Marks of grace and real religion (Quality: Good)

[0:00] As the Lord may be pleased to help me, I will again direct you prayerfully to Hebrews chapter 10 and reading verse 35.

[0:12] Cast not away therefore your confidence, which hath great recompense of reward. That confidence of faith to believe in the whole counsels of God in the scriptures.

[0:30] All scripture is given by inspiration of God. May we hold fast to the form of these same words, and all that the Father giveth me shall come.

[0:46] Seeing Jesus as our guide.

[1:20] A privilege, you know, if the Lord has so quickened your soul and made you to lean upon God. Casting all your care, all your concerns at the feet of Christ.

[1:36] He bids you and me come, doesn't he? The invitations of the gospel. And by reason of your coming, he's had compassion.

[1:50] He's had compassion upon you. He would draw you. He'd come with weeping and supplication. Grace is irresistible. Grace is irresistible.

[2:02] And if the work of grace has been begun in your soul, you may be tempted to give up at times, but you'll never be permitted to turn back.

[2:13] Yes, you might run hither and thither, seek a solution to this and that of your troubles. But in all these things, the Lord will have the authority over you and me to hold you and guide you, protect, preserve and keep you.

[2:37] And so though you may be naturally impatient, may be of a hasty spirit, do this, do that. But though it comes back to this, to have that confidence reinforced in your soul with a further promise.

[2:57] As he said, all that the Father giveth me shall come to me. You have been coming, seeking to know the Lord for many days, months or even years.

[3:10] And still you've not found that rest for your soul, but it's a labour. You've known what it is to labour for the meat that perisheth, still do, some of you.

[3:23] But this labouring, dear friends, is labouring to enter into that rest that remains the people of God. There is no peace, saith my God, to the wicked, but peace which Jesus has procured for the souls of the redeemed.

[3:40] Your soul and mine. You say, free grace, why? Not for me. Because this is what you need. To grow in grace and the knowledge of your Lord and Saviour.

[3:53] Because it has a great recompense of reward. And so this is what... Moses was living this way, wasn't he? He said, esteeming the reproach of Christ.

[4:07] Great, the riches and the treasures in Egypt. You'll know what the reproach of Christ is in your lives. How few, if any, do you meet up with that truly fear and honour God.

[4:20] And oh, what a mercy. You see, Moses choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season.

[4:31] And esteeming reproach of Christ's greater riches and the treasures in Egypt. For you have respect unto the recompense of reward. The reward was a place in heaven.

[4:47] And as we sometimes quote, this is not our rest, but he's gone to prepare a place. So he said, let not your heart be troubled.

[4:57] You believe in God, believe also in my Father's house and many mansions. Do you think that the Lord has this, has spoken these words and had them on record in the Bible for these many, many years without fulfilling them?

[5:18] And though they may not have all had them apply, but when the Lord applies the word and speaks the word with the promise, let not your heart be troubled.

[5:30] Let not your heart be troubled. And yet you say, Lord, my heart is so troubled because I cannot get that rest.

[5:41] I cannot get that promise that I so long for to have those real fruits of faith. But you see, the point is this.

[5:52] In my Father's house, Christ Jesus that came down into the world, came into the world, left his Father aside, came into the world to save sinners, has offered up the acceptable sacrifices, sinners only blood.

[6:11] Oh, what a mercy. And so we have that faith, don't we, to believe in the word of God. He's given you faith to believe in it. He's given you a promise to meditate upon.

[6:25] You know how you've had to, as it were, draw water from the wells of salvation. At the time, you've come with a thirst. And he has sanctified that thirst by giving you a true promise, a blessing.

[6:41] You've drawn water. Because he has drawn it for you and given you a sin from these wells of salvation.

[6:53] You know that he's the one thing needful. You know that without him, you can do nothing. And so you have confidence in the truth of the word of God.

[7:04] Because he says, and they apply it to you, all scripture is given by inspiration. God is profitable for reproof, for rebuke, for instruction in righteousness.

[7:16] righteousness. And you know this, I must have righteousness. I must have a covering of all my filthy sins, all the iniquities, and all those things that I've transgressed in.

[7:33] Now we're told the way of transgressors is hard, yes. Because while you and I dabbled in the things of this world that were perishing with the using, you did not know that the Lord reigned and that he was determined to save you.

[7:50] And so in due time, he changed your heart and renewed your will, returned your feet as I am still. And you began to be in one for something real and solid.

[8:01] You had confidence that as he was with Abram and Sarah, what a remarkable deliverance that was. Both passed the age according to time.

