Tonight, if you will, open your
Bibles with me to Galatians, the letter of Galatians, chapter
4. I want to speak to us tonight
on a subject that is found in this question of the Apostle
Paul to believers in the churches of Galatia. Here in chapter four
in verse 15, he asked, where is then the blessedness you spake
of? The subject is blessedness. Now what are we to understand
from this question but that some had lost the blessedness that
they had once enjoyed? They lost it by entertaining
a message different from the gospel of Jesus Christ. A message that was different
from the message that Paul preached. What was the message that Paul
preached? You know, I believe that passage
in Acts chapter 13 can sum it all up so well. When he was in
that synagogue preaching to Jews and Gentiles people that were
zealous for the law, people that were proselytes to Jewish religion. He said, through this man, speaking
of Christ, through this man, and he had gone through everything
about Christ, how he came into this world, Through this man
is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins. This is the message. This is the message that Paul
preached. Through this man, through Jesus
Christ, is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins, and
by him, by him, not by your works, not by rituals and ceremonies
and all of the things that men have come up with over the years,
but rather by him, All that believe are justified from all things
from which you could not be justified by the law of Moses. If you will notice here in Galatians
4, in verses 10 and 11, he said, you observe days and months and
times and years. I'm afraid of you, lest I have
bestowed upon you labor in vain. Where did the idea concerning
days and months and years come from? It came from these false
teachers who had come into Galatia and were saying, yes, the message
of Christ, that's good, but you also must observe the law of
Moses. And part of that law concerned
days and months, special worship services on different days of
the months. You know, you read through the
law and you see the first day of the month, the new moon and,
and just the Sabbath days and so forth and so on. If you notice
down in verse 21, he said, tell me you that desire to be
under the law. Do you not hear the law? Do you
not hear the law? In other words, isn't Christ enough? Isn't Christ
enough? When the scriptures tell us that
we are accepted in the beloved, isn't Christ enough? When the
scriptures tell us that we are complete in him, isn't Christ
enough? then why would we want to add
something to the message to the gospel of Jesus Christ? That
through this man is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins,
and by him all that believe are justified from all things from
which you could not be justified by the law of Moses. But as I
said, it seems obvious here that that some of these believers,
at least, they had lost that blessedness, that blessedness
that they once enjoyed, that happiness, that joy in serving
the Lord. In fact, if you notice there
in that text, verse 15, Paul says at one time, At one time, you would have plucked
out your eyes and have given them to me. In other words, they
appreciated, they loved the Apostle Paul and the gospel message of
Jesus Christ so much, and they were so filled with joy and thanksgiving
and praise, they, Paul said, would have been willing to pluck
out their own eyes and give unto him. But that wasn't the case
any longer. Not with some of them, because
he asked this question, where is then the blessedness you spoke
of? Now I must make something absolutely
clear in looking at this question. Something absolutely clear, as
we think about some who no longer had the blessedness that they
once enjoyed. Now listen to me, the state,
the state of true believers is always blessed. It can never
be anything else but blessed. That is the state of true believers
is always blessed. Every person who is born from
above and in union with Christ by faith is blessed, is happy. Everyone delivered from condemnation
and an air of eternal life and no longer under the wrath of
God is blessed. The blessedness or this blessedness
doesn't have to do with our state, but it has to do with our experience. Our experience. Those who know
Christ, those who are in union with Christ, Those whose sins
have been forgiven, those who have been adopted into the family
of God are blessed, and they will always be blessed. There's
no doubt about that. But the blessedness here has
to do with the believer's experience, not our state, not our relationship
to God, but our experience. When a child is born into a family,
now the experience may vary. Sometimes he may disobey his
parents, and the relationship or the experience may vary, but
the relationship will always be the same. He'll always be
that man's son, that woman's son, always. Nothing's going
to change that. And when a person is born of
the Spirit of God, born into the family of God, we will always
be his children. Nothing is going to change that,
nothing. But our experience, the blessedness,
the happiness, the peace, the joy as we go through this world,
it may vary. And no doubt it does. Well, what
would you think would be or should be included in the blessedness
of a believer in this world? In other words, A true believer,
child of God, he's blessed in his state, his relationship to
God, but in his experience, what would always or should always
be true of that believer? Well, I have five things I want
to mention. First, the blessedness of true
believers will consist in the knowledge and the assurance of
being accepted in the beloved. Now, believing in Christ, trusting
in Christ, and having assurance of salvation are two different
things. They are two different things.
