NEGLECT OF
FERVENT PRAYER
Complained of.
A Sermon,
Preached November, 21, 1754, at a Monthly Exercise of
Prayer, in the Reverend Mr. Steven’s Meeting-
House near Devonshire-Square.
ISAIAH 64:7
And there is none that calleth upon thy name, that stirreth up himself to take hold of thee.
These words are an address of the church and people of God unto the Lord in a prayer, which begins in the latter part of the preceding chapter; in which they first expostulate with him, about his love, grace, and mercy, and the sounding of his bowels towards them, which they feared were restrained; and plead the relation he stood in to them as a father, of which they were assured, however others might; he ignorant of it; and put him in mind of being their redeemer, whose name, as such, was from everlasting; they desire to be returned to God and his worship; complain of the violation of the sanctuary by their adversaries, and observe the difference between them and themselves, with respect to their relation to God: which is mentioned as on argument to engage his regard unto them: and in the beginning of this chapter, they most earnestly entreat that God would rend the heavens, and come down, and give some manifest tokens of his presence; they urge, that he had been used to do so in times past, when he did terrible things, and unexpected; they take notice of unseen and unheard of things, that God had prepared for those that wait for him, which the apostle Paul (1 Cor. 2:9) applies to the doctrines of the gospel; and suggest that it had been his wonted manner to meet in a way of love, grace, and mercy, and indulge with communion with himself, at the throne of grace, and in his house and ordinances, such that rejoice, and work righteousness; that rejoice not in a carnal sinful, and hypocritical way, or in their own boastings, all such rejoicing being evil; but in the Lord, in the person of Christ, in his righteousness and salvation, in his grace, and in the hope of glory and that work righteousness; not a justifying one, no man can work such a righteousness, nor ought any man to work righteousness with such a view; the best way of working righteousness is to lay hold by faith on the righteousness of Christ, and to do works of righteousness in faith, without which it is impossible to please God: or perhaps such persons are designed and described, who rejoice to work righteousness, who do it in a cheerful and joyful manner, from right principles, and with right views; and such the Lord usually takes notice of, and manifests himself unto; even such that remember him in his ways; in his ways of providence, in his ways of love, grace, and mercy, and in his institutions, ordinances, and appointments; or in the ways of his word and worship; but as for them, the people of God now praying, they own indeed they had sinned, and were deserving of the divine displeasure; behold, thou art wroth, for we have sinned ; and yet they despaired not of salvation; for they add, in these continuance, and we shall be saved; either in these sins there is continuance, which are so displeasing to God; for the words may be rendered, in these we have been of old, or always; we have been old sinners, sinners in Adam, sinners from our first birth; and, more or less, have continued so ever since; and yet we hope for salvation from sin, through the promised Messiah: or in these works of righteousness there is continuance, and in a cheerful performance of then, under the influence of divine grace, saints persevere in faith and holiness, and so are saved: or rather, the meaning is, in these ways of love, grace and mercy of God, in which his people remember him, is continuance: God continues in his love; in that is permanency, perpetuity, and eternity, as the word used signifies: the love of God is from everlasting to everlasting, immutable and invariable, and therefore the sons of Jacob are not consumed, but saved with an everlasting salvation; for that the church did not expect salvation from her own works of righteousness, but only from the free grace and love of God, is clear from what follows; but we are all as an unclean thing or person; like the leper, that was legally polluted, as well as covered with a loathsome disease, and therefore separated from the society of men: by this the church and people of God confess the impurity of their nature; and it may be, have respect to a general corruption in doctrine and manners, which prevailed in those times among the professors of religion: and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; which is to be understood not of the righteousness of hypocrites, which lay in external rites and ceremonies; or of legal and self-righteous persons, consisting of the outward observances of the law; but of works of righteousness done by the best of men, and in the best manner: these are rags, imperfect, and so insufficient to cover their persons, and hide their sins from the sight of God; they are filthy, being attended with sin and imperfection, and need washing in the blood of Christ, and so cannot render men acceptable before God: and we all do fade as a leaf, or fall like leaves in autumn: which might he true of the generality of the professors of that age; but not of such who have the root of the matter in them, who are rooted in the love of God, and engrafted into Christ; therefore their leaf shall not wither, but be ever green; or at least shall not finally and totally fade and fall, though they may have their decays; but this is true only of such who are carnal professors, destitute of the grace of God, who fade away and drop their profession, especially in a time of tribulation, just as trees drop their leaves in the fall of the year: hence it follows, and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away; as a fading falling leaf is carried away by the wind, so formal professors are carried away by their sins into a total defection and apostasy; and this general declension the church goes on to acknowledge and lament in the words first read; and there is none that calleth upon thy name, that stirreth up himself to take hold of thee; intimating, that there were but very few that prayed to the Lord, or were concerned about his continuance with them, or return unto them, In the words are acknowledged these two things:
I. That there were none, or but few praying souls among them.
II. That there were as few that observed this, and aroused and bestirred themselves to lay hold on and retain a departing God, or to solicit his return unto them.
1. That there were none, or but few praying souls among God’s professing people, in the times referred to: not that there were none at all, not one individual praying person; for this complaint itself is made in prayer to God; so that there were some praying persons, though their number were: but few, the instances scarce and rare; as when David says, Help, Lord, for the godly man ceaseth, for the faithful fail from among the children of men: (Ps. 12:1) his meaning is, not that there was not a godly or faithful man living, but that there were but few of this character: likewise, when the apostle Paul observes, that all seek their own, not the things that are Jesus Christ’s; (Phil 2:21) his sense is, not that there were none that sought the things of Christ, for he himself was one that did, and Timothy was another, of whom he is speaking, and whom he is commending; but that they were but very few that sought the things of Christ, in comparison of others that sought their own things; and in like manner are we to understand the expressions here, not simply and absolutely, but comparatively: and when we consider what an incumbent duty on professors calling on the name of the Lord is; or rather, what a privilege it is to be allowed to do it, the neglect of it here complained of must be a very aggravated sin, as will appear by opening the nature of this duty or privilege; in order to which, it may be proper to consider the object to be called upon, the name of the Lord; what he is to he called upon for, and when; the manner of calling upon him; and the arguments in brief exciting and encouraging thereunto.
1st, The object of invocation or prayer, the name of the Lord; which includes the nature, being, and perfections of God, as well as his titles and character; also the divine persons in the Godhead ; and particularly points at the special name in which God is to be called upon.
1. It takes in the nature, being, and perfections of God; the name of the Lord is the Lord himself: as when it is said, the name of the Lord is a strong tower; the righteous runneth into it, and is safe; (Prov. 18:10) that is, the Lord himself is a strong tower of safety to the righteous, that betake themselves to him; and again, (Ps. 20:1) the name of the God of Jacob defend thee; that is, the God of Jacob himself, or he who is so named, protect and defend thee from all evils and enemies. Once more; (Ps. 8:1) O Lord our God, how excellent is thy name in all the earth! that is, what a glorious display is there of thy divine perfections, in the works of creation and providence, throughout the whole world, and especially in those of grace and redemption! and there is something in the name of God, in his nature, and in all his attributes and perfections, which is engaging and encouraging to saints to call upon him: he, whose name is to he called upon, has proclaimed his name, The Lord God, merciful and gracious, long-suffering, and abundant in goodness and truth; (Exod. 34:6) which is very inviting end engaging to souls to make their application to him for grace and mercy. Benhadad’s servants having heard that the kings of Israel were merciful kings, proposed to make their addresses in an humble manner to the king of Israel, in favour of the life of their prince; and a very similar argument Joel makes use of, to encourage the Jews in his time to humble themselves before the Lord, and turn to him, since he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness; for who knows, says he, if he will return and repent, and leave a blessing behind him. (Joel 2:13, 14) The Lord, whose name is to he called upon, is the Lord God omnipotent; he is able to fulfill all the requests, answer all the expectations, and supply all the wants of his people: the heathens pray to a God that cannot save; (Isai. 45:20) but we pray to one whose hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; (Isai. 59:1) and who indeed is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think. (Ephes. 3:21) The Lord, on whose name we should call, is the Lord God omniscient; he with whom we have to do in prayer, to whom our speech is directed, (Heb. 4:13) and our addresses made, has all things naked and open to his eyes; he knows our persons, our cases, our wants, and all the desires and breathings of our souls; he knows the meaning of our sighs and groans, even those that are unutterable; whether we pray in public or private, in the house of God, or in our own houses, or in our closets, our Father seeth in secret, and will reward us openly. (Matt. 6:6) The God we are called upon to pray unto, is the Lord God omnipresent, who is every where, and fills heaven and earth with his presence; he is at hand to hear the petitions of his people, to assist, protect, and defend them; he is a present help in all their times of trouble; this is their great privilege, and in which they excel all other people, that they have God so nigh unto them, as the Lord their God is, in all things that they call upon him for. (Deut. 4:7) He is also El-shaddai, God all-sufficient, the God of all grace, the author and giver of it; who is able to cause all grace to abound, and whose grace is sufficient at all times, and in all cases. And to these perfections and attributes of God may be added, that the name and title he takes to himself for the encouragement of his people in prayer, is, that he is a God that hears prayer, (Ps. 65:2) and answers it too; he never said, no not at any time, to the seed of Jacob, seek ye my face in vain: (Isai. 65:19) every praying soul can set his seal to the truth of this testimony, that it is always good to draw near to God; (Ps. 73:26) for his eyes are always upon the righteous, and his ears are open to their cry. (Ps. 34:15) To say no more, the Lord that is to be called upon, stands in the relation of a father to his people; and they are taught and instructed to address him in prayer under this character and relation, our Father which art in heaven: (Matt. 6:9) and the Lord loves to have his children come about him, and call him their Father, and not turn away from him; it is with pleasure he hears. them cry Abba, Father, in the strength of faith, and under the testimony of the spirit of adoption; and such may assure themselves, that he will graciously hear and answer their requests; for if earthly fathers know how to give good things to their children, how much more shall our heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him, (Luke 11:13) and all other good things they stand in need of. And since then there is such great encouragement from the name, nature, and perfections of Cod; from the titles, characters, and relations he bears, how heinous must the sin be, to neglect calling upon his name!
