There are three things of which
I am sure. I am certain that we can derive
no saving benefit from Jesus Christ except by faith. If you'll
turn in your Bibles to the book of Romans, chapter 10, Romans
the tenth chapter, we're told there that whosoever shall call
upon the name of the Lord shall be saved, Romans 10 verse 13. But how shall they call on him
in whom they have not believed? We can derive no saving benefit
from Jesus Christ the Lord except by faith, by faith. Back in Romans 10 verse 9 it
says, If thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and
shall believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from
the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth
unto righteousness." There is no righteousness apart from faith. There is no acceptance with God
apart from faith. There is no life apart from faith. That's sure. That's certain.
There's no doubt about that. The second thing of which I'm
sure, and we'll stay in Romans 10, that is that there can be
no saving faith in Christ apart from the preached word. And when
I say the preached word, I mean by that the read word, the word
that is read by the individual, whether privately or publicly
or in a group, two or three. But there can be no faith apart
from the Word of God. A man just cannot be saved without
the Word of God. It's an impossibility. Cannot
be. It says in Romans 10 verse 14,
How shall they call on him in whom they have not believed?
And how? And how? God asks this question. How can they believe? in him
of whom they have not heard. How could that be possible? You
can't be saved apart from believing in Christ, but how are you going
to believe in an unknown Christ? You cannot be saved apart from
calling on Christ, and how are you going to call on him of whom
you've never heard, of whom you have no knowledge at all? How
are you going to call on a person who's a stranger to you? You've
never heard of Him. You know nothing about Him. You
don't even know whether He exists or not. So there can be no saving
faith apart from the Word of God. He hath begotten us through
the Word, the Word of Truth. And the Scripture says, faith
cometh by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God. The third
thing of which I am quite certain and absolutely sure is this. There can be no effectual faith-giving,
life-giving, saving preaching apart from the influence and
power of the Holy Spirit. Now if you'll turn with me to
1 Thessalonians 1. In 1 Thessalonians 1 verse 4,
Paul said, Knowing, brethren, beloved, your election of God. How do you know your election
of God? How do you know whether you're one of the elect? Paul said, You know you're one
of the elect. How do you know it? Our gospel
came not unto you in word only. That's how most people have heard
it, only in words, words. And that's not the way the gospel
came to you. Not only that way, came that
way, but not only that way. There can be no calling on Christ
without faith, and can be no faith without the word, but the
word accomplishes nothing, absolutely nothing. Unless it comes to you,
how? In power. In power. In the Holy Ghost. And in much
assurance. It's not by might nor by power,
the Lord said, but it's by My Spirit. We're born not of the
will of the flesh, not of the will of man, we're born of God.
The Son quickeneth whom He will. God says, I will have mercy on
whom I will have mercy, and whom I will I'll harden. And the same
word that is a savior of life unto life to some people is a
saver of death unto death to other people. The word adds to
their condemnation. Whereas some hear the word of
God and it adds to their maturity, Christian maturity and growth,
and adds to their faith. Others, it just further angers
them, and irritates them, and agitates them, and damns them.
You read your Bible, and you'll find that's true. The same word,
the word, the gospel, the preaching of Christ, the preaching of the
word of God, it will save some, and it'll further add to the
condemnation of others. It'll damn them. God'll send
them strong delusions, and they'll believe a lie, and they'll be
damned for believing it. So there can be no saving faith
apart from the Word. And the Word, when it's preached
only in the wisdom of the man, will accomplish nothing. Now
turn back to John 6. It's got to be preached in the
power of the Holy Ghost. If the Holy Spirit doesn't open
your ears, as our brother prayed, then you'll go to hell deaf as
a bat, blind as a bat. In John 6, 42, these people standing
around there, they said, why this, isn't this Jesus? Isn't
this Jesus, the son of Joseph? We know his mother and father.
How is it that he saith, I came down from heaven? We know him.
His name is Jesus. He was born in Bethlehem. He
raised in Nazareth, and his father ran a cart in the shop. We know
him. His sisters and brothers are with us. We know his mother
and father. Christ had been preaching to
them the truth of the kingdom of God. They wouldn't receive
it, and they wouldn't believe it. Why, they said, you're just
a local boy. We don't believe you. There's
no reason why we should believe you. We know you, we know your
mother, and we know your father. We know your brothers and sisters."
So in spite of the authority of the preacher. And he spoke
with authority. Some of those people came to
arrest him one time. The Pharisees sent some soldiers
to arrest him. And they came back without him.
