Jeremiah chapter 17. Let's read
again verse 5. Jeremiah 17, 5. Thus saith the
Lord. Thus saith the Lord. Now that
ought to get our attention right away. God is speaking. God is
speaking. The Lord Almighty. The Lord who
is sovereign in all His ways. And He declares that those who
trust themselves for salvation are those who were cursed and
remain cursed in Adam and in their sin. Cursed be the man
that trusteth in man, in himself, who would make his flesh, his
arm, his strength. That word there, arm, means power.
Power. Whose heart departed from the
Lord. For he shall be as this small
shrub in the desert land, and shall not see when good cometh,
but shall inhabit The parts of places in the wilderness, in
the salt land that's not inhabited. Now, here's the flip side of
this. Verse 7, blessed is this man, blessed is the man that
trusteth in the Lord, Jehovah, God my Savior. Here's a blessed
man. You find all your hope, all your
salvation in the Lord Jesus Christ alone, whose hope the Lord is,
for he shall be as a tree. As a tree. planted by the waters
that spread out her roots by the river." Plenty of nourishment
here. "...shall not see when the heat
cometh, but her leaf shall be green, and shall not be careful,
shall not be anxious. In the lean years, in the year
of drought, neither shall cease from yielding fruit." There's
a fruitful tree. Blessed of God. Blessed in Christ
Jesus. Now, Jeremiah's sermons, as we
read through the book of Jeremiah, are not all prophetical. He speaks
about the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ. He speaks about
the judgment of God. But his sermons and his words,
given of God, inspired of God, some were very practical and
useful. In his day, he's warning his
people, his generation, in his day, not to trust themselves
for salvation. And certainly that message is
relative to our day in it. We need to hear this message
as well. And this warning, I don't want to trust myself to a place
or to a system or to a thing where God says is cursed. Do
you? I wouldn't want to find my refuge. If your house is on
fire, you wouldn't seek refuge there, would you? You would flee
that place and get out of there and find safe refuge. Now, The terms he lays out here
are very plain, very plain for all to see. Who is that one who
is cursed? And who is that one that is blessed
by God Almighty? And the contrast here is very,
very sharp and very, very dividing. Who then is this cursed man?
Well, it says there, those that would trust in man. that makes
the flesh His strength, His hope, His righteousness. And the fruit
of that is He's departed from the Lord. He's no longer looking
to Christ alone, but He's found something else. Now, who then
is this cursed, condemned, miserable man? Certainly, it is those who
trust themselves for salvation. Now, this was prevalent in Jeremiah's
day, and it's so prevalent in our day as well, although maybe
it is hid in a kind of in a stealth way. But really, when you get
right down to it, those who believe that God has done a part and
I have to do a part and these two parts come together and make
a whole, that's not good ground. That's curse ground. That's curse
ground. That's not salvation. If salvation
is by the deeds of the law, if salvation is by my morality,
my baptism, my righteousness, things I do, then no need for
Christ to come. No need for Christ to die. If
salvation is by the law, the scripture said, he's dead in
vain. In vain. Now, cursed be the man that trusted
himself for salvation. Now, I don't want to seek refuge
in the place where God condemns, certainly not in the refuge of
lies, would you? Not at all. I don't want to find
refuge in the law of God. Now, a lot of people run to Sinai.
Take your Bible and find Galatians chapter 3. A lot of people say,
well, you know, we have to believe, believe Christ, and then we have
to also keep the law. Well, is that what you think?
Look what it says here about those who find their refuge in
the law. God said it's a curse place.
Galatians chapter 3, look at verse 10. For as many as are
of the works of the law are under the curse. For it is written,
Cursed is everyone that continueeth not in all things which are written
in the book of the law to do them. Not hear them, not to admire
them, do them. Do them all perfectly as God
would have it so or be cursed. Now, I don't want to rest and
find refuge in the place where God said He's cursed. I don't
want to find hope of salvation by my doing the law. I know this,
by the deeds of the law shall no flesh be justified in His
sight. But the good news, look at verse
11, but that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God,
it is evident that justified live by faith. The law is not
a faith. The law says do. Do the man that
doeth them shall live in them. If you can keep the law now.
