Walter Veith & Martin Smith - Grace Abounding - What's Up Prof? 81

[Music] welcome back to another episode of what's up prof hello walter hi martin are you doing well [Laughter] is that a rhetorical question i think we can start off the program with that we can do this that we've just done and leave that for every day for every episode for the intro absolutely let's do that let's open with a word of prayer our heavenly father thank you for bringing us together again thank you for giving us your word and helping us with the holy spirit to understand what's in written in the word we ask that you bless this discussion and also enlighten our minds with the holy spirit in jesus name amen amen you know martin the lord says my thoughts are not your thoughts so basically what he's saying is that we are on a different wavelength and the wavelength shift came as a consequence of sin so the lord is gently bringing us back to his wavelength and some things in the bible are difficult to understand and it says so in the bible even peter admits that some things are hard to understand especially when paul is writing and this confusion has been in the world ever since the gospel has been proclaimed and it's interesting that no matter from which angle you approach it there's always another angle that could say the opposite and we've spoken about grace many times and we've spoken about works many times and to bring those two together seems to be a insurmountable obstacle it was like that in the reformation as well and throughout history people either lean towards the one side or the other side and even within denominations there's a leaning either in one direction or another direction so the lord is right his thoughts are not our thoughts we need to we need to work this when once through now one of the ways in which one can approach this is by looking at the experience of others particularly people that played a prominent role in the spreading of the gospel so if you look at the story of paul for example that is something to emulate because god put it in his bible as an example if you look at the story of john who went from a son of thunder to the apostle of love and kindness and gentleness but he wrote the book of revelation so there is this dichotomy that's constantly going on now we've done programs on this on on obedience perfection and yet there are so many people who still struggle to separate the two so we thought about that and thought what if we did two lectures one where we concentrate concentrate on on the grace issue and the other one where we concentrate on the works issue and see if we can make any sense out of this not that we haven't done it but there are still many that ask this question in spite of whatever anyone says and you listen to this one and you're all confused again then you listen to that one and you know they they think they mutually exclude each other but they don't yes actually you have to get a harmony between the two we have to find a harmony so banyan wrote a book grace abounding to the chief of sinners and i thought that was such a fascinating book and we've been admonished in other writings to study what these great reformers have said and particularly banyan you know pilgrims progress and all of these things and then compare it with the experience of some of the other people and see whether we can make any sense out of this so we call this one grace abounding if you go to numbers chapter 21 verse 8 it says and the lord said unto moses make thee a fiery serpent and set it upon a pole and it shall come to pass that everyone that is bitten when he looketh upon it shall live now that was a very strange thing to do and later on in the history this fiery serpent on a pole became an idol yes yes it was supposed to convey a message of what god is all about and they turned it into an idol now don't we do the same thing correct right we take a message that god wants us to understand and we turn it into an idol and that becomes our path to salvation correct and that is a major problem so what they had to do is they had to grind it to powder and eliminate it because in spite of the the beauty of the message it was distorted it became an obstacle right so what was the idea of the fiery serpent they were going through this terrible valley and the fiery serpents were biting them and we are in that terrible valley and the fiery serpents are biting us so the only solution is to look at this serpent upon a pole and everyone that is bitten when he looks upon it shall live that is salvation by faith now why would christ depict himself as a serpent because he became sin for us and by accepting his righteousness and looking in faith upon the uplifted savior we may have eternal life and escape the venom of the fiery serpent yeah so when we go to john chapter 3 where this application is made by jesus himself he says and as moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness speaking to nicodemus even so must the son of man be lifted up that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have eternal life for god so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life for god sent not his son into the world to condemn the world but that the world through him might be saved martin is that verse clear yes it's very clear right very clear and what is the word whosoever mean all now do we exclude anybody now do we have people and whole church groups in the world today that believe in the exclusivity of salvation yes we do right yes there's people that believe that they are literal seed and that that's why they are exclu exclusive and will be saved according to that okay so even if you put something very plain in the bible such as this that puts it beyond the shadow of doubt i mean he was speaking to nicodemus nicodemus knew about the wandering in the wilderness we are wandering in the wilderness he knew the the statement son of man because that came straight out of daniel yes and there was a judgment scene therefore the son of man is the only one who is capable of judging humanity because he became man and became sin for us so that he could have empathy with our feelings and he would be lifted up he would be placed upon a pole and the bible clearly says that anyone who hangs on the pole is cursed so he became a curse for us and nicodemus understood that right and then this word whosoever must have rattled them yeah definitely because he was a jew and and he was from the sanhedrin and they were the chosen race so this really rattled him whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have eternal life and then why would god do this well because he loved us so he gave his only begotten son this one of the kind this monogamys and then that word again whosoever should not perish but have everlasting life for god sent not his son into the world to condemn the world and do we have people that use the gospel as a club to condemn people yeah is it a gospel of love or is it a gospel of condemnation then then it's condemnation okay but that's the world through him might be saved so we read this verse there's nothing there that is dubious unclear it's very very straightforward and just take that one verse and look how much controversy there is in the world about that where whole religious systems will deny that whosoever believes in him should not perish we're not talking about one or two we're talking about billions billions so this is a very important basis for the gospel we should we could spend an hour or two just contemplating these verses so one of the great books of christianity is john bunyan's book grace abounding to the chief of sinners and we would do well to take a note from this book so let's have a look at the experience of others to see if we can understand this issue of grace do you think there is a human being in his right mind that is not occasionally perplexed by what's going on in the world no i'm sure everybody has to think at some time especially in the last year yes sure what's going on there's something wrong yeah if you're not then i don't think you're paying attention or something do you think there are people in the world that haven't uh let's say believing people that haven't questioned god occasionally yeah i think every single person has done that okay martin can i ask you a personal question were you ever angry with god yeah you were angry to god i was super angry with god why did this happen yeah why did you let it happen why why did you do this why did you let it happen what kind of god have you you could have prevented this it's your fault right we