And the Pharisees said, Well, where is he? They said, No man
ever spake like that man. They were awed by his authority. He didn't speak as the scribes
and Pharisees. He spoke as one having authority,
but in spite of his authority, they didn't believe him. They
didn't believe him. He said, All authority is given
unto me in heaven and earth. He said, I speak the things that
I've heard and the things that I've seen. I do the will of him
that sent me. And yet his words fell on deaf
ears. and they did not believe. So
the preacher may preach with the most authority that he can
possibly muster, but apart from the Holy Spirit, they'll go out
just as hardened as they were when they came in. And in spite
of the holiness of the preacher, oh, you say, if God had just
sent us some great men of God like Elijah, they didn't hear
If God would just raise up a man like John the Baptist, they didn't
hear Him. If God would just raise up a
prophet like Jeremiah, they didn't hear Him. Or if God would just
bless our day with a man like Isaiah, they didn't hear Him.
In fact, Jesus Christ the Lord came down here and they didn't
hear Him. I don't care how holy a man is,
and how righteous he is, and what an example he sets, and
what his righteousness is, if the Holy Ghost doesn't bless
the Word of God to the sinner's heart, the sinner will remain
dead in his trespasses and sin. That's so. Here was a man who
spake with authority. They didn't hear him. Here was a man who could look
into the eyes of his hearers and say, which of you can convince
me of one sin? I always do those things that
please my Father. And yet when he ascended back
to heaven, he left a handful of disciples. He preached one
time to five thousand people whom he had fed, and every one
of them turned and walked off. They wouldn't hear him. In spite
of the miracles he performed, he turned the water into wine,
he broke the bread and the fish and fed multitudes, he healed
the sick, even raised their dead. They didn't hear him. Some men
say, oh, if we could just have a healing service and perform
the great miracles of healing, people would flock to us. They'd
flock out of curiosity, and they'd flock out the same way. Jesus Christ the Lord healed,
went about doing good, touched the blind and they saw, the lame
and they walked, the dumb and they spoke. They didn't hear
Him. Abraham said they wouldn't believe,
though one rose from the dead. That's how hardened the sinner
is. That's how deceitful the heart
is. That's how depraved human nature
is. That's the darkness that covers
this globe and this human race. Though one rose from the dead
and preached to them, they would not believe. In fact, one did
rise from the dead and preach to them, and they didn't believe.
So in vain our truth and authority, in vain our example and holiness,
in vain our zeal and our works, in vain if the Holy Spirit of
God does not open your heart and unstop your ears and give
you eyes to see. That's what Christ said in John
6, 44. I don't know how plainer you
could make it. These people listened to him preach, and they looked
at him. And he'd spoken with authority.
His life was above question. His morals and righteousness
was equal to God the Father. And his power was demonstrated. They went off shaking their heads,
saying, this man must be from God. No man could do the miracles
he did except God be with him. And yet in spite of all that,
They said, well, this is Jesus. We know Jesus. He's the son of
Joseph. We know Joseph. His mother's
Mary. We know Mary. There's nothing
unusual about them. There's nothing unusual about
his brothers and sisters. Well, we know him. How is it
he said, I came down from heaven? And the Lord looked at him, and
he said, verse 43, You needn't be murmuring among yourselves
about who I am. You needn't be murmuring among
yourself. No man. No man. Be his natural ability what it
will. Be his qualifications what they
are. Be his advantages ever so many. No man. Raised in a Christian
home or raised in a drunkard's home. No man. having graduated from the university
or having dropped out in the sixth grade, no man. Black or
white, rich or poor, clean or unclean, wicked or moral, no
man. Can, can, is able, has the power,
no man. No son of Adam can come unto
me. believe on me. Coming unto Christ
is to receive Christ. It is to trust Christ. It is
to believe Christ. It is to receive Christ. It is
to accept Christ. No man can come to me except,
except one thing, except my Father. Not excluding the Holy Spirit,
not excluding the Son, for what is said of one is said of all
three. But no man can. You can sprinkle water on his
head when he's a baby and dunk him when he's grown, but no man.
