I'm going to try this evening
to just relax and bring forth some things that I believe God
has shown me on this subject of assurance. So often I have people come to
me, not only here but in other places, and express to me the
fact that they go through periods of real struggle in regard to
their interest in Christ. They have periods of real doubt
and real fear about a saving interest in Christ. And they'd
like to know something about this subject of assurance. How
can one have assurance of a saving interest in Jesus Christ? Well,
in introducing the message, I believe I can say quite positively that
there are two things that occupy our thoughts or ought to occupy
our thoughts. Two things, uppermost. We who lay claim to an interest
in the kingdom of God, there are two things that ought to
occupy our thoughts. The first of which is this, and
this is most important, this is more important than the second
thing. The first thing is this, is the gospel which we preach,
is the gospel which we believe, the true gospel of God. Now that
ought to occupy our thoughts more, I really believe more,
than our part in it. Because if we do preach and teach
the true gospel of Christ, whether we have a part in it, at least
our sons and daughters will. You see what I'm saying about,
in other words, we get awful selfish, I do, this is human
nature, let's be honest, let's be real people. But I think more
important than my interest in Christ, more important than any
single individual's interest in Christ, the most important
thing of all is that we ought to contend for the gospel of
Christ. We ought to preach it and contend for it and set it
forth in this place. If I miss Christ, if he passes
me by at least, others will hear it and be brought to a saving
knowledge of Christ. Now that's the most important
thing. There are several reasons why I believe that we do have
the true gospel of Christ here. There are several reasons. I'll
give you five, briefly. If you want to, you can jot these
down. But these are things that convince me that we are preaching
the gospel of God. We're preaching the only gospel.
I'm convinced of it. I'm persuaded of it because of
these five reasons. Number one, it's the gospel declared
in the Old Testament. The gospel which we preach is
the gospel declared by Moses, by Isaiah, by David, by all the
prophets. The scripture says in Acts 10.43,
to him give all the prophets witness. And that's what our
message is all about. We're giving witness to him.
We're preaching Christ. From the sacrifice of Abel, to
the writing of Moses in Leviticus 17, 11, where he says, I have
given you the blood upon an altar to make an atonement for your
soul. It's the blood that makes the atonement for the soul. That's
what we pray. As Moses lifted up the serpent
in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up.
That's what we pray. that that tabernacle is Christ,
that that priest is Christ, that that sacrifice is Christ, that
that atonement is Christ, that that Passover is Christ, that
that rock is Christ, that all of these things in the Old Testament
point to Christ. Look for a moment at Romans,
chapter 1. Romans, the first chapter. Now,
evidently I made this statement some time ago, and somebody misunderstood
what I was saying. When I tell you that The second
verse in Romans 1, 1 through 3 is a parenthetical statement
and can be lifted out. I don't mean it can be left out.
It is the inspired Word of God. That which is in italics is added
by the translators, but the parentheses is added in order to help us
understand the meaning. But it is inspired Scripture.
And this is what Paul is saying in Romans 1, verse 1. a servant,
a bond slave of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated
to the gospel of God, and verse 3 says, concerning his son, Jesus
our Lord. But, verse 2 says, in identifying
that gospel, this gospel I preach is the gospel which he promised
afore by his prophets in the Holy Scriptures. I preach almost
as much from the Old Testament as I do from the New. So the
gospel we preach is the gospel declared in the Old Testament.
I'm persuaded it's the gospel of God. Then secondly, the gospel
which we preach is the gospel preached by our Lord Jesus Christ.