[8:13] Their bodies as good as dead for the reproduction of Isaac. But see, see God's promises to never be shaken and never be taken away.

[8:28] They may seem to be to you shaken, but they'll never be taken away. But all that the Father giveth shall come to him.

[8:40] And you and I may have been an enmity to the truth. We wanted to flee from it as soon as we grew up and were able to. But God had other thoughts toward you.

[8:53] Thoughts of peace and not of evil to give you and me an expected end. And so he says, God's not away there for your confidence.

[9:06] He had given you confidence in God because you couldn't have confidence in man. Trust, trust not in princes, trust not in man, trust in the living God.

[9:20] It's a gift, it's a living trust, isn't it, in the Lord. You live and labour under load, though damp, it will never die with this living faith. And you bless him so you come again and again.

[9:33] You give him no rest until he establishes you and me, a praise in the earth and he'll make you willing in the day of his power. This irresistible grace that works in your heart makes you willing in the day of his power even to take up your cross and follow him.

[9:51] Yes, it is a cross. You despise and reject in a man. But then, you must be brought in that way in the footsteps of the Lord Jesus Christ.

[10:03] And his way was much rougher and darker than mine. Did Christ, my Lord, suffer? And shall I repine? Your confidence. As I said this morning, this is not confidence of the flesh in your religion.

[10:17] It's his confidence in God. He confides in you with his promise. He doesn't tell your neighbour, he doesn't tell your loved ones necessarily that he's going to give you a promise.

[10:31] But it comes unexpectedly. The promise is that he ain't amen in Christ. He comes running over the mountains, skipping over the hills.

[10:44] of course, suddenly, he applies the word to your soul. And you meditate upon the sweetness of the streams that flow out from the river of God's love in these wonderful motives, in these wonderful promises.

[11:02] And you bless him for it. And so, you'll give a little confidence that all the things that he's revealed unto you, he's able to perform.

[11:12] Far above all you and I could expect or hope for, have these promises. And so, this grants you and me that grace to confide in him.

[11:25] You pour out your heart before him, Lord, thou knowest that thou seest me through and through. But blessed be the Lord. He says to you, come, follow me, for I am the way, truth, and the life.

[11:43] And all that the Father has given me shall come. Oh, what a mercy to be one of these shall comers. Make no mistake, if the Lord makes you a comer, you will come and cast not away that confidence of what you have handled, tasted, and felt of the word of the Lord.

[12:05] He takes his word, he seals it. You may go along, you may approve what you hear, but there's a time of profit. There's a time of profit when you are so prophets, when you assemble yourselves together and not as the manner of some is.

[12:27] And so, you know that the day is approaching when your heart and your flesh and mind will fail and you hold fast to these promises promises because there's your key to heaven.

[12:40] I say that, your key to heaven is a promise and what the Lord has revealed to you and what he has touched your heart and you feel that you love the Lord because he has heard your voice.

[12:54] He's heard your voice and he has shown you that he is the one thing needful.

[13:06] Or you're not always drinking, dear friends, of the good treasures of the gospel, but you do draw water here and there, here and there, line upon line and precept upon precept as the Lord bestows upon you these wonderful tokens of his love.

[13:28] He won't take them away. He won't take them away once he gives your promise but he establishes and settles you in the truth and your way for his coming again and confirming your soul with signs following.

[13:44] And you know we go along and drift along and sometimes we cannot see our signs but we have to remember that the Lord, the Holy Spirit is your remembrance sir.

[13:58] And we bless the Lord that he is such to you because he brings to your remembrance again those things that you have handled and tasted and felt of the word of life.

[14:09] This strengthens your confidence and faith doesn't it? Because it is working together for your soul's profit, because he teaches you to profit.

[14:21] it. And we bless the Lord for his tokens of his love to us that we can hold fast to. Here a little and there a little as I said, line upon line, preset upon preset.

[14:34] And it has great recompense and reward. Why? It's a passport to heaven, friend. It's a promise. He doesn't give you a promise and withdraw it like the world will promise things and they cannot fulfill it.

[14:53] But when the Lord gives you a promise it's forever. And you bless him for it. And so as you fear God and you tremble at the thought of his holiness and his majesty and his judgments that we are fast ripening for, and you won't want to sin willfully after you have received the knowledge of the truth.

[15:15] Because if we sin willfully, it says here after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remains no more sacrifice for sins. For the certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation which shall devour the adversaries.