But look at the good news here. Christ has redeemed us from the
curse. He redeemed us from the curse
of the law being made a curse for us, that substitution. He
came and he was obedient to the law on every aspect. And in death,
he died under the penalty of that law. He redeemed me from
the curse of that law. Why would I run to the law when
Christ has satisfied the law? honored the law on my behalf.
Cursed is everyone that hangeth on the tree. The Lord Jesus Christ
took my curse, took my judgment, took my sin, and took my wrath. So I don't want to find refuge
in the law. Certainly I don't want to find
refuge in myself, what I've done or what I think I can do, because
all of our righteousness is the best I can have. Daniel, the
best I can do. Man, his best deeds are nothing
but vanity. My best deeds are filthy rags.
Yours are too. I don't want to trust my filthy
rags before God Almighty who is holy. Would you? Only a fool
would do such a thing. But yet we see people all the
time trusting their morality, trusting themselves. Jeremiah
said, it's a cursed man. He's a cursed man. I don't want
to trust the wisdom of the flesh, the strength of the flesh, Or
the philosophy of men? Do you? God said that's a cursed
place. Now I want you to find 1 Corinthians
chapter 1. 1 Corinthians chapter 1. I know the wisdom of this world
says the gospel is foolishness. 1 Corinthians chapter 1. 1 Corinthians chapter 1. The
preaching of the cross is to them that perish or are perishing
the message of Christ crucified. Substitution. Satisfaction. is
to them that are perishing foolishness, but unto us which are saved it
is the power and wisdom of God." You see, the wisdom of this world. Look at verse 21, for after the
wisdom, for that in the wisdom of God, the world by wisdom knew
not God. It pleased God by the foolishness
of preaching to save them that believe. For the Jews require
a sign, the Greeks seek after wisdom, but we preach Christ
crucified unto the Jews, the stumbling block. And to the Greeks,
it's foolishness. Well, substitution, that's not
very wise. I see no wisdom in that. But
unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power
of God, Christ is the wisdom of God. How God can be just and
justify the ungodly, that is the very wisdom of God, the very
glory of God. Now, back to the text, Jeremiah
17. Thus saith the Lord, Cursed be
the man that trusteth in himself, in man that would make his flesh,
his arm, his hope, his strength, whose heart is departed from
the Lord. Cursed be that person that would
make his own arm, his own flesh, his power, his strength, his
competence. You know how feeble How feeble
it is to trust anything done in the flesh for salvation. I
mean, that's feeble. That's feeble and frail. If you
turn just back over here to Isaiah. Isaiah. You remember what the
Lord says about the flesh? All flesh is as grass. You wouldn't trust any grass,
would you? for any strength or any hope
of salvation before God? Isaiah 40. Isaiah 40. The glory of the Lord
shall be revealed, verse 5, and all flesh shall see it together,
for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken. The voice said, Cry. And he said, What shall I cry? All flesh is grass, and all the
goodliness thereof, as the The flower of the field, the grass
withered, the flower faded, because the Spirit of the Lord bloweth
upon it. Surely the people is grass. The grass withered, the
flower faded, but the word of the Lord shall stand forever."
You see, all flesh is grass. I wouldn't want to trust anything
frail or weak or feeble or sinful, would you? Look at what he says
in verse 9 of Jeremiah 17, verse 9. The heart is deceitful above
all things, desperately wicked. I mean desperately wicked. There's
none righteous, no, not one. He's talking about what we are
by nature. By nature, we're deceived. We
think we can accomplish salvation. We think we can get it done.