Now he said in Luke chapter 4, don't turn over there, but when
he spoke in his hometown of Nazareth, he said, the Spirit of the Lord
is upon me because he has anointed me to preach the gospel. To preach
the gospel. What gospel did he preach? Well,
turn to John 3. In the third chapter of John,
this is the message which he delivered to Nicodemus and to
those about him. In John chapter three, verse
14, and our Lord reaches back into the Old Testament and brings
an illustration, as he did so often. He said, as Moses lifted
up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be
lifted up, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but
have eternal life. For God so loved the world that
he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him
should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God did not send his
Son into the world to condemn the world, the world was already
condemned, but that the world through him might be saved. He
that believeth on Christ is not condemned, but he that believeth
not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name
of the only begotten Son of God. That's the second reason why
I believe our gospel is the gospel of God. Thirdly, I believe the
gospel we're preaching is the gospel of God, not only because
it's the Old Testament gospel. It's the gospel our Lord preached,
but thirdly, it's the gospel the apostles preached. Turn to
1 Corinthians 15. This is what the apostles preached.
In 1 Corinthians 15, and while you're finding that, let me read
you a passage from Hebrews. in which, if Paul is the writer
of Hebrews, he had this to say, Therefore we ought to give the
more earnest heed to the things which we've heard, lest at any
time we should let them slip. For if the words spoken by the
angels were steadfast, and every transgression and disobedience
receive a just recompense of reward, how shall we escape if
we neglect so great salvation, watch this now, which at the
first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto
us by the apostles who heard him. So our gospel, these are
the reasons why I believe we're preaching the gospel. It's the
gospel of the Old Testament. It's the gospel which our Lord
preached, and now listen to Paul in 1 Corinthians 15. It's the
gospel which the apostles preached. He said in 1 Corinthians 15,
verse 1, Moreover, Bradley, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached
unto you, which also you have received, and wherein you stand.
And by which also you are saved if you keep in memory what I
preached unto you, unless you have believed in vain. For I
delivered unto you, first of all, that which I also received."
Who did he receive it from? He said, I wasn't taught it by
man. I was taught it by the revelation of God's own Son. I received
it from Christ. Here's what I received. Now that
Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures, that he was
buried and that he rose again the third day according to the
scriptures, that's our gospel. Our gospel is that Christ died
according to the Old Testament prophets. That he was buried
and rose again according to the Old Testament prophets. All right,
here's the fourth reason why I believe the gospel we preach
is the gospel of God is 1 Corinthians 1, because it's the only gospel,
the only gospel, which brings and gives all glory to God. It's
the only gospel that gives all the glory to God. In 1 Corinthians
chapter 1, let's back up to verse 27. 1 Corinthians 1, 27, But
God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the
wise. And God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound
the things which are mighty. And base things of the world
and things which are despised hath God chosen, yea, and things
which are not, to bring to naught the things that are, that no
flesh should glory in his presence. But of him, by his will, by his
grace, by his choice, of him, by his purpose, are you in Jesus
Christ, who of God is made unto us wisdom and righteousness and
sanctification and redemption, that according as it is written,
he that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord. Our gospel gives
all the glory to God, because it's all of God. Salvation is
of the Lord in its planning, in its execution, in its application,
in its sustaining power, in its ultimate glory. It's all of God,
from first to last. beginning to end, Alpha to Omega,
and then fifthly, I believe the gospel which we preach is the
gospel of God, because in the fifth place, it is the only gospel,
it is the only gospel with the power to save anyone who comes,
anyone who comes. Jew or Gentile, old or young,
rich or poor, male or female, learned or ignorant, The gospel
of God's free grace is the only gospel by which any man can be
saved who wills to be saved, who wants to be saved. Now that's
the reason I believe our gospel is the gospel. I said there are
two things that ought to occupy our thoughts. Number one, is
our gospel the true gospel? Now here's the second thing which
does occupy our thoughts. The second matter is this. Do
I have a saving interest in that gospel? Do I have a saving interest
in that gospel? Now, we call this assurance.
We call it confidence. We call it comfort. We call it
peace or hope. Well, let me say this about assurance.
I think everybody would like to have it. But everybody does
not have the same degree of assurance. Everybody doesn't have the same
degree of assurance. And secondly, Nor does a believer
himself always have the same degree of assurance. Always remember that. Everybody
doesn't have the same degree of assurance. And even an individual
believer does not all the time himself have the same degree
of assurance. Sometimes our faith is strong.
Sometimes our faith is weak. Sometimes we're on the mountaintop
of joy. Sometimes we're in the valley
of depression. Sometimes we feel so near to God. As Spurgeon said,
it's a good possibility at that time you're not so near to God.
Sometimes we don't feel so near to God. He said there's a possibility
at that time you're closer than you've ever been because you're
depending not upon yourself but upon Him. When I'm weak, then
am I strong? But God uses many means, many
different means to bring assurance and strength to the hearts of
His people. And I'm going to give you four. And then I'm going
to try to deal with what I believe to be the greatest foundation
of assurance of all. Now here, if you want to write
these down, here's the first one. Turn to 2 Peter chapter
1. I believe there are many means that God uses to bring assurance,
confidence to the hearts of his people. And these have meant
much to me personally, and I believe I speak also from the Word of
God. First of all, our first foundation of assurance is His
Word, His blessed Word. In 2 Peter 1, verse 4, listen
to this, "...whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious
promises." That by these, by these promises, the promises
of his word, you might be partakers of the divine nature. Heaven
escape the corruption that is in the world through lust. In
other words, he has precious promises. The precious promises
of his word give us assurance that we belong to him. That's
what it says about Abraham. Abraham believed God. He believed
God. It was imputed to him for righteousness.
