on 1 Corinthians 2 today. I want
to bring a message in St. Croix from that passage of scripture.
I'm not preaching tonight, but maybe I'll preach it here too,
but I prepared that and that was a blessing hearing that.
Also, Greg Elmquist called me and asked that the church would
pray for his daughter. Her tumors are growing. And they're
going to have to have surgery in the next few days. So remember
them in prayer. His daughter's name is Jennifer
Crocker, and she's a lovely lady. Psalm 65. Verse 4, David says, Blessed
is the man. Now, I want to be somebody that
God blesses, don't you? I greatly desire His blessing. I want Him to bless me. I want
Him to bless you. You know, the Psalms start with,
Blessed is the man. who walks not after the counsel
of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth
in the seat of the scornful, but his delight is in the law
of the Lord, and on his law he doth meditate day and night."
And we have many descriptions throughout the Psalms of a blessed
man In verse 1 of Psalm 65, David
says, Praise waiteth for thee, O God, in Zion, and unto thee
shall the vow be performed. Now, in Zion, in the church,
God is praised. He is not loved by the world,
but he is loved and esteemed and praised by the church. Now that word, waiteth, can also
be translated, praise is silent before thee. Praise is silent. It bows its head and
it feels like it can't speak. His majesty is such that no praise
can do him justice. The highest praise that we can
give falls infinitely short. You know, when Paul was brought
into the third heaven, remember what he said? He heard unspeakable
words, which are not lawful for a man to utter. You see, our
praise has to be washed in the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ,
because apart from his blood, all our praise is, is taking
his name in vain. You know, even when I say praise
the Lord, I don't say it very often. Maybe I should say it
more. I'm careful when I use that phrase. But even when I
say praise the Lord, I cringe just a little bit. Why? Because of who's saying it. Because
of who's saying it. Praise is silent before thee. Be still and know that I am God. Praise is silent before thee,
O God, in Zion. In Zion, every believer knows
what I'm talking about. You know, I can't explain it
to an unbeliever, but every believer knows what I'm talking about.
And here's the reason why our prayers can be heard, unto thee
shall the vow be performed. Now what's that talking about?
Unto thee shall the vow be performed. Have you ever made a promise
to God, vowed, I'll never do that again. Ever made that promise? I've made it a few times. Did
you keep it? Not once. As a matter of fact,
there's no vow that you and I have ever really kept before God.
This is not talking about some vow we make. This is talking
about the vow of the Lord Jesus Christ when he stood as a surety
for God's elect. And he vowed that he would bear
complete responsibility for their salvation. I will pay that which
I vowed, he said in Jonah 2. And he honored his vow. And because of his vow, because
he honored his vow, because he bore the responsibility of my
sin, because he bore my sin, because he saved me. Now, my
praise is acceptable to God. Without the Lord Jesus Christ,
it would be nothing more than taking his name in vain. But
through the Lord Jesus Christ, my feeble attempt at praise is
a sweet-smelling savor to God, because he performed His vow. Verse 2, O thou that hearest
prayer. What a name for our Lord. O thou
that hearest prayer. Me not always to pray, and not
to faint, not to lose heart, because God hears prayer through
the Lord Jesus Christ. He hears prayer. Have you prayed? Have you felt like it's not answered?
Keep praying. O thou that hearest prayer. Through the Lord Jesus Christ,
my prayer is heard. I have the very ear of God. Every believer does. O thou that
hearest prayer, unto thee shall all flesh come. Our Lord said
in John 17, too, thou hast given him power over all flesh. Believers,
unbelievers, he's got power and authority over all flesh. And unto thee shall all flesh
come. Believers come to him, but unbelievers are going to
be made to come and confess that he's Lord to the glory of God
the Father. Unto thee shall all flesh come. Now look in verse
3. David is speaking of his experience. And he says, iniquities prevail against me. They're beating me. They're stronger than me in my
battle with my sin. I feel like I'm losing. I'm so
weak. I'm so powerless that they seem
to be winning the war. In my experience, in my experience
before God, I am a sinner. Insofar as I can see, all I do
is sin. I cannot not sin insofar as I
can see, and I'm not getting better. Iniquities prevail against
me. It seems that I'm getting worse. After many years, it seems like
I struggle with the same old sins. Iniquities prevail against
me. They seem to be winning the war.
They seem to be beating me down. Do you know what he's saying?
Iniquities prevail against me. And in the same breath, he says,
ask for our transgressions. Thou shalt purge them away That means to cover, to cancel,
to appease, to remove the reason for anger, to make atonement,
to cleanse. These are words that are actually
translated by the same Hebrew word. To disannul, to forgive,
to be merciful, to pacify. to pardon, to purge away, to
put off, to make reconciliation born. Now here is the gospel.