question god right especially when times get tough and sometimes we turn our back totally upon him so is it okay to ask questions yes what did what did god say in his word when when take the story of job yeah did he did he allow job to say i'll come before the judgment chair and i will put my case to him and yes yeah he allowed him to rent like that he could have got and job would have been gone right why did he permit it because he's a loving god and he he wants us to think these things through he wants he knows that if you really wrestle with him you will understand exactly so it's okay to wrestle with god as long as in the end of the process or at the end of the process you can reconcile that which seems so wrong to you with that which is so right that is part of god's plan of salvation correct because he wants everybody including the universe to see that he was just and faithful and only by allowing you to have that wrestling with him and coming to that understanding it can that it's not forced on you correct so here banyan writes it is profitable for christians to be often calling to mind the very beginnings of grace with their soul it is a night to be much observed unto the lord for bringing them out from the land of egypt this is that night of the lord to be observed of all the children of israel in their generations and he quotes from the book of exodus oh my god said david my soul is caused down within me quoting from the psalms therefore will i remember thee from the land of jordan and the hermanites from the hill of mitzar now immediately when you read something like that he's quoting the bible here and he's quoting david whose soul is cast down and there are many people in the world whose souls are cast down therefore it's important that we speak about these things too we cannot only bring harsh messages they have their place but we have to also take a moment to see how we can cope with these issues correct so his soul was caught down and he remembered him from the land of jordan from the hill mitzvah remembered also the lion and the bear when he went to fight with the giant of gath quoting samuel it was paul's a custom manner and that when tried for his life even to open before his judges the manner of his conversion he would think of that day and that hour in which he first did meet with grace oh the remembrance of my great sins of my great temptations and of my great fear of perishing forever they bring afresh into my mind the remembrance of my great help my great support from heaven and the great grace that god extended to such a wretch as i it's actually very beautiful so when we are in such despair it's a good thing to go back and to try and remember our first moment of grace i was a very angry person i was angry with god well in general life people wouldn't wouldn't know what's going on in your mind but why did i have such animosity towards god because of false teachings right a false view of god and i remember my first moment of grace it hit me like a ton of bricks that i might be wrong yeah it's a it's a very harsh pill to swallow you might be wrong not nice to be wrong correct what is the hill mitza where was he sitting and what was he doing in jordan of course this is a reference to the time when his own son absalom drove him from the throne and there he sat on this hill mitzar and contemplated his past life and he realized all the mistakes that he had made in his life and he said well actually i deserve this considering what i all done and he handed it all over to god so there he was contemplating his life on this lonely hill in a foreign country martin where all on a hill mitzar we're all sitting in a foreign country and contemplating the mess that we are in yes yeah when afflicted he said remember what happened in that psalm so if we go to psalm 77 which is actually what david thought at that stage he writes in the day of my trouble i sought the lord my soul ran in the night and ceased not my soul refused to be comforted i remembered god and was troubled i complained and my spirit was overwhelmed so that's his state his condition the oldest mind eyes waking i am so troubled that i cannot speak have you felt like that martin yes i've considered the days of old the years of ancient times i call to remembrance my song in the night i commune with my own heart and my spirit made diligent search the very important point diligence search search yourself see where the problem lies and then ask yourself while he's sitting on that hill forlorn forsaken by everyone will the lord cast off forever and will he be favorable no more is his mercy clean gone forever does his promise fail forever more has god forgotten to be gracious has he in his anger shut up his tender mercies and i said this in my infirmity but i will remember the years of the right hand of the most high i will remember the works of the lord surely i will remember thy wonders of old so that is very very good advice when you are in that condition then ask yourself how did god lead in your past life yes and trust upon that god and look beyond the circumstances that you are in so there will always be a time before when god helped you through a circumstance correct so you can always fall back on something that god has correct and in a sense while he was sitting on that hill mitta he must have thought this is my just deserve after all look what i've all done in my life but what is he relying on here on god's grace in spite of the circumstances in spite of what it looks like is trusting god's grace okay do you think we will come into that position definitely or are already in that position correct right yes okay he says i will meditate also of all thy works and talk of thy doings it's a good advice so get get rid of this this feeling and concentrate on the positive correct thy way of god is in the sanctuary here you have the plan of salvation why do you have that blood going in there to condemn you to save you save you who is so great a god is our god thou art the god that doest wonders thou hast declared thy strength amongst the people thou hast with thine arm redeemed thy people the son of jacob and joseph the waters saw thee oh god the waters saw thee they were afraid the depths also were troubled the clouds poured out of water the skies sent out the sound thine arrows also went abroad the voice of thy thunder was in heaven the lightning lighted the world the earth trembled and shook thy ways in the sea and thy path in the great waters and thy footsteps are not known thou letters thy people like a flock by the hand of moses and aaron what's he doing here lifting up and praising god he's remembering everything that god had done now they were in that strait as well the egyptians were behind them the sea was in front of them they had nowhere to go and this is what god did so when you're sitting on that hill mitzvah in your personal life and you think there's nowhere to go i'm sitting between the devil and the deep blue sea that's exactly it then turn your thoughts this way and you might get out of that hole right correct so here's another excerpt from john bunyan's book grace abounding to the chief of sinners yay look diligently and leave no corner therein unsearched for that treasure head even the treasure of your first and second experience of the grace of god towards you that's where you go when you're in that position remember i say the word that first laid hold upon you remember your terrors of conscience and fear of death and hell remember also your tears and prayer to god yay how you side under every hedge for mercy this is very interesting martin when you come to this plan of salvation the very first step is repent you can't come to god unless you repent but you cannot repent unless you're convicted correct correct yeah you have to know i've done something wrong correct so somebody must convict you samadhin if your parents or your siblings convict you and tell you what a miserable sod you are that's going to do it for you right no no why not only the holy spirit can convict you aha okay so this is also something that comes from outside of you because why did it take me 38 years of my life in order to realize that something had to change within me yes why didn't it work before it's well call it stubbornness not listening to that voice not making your choice against the and not understanding it can also be yes not understanding so sometimes god arranges circumstances to put you on a hill mitzvah that you can start thinking about this yes okay remember also your tears and prayers to god yeah how you side