He trusted, he believed, he rested in the Word of God. Turn to Romans
chapter 4. This is what Abraham believed.
He believed God, but he believed the Word of God. I think that's
clearly shown in Romans chapter 4, beginning with verse 20. Listen to this. And remember,
I was talking about precious promise, whereby given unto us
exceeding great and precious promises. That's our foundation
of assurance. Verse 20, now watch this, Romans
4, 20. Abraham staggered not at the
promises of God through unbelief. Though he was a hundred years
old and Sabael was ninety, past the age of bearing children,
he believed he would have an heir. But he was strong in faith,
giving glory to God, and being fully persuaded that what God
had promised. That's what I'm talking about,
the promises of God. That what God had promised. Abraham
was persuaded that what God had promised, in these great and
precious promises, that God was able to perform. Able to perform. Let's turn to Hebrews 11, if
you will. Hebrews chapter 11. In the 11th
chapter of Hebrews, verse 1 through 3, it says here, Now faith is
the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not
seen. Now faith is, faith is the ground
or reality of things that are only a hope, or the evidence
of things not seen. For by that faith the elders
obtained a good report. But now what's the foundation
of faith? It's the Word of God. Verse 3, through faith we understand
that the worlds were framed by the Word of God, so that things
which are seen were not made of things which do appear. That's
our first foundation, God's Word. God's Word. That gives us assurance.
And he hath said, so that we may boldly say, The Lord is my
keeper. I will not fear what man shall
do. All right, here's the second
foundation. First, his Word, the Word of God. Secondly, his
Spirit. Hebrews 11, just go over to chapter
10. Chapter 10 of Hebrews. Here in
chapter 10, beginning with verse 14. For by one offering he hath
perfected forever them that are sanctified, whereof the Holy
Ghost also is a witness to us. For after that he hath said before,
This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days,
saith the Lord. I will put my law in their hearts,
and in their minds will I write them, and their sins and iniquities
will I remember no more. And who is the witness of these
things? The Spirit of God. the Spirit of God. Turn to Romans
chapter 8. You say, well, you can't trust
your feelings. I know that. I believe you can trust your
feelings based on the Word of God. I know a man can't trust
his feelings, but I believe a man can trust feelings that are based
upon the Scripture. In other words, if I see something
in God's Word, I feel, yes, that applies to me. Yes, I've laid
hold of that. Yes, I'm resting in that. Yes,
I do believe that. And because I do believe that,
the Holy Spirit gives me some confidence and assurance. Look
at Romans, if you will, chapter 8. Let's listen to this. Romans
chapter 8. The 8th chapter of Romans, beginning with verse
14. For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the
sons of God. For you have not received the
spirit of bondage again to fear, but you have received the spirit
of adoption, whereby, we cry, Abba, or Father, Father, the
Spirit, and I like himself better than itself, himself, beareth
witness with our spirit, with our emotions, with our souls,
with our inner man, with our thoughtful man. The Holy Spirit
beareth witness with our inner man that we are the children
of God. So I say in this order, number
one, His Word is the foundation of assurance. Secondly, His Spirit. His Spirit. You know, this is
God's house. My Spirit enjoys being here.
That's a good evidence that I'm a child of God. This is His Gospel. My Spirit rejoices in it. That's
a good evidence I'm a child of God. These are His people, and
I enjoy being with them and being identified with them. In fact,
that's where I want to be. That's good evidence I'm a child
of God. I believe if I were not a child
of God, I would not enjoy His people, I would not enjoy His
gospel, truly enjoy it in my spirit, and I would not rejoice
in His Word. So call that feeling if you want
to, but feeling can't be cast out. It just can't be. So in
this order now, how about assurance? And remember that everybody doesn't
have the same degree. When you read one of these old
Puritans, Biography, and he's so strong and so confident and
so ready to conquer the world, you know, don't despair because
you don't have that much assurance and that kind of confidence,
because all believers don't have the same degree of confidence
and assurance. And secondly, even individual
believers don't have the same degree all the time. Remember
that. But our confidence is based upon His Word, first of all.