2. The Name of the Lord takes in all the divine persons who are to be invoked: as baptism so be administered in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the holy Ghost; so the name of the Father, Son, and Spirit, is to be called upon in prayer, either separately or together. The name of the Father is to be invoked, and for the most part is called upon; if ye call upon the Father, or seeing ye call upon the Father, who without respect of persons judgeth; (1 Peter 1:17) the apostle Paul says, I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ: (Ephes. 3:14) The scriptural instances of prayer are generally in this way; the address is commonly made to the first person, and we usually and for the most part, direct our petitions to him; and there is good reason why they should be directed to him; since the other two Persons sustain an office which he does not, an office with respect to prayer: The Son is the Mediator, by whom we draw nigh to God; and the Spirit, is the Spirit of grace and supplication, who helps and assists in approaches to him; though this is not to he done to the exclusion of either the Son or Spirit, who, in conjunction with the Father or apart, may he called upon or addressed in prayer: the same blessings of grace and peace (Rom. 1:7) are frequently wished from our Lord Jesus Christ, as well as from the Father. Ananias exhorted Saul, when converted, to arise and be baptized, calling on the name of the Lord, (Acts 22:17) that is, calling on the name of the Lord Jesus Christ; and the apostle Paul directs one of his epistles to the Corinthians, and to all that in every place call upon the name of Jesus Christ our Lord: (1 Cor. 1:2) special petitions are sometimes put up to him; particularly Stephen, in his last moments, called upon him, and said, Lord Jesus receive my spirit: (Acts 7:59) The holy Ghost is also prayed unto: sometimes along with the other two persons, as in Rev. 1:4, 5. and sometimes he is singly invoked, as when the apostle thus prays, the Lord direct your hearts into the love of God, and into the patient waiting for Christ; (2 Thess. 3:5) where the Lord, the Spirit, seems to be designed as distinct from God and Christ.
3. This phrase of calling on, or in the name of the Lord, as it may be rendered, seems particularly to point at the invocation of God, in the name of Christ; and which perhaps is the true meaning of it here, and in that remark. able passage, then began men to call upon, or in the name of the Lord; (Gen. 4:26) not that men did not pray unto God, or call upon him before; but now another seed being raised in the room of Abel, whom Cain slew, and this increasing and multiplying, men either began to meet together in bodies, in communities, to carry on social worship, particularly to perform social prayer; or having now clearer discoveries, and better notions of the promised seed, the Messiah, they began to call upon God in his name; and this was practiced, more or less, by the saints in all succeeding ages; though it seems greatly to have got into disuse in the times of Christ, who exhorted his disciples to pray to the Father in his name; assuring them, that whatsoever they asked in this way, both he and his Father would do it for them; and complains of their neglect of it; hitherto have ye asked nothing in my name; ask, and ye shall receive: (John 14:13, 14 and 14:23, 24) Christ is the only mediator between God and men; the days-man that lays his hands on both, the only way to the Father, the new and living way by which we have access to God with boldness and confidence; his name is to be used in prayer; our supplications are not to be presented to God for our righteousness-sake, but for his name-sake; we are to make mention of his righteousness, and of his only, and plead his precious blood and sacrifice, and desire the Lord would look upon the face of his anointed, and regard us for his sake; acceptance of our persons and services is only through him: our righteousness is as filthy rags, and cannot render us acceptable unto God; our acceptance is only in the beloved; our sacrifices of prayer and praise become only acceptable unto God, as they are offered up through Christ, and on him, that altar which sanctifies every gift: and all favours and blessings of grace are conveyed through him to his people; the first grace in conversion is shed in the hearts of men abundantly through Christ their Saviour, and all after-supplies of grace are out of his fulness; and therefore, seeing we have such a mediator, advocate, and interceding high priest, to introduce our persons, to present our petitions, and to obtain all grace for us, we have great encouragement to call upon the Lord in his name, and to neglect this, must be an aggravated evil. I proceed,
2dly, To consider for what, and when we are to call upon the name of the Lord, or in his name; and this we are to do for all things; for he is nigh to us in all things we call upon him for: (Deut. 4:7) we should pray unto him for all temporal mercies, for he is the father of them we are directed to pray to him for our daily bread, (Matt. 6:11) which takes in all the necessaries of life; and such who have the true grace of God, and the power of godliness in them, may expect to be heard and answered; for godliness has the promise of this life, (1 Tim. 4:8) as well as of that which is to come: and we are to call upon him for spiritual mercies, for all spiritual blessings in Christ; for though these things are in his heart, and in his hands, and which he has laid up in his Son, and in the covenant of his grace, for his people, yet he will be enquired of by them, to do them for them; (Ezek 36:37) even for the fresh discoveries and application of pardoning grace, for the light of his countenance, and communion with him, and for all supplies of grace and mercy, to help in time of need. And this is to he done at all times; our Lord spake a parable to encourage men to pray always, and not faint; (Luke 18:1) and the apostle Paul exhorts the saints to pray always, with all prayer and supplication, and to pray without ceasing, (Ephes. 5:18; 1 Thess. 5:17) constantly, continually, and incessantly, and especially in times of trouble; Call upon me, says the Lord, in the day of trouble, I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify me: (Ps. 50:15) all times and seasons are proper for prayer, but especially afflictive ones; a time of affliction is a peculiar time for prayer; Is any afflicted? let him pray; (James 5:13) yea sometimes, when the people of God are negligent of the work and business of prayer, he sends an affliction to them, to bring them to his throne of grace; in their affliction they will seek me early: (Hos. 5:15) and particularly in times of public calamity and distress, it is right and highly necessary to call upon God; and happy it is for a nation, when there are, at such seasons, many praying souls in it; it was well for Israel they had a Moses to stand in the breach, and deprecate the wrath and vengeance of God, that he might not destroy them; and that they had an Aaron, who put on incense, and made atonement., and then stood between the living and the dead, and so the plague was stayed : but sad is the case of a people, when there is not one to stand in the gap, and intercede for them, that they perish not. This is what is here complained of.
3dly, The manner in which this duty of calling upon God should be performed; that is, in faith, with fervency, in sincerity of heart, and with great importunity. It cannot be done aright without faith; for how shall they call on him, in whom they have not believed ? (Rom, 10:14) Whoever comes to God, or draws near to him, in any part or branch of worship, and particularly in prayer, must believe that he is, (Heb. 11:6) not only that he exists, and is possessed of all divine perfections, but that he is the God of all grace, that keeps covenant, and is faithful to his promises: he must not only believe in the object of prayer, but with respect to the things prayed for; these must he asked in faith, for it is the prayer of faith that is prevalent with God; (James 1:6 and 5:15) this is the holy confidence that should he cherished, that. whatever we ask according to the revealed will of God, that will make for his glory, and our good, shall be given us: and then our petitions should not be put up in a cold, lukewarm, and indifferent manner, but it becomes us to be fervent in spirit, serving the Lord (Rom. 12: 11) in every part of worship, and particularly in this of prayer; for it is the effectual fervent prayer of the righteous man that availeth much: (James 5:16) and we should also draw nigh to God, in this duty, with true hearts, as well as with full assurance of faith, in the sincerity and uprightness of our souls; for if men draw near to God with their mouths, and honour him with their lips only, but remove their hearts far from him, and their fear towards him is taught by the precept of man, (Isai. 29:13) they cannot expect to be regarded by him; but he is nigh to all them that call upon him in truth; (Ps. 145:18) who are hearty and sincere in their requests unto him; and such may, and should, use an holy importunity with him. Our Lord has given us two instances of importunity, (Luke 11: 5-9 and 13:1-8) on purpose to encourage the same in prayer; the one is of a man that had a friend come to his house late at night, and he without provisions, upon which he calls up his neighbour at midnight, to lend him some bread, but he excuses rising on account of his door being shut, and his children in bed with him; nevertheless, continuing to solicit him, he rises, and gives him what he would have, not on the score of friendship, but because of his importunity the other instance is that of the unjust judge, who neither feared God, nor regarded man, yet being pressed by a poor widow, time after time, to take her case in hand, and do her justice; he at length did undertake it, not for the sake of doing justice, but lest he should be wearied by her continual coming; which our Lord applies thus, and shall not God avenge his own elect, that cry day and night unto him? such as, Jacob-like, lay hold on the Lord, and will not let him go without the blessing, always succeed; God cannot deny them any thing that ask in faith, fervently, sincerely, and importunately; and therefore a man that neglects this duty and privilege, must be greatly wanting to his own interest.
4thly, Many are the scripture arguments, exciting and encouraging the saints to call upon the Lord; I shall do little more than name the passages in which they are the Lord himself, whose name is to be called upon, bids, invites, and encourages men to call upon him; Call upon me in the day of trouble, I will deliver thee; ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; (Ps. 50:15; Matt. 7:7) what more can be desired, than to ask and have? The Lord is nigh to all that upon him in truth; (Ps. 145:18) he draws near to them in a way of grace and mercy, that draw nigh to him in a way of duty: he is rich unto all that call upon him; (Rom. 10:12) that is, he liberally bestows on such the riches of his providential goodness, the riches of his grace here, and the riches of glory hereafter he is plenteous in mercy to all that call upon him; (Ps. 86:5) he largely and plentifully bestows his grace and mercy on such ; abundantly pardons their sins, which, as it is an encouraging argument with sensible sinners, to turn unto the Lord, so it is a no less powerful one, to engage saints to pray unto him for fresh discoveries of pardoning grace and mercy. To add no more, it is said, that whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord, shall be saved; (Rom. 10:13) saved from all afflictions and distresses; saved out of the hands of enemies; saved with a temporal, and with an everlasting salvation.
And now how great must the sin and folly be of such professors, that neglect to call upon the name of the Lord! not to call upon the name of the Lord is heathenish; and of heathens nothing else is to he expected; for how should they call on him, in whom they have not believed? (Ro. 10:14) they know not God, and have no faith in him, and therefore it is no wonder they do not call upon him; and yet the wrath and fury of God are imprecated on the heathen, that know him not, and on the families that call not on his name; (Jer. 10:25) and even these, in time of distress, will call upon those they take to be God, as did Jonah’s mariners. Not to call upon God, is to do as hypocrites do; who, though they may pray openly and publicly before men sometimes, that they may be seen of them, and seem outwardly to take delight in approaching to God; yet as Job says, (Job 27:10) will he, the hypocrite, delight himself in the Almighty? will he always call upon God? No, he will not; he may for a time, but not always: nor does he ever take any real delight and pleasure in it. Now, for a professing people not to call upon God, is to do as heathens and hypocrites do: and such must be under great decays and declensions, if truly gracious persons, that restrain prayer before God; (Job 15:4) so to do is highly resented by the Lord; it is a charge he once brought against his church of old, she drew not near to her God: (Zeph. 3:2) such act very unbecoming the names of Jacob and Israel, by which they are called. Jacob had the name of Israel given him, because wrestling with God, he had power as a prince, and prevailed; but how unsuitable is this name to such who call not on the Lord? or how disagreeable to their name and character do they act? the Lord complains of it, Thou hast not called upon me, O Jacob, but thou hast been weary of me, O Israel: (Isai. 43:22) and this is the first branch of the complaint here in our text. I proceed to consider the other part of it.