under every hedge for mercy have you never a hill mitzar to remember have you forgot the cloves the milk house the stable the barn and the like where god did visit your souls remember also the word the word i say upon which the lord has caused you to hope if you have sinned against light if you are tempted to blaspheme if you are drowned in despair if you think god fights against you or if heaven is hid from your eyes remember it was thus with your father but out of them all the lord delivered me so it is important that we often contemplate the road that we have traveled and there's nothing more powerful than a personal testimony that's true we should do less sermonizing and speak more about what god has done rather about what is not happening according to your liking so psalms 42 5 says why art thou cast down o my soul and why art thou disquieted in me hope thou in god for i shall yet praise him for the help of his countenance it's good advice or verse 6 oh my god my soul is cast down within me therefore will i remember thee from the land of jordan and out of the hermenites from the hill mitzar so these experiences come our way so that we may understand the workings of god and this is part of the cleansing process it doesn't mean if you are in a tight spot that god has rejected you in fact when you are in the tight spot that is that is when he is the closest yes that's when you're on your knees the most okay if you look it up in uh bible studies tools it says as david took himself to the country on the other side of jordan towards hermon and his flight from his son absalom so was it with him when flying from saul he took himself to zoar in the land of moab quoting samuel and so bewails his deplorable conditions so much the bitterly that both those times he was banished to the very utmost countries north and south that the river jordan washed so sometimes we chase to the north sometimes we're chased to the south so martin basically we must always consider where we came from and compare it to where we are now and we mustn't use material measures but spiritual measures and when we were far from god and sought him not how he yet preserved us and led us in spite of our sins so we look at some verses here romans 5 8 but god commendeth his love towards us and that while we were yet sinners christ died for us that should get rid of this idea of a retributive god who just wants to punish you for what you are doing this is such a false concept this is the concept of the middle ages that drove the fear of god into those people taking that word fear and making it literal rather than an acknowledgement of his greatness psalms 53 verse 1 says the fool says in his heart there's no god corrupt or there and i've done abominable iniquity there's none that doeth good now basically that was me because i said there is no god i was an atheist right so i was a fool yes and when i think about that now while sitting on my hill mitza these things come to mind but this one is interesting ecclesiastes 10 15. the labor of the foolish and i was a fool right whereas every one of them because he knows not how to go to the city no matter there are many people in the world that don't know how to go to the city we're talking about the city of god yes and banyan wrote pilgrims progress and that was quite a job getting to the celestial city right and there were so many roads leading to the left and to the right and so many demons trying to get you onto the wrong road and taking you to the castle of despair and the pond of despond and all of these things and that's what life is all about yep sometimes some of those paths looks the easier or even more attractive path shortcut nice meadows not this rocky ground but if you keep your eyes on the right spot you will get there and you must have a correct understanding of god if you have this thought in your mind of this harsh god who has nothing better to do than to punish you then i challenge you to reconcile that thought with the one hanging on the cross correct that's a challenge right it's a dichotomy of thought it's it's enough to drive you insane so salvation is in christ and we need to remember who we are where we came from lest we become puffed up when once we have been pointed in the right direction we are sinners saved by grace not saints selected for our righteousness that is the bottom line and that's why i love the statement of martin luther it must drive some people insane but i love it he writes may god in his mercy preserve me from a church in which there are none but such saints i wish to be in fellowship with the humble the feeble the sick who know and feel their sins and who sigh and cry continually to god from the bottom of their hearts to obtain his consolation and support may god preserve us from these righteous ones that have nothing better to do than to condemn you for your your faults according to their estimation yeah it reminds me of the same church in jesus day yes and they also the pharisees but even even the apostles at that stage thought of god the way we were speaking yes when he was hanging on the cross the dreams and everything was shattered because they couldn't see that grace yes graceful god or the samaritans hey shall we bring fire down from heaven because they it is that not the other so actually our hope is built on nothing less than jesus and his righteousness perfection is in christ alone lest we should boast we've spoken about that many times so not one who has stood out in history as a champion of christ ever boasted of his own righteousness and this is such an interesting point you don't find it anywhere in the bible you don't find it in the book of job you don't find it with any that in hebrews chapter 11 have been declared the righteous ones standing in the hall of fame of righteousness if you read their histories you say what are they doing there i mean samson is in the hall of fame right now so john knox at the close of his life when he could no longer speak because he had a stroke what did he say now did john knox understand everything no he was a calvinist right he believed in predestination but somehow even in spite of some of these ideas they had a connection with god because they were living up to the light that they had right he was a fiery preacher he rebuked kings and queens he felt nothing so this is what he wrote and he actually wrote it while he couldn't speak anymore he couldn't do sermons he was debilitated through a stroke and he answered a letter that a jesuit had written against protestantism in this state now you might think you know the man is debilitated he's sitting on a hill mitzvah yeah definitely and he writes lord jesus receive my spirit and put an end at thy good pleasure to this my miserable life sounds like joke it sounds like job yes sounds like jeremiah because it is the day in which i was born for justice and truth are not to be found amongst the sons of men john knox with deliberate mind to his god be merciful unto me o lord and call not into judgment my many false sins and chiefly those whereof the world is not able to accuse me he's secret ones in youth mid-age and now after many battles i find nothing in me but vanity and corruption i might just add here the reason why we're smiling is because we can identify with us and that's how why some it's not being disrespectful for smiling about this we have sympathy because i'm sure everybody has been in this situation one would you answer a jesuit in this way no no no so this is a good thing this is amazing actually for in quietness i am negligent in trouble impatient tending to desperation and in the mean state i am so carried away with vain fantasies that alas o lord they withdraw me from the presence of thy majesty pride ambition assault me on the one part covetousness and malice trouble me on the other briefly o lord the affections of the flesh do almost suppress the operation of thy spirit do other people struggle with these things definitely yes he was a man of god and he was at the end of his life and this is what he's writing i take the o lord who only knows the secrets of the heart to record that in none of the aforesaid i do delight but that with them i am troubled and that sore against the desire of my inward man which sobs for my corruption and would repose in thy mercy alone to which i claim and that in the promise that those made to all the penitent sinners of whose number i profess myself to be one in the obedience and death of my only savior our lord jesus christ in whom by thy mere grace i doubt not myself to be elected to eternal salvation