning in verse 22. The Lord possessed me in the
beginning of His way, before His works of old. I was set up
from everlasting, from the beginning, or ever the earth was. When there
were no depths, I was brought forth. When there were no fountains
abounding with water, before the mountains were settled, before
the hills was I brought forth. While as yet he had not made
the earth, nor the fields, nor the highest part of the dust
of the world, when he prepared the heavens, I was there. When
he set a compass upon the face of the depth, when he established
the clouds above, when he strengthened the fountains of the deep, when
he gave to the sea his decree that the water should not pass
his commandment, when he appointed the foundations of the earth,
Then I was by him as one brought up with him, and I was daily
his delight, rejoicing always before him, rejoicing in the
habitable part of his earth, and my delights were with the
sons of men. Even then, my delights were with
the sons of men." Now, there's something else we know from this
book. We know this book is the inspired
Word of God. We know that God is one God in
three persons, God the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Spirit.
We know that before time began, the three persons of the Godhead
worshiped and adored and rejoiced in one another. But you know
something else we know from the Word of God? That even then,
Christ had a people in him. Christ had a people that he knew
in him. These are the people who were
perfectly united to him. He knew and loved each of them
individually before the foundation of the world. You know what that
means? That means before time began, God knew you, and it means
you have not been out of his thoughts for one moment at any
time. Isn't that incredible? Jeremiah 31, three, behold, I
have loved thee. Individuals, not just some kind
of generic love of mankind, Behold, I have loved thee with an everlasting
love. Therefore, with loving kindness
have I drawn thee. He said to Jeremiah, and he says
this to all his people, before I formed thee in the belly, I
knew thee. Never been a time when he didn't
know you. did foreknow, then he also did predestinate to be
conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn
among many brethren." Hebrews 2 11 says, both he that sanctifies,
I love this scripture, both he that sanctifies and they who
are sanctified. Both he who makes holy and they
who are made holy. are all of one. Not close, but one. For the witchcaws he
is not ashamed to call them brethren. Now before time, These ones that
He has always known had this beauty, the beauty of the Lord
God upon them, being united with the Lord Jesus Christ. However
beautiful Christ is, that's how beautiful they are. Now these are the ones the Father
gave to Him as a bride before time began. It's what's called
election. Ephesians 1, 4, according as He hath chosen us in Him before
the foundation of the world, that we should be holy. We read
this term, the beauties of holiness, quite often in the scriptures,
that we should be holy and without blame before Him. Now listen
to this scripture. All that the Father, these are
all the words of the Lord Jesus Christ. He said, all that the
Father giveth me. shall come to me. This is the
will of him that sent me, that of all which he hath given me,
I should lose nothing, but raise it up again at the last day.
My father, which gave them me, is greater than all. No man's
ever plucked them out of my father's hand. As thou has given him power
over all flesh, that he should give eternal life to as many
as thou has given him. I've manifested thy name unto
the men which thou gavest me out of the world. Thine they
were, thou gavest them me. John 17, nine, I pray for them. I pray not for the world, but
for them which thou hast given me, for they are thine. Father, I will that they also
whom thou hast given me be with me where I am. Now we see that
this beauty began before time began and Christ came into the
world to represent these people the father gave him. These people
before time again had their beauty from the lamb slain from the
foundation of the world. That's where their beauty came
from. Now, all of this took place before creation. Then we know
from revelation that God created the heavens and the earth, including
that, including is the creation of Adam. And he was the representative
man. Now, before the fall, he walked
in fellowship and communion and enjoyment of God. Then we have
the fall, the fall of man. Now, you don't understand the
fall if you don't understand that this was all according to
God's purpose. Could God have prevented the
fall? Of course he could have. That's a ridiculous question
when it comes right down to it. Of course he could have. But
he didn't. Why? Because it was his purpose. In the day you eat thereof, thou
shalt surely die. And Adam lost his beauty. He became a sinner, repugnant
in God's sight. A sinner by the fall, And after
him, everybody that's in him became a sinner by birth, a sinner
by choice, and a sinner by practice. Adam lost his beauty. Included in the fall were the
elect. All the elect, those who are
in Christ, were also in Adam's loins. Wherefore, as by one man
sin entered the world, and death by sin, so death passed upon
all men, and that all have sinned." Now, with regarding to these
elect, these ones united to Christ, He knew them when they fell. He never stopped loving them
when they fell. You see, this fall was all a
part of God's purpose to glorify his son in saving his people. Now, Christ achieved glory that
he would not have achieved had he not gone to the cross. But
in him going to the cross, he makes known every attribute of
almighty God. Every display, every attribute
is displayed clearly. God's holiness, God's love, God's
grace, God's sovereignty, God's justice, God's power. All that
God is, is described by the cross. Now this is God's purpose and
it's best. It's best. Well, why didn't God save everybody?