II. That there were none, or few, that bestirred and aroused themselves to lay bold of the Lord. Here I shall briefly shew what is to lay hold on the Lord; and then, what it is for a man to stir up himself to do this; the neglect of which is complained of.
1. It is to exercise faith upon him, as to lay hold on Christ is to believe in him; Wisdom, or Christ is a tree of life, the Author and Giver of Spiritual and eternal life to them that lay hold upon him, (Prov. 3:18) that is, that exercise faith on him; by faith men look to Christ, go to him, and lay hold upon him; the believer lays hold on Christ as his Saviour; and says, he also shall be my salvation, and none else; and, though he slay me; yet will I trust in him; (Job 13:15, 16) this is laying hold on Christ to a purpose: believers come to Christ as the mediator of the covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling, and deal with it for pardon, peace, and cleansing; they lay hold on his righteousness, the skirt of him that is a Jew, as their justifying-righteousness; they lay hold on him as the strength of the Lord, and say, surely in the Lord have I righteousness and strength; (Isai. 45:24) this is laying hold on him for themselves, and exercising faith upon him; and so to lay hold on God, is to exercise faith on him, as a covenant-God and father; it is to avouch him to he our God. It was a noble act of faith in David, when he said, I trusted in thee, O Lord; 1 said, Thou art my God; (Ps. 31:14) Job wished to find him, that he might come even to his seat; (Job 23:2) and what would he have done there and then? why, lay hold on him as his own God. And such believers as these will lay hold on the covenant itself; for this is one of the characters of a good man, that he chooses the things that please God; and takes hold of his covenant; (Isa. 56:4) claims his interest in it, and which is his support in life and in death; as it was to David in his last moments, who could say, Although my house be not so with God, yet he hath made with me an everlasting covenant, ordered in all things and sure; (2 Sam. 23:5) this was taking fast hold of the covenant for himself: and such will claim all the blessings of it as theirs, even all spiritual blessings, which are in Christ; he being theirs; and also all the promises of it, of which they are heirs, and so have a right unto them; and who, when they find them; take them to themselves, and rejoice at them, and plead them with God; for there is not a promise in the covenant, but the meanest believer has a right unto: promises as well as blessings are common to all; as may he observed from that peculiar promise made to Joshua, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee; which every ‘believer may take hold on for himself, and take the comfort of, as appears from Heb. 13:5, 6.
2. To lay hold on God, is to exercise faith on him, particularly in prayer: prayer is a wrestling with God; and in wrestling, persons lay hold on one another; faith lays hold of God in prayer, as Jacob did on the angel he wrestled with, and will not let him go, without having the blessing he is earnest for: and when this is the case, whatever men ask in prayer, believing, they shall receive. (Matt. 21:22) The Lord sometimes seems to be departing from his church and people: As the glory of the Lord in Ezekiel’s Vision (Ezek. 10: 4, 18) went up from the cherub, and stood over the threshold of the house; and then departed from the threshold of the house, and stood ever the cherubim, threatening a removal from the temple; so the Lord sometimes seems to be taking his leave of his people; which, when observed by truly gracious souls, they hold upon him, and most earnestly solicit his continuance with them; as the two disciples that travelled with Christ to Emmaus, when he seemed as if he would go further, they constrained him; (Luke 24:28, 29) they most earnestly intreated him to stay with them; they held him from going further; and thus faith in prayer lays hold on a departing God to retain him. Sometimes the Lord does really depart from his people; their sins and iniquities separate between God and them, and cause him to hide his face from them; when they seek after him, and seeking find him, and having found him, they hold him fast, and will not let him go, until he returns to his church again; their importunate request to him is, Return we beseech thee, and behold and visit this vine, and the vineyard thy right hand hath planted. (Ps. 80:14) Sometimes the Lord, being offended with his dear children, lifts up his hand to correct and chastise; when faith in prayer steps in between, and lays hold on his hands, when he is just going to strike the blow; even as when a father displeased with his child, lifts up his hand to strike him; and a friend that is by him, lays hold on his hand, and will not suffer him to give the blow: this might be exemplified in the case of the Israelites, when they had made the golden calf, and worshipped it; the Lord was greatly provoked by them, and thought to destroy them, or signified his desire to do so; and therefore says to Moses, who he knew would intercede for them, Let me alone that my wroth may wax hot against them, and that I may consume them; and I will make of thee a great nation. (Exod. 32:10) But Moses would not let him alone, nor suffer him to do what he seemed desirous of doing; but interceded for the people, and, as it were, held the hands of the Lord from destroying them. What amazing condescension is this, that the infinite and tremendous Being, should suffer himself to be held by a creature from doing what he shewed an inclination to! See here the force of prayer, and the strength of faith! and what encouragement saints have to stir up themselves to lay hold on him; and what that is, I shall next consider.
2dly, To stir up a man’s self to lay hold on God, is to be diligent in the use of means in seeking after him; as Job was, when being at a loss for him, he went backwards and forwards, on the right hand, and on the left, in order to find him; and as the church, who sought her beloved in the streets of the city, and broad-ways, and inquired here and there, of one, and of another, till she got tidings and sight of him, and then laid hold upon him: (Job 23:3, 8, 9; Song 3:1-4) it is to seek the Lord, where and when; and while he is to be found; and to call earnestly and importunately on him, where and when, and while he is near; (Isai. 55:6) and even when afar off, not to quit the pursuit of him, and inquiry about him, until he is pleased to appear and shew himself. This stirring up a man’s self, is no other than a frequent use of the gift of prayer: gifts, like some metals, if not used grow rusty, but the more they are used, the brighter they are; yea, gifts may be lost, though grace cannot; the gift of preaching, through disuse, may come to nothing, and therefore should be stirred up; that is, not neglected, but diligently cultivated, and frequently exercised: hence that advice of the apostle to Timothy, Stir up the gift of God which is in thee; just as one would stir up coals under ashes, and embers which seem to be dead, and would go out if not stirred; and is the same with, neglect not the gift that is in thee: (2 Tim. 1:6; 1 Tim. 4:14) so to stir up the gift is not to neglect it, but frequently to use it; and in like manner the gift of prayer should not be neglected, but be often used; and so to do, is to stir it up: and this is not only to be stirred up, but a man should stir up himself to it; which he may be said to do, when he exerts himself, when he calls upon his soul and all within him as to bless and praise the Lord for favours bestowed on him, so to pray unto him in faith, for what he stands in need of; as the church resolved to do; With my Spirit within me will I seek thee early; (Isai. 26:9) that is, with my whole heart and soul, in the most earnest and pressing manner, will I pray unto thee, and seek thy face and favour. Stirring up a man’s self is opposed to slothfulness in business, and is expressive of that diligence which becomes the people of God: who should be diligent in the exercise of grace, and discharge of duty; and as they should be diligent to add one virtue to another, as to the exercise thereof, and to make their calling and election sure and manifest to others, and to be found of Christ in peace; so they should diligently seek the Lord, who is a rewarder of all such: the frame of spirit here complained of, is a backwardness to prayer; a remissness in the performance of that duty; a doing this part of the work of God negligently, or in a cold, lukewarm, sleepy, drowsy manner; being like the disciples of our Lord, who were sleeping whilst he was praying; whom he thus rebukes, Could ye not watch with me one hour? (Matt. 26:40) It becomes christians to bestir, awake, and arouse themselves, as the word here used (see Isai. 51:17) signifies, from their spiritual stupor and lethargy, at least, to implore the spirit and grace of God to enable them so to do.
The church of Christ and its members are sometimes as it were asleep; the wise as well as the foolish virgins all slumbered and slept; and this is the case with them, when grace lies dormant, or there is a non-exercise of it; an. indifference to the duties of religion, or at most a contentedness in the outward performance of them; an unconcernedness about sins of omission and commission; and little or no regard to the glory of God, and the interest of religion. Such a spirit arises from the prevalence of the flesh, or corrupt nature; from the heart being over charged and surfeited with worldly cares; from a weariness in spiritual exercises, and a cessation from religious ones; from keeping carnal company; and from its being a night-season: great and many are the dangers such are exposed unto, and the church of God by their means; which is liable to be filled with hypocrites, and over-run with errors and heresies ; for while men sleep, the enemy sows his tares; (Matt. 13:25) such are personally exposed to every sin, and snare, and temptation; liable to have spiritual poverty and leanness brought upon them; to lose their spiritual peace, joy, and comfort ; and to be surprised with the midnight-cry wherefore it is high time for them to bestir themselves, and awake out of sleep; (Rom. 13:11) Christ calls upon them to this purpose, and says, Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead; shake off thy lethargy; throw off thy dead companions, and converse no more with them who have been the means of bringing on this sleepy, drowsy frame, and Christ shall give thee light; (Ephes. 5:14) pray, as well as thou canst, that the Lord would quicken thee, that thou mayest call upon his name. (Ps. 80:18)
To come to a close; we may see our own picture in the people here described, that called not on the name of the Lord, and stirred not up themselves to lay hold on him: this is exactly our case; there are none, or however very few, heartily engaged in such spiritual exercises, and which should be matter of lamentation and humiliation: what has been said, should serve to stir up our minds by way of remembrance of the state wherein we are, and from whence we are fallen; and to quicken us to every duty of religion, and particularly to this of prayer, and to the exercise of faith in it; and as we should stir up ourselves, so one another, to this, and every other good work; and which is a principal end of our meeting together at such times as these; and the Lord grant this end may be answered by this discourse and God be glorified.
Wednesday, December 13, 2006
Monday, December 11, 2006
THIS SAME JESUS
"THIS SAME JESUS"
Chapter #2
Acts 1:9-11
These three verses of Holy Scripture are both solemn and delightful, instructive and practical. They speak of the glorious ascension and second advent of our Lord Jesus Christ. Having finished his work upon the earth (John 19:30), our Lord Jesus, the God-man, ascended into heaven and assumed his rightful place upon the throne of God, as King of kings and Lord of lords (John 17:1-5; Rom. 14:9; Phil. 2:5-11; Heb. 1:3; 10:12-14). Even so, when he has finished his work in heaven, our Savior will come again to this earth in power and great glory (Rev. 1:7; 19:11-17; I Thess. 4:13-18; II Thess. 1:8-10; John 14:1-3). Here are four things that are of paramount importance. Be sure you understand them.