see he believed in predestination and in spite of himself here he was thinking this now do you think that at this stage he was using this as a license to sin no no this was just an honest proclamation of his position right for being drowned in ignorance thus given to me knowledge above the common sort of my brethren my tongue has thou used to set forth thy glory to upon idolatry errors and false doctrine that has compelled me to forspeak prophecy as well as deliverance to be afflicted as destruction to certain disobedience so he often rebuked sin yes but now he's rebuking sin in himself right correct the performance whereof not i alone but the very blind world has already seen but above all o lord thou by the power of the holy spirit has sealed in my heart remission of my sins which i acknowledge and confess myself to have received by the precious blood of jesus christ once shed by whose perfect obedience i am assured my manifold rebellions are defaced my grievous sins purged my soul made the tabernacle of thy godly majesty thou o father of mercies thy son our lord jesus christ my only savior mediator and advocate and thy holy spirit remaining in the same by true faith which is the only victory that overcometh the world do you think he understood grace yes he understood it right definitely and and here's an example he stood undaunted he went through the valley of fiery serpents and in the end he was bitten by the fiery serpent yes being paralyzed and then he looked up at the pole right through like you said he couldn't even speak and he writes this okay so is this not depressing to you or encouraging encouraging uh-huh the following text caused john bunyan some perplexity as he struggled with the idea whether he was part of the elect or not see they had this galvanistic view now am i saved am i lost what is your opinion of god i mean we've spoken about those things many times but it is fascinating to me how how they think so he wrestled he wrestled with many things romans 9 15 for he said to moses i will have mercy on whom i will have mercy and i will have compassion on him on whom i will have compassion. so bunyan is wrestling with that one he's saying okay so do we have a god who says away with you you're okay yeah all right that's problematic uh at this stage he forgot the little word whosoever correct yes right yeah yeah oh let's look at romans so then it is not of him that willeth no of him that runneth but of god that showeth mercy so he takes these two verses and he can't trust them and then he says by these things i was driven to my wit's end not knowing what to say or how to answer these temptations indeed i little thought that satan had thus assaulted me but that rather it was my own prudence thus to start the questions for that the elect only attempt attained eternal life that i without scruple did hardly close with all but that myself was one of them there lay the question so he's wondering is he saved or is he lost have you thought that sometimes definitely definitely i once said to a friend of mine that's it i'm out of the book of life [Laughter] well haven't you heard that same question from a lot of people oh absolutely coming to you all the time many many i've done this and this or the lord knows that what i've done so there's no way i can be saved correct so if you if you take the bible and you concentrate on those verses only you will become very depressed he continues thus therefore for several days i was greatly assaulted and perplexed and was often when i had been walking ready to sink where i went with faintness in my mind but one day after i'd been so many weeks oppressed and cast down therewith as i was now quite giving up the ghost of all my hopes of ever turning life that sentence fell with weight upon my spirit look at the generations of old and see did ever any trusting god and were confounded that's a good question martin correct and so what did he do he went to the bible to see if he could find where god had told one that's it you're done yeah and which i was greatly enlightened and encouraged in my soul and thus at that very instant it was expounded to me begin at the beginning of genesis and read to the end of revelation and see if you can find that there were ever any that trusted in the lord and were confounded so coming home i presently went to my bible to see if i could find that saying not doubting but to find it presently thought it was going to be there for it was so fresh with such strength and comfort on my spirit that it was as if i talked with me well i looked but i found it not that's pretty much what our experience should be correct try and find that place where god is not grace full of grace correct and you don't find it you don't find it no but if you read uh some of the judgments you might on the wicked yeah you might despair but those never repented they never had a hill mitzvah in their life correct so when confronted with the idea that it was too late for him in view of all his sins oh and i've had so many people tell me that martin he wrote but when i had been long vexed and with this fear and was scarce able to take one step more just about the same place where i received my other encouragement these words broke in upon my mind compel them to come in that my house may be filled and yet there is room quoting luke right these words but especially those and yet there is room were sweet words to me for truly i thought that by them i saw there was a place enough in heaven for me and moreover that when the lord jesus did speak these words he then did think of me and that he knowing that the time would come that i should be afflicted with fear that there was no place left for me in his bosom did before speak this word and leave it upon record that i might find help there in against this vile temptation this i then verily believe there's room there's room enough in heaven now actually he if he was a calvinist this should have made him think wow no wait there's no such thing as predestination no only in god's knowledge is their predestination but everybody has been predestined to salvation but you can reject it so you know if you look at peter then it talks about confirming your calling and election so this this argument about predestination we've spoken about it many times so if you read from verse 3 to 11 according to his divine power has given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness through the knowledge of him that has called us to glory and virtue whereby are giving unto us exceeding great and precious promises that by these you might be partakers of the divine nature having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust and besides this giving all diligently add to your faith and then he he brings this beautiful ladder peter's ladder we've spoken about it many times so you start off with faith and then you add virtue in other words when you find christ in your life for the first time you realize i can't live like i used to live yeah so i have to add to that faith right doing that's virtue right definitely and now i'm no longer doing what i did before now i have to study so i have to add to that virtue knowledge so in other words if you were an adulterer that's wrong i can't do that anymore if you were a thief whoa i can't do this anymore if i was a liar whoa i can't do this anymore then i have to study and then the more i study the more i realize i have to add temperance to that my lifestyle has to change and then i have to learn patience i'll tell you something martin you change your lifestyle and live in this church you'll have to learn passion patience or become a murderer [Laughter] one of the two so it's better to learn patience and then you have to add to that patient's godliness and then to this godliness you have to add kindness is that an easy task some people drive you up the wall right brotherly kindness brotherly kindness yes brotherly kindness and then above that at the end of his little list is this word charity which is actually the word agape so peter said that he wasn't capable of agape when the lord asked him do you agape me he said no i feel hey you i only have brotherly love i'm not there but here he says this is the last rung on the ladder unselfish love unselfish unconditional unconditional unselfish love even to the meanest now that that takes some yes and you can see that once for instance stephen stands and look at the people that's throwing him with rocks yes and says lord forgive them for they know not what they do so you have to you have to get to that point and it's a process