God will do what He says. Abraham believed God. You know,
when Paul stood out there on that ship, They were crossing
the sea and the ship was literally falling apart. It was a huge
storm. Just a storm tossing that thing
around. And those mariners, those seamen
said, this thing is going down. This ship is going down. They
had already lightened the load and thrown everything overboard
except the people. And they said, let's get out
of here. Let's trust ourselves to the sea. And Paul stood right
there in the middle of that thunder and lightning. rain and clouds
and huge waves and he said, now wait a minute, everybody stay
on this ship. There stood by me this night
the angel of the Lord, whose I am and whom I serve. And sir,
I believe God that it shall be exactly as he said, this ship
is not going down. I believe God. Now, everything
else was to the contrary, but he believed that that's our first
foundation of confidence, is his word, but also his spirit. Now, his spirit bears witness
with our spirit, and I'll tell you this, don't laugh at people
who say, well, I just feel the presence of the Lord. I'm confident
that I'm His because I just feel His presence. His Spirit bears
witness with our spirit that we are children of God. We don't
trust that feeling, but that feeling, based upon His Word,
is generally His Spirit. All right? Thirdly, turn to 1
Corinthians 15. I believe here's the third foundation
for real assurance and confidence, and that is His grace. His grace. 1 Corinthians 15, verse 10, and
I mean His grace operative. His grace operative in the life. In 1 Corinthians 15, Paul said
in verse 9, he wants to state this humbly, and he wants to
state it in such a way that God gets the glory, and he says,
I'm the least of the apostles. I'm not boasting. He said, I'm
not really fit to be called an apostle because I persecuted
the Church of God. But, he says, by the grace of
God I am what I am. What I have, what I know. What
I've been taught, what gifts I have. It's the grace of God. Now read on. By the grace of
God I am what I am. I know what I am, and I know
it's by His grace. And His grace which was bestowed
upon me was not in vain. I labored more abundantly than
they all, yet not I, it wasn't me. It's not I, it's the grace
of God that was with me. So here are some of these. There's
the grace of faith. I believe God. That's the gift
of God. If anybody here has great faith
or small faith, it's the gift of God. It's God working in you. There's the grace of love. John
said, I know I've passed from death unto life. I love the brethren.
It'd be impossible I don't love the brethren like I ought to.
I don't love the brethren like I've commanded to, I don't love
the brethren like I'd like to, I don't love the brethren as
much as I'm going to, but I love the brethren, he said. I know,
he said, I know I've passed from death unto life because this
evidence of God's grace is in me. And then there's the grace
of giving. It's called a grace. Turn to
2 Corinthians 8. What I'm saying is God's people
are a people of faith. And if a man discovers faith
within him, it's the grace of God that put it there. God's
people are people of love. And if a man discovers love within
him, God put it there. God's people are people who are
generous. They're generous and gracious
people. And if they discover generosity,
God put it there. Look at 2 Corinthians 8, verse
7. Therefore, as you abound in everything, In faith, in utterance,
preaching, teaching, in knowledge, you know the doctrine, you know
the history, you know the Bible, in diligence, in love, see these
graces, you're bound in these graces, they're evident among
you. See that you're bound in this grace, in this grace only,
it's called a grace, what grace we're talking about. I'm talking
about the grace of giving. I speak not by commandment. I
don't want to tell a man how much to give or when to give. But I speak by the occasion of
the forwardness of others and to prove the sincerity of your
love. Yes, our giving, loving, walk,
these things do prove the sincerity of our love. There's some assurance
that can be found when the grace of God is found in a man's life.
And then there's the grace of forgiveness. Our Lord Jesus said,
if you forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your
father forgive your trespasses. He said if you come to the altar
to worship God and remember that you have ought against your brother,
he has ought against you, make it right and then come bring
your gift. And then there's the grace of obedience. You're my
friends. If you do whatsoever, I command
you. And David said, O Lord, I love
thy law. And Paul said that in Romans
chapter 7, turn over there a moment, in Romans the 7th chapter. In
the midst of this chapter, when he's talking about the flesh
and the conflict between the flesh and the spirit, I want
you to notice what he says in verse 22. Well, let's back up
a little, verse 18. I know that in me, that is in
my flesh, now remember where we're going. I'm saying that
the first foundation of assurance is God said it. God said it.
