This is a transcript. It may contain small inaccuracies.

In our previous studies, in this section, we've noted that this section is really replete; it is rich in its instruction concerning the biblical doctrine of affliction. Many references to affliction, suffering, and in Paul's writing to this young church, he gives us insight as to the certainty of affliction in life. We are destined, he said, for this, and also as to the purpose of affliction.
Last Lord's Day evening, we considered what this passage also taught us about the subject of faith. Five times in this section, you have that little phrase, your faith, your faith, your faith. The great focus of Paul's concern was upon the faith of the Thessalonians, and we learned last time a little bit about, or something about, the doctrine of faith. That true faith needs to grow, needs to be cultivated, and it will grow—true faith, that is—and it's never, never an only child, for it will always, always have brothers and sisters. It will always have other fruits of the work of God's grace in the heart and the life of the child of God.

Now, there's another basic doctrine in this passage, a very basic doctrine. In fact, it's so much here that it's possible, as the old saying goes, to fail to see the woods for the trees. And so, behind and undergirding and surrounding this entire section that was read in your hearing tonight, we have the apostles' understanding of the biblical doctrine that is called, historically, the doctrine of the Perseverance of the Saints.

What lay behind Paul's burning concern, as we will see tonight—well, we can begin by asking the question, what really lays behind Paul's concern for the Thessalonians? Why does Paul twice say, “When we could endure it no longer”, verse 1 of chapter 3, and the same chapter, verse 5, “When I could endure it no longer?” Why is he so anxious—not in a negative, sinful way, but in a positive way? Why is he so anxious to come to them? And why has he made several attempts? And when frustrated, why does he alter his plans at a great personal cost to himself? He sends Timothy on his behalf as his representative. Why? Why this deep concern? Why? Why this planning? Why so fervent in his prayers that he might visit them in the future, as he says in verse 10, "night and day we keep praying most earnestly that we may see your face." Why?

I submit to you that you will not be able to answer those questions unless there's some understanding of the biblical doctrine of the Perseverance of the Saints. This is a vital doctrine. It's that vital doctrine that really brings us face to face with such burning questions as these. Is it possible that people who are truly saved will ultimately perish? Why does Paul say, “I'm concerned for you lest by some means the tempter tempted you and our labor be in vain?” Is he inferring that truly saved people at Thessaloniki could be turned aside by the devil and perish? It's a pretty important question, isn't it? Is it possible for a person to give many apparent evidences of new life and yet fall away and be lost? Why does Paul say, verse 8, "for now we really live if you stand firm in the Lord." Should a Christian have legitimate fears that he might fall away or fail to continue in the grace of God and thereby be rejected?

For all who take seriously the salvation of their souls and the clear teaching of scripture, these questions are not academic questions. They're not. They're not merely opening up a debate on whether it's true once saved always saved or can a saved person be lost? And if you're a true child of God, then this is no academic question with you. Is it possible that I could ultimately fail of the grace of God? And undergirding these, this entire section, this entire passage, rich in its teaching on affliction, rich in its teaching on the subject of saving faith, is the biblical doctrine of the perseverance of the saints of God, the preservation of God's people.

And tonight, the next Lord's Day evening, Lord willing, I want us to consider what this passage teaches concerning this wonderful doctrine and then relate other portions of Scripture which trust will shed light upon this passage and upon this wonderful doctrine. Now, to think our way through the subject, through this doctrine, we will do so using this passage as our sphere of reference.

And so, first of all, as we consider from this passage the basis—so what I want us to consider tonight, first, the basis of Paul's rejoicing, the basis of Paul's rejoicing. And as we do this, we will see something very, very important. Notice in verse 19 of chapter 2, and we spent a whole evening on this text, Paul says that the people at Thessaloniki are “his hope, his joy, his crown of boasting, his crown of rejoicing”. And he says in verse 9 of chapter 3, "For what thanks can we render to God for you in return for all the joy with which we rejoice before our God because of you?”  So here's a man who is rejoicing in terms of the grace of God revealed to the people at Thessaloniki.

We're going to see in a moment that he has tremendous concern, but he's fully rejoicing. Now, what is the basis of Paul's rejoicing? Well, it's his understanding of the simple principle—he knew that all who are truly, savingly joined to Christ will ultimately be glorified. All who are joined to Christ now will be found joined to Christ when He comes back again. Notice that his rejoicing is in terms of this future expectation back in chapter 2, verse 19: "For who is our hope or joy or crown of boasting? Is it not even you before our Lord Jesus at His coming?" Oh, yes, you are a source of joy to us now. Oh, but there will be no joy if after all his labors and if after all the apparent work of grace, this would all come to nothing, to naught. And when Paul stood before the Lord, there'd be nothing whatsoever, hay, stubble.

In fact, this would be the cause of the deepest kind of sadness, for the Scripture says, "From everyone who has been given much, much will be required; and to whom they entrusted much, of him they will ask all the more." Luke 12:48. So if Paul had no confidence that those who were truly saved would be kept by the power of God and would be found in that day, well, he couldn't rejoice, could he? He couldn't. He'd go around trembling because most of them, right, all of that he communicated then, all of it would—all that it would do would make the fires of hell all the more intense for these people, right? I mean, he had been the instrument of giving them light which led to intensified judgment and to increased damnation.


But Paul rejoices in this passage. He says so. Well, why? Well, because of his confidence that all who are savingly joined to Christ will ultimately be glorified and be found as His treasure on that day. Now, this is the clear teaching of many other portions of Holy Scripture which are specifically given to deal with this question. Is it possible that one who is truly joined to Christ will somehow fall along the way and be absent in the great company of the redeemed when the Lord Jesus comes? And if you and I are to understand the biblical doctrine of the Perseverance of the Saints as Paul understood it and as it undergirded this concern in this letter, we must have this principle indelibly inscribed upon our hearts and upon our mind.

And here's the principle: all who are savingly joined to Christ now will be glorified then, and not one will be missing. Not one. Not one. Period. Paragraph. Several passages of Scripture teach this with absolute clarity. Turn with me to Romans 8. As you turn, make your way there. Romans 8. And I'm going over these passages trusting that you will be familiar with every one of them for our own comfort and consolation. And then as you seek to communicate to others a reason for the hope that's within you, you'll be able to instruct others concerning this magnanimous truth.

Romans chapter 8. Paul, you remember, has declared in verse 28 that very familiar portion that in the life of the child of God, everything, all things—all things, nothing is outside of that. All is working together. There's a plan. There's order. Though there are, there may seem, there may not seem to be order to you as a child of God, everything may seem to be chaotic from your standpoint. Remember who you are. Remember who you are. I need to remember who I am. A little worm of the dust. A worm that doesn't see very far and very much.

You know, little kids, tiny toddlers, you know how difficult it is when they're small all the time. They have to be looking up. Too many things obstructing their view. Many times the parents have to lift them up and put them on their shoulders, right, so they could see. Well, a worm is even in a more precarious state. It's more difficult. All the worms need to do is get behind a little bump in the ground an inch high and the poor fellow can't see anything but the bump in the ground, right? And how foolish for that little worm who only sees the bump to the left of them or the right of them to try to make some accurate analysis of the landscape about him.

Well, it's just as foolish for the child of God standing behind the little bump of time to evaluate what's happening in his life. You can't do it. And the only one who can properly evaluate is God, whose eye spans eternity at a glance and sees all the events and circumstances of your life and mine, not only in relationship to each other, but in relationship to all the other lives you'll ever touch here in time and all the purposes of God in eternity, choices, decisions, equations, all of it. So whenever you're tempted to begin to evaluate, to try to evaluate God's dealings with you because they don't seem to make sense to fit your mindset, just remember the folly of the little worm behind his bump. I hope the Lord will bring that to remembrance when we are in such a place.

So Paul is comforting such people that all things are working together for good for those who love God, verse 28, for those who are called according to His purpose, for just as surely as God is ordering all the present circumstances, He has done something else, Paul tells us. Look at verse 29. "Because those whom He foreknew"—this Greek word is important, translated foreknew, that is, those whom He loved distinctly, with a particular love, with a particular regard—"those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brothers." Now verse 30 is the text: "And those whom He predestined, He also called, and those whom He called, without any exception, without losing one, He also justified, and those whom He justified, these are the same ones, He also glorified."

Here's this unbroken chain of God's saving purpose—unbroken, unbroken chain of God's saving purpose. Christian, are all things working together for good? Yes. Well, how do you know? How do you know? Because I've been saved according to purpose. Everything in my life has purpose, because the God who has laid hold of me has purpose, purpose which began in eternity past when He foreknew me and predestined me to be made like His Son, a God who in purpose called me in time, justified me, and God whose purpose will not be frustrated or thwarted or derailed.

It's unthinkable that His purpose should be sure in eternity when He foreknew me, that His purpose should be sure in time in that He called me, and that somehow His purpose should be frustrated in accomplishing the end for which He predestined me and called me and justified me. Absurd. All of this was to the end that I might be glorified and stand as His child in the presence of the Lord Jesus. That's what God had in mind. God had in mind something out there in eternity, so back there in eternity He foreknew me in time, He called me, He justified me, and He will glorify me.

Now Paul says when that grips your heart, what will happen? You know when He grips the heart, he said, what will happen? Will it cause you to sit back and say, oh well, very well, I've settled the academic question. Can a saved person be lost? No, no, no, no. Paul is instructing Christians, and so his next word is verse 31: "What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who is against us?" Verse 31. He's teaching them this doctrine that all who are savingly joined to Christ will be preserved in order to strengthen them in the face of the fierce battle here now. If this thought is before us, all the way from eternity into eternity, I mean we can face the world, we can face its hostility, its enemies, its opposition, hold our head high, have confidence—this God is for us. Who can be against us? This is a practical doctrine, very practical.

Has that truth gripped your heart? Has it? That all who are savingly joined to Christ will be glorified. Everyone that He called, He justified. All that He justifies, He glorifies, and in fact this is so certain that Paul puts a future event in the past tense. Isn't that amazing? Look at it, verse 30: "And those whom He justified, He also glorified." Well, they aren't glorified yet, but in the purpose of God, it's done, settled, it's done, and what's done in the purpose of God will absolutely, unequivocally, certainly be accomplished in the lives of His people. No ifs and buts.
Will you turn with me to John 6:37. John 6:37: "All that the Father gives Me will come to Me"—talk about the same thing that Paul talked about. All that were given to the Lord Jesus in the eternal counsels of God shall come, He says. That's calling, effectual calling. They shall be brought to repentance. They shall be brought to faith. "And the one who comes to Me, I will never cast out. For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me. Now this is the will of Him who sent Me, that of all that He has given Me I lose nothing, but raise it up on the last day. For this is the will of My Father, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in Him will have eternal life, and I Myself will raise him up on the last day." Everyone who sees the Son, believes in Him—He says, "I will raise him up on the last day." I will. It's settled. It's done.

Fast forward to chapter 10. John 10: 27- 29. Time will not—well, actually, time will not permit me to go there. There are other passages I want to go to. Why don't you go to 1st Peter 1. But the chapter in John 10, He talks about how the Lord Jesus gives eternal life to His sheep, and they shall never perish. That's the promise there. But 1st Peter 1:5, a marvelous text, a very encouraging text, refers to us believers as being protected. We are protected, kept by the power of God. Well, how much power is that? Omnipotence. Infinite power. We're kept by infinite power. through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time." Kept, protected by the power of God, through faith unto salvation.

So what conclusion can we draw from these texts? Well, here's the principle. Here's the principle. See, if I want to answer the question, can people who are truly joined to Christ ever be lost? I got to go to passages that deal with that issue, like John 6. "All that truly come to Me," Christ said, "they will never be cast out." Why? Because it would be contrary to the Father's purpose. I came down to do His will. His will is that everyone that He gave to Me, I will give that one eternal life. I will raise that one on the last day. Not one will be lost.

And then I go to a passage like Romans 8: "Whom He called, He justified. Whom He justified, He glorified." So going to those portions that answer this question, the ringing affirmation of Scripture is, no, can't be lost, can't perish. Can anyone who is truly joined to Christ ever be lost? No, absolutely not.

So as Paul—back to 1 Thessalonians—as Paul thinks of those who are joined to Christ at Thessaloniki, he says, you people are the source of my joy because I know that I'll meet you in that day because the Father's purpose cannot be frustrated.

But now there's a second principle and we see it in 1 Thessalonians 3. Not only the basis of Paul's rejoicing, that conviction that all who are joined to Christ will be glorified, but this is a passage not only full of joy, but also full of deep concern, full of anxiety, full of joy, full of anxiety. These people who are—I mean, these people are not only the source of Paul's rejoicing, verse 19 of chapter 2, and in verse 9 of chapter 3, but they are also the object of tremendous anxiety, sanctified anxiety.  Chapter 3, verse 1, look at this: "Therefore when we could endure it no longer..." Verse 5: "For this reason, when I could endure it no longer, I couldn't take it anymore, I also sent to know about your faith..."—and now he is continually anxious. Verse 10 of chapter 3: "Night and day, keep praying most earnestly that we may see your face..."

Now what was the basis of this deep concern, this anxiety? Let's look at the basis of Paul's anxiety. We saw the basis of his joy. Let's look at the base of anxiety. See, if he knows that all who are savingly joined to Christ are going to be kept no matter what the world, the flesh, the devil do, why in the world should he be concerned? Why? If God's purpose cannot be frustrated, why not just sit back, fold your arms and say, well, nothing to worry about? No, no.

You see, Paul recognized the second principle that's absolutely vital if we're to understand the Bible doctrine of the perseverance of the saints. Follow closely, beloved, and here's the principle. Paul knew—and I thank God for His providence, how He linked morning and evening messages—Paul knew that not all who professed faith and gave some evidences of faith were truly joined to Christ. That's why, just as surely as he knew that all who were truly joined to Christ would be glorified, Paul knew that not all who seem to be joined to Christ are really joined to Christ.

He knew this. He knew this. He knew this from the teaching of Scripture. He knew it from the experience of his own life, his own ministry, and that's why he says in verse 5, "For this reason, when I could no longer endure it or endure it no longer, I also sent to know about your faith, lest somehow the tempter has tempted you and our labor be in vain." Verse 8: "For now we really live, if you stand firm in the Lord." Here was this recognition on the part of the Apostle Paul that it was perfectly possible for people to give many glowing apparent evidences of being joined to Christ and yet time would prove that they've never truly been vitally united to the Lord Jesus Christ, and that is why he is greatly concerned.

That's why he says there's a terrible—the terrible—possibility that my labor amongst you would be in vain. And isn't this the very teaching of the parable of the sower that we looked at briefly this morning? The seed fell upon four different kinds of soil, and then the Lord Jesus interprets the parable to them in Matthew 13:20. Our Lord's interpretation, we read, "And the one on whom seed was sown on the rocky places, this is the man who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy."

Suppose that we have a visitor coming from outside this evening. You did not know, I did not know. And let's say the message was what we call strictly evangelistic, setting forth man's need, Christ's provision for sin, the free offer of the gospel, calling sinners to come to Christ, to flee to Jesus. What would you think if that person came and said, Oh, this is what I've been wanting to hear all my life—the word of salvation, the word of forgiveness, the word of reconciliation. Oh, how that word came home to my heart with power and I was enabled to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. And we would all stand back and say, Isn't that marvelous, isn't that tremendous? But it could be—it could be—very tragic.

Notice what it says to these people: they immediately receive it with joy, the word of salvation comes and their hearts open up like a flower to the sun and they say, Well, that's what I want, that's what I want to receive. And they receive—just like that seed that fell upon the stony, rocky places, a little bit of earth but rock beneath—it sprang up almost immediately, germinated very quickly and there was a stalk coming up at the ground. But now notice the next verse, verse 21: "Yet he has no root in himself, but is only temporary, and when affliction or persecution arises because of the word, immediately he falls away." Luke says in his parallel account, they believe for a while—for a while.

Now what's the problem? No root, no root. To take the spiritual analogy, there was never any vital union with Christ. The problem with the plant, the thing that makes it wither when the sun rises, is there is no vital union between the plant and the source of life, the soil. It has no root—the plant with no root—what happens to it? Dies. And so there can be profession that seems very flourishing, that has much apparent stalk above ground, but there's no root, no vital union with a source of life. There's no relationship to Jesus Christ.

And what is stated in Matthew 13 in parable is stated in clear, descriptive language in Hebrews 6. Turn with me to Hebrews 6, Hebrews 6. This will help us to understand the basis of Paul's concern and the biblical doctrine, the Perseverance of the Saints. Hebrews 6, exhorting these people to go on to spiritual maturity, not to go back and lay again old foundations, and he describes a certain class of people in verses 4- 6. Notice: "For in the case of those who, for in the case of those once having been enlightened, they were enlightened, the truth is come and burst upon their mind and having tasted of the heavenly gift and have become partakers of the Holy Spirit, and have experienced, they had experienced something of the operations of the Spirit being in the climate where the Spirit of God is operative and having tasted the good word of God doesn't say anything about digesting or assimilating it but they've tasted it, they sampled it, they've tasted it, it tasted sweet to the mouth, immediately with joy they received it. They tasted the good word of God, he goes on to say in the powers of the age to come, and having fallen away, they can have all of this and yet fall away, it is impossible to renew them again to repentance, since they again crucify to themselves the Son of God and put Him to open shame."

And then he uses a parable in verse 7: "For the ground that drinks the rain which often falls on it and brings forth vegetation useful to those for whose sake it is also tilled, receives a blessing from God; but if it yields thorns and thistles, it is unfit and close to being cursed, and its end is to be burned." The same influence of the rain and the earth in one case produces earth's good for food; in another case produces thorns and thistles to be burned. And so he says under the influences of the Holy Spirit there are those who seem to be quickened by the power of the word, they taste the good word of God, the powers of the world to come, but ultimately they fall away—they prove themselves to be thorns and thistles.

He says in verse 9, "But, this is a good but, we are convinced about you beloved of things that are better and that belong to salvation, that accompany salvation though we are speaking in this way." Verse 9: you can have all of this without true salvation—the mind enlightened, tasting the good word of God, experiencing something of the powers of the age to come. The Apostle knew this; that's why he's full of anxiety for the people of Thessaloniki, though he was absolutely confident that not one Thessalonian who had been joined to Jesus—savingly joined to Jesus—would ever fall away and perish. He says some of you people are “my crown of rejoicing, my crown of boasting”, while he was equally confident that not all who seem to be joined to Christ are truly His. Absolutely confident of this.

Same teaching in 2nd Peter 2: 20 and following, where he speaks about those who have escaped the defilement of the world by the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, and having again been entangled in them. And he says the proverb is fulfilled—you remember in that text—the dogs, still a dog, the dog is still a dog, though found in the company of the sheep of God, will eventually go back to his vomit. The sow, though apparently adorning the likeness of the sheep of God, will go back to her wallowing in the mire. What is this but people who've tasted the good word of God, having received it, apparently received it with joy, and have many apparent evidences of life?

And Paul was concerned for the Thessalonians, lest many of these would prove to be rocky places, stony ground hearers. And so you have the clear teaching of the Holy Scripture, and then you have the clear examples of men like we saw this morning—Judas, who was in the company of Christ and the eleven, and yet Jesus said, "one of you is a devil"—He knew from the beginning who it was who should betray Him. And of course, we mentioned this morning Demas, a fellow worker of Paul. In one epistle Paul says he's my fellow laborer, Demas, and then he has to say in another epistle, he has deserted me, having loved this present age. And the Bible says, "If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is what? not in him"—1st John 2:15—that was Demas.

To go as far as to be a co-laborer with the Apostle Paul, that's why Paul's concerned for the Thessalonians, for he knows that not all who seem to be joined to Christ truly are His. Scripture teaches and human experience confirms it. You will never understand the biblical doctrine of the perseverance of the saints if we simply stop with the first principle: all who are joined to Christ will be glorified. And there some stop. So everybody that makes a profession, gives little evidence of apparent life—once saved, always saved, no matter what happens. Wait a minute, wait a minute, that's not the teaching of Scripture.

The teaching of Scripture is that people may give many apparent evidences of regeneration who've never truly been savingly joined to Christ, and they manifest that they were stony ground hearers who fall away. Hebrews 6—hearers who have all these things but fall short of salvation. And that brings us to the third principle found in 1st Thessalonians chapter 3, the focus of Paul's exhortation. We've looked at the basis of his rejoicing: all who are joined to Christ will be glorified; the basis of his anxiety: not all who seem to be joined to Christ are really His. Now, what's the focus of his exhortation?

Notice with me, he says in verse 5 of 1st Thessalonians 3 when I could know when I could endure it no longer, I also sent to know about your faith, lest somehow the tempter has tempted you, and our labor be in vain." Then he has this word coming back from Timothy, and as a result, he says what he says in verse 8: "For now we really live. That is, we experience life that is full, free from anxious concern, if you stand firm in the Lord.

And that's the third principle that clusters around this biblical doctrine of the perseverance of the saints. Paul knew—here it is—Paul knew that continuance, continuance in the ways of God, is the proof of the reality of union with Christ. Continuance. All who are joined to Christ will be glorified. He loses none of His sheep, not one of them. All who are called and justified will indeed be glorified. Not all who seem to be joined to Christ really are Christ's. Third principle: continuance in the ways of God is the proof of the reality of union with Jesus.

So he says, we really live if—if you stand firm now in the Lord, in His ways, in His laws, in His promises, in His church, in His fellowship, in the communion of His people—if you stand firm in terms of your pattern, your trajectory. Let me say it again, beloved, or let me say it first: no past experience will be a substitute for present apostasy. No past experience will be a substitute for present apostasy. If you stand firm, if you are not moved away from the hope of the gospel, no past experience, no matter how glorious, will be a substitute for present apostasy.

If men turn from the faith in the present, Paul says all the past apparent fruits are absolutely nothing, and my labor has been in vain. And beloved, the gross misunderstanding of this doctrine has led to such soul abuse, really, where people who have nothing but the signs of present apostasy are comforting themselves in past apparent evidences. And the butchering of the biblical doctrine of the perseverance of the saints is what has really prejudiced many people against it. And they say something like this: I never believed that doctrine, once saved always saved, because that leads to license at least a complacency. And perhaps some even here have have had a prejudice to the glorious biblical doctrine that God will preserve His own because you've seen it abused without this balancing truth that not all who say they are joined to Christ are, and the proof that the reality of union with Christ is—what?—continuance in the faith.

Let's look at some passages as we conclude our study tonight. Turn to Hebrews chapter 4 as we seek to see these clear statements that continuance, continuance in the ways of God, is the proof of the reality of union with Christ. Here's the exhortation, verse 14: "Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us take hold of our confession." Notice the exhortation: let us take hold of our confession. Well, suppose we don't take hold? Go back to chapter 3, look at verse 13: "But encourage one another day after day, as long as it is still called 'Today,' so that none of you will be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin. For we have become partakers of Christ, if we hold fast the beginning of our assurance firm until the end." We have become partakers of Christ—that is, of His full salvation—if we hold fast the beginning of our assurance firm until the end. Continuance, continuance in the ways of God, is the proof of the reality of union with Christ.

Listen to essentially the same words in Colossians chapter 1. The Apostle Paul, speaking of the reconciling work of Christ, bringing men to Himself out of the state of sin and alienation, and he says this in verse 22: "But now He reconciled you in the body of His flesh through death, in order to present you before Him holy and blameless and beyond reproach—" verse 23—"if indeed you continue in the faith firmly grounded and steadfast, and not moved away from the hope of the gospel." All of these blessings, he says, you have grounds to believe will be yours if you continue. And anyone, beloved, who's not continuing, yet claims to be secured in Christ, doesn't have an ounce of Scripture for his claim. People who claim to be secure in Christ without the scriptural evidence of continuance in Christ are claiming something for which they have no grounds to claim—none whatsoever.

Listen to the words of our Lord Jesus in John chapter 8, where He gives a criterion by which we may discover whether or not that we are truly His disciples, we are truly savingly joined to Jesus. And in chapter 8 of John, verse 31, "So Jesus was saying to those Jews who had believed Him, 'If you abide in My word, then you are truly My disciples. And you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.'" In other words, if you continue, then this is proof of the reality of your union with Me. This is proof that there is indeed root to your profession. It's not simply a rootless plant above ground that will wither and die under pressure—no, no—if you continue.

Now let me say quickly, this doesn't make you a disciple. He doesn't say, if you continue, then you will be made a disciple. He said, if you continue, it is manifest that you are indeed attached to Me. That's an important difference, you see. Continuance is the proof of the reality of my attachment to Jesus. Continuance doesn't earn Christ. Continuance doesn't merit Christ. Continuance reveals the grace of God who's united me to Christ.

There are other passages, so many, but in the interest of time I must stop. But I trust that our study this evening has been sufficient to at least bring into focus, based upon 1st Thessalonians 3, these three basic principles. And beloved, let me emphasize, it's all three held together—all of them held together. Let me say them again: all who are savingly joined to Jesus will be glorified; not all who seem to be joined to Christ are truly His; and the third principle—the only valid proof of the reality of union with Christ is continuance, continuance in the faith.

And beloved, that's not an academic question. If you've been able to continue, and you look back to the time when you first professed Christ, you think of those people who dropped along the way. Some other names come to mind, perhaps even right now tonight as you sit here. Does this happen to some of you here, having those names in mind even now as you hear a subject like this? Can you think of people who dropped along the way and have made shipwreck concerning the faith? Can you—can you think of them? Let me ask you, why wasn't it you? Why wasn't it me? Did you have a little bit stronger faith than they did? Were you a little bit less prone to sin than they? Would you dare to think that the reason lies in you tonight? No, I think you're forced to proclaim, if you know anything about your heart, and if I know anything about my heart: Lord, the same grace that awakened me and converted me, this grace that brought me safe thus far, and grace will lead me home. Isn't that the teaching of Scripture? This grace that taught my heart to fear, grace my fears relieved, grace that brought me safe thus far, grace will lead me home.

Beloved, this is not an academic doctrine. This is a doctrine that focuses upon the beautiful grace of God, focused upon us in eternity, and that will issue in the purpose of God seeing us glorified with Him one day. Let free grace be your only confidence. That's how practical it is.
How practical is it when you're tempted to sin? When you're tempted to sin and the world begins to allure you and entice you and seduce you, and you think to yourself, well, I mean, if I do this, I mean, it doesn't cancel out all these past evidences I have that I belong to the Lord. Maybe I can indulge myself here and—and—and suck comfort from past evidences. No past evidences will do for present assurance—none whatsoever. They won't do, they won't do. The proof that you have is pressing on now in holiness, obedience. What a great preservation against sin! For if you forfeit the preserving in faith, you forfeit the grounds of assurance. Do you want to do that and have darkness come and get confused and wonder, am I really His? Do you want to go into darkness? Then go into sin. Do you want light and assurance? Press on in holiness, press on in obedience, press on in faith. Pretty practical doctrine, isn't it? It's that which becomes the motivation for holiness. It's that which becomes the bedrock ground of praise and adoration and the magnification of the name of Jesus.

There's more to say concerning this doctrine. We'll leave that for next time, Lord willing. Let us pray.

This is a transcript. It may contain small inaccuracies.

In this chapter thus far, we've seen together over the past several weeks lessons about the incarnation. And we've also seen lessons about servanthood. Last Lord's Day, we saw some lessons about salvation. In all of this instruction that we've seen so far that took place on this night before the Lord was crucified—the night when He would be arrested, when He would be betrayed—in all of this instruction that we looked at so far, Jesus has been deliberate in making a distinction.

More than once, He's made a distinction between the 11, those who are truly His disciples, those who truly belong to Him, and one who is present among them. One who has been in their midst, in their company for three years. One who has been numbered among them, and yet, one who doesn't really, truly, genuinely belong to Him. In verse 11, we see just one example. John says, "For He knew the one who was betraying Him; for this reason, He said, 'Not all of you are clean.'"

More than once, Jesus is pointing out that there is a difference with one of them.
And here in our text this morning, verses 18 through 20, He makes the distinction again. He says, "I do not speak about all of you. I know the ones I have chosen; but that the Scripture may be fulfilled, 'He who eats My bread has lifted up his heel against Me.' From now on, I am telling you, before it occurs, so that when it does occur, you may believe that I am."

And you come down to verse 21. Again, you see Christ pointing this out. "When Jesus had said these things," we read, "He became troubled in spirit, and bore witness, and said, "Truly, truly, I say to you, that one of you will betray Me."

So throughout this time of teaching, He's drawing this distinction. In doing this, in verses 18 through 20, we, by default, tend to think of that distinction on the negative side of the ledger. We think of this distinction being drawn, and we turn our attention so often, right away, first to Judas. But in verses 18 through 20, we're reminded that He draws this distinction also, that we might see His special love for the 11. He knows whom He has chosen, and He has chosen 11 of these men for blessing. He has graced them, He has saved them, He has set them apart. They are clean, as we saw last Lord's Day. They are clean, and He's chosen them for a purpose.

And as we look at verses 18, 19, and 20, we see three things that they're chosen for, and each of these three things speaks to the fact that they are chosen, indeed, for blessings. And the first thing that you see in verse 18, the 11 are chosen, first of all, for obedience. Chosen for obedience. They're chosen for obedience.

Notice the first part of the statement. Look at verse 18 with me. "I do not speak about all of you." Now, let's stop there for a moment. "I do not speak about all of you," Jesus says. Now, the question is, well, He's not speaking about all of them with respect to what? I mean, what is He talking about when He says, "I do not speak about all of you"? Well, we just read it in verses 16 and 17, that they have been told of their need to follow His example, right? They've been told that they must serve one another, and that blessing is going to be upon those who not only know these things, but upon those who—what?—do these things, right? Verse 17, "If you know these things, you are blessed if you do them." If you walk in My teaching, you're not just aware of it, you are actually walking in it. Then, He says, there's blessing.
And then He says in verse 18, "I do not speak about all of you." You see the connection? I'm not speaking of all of you.

Well, why is He not talking about all of them here? Because they're not all capable of obedience. Obedience to the commands of Christ, walking in the ways of Christ, requires a vital relationship to Christ. A saving union with Christ. You can't obey Him, truly obey Him, if you don't know Him—and not referring to head knowledge. You can't follow His example unless you are in fellowship, right? You have part with Jesus. You have a portion with Jesus. Unless you know Christ, you can't follow Him.

He's going to deal with this later on. John 15, verse 5, you remember, He says to His disciples, "I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing." Unless you have this abiding relationship with Christ, this saving relationship to Jesus, you cannot bear fruit. You cannot bear that fruit which the Holy Spirit produces. It is utterly impossible. Can't happen. There's fruit that is produced through this relationship.

And so, when He says to these men, you must follow My example, you must wash one another's feet—that is, you must serve one another—you must not only know these things, but you must also do these things. And when He says, I'm not talking about all of you, the reason why is, not all of them are capable of doing what Jesus is talking about. Only those who have this relationship to the vine, only those who have been saved, who have this fellowship with Him.

Now, beloved, that didn't stop on this night, did it? Did it? That observation is just as valid today, right now, in this place. Isn't that true? The past few weeks, we've been told and learned and seen a lot of instruction for believers in this passage, in these verses, many things that have to do with how believers are to live, how we are to serve, but you realize that not everyone in this place is capable of obeying this instruction. It hasn't been for everybody, it's been for those who have a real saving union, real relationship to Jesus, it's been for those who are in fellowship, those who have a portion, a part with Jesus. No one else has the capacity to walk in these things, no one, apart from being savingly joined to Jesus, we can't live in any—we can't live any of this. We can't walk in any of this.

So the first need is salvation. To say that He's speaking of some of them, however, is to say that those of whom He's speaking, they do have the capacity to walk in these things. He knows, He knows those whom He has chosen. And He says here, He's chosen them for obedience. Those whom He saved, they've been chosen for obedience. They can walk in these things.

Remember Romans 6, Paul says, now we can actually have obedience from the heart because we've been transformed. We've been quickened, raised with Christ to the newness of life, no longer under the dominion of sin. To say it another way, in the way Jesus says it in John 15:16, they have been chosen to bear fruit and they will indeed bear fruit. John 15, verse 16, He says to them again on this very same night, "You did not choose Me but I chose you, and appointed you that you would go and bear fruit, and that your fruit would abide, so that whatever you ask of the Father in My name He may give to you." He says, I've chosen you—you didn't choose Me, I chose you—and I've appointed you that you're gonna go and you're gonna bear fruit and your fruit will abide, your fruit will remain. You're not gonna fall away ultimately. You're going to be kept, you're going to obey and you're going to follow Me and there's going to be fruit in your life. Your life will produce fruit, chosen for obedience.

But, but, when Jesus—look at our text—when Jesus says in verse 18 in John 13 that He knows whom He's chosen, He says, "I do not speak about all of you. I know the ones I have chosen;" We need to understand He's not just talking here about the eleven, and this is very important. He knows the eleven, He's chosen the eleven, they've been chosen for obedience, but there's another who's been chosen as well—Judas.

When Christ says, "I know whom I've chosen," I believe He's referring to all twelve, including Judas. In this instance, our Lord is not referring to eternal election; He's talking about them being chosen as His disciples, the company of twelve in those three years. Question: Did Jesus choose Judas to be part of the twelve? Was he chosen to be part of this company that was with Jesus for three years? What's the answer to that according to the Scripture? Yes, yes, he was chosen.

Now keep your Bible marker here and go with me to John chapter six. John chapter six, and as you're turning there, ask yourself the question on your way there: Why was Judas chosen? Why was Judas chosen by Jesus? Why? Why did he spend three years with the Lord? Was it because the Lord made a mistake? Was He somehow fooled about Judas' character? Was Jesus somehow not clear about who Judas was, what Judas was?
Well, look at John six and look with me at verse 66. Sixty-six, you remember the scene there: "As a result of this many of His disciples went away and were not walking with Him anymore. So Jesus said to the"—the eleven, what is it?— twelve, "to the twelve, 'Do you also want to go?' Simon Peter answered Him, 'Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. And we have believed and have come to know that You are the Holy One of God.' Jesus answered them, 'Did I Myself not choose you,"— the 11? What? —"Did I myself not choose you, the twelve and yet one of you is a devil?' Now He was speaking of Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot, for he, one of the twelve, was going to betray Him."

Jesus chose Judas. He chose Judas. And He didn't choose Judas not knowing what Judas was. He chose Judas knowing very well who Judas was and what he was. Early in the ministry of our Lord, He's able to say, I've chosen the twelve of you, and one of you is a devil."
Pastor MacArthur comments on this. He puts it this way: "It's the choosing of the apostles that He's talking about. "I know the ones I've chosen. I know every one of you. I'm not a victim of any of you. No one is outside the purposes that God has ordained. Even in this, even in this betrayal, I know the man, I know the purpose, I know the reason, I know the timing, I know."

So Judas is chosen as well. He's one of the twelve who were chosen by the Lord. The eleven were chosen sovereignly—sovereign election for obedience. Question: Well, why was Judas chosen? Well, I think the answer is to fulfill the Scripture. To fulfill the Scripture.
Look at verse 18, John 13. If you look at John 13, verse 18, the Lord tells us this: "I do not speak about all of you. I know the ones I have chosen; but that the Scripture may be fulfilled." Right there, see it? "He who eats My bread has lifted up his heel against Me.'" J
Judas was chosen, Christ knowing that he would be the one who would betray Him. He would be the one who would fulfill the Scriptures by his betrayal.

In fact, this is evidence of the supernatural knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ—His omniscience. And we'll talk about that more in a moment. But in the nineteenth verse, Jesus makes clear that by Him being able to tell the eleven about this before this took place, it should lead them to a confirmation of their faith in Him as the Messiah: "From now on I am telling you before it occurs, so that when it does occur, you may believe that I am He." Verse 19.

Who but the Messiah would know such a thing? Who but the Lord of glory could know such a thing so far in advance—that the Scripture would be fulfilled? That the Scripture would be fulfilled?

In John 17, verse 12, Christ, later on this night, He's praying for the disciples, praying for us as well—those who will believe through their witness, us. John 17, verse 12, He prays this: "While I was with them, I was keeping them in Your name, which You have given Me; and I guarded them and not one of them perished but the son of perdition,"—the son of destruction, and notice now—"so that the Scripture would be fulfilled." There it is. "So that the Scripture would be fulfilled."

This is how the Lord's disciples understood the falling away of Judas as well—the apostasy of Judas. They understood that as fulfillment of Scripture. You see that in Acts 1, in verse 16. If you would look over there for a moment, keep your marker here as well. Peter addressing the brothers who gathered together, awaiting the giving of the Holy Spirit. They're talking about the need for someone to take the place of Judas, and in chapter one of Acts, in verse 16, we read the following: "Men, brothers, the Scripture had to be fulfilled," —had to be fulfilled— "which the Holy Spirit foretold by the mouth of David concerning Judas, who became a guide to those who arrested Jesus."

How did Peter understand what had happened? As a fulfillment of Scripture. A fulfillment of Scripture, which the Holy Spirit foretold by the mouth of David.

Back to John chapter 13. The Lord Jesus is the one who taught him this. Verse 18: "But that the Scripture may be fulfilled, 'He who eats My bread has lifted up his heel against Me.'" Do you know where this is found, this prophecy? It goes back to Psalm 41, verse 9. We'll talk more about it in a moment. Christ says that what's going to take place is a specific fulfillment of that verse. God in the Old Testament Scriptures foretold what was going to take place with His Son through David. That's how Peter understood it as well, and that's how he states it in Acts chapter one, in verse 16, that was read in your hearing earlier.

Do you realize, beloved, that Jesus consciously made decisions in accordance with Old Testament prophecy? Are you aware that He actually made conscious decisions based upon Old Testament Scripture and the fulfillment of the Old Testament Scripture? Just one example to give you: John chapter 19. I mean, stuff didn't just happen randomly. Jesus is making deliberate choices.

Notice John 19, and this is an astounding statement in God's Word. Notice what it says in verse 28 of John 19: "After this, Jesus knowing"—we're talking about what Jesus knew—"Jesus knowing that all things had already been finished"  And then notice what God's word tells us. "In order to finish the Scripture , said, 'I am thirsty.' A jar full of sour wine was standing there, so they put a sponge full of sour wine upon a branch of hyssop and brought it up to His mouth." So Christ, knowing that the end had come, He makes a statement. The statement had to be made in order to fulfill the Scripture: "I am thirsty."

There are other things going on fulfilling God's Word. John 19, look at verse 23: "Then the soldiers, when they had crucified Jesus, took His garments and made four parts, a part to each soldier, and also the tunic; now the tunic was seamless, woven in one piece from top."—from the top and— "So they said to one another, 'Let us not tear it, but cast lots for it, to decide whose it shall be.' This was in order that the Scripture would be fulfilled: 'They divided My garments among them, and for My clothing they cast lots.' Therefore the soldiers did these things." It's from Psalm 22, verse 18.

Christ making choices, making statements that fulfill the Scriptures, but also things were taking place deliberately under the sovereign, sovereign plan—unfolding sovereign plan—of God, and an astounding number of things from His conception on through His life, to His crucifixion, to His resurrection, fulfilling Old Testament Scripture.

Look at John 19, verse 31: "Then the Jews, because it was the day of Preparation, so that the bodies would not remain on the cross on the Sabbath (for that Sabbath was a high day), asked Pilate that their legs might be broken, and that they might be taken away. So the soldiers came and broke the legs of the first man and of the other who was crucified with Him. But coming to Jesus, when they saw that He was already dead, they did not break His legs. But one of the soldiers pierced His side with a spear, and immediately blood and water came out. And he who has seen has borne witness, and his witness is true; and he knows that he is telling the truth, so that you also may believe. For these things came to pass in order that the Scripture would be fulfilled, 'Not a bone of Him shall be broken.' And again another Scripture says, 'They shall look on Him whom they pierced.'"

All of these events marching forward according to a precise divine purpose and plan, and this is true of Judas, beloved, as well. He was chosen to fulfill the Scriptures.

Now what about the Scripture quoted in John 13:18, "He who eats My bread has lifted up his heel against Me"? David wrote the psalm, and David wrote this in Psalm 41. Now we cannot be definitive as to who David was talking about when he talked about someone betraying him. You realize that this is something that happened in David's own life; he wrote about it, but as he wrote about it, as he wrote what's happening in his own life, the Spirit of God was at work in it. In fact, God was at work in the events, so that in what happened with David, we have in our hands a picture, a prophecy of what would happen with the Lord Jesus Christ. This is superintended by the Spirit of God.

Most commentators believe that it was a man by the name of Ahithophel, a trusted counselor of David. You can read about him in 2 Samuel 15 through 17. Ahithophel, the Bible tells us, was such a wise counselor that in this day when it happened, the Bible says that his words were considered by those who would seek wisdom—his words were considered as gospel truth. I mean, what Ahithophel said came to pass. He was such a wise counselor.

In fact, his wisdom was such that when David found out that Ahithophel had sided with Absalom, his son, in the insurrection—you remember Absalom's rebellion—when David found out that Ahithophel was with Absalom, actually it frightened him, because he understood the wisdom of this man. In fact, David prayed that his wisdom would be confused by God. Actually, what happened is God didn't take away this man's wisdom, but what happened is there was the wisdom given by Ahithophel; at the same time, you had another counselor coming and giving another piece of advice—Hushai the Archite—and Absalom listened to the wrong man from the standpoint of Absalom's interest, and he listened to this wrong man's counsel.

When Ahithophel found out that his counsel had not been heeded and followed, and it was going to deal, to lead to destruction, and that he would be found out, he would suffer the consequences, the Bible says that Ahithophel went out and—do you know what he did? Do you know how he died? He hung himself. He hung himself.

So you have a trusted counselor of David, who ate at his table, who was considered a friend, who betrayed him to his own son, and in the end he went out and hung himself. And how did Judas die? He went out and what? He hanged himself. So that in a real Old Testament, in real Old Testament lives and events, you had, you know, pictured in the providence of God what would take place with His own beloved Son.
David wrote about it in Psalm 41, verse 9. Judas was chosen as the betrayer; he was chosen as the one who would fulfill the Scriptures. Jesus was not confused about what Judas was; he was chosen for that very purpose.

Now, let's stop here for a minute and ask an important question. I want to touch on it briefly because that will be a series on its own—time would not permit us—but it is important to address it. The eleven were chosen for blessing. Was Judas destined for this? I think the answer is clear, isn't it? I mean, when the Bible says this took place to fulfill the Scripture, then you know this was his destiny. When he's referred to as a son of perdition, the son of destruction, this was his destiny.

Now, is Judas the only person the Bible speaks of in such a way? I mean, someone that was involved in something sinful, someone involved in something negative, and the Bible says that they were chosen for this, that they were destined for this, that God had a plan that involved their disobedience. Is he the only one spoken of in that way? Look over with me, if you would, to Romans 9. Romans 9—Scripture interprets Scripture. This is not an opinion, this is the Word of the Lord.

Romans 9, the whole issue of predestination, election being dealt with in this chapter, and as you do this, let me say this again, something you've heard from this pulpit before: one of the clear indications that you are teaching this issue correctly is when those who hear you end up asking the same questions they asked the Apostle Paul. Doesn't it follow, if I teach or if you teach what Paul taught, i.e. what the Scripture says, doesn't it follow that if we teach what he taught, people will be confronted with the same difficulties that they were confronted with when he taught? He taught it, we teach it, equal what? We can expect the same—the same questions, right?

And what are the questions that you're going to face if you teach what Paul taught, what the Word of God teaches? Look at verse 13: "Just as it is written, 'Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated.' What shall we say then?"  Here's the question: "Is there any unrighteousness with God?" Is this fair? Is this just? That's the question you always hear. You know, it's interesting, if you teach salvation from the Arminian point of view, nobody ever asks that question, right? When you say that God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son and He did all this to save sinners—and He did, by the way—and when you say this and then you say now that's all that God did and the choice is just set before mankind and God does not make any choice in this matter, there is no sovereign election, does anybody ever say that's not fair? No.
It's only when you teach election, predestination, that someone says, is this injustice? Is there any unrighteousness with God? Romans 9:14, and look at Paul's answer: ‘me genoito’, it's the strongest negative in the Greek language—may it never be, no not ever, absolutely not.
Verse 15: "For He says to Moses, 'I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion.'" What's God saying? It's My sovereign choice.
Verse 16: "So then it does not depend on the one who wills or the one who runs, but on God who has mercy." Verse 17: "For the Scripture says to Pharaoh, 'For this very purpose I raised you up, in order to demonstrate My power in you, and in order that My name might be proclaimed throughout the whole earth.'" Question: who raised Pharaoh up, beloved? God did. According to this text, God did. Why? He says, that I might demonstrate My power in you and that My name might be proclaimed in the whole earth.

Did God do this with Pharaoh through Pharaoh's faith? Did God do this through Pharaoh because Pharaoh was a believer? What's the answer? Was Pharaoh a believer? No, no, Pharaoh did not believe, did he? He hardened his heart, the Bible tells us. Right? And yet God says, "I raised you up, to demonstrate My power in you that My name might be proclaimed in the whole earth." How did God use Pharaoh for this? By delivering His people out of Egypt in miraculous ways through the hardness of this man's heart. So it's not just Judas, is it?
Verse 18: "So then He has mercy on whom He desires, and He hardens whom He desires. You will say to me then, why does He still find fault? For who resists His will?"
Do you ever hear that question? Well then, how can God find fault with anybody? Aren't we just doing what He's destined us all to do?

And how does God answer this? Verse 20: "On the contrary, who are you, O man, who answers back to God? Will the thing molded say to the molder, 'Why did you make me like this?' Or does not the potter have authority over the clay?"

Let's just stop there and let that sink in. Bringing the infinite to the justice bar of the finite, huh? Isn't it amazing that human beings always want to talk about the free will of human beings? Human beings want to insist on our rights when God deals with the matter. Beloved, He doesn't talk about man's free will, does He? What does He talk about? God's free will. Doesn't God have the what? The authority, Paul says. The right to do what He wants.
"Does not the potter have the authority"—the right— "over the clay, to make from the same lump one vessel for honorable use"—verse 21—"and another for dishonorable use?"
Does the sovereign God of heaven and earth have a right to do that? You know what? Whether you ever agree that He has the right or not, He has the right. Whether you ever agree or not, God, our sovereign God, has the right.

Let me ask you this: is it consistent to say that God is sovereign only in one direction? Think about that. Is it consistent to say that God—God is sovereign only in one direction but not the other? That He has a plan for the elect, that He has a plan for those whom He has chosen for salvation, but He has no plan with respect to the lost. He's sovereign when it comes to those whom He saves, but He has no sovereignty when it comes to those who will perish. He's able to make vessels for honorable use, but He has no right to make vessels for dishonorable use. Is that consistent? Why does it bother us to think in those consistent terms?
Now, at this point, let me actually make something crystal clear. So please don't miss—if you miss, if you miss, don't miss this. Don't miss this. I want to be very clear, and I pray the Lord would help me be clear, because I really don't want you to leave this place and say, oh, Pastor Habib was teaching double predestination. No, no, no, no, no. What we're talking about today is not what some have referred to as—I'll use a technical term—equal ultimacy. Equal ultimacy, hyper-Calvinism.

When we say that God has done something in the case of the elect and He has a plan for those who are not elect, we are not saying—not saying—that God has worked in the same way in both cases. If I could put it this way, He's working with a fallen lump of clay, right? Since the fall of man, we are all—we are all by nature, left to ourselves, by nature, by birth, deserving of the wrath of God, right? So from the outset, we're deserving of God's wrath. "In sin did my mother conceive me." We read it in Psalm 51.

To make vessels for honorable use, then God has to show mercy, He has to act in grace, He has to do something supernatural, He has to work change in us, doesn't He? But for there to be a vessel for dishonorable use, what does God have to do? Nothing, nothing but to leave man to his own choice, free choice. We need to understand that when a man is lost, God has not violated that man's will. God has left that man to what he wants. The sinner gets what he wants. And the sinner does not want God. That's what the Bible says.

I think one of the reasons we struggle with this issue is that we have—we have too high a view of fallen men. We think men are basically good at heart, that men want God, that they would seek after God, that they would desire God. All we have to do is just give them the right information and everybody would want to be saved, right? But is that what the Bible says about lost men? The Bible says how many seek after God? According to Romans 3, how many? None, none. How many are righteous? Romans 3, none. How many do good? None. That's what Romans 3 says about lost. So if you leave a lost man to his own desires, to his own choices, he ends up where? In destruction.

So in the case of those who are saved, God has acted mercifully, graciously, sovereignly, working regeneration in the hearts to grant repentance and faith and to bring men and women to faith in His own beloved Son. The rest, God simply leaves to themselves.
You say, what about Pharaoh? When it says that God hardened his heart, isn't that God putting evil into that man? Isn't that God putting sin into that man's heart? No, absolutely not. And I would say with the Apostle Paul, ‘me genoito’. What is it then? How did God harden Pharaoh's heart? By the way, you know this, the Bible also says that Pharaoh hardened his own heart, doesn't it? So how can you have Pharaoh hardening his own heart and God hardening his heart at the same time?

Because, beloved, we must never forget that God in His grace restrains evil in the world. Every man is fallen as he's born into this world, but every man doesn't act out the full potential of his wickedness. And so what God does in hardening a man's heart—if I could say it this way—it's like He takes the brakes off and He lets the man, the lost, wretched, depraved man, go further and further and further into his own darkness. The restraint is taken off, taken away, and He lets the man run faster and farther in the direction that his wicked heart leads him.
In that way, God hardened Pharaoh's heart. He took the brakes off and let this man go further and further, and the man went of his own volition. Therefore, it can be said of him, he hardened his own heart, and it can be truly said of him that God did something in this. God hardened his heart by taking away the restraint.

So the eleven were chosen for blessing. Judas was chosen to fulfill Scriptures.
Judas is fully responsible, as we've seen several weeks ago. Judas did what he wanted to do. Judas did what was in his heart to do. He was receptive to Satan's suggestions. He acted on them, and God in no way forced Judas to be a devil. Judas was a devil, and he was fully responsible for what he did.

Just to summarize this, I think MacArthur's summary is really helpful here. Quote, "Long before Judas was born, his duplicity was foreseen and designed into God's eternal plan, but Judas's role in the divine plan was not something apart from his own desire. He was no robot programmed to betray Jesus against his will. Judas freely chose to do what he did and was fully accountable for his actions. Judas's betrayal was predetermined, but that in no way contradicts the truth that he acted of his own volition. The sovereign God who works all things after the counsel of His will used the evil plans of Judas's wicked heart to bring about the good of redemption."

But do you realize, beloved, that if the 11 had been left to themselves, they wouldn't have followed Jesus either? You see, God had to do something gracious to save them, right? You remember when the Lord Jesus asked His disciples, why do, who do men say that I am? Matthew 16, and Peter spoke on behalf of the 11 and he said—you remember what he said—"You're the Christ, the Son of the living God," and what did Jesus say to him? "Flesh and blood did not reveal this to you, but My Father who is in heaven." Peter, how do you know who I am? I'll tell you how you know who I am. It's because of grace. It's because of grace. It's because My Father, that's how you know.So they're chosen for blessing. And the first way they're chosen for blessing for this was obedience.

Back to John 13, if you would, please, and verse 17. "If you know these things, you are blessed if you do them. I do not speak about all of you." Not all of you are capable of this obedience. "I know the ones I have chosen; but that the Scripture might be fulfilled, 'He who eats My bread has lifted up his heel against Me.'"

Here's the second thing I want us to see. They're chosen for—not only chosen for—obedience, but they're also, in the second place, chosen for faith. I'll touch on this briefly. They're chosen for faith. From now on, look at verse 19. "I am telling you this before it occurs, so that when it does occur, you may believe that I am He."
He tells us first of the prophecy, verse 18, and then He tells us the reason for it. He tells us of the reason for it in verse 19, and the reason for it is the faith of His disciples. I'm telling you this now so that after it takes place—when it does take place—your faith in Me will be fortified, it will be strengthened, it will be affirmed.

Isn't it amazing how God uses even evil for the good of His elect? He would use this man's betrayal in order to demonstrate His divine omniscience, His divine knowledge, so that the faith of the genuine would be strengthened and confirmed and affirmed. And ultimately, if we reflect on the fact that the betrayal was predicted in the Old Testament scriptures, we're reminded that what He's really doing is teaching us—and mark this down, beloved—teaching us to be confident in the scripture, right? God has revealed Himself to us where? In His word. Beloved, what scripture says, God says. What scripture says, God says.

And looking at this and understanding how this was fulfilled reminds all of us that we can trust in what the word of God says. We should have full confidence that all of the scripture, all that the scripture says will come to pass, all of it. So before we move any further, do you have confidence in God's word, beloved? Do you have confidence? Do you know that what the Bible says, God has said? When the Bible speaks, God speaks. Have you staked your life? Have you staked your eternity on it? Do you stake your everyday life on it?

I pray that we could come to a point that we have the kind of faith that all we have to do is see it in the scripture, and that settles it. That settles it. If God has said it, that's it. I believe it, I walk in it. That's where the Lord wants us to be. Is that where you are today, beloved?
And when the Bible says what it says about family life, is that enough for you? Do you pursue your marriage and your raising of your children according to the word of God, because it is the word of God? When the Bible speaks to you about your singleness, does that settle it for you? When the Bible speaks to you about your relationships at work, does that settle it for you? When the Bible addresses things like selfishness and selflessness, and when you see those things in scripture, does that speak to your heart? Does that address itself to your mind? Does it bring you to the point of surrender and obedience and confession and turning from sin, because you know that you can trust the word of God?

The scripture. Christ wanted His disciples to know that they were right in what the Father had revealed to them about Him. And as this took place, it would testify to them of His divine knowledge, chosen for faith, and I must hasten, lastly, thirdly, chosen for ambassadorship.
Chosen for ambassadorship. They were chosen to represent Him.

Verse 20: "Truly, truly, I say to you, he who receives anyone I send receives Me; and he who receives Me receives Him who sent Me." Truly, truly, amen, amen, truly, truly, verily, verily—this is absolutely true and important. Take heed how you hear. "I say to you, he who receives anyone I send receives Me; and he who receives Me receives Him who sent Me."
What is about to take place with Judas will not take place with the rest of them. I really think verse 20 is meant to encourage them in light of what they're going to have to face, in light of what's going to be for them for a little while confusing. How do we make sense of a man who's been with us for three years? We trusted so much to the extent that we put him in charge over the finances, and now he's sold our Lord out. What about the rest of us? Do we have any confidence?

Well, He's going to tell them in John 17 that He's kept them up to this point, and He's praying that the Father would keep them after He ascends into heaven, and they will be kept. Not one has been lost, and the one that was lost was lost in order to fulfill the Scriptures. No, they're going to bear fruit. They've been chosen to bear fruit—John 15:16—and their fruit will abide, will remain. They're not going to fall away.

Do you know what they're going to do? They're going to be His ambassadors. They're going to be His representatives in the world. And after He's died for their sins and raised from the dead, ascended back to the right hand of the Majesty on high, He's going to give them His Spirit, and we're going to learn about this in the chapters that are coming. He's going to give them His Spirit, and they're going to represent Him in the world. And their union with Him is such that the way the world responds to the ones whom He has sent, that's how they respond to Jesus Himself. Just like the way that Jesus is received is the way you respond to the Father. "He who receives anyone I send receives Me; and he who receives Me receives Him who sent Me."

Isn't that an amazing thing, beloved? Doesn't this just cause us to bow down with humble adoration, humble heart, to realize that when the Lord saved us, He's also commissioned us to be His representatives to the world? And the way that we're received is the way that He's received? Dear child of God, you represent Him in that intimate—pardon me—fashion, that the way you're received is the way He's received when you proclaim His word.

Remember Saul of Tarsus persecuting the church, confronted by Jesus on the road to Damascus. He said to him—our Lord said—"Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?" (Acts 9:4). Saul didn't say, I'm just persecuting Christians. But you see, he was persecuting Jesus because as we're received, Christ is received. Just like as the Son is responded to, so the Father is responded to.

Let me close with two questions. Judas was with Jesus and with these genuine disciples for three years, yet he himself never really belonged. So I want to ask you this morning, sitting here, are you real? Do you belong? You gather here this morning with Christian people, you gather with the church. Most of the people here in this room are truly converted. The Holy Spirit of God lives in them. Christ is in them. The love of God is present in them. It has been shed abroad by the Holy Spirit in their hearts.

They've been enlightened in their understanding, changed, transformed in their very nature, humbled to receive Christ as Savior and Lord, desiring truth, loving truth, and following the truth—the Savior—capable or made capable of following the Savior in obedience, finding joy in obedience from the heart, and finding grief in their sin to the extent that they cannot feel at home with sin, they cannot remain in it, but must deal with it and confess their sins and abandon the sins as a pattern. Is that you? Are you compelled by the life of God in your soul to pursue the Lord with all your heart, and when you fall, when you are wrong, do you recognize that you're wrong before God, you've sinned before God, and does it break your heart so that you're willing to turn from it? Is that you? Are you real?

Do you belong to the body of Christ, or are you artificially attached to Jesus? You're a Christian in name only, attached superficially, externally. You're in the company of those who are alive, but you yourself are dead, and you know it, or to use the language of our Lord that He uses in His own words, of our Lord that He used with regards to the church at Sardis, "you have a name that you are alive, but you are dead." Have you ever really been saved?

The second question I want to leave you with this morning: do you realize, you who are saved, do you realize what you've been chosen for? You've been chosen to belong to God, that's true. You've been chosen as a child of God, that's true, to be saved by faith in Christ. You're elected, chosen unto salvation. The salvation occurs as you hear the gospel, as you believe the gospel, as you put your faith in the Lord Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior. No one is saved apart from faith in Christ, so you were chosen for salvation, but that means you were chosen for obedience. Obedience. Obedience.

Titus 2, listen to the language: "looking for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for us that He might redeem us from all lawlessness, and purify for Himself a people for His own possession."—And now mark these words, four words— "zealous for good works." He did all of this to have a people, pure, set apart, zealous for good works. Fruit, obedience, right? Does He ever fail? No. No.

Chosen for obedience. He appointed you that you would go forth and follow Him and learn from Him and bear fruit. That's what you were chosen for. That's what I'm chosen for. You're chosen for faith. He not only granted you and me faith through regeneration, but we need to realize that He's working even now in your life and mine to strengthen our faith, to teach us things about Himself and to teach us what it means to walk with Him. You've been chosen for that. And what a glorious thing it is to realize the Lord is working for my faith that I might grow.
And you've been chosen for ambassadorship. You represent Christ in this world. You and I are His ambassadors. Have you realized that about yourself, beloved? How it would change our view of the Christian life if we just stopped and said, I've been chosen for obedience, I've been chosen for faith, and I've been chosen for ambassadorship.

May the Lord take all of us who have been saved in this place and work in our hearts in such a way that we have a passion to live for Him. May the Lord awaken those in this place who don't really know Him by His grace and mercy, that they would realize their desperate need for Jesus.

Let us pray.

This is a transcript. It may contain small inaccuracies.

So far in our studies of this passage, this narrative, this account of Jesus washing the disciples' feet, we have seen that there is a picture here of the incarnation, a parable in action. How Christ laid aside His outer garment, robed Himself as a slave, washed their feet, then He put His outer garments back on, resumed His place of honor at the table, and began to instruct. There's a picture of the incarnation: Christ leaving the glory of heaven, coming to earth in the form of a slave, washing us with His own precious blood, His own atoning death on the cross, being raised from the dead, and then resuming His place of glory and honor.

There's a picture of the incarnation, and we've also seen there are lessons on servanthood. We spent our time, a couple of Lord's Days, considering what we learn here about being a servant, how we are to walk in the footsteps of our Savior, following His example, imitating Him in how He washed the disciples' feet. This morning I want us to see that there's a third lesson here, bound up in this portion of God's Word, and it has to do with salvation. It has to do with the washing that occurs when you and I were saved, and the ongoing washing that is occurring as we are being sanctified.

It's a lesson really about true discipleship. It's a lesson about fellowship. It's also a warning about the possibility and the reality of pseudo disciples, people who are attached to Jesus, associated with the Lord Jesus externally, but don't have a saving attachment to Jesus. They don't have a real fellowship with Jesus. They don't know Him. They don't have—to use the language here of the text. They don't have a real part, a real share with Him. That's what I hope that we would see together this morning, by the grace of God.

In order to get there, we have first of all to establish that there is a spiritual meaning to this text, and I think it's fairly obvious. I think just reading the text, it should stand out to us, but if we're going to make such a point, if we're going to see in the washing of the disciples' feet a lesson about salvation, then we need to see that that's really there. I mean it's there really in the text, but I just want to point it out.

First of all, we know that He's teaching a spiritual lesson here when He tells Peter—look at verse 7—that he's not going to understand what He's going to do until later. You see that in verse 7: "Jesus answered and said to him, 'What I am doing you do not realize now, but you will understand afterward.'" If the only lesson being taught here is a physical one, that we should be willing to wash one another's feet and serve one another, Peter has no problem understanding that his Master is washing his feet. That's obvious, but Jesus says to Peter, I'm doing something here that you're not going to really get—you're not going to understand—until later.

Also in verse 12, He speaks to all of the disciples when He said, "‘What I am doing you do not realize now, but you will understand afterward.’" (John 13:7) “So when He had washed their feet and taken His garments and reclined at the table again, He said to them, ‘Do you know what I have done to you?’" Again, if the only lesson is a physical one, then it's easy to understand, but here's something spiritual that He's really teaching here. Not only spiritual in terms of salvation, but also spiritual in terms of servanthood, as we saw for two Lord's Days. There's a spiritual lesson here. That's why He explains to them the significance of what He's doing.

The spiritual lesson having to do with salvation becomes really apparent in verses 10 and 11. Look at them: "Jesus said to him, 'He who has bathed needs only to wash his feet, but is completely clean; and you—'" and by the way the word you here is plural, "'—you are clean, but not all of you.'" John makes the point that this—He was speaking spiritually—because in verse 11 John writes, "For He knew, for Jesus knew the one who was betraying Him; for this reason He said, 'Not all of you are clean.'"

So He's not speaking about physical cleanness, He's talking about something else, He's talking about being spiritually clean, He's talking about having been washed spiritually, He's talking about spiritual purity, cleansing, washing. So there's spiritual meaning to this lesson that Jesus is teaching, and this lesson not only has to do with the incarnation, not only has to do with servanthood, it also has to do with salvation—salvation. So there are lessons here concerning salvation, and I want us to see those lessons together this morning as they are bound up in this text.

And the first thing that I want to point out this morning to us is this: salvation can be defined as fellowship with God. Salvation can be defined as fellowship with God. It is defined as fellowship with God, but not only as fellowship with God—there's more to it—but it can be defined as fellowship with God. Salvation is fellowship with God.

What does it mean to be saved? What does it mean to be saved? To be a Christian, what does it mean? What does it mean to be regenerated? What means that you have fellowship with God, that you have fellowship with His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, that you have fellowship with God in the Holy Spirit. You have fellowship with God. It means that you have a real relationship with God. It means that you truly, genuinely know God.

When Peter at first resisted, embarrassed that his Master would wash his feet, when Peter at first resisted and he said, you will not wash my feet, you shall never ever wash my feet, Jesus answered him and said this in verse 8: "If I do not wash you, you have no part with Me." I pray those words will ring in our ears. "If I do not wash you, you have no part with Me." You see the word part—*meros* (μέρος) is the Greek word, *meros* (μέρος). It means portion, it means part, it means share. "If I do not wash you, you have no part with Me." If I do not wash you, you have no share with Me. If I do not wash you, you have no portion with Me. Or you could say, if I do not wash you, you have no fellowship with Me. No fellowship.

Fellowship has to do with participation, has to do with sharing together, with having a portion with, along with. "If I do not wash you, you have no share with Me. You have no fellowship with Me." What's Christ talking about? He's talking about having a place with Him as a disciple of the Lord Jesus Christ, being one who shares in His life, being one who belongs to His Father, being one who belongs to the family of God, being one who is truly indeed a follower of the Lord Jesus Christ.

This is what it means to be saved. It means you belong to Christ. He belongs to you. You belong to Him and you have your share with Him. You belong to Him. You belong to the Father. You belong to the Spirit. You belong to the family of God. You are really His disciple. That's salvation. It's fellowship with God and His Son. It is through the Holy Spirit and it is to know God.

This is really stressed in 1st John. 1st John 1:3, when John talks about sharing the gospel, he describes it this way and he says, he says 1st John 1:3, "what we have seen and heard we proclaim to you also." "What we have seen and heard we proclaim to you also.-" Why, John, are you proclaiming the good news? Why, John, are you sharing the gospel with us? Here's why. So that, he goes on to say, "-so that you may also have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father, and with His Son Jesus Christ." We are sharing the good news so that you may enter into the fellowship. You may take your place, have a share, have a part, have a portion with God, with Christ, with us as the people of God, the family of God.

That's what it means to be saved, that you are in fellowship. You are in fellowship. In verse 6, he goes on, 1st John chapter 1, "If we say that we have fellowship with Him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not do the truth; but if we walk in the Light as He Himself is in the Light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin." It's present, active, keeps on cleansing us. The blood of Jesus, His Son, keeps on cleansing us from all sin. Whose sins are being washed away? Those who have fellowship with God, through the Son, the Lord Jesus Christ.

And in 1st Corinthians 1:9, we are called into fellowship with God, with God's Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. In 2nd Corinthians 6:14, it says, "Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers"—that familiar text. A believer is not to be in any relationship with an unbeliever unless it's redemptive. A believer should not marry an unbeliever. A believer should not be courting or dating an unbeliever. A believer should not be getting into business partnership with an unbeliever, being tied in any way that is not redemptive in nature. Why? "Do not be unequally yoked with an unbeliever.-" Why? "-For what partnership have righteousness and lawlessness, or what fellowship has light with darkness?" Do you realize you belong to different families? Paul is saying. Don't you realize you're in a different spiritual condition? Don't you realize that one has God as their Father, the other belongs to Satan? One has life, the other is dead. One is a reconciled to God, the other is still estranged from God. One is a friend of God, the other is at enmity with God. Don't you understand what a different place the two of you are in? There is no fellowship there.

And then in one place where the Word of God clearly says this is eternal life, how is eternal life defined in John 17 verse 3 by our Lord Himself? "And this is eternal life, that they may know You, that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent." That's eternal life, is to know God, to really know God—not head knowledge. It's head and heart and soul and all of me to know God savingly, to have fellowship with Him.
And so salvation is not praying a prayer, it's not walking an aisle or raising a hand or being baptized or joining a church. Salvation is when you go from death to life, from not knowing God to knowing God, from being estranged from God to being reconciled to God. This is eternal life. This is salvation. It is *koinonia* (κοινωνία), fellowship, sharing together with, in partnership. Peter, if I don't wash you, you don't have a share with Me, you don't have a portion with Me, you don't have a part, you don't have fellowship with Me. Salvation can be defined as fellowship and that leads to the second thing that we see here concerning lessons related to salvation.

Those who have fellowship with Christ have been washed. Those who have fellowship with Christ have been washed. They've been cleansed. Jesus makes a distinction, by the way, here in the text between two kinds of washing. Look at it, verse 10. Jesus said to him, "He who has bathed"—I love how it is translated here because it makes that distinction even in English. He who has bathed needs only to wash his feet, but is completely clean; and you are clean, but not all of you."

Two different Greek words. The first one is *luo* (λύω), translated "bathed" in the LSV. It means, it means bathed. It means to bathe oneself. The washing of the entire body, the whole body is washed, bathed. The other word translated "washed" is *nipto* (νίπτω) and it refers to washing dirt, like you wash dirt from feet after walking through city streets. When someone was coming to dinner, they already had their bath. They didn't need to be bathed again at dinner. All you needed was someone to serve in such a way that he would take a basin of water and wash off the dirty feet as they gathered for the meal.

Back then they reclined and walking through city streets, dusty, dirty, with animal droppings all over the street. And so you get your feet dirty and as you come to have dinner, before you have dinner, you're supposed to have your feet washed and cleansed that way. In fact, Jesus says of His disciples in verse 10, He says, "He who has bathed needs only to wash his feet, but is completely clean,-” wholly clean, entirely clean. “-and you are clean, but not all of you." And so He pronounces that His disciples are clean. They've been bathed spiritually. They've already been bathed, not all of them of course. There's one who hasn't been bathed among them, but the eleven have been bathed. They're completely clean.

What is Jesus talking about spiritually? He's talking about the fact that when one is brought into fellowship with God, they have come into that fellowship. How? Through the forgiveness of their sins. For as Christ puts it here, no one has a part with Me, no one has a share with Me, no one has a portion with Me unless Christ has washed them, unless Christ has cleansed them, unless Christ has bathed them, forgiven them entirely.

You see, we're not born into fellowship with God in the first birth. We're not born by nature into fellowship with God. Nobody's born in this world having fellowship with God. What broke that fellowship with God was man's original sin. When God created Adam and Eve, they had sweet fellowship with Him. They had communion with Him. God walked with them and talked with them, and there was intimacy, and there was joy, and there was fellowship. But when they sinned, they hid themselves. They hid themselves from God. That's what was lost, fellowship with God, communion with God.

And the effect of that sin has carried on through all the births that have occurred since. All babies born into the world since Adam are born estranged from God, alienated from God, separated in terms of fellowship because of sin. Sin made the break, and the only way that there can be reconciliation, which is a New Testament word used a lot in the New Testament. How can a man be brought back to God? How can a man have a right relationship with God, acceptance with God? How can man have fellowship with God? There can be no reconciliation with God apart from or without the forgiveness of sins. There has to be cleansing. There has to be a washing, a bathing. Christ has to wash you, all of you. You have to be bathed from all of your sins.

Now while that is simple enough for those of us who know Christ, while that is a simple truth, a glorious truth, one we should never, never take for granted, but one we've learned.
You know and I know that this is a truth that is absolutely lost on this world. The world doesn't get it. Lost humanity doesn't understand estrangement from God. Doesn't. Lost humanity doesn't understand that a man or a woman is born into the world alienated from God. That doesn't dawn on lost man. He doesn't understand the result of the fall—if he believes in the fall. He doesn't understand the seriousness of sin. He doesn't understand the darkness of sin. In some cases, he doesn't believe that a remedy's necessary. He believes he has an instant access to God—if he believes in God. He believes that he has direct access to God. No big deal. He could just walk into the presence of God and there's no need for cleansing, no need for forgiveness. He just talks to God. This is what he thinks. You know, because God is love, right?

Or if he thinks that there's some need for remedy, guess what? He thinks that he can supply it himself. Well, just trying to be a good person, do my best, you know, trying to live a good life. I'll be religious. God, you know, respects religion, doesn't He? And so in some cases there's no awareness of a need for forgiveness. In other cases where there's some awareness that there's a problem with God, well, you know, I can deal with it. I can overcome it by my own works. That's the way that he thinks. That's the way that we all thought at one time. No real understanding of the peril, of the danger that he's in, that he stands literally before the gaping mouth of hell.

And if that is you sitting here today, you need to understand that you sit before the gaping mouth of hell. No understanding that that's a reality. How often in this world is God mocked? How often in this world is sin laughed at as if it's nothing, no big deal? Relax. What are you worked up about? Take it easy, nobody's perfect. No need for washing.

Ever had a conversation with someone who was unsaved for years and attempting to witness to them and you've talked to this person, prayed concerning this person, talked about Christ, and then one day this person became very bold and just finally said what was on their mind for a long time? And said to you something like this: Listen, I believe there are many ways to God. So just relax. Your faith isn't the only way. I believe that I'm going to be in heaven one day. You want to tell this person, well, then you don't really believe in Jesus. Oh, I do, I do believe in Jesus. I just believe that you don't understand that God is love and God is—God is—His mercy is so wide. You know, there are many ways to God. Don't be judgmental. A lot of people who are seeking God in their own way.

No, no, you don't believe Jesus, do you? For He Himself said, "I am the way and the truth and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me." (John 14:6) You see, such person is not alone. This is how a lot of people think. Many ways to God. God is love. It's a wideness in God's mercy. Many, many ways to God. Are you telling me that so and so who's redevoted to their temple worship and they seek, they seek their God, God their way? The problem is those thoughts fly in the face of the very words of Jesus. He didn't say there were many ways to God, did He? He said, there's only one way and He's the way. One way—one way—and He's the only way.

He did say that God is love, but He also told us how God has loved the world. How God has demonstrated His love to the world. "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever should believe upon Him shall not perish, but have eternal life." (John 3:16) "But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." (Romans 5:8) This is how God has loved the world—in His Son, through the death of His own Son—so that if you reject His Son, you reject the love of God. God has loved sinners by giving His Son.

Now will you receive the love of God by responding to His Son as Lord and Savior, or will you reject the love of God? It's not that God hasn't loved. It's that men don't love God and don't love His Son. Jesus didn't say there's a wideness in God's mercy. He said the way is narrow. The road is hard that leads to eternal life.

Turn with me to Matthew 7 for a moment. I know you know it, but I want us to read it. Look at verse 13. This is what Jesus said. Matthew 7, verse 13: "Enter through the narrow gate." This is after He preached the Sermon on the Mount, which is really an evangelistic sermon, and it's meant to show men that they're sinners. They can't save themselves by their works.
And in verse 13, "Enter through the narrow gate, for the gate is wide and the way is broad"—talking about wideness, talking about the wideness in the mercy of God, this idea that there's wideness. He says, "For the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads"—where? To God? To salvation? No, no. Look at the next words—"to destruction." "To destruction." Oh, it's appealing. It's inviting to think this way. Makes people feel better. In fact, He says, "And there are many who enter through it." This is where you're gonna find a majority of humanity. This is where you're gonna find a majority of people. But what does it lead to? Destruction. Destruction. This is God's word.

Verse 14: "For the gate is narrow and the way"—and I love the translation, it's very accurate—"is constricted." "It's constricted that leads to life, and there are few who find it." And what complicates matters further is found in the next verse: "Beware of the false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves." You see, there are plenty of preachers who will be more than happy to guide you through the wide and easy way. They love to tickle your ears and make you feel good.

I can't help but remember again the words of Pastor MacArthur: Hard preaching makes soft people. Soft preaching makes hard people. Back to John 13. Salvation is to be defined as fellowship. Those who have this fellowship with God have been washed, they've been cleansed, bathed. How have they been cleansed? How has God washed sinners? How has God washed them, bathed them, cleansed them, forgiven them? The answer is this: with His own precious blood. With His own precious blood, His atoning death.

Hebrews 9:22: "And according to the Law, one may almost say, all things are cleansed with blood, and without shedding of blood there is no forgiveness." Revelation 7:14: "And I said to him, 'My lord, you know.' And he said to me, 'These are the ones who come out of the great tribulation, and they washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.'"
Just as we sang earlier, the blood of Jesus speaks for me. And on this very night, the Last Supper, Jesus takes the elements and He teaches us about His own death, His atoning death on Calvary's cross. The wine picturing His blood, the bread picturing His body. He's going to give His life to wash us from our sins. He's going to die in the stead of sinners. In the place of sinners. So that sinners, the likes of you and me, would be forgiven—those who put their faith in Him.

That's how we've been paid, by His blood, by His death for our sins. That's how our sins were forgiven, washed away. "If I do not wash you, you have no part with Me." "If I do not wash you, you have no part with Me." It is Christ and Christ alone who washes our sins away.
Now to what extent, Habib, have we been washed? To what extent have we been washed? Here's the wonderful thought in verse 10 of John 13. We've been washed to the point that we don't need another bath. Isn't that wonderful? Isn't that wonderful? We don't need another bath. You're only bathed once in salvation. Only once. You're washed completely. You are completely clean.

Christ didn't just die for your past sins, beloved. He didn't. He died to pay for your past sins, your present, and your future. All your sins paid for at Calvary. All, all your sins and mine paid for by the blood of Jesus. If indeed you have fellowship with Him, if you've trusted Him, you can sing and belt it out from the heart: My sin, oh, the bliss—oh, the bliss—oh, the bliss of this glorious thought. My sin, past, present, and future. My sin, all of it, not in part, but the whole, is nailed to the cross and I bear it no more. And my life will be lived in praise and adoration for what You have done. Praise the Lord. Praise the Lord, oh, my soul.

“Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” Romans 8, verse 1. This washing is applied at the moment of faith. When you put your trust in Christ, you're forgiven of all of your sins. But now there's a third thing that we need to see here about salvation. It can be defined as fellowship. Those who have this fellowship have been washed. This is how they share with Jesus. But notice something else also that we see here.

Number three, those who have fellowship with Christ are being washed, are being cleansed. Jesus still is going to wash Peter's feet, right? Peter has been cleansed, completely cleansed. He's been bathed, but he still needs his feet to be washed off, right? Verse 10: "He who has bathed needs only to wash his feet, but is completely clean; and you are clean." You see, Peter, you're completely clean, but I'm still gonna wash your feet—still gonna wash your feet.
What does that picture? What it pictures, beloved, is the fact that there's more than one kind of washing, more than one kind of cleansing. Just to help us really understand the categories, there's what we call, what theologians call judicial, judicial—judicial forgiveness, judicial washing, judicial forgiveness—and that happens once and for all at salvation. Legally, we are clean before God through the death of Jesus, His Son. Period, paragraph, end of story.
But there's an ongoing relational forgiveness—relational, ongoing forgiveness that's needed. Not to become a part of God's family. That's been taken care of at the point of conversion, at salvation. I'm washed completely, but now as a member of God's family, my feet get dirty as I walk through this sin-cursed world, this world full of sin. And if I don't deal with my sin, if I don't deal with sin in my life—you see, I'm not glorified yet—and if I don't deal with the sin that is in my life because of that remaining corruption, while sin no longer reigns in me, sin remains in me, and I do sin, and I need to deal with that sin in my life on an ongoing basis.

And if I don't deal with sin in my life, if I don't deal with that sin that's in my life, it has a real, tangible effect on my fellowship with God. Not whether or not I'm in fellowship with Him—that's settled, settled forever—but whether I will enjoy this fellowship or not. If I could put it in experiential terms, how closely I am walking with God, how intimately. Am I walking in closeness to the Lord? Am I experiencing the joy of my salvation? Am I? That has to do with whether or not I'm dealing with my sin.

I was reconciled to God through the death of His Son. He washed away all of my sins, and yet I still need to be cleansed daily as I sin in order to enjoy fully, intimately, my relationship with God, to enjoy His nearness, to enjoy His felt presence, His smile upon me.

1 John 1:7: "But if we walk in the Light as He Himself is in the Light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us”, - literally keeps on cleansing us- “from all sin.” Here's the point, beloved. Our ongoing forgiveness flows, by the way, from the same fountain. Our ongoing forgiveness flows from the same fountain—the same fountain—both for judicial forgiveness and for ongoing relational forgiveness. I'm forgiven today for the same reason I was forgiven the day I was saved. I'm forgiven because of the death of the Lord Jesus Christ. His death answered for my sins.

You see, when I go to the Lord now, and I've sinned, and when I go to the Lord now to deal with sin, to have dealings with Him, and I say, Father in heaven, I have sinned against You, and I ask Your forgiveness. I don't ask for this as one who thinks that I haven't been forgiven, but as one who thinks that I need to have dealings with You in terms of restoring the intimacy of the relationship with You. I don't ask for this as one who thinks that I haven't been forgiven, as one who thinks that I've been... If I've done this, that means I'm asking for this because I'm going to hell. No, no, that's not how I think about it.

I know that Christ died for that sin. I know, judicially, it's forgiven. It's been dealt with. It's settled. I know that I belong to God, to the family of God, and I'm gonna spend eternity in heaven with Him one day. I know this, and that will never change. In fact, I'm going to talk about this in a moment. One of the evidences that that's true of me is because this sin bothers me. It bothers me. It bothers me, and I'm not gonna stay in it. I'm not gonna stay in it. I can't stay in it. I'm gonna deal with it. Have to. So I don't come to Him as one who hasn't been forgiven.

I come to Him as one who has, but you see, beloved, until I'm willing to acknowledge this sin in my life and experience this relational forgiveness, I don't have joy—real joy. I've lost the joy of my salvation. Isn't that what you read in Psalm 51? "Restore to me, O Lord, the joy of my salvation." As long as I kept silent, my vitality was drained out of me. I was depressed. I was down. I got sick even physically. There was no joy, no pleasure in life.

I've lost the joy of salvation, and what I have is guilt. What I have is the knowledge that I'm sinning against the One who paid so dearly to forgive me, to save me, to cleanse me. What I know is that this doesn't glorify God, and as one who has been remade in the image of Christ, one who is a new creature in Christ, I can't live like that. So I come to Him that way, as one who's been raised from the dead, as one who's been bathed. But now my feet—my feet are dirty. I need them to be washed.

Our ongoing forgiveness has to do with the joy of salvation, intimacy in my fellowship with God, and my communion with God. I wanna ask you this morning, dear one, do you belong to the family of God? If you say yes, then let me ask you, do you have joy, the joy of salvation? Right now, do you have the joy of salvation? Do you know the joy of one who has been, indeed, forgiven—bathed? Do you know the joy of one who is walking with God, intimately, sweet communion with God?

Or is there somebody here in this place this morning that you are living in a way, in a fashion, that you know is not in keeping with who you really are? See, if you really know Christ, if you truly know the Lord Jesus Christ, demonstrate it by getting out of your sin, asking God for forgiveness so that the relational joy of salvation might be known in your life afresh. What is salvation? It's fellowship with God. How does one enter that fellowship? They have to be washed of all their sins, but having been washed of all their sins, we still need our feet to be washed, we still get dirty, and that affects the joy of our salvation.

There's a fourth thing that we see that goes along with this, with number three. Those who have fellowship with Christ confess their sin. They do. Those who truly have fellowship with God confess their sin. They want Christ to wash their feet. They deal with their sins. They humble themselves, and this is proof that they really are forgiven. Who's forgiven? People who confess. Christians are confessing ones. People who don't confess don't belong to the company of the people who've been forgiven of all their sins.

The evidence that Christ has forgiven you all of your sins is that you deal with your sin on an ongoing basis. You recognize it when it's present in your life. You grieve over it. It grieves you. It grieves you. It grieves you that you grieve God, and you confess it. That's the evidence that you really are among those who have been forgiven.

Think about 1 John 1 for a moment. Actually, turn with me there. It becomes so apparent there, 1 John 1. As you go through 1 John, by the way, you see a series of contrasts. Look at verse five. 1 John 1, verse five: "And this is the message we have heard from Him and declare to you, that God is Light, and in Him there is no darkness at all." This is God's nature—Light, not darkness.

Verse six: "If we say that we have fellowship with Him"—Him who is Light, I've been remade in the image of His Son, I share His nature who is Light. He's made me alive together with Him. I have a relationship with this God who is Light. If I say that, and John goes on to say—"and yet walk in the darkness,"- this is the language of pattern, this is my lifestyle being one of darkness. I say I know Him who is Light, but my lifestyle is one of darkness. What do you know about this person? They lie, they don't practice the truth. He says, -"we lie and do not do the truth."

Verse seven: "But"—this is the but of contrast. In contrast to that—"if we walk in the Light as He Himself is in the Light,”- what do you know about this person? Oh, - “we have fellowship with one another,”- the family of God-, “and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin." Those who are being washed, who've been washed, are being washed, are those who walk in the Light. They walk in the Light. They're not washed because they walk in the Light; they walk in the Light because they have been washed, and because they know God.

Verse eight: "If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us." There were some in the name of wisdom who were teaching that you could come to a place where you become sinless. That's not a believer either. A believer recognizes that they sin. If someone says they have no sin, they've come to the place where they never sin—these people deceive themselves. They reveal the absence of the Holy Spirit because He makes us to know that we sin indeed. He makes us to know that we fall short. We understand the Word of God, we see our sin, so that in contrast to this person who says they have no sin, what do we do? Believers, we confess our sin.

Verse nine: "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." We know that we've been forgiven because God is faithful and righteous. God is faithful and just. How does your forgiveness relate to the justice of God? Because your sins have been paid for—and mine—on Calvary's tree. And that's why God gave you grace, but not at the expense of His holy, perfect justice. Jesus paid for your sin and mine. Someone had to pay in order for you and me to be forgiven, and that someone is none other than God's own Son, the Lamb of God.

So the person who's being washed, who has been washed and is having their feet washed, is the person who confesses their sins. And that word confess, *homologeō* (ὁμολογέω), means that I say the same thing as—I agree with God, I see my sin the way God sees it, I agree with God concerning my sin and therefore I turn from it. That's what it means.
Show me someone who can live habitually in sin—they don't confess it, they don't get out of their sin, deal with their sin—and I'll show you someone who doesn't have fellowship with God. They do not have fellowship with God no matter what they say. I say that on the authority of Scripture, and that leads to a fifth thing and a final thing. We'll wrap up with that this morning.
Salvation can be defined as fellowship with God. Those who have fellowship with God have been washed completely, yet those who have fellowship are being washed, and those who are being washed are those who confess their sins. Which leads to a fifth thing and a final thing: those who have fellowship with Christ are in the company of some who don't. Those who have fellowship with God or with Christ are in the company of some who don't.

What you see among the 12 is a small picture of the 12 disciples. You have 11 who have genuine saving faith, they have genuine fellowship with Christ, and then you have one who doesn't. One who doesn't. That same picture, that small picture that you see in the disciples, the 12, that same picture now has played out in numerous places, numerous situations throughout time. It is possible, according to Scripture, it is possible for people who have true fellowship with God to exist in the company of someone who doesn't and not be fully aware of it.

Back in John 13, for a moment, our text, Jesus says in verse 10, "He who has bathed needs only to wash his feet, but is completely clean; and you are clean," but then Jesus qualifies it, "but not all of you." “Not all of you”. There's someone here who's numbered with you, someone whom you do not suspect, but he's not clean. He hasn't been washed. Verse 11, "For He knew the one who was betraying Him; for this reason He said, 'Not all of you are clean.'"
This is still true today, isn't it? Is it true there are lost people who associate themselves with Jesus externally? Isn't that true? They have a non-saving attachment to Jesus. Is it true there are lost people who name the name of Jesus? Yes, absolutely true. And the Scripture is replete with examples.

In Matthew 13, for example, we're told this is true in the world. Matthew 13, verse 38, “the field is the world.”- Remember the parable of the wheat and the tare?- “The field is the world; and as for the good seed, these are the sons of the kingdom; and the tares are the sons of”-the devil-, “the evil one; and the enemy who sowed them is the devil, and the harvest is the end of the age; and the reapers are angels." At the end of the age, there's going to be a harvest, there's going to be a reaping, the angels are the reapers, and there's going to be this great separation made between those who are truly children of God and those who are children of the devil. And some, it was not apparent until harvest time. It was not clear until there was separation made.

But not only is this true in the world, God's Word tells us that this is true also in the visible church. They gather together in churches all over this land, all over the world this day, just like we gather here today in this visible church. In this place, even in this place, there are people who know Christ and there are people who don't. And not everyone who doesn't know Christ says that they don't know Christ. In fact, there are some who say they know Him, but they don't know Him.

In 1 John 2 explains this to believers so that we would not be shocked or surprised by it. 1 John 2, verse 19, "They went out from us, but they were not really of us; for if they were of us, they would have remained with us; but they went out, so that it would be manifested that they all are not of us." You had false teachers leave the fellowship of sound churches. You had professing believers who had left the fellowship to follow doctrinal error. And John writes so that we would understand the reason why this happens, the reason why you see departures. It's not because they were truly saved. It's because not everybody who gathers together in the name of Jesus really belongs to Jesus.

And the evidence concerning those who do and those who don't is what? Mark it down. Continuous. Continuance. Do we continue in the faith? Do we continue in the truth? Do we continue with God's people? That's a sermon by itself or a series, really. Time would not permit me.

So in closing, let me ask us this morning—let me ask you—do you have fellowship with God and with His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ? Do you have a real relationship with the Lord? Please understand, I'm not asking you if you are a Calvinistic Baptist. Not asking you if you've ever prayed a sinner's prayer. I'm fully convinced there will be people in hell who prayed the sinner's prayer. There'll be people in hell who were baptized. There'll be people in hell who prayed the sinner's prayers and were baptized and sat under sound teaching week after week after week.

I'm not asking about those things. I'm asking you this morning, do you have fellowship with the Lord? Have you ever been washed of all of your sins—has Christ ever washed you with His own blood, through His own death—and you received Him as your Lord and Savior, trusting in His death for the payment of your sins? Do you confess your sins on an ongoing basis? Are you experiencing that ongoing forgiveness with the Lord? Do you recognize sin in your life? And when you do, does it grieve you? Does it grieve you that you sin against God, that you sin against His Son who paid for your sins? Can you just stay in it or can you really continue in it? Or do you agree with God about it and forsake it?

Remember what the Word of God says: "He who conceals his transgressions will not prosper, but he who confesses and forsakes them will receive compassion." (Proverbs 28:13). Are you covering your sin? Are you continuing in your sin? Or are you confessing it, forsaking it? Where right now in your life—where right now in your life, beloved child of God—are your feet dirty? I had to ask myself those questions, by the way, in preparation. Where do you need forgiveness? Well, what is it perhaps that you've been wrestling with for quite some time? What is it that you know—you know that you're doing wrong? You know it's sin. Will you confess it today? Will you? Will you—will you by the grace of God depart from it? Will you divorce it?

And I think of a final question needs to be asked. Who in this place is not really clean? Most in this place are completely clean and need our feet cleansed. But no doubt there's someone in this place that you're not clean and you know it. Is that you? Is that you sitting in the chair today? Oh, remember the words of Jesus: "If I wash you not, you have no part with Me." If I don't wash you, you have no part with Me. Have you cast yourself upon Jesus, the Jesus of the towel and the basin? May those words ring in your ears: "If I wash you not, you have no part with Me." No part—no part in this life, no part in the life to come. Has He washed you?
But the wonderful good news is that you don't have to leave this place today unclean. You can be forgiven, you can be forgiven right now, this moment, right where you're sitting. You can be forgiven of all your sins and have true intimate fellowship with God if you run to Jesus for salvation. But if you run to Him—not just as a Savior, because you can't divide the Jesus of Scripture, He's the Lord as well—but you run to Him and bow down before Him and give your life in surrender to Him completely, you will be completely clean and you will belong to Him. You'll have your share with Him, your part, your portion. You'll have fellowship with Him.
And that's our prayer for you this morning. Let's pray.