so don't despair if you are at number one that you haven't achieved the final one for if these things be in you and abound they make you that you shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our lord jesus christ and then later on he says give diligence to make your calling and election sure if you don't have those things then you must ask god to give them to you correct and i might just add if you ask him please lord help me with patience yes he's not going to take the trouble away correct you're going to be put into situations where you have to exercise patience correct if you just think about this again a little bit martin you start off with faith all right you believe something that you didn't believe before then you say i'm going to clean up my act you add the virtue and you start studying and you gain knowledge if you stop there you might be a very knowledgeable christian but you've learned nothing because if you don't add temperance to that you won't get to patience patience with whom with your urine brother or your mean brother or your judgmental brother right yes you won't be able to deal with him if you haven't conquered that one yes and the misnomer is that when you do make progress in temperance then you will be severely challenged on the patients one and then the godliness the bearing you know not what you what manner of spirit you're of said jesus and then this kindness and then the agape love very difficult so when we are called we have a work to do so if we go to the spirit of prophecy we read this world is not a parade ground it's a battlefield all are called to endure hardness as good soldiers they are to be strong and quit themselves like men the true test of character is found in the willingness to bear burdens to take the hard place to do the work that needs to be done though it brings no earthly recognition or reward that's hard it's hard because we are naturally inclined to want to be fine get a reward for the whole world the whole world is in that mode oh that each one would place a proper estimate on the capabilities that have been given him of god through christ you may climb the ladder of progress and bring every power under the control of jesus in your own strength you can do nothing but in the grace of jesus christ you can employ your powers in such a way as to bring the greatest good to your own soul and the greatest blessing to the soul of others lay hold of christ and you will diligently work the works of christ and will finally receive the eternal award so basically this is a process and many many times along that road there's opportunity for despair and for victory yes so this word elect occurs 20 times in the bible and it has caused much confusion in the world now we don't have to read them all we'll just read one or two we'll people can look them up on the screen isaiah 42 behold my servant whom i uphold mine elect in whom my soul delighteth i have put my spirit upon him he shall bring forth judgment to the gentiles of course this is a messianic proclamation but it applies to anyone who reacts to the call yeah and brings the not only the judgment but also the gospel correct to the gentiles so here it is messianic and if we go to isaiah 45 verse 4 it applies to the people for jacob my servant's second israel mine elect i've been even called thee by thy name i have surnamed thee though thou has not known me that's basically what it means so everybody is in the same boat so this question of election here all the verses we don't have to go through them all they are amazing so basically we are elect if we trust in him for our righteousness acts chapter 17 verse 28 says for in him we live and move and have our being as certain also of your own poets have said for we are also his offspring so next of kin not only in terms of our physical nature but also in terms of our spiritual nature so in him we are perfect in our sphere as he is perfect in his sphere as we discussed in our previous one so if we read one peter 2 verse 24 it says who his own self bear our sins in his own body on the tree that we being dead to sins should live unto righteousness by whose stripes we are healed that's the summation of the gospel and that is the very basis of everything and if we if we dare to elevate ourselves above this point then we've missed the point of the gospel correct he is everything okay so let's go back to banyan and his wrestlings because that's what we do we wrestle right but i observed though i was such a great sinner before conversion yet god never much charged me the guilt of the sins of my ignorance upon me only he showed me i was lost if i had not christ because i had been a sinner i saw that i wanted the perfect righteousness to present me without fault before god and this righteousness was nowhere to be found but in the person of jesus christ that's the gospel that's it it's so simple it's not in yourself no it's all in jesus this is about grace the gospel of grace so in other words no matter what the temptation no matter what the doubts cling to the promises of god and silence the tempest within and without so romans chapter 8 from verse 31 tells us what shall we then say to these things if god before us who can be against us he that spared not his own son but delivered him up for us all how shall he not with him also freely give us all things who shall lay anything to the charge of god's elect it is god that justifies who is he that condemns it is christ that died yes risen that is risen again who is even at the right hand of god who also makes intercession for us who shall separate us from the love of christ it's amazing he asks the question and then he gives the answer yes and the answer is always in christ correct so shall tribulation are we heading for tribulation i think we're already there okay distress definitely there persecution it's yes nakedness no yes spiritually definitely peril sword yep so we are counted as sheep for the slaughter but then he says in all these things we are conquerors through him that loved us this is grace martin this is the gospel the gospel is so beautiful because it never lies to us it tells us exactly what's going to happen and when it does we complain yes we should actually say it's happening correct and it's hard because it's hard because yeah like bunyan you're wrestling yeah so this famous verse now faith is the substance of things hoped for the evidence of things not seen we might not see it because the circumstances obliterated it doesn't mean it's not there i always use an example if you drive behind a truck and you're too close to the truck you cannot see what's going on on the side if you want to overtake it no you can't you have to fall back a little bit and then you have to have a sneak peek yes and then you can so if you're so stuck in your problem sometimes take a breathe breath get your bible and take a step back to see what is the same very good modern so he writes again at another time as i sat by the fire in my house and was musing on my wretchedness the lord made that also a precious word unto me for as much then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood he also himself likewise took part of the same that through death he might destroy him that had power over death that is the devil and deliver those who through fear of death where all their lifetimes subject to bondage now you know when you read these these writers and you read the spirit of prophecy and you read these great reformers isn't that amazing how they weave scripture into yes what they are saying i thought that the glory of these words was then so weighty on me that i was both once and twice ready to swoon as i said old english for sitting yet not with grief and trouble but with solid joy and peace you know martin there's one other aspect that is perplexing humanity and that is the role and the centrality of christ right how religious systems are against us now this whole plan of salvation is only possible if christ is god correct and to this day people have a problem with that right all religious systems and even within christianity people have a problem with this yes so in my opinion salvation in christ is only possible if he is fully god so nobody should rob us of this faith it should never be diminished and we shouldn't be enticed in any other direction it was god manifest in the flesh he was god with us in the beginning was the word and the word was with god and the word was god by him were all things created and without him was nothing created we must mull those verses through our heads and every christian