First, THE LORD JESUS CHRIST HAS ASCENDED INTO HEAVEN. "And when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight" (v. 9; Lk. 24:50-52). What is the meaning of the ascension? Why was the Lord Jesus taken up into heaven? What happened to the Son of God when he went back to glory clothed in human flesh? What is he doing in heaven? All these questions are plainly answered in the Word of God. Read the answers for yourself (Psa. 2:6-8; 68:17-20; 110:1-4; Isa. 53:10-12; John 16:7; Acts 2:25-36; 4:11-12; 5:30-32; Eph. 4:8-12; Phil. 2:5-11; Heb. 10:12-14).
Christ Jesus ascended back into heaven to claim his rightful place as King of the universe (Dan. 7:13-14). The Father's reward to the Son for his mediatorial obedience as our Substitute is dominion over all things (Psa. 2:8). God the Father has put all things into the hands of and under the rule of Jesus Christ, the God-man.
In heaven the Son of God is carrying on his great intercessory work as our Advocate and High Priest. Entering into heaven with his own blood, he sat down upon the throne of God, having obtained eternal redemption for us (Heb. 9:12). By virtue of that blood he offers continual intercession for his redeemed people (Rom. 8:34; I John 2:1-2). And through the virtue of his blood all the blessings of grace are bestowed upon God's elect (Eph. 1:3-6).
The exalted Christ has claimed and taken possession of heaven as the Forerunner of his people (Heb. 6:14, 16-20). He has claimed all the inheritance of heaven's glory for all God's elect, for all for whom his blood was shed, for all who shall believe on him.
Our Savior took his place upon the throne of glory to secure the everlasting salvation of all his redeemed ones. He reigns in life to save those he purchased in death (Rom. 5:10). He rules all things for the salvation of his people (John 17:2; Rom. 8:28). In a word, Christ has gone to prepare a place in the Father's house for all his adopted sons and daughters, and he will bring them there.
Secondly, THE LORD JESUS CHRIST IS COMING AGAIN. "And while they looked stedfastly toward heaven as he went up, behold two men stood by them in white apparel, which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven" (vv. 10-11). God sent two angels with this word of promise to his beloved children upon the earth, so that we might constantly live in anticipation of it - Christ is coming again! This promise ought to cheer our hearts, enliven our souls, and encourage our hope. God has not told us when Christ is coming. He does not intend for us to know the time of our Lord's appearing. But the second advent of Christ is a matter of certainty. It should be, to every believer, a matter of imminent expectancy (Heb. 9:26-28; Zech. 14:4, 5, 9; Matt. 16:27; 24:27; John 14:1-3; Phil. 3:20; I Thess. 4:16; II Tim. 4:8; Tit. 2:13; James 5:7-8; Jude 14; Rev. 1:7; 22:20). Here are four things revealed in the Scriptures about the Lord's coming.
1. Christ's second coming will be a personal, bodily advent (Rev. 1:7).
2. It will be a glorious appearing (II Thess. 1:7-10).
3. It will be the consummation of our salvation (Rom. 13:11; Eph. 1:14).
4. Our Lord will appear suddenly, without warning, as a thief in the night (I Thess. 5:1-6).
Thirdly, OUR LORD'S SECOND ADVENT WILL BE THE CLIMATIC CONSUMMATION OF GOD'S ETERNAL PURPOSE (Acts 3:19-21; I Cor. 15:24-28). Reading the Scriptures, it appears that once our Lord Jesus appears in his second advent everything after that will happen with great speed. With great swiftness, the Lord God will wrap up his work among men. The resurrection of the dead, the judgment, the conflagration of the earth and new creation, the final separation of the righteous and the wicked, all seem to take place in a matter of moments!
There will be A GENERAL RESURRECTION (John 5:28-29). The dead shall be raised. The living saints shall be changed, translated in a moment and gathered out of the earth. All men will stand before God and be judged by him. According to the strict standards of inflexible justice, everyone will receive exactly his due. The righteous, made righteous by grace, shall inherit glory. The wicked shall be cast into hell.
There will be A GREAT REGENERATION (II Pet. 3:9-14). Our God shall indeed make all things new! There will be a new heavens and a new earth where nothing dwells but righteousness!
There will be A GLOBAL RECONCILIATION (Rev. 5:13). The Lord God will demonstrate to all creation how that all creation has served his purpose and brought glory to him.
Then there will be A GLORIOUS REST (Heb. 4:9). The Triune God and all the countless multitude of his elect will enter into an eternal sabbath. In heaven's glory we will rest from all our troubles and from all our works. There we shall worship our God perfectly, serve him without labor, and love him completely!
Fourthly, THE ONE WHO IS COMING FOR US IS "THIS SAME JESUS!" The angelic messengers assure us that our Lord will never forget his people. The One coming to bring us home to glory is the very same Jesus who died to redeem us. "This same Jesus" who is full of love and sympathy, - "This same Jesus" who brought in everlasting righteousness, - "This same Jesus" who has gone into heaven for us, who now appears in the presence of God for us, who sits upon the throne of universal dominion, ruling all things for us, - "This same Jesus" shall come again!
Don Fortner, Pastor Grace Baptist ChurchDanville, Ky.
Chapter #2
Acts 1:9-11
These three verses of Holy Scripture are both solemn and delightful, instructive and practical. They speak of the glorious ascension and second advent of our Lord Jesus Christ. Having finished his work upon the earth (John 19:30), our Lord Jesus, the God-man, ascended into heaven and assumed his rightful place upon the throne of God, as King of kings and Lord of lords (John 17:1-5; Rom. 14:9; Phil. 2:5-11; Heb. 1:3; 10:12-14). Even so, when he has finished his work in heaven, our Savior will come again to this earth in power and great glory (Rev. 1:7; 19:11-17; I Thess. 4:13-18; II Thess. 1:8-10; John 14:1-3). Here are four things that are of paramount importance. Be sure you understand them.
First, THE LORD JESUS CHRIST HAS ASCENDED INTO HEAVEN. "And when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight" (v. 9; Lk. 24:50-52). What is the meaning of the ascension? Why was the Lord Jesus taken up into heaven? What happened to the Son of God when he went back to glory clothed in human flesh? What is he doing in heaven? All these questions are plainly answered in the Word of God. Read the answers for yourself (Psa. 2:6-8; 68:17-20; 110:1-4; Isa. 53:10-12; John 16:7; Acts 2:25-36; 4:11-12; 5:30-32; Eph. 4:8-12; Phil. 2:5-11; Heb. 10:12-14).
Christ Jesus ascended back into heaven to claim his rightful place as King of the universe (Dan. 7:13-14). The Father's reward to the Son for his mediatorial obedience as our Substitute is dominion over all things (Psa. 2:8). God the Father has put all things into the hands of and under the rule of Jesus Christ, the God-man.
In heaven the Son of God is carrying on his great intercessory work as our Advocate and High Priest. Entering into heaven with his own blood, he sat down upon the throne of God, having obtained eternal redemption for us (Heb. 9:12). By virtue of that blood he offers continual intercession for his redeemed people (Rom. 8:34; I John 2:1-2). And through the virtue of his blood all the blessings of grace are bestowed upon God's elect (Eph. 1:3-6).
The exalted Christ has claimed and taken possession of heaven as the Forerunner of his people (Heb. 6:14, 16-20). He has claimed all the inheritance of heaven's glory for all God's elect, for all for whom his blood was shed, for all who shall believe on him.
Our Savior took his place upon the throne of glory to secure the everlasting salvation of all his redeemed ones. He reigns in life to save those he purchased in death (Rom. 5:10). He rules all things for the salvation of his people (John 17:2; Rom. 8:28). In a word, Christ has gone to prepare a place in the Father's house for all his adopted sons and daughters, and he will bring them there.
Secondly, THE LORD JESUS CHRIST IS COMING AGAIN. "And while they looked stedfastly toward heaven as he went up, behold two men stood by them in white apparel, which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven" (vv. 10-11). God sent two angels with this word of promise to his beloved children upon the earth, so that we might constantly live in anticipation of it - Christ is coming again! This promise ought to cheer our hearts, enliven our souls, and encourage our hope. God has not told us when Christ is coming. He does not intend for us to know the time of our Lord's appearing. But the second advent of Christ is a matter of certainty. It should be, to every believer, a matter of imminent expectancy (Heb. 9:26-28; Zech. 14:4, 5, 9; Matt. 16:27; 24:27; John 14:1-3; Phil. 3:20; I Thess. 4:16; II Tim. 4:8; Tit. 2:13; James 5:7-8; Jude 14; Rev. 1:7; 22:20). Here are four things revealed in the Scriptures about the Lord's coming.
1. Christ's second coming will be a personal, bodily advent (Rev. 1:7).
2. It will be a glorious appearing (II Thess. 1:7-10).
3. It will be the consummation of our salvation (Rom. 13:11; Eph. 1:14).
4. Our Lord will appear suddenly, without warning, as a thief in the night (I Thess. 5:1-6).
Thirdly, OUR LORD'S SECOND ADVENT WILL BE THE CLIMATIC CONSUMMATION OF GOD'S ETERNAL PURPOSE (Acts 3:19-21; I Cor. 15:24-28). Reading the Scriptures, it appears that once our Lord Jesus appears in his second advent everything after that will happen with great speed. With great swiftness, the Lord God will wrap up his work among men. The resurrection of the dead, the judgment, the conflagration of the earth and new creation, the final separation of the righteous and the wicked, all seem to take place in a matter of moments!
There will be A GENERAL RESURRECTION (John 5:28-29). The dead shall be raised. The living saints shall be changed, translated in a moment and gathered out of the earth. All men will stand before God and be judged by him. According to the strict standards of inflexible justice, everyone will receive exactly his due. The righteous, made righteous by grace, shall inherit glory. The wicked shall be cast into hell.
There will be A GREAT REGENERATION (II Pet. 3:9-14). Our God shall indeed make all things new! There will be a new heavens and a new earth where nothing dwells but righteousness!
There will be A GLOBAL RECONCILIATION (Rev. 5:13). The Lord God will demonstrate to all creation how that all creation has served his purpose and brought glory to him.
Then there will be A GLORIOUS REST (Heb. 4:9). The Triune God and all the countless multitude of his elect will enter into an eternal sabbath. In heaven's glory we will rest from all our troubles and from all our works. There we shall worship our God perfectly, serve him without labor, and love him completely!
Fourthly, THE ONE WHO IS COMING FOR US IS "THIS SAME JESUS!" The angelic messengers assure us that our Lord will never forget his people. The One coming to bring us home to glory is the very same Jesus who died to redeem us. "This same Jesus" who is full of love and sympathy, - "This same Jesus" who brought in everlasting righteousness, - "This same Jesus" who has gone into heaven for us, who now appears in the presence of God for us, who sits upon the throne of universal dominion, ruling all things for us, - "This same Jesus" shall come again!