This is a transcript. It may contain small inaccuracies.

This infant church, you remember, brought into being under Paul's ministry, laboring by the strength of God. But you remember, he faced persecution, opposition, and was forced under the canopy of the sovereignty of God to leave them. And now, down at Corinth, he writes to them out of his deep concern. Even though he's no longer with them physically, he's there with them in his heart, eager to know how they're faring, how they're doing. And in the providence of God, he's been hindered from coming back, even though he attempted to do that several times.

And beginning in chapter 2, verse 17, he begins to describe his attitude with regards to these dear people, these beloved people, and his longing and his concerns for them. And he expresses his affection to these dear people of God, describing them as his hope and joy and crown of boasting. And as we began to study this portion, beginning with chapter 3, particularly verses 1 through 5, we began to consider this portion under several headings.

The first one is what prompted Paul to send this messenger, Timothy, to the Thessalonians. He says, "Therefore when we could endure it no longer, we were pleased to be left behind at Athens alone." And verse 5, he says, "For this reason, when I could endure it no longer, I also sent." He could no longer endure it. He could not really keep the lid on, as it were. This whole thing really burst open. He couldn't take it anymore. He had to do something, severed only in presence but not in heart, attempting to go back to them again and again, but was hindered.
After making several attempts, he finally sent them Timothy. I had to do something. I couldn't go myself. I had to do something. I could no longer endure it. The time came when I could no longer hold it under, and it just burst out of my heart. I couldn't come myself, so I conceived of another person to be with you. I'm concerned about you. So the pressure of a godly concern that Paul could no longer hand-tolerate, if you will, that caused him to send Timothy as his representative, as his messenger.

We also looked under the second heading, what attitude did Paul have in sending his representative? And he tells us, and it's bound up in this word, this verb, pleased. “Εὐδοκέω” (euthokeo) is a good translation, to be well pleased. It was our pleasure to be left behind. A tremendous lesson in self-denial. So involved in the needs of others that he's willing to forego lawful liberties in order to serve others and minister to other people's needs.

And remember also, we looked at and considered what he said about this man that he sent, Timothy. Two distinct descriptions. He says he is a brother, verse 2, and he is a co-laborer with God, a fellow worker with God. Beautiful description. And concerning the express reason for which he sent Timothy, he mentions two distinct purposes, two distinct reasons for sending Timothy. Verse 2, "I sent him to strengthen and encourage you as to your faith." Verse 5, "I also sent to know about your faith." These are the reasons.

And we began to consider the basic lessons of this portion of God's Word under really this heading, the lesson concerning the purpose and place of affliction in the life of a child of God. And we learned, first of all, the certainty. We learned from this text the certainty of affliction in the life of the child of God. And we see that in the words of Paul, verses 3 and 4: "so that no one would be shaken by these afflictions; for you yourselves know that we have been destined for this." Verse 4, "For indeed when we were with you, we kept telling you in advance that we were going to suffer affliction"—the certainty of affliction. We have been destined. Literally, this word means to be set. We have been set for this. We have been appointed for this.

So this was one of the major strands of Paul's teaching. Pleading with them, exhorting them to continue in the faith and to recognize the certainty of affliction and the purpose of the living God for them.

As we pick up where we left off, the second thing we learned about the biblical doctrine of affliction in this passage is not only the certainty of affliction, but the function of affliction. The function of affliction. Why should God appoint His people for affliction? Why should God destine people for affliction? Doesn't it seem strange that if He loves them, He would appoint “θλῖψις” (thlipsis)? Affliction? The pressing, the crushing, the squeezing.

If He controls the hearts of all men, if He controls the actions of all men, then He does. He is sovereign. Why? Why does He sovereignly permit men to direct their venom against the people of God? Why does He allow sickness? Why does He allow disease to infect the bodies of the people of God? He could prevent it. Why doesn't He? It says He appoints us to these afflictions. We're destined for this. Why? Well, this passage tells us the function of affliction.

Look at verse 2: "We sent Timothy, our brother and God's fellow worker in the gospel of Christ, to strengthen and encourage you as to your faith, so that no one would be shaken by these afflictions. For you yourselves know that we have been destined for this." Verse 5: "For this reason, when I could endure it no longer, I also sent to know about your faith, lest somehow the tempter has tempted you and our labor be in vain." And if you read through the entire third chapter, you will notice—and we will see this next Lord's Day, Lord willing—no less than five times the word faith is used. Paul's concern was for the faith of the beloved people there at Thessaloniki.

Now, how does affliction fit in with this matter of faith? And I read from Acts 14:22: "Encouraging them to continue in the faith and saying, 'Through many “θλῖψις” (thlipsis), plural, afflictions we must enter the kingdom of God.'" So what is the function of affliction? Well, Peter will answer in the very words of Scripture, 1 Peter 1:5–7. He says, concerning the believers who are "protected by the power of God, kept by the power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. In this you greatly rejoice, even though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, so that the proof of your faith"—so the function of affliction, beloved, is this. It's basically this. It is God's laboratory to test the genuineness of your faith and my faith. And it is God's schoolroom to teach us the advanced lessons of faith.

That's the purpose of affliction. Affliction is the laboratory to test the genuineness of faith, and affliction is the schoolroom to teach us the advanced lessons of faith. Now, what God ordains to be a laboratory to test faith, the devil will try to make a crematory to destroy and ruin faith. That's why Paul says, We were anxious over you, lest the tempter has tempted you, and our labor be in vain. The classroom that God ordains for the advanced lessons of faith, the devil will seek to turn into an opportunity to utterly destroy and cast out faith.

Now, isn't that basically the lesson of the parable of the sower? When you come to the stony ground—for this very word is used in Matthew 13 and verse 21 in that parable interpreted by our Lord Jesus Himself. He says, "Yet he has no root in himself, that is the man who receives the seed on stony ground, but is only temporary, and when affliction”, same word, “θλῖψις” (thlipsis) or persecution “arises because of the word, immediately he falls away." You see, beloved, the sun that rises to nourish the life of a plant with roots is the same sun that shrivels up the plant that has no root. It only has some leaves above the surface. That's all it has.

So the purpose then of designing affliction for His children is that God might test and strengthen and encourage and purify their faith to make us more like Jesus.

That's what He's committed Himself to do. But you say, well, I don't see how it works. Well, let me try to at least begin to explain how it works, trusting the enablement of the Spirit to help us.

What does affliction always touch in the life of a child of God? Think about that. What does affliction always touch in the life of a child of God? Does it not always touch the realm of the senses and the world that is now and here? If it is persecution, it touches your friends, people that you can see, people that you love, people with whom you have to deal and trade and neighbors, loved ones, etc. It touches the world that we live in, the world of friendship, the world of human associations and relationships. If that affliction comes in the form of sickness, it touches something very precious to us, our own flesh, our body, that flesh which we nourish and cherish as we read in Ephesians chapter 5. If it comes in terms of things as we read in Hebrews 10:32–34, it touches our possessions. We read there in Hebrews 10 that these people accepted with joy the seizure of your possessions, he says.

Now, affliction touches the realm of the senses in the world of here and now. Faith is bound up in that other world that is not touched with the senses. When a man believes unto salvation, he commits himself to a Christ that he's never seen. In terms of eternity where he's never been, in terms of realities that the five senses cannot touch, they cannot evaluate. So now, affliction comes with all of its pressure, this “θλῖψις” (thlipsis), on the world of sense. And here is a person who says, well, I'm a believer, committed to the world that is above sense and above touch and above sight. What happens? Well, this tests how genuine his faith is.

Here's a man who has all his friends, all his possessions, all his health, and says, I believe in Jesus Christ unto salvation. And God says, let's see. Let's see. Let's put your faith in the laboratory. And so God begins to put the screws on, as we say. Like Job, the Lord may permit the enemy to touch a man's possessions, may touch his physical being, touch his reputation, touch his friends, until everything is gone. What is he doing? What is he going to do, this man? Well, he's either going to say, if that's the way God treats me, I'll throw the whole thing over. Enough. I'm done. Or he's going to say, “the Lord gives, and the Lord takes away. Blessed be the name of Yahweh." (Job 1:21) The Lord gives. The Lord takes away. But I am a believing child of God, committed to God in terms of spiritual realities, in terms of eternity, and if everything crumbles around me in the world of time and sense, let it crumble. I'm a believing person. My focus is there, not here.

“God is my refuge and my strength, a very present help in times of trouble.” (Psalm 46:1) "For our momentary light, light affliction is working out for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison." (2 Corinthians 4:17)

So you see, beloved, affliction then becomes the trial of faith. And then, something else. Affliction always, always, always, always—mark it down—touches the character of God. It always touches the character of God. Is God really good? If so, how can He allow people to ride over our heads? Is God love? Why does He allow this stroke of debilitating sickness to come? Is God wise? Why did He order this? Is God all-powerful? Well, why doesn't He change my circumstances? So your faith in the character of God as revealed in Scripture is tested in the midst of affliction.

To read in the Bible that God is good, that God is love, that God is wise, and to have every evidence of His goodness in a positive way—you're healthy, life is good, all the bills are paid, the business is going well—well, that takes no faith, does it? You could be walking by sight. That's why certain unregenerate men and women will even acknowledge the goodness of God and the common blessings of life, and they'll say, well, God is good to me. But, but, you let the man be stripped of his possessions and let God begin to deal with him in a way that doesn't seem wise or good or loving, what happens? Faith is tested.

Will I continue to believe that God is love, even though it looks like He has nothing but a frown toward me? Will I believe He's wise when it looks like He's brought me into that which makes no sense whatsoever? Oh, yes. Yes. Faith, you see, feeds on that unseen world. Hebrews 11:1, "Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things,” what?, “not seen." Not seen. That's what faith is. Faith brings into the hands now that which cannot be seen or touched with physical fingers. It brings to the fingers of the soul. And so that faith has got to be tested. That faith has got to be tried as to its genuineness and also to deepen it, to grow it.

For if faith is the soul's grasp upon the eternal spiritual world, it's awfully easy to begin to relinquish that world when we've got all the good things of this world at our fingertips. So it's a blessing when God sends affliction. "Before I was afflicted I went astray, but now I keep Your word." Psalm 119:67. In the same psalm, verse 71, "It is good for me that I was afflicted"—wow—"that I may learn Your statutes," God.

It's a blessing when God sends affliction. Why? Because He wants us to grasp more firmly that world which cannot be shaken, lest we destroy ourselves by becoming too fondly attached to the world that will be shaken. I mentioned Hebrews 10 earlier, and I think we do well to remind ourselves of it. Turn with me there. Hebrews chapter 10. What happened when affliction touched these people, their physical material possessions, their friendships, their bodies, their own bodies?

Listen to what it says of them in Hebrews chapter 10, beginning with verse 32: "But remember the former days, when, after being enlightened, you endured a great conflict of sufferings, partly by being made a public spectacle through reproaches and afflictions, and partly by becoming sharers with those who were so treated. For you also showed sympathy to the prisoners and accepted with joy the seizure of your possessions.” Why? Why? “Knowing that you have for yourselves a better and lasting possession.”

Well, why could they stand as it were and even accept with joy the seizure of their stuff, their material possessions? Because it reminded them that they had possessions which could not be touched by the hands of men. Spurgeon says, quote, "It is a poor faith which can only trust God when friends are true, the body full of health, and the business profitable. But that is true faith which holds by the Lord's faithfulness when friends are gone, when the body is sick, when spirits are depressed, and the light of our Father's countenance is hidden. The good that I have received from my sorrows and pains and griefs is altogether incalculable. Affliction is the best bit of furniture in my house." End of quote.

This was a man who also knew personally affliction. So faith feeds on the unseen world. When affliction touches that world of sense and time, faith is tested, faith is strengthened. And then faith also always feeds on the changeless character of God. It feeds on the changeless character of God.

Hebrews 11, verse 6, "Without faith it is impossible to please Him. For he who draws near to God must believe that He is"—that He is what He's revealed Himself to be here in Scripture.

Do I believe that He is good in the midst of all that says God doesn't care? God is evil. God is holding out. Do I believe He is love in the midst of circumstances which if I tried to read them with human eyes would say God is hate? Have you heard people say, How can a God of love allow bloodshed, war, murders? You've heard people say this, haven't you? You see, they're trying to bring God to the bar of human judgment and human reason.

The man of faith says, I don't understand many things. I don't. But this I know. This I know. God is. And let everything about me say the contrary to that. I will continue to believe that God is what He's revealed Himself to be in Scripture. And He is good. And He is holy. And He is righteous. And He is sovereign. And He's working all things for my good and for His glory.
Again, Spurgeon quote, "Providence is wonderfully intricate. Ah, you want always to see through providence, do you not? You never will, I assure you. You have not eyes large enough, nor is the web of providence so plain that you can read it. You must believe it, honor God by trusting Him." Period.

And then true faith is a continuous thing. You see, the Apostle didn't have this idea, you know, that having once believed—oh, that's it. All is well. All is well. No, no. He said, no, no. If they truly once believed, if they truly once they put their faith in Jesus, they will continue to believe. And if they don't continue to believe, my labor is in vain, because their failure to believe in the face of affliction, in the face of adversity, is an indication the faith they had back then was never the real thing. It was never.

The real product, according to Hebrews 10, verse 39: "But we are not of those who shrink back to destruction, but of those who have faith to the preserving of the soul." It's not a matter of a person being saved and lost. That is not possible. Not possible. Absolutely not. It is a matter of a person thinking is saved, who never was, and affliction comes and simply reveals the sham when he turns back to the world of sins. And instead of reading the character of God in Holy Scripture, tries to read it in terms of his own limited understanding of the ways of God.

So that's the second thing we learn about affliction. Not only the certainty of it, but the function of affliction, is that of attesting the reality of faith and of strengthening faith as well.

And thirdly, and in closing, what does this passage teach us about the means to sustain faith in the midst of affliction? Here's the Father seeking to strengthen and test faith in His children—our gracious heavenly Father, seeking to strengthen and test faith in His children. But then you have the devil, that tempter, seeking to destroy faith. And Paul was conscious of that. For he says in verse 5, "I also sent to know about your faith, lest somehow the tempter has tempted you, and our labor be in vain."

Whenever you enter a situation of affliction, mark it, mark it—not only is God there, but also the devil is there. God seeking to strengthen and establish, the devil seeking to destroy and tear down. Well, how then faith is faith going to be strengthened and sustained in the midst of affliction? Well, do what Paul tried to get these people to do. Just remember that that's part of your life, part of your being a Christian. He says in verse 3, "so that no one would be shaken by these afflictions, for you yourselves know that we have been destined for this." If you can just stop and remember, this is not abnormal. This is not abnormal here and now. If I've been sailing along with no affliction, that's abnormal. When I get in the realm of affliction, I'm at home with the people of God.

Now, if we can remember that, this will help us in our whole reaction to it, in our whole response to it. As a child of God, when you wake up in the morning and there's affliction, don't think that you're out of your element. You are in your element. You've been destined for this, so you can get your bearings and say, now, Lord, help me. Help me not to look at this as the world does. Its only world is the world of the here and now. That's why the world cannot stand or understand affliction. This is its only world. And when things get bad here and now, what else have they got? What else have they got?

Oh, but for the Christian, for the child of God, beloved, this is not your only world. This is not my only world. That's your world. Out there, somewhere else, that's your real world, the world to come. Here, you're just a sojourner. There, that's your abiding place and mine. So how is faith going to be strengthened in the midst of affliction? Well, when affliction comes, remember, this is where I belong—the certainty of affliction.

Secondly, remember the purpose of God in affliction. God is going to test faith. God is going to strengthen faith. Encourage faith, refine faith, so that your first and only reaction is not—your first and only reaction is not—Lord, remove this thorn from my flesh. Remove this affliction. But Lord, do in my faith what You purpose to do by this affliction.

Isn't this our reflex action when we go through affliction? We tell the people of God, pray that God will remove the affliction quickly, like right now. I'm really sick, pray that I'll get well immediately. My dad has lost his job, pray that he'll get another job quickly. Now, this is the natural thing and we'd be less than human if we didn't have this sympathetic concern for one another. Let me elaborate. It's just like if a man who's got his finger caught in the door, you don't go up to that person and say, now, my brother, God has a purpose for you in this affliction. You better open the door first if you have any human kindness, right? So, there is a sense in which our first reaction is a removal of affliction, absolutely—the right sense. But oh, when this is the dominating and only sense—and only sense—then we're not thinking biblically. We're not thinking scripturally.

We need to train also the heart and the mind to also pray. Pray that the Lord will strengthen my faith and my faith will strengthen your faith. Lord will strengthen my faith in this affliction. Yes, Lord, remove it. But Lord, as long as You have me in it, Lord, strengthen my faith in this affliction so that I'm conformed into the image of Your Son, that Your Son may be glorified through my response to this affliction. Your power is made perfect in weakness, Lord. Use my weakness to put Your power on display and therefore Your glory is on display. Remember the purpose of God—to strengthen faith, to keep faith.

In the third place, remember the presence of the devil. At the first suggestion of questioning the love of God, recognize who that comes from. That's his specialty. Did God really say this? That's a tempter, trying to get you to question the goodness of God, the wisdom of God, the care of God, the power of God, the love of God. Recognize where those thoughts come from. Oh, resist them. Take every thought into captivity. Stand against them and say no, no, no. The Scripture says, God says, God is love. God is wisdom. All things are working together for good. God is for me, not against me. I refuse to bring God to the bottom of my own finite, puny mind. And that's the work of the devil. Resist him steadfastly in the name of the Lord.

And then remember the instrument who brought us faith. It says in verse six—this jumps a little ahead, but it helps here—"But now that Timothy has come to us from you and has brought us good news of your faith and love, and that you always remember us kindly, longing to see us just as we also long to see you." In the midst of their affliction, they thought back of Paul and they thought of how the Lord brought them into the place of faith. And they thought of the example of Paul's endurance in the midst of his affliction, and they longed to see him. And this became a means to strengthen them, to encourage them.

Beloved, when you're in the midst of affliction, remember those through whom God brought you into the place of faith, thinking of the example of their own lives. Let that strengthen and encourage you in your affliction. And then remember the tremendous issues at stake. Verse five, Paul puts it this way: "lest somehow the tempter has tempted you, and our labor be in vain." It's a terrible thing at stake. When faith is tried and tested, we have the possibility of rendering what's described here as vain, all the labors that have been extended on our behalf. No past faith will suffice for present apostasy. There must be a living, vibrant, present tense faith, which will be the proof of the reality of any past faith that we have professed.

And then last of all, remember Him who said to Peter, "Simon, Simon, behold, Satan has demanded to sift you—to sift all of you—like wheat, but I prayed earnestly for you that your faith may not fail." Feed much upon Christ at the right hand of the Father, interceding for us, His afflicted children, bearing with us and bearing us up—not stoically indifferent to us, not delighting to see us afflicted, but knowing just as He has done, just as He came through affliction to learn obedience, it is only in that same path that we also learn obedience. Hebrews 5 verse 8, He bears with us in all of our affliction and remember Him who prays that we might be kept, that our faith might not fail.

And so in this passage, we have one of the richest passages on really the biblical doctrine of affliction, the purpose of it, how we may bear up under it that we might turn affliction to our good and to the glory of God.

Take heart. God is at work. God is with you. God is holding you and upholding you, child of suffering. Look to Him and feed much upon Christ at the right hand of God who intercedes for us. And as a result, you and I can move forward with the confidence that our faith will not fail because the One who authors it is the One who will complete it.

Let us pray. 

This is a transcript. It may contain small inaccuracies.

I love this time of the year. I realize that Christmas has its own significance. Easter has great significance. But, as you know, as God's people, as redeemed, as believers, we celebrate Christmas and Easter every day. If not for our Savior coming into this world, if not for His sinless life, if not for His atoning death on Calvary's cross, we would be without hope. We would be, among all people, most to be pitied.

So, just as we're not commanded to celebrate Christmas in Scripture, like a Christmas day, the same way we're not commanded to celebrate Thanksgiving Day, it is still a wonderful opportunity for us to think about what the Bible does say about grateful hearts. What does it say about giving thanks? While the holiday itself is not commanded, the attitude is commanded. And just as we celebrate Christmas every day and Easter every day, we're to be thankful every day. And that's what we're going to think about this morning.

When we think about the 15th verse in Colossians 3, when we think about this command, "...and be thankful," well, it is an imperative, right? It is an imperative. That's a command–"and be thankful." It's a great opportunity to think of the difference between the commands of God that we violate by commission and the commands of God that we violate by omission. We tend to think in terms of sin mostly in terms of commission. Right? We think about ways that we transgress. God says, "You shall not," and we do. And so we think about that as sin.

What we probably don't think about enough are those commands of God that we're guilty of violating by simply neglecting those commands–not thinking about them as much as we ought to, forgetting those commands, overlooking them, not treating them as weighty commands from God. Or this is something good, something that ought to characterize us, and we may acknowledge that, but do we stop and think, our God, our Lord, our Master, our Sovereign has commanded us to be thankful? In fact, I think this is a good place for us to begin. Beloved, do you think of it that way? Did you consider it an obligation, a God-given duty, which is a delight, to live a thankful life? Another title for this message would be fitting, “The Thankful Life.” Not just Thanksgiving Day or weekend, the thankful life.

Do you think about it as a matter of obedience from the heart? That God requires us to be thankful? And that if we're not living a thankful life, with a thankful heart, we're actually living disobedient lives? And do we understand that God doesn't command things that aren't important? God doesn't command something that is not important. He doesn't give commands that are trivial in nature. That's not who our God is.

And so we might ask a question as we begin to think about this together. Is it important that I live a thankful life? Is it important that I live a thankful life? I mean, does it really make a difference, a spiritual difference? What kinds of blessings are wrapped up in living my life with a thankful heart? Conversely, what kinds of spiritual dangers threaten me if right now I'm not living with a thankful heart? If I'm not living a thankful life this moment, what kinds of danger have I opened my life up to? Is it really important to be thankful?

So this morning we will consider and think upon this command to be thankful under two simple, really, headings. Just two points this morning, two simple headings. The first one we're going to think about and consider together “the context for this command” and the second heading would be “the importance of this command.” That's all. The context and the importance.

Let's begin with the context of the command. The context is found in the first 17 verses. That's why we read them—verses 1 through 17. The verses that precede and the verses that follow put this command for us in its context. And we need to see it in its context. It's critical. And that's why we're going to spend some time looking at this command in its context.

What stands out about the command is that it's like everything else in the Christian life. It can only be lived out supernaturally—or as my brother, Philip, would say, spirit naturally. When he says, "and be thankful," he's not talking about something common to men. He's not talking about something that you and I could have lived before the Lord saved us. And the context makes that clear. Beloved, this is a supernatural kind of thankfulness. Let me say that again—it's a supernatural kind of thankfulness. This is a salvation-produced thankfulness because the entire section, which is full of indicatives and imperatives—Paul continually is moving from the indicative statements to the imperative statements throughout the entire section, it's full of statements of fact and statements of obligation–but all of it flows from God's saving work in the lives of His people. In fact, in verses 1 through 17, we see nine new things that you and I experienced because the Lord redeemed us. The Lord saved us. The Lord transformed us.

What I'm underscoring is that there is a kind of thanksgiving that any person can know. Lost people sometimes talk in terms of thanksgiving. Even they go as far as to acknowledge some higher power. And they make statements like this—you probably heard this before: “I thank the man upstairs.” They have no clue who is upstairs. Or, “I thank my lucky stars.” Or, “I count my blessings. Knock on wood.” Or, “Things are going well. Knock on wood.” I mean, there's a kind of thanksgiving that anybody can know. But what Paul is talking about here is something that only the people of God can know and experience.

Notice the nine new things with me very quickly in the context of this command. First of all, we have a new life. This is given in the context of a new life. "And be thankful." New life. Verse 1: "Therefore, if you have been raised up with Christ." Have you been raised up with Christ? Do you have the testimony that says, I once was dead in trespasses and sins, but the Lord made me alive together with His Son? I once was in spiritual grave, but now I've been raised up with Jesus. In fact, positionally, I'm seated with Him in the heavenly places because of God's grace toward me. Do you have a new life? Brand new life? Are you a new creation in Christ Jesus? 2 Corinthians 5:17. We have a new life.

Secondly, we have a new ambition. So we have a new life. Therefore, we have a new ambition. Colossians 3:1: "If you have been raised up with Christ"—here's the imperative—"keep seeking the things above." Are you living your life with a heavenly trajectory? Keep seeking the things above. Are you thinking in terms of the world to come? In terms of eternity? Are you pursuing that which will last forever? Beloved, we have a new ambition.

Thirdly, we have a new focus. We have a new focus. Christ, you see, is in the heavens, seated at the right hand of God. Therefore, verse 2 says, "Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth." If your ambition has to do with eternity, then your focus needs to be fixed on Christ, where Christ is—on eternity, and we have now a new focus. We have a new focus.

Fourth, we have a new identity. We have a new identity. Verse 3: "For you died, and your life has been hidden with Christ in God,”--brought into union with the Son of God. As I mentioned earlier, we thank God that all of our sins are forgiven, and now we're clothed in the perfect righteousness of Jesus. Our position is stationed in Christ before God. This is why we are accepted in the Beloved. A new identity. A new life. A new ambition. New focus. A new identity.

Therefore, a new hope. A new hope. A new hope. Verse 4: "When Christ, who is our life, is manifested, then you also will be manifested with Him in glory," looking forward to that day when Christ appears. And when He appears, we will be made like Him, glorified in His presence. This is our sure expectation. We have a new hope.

As a result of this, we are engaged here and now in a brand new mortification. We are engaged in a brand new mortification, a new mortification. We are called, therefore, having a new life, new ambition, new focus, new identity, new hope. We're called to be putting to death the deeds of the flesh until that day when you and I are glorified and sin will be no more.

You and I are new creatures in Christ, but here and now as new creatures in Christ, we are still living with unredeemed humanity that remain in corruption. It's not just outside of us. We still battle with sin that is within, and while we no longer are slaves to it, while sin no longer reigns over us, it remains in us. We have, of course, the Spirit of God. We're set free from the dominion of sin. The enslaving power of sin has been broken in our case so that now we have, by the Spirit of God, the capacity and the responsibility to be putting to death sin as it appears in our lives–refusing it, rejecting it, confessing it, repudiating it, repenting of it, choosing obedience instead of sin.

Verse 5: "Therefore,”--in view of these realities–“consider the members of your earthly body as dead to [sin].” Sin. That's what he's talking about. And then he begins to specify the sorts of sin that we are now dead to: “sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, greed, which is idolatry.” Verse 6: "On account of these things, the wrath of God is coming upon the sons of disobedience, and in them you also once walked, when you were living in them. But now you also, lay them all aside: wrath, anger, malice, slander, and abusive speech from your mouth. Do not lie to one another, since you put off the old man with its evil practices.” So, these are the sorts of sin that we're to put to death every single day because we have a new life. We choose to walk, enabled by God, His Spirit, in that new course. We will walk in that course because the Lord has saved us and transformed us.

We also have a new self, a new self. And as a result, we ought to put on a new attire, right? The new self, the new garment, the new dress. Verse 9: "Do not lie to one another, since you put off the old man with its evil practices and have put on the new man." This speaks of the reality of salvation. There was a putting off and a putting on when the Lord saved us. Who were we before Christ? In our lives. Well, we were without hope. We were walking according to the course of this world. We were walking as the old nature. Now, we are a new man in Christ Jesus. And that new man is being renewed to a full knowledge—verse 10—"according to the image of the One who created him." God brought us into existence. God brought this into existence. He brought us as new creatures in Christ into existence. He saved us.

And there's no distinction in this renewal. It's a renewal—verse 11—"in which there is no distinction between Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave, and freeman, but Christ is all, and in all." Think about this. What is the church? What is the church? It's a new humanity. It's a new humanity, and there's no distinction between any of us as redeemed sinners by grace. One new man in Christ Jesus.

And as a result, what do we do? What do we do? Verse 12. Look at verse 12: "So, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience; bearing with one another, and graciously forgiving each other, whoever has a complaint against anyone, just as the Lord graciously forgave you, so also should you."
The old self is gone, the new self has come, and as a result, there's a new way of living that belongs to the new self, and we put away, we mortify the things that don't belong to the new us, and we put on the things that do.

So a new life, a new ambition, a new focus, a new identity, a new hope, a new mortification, a new self or a new dress, and all of it is according, number eight, to a new standard. A new standard. Verse 15. A new standard. "And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body, and be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, with all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with gratefulness in your hearts to God. And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him."

So a new standard. What's that standard? Well, God's peace–Paul tells us–is the standard. Verse 15. We're to live our lives in such a way that we pursue peace, the things that make for peace. The peace of God here is like an umpire that makes decisions for us. Does this accord with the peace of Christ? Or does it not? Let me choose that which is in agreement with the peace of Christ. And the way I know what those things are, verse 16 is what? The Word of Christ. The Word of God is the standard. Living a Scripture-saturated life. The Word of Christ dwelling in us richly, so that it comes out in our conversations, even in our singing, in every way that we live our lives here and now. The Word of Christ is the standard, guiding us.

Then in verse 17, we're told that the Son of God, now the Word incarnate, is the standard. "And whatever you do in word or deed, do all…”--in His name–”...in the name of the Lord Jesus.” Can I say that I'm doing this in the name of Jesus? Is this in keeping with who He is, with His character, with His will revealed in His Word, that this would please Him? This would honor Him? These are the lives that we've been called to live.

And it's in that context we're told, “and be thankful.” And be thankful. So, this is not a thanksgiving that belongs to the old life, is it? It's not. This is a thanksgiving that belongs to everything that is new since the Lord has saved us. In fact, there's one other new thing that you see in these verses. All of those commands and indicatives are given to us in plural terms. Plural terms. The “you,” you be thankful, the “you” is plural. The people of God, the company of God's people, the redeemed, the church, is to be a thankful community, a thankful church.
Though we are people who individually have the capacity to be thankful because the Lord has saved us, we live this thanksgiving life, this thankful life, in the company of our brothers and sisters. We're traveling this thankful pathway together, beloved. The thankful life is lived by people who belong to the church.

And so one of the ways that you can measure and test whether or not you even have this capacity is (one of the ways): Do you love the people of God? Look around you. Do you love the people of God? Have you taken your place among the company of God's people? When I say have you taken your place, I'm not saying, I'm not referring to a chair, sitting on it. Many say they know Jesus, but they don't love the people of God. Such a person, if that's what marks their life, such a person is a liar according to the Word of God. You cannot love the head and not love the body. Let me say that again—you cannot love the head and not love the body. You cannot love the Savior and not love the brethren.

So right away when someone says they're thankful, they're a thankful person, but they have no use for the Lord's church, you know what kind of thanksgiving they have, don't you? It's not a supernatural thanksgiving of salvation, for if that's what they had, then they would cherish and love the people of God.

What this means, when you think of the capacity for thanksgiving, you think of what? Salvation. What this means is the character of thanksgiving that we know is the fruit of what? Salvation. It's something new, it's something we didn't have before. It's the result of what Jesus has done in our lives. Well, we can say it this way: Christ makes thankful people. Christ makes thankful people. It's not automatic. God doesn't command things that we don't have choices to make about. So if He commanded that you and I have to make a choice, it is then possible that I'm speaking to someone today who really does have eternal life, [that] all these new things really do describe you, but perhaps lately you've not been living with a thankful heart.

Because if you take note of all of those indicatives and imperatives, what they add up to is a pursuit of sanctification—sanctification. I mean, you have to be putting off the old and putting on the new. And if you're not aggressively, progressively doing that, if you're not pursuing Christlikeness, then it's no wonder that you may go through seasons where your heart is not full of thanksgiving.

So here are the two things to examine ourselves about today. If I recognize that I have not been as thankful as the Lord deserves—not as thankful as the Lord commands, as I should be—two questions to ask myself. Do I really have a….. So do I have the new life in Jesus Christ? This new life. Because I can be saved, I can be a child of God redeemed by the grace of God….. And my ambition is not being fixed where God commands my ambition to be fixed. And I'm not dealing with sin in the way that God commands me to be fixed. And I'm not pursuing the things, putting on the things that God commands me to put on.

Perhaps this is why, though I have eternal life, I'm not really living a grateful life right now. The thankful life, beloved, is an obedient life. The thankful life is a Scripture-saturated life. And the thankful life is a Savior-focused life. So, are you obeying the Lord where you know what His Word teaches? The full counsel of God. This is not a buffet. Are you filling your life up with the Word of Christ? Or are you getting your worldview from other sources? Are you pursuing Christ daily? Do you have your eyes fixed on Christ, your Savior?…..

So this is the context for this command, this simple command, "and be thankful." As we move on, I want us to think about and consider the importance of it, the importance of this command. Why does God give a command to be thankful? Don't you find it interesting that God would command such a thing? It's interesting that God would command it. I think it's very instructive. It's a good reminder to us that we have choices to make even about our attitudes. We have choices to make–follow closely, beloved, dare I say–even about our emotions.

There are people who think, “Well, I can't control the way I feel. What are you talking about?” Well, one reason we get confused about that is we think about control in a direct fashion. Like, well, this is what I feel this very moment. What do I do? Just turn that off and just turn on some other emotion, some other attitude? That's not in my heart right now. So how do I do that? It's not a light switch. What we forget is, beloved, right attitudes and right emotions are the result of right choices in other areas so that the fruit is indirect, not direct.

That is, if I'm being filled by the Spirit, if I'm submitting my life to the Lordship of Christ and His Word, if I am agreeing with Scripture, putting my mind there in Scripture—Scripture saturated—my attitudes and my emotions, then, will follow. My heart, then, will catch up with my mind. The way to obey God in the realm of thanksgiving is not just to say, “Well, now be thankful, Habib,” and talk to myself. Though I should speak that truth to myself. That's holy soliloquy, and that's a great help. However, look at verses one through 17. I need to look at that and ask myself, as I speak to myself, also I need to ask myself, am I doing this? Because to obey the command to be thankful—well, this is the pathway. These are the choices that I must make if I want my heart to catch up with my head. So it is right that God commands things to us that involve our attitudes and our emotions even, and He has set forth in verses like these how we actually obey Him in these things.

So, God gives us a command because it is important, and as I said earlier, He doesn't command anything that isn't doable by His grace, that His people don't have the capacity to obey Him in, and He doesn't command things that are not important. In fact, there are two great issues that are at stake when you think about the command to be thankful that I want us to reflect on. Maybe you haven't thought about this before. If I'm not choosing thankfulness, to be a thankful person, what is really at stake? What is really at stake? Two great issues at stake: great sins and great waste. Great sins and great waste.

I wanna begin by thinking about the fact that if we don't have thankful hearts, we can be guilty of great sins. And what I want us to do is just to think about what thankfulness requires in the positive sense, and in each case, just flip it with me together, just think about the alternative. Here's what is needed to be thankful, but now if I'm not thankful, what is present instead? Okay? Let's do that together. And I think as we go through this exercise together, you will see that not only is there a great blessing wrapped up in being a thankful person, but there are great sins that are being committed if we're not being a thankful person. So what is necessary to be a thankful person? Well, here are a few things to think about.

First of all, thankful hearts are humble hearts. We've seen that last Lord's Day, right? Thankful hearts are humble hearts. Why are we thankful? Because we realize the reality of grace. It's all of grace. I know what I deserve. I know what God would have given me if He had given me what I deserve. I would have what? Perished in hell forever. Anything above hell is a privilege.

When Adam sinned against God, the whole human race deserved to be obliterated. And you and I are born, we're born in a world, this world, not only guilty in Adam, but then as we began to live our lives, we accrued our own guilt. We've all sinned against God. We've all fallen short of His glory. We all deserve the penalty of sin, which is death. If God gave any of us what we deserve, we would be done. We would be in hell.

So if God has saved me and given me those nine new things that were mentioned earlier–that we find in the first 17 verses in Colossians 3, all those new things belong to me–what did I ever do to deserve all of that? It's all of grace. It's all grace. And even now, after the Lord has saved you, if you had to stand before your God this day based on your performance, how would you fare? Isn't it true to say that we live in grace every single moment? We're breathing it in and breathing it out.

If not for the grace of God, “If the Lord should mark iniquities,” the psalmist says, “who could stand?” I need grace in the course of sanctification just as much as I needed grace, the grace of God to be justified. I need grace to be kept just as I needed grace to be taken a hold of. God took hold of my life, but now I'm in His hand, in His Son's hand, He will never ever let me go. If left to myself, I would wander, but He holds me. He holds me fast. He holds me near to Himself. Where would I be if not for the grace of God? Which means every benefit I've ever received is what? Mercy. Mercy. Whatever good I know, it's mercy, which is why it is right that we recognize those mercies of God. Well, humility does.

What's the opposite? What's the great sin on display in any unthankful life? Pride, isn't it? Pride. You see, you either think what you have you deserve, or what you have is less than you deserve. Pride. People who think they deserve better than what they have are proud people. Psalm 103, verse two says, “Bless Yahweh, O my soul, and forget none of His benefits.” Psalm 116, verse 12 says, “What shall I give to Yahweh in return for all His bountiful dealings with me?" What can I give to God for all that He has given me? How can I ever give a return on what God has given to me? That's the right perspective. Thankful hearts belong to humble people. And so when we lack thanksgiving, what are we walking in? We're walking in pride.

Closely associated with that, secondly, a thankful heart is an appreciative heart, an appreciative heart. So when we think about humble hearts, the source of our blessings, whatever blessings we have, it is explained by God. It is not explained by me. It is not explained by some generic fashion in my circumstances, perhaps. No, no, it's not. Though I can be thankful for other people, my blessings are not ultimately explained by other people. My blessings come to me from Him, from God. That's the humble perspective.

But now to say that I'm appreciative means I recognize not just the source of those blessings, but the specifics of those blessings. I'm taking each one and paying attention to it. I'm mindful of, as we read from the Psalms, "all His benefits," all of them. Every single one of them. I bless His name for those benefits. I give Him praise for those benefits. I realize that I can't give a return, a rightful return, fitting return for all of His benefits to me. So I'm not just recognizing God as the source, but recognizing the overwhelming nature of what God has given to me.

What's the opposite of that? Presumption. Presumption, right? Presuming on the gifts of God. Thinking that you get what you deserve, or you expect it. You expect what you have. You're not really appreciative. You are simply counting on it, waiting for it. Think about the difference. Think about it in the human realm. Someone gives you a gift that you did not expect. It's extremely generous. How do you respond to that internally versus someone giving you your paycheck? You worked for that, you earned that. Well, what if they short you on your paycheck? Do you notice that? Do you say, “Well, I'm just glad. I mean, He gave me something. He gave me what He gave me.” Is that your response? No. The response is, “Hey, I worked for this many hours, and this is what I did, and I didn't get what I deserve.” See, because your attitude is you earned it. You deserved it. You expected it. But a gift is something you're grateful for. You're appreciative of it. You never thought it was coming your way, and now here it is, and you're just so grateful.

Now think about your life and the blessings that God pours out upon you and upon me. Is this something you've earned, I've earned? Something that you deserve? Something you expect? Or is it something you really appreciate? Presumption is an ugly sin. Do you know any presumptuous people? Have you ever known someone you do something for that's extremely generous, and they act like it's no big deal, it's nothing? Let me share with you the sad truth. The sad truth is sometimes we're all those presumptuous people, all of us.

God does amazing things in our case that we deserve just the opposite, and yet we're not even taking note of it. We don't even notice it. Something like even just being here right now with God's people in God's presence. What are you taking for granted today, beloved? What are you taking for granted?

Third, thankful hearts are peaceful hearts. Thankful hearts are peaceful hearts, peaceful hearts. It's interesting that in the same context that we're commanded to be thankful, we're also told in verse 15 to let the peace of Christ rule in our hearts, peaceful hearts. Do you remember how the book of James explains conflicts, the wars that exist amongst us? James 4, it's because we so desperately want things, and we war for those things, and the Spirit through James tells us, "You have not because you ask not." You're fighting as if it's all depending on you. You're trying to accumulate and get what you really desperately want, so badly want, and you think you deserve it because you're not content.

People who are truly thankful people are content people. Because you know you don't deserve better, then you're thankful for what you have, and you don't require more to be thankful, even though you may pursue more in the right way. But that's not what makes you content. If what you have is better than what you deserve, then what you have is what? Enough, isn't it? But the reason people fight is because they think they don't have what they deserve. People don't forgive because they feel like they have been slighted what they deserve, “and I'm not gonna forgive you because I believe I deserve better than what you're giving me.” People bitter because someone has treated you in a way that you think you didn't deserve. You're frustrated because you're not getting what you think you deserve.

The thankful life is not the narcissistic life. The thankful life is not the life full of bitterness, and fighting, and conflict, and constantly being upset, and constantly being frustrated, that is not a thankful heart. When you are content with God, when you realize He is your treasure, then you recognize you are infinitely rich regardless of your earthly circumstances.

In fact, in the same context where we're told to be content, God tells us in Hebrews 13 and verse 5, "I will never desert you, nor will I ever forsake you." I'm there always with you. I will never leave you. I will lead you. I am with you even through the valley, I am with you. I will be with you. I will never leave you, and I'm always enough so that you and I can know peace regardless of our circumstances.

Do you know about that kind of life, beloved? The Apostle Paul said when he had a lot, he knew what it was to be content. When he had little, he knew what it was to be content. In all circumstances, he knew what it was to find his joy in God, to find his contentment, his satisfaction in the Lord. And so what is the opposite of that? Discontentment, the sin of discontentment, the sin of pride, the sin of presumption, the sin of discontentment where thankfulness does not exist.

Fourth, thankful hearts are enlightened hearts. They're enlightened hearts. Enlightened. We've talked about it already, but I want to underscore it–enlightened with the knowledge of God's love to us. You see, the way we're content is we believe that God loves us. God loves us. He's sovereign. He's in control over every detail of my life. There's nothing, nothing coming my way that God doesn't have sovereignty over, and He loves me. So that whatever circumstances we find ourselves in, there's a plan, there's a deliberate plan, there's a purpose that stands behind what we're facing.

And when our hearts and minds have been enlightened by the knowledge of God's grace to us in Christ, His love for us in Christ, then we know there's perfect wisdom, and perfect goodness, and perfect love regulating every detail of what it is that we're going through right now. So that no matter what it is we're going through, we can be thankful–not necessarily thankful for the thing itself, for we live in a fallen world, and there are hurtful, hateful things that we deal with in this world. So it's not thankful for the thing itself, but thankful toward God, that despite this thing, despite this issue, despite this treatment, whatever the case may be, “God, You love me, and You are good, and You are sovereign, and You love me to the end, and none of this is by accidents or by happenstance. This is by design. This is purposeful. You're training me. You're refining me, and You are preparing me for eternity, and in that I can rest, in that I can be thankful.”

This is why you can read a book like the book of Philippians, and it's full of references to joy, and Paul is writing that letter from where? A prison. So when we're unthankful, we live as though God isn't–isn't present, isn't sovereign, isn't good, isn't loving, isn't wise, isn't for us.
It's interesting to me, I thought about this this week. Remember Ephesians 5, verses 3 and 4, "But sexual immorality or any impurity or greed must not even be named among you, as is proper among saints; nor filthiness and foolish talk, or coarse jesting, which are not fitting.” Now notice how he ends, “but rather giving of thanks." Isn't it an odd contrast? I mean, I would think just in my own wisdom, which is completely lacking, I would have thought I would say something like this: Let there be no sexual immorality nor filthiness or foolish talk or coarse jesting, which are not fitting, but rather let there be purity. But rather Paul says it ought to be thanksgiving, under inspiration.

Why do you think that is? Well, because thanksgiving exists where there is purity, where there's the knowledge of forgiveness of these sins that once really marked us and characterized us. And we have a new life and there's a gratefulness that I've been forgiven. I've been set free from the dominion of sin. I don't want to live in those things anymore. I don't have the appetite for them anymore. What I once talked about, I don't want to talk about those sort of things anymore. What I once joked about, I don't want to be joking about anymore. It's impure.

This is the kind of life where thanksgiving exists, a life that has been transformed by the grace of God, the trophy of His grace. To say it another way, thanksgiving exists by the power of the Holy Spirit and where the Holy Spirit is leading and guiding and empowering and in charge, then sins are being progressively put away and holy things are being progressively put on.

So thankful hearts are humble hearts, appreciative hearts, peaceful hearts, enlightened hearts. They're also—thankful hearts are worshipful hearts. Worshipful hearts. When you get the source of your blessings right, then you'll get your praise right. You get your praise right. We know the wisdom, as I said earlier, of the One who oversees our lives. So we give Him praise. We give Him thanks.

What is the opposite? Well, let me put it this way. What is idolatry? It is treating the creature as if he's the Creator. I'm thankful for the people in my life. I thank God for the people in my life. I'm thankful for what I have. I thank God for what I have. You see, you hear people full of grumbling and complaining. I work hard. Can't you see? To provide for us, you know. Look at what I do to provide for myself or look what I do to provide for you and put you through school or whatever. What a darkened point of view.

Who gave you what you have? Well, I worked hard. Who gave you the strength to work hard? Who gave you your mind? Who gave you your talents? Who gave you your next heartbeat? Who gave you your next breath? You've done nothing for yourself. Listen, if God withdrew His support, you would go out of existence. You do nothing for yourself. And when you get the source right, you get the praise right, which will mean you will get the worship right. The life of idolatry is putting yourself in the place of God. Who is worthy to be worshipped? It's not you. It's not me. It's the One who gives us life and breath and our very being. God is the only One worthy to be worshipped. And when we're that kind of a people, then we worship Him in all circumstances.

Think about Job–everything stripped away from him in a moment. Coming out of that man, you squeeze like an orange. You squeeze an orange, you get orange juice. Squeeze a believer, even though a believer may struggle, at the core, it's something God has done and only God could have done it. And there is Job, squeezed to the very kernel of his existence and what does he say? “The Lord gives, the Lord takes away. Blessed be the name of the Lord.” 1 Thessalonians 5:16, “Rejoice always; pray without ceasing.” Now listen to what he says next, “in everything give thanks, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus." This is the will of God for us, to give thanks in all circumstances.

So, without thankful hearts, we can be guilty of great sins. The sin of pride, the sin of presumption, the sin of striving to produce conflict, bitterness, unforgiveness, the sin of blindness to the grace of God and the goodness of God and the wisdom of God and the care of God, the sin of self-worship, the sin of idolatry.

But we can also be guilty, not only of great sins, we can also be guilty of great waste. Great waste. Nothing is as wasteful as sin. You live your life in an unthankful, sinful condition and you're wasting things that you might not even recognize until, in some cases, too late–throwing away precious things through your self-centered focus. What do people waste when they're living ungrateful lives? What do they waste?

Well, first of all, we have to begin here, they waste their own life. They waste their own life, you can start there. You just waste your own life. When you recognize that your life is a gift from God, you'll also then recognize it is to be properly invested. How do I spend this life? How do I make sure I don't waste it? What did God make me for? Why did He put me here? Why am I still drawing air? Why am I not already in eternity? And the answer is very simple, you and I were made to live for the glory of God, to invest our lives in Him, to spend our lives on behalf of Him, therefore on behalf of others, on behalf of His kingdom and His righteousness, on behalf of His Word, the gospel, on behalf of His Son, the Savior. Any other kind of living is wasteful. Are you wasting your life? Or are you making the best of your life to the glory of God?

As I said, we can only stand before God in His grace. And sadly, I've wasted lots of my life, have you? I mean, take any given day, there's some waste involved in all likelihood at some level. So we stand before God in grace. He knows our frame. And, now, we don't want to use His grace as an excuse for sin. You want to make the most of the grace of God. So let me make sure that I'm investing my life properly by the grace of God.

Show me someone living for the glory of God, I'll show you someone with a thankful heart. Show me someone with an unthankful heart, I'll show you someone who's not living, at that moment, for the glory of God. They've got themselves too much at the center of the picture. Wasteful lives with respect to one's own life, but wasteful lives also with respect to other people's lives. Every life is a gift from God, which means every life is to be cherished.

You want to see an ungrateful society? Look at the society—and earlier we made the announcement, we support the Pregnancy Care Center—look at a society that murders millions of babies in the womb every year. "Neither were they thankful." They didn't give God glory and they were not thankful. That's what the book of Romans chapter 1 describes—such people.

How about the person in your life or the people in your life that God has put you in a sphere of influence, people you rub shoulders with? You're in university and you are rubbing shoulders with all kinds of people. But you don't understand, it's so dark and it's so ugly. It is. And you ought to be sorrowful, but yet rejoicing–sorrowful, yet grateful. “Lord, thank You for actually giving me an opportunity, because the darker the night, the brighter my light can shine. Lord, You put me in the lives of these people that I have these opportunities to shine and adorn the gospel. Give me grace.”

People in the church, your brothers and sisters, with respect to their lives, are you being wasteful? Do you genuinely take genuine concern and care for their lives? The ministry that you're involved in, in other people's lives, to the glory of God–how are you doing those ministries? With a thankful heart? With a grateful heart? For the people that God has placed in your life that you minister to? That you serve? How about the person you're married to? Are you thankful for them? Oh, you don't know the person I'm married to, someone might say. You don't know the struggles I have.

Listen, if you're living with a hardened, unregenerate person, beloved, you have a precious opportunity, given to you by God to be a witness for Jesus. Because they have a soul that's going to enter heaven or hell. And as long as they're unregenerate, they're heading towards hell. You can thank God that you have an opportunity to be an evangelist. If the person you're married to is a believer, and they're not where they’re supposed to be, pray for them. You have the privilege to pray for them and to live as a witness before them. But if God has been so kind as to give you someone who loves the Lord, together with you serves the Lord, together with you celebrates God's good gifts, together with you, then what a gift He's given you. Give thanks to God. Are we grateful for these things? There are many other examples.

How many people are wasting precious relationships, precious relationship opportunities because your eyes are fixed on yourself, and you're not thankful as you should be for the people that God has put in your life?

Wasteful with respect to material things. Why has God given you what He's given you? Why has He given you what you have? Yes, absolutely, it's right there in Scripture. And this is the goodness of God. "He has given us all things richly to enjoy." And He's honored when we enjoy what He gives us. 1 Timothy 6:17, It is not God's plan that His people divest themselves of all wealth. But if the Lord has blessed you materially, how can you invest that in His kingdom as well? In the same text where He tells us that God gives us all things richly to enjoy, we're commanded to "do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share”--1 Timothy 6:18.

Selfish people and thankless people never have enough. Never have enough. They always want more to spend on themselves because they are the center of their own life and world. Are we looking at resources God has given us that we get to enjoy ourselves with thanksgiving to God? Do we look at those things as a gift from God? And are we looking at the resources God has given us saying, “How can I make now an eternal difference with what You've given me, Lord?”

Wasteful with respect to gospel ministry. That unthankful life is an earthbound life. And so when you're living with yourself at the center of your focus, you're not thinking about other people. You're not thinking about dying, a dying world. You're not thinking about their souls. You're not thinking about eternity. How many evangelism opportunities, how many opportunities to encourage the people of God are we missing because we're so wrapped up in that unthankful life of self-centeredness?

This is a critically important command. "And be thankful." It's important because where it's not being obeyed, you have great sins being committed, and where it's not being obeyed, you have great waste being experienced. So how can I cultivate the thankful life? I think we said it. Just to reiterate it, take these 17 verses, take the context instead of trying to address it directly. I mean, you can repent of the sin directly, but then live in these 17 verses. Yield to the Lord. Let Him teach you a worldview that produces thankful hearts.

Richard Sibbes, one of the Puritans–we’ll finish with this–he had this to say: "If we be less than the least, then we must be thankful for the least. Humility is always thankful. A humble man thinks himself unworthy of anything. Therefore, he is thankful for anything. A proud man praises himself above the common rate. He overvalues and over prizes himself. And therefore, he thinks he never has enough. When he has a great deal, he thinks he has less than he deserves. And therefore, he is an unthankful person. And that makes a proud man so intolerable to God. He's always an unthankful person, a murmuring person. A humble man, because he undervalues himself, he thinks he has more than he deserves, and he's thankful for everything. He knows he deserves nothing of himself. It is the mere goodness of God, whatever he has. The best direction to thanksgiving is to have a humble and low heart. Therefore, David, in 1 Chronicles 29:14, when he would exercise his heart to thankfulness, when the people had given liberally, he said, ‘But who am I or what is this people, that we should be able to offer so willingly after this manner? Everything comes from You, and all that is yours we give. What am I or what is this people that we should have hearts to give liberally to the temple?’ And Abraham, ‘Now behold, I am dust and ashes. Shall I speak to the Lord?’--Genesis 18:27. And Job, 'I abhor myself, [and repent] in dust and ashes.'--Job 42:6. When he considered God's excellency in his own basis. A humble heart is always thankful. And the way to thankfulness is to consider our humility. ‘What am I?’, said David. He had a heart to be thankful. ‘Of Your own I give You, not only the matter to be thankful for, but of Thy own I give Thee. When I give Thee thanks, Thou givest me a thankful heart.’” Let me stop here. What Sibbes is saying is this: not only do we give God thanks for that which we give thanks, we give God thanks for the thanks that we give Him. Because He produces that thankful heart.

He goes on to say, “As the sacrifice that Abraham offered was found by God, so God must find the sacrifice that we offer. Even the thankful heart, of Your own, Lord, I give You. And when we have the thankful heart, bless God for it. That we may be more thankful."

So, brothers and sisters, I say along with Richard Sibbes, this is a means that you could choose to have a thankful heart. Pray for it. Pray for it. Oh God, humble my heart that I would really recognize Your blessings to me, that I would take note of all Your benefits to me. And then grant me such a heart that I would give You thanks. And when you give Him thanks, give Him thanks even for your thanks that He might bless you even more.

Let's pray. 

This is a transcript. It may contain small inaccuracies.

To remind us of the general setting of this section of Paul's letter, this infant church there in that city, Thessaloniki, brought into being under the ministry of Paul, immediately experiencing opposition, persecution, affliction. Paul has been forced out to leave them abruptly, and now he's down at Corinth, and he writes to them out of his deep affection and concern. And having vindicated his motives and his methods while among them in the second chapter of this epistle, he's now describing his feelings, his affection towards them while absent from them.

It's one thing to love them in their presence, but now how does he feel now that he has left them and the providence of God has been hindered from coming back to them? And so beginning in verse 17—or verse 17—of chapter 2, he begins to describe his attitude with regards to these dear beloved people, and his longing for them and his concerns for them. And you remember last Lord's Day evening, we saw how he regarded them as his hope and joy and crown of boasting, crown of rejoicing. These were his most precious possession outside of Christ. The people of God were a delight, pure delight, to the heart of the apostle.

As we consider this portion of God's Word in this letter this evening, let's delve right into it, and let us first of all consider together, number one, what prompted Paul to send Timothy, his messenger, to these beloved people in Thessaloniki? What prompted him to send his messenger, Timothy, to those people? He begins by saying in verse 1, "Therefore, when we could endure it no longer, we were pleased to be left behind at Athens alone." Notice verse 5: "For this reason, when I could endure it no longer, I also sent." So we have in the very introduction of this section, and then repeated in verse 5, Paul telling us that which really prompted him to send a messenger, Timothy, to the Thessalonians, and he describes it under the phrase—and this is a very interesting phrase, and I love this—"when we could endure it no longer." I love that.

Now, this word translated endure, *stego*, is the Greek word, is an interesting word. It's a word that has as its connotation to hold out against something. The picture of perhaps covering something or concealing it by covering. Some, in fact, suggested it's the picture of seeking to keep a container airtight. I like that picture. Seek to contain, to keep a container airtight. It paints the picture—now picture with me—that Paul is seeking to keep down, airtight, suppress this tremendous concern for the Thessalonians. I mean, it's just brewing, it's just ready to pop, and he's just trying to keep it down.

Remember, he said in verse 17, in chapter 2, that he was severed only in presence, but not in heart. And he had only been gone for—he uses the expression—the space of an hour when he was making plans how to get back to be with them, and he made several definite attempts to return to be with them. He says in verse 18, "For we wanted to come to you—I, Paul, more than once—that is, I made several attempts, concrete attempts—but Satan hindered us." And so here's the picture of a man so anxious for these beloved people that when he's separated from them, the space of an hour, he's already making plans to go back, and he's frustrated. He makes another plan, he's frustrated again, and yet this concern for them is so deep and so intense in his heart that he said, the time came when I could no longer hold it under, the dam just broke loose. It just burst out of my heart, and though I couldn't come, I conceived a way of sending someone else in my place in order that I might give vent to this concern of my heart for you, my beloved brothers and sisters there in Thessaloniki.

What a beautiful picture. What a beautiful picture. Oh, the affection, the care, the concern. So it was the pressure of a godly concern that Paul could no longer tolerate. He could no longer really keep the lid on that caused him to send Timothy as his representative and as his messenger.

Now, before we move on this evening, I just want to pause for a moment to say that we have in this reason for Paul sending Timothy, his messenger, a tremendous lesson of godly concern, and secondly, of scriptural guidance. A tremendous lesson of godly concern and of scriptural guidance.

This concern that Paul had for the Thessalonians, where did it come from? How does a man get involved with a young group of believers, so much so that he says, I could no longer contain my concern. I couldn't keep it. I couldn't hold it back anymore. I could no longer endure it. I had to do something about it. I had to send somebody else. I couldn't come myself. I'm going to send somebody else.

Well, of course, there's only one way that that concern is ever born in the human heart, and that is the Holy Spirit sheds abroad that love that seeks not its own, for left to ourselves, beloved, there's only one person in the world that you and I are concerned about, and that's ourselves. And even there, we're not concerned in the right way. We're concerned about ourselves temporarily and physically, but not concerned spiritually. And just as it takes a work of grace to awaken us to true spiritual concern for ourselves, it takes, beloved, a work of grace to awaken us for a concern for others, to serve others, to love others.

And this concern awakened by the Spirit was obviously sustained by the Spirit, particularly, I want to underscore, by means of faithful prayer. That's how. For remember, Paul had said in the first chapter, verses two and three, "We give thanks to God always for all of you, making mention of you in our prayers. See, all of it is interconnected. Making mention of you in our prayers, remembering without ceasing." And as Paul prayed for these beloved people, the Holy Spirit, who had given birth to that concern, used the context of faithful prayer to keep that concern alive and fresh and cultivated.

Oh, beloved, I'm sure every one of us who has experienced anything of this will know that our prayerful involvement with the people of God is that which keeps the fires of concern glowing. Isn't that right? Stop praying and concern will dwindle. Begin to pray, as it were, even out of a sense of duty, even if you don't feel like it, but you know you must do it, and you pray, and concern will be kindled, and the appetite will open up, and the fire of concern will deepen.
This is why Scripture commands us to pray for one another. This is why we have a corporate prayer meeting. It's a duty, a duty to be performed, yes, even when we don't feel like it, because the human heart, being what it is, and indwelling sin, being what it is, there would be this continual tendency downward, away from mutual concern. And so we have a lesson here on how concern is born and sustained, a concern that sometimes will just make you pick up the phone and call somebody. A concern that will make you sometimes pick up the pen and write them a letter, and write them a note, or it will force you out of your doors to pay them a visit, to send them a text message. That's not ideal, by the way. There's that concern which can no longer be held under, but must give vent to action.

You behold the affection that the servant of Christ has for these people. Pastor MacArthur, commenting on Paul's concern and his affection, writes, even though he faced his own trials, Paul was more concerned about his people's spiritual well-being in the midst of their difficulties. In fact, his affection for them was so strong that in chapter 3 and verse 5, that in chapter 3 and verse 5, he also declared, "I could endure it no longer." That love was far more than a mere sentimental desire for social fellowship with the church. It was Paul's desire to help the Thessalonians fulfill God's calling to be loyal to the truth and to experience spiritual maturity in their lives.

A man with a true and faithful pastoral heart is not concerned about his own success or his own reputation, nor is he preoccupied with his own trials. Rather, he is deeply concerned with the spiritual condition of his people, for whom he will suffer and rejoice with an unflagging affection. Paul exhibited that kind of spiritual care no matter what the response was. He wrote to the Corinthians, "I will most gladly spend and be expended for your souls." End of quote.
And then in the second place, this prompting of Paul is really a tremendous lesson on guidance. It is. You see, he didn't say, therefore, when we were convinced by divine revelation that Timothy ought to go, we sent him. That's not what he says. That's not what he says. He said, when I could no longer stand it. That's the language of the text. "When I could no longer stand it, I sent him." Now again, guidance doesn't seem spiritual when it breaks out in the language of Paul, the apostle.

We have some very mystical, unscriptural ideas about guidance. We touched upon this in the latter part of chapter two. Paul didn't have a perfect streak. He said, I tried to come to you, was hindered. I tried again, was hindered. So what did he do? Oh, well, you know, the door is shut. I'm just kind of, what can I do? No, no, no, no, no. As long as that concern was there, he said, well, I'll try another means. I'll try another means. Maybe Timothy will be able to get there. And sure enough, when he began to make travel arrangements for Timothy, everything worked. When Paul did it for himself, nothing worked. And it's obvious God's hindering me. But now let's see what happens if I try to get Timothy, my son, there. And lo and behold, when he did, all the pieces fit together and he read the will of God and the factors of providence.

I think there's a tremendous lesson for us in the matter of guidance. When we are prompted by the Holy Spirit with holy concerns, those concerns are the indication of the will of God for us. And so often we wait for some other means, some other vehicle, some other channel to indicate the will of God when the Apostle Paul took this pressure of concern for these beloved people as an indication of the will of God for him.

Now hurrying on, number two, what attitude did Paul have in sending this representative? We saw the reason, what prompted him. Well, now what attitude did Paul have in sending this representative, Timothy? We see why he sent him, he says, because of the pressure of godly concern for their spiritual welfare. Well now, how did he do it? Did he do it reluctantly? Did he do it half-heartedly? No, no, he says in this first verse, we were what? Pleased. We were pleased to be left behind at Athens alone. "We were pleased to be left behind alone." This word, pleased, is a good translation in the LSP. It renders it, the NASB renders it, we thought it best. I like “we were pleased”. Literally it could be translated to be well pleased. It was our pleasure to be left behind at Athens alone and we sent Timothy. Our pleasure.

In order for this messenger to go from Paul to the Thessalonians, it meant that Paul would have to be alone. And if you read through the Pauline epistles, you will notice that Paul didn't like to be alone. And we find Paul again and again mentioning his fellow laborers, his companions in ministry. And as you read through the epistles, you begin to catch something of this sense. Though a great man and a strong man, Paul was not a loner. He recognized his need for his brethren and Timothy in this sense was so dear to his heart, he could say of him in Philippians chapter 2 in verse 20, "For I have no one else of kindred spirit who will genuinely be concerned about your circumstances." Kindred spirit.

And yet the Apostle Paul was well pleased to send him because his concern was such for the Thessalonians. He was willing to bear the discipline of loneliness in order that the Thessalonians might have the ministry of Timothy. Tremendous lesson in self-denial, isn't it? A man so involved with the needs of others that he's willing to forgo lawful liberties in order to minister to other people's need. Talk about servanthood.

The great test, beloved, of the depth of our piety. Mark it down. The great test of the depth of our piety is not primarily what we do with that which God clearly labels sin. Let me say that again. The great test of the depth of our piety is not primarily what we do with that which God clearly labels as sin. If by the grace of God you avoid corrupt communication, by the grace of God you avoid sinful anger and wrath and bitterness and clamor and evil speaking, as we read in Ephesians, that's not too much of a test of the depth of your Christian life and mind. The real test is this. How many lawful, legitimate privileges are you willing to forgo as a believer for the sake of others? Self-denial. Not denial of sin, that's Christian duty, but self-denial.

Now Paul could have retained Timothy with him. He could have reasoned, well, I'm an apostle of the Lord Jesus Christ and I'm in great need for support and companionship in the service of Christ and Timothy is God sent and he is so desperately needed here in Corinth, but he said, it is, it was my pleasure, I was well pleased, it was my delight to send Timothy unto you. Why? Because of Paul's love for them, his tender affection, his care for their welfare.

Having considered what prompted him to send Timothy and the attitude with which he sent him, consider with me in the third place what he says about this man, Timothy, whom he sent. Verse two: "We sent Timothy, our brother and God's fellow worker in the gospel of Christ." I love this. He calls Timothy two distinct things. He calls him a brother, and now watch the words, "God's fellow worker." Wow, isn't that amazing? A co-laborer with God.

In Philippians 2, he says he's my kindred spirit who served with me in the furtherance of the gospel. In another place, 1 Timothy 1:2, he says of Timothy, my son in the faith, and here he calls him a brother. I think the apostle's indicating here, though there's a place of rank in terms of respect and authority—Paul was an apostle, Timothy was an apostle's helper, Paul was the aged, experienced man of God. Timothy, Timothy the young, younger fledgling minister—yet all of this, when we regard the perspective with which we see our standing in Christ, utterly breaks down, and he saw Timothy as his brother in the Lord Jesus Christ, sharing common life, common standing in the family of God.

And so he calls him his son, his brother in the gospel, and then he uses a very unique term, used only one other place, clearly in the sense, God's fellow worker in the gospel of Christ. This term fellow worker, or co-worker with, is the Greek word. It's together with. It's used many times of Paul's companions, the fact that they are laboring together in the gospel. But in 1 Corinthians 3:9 and in this particular passage here, our text, the servant of God is called one whom God employs as His assistant, a fellow worker with God.

What a privilege! Frail creatures of the dust, imperfect creatures, vessels of clay, marred fellow workers with God. That's the picture of Christian work. The most exalted, lofty concept of Christian work is a man laboring alongside of God. He's not just out doing something in the name of God, but he knows where God is at work. He's sensitive to that which God is doing. He's discovered it from Holy Scripture. He's sensitive to it by the indwelling Spirit and throws himself in that direction in which God is going, and he gives himself to the work of God. He goes in the same direction and he follows and he does the work of God.

If we had that concept, so much of the so-called Christian work would cease today because it cannot be God's work, because God's work is determined by God's Word. And people employing methods and evangelism techniques, they say, well, we believe God has led us to this. The question that ought to be asked and answered: how? By His holy Word. This is how He works. God's work determined by God's Word. It's not determined, regulated by man's opinion or feeling or sentiment; it is by God's Word, so it can be done God's way, in God's name, for God's glory. A co-laborer with God, laboring in the area of concern of God, laboring under the direction of God.

Now, fourthly, consider, in the next place, the express reason for which he sent Timothy. The express reason for which he sent Timothy. We find what caused him to send him: his godly concern. We find his attitude in sending him. He was delighted to do it, even though it meant self-denial. The person he sends, he's convinced, is a true brother and one who is a co-laborer with God. Now, the question is, what was his purpose? What was his purpose? Why send Timothy, who could be with Paul down at Corinth, evangelizing—why send him back to a place where a church is already established? Hasn't Thessaloniki been evangelized enough? And didn't he say, in chapter one, that from you, the Word of God has been out into all that region? I mean, isn't this sort of duplication to send the servant of God back to that area? It's already had the gospel, the gospel had been successful, why send him? The message and the ministry is going on wonderfully. Their faith is being strengthened. I mean, the report of them extended into that whole region. What's the purpose in sending him back?

He tells us. He tells us here. And in the original, it's very forceful. Two distinct purposes. Two distinct purposes. Look at verse two: "And we sent Timothy, our brother and God's fellow worker in the gospel of Christ"—here it is—"to strengthen and encourage you as to your faith," verse three, "so that no one would be shaken by these afflictions, for you yourselves know that we have been destined for this," down verse five, "For this reason, when I could endure it no longer, I also sent to know about your faith, lest somehow the tempter has tempted you, and our labor be in vain."

Two reasons for sending Timothy. Verse two, I sent him to strengthen and encourage you as to your faith. Verse five, I also sent to know about your faith. You see them? Now, it's interesting, isn't it, that his purpose focused upon this matter of the faith of the Thessalonians. On the one hand, he sent Timothy to strengthen them as to their faith, on the other hand, to know the state of their faith. You see it?

Now, let's consider those things in that order as we find them in our text. What does this word strengthen—*styrizo* is the Greek word, strengthen translated—mean? Literally, to set fast, to fix firmly, establish permanently, to stand fixed. It's the word used in Luke 9:51. It's an interesting verse, and I think will help us to sense the meaning of the word. In Luke 9:51, we read, "It happened that when the days for Him, Christ, to be taken up were soon to be fulfilled, He—*styrizo*—He set His face to go to Jerusalem." We often quote, He set His face like a flint toward Jerusalem. He steadfastly set His face, firmly fixed His face to go to Jerusalem—that's the same word used. He firmly set His face, His face was in that direction and nothing was gonna make Him look to the left or to the right.

Now, His face was firmly set, but using this word here, now His face, even though it was in that direction, now as it were, He set it rigidly in that direction of Jerusalem. It's the word used in Revelation 3:2. Translated, "strengthen the things that remain." It's translated there, "strengthen the things that remain." And it has the whole idea that something is established and it needs to be established now with greater firmness. Something is put in a given direction and it needs to be fixed in that direction. Something is already screwed up tight, just turn it another quarter and make sure it will never come loose. That's the idea. It's the whole idea that the thing is right, now just case it in its rightness, firmly. Well, that's the whole connotation of this word.

You Thessalonians, my beloved Thessalonians, your faith is genuine. He'd already said that in chapter one. It's been spoken of throughout the area of the Roman Empire, but not only do I want it set right, I want it to be kept set and established in that proper perspective, immovable, unshakable. So faith was present, but it must be strengthened.

Now, in 2 Thessalonians 3:3, it's obvious that it's God alone who does the confirming, right? Absolutely. We read there, 2 Thessalonians 3:3, "But the Lord is faithful, who will strengthen"—same word, *sterizo*, same word—"who will confirm you, who will settle you and guard you from the evil one." But though God alone can settle men and women in their faith with that settledness from which they cannot be moved, God uses human instruments as well. And so he says, I sent Timothy for this express purpose, to strengthen you as to your faith, and then he says, and to encourage you—*parakaleo*. The general word translated sometimes exhort, console, comfort. It has that broad sense of admonishing where necessary also, also tenderly applying the promises where necessary.

And so we have that first purpose mentioned in verse two, then in verse five he says, I sent to know about your faith, that is, to know whether or not it was enduring. It was enduring. To know its strength, lest somehow the tempter has tempted you and our labor be in vain. He said, I was anxious to know whether or not my investment of labor was bringing dividends. Just like people who've invested in a certain company, they check the stock reports to see if they're getting dividends from their investment. Paul is anxious to know that this is the case here. Paul has invested many hours, many tears, much labor in the Thessalonians to the glory of God, and now he wants to know whether or not that investment has come to naught. He sends to know about their faith, lest they have moved off from the position of stability and steadfastness.

Having considered these basic factors, beloved, regarding the text, we come now to what are some of the basic lessons of this portion of Scripture.

And I'm going to mention only one tonight with our remaining time. We'll pick it up next Lord's Day. I don't want to rush this. And I was wrestling to know just where to begin. And I trust that I'm beginning where I ought to because the Lord alone knows who is there on any given day. And my prayer has been, Lord, out of Your knowledge of who's going to be here tonight and who needs what more today, Lord guide. And I trust the Lord has done that.

And so we'll have time this evening, at least just for one of the lessons really. But the overarching lesson that I want to focus on is this: the lesson concerning the purpose and place of affliction in the life of a child of God. The purpose and place of affliction in the life of a child of God. You will notice, beloved, that the whole climate of this passage is one in which the apostle's concern was directly related to the afflictions that these people were experiencing.

Just look at the text and let your eye go there and see. Look at verse three: "so that no one would be shaken by these afflictions." Verse four: "For indeed when we were with you, we kept telling you in advance that we were going to suffer affliction, just as it happened and as you know." Verse seven: "For this reason, brothers, in all our distress and affliction, we were comforted about your faith, about you through your faith." Here we have a context in which the people of God are experiencing what? Affliction.

This word affliction—we've come across this word, we're familiar with this word—*thlipsis*. It's used in verse three, verse four, speaks of pressures. To squeeze, to pressure, to crush, like the grape that goes into pressure, crushed in order to produce the wine. This is the picture of pressures that come upon the people of God. Those pressures could be persecution. Much of the pressure for the Thessalonians was open persecution. It could be particular trials, it could be physical ills, it could be financial problems. Anything that comes under the general heading of that which puts pressure on the saints, that's *thlipsis*.

Now what do we learn from this passage about the biblical doctrine of affliction? Number one—number one—we learn, we learn first of all, the certainty of affliction in the life of the child of God. The certainty of affliction in the life of the child of God. Notice Paul's words in verses three and four: "so that no one would be shaken by these afflictions, for you yourselves know that we have been"—what?—"destined for this. For indeed when we were with you, we kept telling you in advance"—this is not the health and wealth gospel, He told them right up front—"that we were going to suffer affliction, just as it happened and as you know."

And the first thing you and I must know, if we're to think biblically about this whole matter of affliction, whether it comes through persecution, whether it comes through difficulties, whether it comes through trials and testings, physical, financial, relational—you can just fill up barrel, the barrel with anything that comes under that heading—face it, they are certain for the child of God. For this word is a very strong word, translated "destined. We have been *keimai*, destined, literally to be set. We have been set for this. It's the word, same word used in the prophecy concerning Christ in Luke 2 and verse 34, where Simeon says of Christ, "Behold, this Child is"—what?—here, same word—"is set, destined, appointed for the fall and rise of many in Israel." And Paul says in Philippians 1:16, "I am appointed, I am set for the defense of the gospel."

Now, just as surely the Lord, as the Lord Jesus was appointed by the Father to be the occasion of the falling and rising of many in Israel, and just as the apostle Paul was saved and set apart and appointed, set for the defense of the gospel, Paul says the children of God are destined, set, appointed for affliction in this life.

Now, once you get that settled in your mind, then you realize, well, I better not spend my life trying somehow to be fighting with God, wrestling with God concerning affliction. I better rather set myself to learn what is the purpose of God in affliction, for if He appoints it, He doesn't appoint it capriciously, but He appoints it with purpose.

Is it true with regards to affliction and tribulation generally when they come into our lives? I mean, the first thing we do is cry out, "Oh God, remove the affliction." The first chance we get, we usually turn to the people of God and ask them to pray that the Lord will take the affliction away. Paul says, look, you're marked out for it. You just better let that sink in and learn what to do with it, because when God appoints you for it, all the praying in the world isn't gonna get you out of it until it accomplishes its purpose. And that's the first thing we must establish.

In fact, Paul apparently made this a vital part of his ministry. He says to these young believers in verse four, "For indeed, when we were with you, we kept telling you in advance that we were going to suffer affliction." He made that part of his gospel, that to embrace the Lord Jesus Christ and to set out in the path of progressive sanctification is to welcome all that the Father appoints in the way of affliction that will help me onward in that process.

In Acts 14, verse 22, lest they didn't get the message the first time around, when he goes back and revisits all the young churches, notice what his subject matter is. Verse 21, "And after they had proclaimed the gospel to that city and had made many disciples, they returned to Lystra and to Iconium and to Antioch," verse 22, "strengthening the souls of the disciples, encouraging them to continue in the faith, and saying, 'Through many flipsies, afflictions we must enter the kingdom of God.'" Of course, of course we pray, and we cry out to God to help us and to remove the affliction. But let us not, in doing that, eclipse the marvelous, the important purpose of God through the affliction to sanctify us, to refine us, to strengthen us, and to make us more like Jesus, and an opportunity to glorify Him.

The troubles of life are God's tools to refine our character and to produce in us true Christian maturity. The troubles of life, beloved, are God's tools to make us what He wants us to be. I'm sure you remember, still with me, George Matheson, 19th century Scottish preacher. That wonderful hymn that we sing from time to time, "'Oh, love that will not let me go,' suffering under its extreme distress. I thought it fitting to just remind us of him tonight. This hymn was the fruit of pain.

"'Oh, love that will not let me go, I rest my weary soul in Thee. I give Thee back the life I owe that in Thine ocean depths its flow may richer, fuller be. Oh, joy that seekest me through pain, I cannot close my heart to Thee. I trace the rainbow through the rain and feel the promise is not vain, that morn shall tearless be.'"

In his late teens, he began to lose his eyesight. You know the story. Was blind at 20. Went through the process of losing his eyesight. As any of us would, he struggled greatly with the reality that God in His providence was permitting this to happen in his life and he wrestled with it. He couldn't understand it and it was very painful. Until the Lord gave him grace and really refined him to the point where he was able to pray this prayer that comes to us and I pray it's an encouragement to your heart.

He writes, Dear God, I have never thanked You for my thorns. I have thanked You a thousand times for my roses, but never once for my thorns. Teach me the glory of the cross I bear. Teach me the value of my thorns.

And I want to conclude this evening with an article. I'm going to read a portion of an article that I came across this week and I was debating whether to do that or not, but I see it fitting and I'm going to close with this. Listen to what this author writes:

"There comes a moment after walking through grief, suffering, confusion, or long seasons of waiting when we begin to realize that something in us has changed. The circumstances may not be fully resolved. The sorrow may not be entirely gone. The questions may not all be answered. And yet, by the grace of God, we are not the same people we were when the valley first began. This is one of the quiet mercies of the Christian life. The Lord does not merely bring His people through suffering. He also meets them in it, sustains them beneath it, and uses it to deepen their trust in Him. We may not have all the answers. We arrive instead at something firmer and far better, a renewed confidence in the God who is faithful in the darkest places, and who never wastes the pain of His people.

"One of the greatest temptations in suffering is to believe that it is meaningless. In the moment of grief, it can feel as though pain has no purpose, loss has no reason, and waiting has no end. The valley can seem empty of meaning and full only of confusion. Yet, Scripture repeatedly calls us to a different conclusion. The Word of God teaches us that the Lord is never absent from the afflictions of His people, and never careless with their tears. What feels to us like unraveling is often in the hands of God a work of sanctifying grace.

"And then he concludes with this. Romans 8:28 reminds us, 'And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, to those who are called according to His purpose.' That promise is not shallow optimism, nor is it a denial of real pain. It is a declaration of divine sovereignty. God is at work in all things, including the things we would never choose for ourselves. He is at work in sorrow, in disappointment, in weakness, in mourning, and in the long ache of unanswered questions. The valley does not fall outside His rule. The suffering of His people is not beyond His reach. Even when His purposes are hidden from us, His character remains sure."

Amen, let's pray.

This is a transcript. It may contain small inaccuracies.

Last week we began to consider some lessons in this passage about servanthood, about serving. And we began with the recognition that the one who is our model for servanthood is none other than the Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus is our Teacher and Lord, and He is the one who is our example in the service that we ought to render to God and that is acceptable to God.

And so we said, you remember, if we're going to understand servanthood, first we must understand the Teacher. We must behold the Savior of the basin and the towel. We must take a look at the Teacher, and that's where we began. Verse 13: "You call Me Teacher and Lord; and you are right, for so I am. If I then, the Lord and the Teacher, washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's feet." So before He points to His service, He points to Himself. He points to who He is and reminds them that they have rightly recognized and acknowledged who He is. And He's the one who's serving, the very God of very God, God incarnate, the one who sent from God, going back to God, the one entrusted with all authority and power. He's the one who's serving.

And so we said that in this there are a couple of lessons. One, this is all by way of reminder, to have a servant's mindset is not demeaning. It is not demeaning. This was not demeaning to the Son of God. This was not in any way less than beautiful and glorious in the sight of the Father. This was not demeaning. And second, we said to have a servant's mindset is to demonstrate great dignity. This was actually something beautiful. It was glorious. It was virtuous.

And we asked the question, well, how is it that being a servant in the biblical sense, how is that beautiful? How is that glorious? How is that virtuous? And we said there are at least five reasons that we see because true servanthood demonstrates faith. The only reason we would assume the role of a biblical servant is because we believe what God tells us, that this is what He wants from us. And this is what pleases Him. This is, in fact, it's what glorifies Him. And we believe Him when He says it.

And we saw also that true servanthood demonstrates humility. It demonstrates humility. You have to stoop to serve. Proud people don't serve. Proud people don't serve. If we're going to learn service, we're learning humility. Third, true servanthood demonstrates love. Christ served these men here loving them. It was to teach them lessons. He loved them to the end. And so our service, if it is a true service, it is flowing out of love, not merely an obligation, not out of a mere duty. It's not because we're hired to do it. Love always goes beyond hired help. True service flows out of love.

And then true servanthood also, we saw, demonstrates what? Joy. We said if our service is true and right, then we're not grumbling about it. We're not murmuring about it. We're not complaining about it. We're not making someone feel terrible that we're serving them. Well, we do it willingly, joyfully, thankfully. We count it to be our privilege. We count it to be a blessing to us.

And fifth, true servanthood demonstrates what? Holiness. It demonstrates holiness. We talked about how God actually uses this to mortify the deeds of the flesh in our lives. To really serve, we have to deal with our sin, right? How so? Well, selfishness, wrong motives, wrong attitudes towards people, trusting in ourselves to advance our cause instead of just serving and putting our case in the hands of God. So it deals with our sinfulness. So in order to understand service, we must understand the Teacher. That's where we focused last Lord's Day.

Today I want us to begin with the second heading that's found in verses 14 and 15. We must understand the lesson. We must understand the lesson. We need to understand the lesson. We looked at the teacher, now the lesson. What's the lesson? Look at verse 14 and 15. "If I then, if I then,” – he says, – “the Lord,” – the Kyrios, – “and the teacher, washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's feet. For I gave you an example that you should do as I did to you." There's the lesson.

You see, the lesson—and we need to grasp this—the lesson is not about foot washing. Don't make that mistake. The lesson is not about foot washing. Some have taken these verses that way. They've turned it into another ordinance. In fact, it's even more clear in the Greek text. Jesus says, you also do as, as, not what. Do as I did, not what I did. That's not what the lesson was. It wasn't about foot washing. The washing of their feet was simply the opportunity to teach the lesson, but it's just one way that they could have served one another.

What they learned in the foot washing was to be a model for the rest of their service. That's why Jesus could speak in terms of them going on washing one another's feet, that they ought to do this as He did. So He's not just talking about, listen from here on out, what you're about to do, what you need to do is just to wash each other's feet. That's not what He's saying. That's not the lesson. The lesson is you are to serve one another, and this is just an example of it.

The lesson is about serving. It's about serving. Galatians 5:13, it says, "For you were called to freedom, brothers; only do not turn your freedom into an opportunity for the flesh,” – and here it is, – “but through love serve one another." Through love serve one another. There it is. Serve one another. That's the lesson.

And Paul, describing the evangelistic work and what he would do, what he would give up in the way of his freedoms in order to teach people, 1 Corinthians 9:19, he says, "For though I am free from all, I have made myself a slave to all, so that I may win more." So this is the lesson. We are to be servants compelled, constrained by what? Love. Love.

And as we look at all that the Word of God has to say, all that the New Testament has to say about service, there are a few things that I want to point out today about this simple lesson that you and I ought to really learn and grow and cultivate in our lives, that we're to be serving one another. That's a lesson, that we're to be engaged in service, born out of love. A few things that I want us to really bear in mind as we learn this lesson of servanthood.

First of all, we need to remember, beloved, that all of our service, all of our service, if it is right, if it is noble, if it is pleasing to the Lord, all of it is service to God. Mark it down, all of it. If it is right, it is service to God. Ultimately, all of the believer's service is service offered to God. Now right away, if we recognize that, I think it would really change the nature of what we do, dramatically. It would change the way that we do things. If we would just stop at the outset and remind ourselves, I am doing this for God. I am doing this unto the Lord. Whatever it is that you're doing, I'm doing this unto the Lord to remind myself of this.

Romans 12:11 saying, "not lagging behind in diligence, being fervent in spirit,” – here it is, – “serving the Lord." The Lord. And right away, we recognize something that's often missing in this service: diligence. Romans 12:11, "not lagging behind in diligence." ‘Spoudē’ is the Greek word: earnestness, eagerness. You could translate it as zeal, diligence, earnestness, eagerness, zeal.

He says, not lagging behind, lagging behind. ‘Oknēroi’, not lagging behind in diligence, slothfulness, this word lagging behind, slothfulness in earnestness, in zeal. There shouldn't be this lagging behind. Sadly, many times there's no zeal, there's no fervency of spirit. I mean, if you stopped and reminded yourself that what you're doing, you're doing for God, wouldn't there be fervency in it? Wouldn't there be zeal in it? This is for the Lord of glory. This is for my Master, my Savior.

Do you think the Lord is worthy of more than half-hearted efforts? Half-hearted efforts? What do you think? He is, isn't He? He is. Isn't He worthy of whole-hearted effort? Every fiber of my being, all of me. So when you're not whole-hearted in our service, when we're not whole-hearted in our service, then we're not doing it for God. We're not doing it for God. And by the way, I'm not talking about just what we do at church. Wherever we serve in whatever realm as believers, our service is being offered. We're doing it as unto the Lord.

And young people in this place, when you're called up upon around your house by your parents to carry out some duty, to serve in some way, you need to stop and remind yourself that though your parents have instructed you to do it, you're doing it unto the Lord. And it would change the way you do things. And by way of extension, you can really bring about the application as a wife serves her husband, as a husband serves his wife, as we serve at our workplace. And when you go to work every day, beloved, realize, stop and remind yourself before your day gets started, this service is unto the Lord. I live and move before an audience of one. Do it with diligence. Do it with fervency. Do it with zeal. Because He's worthy.

2 Corinthians 6:3, Paul again describing the ministry that he says, "giving no cause for offense in anything, so that the ministry will not be discredited." Verse 4, "but in everything commending ourselves as ministers of God, in much perseverance, in afflictions, in distresses, in hardships." He goes on with a whole list of stuff that they endured. But you notice how he considers their service, him and his fellow companions, he says, ourselves as what? Ministers. And the Greek word is ‘diakonoi*, deacons, deacons of God, servants of God.

Ephesians 6:5, "Slaves, be obedient to those who are your masters according to the flesh, with fear and trembling, in the integrity of your heart.” – And here it is, – “as to Christ." As to Christ. Wow. God says, I want you to respond to your earthly masters the way you would the Lord. Verse 6 there in Ephesians 6, "not by way of eyeservice, as men pleaser.” – It's not just when they're watching as people pleasers. No, no. – “but as slaves of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart, serving with goodwill as to the Lord and not to men, knowing that whatever good thing each one does, this he will receive back from the Lord, whether slave or free."

No doubt slaves addressed here in Ephesians 6 were at a disadvantage, but there was one way that they were reminded right there in Ephesians that they have no disadvantage whatsoever. Whatever anyone does that is good, that is God-honoring, he's going to receive it back from the Lord, whether he's slave or whether he's free. God sees. God honors those who honor Him.

And I want you to know that you may be the lowest guy or girl on that pole, wherever you're serving. You may be the least of the least at your job, wherever you're at, but there's one way you're not disadvantaged. You do what is good in the sight of the Lord and you will receive it back. You will receive it back from Christ.It doesn't matter whether you're in a leadership position or in a servant's position, the Lord rewards what we do in His name for His glory.

So he says, obey your earthly masters as you would Christ. Don't be someone who just works when the eye is upon you. Don't do what you do as a people pleaser, but as a servant of Christ, and you do the will of God from your heart. Render your service with goodwill as to the Lord—as to the Lord, as to the Lord.

So the first thing you need to be, we need to be reminded of is, I need to be reminded of, and all of us need to be reminded of, is our service is service to God. Our service is service to God. Second, our service is in Christ. It is service in Christ. Ultimately, all of our service is as what? A slave of Christ, a bond servant of Christ, of the One who loved us and gave Himself for us. And as we're told in the New Testament, we do not belong to ourselves. You don't belong to you. I don't belong to me. We have been blood bought. We belong to God. We belong to God in the Lord Jesus Christ. We are slaves of the Lord Jesus Christ. We don't belong to us. We belong to Him. And so our service as Christians is offered in Christ.

1 Corinthians 4:1: "Let a man consider us in this manner, as servants of Christ,” –as servants of Christ– “and stewards of the mysteries of God." There he's talking, of course, of the ministry of the Word, but he says, I want you to think of us as servants of Jesus, servants of Christ, and people who've been given a stewardship to handle the Word of God entrusted to us.

Third, we need to think of our service as service together with our brothers and sisters. We need to think of our service as service together with our brothers and sisters in the body of Christ. Service together with our brothers and sisters. We should never imagine that we serve alone. Never. Never ever. We don't. And we should be grateful to God for our fellow servants.

This is something that you recognize in the New Testament epistles, how often Paul was careful to give thanks to God for those who labored with him, his associates, his companions in ministry. Even the way the scripture describes believers, many times we're described as what? Fellow slaves. Fellow slaves. Just give you a couple of examples.

Revelation 6:11: "And a white robe was given to each one of them; and it was told to them that they should rest for a little while longer, until the number of,” –here it is, their fellow slaves, – “their fellow slaves, and their brothers who were to be killed even as they had been, would be completed also." Martyrs in heaven told to be patient, rest until their fellow slaves and their brothers who were to be killed until that had been fulfilled.

Colossians 4:7: "Tychicus, our beloved brother and faithful servant” – and here it is, – “fellow slave in the Lord, will make known to you all my affairs.” Colossians 1:7: "Just as you learned it from Epaphras, our beloved fellow slave, who is a faithful servant of Christ on our behalf."
Romans 16:1: "Now I commend to you our sister Phoebe, who is a servant of the church which is at Cenchrea." And so in all those verses, what is he doing? He's recognizing fellow slaves, fellow servants, and in the book of Revelation, believers are described as fellow slaves. Revelation 22:9.