The heart is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked. And we'll never know the extent
of it. Unless God is pleased to reveal
that unto us, what we are in the flesh, grass, sinful, dust
before God. He knows our frame. We are but
dust. Would you trust any of these
things for salvation? You would say absolutely not,
wouldn't you? That's a cursed place to find
any kind of refuge and hope. Look what it says there, whose
heart is departed from the Lord. We know that sin has separated
us from God. One old writer said this, every
act of distrust and confidence in man, every act of distrust
and unbelief and confidence in man is departing from the Lord. I want you to find the book of
Hebrews and look at this scripture here. And here's how it's revealed.
This heart, this heart that's departing from the Lord. Hebrews
chapter 3, verse 12. Take heed, brethren, lest there
be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief in departing from
the living God. You see how that's revealed there?
Take heed. Lest there be in any of you an
evil heart of unbelief in departing, in departing from the gospel,
the living God, the true God. Now, back to the text, Jeremiah
17. Look at the fatal consequences
of this. The deadly, ruinous consequences of this sin. To
trust in the place where God said it's cursed. Don't go there. Don't go there. Look to Christ. Look to the Lord Jesus Christ.
Look at verse 6, For he shall be like a heathen This is a worthless,
dried-up shrub in the desert, and shall not see when good comes,
but shall inhabit the parts, places in the wilderness, in
a salt land, not inhabited." Now here's the fatal consequences
of trusting in a place that God says is cursed. Trusting the
flesh. Now this, He said, you'll be like a heath in the desert.
This heath and what I can read about this shrub is a very sorry
thing. It's a product of barren ground. It is sapless, useless, worthless,
and it bears no fruit. It just cumbers the ground like
a weed, a worthless weed that you would dig up. Now I think
of, when I think of a plant like that that's worthless, and it
blows in the wind, carried by every wind of doctrine. I'm reminded
of them old westerns. You ever seen those old westerns?
And you see on a windy day those tumbleweeds. We don't have them
around here, but where I grew up, I grew up out in northern
Utah and southern Idaho, and I grew up around those tumbleweeds.
And when the fall time of the year comes, when the tumbleweed
is In the spring, it's green and it grows up a little ball
like this, has stickers all over it. But in the summer and in
the fall when it's dried up and the wind comes, it just blows
and tumbles and stacks up. It just gets in the way. Most
people just usually set fire to them because they're a nuisance.
My friend, those who trust themselves are like this tumbleweed. just
dried and useless, and it just blows with every wind of doctrine. However the wind's blowing, that's
the way they go. Wherever the crowd's going, that's
the way they go. And that's what it is for those
who trust themselves. Our Lord spoke to those Pharisees
that day, and He said, You are those which justify yourselves
before men, but that which is highly esteemed among men, He
says, is an abomination in my sight. That's Luke 16, 15. I don't want to be like this
heath, this shrub, this tumbleweed just blowing around. Worthless,
useless, lifeless, fruitless. Shall not see. Look at this second
thing. Shall not see when good cometh. Shall not see when the
good comes. Now who is this good here? Shall
not see when good comes. I want you to turn back to Exodus.
Look at this in Exodus. Shall not see when goodness.
Shall not see when good cometh. Now, we think of good, what do
you think of? We think of good personified,
goodness in a person, you think of the Lord Jesus Christ. Those
who are busy trusting themselves, who are seeking to be justified
by the deeds of the law and looking to themselves, they won't see
when goodness comes. The Jews didn't, did they? He
came unto his own, his own received him not. Now, look at Exodus
33. When Moses asked the Lord in verse 17, Exodus 33, verse
17, and the Lord said unto Moses, Moses had asked the Lord to show
him his glory. And the Lord said unto Moses,
I'll do this thing also that thou hast spoken, for thou hast
found favor. Grace has found grace in my sight,
and I know thee by name. And he said, I beseech thee,
show me thy glory. You see that? And he said, I'll
make all my goodness." Now, if you have a pencil, write in right
there, the Lord Jesus Christ. He is the goodness of God personified. I'll make all my goodness pass
before you, and I'll proclaim the name of the Lord before you.
