Let's look once again at Romans
8, verse 28. Let's just look at this verse
a moment. And we know that all things work
together for good to them that love God to them who are the
called according to his purpose." Now, this blessed promise is
in the midst of a field of promises, a whole field of promises, the
eighth chapter of Romans. I suppose I've preached from
the eighth chapter of Romans more than any other single chapter
in God's Word, because The eighth chapter of Romans is a garden
of beautiful blooms and beautiful blessings. Ralph Erskine said
this about the eighth chapter of Romans. He said, this chapter
is like a string of pearls. Together they form a beautiful,
beautiful string of pearls. But even if you broke the string
and the pearls were scattered out and you considered each one
individually, just picked up each one individually, you would
find that one promise, that one pearl of immense worth and value,
the eighth chapter of Romans. A field of promises, a garden
of blessings, a string of valuable, valuable pearls. Let's just look
at a few of them. Back here in verse one, I won't
tire you, I don't believe with this, but back We've broken the
string of pearls. Let's just pick this one up here,
chapter 8, verse 1. There is therefore now no condemnation
to them who are in Christ Jesus. Here you have the believers'
new standing before God. There was a time when we stood
condemned. There was a time when we stood charged with guilt,
under judgment, under wrath. The Scripture says, children
of wrath, even as others. But now there's no condemnation,
there's no judgment, there are no accusers. I think here about
the woman who was found in adultery. The Pharisees were looking for
someone they could use to trap the master in his words. And
they searched the city over. Finally they found a woman and
a man in the act of adultery. And they didn't do anything with
the man. They grabbed the woman. And brought
her over there where Christ was teaching. Now you can imagine
how frightened she was. Here were ten or twelve religious
leaders. Here were ten or twelve of the
moral majority who had trapped her. And they were angry. And they had their laws with
them, and their rules. And they read the law. Moses'
law was strict. The law is strict. The law is
perfect. The law offers no quarter, no
excuse, no alibi, no mercy. And they read her, the law, when
they got her, one on each side, and the others around her. And
they said, Moses' law said you're to be stoned. And on the way
down the street, they stopped to pick up their stones. And
they carefully selected some good-sized stones. And she was
like a frightened dove trapped by a group of dogs. She was trembling
and shivering, and they were handling her roughly. And they
brought her over there where Christ was teaching. This was
their whole plan, their whole scheme. They were going to stone
her, but they were going to trap him. If he said, let her go,
then he'd be violating Moses' law. If he said, stone her, he'd
make the people angry. And they'd leave him. So they
knew they had him. They thought they did. So anyway, the woman,
they roughly brought her. cast her at his feet. You can
imagine, they didn't lay her gently down, they threw her down. And there she was lying on the
pavement looking up and here were all these people around
her, especially these religious leaders, these fellows with their
laws and rules and regulations and their stones. They weren't
going to leave vengeance in the hands of God, they were going
to take the vengeance. They were going to do the punishing.
They were going to do the stoning and delighting to do it. And
they stood about her as she cowered down on the pavement and looked
up in a moment, someone stooped down beside her. She looked into
the only friendly face in the whole outfit. There was the Master. And he looked at her, those clear,
holy, perfect eyes of God. caught her eyes and probably
allayed some of her fears, but not all, because she looked back
and there they were. They were still there with their
stones. Still standing there, just gritting and gnashing their
teeth, waiting to slaughter, waiting to watch her blood flow
on the pavement, waiting to watch her bones broken by their stone,
waiting to watch her flesh pierced and broken by their stones. And she looked up and just, I
know, she was about to die. And she dropped her head again
and waited for the stones to fall. And everything got quiet
as the Master rode in the sand. And he stood up and she heard
him say as he gazed around that circle at each one, let him that
is without sin cast the first stone. And then she heard silence
again. Everything was quiet. And he
stooped down beside her. She felt his presence there.