And so we serve God, we serve Christ, but we should never imagine that we serve alone. The church is not the place for lone rangers. The church is not a place for people to imagine that they are the only ones. Thank God for you, all of you. Thank God for fellow brothers and sisters, fellow servants. Thank God for fellow slaves. Thank God that we get to serve the Lord together. Isn't that wonderful? Isn't that a joy that we get to serve the Lord together as the family of God? And we have brothers and sisters throughout the world who are also serving the Lord at the same time, and we all serve the Lord together.

Fourth, as we think about our service, we need to recognize that our service can be in practical matters, in practical matters. The Lord Jesus used the washing of feet as His example. We see service, for example, in Acts chapter six, as it is related to the meeting of the needs of widows. And there we read about the need to wait tables and to make sure that the widows were taken care of. That was very, very practical, wasn't it?

We can serve the Lord in practical ways. We can serve the Lord cooking meals. We can serve the Lord mowing someone's lawn. We can serve the Lord and serve others by fixing someone's house or cleaning someone's house, and the list goes on and on. We have something like this under the mercy ministry. Practical ways—it can happen in practical ways. This is why serving, in some of these gift lists, serving can be set opposite to teaching, just to bring that distinction. You have the teaching of the Word of God, but then you have the gift of service.

Romans 12:6, for example: "but having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us: whether prophecy, in agreement with the faith; or service, in his serving; or he who teaches, in his teaching." So service is set out there as something separate. But I will say this, though, for even the serving gift to be used in a way that glorifies God, it is never in isolation from the gospel. Mark it down. Don't forget that.

That is not to say that we're always teaching whenever we're serving, but it is to say that just serving without sharing the gospel, ultimately, if that's all the church did, that is not Christian service. And so when people get involved in what is called the social gospel, they're out there, perhaps, building houses and doing things in the name of Christ, but they never, ever, ever take time to share the gospel. That is not the Christian service that the New Testament ever envisions.

But it is to say that as teaching is going on from the church, at the same time, there are those who have gifts within the church that can be used in a very practical way to demonstrate the love of Christ and be used by God to help others, and that is important. Service can be in practical matters.

Fifth, service can be in spiritual matters. Do you think of teaching as service? Well, the Bible does. 1 Corinthians 3:5: "What then is Apollos? And what is Paul?” –He answers, – “Servants through whom you believed, even as the Lord gave to each one." What was Apollos? Well, he was a preacher. What was Paul? Well, he was a preacher, but they were described here as what? Servants. Servants. What were they doing as they preached the word of God? They were serving.

Turn to 1 Peter 1. He puts this so clearly. 1 Peter 1, speaking of the Old Testament prophets, beginning with verse 10. 1 Peter 1:10: "Concerning this salvation, the prophets, who prophesied of the grace that would come to you, made careful searches and inquiries, inquiring to know what time or what kind of time the Spirit of Christ within them was indicating as He was predicting the sufferings of Christ and the glories to follow." Let me pause here for a minute. Here are these men, the Holy Spirit working in them. They are recording prophecies that they don't fully understand, but they recognize there are the sufferings of Christ and the subsequent glories.

Verse 12: "It was revealed to them that they were not serving themselves, but you, in these things which now have been declared to you through those who proclaimed the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven—things into which angels long to look." What were these prophets doing? Well, Peter tells us they were serving not themselves. He says they were serving you. They were serving us, serving God by serving us as the Lord gave them the truth that was now being proclaimed through those who preach the good news by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven.

1 Timothy 4. Paul puts Timothy's work as a minister in the light of servanthood. 1 Timothy 4:6: "In pointing out these things to the brothers, you will be a good servant of Christ Jesus, being nourished on the words of the faith and the sound doctrine which you have been following." So service is not just waiting on table or putting a roof on a house or cleaning someone's house or cooking a meal for someone in need. When someone is faithful, called by God, gifted by God, faithful to teach the word of God, that is also service. They're serving Christ.

And the sixth thing we need to recognize about our service is that it is to be done in the ability that God gives. It is to be done in the ability, in the strength, the enablement that God gives. True service is done in the ability that the Lord gives. You see, God gives giftedness for service. When the Lord saved you, He gave you His Holy Spirit, and at the same time, if you're a child of God, every single one of us received a spiritual gift.

Now, today I'm not gonna get into spiritual gifts, but I will say this. Every believer has a gift, singular. Singular. I don't think it's accurate to say that we have gifts. We have a gift, but that gift is manifold in terms of grace, many-colored. If you were to take all the lists of gifts in the New Testament, you could compare it to a painter's palette, many different colors, and what God has done in each one of our cases is He's taken elements from teaching, serving. He's taking elements of that, and He's mixed it together in a unique ability for service that each one of us has been given.

No two of us are alike. You don't find duplicates. We are each unique. We're each different. Each one of us, though gifted to serve the Lord, to serve His church, and that's what we use in ministry. 1 Peter 4:10. 1 Peter 4. Actually, turn with me there. It demonstrates what I'm talking about. It says this. 1 Peter 4:10: "As each one has received” – singular, right, a gift, – “a gift, employ it in serving one another as good stewards.” We're to be a steward of this gift as good stewards. And now watch this; “of the manifold grace of God." And that word manifold is ‘poikilēs’, means many-colored, various, multicolored.

And so we've each received a gift, and that gift we're to be good steward of, and what we're being a steward of is something that demonstrates God's multifaceted, multicolored grace. And so He gives giftedness for service, but not only does He give giftedness for service, He gives also ability. He gives strength. He gives enablement. As we are led by the Spirit, and we are filled by the Spirit, there's the power from God, that strength from God, that enablement from the Spirit of God within which we operate in that giftedness.

Look at verse 11, the very next verse: "whoever speaks, as one speaking the oracles of God; whoever serves, as one serving by the strength which God supplies; so that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belong the glory and the might forever and ever. Amen." So God has given to each believer a gift. It is multifaceted, multicolored, and we're to carry it out as ambassadors of the Lord Jesus Christ. If we speak the oracles of God, if we serve, we serve with the strength that God supplies, and the goal of all of the usage of the gift, this giftedness, is that in everything God may be what? Glorified through Jesus Christ to whom belong the glory and might forever and ever. And God's people say? Amen.

And so our service is to God. Our service is in Christ. Our service is together with our brothers and sisters. Our service can be in practical matters. Our service can be in spiritual matters. But when we're serving, wherever we're serving, it is to be with the ability, the strength that God supplies, the gifts that He's given us in the power of the Holy Spirit.

Number seven. You always have to have a complete number, right? So number seven. The seventh thing we could say about this service that we're to offer: it must be in the right spirit. It must be in the right spirit. We must be filled by the Holy Spirit. And if we are, then our service rendered will be offered in the right spirit, in the right attitude.

And when you take all these verses together that we looked at and examine them, there are several attitudes really that stand out. Here they are. This is not a comprehensive list, but just a sample. There are several attitudes that stand out. Humility. Zeal. Diligence. And I wanna pause on zeal for just a couple of seconds or a few seconds, because it really grieves me about myself at times. Zeal. And it grieves me about all of us at times that we aren't more zealous than we are. There's nothing God honoring in lukewarmness. Nothing. Nothing. If the Lord God is the Lord, and He is, then let's serve Him with zeal. Let's not serve Him half-heartedly. Let's serve Him with all that we are.

Humility. Zeal. Steadfastness emerges as well. We're to persevere in our service, not when it gets tough or demanding and we just bail out. We're to be steadfast in it. Here's another one. Prayerfulness. Prayerfulness. You just don't go serve the Lord. You go serve the Lord in the atmosphere of prayer. In the climate of prayer. Trusting in the Lord as you serve. Knowing your desperate need for God to serve—to do it. His enablement in order to serve Him effectively.
We're to do it for God's glory. We're to serve Him out of love. We're to serve Him with joy. That's why it was the engine room of Spurgeon's Church, the prayer meeting. All these attitudes and more are seen in these passages that deal with our service.

Listen, for example, to Romans 12:10. Romans 12:9: "Let love be without hypocrisy– by abhorring what is evil, clinging to what is good, being devoted to one another in brotherly love, giving preference to one another in honor.” I love this. One translation renders it, “outdo one another in giving honor, not lagging behind in diligence, being fervent in spirit, serving the Lord, rejoicing in hope, persevering in affliction, being devoted to prayer, contributing to the needs of the saints, pursuing hospitality.” Love is mentioned there. Honor is mentioned there. Zeal, translated diligence, is mentioned there, or being fervent in spirit. Rejoicing is mentioned there. Patience is mentioned there. Constancy in prayer and a sensitivity to, a compassion when it comes to the needs of others. All of this ought to be in our service, all of it.

So the lesson here is about serving. The teacher is the Lord Jesus Christ. The lesson is not foot washing. That's just the example. The lesson is spiritual foot washing. It is serving—serving, serving, serving the Lord, serving others. Serving. And now there's something else that we need to point out. The lesson here is about serving one another, isn't it? I'm gonna underscore that again. It's about serving one another. Look at verse 14 of John 13. “If I then, the Lord and the Teacher, washed your feet, you also ought to wash” – my feet, right, He says. Is that what the Lord Jesus said? That's not what He said.
He didn't say, "I served you, now you serve Me," though we do serve Him and ought to serve Him, but that's not the point that He's making in this text. He said, "I served you, now you serve each other. You serve one another. If I then, the Lord and the Teacher, washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's feet."

He stresses this, and I think for two reasons. One, this is one of the ways that we serve Him, by serving one another, right? It's one way we serve Him, but also, I believe, because this is where you and I struggle. This is where you and I struggle. We don't struggle so much with the thought of serving the ‘Kyrios’, the Lord, right? We know God is greater than we are, but the problem is, where we struggle is, sometimes it's serving our brothers and sisters, because we don't want to feel inferior to them, or maybe someone rubs us the wrong way.

Again, this gets to our mindset about servanthood, doesn't it? It gets to what we talked about last week. It even gets to what the disciples were experiencing here. Why had not anybody got up and washed feet? Because no one wanted to be viewed as inferior. They were arguing, remember, who's the greatest? If we're going to serve each other, as our Lord has told us to, there's got to be a change in our thinking about the importance, about importance and about greatness. There has to be a change in our mindset concerning importance and greatness.

Let me give us from the New Testament a few things that figure into the right thinking, how our mind ought to be shifted, how we view importance and greatness. First of all, if we're going to serve one another, we have to recognize that whatever it is we have, we have received it from God. Whatever it is that we have, we must keep this at the forefront of our mind. We've received it from God. Whatever it is you have, beloved, whatever it is you have in the way of giftedness, whatever it is that you have in the way of resources, whatever it is that you have in the way of natural ability, mark it down, you received it from the Lord.

In other words, there's nothing—there's nothing—for you or I to glory in. "Who regards you as superior?” – 1 Corinthians 4:7 – “What do you have that you did not receive? And if you did receive it, why do you boast as if you had not received it?" The first part of the statement, he says, you who think you're great, you're so great, but even if you think you're great, I want to ask you, where did you get it from? Where did you get it from? What do you have? Name one thing, one thing you have that God did not give it to you. What did you do to earn it? What did you do to earn it? What did you do to bring it about?

Some perhaps were born with great natural intelligence, superior intelligence. Well, some of us don't have that. But now before you go on boasting in your intelligence, I want to ask you this morning, what did you do to get that? Can you tell us? Some of us would like to know. How did you manage to get that great intelligence? Well, let me tell you, you didn't do that yourself, did you? God gave you that. Now, do you think that was to be used for your glory, or that was to be used for His glory?

Some may be born into a situation where you've never known what it is to struggle financially. You've never known what it is to really be without. And maybe even there's that temptation to glory in what you have, or what your dad had, or has, or possessed, or your name, or your position, or your background. So I wanna ask you this morning, what did you do to earn that? What did you do to bring it about? You say, you don't know, I worked very, very hard. Wonderful. Well, who gave you the ability to work hard? Who gave you the health that you have? Who gave you the opportunities that you were given? The open doors, the help, and so on? Do you not realize, if we look around this room here, isn't it true that God can reduce anybody in a moment? What do you have that you didn't receive? And why do you boast as if you didn't receive it? Whatever we have, beloved, to have a right mindset, we've got to recognize whatever we have, we received it from God.

Second, whatever we receive is for the glory of God, and listen carefully, beloved, and for the good of His people, for the good of others. We read a moment ago, 1 Peter 4:10, "As each one has received a gift, employ it in serving one another as good stewards of the manifold grace of God." Why did God give spiritual gifts to the body of Christ? For service to each other, to benefit one another. God gave us these abilities to be used not for our own glory, but for His glory, and not for our own well-being, but for the well-being of others.

So we've got to recognize that, why did God give you the gift that He gave you? To use it for others. And third, the greatest blessing is not to be served, but to serve. The greatest blessing is not to be served, but to serve. Matthew 20:25: “Jesus called them to Himself and said, "You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great men exercise authority over them. It is not this way among you, but whoever wishes to become great among you shall be your servant, and whoever wishes to be first among you shall be your slave, just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many." And I think it's in that vein that we understand the verse that says we are to outdo one another in showing honor, we're to esteem our brothers and sisters more important than ourselves, and run for the opportunity to be the one who serves. The greatest blessing is not to be served, but to serve.

Fourth, we need to recognize if we're going to serve one another, we need to recognize that we have the blessing of serving God by serving His people. We have the blessing of serving God by serving His people. Or to say it another way, we have the blessing of serving God by serving those whom we love in the body of Christ, particularly, who do you serve, who do you get to serve? Think about that. Here in the family of God, who do you get to serve? You get to serve your brothers and sisters, blood-bought brothers and sisters. You get to serve people, people you love, right? Loved by God, loved by you.

And as we serve one another, we need to stop and realize we're serving the Lord Jesus. I said it a moment ago, this is one of the reasons why He stresses that we're to serve one another because this is service to Him. This is how we serve Him, by serving each other. You remember when Saul of Tarsus was persecuting the Lord's church? He stopped there, he was stopped on the road to Damascus. And how does Christ address him? Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting—what?—Me, not them, Me. Why are you persecuting Me? You see, to persecute the body of Christ, the church, is to persecute Christ.

And you remember that passage in Matthew 25:40: "And the King will answer and say to them, 'Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did it to one of these brothers of Mine, even the least of them, you did it to Me.'" I wonder how would it change the way we do service if every time we served another fellow believer, we saw Christ. Because if my service is as it ought to be, that's who I'm serving. I'm serving the Lord, I'm serving Jesus.

You know what, this ought to affect our home lives, shouldn't it, right? Brothers and sisters who claim to know Jesus, instead of fighting and arguing with each other, your brother, your sister, you ought to be serving one another. And as you serve one another, you need to see Jesus. You need to see Jesus. Because as you treat your brother, your sister, you're treating the Lord Jesus. If indeed you're in the Lord.

Philippians 2:3 says, "doing nothing from selfish ambition or vain glory, but with humility of mind regarding one another as more important than yourselves." And then a great example of this in practical terms is found in 1 Timothy 6:2: "But those who have believers as their masters must not be disrespectful to them because they are brothers, but must serve them all the more, because those who partake of the benefit are believers” – and listen to this, – “and beloved."  You see, he's my brother, I love him. God, what privilege You've given me. I'm not just anybody's slave in that context. I'm the slave to my brother, and now the service that I give to you, to this master, I'm getting to bless a brother whom I love dearly.

What a privilege that is. What a blessing. Those of you who work for believing bosses, what a blessing you have. Because you get to render your service and it benefits a brother in Christ whom you love. And it doesn't mean you serve less. Oh, we're, you know, we have spiritual siblingship. I can cut corners and put my feet—no, no, it doesn't mean you serve less. It means you serve more. It doesn't mean you disrespect them because they're your brothers in Christ or sister in Christ. It means you respect them more as unto the Lord. We have the blessing of serving God by serving those whom He loves and we love.

And fifth, therefore I must be sober if I'm going to rightly understand serving you and serving one another, I must be sober in my understanding of what God has for me to do. I want us to see something that really ties into this. This is very important. Keep your Bible marker where you are in John and turn with me to Romans 12. Now, this is where we're all tested in terms of our maturity. All we've been talking about today, God has given us everything that we have. It is to be used for His glory, for the good of our brothers and sisters. We don't glory in it. We glory in the Lord. We ought to be ready to serve. But realize this, realize this. There's service that is rendered in practical ways. There's service that is rendered in spiritual ways, and we're to serve according to the ability that God has given to each one of us.

This is where service is often misunderstood. Listen, beloved, service doesn't mean that we're all doing the same thing. Service doesn't mean that we all have the same role. A great example of this is found in Acts 6 where you have the apostles and you have this need. You remember ministering to the widows, taking care of those practical matters. And what did they say? It's not right that we should neglect the word and prayer. Pick for yourselves men who are full of the Holy Spirit, able to take care of this need. This is going to be their service while we go on with our service, preaching the word, ministering to the people of God through prayer. Was there anything wrong with these apostles? Something's wrong with them? They just didn't have a servant's heart, you know? I mean, if they had a servant's heart, they would have dropped the word and prayer and gone minister to people at those tables. No, no. We're all called to do different things. We're not all called to do the same thing.

Look at verse three, Romans 12: "For through the grace given to me I say to each one among you not to think more highly of himself than he ought to think; but to think so as to have sound thinking, as God has allotted to each a measure of faith." Now stop there for a moment. What is he talking about? We're to think soberly, rightly, accurately about ourselves according to the measure of faith that God has assigned to us.

Now, we need to understand something. He can't be talking about saving faith. We all have saving faith. What's he talking about? He's talking about the faith that works in conjunction with our giftedness. That is, I believe that what he's saying is—we're going to see in a moment—is that what God's calling us to do here is this. This is humility. This is right service. Recognize what God has made you for. Recognize what He's called you to do. Recognize what He's gifted you to do. And take your place in the body of Christ because we're not all the same. Some are hands, some are feet, some are toes, some are—you get the point. It's a body with many different members. We can't all be doing the same thing.

Look at verse four: "For just as we have many members in one body and all the members do not have the same function, so we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually members of one of another, but having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us:” – let us use them if: – “prophecy, in agreement with the faith; or service, in his serving; or he who teaches, in his teaching; or he who exhorts, in his exhortation; he who gives, with generosity; he who leads, with diligence; he who shows mercy, with cheerfulness. Let love be without hypocrisy—by abhorring what is evil, clinging to what is good, being devoted to one another in brotherly love, giving preference to one another in honor, not lagging behind in diligence, being fervent in the spirit, serving the Lord, rejoicing in hope, persevering in affliction, being devoted to prayer, contributing to the needs of the saints, pursuing hospitality."

Do you know what he's saying? We need all to all get busy serving with the gift that God has given to each and every one of us, not battling one another about who's going to be the greatest, but having a sober judgment about what God has made you for, and then taking your place in the body of Christ because we don't all have the same role. You say, doesn't this contribute to pride in one person? He says, well, this is what I'm made for. This is the role that God has given me.

The only way this could ever make us proud is if we forget everything else we've been talking about today. Who gave you what you have? The Lord. Whose glory is it for? His. How is it to be used? Not for yourself, but for one another. So whatever He gets you to do, you serve Him there. You serve Him there. Use it for the glory of God and for the good of your brothers and sisters, and love each other, and outdo each other in showing honor.

You see, the only way this gets twisted is if the attitudes are wrong, if the heart is wrong, and the only way the attitudes are wrong is if we're not walking with the Lord and close to Him every day. So the lesson is in service. The service is to one another, and in order to serve one another properly, we have to have the right mind. We have to remember all these things that we've talked about.

Well, there's a third thing that we must understand, and this will be in closing. We'll end here this morning. We understood the Teacher. We understood the lesson. We must understand the obligation, and we must understand the obedience, and that will be by way of application.
We must understand the obligation. Back to John 13. Can somebody here today opt out of this serving? You say, oh, well, this is well and good. I'm a believer, but I opt out. I decide to opt out, leave it to the experts. Notice the obligation. Verse 16, “Truly, truly” –this is our Lord speaking –”Truly, truly,” amen, amen. "Truly, truly, I say to you, a slave is not greater than his master, nor is one who is sent greater than the one who sent him."

Who is under obligation to serve? What's the answer? All of us believers, all of us. Anybody here greater than our Master? Anybody here greater than the One who sent Him? Then we're all obligated to serve Him with the ability that He has given to us.

In Philippians chapter two, you have that section that teaches us to operate in the mindset of our Savior. You take the whole section, you learn we're to be servant-minded in all that we do. He said we're not to do anything out of conceit, but everything with humility of mind, and we're to be servant-minded with respect to brothers and sisters in Christ. He says we're to consider others more important than ourselves, not just look out for our own interests. We're to be servant-minded with Christ as our example.

"Have this mind, this attitude in you, which was also in Christ Jesus." We're to be servant-minded in submission to and for His glory, for one day "every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father." That's the attitude with which we offer our service, even today.

So who is under obligation? All of us who really know the Lord Jesus, all of us. So we understand the Teacher, we understand the lesson, we understand the obligation, and we must understand the obedience. And here's the last thing. Verse 17, "If you know these things"—now today, we can't say we don't know these things, can we?—"If you know these things, you are blessed if you"—what?—"do them, do them." Blessing doesn't come from just knowing these things. Blessing comes from doing. Knowing and doing. Believing and living. Knowing and doing. Believing and living. We can know about servanthood and not be a servant. We can talk about servanthood and not be a servant. Blessing comes when we actually do it, when we actually serve. Blessing comes when we do these things.

And let me finish with four, quickly, four questions for you and for myself. I'm not gonna elaborate, just gonna ask the questions. First of all, where is your greatest area of struggle when it comes to Christ-like service? Where is your greatest area of struggle when it comes to Christ-like service? Is it your marriage? Is it toward your parents? Is it toward your brother or sister in Christ? Is it toward someone in the body of Christ that you're struggling with? Is it some area of ministry that you've been called to do and you've given yourself to, but now you're struggling in it and with it? Where is your greatest area of struggle when it comes to Christ-like service?

Second question. This goes hand in hand with that. Who do you struggle with the most? Third question. Why are you struggling in these areas? Can you identify it? Why are you struggling? Can you identify it? And this gets to the fourth and final question. Will you put on the servant's towel? Will you put on the servant's robe? Will you pick up the basin? And will you wash feet in that area?

Let's pray.

This is a transcript. It may contain small inaccuracies.

Psalm 37 verse 5, as we continue to work our way through these these precepts and promises, these exhortations and blessings that God has for His people. Psalm 37:5, "Commit your way to Yahweh, trust in Him, and He will do it." "Commit your way to Yahweh, trust in Him, and He will do it."

We've been learning from this psalm that God-centered faith maintains a right perspective on life by trusting God for grace to live each day in His service and for His glory. To live each day by His grace and for His glory. And we recognize our need for fresh supplies of grace every day.

If we're going to live in a manner that magnifies Christ, if we're going to live in a way that is worthy of our calling, we draw from the deep wells of God's grace. We draw from the well—that necessary grace that we need to live each day by His grace for His glory. The need for faith in God is clear. Hebrews 11:6 reminds us that "without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who draws near to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him."

And we were thinking about that, delighting in God last week. He is, He exists, He's the living God. We rejoice in who He is, in His attributes, in His promises, in the comfort of His word. They console our hearts. And so we come to Him by faith, believing that He is and He's a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.

If faith is the key to overcoming anxiety, it's incumbent upon us then to strengthen our faith by feeding on the promises of God, grazing on His faithfulness, feeding our souls by way of worship and delight in God, by way of prayer, communion with God. And we've been considering these precepts and promises here in these opening verses.

He begins with that admonition: do not fret, do not fret, especially on account of the wicked and the prosperity of the wicked. Though those evildoers rejoice now in the carnal objects of their pleasure, their joy will quickly fade away and soon turn to sorrow. Evildoers, we were reading in verse 9, will be cut off. But those who hope in Yahweh, they will inherit the land. "Yet a little while and the wicked man will be no more; you will look for his place and he will not be there. But the lowly will inherit the land and delight themselves in abundant peace."

So you have this contrast, contrasting futures—the destruction of the wicked, they will be cut off, their day is coming. But the righteous, the righteous man is secure, eternally secure in Christ. And David, having preached to his own soul, now instructs us from his experience to remain faithful, to remain composed by considering these contrasts—the contrasting future of the evildoer who will be cut off with the righteous man who will inherit the land.

The future of the godly is sure, it is certain, even though now afflicted and tried, there is every reason to be content and hopeful. And so consider your future, child of God, don't worry, do not fret. Sinful worry is here forbidden because we're persuaded God is faithful and God will see us through. God is on His throne, He's ruling, He's reigning, He's governing, He's controlling, He's protecting, He's providing, and all will be well in the end.

The future is bright for the believer, the best is is yet to come. So the psalmist, he says do not fret, but then he encourages us to strengthen our faith. And so the command: trust in Yahweh, do good and cultivate faithfulness. Continue to follow hard after God and do what's right in the eyes of the Lord, do what you know to be right, hold on to your God.

Don't allow yourself to be distracted by the seducing world around you, don't give in to fleshly appetites, to worry, to envy—that only leads to to wrongdoing and away from fellowship with God. Rather, make sure you're pursuing God and asking for those things that are in accord with His will. Strengthen your faith, do good, cultivate faithfulness, graze on His faithfulness.

And so we have to ask, are my ways pleasing to God? Are my reasons for delighting in God purely selfish, or are they God-honoring? Do my desires align with God's desires? Those desires—God's desires—are holy and just and good and right. And so David encourages us here not just to strengthen your faith, cultivate faithfulness, but to delight yourself in Yahweh, and He will give you the desires of your heart.

And we discovered last week, he advises us here to find our greatest joy and satisfaction in communion with God in worship. Let God shape your desires and mold your heart. May your your life be clay in His hand. He's the potter, you are the clay. He is shaping you, He is directing you, He is making you anew.

And for the Christian, nothing should be more desirable than knowing God, delighting in your God—who He is, His nature, His attributes, His promises, His word. They comfort your soul. Take pleasure in the things of God, set your mind on things above, not on things of the earth. And there's none greater, there's no greater joy, there's none greater than our God, there's none higher.

The Lord must be our portion. And we must come to the same conclusion that Asaph came to in Psalm 73 verse 25: "Whom have I in heaven but You? And besides You, I desire nothing on earth. My flesh and my heart fail, but God is the rock of my heart and my portion forever." Feed your soul on the goodness of God. Delight in the Lord, because all who find soul-satisfying joy in the Lord will know divine direction.

As you delight yourself in the Lord, He will give you the desires of your heart. He will put His desires in your heart. He will shape your desires, and you will be guided to decisions that please God. So as we orient our heart to God, to what pleases God, His desires become our desires. And we noted last week that's not a formula to get whatever you want, for notice who gives the desires. He will give you the desires. They are the desires that God gives, and as such they are new desires, they are wholesome desires, they are holy desires, they are good and righteous desires.He will give you the desires of your heart, and the desires God gives will be in line with His revealed word.

And we conclude then if my desires are not in line with Scripture, with the revealed word, then I can be sure they're not God's desires. God has revealed His desires for us in His word, that we can know Him and we can walk in His truth.

So we cultivate faithfulness by focusing on our faithful God, knowing God, feeding on His word, considering who He is, what He has done for our souls.

And as Oswald Chambers said, we don't calculate without God. We don't calculate without God. God must be the greatest living factor in all our plans and calculations. And we delight in who He is, His attributes, His promises, in doing His will. Brings joy and delight to our soul in doing those things that please our God.

So first David said, don't fret, but trust. Trust and delight in your God. And now he instructs us here in verse 5, replace anxious care with prayer. Prayer. Replace anxious care with prayer. “Commit your way to Yahweh. Trust in Him, and He will do it.” (Psalm 37:5) And that word commit means to roll. Roll your burden on the Lord. And the idea is rolling your heavy burden onto another who then assumes responsibility for it and carries it for you.

And he says, commit your way or roll your heavy burden onto the Lord. And we can see a connection with the word ‘cast’ in Psalm 55:22 and 1 Peter 5:7. "Cast your burden upon Yahweh, and He will sustain you; He will never allow the righteous to be shaken" (Psalm 55:22). And Peter, that wonderful word in 1 Peter 5:7, "casting all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you."

And it's interesting, the connection with the morning service because the word cast means to throw, to toss. For example, in Luke 19:35, we read that the disciples, they threw their cloaks upon the colt so Jesus could ride into Jerusalem. And that colt would bear Him up and carry Him. Or as we think of the horse and the rider, one would throw a saddle on a horse or toss a saddle over a horse, and that powerful beast, that powerful animal is more than able to bear the weight of its saddle and rider.

This is casting all your care on Him because He cares for you. Toss it, throw it onto the Lord. Roll your burden onto the Lord. 1 Peter 4:19 says those who suffer, those who suffer according to the will of God must entrust their souls to a faithful Creator. We entrust our souls to One who is absolutely trustworthy and able to hold our soul in life, to bear us up.

God loves to be trusted. We are to entrust everything to Him, our entire life. Commit your way to Yahweh.

And that word commit really suggests a willingness, there's a willingness to turn it all over to Jesus, to your God. As we read in Peter, “God is opposed to the proud, but He gives grace to the humble.” (1 Peter 5:5) And as we humble ourselves under the mighty hand of God, we will cast all our cares upon Him, knowing He cares for us. And one way we humble ourselves under His mighty hand is by casting all our anxiety on the Lord. We give our cares to Him. And He is more than able to bear them. Our cares become His cares. And as He assumes responsibility of them, our cares are His cares. He takes responsibility for them.

And so when we read that word in Peter, "casting all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you," is there any doubt about it? There's no need to wonder about His care. To ask, does He care for me? Scripture clearly confirms He does. He cares for you, child of God. You can entrust your life to His care. And He welcomes us. He invites us to cast our cares on Him, to commit our way to Him, for He cares for His own. There's no need to doubt. There's no need to worry. There's no need to fret. He cares for you.

Child of God, He cares for you. Let that sink into your soul again this night. Your welfare is His concern, and He has undertaken the responsibility of caring for you. Literally, in the Greek, it reads this way: it is a care to Him concerning you. It's a care to Him concerning you. You can cast your cares upon Him because He cares for you.

And just as we remembered this morning at the table of the Lord, Jesus Christ bore our sins and our sorrows on the cross. He made them His very own. He took them upon Himself. He bore our penalty. He undertook the responsibility of them. He was constituted sin for us. The one who knew no sin was made sin for us. He took our sins upon Himself. Our sin was transferred to Him, and He took responsibility for it. He carried the weight of it, and He bore the burden to Calvary, and He suffered, and He died alone. And we say, how marvelous, how wonderful, I stand amazed.

And so, just as Christ undertakes for our salvation and bore our sins, He bears our sorrows. He assumes the responsibility, or He undertakes or assumes the responsibility of caring for His own children. You can cast your care on Him because He cares for you. We roll our burden on the Lord, and He then carries it, and that signifies there's a transfer of responsibility, a handing over of control. You surrender it to God. You leave it with the Lord. You commit everything into His hand, that omnipotent hand, the right hand of the Almighty God, and He is able to hold our soul in life.

And so we commit all our desires, all our cares, all our necessities unto the Lord. But how do we do this? Well, by communion and by prayer. By coming to the Lord in prayer and committing your way to Yahweh, trusting in Him that He will bring it to pass. By coming to the Lord in prayer, the consolations that delight the soul are the comforts that flow from communion with our Lord Jesus Christ, from the knowledge of His goodwill for us, that He is graciously disposed to do us good.

And Paul taught this in Philippians 4:6 and 7. We read it at the beginning of the service: "Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and petition with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will garrison, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." And so in prayer, we let our requests be made known to God. We express them. We verbalize them. We make them known to God.

But why should we do this? Well, it's not for God's information, as if He doesn't know what's going on. He knows all things. He knows all about us. But we cast our burdens upon the Lord in prayer. We commit our way to—to Yahweh in prayer as an expression of our dependence upon the Lord.

And some will object and say, well, if God is sovereign over all, He will do it. It says right here, trust in Him. He will do it. He's going to work out His plan. He's going to do His pleasure. He's working out His plan. He knows all my needs. He has said He will sustain the righteous. Why pray? Does He need to be informed? Of course not. Why commit your way to Yahweh in prayer?

Well, for a number of reasons. First, prayer is a duty. It is a command. It's something we're commanded to do out of obedience. And in prayer, we express our dependence upon God, and that pleases God. If we are commanded to do it out of obedience, and obedience to God's commands honor Him, then it's our duty. It should be our delight. It exalts God. It's God-glorifying. He above all knows what is most desirable and good for us. What He, as our good Father, commands then is for our blessing and for our good. And we're commanded to call upon the Lord, to seek His face, to commit our way unto the Lord.

But not only is it our duty, it's a privilege. Prayer is a privilege. This is our privilege. We're encouraged to see here prayer as a great honor. It's the highest privilege we have as the children of God in prayer. We not only express our dependence upon God, but we're entering into communion with our Father in heaven. We're entering into communion with our God, our Creator, our Savior, our Friend, our King and Redeemer. Think about that. To think that the God of heaven, the God of heaven and earth, bends His ear, inclines towards us, bows down to hear us, is amazing to us.

This is a privilege. This is the greatest honor, the highest privilege we have as the children of God. The Lord hears our prayer. Is that not a marvel to you? Our Father hears. We have those wonderful words in in 1 John 5:14: "This is the confidence which we have before Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us." He hears us. "And if we know that He hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests which we have asked from Him." Our Father hears. He hears us.

What a privilege to come into the presence of the Most High God, to enter into communion with Him with this confidence. He hears us. He delights in the prayer of the righteous. His eye is towards us. As one author put it, "We make supplication to God because we live in a world of trouble and pain, and the peace of God does not come from denying trouble, but by bringing our trouble to God." When we pray, we do not need to twist God's arm to get Him to listen. He hears us. He hears the prayer of the righteous.

And as John Calvin said, “When we pray, we climb into our Father's lap and we whisper our needs into His ear.” What a privilege to come to our Father in heaven and call upon Him—to climb on His lap as His child and whisper our needs into His ear. What a beautiful picture that is. As a father has compassion on his children, so the Lord has compassion—has compassion on us. Our Father hears us. He has compassion on those who fear Him.

This is our duty, but this is a privilege, an honor. It's an expression of our dependence on the Lord for everything, and we're entering into communion with the Most High God, and we commit our way to Yahweh. Commit your way. “Commit your way to Yahweh.” Your way. What is that? All that pertains to my life. The things connected with what is going on in my life. Whatever you're facing, whatever you're dealing with—your anxious thoughts, your perplexing questions, your problems, your confusion, your heartache, your hurts, your sins, your secrets, your cares, your fears, your decisions—whatever it may be, all of it. “Commit your way to Yahweh.” Commit your way. Roll it on the Lord as an expression of faith and humble dependence, as an expression of complete trust.

We deposit for safekeeping, we deposit for safekeeping that which we care about. We entrust it all to Him. We commit it to Him. Commit your way. But that also suggests further, it suggests a condition to the enjoyment of God's peace and grace. He says commit. This commitment, this rolling of your burden, it is a condition for and of our peace. It's a condition to our peace. Paul said it's by prayer. It's by supplication. It's by letting your requests be made known to God. The peace of God will guard your hearts and keep your minds. (Philippians 4:6)

As you roll your burden upon the Lord, you can know His sustaining grace. And so we come to petition God for those fresh supplies of grace that we need, grace that He has promised to give, but grace that He will only give to those who call, those who ask, those who draw near, those who humble themselves under His mighty hand, those who commit their way to Him.

James 4:2, "You do not have because you do not ask." But yet, if you draw near to God, He will draw near to you. Peter says in 1 Peter 5:5, "Clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, for God is opposed to the proud, but he gives grace to the humble." And so, "Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time." It's a condition to the enjoyment of God's grace and His peace.

Commit your way to the Lord. Roll your burden upon Him. Paul said in Ephesians 6:24, "Grace will be with you, will be with those who love our Lord Jesus Christ with incorruptible love." We will know His grace as we trust in Him, as we delight in Him, as we commit our way to Him, as we love Him with that incorruptible love—that's with a genuine, sincere, devoted, dependent love.

It's true, God has ordained the end from the beginning. He is working all things according to His plan and purpose, but He also ordains the means to the end. And prayer is a means to the end. He has called us to pray, to commit our way to Him. This is our privilege. We express our dependence. We enter into communion. And as we do that, contentment, rest comes as we center our lives on Christ and commit into His hand all our cares, all that pertains to us.

We're encouraged to roll our burdens on the Lord also as a way to to remain composed in a time of trial. Where do we go when we're crushed, when we're burdened, when we're heavy laden, when we're under pressure? What did David do? What does he teach us to do here? He says, don't fret, don't worry, don't be seduced by the world, don't give away to fleshly appetites. Trust the Lord, delight in the Lord, commit your way to the Lord, rest in the Lord.

When you're under pressure, run to the One who is a refuge for us. We hide ourselves in Him and there we find safety and security. We look to the Lord for the renewing of our minds and for the quieting of our fluttering hearts. The God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ is the Father of mercies. He's the God of all comfort and He comforts us in all our affliction. And so we commit our way to Yahweh, to the Lord, the self-existent, unchanging, eternal God, the I Am. Commit your way, He says, to Yahweh.

And we see some examples of that in Scripture, of turning to the Lord in a time of crisis. I think of David, David in 1 Samuel 30. David and his men returned to the city of Ziklag and they find it burned and in ashes. The Amalekites had taken away the wives and the children. David and his men sat down and they wept until they had no more strength to weep. And those men were so bitterly upset that they were ready to stone David. And how did he respond under such great distress? Well, we read in 1 Samuel 30:6, "But David strengthened himself in the Lord.” He composed himself and he looked to the Lord for guidance. David strengthened himself in Yahweh, his God. Commit your way to Yahweh.

We think of Jehoshaphat, and the sons of Moab and Ammon came against them. He's overwhelmed. He's outnumbered. He doesn't know what to do. He feels powerless, and in the face of a seeming impossible situation, he's afraid and he set his face to seek the Lord and he called for a fast.

And we have those wonderful words in 2 Chronicles 20 and his prayer in verse 6: "O Yahweh, the God of our fathers, are You not God in the heavens? And are You not ruler over all the kingdoms of the nations? Power and might are in Your hand so that no one can take their stand against You." Commit your way to Yahweh.

"O our God," verse 12, "will You not judge them? We are powerless.” “We are powerless before this great multitude who are coming against us; and we do not know what to do, but our eyes are on the Lord. You."
You think of Nehemiah. Nehemiah 1. As he heard the report of the city in ruins, the walls broken down, and he wept and he prayed to the God of heaven. Read 1 Nehemiah 1 and 2. Wonderful examples of committing your way to the Lord.

“God is able.” 2 Corinthians 9:8: "And God is able to make every grace abound to you, so that in everything at every time, having every sufficiency, you may have an abundance for every good deed." We cast our burdens upon the Lord as a way to remain composed in the time of trial, trusting in the Lord, the God who is able. He’s the God of all grace—all grace at all times, for all things. 2 Corinthians 9:8. We commit our way to Yahweh.

We commit our way to Yahweh. He knows the story of your life. He’s the author of it. He’s writing the story, and every day He’s writing a new chapter, and you can entrust your life to Yahweh. We can trust Him with everything.

One author said, “Our lives are much more fragile than we think.” Our lives are much more fragile than we think. We think we have things under control. We think we can handle things on our own, but we can’t. We’re fragile. We’re weak. And so he said, “therefore, each day is a renewed declaration of our dependence on God.” We worry about tomorrow. We worry about tomorrow. When we worry about tomorrow, we are living in tomorrow today. But God gives us strength and grace for only one day at a time. Grace for each day.

And when believers make their requests known to God, they do so not to an annoyed deity who won’t listen to them, but a loving and caring Father who hears. He hears us. And our Father, our God, cares for us. He cares about our needs far more than we do. He knows our needs. Your Father in heaven knows all about your needs. And to doubt this, this author said, is to doubt the very character of God. Doubt is the opposite of dependence. It is defiance. It is a defamation of the character of God.

When we worry, we are saying, Father, You are not sovereign. Father, You are not wise. Father, You are not loving. Father, You do not care for me. And yet we read, "casting all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you." How can you question it? How can you doubt it?

And Peter, in that same chapter in 1 Peter 5:10, he says, "And after you have suffered for a little while,” for a season, for a time, “the God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself perfect, confirm, strengthen, and establish you." And this is our confidence as believers: the God of all grace, the God of heaven and earth who hears our prayers, our feeble cries, our groans, the groanings of our heart. The God of all grace is personally working in our lives.

That verse tells us that the God of all grace is personally working in our lives to make us more like Christ—that He Himself will perfect, confirm, strengthen, and establish you, Peter said. God takes a personal interest in us and He’s going to see to it that His will be accomplished. And we have no reason to fear, but every reason to trust Him, trust in Him, and He will do it. He will bring it to pass.

He thinks on me. His thoughts towards me are more in number than the sand on the seashore. I can’t even fathom that. I can’t even number them. He cares for me. He will do it. He’s working all things together for my good and for His glory. Yes, many are the afflictions of the righteous, but God delivers out of them all, and He invites us to offload our burdens, to bring them to Him, and He’s willing—so willing—to carry the load, to do the heavy lifting, to take responsibility for them, and still we hold on to them.

And yet, as we cast our cares, our anxiety on the Lord, knowing He cares for us, He’s going to see to it that we are perfected, restored, made complete, fully equipped or fitted out for every good work. He will furnish us for the fight. He will see to it that we are confirmed, that is, that we will be given that assurance that our faith in God, that our trust in God is completely warranted. He will never fail us. He will never forsake us, and He’s going to see to it that we are strengthened, that is, granted the necessary help to persevere and overcome, grace to endure, knowing His strength—His strength is made perfect in our weakness. It is form-fitted for our weakness. It is timely grace. It is needed grace. He will never leave us or forsake us.

In fact, He says He’s going to see to it not only that He will perfect you, confirm you, strengthen you, but that you will be established. He sets us on a firm and immovable foundation—on Christ the solid rock—and He will be our sure foundation. “Commit your way to Yahweh, trust in Him, and He will do it.” (Psalm 37:5)

Verse 6 says, "He will bring forth your righteousness as the light and your judgment as the noonday." You can trust in God. Trust God in every circumstance, and He will make your righteous faith shine bright. It will be visible for all to see. You will be vindicated. Your faith is warranted. It will be clear and obvious.

And although, as Calvin said, “Although the life of the godly should be assailed by many dangers, yet they are secure in the aid and protection of God, and that however much the wicked should plot against them, they shall be continually preserved.” Preserved. We are kept by the power of God through faith, and that’s what we read here in this chapter. The Lord upholds the righteous. They shall be sustained because Yahweh is the one who sustains by His hand. Verse 17, verse 23, verse 39 and 40. He helps and He protects and He keeps them because they take refuge in Him. We are kept by the power of God.

Eric Watkins said, “Who we are in Christ informs our response to trials and adversity. Rather than leading us to anxiety or despair, trials should remind us that heaven will be better, that Christ is sufficient, that these momentary light afflictions we endure now are incomparable to the eternal weight of glory that awaits us with Christ in heaven.” The best is yet to come. We have a glorious future.

And let me end tonight with some thoughts from the doctor, Martin Lloyd-Jones, adapted from his book, *Spiritual Depression*. We looked at these when we worked our way through the anxiety series last year. And you will find these in that little book that we prepared for that study.

Think about this as we close.

“Conditions are always changing. Therefore, I must not be dependent on conditions. What matters supremely and vitally is my soul and my relationship to God. Number three, God is concerned about me as my Father, and nothing happens to me apart from God. Apart from God.

Number four, God's will and ways are a great mystery, but I know that whatever He wills or permits is of necessity for my good. Every situation in life is the unfolding of some manifestation of God's love and goodness. Six, I must regard circumstances and conditions not in themselves, therefore, but as part of God's dealing with me in the work of perfecting my soul and bringing me to final perfection. And seven”, in conclusion, he said, “Whatever my conditions, whatever my conditions may be at this present moment, they are only temporary. They are only passing. They can never rob me of the joy and the glory that ultimately await me with Christ.”

"Commit your way to Yahweh, trust also in Him, and He will bring it to pass." (Psalm 37:5)

Let's pray.

This is a transcript. It may contain small inaccuracies.

It is true to say that God's holiness reveals man's sinfulness. God's holiness reveals man's sinfulness. You see biblical examples of that all throughout the Scripture. In the book of Isaiah, for example, the sixth chapter, you're familiar with that passage. Isaiah is given a vision of the Lord sitting on His throne, high and lifted up. And as Isaiah saw Yahweh, high and lifted up, his response: "Woe is me” - “I am undone”- “for I am ruined!" And not only did he see himself as undone, but he saw that he lived in the midst of an unholy people—undone people. God's holiness revealed Isaiah's sinfulness and the sinfulness of the nation.

I think about in the New Testament of another incident. You remember Peter and his companions, they had been fishing through the night and they caught nothing, Luke 5 tells us. And the Lord Jesus in that instance tells Peter, "Put out into the deep water and let down your nets for a catch." And Simon, Simon Peter, answered and said, "Master, we labored all night and caught nothing, but at Your word I will let down the nets." And he does it. You know the story. But not with any belief that they would catch anything. And guess what? Well, there's this miraculous, abundant catch. So many fish gathered into the nets that the nets began to break, and they had to have others come over in the other boat and help them, lend a hand.
And as Peter is confronted with the miraculous power of the Lord Jesus Christ—with what is really accomplished just at Christ's word—confronted with that, Peter said, “depart from me Lord.” “Depart from me Lord, for I am a sinful man!" The awareness of the holiness of the Lord Jesus Christ made Peter aware of his own sinfulness. The holiness of God, beloved, exposes the sinfulness of man.

But let me also say that it's true that the dark backdrop of man's sinfulness displays the beauty of God's holiness. It's that dark, velvety backdrop that really causes the diamond of the holiness of God to shine all the more brilliantly. Our sinfulness points out how different God is from us, that He's a cut above us, that He's other than us. Our sinfulness demonstrates God's holiness, and I think that is part of the explanation for why the Apostle John begins this account of Jesus washing the disciples' feet the way He does. That's why.

I mentioned last time we were in this chapter that you have two introductions. At the beginning of John 13, verse 1, you have an introduction to the entire section, the bookends being 13 to 17, chapters 13 to 17. In fact, if you had a way to do it, you could write above 13, 14, 15, 16, and 17, ‘the love of Jesus, the love of Jesus.’ This is Jesus loving His own to the end, to the uttermost, to the fullest extent of love. And the way that He deals with His disciples on this night demonstrates that He loves us, how He loves not only them, but how He loves all of His disciples, how He loves us all.

He prays for us as well in John 17, where you see the love of Jesus for His own that extends beyond His own disciples all throughout the ages or history to us as well. And so verse 1 introduces all of it, but verses 2 and 3 are also an introduction. They introduce what He's about to do in the washing of the disciples' feet. And the way that John introduces this is very interesting. At least I find it very interesting. There's no other reason for Him to do it this way except that He wanted, under inspiration I believe, to present a stark contrast, a sharp contrast.

Because He tells us what is already going on with Judas Iscariot right off the bat. He tells us. And then He tells us what's going on in the mind of the Savior, in the heart of the Savior. He's not only going to tell us what Christ did on this night, He's going to tell us why He did it, and then He's going to contrast the motive of Jesus with what is going on with Judas in this text.

Look at verse 2. "And during supper, the devil, having already put it into the heart of Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon, to betray Him, Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into His hands and that He had come forth from God and was going back to God, got up from supper." Do you see that? I mean, it's right there in the text. Do you see it?

So before He tells us that Jesus rose from supper, before He tells us what Jesus does in the washing of the disciples' feet, first John tells us what was going on with Judas and what was going on in the mind of Christ and what Jesus knew. And in presenting this sharp contrast, in presenting the darkness, the satanic activity in the life of Judas, and by contrast, what's going on in the mind and the heart of Jesus, He is displaying, He is showcasing, putting on display the beauty and the glory of our Savior.

So this is a call for us to behold the beauty and the glory of Jesus with the backdrop being the satanic, dastardly activities of Satan and using Judas as an instrument. The darkness of Judas demonstrates clearly the beauty and the glory of Jesus, and this morning I want us to look at this contrast together, and we begin where the Holy Spirit began in verse 2. We begin with Judas—Judas, number one, Judas.

Look at it again with me, notice what it says: "And during supper, the devil having already put it into the heart of Judas, is scary at the son of Simon, to betray Him." Let's stop right there. Now what do we see here about Judas? What do we see here about Judas? What can we say from God's word about this man, Judas?

Well, first of all, number one, we know that he was receptive. Judas was receptive to Satan's suggestions. He was receptive to Satan's suggestions—Satan's suggestions. The betrayal of the Lord Jesus Christ carried out by Judas was not something that just happened to Judas. We must be careful, because we must never see Judas as a man who was victimized by Satan. Never, never. That is, it wasn't really, you know, in Judas's mind to do this, it wasn't really in Judas's heart to do this, you know, Satan just sort of took over and made him do this, you know, the devil made him do it, kind of thing. No, no, absolutely not. That is not right at all. That's not right at all.

It says in verse 2—look at the text—that "the devil having already," *ballō (valo)* (βάλλω), the verb in the Greek, "put into the heart of Judas," literally having already cast it into the heart of Judas. He cast it, he threw it, he cast it into the heart of Judas. He had thrown out this suggestion. Satan had already determined to use Judas as an instrument, but in order for this to happen, Judas had to be—had to be—receptive, and he was receptive to those suggestions. *Valo*, put into the heart of Judas.

And by the way, this verb "put" is also a perfect picture of a fiery missile, because *ballō (valo)* (βάλλω) means literally to throw, to throw. And it's also in the perfect tense. And that communicates something to us. It indicates the fiery missile had been thrown, and it hits—it hit its target at some time in the past with a continuing result or ongoing effect, which in this case would terminate in Judas's betrayal of Jesus.

Satan's shot was aimed at Judas's heart, for he knows the heart is the center of the personality, and it controls the intellect, the emotions, and the will. Judas's heart, beloved, was fertile soil for the devil's evil flaming arrows. For Judas had already shown his sinful, deceitful bent, his sinful, deceitful character—how? You remember, by pilfering from the money box. He was a thief.

So Satan's been working in Judas's mind, he's been working in Judas's heart, and Judas is receptive to Satan's suggestions. This just didn't happen in an instant. This was—this was—here's the point, this was premeditated. This was premeditated. This was something planned. He's been working in the heart and mind of Judas, and Judas has cooperated.
This is why you can read here the activity of Satan, but at the same time, you see the responsibility of Judas. Satan is active, but Judas is responsive. He's receptive. He's receptive.
The activity of Satan when it comes to the betrayal of Jesus is clear in Scripture. Turn with me back to Luke 22, Luke 22. You'll see the activity of Satan when it comes to the betrayal of Jesus clear in Scripture.

Verse 1, Luke 22: "Now the Feast of Unleavened Bread, which is called the Passover, was drawing near. And the chief priests and scribes were seeking how they might put Him to death, for they were afraid of the people." So here they are. They want to kill Jesus. They just don't know how to do it and not cause a backlash against themselves from the people.
Verse 3: "And Satan entered into Judas, who was called Iscariot, who belonged to the number of the twelve. And he went away and discussed with the chief priests and the officers how he might betray Him to them. And they were glad and agreed to give him money. And so he consented and began seeking an opportunity to betray Him to them apart from the crowd." So here the Bible says the leaders are looking for a way to get rid of Christ, and Satan is at work to get rid of Christ. He enters Judas, Judas then makes his way to the religious leaders, the chief priests, the officers, and he offers to give Jesus up for money. They agree. They offer him money. He consents, the Bible says. He begins to seek an opportunity how he might betray the Lord Jesus, but not in a crowd, but the absence of a crowd, when it's quiet.

Satan is active in this, and right here in this chapter, chapter 13 of John—turn back to John 13—and you see, look down in verse 21, you see Satan active as well. When Jesus, verse 21 of chapter 13 of John, had said these things, He became troubled in spirit and bore witness and said, "Truly, truly, I say to you that one of you will betray Me. The disciples began looking at one another, perplexed about whom He spoke. There was reclining on Jesus' bosom one of His disciples, whom Jesus loved.”- This is John, the Apostle. -“So Simon Peter gestured to him to inquire, “Who is the one of whom He is speaking?” He, leaning back thus on Jesus' bosom, said to Him, “Lord, who is it?””

This tells us, by the way, where John was situated—we'll get there—but just to have a picture in our mind, guided by Scripture, it tells us where John was situated as they were in a U-shape around the table, reclining, with their heads toward the table, their feet away from the table, and John is to the right of the Lord Jesus, seated next to Him. He's able to lean back against Christ and speak with Christ, and Peter, in all likelihood, is across the way, just across the way, and he motions to John, Who's the Lord talking about? You know, can you investigate more? Lord, who is it?

Verse 25: “He, leaning back thus on Jesus' bosom, said to Him, Lord, who is it? And Jesus answered”, -verse 26-, ““He's the one for whom I shall dip the piece of bread and give it to him." So when He had dipped the piece of bread”, “He took it”, “He took and gave it to Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot.” And you know what that tells us also? Keep that picture in mind. This tells us that in all likelihood, Jesus was just on the other side of Jesus. The Lord is able to talk with John about it, where the other disciples don't hear it, He's able to dip and give to Judas on His left side.

Verse 27: "And after the piece of bread, Satan then entered into him. Therefore Jesus said to him, 'What you do, do quickly.'" Now no one of those reclining at the table knew for what purpose He had said this to him. For some were thinking because Judas had the money box that Jesus was saying to him, ‘Buy the things that we have need of for the feast’; or else that he should give something to the poor. So after receiving the piece of bread, he went out immediately, and it was night.”

So Satan is involved in this, isn't he? He's very involved. He's involved when Judas goes to the officers and offers Jesus up. He's involved here on this night when he actually departs the upper room and makes his way to betray Christ. Satan is involved and he's been attacking throughout. In fact, all the way back to Matthew's Gospel, chapter 2, you can read about the plot to murder the Lord Jesus as an infant by Herod.

Then you have the temptation of Christ in the wilderness, and Satan is involved there as well. And then you have the suggestion through Peter that Jesus was not going to die, and Jesus responds, "Get thee behind me, Satan." And now you see him working in the heart and mind of Judas.

So you have the activity of Satan here, but you also have in the same passages, you see the responsibility of Judas all throughout at the same time. You can't say that Judas was not active in this. You can't say that. He was. He's responsible for his thoughts, responsible for his actions. He is the one who has to be receptive to what Satan is suggesting and working in him.

John chapter 6, in fact, turn with me there. John chapter 6 and verse 67. So Jesus said to the twelve, you remember that scene, “"Do you also want to go?"” -You remember the crowd departing, leaving Christ because what He has to say is so startling, so confrontive.- “"Do you also want to go?" Simon Peter answered Him, "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have words of eternal life. And we have believed and have come to know that You are the Holy One of God." Jesus answered them, "Did I Myself not choose you, the twelve, and yet one of you is a devil?" Now He was speaking of Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot, for he, one of the twelve, was going to betray Him.”

He doesn't—notice—He doesn't just say that one of you is being influenced by the devil. Did He say that? That's not what He said. He says one of you is a devil. In other words, this is his nature. This is his nature. This is his character. This is his bent. This is the kind of man that he is. One of you is a devil. Speaking of Judas, He speaks of Judas' responsibility in this matter.
In Matthew 26, if you can turn over there as well, Matthew 26 verse 21, Matthew chapter 26 and verse 21: “And as they were eating, He,” - Christ-, “said, ‘Truly I say to you, that one of you will betray Me.’ And being deeply grieved, they each began to say to Him, "Surely not I, Lord."” In other words, who is it, Lord? Is it me? This is what's going on.

Verse 23: "And He answered and said, 'He who dipped his hand with Me in the bowl is the one who will betray Me. The Son of Man is going just as it is written of Him”—this is in accordance with Scripture He's saying. This is what God's Word says. It's in accordance with Scripture that I'm going to be betrayed. It's predicted in the Word of God. But listen now what He says—But woe to the man, to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would have been good for that man if he had not been born.'" And Judas, who was betraying Him, answered and said, “"Surely not I, Rabbi?" Jesus said to him, "You yourself said it."” “You yourself said it”.

I mean, talk about hypocrisy, blatant hypocrisy. You talk about a liar. You talk about a deceiver. You talk about a betrayer. Here he is, knowing already that he has given the Lord Jesus up for money. Knowing that he is going to betray Him. And he has the audacity to look in the face of the Lord Jesus and say, Is it? Is it me? This is insanity. Sin makes you insane. It is him.

So the first thing we can say about Judas is he's receptive to Satan's suggestions. We see in our verse, the devil having already put it into the heart of Judas Iscariot to do this. He's receptive to it. Which gets to the second thing that we see here about Judas. Not only is he receptive to Satan's suggestions, but specifically he is receptive to betrayal. He is receptive to betrayal.

Betrayal is what is in the heart of Judas. He's willing to deliver Jesus over to those who want to kill Him. And this is the antithesis of what? Love. Isn't it? Isn't it? Love is what? Love is loyal. Isn't it? Love is loyal. Love is faithful. Love is loyal. Love is faithful. Far from love, what Judas did really constituted hatred. Pure hatred. Murder.

He is the knowing recipient of blood money. Judas is the knowing recipient of blood money. He has taken money for the life of Jesus. And again, I want to say to us, beloved, the darkness of his sinfulness, his wickedness, is set in stark contrast to the glory of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

Judas is receptive to Satan's suggestions. As we're going to see in a moment, what motivates Jesus is the knowledge of His Father. Christ is motivated by God the Father, by the Father's glory, the Father's love. Judas is motivated by Satan's suggestions. And here, Judas is receptive to the idea of betraying the Lord of glory. He's willing to sell Him for money. He's willing to put Him to death for what? Material gain.

And here we're told in verse 1 that Jesus has loved His own to the end. Jesus is loyal. Jesus is faithful. Jesus loves to the sacrifice of His own life. Judas is going to sell Him. He's going to participate in what would be, from a human point of view, the murder of Jesus. And when you read the different accounts in the gospel records about this night, several things really emerge.

The first thing that emerges is that Judas was the instigator. Judas was the instigator. He sought out the leaders. He sought out the leaders. He went to them, Judas. The second thing that emerges is that he was moved to do this right after Mary anointed the Lord Jesus with that costly ointment. You recall that, right? It was right after that. It was right after Jesus also rebuked Judas and the disciples. But you remember Judas was criticizing Mary. He was saying, this could have been sold, you know? This costly ointment could have been sold and the money could have been given to the poor.

And you remember the text says he didn't say that because he cared about the poor, did he? What was he doing? He was taking from the money bag, right? That's all he was about. In other words, he just saw some of his profit poured out on the Lord Jesus. That's the way he's thinking about it. My goodness, my goodness, there goes money that I could have had. And he's done this publicly, criticizing her. And again, with great hypocrisy, talking about what we could have, you know, we could have ministered to the poor. And he's just what? He's just a liar. He's just a liar.

The Lord Jesus publicly exposed him because He corrects His disciples. He wasn't the only one criticizing her, by the way. The other disciples had joined in following Judas' lead. He took the lead. He instigated the whole thing and Jesus corrects them all publicly. And the Bible tells us it was right after that that he went out and sought the leaders to betray the Lord Jesus.

So Judas is the instigator and he does this right after Mary has loved the Lord Jesus with that great offering, that costly ointment. He also reveals, when you look at these accounts, he reveals what Jesus was worth to him. And I want us to think about that, what Jesus worth to him. He valued Jesus' life at 30 pieces of silver, 30 shekels. Think about that, 30 shekels. According to A.T. Robertson, these 30 shekels were equal to 120 denarii. And you remember the ointment that Judas complained about was valued at what? 300 denarii. Amazing, isn't it? So not only did he think that it was wasteful to pour that out on Jesus, he thought Jesus was worth less than half of that, His life, 30 shekels of silver.

By the way, something interesting, according to the law, Exodus 21:32, that was the price of the life of a slave, 30 shekels of silver. "If the ox gores a male or female slave, the owner shall give his or her master thirty shekels of silver." I wonder, I wonder, it was the religious leaders who measured this out. It was the religious leaders of the Jews who set the price. I wonder if there was something intentionally demeaning as they set the price at 30 shekels of silver. That's the price of a slave and Judas thought it was worth the life of Jesus.

So he's the instigator, he's moved to do this after someone else has loved the Lord Jesus, Mary, and he's revealed that Jesus is worth to him, His life was worth the price of a slave, a meager 30 pieces of silver.

And he was brash, wasn't he? He negotiated his deal, he said in effect, I'll sell Him out if you give me enough money. I know that I'm numbered as one of His disciples, but I'll give Him up if you'll pay me enough. The Bible says they weighed this money out, put it on scales, and he took it. So he's receptive to Satan's suggestions, he's receptive specifically to betrayal. This man has no love, devoid of love.

There's a third thing we could say about Judas. He was also motivated by selfish ambition. He was motivated by selfish ambition. It's a good thing to stop and ask the question at this point, we need to stop and ask, what's motivating Judas? What's motivating this man, Judas? What's motivating him? Well, why does he betray Jesus? Well it is in accordance with the Scriptures, we know that, it's prophesied, Satan is involved, we know that, we know what the devil's motive is, and that is to destroy the Son of God, but from a human point of view, because Judas is involved here, we have to ask the question, what is the motive?

Some have actually tried to put an almost positive spin on it, saying, well Judas was still a believer in Jesus in terms of being an earthly king, that he sort of was really in this case, pressing the hand of Jesus. He wanted Jesus to declare Himself, he wanted Jesus to bring about the kingdom, and so he thought that this way would really force the hand of Jesus, to bring it about. Well the Bible doesn't say that at all, the Bible doesn't say that in any way, shape or form—that is absolutely, utterly false. But what we could say for certain is that whatever it was that motivated Judas, it was about Judas. Whatever it was that motivated Judas, it was solely about Judas. Whatever it was that motivated him, it was about him, and he was willing to betray Jesus because Judas thought that in some way, it was going to benefit who? Judas, Judas.

I think there's some indication in Matthew's account that what motivated Judas was bitterness and anger, bitterness and anger. In fact, when I read Matthew's account, I can't help but think about the bitterness between Cain and Abel, Cain toward his brother, Abel. Will you please turn with me to Matthew 26, I want us to see this. Look at verse 6 and following.

"Now when Jesus was in Bethany, at the home of Simon the leper, a woman came to Him with an alabaster jar, very costly perfume. She poured it on His head as He reclined at the table. But when the disciples saw this, they were indignant, saying, 'Why this waste? For this perfume might have been sold for a high price and the money given to the poor.' But Jesus, aware of this, said to them, 'Why do you bother the woman? For she has done a good work to Me. For you always have the poor with you, but you do not always have Me. For when she poured this perfume on My body, she did it to prepare Me for burial. Truly I say to you, wherever this gospel is proclaimed in the whole world, what this woman has done will also be spoken of in memory of her.'"

Now watch this. "Then one of the twelve, named Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests"—do you see the connection?—"and said, 'What are you willing to give me to deliver Him to you?' And they weighed out thirty pieces of silver to him. And from then on he began looking for a good opportunity to betray Him."

Now fast forward to John chapter 12, John chapter 12, for a moment and look at John chapter 12 and look at verse 1, where we studied this account not too long ago. Chapter 12, verse 1: "Jesus, therefore, six days before the Passover, came to Bethany where Lazarus was, whom Jesus had raised from the dead. So they made Him supper there, and Martha was serving, but Lazarus was one of those reclining at the table with Him. Mary then took a litre of perfume, a very costly pure nard, and anointed the feet of Jesus and wiped His feet with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume."

Verse 4: "But Judas Iscariot, one of His disciples, who was going to betray Him said,” “said, 'Why was this perfume not sold for three hundred denarii and given to the poor?'" You notice then Judas is the instigator, all the disciples complained but he's the one who started it, he led the pack.

Verse 6: "Now he said this, not because he was concerned about the poor, but because he was a thief, and as he had the money box, he used to take from what was put into it. Therefore Jesus said, "Let her alone, so that she may keep it for the day of My burial. For you always have the poor with you, but you do not always have Me."”

So when you compare the two accounts, when you compare those two accounts, what you see is that here was Judas who had publicly put himself out there in criticizing Mary. He was vocal, led the way so that when Jesus rebuked the disciples, he was personally rebuked—Judas, that is—and immediately we see as a result he goes out and he seeks to betray the Lord Jesus.

Now I want to suggest, I can't be dogmatic here but I really believe that perhaps that was the chief motive in Judas' heart. I can't say for certain but it may also be that Judas felt like this, this wasn't going any place, this wasn't going anywhere, this isn't getting anywhere, I'll go ahead and sort of cash in my investment in this relationship that I've had with Jesus that's going nowhere, I'm going to profit from it in some way. I don't know but what I do know is that he did think he was going to benefit materially, sold Jesus for money so he's motivated by selfish ambition, it was all about Judas, open to the suggestion of Satan, open to the suggestion of betrayal and motivated by selfish ambition.

And notice a fourth thing that we could say about him from John chapter 13 and other passages: he was willful and callous throughout.
He was willful and callous throughout. The Lord Jesus is making very plain that He knows this betrayal is taking place. John wants us to know, the Holy Spirit wants us to know, Jesus is not the victim of a Passover plot. He's not in the dark, He's not caught by surprise. He's telling us, His disciples, He's telling His disciples of His betrayal so He's not caught off guard. We know this, that's clear.

So that every time He mentions this, every time He brings it up, there is Judas sitting there, reclining there, knowing that he's the one and yet, and yet there's no repentance, there's no remorse, there's no shame, none of that. In fact, he says, "Teacher, am I the one? Am I the one?" Beloved, this is willful and this is callous—willful, callous. In fact, when he said, "Is it I, Lord, am I the one?" he may have been just trying to discover, Jesus, do You really know who it is?

Which leads to the fifth thing that we could say: the fruit of Judas' motive and action is destruction—destruction. This is the outcome of it. In the case of the Lord Jesus, Judas is willing to promote himself at the cost of the life of Jesus. So in terms of his motive toward Christ, it's destruction. Yet in the end, the Bible tells us that it was Judas who would have been better off had he not been born. In fact, he's referred to by Christ as what? The son of perdition. The son of perdition or the son of destruction.

John 17:12: "While I was with them, I was keeping them in Your name, which You have given Me; and I guarded them and not one of them perished but the son of perdition, so that the Scripture would be fulfilled." The fruit of his selfish ambition is his own destruction.

Do you notice something about Judas? Do you notice something that—do you notice that he's always identified in a way where he's not mixed up with the other Judases? There's more than one Judas in the Scripture, and so the Bible is very careful, the writers are very careful, God the Holy Spirit is very careful to let us know it's this Judas, it is the son of Simon, Judas Iscariot. Judas shamed himself, he shamed his father for all time by this evil, wicked deed. Even to our own day, people don't name their kids Judas, right? When was the last time you met a Judas? And even to our own day, if someone is thought of to be a betrayer, is thought of to be someone who would sell another person out, it's not uncommon to hear them referred to as Judas. So he destroyed himself.

In Matthew 27, verse 3, we read of how it all ended for him: "Then when Judas, who had betrayed Him, saw that He had been condemned, he felt remorse and returned the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders, saying, 'I have sinned by betraying innocent blood.'" Now stop here for a minute. Isn't it interesting that even his betrayer had to, in God's providence, testify to the innocence of Jesus?

By the way, when the Bible says he felt remorse, is that godly repentance? Is that salvation-counter repentance? What's the answer? Of course not, absolutely not. Because godly sorrow leads a person to repent and turn to God, turn to Christ. Worldly sorrow leads to what? Destruction. What kind of sorrow did he have? Well, read on: "'I have sinned by betraying innocent blood.'” I'm remorseful, I'm going to give you back the money. “But they said”- to him, ‘What is it?’ “ ‘What is that to us? See to that yourself.’ And he threw the pieces of silver into the sanctuary and departed, and he went away and hanged himself.”

And you know this, beloved, this morning: godly sorrow doesn't lead to suicide. That's worldly sorrow. And the chief priests took the pieces of silver and said, "It is not lawful to put them into the temple treasury, since it is the price of blood." - Oh, isn't that righteous?- “And taking counsel together, they bought with the money the Potter's Field as a burial place for strangers. For this reason, that field has been called the Field of Blood to this day. Then that which was spoken through Jeremiah the prophet was fulfilled, saying, "And they took the thirty pieces of silver, the price of the one whose price had been set by the sons of Israel; and they gave them for the potter's field, as the Lord directed Me."”

Even on the days leading up to Pentecost, the days when Peter was explaining the need to fill the office of Judas, you see the description. Listen to how he describes Judas in Acts 1, verses 15 and following. “Peter,”- you remember-, “stood up in the midst of the brothers (a crowd of [about] 120 persons was there together) and he said, "Men, brothers, the Scripture had to be fulfilled which the Holy Spirit foretold by the mouth of David concerning Judas, who became a guide to those who arrested Jesus. For he was counted among us and received his share in this ministry. (Now this man acquired a field with the price of his unrighteousness, and falling headlong, he burst open in the middle and all his intestines gushed out. And it became known to all who were living in Jerusalem, so that in their own language that field was called Hakeldama, that is, Field of Blood.) For it is written in the book of Psalms, 'Let this his residence be made desolate, and let no one dwell in it'; and, 'Let another man take his office.'”

So not only his deed was wicked, it led to his own destruction. The darkness that you see in Judas is absolutely astonishing. He's open to the suggestions of Satan, he's receptive to the suggestion of betrayal, he's motivated by selfish ambition, he's willful, he's callous throughout, and the fruit of his motive—the fruit of his action—is destruction, and not just the destruction of another but ultimately you see the destruction of his own life. The Lord wants us to recognize this. But with the remaining time that we have, notice the contrast. Notice the contrast. The Lord wants us to recognize this, and the contrast is bound up in one person, and His name is Jesus. Jesus.

Verse 3, John chapter 12—13, excuse me— “and during supper, the devil having already put it into the heart of Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon, to betray Him, Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into His hands, and that He had come forth from God and was going back to God, got up from supper." And also, don't forget, beloved, verse 1: "Now before the Feast of the Passover, Jesus, knowing that His hour had come that He would depart out of this world to the Father, having loved His own who were in the world, He loved them to the end."

What do you see in the Lord Jesus? What do we see in the Lord Jesus? Number one, He's motivated by love. He's motivated by love. This is in the context. This is the context for all that He's going to do all throughout this night, including what He's about to do in the washing of the disciples' feet, teaching them lessons through it. This is love on display. Betrayal in Judas, love in Jesus; self-promotion in Judas, self-sacrifice in Jesus.

Jesus is motivated by love, but He was also motivated by knowledge. We're told three specific things that He knew—that Jesus knew—motivated by knowledge. Three specific things. This is what is in the mind and the heart of Jesus as He washes the disciples' feet.

Number one, He knows of His own authority. He knows of His own person. He knows of His own position. And as a result, verse 3: "Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into His hands." Let me ask you this morning, what exists in the hands of Jesus at this moment? Everything. Everything. Even back then, when these events were unfolding, everything. What does He have possession of? Everything. What does He have authority over? Everything. He possesses all—He possesses all authority—and Jesus is aware of it.

He—listen beloved—Jesus ultimately is in control of these proceedings as they unfold. He's in control of the situation as it unfolds, and He's aware of it. Jesus is conscious of His unique identity as God's Messiah, to whom the Father has delivered all things into His hands. Earlier in the Gospel of John, chapter 3 and verse 35, this note has been sounded: "The Father loves the Son and has given all things into His hand." This note will be sounded again in our Lord's high priestly prayer: "even as You gave Him authority over all flesh"—17:2.

Jesus is conscious before He ever lays aside His outer garments—and keep that in mind. Before He does that, before He lays aside His outer garments, before He wraps Himself with the apron, the towel-like apron, before He takes the basin, He is conscious that all things, all power, all right and government in heaven and on earth and under the earth is in His hand. And John is careful to underscore that our Lord Jesus did not have a temporary fit of amnesia and forget His true identity as the God-man into whose hands the Father had deposited all things. That's what makes the washing of the feet so incredible. He possesses all authority, and He's aware of it.

He also has knowledge of His unique relationship to the Father. "Jesus, knowing"—verse 3—"that the Father had given all things into His hands, and that He had come forth from God." He hasn't lost sight of this at this moment. It is in His awareness that He is the One who is God eternal in flesh, that He has come forth from heaven to earth. He knows who He is. He knows His identity. He knows that He had come forth from God.

This is the language of the Lord's awareness that He came forth from God. It takes us all the way to John 1, verse 1: "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God." Verse 14: "And the Word became flesh." How did the Word become flesh? When He came from God to us by way of Mary's womb. He's conscious that He is the eternal Word—very God of very God—become flesh.

None of us would say we are conscious that we came forth from God. None of us. We would say that we are conscious that we had a beginning of existence, sovereignly superintended by God in our mother's wombs, and we have a burden which we put in our appearance, but to say we came forth from God would be sheer blasphemy. But Jesus is conscious of His identity—not only as Messiah, the God-man into whose hands there's been deliverance of all things. He's conscious that He comes from God.

And so He's aware of His authority. He's aware of His own divine nature and His unique relationship to the Father. And finally, He's also aware at this moment of His future glory. Verse 1 put it this way: "Jesus, knowing that His hour had come that He would depart out of this world to the Father." He's conscious that He's come from God and He's going back to God. We saw last time that that word depart, *metaveno* (μεταβαίνω), speaks of moving from one realm to another. He comes from heaven to earth. Now He's about to leave the earth and go back to heaven—to depart out of this world to the Father. He's going back to the Father, as verse 3 puts it: "and that He had come forth from God and he was going back to God." He's aware of this.

And remember John 17:5, He said, "Now, Father, glorify Me together with Yourself, with the glory which I had with You before the world was." Now, why does John point this out? Why under inspiration? Because what Jesus is about to do is absolutely startling. He's going to get up, as we will see next time, from supper. He's going to gird Himself about with a towel, with a linen garment that a slave would wear. And He's going to take a basin, and He's going to pour water into it, and He's going to wash—to move to wash—the disciples' feet.

It's so startled Peter, as we will see in the Greek text, it is so emphatic: “Lord, are You going to wash my feet?” Do you know what Peter's saying? Have You forgotten who You are? Are You the Master, the Teacher, the *Kyrios* (κύριος), the Lord of glory? Are You going to wash my feet? Have You forgotten who You are, Lord? What does John want us to know? That Jesus hasn't forgotten who He is. He knows that He has all authority. He knows He has come from God. He knows He's going back to God when He stoops down to wash their feet.

And I don't want to get ahead of myself, because we're going to deal with this next time, Lord willing. But what gets in the way of our service to each other? It's when we forget who we really are. It's when we forget who we really are. It's when we forget who we really are. How can I put it? What gets in the way of our service is when we think of our greatness in the wrong way. When we think that our greatness would mean that we couldn't stoop down and wash one another's feet.

And Christ teaches us just the opposite, that it is the display of greatness—true greatness, true greatness—when one actually serves. He knows who He is, and He's given them an example in us. One of the lessons that He teaches is found in verses 15 through 17, where He says, do you understand true greatness? It doesn't preclude service, it calls for service. It's displayed in service.

So we have the contrast: Judas and Jesus. And when you compare the two, a picture emerges.

Judas is a devil. Jesus is the Lord of glory. Judas is proud, self-promoting. Jesus is humble and exists on this earth for the glory of the Father. Judas is disloyal. Jesus loves His own to the end. Judas is willing to sacrifice others. Judas is—Jesus, excuse me—is to be sacrificed for others.

The act of Judas leads to destruction. The love of Jesus leads to salvation and the blessings of others. Judas acts in accordance with Satan. Jesus, God incarnate, teaches us about the Father. And then there's you and me.

The question in closing, just a couple more minutes, that I have for us this morning: Who are you more like? Who are we more like? Whose nature does your life reflect? Do you realize that your spiritual nature is on display every single day in how we live? Are you proud? Are you self-promoting, disloyal, hurting yourself and others by what is primary in your life and what you choose and how you live? Does your life speak of God?

In your life, is there on display the character of Jesus whom you profess to be your Lord? Or do you see something else? What kind of a tree are you? Is there bad fruit or is there good fruit? Do you humble yourself? Are you faithful to love the Lord Jesus, to love the Lord God, to love others in a loyal fashion? Are you concerned for others or are you concerned only for yourself? Are you willing to serve others? Are you willing to be sacrificed?

I hear the words of Paul in my mind where he says, – But I am willing to spend and be spent on behalf of your souls– (“So I will most gladly spend and be fully spent for your souls.” LSB)—2 Corinthians 12:15. Is that where we are? Who are you more like? And the only way you'll ever be like the Lord Jesus Christ, the only way you'll ever reflect Him, the only way you'll ever care to reflect Him, the only way you'll ever be able to reflect Him is when you have Him, when you have Him, when you have Him and when He has you, when you truly believe that He is the Son of God who came from heaven to earth to die for a sinner like you, like me, who died on a cross to pay for all the sins of all of those who put their faith in Him and you believe that He was raised from the dead so that you turn from your sins with a godly sorrow that leads to true biblical repentance.

You're sorry in a way that leads you to Him. You turn from your sins and you trust in Him and as a result you have life indeed, a new creature, a new creation with a new nature formed in the likeness of God so that in your life it's not what you see in Judas but it's what you see in Jesus. The real fruit we need to look for this morning or look at this morning is not the fruit of our lips alone, it's the fruit of our life.

And dear friend, what does your life say? Do you know Jesus? What does your life say? In spite of being painfully aware that you don't deserve it, do you know the love of Christ as a reality in your life? Does His love humble you before the cross? Does His love cause you to hate your sin? Does His love motivate you to serve others in love even as He has loved you? And if you've never experienced His love, will you respond right now to His love?

Let's pray.

This is a transcript. It may contain small inaccuracies.

Delight yourself in Yahweh. What a sweet and wonderful theme to dwell on tonight. We've been thinking in this chapter about the life of faith and how faith should look at life, how faith should respond to the various situations that we encounter day by day, how faith should respond to trials and to trouble. And here we've been considering several instructive words from a mature man of God to guide us in the right way. He teaches us how to respond, exhorting us to find our comfort and our delight, our joy, our satisfaction in the Lord our God. We are to delight in the Lord.

The people of God take heart in the sure reality that God is faithful. He is for us. He is mindful of us. He cares for us. He knows us. He's acquainted with all our ways, and our life is in His hand. He upholds us, and no one can pluck us out of His hand. And so we don't need to worry or fret.

And we have this exhortation, the first instructive word that we consider together: Do not fret because of evildoers. Do not recoil in fear. Do not worry. It's expressly forbidden. Don't be envious of the unrighteous. The Lord will deal with them in due time. Worry and envy only leads to further problems, as we saw last time in verse 8. We can lose perspective, and our responses to trouble can range from mild unrest to complaining to envy, distrust, lying, discontent, covetousness, and worse still, anger, and anger with God because of our circumstances.

Proverbs 12:25, "Anxiety in a man's heart weighs it down," so guard your heart. These are wrong responses. Rather, trust in the Lord. Do not let your heart envy sinners, but live in the fear of the Lord always. The fear of the Lord, as we've noted already, is that disposition of heart that rests in and recognizes the sovereignty of God over every area of my life. He is God over all, and He knows all about my ways, my life, my needs, and so on, and so I submit to His all-wise plan. My times are in His hand, and I ought to be content to leave them there, to rest in His hand, and so that needs to be the disposition of our heart to God.

Don't fret. Don't worry, but rather, principle number two, verse three, trust in Yahweh and do good. Dwell in the land and cultivate faithfulness. Trust in God. Do good. Cultivate faithfulness. Oswald Chambers, you will know, is the author of that well-known book, that devotional book, My Utmost for His Highest, and he said, “the one thing that keeps us from worrying is bringing God in as the greatest factor in all our calculations.” We factor God into all our calculations, all our projections, all our plans, all the things that we have to do, and that keeps us from worrying. God is over all. He's in control.

Trust in Yahweh and do good. Hold on to God and continue to do what is right in the eyes of God. Forget the temptation to run away and hide. Sometimes we just want to run away. Oh, that I had wings like a dove that I could fly away and be at peace, Psalmist said. Forget the temptation to run away and hide or to look elsewhere for help or to trust even in yourself for solutions, but keep looking to the Lord. Keep your eyes fixed on God. Trust in Yahweh and continue to do what is right before Him, what you know to be right in His sight.

We're admonished then to look to God. I'm called to look to God for answers to my daily problems. Didn't Christ say that to His disciples? Don't let your heart be troubled. Believe in God. Believe also in Me. Trust in Me. I can guide you and direct you in the way that you should go. Trust God and do good. Cultivate that faithfulness. Trust God for everything, the big things as well as the small things. Should I only look to God and trust Him for the big significant decisions that affect my life or should I trust Him for everything big and small? What about the mundane details of my life? Do I trust God for all things? And we confess sometimes, sometimes I do, but sometimes I don't.

And I lack faith, and I'm like the disciples, ‘O ye of little faith.’ But the psalmist encourages us to do good even when we're not sure what God is doing. Continue to trust God and do good. Hold on to God even when you don't understand His plan. When you can't trace His hand or see what He's doing, you can trust His heart.

We can trust Him even when we don't understand, when we're in the dark, when we're ignorant of what is next. And we can trust our faithful God who keeps His promises. And the answer, as we've discovered here, the answer to unrest or anxiety, which is the result of distrust or distraction, is to seek a fresh perspective of the glory and the grace of our great God. Trust in Yahweh. Do good. Cultivate that faithfulness. Lean on Him. Graze on His faithfulness. Feed securely on His faithfulness. Fix your hope on the living God.

Because God never makes a mistake. He never makes a mistake. He's the all-wise, perfect, all-knowing God. Spurgeon, in his well-known sermon entitled ‘A Happy Christian,’ he said, "God is too wise to err, too good to be unkind." Listen to these words of Spurgeon. He said, "The worldling, the ungodly, blesses God while He gives him plenty. But the Christian blesses Him when He smites him. He believes Him to be too wise to err and too good to be unkind. He trusts Him where he cannot trace Him. He looks up to Him in the darkest hour and believes all is well."

That's the attitude. That's the response. Trust in God and do good. He's too wise to err, too good to be unkind. We trust Him where we cannot trace Him. We look to Him in the darkest hour and we believe it's good—all is well. God is in control. He's on the throne. He's ruling and He's reigning. He's working according to His timetable, His plan, His purposes, and I trust Him. The righteous who trust in the Lord will be sustained to the end. Do we not read that in verse 17. "Yahweh sustains the righteous." Do not fear. We set our hope in Jesus. Faith maintains a right perspective on life by trusting in God for grace to live each day in His service, for His glory, by His grace.

And I love the way the messages dovetail together. Morning and evening. It's by His grace we live and for His glory we live. And so we come to the next principle here, number three: delight yourself in Yahweh. So having commended this trust in God, He takes it further. Delight in God. Can you even delight in God? Can you trust in God? Yes, you can. What about when the way is hard? Yes, you can. He's faithful. What about delighting in Him?

And I want us to think about this tonight in a few ways. First of all, what it is not, what it is, and what delighting in God will do. What it is not, what it is, and what it will do. Delight yourself in the Lord. I suppose what it is, first of all, delight yourself in God. We delight in God, in His very existence. God is, and we need to keep that in mind.

When the world around us would say, there is no God, we say, that's foolish. "The fool has said in his heart, 'There is no God.'" God is. We are to delight in God. We delight in His very existence because God is, and He's the rewarder of those who diligently seek Him. And delight in God is the fact that we delight in His very existence. There is a living God.

Remember those words of Hudson Taylor? There is a living God. He has spoken in His word. He means what He says, and He will do all that He has promised. Our God is a living God, and He's intimately acquainted with all my ways. He made me. He knows me. He knows when I sit down, when I rise up, when I go out—going out and coming in. He is. God is. He is there when all else fails. God is there. When all else forsake, God is there. There is a living God.

Paul was able to say, remember in 2 Timothy 4:17, when others abandoned him and left him, "But the Lord stood with me and strengthened me." The Lord is with us as His people. His Spirit dwells in us, and we could say, our God reigns. Let the earth rejoice. Our God reigns. There is a God, and He's ruling in the heavens. He rules and reigns over all the affairs of men. God is, and we delight in the fact of His very existence.

He rules the macro and the micro, both the magnificent and the minute. He rules, and we can trust Him. Psalm 9:10 and 11, the Lord will be a stronghold for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble, “And those who know Your name will put their trust in You, For You, O Yahweh, have not forsaken those who seek You. Sing praises to Yahweh, who abides in Zion; Declare among the peoples His acts."

He will never abandon His people, and our delight is found in God alone. God is for us and not against us. He's with us, and He will never forsake us. We delight in His presence, in His very existence. God is. He's the source of all joy, and in His presence—we were reading in Psalm 16—in His presence there is this fullness of joy, and at His right hand there are pleasures forevermore. We find our complete joy, a joy that satisfies the longing soul. It's found in God alone, in Christ our Savior, and the joy of the Lord is our strength.

And that means the joy that finds delight in God brings encouragement. It fortifies the soul in such a way that we are encouraged to, and we are helped as we persevere by the grace of God, as we endure those trials, whatever we're going through. We glory in our God. We glory in His name.

Psalm 105, which was a psalm I thought about reading at the start of the service. Psalm 105, verse 3, “Glory in His holy name; Let the heart of those who seek Yahweh be glad. Seek Yahweh and His strength; Seek His face continually." We glory in the fact of His existence, but we glory in the attributes of God as well. This God is on our side, and He's omnipotent. He's omniscient. He's omnipresent, and when we think about the attributes of God, we can delight in who He is, in His nature, in His attributes.

Spurgeon said, “Every attribute of God should become a fresh ray in this sunlight of delight.” Every attribute of God should become a fresh ray in this sunlight of delight. And he said that “He is wise, should make us glad who know our folly. That He is mighty, should cause us to rejoice who tremble at our own weakness. That He is everlasting, should always be a theme for our music. When we know that we are grass and wither as the green herb. That He is unchanging, should always give us a song, since every hour we change and never long the same. That He is full of grace. That He is overflowing with it. And that this divine grace in the covenant He has given to us, that it's ours. Ours to cleanse us. Ours to keep us. Ours to sanctify us. Ours to perfect us. Ours to bring us to heaven. All this should tend to make us delight ourselves in the Lord.”

We delight in His attributes. He's wise. He's mighty. He's everlasting. He's unchanging. He's the eternal God full of grace and truth. And we delight in who He is. "Delight yourself in Yahweh; And He will give you the desires of your heart." But I want us to think about this text again, what it is not saying. This is one of those texts that is most misunderstood and misinterpreted, misapplied, especially when it comes to the health and wealth and prosperity gospel.

Delight yourself in the Lord; And He will give you the desires of your heart. And I want you to understand this is not a formula to obtain whatever you want. You know, whatever your heart's desire, whatever you dream. You want a new car, you want a new house, whatever, new Mercedes. You know, I just desire that so much. God's going to give it to me. That's not what it's saying. It's not a formula to obtain whatever your heart desires, whatever you dream of or whatever you want, and God will give it to you. I dream of it. I want it. God will give it to me regardless of what it is.

As if God were your genie in the bottle. You just rub the bottle and you make a wish and you ask for these casual desires and God will just give it to you. That's not what this is saying. Or as if God was this divine Santa Claus just granting you everything your heart desires. It's not what the text is saying. And it's not follow your heart. Follow your heart. Just follow your heart and God will give you the desires of your heart.

The heart is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked. We don't even know our own hearts at times. We can't trust our own feelings. We can't trust our hearts. John Piper in his book Desiring God, he said, “we delight in what we love. We delight in what we love. And God is not worshipped where He is not treasured and enjoyed. And if Jesus is the source of complete satisfaction, then I must find my joy in Him.” Not in things. Not in material possessions. Not in the stuff of this world.

Man's life consists not in the abundance of things that he possesses, Luke 12:15. Everybody wants to be happy, but so many people are looking in all the wrong places, and we see it every day. They're searching, and they're on a quest, and yet their quest for happiness and joy only leads them to further misery and unrest and frustration and discontent. Man's happiness is often grounded in his circumstances, what's going on in his life, depending on what's going on, whether he's happy or not, joyful or not, what's going on around him, or his happiness is focused on the things that he possesses or can gather from this world, and everybody wants to be happy, but they're looking for happiness and joy in all the wrong places.

So many are unhappy. They end up unhappy in their job, unhappy in their workplace, unhappy in their marriage, unhappy in their home, unhappy in their relationship, because these, as an end in themselves, are not what bring ultimate satisfaction and joy. We must find our joy in Christ, in the Lord. "Delight yourself in the Lord," and man, in his quest for happiness, will never find it in the finite creature comforts of this world. They're all inadequate. The sinful heart of man is never satisfied, and as Augustine reminds us, that our souls are restless and they're empty until they find their rest in Christ, and so we're called to delight ourselves in the Lord.

This is not a formula to say, whatever you want, you desire it, God will give it to you. It's not, follow your heart and you'll have whatever you want. The Christian finds his greatest joy in the Lord, and the word delight here can mean to take pleasure in, and it has the idea of cheering the heart, the heart being enlivened so that you leap for joy or you dance for joy, and I'm not going to do that right now, but that's the idea. Dancing for joy. Your heart is thrilled. It leaps with joy as you think of the pleasure, the satisfaction that is found in God, but the word linguistically also carries the idea of being soft and tender. It has the idea of being delicate or pliable. Pliable as clay in the hands of the potter being molded to be soft and tender of heart towards God, that is pliable, teachable, if you like, in the hands of God.

Delight in God. Be pliable and soft, tender-hearted towards God. Take your pleasure in God. Let the things of God so thrill your soul, and the thought here is of God molding and shaping my desires so that my desires are like His desires. So it's not whatever I want, God will give. It's God putting His desires within me as I delight in Him, as I dwell in Him, so His delights become my delights. His desires become my desires, and the things that I pursue and the things I seek now will please God, and so the thought is of God molding and shaping my desires so they're like His desires.