I'll be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and I'll show mercy
to whom I will show mercy. When goodness came among those
self-serving, self-righteous Jews, They didn't see any beauty
in Him to desire Him. They didn't see any goodness
in the Lord Jesus Christ. They just saw Him as a Nazarene,
one from Galilee. Can anything good come out of
Nazareth? They saw no goodness. You know
why? They were blind. They were dead.
They were like this heath, this shrub in the desert. We'll not
see when good comes. I tell you what, my friend, God
leaving us to ourselves will trust ourselves and we won't
see the goodness of God's mercy and grace in Christ Jesus. That's where it's revealed, in
Christ. Where's the mercy of God revealed? In the Lord Jesus
Christ. Where's the grace of God revealed?
God who commanded the light to shine out of darkness has shined
in our heart to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory
of God. You know what Moses was asking?
Show me Christ. Let me see your glory. The glory
of your goodness and grace in the face of the Lord Jesus Christ. That's what he's saying there,
in the face of Christ. Now look at verse, back to the
text, Jeremiah 17. and shall inhabit departs places
in the wilderness in the salt land not inhabited." Now I know
something about tumbleweeds and I know something about a salt
land too. I know something about a salt land. Do you know why?
Do you know where I grew up? I grew up in a place called the
Salt Lake Valley. And do you know what that is?
That is a dried lake and the bed, you've all heard about the
Bonneville Salt Flats? You see, years ago, that used
to be a big lake that covered all of northern Utah, part of
southern Idaho. It used to be called Lake Bonneville.
Where I grew up, you can look actually up halfway up on the
mountain, you can see the old shoreline of that lake. But over
the thousands of years, all the minerals settled into that lake
and nothing came out of that lake. It all settled into dead
lake. Everything came in, nothing went
out. And it was reduced and reduced and reduced. The water evaporated,
the minerals stayed. And all salt flats, there's nothing
that will grow in them. They're not good for anything.
There's just a salt land. You can't plant anything. There's nothing there. It's not
a place that can be inhabited. My friend, that is a good description
of false religion. It's a salt land not inhabited. There's no life in it. There's
no life in false religion. Now, my friend, I grew up in
that Salt Lake Valley, but I also grew up in Salt Lake dead religion. Salt religion. Death. Death. And it's not a place to be inhabited. There's no life in that. No life
in that. Now, I can relate to that salt
land. Because I know what those salt
flats are all about. They're so salty. You know that
lake is so salty, it's 10 times saltier than the ocean. You can't
sink in it. You go out and swim in it, it's
a nasty lake. It stinks. You can't even sink
in it, it's so salty. And those salt flats are so salty
that Morton Salt Company, they have a mining facility. They
go out there and they dig that salt land and they mine salt. That's where your salt comes
from, a lot of it. off those salt flats. But that is typical
of false religion. No life. It's salty. It's dead. No life. Now, here's the flip
side of that. Here's the flip side of that.
Blessed is the man. Now, here's the good news. I
had to tell you the bad news before I tell you the good news.
Now, here's the good news. And I like the good news. Blessed
is the man that trusteth in the Lord. I have to bless man. If you see your salvation in
the Lord Jesus Christ, that God chose you in that covenant, that
the Lord Jesus Christ died, He came for you and lived as a representative
man, that He died for you, brought in everlasting righteousness
for you, died to put away your sin. If you see in the Lord Jesus
Christ the fulfillment of what Jeremiah is saying here, you're
a blessed man. You're a blessed man, chosen
of God and loved of God. Blessed is that man that trusteth
in the Lord." Whose hope? We have a good hope. Whose hope?
The Lord is. He's our hope. Those that trust
and believe and put their whole confidence in the Lord Jesus
Christ. Look what he says in verse 14
of Jeremiah 17. Heal me, O Lord, and I shall
be healed. Save me, O Lord, and I shall
be saved. For Thou art my glory. That's
a good prayer. That's a good prayer. Heal me.