And the second foundation is the presence and power of His
blessed indwelling Spirit. His Spirit beareth witness with
our spirit. And then thirdly, I'm saying if a man is an object
of the grace of God, and the grace of God is operative in
his life, he of all people knows it. I believe others will know
it, but he'll know it too. And it will be manifested in
him faith, and love, and grace, generosity, forgiveness, holiness,
obedience, and he knows these things. He knows these things.
Alright, look at Romans 7. But in this conflict, watch this. Verse 18, I know that in me that
is in my flesh dwelleth no good thing. I know that. For to will
is present with me, to how to perform that which is good I
find not. For the good that I would, I do not, but the evil which
I would not, that I do. Now, if I do that, I would not. I object to it. It's no more
I that do it, but sin, or a sinful nature that dwelleth in me. I
find in a law that when I would do good, evil's present with
me. But now wait a minute. I delight in the law of God.
I delight in the law of God. after the inward man. In other
words, the inward man, the saved man, the redeemed man, delights
in God Almighty's love, loves it, delights in it, longs to
obey it, and longs for the day when he shall be perfectly, absolutely
holy. Now those are evidences of grace. He's not now, but he's going
to be, and he longs for that day. Now here's the fourth foundation. Turn to 1 Peter 4. 1 Peter chapter
4. And that is, and you may think
this is strange, but now this is a foundation of assurance.
And that is trials. Trials. Real, hard, severe trials. Do you know that trials can give
you assurance of your interest in Christ? They surely can. Now
let's look at something here, 1 Peter 4, 12. Beloved, think it not strange.
concerning the fiery trial, which is to try you, as though some
strange thing happened unto you." Don't count it strange at all.
You're going to have fiery, and that fiery trial, that's severe
trials, heavy trials, personal trials. All right, let's turn
to another scripture. 1 Peter 1, 7. 1 Peter 1, 7. These trials of promise.
In this world you shall have tribulation. We're all dying
creatures. This body is, Spurgeon said one
time, it's a marvel that a harp of so many strings stays in tune
as long as it does. 1 Peter 1, 7, that the trial
of your faith, being much more precious than a gold that perishes,
though it be tried with fire. What tried with fire? Your faith.
might be found under the praise and honor and glory at the appearing
of Jesus Christ. Trials do not produce faith.
They do not produce faith. Trials make bad men worse and
good men better. Trials do not produce faith.
What trials do is reveal faith. Trials reveal faith. How a person
reacts to trial is a better indication and a clearer indication of his
relationship with Christ than how he reacts to blessings. So
this is exactly what these verses are saying. When God Almighty
puts us through the valley and puts us through a trial and puts
us through a period of mental or physical suffering or emotional
suffering, how we react to that trial How we treat it, how we
react to it, how we behave under that time will preach to us and
reveal to us our relationship with Christ. If we had faith,
it'll be strengthened. If we had not faith, it'll be
revealed. If we love Christ, if we never
did love Christ, only professed to, it's gonna come out. All
right, but now here is the foundation. You say, well now wait a minute,
give me something, give me what you were talking about a while
ago, that one great foundation above all foundations. All right,
I'll give it to you briefly. Now, there is a foundation that
stands when faith is under attack. All right, preacher, what about
when faith is under attack? Under attack from Satan. You
remember When our Lord turned to Peter, he said, Satan hath
desired thee that he may shift thee as weight. There's a time
when faith is under severe attack, just severe attack, from all
sides, from down under and from up above, and when the rain falls
and the winds blow and the floods rise, and faith's under attack.
What about when it appears that the heavens are brass? As David
said one time, is God clean gone? Will God never hear me again?
The heavens are brass and the presence of God seems so far
away. You ever go through those times?
When the presence of God seems so far away. What about when
love grows cold? What about when forgiveness comes
so hard? What about when we mourn over
our sins and feel that we're the chief of sinners and cry
with Paul, O wretched man that I am? What about when we can
see so little evidence of grace, so little evidence of righteousness
in ourselves? Is there a place to rest? Is
there a source of strength? Is there a reason to hope? Is
there a foundation of confidence? Yes, sir. Yes, sir, there is. And it's the unshakable foundation. It's the unchangeable foundation.
It's the sure foundation. It's the best foundation. You
know what it is? Turn to 2 Samuel 23, and I'll
show you what it is, and I'll show you a time when a man found
it and rested in it. David had come to the end of
his life. In other words, it says here
in 2 Samuel 23, 1, these are the last words of David. His life had been one of sweetness
and joy and yet despair and failure. His life had been one of success.
