Would you turn back to Romans
chapter 9? I'm excited about the conference
beginning this week, Friday at 7 o'clock, and I trust the Lord
will bless us with His presence. We won't have services this Wednesday
evening. I've entitled this message, The
Place of God's Will in Salvation. What is the place of God's will
in salvation? In verse 14 of Romans chapter
9, Paul says, what shall we say then? This is one of 10 times
he uses this expression or one very similar to it in the book
of Romans. What shall we say then? You remember in Romans
chapter 6, verse 1, when he said, what shall we say then? Shall
we continue in sin that grace may abound? If it's true that
where sin abounds, grace does much more abound. Should we continue
in sin that grace will continue to abound? He said in Romans
7, 7, what shall we say then? Is the law sin? If the law condemns
us, is the law a bad thing? Is the law sin? And then that
statement in Romans 8.31, what shall we say then to these things?
If God be for us, who can be against us? In Romans chapter
9 verse 14, the verse of scripture I just read, Paul was anticipating
an objection that he knew men would make to what he just said.
Now let's read what he just said in verse 11. of Romans chapter
nine, for the children, talking about Jacob and Esau, same mom,
same dad, same womb, for the children being not yet born,
neither having done any good or evil, that the purpose of
God according to election might stand, not of works, but of him
that calleth. It was said unto her, The elder
shall serve the younger. As it's written, Jacob have I
loved, but Esau have I hated. Now that's God's word. That's
God's testimony. Paul was anticipating the objection
that he knew would come up. How could that be fair? How could
it be fair for God to love Jacob and hate Esau? How could it be
fair for God to make this choice of Jacob and passing by Esau? How could that be fair? Now I
can understand that objection if a mother or father who had
twins, I can think of at least a couple in here who have, if
you showed gross favoritism toward one over the other. What if you
treated one real well and the other real bad. What if you gave
a lot to one and withheld from the other? No, that wouldn't
be right, would it? For a parent to show favoritism to one twin
over the other and treat the one twin better than the other.
If that was going on, it would be unfair. And I can understand
that objection. But is that what is going on
here? No, not at all. Turn with me for a moment to
Matthew chapter 20. Here's the same thing. This is the parable of the laborers
in the vineyard. Verse one, for the kingdom of
heaven is likened to a man that is a householder which went out
early in the morning to hire laborers into his vineyard. And
when he had agreed with the laborers for a penny a day, he sent them
into his vineyard. And he went out about the third
hour and saw others standing idle in the marketplace. And
he said to them, go ye also into the vineyard and whatsoever is
right, I'll give you. And they went their way. You know, the Lord always gives
what's right, doesn't he? He always gives what's right.
Verse five, and again, he went out the sixth hour and the ninth
hour and did likewise. And about the 11th hour, he went
out and found others standing idle and saith unto them, why
stand ye here all the day idle? They said unto him, Because no
man hath hired us, he saith unto them, Go also into the vineyard,
and whatsoever is right, that shall you receive. So when even
was come, the lord of the vineyard saith unto his steward, Call
the labors, and give them their hire, beginning from the last
unto the first. Now remember the last one worked an hour.
The first worked twelve hours. And when they came, that were
hired about the eleventh hour, they received every man a penny.
A penny. And that's when he gave the 12-hour
labors. A penny. What an act of graciousness.
Let's say they were making 10 bucks an hour, and the guys that
worked 12 hours were paid $120, and then the guys that only worked
one hour were paid $120. Is there unfairness with that? I know how I would be feeling.
I would think, well, he's gonna give me more. If he gave those
guys that worked one hour 120, I'm getting more than that penny
he said he would give me. Verse 10, but when they came
that, but when the first came, they supposed that they should
have received more. And they likewise received every
man a penny. Isn't that what he told him he'd
give him? He gave them exactly what he told them he would give
them. And when they received it, they murmured against the
good man of the house, saying, These that have wrought but one
hour, and thou hast made them equal unto us, which have borne
the burden and heat of the day." This is not fair. We've done
all the work. They worked for one hour, and
we worked twelve, and you put them on the same plane as us?
You make them equal with us. This is not fair. And I guarantee you, if I was
one of the fellas that worked 12 hours, I'd say the same thing.