Don Fortner, Pastor Grace Baptist ChurchDanville, Ky.
YE SHALL BE WITNESSE
"YE SHALL BE WITNESSES UNTO ME"
Chapter #1
Acts 1:1-8
The Book of Acts is an inspired history of the apostolic ministry of the early church, covering a period of thirty to thirty-five years. The central theme throughout the book is the ascension and Lordship of Jesus Christ. It was written by Luke, who was also author of the gospel narrative bearing his name. Acts begins where the Gospel of Luke ends, with the ascension of Christ. It is a history of the church of Christ in its infancy, showing God's constant care and special providence for it. In these first verses five important lessons are set before us.
First, THE LORD JESUS CHRIST IS THE ONLY LAWGIVER IN HIS CHURCH (vv. 1-2). Luke makes a connection between his gospel and the Book of Acts. Both were written specifically for a man named Theophilus (Lk. 1:3), a man of rank and honor. Not many noble are called (I Cor.1:26), but some are. God has chosen some of all ranks. Theophilus means either "lover of God" or "loved of God".
Luke describes his gospel as "a treatise of all that Jesus began both to do and teach, until the day in which he was taken up." Though they did not record every word and deed of Christ (John 21:25), Luke and the other gospel writers did record all that the Holy Spirit inspired, all that we need to know, particularly all that Christ did and said relating to the salvation of his people; his obedience to God, his conformity to the law, and his death as our Substitute, by which he brought in everlasting righteousness and obtained eternal redemption for us.
Christ gave his commandments by the Holy Spirit to chosen apostles, and by them to his church. All the doctrines and ordinances, faith and practice of the church are, by the commandment of Christ, laid down in the Word of God (II Tim. 3:16).
Secondly, OUR LORD JESUS GAVE MANY INFALLIBLE PROOFS OF HIS RESURRECTION FROM THE DEAD (v. 3). Our Savior appeared to his disciples many times, publicly and privately, giving irrefutable proof of his resurrection (I Cor. 15:5). He spent forty days on the earth after his resurrection, eating and drinking, walking and talking with his disciples, showing them his hands and side, and teaching them things concerning the kingdom of God. The testimony of those honest men and women who saw the risen Christ cannot be rejected except by those who are willfully ignorant.
Thirdly, THE GIFT OF THE HOLY SPIRIT IS THE PROMISE OF THE FATHER (vv. 4-5). There are thousands of promises in the Bible, but only the promise of the Spirit is called "the promise of the Father." God the Father promised that he would pour out his Spirit upon all flesh in the last day (Joel 2:28), and Christ promised his disciples the gift of the Spirit from the Father (John 14:16; 15:26; 16:7; 7:37-39; Gal. 3:13-14).
Fourthly, EVEN THE MOST GIFTED AND USEFUL MEN IN THE WORLD ARE ONLY FALLIBLE MEN AND ARE SOMETIMES CONFUSED (vv. 6-7). "Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel?" They were curious about the fulfilment of prophecy. They did not yet understand the spiritual nature of Christ's kingdom. These were faithful, believing men, loyal to Christ; but they were only men. Being men, they were confused about the kingdom of Christ. Learn two things from this verse:
1. There are no infallible men in this world! The apostles themselves were not infallible. They wrote the Holy Scriptures by the infallible direction of God the Holy Spirit (II Pet. 1:21). What they wrote is the infallible, inerrant Word of God. But the apostles themselves were just men, sinners saved by grace!
2. We ought to be patient and forbearing with one another's faults, weaknesses and failures. Our Lord did not show the least bit of anger toward his erring disciples. Certainly we should be as kind to one another (Eph. 4:32).
The lesson of verse seven is one we need often to be reminded of - There are some things God does not intend for us to know! No one on earth knows when Christ will come again, or when the end of the world will be. Indeed, there are many things known only to God. We must never pry into that which God has not revealed (Deut. 29:29). We are to search the scriptures, studying the Word of God, that we might know those things he has revealed concerning himself, us, his Son, and his salvation.
Fifthly, OUR LORD PLAINLY TELLS US WHAT THE LIFELONG WORK AND RESPONSIBILITY OF EVERY BELIEVER IS (v. 8). "Ye shall be witnesses unto me" (Isa. 43:10, 12; 44:8; Lk. 24:48). Notice two things in this eighth verse.
1. "Ye shall receive power after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you." Without question, this refers to the special, apostolic power that came upon those men chosen to be our Lord's apostles. Yet, it certainly has meaning for us today. No one can ever be saved, serve God, or lay down his life in the cause of Christ as his witness until the life-giving power of the Holy Spirit comes upon him in regeneration. "Salvation is of the Lord!" It is by God's grace alone (Rom. 11:6; Eph. 2:8-9).
2. When the life-giving power of the Holy Spirit comes upon you, the Son of God says, "Ye shall be witnesses unto me." A witness is one who accurately and honestly relates to others that which he has heard with his own ears, seen with his own eyes, and felt and experienced in his own heart. He does not relate secondhand information. He declares only what he himself knows to be true (I John 1:1-3). It is the privilege, responsibility, and honor of every believer to be a witness for Christ in his generation. This is every believer's calling and vocation in this world. Every true Christian is a missionary. Every true believer is an evangelist. Every true follower of Christ is a preacher. Every true child of God is his witness. The word witness is the word from which we get the word martyr. Christ's witnesses are his martyrs, people who lay down their lives in the cause of Christ! Go ahead and work your job, so that you can pay the expenses of life; but do not forget that your calling, your life's work is to be his witness. Let nothing interfere with that!
Don Fortner, Pastor Grace Baptist ChurchDanville, Ky.
Chapter #1
Acts 1:1-8
The Book of Acts is an inspired history of the apostolic ministry of the early church, covering a period of thirty to thirty-five years. The central theme throughout the book is the ascension and Lordship of Jesus Christ. It was written by Luke, who was also author of the gospel narrative bearing his name. Acts begins where the Gospel of Luke ends, with the ascension of Christ. It is a history of the church of Christ in its infancy, showing God's constant care and special providence for it. In these first verses five important lessons are set before us.
First, THE LORD JESUS CHRIST IS THE ONLY LAWGIVER IN HIS CHURCH (vv. 1-2). Luke makes a connection between his gospel and the Book of Acts. Both were written specifically for a man named Theophilus (Lk. 1:3), a man of rank and honor. Not many noble are called (I Cor.1:26), but some are. God has chosen some of all ranks. Theophilus means either "lover of God" or "loved of God".
Luke describes his gospel as "a treatise of all that Jesus began both to do and teach, until the day in which he was taken up." Though they did not record every word and deed of Christ (John 21:25), Luke and the other gospel writers did record all that the Holy Spirit inspired, all that we need to know, particularly all that Christ did and said relating to the salvation of his people; his obedience to God, his conformity to the law, and his death as our Substitute, by which he brought in everlasting righteousness and obtained eternal redemption for us.
Christ gave his commandments by the Holy Spirit to chosen apostles, and by them to his church. All the doctrines and ordinances, faith and practice of the church are, by the commandment of Christ, laid down in the Word of God (II Tim. 3:16).
Secondly, OUR LORD JESUS GAVE MANY INFALLIBLE PROOFS OF HIS RESURRECTION FROM THE DEAD (v. 3). Our Savior appeared to his disciples many times, publicly and privately, giving irrefutable proof of his resurrection (I Cor. 15:5). He spent forty days on the earth after his resurrection, eating and drinking, walking and talking with his disciples, showing them his hands and side, and teaching them things concerning the kingdom of God. The testimony of those honest men and women who saw the risen Christ cannot be rejected except by those who are willfully ignorant.
Thirdly, THE GIFT OF THE HOLY SPIRIT IS THE PROMISE OF THE FATHER (vv. 4-5). There are thousands of promises in the Bible, but only the promise of the Spirit is called "the promise of the Father." God the Father promised that he would pour out his Spirit upon all flesh in the last day (Joel 2:28), and Christ promised his disciples the gift of the Spirit from the Father (John 14:16; 15:26; 16:7; 7:37-39; Gal. 3:13-14).
Fourthly, EVEN THE MOST GIFTED AND USEFUL MEN IN THE WORLD ARE ONLY FALLIBLE MEN AND ARE SOMETIMES CONFUSED (vv. 6-7). "Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel?" They were curious about the fulfilment of prophecy. They did not yet understand the spiritual nature of Christ's kingdom. These were faithful, believing men, loyal to Christ; but they were only men. Being men, they were confused about the kingdom of Christ. Learn two things from this verse:
1. There are no infallible men in this world! The apostles themselves were not infallible. They wrote the Holy Scriptures by the infallible direction of God the Holy Spirit (II Pet. 1:21). What they wrote is the infallible, inerrant Word of God. But the apostles themselves were just men, sinners saved by grace!
2. We ought to be patient and forbearing with one another's faults, weaknesses and failures. Our Lord did not show the least bit of anger toward his erring disciples. Certainly we should be as kind to one another (Eph. 4:32).
The lesson of verse seven is one we need often to be reminded of - There are some things God does not intend for us to know! No one on earth knows when Christ will come again, or when the end of the world will be. Indeed, there are many things known only to God. We must never pry into that which God has not revealed (Deut. 29:29). We are to search the scriptures, studying the Word of God, that we might know those things he has revealed concerning himself, us, his Son, and his salvation.
Fifthly, OUR LORD PLAINLY TELLS US WHAT THE LIFELONG WORK AND RESPONSIBILITY OF EVERY BELIEVER IS (v. 8). "Ye shall be witnesses unto me" (Isa. 43:10, 12; 44:8; Lk. 24:48). Notice two things in this eighth verse.
1. "Ye shall receive power after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you." Without question, this refers to the special, apostolic power that came upon those men chosen to be our Lord's apostles. Yet, it certainly has meaning for us today. No one can ever be saved, serve God, or lay down his life in the cause of Christ as his witness until the life-giving power of the Holy Spirit comes upon him in regeneration. "Salvation is of the Lord!" It is by God's grace alone (Rom. 11:6; Eph. 2:8-9).
2. When the life-giving power of the Holy Spirit comes upon you, the Son of God says, "Ye shall be witnesses unto me." A witness is one who accurately and honestly relates to others that which he has heard with his own ears, seen with his own eyes, and felt and experienced in his own heart. He does not relate secondhand information. He declares only what he himself knows to be true (I John 1:1-3). It is the privilege, responsibility, and honor of every believer to be a witness for Christ in his generation. This is every believer's calling and vocation in this world. Every true Christian is a missionary. Every true believer is an evangelist. Every true follower of Christ is a preacher. Every true child of God is his witness. The word witness is the word from which we get the word martyr. Christ's witnesses are his martyrs, people who lay down their lives in the cause of Christ! Go ahead and work your job, so that you can pay the expenses of life; but do not forget that your calling, your life's work is to be his witness. Let nothing interfere with that!