It had been one of disappointment. His life had been one of happiness
and one of grief. So many things. And he's at the
end of it now. And his children had been so
disappointing. His wives had been so disappointing
to him. All, even his kingdom. When he
comes to the end of life, almost dead, and he says in verse 5,
although my house be not so with God, yet, though there's so few
evidences, yet he hath made with me an everlasting covenant, ordered
in all things and sure. And this is my salvation. when you just can't find any
faith in you, or so little, when you just can't seem to find any
communion with God, the day's so dark, when you just can't
seem to find any grace manifested in love and forgiveness and holiness
and righteousness, when you do nothing but mourn over your sins
and mourn over your unrighteousness and mourn over your mourning,
Where then do you look for assurance? I say you look where David looked,
the covenant of God's grace. This is all my salvation and
all my desire, although He make it not to grow. And I believe
this is what brought forth from the Apostle Paul in Ephesians
chapter 1, this great, great hymn inspired by the Holy Spirit,
this hymn of praise and glory unto God Almighty, Ephesians
1. Turn back there with me and let's just look at it briefly.
While we're looking, now I know we're going to seek to grow in
grace. And I know we're going to seek to adorn the gospel of
Christ, even in our most trying time. We're going to endeavor
to walk in truth and beauty. But our great foundation and
our great foundation of assurance and hope is not what we do for
God, it's what He and Christ has done for us. Now that's so. And this is what he's saying
in Ephesians 1. When I can't lay claim to anything
else, I can lay claim to this. Look at verse 3 of Ephesians
1. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. What
poor creatures we are, who have not the will, nor the understanding,
nor the vocabulary to praise God as He ought to be praised.
You know what Scripture says, in everything give thanks. I
wish I could do that. In other words, bless God. That's what Paul's doing here.
Bless God. Bless God. Bless Him because
He's God. Blessed be God because of His
majesty, His infinite majesty, His wisdom, His love, His grace,
His holiness. Bless God because He's God. And
then secondly, bless God because He's the Father of our Lord Jesus
Christ. Do you know something? Now listen to this. God's love
and mercy is not because Christ came or the results of Christ's
coming. Barnard used to say, Christ didn't
come into this world to get God in a notion of loving. Christ
coming into the world is not. He is not. He is coming into
the world, or God's love and mercy is not the result of Christ's
coming. Christ's coming is the result
of God loving. For God so loved, He gave His
Son. Bless God because He's God, and
bless God because He's the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. He
sent His Son. He's the only begotten, well-beloved
Son of God. He's the revelation of the Father.
And that revelation of the Father in the person of Christ in our
flesh, bone of our bone, flesh of our flesh, is because God
is love. He came because God is love.
Bless God because He's God. Bless God because He's the Father
of our Lord Jesus Christ. Read on. Bless God because He's
blessed us. He's blessed us. Now watch this.
It's already done. He's already blessed us. You
know what Scripture says? The gifts and calling of God
are without change. He said, I am the Lord, I change
not, therefore you sons of Jacob are not consumed. Did you ever
notice Romans 8, 29 through 31 is all past tense? Whom he foreknew,
he predestinated to be conformed to the image of his son. Whom
he predestinated, he called. Whom he called, he justified.
Whom he justified, he glorified. Past tense. In other words, in
the mind and purpose of God, he's already blessed me. I'm
already seated in the heavenlies on the right hand of Christ,
in the covenant. This is the covenant I'm talking
about. God's everlasting covenant. That's what David was lying there
about to die, and the thing he was rejoicing in, he said, it's
not so with my house. Troubles are all about me, but
God has made with me a covenant, an everlasting covenant, and
it's ordered in everything, and sure, and that's my salvation,
that's my desire. That's my desire. In other words,
like the old dying believer said, when I can think, I think of
Christ, when I can't think, He thinks of me. That's where it
is. He's the Father of our Lord Jesus
Christ, and He has blessed us, past tense, He hath blessed us,
alright, with what? With all spiritual blessings.