The iniquities that are prevailing against me have already been
purged away. Is that gospel? That's the gospel. That my iniquities that seem
to prevail, that do prevail against me, I wouldn't be sinning if
they weren't prevailing against me. They have been put away. They've been purged by the blood
of the Lord Jesus Christ. Those iniquities that grieve
me so very much, they've been purged and washed away and they
are no more. Now, my experience is still iniquities
prevail against me. But my hope is that those very
iniquities that prevail against me have been washed away in the
blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. Now, David says, blessed is the
man. Now, here is the man that God
has blessed. I want to be this blessed man,
don't you? I want to be somebody that God's blessing is upon. Blessed is the man whom thou
choosest. Thank God for election. Blessed is the man thou choosest. Now I love election because I
love the God of election. And I love what election does. Now what does election mean?
It means God chooses. God chooses, blessed is the man
whom thou choosest. If I'm elect, that means God
chose, God selected me, God put his hand upon me before time
began. I belong to God even then. He
chose me to save me. Ephesians 1-4 says, according
as he has chosen us in him before the foundation of the world,
that we should be holy and without blame before him. election. There was a lady that came up
to a preacher, true story, and she said, I see that elections
in the Bible. I read it, but I don't understand
it. Can you help me to understand election? What does it mean?
And the preacher replied, see if this can help. He said, are
you saved? And she said, well, I hope I
am. I think I am. He said, Did you save yourself? Or did
God save you? She said, Oh, God saved me. He said, Did he do it all? Or did you help out? She said,
Oh, he did it all. And he said, Did he do it by
accident? Or did he do it on purpose? She said, oh, I see. Thank God for election. Now this choice, God's choice,
blessed is the man whom thou choosest. That's what election
means. He selected, he elected, he chose who would be saved.
This choice, first of all, is personal. Our Lord said in John
chapter 15, verse 16, you've not chosen me. But I've chosen
you. You know, a lot of folks will
try to explain away election by saying, well, it's God choosing
nations. Like, it's better to choose nations
as individuals? I mean, what are nations but
a conglomerate of individuals? I mean, I've always wondered
why people try to make that kind of... Nations, no, but it's individuals. Second Thessalonians 2.13 says,
But we're bound to thank God always for you, brethren, beloved
of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you
to salvation. Clare, God chose you before time
began. Personally, he knew your name.
He knows your name. Election is personal and election
is absolute. That means there's nothing you
need to do in order to make God choose you. You're already chosen.
It doesn't have anything to do with your works. Romans 9-11
says 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 called.
It doesn't have anything to do with works. Aren't you glad?
I'm so thankful for that. And this election is eternal.
Jeremiah 31.3 says, Behold, I have loved you with an everlasting
love. Therefore, with loving kindness
have I drawn thee. 2 Timothy 1.9 says, He 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. You know, men object to divine
election as not being fair. How could it be fair for God
to choose some and not choose others? How could it be fair
for God to select this one and pass by this other individual? Now, the only reason men will
object to this as being unfair is self-righteousness. That's the only reason. If you
really believe you're a sinner, you'll really believe you had
no claims on God. And if He elected everybody in
this room but you, you'd be just. Amen? You'd believe that. You
see, election tells us that God is God. It's so essential to
His being that He calls it His glory. In 2 Corinthians, I mean
in Exodus chapter 33 verse 18, Moses said, I beseech you, show
me your glory. And he said, I'll make all my
goodness pass before you. I'll proclaim my name before
you. And I'll be gracious to whom I will be gracious. And
I'll show my mercy to whom I will show mercy. God calls it his
glory. When Moses said, show me your
glory, here it is. It's his goodness that causes
him to save his elect. Somebody says, well, it's a doctrine
of secondary importance. Well, if God's glory is of secondary
importance, then election is, but you know better than that.
Election tells us that God is God, that He's in control to
this extent, that He controls who will be saved. Salvation
is utterly in His hands. Election tells us what Christ
was doing on the cross. This is so very important. When
our Lord was hanging on the cross, He was representing all of His
elect. He wasn't dying for everybody
and making everybody savable. That's not so. He was dying for
His elect, and He was accomplishing their salvation, just like the
high priest had the names of the tribes of Israel on his breastplate.
Our Lord had the names of His elect in His heart, and He represented
His people when He was dying on the cross. Thank God He wasn't
making men savable. He was saving. He accomplished
salvation for everybody he died for. Thank God for election.
Election to doctrine of divine praise. Blessed is the man whom
thou choosest. Election tells us just how much
of salvation is by grace. You see, it begins with God's
electing choice. Grace. It's called the election of grace.
And it tells us that all of salvation is by grace. Aren't you thankful
for that? By grace are you saved? Election is the great stripping
and humbling doctrine. It lets us know that we're in
His hands. It takes away any hope of self-salvation. It takes away any hope of works.