You can drag him down the aisle and pound on his back down at
the altar, but no man. You can bring him down now to
dedicate and rededicate and consecrate and reconsecrate, but no man. And he can pray through and he
can adopt your rules and regulations and believe your doctrines, but
no man can come to me in a saving relationship, in a saving interest,
no man, except my Father, the everlasting God. the infinite,
immutable, sovereign King of the universe, personally, Himself,
through the power of His Holy Spirit, the Father which sent
me, the covenant gift, the Father which sent me, the covenant Lamb,
the Father which sent me, the promised Messiah, no man. You
murmur all you want to, and you can gnash your teeth against
it, and you can clench your fist till it turns white at the knuckles,
but no man. can come to me except my Father,
the Lord of heaven and earth, who has the keys of hell and
death, who gave you breath to breathe, and who will someday
take it out of your lungs. No man can come to me except
my Father, which sent me." Draw him. Draw him. Except my Father, draw
him, that is, powerfully draw him, powerfully incline his will,
powerfully give him the desire and the will and the hunger to
come to me. He ain't a coming. He'll come
to the church, but he won't come to me. He'll come to the doctrine,
but he won't come to me. He'll come to the priest, but
he won't come to me. He'll come to the standard, but
he won't come to me, because he can't come to me unless my
Father draws him. In Psalm 110, verse 3, it says,
Thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power. Power. Now how does the Father draw
me unto Christ? How does he draw me? Well, I
know this much about it. I know, first of all, it's a
work of creation. I know it's a work of creation.
It's called regeneration. Regeneration. In Ezekiel chapter
36, turn over there a moment. Let me read you a verse of Scripture.
Ezekiel chapter 36, verse 26. He says, "...a new heart also
will I give you." and a new spirit, a brand new heart, just been
made. A new spirit, a brand new spirit. And I'll take away that stony
heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh. I'll do it. I'll perform a divine
operation. You're not going to believe on
God with that old heart of yours. It can't believe God. Your heart
is a heart inclined to evil. It'll never be inclined to good.
God's got to give you a new heart. You'll never hear God with those
old deaf ears of yours. They're tuned to the sounds of
the world. They're tuned to the sounds of
the flesh. And those ears will never hear
God. God's got to give you new ears.
And those eyes of yours will never see the sun. They'll never
take their eyes off the flesh. Those eyes of yours are blind,
and God's got to give you new eyes, and new understanding,
and new reasoning power, and new thoughts. And He's got to
give you new understanding from a new heart. It's creation. It's the supernatural, heaven-given
person. If any man be in Christ, he is
a new creature. It's a work of creation. Turn
to 2 Corinthians 4. Listen to this. 2 Corinthians
4. Verse 3 says, If our gospel be
hid, it is hid to them that are lost. They hadn't found it. They don't even know where to
look. That's the tough thing. They don't know where to look.
They wouldn't know the gospel if they heard it. They think
everybody's preaching the same thing. Somebody said to Brother
Barnard one time, Brother Barnard, you and Oral Roberts are my favorite
two preachers. They couldn't tell the difference.
They didn't know the gospel fed herded. Our gospel's head, it's
head to them that are lost, because the God of this world hath blinded
their minds. Everybody who believes not is
blind. lest the light of the glorious
gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, Christ is the image
of God, and they are blinded, and they've been blinded by Satan,
lest that light shine unto them. Now look at verse 8, verse 6. For God, who commanded the light
to shine out of darkness in the days of creation, when God said,
Let there be light, hath shined in our hearts to give the light
of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ
Jesus. It's a creation. It's a divine
work. It's a sovereign work. It's a
supernatural work. Christ said the new birth is
like the wind. You can hear the sound of it,
but you can't tell where it comes from. Even so are those that
are born of the Spirit. God quickens whom he will, he
awakens whom he will, he saves whom he will. He gives light
where he'll give light, and he leaves the rest in darkness. It's a work of creation. It's
a sovereign work. And then I know this, I know
it's a gradual work. Now, I believe salvation is instantaneous,
if you want to call it that, but I also believe it's a gradual
work. Turn to Luke chapter 22. Luke
22. In Luke 22, verse 32. I believe
there are three tenses to salvation. I don't believe folks come down
to an altar and get it. I don't believe they come down
front and get it. I don't believe they go into baptismal waters
and get it. I don't believe to shake hands
with a preacher and get it. I believe salvation's too big
to even be called it. Salvation is a work of God from
eternity to eternity. It's a gradual work. Conversion
is a gradual work. We have been saved, for by grace
have you been saved through faith. That not of yourself, it's a
gift of God. The preaching of the cross is
to them who are perishing foolishness to us who are being saved, it's
the power of God. And Paul said in Romans 13, now
is our salvation nearer than when we believe. I'm not saved
yet. And I won't be till I stand perfectly
conformed to the image of Jesus Christ. We are being saved. We shall be saved. Some of us
don't manifest very many fruits of salvation, and it's doubtful
that we're even being saved. It's hoped that we're being saved,
but don't you think for one moment you're going to profess to be
a Christian and wind up in heaven. It ain't that way. It's a gradual work. And the
Lord said to Peter in Luke chapter 22, verse 31, and the Lord said, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired
to have you, that he may sift you as wheat. But I have prayed
for thee, that thy faith fail not. And when you are converted,"
and that's the same word he uses over there in Matthew 13, verse
15, when he says, "...the people have eyes, but they can't see,
and ears that they can't hear, lest they see with their eyes,
and hear with their ears, and be converted." And Christ said,
Simon, when you are converted, you strengthen your brethren.