And really, who best to judge what is truly desirable and good for us? Your heart, your own heart, your own desires, or God? God knows best, and none can satisfy the soul like our God, and we're to delight in Him, and Scripture directs us here to find our joy, our ultimate satisfaction, our pleasure in God, and be one who is shaped by Him.

And not only does Scripture direct us, but remember there is that command. Philippians 4, it's an imperative: "Rejoice. Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice!" And there's Paul, even in prison, he could rejoice. It wasn't anything to do with his circumstances. His circumstances were not easy. They were most difficult. They were trying, but his ultimate source of joy in that dark place was in the Lord, and even in the prison he could sing praise to God. He worshiped, and true joy is not dependent on our circumstances. It's founded in Christ who says, "Come to Me, all you who are weary and are heavy-laden,” – burdened, weighed down, crushed, – “and I will give you rest."

So what is it to delight in God? The Puritan Richard Baxter said, this is the work of our lives. And in his prayer, which is recorded in one of his books, The Saints' Everlasting Rest, Richard Baxter said, “May the living God, who is the portion and rest of the saints, make these carnal minds so spiritual and our earthly hearts so heavenly that loving him and delighting in him may be the work of our lives.” Loving him and delighting in him is the work of our lives.

And Piper picked that up in his book Desiring God, and he said, as we know, that classic statement that sums up the Desiring God ministry, John Piper said, “God is most glorified when we are most satisfied in Him”. God is most glorified when we are most satisfied in Him. And he went on to argue in that book that the overriding concern of the Christian is this, that in all of life, “All of life will be to the praise of the glory of his grace. That in all of life, God will be glorified in the way that he himself has appointed.”

So what is It to delight in God? It's to stand in awe of who He is, to live in the fear of the Lord, as we were considering, and just to submit to His wisdom, to His plans, trusting He knows best, and in grace He is working for my good. He's a God who is graciously disposed to do me good. He sings over His people. He rejoices in His people. They are His portion, and we rejoice in our God, and we trust Him, His sovereign plan. We trust His word. It's completely reliable. He will do as He said.

We delight in God, and there's that spiritual affection, that love for Jesus, who for the joy that was set before Him, He endured the cross. And we love Him because He first loved us, and so we stand in awe of God. We submit to God. We find our satisfaction and delight in all that Christ is for us, and all that Christ has done for us in His mercy and His grace. We have tasted and seen that the Lord is gracious.

It is this delight in God that lends strength to our work and our ministry. "The joy of the Lord is your strength," and that enables us to persevere to the end, though the way is hard, though there are challenges, though there are obstacles, though there are trials, there may be suffering. But God has not forsaken you. He's with us through it all. God is. It's factoring God into every circumstance, all our situations. It's a but-God kind of mentality. It's a but-God attitude. I'm lost. I'm undone. I'm ruined. But God. I delight in the Lord.

But not only does the pursuit of joy in God give strength to endure, it also breaks the power of sin in our lives, as you were thinking about this morning. "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom," and dwelling in the Lord, dwelling in His Word, being filled with His Word, we are equipped and we are empowered to walk in a way that is pleasing to Him. And the things of earth, as we set our affection on things above, as we delight in the things of God, the things of earth grow dim. They lose their seductive power, and God begins to so work in our hearts that His desires become our desires.

As Piper said, “We delight in what we love.” And we love Christ because He first loved us, and the object of our greatest joy must be Jesus Christ. It is incumbent upon us to find our complete joy and satisfaction in the Lord our God. We are made full or complete in Him. In Him dwells all the fullness of God. It can't get any bigger. It can't get any greater. The fullness of God dwells in Him. And who best knows what is good for us? The all-wise God in whom we delight. And as believers, our delight is in the Lord. But God is not worshipped where He is not treasured and enjoyed.

So what it is not, what it is, but what will this delight in God do for us? Spurgeon said, “Delight in God has a transforming power. It has a transforming power, and it lifts a man above the gross desires of our fallen nature. Delight in Yahweh is not only sweet in itself, but it sweetens the whole soul till the longings of the heart become such that the Lord can safely promise to fulfill them.” And he said this: “Is not that a grand delight which molds our desires till they're like the desires of God?”

As you delight yourself in God, God will mold your desires to be like His desires. And this is God's way. First, delight in God, and such delight has a transforming power. Being filled with God till there is that overflow of worship and delight, we run over with delight and joy. Spurgeon said, “If we let our heart be filled with God till it runs over with delight, then the Lord Himself will take care that we shall not want any good thing. He can do for us far more than all our friends. It is better to be content with God alone than to go about fretting and pining about the paltry trifles of time and sense.”

And that may seem like antiquated words, but when we have God, and if we have nothing else, we have all we need. And we can rest in our God. And that delight in God will do something in you. It will reshape your thinking. Remember, you know, when we're tempted to worry and envy, what we need is to reorient our perspective by focusing on the grace and the glory of our great and majestic God. It will reshape your thinking. It will redirect your love. It will reorient your life towards God and His desires.

And we were hardwired for God. We were made for this purpose, to be worshippers of our God, to live for His glory. And as we delight in the Lord, His delights become our delights. And it will lead you to say, not my will, but Your will be done, O Lord.

Like Job, we can even say in suffering, "The Lord gives, the Lord takes away, but blessed be the name of the Lord." We can trust the Lord, and all who find their complete satisfaction in the Lord will rest content in His sovereign plan and purposes, His unfailing faithfulness, His sweet provision for us all through life, the sure promises of God that He has given for our guidance and our comfort, and He will keep us to the end. He will never fail His own.

I love that word. We've mentioned it in the past week, Psalm 94. We'll end with this tonight. We'll end with this tonight. Psalm 94, and the verse 19. What a great verse to think about. When you think about this fact that God's grace is written all over your life, He has His hand upon your life, your personal needs, your cares, whatever is going on, He's acquainted with it all.

In Psalm 94:19, "When my anxious thoughts multiply within me, Your consolations delight my soul." Your consolations, Your comforts delight my soul, and what are those sweet consolations that cheer the heart of the saint? What are the themes that delight the heart, that cause the heart to leap with joy and to rejoice today? That this God is for me, this God is my God, and He will be my guide even unto death, and He will carry me into glory.

That this God is mindful of me. He thinks of me. He was thinking of me before the foundation of the world. In love, He has redeemed me. He knows me. He made me. The Lord is moved with compassion towards me. He comes to my rescue. He comes to my aid. He strengthens me in my weakness. He gives me understanding in my dullness. All these things that the Lord does, He upholds my life in love. He's with me. He'll never forsake me.

These are sweet consolations that delight the soul when my anxious thoughts are many and intertwined and personal, and you think no one else knows what is going on, and these perplexing things break your heart. Find your joy and delight in the Lord. Let those consolations delight your soul that God is my Father, and He had me in mind even before the foundation of the world. He sent His Son to redeem me, and it is this comfort that this peace that I have, this assurance that I enjoy because I am justified and in a right relationship with God, and I think on the person of Christ. I think of the work of Christ. I think of His redeeming love, His desires towards me, His intercession even now for me. He's pleading my case. He's my advocate before the Father.

I think of this promise of being exalted to glory and the fact that He's coming again to receive me and to receive His own to Himself. Sweet consolations that delight the soul of the believer. As Thomas Horton said, “In a word, they are the comforts which do flow from communion with Him.” Sometimes these old Puritans had a great way of just putting things in words. The comforts of His attributes, the comforts of His promises, the comforts of His gracious presence drawing near to our souls when it pleases Him to shine upon us and to express His goodwill to us and to give us some evidence and assurance of His love and favor towards us. These are my comforts.

"When my anxious thoughts multiply within me, Your consolations delight my soul." Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart.

Let's pray. 

This is a transcript. It may contain small inaccuracies.

Colossians chapter 3, verses 12 to 17. A wonderfully rich and deep passage of Scripture that really encourages us to put on Christ. We've been thinking about that in these recent weeks—putting on the Lord Jesus Christ, living the risen life in Christ. And here we have the motives and the means of growth in grace to the glory of God in this section.

We began our study in Colossians 3 a few weeks ago thinking about those words in verse 11: "Christ is all." And that's a comprehensive word. That's a comprehensive word that covers the entire sweep of the Christian life. The Lord Jesus Christ is the sum and the substance of Christianity. Without Christ, there is no Christianity. Christ is the key to Christianity. He's the key to the Scriptures that we hold in our hands. The Lord Jesus Christ is the sovereign over all, and we have discovered—we learn in His word in Colossians—that His grace is all-sufficient in the matter of a believer's salvation and sanctification. "Christ is all." And we thought about that, what it means doctrinally, what it means practically.

Doctrinally, it speaks to the fact that God has provided salvation for sinners in the person of Christ. The word of truth, the gospel of grace, the good news of salvation directs us to the God of heaven who is set down in chapter 1–the Maker of heaven and earth, the Creator of all things, the One who upholds all things by the word of His power, who sustains everything, the One who has given life and breath to all. This God entered His creation. He entered the world that He made by taking a human body, and at the incarnation, Christ became a man to reconcile and to rescue, to redeem sinners like us. That is the good news—salvation for sinners like us.

And the only way for sinful humanity to be reconciled to God is through Jesus Christ. He said, "I am the way, the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me." He bought us from the slave market of sin, He paid the price of our ransom, and with His own blood He has reconciled us to God, so making peace. It's a wonderful truth set out here in the book of Colossians. The gospel of grace presents Jesus Christ as the One who justifies sinners. Jesus saves. That's a wonderful news to dwell on today.

And by virtue then of His work on our behalf, God our Father is satisfied. He is pleased with the work of Christ, the obedience of Christ. The law of God is satisfied, the wrath of God is appeased, He has made propitiation for our sins because of the finished work on the cross. We enjoy the forgiveness of sins, and so confessing with our mouth and believing in our heart that God raised Him—Christ—from the dead, we will be saved. For Romans 10:9 and 10, you will be saved; “...for with the heart a person believes, leading to righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, leading to salvation." Christ is all to the believer.

And the book of Colossians really establishes the all-sufficiency and the preeminence of Christ over all–that in all things He would have and will have the preeminence. Christ is over all. He's our entire life. We live in the risen Christ. We were dead, but now we're alive in Christ. We looked at that last week. He's the head of the body, the church. We are members of His body. We've been so united to God in Christ that we are members of the body. He is the head of the church. He's our hope of glory, and having qualified us, He has qualified us to share in the inheritance of sons, the inheritance of saints in light. We have a future glory laid out for us in Christ.

That was Paul's message. Christ is all. Christ, we proclaim. Christ, we teach and admonish so that every man—he said in chapter 1:28—every man with all wisdom would be presented complete in Christ. Christ is the only way to God, the only one who saves and forgives our sin, the only way to the Father and to glory, to heaven. That's the truth, the teaching of Colossians doctrinally.

But practically, the truth must have an impact upon your day-to-day life. It's not just a head knowledge, not just an intellectual knowledge of these things, but the truth will be worked out as God works in you, saving you by His grace, that truth will be worked out in the life of the saint. The grace of God and the truth of God influences the whole person, brings about change as we see here in chapter 3, and it transforms the life.

The truth received, believed, heard, understood, he says, will bear fruit in every good work so that you walk in a manner worthy of the Lord to please Him in all respects, bearing fruit and multiplying in the full knowledge of God as he prayed for the Colossians in chapter 1 verse 10. So there's this resurrection to walk in newness of life. You were formerly hostile, enemies of God, haters of God. In fact, he says in verse 21 of chapter 1, "...you were alienated in your mind and in your evil deeds." You were against God, you were a rebel to God, and God was against you.

But now you're reconciled through Christ's death, you've been granted life, you've been granted a new identity, and with that new identity, that new position, comes new desires and new responsibilities to persevere in the holy service of your Lord and Master, to serve your Lord Christ. You no longer walk as you once did, but you seek to live for the glory of God. You died. You died and your life is now securely wrapped up in the person of Christ, eternally secure in Christ. You have put on Christ, and with new life comes new growth, and that's what we see here in chapter 3.

Knowing Christ as your Lord and Savior, believing in the Lord Jesus Christ, is just the beginning of a beautiful relationship. But like any other relationship, it must blossom, it must grow, it must be maintained, cultivated with time and with effort. It will grow with a growth that is from God. And as we abide in Christ, assured of our salvation, as we dwell in His word, as we commune with Him in prayer, as we seek the help and enjoy the help of the Holy Spirit who now dwells in us, we will live in a way that so glorifies our God, our Lord, our Master.

And that's the teaching of Colossians 3. Your theology or doctrine, what you know to be true about God, your knowledge of God should change how you live and behave in the world. And our section today completes Paul's exhortation to the Christian to live a holy life, and he presents a framework for godly living. He lays down the characteristics and conduct of the new man. Sanctification and growth in grace takes place as you direct your attention, your mind, to the things of God. Ours is a heavenly calling and a holy calling. As you set your heart, your affections on holy things, not the things of this earth, he says. The things of the old life have lost their appeal and their power. You no longer live in them as you once did before Christ, but now in Christ, there's been a radical change. You no longer desire the things you once loved; now you love the things you once hated.

Sound theology, J. C. Ryle said, is useless if it's not accompanied by a holy life. And where there is a genuine saving faith, faith in Christ, new life follows. It's the resurrected life. The resurrected life moves in a new direction. It's the way of obedient service to Christ, and true faith is actively obedient. Faith must be exercised. Day by day, we rest and we trust in our God and we seek to comply with the will of God as revealed in the Word of God, putting off the the old man once and for all—that's the idea—putting it to death, putting off the the old dirty grave clothes and putting on the new man after righteousness and holiness, the grace clothes, putting away vice and putting on the virtues of Christ, and that's what we have here. Since you have put off the old man with its evil practices and you've put on the new man in the knowledge of Christ, you will adorn the doctrine of God your Savior in everything.

I love Warren Wiersbe's title to his sermon on this section. He said, "We're all dressed up and we have some place to go." As believers, we are all dressed up and we have some place to go. We were saved by grace and we're on our way to glory, and we're clothed in the righteousness of Christ, the garments of salvation, and we are on our way to glory.

The grace of God, as we read in Titus 2, "the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all men, instructing us that, denying ungodliness and worldly desires, we should live sensibly, righteously, and godly in this present age, looking for the blessed hope and the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ." You've been resurrected to new life, but there's also a separation from your old life. And you see the progression here in our chapter.

Notice verse 1: "Therefore if,”--and the word is “since”—"since you have been raised up with Christ." Verse 5: Therefore you will put to death. In verse 8: "But now you also, lay them aside." In verse 12: So, if this is the case and it is, you've been raised in Christ, you will put to death the old man, you'll put away the things of the former life, and you will now—so, now—put on the things of God. You notice the language there: you once walked in those things, you were living in them, verses 7 and 9, but not anymore—not anymore.

You've been called to personal holiness, you've been raised up with Christ, that's a fulfilled condition, a completed fact, and since this is true, in view of this fact, you put off the old life in Adam and you've put on the new man in Christ. You want an illustration of that? Well, let's go to Corinthians, 1 Corinthians chapter 6. Here's a wonderful illustration of this truth that Paul sets before us in the lives of the Corinthian believers.

In 1 Corinthians 6, in verse 9 he says, "Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived; neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor homosexuals, nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers, will inherit the kingdom of God." And then he says these wonderful words in verse 11: "And such were some of you;"—but you're not like that anymore. "You were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of our God."

And so he says, as you go to read on in the chapter, he says, "You put away the old life, the old man, you're no longer joined to them, you've been bought with a price, you're not your own, you belong to God. You're a new man in Christ. Therefore, glorify God in your very body with your life. Glorify God. This is you before Christ, this is what you were, but not anymore. You've been delivered by the grace of God, freed from sin's dominion, you're no longer a slave to those things, you've enjoyed the liberating power of the gospel, and now you live for Christ. You're not your own, you're bought with a price, you're washed, you're sanctified, you're justified and cleansed in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ.”
 
The Christian no longer takes pleasure in those sinful things in which they were once involved. In fact, we're rather ashamed of those things looking back. You read at the end of Romans 6, that was the case for the Apostle Paul. What fruit had you in those things of which you're now ashamed? You're no longer a prisoner to those things. They no more have a hold on you. You don't desire them like you once did. You're to be dead to them because God, by His Spirit, made you a new creature, having raised you up with Christ to new life. You enjoy a new life—it's new in time, it's new in quality, it's a better life in the freedom of Christ's service. And, as you continue to walk with God, you're to be renewed in this knowledge of Christ, the full knowledge of Christ.

So the impartation of new life by the power of the Holy Spirit, who now dwells in you and is with you, grants to you this enabling power to live in such a manner that you are more and more conformed to the knowledge of Christ, to the Son of God. That is the work of God's Spirit in the life of the believer, where we die more and more to sin and to unrighteousness. We hate our sin, we grieve over our sin, we repent of our sin, and we want to live more and more unto righteousness and true holiness.

So we read here, you've been raised up with Christ, and you're on your way to glory. Christ will be manifest. There's coming a day when He will return. Christ will return for His own. You're saved by grace, and you're on your way to glory, and there's coming a day when Christ will be manifested, and you will be manifested with Him in glory.

But until then, what are we to do? How are we to live? How are we to live between now and then? This chapter really sets before us how we are to manifest the life of Christ by a transformed walk that demonstrates we're under new management. We serve a new Lord and Master, and it's to be evident in such a way that Christ is seen in us, living in us and through us in our day-to-day interactions, our speech, our words, our actions.

In fact, chapter 1, verse 15, describes Christ as the image of the Father. He's the exact representation of God to men. He makes God known to men. And in chapter 3, here in verse 10, it describes the Christian as the image of Christ. How are we to be like our God? We're to be the manifestation of Christ, just as Christ is the manifestation of the Father. We're called to be His representatives here on earth. And our union with Christ will dictate, then, how we conduct ourselves, and our new life will be reflective of our new position, our new identity in Christ.

You've been raised up in Christ, with Christ, to walk in newness of life. That's our calling. And if you need a reason, if you're looking for compelling motives to live in this way, the Apostle sets them down here in verse 12. He says, “So, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on [Christ]...”Put on Christ-like virtues. Put on this holy disposition. Put on this humility of heart, this compassion. We are to be like Christ, a reflection of Christ in the world. And we have these compelling motives to live in such a manner.

And what does he remind us of? It's the grace of God. You need a reason to serve the Lord? Well, think about His grace in your life. How good is the God you adore and serve? Think about God's choice of you. God's grace is His undeserved favor. And more, it's His kindness to those who deserve the very opposite, who deserve wrath. And he says, “as the elect of God”--as elect of God. You are chosen of God. It means to select out of a number. And it points to the choice of a certain number out of humanity to be saved, to be His instruments, His servants in this world. He has chosen you. He has called you. You are one who is elect.

And, so, see to it that your manner of life is appropriate, fitting, in accordance with the kind of life the elect of God should live. You are chosen of God. You have that wonderful word in Deuteronomy God gives to Israel through Moses. It helps us really understand our election in Deuteronomy 7, verse 7. It's a reminder to us that as with Israel, "Yahweh did not set His affection on you nor choose you because you were more in number than any of the peoples, for you were the fewest of all peoples, but because Yahweh loved you… Yahweh brought you out with a strong hand and redeemed you from the house of slavery, from the hand of Pharaoh [king] of Egypt. You shall know therefore that Yahweh your God, He is God, the faithful God, who keeps His covenant and His lovingkindness to a thousand generations to those who love Him and keep His commandments." What a word is that.

You're chosen of God. You're the elect of God. It's not on the basis of any personal merit, anything you deserve, not because of your own strength, not because of your greatness, your works, but simply because of His good pleasure. He has chosen you in Christ before the foundation of the world because Yahweh loved you and He set His love upon you. He brought you out by His mighty hand. He's chosen you.

A.W. Pink said our salvation from the love, the guilt, the defilement, the power, and ultimately the presence of sin is wholly by divine grace. Scripture is plain and emphatic in that point. It's by grace you're saved. That our sovereign God chose us in Christ before the foundation of the world and every blessing which we enjoy, which follows, is equally of His favor, is of His grace. Therefore, we read in the scriptures, as the elect of God, “put on”. We read of the election of grace, that our calling is according to His own purpose and grace. We read that we have believed through grace. In Romans 5 and Romans 3:24, we are justified freely by His grace because of His grace. And it's that same wondrous grace, Pink said, which bears with our dullness and our waywardness, which provides for our every need and which renews us day by day in the inner man and which brings us safely to heaven. As the elect of God, put on.

But then he says, be an imitator of Christ, a fitting example of the believer to others as holy, as holy. God has called you out from the world and He has set you apart, exclusively set you apart, out from your former life of sin unto God, as holy, set apart for God's purpose. And so live as one who is set apart by God and for God. In Romans 6, you present yourselves as those who are alive from the dead and your members as instruments of righteousness to God in the world. Romans 6:13. So you are elect, you are holy, but he says something more, you're beloved.

You need a reason, a motive to continue in the service of the Lord Jesus? So as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion–‘agape’. It's from the word ‘agapeo’--agape. It's a word that is indicative of love in the highest form, love to the highest degree. And we know agape speaks to that self-denying, that sacrificial love that serves or acts on behalf of another. Love that is moved to act and to do for the benefit of the one loved. And it's the kind of love that Christ displayed on the cross for us–‘agape’--love in the highest form, love to the highest degree.And he says, you are beloved. You are loved of God. And, if that doesn't encourage you to His service, what will?

And then he says in verse 14, "Above all these things put on love, which is the perfect bond of unity." As an overcoat, just think about, you are covered with this blanket of God's love. And you likewise are to show love. There's to be that mutual love and spirit of cooperation and unity and charity in the body of Christ. You put on this gracious disposition, this heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, patience. And we don't have time to get into all of those today.

So really, as recipients of God's mercy and His grace, as those who are loved of God, those who have received mercy will be merciful. Those who enjoy God's forgiveness will be forgiving. We will show, by our attitude and by our actions, these Christ-like virtues. We'll not be vengeful. We'll not be contentious. We'll not be grudge-holding. We'll not be divisive. But there will be a mutual love and a heart of compassion for the lost and for those in the body of Christ–that tender affection and that humble disposition, a kind and gentle spirit, patient and forgiving. You will love with the spiritual “affection of Christ”, as Paul says in Philippians 1:8. I love you “with the affection of Christ”. That's the kind of attitude and spirit that is to exist in the church, the body of Christ. Above all or upon all, on top of all these virtues, as an overcoat, as a blanket, put on the love of Christ. That's the bond of unity.

We want to enjoy and experience unity in the church? Show the love of Christ. Put on the love of Christ. The love of Christ is that glue, the cement that holds it all together, and love is the power which unites these graces and binds these virtues together. Warren Wiersbe said when love rules in our lives, it unites all these spiritual virtues so that there's beauty and there's harmony, and that indicates spiritual maturity.

We put on Christ. We're growing up in Christ. We're growing in Christlikeness, and what's the result? There's going to be a sweet and blessed peace and unity in the church, a spirit of cooperation within the church, so like a girdle that holds everything together, or like the belt of truth in Ephesians 6, it holds the armor in place. Put on love as an overcoat. Let it hold us together in Christ, in our service for Christ.

So as objects of God's love, elect, holy, beloved. As one to whom God is graciously disposed to do good, not only in saving you, but in providing all you need for this life and the life to come. Give yourself. Give yourself to the service of Christ. The impartation of new life by the power of the Holy Spirit who now dwells in you and is with you operates to sanctify you, conforming you more and more to the image of God's Son. So you have these motives, motives to continue by the grace of God, in the service of God, why you should put off the old life and put on the new life.

But what are the means? The means. Well, he talks about three things here: the peace of Christ ruling in your heart. Verse 14, He talks about the word of Christ dwelling in you richly. And He talks about the worship of Christ directing your whole life; whatever you do, you seek to live for the glory and honor of God. The means of grace and sanctification.

And the first one is the peace of Christ ruling in your heart, verse 15: "...let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body, and be thankful." The word "rule" there has the idea of being an umpire. It carries the idea of adjudication. The word is an athletic term. We would say, let the peace of Christ be the umpire in your life.

And we know in baseball that the umpire, he determines whether it's a strike or a ball, whether the ball is fair or whether it's foul, whether it's inbounds or out of bounds. And the umpire in Paul's day would preside at the games, and he would be the one who would distribute the prizes, and that's why he says in chapter two, verse 18, let no one keep defrauding you of your prize. And it's the same word, let no one defraud. You are to be ruled by the peace of Christ, the peace of Christ ruling in your hearts as an umpire.

The peace of Christ ruling in your heart is a comfortable sense of our acceptance before God. It's an external, objective peace that comes from knowing God. Romans 5:1: "Therefore, having [been justified] by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ." The peace of Christ is this wonderful assurance of our acceptance before God because we are reconciled to God by the blood of His cross. It's a peace that is of God, it's from God, it's with God. There's no longer this hostility, there's no longer this enmity. We’re no longer at war. God is no longer at war with us. And He says, let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts. And this peace comes with a knowledge of God's favor. It's this assurance that the Holy Spirit grants to us as the sons of God, that God—my God—is graciously disposed to do me good as a son of God.

Romans 8: "If God is for [me], who is against us?" That's the peace. If God is for me, what or who can separate me from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus? Being justified in a right standing before God, I have peace with God through the Lord Jesus Christ. And this peace, then, this realization of our new standing in His grace, what will that do? It will keep you from sinking. It will encourage your soul as you trust in Christ. It's the peace of God ruling in your hearts as an umpire, that you are accepted in the beloved Son. You are part of the family and the fold of God. Let no one defraud you of that prize. Don't let anyone rob you with any other teaching, he says there. Let the peace of Christ rule in your heart.

And this peace, the peace of Christ, assures your soul of His favor, that you're so united to God in Christ, as we thought about last week. When Christ died, you died. When He rose, you rose. When He ascended on high, you ascended on high. You're so united to God in Christ. You're one with Christ, that He is disposed to do us good. He's a God of grace.

And when our character and our conduct, when we put on Christ and these Christ-like virtues, when our character and conduct pleases the Lord, it follows that we will enjoy His peace and His rest in our heart. The peace of Christ ruling in us is that sense of oneness with God. It's that attitude of rest in His grace as His blood-bought people.

And what will that mean for you, believer? Christ's peace will act as an umpire where there's tension and conflict between the flesh and the spirit. And that thought, that you are one with God in Christ, you're accepted in the beloved, ought to impact your life's decisions in so much as when you determine to do a certain thing, you will ask certain questions. Questions such as, is this thing, this action that I'm about to do, is it consistent with my profession of faith in Christ? Will it tend to my peace or will it rob me of peace? Can I do or say this thing with a clear conscience before my God? In other words, is it pleasing to God? Is it God-honoring? Is it God-glorifying? Is it agreeable to the will of God as revealed in the word of God? If so, I can move forward confidently as one at peace with God, knowing that this is not contrary to my profession. This is not an act of rebellion against my God and my Savior. I can enjoy His peace as I walk in His will.

But as verse 25 says, to the one who does wrong, the one who does wrong, “will receive the consequences of the wrong which he has done, and that without partiality." I can't. How can I do this thing and sin against my Father in heaven? Do I want to disappoint my Father? I want to honor my Father. And if I recognize that if I do this or that, I will lose that comfortable sense of His favor. I will disappoint my Father in heaven and, thereby, know by my disobedience, His discipline, and that loving correction of the Father, I set it aside.

There will either be harmony or discord in the soul according to how we conduct ourselves with regard to these grace virtues. And you and I know that wrong motives and wrong actions do not work the righteousness of God. We know that when we cover our sin, when we seek to conceal our sin and walk in a way of disobedience like David in Psalm 32 and Psalm 51, we lose that sense of peace. When we forget our calling and go back to the rudimentary things of this world, there's a sense of shame and sorrow and guilt and bitter regret for the time wasted, for the time misused, for the days wasted. And sometimes we cry out with the apostle Paul, "Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from the body of this death?" And we repent and we come back again to Christ to be renewed.

We want to let the peace of Christ rule in our hearts. And, likewise, in the church body. Christ is our peace. And so we put off these things that are mentioned here in this chapter. We put them away. They're not part of our new life. And we know that things like—he says they're slander and abusive speech and anger and wrath and malice—lay them all aside. Put off the old man with his evil practices. These are destructive and harmful to the life of the church. And they only bring discord and division in the church. We're called to one body. And as Christ has broken down the wall of partition, the wall of division, we're to be one in Christ and to put on Christ. And as we do that, peace abides in the church. Let the peace of Christ rule in your heart.

And Paul's point is this: We must continue to be renewed day by day in the knowledge of Christ, spending time in the word, in communion with God, in prayer, seeking the help of the Holy Spirit, constantly setting our mind on the things of God, directing our affection to the things of God, pursuing Christ, remembering His love for us. This is so important to the stability of your faith and to the unity in the church, he says–that you would stand complete, fully assured in all the will of God, as he said of Epaphras, praying for them in chapter four, verse 12.

But, how do I know what pleases God? How do I know what will honor the Lord? Well, He's made it clear in His Word. He's given us His Word, this revelation of Himself, and that's what he says here next: "Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly." It will teach you with all wisdom, teaching and admonishing you, singing with gratefulness in your hearts to the God. “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly.” Dwell, inhabit, be at home in your heart. Do you value the Word of God in this way? Do you live in the Word? Do you see the Word as your necessary food day by day? Do we dwell in the Word in this fashion? Here we're really reminded of the importance of being in the scriptures, being in the Word of God and the Word of God being in us, equipping us for our service.

Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, in you. Be at home. Let the Word keep house, if you like. Let the Word inhabit your life. You're encouraged to hide the Word of God in your heart. Psalmist asks, how shall a young man cleanse his way? By taking heed according to the Word, by hiding it in our hearts that we would not sin against the Lord, dwelling in it personally, in you. And then he says, “dwelling in you richly” or abundantly, extravagantly, being filled with the word.

Is your life filled with a love for the Word of God? Do you have an appetite, a hunger for the Word of God, a hunger to know God? Does it dwell in you richly? Is there that increasing knowledge in the knowledge of Christ? You need this. If you are to be fitted out and well-supplied, trained in the word, furnished for the fight, let the Word of Christ dwell in you richly.
And we read of the benefits of daily Bible study, being in the Word, in 2 Timothy 3:16. All Scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable. It's profitable for teaching, for instruction in righteousness and so on. 2 Timothy 3:16, It's “God-breathed”. We have God's Word here in our hands. From the mouth of God to our heart, from the mouth of God to us, He communicates to us.

And then this Word is profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness so that the man of God may be equipped, having been thoroughly equipped, fitted out, furnished, well-supplied for every good work. If you want to live in a way that is glorifying to your Master, you need to be dwelling richly, personally, daily, abundantly in the word, being fitted out for this service, daily nourished on the words of faith and sound doctrine. And you will mature in Christ. You will grow up in Him. You will be furnished for the fight.

Open up the cupboard. Go to the pantry of truth. Take out the Word and feed your soul daily on the Word of Christ, just as daily you would feed your body and nourish it and strengthen it. So feed your soul daily on the Word of God for your nourishment and your edification. Let the Word of Christ be your teacher. Be filled with it. Let the Word of Christ dwell in you richly.

It's interesting that the parallel passage in Ephesians 5:17, it talks about walking in the will of God, redeeming the time because the days are evil. It's interesting that in Ephesians 5:17–21, “being filled with the word” is equivalent to being filled with the Spirit of God. If the Word of God so dominates or saturates your life, there will—no doubt, no doubt—be the evidence of the Spirit's indwelling presence and power and controlling influence in your life. It must be.

As you spend time in the Word, getting to know your God, being instructed, convicted, corrected, furnished, you will grow in grace and in the knowledge of your Savior, and living under the controlling influence and power of the Holy Spirit will conform you more to Christ the Son, because that's the ministry, that's the work of the Holy Spirit. The ministry of the Holy Spirit is one of leading you in the truth. It's one of revealing Christ to you in the Word. It's one of granting you understanding where you're ignorant. It's one of conviction, of sin, comforting, directing, helping, showing you the way of godliness, equipping, empowering, fitting for service. That's the work of the Holy Spirit, taking the Word and applying it to your heart.

Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly. It's the Word of Christ. It's the Word that magnifies Christ. It's the Word that sets forth Christ. It's the scriptures of truth of which Christ is the key. He unlocks the door. And it's knowing God as revealed in the scriptures that shape life, gives purpose, gives direction, and so on—the Word of Christ dwelling in you richly, the Word that testifies of Christ, that honors Christ. And it's the Spirit of God who makes the things of Christ real to us, clear to us, showing us more and more of Christ and thereby conforming us to the Son. Be filled, being filled or renewed with the full knowledge of Christ, you will begin to resemble Christ. Let the Word of Christ fill you, feed your soul, lead you, admonish you, teach you so that you grow up in Him. And it's not just a personal thing.

This is a word for all of us. He says ‘let the word of Christ dwell among you all, not just in you, but among you all, in you all.’ And as the Word of Christ dwells in us, what's the result? Well, there will be a joyous, enhanced, glorious fellowship in the church. Our worship will be enriched, and we will sing praises to God from the heart because we have experienced His grace having spent time in His word.

A church that sets aside the Word of truth is not a proper functioning church. A word-deprived church is a weak and anemic church. Thank God we are taught well in the word week by week. We're not word-deprived. Make full use of your benefits and the means of grace, the means of your sanctification by being here together with God's people corporately. Let the Word of Christ dwell among you all in the fellowship of the church. And our worship will be sweet.

The worship of God is designed to promote adoration, praise, thanksgiving. As the Word of God dwells in you richly, it will flood your soul with joy and gratitude. And when the church gathers as we do week by week to sing and worship God, it will be filled with sweet and animated praise to God—praise God from whom all blessings flow. We worship God together in the beauty of holiness, and your soul will be encouraged as you reflect on the biblical lyrics that we sing, the scripture truths that are set before us, as Kelston mentioned this morning. We sing the truths of scripture, and the truth of scripture uplifts and encourages the soul. We delight ourselves in God.

Let the worship of Christ be our priority in all that we do. And that really is the summary of the Christian life here as you go back to Colossians 3 and wrap it up. Verse 17: "Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him." Here's a summary of our life, the Christian life by the grace of God, to the glory of God.
The Christian life can be summarized as living holy by the grace of God, to the glory of God, and doing good to all, especially to the household of faith. You are made for this purpose, to bring glory to God, your creator. Sin marred that image, but the redeemed are renewed by faith in Christ, by the regenerating power of the Holy Spirit who calls us to walk in newness of life, and to live for the glory of God.

And so, in closing, we examine our hearts, we examine our ways, and we ask, “Does my life—does my life express a concern for the glory of God above all? Do I desire to please God in everything? Is that desire evident by my daily choices, by my words, by my actions, by my treatment of people, the things I do and say, by the things I give priority to in my life, or do they speak—do they speak more to self-love, to self-care, to self-interest, self-aggrandizement, self-comfort, building my own little kingdom, or do I desire to live for the glory of God's kingdom?”

That's a challenge to us as we think about verse 17–a challenge to examine our hearts, because as Matthew Henry said, “The business of our lives is not to please ourselves, but to please God.” That's our business. That's our job–to pursue holiness in the fear of God, the fear of God. We make it our ambition in all respects to be pleasing to Him. Every plan we form is either pleasing or displeasing to God, honoring or dishonoring. Every project we entertain, everything we set out to do, it either is a pursuit of my own interests, my own things, my own glory, or it's the glory of Christ. I seek to serve and magnify Christ.

"Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus [Christ], giving thanks to God the Father through Him."

Let's pray.

This is a transcript. It may contain small inaccuracies.

Tonight we come to verse 3 of this psalm, Psalm 37, verse 3: "Trust in Yahweh and do good; Dwell in the land and cultivate faithfulness."

This is a psalm of David, written in his old age as he looks back upon his life. We noted last week that he was able to say that God has been faithful. "I have been young and now I am old, Yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken Or his seed begging bread."

And there is a call here to delight in God, to trust in Yahweh and do good and cultivate faithfulness. May that be our desire tonight, that we would increase in faith. Oftentimes we have to confess, Lord, I believe, but help my unbelief. I need to grow in faith and trust. And David demonstrates here how faith should look at life. How should faith look at life? Indeed, how should faith respond to life's trials and afflictions? How should a mature Christian view suffering and affliction?

David answers those questions here with several precepts that he sets down before us. Precepts to live by, maxims for life, things that encourage us in the way of godliness to delight in God. And David really presents here several instructive words in answer to the things that cause us to fret and to worry. And he warns us in the beginning about a spirit of discontent or envy, being distracted by what is going on around, looking at others and being covetous or envious of what they have.

Looking at the wicked, being downcast because they seem to prosper and don't have trouble like other men, as we noted last week. It's the case of Asaph in Psalm 73.
So David presents us here with several words to answer worry and envy.

Spurgeon said, "Psalm 37 really is a song in which the Lord hushes most sweetly the two common repinings of His people, and He calms their minds as to the present dealings with His own flock." It's a song that hushes most sweetly the common repinings of God's people.
Spurgeon said "it's that great riddle that we face, the great riddle of the prosperity of the wicked and the affliction of the righteous. How is it that the wicked prosper and those who seek to do good and do right suffer in this world? It's a riddle which has perplexed us at times."

But David deals with this in light of the future. He sets down in comparison the way of the righteous and the way of the wicked, the end of the righteous and the end of the wicked.
And so in light of the wicked evildoer's future – his end, his time is brief, his time is short. There will come a day when the wicked will be cut down like the grass and given account before Almighty God. So do not worry. But the end of the righteous, the way of the righteous man, is the way of a rich inheritance and reward in God. And so he's dealing here with this riddle: Why do the wicked prosper and the righteous suffer affliction? But he deals with it in light of the future, and fretfulness – repining – is, as Spurgeon said, expressly forbidden.
And hence the word in verse 1: "Do not fret" – do not worry, do not be anxious – "because of evildoers, Be not be envious toward doers of unrighteousness."
 
Do not give way to worry or a moderate grief. It's all too common for the believer, perhaps in an hour of adversity or trial, to think or to feel that God has forgotten to be gracious, or to feel that he is harshly treated. Life seems to be unfair and there can be wrong thoughts of God. There can be questioning of His motives, of His sovereign plan, an impugning of His wisdom. And that is sometimes, sadly, common when we look around and deal with this riddle.
But the psalmist says here, do not fret, do not give way to worry, a moderate grief. Do not become inflamed or incensed or burn with anger, begin to fume and grumble impatiently because of wrongdoers.

Proverbs 12:25: "Anxiety in a man's heart weighs it down, but a good word makes it glad." And here you have a good word from the psalmist David: to delight in the Lord, to trust in the Lord and do good, dwell in the land and cultivate faithfulness. "Anxiety in a man's heart weighs it down." Anxiety, worry – it literally means to be pulled apart, to be torn apart. It can weigh us down.

It is often the result of focusing on lesser things, focusing on wrong things, fixating our minds and our hearts on other things, wrong desires, wrong priorities. And when our priorities are misdirected and our values confused, we tend to lose our peace and our joy and our rest. And it leads to discontent. And David warns that worry and envy can lead to further sin, to wrong responses, unrighteous responses.

In fact, he says in verse 8, "Cease from anger and forsake wrath; do not fret" – do not worry– "it leads only to evildoing." He warns that worry can lead to sin. It can lead to further wrongdoing, an unrighteous response to trouble, a temptation perhaps to lash out in anger. It could lead to lying as a way to protect oneself. It can lead to a forgetfulness of God. It can lead to the fear of man.

There's misdirected priorities and confused values. Our priorities are misdirected and confused when we desire other things before love and devotion to God. And as we noted last week in the parable of the rich farmer in Luke 12, the rich farmer was storing up for himself treasures on earth, but he was not rich toward God. We're to be rich towards God. And David here reminds us of the antidote to fear and to worry and to anxiety is what? It's to trust in the living God.

Proverbs 23:17: "Do not let your heart envy sinners, but live in the fear of Yahweh always." Remember your God. Remember His promises. Remember who He is. Remember what He has done. Take heart, David says, in the sure reality of God's unfailing love for His own. He will not fail.

In other words, David is saying, and the proverb reminds us, Do not let your heart envy sinners, but live in the fear of Yahweh. You must fight fear and fight that anxiety. Fight that worry. Replace it with another fear. And what is that? That is the fear of the Lord. Because the fear of Yahweh is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One, that is understanding. And so fight fear. Fear God above all else and you have nothing else to fear. Stand in awe and sin not. That's what it is to fear God.

And Scripture sets before us this idea of fearing God before anything and everything else. The fear of the Lord is that wisdom that rests in and rejoices in and recognizes the supremacy of God over every area of my life. I stand in awe of God and I remember all that He has done for me. And I rest in who He is. I rejoice in Him and I recognize that He is sovereign over all the affairs and circumstances of my life.

And really the fear of the Lord is that conscious awareness of who God is. It's a recognition or a remembrance of who God is. And as I take thought of who God is and I meditate upon His greatness, His grace, His glory – He's the sovereign God who is over all – I have nothing to fear. And so the psalmist says do not fret. Do not fear. Do not be envious. Trust in the Lord.

And it is as I take thought of the Lord. It's that the fear of the Lord really is a controlling sense of His majesty, His holiness, His power, His wisdom as God who is over all. And it's maintaining that proper perspective of who God is and bowing before Him in submission, in worship. You are worthy, O Lord, to be praised and to be worshipped. Don't let your heart envy sinners, but live in the fear of the Lord always.

Proverbs 1:7: "The fear of Yahweh is the beginning of knowledge." Here's the starting point, if you like. Here is the foundation for which you should build your life on. Build your life on the fear of the Lord with a sense of reverence and worship and adoration and submission to God. Trusting Him for everything. Trusting Him as God who is over your entire life.

Proverbs 9:10 similarly says, "The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding." Proverbs 14:27, one more: "The fear of the LORD is a fountain of life, that one may avoid the snares of death."

You will be led in the right way as you trust in the Lord. The soul that leans on God is rightly directed, and we are to fix our hearts on the Lord. When we fixate on our problems, or when we begin to look within ourselves for solutions or begin to look around to others for help, we can easily lose sight of the Lord. We become so focused on our issues and the problems that we're dealing with, and we can look for solutions in ourselves, perhaps trying to figure it out in our own strength.

The psalmist says don't do that. Fix your heart on God. Don't lose sight of your God, of who He is. And David encourages us to keep things in their proper perspective. Strengthen your faith in God. Cultivate faithfulness by meditating upon who your God is. Fix your mind and your heart on your sovereign God.

What does Isaiah tell us? In Isaiah 26, verse 3 and 4, wonderful words for our encouragement that we often quote. Isaiah 26, verse 3: "The steadfast of mind" – that is the mind fixed, set, established on God – "You will keep in perfect peace". There is that perfect peace – double peace. Shalom, shalom. It's a complete, whole, sound peace. Why? "Because he trusts in You." "Trust in Yahweh forever, for in Yah, Yahweh Himself, we have an everlasting Rock."

How do we get—how do we know peace? Fix your mind on God. Gaze on God. Abide in Him. Trust in Yahweh. Our times of adversity and the things that would cause us to fret and worry, instead of causing us to fret and worry, those times of adversity should set us seeking after God for wisdom. In those times of trouble, they remind us how totally dependent upon the Lord we are for everything. We're reminded that our help comes from the Lord, the maker of heaven and earth.

And as David says in this psalm, "Yahweh is the one who sustains the righteous." verse 17. He is the one who sustains by His hand. He holds us in His hand. And at the end of the psalm, you have that wonderful word of encouragement there in conclusion where he says, but the salvation of the righteous, that deliverance that we need, that we look for at times, that help that we need, the salvation of the righteous is from who? It's from Yahweh.
He is their strength in time of distress. Yahweh helps them and protects them. He protects them from the wicked and He saves them because they take refuge in Him.

Where are we to go? We're to take refuge in the Lord. Affix our hearts and our mind on our sovereign God. The salvation of the righteous is from Yahweh. And so David reminds us here, he tells us that the response to fear, to envy, to worry should be a God-centered, confident faith that takes refuge in the strong protection and the very present help of Yahweh in the time of distress, Psalm 46:1: "God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in times of trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth should change and though the mountains slip into the heart of the sea." God is our refuge and strength.
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And though your world appears to come crashing down and circumstances change suddenly, things appear to crumble around you, he said, God is a refuge for you. He will uphold you by His grace. And so the first response when you're anxious, when you're tempted to envy, is to trust in the Lord. Look to your God for help in that moment of temptation.

And it's instructive. In Psalm 56:3 and 4, David said, "When I'm afraid" – when I'm afraid –  "I will put my trust in You. In God, whose word I praise, in God I have put my trust; I shall not be afraid." – In fact – "What can mere man do to me?" When I'm afraid – I'm going to trust in You.
And we have that word in Proverbs 3:5 and 6: "Trust in the Lord" – trust in Yahweh – "with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight."

And there's this call to faith in the living God, as the psalmist tells us here in verse 3: "Trust in Yahweh and do good", "cultivate faithfulness." Trust. There's the exercise of your faith.
We often talk about faith, perhaps, we talk about trusting in the Lord, but sometimes we see it as optional. Sometimes we do trust, sometimes we don't trust. But here we're encouraged to trust in the Lord – not just sometimes, but the psalmist said again and again, bless the Lord at all times. Morning, noon, and night. He was resting in the Lord, seeking the Lord. There was the exercise of faith, and he says here, trust in Yahweh.

It's not only the exercise of faith, but it's an external trust. Just as we read in Proverbs 3:5 and 6, don't lean on your own understanding. You're not leaning on yourself for solutions. You're not looking to others for help. You're not trusting in riches. You're not trusting in leaders. You're not trusting in your government. You're not trusting in counselors. Your trust is in God. It's an external trust. It's outside of yourself.

And it's an exclusive trust. You're trusting in the Lord and no one else. It's the living God who is disposed to do you good. That's the one we trust. And it's an entire trust. It's with all your heart, with all that you have, with all your being.

Hudson Taylor, that man of faith, that missionary to China who accomplished much in the purposes of God – Hudson Taylor, that great missionary – he said, "There is a living God. There is a living God. He has spoken in the Bible. He means what He says and will do all that He has promised." What a simple, clear word for us. There is a God. He's alive. He's the living God. He has spoken. He has revealed Himself in His word that we can know Him. He has given us promises and precepts to live by. And what He says, He will do. He will fulfill His word.

And David says, He's never failed me yet. I trust in Yahweh. He's my God. "I've been young" – verse 25 – "now I'm old. I've not seen the righteous forsaken." He's never failed me yet. He has never forgotten me. I trust in Him. I trust His word. And He is faithful. He's a faithful God in whom you can trust.

What's His name? His name is, is Yahweh. Who is the proper object of your faith? It's the LORD God. And that name Yahweh – as we know, a name is significant. Your name is significant of your whole person, who you are, your character, and what you do. And His name is significant. It's the  – it's, it's the name Yahweh as translated here in the LSB. In other versions, it appears as LORD in full capitals. Jehovah. 6,800 times it appears in the Old Testament. It's the most common name for God in the Old Testament. In fact, it's God's personal name. His covenant name. His name is, is Yahweh. It's the – it's the name of the covenant God in whom we trust.
The whole weight of your life on Him. You can trust in Yahweh.

And Jeremiah tells us in Jeremiah 17:7, "Blessed"  – "blessed" – "is the man who trusts in Yahweh And whose trust is Yahweh." "...he will be like a tree planted by the water That sends forth its roots by a stream And he will not fear when the heat comes." You can trust in this God. You can trust in Yahweh, and Yahweh must be your trust.

And then he says here, "and do good." Trust in Yahweh. "Trust in the Lord and do good." Trust in God is good. This is a wise course of action, but he calls this to trust in the faithfulness. In your margin, it may read feed securely or, or feed on faithfulness. Feed on the faithfulness of God. Trust in Yahweh and do good.

I love how Spurgeon succinctly sums up this idea of, of, of faith, of trust and do. Faith and works. And he says, "trust and do are words that go well together in the order in which the Holy Spirit has placed them. We should have faith, and that faith should work. Trust in God sets us upon holy doing."

Isn't that what we were talking about this morning? That, that active obedience, that, that faith in God that moves us to holy action and doing what, what pleases the Lord.
"Trust in God sets us upon holy doing. We trust God for good and then we do good. We do not sit still because we trust, but we arouse ourselves and expect the Lord to work through us and by us. It is not ours to worry and do evil, but to trust and do good. We neither trust without doing nor do without trusting." It is trust and do. Faith and works. Trust in the Lord and do good.

And so the psalmist tells us here that the antidote to fear, to anxiety, to worry is to focus on the faithful God in whom you trust. Delight in Him, commit your way to Him, rest in Him. In fact, he says, graze or, or feed on His faithfulness. Feed securely. Trust in, in Yahweh, the good shepherd, the shepherd of the sheep.

When we think about feeding or grazing on God's faithfulness, you think of the good shepherd, Psalm 23. And even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, He's with me. And whatever adversity I'm facing, He is with me. He's the good shepherd. He leads to the green pastures. He leads to the still waters. He, he, he brings us to that place of rest and contentment. He satisfies the longings of our soul.

And as we feed on the grounds of His faithfulness, He leads us to that place of contentment and rest. Because as our shepherd, He provides, He satisfies, He guides, He, he protects. You can trust Him as your shepherd.
 
And as Luther said, the Christian life is concerned with possessive pronouns. The Lord is my shepherd. And therefore, I shall not want. How good it is to be able to say, this God is my God. And I'm trusting in Him with my entire life for everything.

I'm like a shepherd. He will – He will shepherd His flock. He – He will – He will carry us in His arms. He will – He will gather His young lambs in His bosom. They're, they're dear to Him. Child of God, you're dear to Him. He will gently lead you. And so, trust in the Lord and do good. Cultivate faithfulness. Feed securely on His, His faithfulness.

Do your soul good by grazing on the promises of God, this good and gracious God, who is your shepherd. And let those promises sustain and nourish your fainting heart. Think on the, the I-wills of God. Those promises that God has given us in His word that sustain us and nourish us, that comfort us in our affliction. The I-wills of God.

The biblical counselor and pastor Paul Tagus said, "the promises of God are like concrete pylons driven deep into the ocean floor. And when the waves of anxiety push us around and threaten to sink us, we may tie the rope of our faith to the immovable character of God, which His promises reveal. Fear not, God says. And then He makes a promise."

How many times do you read in God's word, fear not, fear not, I will. Think on the I-wills of God. Let's look at a couple. And I love those words in Isaiah 41:10: "Do not fear", "Do not fear " – Why? Because this is the promise, – "for I am with you; Do not anxiously look about you, for I am your God. I will make you mighty, surely I will help you, surely I will uphold you with My righteous right hand."
 
I am with you. Be not dismayed. I am your God. I will strengthen you. I will help you. I will uphold you with the right hand of My righteousness.

And I love that word in chapter 43, verse 2. He says, "When you pass through the waters, I will be with you." Don't fear. I've redeemed you. Do not fear. And with that, He gives a promise: "I have called you by name; you are Mine! When you pass through the waters, I will be with you." I'm with you. "And through the rivers, they will not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be scorched, nor will the flame burn you. For I am Yahweh your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior."

How do you strengthen your faith? How do you cultivate faithfulness? By feeding on the faithfulness of God, who has promised to be your protection and your very present help in the time of need. Feed securely on His faithfulness. Abide in His word. Abide in the promises of God. And then you can work quietly, knowing that God will provide all that you need as you trust in Him.

In fact, David reminds us that there's a wonderful, blessed inheritance for the children of God. We will dwell in the land, the land that God has prepared for His people. There's a promise of reward to all who will continue in His word. Trust in the Lord and do good. Cultivate faithfulness.

Knowing Christ as Lord is just the beginning of a beautiful relationship. But like any other relationship, it has to be cultivated. It must grow and it must blossom. It must be maintained and developed and cultivated.

He says, cultivate faithfulness by feeding on the promises of God. Do good. Focus on the nature and character and the works of God on your behalf. You want to cultivate faithfulness? Strengthen your faith. Meditate on your God. You want to cultivate faithfulness? Delight in the Lord. Stand in awe of God. Worship Him. Commit your way to Him in prayer. Focus on living a life of humble submission, doing good before men for the glory of your heavenly Father who knows all about your needs, who knows the things that you have need of.

And so David, in this psalm, he really helps us to reorient our priorities as David reminds us of God's unfailing faithfulness. Trust in Yahweh. He never fails. He will never forsake you. He will never leave you. He will not desert you. He will not abandon you. He will never forget His people. Take heart. The Lord is one who sees you, who knows you, who cares for you, who leads you, who guides you, and you can reorient your heart and your mind by cultivating faithfulness—that is, relying on your faithful, wise, powerful, loving God for grace to live each day.

Reorient your heart and mind by meditating on the promises of God. Trust His word. There is a living God. He has spoken, and what He has said He will bring to pass. You can trust His word. You can reorient your heart, endeavoring to do what pleases Him, and you can reorient your heart by rolling your burden upon the Lord in prayer, committing your way unto Him, and you can reorient your heart by dwelling on the eternal rest and inheritance that God has secured for you in Christ.

The best is yet to come. We're just pilgrims and strangers here. This world is not our home. You will dwell securely in the land that God has promised and prepared for you in Christ, and if you should say my foot has slipped, then meditate on the loving-kindness of God. Your loving-kindness, O God, will uphold me.

In Psalm 94, verse 19, is an instructive word: "When my anxious thoughts multiply", there are many, and they're within me. "When my anxious thoughts multiply within me, Your consolations delight my soul." Trust in the Lord. Do good. Dwell in the land. Cultivate faithfulness. Delight yourself in the Lord.

Let's pray.

This is a transcript. It may contain small inaccuracies.

Christ is all. The absolute sufficiency and supremacy of Jesus Christ, who is Lord over all. Christ is all. Three little words, but how sweet they are to the believer's ear. Three little words, but in those words, life and eternity. Three little words that present to us the absolute sufficiency of Jesus Christ in the entire work of man's salvation and the sanctification of sinners like us.

J.C. Ryle, the Bishop of Liverpool, said these three words are the essence and substance of Christianity. If our hearts can go along with them, it is well with our souls. If not, we may be sure we have yet much to learn. And I pray today that if you can't say Christ is all, you would come and learn of Him today.

Paul's central theme in the book of Colossians here is the person and the work of Christ and the relationship He sustains to His people, the church. To the Apostle Paul, Christ was worth everything. Paul could say, Christ is all. Christ is all and in all. Christ is all to me. He lived and He labored that in all things, Christ would have the preeminence—first place in everything.

In fact, if you look back to chapter one in the verse 16, he says, "For in Him all things were created, both in the heavens and in earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things have been created through Him and for Him. And He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together. He is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that He Himself will come to have first place in everything. For in Him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell.” Christ is all.

And Paul labored to see everyone; every man, every woman, complete in Christ. You look at verse 25 of the first chapter and he says, “I was made a minister according to the stewardship from God given to me for you, so that I might fully carry out the preaching of the word of God." And what is that word, Paul? It is Christ. Christ is all.

Verse 28, "Him we proclaim, admonishing every man and teaching every man with all wisdom, so that we may present every man complete in Christ." Paul was one who was entrusted with the word of truth, the gospel of salvation, and his mission was to preach the word, to proclaim Christ so that all would know Him and understand the grace of God that is found in Christ, and knowing Christ then would grow in maturity to a full knowledge of Christ.

And for this he prays in chapter 1, you have that wonderful prayer, verse 9 to 12 there, how he prays for them night and day that they would be full, filled with the full knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding so that you may walk worthy of the Lord to please Him in all respects, bearing fruit in every good work and multiplying in the knowledge of God. He labored to see every man complete in Christ.

Paul's main concern is the stability of their faith and their growth in Christian grace. As you look to chapter 2, the verse 19, he says he wants them to hold fast to the head as members of the body “being supplied and held together by the joints and ligaments,”— being joined to Christ. And then he says that they would “grow with a growth that is from God,”— that they would be filled with the fullness of God and that they would grow with a growth that is from God, that they would increase in grace.

And he says in verse 5, "Though I am absent in body, nevertheless I am with you in spirit, rejoicing to see your good order and the stability of your faith. Therefore, as you have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, being firmly rooted and built up in Him and having been established in your faith— just as you were instructed— and abounding therein with thanksgiving.”

As you have received Christ Jesus and you have known the fullness of His grace, so grow up in Him to maturity. As you have received Christ Jesus, so walk in Him. You received Him, believer, as your Lord, as your Christ, as your Savior. And what the apostle is saying is, walk in the light of that truth. The person of Christ, His Lordship—His Lordship over all who have trusted in Him—must govern all you believe and all you do.

You're to be firmly rooted in Him, built up in Him, established in the faith and bearing fruit to the glory of God. And that's why he says in our chapter, chapter 3, verse 17, it doesn't matter what you do. Whatever you do, whatever you say in word or in deed, whatever your action, you do all as a believer in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, giving thanks to God the Father through Him. That's your goal as a child of God.

Christ is all. Christ is all and in all to the believer. Christ must be all as the principal object of your life, your chief good. And you're living, believer, today, you're living. How do you live? You're living by His grace. And why do you live? You're living for His glory—by His grace for His glory. Christ must be all as the principal object of your life.

As Spurgeon said, your great aim must be to glorify Christ here on earth in the hope and expectation of enjoying Him forever above. We're called to walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing. And since Paul says, Christ is the Lord of my life, and we'll see that more next week as we look at the opening verses—the risen life in Christ, being raised with Christ. Since that is true, as a believer, I will seek to make His service my priority. His life must direct and govern my life if He is Christ over all.

And I want you to think today about a Christian's priority. Christian, why do you do what you do? What is your priority in life? If you were to ask the Apostle Paul, “Paul, what are you living for? Why do you exist? What's your reason for being? Paul, why do you do the things you do?” This would be his reply. He would say, “I serve my Lord Christ by His grace and for His glory. Christ is all and in all.”

And verse 17 would really be his purpose statement. Whatever I do, whatever I say, wherever I go, wherever I am, I'm doing everything. I do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, giving thanks to God the Father through Him. It's all about Him. It's for Him. It's to Him. It's through Him.

I live—whatever I do or say—I live by the grace of God, and I live for the glory of God. I'm living for the glory of God, my Savior. I make it my ambition, as we read in 2 Corinthians 5:9, in everything, in everything to please Him—to please Him. And young people, we were thinking about it at our retreat this year, the theme being living for Christ, for to me—for to me to live is Christ. Christ is my all. He is my everything, and that means fruitful labor for me in the service of Christ I will live.

In Acts 20, verse 24, Paul said, "I do not make my life of any account nor dear to myself, so that I might finish my course and the ministry which I have received from the Lord Jesus, to testify solemnly of the gospel of the grace of God." Paul, what are you living for? I'm living to testify of the gospel of the grace of God that is found in Christ Jesus. What's your aim? To preach Christ. And friend, today I would ask you at the outset of this message, what is it you're living for? What do you treasure above anything else in this world? Are you simply living for worldly treasure, laying up for yourself treasures on earth, or are you laying up for yourself treasure in heaven? What are you living for as a professing Christian? What is the object of your life, the fundamental principle governing your life? What orients your life as the governing principle? Is your life all about the service of your Lord and Master Jesus Christ? Is it to live? Is Christ so that whatever you say or do, you do all in His name and for His glory? Is that your aim?

The believer's purpose is to fulfill the ministry of the gospel of God to the glory of God. To proclaim from the hilltop, Christ is all. Christ is all in all to me.

And the apostle here in this chapter really sets down what that means, what it means doctrinally and what it means practically. Really, in chapter one and two, he's setting down the doctrine, what it means doctrinally. If you say Christ is all, what does that mean doctrinally? Well, read chapters one and two this week. If you want to understand what it means practically in your day-to-day life, read chapter three and four this week.

But what does it mean that Christ is all doctrinally and practically? Well, first doctrinally, Christ is all in the entire work of man's salvation. There is no salvation apart from Christ. There is no Christianity apart from Christ. John Stott said, “remove Christ from Christianity and you disembowel it.” There's no life in it. Christ is Christianity. And Jesus Christ alone can present a sinner complete before God the Father. He is the one who possesses the fullness of deity. He's the God-man and He alone has done for us what we cannot do for ourselves as sinners by nature. He has done for us what God requires of His holy law. He has done for us what no one else can. He put away our sin by the shedding of His own blood. And we are saved by His grace and for His glory.

In Matthew 28, verse 18, as we read the words of the Great Commission, Scripture establishes this fact that to Jesus all authority and all power has been given. He is the supreme one over all. And He alone has the power and the authority to accomplish the purposes of God with regard to our salvation. And that is necessary because in and of ourselves we are so inadequate. We're sinners by nature. We're undone. We're unrighteous. How can we come before a holy God? We can't. We need a mediator. We need one who will plead our case. We need one who will be our advocate with the Father. We need one who will stand on our behalf.

Our sufficiency, we would say as Christians, our sufficiency, our adequacy is before God, is of God. It's not of ourselves. In fact, Paul says that in 2 Corinthians 3, verse 5: "Not that we are adequate”— or sufficient— “in ourselves to consider anything as coming from ourselves, but our sufficiency” – comes from where? It— “comes from God." Our sufficiency, it's from God.

How can we as sinners know peace with God and deliverance from sin's condemnation? In what sense is Christ everything to the one who trusts in Him? Well, if you were to look back to chapter 1, you would see that He is the one who rescues us from our sin by His grace. He is the one who redeems us by His grace. Verse 12: "Giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified us.”— How are we going to be fit? How are we going to be qualified? How are we going to be adequate to come before the presence of this holy God? There is One who has qualified us— “to share in the inheritance of the saints in light, who rescued us from the authority of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of the Son of His love, in whom, we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins."

Christ has redeemed us by His grace, and to redeem simply means to release us from the penalty we were condemned. And He has released us from that condemnation by the payment of a ransom price. Christ shed His precious blood on the cross to purchase our salvation. And so He provides that full release from the slavery of sin, and we'll see something more of that next week as well. And He has delivered us. He has freed us from the penalty of sin that we deserve.

But how can we as sinners come near to a holy and a righteous God? How can we approach this God? He not only rescues us, He redeems us by His grace, but He reconciles us to God by His grace. Verse 19 of chapter 1: "In Him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell and through Him to reconcile all things to Himself, because He has made peace through the blood of His cross—through Him—whether things on the earth or things in heaven. And though you were formerly alienated and enemies in mind and in evil deeds, but now He reconciled you in the body of His flesh through His death, in order to present you before Him holy, blameless, beyond reproach.”— complete in Christ.

He redeems us. He reconciles us by His grace. Those who were once alienated from God, far from God, can now draw near with confidence. If you can say Christ is all, you can come before the throne of God into the holy of holies with confidence, with boldness, without fear of condemnation, because Christ has reconciled you in His body, the body of His flesh through death, so that you can say, He is my peace. I have peace with God through the Lord Jesus Christ, because I'm justified.

Romans 5:1. “And being justified, I have peace with God through the Lord Jesus Christ.” How can we come to God? It's through Christ. Christ must be all. It's by Him and through Him. He's the one and only mediator.

1 Timothy 2:5-6. “There is one God, and there's one mediator, one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave Himself as a ransom for all. The witness for this proper time.” We have access to God, to the Father in heaven through Him, because He has reconciled us to God by His grace.

Listen again to the words of J.C. Ryle. “He”—Christ,— “He left the glory that He had known from all eternity with the Father, and He came into the world to provide a salvation. He took our nature upon Him. He was born as a man. As a man He did the will of God perfectly, which we had left undone. As a man, He suffered on the cross the wrath of God for the curse of a broken law. He opened up a fountain for all sin and uncleanness. He died for our sins. He rose again for our justification. He ascended to God's right hand, and there sat down, waiting till His enemies should be made His footstool. And there He sits now, seated in the heavens, offering salvation to all who will come to Him, interceding for all who believe in Him, and managing by God's appointment all that concerns the salvation of souls.”

You think today of the work of Christ on your behalf, sinner, believer in Christ. Christ is all. You can't come to the Father but through Him. He is the way, the truth, and the life. No man can come to the Father but through Him, and He alone is qualified for this task. He does all that is necessary. He is, by God's appointment, looking after all that concerns the salvation of our souls. He's the chosen servant of Yahweh. He has qualified us for our inheritance by His grace and will present us beyond reproach, holy and blameless in His sight, because He made atonement for our sin.

It is Christ who died. It is Christ who died for all our sins. Christ is all to the believer. It is Christ who died. It is Christ who rose from the dead, and it is Christ alone who can convey the fullness of God's grace. In fact, one author said, there's no grace of God for any man outside of Christ. There's no mercy outside of Christ. There's no love outside of Christ. God has concentrated everything of His fullness and His grace in the person of Christ and imparts His saving health solely through the merits of Christ.

He's the one and only mediator between God and men. He's the only mediator. And so we come through Him. That's a shocking message today. It really speaks to the exclusive nature of the gospel, especially in a day and age when people say, oh, there's many ways to God. No, not according to the apostle. There's one way. One way, God said to get to heaven, Jesus is the only way. There's only one way to God, and today you will hear there's many gods, and there's many ways to God, but Paul disagreed.

And sadly, for this reason, the gospel message is hated. It is despised. It is rejected by men. And yet, Scripture clearly lays down there's no other savior. There's no other mediator. There is one God and there's one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, and Christ alone conveys the fullness of God to men. And that's a message that is rejected today and hated by proud and sinful men.

And yet, we say there's one who died in your place, one who finished the work, one who stands as an advocate for you before the Father. There's no other saviour. There's no other way of approach to God. You can't draw near on your own. You need this mediator. There's no other name. We read Acts 4:12: "...Given among men whereby which we must be saved." There's no other saviour, and there's no other worthy substitute. Nothing else will suffice.

Christ is all. He is everything or He's nothing at all. Nothing else will suffice. Whatever else you're making a priority in your life, whatever else you're depending on as your ultimate joy and satisfaction, your treasure, it will not eternally satisfy. Your good works will not suffice. Not your best works—what are they? The prophet says they're but filthy rags in the sight of a holy God. Not your tainted morality, not your prayers to the saints, not your works of righteousness, nothing of your own merit, not your good deeds, not even your church attendance, not your charitable giving. Christ must be all. Nothing will suffice.

If you are to be rescued from your sin, redeemed from sin's dominion and the slavery of sin, reconciled to God, it will be on the grounds of the finished work of Christ alone. It's His all-sufficient merit. It's His blood atonement for sin. And I ask you today, is the work of Christ on your behalf enough? Is it enough or is it not? What can we add to it? Absolutely nothing. Did He not say, “it is finished?”—It's finished, it's done, the work is done.—Is His word not true? Is His grace not sufficient? Is Christ not all you need? If you are to be saved at all, it's by faith alone in the finished work of Christ alone.

And in this, Christ must be Lord. The principal object and Lord of your life. God over all. Friend, today, if you can say Christ is all, if you have Christ, if you're trusting in Christ for this life and the life to come, then you have all you need. You have everything you need for this life and the life to come. In fact, Peter tells us that in 2 Peter 1:3–4. He says, "seeing that His divine power has granted to us”— as believers— “everything pertaining to life and godliness,”— and it comes— “through the full knowledge of Him who has called us by His own glory and excellence.”

It's by His grace we live for His glory. And as the theologian John Owen said, “There is no grace that is not in Christ. And every grace is in Him in the highest degree. He is full of grace and truth. In Him dwells all the fullness of God.” And we are made full, or we are made complete, Paul says, in Him—it's in Christ. Complete in Christ. Nothing else will suffice.

Do you long to be made whole today? Do you long for peace of mind and heart? Do you long for a clean conscience? Do you desire to know your sins are forgiven? Do you want to be ready to meet God? You must be able to say, Christ is all. Do you believe Jesus Christ has done all that is necessary for your salvation, and the work is finished? If so, you can say Christ is all. Christ is all in all to me.

But if not, friend, today outside of Christ, you can go to Him. You can make direct application to Him. You can cry out to God right now where you are in your seat, in your heart. Cry out for mercy. God, be merciful to me, a sinner. Be my all in all.

You say to me, well, you don't know me. You don't know the wicked life I've lived. You don't know what I've done. You don't know the horrible things that I've done. My life is so messy. My life is so complicated. You don't know anything about me. You don't know how I've been living. How can I come to God? Take Him at His word. He says, "Come to Me, all you who labour and are heavy-laden, and I will give you rest." Come. His arms are wide open. And you can make direct application to Him today.

And Jesus says, come. This man receives sinners. And in fact, we read in Hebrews 7:25 that "He is able also to save to the uttermost all who come unto God by Him.” Completely. It's done. Do you believe that today? That He can forgive your sins completely? Because He has shed His blood for you? You can come just as you are.

In fact, that's what we are encouraged to see here in verse 11. It doesn't matter who you are, where you're from, what you've done, what's your background, what's your status. Male, female, young, old, rich, poor, educated, uneducated. Religious Pharisee, hypocrite. Religious but lost. Wicked barbarian. If you've done the most atrocious things, you can find forgiveness and cleansing in Christ because Christ is all in all.

You can come to Him. Jesus said, "Whosoever will may come. And he who comes to Me, I will in no wise cast out." So come, come today. Believe His word. Receive His forgiveness.
But you say, well, I don't really have strong enough faith. Friend, it's not how much faith you have that saves you. It's the object of your faith. Who do you trust? Are you trusting in yourself? Are you trusting in your own works? Are you trusting in the things of time? Temporal things, fleeting things? Are you trusting in the God of your salvation? It's the one, the object of your trust. He is mighty to save.

Your faith is the instrument that lays hold of Christ. And He has all authority and power in heaven and earth. Who can forgive sins but God alone? All power is given to Him. Jesus saves. Him we proclaim, admonishing and teaching every man that we may present every man complete in Christ.

If Christ makes you complete in yourself, then you are enjoying life. It's faith in Christ alone that saves. And if you've received Christ, He's all you need. You have everything you ever need for this life and the life to come. The little proverb goes like this: If you have nothing but Christ, you have everything. If you have everything but Christ, you have nothing. You're lost. You're undone. You have nothing of eternal value or worth. But if Christ makes you complete in Himself, you need nothing else.

But if you're trusting in anything else in this world, holding up anything else in this world as your satisfaction, as your joy, as what you're living for, it will fall far short when compared to knowing Christ, the all-surpassing excellence Paul talks about in Philippians 3, of knowing Christ Jesus the Lord, being found in Him, not having my own righteousness but a righteousness which is of God, which He has provided for me in Christ. That's what I need.

The old hymn writer had it right: I need no other argument. I need no other plea. It's enough—it's enough. Jesus died and He died for me. Sinner, He died for you. It's enough. It's finished.

But without Christ, you're lost. You're undone. It's to be without God. It's to be without hope in this world. It's to remain under condemnation, far from God, and bondage to sin, enslaved, destitute, naked, blind to the truth, a wretched, miserable sinner who will give an account for his sin one day. And in fact, life without Christ is incomplete.

You know, people talk about going off to find themselves. There's something missing. My life is not fulfilling. It's not complete. How can I know that fullness? Here's the answer: God says it's in Christ. God has set eternity in your heart. And nothing else in this world will satisfy the longings of your never-dying soul but the eternal God, Jesus Christ.

And to you, Jesus says, come, come to Me for cleansing. Come to Me for pardon. Come to Me. Repent and believe and be clothed with the garments of salvation. Put on Jesus Christ.

Do you believe Christ is enough? That He's done enough when it comes to the entire work of your salvation? That He's rescued, redeemed, and reconciled you to God by His grace? That Christ is all? But the gospel must have an impact upon your heart and your life, how you live.

If Christ is all, what will that mean practically? It will mean Christ is all in the work of your sanctification. And just as you are saved by grace, so you are sanctified by His grace. It's His work in you. And if Christ is all, it will mean something practically.

Look again at verse six of chapter two. He says, "Therefore as you have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him." There's a life lived. There's a habit developed. There's a pattern that unfolds. A life that is rooted and planted in Christ, established in Him, instructed by Him, and now seeks to live for Him.

If Christ is all, and that's your profession today, then walk in the light of that truth. Then give yourself to His service. Paul says in verse 24, or chapter, he says, I serve the Lord Christ. You serve the Lord Christ with your life. This is your ministry. Serve the Lord Christ. You've received Him, now walk in Him.

We read of adorning the doctrine of God, your Savior. In Titus two, if you look over at Titus two, in the verse 10, he says, "...demonstrating all good faith so that they will adorn the doctrine of God our Savior in everything. For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all men, and instructing us that, denying ungodliness and worldly desires, we should live sensibly, righteously, and godly in the present age, looking for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for us that He might redeem us from all lawlessness, and purify for Himself a people for His own possession, zealous for good works." That's our calling. Adorn the doctrine of God, your Savior.

One said, sound evangelical doctrine is useless if it's not accompanied by a holy life. That's your sanctification, and you need grace to live for God in this fallen world. Christ is the mainspring, both of doctrinal and practical Christianity, Ryle said. It's that right knowledge of Christ that's essential to our right knowledge of sanctification as well as justification.

You see, the gospel's not only head religion, it's heart religion. It's not just a matter of knowing facts, knowing things about Christ. Knowing Christ is all, but that truth captivates the heart, and it moves you to action in the service of your Lord. One commentator said, the truth of the gospel captures the minds of believers, but it goes beyond the merely intellectual. In capturing the minds, the gospel has changed our hearts. Love that. In capturing our minds, the gospel has changed our hearts.

We believe with the heart. In other words, there's something doctrinal here. There's something theological here, he says. What we truly believe with our mind moves our will. Paul was warning the Colossian believers, he was warning them against what Bishop Handley Moule said, is an unapplied orthodoxy. An unapplied orthodoxy, meaning it's not enough to have your heads full of biblical knowledge, to know facts about the Bible, about Jesus, about salvation. It's not enough to recite scripture proofs and doctrinal positions. It's not enough to learn the answers to certain theological questions.

We need more than just theory if we're gonna live for Christ. In the truth of the gospel, the truth of the gospel must get into our souls so that we walk in the light of the truth. "As you have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him." What is he saying there? The gospel has an impact upon the way you live from day to day in your relation to God, in your relation to the church, in relation to your family, in relation to one another.

And you see it worked out here in Colossians chapter three. In all those areas of life, it's not just here on church — Sunday. It's not at Wednesday prayer meeting. It's every day in everything. Christ is all in all.

There's something not only doctrinal, but there's something practical about this message. Practical Christianity obeys the truth. Practical Christianity grows in grace. Practical Christianity seeks the glory of God in all that He does in every area of life. There's this putting off and putting on, putting on the garments of Christ, putting off the former self. We'll see that.

My life is hidden with Christ in God. It's so wrapped up with Christ in God. Is that what your life is all about? You're just wrapped up in the person of Christ? He's everything? He's my everything? He is my all? You must be able to say Christ is my all. Christ is all that. That's a life-changing, life-transforming truth that calls us to walk worthy of our calling, to worship Him with all that we have, longing to know Him, to be taught of God, walking in obedience to His truth.

There is not an unapplied orthodoxy, but an applied orthodoxy, applied truth. If this is the case, that's what Paul is saying here. Christ is all. If that's the case, then verse 17 should be true. Whatever you do, whatever you say, you're doing it all in His name for His glory, giving thanks to the Father through Him. It's all about Him. My life is hidden with Christ in God. It's just wrapped up in Him.

Martin Luther, the reformer, said the Christian life, it turns on being able to use possessive pronouns. You hear all about pronouns today, but think about possessive pronouns. To be able to say the Lord is my God. He's my Lord, and He's my God. “Take from me the word my,” — Luther said,— “and you take from me God.”

Christ is my all. He is my life. He is my head. He is my hope of glory. He is my master. He is the one I serve. I serve the Lord, my Lord, the Christ. He's my rock. He's my salvation. He's my all.
“But”— to me, Paul said in 1 Corinthians 1:30,— “by his doing,”— “by His doing you are in Christ Jesus, who has became to us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification from God, redemption from God, so that, just as it is written, 'Let him who boasts, boast in the Lord.'" This ought to be our boast today, believer. Christ is all. He's done all. He's my wisdom, my righteousness, my sanctification, my redemption, all I need for this life and the life to come, and Him we proclaim, admonishing every man and teaching every man with all wisdom so that we may present every man complete in Christ—saying Christ is all.

Friend outside of Christ today, I would encourage you, I would exhort you, plead with you, look to Christ and be saved. Make that direct application to Him. He alone can save. It's not looking at bread that feeds the hungry man. It's partaking of the bread. It's not looking at the lifeboat that saves the shipwrecked sailor. You've gotta get into the lifeboat. You've gotta receive Him, believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. It's not knowing about Him and knowing facts. It's partaking of Him. Christ is a great God and Savior.

And Christian, let us learn to rest in Him, to look to Him for all the grace that we need. There's a fullness in Christ that completes us. He's our peace, He's our rest, He's our life, He's our comfort in affliction, He's our hope of glory. Let Christ be all, let that rejoice your soul today. Let Him be the focus of your life, the object of your faith. And the more we look to Christ, the more He will strengthen our faith. The more our life is hidden in Christ, dwelling in Christ, that life will begin to show more of His grace and will grow and increase with a growth and an increase which is from God
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Let me end with the words of Spurgeon. He said, “if Jesus Christ is our surety, friends, we are safe from the demands of the law. If Christ is our substitute, we shall not suffer the penalty due to sin. For God will never punish the same sin twice. If I have nothing but Christ, I do not want anything else. For Christ is all. If Christ is your all, you will not want anything to help you either in living or in dying.” Christ is all.


Let's pray.

This is a transcript. It may contain small inaccuracies.

Beginning with verse 17, now, as we continue our study in this epistle and all the way through chapter 3 and verse 10, really we have another entire section in this letter of Paul to the church of the Thessalonians. You remember the first chapter, we have Paul's description of the mighty work of God in establishing this beloved church there in that city in Thessaloniki. Chapter 2, the first 12 verses, you have his description of the workmen of God, the kind of servants that God uses to establish churches and to build the work of His kingdom. And then we had that little digression with regards to the Jews and their rejection of Christ and His gospel.

And now we get to verse 17, and what we have is a description of Paul's attitude now that he is away from this beloved congregation. In chapter 2, the first 12 verses, he describes his attitude and actions while he was among them. He says, you remember, brothers, our labor, our travail, we weren't speaking out of motive of impurity. We weren't speaking by way of deceit or cunning, but we were speaking out of regard to the eye of God and to the good of you people, the people of God there in that city. And so he bears his heart concerning his attitude while he was among them, but now he's been taken away from them and he gives them in this section a description of his present attitude while away from them.

And to set the table, let me say something about Paul's affection for these beloved people, these beloved people of God. Here's a man who deeply loves the people of God, whom he has had to leave in the providence of God, and he's writing them back and trying to describe something of his affection for them. And you could see it, he is full of holy affection for these people.

So first of all, consider with me the fact of Paul's separation from these people. The fact of Paul's separation from these people. Notice this is the theme of verse 17: "But we, brothers, having been taken away from you for a short while, in face but not in heart, were all the more eager with great desire to see your face." So he's talking about a separation from these people and how he now feels since this separation has come to pass.

Now to remind you of the fact of the separation, which he describes in these words, "But we, brothers, having been taken away from you," all of that is one word in the Greek, *aporphaniso* (ἀπορφανίζω), *aporphaniso* (ἀπορφανίζω), to bereave of parents, as children bereaved of their father or mother. But we, brothers, having been bereaved of you, literally the word means having been orphaned of you. He says we were separated violently like children torn from their parents or parents torn away from their children.

And of course, if you were to look back, and we studied this when we looked at the founding of this church back in the book of Acts chapter 17, you will see how this is a good description of the way that this severance came between Paul and these beloved people in Thessaloniki. You remember he's been preaching obviously with great blessing and power, for he described in the first chapter even of this letter that the gospel came to many of them not in word only but in power and in the Holy Spirit. And they turned from their idols, radical turning from the idols. They turned to the living God to serve the true and living God. And the word of the Lord sounded forth from them. And everyone heard of this church, what God has wrought by His mighty power.

So Paul is preaching there in Thessaloniki, and he hasn't preached long before there's this opposition stirred up. And in Acts 17, particularly verses 5 through 10, you see how this opposition was stirred up and it was very aggressive. And verse 10 ends with these words: "And the brothers immediately sent Paul and Silas away by night to Berea, and when they arrived, they went into the synagogue of the Jews." Paul was severed from these people abruptly, violently, with very little preparation for the severance.

And in chapter 2 of 1 Thessalonians, you realize why he uses the term, we were orphaned of you. We were orphaned of you. For remember, he likens his relationship to the Thessalonians as that of a nursing mother. We studied that together, right? Nursing mother with a child who's dependent upon her breast for its very life in verse 7 of chapter 2: "We proved to be gentle among you as a nursing mother tenderly cares for her own children." He says, we were so tied to you in love that we were willing to give you not only the gospel, but our very own souls, our very own life.

In verse 9 he says, in order that nobody would be able to say, this guy is preaching for what he can get out of it, we preached during the day and worked our hands at night to supply our own necessities. Verse 11, we were “exhorting, encouraging, and bearing witness to each one of you as a father would his own children”. Now here's a man who's tied to his spiritual children with all the deep affection of motherhood, with the deep ties of fatherhood, and suddenly he's cut off from them. He must leave them. And so when he describes that separation, he says, *aporphaniso* (ἀπορφανίζω). Literally we were orphaned of you.

The word in the original is the very word, and you probably caught it in how it sounds. We get our English word orphan, *orphanos* (ὀρφανός), orphan. We were orphaned. We were cut away, bereaved of you suddenly. We did not leave you. We were not like irresponsible parents who bring children to the world and then only to leave them and just look upon them as simply biological accidents. But he said, no, no. We were like parents who having brought you to the birth long to stay with you long enough to nurture you and see you come to full development of spiritual life.

But in the midst of that concern, in the midst of the fatherly, motherly relationship, we were suddenly cut away from you. Now, what would the children think of a parent who had left them so abruptly? Well, you see, they might have reason to think, well, you know, Paul is some father. He's really a fair weather father. Everything's going all right till the heat is on, and then he takes off. He bails out. What kind of spiritual parent is he? When the pressure is on, he takes off. He leaves us.

And so this is, in some ways, an apology, a defense. Paul wants to clear away any suspicion that might be arising, and certainly, no doubt, some of the accusers—and we've seen them before, right, undermining his ministry. Those hardened apostate Jews who were all the time trying to undermine Paul's ministry—they no doubt would have come to these beloved people, this infant church, with this accusation. Here are these young believers, and they say to them something like this: Hey, how did you become a Christian? How did you become a Christian? Oh, through the ministry of the Apostle Paul. Oh, the Apostle Paul, where is he? Well, he left us. Oh, he left you, did he? Why? Well, you know, things got really rough here, and—oh, he left you when things got rough, did he? Is he the one that tells you it's a privilege to suffer for Christ's sake? Oh, yeah, yeah, this is exactly what he told us, that it's a privilege to suffer for Christ's sake.

Well, we read a little bit later, in fact, here in this epistle, chapter 3, he tells them when we were with you, we kept telling you in advance that we'd suffer, we'd have to suffer for the sake of Christ. So these detractors would say, oh, it's all right for him to preach it, but boy, when the pressure gets on him, look what he does. Look what he does. See? I'm trying to picture the setting now. Here he is cut away, and the possibility of misinterpreting his motives for leaving and his present attitude is unbearable.

Now, against that background of the fact that Paul's separation and the circumstances surrounding it, notice how Paul describes the nature of this separation. And you can see, actually, he's going to try to completely plug up all of these holes of questions that might be left, and he's going to show these people the true nature of his separation, and he's going to assure them that he's not left them because he's a fair weather father or mother, but he has left because providentially it was the wisest thing to do, but he would long to be with them again.

And so with that in mind, having considered the fact of the separation, the circumstances surrounding it, notice in the second place the nature of the separation. The nature of the separation as he describes it in verse 17. Look at the text with me. "But we, brothers, having been taken away from you"—now watch this—"for a short while," literally the Greek text reads this way, for the space of an hour, for the space of an hour. And then he says this, "in face but not in heart." Now underline that, “in face but not in heart”. There's the key to the whole passage.

Everything else that is unfolded in verses 18, 19, and 20, in chapter 3 all the way to verse 10, chapter 3, is an exposition of this little phrase: we were separated from you in presence but not in heart. “In face but not in heart”. In presence, in body, but not in heart. What is Paul driving at here? Well, there's a simple principle revealed to us from Genesis all the way to Revelation, and that principle is this: where a man's heart is, a man is. Where a man's heart is, a man is. What has a man's heart, has the man, right?

Remember the words of Christ in Matthew 6 when He's telling us not to lay up treasure on earth but treasure in heaven. He says in the 21st verse, He says, "for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." Where your heart is, is where you are. As simple as that. That's why our Lord cried out against the worship of the people of His day. He says to them, your bodies are in the temple. Your mouths are in the temple. Your eyes are in the temple. Your mouths are speaking words of praise and prayer and your eyes are apparently lifted up toward heaven in some physical acknowledgment of My sovereignty but, He said, the problem is you're drawing near to Me with your lips. But what? He says, your hearts are far from Me.

God says, I don't want anything but your heart. If I've got your heart, I'll have everything else. But if I have everything else and not your heart, I don't have you. And He says, that's vain worship. That's vain worship. So when Paul says, the nature of the separation was one of being removed from them as to his bodily presence but not as to his heart, the seat of affection, the affections and the desires and the longings, he was telling these beloved people, I never really did leave you—for where a man's heart is, the man is, right?

Now, what does he offer as proof of this statement? Is this just a man who has the gift of the gab, words, smooth things out, butter somebody up, you know, who's trying to smooth over the troubled waters? No, no. He offers some tangible proof that his severance from these people was one in which he was providentially taken away physically but his heart, his affection was still with them.

Notice what he offers as proofs. Number one, he said, here's the proof. He said, I want you to know what I'm saying is true. I made specific attempts to come back to you again. I made specific attempts to come back to you again. Notice verse 17: "But we, brothers, having been taken away from you for a short time—in face but not in heart—were all the more eager with great desire to see your face." And he's using the statement as a proof to these people that his separation was only physical and was not in the realm of the affections or of his concern. He made these attempts to come back again to see them.

Now notice what he says about these attempts, and I want us to see those things that he said about these attempts. First of all, under the proof that I made specific attempts to come back to you again, first of all, he says that they were made soon after his departure. They were made soon after his departure. "But we, brothers, having been taken away from you for a short time"—literally again, for the space of an hour—"in face but not in heart." Now here it is: "were all the more eager with great desire to see your face." Well, when did this all the more eagerness to see them take place? He said, when we had been severed from you for the space of an hour, no sooner had we been wrenched away from you, we were making plans how we're going to come back to you. Amazing, isn't it?

None of you, any of you who've known what it is to have to be wrenched from loved ones, you know what it was like. You know what this is like, right? When your heart is tied somewhere, tied. When I say somewhere, I mean your loved ones. You've no sooner been severed when you're making plans about coming back, even as you leave. That's the beautiful picture that Paul uses here. We, brothers, being bereaved of you like parents wrenched away from their children or children from their parents, no sooner were we conscious of that wrenching away when we were making plans to come back again to you.

Then he says about these attempts to come back, they were not only made soon after departure, and this is a proof of love, but secondly, they were made with the deep longing. With deep longing. Notice the text: "But we, brothers, having been taken away from you for a short time—in face, but not in heart—were all the more eager"—here it is—"with great desire to see your face." And he uses very strong language. The word desire is the familiar word, we're familiar with it, *Epithumia* (ἐπιθυμία), negatively referring to lust, but positively here, you have this, speaks of the deep longing. You have this insatiable desire and longing, and he even then uses another adjective. He says, we were all the more eager with *pollē epithumia* (πολλῇ ἐπιθυμίᾳ), great desire to see your face.

Later on in verse 18, he says, "For we wanted to come to you—I, Paul, more than once—and yet Satan hindered us." We would have come with great desire, we longed to come to you and be back with you. How do we know, Paul, it's not just mouthing sweet nothings when he says our severance was in face, in body, in presence, but not in heart? Well, we know because soon after his departure, he was making attempts to come back. We also know because he was making these attempts with deep longing.

And thirdly, he says, you know I'm not just talking. I'm not just saying words, empty words, because these attempts were made with some—now watch this—concrete travel plans laid out. Concrete travel plans laid out. Look at the text. He says, we were all the more eager, eager with great desire to see your face. And that word eager, *spoudazo* (σπουδάζω), is a strong word and it means putting some action into one's longing, one's desire. Putting some action into one's longing, one's desire.

It's the word used in 2 Timothy 4:9. In a similar situation, translated there, diligent: "Be diligent” -Paul tells Timothy- “be diligent to come to me soon." That's his command to Timothy: Timothy, call your travel agent. Check on the flight arrangements. Don't just sit there and think, well, someday I'll get to Paul. Do your diligence to come to me soon. Put some action into your longings, Timothy. Check your bank account. See if you can't fly, take the train. If you can't take the train, then punish yourself and take the bus, but come. But do all that you can to get to me. Be diligent to get to me as soon as possible.

It's the same word used in Titus 3 and verse 12: "When I send Artemas or Tychicus to you, be diligent, the same word, to come to me at Nicopolis, for I have decided to spend the winter there." Titus, I want you not just to say I'd like to go and see Paul, but I want you to do something very practical to make your plans. Same word used in 2 Peter 1:10, where we're told, "Therefore, brothers, be all the more, here's the word, diligent to make your calling and choosing sure." Take some specific steps to make sure that you are indeed Mine, that you are a Christian, the Lord says. He doesn't say just sit back and wishfully hope all is well. He says you better apply yourself diligently to know whether or not you're a true child of God.
Well, we can multiply examples, but you see, this is a strong word. And so when Paul writes to these Thessalonians and he says, you know, I want to assure you, he's assuring them that his severance was merely in body, in presence, but not in heart because soon after departure, he's making plans, concrete plans to come back. He's making those plans with deep longings and he's making concrete, tangible plans.