Don Fortner, Pastor Grace Baptist ChurchDanville, Ky.
Grace and Glory
THE SECOND COMING
GRACE AND GLORY Psalm 84:11
Don Fortner
Sermon #70 Series: Bible Doctrine
Title: GRACE AND GLORY
Text: Psalm 84:11
Readings: Office: Lindsay Campbell Auditorium: Bobbie Estes
Subject: Grace And Glory Inseparable Gifts Of God
Date: Tuesday Evening - November 10, 1998
Tape # U-94b
Introduction:
What is heaven? Do God's saints go to heaven immediately when they leave this world? What is the condition, or state, of the saints' existence in heaven? Who shall enter into heaven's glory? Upon what grounds do the saints enter into heaven?
These are the questions I hope to answer in this message. I realize at the outset that I can do no more than scratch the surface of this great subject. The glory that awaits God's saints in heaven, the vastness of our inheritance with Christ is light years beyond the scope of our puny brains. I have no hope of exhausting this subject. In preparing this message, I have purposefully avoided all matters of vain curiosity and speculation. It is my purpose to set forth some of those things which are plainly taught in the Word of God about the glorious state of God's saints in heaven.
Psalm 84 is described in the title as "A Marching Song." In the eleventh verse, God's pilgrims are inspired in their march through this world with these words of promise: "The LORD will give grace and glory." The Psalmist takes our minds away from ourselves and calls our attention to "The LORD," Jehovah, our great God and Savior. We must not look to ourselves in any measure for either grace here or glory hereafter. The Source of grace and glory is the LORD. The Security of grace and glory is the LORD. Christ alone is the Rock of our salvation. To him alone we must look for grace and glory.
"The LORD will GIVE grace and glory." The word "give" declares that neither grace nor glory can be earned, merited, or purchased by man in anyway. This text, like all the Word of God, puts us upon the footing of grace. God cannot be obliged by man to bestow his grace; and he cannot be obliged by man to bestow glory. Both grace and glory are free gifts of God; and where he gives one he is sure to give the other.
Proposition: Grace and glory are inseparable gifts.
They are really the same thing. Grace is glory in the seed. Glory is grace in full bloom. Glory begins in grace. And grace is completed in glory. Someone said, "Grace is glory begun, and glory is grace consummated. Grace is glory in the bud, and glory is grace in the fruits. Grace is the lowest degree of glory, and glory is the highest degree of grace."
These are two great and marvelous gifts which God bestows upon the fallen sons and daughters of Adam in Christ, grace and glory. The first thing he gives is grace. The last thing he gives is glory.
I. "THE LORD WILL GIVE GRACE."
How we love that word "grace." Grace is God's riches at Christ's expense. In the life, experience and hope of the believer everything is of grace, from the beginning to the end. Every believer gladly confesses, "By the grace of God I am what I am."
"Oh, to grace how great a debtorDaily I'm constrained to be!Let that grace, LORD, like a fetter,Bind my wandering heart to Thee."
Read this promise in the boldest letters imaginable and rejoice. "The LORD will give grace!" The promise comes from God the LORD. The LORD God Almighty, the great Jehovah, the triune God will most certainly, by his own irresistible power, according to his own sovereign will, give grace, freely and irreversibly.
A. To whom will the LORD give grace?
We know that he will give grace. It is asserted plainly. Someone is going to get grace from God. But who?
1. The LORD God will give grace to his own elect (Rom. 9:15-16).
Romans 9:15-16 "For he saith to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion. (16) So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that showeth mercy."
Grace belongs to God. It is his sovereign prerogative to give it to whom he will. And there are some among the fallen sons of men whom God has chosen to be the recipients of his grace (John 15:16; Matt. 11:25-27). Not one of those chosen in electing love, before the foundation of the world, to be a vessel of mercy shall fail to receive that grace before passing out of this world.
John 15:16 "Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you."
Matthew 11:25-27 "At that time Jesus answered and said, I thank thee, O Father, LORD of heaven and earth, because thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes. (26) Even so, Father: for so it seemed good in thy sight. (27) All things are delivered unto me of my Father: and no man knoweth the Son, but the Father; neither knoweth any man the Father, save the Son, and he to whomsoever the Son will reveal him."
2. The LORD will give grace to every sinner redeemed by Christ's precious blood.
Every sinner redeemed and purchased by Christ shall be his and shall obtain grace. Christ did not die for nothing!
a. All whom he redeemed by blood shall have the grace of forgiveness (Eph. 1:7; Col. 1:14).
Ephesians 1:7 "In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace;"
Colossians 1:14 "In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins:"
b. All whom he purchased shall have the grace of reconciliation (Col. 1:20).
Colossians 1:20 "And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself; by him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven."
c. All for whom Christ was made a curse shall have the grace of free justification (Rom. 8:34; Gal. 3:13).
Romans 8:34 "Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us."
Galatians 3:13 "Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree:"
d. All for whom Christ was made to be sin shall have the grace of righteousness (2 Cor. 5:21).
2 Corinthians 5:21 "For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him."
e. All for whom he died shall have the grace of eternal life (John 10:8, 27).
John 10:9 "I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture."
John 10:27 "My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me:"
The redemption which Christ accomplished is an effectual redemption, which infallibly secures grace for all his redeemed ones. Not one of those whom Christ has redeemed from among men shall perish. Not one of his blood bought sheep shall be lost. Not one member of his body shall be ruined. Not one part of his bride, the church, shall be destroyed. Those whom Christ has redeemed shall most assuredly obtain grace (Eph. 5:25-27; John 10:16).
John 10:16 "And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd."
Ephesians 5:25-27 "Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; (26) That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, (27) That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish."
NOTE: God's sovereign election and Christ's effectual redemption inspire us to preach the gospel fervently to every creature, because we know that "the LORD will give grace" to his chosen, blood bought people (Isa. 53:9-11).
Isaiah 53:9-11 "And he made his grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death; because he had done no violence, neither was any deceit in his mouth. (10) Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the LORD shall prosper in his hand. (11) He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities."
3. The LORD will give grace to every believing sinner.
We do not know who God's elect are, or who Christ has redeemed, except as they believe the gospel. Yet, we are assured by God that every believer is both elect and redeemed, because God promises grace to all who believe (Mk. 16:16; John 1:12-13; 3:14, 15, 36; Rom. 10:9-13).
Mark 16:16 "He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned."
John 1:12-13 "But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: (13) Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God."
John 3:14-15 "And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: (15) That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life."
John 3:36 "He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him."
Romans 10:9-13 "That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the LORD Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. (10) For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. (11) For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed. (12) For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same LORD over all is rich unto all that call upon him. (13) For whosoever shall call upon the name of the LORD shall be saved."
Indeed, if you believe on the Son of God, the LORD has given you grace already. That faith by which you believe is itself the gift and operation of God's grace (Eph. 2:8; Col. 2:12).
Ephesians 2:8 "For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:"
Colossians 2:12 "Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead."
The long and short of the gospel is this: If you believe on the LORD Jesus Christ, if you trust his precious blood alone for your salvation and eternal acceptance with God, he will give you grace. I know that a sinner cannot believe unless he has grace. But I also know that you cannot have grace unless you believe. And to every believing sinner it is promised, "The LORD will give grace."
B. What is this grace which God promises to give?
The text does not say, "The LORD will give some grace," "graces, " or "a grace." The text reads, "The LORD will give grace." The implication is that wherever the LORD gives any grace, he gives all grace. "The LORD will give..."
Lamentations 3:21-26 "This I recall to my mind, therefore have I hope. (22) It is of the LORD'S mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. (23) They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness. (24) The LORD is my portion, saith my soul; therefore will I hope in him. (25) The LORD is good unto them that wait for him, to the soul that seeketh him. (26) It is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the LORD."
"He giveth more grace when the burdens grow greater,He sendeth more strength when the labors increase;To added affliction He addeth His mercy,To multiplied trials His multiplied peace."
C. How does the LORD give us his grace?
1. God gives his grace to sinners mediatorially, through Christ our Mediator, through the use of the means he has ordained.
Without question, God's saving grace comes to chosen sinners before they seek it (Isa. 65:1). Yet, those who are sought of God are caused by grace to seek him; and he promises that all who earnestly seek him shall find him (Jer. 29:13-14).
Isaiah 65:1 "I am sought of them that asked not for me; I am found of them that sought me not: I said, Behold me, behold me, unto a nation that was not called by my name."
Jeremiah 29:13-14 "And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart. (14) And I will be found of you, saith the LORD: and I will turn away your captivity, and I will gather you from all the nations, and from all the places whither I have driven you, saith the LORD; and I will bring you again into the place whence I caused you to be carried away captive."
Believers are people who seek the LORD and seek his grace in Christ continually. He gives grace to those who seek it by prayer, through his Word, and in the keeping of his ordinances. These are the means by which God's grace is constantly bestowed upon his saints in this world.
2. God gives us his grace seasonably. As our days demand, his grace is given.
3. The LORD our God gives us his grace readily. He is always ready to be gracious.
4. The LORD our God gives us his grace constantly.
"At home, or abroad, on the land and the sea,As thy days shall demand shall thy strength ever be!"
Read this promise as broadly as you will. It is to you, child of God, in every condition and circumstance of life, "The LORD will give grace". He will give you grace…
To Serve Him (2 Cor. 12:9).To Suffer For Him (Phil. 4:13).To Endure Temptations (1 Cor. 10:13).To Die In Him (2 Tim. 4:6-8).
D. Who is it that will give grace?
"The LORD will give grace!" Grace is the gift of God alone. You will not get grace from yourself, from the church, from some imaginary priest, at some imaginary altar, or from the law of God. If we would get grace we must get it from God alone. And the only way God gives grace is through Christ (John 1:16-17). Look to Christ! Trust Christ! Believe Christ! Cling to Christ! As we do, "The LORD, will give grace!"
II. "THE LORD WILL GIVE GLORY."
The text reads, "The LORD will give grace and glory." That little, connecting word, "and," is more precious than gold. It is an indestructible rivet, forever uniting grace and glory.
There are many who seem determined to take the rivet out; but they cannot. The text does not say, "The LORD will give grace and perdition," or "grace and purgatory," but "The LORD will give grace and glory."