I have to bless man who can pray that way. Now, our confidence
and trust is in the Lord Jesus Christ. in the Lord. Our confidence of salvation is
in a person. He is the Lord Jesus Christ. He is the Lord Jesus Christ. Now, I want you to turn to some
scriptures in the Psalms. Use your Bible here and go to
Psalm 2, verse 12. Psalm 2, verse 12. Whom do we
trust? The Lord. Psalm 2, verse 12. Kiss the Son. You see that? Psalm
2, verse 12. Kiss the Son. That is, embrace
the Son, the Lord Jesus, lest He be angry and ye perish from
the way when His wrath is kindled but a little. Blessed are all
they that put their trust in Him. In Him. In Him alone. Whom do we trust? Him. Find Psalm
9, verse 10. Psalm 9, verse 10. They that
know thy name. Now look at this. Psalm 9, verse
10. They that know thy name will
put their trust in thee, for thou, Lord, hast not forsaken
them that seek thee. We seek Him. And we know thy
name. And because we do, we put our
trust in Him, in this One who cannot fail. Find Psalm 84, verse
12. Turn over here. Psalm 84. You
see, we trust the Lord. Whom do we trust? Person. A real
living person. The Lord Jesus Christ. Psalm
84, verse 12. O Lord of hosts, blessed is the
man that trusteth in thee. You see, the Lord Jesus Christ
has made to us wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption.
He is my all and my all. Christ is all and in all. Now, let me ask you this. When
are we to trust Him? Now who? We trust Him, the Lord
Jesus. When? Turn to Psalm 62. When
are we to trust Him? Psalm 62, look at this. Look
at verse 5. My soul wait thou only upon God,
for my expectation is from Him. He only is my rock, my salvation. He is my defense. I shall not
be moved. In God is my salvation, my glory,
the rock of my strength, and my refuge is in God. That's whom
we trust. Now when? Trust in Him at all
times, you people. Pour out your heart before Him.
God is a refuge for us. You see that word, Selah? It's
a musical term, but you know what it means? It means to pause
and think about this a while. Trust in Him at all times. Pour
out your heart before Him. God is a refuge for us. We trust His person for our acceptance. We're accepted in the Beloved,
the Lord Jesus Christ. We trust and we put all of our
confidence. I want you to turn and look at
this. Find Philippians chapter 3. Philippians chapter 3. We put all of our confidence
in Christ. That's what trust is, isn't it?
Confidence. Confidence. We trust Him. Philippians
chapter 3, look at verse 3. This is a good description of
believers. Philippians 3, 3. For we are the circumcision,
that is, we are true Israel, who have been regenerated in
heart, have been given a new heart, which worship God in the
Spirit, Number one, we worship God in the Spirit. Number two,
we rejoice in Christ Jesus. Now look what this says right
here. And we have how much confidence in the flesh? None. None. Have no confidence in the flesh. So we trust His person for our
acceptance. Our confidence is not in us,
but in Him at all times. We trust His righteousness to
justify us. Who is this blessed man? Find
Romans chapter 4. Romans chapter 4. Who is this
blessed man? Blessed is the man that trusteth
the Lord. Romans chapter 4. Notice this. Romans 4 verse 6. Even as David
also described the blessedness of the man. Now this is the opposite
of the cursed man, isn't it? Here's the blessedness of the
man unto whom God imputed righteousness without worth. That's a justifying
righteousness, and that is Christ, the Lord our righteousness. Saying,
blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, whose sins are
covered. Blessed is that man whose iniquities are forgiven,
whose sins are put away by the blood of Christ. Blessed is that
man to whom the Lord... Now look at this, look at verse
8. Blessed is the man to whom the
Lord will not impute Charge you with sin. Well, that's good news
for me because I'm a sinner. I'm a sinner. The Lord Jesus
Christ put away all my sin. The blood of Christ cleanses
me from all sin. John says, my little children,
these things I write unto you that you sin not, but when you
do, and I do, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ
the righteous. So we trust His person. for acceptance. Our confidence is in Him. We
trust His righteousness alone to justify us before God. We
trust His blood to pardon us in whom we have redemption through
His blood, the forgiveness of sin. His blood cleanses us from
all sin. I was walking around this morning
early and over in my study, outside of my study, And I'd studied
a little bit. I was walking around and the
thought just kind of overwhelmed me about substitution. Christ
died in my place, took my judgment, took my sin, and gives me all
the blessedness of God in Him. That's grace! That's the grace
of God in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness
of sin according to the riches of His grace. That's Ephesians
1.7. We trust Him to supply our every
need. He's able to meet all our need
according to His riches in Christ Jesus. According to His riches,
He supplies all our need, Philippians 4.19. You see, the believer stands
complete in Christ. His fullness is our supply. We have grace upon grace because
of His fullness. We trust His power for our protection. Trust His power for our protection.