I just know myself. This is not fair. I should get
more than they did because I did more than they did. Now look
at his reply. Verse 13. But he answered one of them and
said, Friend, I do thee no wrong. Didst not thou agree with me
for a penny? Take that thine is, and go thy
way, and I'll give unto this last even as unto thee. Is it not lawful for me to do
what I will with my own? Is thine I evil, because I am
good? Now, because I'm generous, To
these fellows who worked one hour, are you going to find fault
with me? Are you going to call me evil?
Do you have an evil eye toward me and find fault with me? Because
I'm generous to these one hour workers. Now, those fellows agreed for a penny
a day, didn't they? He gave them exactly what is
right. And he was generous to the men
who worked one hour. Now, are we going to call him
evil because he was generous? Let's say that there are three
men who had been guilty of crimes against humanity that we wouldn't
even mention, and they enjoyed doing them. They were wicked,
malicious, evil men that had hurt many people and had no remorse. And they're all sentenced to
be executed, and they deserve it richly. You'd say amen to
their execution. Now what if the judge decided to show mercy on one? Does that mean the other two
would be being done wrong and treated unfairly because they
were not shown mercy? No. Justice demands their execution. Now, what Paul is saying is,
are we saying God is unrighteous for saving one and passing by
the other? Both of them deserve to be passed
by, but God's merciful. God's gracious. God delights
in showing mercy. Now, because he had mercy on
this one, are we going to say he's unfair to the other? No,
the other deserved execution. But thank God he is merciful. You see, God is sovereign. That's who he is. That's so important. This is who he is. It's not a
doctrine. It's who he is. God is sovereign. He said concerning himself in
Daniel 4, 34, that he controlled. Well, I can't
quote it now. Turn it with me. Dropped out of my mind. Daniel
chapter four quoted all the time. Can't quote it right now. Daniel
chapter four. I remember it now. He do it.
Go ahead and turn there. But he doeth. according to his
will, in the armies of heaven and among the inhabitants of
the earth, and none can stay his hand or say unto him, what
doest thou? Give an account for yourself.
We don't agree with the way you're acting. God's sovereign, that's
who he is. He doeth according to his will. Now, I asked the question, or
I entitled this message, The place of God's will in salvation. Now listen to this. All of salvation
is contingent upon His will. Now let me repeat that. All of
salvation is contingent upon His will. His will is supreme
in salvation. I love the way Paul answers this
objection when he says, what should we say then? Is there
unrighteousness with God? God forbid. For he saith to Moses,
I'll have mercy on whom I will have mercy. And I'll have compassion
on whom I will have compassion. I love the way he does this.
Paul doesn't say, here's what's right, and God fits that bill,
God conforms himself to that standard. God doesn't conform
to anything, God's God. And he doesn't do something because
it's right. It's right because he does it. That's who he is. What should we say then? Is there
unrighteousness with God? God forbid. For he saith to Moses,
I'll have mercy on whom I will have mercy. I think of that passage
of scripture in first Corinthians chapter four, verse seven, where
Paul said, who makes thee to differ from another? Now I want
us to think about God's sovereignty for a moment, just in, in everyday
life. Look at the difference he makes,
for instance, in appearance. Somebody is good looking. Somebody is not so good looking.
Who made the difference? Think of the difference in those
people's, those person's lives. The one who is good looking and
the one who is not so good looking. Look at the advantages it seemingly
has for the person who's good looking. People make such an
emphasis on looks rather than character. But God made that
difference. Think of the conditions you're
born in. Somebody's born in a third world country with no opportunities
for education and advancement. Somebody else is born with a
silver spoon in their mouth and everything is given to them. God made the decision. Health. There are babies that
are born drug addicts because their parents were addicted or
their mother was addicted and they're born into the world as
a drug addict. There's somebody else that's
born perfectly healthy. Who made the difference? Think
about mental attainments. Somebody's born very intelligent
and is able to do all kinds of things, invent things, succeed. Somebody else is born with very
average intelligence and are never able to do very much. Well,
who made that difference? Who makes you to differ from
another? In spiritual gifts. Some have
more wisdom, more discernment, more understanding than others.