His presence there. And in a moment, she looked up,
and there wasn't anybody left. All the stones were gone, and
the accusers were gone, and the condemners were gone, and everybody
was gone, no one but Christ. And he looked over at her and
he says, Woman, where are thine accusers? Doth no man accuse
thee? She said, No man, Lord. But he
said, Neither do I. Go and sin no more. And I see
myself there at the feet of the accusers. The law accuses me,
the justice of God accuses me rightfully. These men rightfully
charged her, wrongfully would have slain her, but rightfully
charged her. She had violated and broken God's
law, was worthy of death, no question about that, worthy of
condemnation, but not at their hands. And our Lord said, where
are your accusers? And I'll tell you, in the presence
of Christ, all my accusers flee away. In the presence of my Redeemer,
in the presence of my sin offering, in the presence of my Lord Jesus
Christ, my substitute, I look up and I see no law to condemn
me, no justice to charge me. I see no enemy to accuse me.
I see nothing. There is therefore now, right
now, not in heaven, later on, though it will be, but right
now, no accusers. No condemnation, no charge to
them who are in Christ Jesus. That's just one part. But let's
look at verse 5. Here we have the believer's new
interest, new character. They that are after the flesh,
that is natural men, carnal men and women, people who live in
materialism and are interested in the world, they do mind the
things of the flesh. That's their interest. The natural
man is interested in what he wears, what he eats, where he
sleeps, what his bank account is, that's what he drives his
honor and fame in this world, who knows him, who he knows,
whom he knows. That's the natural man's interest.
Those are the things he's interested in. But, watch this, but they
that are after the Spirit, they do mind, they're interested in,
concerned about the things of the Lord. the things of the Spirit.
Now I'm not saying, I don't claim to be totally weaned from this
world, and you don't either. I'd lots rather wear a pair of
shoes with a hole sold than one that's got a hole in it, and
you had too. I'd lots rather go on a trip
and know that I have a car that Brother Coon has got all ready
so it's not going to break down when I get a few miles down the
road and leave me standing on the side of the highway. It's
much nicer to sit down today to a good meal than to sit down
to Army K-rations or C-rations. Isn't that right, Cecil? I guarantee
you've eaten them. And I have, too. And I'd heap
rather have one of Doris' hams and some potatoes and broccoli.
And I'm thankful for it. We're not totally weaned from
this work. Anybody that says he just doesn't care whether
he has a cheese and cracker or a T-bone steak is either lying
or something. He better go see the doctor.
There's something wrong with that boy. We don't claim to be
totally weaned from this world, but we know this, and someone
said this to me this week, God's done a work of grace in my heart,
and I'm interested, deeply interested in Him. Are you? I'm interested
in Him. I'm interested more in Him than
I am in this world. I'd rather have His honor than
the honor of men. I'd rather be clothed with His
righteousness than clothed with the finest suit that money can
buy. I'd much rather have the friendship
of Christ than the friendship of this world. I'm interested
in His grace, in His kingdom, in the things of the Spirit.
I believe I can say with David, Lord, I love thy word. Can you
say that? Lord, I love thy word. I was
glad when they said to me, let's go to the house of the Lord.
I'm so glad. I'd just heap rather be a doorkeeper
in God's house than to dwell as a son in the tents of the
wicked. The people of this world, they do mind the things of this
world. That's their interest, their
concern. I hope you're not caught up in that fleshly trap. I'm
not saying you let your business go. I'm not saying you don't
care whether you get to work on time or not. A good believer,
a true believer will be there on time. A true believer will
do a hard day's work. A true believer will consider
his employee's business as his own business. A true believer
will work as unto the Lord. A true believer will not be slothful
and lazy in the things of this world. But a true believer is
doing that to meet expenses. His interest is the kingdom of
God. His concern is the kingdom of God. He does mind the things
of God. He's more interested in his soul's
welfare than he is his body's welfare. A lot more interest. He minds the things of God. He's
concerned about the things of God. Verse 7 says, The carnal
mind is enmity against God. It's not subject to the law of
God, neither indeed can it be. It's not subject to God's Word.
Well, let's move to verse 9. Here is the believer's new helper.