I'm in His hands. And I'll tell you what, if you
really believe in election, you know what you're going to do?
You're going to say, Lord, have mercy on me. You're not going to say,
well, what's the point? It never leads to fatalism. Not
to any of God's people, it doesn't. It'll make you cry out for mercy.
Election encourages evangelism. There's another lie told about
election. Well, if I believed that, I wouldn't witness, I wouldn't
preach. What's the point? The Lord said to Paul, Paul,
I've got much people in this city. Be not afraid, but speak,
and don't hold your peace. If it wasn't for election, I
wouldn't bother to preach. But I know God's got a people,
and He's going to call those people out. Election gives hope
to the very chief of sinners. Turn with me to 1 Corinthians
1 for a moment. 1 Corinthians 1. Verse 26. For you see your calling, brethren,
how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not
many noble, are called. I don't see any of those people
here tonight, do you? Not a one. But God hath chosen,
and these are individuals he chooses. So you look at this
description. God hath chosen the foolish things
of the world to confound the wise, and God hath chosen the
weak, the powerless things to confound the things which are
mighty, and the base things of the world, the lowborn, born
of Adam, and the things which are despised hath God chosen,
yea, the things which are nothing. to bring to nothing the things
that are, that no flesh should glory in his presence." Now,
that's who God chooses. What do you think of that? That's
good news. That's good news. That's not
bad news. That's good news. That describes me. Election gives hope to the very
chief of sinners. Now, back to Psalm 65. Don't miss this. Blessed is the
man whom thou choosest and, you don't just stop there, and causes
to approach unto thee. If we don't approach to him,
he never elected us. Blessed is the man whom thou
choosest and causest to approach unto thee. In John 6, verse 37,
our Lord said, All that the Father giveth me shall come to me, and
him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out. Thou blessest the man whom thou
choosest, and causest to approach. Now, I like this word, causest.
What this is talking about is irresistible, invincible grace,
sovereign grace, saving Now, I want to be caused to approach,
don't you? Here's the reason I want to be
caused to approach, because I know if you didn't cause me to, I
won't do it. Therefore, I pray, Lord, draw me. Lord, cause me
to approach to you. I want to be caused. I love this
thing of being caused. Somebody says, that's making
people robots. You can say whatever you want
to about it, but I want to be caused. I want to be made to
obey. I want to be made to believe. I want to be made to repent. I want to be caused to approach
unto Him. Now, this thing of approaching
is drawing near to Him. You know, if the Lord chooses
you, you know what you're going to do? You're going to draw near. And you know
how you're going to draw near? Through the blood of the Lord
Jesus Christ. That's the only way you'll approach
Him. Turn to Hebrews chapter 10. Hebrews
chapter 10. Verse 18. Now, where remission
of these is talking about the remission of sins, the putting
away of sins, there's no more offering for sin, the offerings
already been made, don't try to don't try to make an offering.
You know, when you have sin on your heart and on your conscience
and you think, well, I need to feel better before I can come
into this. No, no. Come right now. Comrade, don't
wait for something to happen. That's self-righteousness is
all it is. That's waiting to get better. It's not going to
happen. Come right now. There's no more offering for
sin. The offering's already been made. Having therefore, brethren,
boldness. Because that offering's already
been made. I don't care what you have on your mind. Having
therefore boldness, freedom, confidence to enter into the
wholeness by the blood of Jesus. By a new and living way which
ye have consecrated for us through the veil, that is to say, his
flesh, and having a high priest over the house of God, let us
draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having
our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies
washed with pure water. Blessed is the man whom thou
choosest and causest to approach." Do you want to be caused? I don't want to be left in my
free will because I know that's where that will get me. I don't
want that at all. I want to be caused in every
respect to approach. I want to be caused to believe.
I want to be caused to obey sovereign, irresistible, invincible grace. That's the only kind of grace
that will do me any good. I've heard people say, well, I don't
like that term, irresistible grace. I do. I do, I like it
a lot, as a matter of fact. I like grace and I can't resist.
And you know, this doesn't mean, this thing of irresistible grace,
it doesn't mean you're fighting against salvation, although you
are in your flesh, but it means you will find the Lord Jesus
Christ irresistible. That's what irresistible grace
is. You find him and his grace irresistible. Now back to our
text. Psalm 65. Blessed is the man whom thou
choosest and causest to approach unto thee that he may dwell in
thy courts. That's dwelling in the Lord Jesus
Christ. That's abiding in Him. That's simply being found in
Him. Dwelling in Him. There's only one place I want
to be. That's in Christ. I want to dwell in His courts.