Who made that difference? Some are quick to hear. Some
find it difficult in this thing of discernment. Who made that
difference? In growth and grace. Some people have grown in grace
more than others. There's some people who are more
lowly, more humble, more forgiving, more meek. You see it in their
conduct, in their life, what a blessing they are. And there
are others who, Paul said, you're carnal and act as mean to the
Corinthians. Some are much more grown in grace
than others. Well, who made the difference
there? That's God, isn't it? It's growth in grace, isn't it?
Some are more useful than others. Some enjoy more of the comforts
of the gospel than others. Some have full assurance. Some
are always wondering constantly, what if I'm not saved? What if
I'm not saved? Who made that difference? God makes that difference,
doesn't he? You know, the very personality
that you have, God put it in your DNA before you were even
born. God makes the difference. We see that so clearly just in
everyday life, don't we? You look around you and you see
God's absolute sovereignty just in the way people are. Hannah
put it this way. The Lord killeth, and the Lord
maketh alive. He bringeth down to the grave,
and he bringeth up. The Lord maketh poor, and he
maketh rich. He bringeth low, and he lifteth
up. Turn with me to Isaiah chapter
45 for a moment. This is God speaking to a heathen
king who does not even know him, doesn't even know he exists.
Isaiah chapter 45, beginning in verse 5. I am the Lord and
there's none else. There's no God beside me. He's
speaking to Cyrus and he says, I girded thee though thou has
not known me. that they may know from the rising
of the sun and from the west that there's none beside me.
I am the Lord, and there's none else. I form the light and create
darkness. I make peace and create evil.
I, the Lord, do all these things. Look in chapter 46, verse 9. God says, Remember the former
things of old, for I am God, and there's none else. I'm God,
and there's none like me. declaring the end from the beginning
and from ancient times, the things that are not yet done, saying,
my counsel shall stand and I will do all my pleasure. Calling a ravenous bird from
the east, the man that executes my counsel from a far country.
Yea, I've spoken it. I will also bring it to pass.
I have purposed it. I will also do it. Now, The sovereignty of God,
it's not a doctrine. It's who he is. How his sovereignty was demonstrated
in creation. When he created the universe,
who did he consult with? Light be, and the darkness fled. How his sovereignty is seen in
providence, He controls everything. Everything that happens in providence, He's the first cause behind.
Providence, divine providence, is Him working out in time what
He decreed in eternity. He is the first cause behind. I know there's secondary causes
and there are tutionary causes. Learn that word from Rich. One
time I said, I don't know, what are third causes? He said, tutionary.
Good. Good word. I know that one now.
Helped my vocabulary. But the fact of the matter is,
God is the cause. That is who he is. Now you think of all the events
in your life that led you to where you are right now. God
is the cause. Does that come for you? God is
the cause. He is the cause of all the free,
of all events. The lot is cast into the lap,
but the whole disposing thereof is of the Lord. Lot seems to
be, though lots is luck, isn't it? Luck, where it lands up.
But the whole disposing thereof is of the Lord. God is in control
of the free actions of men. Now, men, you do what we want
to do. When you sin, whose fault is
it? It's your fault. Can't blame
God. But God is in control of all
the free actions of men. Listen to this scripture from
Proverbs 16, 9. A man's heart deviseth his way. We make plans,
don't we? But the Lord directeth his steps. The preparations of the heart
of man and the answer from the tongue is from the Lord. Did
someone speak harshly to you? Did someone say something that
hurt your feelings, that troubled you? Did they make a wrong judgment
about you? Did they speak critically of
you? Did someone do that? Sure they
did. Who told them to do it? The Lord
did. The Lord did. I think of Shemai
where he was cursing David and Abner said, you want me to take
off his head? David said, no. The Lord said, curse David. The
Lord even controls the sinful actions of men. Him being delivered
by the determinant counsel and foreknowledge of God, you have
taken and with wicked hands have crucified and slain. Turn with
me to Genesis chapter 45. This is one of the most beautiful
passages of scripture in all the word of God. Now, regarding
God's providence, Him being controlled, in control of everything. There's
such comfort in this. Genesis chapter 45, now Joseph,
You want to talk about someone who was done wrong. You want
to talk about someone who was misrepresented. You want to talk
about someone who had all kinds of bad things happen to him.