Because it was best for him not to. Whatever he does. And I'm
not going to apologize for God. Whatever he does is right, just,
holy, and true. And it was best, and all of the
elect were loved by Christ, even in spite of the fall. Before time, when he was rejoicing
before the Father, he didn't have a physical body. He assumed
flesh to save the people that God gave him as his holy, precious
bride. Now turn with me to Ephesians
chapter five. I want you to see this. Familiar scripture, but no less
astounding. Verse 25, husbands, love your
wives, even as Christ also loved the church and gave himself for
it, that he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of
water by the word that he might present it to himself, a glorious
church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that it
should be holy and without blemish. Now there is the beauty of the
church. Christ gave himself for it that
he might wash it and cleanse it and make it to be without
spot, without wrinkle, his beautiful bride. That's what the Lord did
for his church. He made her perfectly beautiful
on the inside and on the outside. And when God sees every one of
those united to Christ, He sees them as beautiful. Beautiful. It's how God Moses, and this
is how God saw Moses. This is how he sees every believer
as beautiful. And let me add this. The way
God sees is the way it really is. I love Psalm 50 verse 2. Out of Zion, the perfection of
beauty has shined. Child of God, you don't see yourself
this way, but he does. He does. And listen to these
scriptures real carefully. These are from the Psalm of Solomon.
Christ says to every one of his people, thou art all fair, my
love. There's no spot in thee. Thou hast ravished my heart with
one of thine eyes. My dove, let me see thy face. Let me hear thy voice, for sweet
is thy voice, and thy countenance is comely. Believer, how he loves you in
your beauty that he's made you to be. You're always in his thoughts. There's never been a time, a
second, before or after the making of time when he hadn't been thinking
about you. When he hasn't loved you. You're always on his mind. That Willie Nelson sings that
song, it's not what I'm talking about. You really were always
on his mind. Just like a high priest with the names
of the children of Israel engraved on his breast, always there right
by his heart. There's never been any time where
the Lord's thoughts are not toward me. And remember this about the
Lord's thoughts. The Lord's thoughts are his actions.
It's not just thinking and something doesn't happen. It's his glorious
thoughts. I think of this passage of scripture,
2 Corinthians 8, 9, you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ.
that though he was rich, oh, his riches, can't even describe
them, for your sakes he became poor, that you through his poverty
might be rich. Now that's love. That's love,
isn't it? What about this? The father spared
not his own son. Now that's love. The father spared
not his own son but delivered him up for us all. Hastily not
also with him, freely give us all things. Have God the Holy
Spirit loves you as to take up permanent residence in your heart. He's there and he'll never be
anywhere but there. He will never leave. Now he's made this beautiful,
precious bride, and just as Moses was beautiful in God's sight,
so is every believer, without exception. How beautiful. We'll turn to 1 John chapter
4. I quoted this this morning. I don't apologize for quoting
it twice the same day. Verse 17. Herein is our love made perfect
that we may have boldness, confidence in the day of judgment, because
as he is. How beautiful is Jesus Christ.
How beautiful is Jesus of Nazareth. How beautiful is the Lord of
glory. How beautiful is the ancient
of days? How beautiful is Jesus Christ
to his father? Oh, the father is overcome with
the beauty of the son. As he is, so are we in this world right
now. You may not feel very beautiful. But your beauty is such that
the thrice holy God says, there is no spot in thee. And one of these days, you see
the flesh keeps this from being seen. But you know the way the
Lord was transfigured? and his deity burst through his
humanity and his face shined as the sun. You're familiar with
that passage of scripture. You know what else the Lord said?
The Lord said concerning all of his disciples, you shall shine
as the sun in the kingdom of your heavenly father. Every believer,
that's the beauty they possess. Now the flesh keeps it covered
up. You know that. It can't be seen. But until that
time where the Lord takes us and brings us into His presence,
here is our song while here on earth. First chapter of the Song
of Solomon, I'm black but comely. I'm sinful, but absolutely beautiful." This is what Moses meant when
he said, the beauty of the Lord our God be upon us. Now, with regard to every believer, that's the truth regarding everybody
that Christ died for. Beautiful. in God's sight. Let's pray. Lord, by your grace, we believe
what you say in your word. And when you told us as your
son is, so are we in this world. Lord, we believe. And Lord, we're so. Tired of
our sin. And we're so ashamed of ourselves
that we're not more tired of it than we are. And Lord, we
ask that you would hasten the day. The coming of thy son. when we shall see him as he is
and be like him. How beautiful he is. How glorious he is. And Lord, you've told us that
the king's daughter is all glorious within. How we thank you for your spirit
God, the Holy Spirit, who birthed us into thy kingdom and gave
us your life. Lord, as we face this coming
week, we ask that we might be enabled to believe what you say
in your word. Trust thy son. Walk in fellowship
and communion with him. and give us the grace to walk
in fellowship and communion with one another. Esteeming the other
is better than ourselves. But how we thank you for your
glorious person, how we thank you for the trinity of your Godhead,
how we thank you that you're God the Father, God the Son,
and God the Holy Spirit. Accept our thanksgiving through
thy blessed Son. In his name we pray.