You say, I can't do that by myself. That's exactly right. But we
have a helper. We have a comforter. You're not
in the flesh, but you're in the Spirit. If so be that the Spirit
of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit
of Christ, he's none of his. Every believer, every child of
God has the Spirit of God. If you didn't have the Spirit
of God, you wouldn't be a child of God. You wouldn't be a son
of God. For it's the Holy Spirit who
regenerates us. We're born of the Spirit. We're
born of the Spirit of God. We're regenerated, Jay, by the
Spirit of God. Repentance is worked in us by
the Spirit of God, who enlightens our minds, who illuminates our
hearts, who opens our ears, who gives us eyes to see. Faith is
the gift of God. If you have faith, you have the
gift of God by the power of His Spirit. Turn to John chapter
16. The indwelling of the Holy Spirit is given to every believer. The
indwelling Spirit, He's our Comforter, our Helper, our Teacher. Look
at John 16, verse 13. John 16, verse 13. Here's the Master talking to
His disciples before He went away, before He ascended back
to the Father. He said, how be it, verse 13,
John 16, when He, the Spirit of truth, is come, He will guide
you into truth, all truth, for He shall not speak of Himself.
He's not going to call attention to Himself. Whatsoever he shall
hear, that shall he speak, he'll show you things to come, he'll
glorify me, he'll receive of mine and show it to you. And
all things that the Father hath are mine, therefore said I that
the Holy Spirit will take of mine and show it to you." He's
our helper, he's our teacher, he's our comforter, the Spirit
of God who dwells in us. Now, it's not scriptural for
any believer to pray for the gift of the Holy Spirit. I understand
what I'm saying. We have the Holy Spirit. I pray
for the leadership of the Holy Spirit. I pray for the filling
of the Holy Spirit. There are certain times when
the disciples were filled with the Spirit of God. There's a
special filling, a special using of us. There's no way that I
can stay all the time as high as I am right now. I couldn't
survive. There's no way I could survive,
and you couldn't either. When you preach in power, when
you preach under the anointing of the Holy Spirit, when God
specially comes, like you prayed that I may preach in power, well,
don't ask Him to stay on me like that all the time. You couldn't
survive. You couldn't sleep. I couldn't
lie down and sleep right now. There's no way in this world
I could go to sleep. Some of you can, unfortunately. But what I'm saying, there's
no way. There's the power of God, the
unction of the Holy One. Now that's the filling of the
Holy Spirit, but now tonight, when I come down, and even this
afternoon, when I come down from this place and come down from
this special anointing and unction and power, Danny, I'll take a
nap and I'll rest. I'll rest, but I'll still have
the Holy Spirit, but not in His power, not in his anointing power,
not in his gifted power, because the man couldn't survive. That's
all there is to it. There's no way. So it's all right
if you have a special task to go out and witness to somebody,
you have a special task to come to church and worship and study
the Word of God, you sit down in your study. You're going to
prepare a Sunday school lesson, or you're going to prepare a
paper, you're going to write a paper, or you're going to work
on something that you're going to give before a group of people,
or just for your personal study. Pray for the Spirit of God to
come upon you. Pray for the Spirit of God to anoint you. Pray for
the Spirit of God to fill you. Pray for the Spirit of God to
use you. That's not wrong, that's right. Be filled with the Holy
Spirit. Be not drunk with wine, which
is excess. Now, when a man overdrinks wine,
it affects his whole being. He's filled with wine, and everybody
can tell it. It's obvious. When a man's filled
with the Holy Spirit, everybody can tell it to him. Everybody
knows the Holy Spirit can tell it, because the Spirit of God
speaks to them. So be not drunk with wine wherein
is excess, but be filled with the Holy Spirit. But as far as
us having the Spirit, we all have the Holy Spirit. You can't
live on a mountaintop all the time. The air's too thin up there. You're coming down. We have a
helper though. Notice, let's go to another pearl
over here, verse 16. Go back to Romans 8, verse 16. It says here in verse 16, the
Spirit himself, I like the word himself better than the translators
gave us itself. I don't like to hear the Holy
Spirit called it. It seems to me that when we call the Holy
Spirit, I got it, or he got it, or so forth, it seems to me we're
referring to him as just an influence, or a wind, or something. The
Holy Spirit's a person. With a will, he divides us severally
to everyone as he will. He can be grieved. Grieved not
the Holy Spirit. Vexed not the Holy Spirit. The
Holy Spirit's a person. Father, Son, Holy Spirit. I got
a letter from a dear person who listens to me on television.
and got the impression that I didn't believe in what we call the Trinity.