Joseph, remember what his brothers did to him? They sold him as
a slave, told his daddy he was killed by a beast and sold him
as a slave, washed their hands of him to get rid of him. They
hated him. Joseph, they hated him. Now comes the time when
they come back to Egypt and God has made Joseph the head man
in Egypt. They come to get food. They're
going to have to get it from Joseph. Now look, and all of
a sudden, Joseph's going to make himself known to them. They didn't
know who he was. They thought he was just this Egyptian king.
Now verse one of Genesis chapter 45. Then Joseph could not refrain
himself before all them that stood by him. And he cried, cause
every man to go out for me. And there stood no man with him
while Joseph made himself known unto his brethren. And he wept
aloud and the Egyptians in the house of Pharaoh heard. And Joseph
said unto his brethren, I'm Joseph, doth my father yet live? And
his brethren couldn't answer him. For they were troubled at
his presence. And Joseph said unto his brethren,
Come near to me, I pray you. And they came near. And he said,
I am Joseph your brother, whom you sold into Egypt. Now, Joseph
hadn't forgot that, had he? You know, people say if you really
forgive somebody, you forget what they did. He didn't forget
it, did he? You sold me into Egypt. You did this. Now, look
what he says, though. Verse 5. Now, therefore, be not
grieved nor angry with yourselves that you sold me hither, for
God did send me before you to preserve life. For these two
years hath the famine been in the land, and yet there are five
years in which there shall neither be earing nor harvest, and God
sent me before you to preserve you a posterity in the earth.
When you threw me into that pit and sold me, God did it. to save
your lives by a great deliverance, verse eight, so now it was not
you that sent me hither, but God. God did this. Isn't that glorious? We can say
that regarding everything. It's God. You meant it for evil,
but he meant it for good. Oh, the Lord's glorious providence. His will is in control of everything. Now, We see the supremacy of
His will in creation. He willed the universe into existence. We see the supremacy of His will
in providence. He controls everything. And most
especially, we see the supremacy of His will in salvation. Would God take His most glorious
work, salvation, and leave it into the hands of the will of
man? Not at all. Oh, the supremacy
of God's will in salvation. Salvation, look what he says
in verse, back to our text, Romans chapter nine, verse 16. Romans
chapter nine. You know, I love the word salvation
or being saved. I was listening to a message
by a man this week, and he kept making this statement, well,
God can change your life. God can change your life. And
I thought, I don't want the Lord to change my life, but I don't
need my life changed. I need to be saved. I need the Lord
to save my soul. I need the Lord to save me. And
that's my continual prayer. Lord, save me. Salvation. Salvation. What a glorious word
that God saves sinners. Now look at our text again. Verse
14. What shall we say then to this
thing of The children being not yet born, neither having done
any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to election
might stand not of works, but of him that calleth. What are
we going to say to this? Is there unrighteousness with God? God
forbid, for he saith to Moses, I'll have mercy on whom I will
have mercy. And I'll have compassion on whom I will have compassion.
So then, it's not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth. It's not because of a man's will
or of a man's exertion. but of God that showeth mercy."
Now understand, salvation is not a reward. It's not a response
to man's will. It's not a payment to man's exertion. The entirety of salvation is
contingent upon the will of God. If the entirety of creation rests
on his will, and if the entirety of providence hinges on his sovereign
will, would we dare think anything less of his most glorious work,
salvation, that it all hinges on his will. Now let's think
of some horrible implications of man's will being the deciding
factor in salvation. Here's first horrible implication. God's purpose is entirely contingent
upon man's will. That's a horrible implication,
isn't it? God's purpose is dependent on man's will. God's reduced
to a spectator. He's got to wait and see what
you're going to do. It's possible if God's will is
not supreme in salvation, it's possible
that heaven would be empty. That's an actual possibility.
It could be that nobody would choose Christ and the angels
would look at this depressing place and think, oh, all these
people that he wanted to save that didn't end up being saved.
What a shame. This view makes man's will sovereign
over God's will. And it makes God's will subservient
to man's will and actually puts man's will on the throne. Man is in control. How dreadful. How horrible. This is a denial. If God's will is not supreme
in salvation and man's will has some part of the saving of his
soul, his acceptance or so on. If this is true, it's a denial
of how the Bible describes a man dead in trespasses and sins with
no ability to save himself at all. Our Lord said, no man can
come to me except the father, which has sent me draw him. And
this. idea of man's will having some
part in salvation runs contrary to the experience of all of God's
people. They know if they have a will to come to Christ, Christ
made them willing. Don't you know that? Psalm 110.3
says, thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power. And
you know if you're willing, God made you willing. Blessed is
the man whom thou choosest and causes to approach unto thee.