You're not yet, but you're on your way, because I prayed for
you. You're not yet, but someday you're going to be. And this
thing of salvation, He said to His disciples, I have many things
to say to you, you're not able to bear them now, how be it when
He, the Holy Spirit, comes, He will guide you into all truth.
You can't even hear what I've got to say to you yet. You're
not mature enough, you're not developed enough, you're not
converted enough to even hear some things. You couldn't bear
them. And Hebrews chapter 3 gives it
to us just as straight as it can be given. In Hebrews chapter
3, look at this. In verse 6 of Hebrews 3, Christ
as the Son over His own house, whose house are we if we hold
fast the profession, the confidence and rejoicing firm unto the end. Verse 14, we're made partakers
of Christ if we hold the beginnings of our confidence steadfast unto
the end. You're not there yet. The holiness say, if you don't
die in faith, you'll go to hell. I agree with them. I certainly
do. I certainly do. This work of salvation is a gradual
work. This work of salvation is a work
that God continues. And it's a permanent work. Turn
to Philippians 1, if God's in it. Philippians chapter 1 and
verse 6. If God's in it, he'll finish
it. If God's not in it, it won't be finished. You'll fall along
the wayside. If God's in it, he'll finish
it. He says in Philippians 1, 6, I'm confident of this very
thing. That he which hath begun a good
work in you, he'll perform it. But he's got to begin it. If
he begins it, he'll complete it. If he didn't begin it, if
you begin it, it won't be completed. But if he started it, he'll finish
it. And Romans 11, 29 says, the gifts and calling of God are
without change. I'll never leave Christ," old
Puritan said. He won't let me. I'll never leave
Christ, he continued. I don't want to. I don't want
to. We are kept by the power of God
through faith. Through faith. But if any man
will depart, let him depart. That's what the Word of God says.
But in the next place, in John chapter 6, listen to this. How
does God draw me in? He draws me in by work of creation. New heart, new spirit, new ears,
new eyes, new person. It's a gradual work. Desire the
sincere milk of the word like a newborn infant that you may
grow thereby. It's an effectual work. It's
a permanent work. It's an eternal work. It will
be completed if God began it. if God began. If God is in this thing, he'll
finish it. If God's not in it, then it won't be completed. And
we see people come down the aisle and make a profession of faith,
and I rejoice. I wish I could rejoice more,
but I've seen too many who didn't finish the journey. I've seen
too many who joined something besides Christ. I've seen too
many who manifested absolutely no signs of effectual grace in
their hearts. They just added a little doctrine
to what they already believed and added another God on the
shelf to the idols who were already there. So the only thing I know
to do is accept their confession of faith and accept their profession
and just hope. that when they lie down to die,
that they know the Lord. In John chapter 6, verse 45,
but it says here, it's written in the prophets, God draws men
gradually, He draws men effectually, but He draws them by teaching
them, teaching them. He says in John 6, 45, it's written
in the prophets, they shall, all of them, everybody whom God
draws, will be taught of God. personally taught of God. Listen
to it. Every man that hath heard and
learned of the Father. That's what Brother Ed was talking
about this morning when he said, take my yoke upon you and learn
of me, become my student. Take my yoke upon you and learn
of me. He that hath learned of the Father
cometh unto me." It's not just making a profession
of faith. It's not just saying, I believe
Jesus died on the cross. It's not just joining the church
and deciding you won't go to hell, but you'll rather go to
heaven. That's not salvation. Salvation is to be taught of
God. Salvation is to hear God speak. Salvation is to learn of God. That's the folks that come to
Christ. Turn to Galatians 1, listen to this. God will use
a human instrument, that's true. God will use His Word. God will
use the preaching of the gospel. But somebody's going to be taught. Somebody's going to hear something.