will come up against these issues and bunyan was no different so here he writes once i was troubled to know whether the lord jesus was man as well as god martin luther had the same problem and martin luther eventually said the god who didn't die for me is not my god correct right so all of us have to come to this point and was he now god as well as man and truly in those days let men say what they would unless i had it with evidence from heaven all was nothing to me i counted myself not set down in any truth of god well i was much troubled about this point and i could not tell how to be resolved at last that in revelation verse 6 came to mind and i beheld nice quoting scripture and lo in the midst of the throne and of the four beasts and in the midst of the elders to the lamb as if it had been slain in the midst of the throne i thought there is the godhead in the midst of the elders there's his manhood but oh my thoughts this did glister it was a goodly touch gave me sweet satisfaction that other scripture also did help me much in this for unto us a child is born unto us a son is given and the government shall be on his shoulder and his name shall be called wonderful counselor the mighty god the everlasting father the prince of peace etc so when we come to these deliberations if we do not understand that christ is fully god and fully man we've lost the essence of the gospel definitely and this isaiah makes it perfectly clear absolutely so martin of the musing about all the sins of god's people recorded in the bible the sins of moses of david of manasseh of peter and all the others he comes to the conclusion that god is indeed a merciful god and he quotes psalms 130 where it says if thou lord should mark iniquities o lord who shall stand for there is forgiveness with thee that thou mayest be feared i wait for the lord my soul does wait and in his word do i hope my soul waiteth for the lord more than they that watch for the morning i say more than they that watch for the morning let israel hope in the lord for with the lord there is mercy and with him is plenteous redemption this is very much a a gospel of grace yes and it's in the old testament correct and then you have the other side but we'll deal with that in the next one so there must be this balance but this is the basis if you do not have the basis of justification then you have lost the gospel definitely and then he despairs again it sounds like life that's life right and it's good to go through the experience of these peoples that we may understand so john knox had the same experience bunion has the same experience we'll look at some others in a moment now begin my heart again to ache and fear i might meet with a disappointment at last wherefore i began with all seriousness to examine my former comfort and to consider whether one that had sinned as i had done might with confidence trust upon the faithfulness of god laid down in those words by which i had been comforted and on which i'd leaned myself but now we've brought those sayings to mind for it is impossible for those and he's quoting scripture again it is impossible for those who were once enlightened and have tasted the heavenly gift and were made partakers of the holy ghost and have tasted the good word of god and the powers of the world to come if they fall away to renew them again unto repentance and he's quoting hebrews chapter six verse four to six they're all his dreams and all his self-confidence disappeared yeah like missed before the sun all right one have you been absolutely perfect since your conversion no so this verse might hit you too right correct because again you have to understand what this verse means if you just read it it might bow you over absolutely and then you have the question of any sin against jesus will be forgiven but the sin against the holy spirit will not be forgiven yes no wonder he's wrestling with this you just thought now okay now i'm okay and then you read this okay so it's not actually talking about the things that you have done where you've slipped on a banana peel it's talking about when you are convicted and you deny that that conviction is from god then you're in trouble this is part of your character yes so how does he deal with it let's see for if we sin willfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth there remains no more sacrifice for sin but a certain fearful looking for the judgment and for fiery indignation which will devour the adversaries and he quotes another verse which bowls him over well there's one port important part in here willfolson exactly and then he quotes esau as esau who for one morsel of meat sold his birthright for you know how that sinned as i had done might with confidence trust upon the faithfulness of god laid down in those words by which i had been comforted on which i have leaned myself but now were brought those sayings to my mind and if you think about this esau the bible says esau i hate it but jacob i loved and isa was sorted with tears but he found it not so god had rejected him now if you if you read that then you can despair right yes but god was looking at the heart of esau essa's tears were not tears of repentance they were tears of loss yes and that's the problem he was bewailing what he had lost but he wasn't prepared to change his character it's the same with judas iscariot it's the same with judas and it was the same with king saul so we have these examples that could really upset the apple cart yes and it can you can find it disturbing but you have to take it in the context that it is so modern when he states there in hebrews for you know that how that afterwards when he would have inherited the blessing he was rejected for he found no place of repentance though he sorted carefully with tears that sounds as if god you know just cast them off but god was looking at his heart and if we don't understand that we will misunderstand god right yes correct that's why we have the other examples as well like judas iscariot correct where god he it seems like he had repentance and he came to ask forgiveness and when he wanted to give the money back and all of that and how do you know that israel's heart was not right because he wanted to murder jacob yes and it took a huge intervention by god to prevent that from taking place right so there was something wrong with this i was hot so when musing upon these verses and coming to despair bunyan quotes the next verse and he says then came the thought will the lord cast off forever and will he be favorable no more is his mercy clean gone forever does his promise fail forever more has god forgotten to be gracious has he in anger shut up his tender mercies those are all rhetorical questions by the psalmist and the answer obviously is no right correct so you can breathe again so what are the promises of god psalm 77 from verse 7 where he quotes all of these verses says and i said this is my infirmity but i will remember the years of the right hand of the most high i will remember the works of the lord surely i will will remember thy wonders of old i will meditate also of all thy works and talk of thy doings thy way o god is in the sanctuary we've had this verse before but that's how you deal with it correct instead of dealing with the negative and mulling over the negative turn your thoughts to the positive and come out of that quagmire job at the same experience he was saying they're wrestling and but even if god slay me yet i will yet i will trust him so if you go to corinthians 12 9 2 corinthians it says and he said unto me my grace is sufficient for thee why are you panicking my strength is made perfect in weakness most gladly therefore will i rather glory in my infirmities that the power of christ may rest upon me or hebrews 13 verse 5 let your conversation be without covetousness and be content with such things as you have for he says i will never leave thee nor forsake thee so there's enough there in the bible to help you over those hurdles but there's also a warning in the bible so that when you get to the hurdle you contemplate about what's really going on right you're correct or hebrews 13 6 so that we may boldly say the lord is my help and i will not fear what man shall do to me so we need that balance well bunion continues but one day as i was passing in the field and that too with some dashes on my conscience fearing lest yet all was not right suddenly the sentence fell upon my soul thy righteousness in heaven and me thoughts with all i saw with the eyes of my soul jesus christ as god's right hand there i say was my righteousness