Oh, what a blessing that is to be caused by His grace to approach
unto Him. Oh, Lord, cause me to approach
unto You. Philippians chapter 2 verse 13 says, Work out your
own salvation with fear and trembling, for it's God that worketh in
you, both to will and to do of His good pleasure. That's our
experience. I know, I so much know that my
will didn't save me. His will did. And I love that. I rejoice in that. It's who he
is. Now, even now, we say to will
is present with me. I've got a will. but how to perform
that which is good? I find not." That's Paul's testimony. Paul didn't believe even though
he had a will renewed by grace. He knew that there was no such
thing as free will. But for all these reasons I've
given, these horrible implications of man having a free will, what
it denies about man, it being contrary to our experience, it's
not the main reason for my objection to man's free will and God having
supremacy in his will and salvation. Here's why. Because it's what
the Bible actually says. Let's just forget all these logical
reasons and experiential reasons. Let's look at what the Bible
says. I just read in our text, it's not of him that willeth,
nor of him that runneth, but of God that showeth mercy. Now when we talk about salvation,
we've got to talk about salvation the way the Bible talks about
it. And the Bible talks about a Trinitarian salvation, the
work of the Father, the work of the Son, and the work of the
Spirit in salvation. You can't speak of salvation
if you don't talk about the Father's work, the Son's work, and the
Spirit's work. Now how supreme is the will of
God in the work of the Father? Listen to this scripture in Ephesians
chapter one, verses four through six, according as he has chosen
us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should
be holy and without blame before him in love, having predestinated
us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ unto himself,
according to the good pleasure of his will. Everything he does,
he does according to, literally, the will of his will. Why did he choose us, if we're
chosen? Because he willed to. That's the only reason. In Ephesians
1, 9, in whom also we've obtained an inheritance, being predestinated
according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after
the counsel of his own will. Now, the will of God is supreme
in the work of the Father in election, isn't it? Those scriptures
I gave answers that completely. Well, what about the will of
God in the work of the Son? Certainly, it was God's will to bring Christ into the earth
in the first place. He said in the volume of the
book it's written of me, I delight to do thy will, O God. I think of when our Lord was
praying in the Garden of Gethsemane, and I don't understand this,
neither does anybody else, but he was praying, saying, Father,
if it be possible, Let this cup pass from me, this cup of being. He knew he was going to be forsaken
by God. He knew he was going to bear the awful wrath of his
father in the room of his people. And he said, if it be possible,
let this cup pass from me. Nevertheless, not my will, but
thine be done. It was the will of the Father
for him to go through everything he went through. And we read
in Hebrews chapter 10 verse 11, by the witch will, the will of
God, by the witch will, we are sanctified through the offering
of the body of Jesus Christ Once for all, it was the will of God
that caused him to accomplish everything that he accomplished
on Calvary Street. You see how supreme God's will
is in the work of Christ? And what about regeneration?
What about the work of God, the Holy Spirit, when we're born
again? Does that have anything to do
with man's will? Well, listen to these scriptures.