I can't explain the Trinity. Father, Son, Holy Spirit. But
our Lord said we're to be baptized in the name of the Father, Son,
and Holy Spirit. And there are three that by record in heaven,
the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost, the Holy Spirit.
And I can't explain that. I know God said let us make man. Us. He wasn't talking to the
angels. He wasn't talking to the cherubims or seraphim. He
said, let us make man. And here our Lord Jesus Christ
said, I will pray the Father. I will pray the Father. He will
send you the Holy Spirit. When he was baptized, the Father
said, this is my Son in whom I am well pleased, and the Spirit
of God descended upon him in the form of a dove. So while
I cannot explain the Trinity, while I do not understand the
Trinity, I must preach the Trinity. Because the Bible teaches it.
The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. The Lord our God is one God.
You say, I can't comprehend that. Well, any more than you can comprehend
God. If you could comprehend God, you'd be God. If you could
understand God, you'd be God. Only God can understand God.
We will someday. Now we sit through a glass dimly,
then face to face. Now we know in part, we prophesy
in part, we understand in part, but then we're going to know
as we have been known. But he says the Holy Spirit himself,
look at verse 16, bears witness with our spirits that we're children
of God. We're children of God. We have
a new family. Now listen to me carefully. We
don't forget our parents and our brothers and sisters, our
nieces and nephews and cousins, our what we call blood relations.
We love them. A man who doesn't respect his
mother and father doesn't know God. That's all there is to it. A man that neglects his own household
is worse than an infidel. That's what scripture says. A
man that does not provide for his own household. We love our
parents. We love our children, our wives,
our families, personal families. We have obligations, responsibilities,
duties, not only as natural men, but as believers. The best husband
in the world is a believer. The best father in the world
is a believer. The best son in the world is a believer. The
best brother in the world is a believer. how good it is when
husband and wife both believe. I don't know of any division
in a home that's worse than one being a true believer and one
not a believer. Really, it can't survive. It'd just be a miracle
if it does. I'm not talking about church
members now. I'm not talking about a nominal religionist.
You go to your church and I go to mine. That sort of thing,
you know. That can survive because there's
nothing in the way. But where a man knows Christ,
loves Christ, is dedicated and separated to Christ, belongs
to Christ, there's no way he can belong to a woman who doesn't
belong to Christ. It can't survive. It just can't
survive. It has been known to be tolerated,
but it can't really survive, and vice versa. How sweet it
is when mother and son both love Christ, when father and daughter
both love Christ. What a fellowship, what a double
family. What a double fellowship, when husband and wife. I'll tell
you this, if you both love Christ and know Christ, you can survive
any problem. You can conquer any fear, you
can withstand any trial, you can ride over any rocky road,
if both of you are dedicated to, separated unto, born again,
regenerated, and you know the Son of God. You're one, more
than one. You're one in Christ. You're
one in Christ. devastating it is for that barrier. You know, our Lord said, I didn't
come to send peace but a sword. I came to set a man at barracks
with his father, and a daughter with her mother, and a daughter-in-law
with her mother-in-law, and a man's enemies will be those of his
own household. Enemies because of the gospel. Enemies because
of the faith. Enemies because of that relationship
with Christ. But let me tell you this. We
have a new family. how good it is when our old family
is in that new family too. Aren't you glad Shelley loves
Christ? It's one of the greatest gifts God ever gave you besides
your own salvation. Aren't you glad Madge loves Christ
and you're glad he loves Christ? If he didn't, it'd be impossible. But oh, I tell you this, even
where that's not true, even where brothers and sisters, naturally
speaking, do not know Christ, We have brothers and sisters
who do. We have a family. That's what a church is. A church
is not just an organization. A church is not just a bunch
of people picked up here and there who met together on Sunday
to sing some song. A church is a family. Beloved,
we are sons of God. There is a union. There's a union. You take, for example, Mindy
there is Paul's wife. But she's my sister. We have
a relationship, you see, closer than a daughter-in-law. She's
more than a daughter-in-law. She's my sister. We're one family. We have the same father. You
see that? We're the same father. Have you
got a hold of that yet? This is a family. This is a,
what a pearl. I have a family. Some of us say,
I don't have any family left. Boy, I do. This is my family. I'm just by myself here in the
Christmas scene. What's the matter with you? Aren't
you a believer? Oh, yeah, I'm a believer. Are
you not a child of God? Oh, yeah, I'm a child of God. Then your
family's all around you. Why don't you open your eyes?