Now, he said, well, something happened as I made those plans. And this is most interesting, by the way. He says, "I, Paul, would have come once and again unto you, yet Satan hindered us." And he uses an interesting term, translated "hindered," *enkoptō* (ἐγκόπτω)*, hindered. And it's a military term. It means to impede or hinder one's way by cutting a trench across the path. You can picture it in your mind. If you're retreating and you know your enemy is coming after you, if you, if you can put a few mines in the road or blow up the road or, or bridge the bridge. And so when they, when they come behind you, they're, they've got to stop. And they're, they're convoy of trucks and, and repair the road. And that puts more distance between you. And that's the picture.

He said, I would have come to you, but then in my path of coming, Satan planted some mines and I was detained. Now that phrase alone needs a full hour's exposition. So I'm going to pass over it until next time, perhaps. But simply to, to see this thing in context, Paul actually made plans to go, to be with them. And when they started out to accomplish those plans and something happened, he was hindered in the process.

Now, if anybody had any doubt that Paul really meant what he said, when he said we were severed in presence, but not in heart, all the doubts were removed by the time he finished this description. I'm not just talking, Paul said. These are not just empty words. I really mean it. And the proof is found in these three things. Number one, I was making plans the hour after I left. Number two, I made those plans with deep inner longings. And thirdly, I made those plans and sought to follow through in a very concrete way.

Now, as we try to round out those two verses, particularly verses 17 and 18, up to that last phrase, "Satan hindered us," may I suggest that we have in them some very helpful principles that speak to our own Christian experience. Up until this point, it has been really purely exposition, no application directly at least. Is there anything in the text, this word that is the word of God to our own hearts as we sit here this evening?

All right, well, Paul was there at Thessaloniki. He was a father, a mother to those people. And then he was severed. He was taken away. But he was severed only in body, not in heart. Paul longed to go back. He proved it to them. So what? So what? Well, I'm not Paul. I'm not ministering to the Thessalonians. What does it say to me? What does this text, how does it speak to me?

May I suggest there are four tremendous principle or principles touching different aspects of the Christian life in these several verses. And I want to take the remaining time that we have to bring those principles to bear upon our hearts. My way of application, first of all, we have in these words a basic lesson regarding the nature of Christian love. Love in the morning, love in the evening, right? Isn't God amazing? A basic lesson regarding the nature of Christian love.
According to our Lord in John 13 and verse 35, the badge of discipleship outside of truth is what? "By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another." John tells us in his first letter, 1 John 3:14, "We know that we have passed out of death into life.”- How? How do we know?- “because we love the brothers." That's how. Chapter 4, verses 7 and 8, he says, "Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. The one who does not love does not know God, because God is love." Very simple, yet very profound.

But now love, you see, must move. Love must move. Love must act, must speak, must express itself. You see, love is not a dormant principle. Love is not like an orderless, non-fragrant, artificial flower stuck in the pot, people come by and admire it. But no scent. No, no. Biblical love has hands, love has mouth, love has fragrance, love smells, love moves, love acts.
And so John, when he would describe the love of God to us in 1 John, chapter 4 verse 10, he says, "In this is love, not that we have loved God, but that He loved us.”- How did He love us?- “and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins." We perceive love, because the love of God had hands, hands that held out the Son of God.

Now, Paul is, in a very beautiful way, showing us by example how Christian love operates within the hearts of the people of God. He expresses His love, first of all, verbally. Doesn't he? He does. He expresses it verbally. He tells these people, as he begins the section of this letter, that we might call this the section, we might call the love letter part, we brothers were orphaned of you, not in heart, but only in presence, and we long to see you. In fact, we made plans, concrete plans to see you. Deep, impassioned words of affection, and that's a lesson in Christian love.

And when John says in 1 John 3:18, "let us not love with word or with tongue, but in deed and truth," he's using a figure of speech. He's using an absolute for the relative. He doesn't mean we shouldn't express our love with word. The Lord Jesus did this. The Apostle Paul does it again and again. And what John is saying, let it be something more than words, but let's at least start with words. Paul does here. He tells them that they are the objects of his deepest affection, deepest love.

I pause and I think, isn't it strange how it's so easy for us when we are troubled, disturbed by something, we use words to express our disturbed state. That's easy, isn't it? We don't like something, and we just, words flow out. Just flow out. But it's so hard for us, at times our hearts may be filled with a conscious glow of love to others in Christ, and we just can't seem to get those words out. It's easy to get out those words when we're disappointed with each other. Easy to speak the words of self-defense and accusation. Isn't that one of the indications of the remains of depravity within us? So easy to express something contrary to love, but so hard to express our love.

Well, the Apostle Paul is giving us a lesson in Christian love. Let it not be with word only, but let it be with word. Let it be with words, and then let it be in actions. Paul not only gives them words, he says, oh, I'm separated in body, but not in heart, but he said, I wanted to show you by my actions that that's not just words. I made plans to come to see you. I made plans. I took steps, concrete steps. I set out to see you. Satan hindered me. I longed to see you. Satan hindered me.

Later on, you'll see, as he talks about sending Timothy, and when Timothy comes and people say, hey, Timothy, what are you doing here? You could picture Timothy, well, you see, the Apostle Paul sent me to you. What? Paul? Paul sent you? You mean Paul still thinks of us? Thinks about you? Why? He's almost got an ulcer over you, beloved. He wakes up in the morning looking like he hasn't slept much, and when I ask him, what's going on, Paul? What's the matter, Paul? He says, oh, I've had a restless night. I've been praying all night for the people there in Thessaloniki.

Beloved, those are people who have feelings like you have and like I have, and Paul is letting them know that his love is a real thing. So he loves them verbally, and he proves it by his actions, and I think maybe that's why Paul said in several of his epistles, “greet the brethren with a holy kiss”. Get your love out where people can read it. Now, that was the custom then. Our customs are different. Charles Spurgeon. He said it on one occasion. He said he always was suspicious of those men that seemed to be very, very anxious to obey that command, especially with the pretty young ladies. He questioned how much real piety was behind their obedience to “greet the brethren with a holy kiss”, but what Paul is saying is, as brethren, get your love outward that it can be read one to another, and so I see in this passage a tremendous and basic lesson regarding Christian love.

Secondly, there's a basic principle of self-examination. A basic principle of self-examination. Do you want to know what you really are? Do you want to know what you really are? Well, you know what you really are by knowing your heart, and Paul says, brothers, you want to know what I really am in terms of my relationship to you? Don't look at my body. Don't look at my body. It's over here at Corinth, but if you could look at my heart, you'd see—right—it is smack in the middle of you people there in Thessaloniki. I am right there with you. That's a tremendous principle of self-examination. Where is my heart? I am no more than what I am right here in my heart, and the great tendency for every one of us is to be content with something less than a relationship to the living God that touches the heart.

Let's apply it in several areas very briefly. Lovingly, let me ask you, where are you this evening? Where are you this evening right now? Where are you? Oh, you say, I'm right here, and yes, I know your body's here, but where's your heart? Where's your heart? Where's your heart? This morning, earlier, when you woke up this morning, as soon as you were able to shake the cobwebs out of your mind and out of your eyes, and you thought of the Lord's Day, where was your heart? Was it here in the midst of God's people, longing to see His face and hear His voice as revealed in Scripture? Or was the heart filled with everything else, every other distraction, and so you dragged your body here, and yet your heart still hasn't gotten here? I just wonder at times, is my heart really here? The longing, the deep inner affections, are they directed Godward, or are we simply here because that's part of the routine? Searching, isn't it? Beloved, it's a good principle of self-examination.

See, we get so content that if our bodies are at the right place and the right time, saying the right things, and then all must be right, right? Wrong. It can all be wrong, and that's the whole emphasis of the seventh chapter of Mark, where the Lord said, "This people honors Me with their lips, but their heart is far away from Me. But in vain do they worship Me." “This people draw near to Me with their lips, but their hearts are far from Me”.

Then in the third place, I see not only a principle here of Christian love, of self-examination, but a basic concept of Christian guidance. Now, let me qualify this. This is not a comprehensive treatment of the subject. I'm just touching on this, so it will leave you perhaps with more questions, but that's okay. At least it will get you thinking. This whole matter of getting guidance as a Christian is a very involved thing, and I see here in these verses where Paul didn't have a perfect streak in his guidance, or to use a different analogy, he didn't bat a thousand in his guidance.

Notice again our text in verse 17: "But we, brothers, having been taken away from you for a short while—in face but not in heart—were all the more eager with great desire to see your face, for we wanted to come to you, I, Paul, more than once, and yet Satan hindered us." So, he said, I wanted to come awfully bad, and he said, I made some plans, concrete plans to come, but they came to naught. They failed. They were hindered.

Now, I think there's a tremendous principle of Christian guidance here, and it's only the sensitive soul that wants to do the will of God that needs this. The person who just couldn't care less about knowing and doing the will of God and the details of his life—when shall I go on vacation, if I should go at all, where should I go, should I do this, or should I—the person who's in earnest to know the will of God, careful with the will of God, he can get in all kinds of bondage about Christian guidance, and I think there's a principle here that will help the earnest believer. And here's the principle, here's the principle: when we are committed to the Lord Jesus to do His will and to glorify Him—that's the pattern, that's the direction—then our sanctified desires are the realm in which God works.

Let me say that again: when we are committed to the Lord Jesus to do His will and to glorify Him, then our sanctified desires are the realm in which God works. You see, He doesn't come and give us direction necessarily externally to our own longings. Watch this, Paul said, I had longing to be with you, I made attempts to be with you, but there were hindrances in the way, and so he said, I took an alternate plan, I sent you Timothy, I sent you Timothy to sort of be my substitute till the Lord will clear the way for me to get to you, and you read about that in chapter 3 verse 10. Look at the text: "As we night and day keep praying most earnestly that we may see your face and may complete what is lacking in your faith, now may our God and Father Himself and our Lord Jesus, our Lord, direct our way to you." He knows that ultimately the only way he'd ever get back to Thessaloniki is that if the Lord brings him there, if the Lord wills it.

But how is the Lord going to do it? That's the question. How is He going to do it? How is the Lord going to do it? By some kind of a mysterious supernatural lights in the sky, by sending the angel of His presence to guide him like the pillar of fire at night, the cloud by day? No, as Paul experiences the sanctification of his own desires, he sees in them the realm where God works to guide him, and then he's confident that as he moves in that direction, if God has other plans, God will redirect him.

It's the truth that the psalmist mentions in Psalm 37 verse 4: "Delight yourself in Yahweh, delight yourself in Yahweh, and He will give you the desires of your heart." You mean God will give me the desires of my heart? Yes, if I am one who delights in the Lord, if it has taken so long really for me to begin to learn this, that when my delight is in the Lord, then the things that I long for, He will delight to give me, if they're for my good, and if not, well why then, as a loving Father, He'll stay His hand.

Now this can be very practical. Here you are living your life seeking discernment of divine guidance on this and that and the other, whatever it may be. As I bathe everything in prayer—guide me, O great Jehovah, lead me, give me wisdom, give me discernment, Lord may Your hand be upon me—what I need to be sure is that my desires are spiritually healthy. Now if my basic desires are adjusted to Scripture, then I will move in that direction, the direction of my desires, confident that if this is not of God, God then will frustrate and hinder the accomplishment of it.

You see, if the devil can't freeze us out, he will burn us out. And I see Christians on both ends of the extreme here. Some who really aren't sensitive to knowing and doing the will of God in any other area but the so-called purely spiritual, they just would never think of asking the Lord whether or not to buy this car or to move into this new house or to guide them when they go to run an errand, or even pray for a parking space. I believe when the Scripture says, "In everything by prayer and supplication," that means just what it says, in everything, by prayers and supplication.

So you've got those people who are insensitive to guidance in what we call the small areas, and then on the other hand you get the earnest, the earnest soul who wants the will of God in all those other areas, getting to the place of passivity and waiting for some kind of an inner light or some outside kind of evidence from God as to what they should do, and they just run around in circles and never seem to be able to make a decision about anything because they're frightened. I know how real this is. I've seen people who were caught in that whirlpool, and that's exactly what it is, a whirlpool. You get in such bondage that you don't know whether you should take even a glass of milk before you go to bed. Wait a minute, is this gluttony? Whether you eat or drink, do all to glorify God. Am I glorifying? I mean I had my supper and it was good supper. Now if I'd like to drink the milk, I mean but is that right? Does it honor the Lord? Am I giving? Is it the will of God? I mean you can't make a decision whether to go to the fridge and get a glass of milk.

You say that's ridiculous. Not if you're in that. It's pain. It's pain. It's agony. But you see when this glorious truth begins to become real in your own heart as evidenced here, it is absolutely freeing. When our desires are toward the Lord, as we bathe everything in prayers, then He delights to give us the desires of our own hearts, and if they're not good for us, He will redirect us.
Then the last principle, and I'll just touch on this very briefly.

We see in these verses a basic directive concerning Christian ministry. Christian ministry. And let me say this: whether it's the ministry of an under shepherd to the flock of God, whether a missionary, whether it's a Christian witnessing to his neighbor—his neighbor at school, at work, in the shop, at home—regardless of what it is, the principle, this directive for the Christian ministry is this: there is no substitute for face-to-face ministry to man. There's no substitute for face-to-face ministry to man.

Paul had access to these people by letter. He did. But he said, "I long to see your face." Verse 17: "We were all the more eager with great desire to see your face." Now, we live today in a technological age, and I believe as Christians we ought to capture every legitimate means to communicate the message of God. There you go, I said it. Therefore, digital websites, apps, printed pages, etc.—all of these ought to be harnessed to the ongoing work of the kingdom of Christ.

But, but, you can print literature without ever having to lay a pulsing heart alongside a dead sinner and let life communicate life. You can prepare apps, live streams, recorded programs with your heart—without heart. You can involve yourself in all of these high tech means, whereas God's means, generally speaking, of bringing sinners to life is beautifully illustrated in the Old Testament—the general means, not without exception, generally.

2 Kings 4, we have a beautiful illustration of that. There's that dead boy, and the servant of the prophet goes in with the prophet's own staff. He's instructed to lay the staff on the boy's—he's instructed to lay the staff on the boy's face, and he does that. I mean, he's got the right means, right? The staff, that staff supposed to be the symbol of divine power, but the boy, still dead, held in the grip of death. Remember what the prophet did. He went in and stretched himself upon that lad, and he allowed his body to come against that cold, lifeless form of the lad, and as life contacted death, then it wasn't long before life was communicated by the power of God. And I think there's a beautiful lesson in that, and the Apostle Paul saw these people.

There was spiritual life that had been brought to the birth, but for the nurturing of that life, there was no substitute for this face-to-face ministry, this heart-to-heart ministry. And so as you and I think of our own sphere of influence, our own community, our own beloved family, as we think of the need of sinners—whether they're over the back fence or out thousands of miles across the ocean—may God help us to realize that there is no substitute whatsoever for that face-to-face confrontation of men.

Time will not permit us—I'll just mention it in passing—some of you, and I'm probably hinting at my age a little bit, perhaps have read the book or seen the film, The Gospel Blimp. This is in caricature, showing how foolish we can be, and in that book, the movie based on the book, every effort made in the story to get the gospel out to this community, even to the ridiculous scheme of renting a blimp and having gospel verses printed on it and all the rest, while all the time failing to just establish a face-to-face contact with a neighbor over the back fence, so that we'll earn the right and privilege to talk to him about the Savior.

I trust, beloved, that we see in this passage not only something of the heart of Paul the Apostle, but something of these practical lessons for us as believers to have this affection for the people of God, and by way of extension, for sinners in desperate need of the Savior.
Let us pray.

This is a transcript. It may contain small inaccuracies.

Last week we introduced this section, reflecting on verse 1. And we saw last time that when the Holy Spirit introduces this section to us—this section having chapter 13 and chapter 17 being the bookends, the final discourses contained in that section that Jesus gave to His disciples—when the Holy Spirit introduces to us this section in the first verse, we noted that what is most emphasized here is the love of Jesus for His own people.

Now the knowledge of our Lord Jesus is also set before us here. The Holy Spirit tells us that Jesus knew that His hour had come, that hour for Him to depart out of this world to the Father. So the knowledge of Jesus is set before us. Also, the perfect outworking of God's plan of redemption is set before us. There's a connection here—we saw this last time—to the Passover. But what is most prominent here is the fact that Jesus, “having loved His own who were in the world, He loved them to the end.”

As we said last time, I want us to recognize as we move through these chapters that the same love that Jesus demonstrates here toward His disciples is the love that He has for all of us who have believed through their word. The love that He had for His disciples here, He has for us who are today His disciples. In fact, when we get to the 17th chapter of John, we're going to see that Jesus prayed not only for those who were already His disciples, but for all of us who would come to believe through their witness.

John 17 verse 19: "For their sake”, He prays, “For their sake I sanctify Myself, that they themselves also may be sanctified in truth. I do not ask on behalf of these alone, but for those who also who believe in Me through their word, that they may all be one; even as You, Father, are in Me and I in You, and they also may be in Us, so that the world may believe that You sent Me."

And so as we learn here about the love of Jesus, we're learning about His love for all of us, His children. All of you, if you're a child of God, that's you.

Last Lord's Day, we talked about those who are His own, having loved His own, having loved His own who were in the world. And you remember, we asked the question, Who are His own? And we looked at several different descriptions of believers from the Gospel of John and some other places in the New Testament. And I refer you to that message.

Well, this morning, what we're going to focus on is how. How did He love them? We dealt with the who. Today, we want to deal with the how. How did He love them? How had He loved them? How was He loving them? How will He love them? And that includes us.

And the first thing I want us to see together this morning, answering this question is, is—I want us to see this. He has loved them all along. He has loved them all along. It says in verse one—look at it—having loved His own. It is in what we call the Aorist tense in Greek. He has loved them already. He has loved them in the past. Having loved His own. In other words, He has loved them all along. He has loved them in everything. There's been nothing but love. Perfect love from Jesus toward His disciples.

All the words that He's spoken—there was nothing in any of His words that was unloving. All the ways that He's dealt with His disciples. All the ways that He treated them. All the things that He's done for them. In all of it, there was what? Perfect love. And I think there's a lesson in that for us.

You know, we talk about love, but any example of love that we've ever seen in the human realm—any example of that, of love that we've seen here around us in the human realm—is in some way, what? Deficient. Isn't it? We've not witnessed here around us, horizontally, perfect love. Perfect love. Not in any of us. And many times what people call love is grossly underdeveloped in one area or another. Some people are good at telling the truth, but they're not good at feeling compassion. Some people are better at feeling compassion, but they're not very good at telling the truth.

And if we want to know what love is, behold Jesus. Behold Him. Look at the Lord Jesus Christ and look at the way that He dealt with His disciples. He has loved them. He loved them all along. And as you look at His love toward His disciples, you see a picture of all that love is. He has loved them all along.

Now, how has He loved them all along? Well, first of all, He loved them by choosing them. He loved them by choosing them. We can't emphasize this enough. How He loved them? He loved them first by choosing them. His love toward them, therefore, we could say and we ought to say was what? A gracious love. It was a gracious love. He didn't choose them because in some way they were a better choice than others. That is, they didn't merit His choice. No way. They did not merit His choice. He chose them for the same reason that you and I were chosen. One word. Grace. That's it.

Love. Love is explained only by Him. Only by Him. He had pity upon them. That's one way we could say it. He looked upon these men who were now His disciples. And when we look back at their coming to the Lord Jesus Christ, we can say that He had pity upon them. They didn't deserve Him. He graced them. And He wanted them to understand that He had chosen them. They had not chosen Him. He's going to remind them of this right in the midst of these final talks that He has with them. He reminds them of this.

Look with me at chapter 15 of John and verse 16. You know the verse very well. But remember now to put it in its context. This is the final night with them. Think about this. These last moments with them before the arrest and the trials and the crucifixion. He reminds them of how they've come to follow Him. Verse 16: "You did not choose Me but I chose you and appointed you that you would go and bear fruit and that your fruit would abide, so that whatever you ask of the Father in My name He may give to you." That's grace. That's marvelous grace. That's amazing grace. "You didn't choose Me. I chose you."—And in that way, He had loved them.

He also loved them by teaching them, we could say. By teaching them. We talked about it a little bit last week that God has a love for the world. God has a kind of love for all of humanity. But God has a unique love, a peculiar love, a special love for His own. And you see the uniqueness of the love of Jesus for His people even in the way He's dealt with the disciples compared with how He dealt with the crowds.

For instance, in Matthew 13 and verse 10. Matthew 13. Verse 10. The disciples had a question for Him. They said to Him, "Why do You speak to them"—referring to the crowds—"Why do You speak to them in parables?" Verse 11, Matthew 13: "And Jesus answered and said to them, 'To you it has been given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given.'" You go down to verse 16: "But blessed are your eyes because they see, and your ears because they hear. For truly I say to you that many prophets and righteous men desired to see what you see and did not see it, and to hear what you hear and did not hear it."

And then He goes on to explain the parable of the sower to them. He didn't explain it to the crowd. He didn't explain it to the multitudes. He explained it to them. The very way that Jesus taught these men, the very fact that He took them into Himself and explained things to them that He didn't explain to others—that speaks of His electing love. And you notice in verse 16, particularly in His reply to the disciples, He didn't praise them for what they saw. He didn't praise them for what they heard. He didn't praise them for what they understood. Rather, He said, "Blessed are your eyes because they see, and your ears because they hear." You've been very blessed. You've been very graced.

So He loved them by choosing them. He loved them by teaching them. He chose them for what He was going to teach them. And thirdly, He loved them by guarding them, by keeping them. By guarding them and keeping them.

Look at John 17. John 17, in this final section or this section leading up to the crucifixion, when He's praying for them, He says in verse 11, John 17, verse 11: "And I am no longer in the world, and yet they themselves are in the world, and I have come to You. Holy Father, keep them in Your name, the name which You have given Me, that they may be one even as We are." Father, I'm going away, I'm returning to You, and I pray for these My people, My own. I ask You to keep them.

Now listen to what else He says in verse 12: "While I was with them,” what's next? “I was keeping them.” “I was keeping them in Your name, which You have given Me; and I guarded them, and not one of them perished but the son of perdition, so that the Scripture would be fulfilled." I wonder if these men were aware of this. I wonder. I wonder if they were aware that the Son of God was guarding them and keeping them. I wonder if they were aware of all of the ways that He was actually keeping them. "I've kept them in Your name. I've guarded them."
Jesus was able to pray, and in this way, He loved them by keeping them, by guarding them.

Thirdly, fourthly, He loved them by exposing them to certain tests and by regulating those tests. I love that. By exposing them to certain tests, but not just simply exposing them, He regulates the intensity and the temperature and the duration.

Remember what the Lord Jesus said to Peter in Luke 22? After Peter has boasted that he would never, never deny the Lord Jesus. In verse 31, He said, Luke 22, "Simon, Simon, behold, Satan has demanded to sift all of you like wheat, but I have prayed earnestly for you that your faith may not fail." There's the Son of God guarding him. There's the Son of God keeping him. And there's the Son of God regulating the test. Isn't that marvelous? Regulating the test. Satan demanded to have you that he may sift you like wheat.

Well, in the sovereign plan and purpose of God, we learn this even from the book of Job, right? Don't we? There are certain things that the Lord grants, not for our destruction, but ultimately for our good to prove us and to demonstrate Himself in the midst of it all. His nearness. He says, "I have prayed earnestly for you that your faith may not fail"—and His faith would not fail. Would not fail. "And you, when once you have returned"—not if, but once. You've returned. "Strengthen your brothers." Peter, I prayed for you and when you've come through this, the result will be you will be an instrument in My hand to strengthen your brothers.

So He's loved these men by choosing them. He's loved these men by teaching them. He's loved these men by keeping them, guarding them. He's loved these men by allowing them to be tested at certain points and by regulating those tests and by praying for them, guarding them, keeping them through these tests.

And then fifthly, He loved them by being patient with them. Oh, the patience of Jesus. Now, you would not know from this. You would not know this from the Gospel of John alone. And we'll get to it next time, Lord willing, in September. But you know what has happened before the Lord Jesus washes their feet? Luke tells us what happened. These men came into the room, bickering, arguing. And you know what they've been arguing about? Who's the greatest in the kingdom? In fact, there may have been squabbling even at this meal, at this gathering. They may have been really arguing about who was going to have the chief seat, who was going to have the place of honor. And we'll talk about that next time.

And just to sow the seed, it appears Alfred Edersheim really points this out marvelously. It appears that Judas in all likelihood was the one who ended up occupying the chief seat, the place of honor. But there's an argument that's been going on. And don't you see it over and over again in the Gospels how patient the Lord Jesus was with these disciples? How often, how often they said foolish things, how often they did foolish things. And yet He continues to love them. He continues to teach them. He continues at times to reprove them. And He continues at all times to let them know that He cares for them. This is love, His patience, His patience.

And hand in hand with that, beloved, He loved them by meeting them. By meeting them where they were. He loved them hand in hand with patience by meeting them where they were. I love what Spurgeon, Spurgeon's insight on this. He pointed out in his sermon on this text, “Isn't it amazing,” he pointed out that, “when you talk about the deepest things that have to do with our salvation, the full explanation of those things really awaited the writings of the Apostle Paul. Paul's understanding, infinitely below the understanding of our Lord Jesus, the Infinite One.” And that goes without saying. And yet Spurgeon really says, “Christ most oftentimes taught these truths about God, about Himself, about salvation in the simplest terms. And He waited until they were given the Holy Spirit to then give them deeper instruction in the New Testament epistles.”

The patience of Jesus, how He met them where they were at that stage. How often He demonstrated His willingness to condescend to them by responding to their questions in a way that revealed His patience, His patience. Remember Philip saying, “Lord, show us the Father and it's enough for us.” (John 14:8) Jesus says, "Have I been with you all along, so long? And have you not come to know Me, Philip? He who has seen Me has seen the Father. How can you say, 'Show us the Father?'" John 14.

Peter, taking it upon himself to rebuke his Master and telling Him He would not go to the cross, He would not die. And on that occasion, Jesus was stern with him. Get thee behind Me, Satan. So here you have the Lord Jesus over and over again, meeting these men where they were, being patient with them, teaching them. Through their frailties, through their smallness, through their ignorance. This is love.

Behold the love of Jesus. In the sixth place, we could say He loved them by praying for them. By praying for them. We saw that in Luke 22, where He told Peter that He prayed for him. But you also see it in John 17, that entire prayer. When we get to it, Lord willing, what a picture of the intercession of the Son of God on behalf of His people. On behalf of His own. And He specifically singles out these people from the rest of the world, even in His prayer. There's a singling out of His own.

John 17, verse 9: "I ask on their behalf; I do not ask on behalf of the world, but of those whom You have given Me; for they are Yours." That is an astounding statement, isn't it? Jesus is not praying for the world. Jesus is praying for His own.

So in the first verse of John 13, we're reminded—this is something that is made prominent by the Holy Spirit—the love of Jesus for His own. And the first thing we see is that He has loved them. He loved them all along. He has loved them. From the beginning until now, there's been nothing but love. Loving thoughts. Loving words. Loving deeds. Loving motives. Everything about the Lord Jesus toward His own has been love.

He chose them in love. He taught them in love. He kept them in love. He exposed them to certain tests and regulated those tests in love. He was patient with them. He met them where they were in love. And He prayed for them in love. In all of these ways and more, He has loved them.

But we're not just told that He has loved them. We're told that right here in the text that He is loving them. Isn't that amazing? It's not like a past thing, you know, right? He is loving them. So He has loved them all along.

The second heading, if you were to put a heading: He is loving them. He is loving them right now. He is loving them. He continues to love them. "Having loved His own"—the text says—"who were in the world, He loved them to the end." "He loved them to the end." That is, He's loving them right now, all the way to the end. Right in the midst of these chapters we're studying, He is loving them.

How do these chapters speak of Christ's love for His own? And I think at least in three different ways, at least three. Number one, He is loving them by preparing them. In preparing them, He's preparing them. He knows that even though He's told His disciples He's going to die, they still don't grasp it. It hasn't really sunk in. In fact, He knows that they're not going to fully understand what they're about to go through until after the fact. There are aspects of it they're not going to understand until they've been given the Holy Spirit. Until after the resurrection. Nonetheless, He's giving them the information. He's giving them the things that they're going to reflect on afterwards and benefit from. He is what? Preparing them. He is preparing them. He's preparing them in a lot of different directions.

When He washes their feet, He's teaching them a lesson about the future. If you look down in this chapter to the 12th verse, it says, "So when He had washed their feet and taken His garments and reclined at the table again, He said to them, 'Do you know what I have done to you?'" In other words, this isn't just about getting dirty feet clean. You see, there's a spiritual lesson here. In fact, there's more than one spiritual lesson. We'll get to it, Lord willing, next time. One lesson has to do with the nature of salvation, the nature of sanctification, but the other lesson is He's preparing them for after He's gone to understand what really constitutes true spiritual greatness. He wants them to understand the nature of their service.

Go down to verse 13 and see. "'You call Me Teacher and Lord; and you are right, for so I am. If I then, the Lord and the Teacher, washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's feet. For I gave you an example that you also should do as I did to you. Truly, truly, I say to you, a slave is not greater than his master, nor is one who is sent greater than the one who sent him. If you know these things, you are blessed if you do them.'" He prepares them for service. He prepares them for service.

In verses 18 through 30 of this chapter, He's preparing them also. He prepares them for what? Betrayal. He prepares them for the betrayal. They don't have any clue, any idea what's going to take place with Judas. They don't understand it at all. In fact, when Jesus told Judas, "What you do, do quickly"—verse 27—they thought that Jesus was sending Judas out to buy things needed for the feast or perhaps even to help the poor. They had no understanding, and the Bible specifically tells us that Jesus was preparing them to understand after the fact what had occurred and, as a result, firm up their faith and buttress their faith all the more. To understand that all of this was taking place according to Scriptures, all that was taking place was according to the unfolding redemptive plan of God, and so He's preparing them for the betrayal.

And also, He's also preparing them for His departure. Verses 31 through 38 of chapter 13, notice what He says. For example, in verse 31: "Therefore when he had gone out, Jesus said, 'Now is the Son of Man glorified, and God is glorified in Him; if God is glorified in Him, God will also glorify Him in Himself, and will glorify Him immediately. Little children, I am with you a little while longer. You will seek Me; and as I said to the Jews, now I also say to you, Where I am going, you cannot come.'" Verse 36: "Simon Peter said to Him, 'Lord, where are You going?' Jesus answered, 'Where I go, you cannot follow Me now; but you will follow later.'" Of course, Peter goes on to say, I'll lay down my life for you, and Jesus tells him that He's going to deny Him three times before the rooster crows.

What's Christ doing with these words? He's preparing these disciples. He's preparing them. He doesn't want Him to be caught off guard. He's preparing them. I'm going away. I'm going away. Where I'm going, you cannot come. Preparation. This is how He's loving them right now. He's preparing them.

And secondly, He also loves them by comforting them. By comforting them. This is troubling them. It is troubling them. You notice Jesus tells them He's going away. Right after that, He commands them to love one another, and they just pass right by His words concerning love. They missed the whole thing. When they've heard those words, what they're most concerned about is, hold on a second, where are you going? Where are you going? And so their hearts are troubled. Lord, where are you going?

And chapter 14, verse 1, look at how it opens up: "Do not let your heart be troubled; believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father's house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you, for I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may be also." He tells them. He comforts them with the knowledge that He's preparing a place for them and He will come back. He's going to return. He's going to come back for them.

And He comforts them with the knowledge that though He's going away, they will still have access to the Father while He's away in His name. And in that sense, they'll have access to Him. Look at verse 10 of chapter 14: "Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in Me? The words that I say to you I do not speak from Myself, but the Father abiding in Me does His works. Believe Me that I am in the Father and the Father is in Me; otherwise believe because of the works themselves. Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do, he will do also; and greater works than these he will do, because I go to the Father. Whatever you ask in My name, this I will do, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask Me anything in My name, I will do it. If you love Me, you will keep My commandments. I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Advocate, that He may be with you forever; the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it does not see Him or know Him, but you know Him because He abides with you and will be in you."

In other words, you have access to the Father in My name. Ask in My name. I will do it. You have access to Me when you ask in My name. There's an Advocate, so He comforts them. He comforts them. And in verses 15 through 31, He comforts them with the knowledge that He's not going to leave them as orphans. He's not going to leave them alone. He's going to come to them and be with them and be in them in the person of the Holy Spirit.

What a wonderful section this is. We're going to get to it, Lord willing. In verses 15 through 31, what a wonderful promise or wonderful promises He gives to His followers. You will not be alone. And so He loves them by preparing them, following on the heels of this preparation which they don't understand. He loves them by comforting them, by comforting them. I'm preparing a place for you and I'm going to come back. I'm going to return and you have access to the Father in My name. You have access to Me and also I'm not going to leave you alone. I'm not going to leave you orphans. I will come to you in the person of the Holy Spirit who will live in you.
And then He exhorts them in chapter 15 and chapter 16. He encourages them.

And so the third thing we could say, He loves them by encouraging them, by encouraging them. He encouraged them in chapter 15 to abide in Him, the lesson of the vine and the branches, how we must abide in Christ and those who are saved will abide in Him. That's verses 1 through 11, and then 12 through 17. He exhorts them to abide in His love and to love one another.

Look at verse 12 for instance, just to see that and the following verses: "This is My commandment, that you love one another, just as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that one lays down his life for his friends. You are My friends if you do what I command you. No longer do I call you slaves, for the slave does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I have heard from My Father I have made known to you. You did not choose Me but I chose you, and appointed you that you would go and bear fruit, and that your fruit would abide, so that whatever you ask in the Father in My name He may give to you. This command, this I command you, that you love one another." There's His command. There's His exhortation. I love you and now I want you to love one another. Abide in Me. Abide in My love.

So He exhorts them in verse 18 through chapter 16 verse 4. That entire section He also exhorts them. He encourages them to understand the world's hatred. To understand the world's hatred. Men, I want to prepare you with this encouragement, He tells them. You're going to be hated. You're going to be hated, but be encouraged. There's a reason why you're hated. You're hated because you don't belong to the world. You're hated because the world hates Me, and if the world hates Me, the world will hate you because you belong to Me. You are My followers. You're associated with Me.

It's encouraging, isn't it? To understand why you're hated. To know that it's because you belong to Christ. To know that you're simply sharing in your Master's reproach. What a privilege that is. What an encouragement that is. And then He exhorts them with what seemed to be no doubt strange to their ears. He exhorts them with the understanding that His going away is actually to their advantage. It's better for them.

Look at chapter 16 verse 5: "But now I am going to Him who sent Me; and none of you asks Me, 'Where are You going?' But because I have said these things to you, sorrow has filled your heart." I mean, let's... He knows them. He's the all-knowing One, right? He knows them very well. He sees their hearts. He says here, you stopped asking Me questions about this, but I know your heart is full of sorrow. That's why. Your heart is full of sorrow.

Verse 7: "But I tell you the truth, it is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Advocate will not come to you, but if I go, I will send Him to you." "I still have many more things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now." He stoops to their level. He's understanding. He's patient. There's that condescending love of the Lord Jesus meeting them where they're at. Where they're at.

Verse 13: "But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth; for He will not speak from Himself, but whatever He hears, He will speak; and He will disclose to you what is to come. He will glorify Me, for He will take of Mine and will disclose it to you. All things that the Father has are Mine; therefore I said that He takes of Mine and will disclose it to you." In other words, it is to your advantage that I go away because He will be with you. He will be in you, the Holy Spirit, and thus wherever you go, there I am with you and in you.

He also exhorts them, encourages them with the knowledge that He's triumphant in all of this. He's triumphant in all of this. Look at verse 31, same chapter 16: "Jesus answered them, 'Do you now believe? Behold, an hour is coming and has already come for you to be scattered, each to his own home, and to leave Me alone; and yet I am not alone, because the Father is with Me. These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world.'"

How is He loving these men? Well, He has loved them from the beginning until now, until this night, but how is He loving them here? By preparing them, by comforting them, by encouraging them. And then when we come to chapter 17—I'm just going to mention this, we've already touched on it—He loves them by praying for them, and we'll study that when we get to that chapter, Lord willing.

But now let's go back to John 13, and all of this is by way of exposition and just to set the table, and I want us to really, by the grace of God, enabled by the Spirit, to take heed how we hear.

So in this introduction, the love of the Son of God is emphasized. He loved them. He has loved them. He is loving them even on this night. But then we read these words in verse one: "Having loved His own who were in the world, He loved them"—and then we read those words—"to the end." Fix your eyes on those words: "to the end." Two words in the Greek text: eis telos (εἰς τέλος). "He loved them εἰς τέλος." What does that mean?

But one possible meaning—and I think it's included in these words—is that He loved them to the end of His own life, or to say it another way, He loved them to His death. And the reason why I think this thought is contained contained there, included there, is because in the context we are reminding reminded that Jesus knew that His hour had come. So it's contained there. Knowing that this hour had arrived, knowing that the time of His death has arrived, He still loved His own. He's not the shepherd who runs when the wolf appears or approaches; He's the shepherd who lays down His life for His sheep. And He loved them by dying for them.

We could also say, though I don't think it is necessarily or particularly in this context, but we can also say it based on the full counsel of God, that Jesus would love these men to the end of their lives. He would love them to the end of their lives on this earth and beyond. But for as long as they walked on this earth, they would be abiding in the love of God and the love of Christ. Remember when He commissions them there in the gospel of Matthew? We read, He says, "And behold, I am with you always, even to the end of the age." You can't go anywhere where I am not with you. You can't be in any situation where I'm not present with you.

But I believe what is most contained in this statement—the Greek word translated "end" εἰς τέλος, to the end into the end is a word that has to do with perfection, completion. He loved them to the fullest extent. He loved them to the fullest extent. He loved them to perfection. He loved them supremely, which is to say, in the case of an infinite God, which is to say, in the case of God's love, He loves them without end—"to the end"—and there is no end. Even to the end of the ages and beyond, there is no end.

Listen to how Pastor MacArthur describes these two words, εἰς τέλος: "It is unbreakable love. If He started loving, He will love to the end. It has no deviation. 'To the end' is εἰς τέλος. It means completely, perfectly, fully, utterly, to the max, to the end, both in terms of capacity and eternity. He loves as much as He can love—He's infinite—as much as God can love, that's how much He loves. And for as long as God loves, that's how long He loves, which is to say, He loves infinitely both in capacity and in time." He goes on to say, "We're introduced then at this point in verse 1 to this dominant theme, and the dominant theme of all of these chapters is this astounding love that He has for His own. It says, 'having loved His own'—implied the already—having loved His own already. He's been loving His own since before they even knew Him. While we were enemies, He loved us. Having loved His own, nothing can change that. He loves, He loves them to the max, to the end, infinitely, utterly, completely, perfectly." End of quote.

And when you put it all together, what do you see? What do you see? What do you see? You see that He loved them in the past, He's loving them in the present, and that He will then love them forever and ever and ever in the future, world without end. Aware that His hour had come, what is on display is the perfect, never-ending, unwavering, faithful, steadfast love of Jesus.

So now, to every single child of God sitting here, every single child of God listening, here's what I want to say in light of all of this: consider, consider His love for you. Will you? Why don't we do that? Consider His love for you. This is the record of how He loved His own who were in the world. He has loved you. How has He loved you? How has He loved me, child of God? How has He loved you? And by way of implication, application, be astounded, be utterly amazed, first of all, that He has loved you.

Just like He said to them, "You did not choose Me but I chose you," so that that can be said of every single child of God in this place here today. We did not choose Him. He chose us. He chose us. When did He choose us? When we were dead in our trespasses and sins, when we were full of inborn ignorance, natural ignorance, when we were haters of God, when we were enemies of God by our very nature—as the book of Ephesians puts it, children of wrath, children deserving of the wrath of God by nature, deserving God's wrath—when we were helpless, when we were when we were away from God, apart from God, alien from, when we did not love God, did not seek God, when we would have never, ever chosen God, He chose to love us.

We have been graced, haven't we? The fact that we've been loved by the Son of God speaks of no merit of our own whatsoever. It is to the praise of the glory of His grace. It speaks of His mercy. There's something seriously wrong about thinking that you deserve the love of God, and there's something wonderfully right about saying, why would He have ever loved me? Why? Is that how you feel about it today? Do you wonder how He could have loved you? And yet He has.

How has He loved you? How has He loved you? Has He not loved you in all the ways that we've seen here this morning? Has He not loved you in the exact same way? Let me ask you, has He not prepared you for things? Is He not preparing us even now? Isn't each step of our sanctification a preparation for something, something to come? Isn't it wonderful to know there's nothing taking place in our life that is without a purpose, not a single thing? Can you look back at things that made no sense to you, but now they do? I don't mean you know all of the mysteries of how the Lord is working with you. You don't. I don't. But in some small way, the Lord reveals to you that there's a plan, there's a purpose for everything you've been through, and all of it has brought you to this day, to this place, to this hour, and there are things that He's doing today in preparation for tomorrow. He's loved you by preparing you.

And hasn't He, beloved, comforted you? Have you known the comfort of Scriptures? Haven't you? Have you known the comfort of the Holy Spirit who dwells in you? Have you known what it is to have your heart full of sorrow and to have the Holy Spirit come alongside and the Lord Jesus comforts you personally, experientially, with His Word, with the knowledge of His presence and His nearness, with the knowledge of His love for you? Have you known what it is to be in the most sorrowful time of your life and yet be assured that God loves you?

Has He not loved you by encouraging you? Have you not known what it is to have the Lord lift your chin, as it were? To have your heart fall and to have your countenance fall and your spirit downcast and have the Lord come alongside of you with His truth and remind you of who He is and the fact that you belong to Him, that you are one of His own and that He does have a plan for your life and that all things are being worked together by God for your good so that He encourages your heart and lifts you up. Have you known what that is, to have the Lord love you like that?

And don't you know that He loves you even today by interceding for you? And that when times, the times have come in your life that you were so heavy laden and you were so burdened you didn't even know how to pray, what to say, where to begin? According to God's Word, the Spirit of God has interceded on your behalf with groanings that cannot be uttered, things that you don't say and things that you don't hear, but the Lord Himself intercedes for you. Just as Job had no knowledge of the conversations taking place in the heavenly realm and what the Lord's plan and purpose was, and just like Peter had no knowledge until the Lord told him that He had prayed for them, that his faith would not fail and that he would turn again and strengthen his brothers, even so the Lord has plans for us that we know nothing about, times that we've been prayed for and God has limited our tests and regulated our tests so that they perfectly accomplish what He has planned for us. We don't know about it, but it happens every single day.

If indeed our enemy is the accuser of the brethren and accuses us night and day before God, so we have a defender of the brethren, an advocate, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, our advocate whose shed blood answers for all of our sins and whose righteousness has made us acceptable to God. He's loved you just like He's loved these disciples, these men. He's loved you all the days leading up to this day here right now. He's loved you before you were born. He's loved you from the time you were born, all the days leading up to this day in ways too numerous to count.

Can you name all the ways that God has loved you? Can you tell of all of the graces, all of the mercies? You know what, beloved? I put myself at the head of the line. It is to our shame that we don't remember more of them. It's to our shame that we forget them so easily. It's to our shame that the times that we feel sorry for ourselves or somehow feel as though we are slighted when we have been so amazingly blessed. He's loved us all of our days up to this one. He's loving us even now. His love is faithful. His love is constant. His love is unchanging.

You, child of God, are loved this morning. Today you're loved. This is a day when the Lord is loving you, and He will go on loving you forever. He loves to the fullest extent of love. You say, what is that? εἰς τέλος, to the end. You know what that means? There is no end. There is no end. He has loved us. He is loving us.

So how? How should we respond to this love?

How should we respond to this love? Today, children of God, how should you—how should we—respond to these truths? Well, first, the first way that I think of is praise. Praise. Should we not give Him praise? Should we not, first of all, stop and realize that the story of love is not our love story for Him? It is the story of love concerning His love for us. The story is about His love for us.

First John 4:10 says it just like that: "In this is love, not that we have loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins." Is that how you think of love? If I were to say, tell me the story of your love relationship with the Lord, is the first thought that comes to your mind your love for Him, or is it that He has loved you? "In this is love, not that we have loved God." That is not the story—no, no, it's not the story. But the story is that "He loved us and sent His Son." That's an amazing thing, that He would love me and send His Son to be the satisfaction for my sins.

Give Him praise. Give Him praise that He loves you. Give Him praise, child of God. Give Him thanks that He has loved you. Worship at His feet. Adore Him.

And then we respond to His love by persevering in love toward Him, by persevering in love toward Him. If He has loved me in this way, how should I love Him? How strong should my love be? And I know it's not of my own doing. It is the love that He shed abroad in my heart by the Holy Spirit. How constant should my love be? How fervent should my love be for Him? And I need to endeavor and do everything that I can by the grace of God, enabled by the Spirit of God, to cultivate that love that I have in my heart.

And thirdly, we should love Him by keeping His commandments. Jesus said, "If you love Me, you will keep My commandments" (John 14:15). And we should love Him also by loving each other, right? By loving each other with the love with which we have been loved and thus prove to be His disciples. He has commanded us to keep His commandments, yes, but also in keeping those commandments to love one another with the love that He has for us.

How do you reveal that you understand that God has loved you? Well, you love each other with the love that He has loved you with. That's how. Look around and you do that, right? If He chose to love you when you were unlovable, then you love one another even when we're unlovable, right? If He chose to forgive you of so great a debt, an infinite debt, then you can forgive your brother, your sister. What is it that you hold in your heart toward anybody in this world? Isn't it pretty—compared? Isn't it really a petty compared to what you've been forgiven, what I've been forgiven? Can you put it on the same scale? How can we who have known forgiveness to say to anyone who is asking for forgiveness, I don't forgive you? Well, I'm going to hold this in my heart towards you. What a great sin that is.

But I really think the chief way we respond to His love is by trusting Him. Did you hear me? Oh, beloved, by trusting Him. Trusting His love. Let me ask you a question this morning. If He has loved like this, and if He loves like this, and if He promises—and the Holy Spirit tells us here—that He loves to the fullest extent, to the end, then whatever it is that you're going through today, whatever it is that you're going through right now in your life, does He love you? Does He love you? Can you trust Him? Simple words, but so salient. Can you trust Him? Can you rest in Him? Whatever it is that you're going through in your life today, can you rest in Him? Can you?

When you say, Lord, oh Lord, I don't understand. I don't understand, Lord. I can't make sense of it. Lord, it is not pleasant. Lord, it is painful. And perhaps like the disciples felt, my heart is full of sorrow, Lord. But of this I am assured: You love me. You love me. You love me—εἰς τέλος. You love me. And nothing, absolutely nothing—nothing, nothing, nothing—can ever separate me from Your love. Nothing. Nothing. That's our confidence, isn't it?

I didn't hear an amen here. I want to close with this, back to Romans chapter 8. And as you make your way there, I want you to know that this is after the truth has been taught by Paul about predestination, election, and how God deals with His elect. And the question is raised, as I've asked this morning, how do you respond to this? That's the question. How do you respond to this?

And listen to what he writes in the 31st verse of Romans 8: "What then shall we say to these things?" How do you respond to truth like this that have been revealed by God? What do you say? What do you say? Well, he tells us, "If God is for us, who is against us? He who indeed did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him over for us all, how will He not also with Him graciously give us all things?"

In other words, how could you ever doubt the motive of God toward you? How He gave His Son? Will He withhold anything else from you that's good for you? Verse 33: "Who will bring a charge against God's elect? God is the one who justifies; who is the one who condemns? Christ Jesus is He who died, yes, rather who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who also intercedes for us."

"Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will affliction"—the trouble you're going through, beloved, can it separate you from the love of Christ?—"or turmoil, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?" You mean some face the sword? "Just as it is written, 'For Your sake we are being put to death all day long; we were counted as sheep for the slaughter.'"

And somewhere in the world, in this world, today, Christians are being persecuted, some even killed. Has God stopped loving them? Has this separated them from the love of Christ? No. Verse 37: "But in all these things, all of them, whether I face trouble, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or even sword, in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer"—not with the skin of our teeth, but overwhelmingly conquer—"through Him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord."

What an amazing thing it is to be able to say, I am one of His. I am loved by Christ. Can you say that today? Do you know Him?

Let's pray.

This is a transcript. It may contain small inaccuracies.

Well, as we have said again and again, the theme of the first chapter of this letter is the work of God in the establishment of the Church of Thessaloniki. And you have there Paul's song of praise, a hymn of praise, if you will, and thanksgiving for all that God has done and all that the Lord has wrought in these people, the Thessalonians, by His Spirit. And Paul attributes all that transpired there to the mighty work of God, stretching back all the way into the eternal purposes of God, where he says in verse 4 of chapter 1, "knowing, brothers beloved by God, your election," followed out in the effectual call of God, "our gospel did not come to you in word only, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit."--verse 5, chapter 1.

And then all of the blessed fruits that follow, Paul would trace them all back to the sovereign purpose of God in eternity, to the mighty working of God the Holy Spirit in time. But not only does God establish churches and accomplishes His work in keeping with His sovereign purpose, but He does so by means of faithful servants, faithful ministers. And so, the general theme of chapter 2–the first 12 verses–we have there the kind of servants that God uses in establishing His church, in the accomplishment of His work.

And so those first 12 verses give us some of the clearest teaching in all the Scripture on the marks of a true minister and true ministry. Whether that ministry be by way of application, extended application, whether that ministry be as it is in this context here–that of a servant of Christ preaching the gospel, establishing churches–whether it's a ministry of a father or a mother within his household, her household, or the ministry that you have as a witness to your co-workers, your fellow students, your neighbors, all of the principles, those specifically applied to the Apostle, carry out in all of those areas of ministry.

And then in verse 13 of chapter 2, Paul turns the tables, as it were, and says that there must not only be true ministers where the work of God is to be accomplished, but also true hearers, true hearers. And so he commends the Thessalonians for the fact that they were true hearers in verse 13. And he says, you heard the gospel in such a way that it was a hearty reception of the Word of God. Not only that, but there was an assimilation of the Word of God. And then in verse 14, he talks about that there was an obedience to the Word of God even unto suffering. They were willing to pay the cost.

Once the Word of God is received as the Word of God, then the person thus receiving it cares not what comes in the path of its obedience. Since God has spoken, I must follow, I must obey, even if it costs me. Now, at the close of that statement concerning the right reception of the Word of God by the Thessalonians, in that they embraced the Word of God with a hearty reception and obeyed it even unto suffering, he mentions the Jews–the latter part of verse 14. And at the mention of the Jews who persecuted the Judean Christians, he then launches into this almost scathing denunciation of the Jews as a nation in verses 15 and 16 as an apostate nation.

And in our last study together, we sought to understand what really provoked Paul to speak in this manner. And perhaps this is the strongest statement in all of his writings on the nature of the Jewish apostasy from God and from truth. And the reason for this was that he had just come fresh from several circumstances in which these hardened apostate Jews had persecuted and driven him out of town. And now at Corinth, he had recently experienced more persecution from them. And in the midst of that pressure and persecution, he was writing. And so his mind was very filled with the opposition of his fellow Jews.

And so he digresses, in these two verses, to mention the present state of the Jews under the wrath and judgment of God. And last time, we had only time to consider the first three things out of the seven indictments that he mentioned concerning apostate Jews. The first one being that general persecution mentioned in verse 14. And then you have these three indictments mentioned in verse 15–who both killed the Lord Jesus—that's the second indictment—and then killed the prophet–number two. And number three: drove us out. They killed Jesus, they killed the prophets, and they drove out the apostles and their companions in ministry.

Now last time we studied the text, we sought to answer this question: why did they treat the Lord Jesus and the prophets and the apostles in this fashion? And we saw together that the thing which provoked the Jews to kill the Lord Jesus, the prophets, and persecute the apostles was this common denominator, their common denominator of content, the content of their ministry. Because all three of them—our Lord Jesus, the prophets, and the apostles—insisted, continually insisted, when preaching the gospel to the Jews, number one: that inherited privilege was not enough. Inherited privilege was not enough. The privilege must lead to a vital experience, a vital relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ.

And secondly, external religion is not enough, and they could not stand the insistence that there had to be internal reality, not simply external veneer. There must be vital experience of truth as opposed to mere privileged exposure. In short, it was the close application of the truth to life and experience, both in the ministry of our Lord and the prophets and the apostles, which the Jews could not stand—they could not stomach—for under the ministry of all three, they realized this reality: we either forsake our lust, we must either forsake our lust and our sins and the way we are heading, or we must reject the words of the apostles, the prophets, and of course, the Lord Jesus. They could not straddle the fence. They could not keep both.

Under the false teachers, they were encouraged, in fact, to believe that they could receive the words of God and still cling to their lustful desires, passions of the flesh. That was the problem of Jeremiah. The false prophets continually said, well, you are the covenant people of God. You're special. Don't listen to this fellow, Jeremiah, who says, break off with your sins, break off with your sins or else judgment—no, no, don't worry about him. He just babbles too much. Rest in the promises. You may have your darling sins plus the promises of God's covenant mercies. Don't worry. All is well. Jeremiah said, no, no, absolutely not. You have dis-covenanted yourself in that sense. He insisted that there must be righteousness and the breaking off with sin.

Now we begin today with the remaining matters of this list of seven indictments, which characterize really the activity of the Jews. They not only killed the Lord Jesus, not only killed the prophets, drove out the apostles and their companions, but Paul goes on to say in the latter part of verse 15—look at it—"[they] do not please God, and are hostile to all men," verse 16, "hindering us from speaking to the Gentiles so that they may be saved."

Now very briefly, let us consider these three things now that are now mentioned and that completes the list of seven. Just to remind you, the first one, the general persecution of the Christians of Judea, that's mentioned in verse 14. Number two, they killed the Lord Jesus. Number three, they killed the prophets. Number four, they drove out the apostles and his companions. And now number five, he says, they do not please God. They do not please God.

Now need I remind us that the whole end of the Creator-creature relationship is that the creature might please God, His Creator? That's the whole end, that the creature might please His God. This is the purpose for which man was made. And so we might say the whole end of all revealed religion, God moving toward fallen man in grace, is that once again, man might bring pleasure to God. Second Corinthians 5, right? We are redeemed no longer to live to please ourselves, but to please Him. Not to live for ourselves, unto ourselves, but to live unto Him. And he might do that which is agreeable to God and bring to the heart of God that joy and delight.

The apostle Paul, in this very letter, in fact, chapter 4 and verse 1—look at it with me—makes pleasing God the whole sum and substance of the Christian life. The whole sum and substance of the Christian life. "Finally then, brothers, we ask and exhort you in the Lord Jesus, that as you received from us as to how you ought to walk and”--what?--”please God, just as you actually do walk." Isn't that wonderful? Even as he's exhorting them, beloved, to walk and please God, he says, by the way, you're actually doing it. Do it all the more. Do it all the more that you excel still more, he says. You're doing this, excel more. Press on all the more. Don't slow down. Don't relegate your Christian walk to cruise control. Keep your foot on the pedal. Excel all the more.

And so, what is the practical sum and substance of a vital, vibrant, Spirit-directed Christian life? Well, Paul tells us, it's a life that is lived to the pleasure of God. The pleasure of God. You ought to walk, he said, so as to please God. This was the essence of our Lord's relationship to the Father. We've seen this time and time again in the Gospel of John, didn't we? He could say in John 8, verse 29, "I always do the things that are pleasing to Him," referring to His Father. I do the things that please Him.

Now, the Jews thought that they were pleasing God. Paul—remember Paul, Saul of Tarsus, a devout Pharisee—thought that when he got letters from the authorities to go and get the Christians and bind them and commit them to prison and death, well, he thought what? He thought that he was actually pleasing God. He thought he was delighting God. And the Jews, and of all people, thought they were people who stood in the midst of heathen idolatry as the one group of people who were bringing delight to God, who are doing things agreeable to Jehovah.

And so, when Paul indicts them as the people who do not please God, I mean, you can imagine their response. I mean, this is a terrible indictment. Every Jew would believe that of a Gentile–that's how their mind is set–”One of those Gentile dogs, of course, they don't please God, but we Jews, we're not like other men. Certainly, we please God.” Paul says, no, no, no. In all of the religious form, in all of the involvement of carrying out even God-appointed sacrifices in the whole system that was handed down by divine revelation, he says, marked all over it are those four words: "they please not God." They do not please God.

And the reason they did not please God is the reason why all of us by nature do not please God. All of us. Romans 8, verses 7 and 8: "because the mind set on the flesh is”--what?--”at enmity toward God, for it does not subject itself to the law of God, for it is not even able to do so, and those who are in the flesh are not able to please God." And beloved, I would add, even if it is Jewish flesh, Paul says. Those who are in the flesh are not able to please God—Jewish flesh, Gentile flesh. It makes no difference. It was to a Jew—it was to a very devout and well-instructed and a very admirable character kind of a Jew—that our Lord said, "That which is born of the flesh is flesh,"

John chapter 3, in His discourse with Nicodemus. Now, the Jews thought, as I mentioned, they were pleasing God and they were sincere. They were utterly sincere in the carrying out of that intent, but sincerity is not enough. It's not enough, for Paul says in Romans 10, verses 2 and 3: "For I testify about them that they have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge. For not knowing about the righteousness of God and seeking to establish their own, they did not subject themselves to the righteousness of God."

Beloved, oh beloved, the only thing that pleases God is that life, that deed—those deeds, those acts—that are done by a right rule, i.e., the Word of God, with a right motive, love to God, and with the right end in view, the glory of God. And in that sense, the Jews did not please God, for though they may have been doing things commanded by God, the bringing of appointed sacrifices, they were not bringing them out of the right motive, out of love to God, nor were they doing it with the right end in view, the glory of God. And so the apostle indicts them as the people who please not God.

And yet, that indictment sweeps over all of us in the state of nature, for they that are in the flesh—those who have never been born of the Spirit, Paul makes it clear—cannot please God. Even doing things that God requires, because they are done from a wrong motivation, with a wrong end in view, and God writes over our most devout acts, that they are what? Filthy rags. Filthy rags. So that the Scripture says, "The sacrifice of the wicked is”--what?--”an abomination to Yahweh," Proverbs 15:8. That's what the Word of God says.

Well then, Paul goes on to say, number six, indictment number six, that they are hostile to all men. They are hostile to all men. Now, some commentators have tried to infer from this that, as part of the evidence of the Jewish apostasy, they've just become unbearable—I mean, hard to live with, to live around. I don't believe that is what Paul is saying here. Because notice, he explains what he means by hostile. Look at the next word that really sheds light on what he means by hostile. He says, this is what I mean by hostile, or set against all men, verse 16: hindering us—this is how they are hostile to all men—hindering us from speaking to the Gentiles so that they may be saved.

They're hostile to all men, and I'll tell you how, what I mean by it: hindering us. Hindering us. In what sense are they hostile, or set against? Well, the attitude is revealed in their hostility and open opposition to the proclamation of the gospel, hindering us from speaking the gospel. Now, notice what Paul is saying in this verse. He's saying that men are saved by the preaching of a message. Men are saved by the preaching of the message. ‘Koluo’, the word hindering, is the verb ‘koluo’, participle, preventing us or hindering us from speaking to Gentiles.

Now, notice what he doesn't say. He doesn't say hindering us from living before the Gentiles, hindering us to be involved in the needs of Gentiles. So many in our days are trying to tell us the gospel is getting involved in the needs of society—when you do this and do that and slap a little paint on a building in the ghetto somewhere. Well, that's evangelism. No. No, no. Paul views the whole thrust of the evangelistic emphasis in ministry as what? Proclaiming a message. You do the other thing simply as a bridge, perhaps, but the end in view is to proclaim the message. That's how people are saved.

Romans 10 (verses 14-15): "How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in him whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach, except they are sent?" I mean, it is airtight. No wiggle room. That's God's way. And so the Jewish apostasy and the Jewish opposition to God comes to its climactic expression when, not only rejecting the gospel themselves, they show this hostility to all men in that wherever the apostle and his companions would go, they either seek to precede him to throw up stumbling blocks in the way of preaching the message, or, once it begins to be proclaimed, they come in and seek to hinder its full proclamation and put stumbling blocks.

So hang these two factors together. Men are saved by the speaking of a message. This message must be gotten through to them according to Romans 10. So consequently—and follow closely—from the human standpoint, men may hinder the salvation of others when they suppress or hold back in some way the full proclamation of the message of grace. We believe in an utterly sovereign God and sovereign grace and salvation, but that does not nullify the responsibility, the human responsibility as well.

Now, this is really a sobering thought, one which is not new or unique in this passage in Thessalonians, for you remember that one of the most sober indictments that our Lord made against the Pharisees and the scribes is found in the 23rd chapter of Matthew. Turn with me there for a moment. It is found in Matthew 23 and verse 13. In fact, after a general warning to His own disciples regarding the influence of the scribes and the Pharisees, the first direct indictment which He makes to the Pharisees themselves is this, verse 13: "But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, because you shut off the kingdom of heaven from people; for you do not enter in yourselves, nor do you allow those who are entering to go in."

Now we know—let me pause here for a second—we know, we know from the word of God, and we know this as clear as it can be known, that from the divine perspective, John 6:37 is true: "All that the Father gives Me,”--as we saw this morning–“will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will never cast out." And if there are a thousand oceans and a thousand barriers standing between one of Christ's blood-bought sheep and the effectual calling of that sheep, the Lord will somehow surmount those barriers. Absolutely.

But, we must never lose sight of this principle from the human perspective, that the message must come to the sinner, and anything that hinders the coming of that message is, in that sense, a shutting off of the kingdom of heaven against men. And so the Apostle indicts them as being contrary or hostile to all men, in that they hinder the speaking of the message to the Gentiles that they might be saved.

We sit here this evening, and we listen to all of this, and perhaps we say to ourselves, “but we wouldn't be guilty of that. Certainly, I've never stood in the way of the speaking of the message of salvation, that others might be saved. Oh no.” Is that so? Is that so? Let me show us some of the ways that we can, by way of implication, very subtly be guilty of the same sin and come under this indictment.

When you, perhaps as the head of your family, do not do everything in your power to see to it that all the members of your family are exposed to as much of the preaching and teaching of the Word or the proclamation of the Word of God as possible in your home, in the church, you are, in that sense, hindering the speaking of the message. For it's the divine seed of the Word of God sown, sown at the home, sown in the Sunday school, sown in the morning exposition, sown in the evening exposition, sown in every possible legitimate means. That is God's way of bringing to faith and repentance your own family members.

When in any way by my life as an individual, married or single, old or young, it makes no difference. When in any way, any way, you by your life discredit the gospel so that men won't hear it. Have you ever heard it said, ah don't talk to me about the gospel, I know so and so, and he says he goes to such and such church, Bible believing, Bible living church, and look at his life. I don't want to hear it. Have you ever heard that thrown in your face? Have you? What's happened? Well, that person has hindered the speaking of the gospel. Oh, not like the Jews of course here, who track Paul around and organize themselves into mobs and sought to stir up other mobs, but beloved, the end result is the same: ears that need to hear the message don't hear it. Why? Because someone's life has hindered the speaking of the word of God.

Chapter and verse, well Nathan the prophet said to David when he confronted him about his sin, 2 Samuel 12:14, "because by this deed you have given occasion to the enemies of Yahweh to blaspheme, the son also that is born to you shall surely die.” And how about Paul who said to the Jews in Romans 2:24, "For ‘The name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you’”—because of you. So, may God grant that as we see this sweeping indictment upon the Jews, that we shall not draw our robes about ourselves in self-righteousness and say, “Poor Jews. [It] will never be true of me.” But, may God make us sensitive to this terrible sin for which Paul indicts them.

Now having considered the full list briefly, what is the result of this? What is the result of this, this activity? Has God, as it were, been slumbering while they were persecuting the Judean Christians–when they killed the Lord Jesus, His prophets, persecute, drive out the apostles and their companions? In this life that does not please God and is hostile to all men in that it forbids the ongoing of the gospel, the proclamation of the message. What is the result of these seven indictments?

Well, Paul gives us the answer from the perspective of God who passes sentence upon them and he says two things are true as a result of this, two things are true. Look at the text, look at the text, verse 16. He says two things are true. Number one, he says, “with the result that they always fill up the measure of their sins.” And then, as a result of that, the second thing, "But wrath has come upon them to the utmost." These, beloved, are some of the most sober words in all of holy scripture. Sober words.

First of all, he says they always fill up the measure of their sins. We can rightly paraphrase this verse this way, this portion this way: they fill to the brim the cup of their sins. MacArthur translates it this way: "They always heap up their sins to the limit.” They always heap up their sins to the limit. In other words, they were bringing their sins to the prescribed point in the cup where God's mercy is exhausted and God's judgment comes down upon them.

This is a thought, again, that is not unique to this passage in 1st Thessalonians. Let's trace it through the Scriptures at several points in order that we might feel the weight of it, and we need to feel the weight of it.

Back to Genesis 15, we are first introduced to this concept of men filling up their sins to the point of judgment. Genesis 15—God, you remember, entering into covenant with Abraham, and He makes certain promises concerning that which He will do, in grace, to Abraham and his seed. And verse 13, we read, Genesis 15: "Then God said to Abram, 'Know for certain that your seed will be sojourners in a land that is not theirs, and they will be enslaved and mistreated four hundred years.”--four hundred years–a prophecy of that descent down into Egypt and the duration that the people of God would be there in Egypt. But verse 14: "'But I will also judge the nation to whom they are enslaved, and afterward they will come out with many possessions. As for you, you shall go to your fathers in peace; you will be buried at a good old age. Then in the fourth generation they will return here—'" that is, I'm going to bring them out of Egypt, I'm going to bring them out of Egypt and bring them up into the land which I have promised, “for”—that's the next word—“for”. Now, this is one of the reasons why four generations must pass. God gives the reason. Now look at the reason, verse 16: "'Then in the fourth generation they will return here, for the iniquity of the Amorite is not yet complete.'" Do you see the language?

Now, God had many reasons, and some of which are revealed, some are not, as to why He sent His people down to Egypt for that period of time, but this is one of them: "the iniquity of the Amorite is not yet complete." You see, the cup has not yet reached that prescribed mark where the long-suffering and mercy give way to judgment. And when it reaches that point—He said, in four hundred years it will reach that point—and when it reaches it, “Oh, My judgment will fall, My judgment will fall.”

If any of you have any questions as to the rightness and the justness of God sending His people in to wipe out the Hittites and the Amalekites, just read some of the portions. Leviticus 18 is one of them, by the way, where where He speaks of some of the abominations and pollutions of the land into which the people of God were entering, were going—the vilest kinds of sin and uncleanness—and God said it had to come to the point where His judgment would would tarry no longer. And so He timed the exodus out of Egypt and subsequently the invasion of Canaan so that Israel might be His instrument of judgment upon the land of Canaan.

Now, you find the same concept in the 23rd chapter of Matthew, in our Lord's dealings with the scribes and Pharisees. Look at it with me, Matthew 23, verses 32 and 33. But let's begin—back up to verse 30 to get a clear, wider context–these people building the tombs of the prophets and adorn the monuments of the righteous–verse 30, they say—that is, the scribes and Pharisees—they say, "If we had been living"—look at the hypocrisy—"if we had been living in the days of our fathers, we would not have been partners with them in shedding the blood of the prophets." Oh, true, yeah, right. Our Lord's going to tear away that mask of self-deception and hypocrisy. And so He says in verse 31: "So you bear witness against yourselves, that you are sons of those who murdered the prophets." "Fill up, then,”—fill up then—”the measure of the guilt of your fathers."

You see the language? Your fathers, by their rejection of the prophets, have poured something into that cup. Now, by your rejection of the last true prophet, the God-Man, the Lord Jesus Christ—by your rejection of Me, Jesus said—you are bringing the cup to the point of the prescribed mark. And what will follow when it reaches that mark? Notice the next verse: "You serpents, you brood of vipers, how will you escape the sentence of hell?" When that prescribed mark is reached, then judgment follows inevitably as a result.

This is why the apostle could say as he does—now back to our passage, 1 Thessalonians chapter 2, in verse 16: "they always fill up the measure of their sins." That obstinate, stubborn, unbending, unyielding opposition to the gospel was the last great expression of this general attitude. All through the Old Testament, they rejected the ministry, they rejected the message of the prophets—oh, there were few exceptions, but by and large, Christ would indict that whole nation as being the ones who slew the prophets. They were of their forefathers in that the last true prophet stood amongst them—the final message—and they cried out, "Give us in His place Barabbas! Crucify Him!" And so He says this pattern is the pattern prescribed by the Word: always, always, at all times—pantote, at all times—to fill up the measure of their sins at all times, always.

Now, what was the problem with the Jews all through their history? Why, why were they not struck with fear that they were filling up their sins to that mark where judgment would follow? And I trust, beloved, that you listen carefully, all of us would listen carefully. In here, I believe, is the crux of the Word of the Lord to our own hearts this evening. They thought that each rejection of the message of God was like a little drop of rejection that fell down into a boundless ocean of infinite mercy and kindness and was completely absorbed into that ocean, so that they could go on forever and ever, slaying the prophets, killing those who came in the name of Jesus. And Paul says, what they didn't realize was that with each rejection of a prophet, each rejection was like a drop that was captured in a cup by God, and on that cup there was a mark. And in their first rejection of Moses, that great prophet, and in their subsequent rejection of Elijah and Elisha and Isaiah and Jeremiah, God says, you thought that each rejection was just a drop, once again spilling into that great ocean of My infinite mercy and kindness, and this would go on forever and ever, thinking to themselves, "We're the covenant people of God, we're His favorites. Has He not delivered us in the past? Oh sure, we rejected His counsel and He came down into judgment, you know, but He delivered us nevertheless. He had compassion on us and He sent us a Joshua and sent us a Gideon and He sent us many deliverers. He brought us back out of captivity, established us again in the land." And they misinterpreted the whole history.

For God says, instead of those drops being dissipated in an ocean of infinite, boundless mercy, every one of them was captured in the cup of God's remembrance. And in this generation to which the Lord Jesus came, and subsequently His messengers–the apostles and their companions–that cup was getting more full and more full and more full, until the last drops was this rejection of the apostles and their message delivered in the name of Christ, so that the next part of the verse became true: "wrath has come upon them to the utmost." They misinterpreted the whole thing, just as some today, perhaps even in our midst, are misinterpreting your resolute rejection of the message of God's saving grace.

Perhaps some young people growing up in a Christian home, who have been intreated time after time by your parents, by your under-shepherds, by your youth leaders, by your Sunday school teacher to forsake your sins, to step down from off the throne room of the heart and to vacate that throne for King Jesus, its rightful heir and possessor. And you have sensed time and time again the overtures of God's mercy, God's grace extended in this very building. These walls are witness to the fact that the prophetic message of God has pierced your heart, and what have you done? What have you done? You've rejected it, passed it off, and you think that each time you do that rejection it is a drop of rejection going down into a boundless ocean of infinite mercy and long-suffering, utterly dissolved and forgotten by God.

But oh, dear young person, it has not been forgotten. There's a sense in which in the life of every individual God has a cup, and there's a mark on it, and there's come a point where those drops accumulate till the measure is reached, and when it is, there's only one thing left: judgment, judgment. It's true of individuals, whether young or adult, the mercy of God extended in the preaching of the Word, in the prayers of a godly husband or wife, in the loving entreaty of brothers, siblings, friends—rejected, rejected, rejected, rejected. And like the Jews, you misinterpreted, failing to realize that this is a filling up of the sin all the way, and then the issue of that in their lives is found in this dreadful phrase: "But wrath has come upon them to the utmost.”--to the utmost.

By the way, in the original text, the Greek text, there's a definite article: “the wrath, the wrath"—not wrath in general, but the wrath. And what is the clear implication? This is the wrath of God. He's talking about the wrath of God. The wrath of God has come upon them to the uttermost. And what is the wrath of God? It is the positive infliction of the judgment of God. No less than 25 to 30 times in the New Testament, the wrath of God is mentioned with distinct reference to God.

We can translate the word “wrath” this way, to grasp it a little bit more: the holy anger of God and its attendant punishment, the holy anger of God and its attendant punishment. Let's see if this fits back to the text: with the result that they always fill up the measure of their sins, but wrath—so let's use our definition—the holy anger of God and its attendant punishment has come upon them to the utmost.

When John says, "flee the wrath to come," what was he telling them to flee? Not some sinful passion, but the holy anger of God and its attendant punishment. It is said in John chapter 3 verse 36 that the wrath of God abides on him who does not obey the Son. And Romans 1:18: "For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven"—it is that holy anger of God and its attendant punishment.

Now, in what sense has wrath already come? Now I'm going to defer to Pastor MacArthur's comments here that are extremely helpful to help us understand this language of the past tense, even though it is referring to beyond the past tense. It's like it's coming, it has come, but it's coming, but he's so sure it's coming it's as if it already happened. So he writes this: “The verb translated ‘has come’ is in the aorist tense, which affirms that Paul was so certain that the divine wrath would come that he expressed the notion as if it had already occurred. And historically, it had occurred in the Babylonian exile. His expression likely includes the destruction of Jerusalem in AD 70, although then nearly 20 years off, and it denotes the eschatological wrath to come when Jesus returns to earth in judgment. But primarily, he goes on to say, the expression points to the damnation of people who reject God. That too was so certain that Paul could write of it as if it had already occurred. Those Jews had met all the prerequisites for future damnation. They had completed the measure of their sins in rejecting the only truth of salvation and murdering their Messiah and His messengers. Therefore, God's wrath would come upon them to the utmost. The expression ‘to the utmost’ means God will extend His wrath to the unbelieving Jews to its extreme limit or fullest expression. Their future punishment in hell was by that time irreversible.” And he ends by saying this as an important reminder: “However, that does not mean God is through with Israel. As Paul writes in Romans 11, someday God will save all Israel in accord with His promises to the nation. ‘[A]ll Israel will be saved, just as it is written, 'The Deliverer will come from Zion, He will remove ungodliness from Jacob. And this is My covenant with them, when I take away their sins.'”

But I want to close tonight with this exhortation. If I were to ask you this evening, what is the one thing above all else that you ought to have as your supreme fear in life, what would your answer be? I see lots of people fearing the wrath of man, right? The wrath of man. And we have genuine fear. Some of us fear what may happen all around us—wars, situation in the Middle East, in Ukraine perhaps, the economy, different things. Some of us fear serious sickness, illness. Some of us fear, etc. But what should our greatest fear be?

Listen to the words of Christ, Matthew 10:28: "do not fear those who kill the body but are unable to kill the soul; but rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell." What should be your greatest fear? I'll tell you what it should be. That you should really be ever able to say or have it said of you—that should be your greatest fear if you're not a child of God—the wrath has come upon him to the utmost. That should be your greatest fear if you're outside of Christ.

Let a nuclear bomb explode over our heads and incinerate our bodies. The Lord says, don't fear that. Let some foreign power come in and strip away every last human freedom and personal liberty. The Lord says, don't fear that. But fear, fear the wrath of a holy God, for it's wrath to the uttermost. Wrath that will never, ever, ever, ever give way to mercy.

And you see, the problem is that we misinterpret God's present mercy. We misinterpret God's present mercy as recorded in chapter 2 of Romans. Turn with me there. Turn with me there. Romans chapter 2, and this is, beloved, this is really important. We find the same principle of a people who had no fear of the wrath of God. No fear of the wrath of God. In fact, they felt that they had good reasons not to fear it. And notice what the reasons were. This is astounding. Look at verse 3, chapter 2 of Romans: "But do you presume this, O man–who passes judgment on those who practice such things and does the same–that you will escape the judgment of God? Or do you think lightly of the riches of His kindness and forbearance and patience, not knowing that the kindness of God leads you to repentance?" Verse 5: "But because of your stubbornness and unrepentant heart you are storing up wrath for yourself in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God."

You see what he's saying? He's saying you people misinterpret the lingering of the judgment of God. You think that because, as you walk in this course of open disobedience to the revealed will of God and to the truth of His Word and the gospel of His Son, you feel that this is an indication that God is looking down with toleration, putting up with this, and that He does not burn in righteous, holy anger. He said, “Oh no, what a terrible misrepresentation.” He said what is happening is the long suffering, the mercy of God is holding back that righteous judgment with the viewpoint that you might be awakened and flee to Him in repentance. The kindness of God might lead you to repentance, to repent of your sin, your pride, your self-determined will and way, and flee to His Son for refuge.

But you, you misinterpret that. You think, you think that you're going on in this way and that God is apparently indifferent, and each day, he said, adds a little weight to the treasure house of the wrath of God—a little more, a little more. And one day—and one day—that great vault will be opened, and all the treasure you stored up, every sermon you heard, every tearful entreaty that has been uttered in your presence, every single prayer done on your behalf, every longing desire of the saints of God for your salvation, all of that will be in that great treasure house. And when that vault doors are opened, the wrath of God will come rushing down upon your head. And all the prayers of the godly wife, the godly father, the godly mother, the godly friend, the godly neighbor, all the entreaties of an earnest pastor and an earnest Sunday school teacher and an earnest youth leader—he said, you will meet as a treasure house of wrath when it should have been the means of leading you to seek mercy.

Some of us can remember when they still used scales in the stores. And you can remember, you know, two plates, and then you have the weight put on one end of the scale, say five pounds, and maybe they're weighing some sugar. So they put sugar here, they scoop some and they put it. And they put the first big scoop on and they put some more, and the scale just begins to kind of move a little bit. And then when they get near the end, they sprinkle out a few more grains, and then it seemed just one or two grains and all of a sudden this scale begins to balance, right? Just the one, a few drops of grain, the scale balanced. Picture that? Oh dear one, that's the picture. That's the picture. How many grains are you away from the cup being full? The balance that now is weighted down with the long suffering and mercy of God, but that will ultimately give way to the judgment of God. Flee to Christ.

And I say to you, if you've been savingly joined to Christ and rescued from the wrath to come, how your heart should be filled with praise. That this phrase—this phrase—will never, ever, ever be pronounced over you. Never. Wrath has come upon Him to the utmost. For we read in 1 Thessalonians 5, verse 9: "For God has not appointed us”--true believers, He has not appointed us–”for wrath, but for obtaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ." And how does chapter 1 end? With this: "and to wait for His Son from heaven, whom He raised from the dead, Jesus, who rescues us from the wrath to come."

Oh, may God fill our hearts with an overflowing measure of gratitude that the Lord Jesus bore the brunt of the Father's wrath for us, and He drank that cup of the wrath of God to the last drop. And if we're hidden in the Savior's side and by the Spirit sanctified, we need not fear His wrath, but we stand in the midst of men and women upon whom that wrath hangs today. May God sober us with a fresh concern that we might in no way, either by life or conduct or lip, hinder the saving message from getting through to them, that they might turn from being the objects of wrath and become objects of mercy.

Let's pray.

This is a transcript. It may contain small inaccuracies.

Well, we have completed our study of the first major sections of this wonderful letter, 1 Thessalonians, chapter 1 being the first of those two sections, that paragraph of praise to God, Paul's paragraph of praise and thanksgiving to God for all that God has wrought in the city of Thessaloniki by the Spirit of God. And in the first twelve verses of chapter 2, in which Paul sets before us the kind of servants God uses in accomplishing His sovereign purposes of grace through the ministry of the Word of God. And then for the past several weeks, we've considered the complementary truth of those first twelve verses of chapter 2. Namely, the true servants, the true ministers must be complemented by true hearers, those who really take heed how they hear.

So Paul, in verses 13 and 14, thanks God that not only were the people at Thessaloniki blessed with a true ministry, but they were also true hearers of the Word of God. They received the Word of God and they received it with a hearty welcome. They embraced it with gladness, as it is indeed the Word of God and not the word of men. And so they assimilated that Word and it became evident. It became evident in their lives, through their lives, that it wasn't a dead letter stored in the categories of memory, but it was indeed the living Word of God expressed in everyday experience. Particularly here, he cites patience in suffering.

Well, now Paul concluded that section in verse 14 with this remark about the Jews. Comparing the suffering of the Thessalonian believers at the hand of their countrymen with the suffering of the Judean Christians at the hand of the Jews. There in verse 14, "For you, brothers, became imitators of the churches of God in Christ Jesus that are in Judea, for you also suffered the same things at the hands of your own countrymen"—and here it is—"even as they did from the Jews."

Now the moment he mentions the Jews, well, he digresses then for the next two verses on one of the strongest statements in all of the letters of Paul on the state of the Jews as a nation. And he says in verses 15 and 16 concerning the Jews—the text that was read in your hearing—"who both killed the Lord Jesus and the prophets, and drove us out, do not please God, and are hostile to all men, hindering us from speaking to the Gentiles, so that they may be saved, with the result that they always fill up the measure of their sins, but wrath has come upon them to the utmost."

Now let's pause here before we move any further. Lest any of us would ever try to bleed any anti-Semitic feeling from these verses, and understand the true intent, I would remind us that the same man who spoke these words of denunciation, calling the Jews here killers of Christ, and of the prophets, persecutors of the apostles, and the Christian people, who are hostile to everybody, don't please God, they're under the wrath of God, the same man said these words about the same group of people. Listen as I read from 1 Corinthians 9: 20: "And to the Jews I became a Jew, so that I might win Jews; to those who are under the law, as under the law, though not being myself under the law, so that I might win those who are under the law." The same man.

The same man who spoke those words of denunciation said, I was willing to put myself under the strictest kind of discipline, the rigors of the ceremonial law, if I might gain these people, and then he rises to an intensity of expression that I really think none of us could duplicate in any measure with a good conscience. Romans 9, the first four verses, listen to what he said, you're familiar with this text: "I am telling the truth in Christ, I am not lying, my conscience testifies with me in the Holy Spirit, that I have great sorrow and unceasing grief in my heart. For I could wish that I myself were accursed, separated from Christ for the sake of my brothers, my kinsmen according to the flesh, who are Israelites."

So whatever these verses in 1 Thessalonians mean, they must never ever be taken as some kind of a sour, vindictive, hot-headed burst of temper from a man who has been embittered by the treatment that he received at the hands of the Jews. No, no, because the same man says, my heart's longing is that they might be saved, that they may come to know their Messiah. Not only is it my longing, my life proves that I'll do whatever it takes to win one of my countrymen to Jesus. For these are not to be regarded as sour, vindictive, hot-headed words, but the broken-hearted, sober, calm pronouncement of an inspired, Spirit-inspired apostle who is explaining the state of the Jews as a nation.

Now, why did Paul make this digression? Why? Is there any indication in Scripture as to why, when he's writing to this infant church there in that city of Thessaloniki, the very mention of the Jews should cause him to break out into this description of a terrible indictment? Well, I think there's some indication.

Putting the chronology together, Paul in Corinth writing this letter—he's in Corinth writing this letter to the church at Thessaloniki—and while he's there at Corinth, he had been receiving abuse from the Jews, so much so that God had appeared to him in a vision and said to him, recorded in Acts 18: 9 and 10, "Do not be afraid, but go on speaking, and do not be silent, for I am with you, and no man will lay a hand on you in order to harm you, for I have many people in this city." He was in Corinth by way of Berea, and by way of Thessaloniki.

Now, remember what happened there in Thessaloniki when he was there? Well, you know what happened there. We studied it together. The Jews kicked him out of town. So he came to Berea, and he hadn't been to Berea long before the Jews stirred up the mob, and guess what? They chased him out of town. They kicked him out of town. And now he's in Corinth, and the same crowd is there putting the pressure on.

So, because of his circumstances, his mind was filled with thoughts of the attitude of the Jews to the Gospel, to the Lord Jesus Christ, who is central to the Gospel. So here Paul mentions that the church of Judea is suffering at the hands of the Jews, and when he says Jews, then no doubt immediately there comes to the surface of his mind the treatment he's been receiving over the past months, and he can think of his immediate circumstances. Looking back to Berea, he looks back to Thessaloniki, and everywhere he went, he could see his trail—not only in his trail the tremendous triumph in the Gospel, but also he could see the deep opposition by the Jews.

So then this gives us a little bit of an idea of why we find this particular statement at this particular place in this letter, and it's all, of course, under inspiration. Now, to think our way through the text tonight and next Lord's Day, let us ask a very simple question first of all, and I trust it will be a helpful question.

Question number one: of whom is Paul speaking when he says they killed the Lord Jesus, they killed the prophet, they persecuted the apostles, and all of those other things mentioned in these two verses? Of whom is he speaking? Well, the text says he's speaking of the Jews. This is what Paul is saying. The Jews—he referred to the Jews, end of verse 14, "for you also suffered the same things at the hands of your own countrymen, even as they did from the Jews," verse 15, "who," referring to the Jews, and he continues. Everything that follows is referred to the last word in verse 14, the Jews.

Now, where does this term Jew come from? Well, originally the word Jew was applied to someone of the tribe of Judah, but after the captivity, when for the most part the only people who returned out of the captivity were the people from the two southern—from the two southern tribes, mostly the tribe of Judah—the word Jew began to be applied to anyone who was an Israelite. So to this day, the word Jew was a synonym for an Israelite. And this is the way it was used by Paul's time, so that the Jews then are that particular race of people who could trace their lineage all the way back to Abraham.

That people whose whole existence could be summarized under the simple phrase: unusual privilege. Now keep that in mind. Unusual privilege. To that people, remember, to that people and to that people alone God gave the written oracles of Holy Scripture. To that people and to that people alone God gave the ministry of the prophets. Occasionally He'd send a Jonah to a heathen nation or Elijah to the widow of Zarephath, Sidon. But for the most part, these were their privileges.

And you read about those privileges in Romans 9. The covenants were made with them. They had the true worship of God. They had the oracles of God. They had all of these tremendous privileges. And so when Paul uses this word, the Jews, he's referring to that body of people.
So much for our first question. Who is He addressing? Who is He referring to?

Number two, with what things does Paul charge this people, referred to as the Jews? And if you read carefully through these two verses and take an inference from the 14th verse, you will find that Paul indicts them for seven distinct crimes or attitudes. Seven distinct dispositions. Notice what those seven things are, beginning with verse 15.

Number one, they killed the Lord Jesus. Number two, they killed their own prophets. Number three, they drove us out. Number four, they do not please God. Number five, they are hostile to all men. Number six, hindering us from speaking to the Gentiles so that they may be saved. And number seven is that persecution which he mentions—or he mentioned—in verse 14, the general persecution of the church of Judea that was carried on by the Jews.

So here are seven specific indictments. It's as though the Apostle Paul is indicting the Jews as a nation on seven accounts for some of the terrible sins in the sight of God. This evening we'll have time only to look at the first three, and I want us to consider them as a group because there is something definitely related between them, and I hope you discover that as we go through them. I'm not going to tell you at the beginning, but I hope you discover it as we work our way through.

So let's begin with number one, indictment number one. Paul declares, they killed the Lord Jesus. They killed the Lord Jesus. And would you please notice with me that in the original, the emphasis is upon the Lord. The Lord. It would read this way if you're translating it literally: Who? Don Quirion. Who? Don Quirion. Who? The Lord killed even Jesus. What Lord? The Lord who is Jesus. But it was the Lord that they killed. The Lord that they killed. It wasn't some other man, it was the Lord whom they killed. Called the Lord of glory in a similar context, 1 Corinthians 2:8.

Now, this is the first indictment against the Jews as a nation. That they, in a peculiar way, were the slayers of the Lord Jesus. Now, let me pause and state something very important here. Now theologically and experimentally, every single child of God, every single Christian, knows that it was his sin that put the Lord Jesus to death. And he accepts the full weight of that, and if you're a Christian here tonight, you have no problem singing or quoting the words of John Newton when he said:

I saw one hanging on a tree  
in agony and blood  
who fixed his loving eyes on me  
as near his cross I stood  
my conscience felt and owned the guilt  
and plunged me in despair  
I saw my sins his blood had shed  
and helped to nail him there.

If you're a Christian this evening, you gladly and sadly make that confession: I saw my sins his blood had shed and helped to nail him there. And though this is true experimentally and theologically, yet historically and factually, the Jews—that is, the unbelieving apostate Jews—are the ones who put the Lord Jesus to death.

And it is interesting that as you read through the preaching of the apostles, there is this continual accusation made in their preaching in the presence of the Jews: you killed Him, you killed Him—you put Him to death, you slew Him—not we all men in general or even we Jews in general, but you Jews put Him to death. Peter is a Jew, Paul is a Jew, preaching to other Jews, will accuse them of killing the Lord Jesus.

We read—and I want you to look at some of the passages with me very quickly—such statements as cannot, cannot be misunderstood, that the Jews as a nation, that is, the unbelieving apostate Jews, are indicted for the death of our Lord Jesus. In Acts chapter 2—you can turn with me there for a minute and we'll just run very quickly through some references—in Acts chapter 2, in that first Pentecost sermon, the apostle Peter declared in Acts chapter 2 verse 23, speaking to Jews gathered there at the feast day in Jerusalem, speaking of Christ, he says of Him, verse 3 he was delivered over by the predetermined plan and foreknowledge of God the sovereign God who has ordained all things you nailed to a cross by the hands of lawless men and put Him to death." He says the very hands that you now fold as you listen to me preach the word are hands that took the Son of God and nailed Him to the tree. Your hands that drip with blood. That's the accusation.

Chapter 3—turn to chapter 3—we find in verses 12 to 15 Peter preaching again. Verse 12: "But when Peter saw this, he replied to the people, 'Men of Israel, why do you marvel at this, or why do you gaze at us as if by our own power or godliness we had made him walk? The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the God of our fathers, has glorified His Servant Jesus, whom you delivered and denied in the presence of Pilate, when he had decided to release Him. But you denied the Holy and Righteous One and asked for a murderer to be granted to you, but put to death the Author of life.'" What could be more explicit than that? What—he's talking about the stock of Israel, those of the lineage of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob—and he says to that people, you desired a murderer and you killed the Author of life.