Spiritual blessings. I don't have everything I want,
but I do have everything I need. I do not have everything I want,
but I do have everything I need. The Lord is my shepherd, I shall
not lack or need. That word want there is not just
a wish. I shall not lack. I shall not
lack for anything. I shall not lack. Turn to 1 Corinthians
3. Hold Ephesians 1 and turn to
1 Corinthians 3 a moment and I'll wind this down. 1 Corinthians
3. This is what I'm saying. He says in verse 21 of 1 Corinthians
3, Therefore let no man glory in men. Don't put your confidence
in men, for all things are yours, whether Paul, or Apollos, or
Cephas, or the world, or life, or death, or things present,
or things to come, all are yours. And you're Christ. And Christ
is God. Everything's yours. He has blessed
us with all spiritual blessings. all spiritually, all that we
need. Not all we want, not all we think
we need, but all that we need. All I have in Christ, everything
I need. The moment that a person is born
of the Spirit of God into the family of God, he has everything
he needs in Christ Jesus. Everything. Wisdom, righteousness,
sanctification, and redemption. All right? Look at the next line
now. Bless God because he's God. Bless him because he's the giver,
the father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Bless him because he's
blessed us. He has blessed us past tense.
He's blessed us with all spiritual blessings. What's this? In the
heavenlies. What's that talking about? Well,
all spiritual blessings, all spiritual blessings are from
heaven. And not anything that this earth
can give you that's a spiritual blessing. They're lasting. Lasting. Everything, all spiritual blessings
are heavenly blessings in that they come from heaven, in that
they lead to heaven, in that they equipped us for heaven.
Now watch this next sentence. He blessed God. Because He's
God, He's the Father of our Lord Jesus, He's blessed us with all
spiritual blessing in the heavenly, where? In Christ. In Christ,
David. That's where they are. They're
in Christ. The hymn writer said, In Christ the Father's sovereign
love was freely to men given. In Christ the Father's righteous
grace secures our home in heaven. In Christ, I've all my soul requires. He is my supreme delight. In Christ, all that the Father
requires to turn my darkness to light. In Christ, the source
of all my bliss, my Savior, brother, friend, my wisdom and my righteousness
on Him alone I depend. In Christ, I stood. In Christ,
I stand. In Christ, by His grace, I will
stand. That's our assurance. That's
our foundation. And I'm saying while we do not
discount these evidences of grace, His Word, His Spirit, the presence
of His Spirit, the graces of faith and love and hope and kindness
and holiness and all these things, and the trials that come our
way, yet when it all is summed up, when it's all summed up,
His covenant in Christ is my truth. That's so, His covenant. I don't have anything there.
His covenant. And I'll show you that just briefly,
if you'll bear with me a moment. Then Paul goes on, and then he
goes on, and he says in verse 4, he chose us in Christ. I know you mention that sometimes
people wrinkle up their face, adoptive election is to some
people a very Very debatable and disputable and all these
things. But one man said this, there's not a blessing that comes
from the hand of God Almighty that's not stamped with the hand
of His electing Lord. Not one. Not one. There's not a blessing that comes
from the hand of God Almighty that is not stamped with the
hand of His sovereign electing Lord. He chose us. Not only that,
verse 6, He accepted us in Christ. He accepted, past tense, us in
Christ. What does the word accepted mean? It means favor. It means approval. Approval. And we are approved
of in Christ. We are favored in Christ. In
the heart of Christ, who loved us, in the book of Christ, where
our names are written, in the hand of Christ, out of my hand
no man can pluck them, in the loins of Christ, identified with
him, baptized in the body of Christ. Then verse 7 says, in
Christ we're redeemed. We're redeemed. The blood of
Jesus Christ, God's Son, cleanses us from all sin. Where are my
sins? Separated as far as the east
is from the west. cast behind God's back, cast
into the depths of the sea, remember it no more. Verse 11 says, verse
10, and in the dispensation of the fullness of time, he's going
to gather together all things in Christ. And verse 11 says
that we have an inheritance and that's in Christ. in whom also
we have past tense obtained an inheritance, being predestinated
according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after
the counsel of his own will." So, wrapping this whole thing
up, there are times when I lean more heavily upon his covenant
for my confidence. There are times when I feel his
presence and the working of his Spirit and the fruit of his Word
when I lean upon those things. But I tell you sometimes, when
faith is so small, and the darkness is so dense, and the guilt is
so heavy, there's one place I can always go. It's covenant in Christ. I'm alright in Christ. In Christ
we have an inheritance, and that is our strong plea. Is Christ
our covenant head? Mike, come and lead that to page
53, if you would. How sweet the name of Jesus sounds. And we're going to sing it to
the tune of page 52, Majestic Sweetness. But the hymn, the
words on page 53.