Somebody's going to learn something. God's a good teacher. God's a
good teacher. The Heavenly Father is a good
teacher. Now there's some folks that couldn't
teach a fellow how to whistle, but when Almighty God teaches
a man, He teaches him. Christ said, a man that hears
from God and a man that's taught of God and a man that has learned
of God will come to me. In Galatians chapter 1, the Apostle
Paul said, brethren, verse 11, I certify you, brethren, as close
as he could come to swear it, I certify you, brethren, that
the gospel which was preached of me is not after man. I didn't
receive it of man, and I wasn't told it by man, but it was revealed
to me through Jesus Christ. That's where I got my gospel. That's where I got it. It says,
verse 15, when it pleased God, who separated me from my mother's
womb and called me by His grace, when it pleased God, He revealed
His Son to me. He revealed His Son. I've said this so many times
and I haven't made up my mind yet. And it's not necessary that
I do make up my mind, because it's not any of my business.
But either a whole lot of folks are saved or not very many. I
don't know which. I don't know which. But our Lord Jesus Christ said,
a man who comes to me is going to be taught of God. God's going
to teach him something. He's going to actually hear from
God. And he's going to learn something.
God can take the dumbest sinner on earth and teach him something.
God can take the hard-headedest old rebel that ever walked and
teach him something. God can't fail. And everybody
who is drawn to Christ is going to be taught of God what God
teached me. Well, if everything that is taught
of God cannot even be learned in a lifetime, it's ridiculous
to think I could sum it up now, but let me show you something
I believe that God teaches sinners. He teaches them three basic truths.
It takes us a little while to learn them, but they're three
things God teaches everybody whom he saves. Number one, he
teaches them who Jesus Christ is. Who is Jesus Christ? Christ asked that mob in his
day, what think ye of Christ? Whose son is he? Who is he? Very God of very God. Kiss the Son, lest to be angry. Thy throne, O God, is forever. Thou shalt call His name Emmanuel,
God with us. He is the everlasting Father,
the Prince of Peace. He is a man born of our flesh,
bone of our bone, flesh of our flesh. He's the appointed Redeemer.
As my Father sent me, even so send I you. Who is He? Who is
He? God will teach a man who Jesus
is. And God will teach a man what
Jesus did, what the Lord Jesus Christ did. He was numbered with
the transgressors. He was identified with the rebels. He was made in the likeness of
flesh. He was tempted in all points
as we are yet without sin. He was our federal head, our
representative. He died on that cross as our
substitute. He rose from the grave. He ascended
to the right hand of the power of God, and there He intercedes,
and He will come again, and He will be exalted with a name above
every name. And every knee shall bow, and
every tongue shall confess to the glory of God, that Jesus
Christ is Lord." And God teaches a man that. And God teaches a
man why Christ did what he did. There are two reasons why Christ
was born of a woman. There are two reasons why Christ
faced the law. and met its challenge and obeyed
its jot and tittle, all of them, the two reasons why Christ suffered
and bled in Gethsemane's garden and was nailed to that awful,
wicked cross, they're two reasons why Jesus Christ died under the
wrath of God, under the judgment of God, they're two reasons why
Christ suffered like he did, because God is holy and because
God is love, that's the two reasons. Sin must be punished. God is
holy. Sin must be judged. God is holy. The sinner's substitute must
die. God is holy. But God is love. And Jesus Christ is the gift
of God's love. For God so loved the world that
he gave his Son. And God's going to teach people
that. He's going to teach everybody
whom he saves who Christ is, and what Christ did, and why
Christ did it. And that sinner's going to fall
on his face in adoration, and in awe, and in eternal reverence,
and in eternal praise. And he's going to be able to
say with the disciples, to whom shall we go? Thou hast the words
of life. There's no life anywhere else.
There's no light anywhere else. There's no truth anywhere else.
There's no salvation anywhere else. We believe and are sure,
we've been taught of God, that Thou art the Christ, the Son
of God. That I'm saved, but I don't know
what I believe. You're not saved. I know I'm going to heaven, but
I can't give you a reason you ain't going to heaven either.
Because Christ said you're going to be taught of God. And God's
pupils aren't dummies. They know something. It may take
him a lifetime to pound it through our head, but he's going to teach
us. And we're going to stay in school till we learn the lesson.
We're going to stay there till we learn it. And we're going
to be willing pupils. Every man that has heard and
learned of the Father, he's coming to me. He's coming to me. That's what he taught Adam when
he stripped that fig leaf apron off Adam and killed that innocent
lamb and took its skin and clothed that old rebel Adam. God taught
Adam that God is holy And Adam's fig leaf apron wouldn't
cover his nakedness. God is holy! Blood must be shed
for sin. God is holy! Somebody's got to
die. God is holy. And he taught Adam
that. And he taught him God is love.