[15:32] He despised Moses, the Lord died without mercy under two or three witnesses. The judgments that can come upon you through the word of God. But oh what a mercy if the Lord makes you of me mourn over these sins and your backslidings and you pray for more grace and more humility and more love to the Lord Jesus.

[15:57] And if you had a touch of his love, he will come again and confirm it. And you'll bless the Lord, excuse me for that faith, and you say to him, Lord, give me patience.

[16:10] need a patience after he done the will of God. And you'll be asking him, Lord, teach me to do thy will, lead me in the plain path, because I need that divine guidance.

[16:27] You need his help, you need his instruction, you need his teaching, as he has promised. I will instruct thee and teach thee in the way that thou should go.

[16:40] So this confidence of faith, you're persuaded he's the author of your faith, he's drawn you by the cause of him, by the bounds of his love, he's made you willing in the day of his power, and you look to him, Lord, do keep me from murmuring and complaining, when there's this toiling and rowing, you sometimes feel you're going to make shipwreck of faith, but you never will if Jesus begun that good work, because you would see him again and again.

[17:16] He draws the chosen race by his sweet resistless grace and bids them come, follow me, seeking first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, all these other things will be added unto you.

[17:31] Whatever your hand tries to do, we need to do it. as unto the Lord and not unto man, all to be able to take heed to that portion.

[17:44] What thy hand finder do, you start up in your education, through life's journey, entering in the workforce, going down through the years of the workforce, till you come to so-called retirement.

[17:59] What thy hand finder do, do it as unto the Lord and not unto man. He might come into reproach for that sometimes, not willing to do those things that are sinful, you know, is against the will of God.

[18:15] And it might cause you some strife sometimes. But then the don of me I will honour, they despise me, shall be like the esteem, says the Lord, through his word.

[18:28] So that confidence of your religion, that little that you hold fast to, hold it tight, hold fast to the form of sound words. You see, you hear his voice, he takes his word, he might illuminate a portion of scripture, and if he does, you'll hold fast to that promise, because it's the voice of the Lord, is the sound of many waters, and you hear his voice, and you take heed to his instruction and teaching, in the way that he's leading you.

[19:05] Confidence then, that the entrance of his word gives you light, lightens your darkness. We drift along, we know sometimes, and persuaded, yes, but also we drift along because we want a refreshing, we want a reviving, we want a confirming.

[19:25] the Lord waits to be gracious, patience, you see, that after we've done the will of God, he might receive the promise, or confirmation of the promise, which he go in name any Christ.

[19:43] He says to you, does he not, through his word in John, ye shall know the truth. And some of you do know the truth, and it's a lamp to your feet, and a light to your path, and sometimes the old devil comes in and says, oh, don't take heed to that, don't take heed to that, do what I say.

[20:04] You know how quick we are to listen to the devil, and look at the activities of the devil in this perishing world that we live in, oh, look at the strife, look at the young, destroying themselves with the dreadful drugs of this world, which are being sent into the nation, and to the nations of the earth.

[20:25] No thought of God, no thought of eternity, are suddenly ushered into eternity, as no hopers, because they've been carried away, with these things.

[20:37] But what a mercy to be delivered, and what a mercy, you've come to that stage in your life where you look back and say, I could have destroyed myself because of my foolishness, and ignorance, and unlearnedness of the scriptures, but you have to come there now, you have this confidence in the promises, in the word of God, and you're waiting for the Lord to take a promise and seal it, to seal it upon you.

[21:10] Fear thou not, for I am with thee, be not dismayed, I am thy God. You won't come to harm if he's your God under these promises. Your faith will be tried, of course it will, but you still have that faith, the confidence of God in your promises, that you can lay claim to, or long to lay claim to, because you've seen the word, and it's been a word of comfort and hope to your soul, and you've waited upon the Lord to go in the strength of that promise.

[21:49] True believers, you know, are given faith in God, and they're confident that the Lord will bring to pass that promise that he's laid upon their souls.

[22:01] The promises that are yea and amen in Christ, they're not yea and yea and so, but yea and amen. It will come to pass.

[22:12] There's a completion of the work of grace in our souls, in preparation for eternity, and we bless God for those promises, and we look to the Lord that we might know more of this glorious truth of the gospel, and to think of this man, Jesus, that after he'd offered one's sacrifice for sins forever, sat down in the right hand of God.

[22:42] Oh, what a sanctification is the blood of Christ to your soul and mine. He sanctifies you. Holiness without a stain you are thirsting to obtain, and you will obtain it, if you press toward the mark for the pride of the high-calling God in Christ, there's no other way, no other blessing, but under the promises of God.