And I know this from the Word of God. If you want to look in
1 John, for just a moment, chapter 5. There have been, back through
history, those who have taught that if a person has true faith,
then he has assurance. And if he doesn't have assurance,
he doesn't have faith. But that's not what the scriptures
teach. That's not what the Word of God reveals unto us. It's
one thing to believe, to trust in Christ. It's something else
to have assurance of that eternal life that we receive. And we
see this here in chapter 5 of 1 John, in verse 13, where the
apostle said, These things have I written unto you that believe
on the name of the Son of God. Now look, that you may know,
in order that you may know that you have eternal life, and that
you may believe on the name of the Son of God. To be in a state
of uncertainty, child of God, to be in a state of uncertainty. Am I saved or am I not saved? If I were to die tonight, would
I go to be with the Lord or would I not? A state of uncertainty. I don't believe anyone would
call that state or that experience a blessed one. The anxiety that
a person would experience. Now, the Lord has provided us
in His Word the truth about His purpose in the Lord Jesus to
give us a strong consolation, to give us assurance. Remember
in Hebrews chapter 6, we are told that by two immutable things. One thing is God's Word. God's
Word is never going to change. It's like He is. He's immutable,
He doesn't change, and His Word doesn't change. But two immutable
things, that is God's Word and God's oath. The scripture tells
us that God took an oath, as we would swear, so God took an
oath. And because there's none greater,
He swore by Himself. So we have these two immutable
things revealed to us God's word and God's oath that everyone
that flees for refuge to the Lord Jesus Christ finds refuge. Everyone. Now, when a person
is inside the refuge, he's safe, just like in the Old Testament
in those cities of refuge. When the manslayer fled to the
city of refuge, he was safe until it could be decided legally.
But notice here in 1 John chapter 5. These things, John says, have
I written unto thee that believe on the name of the Son of God,
that you may know that you have eternal life. There's several
marks that he gives us here in this epistle. I especially love
just that one in verse 1, verse 1 of chapter 5. Whosoever believeth
that Jesus is the Christ is born of God. Do you believe that Jesus
is the Christ? Can you say with the apostle
Peter, we believe and are sure that thou art the Christ, the
son of the living God? Whosoever believeth that Jesus
is the Christ is born of God. That's one mark. But notice another
one here in chapter 3. Still in the same letter. Chapter
3 and verse 14. We know that we have passed from
death unto life. That's a new birth. We know we
have passed from death unto life because We love the brethren. He that loveth not his brother
abideth in death. Do you love the brethren? Are
you so thankful and grateful that you have been born into
God's family, been adopted into his family, and your brothers
and sisters are those that you love? You love to be with them? You love to encourage them, to
help them as God gives you opportunity? You love the brethren? And then
another one in chapter four, 1 John chapter four and verse
seven. Beloved, let us love one another
for love is of God and everyone that loveth is born of God and
knoweth God. Do you love God? I know most
all of us would respond to that question. Yes, I love God, but
not like I want to. But here's the thing, we love
him because he first loved us. Had he not first loved us, we
would never come to love him. And notice this other one, this
last one in chapter five in verse 18. We know that whosoever is
born of God sinneth not. But he that is begotten of God
keepeth himself, and that wicked one toucheth him not. Now, most
commentators have looked at this in two different ways. He that
is born of God sinneth not. That which is born of God in
you, that new nature, is created in righteousness and true holiness. It doesn't sin. Now, it is true
we still have the flesh, that old nature, but that new nature,
whosoever is born of God sinneth not. And then others, whosoever
is born of God does not practice sin, does not continue to live
practicing sin, because he's a new creature in Christ Jesus.