John 1, 12 and 13, but as many as received him, to them gave
you the power to become the sons of God. even to them which believe
on his name, which were born, not of blood, not of the will
of the flesh, not of the will of man, but of God. That's how you're born again,
by the will of God. James 118 says, of his own will
begat he us through the word of truth. Now does all this mean that our
will has no place in salvation? When you're talking about God's
will, does that mean our will has no place in salvation? It
has no meritorious place, but it has a place. Now listen real
carefully. No man ever came to Christ who
didn't will to do so. If you come to Christ, it's because
you willed to come to Christ. That was your will. That was
your desire. If a sinner wills to come to
Christ for salvation, God will save him. Didn't the Lord say,
him that cometh to me, I will in no wise cast out. Didn't he
say that? For no reason whatsoever. If you come to Christ, he will
not cast you out. Now, we also know this. If a sinner willed to come, it's
because God made him willing. Thy people shall be willing in
the day of thy power. You know, I can't make myself
willing and I can't make you willing. But he can, and he does. I love where the Lord said to
that man that he was, he'd been impotent, weak, sinful, couldn't
walk, laying on a bed for 38 years. And some sin, some sinful
activity had brought on this Sinful, this impotence and this
weakness and this ability, because the Lord said, go and sin no
more, lest a worse thing happen to thee. Here he lays. Christ's
here. Wilt thou be made whole? Wilt thou? Think of that question. Are you willing to be made whole? Not are you willing to save yourself,
willing to do whatever it takes for your salvation. Are you willing
to be made whole? Revelation 22, 17 says, and the
Spirit and the bride say, come. And let him that heareth say,
come. And let him that is a thirst, come. And whosoever will, Let
him take the water of life freely, whosoever will. What does that
mean, free will? No, but it sure means whosoever
will. It doesn't say whosoever won't. It says whosoever will. Let him take the water of life
freely. Do you desire to have the water
of life for free? Do you? That's what God says. Well, shouldn't
I pray first? No, take it. Well, shouldn't
I get my life straightened out first? No, take it. Well, shouldn't
I understand a little bit more? No, take it. Whosoever will,
let him take the water of life freely without a cause in you. lay hold upon eternal life. Now I'd like to close by showing
you a man who had absolutely no problem with the place of
God's will in salvation. Remember, that's the title of
this message, The Place of God's Will in Salvation. Everything
is dependent upon God's will and salvation. His will is supreme
in salvation. And let me show you a fellow
who had absolutely no problem with that. Turn with me to Matthew
chapter 8. Verse one, and when he was come down from
the mountain, great multitudes followed him,
and behold, something very noteworthy is getting ready to take place,
something you and I should pay very close attention to. And
behold, there came a leper. Now, leprosy in the scriptures
represents sin. And Luke's account tells us he
was full of leprosy. And according to the law, he
wasn't permitted to do what he was doing. He had to stand afar
off with a cloth over his mouth and cry out, unclean! Unclean! He wasn't allowed to be in the
presence of healthy people. But he comes into Christ's presence. And behold, there came a leper
and worshipped him. Now understand this. The issue
of worship is to be settled before anything else is. He's to be
worshipped, whatever he does with me or you. And this leper had not yet been
cleansed. And he didn't even know if the
Lord would cleanse him. But he worshiped him. And this is going to be settled
before anything else. Is Christ the object of divine
worship where you bow before him and worship without reference
to what he does for me or you? If he sends you to hell, he is
still worthy to be worshipped as God manifest in the flesh. This issue must first be settled. We can't go on until this issue
is settled. Behold, there came a leper and
worshipped him, saying, Lord, Now, one thing I know about this
leper, he knew who the Lord was. He's the Lord. You're the one
in control. There came a leper and worshiped
him, saying, Lord, I will that thou make me clean. No, he didn't
say anything like that, did he? Why, that would be offensive.
He said, Lord, if you would. Now this leper knew it was absolutely
up to the will of Christ. People talk about man's will
and whosoever will. Well, this leper knew whose will
was in control. He said, Lord, if you will, you can make me clean. Now he knew this, the Lord had
the ability to make him clean. And he knew it was utterly up
to the will of Jesus Christ as to whether or not he would be
clean. And you know what he came for? He said, Lord, if you will,
You can make me clean. This is what I need. I need to
be clean. I'm filthy. I'm filled with sin
and I can't change that. Would you, if you will, you can
make me clean. Now he obviously didn't have
any problem with the supremacy of Christ's will, did he? He
knew it. Verse 3, and Jesus put forth his hand and touched him. How long do you reckon it had
been since he'd been touched? Would you want to touch him? I wouldn't. He's unclean. But Jesus put forth
his hand and touched him. The touch of almighty grace. And look at these words, saying,
I will. What power in those words. I will. Be thou clean. And immediately, his leprosy was cleansed. And let me say this to myself,
and let me say this to you. If you come, like this leper
did, behold, there came a leper and worshipped him, saying, Lord,
if you you can make me clean. If you come like this leper did,
you will hear the exact same words this leper heard. I will
be thou clean. Now remember, the place of God's will and salvation
doesn't prevent anybody from being saved. The place of God's
will and salvation opens wide the door for any sinner who comes
like this leper did. And if you come like he did,
you already have been received by him. May the Lord enable me
and you to imitate this leper. Let's pray.