And then, turning over to Acts 5, we see that early in the history of the Jews, they wanted to throw off the indictment leveled against them. They want somehow to get out from beneath it, though they had cried—you remember, as recorded in the gospel of Matthew 27:25—"His blood shall be on us and on our children!" That's what they cried. It isn't long before this continual note in the preaching of the apostles begins to get under their skin, get under their hide. So we find the religious leaders, the rulers, the Sanhedrin, they come to the apostles and they say in Acts 5:27: "And when they had brought them, they stood them, they stood them before the Sanhedrin. The high priest questioned them, saying, 'We strictly commanded you not to continue teaching in this name, and yet, you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching and this was part of that teaching and intend to bring this Man's blood upon us.'"

You see, an integral part of the Apostles' teaching was insistence upon this fact: you, Jews, killed the Author of life. You put Him to death. And early in their history, they said, wait a minute, we don't like your teaching because one of its major points is that you're trying to bring the guilt of the blood of the Son of God upon us. We don't want it. And it's as though Peter says, wait a minute, you—wait a minute, when you cried, "His blood shall be on us and on our children!" God took you at your word. And we're letting you know that though you do not want this accusation to be made, the accusation is true.

But Peter answers in verse 29, and he says—the Apostles, but Peter and the Apostles answered and said—"We must obey God rather than men. The God of our fathers raised up Jesus, now watch this, whom you put to death by hanging Him on a tree." You're going to throw off the accusation? Well, we're gonna bring it back to you. You put Him to death. You put Him to death.

And then, of course, we read on in the ministry of Stephen, Acts 7. We won't take time to look at the reference, but it's there, verses 51 and 52. And then Acts 10, Peter preaches to the Gentiles the same thing. And then in Acts 13, in fact, you have an instance there in the ministry of the Apostle Paul. Let's look at that instance for a minute. Acts 13, look at verse 26: "Brothers, sons of Abraham's family, and those among you who fear God, to us the word of this salvation was sent. For those who live in Jerusalem, and their rulers, recognizing neither Him nor the utterances of the prophets which are read every Sabbath, fulfilled them by condemning Him."

And so the accusation is made again that historically the Jews, the apostate blinded Jews as a nation, were guilty of the blood of the Son of God. Now this fact, again, is not to create—again I say this—a sentiment of anti-semitism or some God-dishonoring terminology. Whatever use this truth of Scripture is to have certainly cannot be that of a fuel for any kind of a vindictive spirit.

So indictment number one: they killed the Lord Jesus in a peculiar way. Historically, factually, the death of Jesus Christ is laid at their feet.

Second thing, the second indictment of which they are guilty: it says they killed the prophets. They killed the prophets. Back to 1 Thessalonians 2:15, they killed their own prophets. Now, who were the prophets? Those peculiar mouthpieces of God who spoke in the name of Jehovah, in the first person, "thus says Yahweh." Outside of the rare exception of Jonah being sent to Nineveh, occasionally, and Amos who was sent for some of the other nations, the prophets were the peculiar possession of the Jews. And what a privilege to have men who stood among you, he says, as the very representatives of God to announce to you the message of the living God. What a privilege.

The prophets were a peculiar gift to the Jews, and yet what did they do with those prophets? And we saw this morning what they wanted to do with Elijah and what they did with their prophets. Here Paul says they killed their prophets, and the whole pattern of Judaism through its long history was that of absolute rejection of the message of the prophets. A few exceptions here and there, but the whole trend was this: kill them, put them to death, silence them. This is the accusation made in 2 Chronicles 36:15 and 16, we have now this summary of their attitude to the prophets up to this point.

Verse 15, 2 Chronicles 36: "And Yahweh, the God of their fathers, sent word to them again and again by the hand of His messengers, because He had compassion on His people and on His habitation but, but"—but, that's not a good but—"they continually mocked the messengers of God, despised His words and scoffed at His prophets, until the wrath of Yahweh arose against His people, until there was no remedy."

We find the same indictment made in the book of Jeremiah. No less than eleven times God says through the prophet Jeremiah, I sent My prophets to you, rising early and late and pleading with you to turn from your sins, but you would not—you would not. And you'll find in almost every one of those instances—let's just take one as a specimen really, really—Jeremiah 25. Look at Jeremiah 25 with me, verse 3. Jeremiah 25:3: "From the thirteenth year of Josiah the son of Amon, king of Judah, even to this day, these twenty-three years the word of Yahweh has come to me, and I have spoken to you, rising up early and speaking, but you have not listened. And Yahweh has sent to you all His slaves the prophets, rising up early and sending, but you have not listened nor inclined your ear to hear, saying, 'Turn now everyone from his evil way and from the evil of your deeds.'" These prophets spelled out their sin, they called them to repentance, they called them to turn back to Yahweh their God.

But verse 7: "Yet you have not listened to Me," declares Yahweh, "in order that you might provoke Me to anger with the work of your hands to your own evil demise." Therefore, thus says Yahweh of hosts: "Because you have not listened to My words, behold, I will send"—what? And what is described? Judgment.

Oh, get the picture tonight, beloved. What was the prophet? Now, looking at it from God's side, the prophet stood between the unseen Yahweh God and His gathered people, and he stood as the visible representative of God to speak the words of God to the people of God. From God's standpoint, he was a messenger of mercy. Notice the context here: He said in 2 Chronicles 36, I had compassion upon you, I was moved with compassion. So what was the expression of My compassion? I sent the prophets to you.

Now, from the human standpoint, the prophet stood between the people and the judgment, and the only thing that stood between the people who were enmeshed in their sins, heading to judgment, was the prophet. And as the prophet stood, he stood there seeking to turn the people away from judgment as they would hear his message and turn from their sins and turn to Yahweh. So the prophet, standing between God and His people, stood between the people and judgment. And if they would not hear the prophet, there's only one thing for God to do: bring down His judgment. And that is exactly what happened, and prophecy after prophecy here in Jeremiah states this again and again: I had compassion on you, I loved you in mercy, I sent My prophets, but since you would not hear, since you would not take heed, judgment has to fall.

So what did they do with these messengers, or to these messengers of God, who were the last link between themselves and judgment? Well, you know what they did: they killed them. They killed them. And what is killing them? What is killing them? Simply the expression of their desire to be done away with the voice of God. That's it. We don't want to hear the prophet exposing sin, calling us away from our darling lust, our darling sins. And if the prophet will stand there to continually remind us of our sin and our relationship to God and the demands of that relationship, there's only one thing to do. We cannot sin with delight while the prophet is exposing us. Let's kill him. Let's kill him. And that's what they did.

So when you turn to the New Testament, you'll find in a passage like Matthew 23:37 the accusation of our blessed Lord to the Jews as a nation: "Jerusalem, Jerusalem"—and the first thing He uses to describe the character of Jerusalem is this, what's the next word—"who kills the prophets who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her." And the Lord weeps over the city, and the thought that that enters His mind as uppermost, as it were, a summary description of the whole disposition of the nation of the Jews is this: you kill your prophets, those messengers from God who stand between you and judgment. You kill them. You will not hear them. You will not stand their presence.

Why did they do it? Why? Why? Well, keep that question in the back of your mind. We'll come back to it.

The third indictment is this: they drove us out. Paul says they drove us out, and that is really a literal description of what happened. For as Paul sat there in Corinth writing, he could look back just a few months before and see how in place after place after place he was literally driven out of town by the band of apostate Jews who opposed the gospel.

In Acts 13: 50—you back up to verse 49—the word of the Lord was being spread through the whole region, but the Jews incited the God-fearing women of prominence and the leading men of the city and instigated a persecution against Paul and Barnabas, and notice this: and drove them out of their district. They made them exiles. They said, you're not welcome here, we don't want you here, get out of town. Well, who did it? The Jews were behind the stirring up this animosity.

In Acts 14:2-5: but the unbelieving Jews instigated, embittered the minds of the Gentiles against the brothers. Therefore, they spent a long time there speaking boldly with the reliance upon the Lord, who was testifying to the word of His grace. But the multitude of the city was divided; some sided with the Jews and some with the Apostles. And when an attempt was made by both the Gentiles, the Jews with the rulers, to mistreat, to stone them, they became aware of it, fled the cities, and so forth and so forth. Acts 17, twice, 18, same thing. The history of the Apostle Paul is the history of a man whose steps are dogged at every turn by these apostate Jews seeking to drive him out wherever he would establish himself as a herald of the gospel.

So, beloved, the historical evidence is clear that when Paul is sitting down somewhere, Corinth, writing to the church at Thessaloniki, thinking of their suffering at the hands of their own countrymen being parallel to the suffering of the Judean Christians at the hands of the Jews, he began to write out the indictment: they killed the Lord Jesus, they killed their own prophets, and they drove us out of town. These were not the outburst of a heated temper; these were the Spirit-inspired, calm, brokenhearted facts that history bears out.

Now, I'm gonna bring this to conclusion by way of application. Let me ask a couple of questions that I hope will begin to bring all of this into the message of the Lord to our own hearts this evening. What do those three have in common? Remember I said they're connected. Let's take the first three indictments together. What do they have in common? The Lord Jesus, the Apostles, the prophets—why does Paul group them together? Well, what do they have in common? There are certain things unique about each of them, certainly. Certainly, first and foremost of our Lord, He was, he was the Lord of glory, He's the incomparable Christ. The prophets weren't, the Apostles weren't. But what do they have in common nevertheless? Here's what they have in common, I want to submit to us this evening: they are the peculiar vehicles through which saving truth comes to men. They are the peculiar vehicle through which saving truth comes to men.

Now, my next question is this: if they were the peculiar vehicles through which saving truth was transmitted, particularly to the Jews first, why in the world did they kill the Lord Jesus, kill the prophets, and drive Paul and his companions out? Why? Why? I want us to think about that tonight. If they are the vehicles of bringing saving truth, and if in a peculiar way they were sent to Israel almost exclusively up to this time before the gospel then went out after Pentecost to all the nations, why? Why did they treat them this way? And I want to suggest a couple of reasons as to why they did, and I trust you'll find the application I bound up in this, and I pray that the Holy Spirit will bring the application to our hearts.

Reason number one is that the Lord Jesus, the prophets, and the Apostles, coming to this privileged people—and remember, Paul's talking about the Jews killing Christ, the Jews killed Christ, the Jews killed the prophets, the Jews drove us out wherever we went—because when the Lord Jesus came, and when the prophets came, and when the Apostles came, they said to these privileged people, message number one: inherited privileges are not enough. That's why. Inherited privileges are not enough.

The Jews said, oh my, we're the favored people, we're special, Abraham's our father. Oh, the Baptist, I mean, preach to those harlots and the rest about repentance, but not us, not to us. And John turns and says, look, don't think to excuse yourself of the necessity of repentance and faith, for God is able to raise up with these very stones children unto Abraham—Matthew chapter 3, right? And John 8, the Lord is talking about spiritual liberty, and these people say, oh, we don't need that message, this is not for us, that's for the poor Gentile dogs, we're never in bondage, we're free men. And Jesus says, you are of your father the devil. If you were the true children of Abraham, you'd do the deeds of Abraham.

And the message of the Apostles, and the message of the prophets, and the message of our blessed Lord to the Jewish nation again and again and again was this: inherited privilege is not enough. Not enough. Privilege is to lead to experience, but never be a substitute for it. Never. And they couldn't stand that. They couldn't stomach that, because, you see, the privilege comes—what?—naturally. Privilege comes naturally. You don't need to work for it, sweat for it, think about it, it's simply there. If you happened to be born and your name was Benjamin, well, you're privileged, you're privileged. But the insistence of the prophets and the Apostles and of our Lord was: privilege is not enough.

You see the message? You see the message, beloved? Do you see why they killed Him? Do you see why they—them? Because it meant a Jew with all of that history of redemptive privilege, if he was to rightly hear the Lord Jesus, would have to say, I am nothing but a Gentile dog. In my heart, I am nothing, I'm no better than my fellow Gentile.

And I need salvation, like a so-called Gentile dog. And that would humble him. And so he says, what, me putting myself on the same level, like a Gentile dog? Take that fellow and put him on a cross. The prophets came saying the same thing.

"What are your multiplied sacrifices to Me?" says Yahweh. "I have had enough of burnt offerings of rams and the fat of fed cattle; and in the blood of bulls and lambs or goats I take no pleasure." Isaiah 1:11.

God says, I don't want this. God wants reality. There's only one thing to do with a fellow like that. You've got to put him out of the way. You've got to kill him. You've got to kill him. The apostles came and said the same thing. External privilege was not enough.

Secondly, and this flows right out of it, they said also, external religion is not enough. External religion is not enough. With all that privilege and all that history, the Jews had built up a very complex, intricate religious system. It came to its fullest expression in the scribes and the Pharisees who would tithe every little mint and dill and cumin, as our Lord tells us in Matthew 23. Careful that whenever they came from the marketplace, they washed accordingly. Never would be defiled until the Lord Jesus stood and confronted them.

And He said, you hypocrites, you're like whitewashed tombs, all pretty on the outside. But just pull away the tombstone of your heart and out comes the reeking smell of defilement and uncleanness. He said in Mark 7:6-7, the people honors me. This people honors Me with their lips, but their heart is far away from Me. But in vain do they worship Me, teaching as doctrines the commands of men."

The Apostle Paul said the same thing in Romans 2: 28: "For he is not a Jew who is one outwardly, nor is circumcision that which is outward in the flesh. But he is a Jew who is one inwardly, and circumcision is that which is of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the letter; and his praise is not from men, but from God."

What did the Lord Jesus, the apostles, and the prophets have in common? Not only their insistence that inherited privileges are not enough, but that external religion is not enough. There must be reality of heart work, heart work.

In short, beloved, it was close, applicatory, experimental preaching which cut through to the hearts of the Jews that made them put the Lord Jesus, the apostles, the prophets to death. They couldn't stand having their hearts laid bare, couldn't stand it, couldn't stand it. That's why they couldn't stand.

We read in John 3:19, "And this is the judgment, that the Light has come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the Light, for their deeds were evil. For everyone who does evil hates the Light and does not come to the Light lest his deeds be exposed."

And so what happened? What happened? Oh, listen, beloved, this has been one of the saddest periods. You know what happened? When the Lord Jesus, the prophets, the apostles came insisting, you privileged people, you Jews, listen, you've got a wonderful heritage. You've got redemptive privileges, but that privilege is not enough. You've got a wonderful God-revealed religion, but external religion is not enough.

They had to do one of two things. As the light of that truth came bearing down upon them, they had to open their eyes to that light, let it in, let it come and renovate them from the inside out. Or they had to close their eyes shut to that truth. And sadly, tragically, that's what they did. They closed their eyes to it.

And you know what happens? After so long, a period of time. When a man closes his eyes to the truth long enough. Oh, listen, listen, and I hope God will hunt some, perhaps even here tonight with the thought. You know what God does? God says, all right, you want your eyes shut? You know what I will do? Willful blindness then gives way to judicial blindness.
God takes the needle, as it were, of judicial blindness, threads it with the thread of a sovereign, immutable power and purpose. And He comes to the man who shuts his eyes long enough and God Himself sews his eyelid shut. And that's what happened to the Jews. Chapter and verse. All right. And may God, as we read these portions, help us to listen as on the brink of eternity.

Romans 11: 7: that blindness in part happened to Israel. What then? What Israel is seeking, it has not obtained, but the chosen obtained it, and the rest were hardened. Just as it is written, "God gave them a spirit of stupor, eyes to see not and ears to hear not, down to this very day."

What kind of blindness? You turn to the 12th chapter of John. Recently, we just finished that exposition. And you'll find a horrible description of that blindness. Verse 37: "But though He had done so many signs before them, they still were not believing in Him," so that the word of Isaiah the prophet might be fulfilled, which he spoke, "Lord, who has believed our report? And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?" Now notice the next verse, verse 39: "For this reason they could not believe, for Isaiah said again"—it doesn't say they would not hear, it says they could not. Why? Verse 40: "He has blinded their eyes and He hardened their heart, lest they see with their eyes and understand with their heart and return, and I heal them."

If you want some verses that ought to send the impenitent home to weep over their state today, here it is. They could not believe. God sewed their eyes shut. And why did He do that? Well, if you read the rest of the Gospels, this passage is quoted in the other way: they shut their eyes, they closed their eyes. Matthew 13:15: "And closing their eyes"—so long to all of the light of the prophets and of the Lord Jesus and His apostles, God turned willful blindness into judicial blindness, and they were hardened in their sins. God confirmed their stubbornness. And what a frightening doctrine of Holy Scripture.

And I have to admit, in preparation this week, my heart bled in secret for some in our midst as I sought to pray this message into my own heart. Because you know, if that's you, you know what you're doing in your heart. You're like those Jews. Some of you, and some of you, particularly young people in this place, have been blessed with wonderful inherited privileges, and thank God for them.

Listen to me. You've inherited the privilege of a Christian home, a mom and a dad from whose lips you've never heard irreverent words towards God. You've never heard them casting a spurge on the character of God. You've never heard the Lord's name blasphemed. You've inherited the privilege of a home that has encouraged you to read the Bible, to come and be with the people of God. You've inherited the privilege of a home where your mom and dad, weeping, pray for you day and night. You've inherited the privilege of a Christ-loving, God-honoring body of Christ that cares for you. You've inherited the privileges of under shepherds and others who have loved you enough to look you right in the eye and talk to you and warn you and try to let you know that God, through His Son, is making an overture of grace with arms wide open—only if you would repent and believe.

You've inherited the privilege of Sunday school teachers, youth leaders that labor in the Word and doctrines. Oh, but dear ones and young people particularly, that inherited privilege is not enough. It is not enough, and you know it, you know it, and until that privilege leads you to the end of that privilege, namely, an inner experimental acquaintance with Jesus Christ, it's not enough. And you're reminded of that again and again from this place, from this pulpit, from the Sunday school, from the youth meeting, from the Bible study, from your mom, from your dad.
And you know what some of you perhaps are doing? You're shutting your eyes to that light. And I fear, I fear, I fear for you. I fear that the needle and the thread may already be joined and beginning to pierce some of your eyelids. And when that happens—John 12—you can't believe. Frightening. You can't believe.

You may be a young person or an adult; you're very miserable when you hear the Word of God because you're reminded again and again that privilege is not enough, that external religion is not enough. And if you're a stranger to deep repentance and sorrow for sin and delightful embrace of Jesus, a stranger to holiness, a stranger to what it is to seek the Lord Jesus, you're lost, you're ruined, you're undone.

And every time you hear that, and the pleading and the entreating—whether it be from this pulpit or from your mom and dad or from your peers—and you have been shutting your eyes for months and months and months and years and years, and I tremble to think that God may have already sewed your eyes shut. Experimental preaching that presses in where you live and seeks to lay bare your heart—you want no part of it. You want external religion that's nice, proper, and, best of all, leaves you alone. Where? In your sin, in your pet sins.

And this brings me, in closing, to the principle that I want to focus on. The greatest blessing any person can have is exposure to God's saving truth. What was the greatest privilege of Israel? It wasn't to have a king like David. It wasn't to have someone like Solomon. No, no. Do you know what the greatest blessing of Israel that Israel had? Here it is: they were the ones who received the saving truth of God. Through the apostles, through the Lord Jesus, through the prophets—that was the greatest blessing Israel had. To them were committed the oracles of God, and, oh beloved, the greatest privilege any of us could have is that we have the truth of God committed to us.

Through the home, in the church, in the pulpit—and many of you have that privilege. May God grant that that privilege shall not lead us to judgment, but to its intended goal of finding us prostrate in brokenness before the feet of our blessed Lord. Loving His truth, loving His word, and then pleading with God for the Jew, and for the Gentile, and for all who know not our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

And, dear people of God, think of how privileged we are to have this deposit in our hands. We have the word of God. We have the fellowship of the body of Christ. We have everything. May our hearts be filled to overflow with gratitude, with thanksgiving, with praise to God for all that He has given us. And always reminding ourselves every single day when we wake up in the morning: what do I deserve? What have I received?

Let's pray. 

This is a transcript. It may contain small inaccuracies.

I trust you'll remember, week after week after week, we've stated that chapter 1 is basically Paul's paragraph of praise to God for that which God, in sovereign grace, has wrought amongst the Thessalonians in calling a people to Himself and informing them as an ‘ekklesia’, a church, which in its infancy had tremendous influence. Not only in its immediate environment, but wherever the apostle Paul went, he'd open up his mouth and begin to tell people, “You know. Let me tell you what God did there in that city in Thessaloniki,” and people would stop him and say, “You don't need to tell us, Paul. We've already heard. We've heard all about it. The report had gone out concerning the mighty works of grace, God's grace, there amongst the people there.” So, if we would know what really constitutes a true work of grace, we read the first chapter and we see all those marks of the work of the Spirit of God in turning people from idols to Christ, informing them as a church. And the cause of it all, Paul tells us. He traces it all back in verses 4 and 5 of chapter 1 to the eternal purposes of God as the outworking of eternal love, the eternal love of God to His people.

You get to chapter 2, Paul then shifts to defending, vindicating his ministry along with his associates, and he gives us a look at the kind of people through which God really accomplishes those mighty works described in chapter 1. And, in the first 12 verses of the second chapter and we studied those, you remember, under the heading, the general theme of the marks of a praiseworthy or trustworthy ministry, marks of a true minister, the marks of a true ministry. And having now concluded that section of the letter, we get to verse 13 in chapter 2, and that takes us back, as it were, into the first chapter in terms of thought.

For you will notice with me the first few words. Look at them. Look at what they are. "And for this reason, we also thank God without ceasing." Did you see that? He said back in chapter 1, verse 2, "We give thanks to God always"—right?—"for all of you, making mention of you in our prayers; remembering without ceasing," and so forth. And then all the way through to the end of chapter 1, he enumerates the different things which caused his heart to give thanks to God when he remembered the people there in Thessaloniki.

Then, he digressed into the area of his own ministry, vindicating his own ministry–the first 12 verses of chapter 2. And, now, in chapter 2, verse 13, he comes back to the thought of thanksgiving. And he says, “not only do we thank God for the fruit of His working in you,”-- referring to the work of faith, labor of love, steadfastness of hope. So he says, “not only do we thank God for the fruit of your saving response to the gospel,” but now in verse 13 of chapter 2, he says, “we thank God for the essence of that saving response.” We thank God for the essence of that saving response. The fruit of that response: faith, hope, love. But the essence of that response, he says in verse 13 of chapter 2, was your wholehearted reception of the Word of God as it is in truth the Word of the living God.

Now, setting this in its context of the second chapter, you see it's not only necessary that the church be blessed with true servants, faithful ministers, faithful servants, that a family be blessed with the true ministry of godly parents, that a Sunday school ministry would be blessed by a faithful teacher who is administering the responsibility as unto the Lord and so forth and so forth. But there also must be true hearers. True hearers. And here's the connection. For unless a true ministry is joined to true hearers, there will not be the effect that we find in the church at Thessaloniki.

So Paul, turning from himself and his associates as true ministers, he turns now to the Thessalonians and thanks God for them for being true, authentic hearers of the Word of God. And so the Apostle Paul brings these two things together, and having vindicated the true ministry, he now describes the essence of a true hearer and of a true ministry. And he does that—and I love it—he does it in the context of praise and thanksgiving to God.

And by way of introduction to this verse–our text–notice, first of all, the nature of His praise, the nature of His praise. Verse 13: "And for this reason we also thank God without ceasing." Under the heading, the nature of His praise, would you please notice with me that it was, first of all, it was continuous. It was continuous.

The word "without ceasing," ‘adialeiptōs’ is the Greek word, it means continually, incessantly. It means without intermission. Now, it doesn't mean that from the moment he got up in the morning, he started saying all day long, "Thank you Lord for the Thessalonians, thank you Lord for the Thessalonians, thank you Lord for the Thessalonians, thank you Lord for the Thessalonians." That's not what it means. It doesn't mean that at all. The same word you'd use when you say of someone, he was coughing nonstop, continually. You don't mean that he was coughing incessantly like all the time. Well, it means that he was coughing regularly, but that every few minutes he coughed, and then a few minutes later he coughs again—well that's the word he uses here, that's the meaning of it—"for this reason we also thank God without ceasing,"--that is, it is a continually recurring source of thanksgiving and praise to God in Paul's life.

In other words, what Paul describes in verse 13 is such marked evidence of the mighty work of God that Paul cannot forget it. It's always, every time it comes to his mind, he's just giving thanks to God for it. And may I say, wherever I find, wherever you find what's described in verse 13, it ought to be, beloved, a source of continuous praise to God because only God can bring this to pass. Only God can bring this to pass.

And, in the second place, His praise was not only continual, incessant, but it was theocentric. It was theocentric. It's another word of saying God-centered, God-centered. Verse 13: "For this reason we also"—what? Thank who? “God.” "We thank God without ceasing." In other words, he wants them to know that though he's describing what happened in them, what happened to them when the word of God came, he wants them to know that he does not trace the cause of it to them.

He said, now I'm going to commend you people, you people of God, for something that really brought great delight, joy to my heart. When you received the word, you received it not as the word of men, but you received it as the word of God indeed. But lest you go away and pat yourself on the back, I want you people to know that when I think of this, I don't praise you, but rather I praise God. For what happened in you was evidence of the working of Him, of God. And by inference, beloved, Paul is saying your praise ought to be directed where mine is directed. You give Him praise, give God praise, all of it.

So as we work our way through this text, seeking to consider what constitutes a right hearing and reception of the word, if you find that this is true of you, then beloved, your praise ought to be directed in the same direction as was Paul's praise, namely the living God Himself. Well, so much for that introductory thought on the nature of Paul's thanksgiving.

Now, look with me now, and this is the bulk of our study this evening. Look with me on the substance of his thanksgiving, the substance of his thanksgiving. What does he give thanks to God? For what does he give thanks to God without ceasing? Well, in the first place, beloved, he gives thanks to God for the initial reception of the word of God by these Thessalonians. Paul gives thanks to God for the initial reception of the word by these people in Thessaloniki.

Look at the text: "And for this reason we also thank God without ceasing, that when you received the word of God"—when you received, ‘paralambano’, so it's the word  ‘lambano’ and they added ‘para’ alongside, and it's just to strengthen it more, ‘paralambano’, received. It means to take near with, to take near to oneself, alongside, to take to one side. When you took to your side, to your side the word of God—it's the word, the word of our Lord. It's the same word that the word—it's the same word that our Lord used in John 14 verse 3, that tremendous promise that has brought much comfort to the people of God through the centuries. Verse 3, John 14: "And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and”--‘paralambano’-- ”receive you,” “receive you to Myself.” I will take you to be with me, to be alongside of me–“that where I am, there you may be also." Now Paul thanks God that when the message came, these people took it alongside of themselves. In other words, they were interested in considering, in confronting, in facing the message of God.

Now, whose word was brought to them? Whose word? Well notice: "When you received the word of God." Well, what was that word of God? What does he mean, what was that word of God? Well, you go back to the account in Acts chapter 17, the account of really proclaiming the word there in Thessaloniki by the Apostle Paul and his associates, you will find that he is identifying the word of God with the written scripture of the Old Testament at that time. Acts 17, verse 2 and 3, we read: "And according to Paul’s custom, he went to them, and for three Sabbaths reasoned with them from the Scriptures, explaining and setting before them that the Christ had to suffer and rise again from the dead, and saying, 'This Jesus whom I am proclaiming to you is the Christ.'" So he opened up the scripture. They had, of course, the deposit of the Old Testament scripture, and from the scripture he was reasoning and he was explaining and he was setting before them the Christ of scripture.

So Paul identifies the scriptures of the Old Testament as the word, the message of the living God, and he thanks God that when he brought that message, that inscripturated revelation of the word of God—not spewing out his own insight, he didn't bring his own insight, he didn't bring his own ideas, his own speculations and his own thoughts, but taking people to the scriptures and reasoning from the scriptures and opening and explaining and exegeting from the scriptures that Jesus was indeed the Messiah, the Christ. So he thanks God that they called that word alongside of them, that they ‘paralambano’, they received that word.

But notice he says, it did not come directly to them, but it's the word of God which you heard from us. It didn't come down through a revelation from heaven; it's that word that came from us. That word, the word of the living God, came through the human instruments. But, notice what these people did. Though the word of God came through a human vessel, and though there were probably things about the human vessel, the human instrument to which they did not naturally gravitate, he said, you did not reject the word of God because you didn't like the instrument. Paul says, "We also thank God without ceasing that when you received the word of God which you heard from us"—it came through human vessel, but you saw beyond the vessel, you saw beyond the instrument, and you called that word near to yourself, alongside of yourself, and you gave it a genuine hearing.

And that's the first factor in being a true hearer, beloved. When the word of God is proclaimed, when the word of God is taught, when there is faithful opening up of the scriptures regardless of the personality or the manner of the instrument through which it comes, you are a true hearer only so far as you receive that word, you call it alongside of you, and you give it serious, authentic consideration, regardless of the human vessel. That's the first step in being a true hearer of the word. Wherever this is absent, the word will never have a saving effect upon the heart and upon the life.

Notice several instances in the book of Acts where people did not do this—what Paul describes here with the word. We read in, for example, in Acts 7. In fact, turn with me there and I want you to see it. Acts chapter 7—you remember that scene—Stephen, the mouthpiece of the word of God to these Jews, and he's proclaiming the word of God, and the word begins to cut and wound and smite, and they begin to feel its pressure upon their hearts. And, in Acts chapter 7, verse 54 and following, we read, "Now when they heard this, they became furious in their hearts." Now, the minute the word came close, the minute the word came searching, they had to do one of two things—one of two things. They had to call it alongside of themselves and receive it, or they had to reject it and cast it from them. And it says that here in this instance, they did the latter. They began gnashing their teeth at him.

Verse 55: "But being full of the Holy Spirit, he gazed intently into heaven and saw the glory of God." Now notice verse 57: "But crying out with a loud voice, they covered their ears and rushed at him with one accord." Picture the scene and think of it. They covered their ears. They actually stop their ears. They stopped their—picture, picture little kids, you know, they stick their fingers in their ears. Well, people cover their ears: I don't want to hear it. I don't want to hear it. They covered their ears and they said, “we will hear no more.” What this word tells us about ourselves—oh no, it's way too devastating. It is too undoing, too humbling, too crushing, too wounded, too wounding—and they covered their ears. They don't want to hear it. They don't want to hear it. But I have to acknowledge, at least I have to acknowledge their honesty, that they did with their hands and fingers perhaps externally what they were doing in their hearts internally.

And I wonder, I wonder, beloved, when the word of God begins to come close and searching as it is proclaimed, and when God begins to touch us at our sore point, I wonder how many of us in our hearts have covered our ears. Hmm? How many? You see, if at any point you cover your ears to the word of God, regardless of who the instrument is conveying that word, you are not a right hearer of the word of God. A right hearing of the word—that for which Paul gives thanks as evidence to the Thessalonians—involves in the first place that initial reception of the word.

And notice in Acts 13, while we're in Acts, a similar instance with some of these Jews in the area where Paul was preaching. In Acts 13 verse 46, Acts 13 and verse 46, "Paul and Barnabas spoke out boldly and said, 'It was necessary that the word of God be spoken to you first. Since you”–‘apotheo’, ‘apotheo’--“reject it.” The NASB puts it, "since you repudiate it." A stronger translation would be, “since you thrust it away from you, you thrust it away from you." Not you just push it—you thrust it away from you. You reject it vehemently—"since you repudiate it." These people, instead of receiving that word, they thrust it from them because it exposed them. It found them out and they could not stand that exposure, they couldn't.

How do you see the principle that speaks to each and every one of us this evening? Perhaps, you have been exposed to a true ministry either in this place or in other places–a ministry like the Apostle Paul's that he said was not according to error but according to the truth of God's word, rooted in the word of God, yet that word has come to us with its unpalatable doctrines telling us that our hearts are a veritable cesspool of iniquity, telling us that we as creatures of Adam, fallen sons and daughters of Adam, are capable of every foul iniquity that's ever been committed. It has come with its humbling doctrine that we are not only wounded and crippled but in a state, in such a state that we cannot even get ourselves to the remedy of God unless He by His grace enables us to. And that has been offensive to our human pride, and inwardly we have thrust the word of God away from us. Or perhaps as believers, the Spirit of God has come and touched us at a very sensitive point, and what have we done? We've thrust the word of God from us.

But Paul not only thanks God for that initial reception, but will you notice in the next place he thanks God for their hearty acceptance of the word as of divine authority. He thanks God for their hearty acceptance of the word as of divine authority. It's one thing to initially receive the word—that is, call it alongside of you, to give it a serious hearing, a serious consideration. Many go this far, but they stop short of the next thing. And that would be deficient. That would be defective.

Well, the Thessalonians didn't stop there. Notice the text. "And for this reason we also thank God without ceasing that when you”—‘paralambano’—“received the word of God which you heard from us, you accepted it”--accepted it–“not as the word of men." The word received in the first part of the verse is not as strong as the next word. The next word we've seen, we've come across this beautiful, powerful word, ‘dechomai’,  ‘dechomai’. This word  ‘dechomai’ means you accepted it with a hearty welcome, with a hearty embrace, with open arms, with joy, with a hearty welcome.

We've encountered this word back in chapter 1 verse 6. It's the same word used in Matthew 10 verse 14 where our Lord told His apostles, "Whoever does not”--‘dechomai’--“receive you, nor heed your words, as you leave that house or that city, shake the dust off your feet." How do you receive an apostle? You open your door and you give them a hearty welcome. This is the word used in Acts 3:21 where it says of our Lord after He was ascended that the “heaven must receive [Him]"— ‘dechomai’, receive Him with a hearty welcome—"until the period of restoration of all things." It's the word used consistently throughout the book of Acts whenever they are reporting that the word of God had indeed success in a certain area; they would report it in terms of so and so received—that's the word, ‘dechomai’—the word of God.

It speaks, for example, just to give you a few references, of the Gentiles receiving the word, Acts 11 verse 8, of the Samaritans receiving the word, verse 14 of Acts 8. It speaks of the Bereans in Acts 17:11 of receiving the word with this disposition of readiness and meekness and a hearty welcome. And of course, James 1:21, "in gentleness ‘dechomai’ the implanted word, which is able to save your souls." It's the word used throughout the scripture for that welcoming reception, that hearty reception into the heart and into the life.

And notice Paul says he's thankful that there was this welcoming reception of the word as it is in truth the word of God. He said, "you accepted it not as the word of men, but for what it really is, the word of God." When you welcomed it, you did not welcome it as the word of men. You see, if they did—if they did welcome it as the word of men—how would they have welcomed it? Well, the word of men, the word of one man that comes to you, another man, comes on the basis of what? Equal authority, right? It comes on the basis of equal authority. Therefore, it is debatable. It is debatable. Your opinion is as valid as mine. If you have a little more experience in the area we're debating, then your opinion is worth maybe perhaps a little bit more than mine. But that's all. It's still debatable, back and forth.

The word of a man that comes to another man is debatable. The word of a man that comes to another man is alterable. If you think you can make it a little bit more accurate, you could change a phrase here or a word there, and you could tweak it a little bit, and if it's the word of a man coming to another man, then it's your right to accept it or reject it. It's your prerogative.

Now Paul says, when we brought the word of God to you, you people welcomed it not as a word of men that was debatable, that was changeable, that was refusable, but he says you welcomed it with a hearty welcome as it is in truth the word of the living God. In other words, he said you welcomed it as a word of divine origin, divine authority. It didn't have its beginning in the head of the Apostle Paul, but in the heart and mind of God Himself, bearing the authority of God Himself. Though it came through the Apostle's head, though it came through the Apostle's mouth, you saw beyond the Apostle's head and mouth, you saw the mind and mouth of God Himself. You received it as a message of divine origin. And it came with a divine authority, and it was not up for debate, it was not up for discussion, it was not up for altering, it was not up for anything—you receive it, you accept it for what it is, the Word of God, inerrant, infallible, all-sufficient.

Paul said, when we gave you the Word, you not only called it alongside to consider it, but you then welcomed it into your lives, a hearty welcome, and with all that authority it ought to come to men who realize God, the Creator, the Sovereign God, the Creator of the universe, is speaking.

God the Preserver, God the Redeemer, God the Judge, and when God speaks, let all the earth be silent. Let all my objections and all my prejudices sink beneath the authority of the Word of God. They are null and void and mean nothing. Let all my so-called insights, all my so-called observations, all my so-called objections—let them all be sunk beneath the authority of the Word of God, for God has spoken. Let men be silent. I put my hand over my mouth. That's the attitude Paul describes amongst these people.

You received it. You received it not as the word of man, up for grabs, open to debate, but you received it as the Word of the living God. You received it, in other words, with reverence. God is speaking. Let the earth be silent. You received it with humility. God, who knows all, is speaking. I am but a mere creature of the dust. Not only am I limited in my knowledge and finite in my knowledge, but sin has stained my mind. I know nothing as I ought to know it. They received it with humility.

God has spoken. The God who cannot lie—therefore, that word was received with confidence. God has spoken, the God before whom I will stand in judgment—therefore, that word was received with holy fear and implicit trust. A beautiful description found in Isaiah 66–turn with me there–of what happens when people receive the Word of God as it is indeed and in truth the Word of God, and you're familiar with this text, but it bears repeating.

Isaiah 66, verse 1. What a glorious passage. "Thus says Yahweh, 'Heaven is My throne and the earth is the footstool of My feet. Where then is a house you could build for Me? And where is a place that I may rest? For My hand made all these things, Thus all these things came into being,' declares Yahweh. 'But to this one I will look, To him who is humble and contrite of spirit, and who trembles at My word.'"

Wow. See what God is saying? He says, what I speak, I speak as the God, Creator of heaven and earth. "The heaven is My throne and your little puny tiny earth is just My footrest. I rest My feet upon it." Now you people think because you've got a pretty temple, you've got Me. But hold on. You've forgotten who I am. I'm the mighty God, Creator of heaven and earth. I don't look down and assure My presence because you've got an ornate beautiful temple and a priesthood and a sanctuary. No, no.

He said there's one place where My presence is surely manifested—where there is a man of a poor and contrite spirit. And who's that? He's the one who recognizes, I'm a sinner. I'm a sinner. I'm a sinful creature and God is the great infinite Creator, Preserver, Redeemer. And then when that God speaks, this man receives His word not as the word of man but as the word of God. He receives it with trembling, with holy reverence. What does that mean? It's the trembling of reverence, of humility, the trembling of holy fear, of confidence, of awe that this God should speak to me, a nobody—a speck of dust in God's universe, a wretched rebel.

Now the apostle Paul thanks God that when the Word of God came to the Thessalonians, number one, they received that word initially. Then they heartily accepted it, secondly, as the Word of the living God. Now, why does he thank God for this? For the simple reason that only God, only God will bring a man to this place.

For the same word, by the way, is used in 1 Corinthians 2:14 where it says, "But a natural man does not"—what? ‘dechomai’—"does not accept"—with a hearty acceptance, with a hearty welcome—"the depths of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them because they are spiritually examined."

When Paul saw these people taking the word, that word which he was given from the Scriptures and receiving it in reverence, submitting to its statements, bowing in humility before its claim, receiving with holy trust its promises, Paul said, I know there's only one reason for that, only one reason, and that's the Holy Spirit has done a work of grace. For the natural man does not ‘dechomai’, does not accept, does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness unto him.

So Paul thanks God that these people thus accepted, thus received the word with its great themes of sin and judgment and atonement, the necessity of regeneration by the Spirit and justification by faith—all of these things that will be meaningless words, but when God is pleased to open the inner ear, there will be that hearty reception of the word.

But in the third place, Paul not only thanks God for initial reception and, secondly, a hearty acceptance as of divine authority—that word—but notice he closes with this phrase: "which also is at work in you who believe." Thirdly, he thanks God for a fruitful assimilation of the word of God, for a fruitful assimilation of the word of God.

You see the word "work," "which is at work in you." ‘Energeo’ is the Greek word from which we get our English word "energy," energy. It means to be effective. It means to be operative. You see, the word of God became operative. It was indeed working. It was producing effects in the lives of these people. What effects? Well, you have to wait until next week because that comes in verse 14. He tells us what those effects will be.

Look at verse 14 just to see them, but we won't open it up: "For you, brothers, became imitators of the churches of God in Christ Jesus that are in Judea, for you also suffered the same things at the hands of your own countrymen, even as they did from the Jews." He says, I know that this word was not only called alongside for consideration, warmly, joyfully embraced in a hearty welcome as the Spirit of God worked in you, but it was fruitfully assimilated into your life.

And the reason he says, I know that this is so, it's because of this: obedience to that word, faith in that word, led you straight into the crucible of suffering. Now, no man in his right mind embraces a word that's going to lead him into hardship and suffering and embraces it with a hearty welcome. But Paul says, that's exactly what you did. That's exactly what happened in your life and in your heart.

Everything was all right with you people there in that city, Thessaloniki, by the seaside. Business was booming, business going as usual, the bills were paid, neighbors smiling, everybody was having a great time, worshiping idols. But when I came and you received that word which I brought you as the word of God, it effectually worked in you in that though it led you out of a life of normalcy and ease right into the fires of persecution and suffering, you clung tenaciously to that word. Why? Because you knew it was the word of God, and suffering hardship, and persecution will never cause a man to relinquish what he knows to be the true and living word of God.

And, beloved, that's why God has always tested the profession of His church like this, with trials like this. Remember Matthew 13, the stony ground, receives the word with joy—wonderful, peace, eternal life, forgiveness, hallelujah, glorious, right? No. Receive is not ‘dechomai’, it's another word. But what does the Lord say? When affliction, persecution arise because of the what? Because of the word, immediately his true colors come to light. He falls away.

Well, if God knew that the tribulation, persecution was going to cause it to wither, why did He bring it to pass? For that very purpose—to separate the wheat from the chaff, the precious from the vile, to let a man know if his profession is genuine or not. And so Paul thanks God that these people were true, true hearers, for they not only called the word alongside to consider it, welcomed it into their hearts joyfully, but it was assimilated into the life. And though it led into paths of suffering, they maintained the stability in the midst of it because it was the word of God. And God's word is not relinquished simply because the pinch is felt.

Now, what is the cause of all of this? What made these people true hearers? Well, from the human side, Paul says, "which also is at work in you who"—what?—"who believe." You see it? “Who believe. This is what faith does, true faith. This is what genuine faith does. Faith makes you a true hearer.

What was the cause of these three things? Calling the word alongside, receiving it initially, welcoming it, and then assimilating it. He says this was the effect of faith. It is at work in you who believe. Saving faith, genuine faith, authentic faith, sanctifying faith.

Well, what does faith do? Well, faith, first of all, turns in the direction of the Word of God. Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the what? By the Word of God. But he not only turns in the direction of the Word of God to consider it, once considering it, faith then what? Embraces it joyfully, tenaciously, and having embraced it, faith clings to it even unto death.

That's why our Lord says to the church of Smyrna, "Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life." Revelation 2:10. If we will deny Him, He also will deny us. 2 Timothy 2:12. Why? Because a true believer does not deny His Lord as the deep-seated attitude of his heart. Of course, in a moment of weakness, he may fail to confess Him as Peter did and deny Him in that instance, but he will not deny in the sense that he repudiates Christ.

Why? Because authentic faith—faith being the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen—grasps eternal truths as expressed in the Word of God and clings to it no matter what the cost. You ask someone, do you believe the Word of God? Oh yes, I believe the Word. Okay, here's the proof. Here's the proof. If you believe the Word, then wherever and whenever that Word is spoken, faithfully, you say, ‘that's God's Word. That is God's Word. I must call that alongside to consider.” And then you cry to God for grace to welcome it into your heart and life and then tenaciously cling to it no matter what the cost.

And I think that may help open up for us even more, Hebrews 11. That's the chapter on faith and what do you find again and again in it? You find men and women going through difficulty, obstacles, hardship and you read, he says, "And what more shall I say? For time will fail me if I recount Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, as well as David and Samuel and the prophets," and then he says, "others experienced mockings and floggings, yes, also chains and imprisonment. They were stoned, they were sawn in two, they were tempted, they were put to death with the sword"—and what was the cause of all of this? What was the driving motive? Faith.

And what is faith? The reception of the Word of God, assimilation of the Word of God, tenacious clinging to that Word no matter what the cost. That's faith. And from the human side, the Apostle Paul says the reason you people were good hearers is because you were faithful hearers. The contrast of course is in Hebrews 4 where it says the word of God did not profit them not being mixed with faith. It was, to use the language of Spurgeon, it was unprofitable mixture.

Now let me get personal and practical as we close this evening. When you hear the Word of God in this place or wherever you hear it week after week, is this what you do to that Word? Is this what I do to that Word? Welcome it alongside, then enfold it into your own heart and life and then cry out to God to assimilate it, that you may be able to assimilate it and then follow its course no matter what the cost. If so, the Word of God then becomes that powerful sanctifying, transforming instrument in the life of the church, in the life of the believer.

But simply going the first step is not enough. It's not enough for you and for me to just come and expose ourselves to it week after week if that exposure does not lead, does not inevitably lead to enveloping, to assimilating the Word. Paul attributes this threefold response as the activity of faith on the human side.

Now looking at it from the divine side, what's the cause of this? It's the mighty, efficacious work of God. For He says, remember, He says, we thank God continually, incessantly, without ceasing, that these three things were true. It is the living God who brings this to pass. That's what He said back in chapter 1 verses 4 and 5, "knowing, brothers beloved by God, your election, for our gospel did not come to you in word only, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit." And He traces it from the divine perspective. The reason for true hearers being found at Thessaloniki and found anywhere for that matter is that Almighty God was operative in the hearts of these people.

A true story of a certain woman, many, many years ago, went to a church where they were having an inner church gathering. A few churches were coming together for the service, a communion service. And this woman, not knowing who was going to be the preacher, came eager, excited to hear the Lord minister to her heart. And she was greatly blessed. She was so blessed, greatly. And the preacher at that time was a man by the name of Ebenezer Erskine, obviously of a bygone day. You don't find a name like that floating around today.

And as Ebenezer Erskine preached, the Spirit of God ministered to this woman's heart, and she was absolutely blessed, tremendously blessed. Well, then she figured, if I'm so blessed under this man's ministry, I'm going to find out where his church is and I'm going to go there next week. And so she did. And she came to this man's church and she heard him preach, but she was terribly disappointed. So she went up to him after the service and she said, Mr. Erskine, here's my problem. I heard you preach last week at such and such a place and told the circumstances, and my, the Spirit of God ministered to my heart with such freshness, with such power, but having come to hear you today, nothing happened.

And Erskine heard her out, and after he'd done that, he said to her, Madam, the reason for your problem is this. Last Sabbath, you went to hear Jesus Christ, but today you've come to hear Ebenezer Erskine. See the difference? Not knowing who the instrument is going to be, she came hungry. She came hungry to hear the Word of God. She came with expectations. God is going to speak. Who the human instrument is, I know not. I care not. All I want to hear is the voice of God through the Word of God. And she became so enamored with the instrument, she went to hear the instrument and she never heard the voice of God.

Oh, beloved, what an exhortation to us. There's only one reason why these people received the Word as the Word of God. The Spirit of God was operative. And how you and I should cry before every Lord's Day, cry out to God, and should never enter that door, but that you've spent at least some time with God praying, O Lord, O Lord, may I receive Your Word as the Word of the living God. O Lord, enable me not only to call it alongside of me, but even when it bites and stings and wounds, to welcome it with a hearty welcome within, and then Lord, by Your grace, help me assimilate it and work it out in my own life. And as you come with that posture, God will never disappoint that longing heart.

But oh, if you begin to have some subtle confidence in the human instrument, whether it's this pastor or any other pastor, maybe your testimony is going to be like that woman: I heard the voice of God last week, but no blessing today. Don't ever get your expectation on a human instrument. Never place your confidence or expectation in the instrument. For remember, God said, "Thus says Yahweh, 'Cursed is the man who trusts in mankind And makes flesh his strength, And whose heart turns away from Yahweh.'" Jeremiah 17:5.

Oh, by the grace of God, may we be found reminding ourselves of this principle week after week, so that our expectation is from the Lord. Do you want a true ministry in this congregation in the years to come, if the Lord tarries, the kind of ministry described in chapter two, the first 12 verses? You've got no right to expect it or pray for it unless by the grace of God you are a true hearer described in verse 13. May God make us such so that in that blessed combination of a true ministry and true hearers, the Word of God will triumph and the glory of Christ will be manifested in this congregation and will reverberate in an ever-widening circle, that we might have a ministry of grace and mercy and salvation to the ends of the earth to the praise of His glory. And God's people say, Amen.

Let's pray. 

This is a transcript. It may contain small inaccuracies.

Something that might be confusing, as you read through the Gospel of John, is that Jesus made statements about Himself and about judgment that, on the face of it, they look like they're contradictory. There are places where Jesus clearly says that He had not come into the world to judge it, that He had not come into the world for judgment, that He judged nothing. And then there are statements that He clearly made where He says that He had come into the world for judgment and that He would judge everything.

For example, right here in our text, in verse 47, He says, "And if anyone hears My words and does not keep them, I do not judge him; for I did not come to judge the world, but to save the world." In John chapter 3, verse 17, when Jesus is speaking to Nicodemus, He said, "For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world." Same word translated judge, κρίνω (krino), here, is what we find in John 12, verse 47, our text. "For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him." You fast forward to John 8, verse 15. Jesus says, "You judge according to the flesh; I am not judging anyone." These statements indicate that Jesus did not come into the world to judge, and that He did not judge.

And yet, there are several verses in the Gospel of John where He clearly says that He was judging. For example, John chapter 5, turn with me there. John 5, verse 30, "I can do nothing from Myself; as I hear, I judge. And My judgment is righteous, because I do not seek My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me." Now stay there and just listen to this next part. Stay in John 5, right after saying He did not judge. In John chapter 8, verse 15. In verse 16, He says, "But even if I do judge, My judgment is true, for I am not alone in it, but I and the Father who sent Me." John 8, verse 26, "I have many things to speak and to judge concerning you, but He who sent Me is true; and the things which I heard from Him, these I am saying to the world."

Back to John 5, look at verse 22. "For not even the Father judges anyone, but He has given all judgment to the Son. So that all will honor the Son even as they honor the Father. He who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent Him. Truly, truly, I say to you, he who hears My word, and believes Him who sent Me, has eternal life, and does not come into judgment, but has passed out of death into life." Verse 25, "Truly, truly, I say to you, an hour is coming and now is, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live. For just as the Father has life in Himself, even so He gave to the Son also to have life in Himself; and He gave Him authority to execute judgment, because He is the Son of Man. Do not marvel at this; for an hour is coming in which all who are in the tombs will hear His voice, and will come forth; those who did the good deeds to a resurrection of life, those who committed the evil deeds to a resurrection of judgment." Verse 30, "I can do nothing from Myself; as I hear, I judge; and My judgment is righteous, because I do not seek My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me."

And then in John chapter 9, John chapter 9, verse 39. Now remember, He has said He did not come into the world for judgment. He didn't come to judge the world, but to save the world. Well, look then, John chapter 9, verse 39. And Jesus said—well, what did He say? "For judgment I came into this world.” “For judgment I came into this world. So that those who do not see may see, and that those who see may become blind."

Well, how do we reconcile these statements? How? How do we understand these statements that, on the surface, at first glance, seem to contradict each other? Well, there are a couple of things that I want to point out this morning, and we will do it together by God's grace, helping us.

If you look back to our text, John chapter 12, we can conclude from these statements several things. Several things. And the first one is this, number one: there is more than one kind of judgment spoken of. There is more than one kind of judgment spoken of in the Word of God here. There is a sense in which He did not come into the world for judgment, and there is a sense in which He did. There is a sense in which He judged no one; there is a sense in which He did. And His judgment is true. There is more than one kind of judgment spoken of.

There is, first of all, the final judgment, the future judgment. That's one kind of judgment—the final judgment, the future judgment. And Christ did not come into the world in His first advent, in His first coming, born of a virgin. He did not come into the world to pronounce final judgment, to execute final judgment. In that sense, He did not come into the world to judge the world, but rather to save the world. He will judge in the future. He will be the judge of all men, the judge that all men stand before on the final day—that final day, that final day of judgment.

And the Scripture is clear on this. Acts 17 and verse 30. “Therefore having overlooked the times of ignorance, God is now commanding men that everyone everywhere should repent, because He has fixed a day in which He will judge the world in righteousness through a Man whom He determined.” There is going to be a man who judges all men on the final day. And who is that man? Well, the verse goes on to say, “having furnished proof to all by raising Him from the dead.”

Beloved, this is no ordinary man. This is the God-man, the Lord Jesus Christ, the incarnate Son of God. He is the judge. Acts 10, verse 42: “And He commanded us to preach to the people, and solemnly to bear witness that this is the One who has been designated by God as Judge of the living and the dead.” There is a final day of judgment coming. It's coming. It's a fixed date. It's coming. And the one who is going to be the judge—the judge of all men, the one who is going to judge men—is now, by virtue of the incarnation, a man Himself: the God-man, fully God, fully man. He will judge all men. The Son of Man will judge men on the final day.

And something to bear in mind that has to do with both of these judgments. The judgment—this judgment—is a sifting. It is a sifting. On the final day, there is going to be a sifting, a separation of unbelievers and believers, unregenerate and regenerate, those who are outside of Christ and those who are in Christ. Believers will be separated out by virtue of this judgment from unbelievers. So, a future judgment—it's one type of judgment. Christ did not come the first time to execute that final judgment.

But there is a present judgment that Christ was bringing about. There was a present judgment. That's the second type of judgment that Christ was bringing about. His coming into the world did not bring about the final judgment, but His coming into the world did bring about a spiritual judgment. It's the kind of judgment that exposes men for what they really are—what they truly are.

Do we understand today, right now, as we are here seated in this place—do we understand today that the eternal destiny of men and women is being revealed in this world? Right now, in this life. Right now, right here even, by our response to Christ, by our response to the Word of God, by our response to the Gospel. Have you ever thought of that? Your response to Christ, your response to the Gospel, reveals your true spiritual condition. It does. It reveals your true spiritual condition, and thus, it reveals your eternal destiny, should you continue down that path.

That's what Jesus meant in John 9:39, when He says, "For judgment I came into this world.” What kind of judgment? “So that those who do not see may see, and that those who see may become blind." In other words, that those who admit their sinfulness and their spiritual darkness and destitution and spiritual blindness will come to see by virtue of the grace of God and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. They're able to see the light and able to see the Kingdom of God and embrace Jesus. And those who say that they do see—they're full of pride and self-will and all of that—will not hear the Gospel and will not repent of their sins and will not trust in Christ, and they go into further and further blindness and darkness.

So there's a sifting, separating work that's going on right now that Christ was sent into the world to accomplish. Right now, in this life, believers are being separated out from an unbelieving world by virtue of faith in Jesus Christ. And so this is why Christ could say that He did not come into the world to judge the world, but to save it. And that He judged no one in that final sense. And yet, on the other hand, He could say that He had come into the world for judgment, that all judgment has been given to Him. All judgment has been given unto the Son of God.

One day in the future, He will judge all men—all men. But even right now, there's a judgment going on. There's a revelation taking place. The spiritual conditions of men and women are being revealed. That He came into the world, and that exposes—that does a sifting process. There's a revelation by our response to Jesus.

So there's more of one kind of judgment. That's why He's able to speak in these ways that, on the surface, may seem to contradict. But there's something that is the same. There's something that is the same when you talk about future judgment, when you talk about present judgment. So whether future judgment or present judgment, there's something that is the same, common. When you talk about the final judgment, when you talk about spiritual judgment, there's something that stays the same in both judgments.

And that leads us to the second point that I want to make this morning. The second thing I want to point out is: all judgment has a relationship to His words. All judgments has a relationship to His words. Though Christ did not come to bring final judgment, there was something present in His life, in His ministry, in His preaching. There was something present that would not change with the future judgment, with that final judgment that is coming. Something is present today. Something is present right now, right here, even in this service, in this time of preaching that will be the same in the final judgement. And what is that? The words of Christ—God's word, the gospel—stays the same, stays the same.

Now somebody might say, well, wait a minute, wait a second. Christ was present and He's going to be the judge in the future, so that's the same. Well, in fact, it's curious, isn't it? Why does Jesus seem to be pointing away from Himself in some ways here in this text? I mean, look at verse 47: "And if anyone hears My words and does not keep them, I do not judge him; for I did not come to judge the world, but to save the world. He who rejects Me and does not receive My words, has one who judges him; the word I spoke is what will judge him on the last day.” Why doesn't Jesus say, I will judge him on the last day? Why does He point away from Himself again and again—to the Father, to Himself, to His words? I think John Calvin understood it properly when he saw in this sort of thing the grace of God, the grace of God in it. God graciously working in a way, acting in a way, to take away any and every obstacle men might have to faith in Jesus Christ.

Listen to how Calvin put it: Quote "Lest the outward appearance of the Man, should detract from the majesty of God, Christ frequently sends us to the Father. Now Christ here distinguishes Himself from the Father, not simply according to His divine person, but according rather to His flesh, lest His teaching should be judged humanly, and therefore have less weight." End of quote.

In other words, what Christ is doing is He is pointing us away from His appearance to make sure that we don't miss who He really, truly is. Don't let appearance deceive you. As Christ stands before them on this occasion and other occasions during His public ministry, He is standing before them in the form of what? A bond slave. Yes, He is in likeness of sinful flesh—Romans 8:3 tells us—not sinful, but in the likeness of sinful flesh. But if you receive His words, and if you will hear the Father's testimony concerning Him, then you will see that He is more than just a man. That He is God come to earth. He is God with us. He is God clothed in humanity. God in human flesh.

And there is a sense in which the Christ, as they were seeing Him right then, was not as He will be one day—on that final day of judgment. He came the first time as the Lamb, to save. He will return to this earth as the Lion from the tribe of Judah. A Lamb still, but a Lamb who is a Lion. A Lamb still, but now He is a Lamb who brings the wrath of God.

He came the first time in weakness, in humility. He came in humiliation. Well, He is going to come the second time in glorious, resurrected, and glorified strength—omnipotence on display. He will come the next time not just to save, but to execute judgment. And even in appearance, there will be a difference at that time.

Turn to Revelation chapter 1, lest we forget. You get a sense of how the glorified Christ appears. The Apostle John writes this in the 10th verse, Revelation 1 verse 10. I mean, behold this. Behold the Christ who is coming, again: "I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s day, and I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet, saying, ‘Write in a scroll what you see, and send it to the seven churches: to Ephesus and to Smyrna and to Pergamum and to Thyatira and to Sardis and to Philadelphia and to Laodicea.’ Then I turned to see the voice that was speaking with me. And having turned I saw seven golden lampstands; and in the middle of the lampstands I saw one like a son of man, clothed in a robe reaching to the feet, and girded across His chest with a golden sash. And His head and His hair were white like white wool, like snow; and His eyes were like a flame of fire. His feet were like burnished bronze, when it has been made to glow in a furnace, and His voice was like the sound of many waters, and having in His right hand seven stars, and a sharp two-edged sword which comes out of His mouth, and His face was like the sun shining in its power. And when I saw Him,” —now this is the Apostle John, who walked with the Lord on this earth, who leaned on the bosom of Jesus— “and when I saw Him, I fell at His feet like a dead man. And He placed His right hand on me, saying, ‘Do not fear; I am the first and the last, and the living One; and I was dead, and behold, I am alive forever and ever, and I have the keys of death and of Hades. Therefore write the things which you have seen, and the things which are, and the things which will take place after these things.’”

His appearance is different. It's not the same. It's different.

Revelation 6:15, since we are there: “Then the kings of the earth and the great men and the commanders and the rich and the strong and every slave and free man hid themselves in the caves and among the rocks of the mountains; and they said to the mountains and to the rocks, ‘Fall on us and hide us from the presence of Him who sits on the throne, and from the wrath of’” —who?— “‘the Lamb,’” Hide us from the wrath of the Lamb. ‘“For the great day of their wrath has come, and who is able to stand?”

Chapter 14, verse 9: “Then another angel, a third one, followed them, saying with a loud voice, ‘If anyone worships the beast and his image, and receives a mark on his forehead or on his hand, and he also will drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is mixed in full strength in the cup of His rage, and he will be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of’”—who— “‘the Lamb. And the smoke of their torment goes up forever and ever; they have no rest day and night, those who worship the beast and his image, and whoever receives the mark of his name.”

Why? Why does Christ point to the words in John 12? Why? Why does Christ point to the Father? Well, beloved, lest we be deceived by appearance. He stands in the form of a bond slave. He stands in the likeness of sinful flesh. But this is not yet the glorified Christ. After His crucifixion, after His resurrection, His appearance is not that which men will face as they will stand at the final judgment.

There's something more to it. There's something more to it. It's going to be different—the final day. But if you will listen to the words, if you will receive the testimony of the Father, then even right now you will recognize who Christ truly is. If the appearance gets in the way, then listen to the words. The word of truth was present, and that's not going to change. This was what was judging men at that very moment, and this is what will judge men in the future.

Look at verse 48, John 12: "He who rejects Me and does not receive My words, has one who judges him; the word I spoke is what will judge him on the last day." Christ may explain that our relationship to God is determined by our relationship to Him. If you don't have the Son, you don't have the Father. If you have the Father, you receive the Son. And our relationship to God is determined by our relationship to God’s Son. And listen carefully, beloved. Our relationship to God's Son is determined by our relationship to His words. It's always the case. All who receive the Son receive Him because they received what? The Gospel. They received the Gospel. They received the words of God concerning Him. They have believed the Father's testimony, the Father's witness concerning His Son.

We come to God. We come to Christ by means of a message. We hear the Word of God, we believe. We take it in. And thus we trust in Christ. And so we are reconciled to God. That's salvation. No one has the right standing with God who has a wrong relationship to His words. Mark it down. That is airtight. That is not up for debate or question. No one has the right standing with God who has a wrong relationship to His words. No one has been reconciled to God through faith in Christ who has not believed God's witness concerning His Son, God's testimony concerning His Son. It can't happen.

And so He points us—Christ points us—to the words and to the Father, because this remains the same. The judgment one day will be for those who did not believe His words. Now notice with me how He describes—how unbelievers are described here. Described in two ways by Christ. Unbelievers. In verse 47 you have a description. "If anyone hears My words and does not keep them"—does not keep them. φυλάσσω (phylasso) is the word translated "keep." It's a word that means to guard closely. It means to protect, to guard closely, to protect. And the negative precedes it in this verse, and so it means you don't closely guard the words. You don't keep them. You don't protect them as a treasure.

You hear the words of Christ. You hear the gospel, which are the very words of God, the living God. And you realize these words are far more valuable to the soul than all of the treasures to be found on this earth—more valuable than anything this world has to offer. This gospel. And when you hear—when you hear God's word, God's message about what it means to be reconciled to God—when you hear that, yes, you are a sinner deserving of His wrath, but God has made a way for you to be reconciled to Him. He gave His one and only Son, His only begotten Son, who gave His life on Calvary's cross in the stead of sinners, on behalf of sinners, to pay for our sins, to pay for all their sins. And He was raised from the dead, and now He freely, graciously offers you life in His name.

When you hear these words, do you realize you are hearing eternal treasure? Will you take hold of it? Will you take hold of it and not let go of it? Will you guard it closely? Will you keep it as a precious treasure? Will you treasure it? Jesus said unbelievers don't keep it. They don't keep it. They hear these words, but to them, the words are of no value—no value. They hear the words, but they let them go. They hear the words, but they fly away. It means nothing—nothing to them.
Our Lord said in Luke 6:47, "Everyone who comes to Me and hears My words and does them"—right? Who hears My words and what? Does them. You say, how do I keep His words? You do them. You do them. You act on them. You obey them. You follow them. You live by them. You submit to them. You regulate your life by them.

Do you realize the gospel has a command, beloved? What is the command of the gospel? That you would repent of your sin and trust in God's Son. That you would let go of life as you've lived it and known it and give your life to the Son of God. That you would lose your life to gain Him. That you would count Him to be more valuable than anything you could hold on to in this place, in this earth. That you would be willing to forfeit all, yea, even your own life, if it means you gain Christ. You're commanded to treasure Him like that. You're commanded to view Him like that. You're commanded to come to Him like that.

God commands us to do this while He also warns us that He has fixed a day for judgment. It's fixed—a judgment that will come upon all those who do not treasure His Son like that, who do not believe His Son like that, who do not come to His Son like that.
In Luke 6:47, "Everyone who comes to Me and hears My words and does them, I will show you whom he is like. He is like a man building a house, who dug and went deep and laid a foundation on the rock. And when a flood occurred, the river burst against that house and could not shake it.” Uh-uh. Couldn't shake it. Couldn't shake it. Why? Because it had been well built. Ah, verse 49: “But the one who heard and did not do accordingly is like a man who built a house on the ground without any foundation, and the river burst against it.” What happened to this one? It immediately collapsed. “And the ruin of that house was great.”

If you build your life on anything but faith in Christ Jesus, you have built your house on sand. Sifting, shifting sand. And the day will reveal it. And all your hopes will come crashing down, will collapse. And you will be left with nothing but the wrath of God.

Ah, but those who have built their lives, their eternity, on Christ the solid rock—faith in Him—it will be demonstrated and proven that you built your house on the rock of all ages. And it will not be shaken. This is one description of unbelievers. They hear His words, but they do not keep them. They do not hold on to them. They hear the words, but they do not act on them.

Have you acted on His words? Have you acted accordingly? Everyone in this place, you've heard the gospel. We've declared it even today, this morning. Have you acted accordingly? Have you taken action on what you've heard? Have you given your life to Christ? And I say it with an awareness that there should be fear and trembling, that there may be people in this place today, right now, that you have heard the gospel multiple times and have not acted accordingly.

Some of you have heard the gospel for years. And if you can be honest about your own spiritual condition before God, you know—you know—that you don't live for Christ. You live for yourself. You live for sin. You live for this world. You have heard His words, but your life isn't built on His words. You have heard His words. And some even profess faith in Christ, but your life tells an entirely different story as a pattern.

You say you love Him, but you don't follow Him. You don't keep His word. You say you love Him, but you don't obey Him. You say you love Him, but there's no practical difference other than the fact that you gather here Sunday morning, or some Sunday mornings. No practical difference between your life and the life of the person who says that they're an unbeliever. And the reason why is, though you've heard His words, you've not really acted on His words. You've not built your life on Him.

Is He the center of your life? Is He your life? Paul was able to say, “For to me, to live is Christ.” (Philippians 1:21) He's my life. That's what it means to act on His words. But you won't act on His words until you realize that His words are the truth. It's truth. Standard by which all men will be judged one day. What have we done with this message?

But there's a second description of unbelievers here that Christ underscores. You see it in verse 48: “He who rejects Me and does not receive My words, has one who judges him.” The description here is, you reject God's incarnate Word. Christ is God's Word in human flesh. “He who rejects Me and does not receive My words”—you reject the written Word, the spoken Word. You're rejecting the incarnate Word. He's the λόγος (logos), the one who exegetes, who exposites God the Father, the one who has made Him known, the Word in human flesh. You reject Him because you don't receive the message concerning Him.

And mark this down this morning. And I know you know it, beloved. But I want to remind us. I want to remind my own heart. How we respond to the words of the gospel is in truth our response to Christ Himself. What, to put it in the language of saints from yesteryear, “what think ye of Jesus? What think ye of Jesus? How do you really think about Jesus?

I know the answer to that. And I know that you know the answer to that. The answer is this: How do you respond to God's Word? How do you respond to the gospel? How have you responded to this message? That's your response to Christ. You cannot reject the gospel without rejecting Him.

You see that in verse 48: “He who does not receive My words”—what have they done? “He who rejects Me.” You see it? “He who rejects Me.” That's what you've done. You've rejected Him. If you receive the words of Christ, you'll run to Him. You'll turn to Him. If you truly believe what Jesus said about Himself, if you truly believe the Father's testimony concerning His Son, you'll recognize that you must follow Him. Whatever the cost, whatever the loss, whatever it means, the world is but a vapor and we are all headed toward eternity, and the only thing that really matters is: Am I to be found in Christ? Do I have Him? Am I really His? Is there anything worth more than Him? Is there anything that should ever stand in the way of my following Him?
The reason why people don't follow Jesus is they don't really believe His words. For if you really believe His words, you would follow Him, the Word incarnate, with all of your heart. Our response to His words—that's our response to Him.

And one day, one day, all of those who've heard these words and have not kept them, not acted on them, not received them, they will be judged by them. They will be judged by them. "The word I spoke”, verse 48, “is what will judge him on the last day."

Pastor MacArthur on this passage comments, quote, "Think of it this way. You go to court and you violate the law. The law is established. The law testifies against you. This is what the law says. This is how you behaved. You are guilty. You are sentenced. That will happen at the great white throne. There will be the books. The books will be opened. The records of the law that will stand as a witness against your behavior will bring about your sentence. But that's not all. There's much more. The gospel will be a witness against you because you not only violated God's law, you violated the gospel. People are condemned on the last day for violating the law of God and rejecting the only remedy, the gospel."

He goes on to say, "So the gospel, like the law, gives testimony against you in the judgment. The more of the gospel you hear, the greater the record of your violation against it will be. Jesus really can't be separated from His message, from His truth, from the gospel. Every gospel sermon you've ever heard will one day stand as the record against you in judgment if you reject. You have violated the law of God, yes. But that's remediable. But you can be saved from that. But you cannot be saved from violating the gospel.” End of quote.

So the gospel stands as the final testimony. The law says, Do this or die. You violate it, you die. The gospel says, Believe this or die. Unbelief leads to eternal death. The last day. That will all become clear. It will all become clear. "The word I spoke”, verse 48, “is what will judge him on the last day."

And Calvin, again, had a wonderful statement on this. Quote, "It is impossible to extol the authority of the gospel with a more splendid praise than to grant it the power of judging. For according to this, the last judgment will be simply the approbation of the teaching of the gospel. Certainly Christ”—now listen to this—”certainly Christ will Himself mount the judgment seat, but He declares that He will pronounce judgment from the word which is now preached. This threat ought to terrify the ungodly since they cannot escape the judgment of His teaching which they now despise so proudly." End of quote.

Christ will sit in the judgment seat, but He will pronounce judgment with the word that we've heard concerning Him. I've seen it. I've seen it. I've seen it. Sharing the gospel at funeral services. I've seen it in different contexts. I've seen it sharing the gospel in a variety of settings.

You know, you see people who gather who would otherwise not be present under the teaching of God's word. And as the gospel is proclaimed, they sigh. They sigh. They squirm. They roll their eyes. And every bit of their body language says, Can't I be anywhere else but here? I came to tell a family that I'm sorry that someone died, not to hear the stuff. Not to hear the gospel. I came to visit with my family on a long weekend. I just want to leave feeling good. I don't want to hear the gospel.

And I don't want to say to them, Don't you understand, my friend? This is precisely what you need to hear because you only have a little time on this earth and there's then eternity. And your eternal destiny is now being revealed right now in this world of time by your response to Jesus and to the message concerning Him. And those who believe in Him and receive Him have life. And those who throw His words away and reject them and don't hold on to them face the eternal wrath of God, and you will not be able to plead innocent.

The very words that you've heard will judge you on that day. Did you hear that? Did you hear that? Did you not want to hold on to it? Did you not want to act upon it? Did you not want to come to My Son? No, no, no, no. Then your judgment is just. What will you do with these words? Will you come to Christ? There are some sitting here. You need to come to Christ today. Will you come?

Do you see how gracious God is that He would take so many steps to make belief possible? That Christ would be so loving, so full of grace that He would even point away from His earthly appearance to the words that speak of His true identity so that you might come to believe in it. Do you see what great judgment awaits those who would trample underfoot so great a salvation?

In preparation this week, I was thinking about this. I was thinking about the appearance of Christ on this earth 2,000 years ago. Now, we don't know what He looked like exactly. We don't know. But we know that He looked like other ordinary Jewish men. There was nothing unusual. He was very ordinary. We don't know what He looked like. But we know that much.

And then I think about those descriptions of Him in the book of Revelation. Revelation 1. And I think about the difference. And I imagine in my mind that someone might want to make an argument who was standing there that day that if he had just seen Him in the same way, He would appear one day that their attitude would have been different. And I made a note to myself. And here are some thoughts that I want to share with you.

No one will ever be able to stand before Jesus and say, Why didn't you reveal Yourself to me like this? Why when I saw You, You didn't look anything like this? You've changed physically. You look much more glorious now. Divine. To this, the response would rightly be, was there not that which was glorious that was set before your vision? Did you not see glorious humility? Did you not see glorious deeds? Did you not see glorious gentleness? Glorious compassion? Glorious servanthood? Did you not hear glorious words? Did you not see a man who did what no one else has ever done? Who did what no mere man can do? Did you not hear Him speak as no man has ever spoken? And did you not hear the word concerning Him?
Did you not hear the Baptist and what he declared concerning Him? Did you not hear the testimony of those who were healed by Him? Did you not hear the love and the thankfulness that poured forth from those who were greatly forgiven by Him? Did you not hear the prophecies concerning Him? Did you not hear the law rightly interpreted and rescued from the reckless twisting and distortion that the Pharisees and the Sadducees imposed upon it? Did you not hear, "Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing"? Did you not hear, "You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; it is these that they bear witness about Me"?

Then you are without excuse. If you had just received and kept His words, you would have seen His glory even in His humiliation. And that's why we, beloved, who have never seen Him, are without excuse because we could see Him on the pages of Scripture, the word by which we will all be judged. Indeed, we can. What will we do with Him? What will we do with His words?

Jesus' words remind us that His message is not optional advice but eternal truth. To hear His voice is to be given a gift, the invitation to life, forgiveness, and hope. But to reject Him or to ignore His word is to place ourselves under the weight of the word's judgment. And for the unbeliever, the unbeliever in this place, this verse is a sober call. The same word that could save you one day will testify against you if you refuse it. There will be no need for additional witnesses. God's word itself will stand as evidence.

Listen, the Bible is not just an old book. It is the living word of God, the living word of Christ that points to salvation. And to reject it is to reject the One who gave His life for you. But I want to conclude with a word for us believers in this place.

Two things in closing by way of application. This verse reminds us of the seriousness of handling God's Word. We are not—never ever—to take lightly the Scriptures that we read, that we hear, that we teach, that we proclaim. Every time we open the Bible, every time we open this book, we are standing before the voice of Christ. His words bring comfort, encouragement, but also correction and warning. They're not meant to be stored on a shelf, but written upon the tablets of our hearts and lived out daily.

And this passage urges us to examine: What am I doing with the word of Christ? Am I receiving it with faith, humility, and obedience? Or am I letting it slip past me, dulling my heart? And I thank God for His providence because the application of this is tonight with the Thessalonians. May your prayer and mine be, Lord, help me not to neglect or resist Your word. O God, give me a heart that trembles at what You say, that delights in Your promises, that obeys Your commands. And may Your word be my comfort now and not my condemnation on the last day.

The second word of application, I pray. I mean, you want gospel motivation? It's right here. We talked about all this judgment—the final judgment and judgment even in the spiritual judgment now, that judgment of separation that reveals where I am spiritually. Talk about gospel motives. What a marvelous reminder for us to have this before us. To reflect on the fact and to marvel at the fact that Christ delivered us from the wrath of God. Christ took away all the judgment on Himself.

And permit me to close with an exhortation, a reminder from Spurgeon. I pray this will be the fuel—the fuel in your heart and mine—to be propelled all the more to adoration, thanksgiving, worship, and a renewed commitment to live for Him, for Him and to keep His word. I'll close with this this morning. Spurgeon: "And Christ has paid your debt and mine. What better way can there be of putting an end to sin than by bearing the punishment which was due to sin? The punishment which was due to sin was for us to lie forever under the wrath of God. But owing to the majesty of Christ's divine presence, the suffering which He endured upon the cross was accepted as an equivalent for all that suffering which we deserve to endure forever. All the wrath due to Christ's people was condensed into that one cup of which He began to drink in Gethsemane. As He put His lip to it and tasted it, so terrible was it that it covered Him with a bloody sweat. But He never ceased to drink until He turned the chalice upside down and not one black drop was found lingering there. At that one tremendous draft of love, the Lord had drunk damnation dry for all His people. And there is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus. How could there be any when Christ endured it all? O beloved friends, go ye in thought away to Calvary and with joyful hearts trust in the crucified. The great transaction is done and done forever. He has blotted out the handwriting that was against you and put it away, nailing it to His cross. All this is true of everyone who believes in the Lord Jesus Christ." End of quote.

Then we can sing. Approach, my soul. Approach the throne of grace, the mercy seat.

Let's pray. 

This is a transcript. It may contain small inaccuracies.

We saw last Lord's Day evening, as we were studying together this portion of the Word of God, that one of the many characteristics of a true minister and a true ministry—a true servant, whatever that ministry may be, wherever the Lord may have placed you in your sphere of responsibilities and influence—is that which Paul focuses on in the 11th verse, namely, fatherly direction. Not only is the mark of a true, faithful, trustworthy ministry, whether it's a parent to his children, an apostle to those whom he ministers, an undershepherd to his people, a Sunday school teacher, a youth leader, etc., etc., or as a witness to one's neighbor, for that matter, or one classmate or co-worker, not only must there be the gentleness of the nursing mother mentioned in verse 7—that beautiful feminine characteristic of gentleness—but there must be that masculine characteristic of fatherly direction, so little understood in our day in the natural realm, and sadly, sadly, the same can be said in the spiritual realm.

Now, we saw last week that Paul exercised this fatherly direction, which had three aspects. Number one, just to refresh our memory, there was individual attention. There was individual attention: “how we were exhorting and encouraging and bearing witness to each one of you” (1 Thessalonians 2:11), and you remember in the original, it is very strong—each and every single one of you, one by one. And secondly, that fatherly direction was exercised with varied instruction according to the need of the child of God. We were exhorting, we were encouraging, we were bearing witness.

And then the third thing we said about the fatherly direction is—but we could not expound, we could not expound it, we deferred it to today, tonight—it was that it had a clearly defined goal, a clearly defined end in view. Sure, he was giving individual attention to every single one of those believers. Sure, he had varied instruction for each one of them, but did he have an overall plan? Did he have an overall objective? Yes, he did, and he tells us what that plan was here in our text this evening, verse 12.

"So that"—see that? That's a purpose clause. "So that." “So that you would walk”, or we could translate it, to the end that you would walk. That's the end in view. To the end “that you would walk in a manner worthy of the God who calls you into His own kingdom and glory." So, we see that if we as parents, if we as Sunday school teachers, as witnesses, whatever our ministry is, if we would be biblical, faithful to the Scripture, if we would have the ministry that is owned of God, well, it must not only have this aspect of fatherly direction that deals with people individually, one by one, that varies the instruction to them according to their own need, but it must have a clearly defined objective, a clear goal, a direction to which all of this is really moving.

So, as we think our way through this text this evening, let us consider in the first place this end or goal described by the Apostle. The end, the goal described. That's the first main heading. And notice in the first place under that heading that his goal in all of his fatherly direction and instruction was a goal with respect to the walk of these people. It had to do with the walk of these people. We were exhorting, encouraging, bearing witness to each one of you as a father would his own children, so that—to the end that—you would what? Walk. The goal that he had in mind was directly related to the walk of these people. And so the question naturally we have to ask: what does the word *peripateo* (περιπατέω), translated walk, mean? What does it mean? Well, this word is used throughout the Scripture to describe—and we've come across this, and so this is just to refresh us—this word is used throughout the Scripture to describe the general direction, the general tenor, the climate of a person's life. You remember our Lord Jesus said in John chapter 8 and verse 21, "I am the Light of the world; he who follows Me will never"—and here's our word—"walk in the darkness.". “Walk in the darkness”.

Paul says in Galatians 5:16, "But I say, walk by the Spirit and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh." In the first John chapter 1 verse 7, "But if we walk in the Light as He Himself is in the Light." What does that word walk mean? Well, I think if you were to sit down and try to work out a definition, you'd come up with something like this: it's used to describe the general direction of a person's life, taking in his deeds, his thoughts, his motives. It takes in the whole spectrum of a person's life, and whenever it's moving in a given realm, we say, well, that's his walk. That's the tenor of his life. That's the climate of his life.

And so to use the Scripture—to walk in the light as He Himself—if a man walks in the light, you have a man whose thoughts, whose motives, whose actions are characterized in the main—let me underscore that—in the main, not completely, not with mathematical perfection, but in the main, they are characterized by what? Light. That's the pattern. That's the tenor, the direction. A man who walks in darkness is a man who in his thoughts, his motives, his deeds is characterized by what? In the main again, characterized by darkness.

So to walk by the Spirit means that in my thoughts, in my motives, in my deeds, in the main, my life is one depicted by the realm of the Spirit. And so Paul's concern as he instructs these people in the ministry touches their walk. In other words, his goal in all of his doctrinal instruction is what? The practical living of his hearers. And that is really key. The goal in all of his doctrinal instruction is the practical living of his hearers.

And there's a tremendous principle, beloved, involved here: that the goal of all biblical instructions is to alter the walk of those who receive it. It's not just, you know, to go through one ear and out the other ear. It has a purpose—to alter the walk of the one who's receiving the instruction. Paul says we did all these things, all of them, exhorting you, verse 11, encouraging you, bearing witness to the end that in the realm of your thoughts, the realm of your motives and of your deeds, it might be evident that the truth has filtered down and it's actually affecting and impacting the totality of your life as a result.

Now, why was this goal particularly—why was it Paul's goal? Why was this Paul's goal? Well, for the simple reason, we could say this: the reason why Paul has or had as his goal the godly walk of his hearers is simply because Paul had realized this was God's goal in redemption. That's why. That's it. This was God's goal. God's goal in redemption must be Paul's goal in ministry. That makes sense, doesn't it? Of course it does. What God has pledged to do, His servants must be earnest to do.

And we read in very simple categorical language that the goal of God in redemption is what? The godly walk of His redeemed people. We read that in a verse like Ephesians 2:10: "For we are His workmanship,”  God's workmanship, “created in Christ Jesus”, for what purpose? For what purpose? “For good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would”, what? “walk in them." That's God's purpose. We are created in Christ Jesus with what end in view? That we should walk in those works which God had beforehand prepared for us, even those works of godliness and true piety, biblical piety.

Peter states it with a a bit of a his own way and a bit differently when he says in his first letter, quoting from the Old Testament, 1 Peter 1:15 and 16: "But like the Holy One who called you, be holy yourselves also in all your conduct.” What is that? All your conduct. That's your walk, right? It's your walk. The whole tenor of your life, your thoughts, your motives, your deeds. “Because it is written, "YOU SHALL BE HOLY, FOR I AM HOLY."”

And Ephesians 1, verse 4, Paul tells us, "He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him." In love. So Paul's goal is to be nothing less than God's goal. Why did God put redeeming truth in Paul's hands? Why did Paul then dispense that truth by way of exhortation, by way of encouraging, by way of bearing witness? Well, the whole end for which God committed that truth to Paul was to make His people holy.

So God's goal in giving the truth to Paul is Paul's goal in giving that truth, truth to his hearers. He states it beautifully, so beautifully and so simply, in Titus 2, in verse 10, where he says that the people of God must be careful—and I love, I love that word, that is the way it is put there. He says that the people of God must be careful to adorn the doctrine of God our Savior in everything. "You and I must be careful to adorn the doctrine of God our Savior in everything." To put that truth on, to adorn is to put it on, to put that truth on, to wear it, to wear it in the realm of my everyday walk and experience. Is that beautiful? Isn't that beautiful? To adorn the doctrine of God, to wear it, to put it on in the realm of my everyday walk and experience.

Now, will you notice how Paul did this? So the goal was to walk, and yet what was the means by which that goal was to be attained? So that's the goal, the goal is the walk, well how is that goal to be—what's the means to attain that goal? By this instruction that came essentially to where? To the mind, to the mind. Remember last week we mentioned that these three things—exhorting, encouraging, bearing witness or charging—are done with words, words addressed to the minds of God's people.

Now let us not miss this and stick with it now, it's a vital principle, beloved. We exhorted, we encourage, he says, we bore witness to the end that you should walk worthy of God, and we long that God's goal in redemption would be realized in you, Paul is saying, but the only means we had at our disposal was instruction addressed to the mind. We exhorted, we encouraged, and we charged, we bore witness. The old writers used to talk about, quote, "the primacy of the mind in the work of redemption," end of quote.

The primacy of the mind and the work of redemption, and what they meant was simply this—and this is very vital—that when God deals with us, the way He approaches us is not directly to our feelings, not directly to our will, but He approaches us directly to our minds. We are made in the image of God, we are made rational beings, and so when God is going to save a person, how does He do it? He gets His word to that person, and what does His word do? It tells that person some facts about God, it tells him some facts about himself, it tells him some facts about sin, it tells him some facts about how sin can be cleansed and purged, it tells him some facts about Christ, who Christ is and what He came to do and what He's done, some facts about repentance and faith and some facts about regeneration, doctrine, instruction, facts.

And then mingled with that there is the appeal to the affections and to the will, but the will and the affections, which must be changed before the life can be changed, are never dealt with directly by God. They're all dealt with through the mind, the truth comes to the mind, and remember what holds the mind molds the life. "How will they believe in Him whom they have not heard? And how will they hear without a preacher?" Romans 10:14. It's got to be someone to teach them.

Now what is true in getting men into the Christian faith is true also with their development in the Christian faith. How are people to be sanctified? Well, our Lord tells us the main instrument of sanctification. Our Lord delineates that very clearly in John 17:17: "Sanctify them by the truth; Your word is truth." Well, how does the truth sanctify? How does the truth sanctify? As it comes to where? To the mind. As it comes to the mind.

Exhorting, encouraging, comforting, charging, instructing, illuminating the mind. And so the Apostle Paul joins together in a beautiful way the principle that every child of God and every stable ministry must recognize, and if you miss either one of them you will fall into an area on this side or this side of terrible religious blight and even a curse, to be honest with you, because there are those who would say, well yes, yes, we must seek to be holy, we we must have God's end to our end, we must seek to have a walk that is worthy of God, and here's error number one.

So what do they do? Well, they're doing everything in their power to get people to walk worthy of God, and so they set up a list of regulations—do's and don'ts. Or they may try to move people by manipulating the emotions. They may try even at times to to clobber them over the head and and move the will and get them to do this and that and the other, and they miss the principle that the way people walk worthy of God is to be exhorted, encouraged, and charged by the word of God. The mind must be instructed before the life can be altered. So where you have all this pressure and emphasis for the life without doctrine, you have a true—you don't have a true Christian godliness if you don't have that.

At this point, there may be an objection in someone's mind: all this talk about doctrine, doctrine, doctrine, doctrine. I mean, the thing people need the most is not doctrine—they need Jesus, they need Christ, and we just got to be concerned only about getting Christ to people. Christ is the life, and we gotta get Christ to them. Enough of this doctrine. Well, here's the question: what Christ are you talking about? What Christ are you talking about? Well, the Christ of the Bible. Well, who is He? Who is He? And when they begin to define Him, what what are they doing? That's doctrine. That's doctrine. You can't have Christ without doctrine because Paul says 2nd Corinthians 11 verse 3 and 4 “But I fear that, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, your minds will be corrupted from the simplicity and purity of devotion to Christ. For if one comes and proclaims another”, *allos* (ἄλλος), “another of a different kind an”, *heteros* (ἕτερος) excuse me “another of a different kind of Jesus” “another Jesus of a different kind whom we have not proclaimed, or you receive a different spirit which you have not received, or a different gospel which you have not accepted, you bear this beautifully." That's why it's important.

So may God keep us from that sentimental pursuit of holiness which looks down upon the place of truth—truth addressed to the mind and to the understanding. That's error number one.

Error number two—and they've got the other side of the coin, where people say, well, oh yes, oh yes, indeed, we need exhortation, we need encouragement, we need bearing witness, and we need to be taught the word of God. We need to be grounded in the word of God. We need to have the doctrine come to the mind and have it straight. But then they fall short of realizing the end of all of this. It is what? Not to pat your head, but to change your life. Not to pat your head, but to change your life. Not to walk around and say, well, I know, I know the Westminster Confession of Faith, and I know the doctrines of grace, and I can... But how is it impacting my life? How's my walk?

We exhorted, we encouraged, we bore witness to the end that you should walk worthy of God. And so Paul lays out the end that he had in all of his instruction, and we see that it touched the walk of God's people, the godly walk of God's people, and that, beloved, must be our goal. That must be our goal.

We must hurry on to see how he describes that walk, that godly walk, in the second place. So let's look at the godly walk now described. The godly walk described. Verse 12: "so that you would walk in a manner worthy"—axios—"worthy of God." This word, axios, can be used in an absolute sense, or it can be used in a relative sense, and certainly here, it is used in a relative sense, not an absolute sense.

An absolute sense—well, there was nobody worthy of anything but God, right? That's the absolute sense, and the absolute sense, nobody was found to be worthy or is found to be worthy of anything but God. In the book of Revelation, you find that description of praise in the fifth chapter. There was none found worthy to open that sealed scroll, but then the voice came, "Weep not, for there is one found who is worthy"—none other than the Lamb of God, Christ Jesus, our Lord. He is the worthy one. Worthy is the Lamb. And in the absolute sense, only one is worthy, and that is our God, but in a relative sense, the word worthy, axios, is used to describe a manner deserving something.

It is used throughout the Scripture in this way. Christ said, "He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me" (Matthew 10:37). He's conducting himself in such a way that he does not deserve the privilege of My lovingkindness, My mercy, My grace. Verse 38: "And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me."

So Paul, what Paul seems to be saying in this passage, then, is this: the end of all of my instruction is that your walk should be one that is worthy of God. That is, that you would walk like a people who belong to such a God, and therefore, express His virtue in your lives. Ephesians 4:1 and 2, actually, would be a good commentary on this: "Therefore I, the prisoner in the Lord, exhort you to walk worthy— the same expression— of the calling with which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love."

Furthermore, we could say this: to walk worthy of God means to walk suitably to the great mercies that you've received from God. Suitably, to walk suitably to the great mercies that you and I have received from God. Walk worthy of God. Walk in a way that is commensurate with the great mercies that you've received from Him. I received amazing grace, mercy, forgiveness, lovingkindness. And then I need to walk in a manner that actually is commensurate with that.