And the text does not promise glory without grace. You can no more have glory without grace than you can have grace without glory. The two are riveted together. What God has joined together let no man put asunder.
If we have grace, we shall have glory, too. God will not give one without the other. Grace is the bud. Glory is the flower. Grace is the fountain. Glory is the river. Grace is the first fruit. Glory is the full harvest. If we have grace, we shall never perish. We shall have glory.
But those who do not have grace here shall never have glory hereafter. It is not possible for any to be glorified who have not first been justified. You cannot reign with Christ in glory if Christ does not reign in you by grace. Grace and glory are inseparable gifts of God. "The LORD will give grace and glory." What is the glory that he shall give?
I am fully aware that no puny, earthly brain can comprehend it (1 Cor. 2:9). But God has revealed something of the glory that awaits us, that our hearts may be drawn to it (1 Cor. 2:10).
1 Corinthians 2:9-10 "But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him. (10) But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God."
A. The glory we are to receive is the glory of heaven.
Having said that, I have said much more than I comprehend. Whatever heaven is, God will give. It is a place of indescribable beauty. It is a state of indescribable bliss. Whatever may be meant by the figurative language that describes it,*
*The streets of pure gold, the gates of pearl, the walls of jasper, the crowns, the palms, the harps, the songs, the river of the water of life, the trees bearing fruit, the tree of life, all that these things describe heaven is.
all of heaven shall be ours forever. The LORD will give the perfection of glory without measure to all to whom he has given grace without measure. You and I who trust Christ shall sit down with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob at the throne of Christ the Lamb in the kingdom of God.
B. The glory God will give is the glory of eternity.
Eternity! Who can define it? No one on earth can fathom the meaning of the word "eternity." We always confound eternity with time. We speak of the "endless ages of eternity." But there are no ages in eternity. Eternity will never pause, decline, or draw near to a conclusion. We will never grow weary of eternity. And we will never grow weary in eternity. Eternity is unchanging, unending bliss.
C. Moreover, the glory God will give his saints is the glory of Christ, our Mediator, Surety, and Covenant Head (Rom. 8:17; John 17:22).
Romans 8:17 "And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together."
John 17:22 "And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one:"
Whatever that glory is which Christ has as our Mediator, as the reward of his perfect obedience to God, we shall have when we see him as he is in heaven. My heart pants to know, by actual experience the meaning of what I have just said. Oh, to know the glory that awaits us! Now we look through a glass darkly. But we long to see him face to face, to have the clouds of darkness swept away, that we may know and enter into his glory! In the serene atmosphere of heaven, we shall not only see the King in his beauty, but also possess his glory!
D. This glory will be the glory of total victory.
We are more than conquerors through Christ our LORD (Rom. 8:32-39). By the grace of God and the blood of the Lamb, we shall yet be victorious over the world, the flesh, and the devil (Rom. 16:20).
Romans 8:32-39 "He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things? (33) Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justifieth. (34) Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us. (35) Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? (36) As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. (37) Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. (38) For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, (39) Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord."
Romans 16:20 "And the God of peace shall bruise Satan under your feet shortly. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. Amen."
Death shall do us no harm, sin shall bring us no more grief, Satan shall tempt us no more, when the LORD gives us glory.
E. The glory which the LORD will give us is the glory of a perfect nature (Eph. 5:25-27; Jude 24-25).
Ephesians 5:25-27 "Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; (26) That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, (27) That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish."
Jude 1:24-25 "Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy, (25) To the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and for ever. Amen."
This was and is the purpose and goal of God in predestination, election, redemption, and regeneration. And God's work will not fail to accomplish his purpose. In heaven we shall have a perfect nature, spotless, sinless, incorruptible; bodies without weakness, sickness, decay, or death; souls incapable of temptation, sin, care, or trouble; hearts free of unbelief, sorrow, and pain; wills in complete harmony with God's will. Imagine that! In glory we will possess perfect natures! Holiness, perfect holiness shall be ours!
F. The glory promised in our text is the glory of perfect rest (Heb. 4:9-11).
Hebrews 4:9-11 "There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God. (10) For he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from his. (11) Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief."
Heaven's glory shall be a perpetual sabbath, an endless day of perfect peace, perfect happiness, perfect security. "It shall not be possible for a man to have a wish ungratified, nor a desire unfulfilled...Every power shall find ample employment without weariness. And every passion shall have full indulgence, without so much as a fear of sin" (C. H. Spurgeon). This is rest! This is glory! We shall want what our Savior wants, do what our Savior wills, love what our Savior loves, and live for our Savior's glory perfectly.
G. This glory is a gift of God's rich, free, abundant grace in Christ.
"The LORD will give grace and glory." There is not a soul in heaven that came there by his own merit. There is not a crown in heaven earned by the works of men. There is not a note of self-righteousness to mar the song of the redeemed. Glory is the gift of God.
H. When will the LORD give us this glory?
Some will receive glory very soon. For some it will, perhaps, be a while yet. But of this we can be absolutely sure:
1. Let us ever comfort one another with these words - "The LORD will give grace and glory."
2. Our trials and troubles here are not worthy to be compared with the glory that awaits us (Rom. 8:18).
Romans 8:18 "For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us."
AMEN.
Don Fortner, Pastor Grace Baptist ChurchDanville, Ky.
GRACE AND GLORY Psalm 84:11
Don Fortner
Sermon #70 Series: Bible Doctrine
Title: GRACE AND GLORY
Text: Psalm 84:11
Readings: Office: Lindsay Campbell Auditorium: Bobbie Estes
Subject: Grace And Glory Inseparable Gifts Of God
Date: Tuesday Evening - November 10, 1998
Tape # U-94b
Introduction:
What is heaven? Do God's saints go to heaven immediately when they leave this world? What is the condition, or state, of the saints' existence in heaven? Who shall enter into heaven's glory? Upon what grounds do the saints enter into heaven?
These are the questions I hope to answer in this message. I realize at the outset that I can do no more than scratch the surface of this great subject. The glory that awaits God's saints in heaven, the vastness of our inheritance with Christ is light years beyond the scope of our puny brains. I have no hope of exhausting this subject. In preparing this message, I have purposefully avoided all matters of vain curiosity and speculation. It is my purpose to set forth some of those things which are plainly taught in the Word of God about the glorious state of God's saints in heaven.
Psalm 84 is described in the title as "A Marching Song." In the eleventh verse, God's pilgrims are inspired in their march through this world with these words of promise: "The LORD will give grace and glory." The Psalmist takes our minds away from ourselves and calls our attention to "The LORD," Jehovah, our great God and Savior. We must not look to ourselves in any measure for either grace here or glory hereafter. The Source of grace and glory is the LORD. The Security of grace and glory is the LORD. Christ alone is the Rock of our salvation. To him alone we must look for grace and glory.
"The LORD will GIVE grace and glory." The word "give" declares that neither grace nor glory can be earned, merited, or purchased by man in anyway. This text, like all the Word of God, puts us upon the footing of grace. God cannot be obliged by man to bestow his grace; and he cannot be obliged by man to bestow glory. Both grace and glory are free gifts of God; and where he gives one he is sure to give the other.
Proposition: Grace and glory are inseparable gifts.
They are really the same thing. Grace is glory in the seed. Glory is grace in full bloom. Glory begins in grace. And grace is completed in glory. Someone said, "Grace is glory begun, and glory is grace consummated. Grace is glory in the bud, and glory is grace in the fruits. Grace is the lowest degree of glory, and glory is the highest degree of grace."
These are two great and marvelous gifts which God bestows upon the fallen sons and daughters of Adam in Christ, grace and glory. The first thing he gives is grace. The last thing he gives is glory.
I. "THE LORD WILL GIVE GRACE."
How we love that word "grace." Grace is God's riches at Christ's expense. In the life, experience and hope of the believer everything is of grace, from the beginning to the end. Every believer gladly confesses, "By the grace of God I am what I am."
"Oh, to grace how great a debtorDaily I'm constrained to be!Let that grace, LORD, like a fetter,Bind my wandering heart to Thee."
Read this promise in the boldest letters imaginable and rejoice. "The LORD will give grace!" The promise comes from God the LORD. The LORD God Almighty, the great Jehovah, the triune God will most certainly, by his own irresistible power, according to his own sovereign will, give grace, freely and irreversibly.
A. To whom will the LORD give grace?
We know that he will give grace. It is asserted plainly. Someone is going to get grace from God. But who?
1. The LORD God will give grace to his own elect (Rom. 9:15-16).
Romans 9:15-16 "For he saith to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion. (16) So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that showeth mercy."
Grace belongs to God. It is his sovereign prerogative to give it to whom he will. And there are some among the fallen sons of men whom God has chosen to be the recipients of his grace (John 15:16; Matt. 11:25-27). Not one of those chosen in electing love, before the foundation of the world, to be a vessel of mercy shall fail to receive that grace before passing out of this world.
John 15:16 "Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you."
Matthew 11:25-27 "At that time Jesus answered and said, I thank thee, O Father, LORD of heaven and earth, because thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes. (26) Even so, Father: for so it seemed good in thy sight. (27) All things are delivered unto me of my Father: and no man knoweth the Son, but the Father; neither knoweth any man the Father, save the Son, and he to whomsoever the Son will reveal him."
2. The LORD will give grace to every sinner redeemed by Christ's precious blood.
Every sinner redeemed and purchased by Christ shall be his and shall obtain grace. Christ did not die for nothing!
a. All whom he redeemed by blood shall have the grace of forgiveness (Eph. 1:7; Col. 1:14).
Ephesians 1:7 "In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace;"
Colossians 1:14 "In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins:"
b. All whom he purchased shall have the grace of reconciliation (Col. 1:20).
Colossians 1:20 "And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself; by him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven."
c. All for whom Christ was made a curse shall have the grace of free justification (Rom. 8:34; Gal. 3:13).
Romans 8:34 "Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us."
Galatians 3:13 "Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree:"
d. All for whom Christ was made to be sin shall have the grace of righteousness (2 Cor. 5:21).
2 Corinthians 5:21 "For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him."
e. All for whom he died shall have the grace of eternal life (John 10:8, 27).
John 10:9 "I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture."
John 10:27 "My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me:"
The redemption which Christ accomplished is an effectual redemption, which infallibly secures grace for all his redeemed ones. Not one of those whom Christ has redeemed from among men shall perish. Not one of his blood bought sheep shall be lost. Not one member of his body shall be ruined. Not one part of his bride, the church, shall be destroyed. Those whom Christ has redeemed shall most assuredly obtain grace (Eph. 5:25-27; John 10:16).
John 10:16 "And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd."