so that wherever i was or whatever i was doing god could not say of me he wants my righteousness for that was just before him so jesus was standing there i also saw moreover that it was not my good frame of heart that made my righteousness better nor yet my bad frame that made my righteousness worse for my righteousness was jesus christ himself the same yesterday today and forever and now my chains did fall off my legs indeed i was loosed from my affliction and ironed my temptation also fled away so that from that time those dreadful scriptures of god left off to trouble me martin luther had the same experience yes now winter also home rejoicing for the grace and love of god so when i came home i looked to see if i could find that sentence thy righteousness is in heaven but could not find such a saying wherefore my heart began to sink again only that was brought to my remembrance 1 corinthians 1 30 christ jesus who of god is made unto us wisdom and righteousness and sanctification and redemption by this word i saw the other sentence true ephesians 5 34 we are members of his body of his flesh and of his bones and hebrews let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in times of need so this is basically the issue of grace and if we if we contemplate the bible and contemplate on the deeds of god to save us and concentrate on his mercy then like bunyan we can come out of the pond of despair the the main thing of this despair is you you have to realize that god is not saving you in your sin situation no he gives you the power to come out of it correct and it is you does it yes and that's the grey spot he doesn't condemn you there no he wants you to come out of it and he gives you grace and helps you out of it correct so then he contemplated the other things in the bible and said then i should think of esther who went to petition the king country to the law and i thought also about ben haddad's servant who went with ropes upon their heads to their enemies for mercy and i thought about the woman of canaan also that would not be daunted though called a dog by christ now why did jesus call her a dog he said it's not right to give this food to the dogs because she wasn't a dog well according to the scripture a non-believer is a dog outside of the dogs correct all right so here he was he was referring to that statement uh a dog is an unclean animal too and she says yes but even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from the table he was saying that for the sake of the disciples that had this prejudice and he broke down the prejudice so the man that went to borrow bread at midnight were great encouragements to me so he went to borrow bread and the neighbor said go to go away i'm asleep my children are asleep with me and go away and he kept on pestering and pestering and pestering and eventually the guy said well if i don't help this guy i won't get any sleep let me give him his stupid bread and get him on his way and then people say to me why is god like that they don't understand that that is a parable in contrast if an unrighteous man with a fallen nature will get up and give you bread eventually how much more so god who is unfallen that's why those that parable you can bring to the text from if a woman will forget her child because cycling exactly how much more so you know you can take these verses and you can totally distort the image of god his conclusion eventually is the words are these you are come to mount zion and unto the city of the living god the heavenly jerusalem and to an innumerable company of angels to their general assembly and church of the firstborn which are written in heaven and to god the judge of all and to the spirits of just men made perfect and to jesus the mediator of the new covenant into the blood of sprinkling that speaketh better things than that of abel through this blessed sentence the lord led me over and over first to this word and then to that and showed me wonderful glory in every one of them these words also have oft since that time been great refreshment to my spirit blessed be god for having mercy on me that's his conclusion so my question to you is did bunyan have struggles definitely so is it okay to have struggles yes must be right okay let's leave bunyan and do another example which is a little bit closer to our time historically speaking william miller in the gospel of grace now william miller is the one who started the great awakening in terms of the literal coming of jesus christ so he was first a deist but he became disillusioned with this view of god so adheres to someone who says god is up there he's not concerned with anything that goes on down here he created us and said do your thing so he's not involved so basically you're on your own pal well you know you can come to that conclusion if you look at the mess in this world yes because you know is god doing nothing you become a deist right so an upright and honest-hearted farmer who had been led to doubt the divine authority of the scripture yet to sincerely desire to know the truth this was the man chosen of god to proclaim the nearness of christ's second coming like many other reformers william miller had an early life battled with poverty and had thus learnt the great lesson of the energy and self-denial his mind was active well-developed and he had a keen thirst for knowledge though he had not enjoyed the advantage of collegiate education you know this is a this is a theme in the bible john the baptist yes the disciples they hadn't gone through the schools because they in many cases would have unfitted them for the task that they had right yes his love of study and a habit of careful thought and close criticism rendered him a man of sound judgment and comprehensive views he possessed an irreproachable moral character and an enviable reputation so you know if you look at many people in the world they they seem to be good people even if they don't know christ and some are college professors and highly educated great standing in society but totally devoid of the grace of christ right so being generally esteemed for his integrity thrift and benevolence in childhood he had been subject to religious impressions but in early manhood being thrown almost exclusively into the society of deists he was led to adopt their sentiments and he continued to hold them for about 12 years he was also a freemason correct all right so many of these people were in wrong institutions before they accepted christ yes wasn't martin luther a roman catholic priest yes yes wasn't wycliffe one yes yes wasn't hus one so at the age of about 34 the holy spirit impressed his heart with a sense of his condition as a sinner that's where it begins correct if you do not have conviction of your sinfulness then you haven't passed the first step right like you mentioned earlier that is your reference point where you go back to so if you say oh well god chose me because i haven't murdered anyone and i haven't stolen anyone's protocol then you you're on the wrong bet right exactly then you're on the same road as the rich young ruler yes i've kept these all my life what's the problem he found in his former belief no assurance of happiness beyond the grave the future was dark and gloomy referring afterwards to his feelings at the time he said annihilation was a cold and chilling thought and accountability was sure destruction to all the heavens were as brass over my head and the earth as iron under my feet eternity what was it and death why was it the more i reasoned the further i was from demonstration the more i thought the more scattered were my conclusions i tried to stop thinking but my thoughts would not be controlled i was truly wretched but did not understand the cause i murmured and complained but knew not of whom i knew that there was a wrong but knew not where or how to find the right i'm mourned but without hope many people are like that in this state he continued for some months suddenly he says the character of a savior was vividly impressed upon my mind it seemed that there might be a being so good and compassionate as to himself atoned for our transgressions and thereby save us from suffering the penalty of sin i immediately felt how lovely such a being must be and imagined that i could cost myself into the arms of and trust in the mercy of such a one but the question arose how can it be proved that such a being does exist aside from the bible i found that i could get no evidence of the existence of such a savior or even of a future state i saw that the bible did bring to view such as savior