Let me illustrate it. Trying to picture a young man, maybe his late teens or early 20s, living in a situation of absolute destitution, squalor, filth, poverty, ignorance, impending death because of his condition. His parent died when he was little. He had no home to call his own. Helpless, hopeless. Except that a man who sits upon a throne of royalty, who is a king by birth and by position, takes pity upon this young man in all of his destitution, squalor, and filth, and loneliness. He takes him out of that situation of squalor, and filth, and loneliness, and destitution, brings him into his palace, not only to set him at his table, but to receive him into the circle of his own household, his own family. And he does whatever is needed, whatever is necessary to make this young man legally adopted, a legally adopted son. And having no children of his own, this young man now becomes the legitimate heir to the throne of his father.

Now, once he's thought, and once he's brought into the court, and all of the legal transactions are settled, they're done, they're complete, he is in reality now a son of the king. He's become a son of the king. He's in reality a prince, an heir to the throne. But, but, he doesn't overnight learn what it is to walk, to think, to act, to react, to plan in every area of his life as a prince, does he? Some of his old ways still carry over with him, so from here on out, in every situation, he must now learn to bring his thinking to this perspective: How do I act in this given situation that will be worthy of my new position?

I no longer am a disinherited pauper, homeless. I'm no longer a nobody amongst other homeless men and squalor and filth. I am now a prince. I am a son of the king. I must walk, what? Worthy of my new position. I must carry myself like a prince, and whenever I would think of being ungrateful, I must think back of the mercy that has been brought to me and brought me into this position of a prince. And to walk worthy then of this calling into which he has been brought means that he will walk in such a way as to bring honor to his father, the king. Walk in such a way that will bring praise to his father's kingdom. Walk in such a way that will give no legitimate reproach to his father, the king. It means to walk in such a way that will show that he really appreciates the mercy that has been brought to him and brought him into that status of a prince and into the great inheritance of his kingdom.

Well, in a little way, that's what God has done to us, and illustrations like all of them break down in that we were not just in filth, you and I, not just in squalor of our sin, but we're actually under the wrath of the King and His judgment hanging over our heads. We were the very children of the devil, according to John 8, and wonder of wonders, God in His mercy put forth His hand and called us unto Himself and made us His own adopted sons and daughters and made us joint heirs with Jesus Christ.

But simply because we're brought into the kingdom and into the place of sonship and heirship does not mean that we automatically now conduct ourselves in every realm in a manner that is worthy of our new position in Christ. So that the whole goal of the instruction of the Scriptures, as we understand more and more about our Father and what would please Him, more about ourselves and what would displease Him, the whole end of all of this instruction, whether it's exhortation, encouragement, bearing witness, whether it is the reproving, the rebuking, the exhorting that we read about in 2 Timothy—it doesn't matter what it is—what's the whole end of it? That we might more and more walk worthy of this God who has called us.

That we who are princes might more and more be princely in all of our actions, all of our reactions, our dispositions, our attitudes, that we who are the children of God might be more and more like our Father who has adopted us into His family. This is what Paul means when he says the end of all of our instruction was this, that you might walk worthy of God.
And then will you notice with me how he describes God in this verse? Look at the text, this is incredible. Will you notice the latter part of the verse, the text? "Worthy of the God who calls you"—and the LSB translates it properly in terms of the tense, it is a present tense—"calls you into His own kingdom and glory." Now, literally, out of the Greek, here's the way to translate it in terms of the sequence, and this is marvelous. Paul is saying that you would walk worthily of calling you into His kingdom and glory, God, and you'd have hyphens between them.
And here's the point: He's described God, is described as the calling you into His kingdom and glory, God. Did you catch that? What God? The calling you into His kingdom and glory, God. Everything's hyphened. It's one long description of the God Paul's talking about. He said the God of whom you are to walk worthy of is the calling you into His kingdom and glory, God. That's the God. When you think of walking worthy, think of Him as this God. Now, He's many things to His people, but at this point, Paul says, I want you to think of Him as that God who calls you into His kingdom and glory.

So somehow the whole exhortation must be bound up in an understanding of this phrase, and I believe it is. So let's try to take it apart for a few minutes. When he says He is the God who calls you, what does this mean? What does he mean, who calls you? Does it simply mean He invites you? No, no, we've studied this word before, *kaleo* (καλέω). It means something more than that. It means more than simply summon.

These Thessalonians had not simply been summoned into the kingdom of God. They were in, they were in, in. The gospel came to them, how? In power and in the Holy Spirit, and they turned to God from their idols, and they were serving now the living God and waiting for His Son from heaven. This calling here is nothing less than that effectual call of God. Not only the summons, but the power that makes the summons powerful and draws sinners into vital relationship with Jesus Christ. 1 John 2:9, 1 Peter 2:9, “him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light." He's actually brought you out of the darkness into light. In Romans 8, verse 30, "and these whom He predestined, those whom He called, He also justified; and these whom He justified, He also glorified."

So when Paul uses the term—he uses the term "call"—he wants these Thessalonians, as they think of walking worthy of God, to think of Him as the God who took the initiative in their salvation. Who not only brought the gospel to them in word, but who made it actually, in fact, effectual in their hearts by the power of the Holy Spirit. The God who sought the wandering sheep and laid the sheep upon His breast and brought them home to the fold of God.
Think of Him as the God who calls you into what? What, Paul says, two things: into His kingdom—His own kingdom—and then glory. Two things. Look at His kingdom first. His kingdom. That's the place, the realm of His present blessing. Jesus said in John 3, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God." He cannot enter into the kingdom of God. But when he's born again, he sees, he enters the kingdom of heaven.

And what is the mark of that kingdom? Romans 14:17: "For the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking. It doesn't consist in a lot of religious regulations,” do's and don'ts—no, no. What does it consist in? Present spiritual reality right now. One day, we will see the full expression of it, literally. But right now, it is a present spiritual reality. "For the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit."

So what is His kingdom? It's that realm of the present enjoyment of all of the redemptive blessings of God that He's marked for now. Now, what is He marked for now? Well, many things—the fruit of the Spirit, right? Love, joy, peace, long suffering, peace with God, the peace of God. All of these present blessings are found where? Within the kingdom.

And he says, you people, I want you to remember all the charging, all the exhorting, all the encouraging I did had as its goal: walk worthily of God. Walk worthily of God. That God, that God—not just any—that God, the God who called you into all the present blessings of the gospel. Think of them, you Thessalonians, just like the king would say to the adopted son, think of what I brought you into when you're tempted to walk unworthily of your position. Think of what I brought you into: heirship with Myself, all of My kingdom is Yours, the smile of My face, the spread of My table, the love of My heart.

That's what Paul is saying to the believers. Think of Him as the God who calls you into His kingdom, present blessings of redemption. But that's not all. He calls you into His own kingdom and—he says—glory, glory, *doxa* (δόξα), glory. Speaking of the place of future blessing and culmination of all the present blessings of redemption.

As our Lord Jesus prayed in John 17:22 for His own, that as He Himself was to be glorified, this is what He prayed for His own. Verse 22: "And the glory which You have given Me I have given to them, that they may be one, just as We are one." Verse 24: "Father, I desire that they also, whom You have given Me, be with Me where I am, so that they may see My glory which You have given Me, for You loved Me before the foundation of the world." What a tremendous statement.

Now we sang earlier about seeing, beholding His face. Colossians 3:4 says, "When Christ, who is our life”, “Christ who is our life is manifested, then you also will be manifested with Him” -where? Where?- “in glory." “In glory”. The glory everlasting, the presence of God, heaven, the eternal state where all of the joys that we now know in germ form will come to full expression, where all of the holy longings we now have in germ seed form—the longing after God, longing for holiness, longing after purity—all of that will come to its full blossom.

Paul says to these Thessalonians, I want you to walk worthy of the calling you into His kingdom and glory God. God—that's the God I want you to walk worthily of. That's the God whom I want you to regard in every respect of relationship of life. This God to whom you're indebted for all your present blessings in the kingdom now and all the future prospects of the glory to come, the glory everlasting.

So in a most powerful way, Paul in his text lays out their gospel duty. Now keep in mind what we studied this morning, right? He lays out their gospel duty: walk—and he does it in a powerful way—walk worthy of God. Then he undergirds it and enforces it with tremendous gospel privileges and motives. You're called to His kingdom and glory. You see that? You're called to His kingdom and glory. In the light of that, in the light of the privileges, love so amazing, so divine, walk worthily. Of such great God.

Well, so much then for the text and its meaning. What does it say to us in a very practical way in this few minutes that are remaining for us? What does this text say to us as we sit here this evening, seeking to be true servants of God? Well, first of all, in the first place, it says, well, you better have a clear goal in whatever ministry you're serving. You better have clear goals or a clear goal. You better have a clearly defined goal.

Paul said, we did all of this, but we weren't just doing it to keep busy in the Lord's service. No, no, he said, I had a plan. I had an end in view. And no matter how busy I became in encouraging a saint here and charging a saint there and teaching a saint here, in all of this, I never lost sight of my goal, my end in view. And my goal, my end in view was this: I want to see the people of God walking worthy of the God who calls them into His kingdom and glory.
Do you have any clearly defined goal in your ministry? As a parent, as a classmate, as a neighbor? The goal is not just to put a little milk on the cereal and see your kids happy and go their way to school and wash their clothes and put them on their... No, no, the goal is summed up in Paul's words. Galatians 4 and verse 19: "My children, with whom I am again in labor until Christ is” -is what?- “formed in you." “Formed in you”—it's a clearly defined goal.
The goal is to labor and strive, admonishing and teaching them with all wisdom so that you may present each one of them complete in Christ. Your neighbors. Your classmates. Your work associates. What's the goal that every child of God should have for those that he labors with, prays with? What's the goal I, as an under-shepherd, should have for this beloved church, along with my fellow under-shepherds? I mean, is there any higher goal than this—that we should walk worthy of God? Can you find any higher than that? To walk worthy of God? To so walk in every relationship of life that we reflect that indeed we are sons of the King and daughters of the King?

We're not living in the squalor and the sordidness of our past. We're showing forth the virtues of Him who called us out of darkness into life, as Peter describes it. We're living not only so as to reflect the virtues of our King, but we're living under the continued sense of indebtedness for the great mercies that we have received. The God in whose light we seek to walk worthy is the God who has called us out of darkness, put us into His kingdom now, and will lend us safely in glory in the future. That's the first principle we see here. Well, that's the first principle we see here.

Secondly, second principle that we see here by way of application—and this is, by the way, the test of a true servant, a true minister, and a true ministry—namely that His goal, referring to the minister, its goal, referring to the ministry, will be the glory of God in the holy walk of the people of God. The glory of God in the walk of the people of God, the holy walk of the people of God. That was Paul's goal.

How are you going to judge a true servant? Well, you ask this: what is his goal? What is his goal? That by the teaching, exhorting, comforting ministry of the Word of God, we might have a people walking worthy of God, that God might be glorified in the worthy walk of His people. That's the goal of a true minister and a true ministry.

Beloved, the goal is not to have a full church. The goal is not to have a going church. The goal is not to have a financially lucrative church. And the goal is not even to have a busy church. But the goal is to have a people walking worthy of God to the glory of God. That's the goal. That's the goal according to Paul.

One of the old saints really caught this because he realized that it's only this that will commend the gospel to a given community. Listen to what he said: quote, "It is of no use"—he's telling one of his proteges, one of the younger ones that he's mentoring—he says, "It is of no use that we walk anywhere to preach unless we preach as we walk." —let me say that again—"It is of no use that we walk anywhere to preach unless we preach as we walk." Isn't it said beautifully? "It's of no use to walk anywhere to preach unless we preach as we walk."

That's what Paul's burden was, that the people of God would so adorn the doctrine of God that wherever they walked, they preached. The things that Paul preached were powerful things. They changed people's lives indeed. They not only declared them to be sons and daughters, they made them also act like sons and daughters. Not only declared them to be princes, but made them conduct themselves like princes. That's the mark with a true ministry. It has as its goal the holiness of those who embrace it.

And then the third principle that I see in this text, and here it is: the gospel motives alone form the driving power for gospel duties. And that connects us with the morning service, right? Gospel motives alone form the driving power for gospel duties. What are gospel duties? Here it is: walk worthy of God. Walk worthy of God.

Now what motive does Paul give to it? What motive does he give to it? Well, you see, he doesn't bring to it the motive of fear. Isn't that interesting? He doesn't bring to it the motive of fear. If you don't walk worthy of God, God might chasten you with a rod, right? Well, that's true. God does that. Hebrews 12, right? And elsewhere in Scripture, that's true. But here, in this instance, he didn't bring that motive in here. He doesn't bring in the motive of reward. If you do walk worthy of God, there might be some reward. And that's a truth taught in Scripture. But it's all in the background.

Do you see what he uses as a strong point of motivating these people in this instance? And we preach the full counsel of God. Gospel motivations here are what? Gratitude. A sense of indebtedness to God. A sense of indebtedness to God. You saved me? Really? God really saved a wretched sinner like me? A rebel? God, I wanted nothing to do with You. I was blind, dead. I was heading down that path to hell. And You saved me. Lord, why? Why out of all my family? You saved me. You brought me out of all of this. You opened my eyes. You cleansed me from my sins. You transformed me by Your power.

Walk worthy of the calling you into His kingdom and glory, God. Do you Thessalonians find that you don't have much gas to move in that direction of walking worthy of God? Paul says, I tell you what will fill your tank. I'll tell you what will fill your tank. Here it is. You just stop and think of what God did when He called you into His kingdom, brought you out of darkness by power, took you out of the clutches of the devil and the grip of sin and brought you into His kingdom. You think about that. And if that doesn't do too much for you and only gets your tank half filled, you just think about what He's called you to. You just read the last couple of chapters of the book of Revelation and read about His people looking upon His face and sorrow and sickness and sighing, gone. And joy unspeakable and full of glory, enjoying the presence of God without any of the remains of corruption and sin.

Paul says, as you think of the great privileges of the gospel, these will act as a motivating power to move you in the direction of performing the duties of the gospel from the heart. Now, the church, you see, is using all kinds of motives in our day to try to get people to do things. Entertainment, motivational feel-good sermonettes, putting together a rigid circus, as it were, to get a Sunday night audience or audience period, audience, even the name, the word audience. Offering some scintillating program, dashing, outstanding, dramatic title, some unusual speaker who's been to hell and back. It's really just absolutely nauseating.

Why? Because, you see, it's using motives that appeal to the flesh and you reap exactly what you've sown and you'll get exactly what you pitched for. Beloved, if gospel motives can't move us to gospel duties, then we won't be moved at all. That's why we're not those who come and hold over the head of God's people threats that if you don't come on Wednesday night and if you don't—no, no, no. It's just simply this way: we're privileged to meet together to pray and seek the face of God. And if you love God and love His Son and His kingdom and you're not providentially hindered, then you'll be with us.

Now, if that can't move you, then I'm sorry, you won't be moved according to God's way on any given area, in any given area. So the great third principle in our text is that gospel motives alone can lead to the performance of gospel duty, obedience from the heart. Isn't that what Paul does in Romans 12, verse 1? "Therefore I exhort you, brothers”, -by what? the what?- “The mercies of God, to present your bodies as a sacrifice—living, holy, pleasing to God." Think of the mercies. And if that doesn't move you to say, “Here, Lord, I give myself away"—Paul says, I'm sorry, I've got no lever to move you. If I can't move you with mercy, you just won't be moved.

He does that in Ephesians. After laying out all those godly doctrines in the first three chapters, he begins chapter 4: "Therefore, in light of all of this, I, the prisoner in the Lord, exhort you to walk worthy of the calling with which you have been called." I, therefore, in the light of these gospel privileges, motivate you to gospel duty.

So when our heart for the gospel duty begins to lag, meditate on your privileges. When that young man begins to be lagging in his desire to walk worthy of his princely position, he needs to sit himself down and begin to think of what his Father did when he took him out of this and brought him into his kingdom and promised him all of his kingdom in the future. He needs to remember his Father as the one who called him out of his squalor into blessing and pledged future blessing. And beloved, we need to sit ourselves down somewhere and think of what God has called us out of and what He has called us into.

Let's pray.

This is a transcript. It may contain small inaccuracies.

A new golden rule has emerged in our culture. You know the old golden rule, no doubt—the golden rule, the old golden rule that says, do unto others as you want them to do unto you. Those words from the blessed lips of our Lord.

Or negatively, don't do to others what you don't want them to do to you.
The new golden rule that has replaced the old one in our age, in our culture, is simply this: live and let live. Live and let live. The new golden rule, the new morality that everyone is supposed to live by, that everyone is supposed to submit to, is let others be.

Let them live their lives. Back off. Live your life your way, the way you want to, and then don't preach, don't judge, don't interfere, don't meddle. Let people live their life the way they want to, and as long as they aren't hurting anyone else, just leave them alone.
That's the motto, isn't it, of the world around us? It's definitely the motto of the new sexuality and gender. Live and let live. Who are you to judge? Live and let live. Let people be. Don't interfere.

And of course, I want to say this: in a secular society where we're all thrown together and we have different beliefs, no one should use any kind of force or violence to harm those that they disagree with, and I agree with that wholeheartedly. We should exist peacefully. We should exist peacefully.

But live and let live has come to mean something very different than simply don't harm your neighbor. It has come to mean something very one-sided in our culture. It has come to mean that Christians must not only accept the reality of perverted things now existing in the open alongside of us, but it's come also to mean the fact that we must cooperate in endorsing them, in really promoting them, and we must be silent if we object. Keep our mouth shut. Live and let live in our culture has come to mean complete submission to the new order.
Don't object. Don't respond. Don't write letters. Don't engage in constructive debate. Don't conduct your own church or your own business according to conscience before God. Live and let live has come to mean accept other people's lifestyle as if you've approved of them yourself. Live and let live.

And of course, once you do that, you've actually abandoned the all-sufficient Word of God. You've abandoned the Word of God as your authority, and the pressure is on if you haven't already felt it. For Christians to not simply coexist with other religions, to not simply coexist with practitioners of sins that we abominate, the pressure is on to mute our beliefs, to make every concession to the liberal agenda, to privatize our faith.

Live and let live. The world wants us to live that way. It means if you don't like it, well, too bad. Keep it to yourself. Just shut up and mind your business. Because ironically, if you do raise your voice or object in the public square, they will not live and let live. They will demand that you change or else.

Now Christians have to navigate this increasingly hostile secular environment that is laden with minds. This live and let live atmosphere can have a very negative effect on us because it can slowly erode our convictions until we find that we're becoming that way also in the church. We can so inhale the toxic fumes of this pseudo-tolerance that we end up mimicking that behavior in the church. And if there's one place, beloved, on earth where their idea of live and let live is not to be practiced, not to be followed, not to be tolerated, it is the church.

Because you see, beloved, the church is not a secular church. It is a secular church. Because you see, beloved, the church is not a secular society made up of all kinds of people of different beliefs and backgrounds who have to live next door to each other. That's not the church of Jesus Christ. No, no, the church is a redeemed body of people, living stones, intertwined, yes, very different, yes, extremely different backgrounds and upbringing and different gifts, but we have the same Father, the same Savior, the same Gospel, the same Bible, and the same Holy Spirit that seals us.

And so to become a Christian church is to be a lot of very different people who are coming together and coming under the sound of one authority. God's Word, God's all-sufficient Word, shaping our minds, shaping our hearts to think similarly, to be, as Scripture says, of one mind and of one heart.

So our goal is not to be wildly different and live and let live. Beloved, our goal as a church, as a redeemed people, is to graciously provoke one another to be conformed to the image of Christ.

Doesn't Scripture say, Ephesians 4, remember, 13, those words? "Until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the full knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ."

And that means in the church we do the opposite of live and let live. We actually get involved in each other's lives. We get involved. Let me tell us right up front, getting involved in each other's lives is messy. Ministry is messy, but it's good stuff. Needed. Needed.

We actually get involved in each other's lives. We actually help each other stay on the path of truth. We don't simply ignore each other and say, well, if that's how he wants to live, that's his business. No, no. Instead, we take up a biblical responsibility to encourage, to exhort, to restore, to warn, to rebuke, to admonish, because you know what? In the Bible's theology, to live and let live, to leave others to their own devices, is actually, beloved, to live and let die. That's what it means. It means to live and let die. It means to act hands off of others. It's to allow them to fall into sin, and eventually to ruin, to destruction.

And so, as James comes to the end of his letter, he wants to send it off not with the usual greeting, grace to you and peace. No. Instead, he's going to capture our attention with the final greeting, where he's going to exhort us away from live and let live, because that really, in fact, is live and let die.To let people wander off the path of truth is to watch them as they progress towards the edge of a cliff. And what do you do? You sit on your hands? You say nothing, because you don't want to offend? You say, well, that's their business? No, no. James says, I want you to protect the real faith in yourselves and in your others. You need to get involved.

So he's going to finish this letter not by saying live and let live, but you could say he's going to finish it by saying live and save lives. Live and save lives. That's what a Christian should do, and unlike the rest of his letter, which has more commands, more imperatives per verse than any other book of the New Testament, he actually doesn't end with a command. Instead, he ends by simply reporting some realities, but these realities are pregnant with implications. He's going to tell us three realities, and what is implied is we must understand these three realities about ourselves and about who we are and what we are, and to take up his responsibilities.

So let us study our text and see these three realities so that we don't live and let live, but so that we live and save lives.

So here's the first reality that I want us to see in (chapter 5) verse 19. James writes, "My brothers, if any among you strays from the truth," "if any among you strays from the truth." Reality number one: people will stray. People will wander. They will.

James is reporting a real occurrence. He's not bringing up something that never happens. He's telling us something that does happen, something that will happen in every church, and so the only reason there's a word "if" there in the text is not because this is a hypothetical that may never happen. It's "if" because there's a condition placed, and then there's something that must be done when it does happen. It doesn't cast doubt on the fact that it does happen within the church.

He tells us within those who claim to be Christians, within those who stand before you and give their testimony of salvation, amongst those who have been baptized in the faith, you will have those, James says, who will wander. They will stray. They will deviate from the path of sound doctrine. They will wander away from the path of practicing the truth. They will steadily leave the orbit of orthodoxy — right belief, orthopraxy—right practice, right living, and orthopathy — right loves, and they will begin wandering into heterodoxy, heteropathy, heteropraxy.

In fact, the Greek word here in the original is the word ‘planēthē’, from ‘planaō’, to stray, to wander. "If any among you," — ‘planaō’ is the verb, ‘planēthē’ — , "from the truth." If anyone wanders from the truth, that's the word, ‘planaō’, the verb.

Now, what happened is that, just to give us a bit of a history of this word, the Greeks looked up in the sky, and for the most part, they watched the stars cross the heavens, and in their orderly fashion, they had this regular orbit in the sky, and they tracked them. And like modern-day astronomy as well, they saw their constellations, but then they noticed a group of stars that did something very strange, very weird, very unusual. They noticed that there were a few stars that would go across the sky, and then stop, and then turn around, and go the opposite direction. They couldn't work out what was going on with these stars, and so they called them wandering stars — wandering stars.

What was going on is that they were looking at Mercury, and Venus, and Mars, and Saturn, and Jupiter. And because at some time, some of them—some of them did, but some of them didn't understand that the sun was the center of the solar system, and each planet has an orbit around the sun. And they didn't know what was really going on, was that the earth goes around the sun, the planets have their own orbits, and there comes a time when the earth overtakes the orbits of other planets. And so from the earth's perspective, what happens is that we go past other planets, so from our perspective, it slows down, and it goes backward. And so they couldn't figure all of that out, and the way they coped with it is they called them wandering stars.

They called them ’astḗr planēthē’. This is where we get the word planet from — ‘planēthē’, ‘astēr planēthē’— wandering stars. And a wandering star, a star that seems to, what, leave its orbit, to stray, to go off on its own.

The Bible wants us to know that in the Church of Jesus Christ, not everyone is going to keep in orbit or to orbit. Not everyone is going to orbit orthodoxy or orthopraxy or orthopathy in a regular fashion. You're going to see people along the way who are going to suddenly break from the orbit and seem to go off the opposite direction.The question is, why is that? Why? Why does that happen? The answer that we find in the Word of God is very simple — one word — deception — deception. The human heart is so prone to deception from outside of us and internal to us, from without and from within. And has James been calling, been telling us exactly that throughout the entirety of the letter? He's been telling us from the beginning, it's so easy for us to think that we have the real faith when you actually have a false faith.

James has told us how easy it is to think that we have the true faith, and so he told us this: this is what true faith looks like when it faces trials. He gives us what true faith looks like in the face of trials, in the face of temptations, and when it receives God's Word. At the end of chapter 1, he says this is what true faith does. This is how true faith responds. This is how it acts. This is how it manifests itself.And when it deals with the disadvantage and partiality at the beginning of chapter 2, this is true faith — what it looks like. And when it deals with the tongue in chapter 3, and when it deals with wisdom at the end of chapter 3, and then when it deals with relationships and conflict at the beginning of chapter 4, and when it deals with judging and planning and praying in chapter 5. And all along what he has been telling us, he's been saying it's so easy for you to think that you've got the real faith when all that you've got is faith without works. That kind of faith, he says, is a pseudo-faith. It's a dead faith, not the pure religion.

He's warned us again and again and again against self-deception. He said it's so easy to be a hearer and not a doer. It's so easy to substitute intention for action. It's easy to praise God and curse man made in the image of God. It's easy to use your worldly wisdom where you keep banging again and again against the window like a bird, and you don't get out, and you keep doing it. It's easy to stay in those cycles of conflict and keep saying, well, it's the other person's fault. It's never my own fault. It's always the other person's fault. It's so easy to wander off the path of real faith. We've seen that together in this epistle.

The human heart really is like a faulty compass. You know, if you're a child, you had a compass, and you played with it. I mean, you probably had lots of fun with it, and you'd hold that compass and try to find the magnetic north, and the needle will point to that magnetic north. But if you were to take a magnet and bring it close to the compass and spin that thing, and as you spin that thing, I mean, the needle will go crazy, will spin, and just really, you spin that thing, it will follow your every command, and will never find really the magnetic north again. The human heart is like that. It goes off course unless continually corrected.

You know, Scripture is very pessimistic about the human heart's sense of direction when left to itself. Left to itself, the Scripture is very pessimistic about the human heart's sense of direction. And can I say, beloved, you and I should be too. You should be too. I should be too. If you've got this belief that left to yourself, you'll figure it out, left to yourself, you won't get lost, that you'll end up in a good place, in a wonderful place, then I want to say to you lovingly, you didn't get that belief from the Bible. You didn't get it from here. Maybe you got it from a motivational speaker, maybe you got it from your family upbringing, maybe you've got it from I don't know where, but it didn't come from this book. It didn't.

Because Scripture says that the human heart — listen to this. This is what the Scripture says of the human heart. You're familiar with Jeremiah 17:9, "The heart is more deceitful than all else" – "Than all else". "The heart is more deceitful than all else and is desperately sick;" — wicked —. "Who can know it?"

In the same book, Jeremiah says back in chapter 10 of Jeremiah verse 23, "I know, O Yahweh, that a man's way is not in himself, Nor is it in a man who walks to direct his steps." There's no such thing as self-directing. We're done, left to ourselves. You're familiar with Proverbs. So here's the question. Does Proverbs give you that sense that we're self-directing people?
Okay, here's one. We know this verse very well. Proverbs 3:5, "Trust in Yahweh with all your heart And do not lean on your own understanding." If we're so self-directing, why are we commanded not to lean on our own understanding?

How about Proverbs 28:26? Listen to this. Listen carefully. This is incredible. "He who trusts in his own heart is" — what? — "a fool." Let me say that again. This is the Word of God, not my own word. "He who trusts in his own heart is a fool, But he who walks wisely will escape." You want to follow your heart? The Bible says you're a fool. You're a fool.

How do you explain all of these Proverbs that say receive correction, receive correction, receive correction? Don't be stubborn. Don't believe your own heart. And here's another one. Proverbs 12:15. Here's another one. "The way of an ignorant fool is right in his own eyes." Have you ever talked to someone like this? No matter what you tell them, you're wrong. They're right in their own eyes. And the Bible says of such one, they're fools. Not only fools, they're ignorant fools. "The ignorant fool" –, "the way of an ignorant fool, is right in his own eyes." But why does Proverbs say that if we're so naturally self-directed?

In fact, when Scripture wants to describe how good we are at finding our way, what animal does it compare us to? Well, I don't know how many animals that get lost, but sheep was one of them. Sheep are prone to wander, and they end up utterly lost. Isaiah 53:6, "All of us like sheep have gone astray, Each of us has turned to his own way."

Beloved, when God created the world—and this is a helpful truth to keep in mind, by the way—you see, God is sovereign. He doesn't react. He acts from the beginning. When God created the world, He was in that very act creating a whole set of analogs by which He would teach us. He didn't create the world and then go, oh yeah, that'd really be a good illustration to illustrate what I want to say. No. Instead, when He made these creatures, He gave in them the things that He would use to illustrate the truth.

He made sheep so they'd get lost, so that they'd be an excellent illustration of what we're like. Do you know there's plenty of other creatures and things in the world that God could have used if He wanted to say, don't worry, you'll find your way? I mean, Jesus could have said, you know, I am the trainer and you are my homing pigeons. He didn't say that, did He? He didn't say, I'm the North Pole and you are migrating birds. He didn't say that, did He? I am the scent and you are the bloodhounds. He didn't say that. A lot of images could have served if we had an innate sense of coming right and being sensible and doing the right thing. As someone said, common sense is no longer that common, is it? We don't have this. We're not like this.

One of the things about getting lost is that no one tries to do it on purpose, by the way. Right? You get lost precisely because every step of the way, you believe you know where you're going and you have confidence. Are you lost? No, no, don't worry. You know, Grandma and I, we'll find our way. You know, this is just a shortcut. And you're like, so lost. And you'll end up in a place that's very far from where you should be.

Listen, nobody sits with their under shepherd in counseling with a very distressing situation and says, yeah, yeah, I meant to be exactly right here. That's exactly where I thought I'd land. But you are there. And how did you get there? You got there by several twists and turns that were self-directed, that you thought would get you where you want to go, but they land you in a situation where you never thought you'd be and you don't want to be anymore.

Listen carefully, beloved. One of the first signs of maturity in a Christian is a healthy distrust of listening to your own heart. Let me say that again. One of the first signs of maturity in a Christian is a healthy distrust of listening to your own heart, a deep teachability, a deep sense of desiring guidance from the Word of God. Those words in the hymn that we will sing at the end of our service will resonate certainly: "Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it. Prone to leave the God I love. Here's my heart." In other words, I don't want to deal with this anymore, Lord, here's my heart. "Take and seal it, seal it to Thy courts above."

Now if you know that proneness in your own heart, what should your attitude and my attitude be to others? We should be ready, not indifferent. Ready, not indifferent. Not live and let live, but we should use the real golden rule, which is: if I were walking off a cliff and thought that I was going in the right way, what would I want others to do in that case towards me? If I were headed for destruction, what would I want others to do for me?

You see, beloved, if people weren't prone to wander, live and let live then would be the perfect philosophy. Leave the homing pigeon alone and it will find its way home. Just leave it alone. But if we're sheep, live and let live is exactly what we should not be doing. A biblical view of the human heart understands people are prone to stray, people are prone to wander, people are prone to leave their orbit.

And that leads us to the second thing that James wants us to know. And it's not just that people will wander, but there's real consequences to that. Look at verse 20: "Let him know that he who turns a sinner from the error of his way will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins."

First reality: people will wander. Second reality, and more serious, is the consequence. What is it? Wanderers die.

Number one, people will wander. Number two, wanderers die. The wanderers will die. "Let him know that he who turns a sinner from the error of his way will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins." The person who wanders from the way of truth is not simply in danger of having maybe a few negative consequences, you know, a bit of a bruising. No, no, this is not a child who may get a little bit too far from the picnic and the parent cries, "Hey, hey, hey, come back, come back." That's not the image here.

The person here who strays away from the truth is wandering into the territory that is going to be carpet bombed by the judgment of God. The person who's wandering away from the truth is stepping on a slope where the incline gets increasingly steep. The further you go, it gets increasingly mossy and slippery the further you go, and at the very bottom of it is the lake of fire. That's the idea. That's what's at stake here. Life and death. Sins concealed, as in Proverbs 28:13, or sins forgiven. Salvation or damnation.

Now perhaps you're asking, I thought James was addressing Christians. I mean, he says in verse 19, "My brothers, if any among you strays from the truth," does it mean that a Christian can lose his salvation? Can a Christian end up spiritually dead? The Bible, beloved, let's make it clear. The Bible does not, never, ever teach that genuinely saved people can lose their salvation. He who began a good work in you will complete it. The faith that God authored in Christ He will perfect. You can search the Scripture and you will search the Scripture in vain to find the images of salvation ever being reversed. You can do an exercise if you want. You can go through the New Testament and try to find, does the Bible ever talk about regenerated people being unborn again? Does it ever talk about forgiven people being unforgiven? Does it ever talk about God unelecting people? How about the Holy Spirit unsealing people? No.
Does it ever talk about justification being reversed where, you know, I don't know how this would even work, but what was imputed to Christ — your sin, His righteousness imputed to you — now somehow gets unimputed and re-imputed back? Which, by the way, would imply Jesus would be dying twice, which is exactly what Hebrews 6:6 says is impossible. Scripture never has any of these images reversed. It never says that your reversed inheritance suddenly gets canceled — your reserved inheritance suddenly gets canceled, rather. All of these images are images of permanence.

But the Bible does speak about the very real phenomena of apostasy. Apostasy. The word apostasy means falling away. Now, to fall away from something, you have to have some kind of a position to begin with. And apostasy is a very real phenomena in Scripture of people who, on the surface, they seem to be saved both to themselves and to others. But then these same people who appear to be saved, they turn back, they renounce the Christ that they claim to have saved them.

Sometimes they don't renounce the belief, but they do it by their behavior. Titus 1:16 says, "They profess to know God, but by their works they deny Him, being detestable and disobedient and unfit for any good work." You can say the right thing, but your life is just completely the opposite. Totally the opposite. On the outside, it looks like they escaped the world. They'll stand in front of the church and tell the church they've experienced salvation. The Spirit lives within them. They have a new life. On the one hand, these people have experienced something of what Hebrews 6 says. They've been enlightened. They have tasted the heavenly gift. They have become partakers of the Holy Spirit. And having tasted the good word of God and the powers of the ages to come, they have tasted all of this by virtue of being in a church and being in that climate where they're exposed to the work of the Spirit in the life of the church.

They're that second kind of soil of Luke 8 (verse 13-14). "And those on the rock are those who, when they hear, receive the word with joy, and these have no root; they believe for a while, and in time of temptation, they fall away." Or they're like the third kind of soil, where "the seed which fell among the thorns, these are the ones who have heard, and as they go on their way they are choked with the worries and riches and pleasures of life, and do not bear ripe fruit."

An apostate has experienced some kind of knowledge of Christ. He or she has had some kind of a deeper knowledge of heavenly things. Yes, he, she has changed in knowledge.
They had tremendous exposure to so much light by virtue of being in a place like this week in and week out. In fact, just turn over two books to 2 Peter. 2 Peter chapter two, because he has a description of an apostate, and it says in 2 Peter chapter two, verse 20, "For if they are overcome, having both escaped the defilements of the world by the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, and having again been entangled in them, then the last state has become worse for them than the first. For it would be better for them not to have known the way of righteousness than having known it to turn away from the holy commandment handed on to them. The message of the true proverb has happened to them, 'As dog returns to its own vomit,' and, 'A sow, after washing, returns to wallowing in the mire.'"

This is apostasy, and the difference is this. Let me underscore the difference. For an apostate who has crossed that line, it always remains on the level of ideas, cognition, head knowledge. Something has not yet happened in the apostate, and it's this. What hasn't happened in the apostate is this: the old man has never died, and the new nature has never come, never. Because when the new nature is present, indeed, however much a Christian may fall and fail — "For a righteous man falls seven times", — but what? — "and rises again" (Proverbs 24:16).

However much a Christian may wrestle with certain sins, besetting sins again and again, finds himself in the fight of Romans 7, in the battle, and wrestles with doubt, that new nature keeps coming back to Jesus, clinging to Jesus, holding on to Jesus, running to the cross, washing the hands and the feet again, and pressing forward again by the grace of God, chipping away at the sin that is entangling them.

And I think one of the reasons that God throws so much at His children is because, as He allows trial after trial after trial upon His genuine children, 1 Peter 1 (verses 6 and 7) says, "In this you greatly rejoice, even though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials." Why, why, Peter? "So that" — this is the end in view, this is the purpose — "the proof of your faith, being more precious than gold, which is perishable, even though tested by fire, may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ." It's so that the genuineness of your faith may be proved.

God allows His children to experience the blowtorches of trials and afflictions and difficulties, but what keeps coming up is gold — the gold of genuine faith. The apostate, on the other hand, has light, has knowledge. He has had a taste, but there comes a moment when the apostate's old nature is revealed to be the only thing that is present there. The old Adam, devoted to self, under the lordship of self, following self — for every apostate, wandering begins at some point. At some point, the orbit is broken, and it goes the opposite direction, because at some point, the demands of Christ become too much for the apostate.

It's different for everyone. For some, maybe it's a mystery that just cripples them. You may have an apostate where the Trinity just gets him to implode. He just can't get his mind around it, even though he professed Christ, he professed faith in Jesus Christ, but eventually, the mystery of the Trinity just — he just can't handle that, so he just falls over it.

It could be the mystery of the incarnation. It might be something. It might be because he's been praying for something, he doesn't see it answered, and finally, he says, I'm sick of this, I'm done.

It might be because he can't see how following Christ is gonna get him what he wants. He has a certain thing, you know? If I add Jesus to my life, then I'll get what I want, so Jesus is my ticket to that thing. He wants a certain thing, and he knows that if he keeps following Christ, it's gonna get in the way, and eventually, he says, I'm done with this, because Jesus is getting in the way for me to actually enjoy this pleasure, this worldly pleasure.

For Judas, it came at that point when he realized Jesus was not going to be the Messiah who's going to bring him great riches and power and authority, so he said, look, I'm done with this. The catalyst for him was when he said, hey, we should have sold this perfume for a lot of money, and Jesus says, no, we shouldn't have, and that was it — it was over. Judas said, I'm done, I'm cashing out, getting at least 30 pieces of silver out of this whole thing.

See, at some point, the apostate is going to throw off the yoke of Christ, the Messiah, because he's not a sheep, he's a goat. He's a goat in sheep clothing, and he will wander from the truth, and James tells us the result will be more and more and more sin. I think over the years of some who have professed Christ and then have strayed from the truth, as I think about their lives now, in which of the cases have they become holier? In which of the cases have they become holier? In which of the cases have they become more like Christ? In which of the cases they have sinned less?

Apostasy leads to a growing shipwreck of the life, a shattered life where the consequences get worse and worse and worse, and when a wanderer keeps wandering, something happens. What happens? The conscience hardens. He becomes more and more seared, and the further the person strays from the faith, the more justified he or she feels in the wandering, and sadly, it's a one-way path to hell, and the tragedy is they're accelerating down that path.

So what do we do? What do we do, live and let live? Live and let live? Everyone is different, you know, I can't live other people's lives. What do we do? What do we do? Look at James 5. Again, this is the third reality that James brings to us: "My brothers, if anyone among you strays from the truth and one turns him back," turns him back, "let him know that he who turns a sinner from the error of his way..." Not only do people wander, and not only will wanderers die, but Christians must rescue wanderers. Christians must rescue wanderers.

See the word here for turn? ‘Epistréphō’ is the Greek verb. ‘Epistréphō’. It's the idea of getting hold of the wanderer and literally bring them back to the path, bring them back to the fold, and James is suggesting this is a possible thing. It's a good thing. Instead of live and let live, Christians are supposed to actively intervene when they see someone straying from the faith. Every Christian should have a shepherd's heart, beloved. Every single one of us, child of God, should have a shepherd's heart.

What did Jesus say in Matthew 18:12? "What do you think? If any man has 100 sheep and one of them has gone astray, does he not leave the 99 on the mountains and go and search for the one that is straying?" I read this and you know what came to my mind? The Shepherd, according to Jesus, is a perfectionist. The Shepherd is a perfectionist. Well, you know, 99 out of 100, who can complain? If one wants to get lost, I mean, what can we say? 99, I mean, that's a pretty good record. No, no, no. His attitude is 100 out of 100.

Maybe you're asking at this point, well, how can we turn an apostate back? I mean, could Judas have been turned back? The answer is not everyone will be turned back when you attempt this, but many will because we don't know who's who. And we don't know when that person who turned away will get to a place where they cross that line and stiffen their neck without remedy.

Do you realize that on the night of Christ's arrest, 12 disciples wandered from the truth? 12 of them. That's 100%. Peter denied. Judas betrayed. Another 12 abandoned Him. They fled. They wandered. And then what Jesus did, He brought 11 of them back who were not apostate. They wandered, but they were brought back, which meant that their souls were saved and a multitude of sins have been prevented because they were His from the beginning. They had a faith that was authored by Jesus.

The ones that come back are not apostate. They're just Christians who need to be restored, need to be guided, need to be brought back and helped back. But had they stayed on that path of wandering, their repeated attempts to restore them and been rejected again and again, it would be then that that person had never truly come to Christ and was now manifesting His rejection of Christ's lordship this way by their utter defiance and rejection.

You see, I don't know someone's heart. You don't know someone's heart. All that we could do is see the trajectory. Where is the orbit? And if the trajectory is wandering from the truth, you and I have a God-given obligation, God-given responsibility to return the wanderer back to the path, to the fold.

So, practically speaking, how do you, how do you know? How do you know if someone is wandering? When do you do this for somebody? For whom? How do we do it, practically speaking? I want to be very practical here. Well, very practically. Listen, beloved, if you see somebody who begins to disappear from regular attendance amongst us, do something. You see someone whose countenance just seems to show signs of spiritual weariness, withdrawal, indifference. Something is off. Probe. Ask. Reach out. Maybe you hear someone is contemplating making a serious, a very serious error. Do something. Maybe a Christian among us has been persistently neglecting the means of grace — corporate prayer, the Word, the Lord's Table, being amongst believers. Maybe you see a pattern in someone's life of ungodly thinking or acting or speaking. When we see any of this, we should gently, prayerfully, humbly get involved. We don't live and let live. We want to preserve life and prevent sin. That's life in the body.

You say, okay, okay, well, how do I do this? How do we do this? What does it mean to turn somebody from the error of his way? How do I do it? What do I do? Well, I can think of three levels of restoration. In the time remaining, three levels of restoration.

Level one is this. Beloved, encourage the discouraged. That's level one. Encourage the discouraged. And you find them, you know, wobbly. You find them just pulling back. You find them wandering off the orbit. Encourage the discouraged. That's level one. "1 Thessalonians 5:14" — "encourage the faint-hearted, help the weak." "Encourage the faint-hearted, help the weak." This command is not given to the elders and the deacons. This is given to the church, the believers. And I want to encourage you, perhaps the bulk of the restoration is level one. Encouragement. Encourage. Be the son or daughter of encouragement. Be a Barnabas. This is simply coming alongside that weary Christian and telling him or her, you're not alone in your struggle, brother, sister. Telling him or her, God has promises for you in the Word. You remind them. You remind that brother or sister of grace that's promised to those who stay the course and obey the Word of God.

You remind him of eternity and reward and hope. You explain to them that I also struggle and have struggled. I've had my falls and my battles. We're cut from the same cloth, but God gave me grace and overcame, and He can give you the same thing, dear brother, dear sister.

You tell him, you tell her. You're praying for them, if you are. You find out where you can bear excess burdens so that you can lighten their weight and you be a help practically. This is encouraging the discouraged.
"Hebrews 12:12" — "Strengthen the hands that are weak and the knees that are feeble and make straight paths of your feet, so that what is lame may not be put out of joint, but rather be healed." That's level one. There should be a lot of that going on amongst us, beloved. A lot of mutual encouragement. And if you're already doing it, then beloved, excel all the more. Excel all the more.

There should not be people who have not seen — if you have not seen them in the church for four or five or six or seven weeks — who have not had a phone call, not had an email, not had a text message. Encourage the discouraged.

Level two. You can step it up a notch here. Level two is warning the disobedient. Warning the disobedient. Again, "1 Thessalonians 5:14" not only says that we should "encourage the fainthearted, help the weak", but also he says, "admonish the unruly." Admonish the unruly. Warning the disobedient. We add another level, and the level is that of warning.
Very often a discouraged person needs encouragement, but then what would get mixed really in there is quite a bit of disobedience and confusion and hardness and disobedient responses. And if the encouragement by itself isn't propping them back up and they're continuing to be disobedient, there needs to be some level of loving confrontation. You can call that care-frontation, but nevertheless you've got to confront with humility, with gentleness.

And the word admonish, by the way, which means to confront with the sinfulness of sin, is that Greek word that most of us or many of us are familiar with, ‘noutheteō’ , from which we get the word or the expression "nouthetic counseling." It is to confront, it is to say this is sin and this is wrong. It means to put — I like this definition — to put sense into someone in light of the consequences. To put sense into someone in light of the consequences.
And, beloved, this is not just a responsibility of elders and pastors. This is a responsibility of all believers to get involved when we see somebody who's failing, and we hold them to the standard of Scripture. And you're gonna say to somebody lovingly, gently, humbly, having first taken out of your eye the two-by-four, you tell them humbly, you claim to be a Christian as I do. Are we not under the Lordship of Christ? Are we not under the Lordship of Christ? And does He not forbid this thing? And what does He require of us? Are you truly His? Are you truly one of His sheep?You see, sheep, brother, sister, sheep follow the Shepherd. They don't set their own course. Warning, admonishing. You say, no, no, brother, no, sister. You can't live like this. You can't do this. It's not okay. You can't live in this way. You can't go down this trajectory. This will destroy your life. This is not what Christians do.

And let me be quick to say this is one of the reasons—one of the reasons—for having a clean conscience. This is one of the reasons of having a clean conscience. You see, Christians with wounded consciences through persistent sin and disobedience and lack of confession don't admonish others. They don't. You know why? Because they have lost their moral boldness. They've lost their moral boldness.And so they say things to themselves like, well, you know, I'm not perfect. Who am I to do this? I'd be a hypocrite if I did this. And this is the sign of a wounded conscience.

Didn't Paul know that he was a sinner? What did he call himself, by the way? The chief of sinners. The chief of sinners. And yet with that strong sense of his own sinfulness, he lived with such an upright conscience that he could say, "Him we proclaim, admonishing every man and teaching every man with all wisdom so that we may present every man complete in Christ" (Colossians 1:28). He wasn't afraid to admonish.

You say, well, I've got so much, so much I got to work on in my own. Okay, we'll deal with it by way of the cross. Run to Jesus. There's a fountain filled with blood drawn from Emmanuel's vein. Go, get washed. But then don't let the deceitfulness of sin make you a coward. Make a coward out of you or cause you to justify your disobedience in doing this.
You can still lovingly, gently, humbly admonish other Christians without being perfect because none of us is perfect. And so we do this. And according to Galatians 6, we do it, how? With gentleness, gentleness, gentleness. He's full of what? Yes, truth, but grace, grace and truth, hand in hand. We do it with gentleness. We consider ourselves. We think what it would be like if I was stuck myself in this. We use words that we would receive. We go because we want to restore. We don't just want to—we don't go because we just like to rebuke. We want to rebuke. We want to show them. We want to warn. We want to get them out of it because our hearts break and desire to see them restored to fellowship.

You say, well, what happens if he doesn't? If he doesn't bring the person back? What if they push you aside, push you away? They hurl insults at you. They shut the door in your face. They don't want to meet with you. They give you the cold shoulder. They're wandering off the path. You encourage, they don't come back. You warn, you admonish, they don't want to come back. And what happens then?

Matthew 18 tells us at this point. When you've done a lot of that and not this, you know, little box. I did encourage, tick. I did admonish, tick. No, no. You've been encouraging. You've been admonishing. You've been pleading. Please, brother, please, please come back. Please with tears. You've been doing that and now it's clear that they are stubbornly wandering, straying.
The Bible says at that point, you take two or three Christians of maturity, of sound judgment. And you take them with you as you go. And you go again to restore the sinning, straying person with those witnesses. And they're there to make sure that this person is genuinely wandering from the faith. And that you don't just have a personal axe to grind. And that they are to make sure that they are seeking to restore the person in a biblical way. And when they see that that's the case, they see that that person is genuinely straying, wandering, and wants to get away from the faith, they join in their restoration attempt. And they say, what are you doing? What are you doing? This person is right. You need to come back to Christ. Submit to Christ. Turn to Christ. Cling to Christ. Follow Christ. Repent.

Now if that doesn't work, Jesus says, the next stage is the whole church is involved. The whole church is told, this person who professed Christ amongst us is wandering from the faith. We all need to go rescue him. And what happens is a whole bunch of loving, God-fearing Christians, they start phoning and messaging and emailing and writing and calling and visiting. What are you doing? What are you doing? This will destroy you. Come back. Come back. Come back.

And if that person doesn't listen to the whole church, we finally are at level three. And level three is disfellowshipping the defiant. Disfellowshipping the defiant. So firstly, we encourage the discouraged and then we warn the disobedient. And if that doesn't work through all those levels, we disfellowship the defiant.

Jesus says in Matthew 18:17, "If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile." — The Gentile — "and the tax collector." What does that mean? Well, Jewish culture, the heathen Gentile, the tax collector were those outside the nation. They had lost their identification as Israelite, the tax collectors. They, like Matthew, you remember, were considered to be traitors. And of course, the Gentiles were unclean. You didn't eat with them. You didn't mix with them.

And so Jesus is saying there can be a point when somebody who has so repeatedly, flagrantly defied the authority of Christ, there comes a moment when you as a church must change your relationship with that person. Corporately, you agree that this person has wandered and is not coming back. This is not like a sheep of Christ. And so we can no longer call this person brother or sister. We don't call them enemy, but we can no longer call him or her a member of our church whose testimony of salvation we've heard and can vouch for. We must now regard this person as unbeliever to be evangelized.

They're not our enemies, but we don't count them as family. Our fellowship is over. We don't have in Christ a relationship because we don't think this person to be in Christ. And we're not going to celebrate the Lord's Supper with this person. We don't continue the relationship as it used to be. And this is the final step. And this final step can have one of two effects.
If the person is genuinely an apostate, then this step will confirm it. And we'll find out that we had a goat amongst us and the person will wander further and further and the church will be purified and protected.

But the second possible effect, and the one that we hope for and cry for and pray for, is that the true Christian, by shame of exclusion, will be the straw that breaks the camel's back and they'll come back, and with tears of joy, we will receive them in a heartbeat.

And many churches today can't be bothered to do any of these levels. Why? Because they've swallowed the philosophy of the world. Live and let live. Live and let live. Mind your own business. Leave those people alone. They'll find their way. No, no, no. Scripture says people will wander. Wanderers will perish. They will die. And so obedient Christians need to restore disobedient, professing believers.

Don't you think James knew that personally? He was, in a way, a wanderer himself. You remember he was a half-brother of Jesus who didn't believe that Jesus was the Messiah. Spent all of Jesus's ministry rejecting Him and rejecting Him and rejecting Him with so much light. And after the resurrection, what does Jesus do? The Shepherd. He goes to him, gets His brother back, and James became a believer. And James was no longer a wanderer.

And so James writes this letter to us and he says to us, don't trust in your self-righteousness. Don't trust in your sincerity because I once did. I once trusted in Judaism and tradition. I was a wanderer. But now I've been born from above, born again. And I submit to the Lordship of Jesus Christ. And it's changed everything. It's changed how I face trials. It's changed how I face temptation. It's changed how I hear and read the Word. It's changed my approach to partiality. It's changed my tongue. It's changed my wisdom. It's changed my conflicts, my relationships. It's changed my stewardship, my praying, my planning, my judging.

He says, listen, don't trust in your own heart. It will cause you to wander. Hold yourself and hold others to the standard of God's Word. That's living faith.

And let me conclude with Spurgeon's exhortation about wanderers with these words. He exhorts us. He exhorts us about wanderers with these words. He writes, listen to what he says very carefully. This is exhortation:

"Oh, my brothers and sisters in Christ. Oh, my brothers and sisters in Christ. If sinners be damned, at least let them leap to hell over our bodies. And if they will perish, let them perish with our arms around their knees, imploring them to stay and not madly to destroy themselves. If hell must be filled, at least let it be filled in the teeth of our exertions and let none go there unwarned and unprayed for."

Let's pray:

This is a transcript. It may contain small inaccuracies.

By the grace of God, what I would like to do this morning is simply to underscore some of the main lines of Biblical truth relative to the responsibility that we have one to another in our Father's house. This is an area of Biblical concern that ought never, never to recede from the realm of our present consciousness, never. For we must never forget that it's truth that holds our minds, that molds our lives. The truth which holds the mind is the truth that molds the life.

That's why the Apostle Peter writes and says these words: "Therefore, I will always be ready to remind you of these things, even though you already know them, and have been strengthened in the truth which is present with you. I consider it right, as long as I am in this earthly dwelling, to stir you up by way of reminder"—2 Peter 1:12–13.
And so, this is not an area that will come as something new to you. It is one of those things that is constantly set before us, but we need to be reminded of. It needs constantly to be set before us simply because it is so vital, so vital, so important an area of Biblical truth.

And as we consider the subject, I shall do so along the following lines. First of all, I want us to see together or seek to establish with you the nature of our relationship one to another because we are related as we are in the fellowship of this body of Christ that we are to act as we are to act. And then, in the second place, I will seek by the grace of God to set forth the primary responsibility that we have one to another. And then, the leading or major ways in which this responsibility is to be worked out in practical ways. And then finally, the source from which the grace needed for this responsibility is to be derived. So that's what we're going to do and that's where we're heading, Lord willing.

First of all, what is the nature of our relationship one to another in our Father's house? What is the nature of our relationship one to another? Let me state it negatively and then positively.
Our relationship one to another negatively in the fellowship of the church is not—let's begin with the negative—it's not.
 
It's not a relationship like unto that which exists between members of the local Conservative or Liberal or NDP parties. You see, they are bound together in a closely knit relationship, but they are bound merely by a common cause, a common political philosophy.

Our relationship is not like that which gathers together maybe a local astronomy club. They're bound together. They do some very specific things together, looking at certain stars and planets and clusters of stars, and they do things together. They share common sympathies, but that which binds them together is a common interest that is a hobby to them. And certainly the church must be something more than that.

And it is not like the relationship which exists between a group of avid cyclists. They get together, learn new skills from experienced riders, and they ride together and they share stories. You see, the church is not a relationship of this nature, nor is it like the relationship that exists perhaps in the Greek Canadian Community Association, where you have a group of Greek immigrants settled in a particular area, wanting to preserve their cultural background, cultural, religious practices, and so they banded together to form the Greek Canadian Community Association.

Now you see there's something different in all of these relationships, but none of them begin even to touch on the uniqueness of the relationship that Christians sustain one to another in the body of Christ. Are we bound together in common cause as the Conservative or Liberals or the NDP parties? Yes, but the church is something more, much more. Are we bound together by common interests as the Astronomy Club? Yes, but something more. Are we bound together like the cyclists by common hobby? Yes, but something more. Are we bound together like the Greek Canadian Community Association with a common heritage? Yes, but something more.

And when you press the thing down to its irreducible minimum, and you try to, as it were, to extract the living nerve of the uniqueness of our relationship in the light of the Word of God, what you will find is this: the nature of our relationship is nothing less than that of a living, throbbing, organic entity, where we are bound together by a common life—the life of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. The church is a society of people bound together by a common life, the life of God.

Statements such as 1 Corinthians 12—turn with me to 1 Corinthians 12. 1 Corinthians 12,  verses 12 and 13—are really a wonderful or an eloquent declaration of that fact. 1 Corinthians 12:12 "For even as the body is one and yet has many members, and all the members of the body, though they are many, are one body, so also is Christ. For also by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free, and we were all made to drink of one Spirit."
 
So here's the concept of the church as a body, constituted members of that body by the life-giving power of God the Holy Spirit, apart from Whom—Whose operation—we are never members of that body. But when He has worked in us and upon us, well, we are brought into that body.

And then Paul changes the figure. The Spirit is not only the powerful, efficient agent working upon us to put us into the body, but then we have come to drink of that one Spirit, and so we share a common life. Also, Paul in Romans chapter 12—Romans chapter 12—uses this terminology. Look at verses 4 and 5. Romans 12:4 and 5: "For just as we have many members in one body and all the members do not have the same function, so we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually members of one another."
 
There is individuality, yes, but there is also corporality. There is this shared life, this common life.

Our Lord Himself underscores it in that extended metaphor in John 15, where you remember He says, "I am the true vine"—verse 1—"and My Father is the vine grower," and "you are the branches;" (John 15:5) and the branches all share in a common life. Peter uses the analogy of living stone in 1 Peter. He says, "You also, as living stones, are being built up as a spiritual house"—1 Peter 2:5.

Now granted, this is not a common life without doctrinal substance. This is not a common life without organization, without structure, without discipline—granted, all of these things are certainly true and must be true. And a reading of John 17 and Ephesians 4 indicates that just as surely as there is one body, one Spirit, there is also one faith and one body of truth. And here in this place, this body of Christ, we do not by any means downgrade the importance of doctrine, but a gathering is not necessarily a church, ‘ecclesia’, simply because a group of people subscribe to the same doctrinal standards. No, no, it is something more than that, and the New Testament is clear with reference to the doctrine of the church: the church is this throbbing, living, organic entity bound together in a common life, the life of God.

Now then, our responsibilities grow out of the uniqueness of that relationship, and the Apostle Paul, when touching on some of the most practical areas of duty, reminds us of this. Look how practical this is. I will give you but one example as we conclude our consideration of this first point. In Ephesians chapter 4—turn with me there for a second and you can see it for yourselves—in Ephesians chapter 4, here are some people who came out of a pagan background, where they are living immersed in a pagan lifestyle, where there is lying and deceit at every level: in the political sphere, in the economic sphere, in every sphere, in every realm—lying, lying, lying. And beloved, nothing changed in our day, has it? But this was true of the pagan world in which the gospel came in that first century, and so Paul says in Ephesians 4 verse 25, "Therefore, laying aside falsehood, speak truth each one of you with his neighbor." Why, Paul? Look at the reason he gives: "for we are members of one another." Do you see it? "For we are members of one another."

What a terrible thing if my finger begins to lie to my hand on this side, or my eye begins to lie to my foot. You see what Paul is doing? Taking the most practical exhortation to ethical, moral behavior, and he says the necessity of this behavior arises out of the nature of your relationship one to another. Don't lie, but speak truth because of the relationship you sustain one to another in the body of Christ.

And of course, you have this in Romans 12 and in 1 Corinthians 12, and I don't want to belabor the point. I just want to underscore it—something that I'm sure many of you, if not all of you, are aware of: the nature of our relationship as believers in the body of Christ one to another determines our duty and our responsibility to one another. We are bound together in a common life, joined to Christ, the Head of this church, Head of this body, joined to one another, joined by the Holy Spirit, and we're constituted members of the household of God.

Alright then, having established, I trust, the nature of our relationship, well, what is the primary responsibility that we have one to another? What is the primary responsibility that you and I have one to another? Now, if you have any acquaintance with the New Testament, you know that you and I have many responsibilities to one another as believers, right? There are many one another's in the New Testament, and beyond that, in fact, you read through the epistles and you read what? Do this, don't do that, do this, don't do that, do the other, do the—oh, what a great complex of responsibilities.

So whenever you find a little booklet, a 35-page booklet or book that says "The Christian Life Made Simple," don't waste your money on it. We have the whole Bible to spell out the whole duty of the whole Christian for the whole of his life, and the people that have been best at applying the whole Bible to the whole of their life, when they came to the end of their life, would say something like this: I've just begun to learn and to do it. So I'm not saying what is your only responsibility and my only responsibility; I'm addressing myself to this question: what is our primary responsibility one to another?

Now, do you have something coming to your mind, anything that comes to your mind? If you have this, that's the heart of it. If you have this, that's the heart of it, and everything else flows out of it. Everything else flows out of it. All the other one another's, they flow out of it.

Okay, well, just tighten your seatbelt and we're going to go from Romans to 1 John very quickly. Not the whole, by the way, not the whole, but just a few passages along the way. Turn to Romans 13, first of all, Romans 13. In this section of great doctrinal presentation or dissertation on the gospel, laying out to God's people the responsibilities that rest upon them as bearers of the name of Jesus, the name of Christ, Paul in Romans 13 verse 8, he says, "Owe nothing to anyone except to"— what? — "love one another; for he who loves his neighbor has fulfilled the law. For this, 'You shall not commit adultery, you shall not murder, you shall not steal, you shall not covet,' and if there is any other commandment, it is summed up in this word, 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' Love does not work evil against the neighbor; therefore love is the fulfillment of the law."

You see what Paul is doing, did you grasp it? He says now there are many duties, but if we have to reduce them all to one central duty, a duty which is a delight for the Christian and all the others flow out of it, he reduces it to the duty of love one to another. Love one to another.

Turn to Galatians 5, the passage that we opened up with, verse 13. Galatians 5:13, "For you were called to freedom, brothers; only do not turn your freedom into an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another." Not just serve one another, but through love serve one another. "For the whole Law is fulfilled in one word, in this: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.'" That is the whole section referring of the law applied to horizontal relationship or responsibilities, not the entirety of the law, which is in its first part deals with our vertical responsibilities, but the whole law as it impacts my relationship to my brothers and sisters, he says, is fulfilled in one word: "You shall love your neighbor as yourself." But if you bite and devour one another, beware that you are not consumed by one another.

Turn to Ephesians 5, turn to Ephesians 5, and as you do that, all we're seeking to remember, all we're seeking to do is to see if the Bible approaches this matter of our responsibility one to another in terms of a concept of primary duty. Ephesians 5, verses 1 and 2: "Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children, and walk in love, just as Christ also loved us and gave Himself up for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God as a fragrant aroma." He says be imitators of God, be imitators of—imitate God, be imitators of God. What does that involve? Well, many things, but primarily involves what? Walk in love, walk in love, even as the God who is revealed in Christ has loved us.

Now, the book of Colossians, chapter 3. Colossians chapter 3, again, the Apostle's giving us many practical exhortation, he brings it, as it were, to a summary and sharp focus in verse 12. Colossians chapter 3 and verse 12: "So, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience, bearing with one another and graciously forgiving each other, whoever has a complaint against anyone, just as the Lord graciously forgave you, so also should you."

Now, stop here for a moment. You look at these verses, and bound up in these verses you have a big hunk of duties laid upon us—I mean, this is tremendous, that's an awful lot of responsibilities laid upon us as God's people—but notice what he says next. Now, (verse 14) "above all these things" — you see that? — "Above all these things put on love, which is the perfect bond of unity." You see, he doesn't say forbearance is the perfect bond of unity, he doesn't say forgiveness is the perfect bond of unity, or a heart of compassion. You see, these are all but what? Manifestations of love, right? The fruit of the Spirit is first love, right? Love—and then everything else comes after, and these are all but manifestations of love. And so he says, above all these things put on love, and as love is indeed put on, then love in its exercise will be manifested in what? Humility and compassion and forgiveness and long-suffering, even as we read in 1 Corinthians chapter 13.

Now then, turn over to 1 Thessalonians. He's exhorted them concerning many things, now he says in chapter 4, 1 Thessalonians chapter 4 and verse 9, verse 9: "Now concerning love of the brothers, you have no need for anyone to write to you, for you yourselves are what taught by God to love one another; for indeed you do practice it toward all the brothers who are in Macedonia. But we urge you, brothers, to excel still more"—excel still more, more and more in what? In this love one to another, which was taught to them by God's mighty work in their heart in regeneration by the Holy Spirit.

Then go over to 1 Peter chapter 4. Again, the apostle has been giving many exhortations, warnings against conformity to the former pattern of life, exhorting them to so walk that unbelievers—unregenerate believers, unbelievers—may see the difference, their different lifestyle, and ask a reason of the hope that is in them. Now he says in verse 7, 1 Peter 4:7, "The end of all things is at hand; therefore, be of sound thinking and sober spirit for the purpose of prayer." — Verse 8: — "Above all" — you see there is a supremacy to this duty,  a primacy — "above all keep fervent in your love for one another, because love covers a multitude of sins." And then he goes on to tell us what love will do, all the way from the opening the door of my home, the opening of the door of my heart to my brothers and sisters, to finding out what my gift is and investing it for the good of my brothers and sisters, not wrapping it in a napkin of selfishness, burying it in the earth of my own apathy and indifference. He says above all things keep fervent in your love.

And then we come, of course, to the first epistle of John, 1 John. It's so full of this, so much so you don't know where to begin and where to end. 1 John chapter 3, verse 11. 1 John chapter 3, verse 11: "For this is the message which you have heard from the beginning, that we should love one another." Same chapter, go down to verse 16: "By this we have known love, that He laid down His life for us; and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers. But whoever has the world's goods and sees his brother in need and closes his heart against him, how does the love of God abide in him? Little children, let us not love with word or with tongue, but in deed and truth."

Then, of course, the capstone passage over all of these takes us back to John 13. John 13 and verse 34 and verse 35. John 13:34. "A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another." For by this all will know that you are My disciples, if you are unwavering, unbending defenders of the truth. Is that what He says? Now let me say this. If you come to this place any length of time, you know we're absolutely, absolutely not downplaying the centrality of truth. Absolutely. It's a hill to die on. So if you're visiting with us, don't put what we say today in any other context than the context of the total ministry of this congregation. We do believe we need to be precise and fastidious about the truth. And to obscure any area of God's truth is to obscure some aspect of the glory of Christ, who is the sum and substance of that truth.

But Jesus here does not say, "By this shall all will know that you are My disciples, if you are unwavering, unbending defenders of the truth." Nor does He say, "By this shall all will know that you are My disciples, if this or that." Rather He says, If you have love one to another or for one another. Indicating that it must be a love expressed in visible deeds—visible deeds that even the godless can see and discern. Right? By this all will know that you are My disciples, by the love that you have for one to another. Well, they can't know it if it's simply something that is supposedly resident in the heart. But they know it in its visible expressions in the life and in our interaction with one another.

Now I don't think anyone would dispute the conclusion that the primary responsibility that we have one to another within this unique relationship of being members of one another is this: it is to abound in love—this biblical love. It is to abound in love to one another, and increasingly to manifest the fruit of that love in our relationship to one another in the real world in which we live. May I give it to us again? What is your primary responsibility to me as your brother in Christ? And vice versa? What is your primary responsibility one to another in the body of Christ? It is this: to abound in this love. To abound—abound to overflow—to abound in this love, in love one to another, and increasingly to manifest the fruit of that love in our relationship to each other in the real world in which we live.

That is love doing the thing that love demands in every situation given. And that may vary a hundred times in any given day. But the demand is that we love not with word or with tongue but in deed and truth. And having established something of the uniqueness of our relationship one to another—we are members of one another, we share a common life—having established, I trust, that the primary responsibility we have one to another is to love one another.

Now in the third place, what are the essential activities of this brotherly love? What are the essential activities of this love? Now there is no great significance in the order in which I am going to give them. Picture them not as a pyramid—the top one being the most important and then the bottom is the lesser one or the least one—but picture them rather as a pie. It is all cut up in slices and it does not matter where one begins. The same pie, same slice. The points are slices in a pie. So take them as that.

And the first one we are going to deal with is—well, I am going to split them under positive and negative. So let us deal with the positive ones. The essential activities of this love which is paramount. Number one, the first activity of this brotherly love in a positive vein is this: it will constrain us. It will constrain us. The love of Christ constrains us. It will constrain us to mutual forgiveness and to be blanket makers. Mutual forgiveness and to be blanket makers.
Ephesians 4:32: "Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, graciously forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has graciously forgiven you." Earlier in this chapter, in verse 25. "Therefore, laying aside falsehood, speak the truth each one of you with his neighbor, for we are members of one another."

It will constrain us. You go back to Peter's word in 1 Peter 4:8,  "Above all" —here is the primary grace, here is the fundamental grace—"keep fervent in your love one to another,". Now notice, having underscored fervent love as the primary grace, he then is going to underscore the primary activity of this primary grace. And what is it? "Because love covers a multitude of sins."
Love will cause you to be a blanket maker. It will constrain you to cover a multitude of sins. If love is the primary grace, then Peter assumes that that grace will come into its primary demand as fellow sinners redeemed. But redeemed sinners live with one another. And guess what? Fall short of perfection before one another. And of necessity, they need to let go and throw the blanket of love over mild offenses in their relationship one to another.

And if we abound in this love. This love that we saw is our primary duty. We will find ourselves constrained to not only mutual forgiveness, but also to be blanket makers. We're all beloved. All of us. You look around and you see all of us are in a state of imperfect sanctification. We call it progressive sanctification. And love is that blessed grace that will enable us, by the grace of God, instead of focusing upon each other's faults and warts and moles, and amplifying those faults, and parading those faults, and allowing them to become breaches in our relationship one to another—we'll have that ability to cover them and put them out of sight.

Now, is Peter saying that if there's a scandalous sin, we ought to just act like it isn't there? No, no, no, no, no, no, no. That's not what he's saying. There are other passages in the Word of God that teach us: if we see a brother's sin, the nature of that sin is such that demands a rebuke, that we are to go and tell him his sin and bring that rebuke. We're to rebuke him. In Luke 17 verse 3, our Lord tells us. In Matthew 18 verse 15 and following, there's ample instruction to do that.

But, beloved, that which ruins churches—that which ruins churches, that which brings internal blight, when God has promised that all the armies of hell cannot assail the church from without—that which brings internal blight again and again is not the presence of those scandalous sins that need to be dealt with by mutual reproof and discipline. It's allowing those many little areas of common fault to become festering sores in our relationship one to another. And if false doctrine and scandalous sin has slain its hundreds, the absence of love that caused people to cover a multitude of sins has slain its ten thousands.

Oh, I entreat us, brothers and sisters, beloved, as our family grows, the capacity to sin in the house of God grows. Because every person attending or brought into the membership is a partially sanctified sinner. And the more partially sanctified sinners you have, the more possibility for sin you have. So the more love there's got to be to cover a multitude of sins. And without that—without that—do you know what's going to happen? We're going to become unglued at the seams. We will become unglued at the seams, and we will find ourselves with those attitudes that drive us farther apart rather than draw us closer together.

Well, in the second place, the essential activity of this brotherly love that's described in scripture—this primary grace—is that which not only constrains us to mutual forgiveness and being blanket makers, but also it constrains us to mutual forbearance. Mutual forbearance. Forbearance. Turn with me to Ephesians 4, verse 2. Start with verse 1. Verse 1.
 
"Therefore I, the prisoner in the Lord, exhort you to walk worthy of the calling with which you have called, with In love all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another" — But how? How? "In love". In love. ‘Anechomai’, the word translated bearing. ‘Anechomai’ It is the right response to the faults and the weaknesses and the flaws of other brothers and sisters. The Greek word literally means to hold oneself back. To hold oneself back. It came to mean in Greek—in the Greek language—what we often say in English, and that is put up with someone. Put up with someone.

Paul is saying, put up with one another in love. Put up with one another in love. You know sandpaper people, right? Sometimes, put up with one another in love. I just can't put up with that any longer. I mean, yes, I mean, yeah, but that one person—God says, well, you just better have a little more putter upper put in you. You need a little more putter upper put in you. Work on that. I will help you. Work on that. Bearing with one another in love. Forbearing one with another.

Now, what is the whole assumption? What is the whole assumption of this exhortation? Well, just as Peter assumes that there will be multitude—a multitude of moral imperfections amongst the people of God—here Paul is assuming there will be a multitude of things that will demand that I put up with you and you put up with me in love.

If that's not the assumption, then the exhortation is meaningless. Is senseless. By the way, there will be no need for forbearance in heaven. No need for forbearance in heaven. You'll be so perfect, I couldn't help but love you all the time. And I'll be so perfect, you couldn't help but love me all the time. There will be no need. No need. That's one grace that won't be needed in heaven. That's a sinner's grace. Forbearance. Right? It's a sinner's grace. Any wife here has got a perfect husband, you don't need to forbear with him. Any husband in here got that perfect—don't answer. That's why we need to forbear with one another. Well, that's true in the house of God. And what is it that motivates us to forbearance? What is it? It's love. It's love. It's the love of God. The love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit.

Now this is true because not only are there moral imperfections, but there are also intellectual imperfections here. Let me explain. Our understanding of the application of the truth of God is different in a body of Christ like this. You see, we're moving in areas of sanctification at different rates of speed. We need to be aware of this. And we, by God's grace, perhaps have gone 60 kilometers an hour down this particular avenue of sanctification, and our brother or sister who has been on the road as long as we have, they've been only moving at 20 kilometers an hour in that area. And we tend to be what? Impatient. Impatient.
But keep in mind there are areas where he's been going 60 and you've been going 10 kilometers an hour. Perhaps you're reminded of what forbearance is when you walk with your loved one, perhaps your spouse.

 Or perhaps you're taking your little one for a walk and you have to put up in love with their speed. Now love demands that you do. Right? You may be trying to teach your son or daughter how to drive and they don't seem to catch on and you just want to hold on. You need to bear with their slowness in love. That's what we're talking about.

And what is it that will give us grace to do so? Love. The scripture says, "bearing with one another in love." When you find yourself unable to bear with your brothers and sisters in these areas where their thinking lags behind yours, their experience, their advance in grace, then cry out to the living God. Cry out to the living God. Oh God, flood my heart with love that will enable me to forbear with them.

It constrains us to mutual forgiveness, covering a multitude of mild offenses. It constrains us to mutually forbear with one another. And thirdly, this love flowing out along biblical channels will constrain us to mutual burden bearing. Mutual burden bearing. Romans 15 and Galatians 6, pivotal passages. And I want to clinch it really. I want to hook this one and clinch it with two rather than one passages because they balance out each other.

Romans 15. Romans 15. You're familiar with this passage. Romans 15 verse 1: "Now we who are strong ought to bear the weaknesses of those without strength and not just please ourselves. Each of us is to please his neighbor for his good, to his building up." — His edification, the building up —  "For even Christ did not please Himself, but as it is written, 'The reproaches of those who reproached You fell on Me.'"

The context, very briefly of course, is the matter of Christian liberty. And here's the man who's coming into such clear light of the truth of the gospel that in Christ all that he has and all that he is, is indeed redeemed. There's no such thing as an unclean meat and a clean meat, clean drink, unclean drink. He can take all of God's gifts, receive them with thanksgiving and partake in them with joy or of them with joy. And here's this poor, scrupulous brother. He's all the time wrestling in agony, wondering, will this please the Lord if I eat this? Will this please the Lord if I drink this? He's always just so full of scruples.

Now what's the tendency? The tendency of the strong brother is to say, come on already. Come on. Just get with it. Don't you understand the gospel? You're free in Christ. Now why are you going around like you're still half under the ceremonial law? Scruples about this, scruples about that, scruples about the other thing. Enough of this already.

Paul says, wait a minute. Just wait a minute. Are you strong? Are you strong to understand all of your great inheritance in Christ? Then you ought to be strong to understand that you're a Christian because Jesus Christ stooped to bear your burden. He could have looked upon you in your sin and in your filth and rebellion and wanted nothing to do with you, but He condescended, stooped to you in your ignorance, in your darkness, in your blindness, in your wretchedness and rebellion.

He says, now can't you do that with someone who is your brother? "Now we who are strong ought to bear the weaknesses of those without strength." Paul intends us here to understand that we are not to just put up with those who disagree with us. We put up with love, obviously, but not just to put up in terms of being angry with them and have a weak, overly sensitive conscience. Instead, we are to shoulder the load. We are to help carry their burden.

Now that doesn't mean—let me in parenthesis—it doesn't mean that we are to let those with weak consciences control how the church operates entirely. All the decisions in the church were all bound by their scruples. No, no, no. Paul says we ought to bear their weakness. Don't put them down. Don't criticize them. Don't come down hard on them. Don't dismiss them. We ought to bear with their weakness and we ought to be measured in the exercise of our liberty. As we interact with them, we ought to carry their weakness with us. We are to make sure that we consider them and come alongside of them and help them have a sanctified conscience that aligns with the word of God and that takes time and patience. To make sure that that weak conscience becomes informed with the truth of God's word.

And I say again, beloved, the more our church family grows, and God brings into it more and more cultural diversity, backgrounds that have conditioned our consciences, traditions that have molded our thinking, there are going to be more and more areas where we're going to need that grace to bear each other's burdens in the realm of Christian liberty.

But then in Galatians chapter 6, we have another line of burden-bearing. Galatians 6, look at verses 1 and 2, and this is wonderful. "Brothers, even if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual, restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness, each of you looking to yourself, so that you too will not be tempted. Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ."

Now, we need to understand that the nature of the burden that we're to bear in verse 2 is colored by the instruction given in verse 1. Don't separate the two. I love what Pastor MacArthur said concerning this quote, "The second responsibility of a spiritual believer who seeks to restore a fallen brother is to help hold him up once he's back on his feet. In this context, the reference suggests burdens that tempt a sinning believer to fall back into the trespass from which he has just been delivered. A persistent oppressing temptation is one of the heaviest burdens a Christian can have."

Does it ever occur to us, beloved, that maybe some of the sins that you see so evident in your brothers or sisters are really a burden to them? If they're Christians, truly Christians, those sins are a burden to them, because no Christian can carry sin lightly. The greatest burden to a true Christian, if he's five years old or 50, if he's been on the way a day or 20 years, his greatest burden is his sin. His sin. The sin that adheres to him, that clings to him, and, sad to say, at times overtakes him, cripples him, and how easy it is to throw stones at the brother who's been wounded, crippled by his sin.

Beloved, if we're joined together in a common life, then your burdens are mine and mine are yours. And brothers and sisters, when that happens, that's costly. That's costly. When you begin to make other people's burdens yours, that's costly. He doesn't say, bear one another's light straw loads. He doesn't say that, right? Bear one another's what? ‘Varos’, the Greek word. ‘Varos’ refers to a heavy load, heavy load, that is difficult to lift and carry. And when thing, the thing that bows my brother, my sister over, is now on my shoulders, it's going to bow me over. It's costly to bear each other's burdens.

To have a hearing ear, a sympathetic heart for the needs of your brothers and sisters is costly. Costly. But isn't that the nature of true love? To spend itself for the sake of the object loved? It's the very nature of love to spend itself for its object. And I pray that God would give us fervent love among ourselves. Love constraining to mutual forgiveness and blanket making. Love constraining to mutual forbearance. Love constraining to mutual burden bearing.

And fourthly, love constraining to mutual exhortation and admonition. One of the things that is such a joy for us who are, by the grace of God, given this privilege, undeserved privilege, to be undershepherds, elders of this congregation, is that there is the recognition that the official admonishers and exhorters of the flock are the undershepherds. "...know those who labor among you, and lead you in the Lord and admonish you." First Thessalonians 5:12.

But we must never allow that to cloud this other clearly taught biblical principle that you have a responsibility of exhortation and admonition one to another without any official bearing capacity. And two texts that come to mind. Romans 15 verse 14. Romans 15 verse 14: "But I myself am also convinced about you, my brothers, that you yourselves are full of goodness, having been filled with all knowledge and being able also to" — here it is — "admonish one another."

I love this. Paul here says that as they grow in knowledge, right, as they grow in knowledge, that is what we might call the intellectual development of the Christian. You know, your knowledge of who God is in the Christian life and all of that. And as they grow in goodness, that's the growth of virtue. As there is enlargement, we can put it this way, of heart and head. How will it find expression? "Able also to admonish one another." You see it? "Able also to admonish one another."

You see a man who comes to admonish you who's got an empty head, lack of biblical knowledge, has nothing worthwhile to admonish you about, right? The man who's got a full head but an empty heart, well, he's not in the proper frame to admonish you, right? But when he's full of goodness and filled with knowledge, he comes with the proper attitude to grant you the necessary insights. That's a wonderful balance.

Go over to Hebrews chapter 3, a similar exhortation. Hebrews chapter 3, the writer to the Hebrews warns in verse 12, "See to it, brothers, that there not be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart that falls away from the living God." The first steps of apostasy are always steps of unbelief, always. And unbelief always is a step away from God. That's why he says, "unbelieving heart that falls away from the living God." We must dread as the plague, the plague of plagues, an evil heart of unbelief that would cause us to turn from our God.
But now by what means? What are the means that God will use in helping us that we will not fall away? Verse 13, but here's the opposite: "But encourage one another day after day, as long as it is still called 'Today,' so that none of you will be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin."
 
So here we are, all of us in our uncommon place of danger. The seeds of unbelief are part of the remaining corruption within all of us. And now he says beware, take heed, there must be constant vigilance lest the spirit of unbelief gain ascendancy and wreak havoc.
Now he says there's a wonderful preventative at your disposal. What is that? He tells us mutual exhortation.

Now you see why this is laid upon all the people of God? Because it is impossible for the recognized, duly appointed, official, exhorters, the undershepherds, the elders to have the kind of intimate and close proximity to every single member of the flock, that the members of the flock have various ones with each other. And many times when an issue has developed to a place where the undershepherds have discerned it, the gangrene has already spread. And it could have been dealt with so much sooner by some brother or sister who saw the thing months before, but who either out of a false sense of timidity or out of a lack of love did not perform their biblical responsibility.

Now I know this is liable to abuse. I know. You're always going to get someone who thinks he's the Lord's chief high inspector, going around sure that he sees in this one and that one the evil heart of unbelief, but such a person is self-condemning and the whole congregation recognizes him or her and they just learn to live with him and forbear with him or her in love. You have them in every congregation. You have to live with them. You know what I call them? Moss. M-O-S. Means of sanctification that God uses in our lives. They think they're full of knowledge but they lack goodness and sometimes they think they're full of knowledge when they're just full of hot air.

Now granted this is open to abuse, but beloved, beloved, let not the abuse of it keep us from the proper use of it. Right? And periodically this exhortation must be given. You have a responsibility to each other to exhort one another. You have this God-given responsibility. We as elders are not the only ones who have this responsibility and this undeserved privilege of doing that. You have that responsibility one to another.

And if you're in the home, for example, of a brother or sister and you notice over a period of time a pattern of unruliness among the little ones—and it may be months and months before one of the elders or pastors before they would have that opportunity to observe that pattern—you prayerfully, over time, as you see this is a pattern. It's not a one-on-one time off. Just giving an example. You take that brother aside, put your arm on his shoulder—if he's a brother—and say, "Brother, I know you want to please God, don't you?" You don't come out and say, shame on you, you're failing as the head of your household. No, no. You come with humility, with kindness and tenderness. You put your arm around him. "I know you want to please God, don't you?" "Of course I do." "And you want God to bless you in your role as a father." "Well, of course I do." "I know you do. Has it ever occurred to you that perhaps—" and then you bring the loving, gentle exhortation.

"Do you realize that that pattern in your child is willful rebellion?" "Oh no, I never realized it. I just thought that was a stage of kids go through." And you sit down with him and you open up the scripture, and maybe he wasn't reared in a home where there were patterns of biblical discipline. You see, beloved, love will constrain us to exhort, to admonish one another in love, in kindness, in humility. Love constrains us to do so.

You see, love is willing—love is willing to jeopardize the friendship. Love is willing to jeopardize the friendship when it's done in this context. Proverbs 27 verse 6: "Faithful are the wounds of a friend, but deceitful are the kisses of an enemy." And may the Lord grant us this abounding in love that will constrain us to this mutual exhortation.

And one more of the positive things this love will do, very briefly: it will constrain us to the mutual sharing of our substance when necessary. We share what God has blessed us with, right? Acts chapter 4 is the classic example. Now let me clarify something. It's not put there as a pattern to follow. It is not prescriptive, it is descriptive. It's just put there as a statement of what happens when love—biblical love—just breaks over its banks.

Acts 4:34, "For there was not a needy person among them, for all who were owners of lands or houses would sell them and bring the proceeds of the sales and lay them at the apostles’ feet, and they would be distributed to each as any had need."

The situation was dire. Many of the pilgrims converted to Christianity and faced persecution, loss of jobs, and all of a sudden you had this crisis. You had a tremendous need that needed to be met all of a sudden, and the church came along to do that.

The next verse does not say—when you read this, "and they lay them at the apostles’ feet, and they would distribute them to each as any had need"—the next verse does not say and you go and do likewise. This is simply a statement of what happened. The love they bore one to another moved them to meet their brothers and sisters needs. Do you see what their love did? That's the point. Their love caused them to move to the tangible needs of their brothers and sisters and that's the exhortation that we read from 1 John chapter 3 and verses 17 and 18. "But whoever has the world's goods and sees his brother in need and closes his heart against him, how does the love of God abide in him? Little children let us not love with word or with tongue but in deed and truth."

And think of God's love to us in Christ. What we needed was someone to come amongst us to live as a man, a perfect man, a perfect life to live that perfect life of obedience to the law and as a man to die the cursed death that the law demanded. And yet he needed to be something more than man to give an infinite worth both to his obedience and his sacrifice, his death that could apply to an innumerable company of the redeemed. And so our need was precisely that and the Lord Jesus Christ, God the Son came and met that precise need because he loved us. And so if we have this love abounding one to another it will compel us, it will constrain us even to the sharing of our substance where this is needed. And may the Lord grant to us that measure of love that will constrain us to practical expression.

Well, I was hoping to deal with the negative—what this love will restrain us from. You see, love not only constrains us to certain things, but it restrains us as well. But my time is gone, so I'll just give you one point of the many that I had hoped to give. I'll leave it at this, and this is really self-explanatory: this love will restrain you from harming your brothers and sisters. It will restrain us from harming our brothers and sisters.

Romans 13 verse 10: Love, he describes it negatively here, "Love does not work evil against a neighbor." It doesn't—it doesn't. Love works good, that's the positive, but now he states it negatively: "Love does not work evil against the neighbor." You see, love will be the monitor, the rein upon my tongue. Love will be the monitor upon my attitudes. Love will be that great purgative that will keep me from harboring bitterness and resentment. Anything that harms my brother, my sister—love will restrain me from moving in the direction of that which will harm my brother or my sister.

And what is the source of this brotherly love? Well, we've seen that our relationship is that of a shared life. Our primary duty is that love—love for one another. We've looked at five channels that love will cut in the life of God's people.
 
What is the source of this brotherly love? Well, in conclusion, number one: the presence, the presence of this love is an indispensable accompaniment of regeneration. The presence of this love is an indispensable accompaniment of regeneration. It's part of being a Christian. It happens at conversion.

That's one of the primary lessons of the book of 1 John chapter 2 verses 9 through 11, chapter 4 verses 7 through 8, chapter 3 verse 14, where we read, "We know that we have passed out of death into life" —how?—"because we love the brothers." You see it? You see, we are brought into the body of Christ, the body of that shared life, and there's that reflex sense of responsibility and attachment to those who share that same life, and it's an indispensable accompaniment of regeneration.

Paul could say to the Thessalonians, I don't need to write to you to love one another, you are already taught of God to love one another, right? 1 Thessalonians 4:9. That's one of the blessings of the new covenant: They shall all be taught of God. Isaiah 54:13. You read that quote also in John 6 and verse 45.

We love one another because we're Christians, because we're born again by the Spirit of God. The Spirit of God is shed abroad in our hearts—this love—Romans 5:5, by the Holy Spirit.
And if you're here this morning and find, well, I'm in this building, I can sense that these people here sitting around me, you know, share something in common, something special in common together as they sing, as they listen, and the truth is being taught, and obviously their hearts are being—I can sense it, I can see it, people responding, there's something going on here—but I feel I'm like on the outside. Am I talking to someone like that today? You feel that you're on the outside because you are on the outside.

That's why a Christian can go into a group of people who don't even talk his language and in 30 seconds feels that he's on the inside. Their shared life—even though they can't share the same language—and they're conscious of that shared life, they click, they mesh. And you may be here today and feel like you're out, you're not part of what's going on here—that is a shared life. My friend, the reason you're not part of it is because you're not part of it, and you'll never be part of it until you are born again by the Spirit of God, and until the life of God becomes in your heart, comes into your heart, into your soul. And it cannot be until you have direct dealings with the One who's given that life, the Lord Jesus Christ, who said, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me." And so I point you to Him this morning.

Seek Him, call upon Him, come to Him.

And then finally, then for you and for me who are Christians, the growth and increase of that love is the consequence of walking in the Spirit. I'll close on that. After Paul exhorts to this love in Galatians 5, his next word is what? Walk by the Spirit, for the fruit of the Spirit is—what?—love.

You see, many times next to coldness in our vertical longings, our love for the Word and for prayer, the first manifestation that we've grieved the Holy Spirit of God is that we begin to have problems with our brothers and sisters. Things that we could overlook suddenly now begin to be magnified. Burdens that once were such that we felt we had to bear them and we bore them in love, now we can behold them with polite indifference, at times feel aggravated.

Oh, may God speak to us and cause us as His people to abound in this love more and more to the end that all men will know that we are His disciples. Is it too much to believe that our growth numerically need not be the relinquishment of the intensity of mutual love? Is God's grace able to extend itself, and I speak reverently, to the new dimensions of His body? Does He give the increase in order to give decrease of spiritual life and vigor? Unequivocally I say absolutely not. Let us look to Him for the grace needed that we may abound in love one to another.

Let's pray.

This is a transcript. It may contain small inaccuracies.

What characterizes a ministry that can be trusted? That's what we're learning together in this second chapter of 1 Thessalonians. Paul began to sow the seeds of what he's explaining in chapter 2 all the way back in chapter 1. But now in chapter 2, he's getting into the details, and he's sort of working out the details of what he began to talk about in the first chapter.