All things are passed away. Behold, all things are become
new. But keep focused. In order to enjoy this blessedness,
this happiness, then as believers, you and I, we must keep focused
on the Lord Jesus Christ, who He is and what He has done, where
He is, to assure us to make it Make it certain in our hearts
that we are God's children, recognizing that what Christ did, He cannot
fail. His work cannot fail. You know,
I'm convinced. I'm convinced that Jesus Christ
is the Son of God. I am. I believe that He is the
eternal Son of God who came into this world as a man. And therefore,
whatsoever he purposed to do, he did, and it is accomplished." How could God fail? You tell
me. I can't believe that. I can't
believe that. I believe that God is sovereign,
that He's God, period. And what He does, as the scripture
says, is done forever. It's not going to be undone. Think about, keep focused on
Christ, who He is and His work and where He is now. What a blessing
it is to remind ourselves just now He's there at the Father's
right hand praying for us, interceding for us, for all who come unto
God by Him. Keep focused on that. And also,
don't forget the everlasting or the new covenant of grace.
Remember the words of King David when he came down to the end
of his life. He confessed that, although my
house be not so with God. My life certainly isn't the way
I would have had it to have been, the way I would have I would
have lived closer to the Lord, I would have served Him more
fervently, although my house be not so with God. Yet, even
so, He hath made with me an everlasting covenant, and He made that covenant
with me in Christ. He hath made with me an everlasting
covenant ordered in all things, and sure, sure, certain, So one
thing about blessedness is when a person is assured that he is
a child of God, no doubt, no question. You know, Paul's words,
his challenge in Romans chapter 8 is for you, it's for me, it's
for everyone who trusts in Christ. It's not just the words of an
apostle. What shall we say to these things?
If God be for us, who can be against us? He that spared not
his own son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not
with him freely give us all things? Who shall lay anything to the
charge of God's elect? Who would dare? Who would dare? come into the presence of God
and charge one of God's elect with sin after Christ has paid
for his sins. Who would do that? Who shall
lay anything to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justifies,
and He does so based upon the righteousness of His Son. Who is He that condemneth? Who's
going to condemn one of God's children? It's Christ that died.
Who is He? He's the Son of God, manifest
in the flesh. It is Christ that died, yea,
rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand
of God, who maketh intercession for us. Who, who shall separate
us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord? Now, a lost person would stop
right here. A lost person would reason, well,
if I may be assured that I'm going to heaven, no matter how
I live, that's blessedness to me, but not for a child of God. That's just one part. A second
thing that would have to be included in the blessedness of true believers
will consist in having a conscience, a conscience that is not troubled
with particular sins, either of omission or commission. Now, I'm not saying that a true
believer will ever in this life not be troubled because of his
sinful nature. We know he will, because even
the Apostle Paul said, O wretched man that I am, who shall deliver
me from this body of death? But I'm talking about a particular
sin, a particular sin in the life of a child of God, a sin
that that person loves and has no desire, he doesn't make any
effort to forsake and to overcome it. He's not going to have this
blessedness that we're talking about tonight. In Proverbs chapter
28, In verse 13, we read, Proverbs 28, verse 13. He that covereth his sins shall
not prosper, but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them. shall have
mercy, confesseth and forsaketh them." No, when a true believer
has some particular thing that troubles him, something he knows
that isn't right, something he's living with, He'll never have
this blessedness until he mortifies the deeds of the flesh, until
he deals with this particular sin, whether it be one of omission
or commission. A true believer, a child of God,
is daily made aware of his many shortcomings, and he's always
thankful for the blood of Christ, which cleanseth us from all sin. But it is when we try to overlook
what our conscience troubles us with. When we try to overlook
that, when our conscience makes us know it's wrong, it's something
you shouldn't be engaged in. And rather than deal with it
by confessing it and forsaking it, we excuse it. We begin to
excuse it. And as we do, we lose the peace
and the blessedness that is ours to enjoy. A third thing, the
blessedness of true believers will consist in communion with
the Lord, in the means of grace. You know, we talk about, or writers
do, about the means of grace. I know all grace is in Christ.
but there are means of grace. Reading the word of God is one.
And as one writer put it, when we read the word of God, not
like a lawyer reading a will, he's reading the will and he's
making sure that every I is dotted and every T is crossed and everything
is legal and up to score with the law. Don't read it like that. But read it as an heir reads
the will. Read it as an heir reads the
will, as descriptions of what he's going to receive, what I'm
going to receive. What joy when you read the word
of God and know that you have an interest in these things.