Ephesians 5:25-27 "Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; (26) That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, (27) That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish."
NOTE: God's sovereign election and Christ's effectual redemption inspire us to preach the gospel fervently to every creature, because we know that "the LORD will give grace" to his chosen, blood bought people (Isa. 53:9-11).
Isaiah 53:9-11 "And he made his grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death; because he had done no violence, neither was any deceit in his mouth. (10) Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the LORD shall prosper in his hand. (11) He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities."
3. The LORD will give grace to every believing sinner.
We do not know who God's elect are, or who Christ has redeemed, except as they believe the gospel. Yet, we are assured by God that every believer is both elect and redeemed, because God promises grace to all who believe (Mk. 16:16; John 1:12-13; 3:14, 15, 36; Rom. 10:9-13).
Mark 16:16 "He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned."
John 1:12-13 "But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: (13) Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God."
John 3:14-15 "And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: (15) That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life."
John 3:36 "He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him."
Romans 10:9-13 "That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the LORD Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. (10) For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. (11) For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed. (12) For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same LORD over all is rich unto all that call upon him. (13) For whosoever shall call upon the name of the LORD shall be saved."
Indeed, if you believe on the Son of God, the LORD has given you grace already. That faith by which you believe is itself the gift and operation of God's grace (Eph. 2:8; Col. 2:12).
Ephesians 2:8 "For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:"
Colossians 2:12 "Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead."
The long and short of the gospel is this: If you believe on the LORD Jesus Christ, if you trust his precious blood alone for your salvation and eternal acceptance with God, he will give you grace. I know that a sinner cannot believe unless he has grace. But I also know that you cannot have grace unless you believe. And to every believing sinner it is promised, "The LORD will give grace."
B. What is this grace which God promises to give?
The text does not say, "The LORD will give some grace," "graces, " or "a grace." The text reads, "The LORD will give grace." The implication is that wherever the LORD gives any grace, he gives all grace. "The LORD will give..."
- REGENERATING GRACE (Eph. 2:1-5).
- JUSTIFYING GRACE (Rom. 5:1-11).
- SANCTIFYING GRACE (Heb. 10:10-14).
- PRESERVING GRACE (Phil. 1:6).
- INSTRUCTING GRACE (John 16:13).
- DIRECTING GRACE (Pro. 3:5-6).
- COMFORTING GRACE (John 16:7; Lam. 3:21-26).
Lamentations 3:21-26 "This I recall to my mind, therefore have I hope. (22) It is of the LORD'S mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. (23) They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness. (24) The LORD is my portion, saith my soul; therefore will I hope in him. (25) The LORD is good unto them that wait for him, to the soul that seeketh him. (26) It is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the LORD."
- REVIVING GRACE (Isa. 57:15).
- SUFFICIENT GRACE (2 Cor. 12:9).
"He giveth more grace when the burdens grow greater,He sendeth more strength when the labors increase;To added affliction He addeth His mercy,To multiplied trials His multiplied peace."
C. How does the LORD give us his grace?
1. God gives his grace to sinners mediatorially, through Christ our Mediator, through the use of the means he has ordained.
Without question, God's saving grace comes to chosen sinners before they seek it (Isa. 65:1). Yet, those who are sought of God are caused by grace to seek him; and he promises that all who earnestly seek him shall find him (Jer. 29:13-14).
Isaiah 65:1 "I am sought of them that asked not for me; I am found of them that sought me not: I said, Behold me, behold me, unto a nation that was not called by my name."
Jeremiah 29:13-14 "And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart. (14) And I will be found of you, saith the LORD: and I will turn away your captivity, and I will gather you from all the nations, and from all the places whither I have driven you, saith the LORD; and I will bring you again into the place whence I caused you to be carried away captive."
Believers are people who seek the LORD and seek his grace in Christ continually. He gives grace to those who seek it by prayer, through his Word, and in the keeping of his ordinances. These are the means by which God's grace is constantly bestowed upon his saints in this world.
2. God gives us his grace seasonably. As our days demand, his grace is given.
3. The LORD our God gives us his grace readily. He is always ready to be gracious.
4. The LORD our God gives us his grace constantly.
"At home, or abroad, on the land and the sea,As thy days shall demand shall thy strength ever be!"
Read this promise as broadly as you will. It is to you, child of God, in every condition and circumstance of life, "The LORD will give grace". He will give you grace…
To Serve Him (2 Cor. 12:9).To Suffer For Him (Phil. 4:13).To Endure Temptations (1 Cor. 10:13).To Die In Him (2 Tim. 4:6-8).
D. Who is it that will give grace?
"The LORD will give grace!" Grace is the gift of God alone. You will not get grace from yourself, from the church, from some imaginary priest, at some imaginary altar, or from the law of God. If we would get grace we must get it from God alone. And the only way God gives grace is through Christ (John 1:16-17). Look to Christ! Trust Christ! Believe Christ! Cling to Christ! As we do, "The LORD, will give grace!"
II. "THE LORD WILL GIVE GLORY."
The text reads, "The LORD will give grace and glory." That little, connecting word, "and," is more precious than gold. It is an indestructible rivet, forever uniting grace and glory.
There are many who seem determined to take the rivet out; but they cannot. The text does not say, "The LORD will give grace and perdition," or "grace and purgatory," but "The LORD will give grace and glory."
And the text does not promise glory without grace. You can no more have glory without grace than you can have grace without glory. The two are riveted together. What God has joined together let no man put asunder.
If we have grace, we shall have glory, too. God will not give one without the other. Grace is the bud. Glory is the flower. Grace is the fountain. Glory is the river. Grace is the first fruit. Glory is the full harvest. If we have grace, we shall never perish. We shall have glory.
But those who do not have grace here shall never have glory hereafter. It is not possible for any to be glorified who have not first been justified. You cannot reign with Christ in glory if Christ does not reign in you by grace. Grace and glory are inseparable gifts of God. "The LORD will give grace and glory." What is the glory that he shall give?
I am fully aware that no puny, earthly brain can comprehend it (1 Cor. 2:9). But God has revealed something of the glory that awaits us, that our hearts may be drawn to it (1 Cor. 2:10).
1 Corinthians 2:9-10 "But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him. (10) But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God."
A. The glory we are to receive is the glory of heaven.
Having said that, I have said much more than I comprehend. Whatever heaven is, God will give. It is a place of indescribable beauty. It is a state of indescribable bliss. Whatever may be meant by the figurative language that describes it,*
*The streets of pure gold, the gates of pearl, the walls of jasper, the crowns, the palms, the harps, the songs, the river of the water of life, the trees bearing fruit, the tree of life, all that these things describe heaven is.
all of heaven shall be ours forever. The LORD will give the perfection of glory without measure to all to whom he has given grace without measure. You and I who trust Christ shall sit down with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob at the throne of Christ the Lamb in the kingdom of God.
B. The glory God will give is the glory of eternity.
Eternity! Who can define it? No one on earth can fathom the meaning of the word "eternity." We always confound eternity with time. We speak of the "endless ages of eternity." But there are no ages in eternity. Eternity will never pause, decline, or draw near to a conclusion. We will never grow weary of eternity. And we will never grow weary in eternity. Eternity is unchanging, unending bliss.
C. Moreover, the glory God will give his saints is the glory of Christ, our Mediator, Surety, and Covenant Head (Rom. 8:17; John 17:22).
Romans 8:17 "And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together."
John 17:22 "And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one:"
Whatever that glory is which Christ has as our Mediator, as the reward of his perfect obedience to God, we shall have when we see him as he is in heaven. My heart pants to know, by actual experience the meaning of what I have just said. Oh, to know the glory that awaits us! Now we look through a glass darkly. But we long to see him face to face, to have the clouds of darkness swept away, that we may know and enter into his glory! In the serene atmosphere of heaven, we shall not only see the King in his beauty, but also possess his glory!
D. This glory will be the glory of total victory.
We are more than conquerors through Christ our LORD (Rom. 8:32-39). By the grace of God and the blood of the Lamb, we shall yet be victorious over the world, the flesh, and the devil (Rom. 16:20).
Romans 8:32-39 "He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things? (33) Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justifieth. (34) Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us. (35) Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? (36) As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. (37) Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. (38) For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, (39) Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord."
Romans 16:20 "And the God of peace shall bruise Satan under your feet shortly. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. Amen."
Death shall do us no harm, sin shall bring us no more grief, Satan shall tempt us no more, when the LORD gives us glory.
E. The glory which the LORD will give us is the glory of a perfect nature (Eph. 5:25-27; Jude 24-25).
Ephesians 5:25-27 "Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; (26) That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, (27) That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish."
Jude 1:24-25 "Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy, (25) To the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and for ever. Amen."
This was and is the purpose and goal of God in predestination, election, redemption, and regeneration. And God's work will not fail to accomplish his purpose. In heaven we shall have a perfect nature, spotless, sinless, incorruptible; bodies without weakness, sickness, decay, or death; souls incapable of temptation, sin, care, or trouble; hearts free of unbelief, sorrow, and pain; wills in complete harmony with God's will. Imagine that! In glory we will possess perfect natures! Holiness, perfect holiness shall be ours!
F. The glory promised in our text is the glory of perfect rest (Heb. 4:9-11).
Hebrews 4:9-11 "There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God. (10) For he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from his. (11) Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief."
Heaven's glory shall be a perpetual sabbath, an endless day of perfect peace, perfect happiness, perfect security. "It shall not be possible for a man to have a wish ungratified, nor a desire unfulfilled...Every power shall find ample employment without weariness. And every passion shall have full indulgence, without so much as a fear of sin" (C. H. Spurgeon). This is rest! This is glory! We shall want what our Savior wants, do what our Savior wills, love what our Savior loves, and live for our Savior's glory perfectly.
G. This glory is a gift of God's rich, free, abundant grace in Christ.
"The LORD will give grace and glory." There is not a soul in heaven that came there by his own merit. There is not a crown in heaven earned by the works of men. There is not a note of self-righteousness to mar the song of the redeemed. Glory is the gift of God.
H. When will the LORD give us this glory?
Some will receive glory very soon. For some it will, perhaps, be a while yet. But of this we can be absolutely sure:
- "The LORD will give glory" as soon as our work here is done, no sooner and no later.
- And "the LORD will give glory" at the hour he has purposed from eternity, no sooner and no later.
1. Let us ever comfort one another with these words - "The LORD will give grace and glory."
2. Our trials and troubles here are not worthy to be compared with the glory that awaits us (Rom. 8:18).
Romans 8:18 "For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us."
AMEN.
Don Fortner, Pastor Grace Baptist ChurchDanville, Ky.
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