We noted already that wherever you have faithful ministry, you are going to encounter opposition—at times, fierce opposition. Sooner or later, it's going to happen. You're going to face it. And understand that standing behind the fierce human opposition is the enemy of our souls—the devil himself. Which explains the fierceness, the viciousness of what we meet with at the hands of people. Because standing behind their viciousness is the devil's viciousness. He hates God. He hates the people of God. He hates the church of God. And so we can be sure that we're going to face opposition.

This is also an opportunity, however, for what God does—when He does what He does—to be proven. To be validated. Every bit of opposition that we face is sovereignly watched over. Never forget that. It's sovereignly regulated. And it all serves as an opportunity for proven character. An opportunity for proven obedience. No matter what.

And so it was that Paul often faced the need to set the record straight when it came to the slander, the accusations, the innuendo that he had to deal with in the course of ministry. He faced much opposition. Much slander. Ascribing to him ill motives. Slandering his name. His reputation. And as we've noted, you remember he had to leave—he and the missionary team had to leave Thessaloniki on short notice. And the result is that you have these spiritual sharks, these spiritual wolves, taking advantage of that. They began to question his motives to the minds and the hearts of the Thessalonians themselves.

And so of course he cannot let this stand—this infant church—for the sake of the church, for the sake of his role with the churches as an apostle of Jesus Christ. And he needed to protect the sheep, he needed to protect the flock. For the sake of their souls, for the sake of the truth, he had to answer the opposition. And he does that here in chapter 2.

But as he does that, we can be so grateful because what we have then is a divinely inspired, divinely authored demonstration of what it means to have a trustworthy ministry in general. I mean, what characterized Paul's ministry should characterize all ministry—all ministry, formal or informal. And so as he sets forth and what made his ministry trustworthy, we can examine ourselves, we ought to examine ourselves and ask, are we characterized by the same? Are these characteristics to be found in our ministry? Each and every one of us. And you can examine any ministry you want to examine and ask this question: is it characterized by the same? That's how you evaluate, you learn how to evaluate ministries around you.

So we noted that in verse 1 through verse 12 we have the true marks, the true characteristics of a true trustworthy ministry—true trustworthy servants of Christ. And this is referring not only to the one who stands in the pulpit or goes out as a missionary or as in the case here as an apostle like Paul, but whether that ministry is found in the home as a parent, a neighbor to your neighbors, one in a place of employment to your work associates, or even a student to your fellow students, regardless. Wherever the Christian is, that's your sphere of influence. He's not only there as a Christian but also as a servant of Christ—in fact, as an ambassador of Christ. We are salt and light. Therefore, what was true of Paul as a servant, as a minister, should be true of us. And what was true of his ministry by the grace of God ought to be true of us and ours, our ministry.

Now, last week in studying verse 2, we discovered that the first two marks of a true minister, true ministry, true servanthood, true service of Christ—number one is opposition. Opposition, and bound up in this, really, suffering and boldness. That's unfettered freedom leading to a full disclosure of the truth of God.

So we're told, "but after we had already suffered and been mistreated in Philippi, as you know, we had the boldness in our God to speak to you the gospel of God amid much struggle." So opposition is one of the marks that really characterize true ministry, true servants. But in the midst of that, you have boldness. You have full disclosing of the mind of God.

And we saw together that this is not a boldness that is rooted in personality or in experience, but in our relationship to God. Notice what he says, "we had the boldness in our God." This is not boldness in my abilities, boldness in my experience, boldness in my cleverness. No, no, this is boldness in our God to speak to you the gospel. That's the mark of a true servant, the mark of a true ministry.

Well, tonight, beginning with verse 3, the apostle lays out some more of these marks of true ministry in a series of negatives and positives—negatives and positives. So he'll say our message and ministry was not this, but it is this. It was not that, but it was this. Well, this evening, as time permits, we shall study verses 3 and 4 as the first series of negatives and a positive.

Notice verse 3 with me: "For our exhortation does not come from error or impurity or by way of deceit." —That's the negative. That's the negative. Now the positive, verse 4:— "But just as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel, so we speak, not as pleasing men, but God who examines our hearts." So let us now, with the help of the Spirit, seek to understand what the apostle is saying.

Let's begin with the negative. And the negative is found in verse 3, particularly the first series of negatives, begins in verse 3 with these words: "For our exhortation does not come from…” —this, this, or that. Paul summarizes his whole ministry as an apostle under this descriptive word, our exhortation—our exhortation, paraklēsis. This is a very broad word, Greek word. Sometimes this word means instruction. Sometimes it means admonition. Sometimes it means comfort. Sometimes it means entreating. Sometimes it means encouragement. Well, sometimes it takes in all of these things. All of them.

So Paul describes the whole discharge of his ministry, his labor, under the heading paraklēsis. It's a very flexible term. And he uses this all-embracing word. Now he says, our exhortation, that is, the whole substance of our ministry, of our labor in the Lord, he says, does not come from planē, error translated. It's a word which in its root means to wander away from the proper path, planē. It's wandering out of the right way.

In Matthew 18, verses 12 and 13, it is used that the sheep that goes—what?—astray. It wanders from the proper path. It wanders from the right path. And when a sheep goes astray, what does he do? Well, he moves out of the path marked out for him by the shepherd. Now the root word has that concept of leaving the beaten track. Leaving the proper path. And then when it's transferred into the realm that Paul is using it, it's used as the exact opposite of the truth. The truth.

For instance, in 1 John 4, verse 6, John says, "From this we know the spirit of truth,”— and notice the opposite now,— “and the spirit of”—planē,— “error." Error. Same word. So what's the opposite of truth? Error. So it's properly translated here in the LSB.

Now Paul says our exhortation does not come from error. Now why does he bring this at this point? Why does he mention this at this point? Well, for the simple reason that suffering and boldness are not of themselves sufficient marks of a true minister and a true ministry. They're not sufficient by themselves.

For instance, Joseph Smith, the leader of Mormonism, suffered great opposition. In fact, he was killed and certainly was very bold. And he would pass the first two marks of a true servant, with the exception that he cannot say we had boldness in our God. The real God, at least. The God of the Bible. Maybe an heteros God, another of a different kind, his own imagination. While he was bold, he suffered opposition.

Judge Rutherford and Charles Taze Russell, the founders of Jehovah's Witnesses, they certainly were bold. And Jehovah's Witness movement to this day bears the shadow and the imprint of the brazen boldness of its founders. These men were bold. They suffered opposition. So if the only two marks of a true servant, true minister, true ministry are opposition and boldness, then these men would qualify.

But now we move into verse 3 and we immediately confront this third mark of a true ministering, the ministry, the true ministry. Namely, that his ministry is rooted not in error, but in objective truth. So the apostle declares of himself, our exhortation was not rooted in, drawn out from a source that was wrong, that was false. It was not, to use the word under inspiration, it was not a ministry framed by leaving the beaten path of revealed truth. It wasn't a ministry framed by leaving the beaten path of the right way.

But everything we preached, everything we appealed, every appeal we made, everything we delivered was found to be right smack, dead center, in the path of the truth that God revealed in Holy Scriptures, consistent with the mind of the Holy Spirit. That's what he's saying.

So then we're confronted with this third mark of a true ministry, the third mark being this: its content is one characterized by truth. By truth. Now, we live in a day that likes to downplay any concept of objective, revealed, definable truth. We live in a day where the whole thrust is, we've got to love one another, hold hands, sing kumbaya, we've got to be kind, we've got to be concerned about this and that and the other and with the mess of the world that the world is in. We've got to really just kind of love each other, and we've got no time to sit around and debate whether a certain statement is wrong or right, true or false. We've got to put all that behind us, just all syrupy, gushy, sticky love.

Paul would say no, no, for the simple reason that what you believe may damn your soul if you believe error. Truth matters. So then the mark of a true minister is that he is committed to that pathway of truth, which is the Holy Scriptures. "... Your word is truth," our Lord said. John 17:17. And by way of extension, the mark of a true parent discharging His ministry as a parent is that He discharges it within the framework of the truth of God. The mark of a true witness as he stands in his neighborhood, in his classroom, on college campus or university campus, seeking to be a witness to his neighbors, to his fellow students, is that he does so within the framework of revealed truth, objective truth.

Now if that's to be true of you and me, then a tremendous responsibility lies upon us that we know then what the beaten path is, right? How are you going to tell if somebody is ministering to you outside of the beaten path if you don't know what the beaten path is? Right? How are you going to tell if somebody is doing that? I mean, the only way to preserve the truth of God in the church is by the grace of God to make theologians out of everybody sitting in a chair or the pew. That's what R.C. Sproul said. Now, not theologians in the sense that they understand all of the technical terms and all of the refined aspects of theology, that's not what is meant. But when they hear a statement like justification, they know what it means. They know what it means.

And if someone stands up and says, well, justification has to do with a just life, they'll immediately say, absolutely not. That is false. That's wrong. That's an error. Justification has nothing to do with how you live. Justification has to do with something God declares. God declares to be true of men in the courts of heaven when they put their trust in His Son, when they believe in His Son. And they'll be able to know the difference between justification and sanctification. Yet, knowing the difference, if someone should say, well, it's perfectly possible for a person to be justified and have a right standing in heaven, but not be sanctified and be living like the world, then they'll be able to say, absolutely not. That's out of the beaten path. It's out of the beaten path.

Although justification has to do with the court of heaven, sanctification has to do with the heart of a man, and the two, according to Scripture, are never divorced. They're always joined together. And what God has joined together, let no man separate. This is what I mean by making theologians out of people in the pew or chairs, so that if someone comes and says, well, you know, really, maybe you people have been told that what you need to be faithful is to be faithful to the words of Scripture. We need to be faithful to the very words of Scripture. But certainly you realize it's not the words that are important. It's really, really the thoughts behind the words. You'd be able to see right through that and say, wait a minute. That's impossible, because thoughts are framed by words, and if you change the words, you change the thoughts.

Do you know that whole denominations have gone down the drain of liberalism as a result of putting lies into the hands of people in the name of truth? And people are taking it in, assimilating it into their very bloodstream, and being damned and poisoned with lies. Why? Because people who sat in the pew figured, well, only the preacher needs to know theological distinctions. That's not important to me. Just— I want to love Jesus. Beloved, it is important, for if you're to know the difference between a true ministry and a false ministry, you've got to know what the beaten path is before you can discern when someone's gone out of that path and went off on a tangent.

And so the apostle declares, our ministry, our exhortation does not come from error. But by contrast, it was what? What is he saying? It was one of truth. It was one of truth.

Then he says in the second place, and this is the second negative now we find here, it does not come from impurity. It doesn't come from impurity. Akatharsia. Akatharsia. This word, in almost every instance in the New Testament, it is used in the connotation of sexual impurity. In Romans 1, for example, in that terrible list of perversions, it's mentioned in verse 24. In Ephesians 5:3, it speaks of the impurity, uncleanness, along with the sexually immoral person. In Ephesians 5:5, it is used as an adjective connected with the sexually immoral person where we read, "For this you know with certainty, that no one sexually immoral or”—here's the word, akatharsia,— impure or greedy, who is an idolater, has an inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God."

Now here's the question. Why would Paul ever use such a word as this here in our text? Well, I mean, he says, for our exhortation does not come from error or akatharsia, impurity, uncleanness. What meaning would this have to the Thessalonians? Well, beloved, it would have a very real meaning to them. Remember, many of them had been what? Idol worshipers. How you turn from idols to worship, serve the living God, right? Chapter 1, verse 9. This is how Paul spoke concerning them, how they turned from that. They were idol worshipers and one of the marks of many of the heathen idols in the day in which Paul lived in the Roman government under Roman rule.

In these heathen temples, you remember, the deities, the gods who are worshipped were notorious for their sexual escapades. In fact, many of the gods had little gods by illicit relationship with other goddesses. And so it was not uncommon for heathen temples to be filled with prostitutes and to have immoral acts as part of the worship of the heathen deities. It's only logical that if your gods are like that, the ultimate is to be like your God. Therefore, unclean gods produce unclean worshipers. So Paul, by contrast, says, our exhortation does not come from error or impurity. This would have had real meanings to these people.

The opposite, of course, of impurity is what? Purity. Holiness. And by the way, the two things are used as opposite. In chapter 4, where Paul says in verse 7, "For God did not call us to,”— and here's our word,— “impurity,”—akatharsia— “but”— look at that,— “in sanctification." Our message, rooted in truth, and our motive under God to see purity and holiness produced in the hearts and the lives of people.

The apostle recognized, as we must recognize, the fourth mark with a true ministry is this. It will not only be a proclamation of truth, but a proclamation of the truth that leads to purity and godliness of life. Titus 1:1, he uses a term, the truth, which is according to what? Godliness, godliness. Truth and holiness are always joined together, and conversely, error and impurity are generally joined together.

Listen as I read several passages that show the relationship between error and impurity, and this is fascinating, fascinating. Revelation 2, verse 20, the Lord Jesus says to the church of Thyatira, you remember, "But I have this against you, that you tolerate the woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess"—you see, she's claimed to speak truth, right? That's what she claimed, to be speaking truth in the name of God. She claimed to be speaking inspired truth, and you know, a prophet was one who spoke as the mouthpiece of God, right? And Christ says to this church, you've allowed that woman who calls herself a prophetess to deliver so-called truth in the name of God, but what was the result? What was the result of that? What was the practical outworking of that? Here it is. He goes on to say,— “who calls herself a prophetess, and she teaches and deceives My slaves so that they commit sexual immorality and eat things sacrificed to idols." You see? You see, the error proclaimed was inseparably joined to impurity of life, which followed an embrace of the error, always.

In the book of Jude, you have the same thought. The theme of this chapter, of course, dealing with false teachers and their influence upon the people of God. Notice what he says about them in verses 10 through 13. Jude, verse 10, "But these men blaspheme the things which they do not understand, and the things which they know by instinct, like unreasoning animals, by these things they are destroyed. Woe to them! For they have gone the way of Cain, and for pay they have poured themselves into the error of Balaam, and perished in the rebellion of Korah. These are the men who are hidden, who are hidden reefs in your love feasts"—see, they attend the church, they're part of the church—"when they feast with you without fear, caring for themselves; clouds without water, carried along by winds; autumn trees without fruit, doubly dead, uprooted; wild waves of the sea, casting up their own shame like foam; wandering stars, from whom the black darkness has been reserved forever."

Drop down to verse 16. "These are grumblers, finding fault, following their own lusts." And in verse 19, he describes them as what? “...worldly-minded, not having the Spirit.” They have their own lusts, and they're worldly-minded. So you see that there's connected with false teaching, false uncleanness, and immoral living.

So the Apostle Paul vindicates his ministry by saying that his message was not only rooted in truth, but the whole motivation, the proclamation of that message, was that it might produce purity, holiness of heart, and holiness of life.

Now, notice how history bears out this principle. Joseph Smith claimed to be a prophet, didn't he? Right? And he claimed to have special gifts to interpret and to read these golden plates that were buried near Palmyra. But wonder of wonders, when he reads the plates, he finds that it's all right for a man to have a bunch of wives. Of course, you've gotta do this in the name of God. But what was he doing? Finding justification for giving himself over to the flesh. That's it. The uncleanness of the flesh was inseparably joined to the error that he proclaimed.

And so the Apostle Paul, in vindicating his own ministry and in giving the marks to the true minister, he says that our exhortation was not in its content of error or in its motive of impurity or uncleanness. Nor, in the third place, he says, was it in deceit. That's the next negative. In deceit. And the word deceit is the Greek word dolos. It means guile, crafty, deceitful, deceitful talk, cunning conduct.

Maybe I can best illustrate it with a little humor story. Perhaps I may be silly, but I hope it makes the point clear. Think of a little fox. And foxes are known for their wily, guile ways. So this fox sneaked into farmer Brown's chicken coop. Creative, farmer Brown, right? So one night he sneaks into farmer Brown's chicken coop by a little hole that he just about barely could squeeze himself through, the corner of the chicken coop. And so he's got in and just had the best feast on chicken that night. And when he was all done, he was so stuffed up that his side was so swollen, he couldn't get out. The hole now is so tiny for him.

So he said to himself, oh my, oh my, I'm in a bind. I'm in a tight spot here, I'm in a fix. When farmer Brown comes out to the coop in the morning to check for eggs and he finds me in here, I mean, I'm done. So this has really been my last meal. That's it for me. So the fox figured, well, what shall I do? Well, he came up with a plan. So that morning while he was looking out the chicken coop, he could see through the little hole. Though he couldn't squeeze out, he saw farmer Brown coming. In the midst of all the feathers that have been flying around and the chickens there now inside his tummy and the other chicken, the rest huddled over in the corner, scared.

As he drew near the chicken coop, farmer Brown, the fox lay down right in the middle, played dead. And so farmer Brown came in, saw that fox lying there, looking dead, saw the evidence of what had happened, what had been done, and in his anger, he picked it up by the tail, threw it, what he thought was dead carcass, out the front of the chicken coop front door. And no sooner than he'd done that, that that little wily fox ran away with his tummy full. You see, the fox caught farmer Brown with guile. He deceived him. He was sly, we say, as the fox. He was being true to his fox nature.

Well, that's the thought behind the word dolos. That which is deliberate, planned, deceit, cunning, guile, craftiness, and now the Apostle Paul says, my ministry, my preaching was not in its content of error. My message was truth, nor was my motive to produce impurity, but conversely holiness, and now he seems to be touching not so much on the message, not so much on the motive, but now on his methods, he says it was not by way of deceit. He uses a different preposition here. First, he uses ‘ek’, now he uses ‘en’. He said, for example, it was not ‘ek’, literally out of a source of error, or out of a motive of impurity, but ‘en’, in the context of honesty and openness.

Here, there was no deceit, no guile, there was no craftiness in my ministry. And as I mentioned, it seems that Paul here is referring to his method. Now, notice the relationship. When he came with a message that was rooted in objective truth, revealed truth, with a motive that God would so work as to produce holiness, he didn't have to use any tricks. He didn't have to be underhanded. He didn't have to be sneaky. He could come right into the synagogue, open up the scriptures, and proclaim that Jesus was the Messiah.

And if people say, well, what are you doing here? Well, what do you want, Paul? And you could say, as we'll study later on, I really don't want anything from you, absolutely nothing from you. I've come to do nothing but to give the message of life to you, that's all. No tricks, no gimmicks, none of the arts and crafts of the false teachers, that's it.

When you read 2 Corinthians 11 about false teachers, this very word is used about the false teachers, that they're marked by their cunning craftiness, by their guile, by their deceit. We read in 2 Corinthians 11, verse 13, “For such men are false apostles, deceitful workers, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ." And no wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light.

This is true of the so-called religious teachers who stand in the name of Christ and truth, and will give things that are not in the beaten path of the revealed will of God. And frankly, beloved, it's a deep concern. With so much of the popular methods that we hear concerning evangelism today, they're marked by the craftiness, the wildness of the false teacher. The modern gospel invitation—much of it is psychological manipulation, craftiness.

You see this whole idea of using psychological pressure and gimmicks and tricks, the tricks of the sales world to somehow get a response out of people—beloved, this is entirely foreign to the ministry of Paul. He said that my ministry, my exhortation, was not by way of deceit. I stood among you in my motives and my message and my method; we're all above board, and we're disciplined by the word of God, regulated by the word of God, rooted in the word of God.

May God grant that you and I can say that as parents, that you and I can say that as witnesses, salt and light to our neighbors, to our friends, to our fellow workers. What a tremendous thing, by the grace of God, at the end of one's life, to be able to say, in spite of all of my failures, in spite of all of my shortcomings, by the grace of God, what I sought to tell my neighbors, to tell my children, to tell my friends, to tell my work associates, to tell the people to whom I ministered, was rooted in the truth of scripture, had as its motive the producing of purity, and was carried out in the realm of absolute honesty and openness. There was no deceit, no guile, no craftiness.

That's the negative. Well, we get to the positive. He doesn't leave us with a negative. Verse four—he turns in verse four to the positive, and the reason why verse three is true is because of verse four, because of verse four. What keeps a man sticking to the beaten path of the Word of God? What keeps a woman sticking to the beaten path of the Word of God? What keeps a person, a child in his motive, pure, longing to see the truth produce purity? What keeps a man from tricks and gimmicks and guile in his witness, in his ministry, in his service? Verse four is the answer.

"But just as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel, so we speak, not as pleasing men, but God who examines our hearts." And here's the first positive statement. Paul says, I speak as a man who has been approved by God, appointed of God. Why don't I swerve from the truth? Why don't I swerve from the beaten path of revealed truth? Why, I dare not? Well, because the God of truth has appointed me to proclaim His truth. He's approved me. He's appointed me.

Why will I not swerve in my discharge of my duty, my responsibility in the ministry, as a witness, as a parent, as a friend, as a brother, as a sister? Why? Because I have been appointed and approved of God. Notice a larger statement of this in 1 Timothy chapter 1, allowing the scripture to interpret scripture. 1 Timothy 1:11 through 14. I want you to see that with me.

1 Timothy chapter 1, verse 11. Paul says,  "According to the gospel of the glory of the blessed God, with which I have been"—same word—"entrusted." —And we'll take up that thought in a moment, this whole idea of a trust.— "I am grateful to Christ Jesus our Lord, who has strengthened me, because He regarded me faithful, putting me into service, even though I was formerly a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent aggressor. Yet I was shown mercy because I acted ignorantly in unbelief, and the grace of our Lord was more than abundant, with the faith and love which are in Christ Jesus."

He's saying God has counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry. And the question that arises: is Paul saying that God looked down, as it were, watched his conduct for a period of time, and said, well, you know, by the way you're living and acting, Paul, you qualify, therefore, I'm going to put you in the ministry? No, that's not what happened. That appointment came by an act of divine sovereignty in the context of what? Mercy and grace. Mercy and grace.

Notice this so clearly stated in Acts 9, verse 15: "But the Lord said to him, 'Go, for he is a chosen instrument of Mine, to bear My name before the Gentiles and kings and the sons of Israel.'" A literal translation would be, he's a vessel of election unto Me. He's a vessel of election unto Me. He's a chosen instrument of Mine. I have chosen to lay hold of him and to make him a minister to the Gentiles. And it's all by the grace of God, sovereign grace.

Paul understood this, for he says in 1 Corinthians 7:25 that he gives a judgment as one who—by what? The mercy of the Lord—is trustworthy. By what? By his own cleverness, by his own holiness, by his own trustworthiness? No, by the mercy of the Lord is trustworthy. The Lord's mercy is what makes me faithful.

And then 2 Corinthians 3:5: "Not that we are sufficient in ourselves to consider anything as coming from ourselves, but our sufficiency is from God, who also made us sufficient as ministers of a new covenant." So Paul then recognizes, I have been approved by God. God has laid hold of me. He has appointed me to this task with responsibility as a minister, as a servant.

Therefore, I dare not do anything other than speak the right message from the right motive and use the right method. That's what he's saying.

God has laid hold of me. God has appointed me. God has approved me. And secondly, He says, I have been entrusted. I have been given a trust. He says, we have been approved by God to be what? Entrusted with the gospel.

Now, when you are made a trustee of something, what do you have? What kind of responsibilities do you have? You have two basic responsibilities when you've been made a trustee of something. First of all, you are to preserve that which is put into your trust. And secondly, you are to rightly administer that trust.

Now, Paul had a tremendous sense of this concept. I have been entrusted by God with the gospel. We read about it in 1 Timothy 1. I have been allowed of God to be put in trust with the gospel. Something has been committed to me that I might first, first of all, preserve it and preserve it as is, preserve it in its entirety, and that I may also administer it God's way, the way God wants it to be administered, not my way.

Oh, beloved, if God would burn this into our hearts, then a sense of responsibility comes upon us just to stick by the direction of the Word of God, that it would grip our hearts in every area of our ministry. As you're a parent and you think of your responsibility, how are you going to discharge it? If you are worthy of the name parent, you're going to discharge your parental responsibility, conscious of these two things. I've been appointed of God. He has given me this privilege of parenthood. He has put in my trust this responsibility.

I am not to determine how I should administer it, how it should be administered. I am not to determine how I should discharge the trust. I am to come to this beaten path. I am to come to the Scriptures. I am to glean from the Word of God all the principles involved in the administration of the trust, and then I am to preserve it, and I am to discharge it in its entirety without any reference to the smiles or the frowns of my children or society or the world about me.

I am put in this neighborhood there as a witness, there by the appointment of God as His child, as His witness, as His ambassador. How am I to discharge my trust? I'm to discover from the Scripture what that trust is, how to discharge it, and then discharge it without any reference to the smiles or the frowns of those about me, and so forth and so forth. You can see the wide-reaching impact of the application.

Paul could speak as a man conscious that he was chosen by God, given a trust from God, and then notice this third principle that comes into the text. So we speak, not as pleasing men. Not as pleasing men. Paul did not love the glory of men more than the glory of God, right? He didn't. Not as pleasing men. If I was still pleasing men—meaning as I used to be before I came to know the Lord, that's my lifestyle, that's the pattern of my life, right?—I wouldn't be a servant of Christ, he says. I'm no longer that. So we speak, not as pleasing men, but God who examines our hearts.

In other words, I've been appointed by God, I've been given a trust from God, and I am a servant accountable to God. And when you get those three things together in the heart of a man or a woman, then, guess what? He is immovable. She is immovable. You can't budge them. You can't budge them. They become filled with a sanctified stubbornness and immovability.

God has laid His hand upon me. God has given something to me, and I shall stand before that God. Here I stand. I could do no other. Now Paul recognizes, you see, that much of what he has given, much of what he has been given as a trust in the gospel, is not pleasing to men. He knew that. That's why he says we speak not as pleasing men. Of course.

God has charged me to proclaim to men what the Bible says about them, the full counsel that they're dead. They're dead in trespasses and sins, blind, wretched rebels, sinners who deserve the wrath of God, the curse of God. I've been charged to proclaim to them the glorious gospel that says the only hope of sinners is in the cruel, bloody Roman cross upon which the Son of God died and shed His blood. And I'm to declare to men that unless they're walking in holiness, they have no grounds to claim they are Christians, because when God transforms a life, when God saves a life, He transforms a life.

I'm to proclaim all these truths, every one of which is repulsive and distasteful to the natural heart, for the natural man does not accept the depths of the Spirit of God, for they are, what? Foolishness to him. So Paul says, if as I take this trust, the gospel committed to me, and as I begin to administer it, and I check my approval ratings, he said, something's going to happen if I do that. If I'm worried about my approval ratings, something's going to happen. I'm going to find that I'm going to begin to alter the message. I'm going to begin to somehow change not only the message, but ultimately my methods in order to suit the desires of the people.

But he says, I dare not do that. I cannot do that. I dare not do that, because I've been appointed of God, given a trust from God, and I will stand before God one day accountable to Him.
 
Therefore, therefore, therefore, only His smile, only His frown is what matters in the discharging of my ministry.

I say to anyone contemplating the Christian ministry, there's nothing that will keep you faithful to your trust except these things being burnt into your heart by the power of the Holy Spirit. Now, when you stand before men and women, conscious that you stand here not because your parents had ambitions that you would be a pastor or a preacher, or one day you're sitting around somewhere in your mind, you thought, well, it would be nice to do this. And, you know, I've been told I have the gift of gab, so why don't I preach? No, no.

When you stand conscious I've been appointed by God, you realize that you've been appointed to discharge and preserve a trust. He has committed to you His holy Word, the living Word, the whole counsel of His truth to be proclaimed, the bitter and the sweet, the promises and the threatenings, the commands and the exhortations, the truth of human responsibility, and the truth of divine sovereignty, the truth of men's ruin in the fall, and the redemption by Christ. This is the awesome trust committed, and it must be preserved, and it must be discharged faithfully. And then the recognition that in the discharge of that trust I stand before God who examines my heart.

Then you realize when you stand to teach or preach, the eyes of the people to whom you're speaking don't matter. It's His eye that counts. It's in the present tense, by the way. So we speak not as pleasing men, but God who examines, who proves, who tests, who tries our hearts. His eye is upon me.

And so if there's the look of anger in the eyes of those to whom you serve or minister, that doesn't matter if you know that the look of delight is in the eye of God, your God, right? And if there's look or a smile of delight in the eyes of your hearers, that doesn't satisfy if you're not sure that there's a glint of delight in the eyes of your Heavenly Father. That's the thing that shapes and molds and disciplines the servant of Christ, to be bold in the Spirit.

That will make you a true Sunday school teacher, a true nursery teacher. Beloved, that will make you a true parent in the discharge of your responsibility to your neighbors, to your friends, as a witness, as a testimony. Oh, this sense that being accountable to God is what will keep you from ever tampering with His truth. Your message will be pure from the right motive, and it will be a motive of holiness, and it will keep you from moving aside from a right method. It will not be by way of deceit, but in honesty and in openness with unfettered freedom.

And so, beloved, we have in these verses some of the marks of a true servant and true ministry. We found together in verse 2 that that one will be marked by opposition, marked by boldness, unfettered freedom. In verse 3, the negative, his message will not be of error, but of the truth, not of impurity, but of purity, not in deceit, but in honesty and openness. In verse 4, you have the positive. He will discharge that ministry conscious that he has been appointed by God, chosen by God, given a trust from God, and stands accountable to God.

In closing tonight, may I ask you a couple of very personal questions, I hope searching questions. The ministry that God has given to you, and He's given a ministry to every one of us who are His children, no question, He has. Of that ministry, can you say before God, my exhortation was not from error or out of error? Do you know that what you're saying to your neighbors is truth because you've searched it out? Do you know that what you're saying to that Sunday school class is truth because you've searched it out? Do you know that what you're doing as a parent in the context of truth is in the context of truth because you've searched it out?

Is it of impurity or purity? Does it have as its motives that it should produce holiness of life, or is it being done in deceit, or is it in honesty? Do you have a consciousness in the discharge of your ministry this evening? Do you stand ministering as one chosen by God, given a trust from God, and that you are discharging your ministry under the eye of God? Oh, for such a God-consciousness to grip our hearts, beloved, and then we shall be true servants of Christ to the praise of His glory.

Let us unite in prayer.

This is a transcript. It may contain small inaccuracies.

I want to begin by asking each and every single one of us here, sitting in this place within the sound of my voice—every man, every woman, every young person, young adults, youth, junior youth, whoever you are alike—a very personal question, and in some ways a very simple question, but a question, perhaps more than any others, if not more than really any question that you can think about, will help you to know exactly where you stand before the Living God. And that simple personal question, that simple, personal, pointed question is this: Who are you living for? Very simple. Who are you living for? Who are you living for? It's not a complicated question, is it? Who are you living for?

According to Scripture, every single one of us is living for one of two persons. Every single one of us. Whether you want to admit it or not, acknowledge it or not, it's a fact. Every single one of us is living for one of two persons. You're either living for someone who is tiny, puny, small, insignificant, and in reality unworthy of being the object of your own life, or you're living for one who is great, glorious, magnanimous, infinitely worthy of being the one for whom you live.

So here's the question again: Who are you living for? The youngest child who can take this question and process it in his own brain, and the least who's able to grasp this question and at least grasp what it means, that one is living for someone—someone worthy to be lived for, or someone unworthy to be lived for. The oldest person in this place, in this room, is living for someone—someone worthy to be lived for, or someone unworthy to be lived for.

And we're going to answer that question together, looking at our text, particularly verse 15. 2 Corinthians 5, “And He died”--Christ–“And He died for all, so that they who live would no longer live for themselves, but for Him who died and rose again on their behalf.” No longer live unto themselves, but unto Him. Here we have the two persons for whom each one of us is living, one or the other. And you know what? You can't straddle the fence. There's no middle ground. It's either the one or the other.

Sitting here this evening, everyone who's here, regardless of age, regardless of background, regardless of understanding, regardless of upbringing, education, every single one, you’re either living for yourself, or you're living unto Him who died and rose again. And as we attempt to wrestle with this question and the guidance this text gives us, will you please note with me, first of all, who we all live for by nature. Who we all live for by nature.

When Paul writes these words, he's explaining what makes him and his fellow laborers in the gospel really tick. He's explaining to these Corinthians what makes him who he is as a servant of Christ, as a man of God, as a ‘doulos’, a slave of Jesus. And in that setting, he says in the previous verse, verse 14, "For the love of Christ controls us, having concluded this, that one died for all, therefore all died." The love of Christ controls us. That is, the love of Christ holds us in its vice grip. The love of Christ seizes hold upon us. So much so, he says, that there are times when we may appear that we're not all together up here in the penthouse.

Notice, he says in the earlier part of the text, verse 13, "For if we are out of our mind, it is for God, or if we are of right mind, it is for you." There are times, he says, so constrained by the love of Christ in selfless service, in devotion, that people accuse him of being insane—insane, Christ-obsessed, having something less than a full load up here. And he says if that's so, then you must understand that something—oh something—has taken hold of us. And you know what it was? The love of Christ. Love of Christ. The love of Christ has taken hold of us. And that love, having taken hold of us, has changed us from what once we used to be. For we once were what all men were by nature.

What was that, Paul? Oh, we were creatures who lived unto themselves. Now, that's not the way God designed us to live. That's not the way God intended us to be. You go back all the way to the beginning, Genesis 1 and 2. Read the account of the original creation. What do you see there? You see God creating Adam and Eve, man and woman, in His own image, and placing them in a perfect environment, perfect relationship with each other, giving to them a standard of obedience that was wholesome and reasonable. And the creature, Adam and Eve, in the perfect environment, with no bent to evil, found their delight and joy in living unto God, the God who made them. Sweet fellowship. And it was their joy. It was their delight. Doing His will, enjoying intimate communion with Him, seeking to glorify Him in His world was the deepest delight of Adam and Eve. It was their blessedness as well as their pure joy and delight.

But then sin entered. Sin entered. And when sin entered, all of that turned inward upon themselves. And from the tragic fall recorded in Genesis chapter 3 to this very hour, each and every single one of us by nature is a creature who lives unto himself. Sin brought about nothing less than this horrible, wretched tyranny called self-centeredness. When God was pushed out of the place of being the one unto whom Adam and Eve were living, rushing into that empty place came a new god called what? Self. Self.

And, so, when Paul writes these words, you can rightly assume that all men without distinction in terms of who they live for by nature, they live unto themselves. And very early, very early, this manifests itself—and you could really nod your head really here—this really manifests itself, shows itself very early in what? Little ones, cute little babies, toddlers. You see it in a petulant, pouting self, in a toddler, in hot-tempered tantrum self. You see it in their greedy, selfish self. And soon it merges into lying, manipulative self, into whining, sneaky self.

And as a human personality and mind develops the ability to express this obsession with living unto self, it multiplies in tragic and horrible ways. No wonder the prophet Isaiah could say, "All of us like sheep have gone astray, Each of us has turned to”--what?--“his own way.” His own way. Isaiah 53:6. In other words, we have all turned to living unto the god of self. It's all about me. Because you deserve it. You're worth it.

Now, in some people, living unto self finds expression in a life of open, evident, obvious, and in many cases, a disgusting lifestyle of lawlessness and debauchery. In others, it expresses itself in a moral, upright, cultured, refined self-centeredness. But the common denominator of every son of Adam, daughter of Adam, is that by nature, he, she lives unto himself–hiis own things, his own pleasure, his own satisfaction, his own selfish ambitions, seeking his own ends, pursuing his own happiness by his own rules, with his own standards, he lives unto himself. So that the apostle can write, "And He died for all, so that [they] who live would no longer live for themselves"—because he knows that by nature each of us does indeed live unto himself.

So, who are you living for? Unless you've been transformed by the grace of God, I can say of you, based on the authority of the Word of God, that you live unto yourself. You live for yourself. Who we all live by nature? Who we all live for by nature? We live for this idol called self.

But I want us to note secondly, who some live for by the power of God's grace. Who some live for by the power of God's grace. According to this text, our text, there are some like Paul and his companions who live unto Christ, who for their sakes died and rose again from the dead. Some by the power of the grace of God no longer live for themselves, but they live for Him. They live unto Him. And the “Him” in this passage, obviously to the crucified, risen, exalted Savior. He's referred to as the One who died and rose again on their behalf. A clear reference to the Lord Jesus, who died.

‘Apo thenesko’. ‘Apo’--that first part of the word, it's a marker of disassociation, implying a rupture from a former association, separation, departure, cessation. And ‘thenesko’ is to die, in the aorist tense, indicating a past completed action. In other words, the death of Christ is indeed a historical event. In the active voice, Jesus made the volitional choice, a choice of His own will to die for us as we saw this morning. And the indicative mood is the mood of reality. Jesus really did die a physical death. And as in the previous verse, verse 24, death describes His literal physical death on the cross.

Christ Jesus, the Lord, He was the subject of verse 14. "For the love of Christ controls us, having concluded this, that one died for all, therefore all died." And so Paul is saying that with respect to himself and his companions, and as we shall see, this was true of him, not because he was an apostle, but because he was a child of God, he was a Christian. Because in the language of verse 17, he was “in Christ” and being in Christ meant that he was what? A new creation. And so when he says, "so that they who live would no longer live for themselves, but for Him who died and rose again on their behalf," he's not referring to himself because he's an apostle, but simply because he's a Christian. He's a child of God. He's a true Christian. And the one for whom some live for by the power of God's grace is none other than the Lord Jesus Christ who died and rose again on their behalf.

And so His person is lived for in a loyalty that exceeds the loyalty to any other person. His will is chosen as a way of life. His ways are desired, embraced as the pattern of life, not with perfection, not with equal constancy, but according to our text and according to the scripture, the baseline of their lives is this: when you ask them the question, who do you live for? They are enabled by the Spirit of God to answer honestly and to validate it by the pattern of their own life, they live unto Him who died and rose again on their behalf.

So that, you have this expression, “so that”, ‘ina’, which is a conjunction, serves to introduce the purpose for a previous action or truth, and in this case, the purpose for the death of Jesus Christ and for the sinner's death with Christ on Calvary's cross was that he or she would be buried with Christ, raised with Christ, to walk in newness of life, the quality of life in which they no longer live just to please themselves, but now they live for Him.

Earlier in the same chapter, look at verse 9, Paul wrote, "Therefore we also have as our ambition”--what a wholesome ambition. It's a single-minded ambition, there's a singularity of focus, not two ambitions, not three ambitions, we make it, we have it “as our ambition, whether at home or absent, to be”--what? Pleasing to self? No, “to be pleasing to Him.” In other words, they can say with Paul, in the language of Philippians 1:21, "For to me, to live is Christ and to die is”--profit–”gain"—gain, gain—I live unto Him. He is the object of my life's focus, my desires, my ambition, my standards, my goals, my purpose–they all focus and center on Christ and they all flow out of Christ and back to Christ. "For to me, to live Christ"—He's everything. I don't live for anything else or anyone else, He's my life, He's everything.

It speaks to the very reason and purpose of one's life, it speaks of that which is supreme in one's life, that which is dominant in one's life, that which is overshadowing one's life. It speaks of what is driving one's life, what compels, what controls, what constrains one's life, the sum and substance of one's life—Christ. Verse 15, our text: "so that they who live would no longer live for themselves, but for Him who died and rose again on their behalf." And the question is, what does Paul mean by living unto Him who died and rose again? What does that mean?

And I want to suggest there are at least four ways that Paul could assert this, at least four ways. Number one, when Paul said that “they who live no longer live for themselves, but for Him who died and rose again on their behalf”, involved in that first and foremost is faith in Christ. To live unto Him—involved in that first and foremost is faith in Christ. Galatians 2:20, Paul declares, "I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me." Who loved me, who loved me–a wretched rebel, a vile sinner, a hell-deserving sinner—and gave Himself up for me.

In other words, faith in Christ was the dominating, animating principle of his life. And note the language in Galatians 2:20, "the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me," that's sacrificial language. That's the language of substitution. That's the language that embodies the heart of the gospel, that Christ stood in the place of guilty, hell-deserving sinners and bore the wrath of God against sin that they themselves deserved.

Secondly, when Paul said that “they who live would no longer live for themselves, but for Him who died and rose again on their behalf”–involved in that is love for Christ. Faith in Christ, but also love for Christ. You see, the great preoccupation of true faith is Christ—it's Christ, all about Christ, all about Christ. You know, Paul chained to a Roman soldier 24 hours a day, seven days a week, you know, he writes this letter to the Philippians, and what do you find him doing? I mean, it's all about Christ, he's proclaiming Christ, he's speaking about Christ, he's telling the next soldier chained to him about Christ, and then they change shift, the next one comes and he says, have you heard about—let me tell you about Christ—he was Christ obsessed.

The great preoccupation of true faith is Christ, Christ in His love to the sinner, but never is there—mark it down—never is there a believing reception of the love of God in Christ to sinners without the heart that receives that love, responding in love to the object of its faith. Always the case. 1 Corinthians 16:22, "If anyone does not love the Lord, he is”--what?--“to be ‘anathema’", to be "accursed." 1 Peter 1:8, "and though you have not seen Him, you love Him, and though you do not see Him now, but believe in Him, you rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory." Whenever there is a genuine faith in Christ, there is love to Christ. Love delights to please its object.

Thirdly, when Paul said that “they who live would no longer live for themselves, but for Him who died and rose again on their behalf”--involved in that is communion with Christ, communion with Christ. As surely as faith in Christ always begets love to Christ, so love to Christ always gives birth to a desire for and a delight in communion with Christ. You can't have enough of Christ. You want to be in the words of Christ. You want to pray and talk to Christ. You want to hear from Christ by reading His word.

Notice the language, Colossians 3 and verse 4, that is oozing with this desire and delight in communion with Christ. Paul says, "When Christ, who is”--what?--“our life”. He's my life. You want to know? You want a definition of my life? Christ. And in Philippians 3—you studied this, right, young people?—Paul says, my passion, my great desire, what I long for is that “I may know Him.”  And this is after many, many years in the faith. I want to know Him more. In other words, my knowledge of Him is not what it ought to be. I am not satisfied. This is a wholesome, sanctified discontentment. I want more of Him. I want to know Him more. The fellowship. The communion of His sufferings.

And lastly, when Paul said, “so that they who live would no longer live for themselves, but for Him who died and rose again on their behalf”—involved, beloved, in that is also devotion to the service of Christ. Devotion, devotion to the service of Christ. From the moment of his conversion, the great passion that burned within Paul's heart was a burning devotion to the service of Christ. In Acts 22, verse 10, what was his first question? "Lord, what will You have me do?" What will You have me do?

And so the apostle could stand before the Ephesian elders in Acts 20 and declares this: "I do not make my life of any account nor dear to myself, so that I may finish my course and the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify solemnly of the gospel of the grace of God." And in 2 Corinthians 12:15, he declares those wonderful words: "I will most gladly”--not just gladly, but most gladly–”spend and be fully spent for your souls. If I love you more, am I to be loved less?” In other words, no task too difficult to undertake for the service of Christ my Lord. No burden too heavy to bear for the sake of Jesus Christ my Lord. No affliction too pressing to endure for the service of Christ Jesus my Lord. And no pain too much to bear in the service of Christ Jesus my Lord.

Paul was a man who lived not unto himself but unto Christ. "And He died for all, so that they who live"—that's the first verb—"would no longer live"—second—"for themselves, but for Him who died and rose again”. Live, ‘zao’ describes natural physical life, the quality that distinguishes a vital being from one that is dead. And both uses of the verb ‘zao’, live, here in this text, are in the present tense describing continuous action.

Now I want us to note this: the first use of the word “live” refers more to the literal physical life, and the second use of “live” refers to a believer's way of life, manner of conduct. Living in the light of His death for us. Living in the light of His cross. "Having loved His own, He loved them to the end." What end? Calvary's cross. And living in the light of His death for us serves to motivate a daily life for the Savior rather than for the self. So Christ died that we might live through Him and for Him and that we might live with Him.

So let me ask you again, who are you living for? Who are you living for? By nature, you with me must answer, if we're thinking biblically, we live for ourselves. So who are you living for? If you can say, I'm no longer living for myself, but unto Him who died for me and rose again, it is because the grace of God, the power of God, has come into your life and changed the whole focus and the whole direction of your life, and there was a tectonic change.

Now, note with me, lastly, in the third place, what it is that makes the difference. What it is that makes this difference. We saw who we live for by nature. We live for self. We saw who some live for by the power of God's grace. They live unto Christ. Well, what makes the difference? What makes the difference?

Well, if we read this whole section beginning with verse 14, where Paul says, "For the love of Christ controls us"—constrains us, compels us—we see that the death of Christ on behalf of sinners is the central theme of this whole section, culminating in Paul's words in verses 20 and 21: "So then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as God is pleading through us. We beg you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. He”--God the Father–“made Him”--God the Son–“who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him."

What makes the difference? What makes the difference? Sitting here tonight, there are men and women, young people, various backgrounds, degrees of knowledge, and some may be living for themselves. Some may be living for Christ. Some of you may be living unto self. Some unto Christ. What makes the difference? What is the issue that divides the two groups? According to Paul, in this passage, it is the truth of Christ crucified brought home to the heart by the power of the Holy Spirit. It is the truth of Christ crucified brought home to the heart by the power of the Holy Spirit. That's the difference. And Paul could say in verse 14, "For the love of Christ controls us." The love of Christ constrains us. Christ's love for us holds us in its gracious pressure, in its gracious grip, because we thus judge. It holds us in its pressure because we think in this way, having concluded this, "that one died for all, therefore all died." And those who receive life by that death should no longer live unto themselves, but unto Him, who for their sakes died and rose again.

And what does that language mean? All of that language mean? Listen carefully, beloved. It means this. When we contemplate, when we truly contemplate what the death of Christ signifies, it is our understanding of the significance of His death that has brought us to the place where we no longer live unto ourselves, but unto Him, who for our sakes died and rose again. This is what we understand, beloved. This is what we understand. That living for self is such a wretched, abominable, and disgusting thing in the sight of God, so provoking His wrath, so provoking His displeasure, that it demanded the enfleshment of the second person of the Godhead. It demanded that Jesus Christ, the God-man, be handed over to death to die under the billows of the wrath of God and become the curse on our behalf.

Now surely if living unto self is such a disgusting, abominable, wretched thing in the sight of God, that nothing less than the blood shedding of the incarnate deity can satisfy the justice of God against living unto self, then surely anyone who says, I see in a crucified, risen, exalted Christ my only hope of acceptance with this holy God, my only hope of pardon for my sins, my only hope of being right with God. Surely then, if I receive life from the death of Christ on behalf of sinners, that life is not to be lived to the end which demanded His death. Right? Surely the life received because of His death is not to be lived unto myself. It was living unto self that provoked the wrath of God, the anger of God. And surely, beloved, if I received life from the death of Christ, it must be life no longer lived unto myself, but unto Him who for my sake died and rose again.

Do you see the reasoning in Paul's mind? "For the love of Christ controls us, having concluded this, that one died for all, therefore all died"—that is, all died in Him—and what died in Him and with Him in His death spells now the death to living unto self. "And He died for all, so that they who live would no longer live for themselves, but unto Him who died and rose again on their behalf." Oh, this passage clearly teaches that whenever the Spirit of God shows us what we are as sinners and shows us something of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ crucified for sinners, there is the constraint of the love of Christ, and there is the awareness of the purpose of the death of Christ that we no longer consciously, deliberately live unto ourselves, but unto Him, the Christ who died for us and rose again.

And we learn from this passage that all professed faith in the Christ crucified that leaves people still wedded to themselves is unauthentic faith. It is spurious faith. A professed faith in the Christ crucified, a professed reception of pardon and forgiveness from a crucified, risen, exalted Christ that leaves someone still living for himself as a pattern is not biblical faith. So who are you living for? You see, the faith that is unto salvation, the pardon of our sin is a faith that brings each and every one of us into this attachment to the person of Christ. And Christ does not take second or third place in the life so attached to Him, but that life is found being lived unto Him.

Listen to what one commentator said concerning all of this. "Christ's death must change the way we live here and now on earth. Not simply ensure our entrance to God's eternal presence. Anyone who expects to live in the resurrection must respond properly to Christ's death. This response requires more than intellectual assent to the proposition that Christ's death atones for sins. It must mold how one lives." Let me say that again—It must mold how one lives. "This response provides the essential criterion for discerning who truly belongs to Christ and who does not. Those who belong to Christ do not live for themselves. In societies given to self-promotion, self-fulfillment and self-indulgence, Christians will stand out as distinctively different. They live only for Christ and give up their own rights for the good of others and do not insist on having their own way."

Do you see the tremendous, weighty relevance that this text has for so many matters that we get so really bogged down with, hung up on? Some of you, particularly young people in this place—high schoolers perhaps—you're wrestling with the question, am I really attached to Christ in faith? Is my mom's faith, my dad's faith, the body of Christ's faith, is it really my faith? May I give you one way to come rather quickly to an accurate answer? Who are you living for? Who are you living for? Who are you living for?

You may respond, well, that's vague. Well, okay. How about we get more specific? You and mom and dad are having a discussion over the kind of music you're going to listen to. And at the end of the day, isn't really this—this is the issue? Isn't really this the issue? Do you want nothing to come into your ears but that which is pleasing unto Christ? Isn't that the issue? At the end of the day, the question is not what kind of music do I like, but the real issue is what kind of music I can listen to and know that it actually pleases Christ. Rather simple, isn't it?

You see, something else is at the focal point of your decision about the music that you're going to listen to. It isn't whether or not it fits here or there on the scale of what others say is acceptable or not. The issue, bottom line, is this: you want to please Christ, who is Lord over your life. And, you know that whatever is pleasing to Him is the thing that is good for you. And this is just a simple example, one example, but this applies to every area of your life.
Regardless of the issue in discussion, the real question, the real matter, the real issue is this: I am not my own. The cross of Christ has constrained me. I am now committed to no longer live for myself. The issue is not what pleases me but what pleases my Lord. And I know, He says, "Whether, then, you eat or drink, whatsoever I do, to do it all to the glory of God." And, so, the issue is not whether I will be considered on the cutting edge of the latest style or the latest fashion. It doesn't matter what it is. The bottom line is, am I living in such a way that pleases Him? Is He my ambition? Am I living unto Him or unto myself?

You see, this subject, this theme, this text forms a penetrating, insightful index of the state of your own heart. Can you authentically say, “I am living unto Christ?” Do you love Christ? Be careful. The question is not, “Do you love Him as much as you know you should?” That's not the question. Or as much as you desire that you could? Or as much as one day you shall love Him? The question is, “Do you love Christ?” Do you love Christ? Any indication of that love in your life? Do you delight in His fellowship? What about devotion to His service?

And, you see, when that begins to be the focal point of your life, you carry about with you a constant internal means—the means of finding the right standard in your life—and it is living unto Him, who for your sake died and rose again. And that has ripple effects in the choice of your friends, the company you keep. This begins to be the litmus test. What will the Lord think about my choice of these friends? Will they be instrumental in His hands to help me in my walk with Jesus, to spur me into greater godliness, mutual edification?

Now, I am not talking about friendships, deliberate friendships, that you prayerfully establish with the purpose of being a witness, a light, to the transforming power of the gospel. I'm not talking about those kinds of friendships. I'm speaking about the kind of friends in whom I find delight and with whom I will have voluntary companionship because they welcome what I have to impart to them, and I know I welcome what they have to impart to me, and we do each other good on our way to heaven. He died for all, that they who live should no longer live unto themselves in their choice of their friends, but unto Him, who for their sake died and rose again.

And when you can say, “For to me, to live is Christ—pleasing Christ, doing the will of Christ, knowing what advances the honor and the glory of Christ—that's what I live for”, then I am living unto Him. I say this resolves many of the issues that believers struggle with. To have a passionate obsession to live unto Jesus Christ, the Christ who rescued me from the horrible, nagging guilt of an accusing conscience, the dread and fear of hell, the sense of no purpose, no direction in life, the panic mode that I was in in this life, wondering, what am I going to do in life? What's life all about? Where am I going? All that purposelessness, fear, confusion, lack of direction, an accusing conscience—all of that was swallowed up in Him who died for me and rose again.

And, when you begin to live unto Him as a transformed person, then it is relatively easy to choose your friends–relatively easy to make choices about this and that, what I listen to, what I watch. Relatively easy to make choices about a host of other issues over which I see so many people, especially young people, constantly struggling until these things become almost an obsession.

Can it be that the problem is you're dealing with rules and regulations, but you've never known what it is to be wonderfully arrested and blessedly obsessed with the amazing Christ who alone is worthy to be the One you live for? You see, you're really not that big and wonderful a thing to be the object of your own life. Neither am I. And it's a tragic thing to live unto self because you and I are a small, insignificant thing. You're not worthy to be the object of your life. Apart from Christ, all we are is decorated dust.

But there's someone infinitely worthy. It's the glorious Son of God, whose beauties cannot be described, whose glories cannot be spoken of by mortal tongues. The one who is even now the object of the adoring worship of all of the intelligent creatures in heaven. God pulls back the veil in the book of Revelation and gives us a peek of those that cry with a loud voice, "‘Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power and riches and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and blessing.’ And every created thing which is in heaven and on the earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all things in them, I heard saying, ‘To Him who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb, be the blessing and the honor and the glory and the might forever and ever.’" He is absolutely magnanimous, glorious.

And you may think you're a pretty special person, and a handful of people think that you're pretty and handsome and nice and attractive and well-built, and you look in the mirror and you think you're God's gift to the world. You can't even draw your next breath unless God gives it. "He Himself gives to all life and breath and all things." Acts 17:25. Who do you think you are to be made the object of your own life? Dependent upon God for your next breath. I mean, God could stop that heartbeat in a split second. And what a tragic folly to make yourself the object of your own life, the one to whom you live.

Our text contains a glorious proclamation of the excellence of Christ, and we've seen that. And Christ is an infinite ocean of knowledge that stretches the most brilliant mind to its fullest with no fear that it will ever find the shores or reach the bottom. So, in eternity, I mean we're constantly knowing more. Oh, the depth of Christ. I mean, listen to what Paul says, “in whom in Christ are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge." Colossians 2:3. "For in Him all the fullness of Deity dwells bodily." Colossians 2:9. Paul says, I’ve found all in Christ. I’ve found everything in Christ, all of it–not in vain philosophy, not in empty creed–but in Christ my Lord, my life, my all.

So, let me ask you, do you have that estimation of Christ? Can you say, I’ve found Christ to be an exhaustless fountain of life, a shoreless, bottomless ocean of the knowledge that fully satisfies—the very knowledge of infinite, perfectly holy God? “[T]his is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent." John 17:3.

The idea of living for yourself has so overwhelmed the world today, our culture today, our age, this age, this present, that it's seen in every possible arena. It's what fuels marketing, advertising. It's what determines education, philosophies in schools. It's what determines the counseling of psychologists and every possible professional counselor and life coach. The solution they proclaim: self-esteem, self-esteem. And, by definition, self-esteem is to make the object of that esteem yourself. That is so antithetical to what the scripture teaches.

You love and exalt yourself, pat yourself on the back, brag about yourself. You know, your weekly or monthly meeting with your manager, you have to brag about yourself. Brag about yourself. Here's how we're told today by professionals to boost self-esteem. You know, you're down, you're sad, you're depressed, and here's how you do that. You use affirmation to boost your self-esteem, and you can take little cards and you write statements like this: I like myself, I accept myself just the way I am. Or, I am the master of my own destiny, another statement says. It gets better. Here's another statement: I am somebody. That's profound, isn't it? They get together in groups. Let's say that together: I am somebody. Wow. I mean, right now, it's been raised, your self-esteem, you can feel it. You're right, I am somebody, I love myself. I believe in myself. So, you choose a statement, put it on a card, carry it around with you, repeat the statement several times during the day, especially at night, before going to bed, and when you get up in the morning, same thing. Now, it says this: whenever you say the affirmation, allow yourself to experience positive feelings, positive energy about your statement.

But, beloved, God in Christ is ready and willing in His love and mercy to deliver us from that horrible tyranny of self-centeredness and to set us free into the glorious liberty of a Christ-centered living. "For the love of Christ controls us, having concluded this, that one died for all, therefore all died." That is, all died in Him. So wretched, so vile, so unworthy a thing is this living unto self, that those who have thus lived are judged in the death of Christ, so that all who by faith behold the glory of God in the face of a crucified Savior no longer live for themselves, but for Him who died and rose again on their behalf.

And, that is so fundamental and a radical change that it's called in verse 17 what? A new creation. A new creation. "Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old things passed away.” That includes living unto myself. “[B]ehold, new things have come." And how new they are with this whole new center of life and existence. Listen to this marvelous language.

"Now all these things”--verse 18–”are from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation, namely, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their transgressions against them, and He has committed to us the word of reconciliation. So then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as God is pleading through us. We beg you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him."

Give up the god of self. Be reconciled to the God who made you. The God to whom, in Adam in Eden, you were related as the center of your life and existence, but you turned aside and turned to your own way. And Paul says that's the great plea of the gospel, and it is this: be reconciled to this God because this God has done an amazing work in Jesus Christ, and He has done it not only that we might have a righteous pardon, but that we might have a radically new center of life.

And I come around full circle to where I began with a simple, pointed, personal question. Who are you living for? Who are you living for? Are you living for yourself? Are you living for yourself? If the answer is yes, then you have a tiny, shriveled, damning god. Are you living unto Him who died and rose again for sinners? Then you have a glorious, majestic, saving God worthy of being the one to whom you live.

May God help you to ask and realistically answer that question, and may you have no rest if that is you until you are able to say with Paul, "For the love of Christ constrains me, controls us, compels me, having concluded this, that one died for all, therefore all died." God put His death sentence upon living unto self and receiving life from a crucified, risen Savior. I now joyfully say, I no longer live unto myself, but unto Him who died for me and rose again. And you too will be enabled to say, "For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain."

Let's pray.

This is a transcript. It may contain small inaccuracies.

I trust by now we remember that Christ has been clear. He's been clear. He has been clear about where He was heading. He's told us, He's told the people back then, He's going to die. He's going to the cross. In fact, He's been clear enough that the crowds understand that He's talking about dying, about His crucifixion. And He's been clear about the fact that this hour that has has come has been preordained. He's been appointed for this hour.

And this hour, He's been clear about this hour, that it's deeply troubling to Him. He's not just going to die. He's going to die a death unlike any death ever experienced before or since on Calvary's cross. He's going to die as the Lamb of God slain for sinners. The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. He's going to die as the sin bearer. God's sin sacrifice to save His people from their sin. And yet, He does not ask to be delivered from it. He doesn't. He makes it plain that even though this troubles Him, His spirit, His soul is dismayed, yet He has chosen to do it. He has chosen it. This is voluntary. He has come to this hour not only according to the will of the Father, but by His own choice.

"I lay down My life of My own accord." (John 10:18) And He looks into the face of the suffering that is looming, that is coming, and He chooses it deliberately. His one desire is that the Father is glorified. That His name will be glorified. That the Father is exalted. And the Father here, you remember, affirms. He affirms His Son's desire by saying in verse 28 (John 12), from heaven, "I have both glorified it and will glorify it again."

Let me pause here and really ponder this together. Isn't it wonderful to know that the glory of God is not depending upon the will of man? Now think about this. Isn't that wonderful? The glory of God doesn't depend on the will of man. God is able to say, "I have glorified it and I will glorify it again." God will glorify God.

Christ has also made clear that the outcome of His death is already settled. There's no ifs and buts. Settled. It will mean the judgment of the world as we saw last time. It will mean the casting out of the ruler of this world, the defeat of Satan. It will mean salvation of the world, because as He's lifted up, He will draw all people to Himself. That is, men and women, boys and girls, will be saved from all over the world, all without distinction. Again, this isn't dependent upon the will of man. This has been determined by the will of the sovereign God, by the sovereign will of God.

Christ speaks in settled terms. This will take place. Period. Paragraph. He's been clear, but in spite of His clarity, in spite of His clarity, you find confusion on the part of the crowd. Those who are listening to Him now, I mean, they're confused. They're confused. Look at the text. “The crowd then answered Him,” verse 34, "We have heard from the Law that the Christ is to remain forever; and how do You say, 'The Son of Man must be lifted up?’” How can you say that? How can you say you must die? Our understanding is that the Son of Man, that the Messiah, the Christ, is going to remain forever. How can you say He must die? “Who is this Son of Man?"

Now, we should understand the crowd's response in verse 34 to be a defiant challenge. Not a sincere question. This is not a sincere question. It's a defiant challenge. Look at this. The we and the you are emphatic in the Greek text, pitting them against Jesus. That they answer Jesus, "We have heard from the Law that the Christ is to remain forever; and how do You say, 'The Son of Man must be lifted up'?"

This morning, in the context of their confusion, there are four lessons that I want us to see together. A lesson about spiritual darkness, a lesson about spiritual light, a lesson about spiritual opportunity, and a lesson about spiritual judgment. Let's begin.

Spiritual darkness, verse 34. The first thing that we see here has to do with darkness. This has to do with unbelief. John is setting before us once again—and this is not the first time he's done this, John the Apostle, under inspiration; it won't be the last time—he's setting before us the complicated reality of unbelief. That from a human point of view, unbelief can be very confusing. Very confusing.

Back in verse 18 in this text, when you look back at verse 18, you remember that what takes place as Christ makes His triumphal entry into Jerusalem, we're told that the reason why the crowd went to meet Him was that they had heard that He had done this sign. Remember the sign, right? The raising of Lazarus from the dead? And now it seems like, it appears as if they're convinced. He's the one. He's the Messiah. They've understood the sign that Jesus has wrought in raising Lazarus from the dead, and so they go out to meet Him. It seems because they believed in Him. He's the one.

In fact, this is how the Pharisees interpreted it. Look at verse 19. So the Pharisees said to one another, "You see that you are gaining nothing; look, the world has gone after Him." It seems that they have understood. It seems that they have rightly interpreted the sign. It seems that they have understood that He's the Messiah. But now, in light of His teaching, they're confused. They cannot reconcile belief in Him with what He said about dying. Now they don't know who He is now. You're confusing us, Jesus. Who is the Son of Man? Who is the Son of Man who's going to be crucified? We thought you to be the Messiah, but now you're talking about dying? Who are you?

Beloved, despite some encouraging signs, despite from our vantage point what would have seemed to be encouraging signs, the unmistakable theme of these verses is that these people don't see. They don't see. Verse 37, "But though He had done so many signs before them, they still were not believing in Him." See that? So for a time, you see some encouraging signs. They come to meet Him. They come out to greet Him. They're waving palm branches, declaring Him to be the Messiah, and it's not long after that, that when He's taught them the truth about His death, about His crucifixion, now they don't believe anymore. Now they're unsure. Now they're doubting.

Do we realize this morning that non-saving faith can look encouraging at certain points and still not be saving faith? Or to say it another way, do you realize that unbelief wears more than one face? And it can be deadly. It is deadly. Unbelief has more than one behavior. It has more than one behavior. Sometimes unbelief is antagonistic. Sometimes it is indifferent. Indifferent. There were people who opposed Christ, and there were people who just didn't pay Him any attention.

Sometimes unbelief can show initial interest. In fact, sometimes it can show extreme interest in Jesus. Example? Exhibit A, the rich young ruler. Remember him? Running to the Lord Jesus. I mean, he falls down on his knees before Jesus. I mean, publicly. I mean, think of this. This is this noble, rich, young ruler with all the pride that he has. He comes, and he falls on his knees before Jesus publicly, unashamed to fall down on his knees before Christ, and he asked this question, “good teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?” (Luke 18:18) Sounds like a great question, doesn't it? Extreme interest. Yet the Bible says he walked away from Jesus grieved, because he had much wealth, unwilling to believe in the Lord Jesus Christ to the extent that he would leave, turn away like the Thessalonians, turn away from his idol, his wealth, to follow Christ.

Sometimes unbelief is like that. It shows extreme interest. Sometimes it is revealed by unmistakable hostility, the Pharisees. Sometimes it wears the face of friendship. Sometimes unbelief shows up at the point where it's offended. It follows for a while, interests for a while, but then comes that truth that drives it away, the truth that brings offense, that stumbling block that it cannot get over. What? Messiah dies? Sometimes it's not revealed by offense, it's revealed by sorrow, again like the rich young ruler, because it has other loves, things too precious to let go of in order to follow Jesus. Darling sins.

So what I'm saying to us this morning is this. Unbelief is something that from our vantage point is very confusing at times. Ultimately what marks the true believer, the true child of God, the true safe person, is that they believe the truth, they believe all of the truth, and they persevere in the truth. They hear the truth about Christ, all the truth about Christ, they receive the truth about Christ, and they follow Christ, and they keep on following Christ.

They follow Him daily. Unbelief, a false belief, is temporary. And what you also find many times in unbelief is a mixture. Spurgeon calls it an unprofitable mixture. It's a mixture of knowledge and ignorance. In unbelief—again I will say this—many times you'll find a mixture of knowledge and ignorance at the same time. There's some truth in the unbeliever's mind, but there's also darkness, lack of understanding.

You see that here in the text, don't you? You see that what they're stumbling over? Look at that what they're stumbling over. Verse 34, “the crowd then answered Him, ‘We have heard from the law.’” We have heard from the law. In other words, we've heard from the Scriptures, God's Word. "We've heard from the law, from the Scriptures, that the Christ is to remain forever." The Messiah will remain forever.

Now question, question: were they altogether wrong in their mind? Were they altogether wrong in their thinking? Did the Old Testament teach—does the Old Testament teach—that the Messiah will remain forever? Well, you can see where they got that from, right?

Isaiah 9, verse 7: "There will be no end to the increase of His government or of peace, on the throne of David and over His kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and righteousness from then on and forevermore. The zeal of Yahweh of hosts will accomplish this."

Ezekiel 37, verse 25: "They will inhabit the land that I gave to Jacob My servant, which your fathers inhabited, and they will inhabit it, they and their sons and their sons' sons, forever; and David My servant will be their prince forever."

Psalm 89, verse 35: "Once I have sworn by My holiness; I will not lie to David. His seed shall endure forever, and he's thrown as the sun before Me. It shall be established forever like the moon, and the witness in the sky is faithful."

So as you can see, the people know these verses and verses like them, and so they say, wait a minute, wait a second, wait a second, Jesus, You're talking about being lifted up from the earth, You're talking about the manner in which You're going to die, and our understanding from the Scriptures, from the law, is that the Messiah is going to remain forever.

What they didn't understand, however, were the Old Testament passages that spoke just as clearly about the suffering and the death of the Messiah. They had a part of the story, right? Part of the story—they didn't have it all—they had part of the picture, they didn't have all of it. They couldn't see a crucifixion and a resurrection and an ascension and then a second coming and then the establishment of a kingdom that is forever and ever and ever. They couldn't put the two together, and yet it was something that was available for them to know.

In fact, you don't have to go outside of our context here to see some some verses that they should have been able to know and should have been able to see and recognize. Look at our text—just the chapter, actually—verse 37, we'll get to it: "But though He had done so many signs before before them, they still were not believing in Him, so that the word of Isaiah the prophet might be fulfilled which he spoke, 'Lord, who has believed our report? And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?'" Well, that's from Isaiah 53, verse 1. This is what He's quoting here, and that whole section, Isaiah 53, you know it speaks of the suffering Messiah, and we're told in advance that they won't listen, they won't hear, they won't believe, they won't come.

Verse 39: "For this reason they could not believe, for Isaiah said again, 'He has blinded their eyes and He hardened their heart, lest they see with their eyes and understand with their heart, and return and I heal them.'" That's Isaiah chapter 6. And we can think about Psalm 22, other places like that in the Old Testament where the Bible clearly spoke of the suffering Messiah and the rejection of the Prince of life—the fact that He would be pierced for our transgressions, for our iniquities, and that He would not be abandoned, however, to Sheol, that that He'd be raised from the dead—Psalm 16:10. All of these are Old Testament passages that the New Testament writers, under inspiration of the Holy Spirit, end up quoting, and the children of Israel had those verses, those passages, available to them, but they did not see them, they did not understand them.

So they had only partial understanding of the Messiah, partial understanding—that is, some knowledge—but it was mingled, mixed with ignorance, mixed with darkness. And doesn't that continue even to our own day? Doesn't it? Doesn't it continue even to our own day? I mean, that's not foreign to us, is it? When it comes to sharing the gospel, when it comes to evangelism, we meet with people all the time who don't have a saving knowledge of Christ, they don't have a saving understanding of Christ. But we also meet with people who know part of the story, right? They have a partial understanding of Jesus, but they still don't have it straight in their thinking.

Someone says, well, you know, I believe in Jesus, but I'm also a good person. Yes, Jesus is the Son of God, but I'm a good person also. How are you going to heaven? Well, I believe that you have to, of course, believe in Jesus, but you also must live a good life. You have to believe in Jesus, but you have to keep the Ten Commandments. Look, you can't have two more contrary thoughts, can you? Can you? Why must we believe in Jesus? Because we are wretched rebels, we're wretched sinners. There's none good, no, not even one. There's none who works righteousness. We've all sinned, fallen short of the glory of God.

That's why Jesus had to come. That's why He lived the life that He lived, that perfect life that is required of us that we can never, ever live, and die the death that we deserve to die on our behalf, as our substitute, to pay for our sins. If we could be good enough to go to heaven, there was no need for Jesus Christ to come. So when someone says, I believe in Jesus plus I'm a good person, I believe in Jesus plus I live a good life, I believe in Jesus plus I keep the Ten Commandments and that's how I'm going to heaven, they have no understanding of Jesus at all and why He came.

Someone says, I know I'm going to heaven because Jesus died to pay for all of our sins. And some people get this sin part right, but then they think of His death as producing universalism—everybody's going to heaven because Jesus died for all of our sins. That's how some people think. And again, they don't understand that there's no salvation apart from repentance and personal faith and personal commitment to the Lord Jesus Christ.

You know who Jesus died for on the cross? Let me put it this way: in the language of the Bible, really, that's the meaning—He died for sheep, for believers. He died only for believers. He died only for those who repent of their sins and personally commit their lives to Him. He died for those unbelievers who will believe—that's what I mean—they will they will believe, they will come to saving faith, they will come to repentance and faith. There will be no salvation apart from faith, personal faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. And where there's personal faith, there's what? Repentance. There's repentance from sin, and repentance is what? Turning from the way I thought about God, the way I thought about myself, the way I thought about getting to heaven all my life—which is what? The airpoint system, right? The air mile system works, doing good. I must turn from that, all of that, and put my trust, the weight of my soul, exclusively on the Lamb of God, Jesus Christ, and Christ alone—His merit, His doing, His dying on Calvary's cross.

Salvation is by grace alone, by faith alone, in Christ alone, plus nothing. And until that's my vision of Jesus, until I understand He came to die for sinners who would trust in Him, I don't understand Jesus. Some people still have a more generic view than even that. They say, I believe in God. Do you believe in God? Yeah, I believe in God. I'm going to heaven because I believe in God. In fact, they don't understand that there's no coming to God apart from Jesus: "I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one no one comes to the Father but through Me." (John 14:6) You can't go to God directly because your sin prevents that.

There must be a mediator, and there's only one mediator given who will bring men to God. That's His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ—1 Timothy 2:5. It's by His cross, it's by His death, it's by His shed blood that men and women are reconciled to God by the payment of their sins, justified by His being raised from the dead. A living Christ saves us. And we come to Him, for He brings us to God.

So someone who just approaches God in this generic fashion and says, I believe in God, they don't understand. They don't understand who Jesus is. Now, we could go on, go on with other viewpoints like that. But the point, beloved, is this: if what you have is a partial understanding of Jesus and you hold—and I'm talking about the essentials, the essentials, the things that are indispensable, necessary for salvation—if you only have a partial understanding of Jesus, you have a damning understanding. You will not be saved.

And something you'll notice is that all of these partial views of the gospel, all of these partial views of God and of Christ, they all have something in common. And this is really important. They all appeal to the sinful nature of man. All of them. They appeal to the sinful nature of man. These partial gospels reflect—they have their source in—the sinful perspectives of the fleshly mind. And what is that? Well, men want to believe that they're good. Men want to believe that they have a part in their salvation. They play a part in their salvation. Men want to believe that there are many ways to God. Men want to believe that there's some system that they can live out in order to achieve salvation.

These partial gospels are another of a different kind. Ἕτερον (heteros) gospel, not an ἄλλο (allos) gospel. It's not another of the same kind, but another of a different kind. And they all have an appeal to the sinful nature of man. And they all also agree with the blinding suggestions of Satan, because Satan has a lot of different gospels to offer you. And you can always find one that appeals to your particular taste.

What all this gets to is, beloved, if people are left to their partial views of Jesus, they're going to perish. They're going to perish, and they can be blinded by their partial views. And let me say this: in order to receive Christ, you're going to have to abandon your partial view of Him and to embrace the total view of Him—the biblical view of Him, which is a saving view of Him—the biblical Christ.

These people here had a partial view of Messiah. They understood that He was to be a ruler forever. But to be saved, they were going to have to abandon their partial view of the Messiah to embrace the total view of the Messiah, which is He's also going to suffer for sinners on a cross, die on the cross, and be raised from the dead. And they're going to have to abandon their partial view to embrace the total view in order to be saved by Him. And as long as they were unwilling to do that, as long as they are going to hold on to their partial view, they were going to be blinded from the total view.

If your view is Jesus plus works, Jesus plus baptism, Jesus plus the Ten Commandments—oh, dear one, listen—until you're willing to let go of your partial view of the gospel and to embrace that it is by grace alone, by faith alone, in Christ alone, you're going to be blinded by your religion. Christ can't benefit you at all.

Remember the book of Galatians? There in the book of Galatians, Paul had a presentation of the danger of some who only embraced a partial view of Jesus, a partial view of the gospel. They were reverting to that. They were saying that you had to believe in Jesus, but that wasn't really quite enough. It has to be plus something else. They said, what's plus circumcision? Be circumcised. You had to believe in Jesus plus keep the law of Moses. We'll include Jesus, you know. He's important. We'll include Him. We believe in Him, but we won't embrace the total view, which is He became a curse for us to deliver us from the curse. We won't embrace that.

And what Paul's take on it was—remember what it was? Galatians 5 verse 2. He says, "Look, I, Paul, say to you that if you accept circumcision"—if you buy into this partial view of Jesus, in this partial view of what His death accomplished, and you say you've got to add to it circumcision—"if you accept circumcision, Christ will be of no advantage to you." He says in verse 2, "Behold, I, Paul, say to you that if you receive circumcision, Christ will be of no benefit to you. And I testify again to every man who receives circumcision, that he is under obligation to keep the whole Law. You have been severed from Christ,” you cut yourself off from Jesus. “You who are being justified by law; you have fallen from grace."

You've separated yourself from the grace of God when you want to substitute with your works. You're going to have to abandon your view of the gospel—your view of the gospel—and embrace the true gospel and receive the Christ of the Bible for all that He is and all that He's done.

There's a lesson here about spiritual blindness. Sometimes it looks encouraging from a human point of view, but then where the rubber meets the road, it's exposed as what? Just simply unbelief. Unbelief. Initial interest, maybe even extreme interest, but then comes that truth that challenges it in terms of what it really believes, and there's what? The departure. Right? Like we've seen earlier in the Gospel of John, right? Many, many of His disciples walked with Him no more because they'd found His teachings so hard to swallow. And they walked away.

Sometimes it's a mixture of knowledge with ignorance. You have a partial view and everything else is mixed in ignorance. In order to be saved, you have to abandon that partial view in order to accept the whole truth. So that's the first lesson, spiritual darkness.

The second one I want us to see together is spiritual light, spiritual light. How would Jesus respond to their confusion? Look at verse 35. So Jesus said to them, "For a little while longer, the Light is among you. Walk while you have the Light, so that the darkness will not overtake you; he who walks in the darkness does not know where he goes. While you have the Light, believe in the Light, so that you may become sons of Light."

So how did our Lord respond to their confusion? How? And I have to say, this is almost startling to me when I really was studying it. You would think, I mean, you would expect that what Jesus would do is say something like this: “Wait a second. You only have a partial view of the Old Testament. You only have a partial view of the truth concerning Messiah. Well, let me tell you what the rest of the story is. Let me shed some light as to the rest of the story.” But He doesn't do that. You see that? He doesn't do that. He doesn't do that. He doesn't even engage their questions straightforwardly, does He? He doesn't. He doesn't.

Jesus realized that answering their question would not get to the root problem. If their problem had been theological, Jesus could have replied, “Haven't you heard Isaiah 53 concerning Messiah dying for the sins of His people? Well, let me exposit Isaiah 53. Haven't you read Psalm 22 about Messiah's death? Well, how about Daniel 9:26, which says that the Messiah will be cut off?” But beloved, their problem was not theological. It was moral. It was a moral problem. They were walking in spiritual and moral darkness.

They say, who is this son of man? Well, He doesn't even go there. He doesn't even address that. He doesn't address them based upon what they wanted Him to talk about. He addresses them rather from the standpoint of His authority. And He says, in effect, “I'm not here to debate with you. I'm here to demand your allegiance. You don't need more information. You've had enough information. You must follow Me.” That's what He's saying.

John puts it this way, verse 37: "But though He had done so many signs before them, they still were not believing in Him." These people want to debate Old Testament passages, Scripture about the Messiah, and they had already seen more than enough to know that He is indeed the Messiah. And if you can't understand Him, all that means is that your understanding—your understanding—is deficient. The deficiency is not in Him. You've seen enough to know the deficiency is in you.

So just follow Him. Listen to Him. Obey Him. Submit to Him. This is what you must do. That's what He's saying. And again, that's not at all removed from what we deal with every single day in evangelism and witnessing to others and sharing the gospel. I know this offends the sinful nature of man, but it is the truth.

There comes a time when you, when you have heard the gospel, you've been exposed to the truth as it is given in God's Word. You know what it means to be a Christian, to be converted, to be a child of God. That your need is not to listen again and again and sit down and have someone discuss with you one more time the truthfulness of the gospel. If that's you, your need is simply to repent of your sins and follow Christ—and follow Christ. You've heard enough.

How many people are like that? They sit service after service after service after service. They grew up in a Christian home. They attend a Christian school. They've been to Sunday school. They've read the Bible. They've heard the Bible. Heard enough. You know enough. You don't need another Bible study. You don't need another religion discussion. You need to repent and obey the gospel, turn from your sin and follow Christ. And that's what must you do. And recognize that the deficiency is not in Jesus. The deficiency is in you. In you.

If you can't make sense of it all, if you can't understand it all, what you can understand is that God has given you the gospel and given you the opportunity to come to His Son. Now follow His Son. Follow Him. Isn't it amazing? After someone is saved, how clear everything becomes for the first time. Isn't it amazing how the clouds all of a sudden roll away and the sun shines through, and now we could see, now we understand, now it makes sense? And all that was so confusing, so troubling to us—as soon as we come to Christ, as soon as we follow Christ—all that troubled us, what? Melts away. It's gone.

So He gives them here a reminder. He's spoken about this before, but He reminds them again of the fact that He's what? The light. He's the light. He reminds them of it. And He's spoken to them before about this. He's the light. And there are three definite articles here used, by the way, in this text when speaking of the light. And you know what that means? All in reference to Christ. He is not just a light. He is the light. He is the light.

Look at the text: "For a little while longer the Light is among you. Walk while you have the Light, so that darkness will not overtake you; and he who walks in the darkness does not know where he goes. While you have the Light, believe in the Light, so that you may become sons of Light." Who is Jesus? He is the Light. He's the Light.

The Apostle John emphasized this already in his gospel, all the way back in the opening chapter. Chapter 1, verse 4: "In Him was life, and the life was the Light of men. And the Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overtake it. There was a man having been sent from God, whose name was John. He came as a witness, to bear witness about the Light, so that all might believe through him. He was not the Light, but he came to bear witness about the Light. There was the true Light which, coming into the world, enlightens everyone." Who is Jesus? Oh, He is the true Light. He is the Light of the world.

Jesus said this in John 3, in verse 19, in that conversation with Nicodemus. Verse 19: "And this is the judgment, that the Light has come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the Light, for their deeds were evil. For everyone who does evil hates the Light and does not come to the Light lest his deeds be exposed. But he who practices the truth comes to the Light, so that his deeds may be manifested as having been done by God." Christ is the Light. And what does someone do when the Lord saves them? Well, they come to the Light. They come to the Light.

And John 8, verse 12—you remember that passage? "Then Jesus again spoke to them again saying, saying, 'I am the Light of the world; he who follows Me will never walk in the darkness, but will have the Light of life.'" And John 9, verse 5: "While I am in the world, I am the Light of the world." And John 12, this chapter, in verse 44: "And Jesus cried out and said, 'He who believes in Me, does not believe in Me but in Him who sent Me. And he who sees Me sees the One who sent Me. I have come as Light into the world, so that everyone who believes in Me will not remain in darkness.'"

He is the Light of God's life. He is the Light of God's wisdom. He is the Light of God's truth. The Light of God's holiness. The Light of God's righteousness. He is a Light that shines in the darkness, and the darkness cannot overwhelm it, cannot put it out. He has come to be the Light of the world. He is the Light of the world. And He said it before, and He's saying again here.
He's also reminding them of something else. He's just going to be here—to use this language here—a little while longer. A little while longer. His time is short. Brief. Verse 35: "For a little while longer the Light is among you." Just a little while. And then the day of salvation for that generation of Jews came to an end.

And so He reminds them. Not only He reminds them, He also challenges them. And there are two imperatives here in this, in these verses.

In verse 35, there's an imperative—a command. He says, "For a little while longer the Light is among you." Here's the imperative: walk. That's the first one. “Walk while you have the Light.” Walk. This is a challenge to act on what they have already seen, what they have already witnessed, what they have already heard. Don't debate with Me. Don't question Me. Don't spar with Me. Walk. Follow Me. That's what He's saying.

To walk is to move, to take action. To walk is to act. To walk is to follow. To walk is to do something. What's the action that I'm to take? Verse 36: “while you have the Light.” Here comes the second imperative. Here's the action: believe. “Believe in the Light, so that you may become sons of Light.” It's a command. Believe in the Light.

Remember back in John chapter 6, verse 27: "Work for the food which endures to eternal life." What should we do so that we may work the works of God? And Jesus answers and says—He says to them what? "This is the work of God. You want to do the work of God? Here's the work of God. You want to do something? Here's what you need to do. believe in Him. Believe in him. whom He has sent." He's saying to these people, you've seen enough, you've heard enough. I'm not going to debate your view of the Messiah. I'm telling you simply: follow Me. The Light is going to be here just a little while longer. Time is short. Walk. Believe.

So there's a reminder of who He is, and His time is short. There's a challenge, and there's also a warning. There's a warning—a warning about the fact that they have limited opportunity. They have limited opportunity. For a little while longer, He says, I'm here. I'm here for a little while longer.

In verse 36: “while you have the Light, believe.” While you have the Light. While He's here. While He can be followed. While He can be responded to. And if you won't follow Him when He's standing right there before your eyes, what makes you believe that you will follow Him when He's gone?

Now you might be asking in your mind: Jesus speaks in terms of limited opportunity. Would they have no further opportunity? Listen. Listen. No opportunity that they could presume upon. I can't tell you that everyone who heard Him on this day is in hell today. I can't tell you that. What I could tell you is that not one person listening to His voice that day had the right to presume that they would have another opportunity. Which is why He says: believe now. Believe. Come to the Light. Come to Christ. You become a child of Light, a son of Light. You don't have much time. Receive Him while you are able. Receive Him. He is the Light. But the opportunity is coming to its end. The Light is here. Now is the time to believe.

And there may be people who are sitting under the sound of my voice this morning, that you've heard the gospel multiple times—multiple times, multiple times—and you're not a Christian. And you keep presuming that there will be another day, another Sunday—another Sunday. You have no right to presume such a thing. Which is why you are commanded by the Scripture: "Today if you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts." If today you hear the gospel, repent and follow Christ. Walk. Believe.

But He also mentions something else in the way of warning. He tells them of the devastating consequences of rejection. And this is really a warning. He reminds them, He tells them of the devastating consequences of rejection. He says in verse 35, "Walk while you have the Light, notice, so that the darkness will not overtake you; and he who walks in the darkness does not know where he goes."

So what is the judgment for rejected Light? What is it? Here it is: the judgment for rejecting the Light is intensified darkness. Intensified darkness. What happens when there's Light set before you and you say, no—but no thanks? And you won't walk into it? And you walk away from it? What happens is that darkness overtakes you, and you find that you are lost. You don't know where you're going. You're groping in darkness.

I love what Spurgeon said concerning this: "What a sad condition to be in. What a sad condition to be in, not to know where you are going. Are there not some of you whom I am now addressing," he says, "who do not know where you are going? Yet if you would but take the trouble to look, you might easily know that. So long as you continue in the paths of sin, you are going down to the chambers of death. Oh that God's Holy Spirit would give you sufficient light to enable you to see where you are going. You surely do not want to take a leap into the dark. Oh that you may have the grace to turn from the downward way and to seek the heavenward road," end of quote.

May I tell you something? Some people—some people ought to be deeply troubled that they are not more troubled. They were troubled in the beginning, but they're not so troubled anymore. You know what's even more tragic? They almost congratulate themselves on it. I think, you know, I've become more intellectual about this. I've become more mature about this, and I think that all the Christianity stuff is simply a myth, and at one time it troubled me, but now I'm at a place where it just doesn't trouble me anymore. You know, oh how I see now. No, no—oh how more darkened you become, how more darkened you become. It's not that you walked into greater Light, it's that you walked into greater darkness, and what should trouble you doesn't. What once troubled you doesn't. That's not progress, that's descent, and apart from the grace of God, apart from repentance and faith in Jesus, you will descend all the way to hell and discover that you've lost your way.

Spiritual darkness, spiritual light. There's a third thing that I want us to see, I want us to notice: spiritual opportunity. I've alluded to it very briefly.

Verse 36: "While you have the Light, believe in the Light, so that you may become sons of Light." What a gracious invitation, isn't it? What a gracious invitation, what a gracious, loving, merciful promise. "Believe in the Light, so that you may become sons of Light." Can you imagine? Trust in Christ and you will be brought into the light, you will walk in the light, you'll follow the light, you'll follow Him who is the Light, you'll become a son of light—that is, His light will be in you. His light will be in you.

Isn't it wonderful, isn't it amazing to recognize that salvation is nothing artificial, and it's nothing merely external, that when God saves a sinner, He makes them indeed a new creature in Christ, and they go from darkness to light? Not only in terms of a kingdom, not only in terms of a realm—He transferred us from the kingdom of darkness into the marvelous light of the Son—but in addition, we, we become light. God floods us with light, He gives us life, Christ's life is a light of men, and we see, we see.

Today, if you're outside of Christ, you can go from darkness to light. Today, you can go from under Satan's realm into a kingdom ruled by God's Son. Will you believe? Will you walk? Will you act on what you've heard and what you're hearing?

Spiritual darkness, spiritual light, spiritual opportunity, and finally, spiritual judgment. Spiritual judgment.

Verse 36: "These things Jesus spoke, and He went away and He went away. This is no accidental language here. He went away and hid Himself from them. Isn't that powerful language? You only have the light for a little while, and He says to them, walk, act, listen, obey, believe, and they hear Him. But if we take verse 37 seriously, and we must, they did not believe. They heard, but they did not believe. And He went away.

ἀπέρχομαι is the Greek verb. ἀπέρχομαι —He departed, He withdrew Himself, and the language chosen to express this is, notice the next few words, "and hid Himself from them." What a—what a sad, tragic statement.

Would you like for Jesus to go away? Some of you, you have people who love you. They witness to you. They pray for you. They continue to set the light before you, and it troubles you. It offends you. It bothers you. You wish they would stop. How many times you've met with somebody, a family member, a friend, and you're trying to share the gospel with them, and they tell you, could you please stop? Can you not talk about this?

So here's the question to ask. Do you really wish they would stop? Do you want Jesus to leave you alone? I want to ask them that. Do you really want Jesus to leave you alone? Would it be okay with you if He just hid Himself, never to trouble you again for the rest of your life here on earth? Do you realize what the consequences of that will be?

Do you know that there's not going to be a single person—not a single person, not one—who doesn't one day bow the knee and confess with their mouth that Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father? You will either know Him as Lord in this life and then in heaven, or you will know that He is Lord one day when you are in hell.

Do you want Him to just leave you alone? If you say no, that's not what I want, then let me ask you, what will you do with the light that He has already given you? What will you do with it? Will you walk in it? Will you believe in Him? Will you act on the light now?

Do you really need another Bible study? Do you really need another discussion on religion? Do you want to debate things that really aren't that meaningful to you anyway? It's just one of the ways that you use to escape the truth? Or will you repent of your sins and come to the Son of God?

And do you understand, unbeliever, if that's you, that your opportunities are limited? Limited! Who limits them? God Himself does! And we're going to see this next time, Lord willing, that God actually sends judicial blindness upon people. What will you do with the opportunity you have this day, this day, today?

And then, I want to talk to us believers for a moment. Oh, beloved brothers, sisters, you've seen, you've seen, you've beheld the light! You are sons and daughters of light! Do you realize what a miracle this is? Are you gripped by that? Aren't you dumbfounded? Do you realize that, that if but the grace of God, right here is all of us. All of us, all of us, all of us, every single one of us. Partial knowledge, which would have been damning knowledge, hostility, or indifference, or initial interest, or even extreme interest, that fell short of true belief. That was every single one of us, child of God.

And the only explanation for the fact that you are a son or daughter of light, and you have seen the light, have trusted in God's Son who is the light, is simply the grace of God. That's all. God's grace. It's called regeneration. It's called the granting of eternal life, so that in this room there is no room whatsoever for pride, there is no room for boasting. And we must all fall on our knees before our Sovereign, saving God, and bless His name, and give Him thanks that He's allowed us to see and sing with all of our hearts: "Amazing grace, how sweet the sound, that saved a wretched, vile, rebel, sinner like me. I once was lost, but now I'm found. Was blind, but now I see." Amazing grace.

Amazing intelligence. Is that what it says? Amazing soft-heartedness. Amazing wisdom. You know, if I believe what Armenians believe, that's how you ought to sing the song. Oh, how intelligent I was. How soft-hearted. How good nature I had. No, no, no, no, no. No, no. Listen. Amazing grace. Amazing grace that God would save someone like me.

Let's pray.