That's a blessed man. Turn back to the book of Psalms.
Let me show you this. Psalm 65. Here's the blessed man. Psalm
65. See, it's the man who finds all
his delight, the sinner who finds all his delight totally vested
in the Lord Jesus Christ alone. Psalm 65. Look at this here.
Psalm 65. Blessed is the man whom thou
choosest. And cause us to approach unto
thee that he may dwell in thy courts, we shall be satisfied
with the goodness of thy house, even of thy holy temple." We
find our delight in the Lord Jesus Christ. Blessed are the
dead who die in the Lord. Blessed are those who recall
to the marriage supper of the Lamb. Now, take a peek back again. at Jeremiah 17. Jeremiah 17. Whose hope, now
look at this, blessed is the man that trusteth in the Lord,
whose hope the Lord is. He is. I am that I am. He is our hope. He is our hope. I want you to
find Psalm 146. Psalm 146. He is. He is our hope. Psalm 146. Psalm 146. Look at verse 3. Psalm 146 verse 3. Put not your trust in princes,
nor in the Son of Man, and that phrase there means the best of
men, in whom there is no help. And notice that reference on
that word, help, in whom there is no salvation. That's what
that word is. His breath goeth forth. He returneth
to his earth. In that very day his thoughts
perish, but happy, and that word is also blessed, is he to have
the God of Jacob for his help, whose hope the Lord is. He is my hope. Now I want you
to turn to the book of Lamentation. You've got Jeremiah. Jeremiah,
and then right behind Jeremiah, remember, I brought a message
from Lamentation chapter one back some time ago, but now I
want you to turn to Lamentation chapter three, Lamentation chapter
three, verse 22. Lamentation three, whose hope
is in the Lord. Christ is called in Scripture.
He is called the Lord, our hope. Christ in you is a hope of glory. We have a good hope through the
grace of God. But now look at this. Lamentations
chapter 3, verse 22. It is of the Lord's mercies.
It's of the Lord's mercies. Pure, sovereign mercy. Jeremiah,
then Lamentations, chapter 3, that we are not consumed because
His love never fails. You see, it's of the Lord's mercy.
Not by works of righteousness which we have done. That's not
it. But according to His mercy He
saved us. By the washing of regeneration
and renewing of the Holy Spirit. Because His compassion never
fails. His love never fails. He loved
His people with an everlasting love. He said, with love and
kindness, I'll draw you to Myself. They are new every morning. Great
is thy faithfulness. The Lord is my portion, saith
my soul. Now look at this. Therefore will
I hope in Him. The Lord is good unto them that
wait for Him, to the soul that seeketh Him. It is good that
a man should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation that is
of the Lord. Now, turn back to Jeremiah again. Look at verse 8. I'll give you
this in verse 8. And here's a description of those
that trust in the Lord. Jeremiah 17, verse 8, For he
shall be as a tree planted, a tree planted by the waters that spread
out her roots by the river, and that shall not See, or not be
affected when the heat comes, or leaves shall be green, shall
not be careful in the year of drought, neither cease from yielding
fruit." Now, who are these trees? You know, believers are called
trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord. Turn to Isaiah 60. Isaiah chapter 60. We know that the Lord Jesus Christ
is the water, the river of the water of life. No doubt about
that. He said, I am the water. I am
life. But look here at Isaiah chapter
60. These trees here are a type and
picture of believers that are planted. You know, weed just
pops up and grows, doesn't it? But a tree, something that's
been purposed and planted, like a fruit tree, cultivated and
planted on purpose. Isaiah 60, look at verse 21.