Why don't you reach out to them? That's what I'm saying. Why don't
you reach out? Why don't you lay hold upon that relationship? I tell you, It's a whole lot
deeper and closer than that blood. That blood of Calvary unites
me a lot closer to you, Danny Blair, than that blood that you
got in your veins. A whole lot closer. And if it
doesn't, we hadn't met the blood of Calvary. If it's not sweeter
and more precious and more binding, somebody's missed it. Because
that's the blood of the Son of God. And the blood which made
me a son of God. We'll be here a week if I don't
move on these pearls. Let's go, if you will, to verse
23. Verse 23, and here's the believer's new hope. And not
only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of
the Spirit. He's talking about creation. If you change that
word creature to creation in the preceding verses, the creation
is going to be restored, God said. Those trees out there that
got blight all over them, someday won't have blight. The apples
that have worms someday won't have worms. The thorns and thistles
will someday won't grow. Death won't cover this earth,
but life and righteousness. God's going to restore the creation.
He says the creation groaneth. You see verse 22? The whole creation
is groaning and travailing under the wrath of God, under the judgment
of Adam's sin. under the results of Adam's sin,
the whole creation is in a mess because of man's sin. And not
only the creation, but verse 23, we ourselves also, which
have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even though we have the firstfruits,
even though we have regeneration and redemption, we still got
the effects of the fall. I still wear these glasses so
I can see. So I can see. My spiritual eyes
can see into eternity. These natural eyes can't see
two feet away. These natural eyes have the results
of seeing. I wear these hearing aids because
I can't hear. I've heard God speak from heaven through his
words with spiritual ears, but I can't hear a little infant
speak without these artificial aids here. So you see, I've got
we ourselves grown, although we have the first fruits. We
have the firstfruits of heaven. We have the emotions of grace
within us. We have the promises of grace
within us. We have a foretaste of heaven
already. A foretaste already. The firstfruits
already. The whole shebang is coming later
on, but we got the firstfruits already. But we don't. We ourselves
grow within ourselves, waiting not only for the adoption of
our soul, but namely the redemption of our bodies. I'm waiting for
God to give me a new body. He's given me a new heart. He's
given me a new family. He's given me a new standing.
He's given me a new hope. One of these days, He's going
to give me a new body. And as long as I'm here on this
earth, I'm going to be dragged down, held down, suppressed,
irritated, grieved, troubled, tried, upset by this this natural
body. It's a discomfort not to hear
sometimes. It's a discomfort not to be able
to see sometimes. It's a discomfort to hurt. You
hurt. All of you hurt. Sorrow is a troublesome thing. Grief and pain and death. It's
tough to say goodbye to somebody you love awfully dearly, isn't
it? And that brings us to the believer's confidence, verse
28. And we know, and we know that all things work together
for good to them who love God, to them who are called according
to his purpose. Now brethren, I'm going to give
you two things to remember in closing. Number one, a description
of the people to whom this promise is given. a description of the
people to every promise. We sing a song, every promise
in the book is mine, every promise with its love divine. Now wait
a minute. There's just some folks who can
sing that. Now let's read it again. And we know that all things
work together for good. To whom? Three things. To them who love God. Secondly,
to them who are called. to them who are called according
to his purpose. There's a difference, isn't there?
It doesn't say all things work together for good to everybody
in the world, to every son of Adam, to every rebel, to every
profane blasphemer. It says to them who love God.
Now, there are many things upon which the believer and the unbeliever
agree. I love this country, and I guess every other American
loves this country. There are a lot of things we
agree on. Believe but if one thing that
the believer and the unbeliever do not agree on the believer
loves God You say well unbeliever loves God. He loves a God some
God But he the God of his imagination, but the God of the Bible The God of the Bible is only
loved by those who know him now, that's so that's so An unbeliever
may love a God, he may love a God of nature or a God of his imagination,
but the living and true God no man can love apart from grace
poured in his heart. That's just so. Believers love
God as creator, they love God as sovereign, they love God for
himself, his holiness, his love, his truth. His righteousness. They love God as Father. They
love God as Savior. They love God as their portion
and provider. They love God as their inheritance.