I don't want to be found anywhere else. I don't want to be viewed
anywhere else. Simply let me be found in Christ. I don't want
to be seen in my preaching or as a husband or a father or any
aspect of me, I just want to be found in Christ. When God
looks at me, I want the only one for Him to see is Jesus Christ
the Lord. I'm united to Him and I dwell
in His house in safety. Blessed is the man whom thou
choosest, and causes to approach unto thee, that he may dwell
in thy courts." Now, he says, here's what happens from dwelling
in his courts, we shall be satisfied. Perfectly satiated, full to where
we don't want anything complete in the Lord Jesus Christ, I'm
not looking for anything else. I'm satisfied. Now, I'm not satisfied
with myself, but I'm so infinitely satisfied with him. And I'm so
satisfied to be saved by him. I really, I'm totally satisfied
with that and I'm not looking for anything else. I'm like that
fella, he's strumming one note. Somebody said, why aren't you?
Why? Look at all these other musicians. They're all over the
place. You're just doing that one note. He says, well, I found
the right note. They're still looking for it. I'm satisfied. I'm satisfied to be found in
the Lord Jesus Christ. I'm satisfied with his righteousness.
Are you? I'm satisfied with the payment of his shed blood to
make me perfect before God. I'm satisfied with his intercession.
I'm satisfied with his providence. I am right now. I know I might
go out here and start complaining. May the Lord forgive me when
I do. But right now, at any rate, I'm satisfied with everything
he does, because he does it. I am satisfied. He says, We'll
be satisfied with the goodness of thy house, his capacity to
save, even thy holy temple. Now look in verse 5. By terrible
things in righteousness Well, thou answer us, O God of our
salvation, by terrible things. You know, I know what my mind
goes to when I hear these terrible things in righteousness. The
cross. That's a terrible thing, wasn't it? Who can even know what all was
going on? But that's how he answers us,
through these terrible things in righteousness, always in strict
righteousness. By terrible things in righteousness
wilt thou answer us, O God of our salvation, who art the confidence
of all the ends of the earth, and them that are far off upon
the sea. Now here's why he's their confidence,
which by his strength, set us fast the mountains being girded
with power. By his power, he makes things
unmovable. He makes my salvation unmovable. And that's where my confidence
is. It can't be moved, because he did it. And the scripture
that I thought of is there in 2 Timothy 2, where it says, if
we believe not, Yet he abideth faithful." It can't be moved
because he cannot deny himself. You see, I am united to him. I'm himself. For him to deny
me would be for him to deny himself, and it can't be done. His salvation
is immutable. It can't be moved. His righteousness
can't be moved. Being saved by Him can't be moved.
It's settled. It's established. And I've got
confidence in a salvation that can't be moved. It can be moved. I've got no confidence. But this
is a salvation that cannot be moved. Verse 7, which stilleth
the noise of the seas and the noise of the waves and the tumult
of the people. the trials and the loudness of
this world and the scary things of this world. Peace! Be still. The Lord's in control. And nothing
happens without Him. And He can hush the wildest sea. And He does. They also that dwell
in the uttermost parts are afraid of thy tokens. Thou makest the
outgoings of the morning and the evening to rejoice. Thou
visitest the earth and waterest it, not only with water H2O,
but with the water of His grace, how He waters the earth. Thou
greatly enrichest it with the river of God, which is full of
water. Thou preparest them corn when
thou hast so provided for it. Thou waterest the ridges thereof
abundantly, Thou settlest the furrows thereof, Thou makest
it soft with showers. Thou blessest the springing thereof,
both literally and what He does to the heart. Thou crownest the
year with Thy goodness, and Thy paths drop fatness. They drop
upon the pastures of the wilderness, and the little hills rejoice
on every side. The pastures are clothed with
flocks, the valleys are covered over with corn. They shout for
joy. they also sing. Now, in the gospel, I shout for joy. To know that those iniquities
that are prevailing against me have already been purged away,
I shout for joy. Knowing that His grace will never
be taken away, I shout for joy, and I sing. Knowing that his
righteousness actually is my righteousness before God, I shout
for joy. Knowing that my sin has actually
been taken away, I shout for joy. The gospel is a thing of
joy. the joy and the peace of believing. Now, thank God faith is not a
feeling, but faith is not without feelings. Joy is a feeling. Peace is a
feeling. We don't rest in our feelings,
and as soon as we start trying to examine our feelings, we lose
them. I realize that. You start looking for peace,
you won't have any. You start trying to be joyous,
you'll be miserable. That's just the way we are. But
you look to Christ. You really believe that you're
blessed in him. You'll have joy. You'll have
peace. You'll have rest. You'll shout
for joy. and you'll see. Blessed is the man whom thou
choosest and causest to approach unto thee, that he may dwell
in thy courts. All will be satisfied with the
goodness of his house, even his holy temple, the Lord Jesus Christ. Let's pray.