God could have stomped him in the dust and sent him to hell,
but God tenderly clothed him in the robe of the righteousness
of Jesus Christ. And then that's what God taught
the Israelites in the wilderness. He set a tabernacle up there,
and He made a little compartment, 15 by 15 by 15, utterly, completely
enclosed in gold. And He said, Stay out! God is
holy! Don't come in here! God is holy! This is the dwelling place of
God! You come in, you'll die! Man
can't approach God in man's sin! God is holy! But thank God, God
is love. And he said, now if you'll slay
a lamb and catch the blood in the basin, I'll let one man who's
appointed by me, the great high priest, I'll let him slip in
here on the veil, and if he brings that blood and puts it on the
mercy seat, I'll forgive your sins. You can't come into God's
presence, my sinner friend. You've got to learn that. I don't
care, they say an old boy can rebel against God and live in
sin and fight the gospel and ignore God, and then when he
gets in trouble, say, Oh Lord, have mercy! You might as well
shut your mouth, boy. God ain't going to hear you unless
you come through Christ, the great high priest. You don't
rush into the presence of God. God is holy. He tried to teach
that outfit, that in the wilderness. No man can come to me! except
my Father who sent me, draw him, and I am the way, the truth,
and the life. No man can come to the Father
but by me." By me. I know we live in a sentimental,
emotional age, but God killed those sentimental, emotional
people in the wilderness who thought they could come into
the presence of God without a high priest, and without a sacrifice,
and without blood. That old king, I forget his name,
but he made up his mind he was going to offer incense in that
tabernacle. And the high priest standing
out there in front of the tabernacle said, King, don't go in there.
He said, I'm king, I'll go where I please. He said, I wouldn't
go in there if I was you. He said, I'm going in there and
offer up a sacrifice. I'm going to offer incense. He
said, don't do it. He said, I'm going to do it anyhow.
And old King Uzziah, that was his name, he went in there and
burnt that incense on the altar that was typical of Christ. And
when he came out, he was white as snow with leprosy from the
sole of his feet to the top of his head, and he died under the
judgment of God. Now you can bow your head and
holler, oh God, all you want to, but you better have a priest.
And that priest better be God's priest. And that priest better
have the sacrifice which is the blood of the Son of God when
he comes for the mercy seat of glory. That's right. And God
teach folks that. That's what he taught them in
the wilderness when they lifted up the brazen serpent. That's
what he was teaching them. Christ is our substitute. And
that's what he's going to teach everybody whom he saves. Peter
said, you be ready to give a reason to every man that asks you for
a reason of the hope that you have. Can you do it? Have you
been taught of God? Did God teach you you were a
sinner by His word? Did God teach you you were powerless? Did God teach you you were incapable
of pleasing Him or honoring His law? Did God teach you that He
wouldn't do business with you? Did God teach you who Christ
is? That He sent Him into this world to represent you as your
substitute, as your representative, as your federal head? Did He
teach you that Christ offered the perfect sacrifice and fulfilled
every type of the Old Testament and every lamb that was slain?
Did He teach you that Christ is at the right hand of God as
your great High Priest? Has He taught you that? No man. can come to me, except
my Father which sent me draw him." There's a physical drawing
and a moral drawing. And physical drawing is compulsion. God doesn't bring people that
way. No sir. He draws them by making them
new creatures, by giving them a hunger and thirst for righteousness. By giving them eyes that can
see that this is His Word, and ears that can hear Him speak
through His Word, and a heart that can grasp and understand
His holiness and His mercy, His truth and His grace, and see
every bit of it wrapped up in the Lord Jesus Christ. Wrapped up in Christ. Our Father,
take the Word Oh God, make it a quickening
word. Make it an effectual word. Make
it a word, oh God, that can teach, that we may hear and learn from
the Father of the Lord Jesus Christ. Make us willing pupils.
Make us humble pupils. Make us pupils who are willing
to sit at Christ's feet, may we have desired the better thing,
sit at my feet and learn of me. Don't let us die in darkness,
die in heathen darkness with a deceitful heart, presuming
upon the grace of God. But let us, O Lord, walk in the
light, as He is in the light, that we may have fellowship with
Thee. And truly our fellowship is with the Lord Jesus Christ.
Quicken these words to every heart,