Believers love God. You've heard people, you read
a verse description and say, my God wouldn't do that. My God
this or my God that. Now wait a minute. A person who
really loves the God of the Bible loves Him for himself. Whatever
he says, however he reveals himself, whatever he does. What did Job
say? Though he slay me, I'll trust
him. Huh? He loved God for himself.
Here he sat, here old Job sat, covered with boils from the top
of his head to the bottom of his feet. His family dead, his
riches gone, his friends cursing him, his wife telling him to
curse God and die, the whole world against him. He sat there,
and that had been one of us who said, what have I done to deserve
this? But if this is God's blessing, I don't want it. So Job's wife
said, won't you curse God and die? He said, though God slay
me, I'll trust Him. Old Eli had two sons, and they
were rebels. Both of them were rebels. They
offered strange fire on the altar of God. And Eli, he was a soft-hearted
old man. He loved his boys and kind of
let them get away with anything. And God said to Samuel, because
Eli has not disciplined his sons, and they have offered strange
fire, I'm going to kill them. And Eli came and said, Samuel,
what did the Lord say to you? And Samuel said, I'd rather not
say. And Eli said, well, if you don't tell me, the same thing
happened to you. Well, he said, I'll tell you,
Eli, the Lord said he was going to destroy your sons. And you
know what that old man said? Well, he said, it's the Lord.
Let him do what he will. what seems good in his sight.
Now that man loved God. You see what I'm saying, my friend?
We love our God, or a God, or some God, but the believer loves
God. And all things are going to work
together for good to them who love God. Who love God for himself. Not their idea of God, or what
they think God ought to be. And not those that claim to love
God in a time of emotion, and a fit of sentimental emotion,
but those who love God. That's all right. Whatever God
does, He's God. Let God be God and every man
a liar. Here's a second thing to those who are called. Those
who are called. If any man loves God, it's because
God loved him first. Would you say that? First John
4. Let's see what the Word says.
First John chapter 4. We're called. He called us by
Spirit. He called us by His Word. He
called us by His gospel. He called us by His grace. He
called us to His Son. He has blessed us and called
us, not according to our works, but according to His purpose
and grace given to us in Christ. 1 John 4, verse 10. Here in His love, not that we
loved God, He loved us. He loved us and sent His Son
to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved
us, we ought to love one another. He loved us first. We are the
call of God. Now let me give you an illustration.
Sitting by your side at work, or on an airplane, or a bus,
or in a car, or anywhere, walking by your side each day, sits and
walks a person that you've known for years. Perhaps you all went
to school together. Perhaps you were raised in the
same home together. Perhaps you went to high school
together and through your roommates in college. But you love God
and you love his word. You love his grace. That person
doesn't. Oh, that person likes you very
well and you all have some natural things in common, but you don't
have the grace of God in common. Maybe a brother or sister or
a niece or nephew or a close friend. You love God. You love the gospel. You understand
the gospel. You've entered into the mysteries
of the gospel. You believe God's precious to you. His peace and
joy and rest floods your heart. That person does not know that
peace and joy and rest. Who made the difference? That's
what I'm asking. Who made the difference? Turn
to 1 Corinthians. Who made the difference? Turn
to 1 Corinthians chapter 4. Who maketh thee to differ? Was
it not God who called you? Was it not God who revealed himself
to you? Was it not God who singled you
out, just like he did Abraham? Get out of your father's house.
Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord. Matthew, follow
me. Zacchaeus, come down. See what
I'm saying? 1 Corinthians 4, 7. Who maketh thee to differ from
another? What hast thou that thou didst
not receive? Now, if you received it, why
do you glory as if you didn't receive it? Don't blame that
man if he has not been called. Don't feel too harsh toward him.
Don't be too critical of him. And don't be too proud if you
have been called. Actually, the calling of God
ought to humble us rather than exalt us. It ought to fill us
with more compassion for those who haven't been called, and
more pity, and more concern. Because it's only by the grace
of God that I am what I am. And I have what I have, and know
what I know. But I'm tempted to say that He does make the
difference. He made the difference. If anybody goes to hell, it'll
be his fault. His own fault. Isn't that right?