as i needed and i was perplexed to find how an uninspired book should develop principles so perfectly adapted to the wants of a fallen world i was constrained to admit that the scriptures must be a revelation from god they became my delight and in jesus i found a friend the savior became to me the chiefest amongst ten thousand and the scriptures which before were dark and contradictory now became a lamp to my feet and a light to my path my mind became settled and satisfied basically that's what happens to everyone who is converted yes if you read the scriptures to find fault you will find fault yes if you read the scriptures to find the savior you will find a savior and then the faults will disappear they will disappear and the contradictions the supposed contradictions will disappear the bible is brilliantly written there's no such book no not comparable with anything no there's nothing like it it's like he said he was looking outside of the bible for the savior yes and if you're not a deep thinker if you're if you're just you know reading your bible you can find everything that you need exactly in in the simple stories and the simple parables if you want to be challenged you can you will be challenged beyond your capacity correct everybody yeah so the bible now became my chief study and i can truly say i searched it with great delight i found the half was never told me i think that's an understatement i wonder why i had not seen its beauty and glory before and marveled that i could ever have rejected it i found everything revealed that my heart could desire and a remedy for every disease of the soul i lost all taste for other reading and i applied my heart to get wisdom from god that is a conversion correct so as roman says we are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in christ jesus every one of these great reformers found this solution to their problem second timothy 1 9 who has saved us and called us with a holy calling not according to our works but according to his own purpose and grace which was given us in christ jesus before the world began there's the solution it's a gospel of grace and james tells us it starts with confession confess your faults one another pray for none of one another that you may be healed the effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much elias was a man subject to like passions as we are and he prayed earnestly that it might not rain and it rained not on the earth by the space of three years and six months and he prayed again and the heaven gave rain and the earth brought forth her fruit brethren if any of you do er from the truth and one convert him let him know that he which converteth the sinner from the error of his way shall save a soul from death and shall hide a multitude of sins you know martin this verse played quite an important role in my life and for a very simple portion of it where it says it rained not on the earth but the space of three years and six months when you read this story in the old testament it says three years it doesn't say three years and six months and if you look at the prophecies and you want to bring in the parallels of the prophecies then you see that the prophetic time period of no spiritual reign was three and a half years and it puzzled me why the old testament didn't apply that type to this antitype why did it just say three years and then i found in the book of james that he says specifically three years and six months which it doesn't say in the old testament and boom their type met anti-type yes and i realized that this book is divinely inspired simple thing like that it blew my socks off that's beautiful so banyan writes oh these words he which coveteth the sinner from error of his way shall save soul from death quoting james the fruit of the righteousness is the tree of life and he that winneth souls is wise quoting prophets and he goes through and he quotes daniel and thessalonians they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars forever and ever in other words you must be an evangelist this fire must spread spread you must not be able to keep quiet so when you came to your family after finding these truths you kept quiet you never said a word right no i did speak and everybody embraced it with joy right there was some buckets of water coming to that fire okay all right for what is our hope our joy our crown are rejoicing are not even ye in the presence of our lord jesus christ that is coming for ye are our glory and joy so if you win souls to christ by bringing them to this living water that is the greatest reward that you can have but it's not going to be easy so in thessalonians these i say with many others of like nature have been a great refreshment to me occasionally there's someone who accepts the truth and you say and romans yea so have i strived to preach the gospel not where christ was named lest i should build upon another man's foundation but as it is written to whom he was not spoken of they shall see and they that have not heard shall understand i don't know whether you found this in your life the ones that you think will understand seldom do and the ones that you think will never understand often do isn't that weird that's that's why we not to be any judge of character yes it's not up to us so this is his conclusion and here i must say that this has been my experience in my life he writes in my preaching i have really been in pain and have as it were travailed to bring forth children to god neither could i be satisfied unless some fruit did appear in my work if i were fruitless it mattered not who commanded me but if i were fruitful i cared not who did condem isn't that interesting yes so the bible tells you by the fruits you will know them so if there are fruits upon your labor then why should you care if people condemn you right they call you all kinds of names they write articles they call you a conspiracy theorist who cares what they write as long as there are souls that embrace christ right so that's what he also felt i have thought of that lo children are a heritage of the lord and the fruit of the womb is his reward as arrows are in the hand of a mighty man so are children of the youth happy is the man that has his quiver full of them they shall not be ashamed and they shall speak with the enemies in the gates quoting psalms so martin let us strive to bring arrows to the lord so basically martin in conclusion the wisdom of god does order them for my good he writes they make me abhor myself that's the first step they keep me from trusting my own heart that's the second step i must just say here that's directly opposing walt disney telling you to follow your heart exactly it's directly the opposite they convinced me of the insufficiency of all inherent righteousness we have no righteousness of our own they show me the necessity of flying to jesus they press me to pray unto god they show me the need i have to watch and be sober and they provoke me to pray unto god through christ to help me and carry me through this world that's the bottom line of grace and that is almost like a simile of peter's ladder yes that would that we read correct that is the progression first abhor yourself see yourself as god sees you and get the fright of your life and then keep on not trusting yourself rather trust him and if we go through this progression we get to the agape part and then we get to the agape part so romans 4 16 therefore it is of faith that it might be by grace to the end the promise might be sure to all the seed not to that only which is of the law but to that which is of the faith of abraham who is the father of us all so it is by grace that you are saved through faith and that not of yourself it is the gift of god so what and that concludes our section on grace and we see that all that have found grace have had similar struggles on similar levels and if we embrace it and if we accept it then we can find peace so let's close in prayer heavenly father we have indeed a gospel of grace and if we do not understand what it means that you were lifted up on a pole in the simultude of a fiery serpent if we do not understand what that means then we will not understand what the rebirth is that was the message to nicodemus and that is the message to every seeking soul help us to embrace it in jesus name amen thank you for watching this video to subscribe to our channel click here to get notifications click on the bell to watch the next video click here thank you and we'll see you again

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Published: Thu Sep 16 2021