Thy people also shall be all righteous. They shall inherit
the land forever, the branch of my planting, the work of my
hands, that I may be glorified. Now drop down to Isaiah 61 verse
3. It talks here about the coming
of the Lord Jesus Christ, but in verse 3 it says, to appoint
unto them that morning Zion, to give unto them beauty for
ashes, the oil of joy for morning, the garment of praise for the
Spirit of heaviness, that they might be called trees of righteousness,
the planting of the Lord, that he may be glorified. You see, it's all that he may
be glorified. Now look back to Jeremiah 17.
Trees planted by the waters of life. And that is Christ. We draw our strength, our nourishment,
our life, our salvation in the Lord Jesus Christ. He is the
fountain of living waters. And we find our nourishment in
Him. In Him. And we shall not fail. When the heat comes, we shall
not fail when the trial comes. Trials are going to come. Trials
come from the Lord. But we shall not fail when trials
come, because we are rooted and grounded in the Lord Jesus Christ. Blessed are those who are tried
in the Lord. They shall endure in Christ Jesus. Now, it says here, her leaf shall
remain green, their life in Christ shall never wither, shall never
perish. You see, He gives His people
everlasting life. He saves us with an everlasting
salvation. He has given us an eternal salvation
in Christ Jesus. You see, their leaf shall remain
green, full of life, full of sap, full of nourishment in Christ
Jesus. And shall not be anxious and
fearful in the lean times, because we find all of our hope of salvation
in Christ, and we know that whatever things come in our life, the
trials that come in our life, our heartaches that come our
way, they are ordained of God for our good and for His glory. Now, look at the last line in
Jeremiah 17.8. Neither shall cease from yielding
fruit. I want you to turn back to the
book of Psalms. Find Psalm 92. You see, it's God which worketh
in you both to will and to do of His good pleasure. God who
hath begun a good work in you will perform it, will perfect
it, will finish it in the day of Christ. Psalm 92, neither
shall cease from yielding fruit. Now, whose fruit is it? The fruit
of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, meekness.
It's His fruit in us. Faith is a gift of God. Repentance
is a gift of God. Long-suffering and gentleness,
meekness is a gift of God. Now look at Psalm 92, verse 12. The righteous shall flourish
like a palm tree. He shall grow like the cedar
in Lebanon. Those that be planted in the
house of the Lord shall flourish in the courts of our God. They
shall still bring forth fruit in old age. They shall be fat
and flourishing. That's good news. Because it's
Christ in us. You see that? To show that the
Lord is upright. He's my rock. And there's no
unrighteousness in Him. Now, I hope I've done two things.
I hope I've discouraged you. from trusting anything connected
with yourself for salvation. I don't trust my faith. I don't
trust my repentance. I certainly don't trust my feelings.
Feelings come and feelings go. Feelings are deceiving. My warrant
is the Word of God. Nothing else is worth believing. So I hope I've discouraged you
from trusting flesh, self, feelings, and experience. A tradition? A ceremony? Baptism? Don't trust any of those things
for salvation, my friends. Salvation is in Christ. In the
Lord Jesus Christ alone. I hope I've discouraged you if
you need discouragement. And I hope that I've encouraged
you to trust the Lord Jesus Christ. Neither is there salvation in
any other. For there's no other name under
heaven. given among men, whereby we must, if we're saved, we must
be saved by Him, because of Him, and in Him there is salvation
in no other. Well, I pray the Lord will bless
that word to your heart, and maybe you can study that this
week and talk about and think about who is cursed. And who
is blessed? Who is blessed? I pray the Lord
will bless that to your heart.