Those who stayed out of the arts stayed out willingly. The door
was open, and those who went in, went in by the grace of God.
They can't take any credit, any glory. But what's the third thing
in Romans 8? Let's look at this for a moment.
We love God, are called by His grace, according to His purpose. According to His purpose. Somebody
says, God has a plan for your life. You make it work. That's wrong. God does have a
plan, but He makes it work. We are His workmanship created
in Christ Jesus. We are His workmanship. It's
God that worketh in you both to will and to do His good pleasure.
He makes it work. We're called according to His
purpose. I had a lot of scriptures written here having to do with
purpose, purpose, purpose. He worketh all things after the
counsel of His own will. He accomplishes everything according
to His purpose. He does as He pleases in the
armies of heaven and among the inhabitants of this earth. Let's
look back at Romans 8. I've got to quit, but I have
to give you this before I do. We know This is a matter not
of opinion, supposition, or religious emotionalism. It's a fact based
on the Word of God. I know. I know. That all things,
some people say these all things is the Father, Son, Holy Spirit.
Perhaps. Some say it's all things, referring to verse 29 and 30,
predestination, justification. Perhaps. But I'm saying that
all things here that work together for the good of those that love
God are all things. all things, good and bad, past
and present, great and small, sickness and health, life or
death, success or failure, all things. Work together in harmony. Work together according to the
great design of Almighty God. Work together according to the
blueprints of our Heavenly Father. Work together to accomplish His
purpose which He purposed in Himself before the world began.
Work together. There's no division. There's
no controversy between them. They work together. Today may
be a high day, tomorrow a low day. Today may be a good day,
tomorrow a bad day. Today may be a day of health,
tomorrow a day of pain, but they work together for my good. Not for my temporal good. Not
for my natural good. That's not the issue. That's not the issue. The issue
is my eternal good. God's design is to make me like
Christ. That's God's grand and ultimate
design, to make me like Christ. And all of these things, these
means of grace, this providence of God, these trials and tribulations
and these successes and failures and these tears and laughter
and these heartaches and pains and everything, the Father, Son,
Holy Spirit and sovereign grace and covenant theology and all,
works together for my eternal good. if I love God, if I am
a called of God according to his purpose. Isaac Watts wrote
another great hymn. It's over there in your book.
I think it's 497. J.C. 497 is when I can read my
title clear. But I pray this morning that
if you're here and there's never been a time of settling your
relationship with God, a saving interest I'm talking about, a
laying whole. You know Paul said, he's able to keep that which
I've committed to him. Have you ever done that? Committed
yourself, your life, your soul, your heart, committed. Paul committed,
committed himself to Christ. Has there ever been a time when
you laid whole by the grace of God, by faith upon the word of
God? Abraham believed God. He believed
God. God gave some promises and he
said, I believe that. I believe that. I believe that.
Lord, I believe. Centurion said he didn't have
perfect faith. He said, help my unbelief. But
I believe. I believe. Zacchaeus came down
out of the tree, and he made a decision. He sure did. He said, from this day forth,
I'm walking with the king. half my goods I give to feed
the poor, and if I've wronged a man, I'm going to get straightened
out with him, I'm going to walk with the king from now. From
now, I made a decision. Not just believing a doctrine
that's committal. It's not just believing the doctrines of grace.
You can believe those and perish. You can say, well, I know the
gospel. You can know it up here and not know it down here. When
it is a committal, it's a surrender, I committed it to him. And I
pray that every believer here, that you lay hold upon this promise
as your comfort, as your assurance, as your confidence. There's going
to be some rough roads this week. It's going to get dark. But all
things, all things, all things, work together for my good. Not
maybe today or tomorrow, but out there in God's good providence,
everything that happens now will be for my good. in His glory,
if I love Him, if He called me by His grace. And this hymn,
is that it? Let's sing it together. I think
it's a good one to close with. When I, Isaac Watts' great old
hymn, when I can read my title clear. What is my title? That's
Christ. It's not a, it's not some kind
of The paper that God gave you is Christ. My title, clear the
mansions in the sky. I'll bid farewell to every fear
and wipe my weeping eyes. Number 497. Will you come lay
this place, sir? 497.