It's not just doctrine. Now we love doctrine, and all
teaching is doctrine. But you can know the doctrine
of reconciliation, the doctrine of adoption, the doctrine of
election. I mean, just go on down the line.
But it's knowing these things as they relate to me. It's my
reconciliation. It's not just a doctrine. I've
been reconciled unto God. I have peace with God. Talk about adoption. It's not just a doctrine on paper
that we study and get it all right in our minds. You know
how, when we were adopted and all of that, people argue about
these different things and they miss the blessing. They miss
the blessing. And not only is reading the scriptures
a means of grace, but hearing the gospel. hearing the gospel,
to hear the gospel preached and to hear the voice of your savior,
your beloved, as the word of God is going forth. And oh, to
see the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ as the gospel
is preached. You know, some people come into
a service like this and when they leave, they can tell you
how many panels are in the ceiling. I can tell you how many lights
we have in this building. And they can tell you what the
preacher had on. Everything but what is important. What is important? That we hear
of our Savior and hear our Savior speaking to us in the message,
in the gospel. And then pray. That's a means
of grace. Pouring out your heart to him.
who you know not only hears you, he does hear you, you know that,
but more than that, he is touched with the feelings of your infirmities. The fourth, the blessedness of
true believers will consist in resting upon the Lord's faithfulness
and care. To rest ourselves upon Him, to
guide us, to protect us, to be our help in trouble. Just to
rest upon, lean upon Him. No matter what the trouble may
be, to rest on Him. You know, in Psalm 57, David
was able to say, I will cry unto God most high, now listen, I
will cry unto God most high, unto God that performeth all
things for me." Huh? Yes. He was a child of God, and
He knew that. And every other child of God,
we may confess the same thing, that God performeth all things
for me, that everything that has to do with my life. With
me in this world, God is in control of these things. He performeth
all things. We like that all things, don't
we? And we know that all things work
together for good to them who love God, to those who are the
called according to his purpose. You say, well, I don't understand
it. I don't understand these things. We don't have to understand
it. We're talking about resting. You know, I've given you this
before, but I like it. An old preacher said, I can't
understand how a brown cow can eat green grass and give white
milk. I don't understand that. That's
what he said. But he said, I love to drink
that milk. And there are things, certainly When it comes to God's
providence, we're not going to understand in this life. We're
just not going to understand. It's not God's purpose that we
do, but the blessedness of a child of God is to be able to rest
and knowing that he performeth all things for me. In this world where everything
is said to be uncertain, to rest in knowing that for God's children,
nothing is uncertain. known unto God are all his works
from the beginning of the world. And the last thing that I would
mention, the blessedness of true believers will consist in feeling
his spirit joyful and active when your spirit is joyful and
active in serving the Lord. For what other purpose has God
left us here? And sometimes we might envy that
thief that was saved just a few hours before he left this world. And our Lord said, today thou
shalt be with me in paradise. We might envy certain things
about that, but God usually doesn't take a person home immediately
after salvation. He leaves us here in this world.
And what is His purpose in leaving us here in this world other than
that we might serve Him? And how do we serve Him? By serving
His people. A person who only thinks of himself,
only thinks of himself, that person will never know this blessedness. Every believer, every child of
God, we are all debtors. We're debtors to God's grace
and God's love. And though we recognize ourselves
as unprofitable servants, we do love to show our thankfulness,
our gratefulness for His love and for His grace. And how do
we do that? In serving Him. As long as He
leaves us here in this world and gives us strength, we want
to serve Him. And we may serve Him just by
suffering. Many have. Many have served him
by suffering physical ailments. Some have served him by suffering
poverty. And yet, when I say served him,
that even in the midst of these trials and troubles, they keep
a good spirit. They project a good spirit. I
know someone personally that just looking at physically you
would think would have no reason not to be mad at God because
of what's happened in this person's life. And yet every time I see
her, well I said it was her, I was trying not to do that.
But every time she has the most joyful spirit, most contented
spirit, she knows and she is convinced that what has happened
to her and in her life was not by accident, by God's choice
and design, and it does not negate his love for her. God doesn't
change, and his love, it never ceases. Well, I pray the Lord
would bless these thoughts that you and I hear tonight. The blessedness,
the blessedness. What a blessing it is to know
Christ.