[23:09] Cast the work not away then these things. A little hope, a little ray of hope, built upon nothing less than Jesus' blood and righteousness. Dare not trust the sweetest frame, but only lean on Jesus' name.

[23:22] And oh, how sweet that name can become at times. Sometimes you read the same language, and it doesn't seem to have any effect upon you at all.

[23:34] But you can still reflect upon that time when you trust it was made a blessing. You had those fruits of faith. You were brought to repent and had faith to believe, and you were favoured to lay claim to a portion of scripture.

[23:55] He taught you to number your days, to apply unto your heart this heavenly wisdom. You see, he makes you wise unto salvation through faith in him.

[24:12] Jesus Christ, who is that one that has made you wise. You observe these things, righteousness, and Jesus is made unto us wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption.

[24:30] All these four blessed attributes of a believer, wisdom, heavenly wisdom. He says, if any man lack wisdom, let him ask if God has given it liberally and upbraided not, let him ask in faith, nothing wavering.

[24:48] Confidence of faith, you won't waver at those times when the Spirit anoints you to pray for these things. We may waver from time to time, but not when you're under that influence of the Spirit.

[25:02] He draws you by the bands of his grace. Wisdom, righteousness, righteousness, your righteousness, those filthy rags in the sight of God.

[25:17] Oh, this is of the flesh, isn't it? Fleshly righteousness. We think we're saved before we're lost. And so he says, this righteousness, the righteousness of Christ, the imputed righteousness of Christ, covers the mantle of forgiving love, all your sins and all mine.

[25:37] Don't we need it? Don't we long for it? We trust we're the touch of it. Sanctification. Separation. Separation, dear friends.

[25:52] Yes, you're in the world, but not of it. How can two walk together except they be agreed? But you'll be agreed with one thing. Jesus is the way to God and helpless souls have here a friend and your blessing for it.

[26:10] sanctification sets you apart from the world, dear friends. You're no better than they are because they are still in their sins and their transgressions.

[26:22] He knows that you were born in, but since your Saviour gave you light, you cannot walk without his light. And that light that lightens your darkened soul from time to time, it keeps you from evil, keeps the door of your lips, sanctifies you, separates you from the ways of the world.

[26:46] You're in the world but not of it. And you have to pray, Lord, do keep me honest and upright in my dealings. Let me not fall a prey to the enemy of my soul who is so subtle and powerful.

[27:03] And that sanctification and that righteous road to cover all my sins. And so we bless the Lord, don't we?

[27:16] All that wisdom, righteousness, sanctification and that holiness. All your desires are to have that part of your sins and Jesus to shine into your heart to give that light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ Jesus.

[27:39] What a mercy that he sanctifies to you and me your losses and your crosses. And yet he says, I will never leave thee nor forsake thee, so we can behold the wonders of his redeeming love.

[27:55] To know that your Redeemer liveth and will stand at the latter day upon you. He's redeemed you, he's paid the price to cover your sins with the mantle of his forgiving love. Is he going to withdraw that promise?

[28:07] Never. Never, dear friends, will he withdraw a promise that he's laid upon your spirit and you'll prove it because you have confidence in God.

[28:22] It's not a fleshly confidence as I've said before, but a confidence of faith, knowing that the Lord is able to do far more exceeding above all that you can think or you can ask.

[28:36] We're finite in our thoughts and what we can ask. But when the Lord pours a spirit of grace and a supplication upon you, is anything too hard for the Lord?

[28:49] No. He's able to perform that for you, that you so long to be performed in your soul, that sweet and good hope through grace, that you have been seeing these promises and are persuaded of them, that nothing will separate you from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus your Lord.

[29:12] And so, as you're given faith, so you believe in the Lord. Like, even, we sung that hymn, like, Abram and Serebal, they thought, dear friends, they could run before the Lord in their promises and so may you, that we have to tarry his leisure, then wait the appointed hour, wait for the bridegroom of your souls and mine, reveal himself with power.

[29:41] Oh, what a mercy to feel this power of Christ anointing you. Again and again we need it, it is true, that you're looking for that city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God.

[29:57] He said, I will be with thee, Israel, passing through the fire. You're going to burn up all your rubbish, all your grass, all the things that you've added to your religion, which is but a little, but it's a genuine, real, dear friends, a genuine, reality, a general, a general reality about religion, real religion.

[30:21] It's more than notion, things are known and felt in your soul and you bless him for it, tokens of love, which he had never been remembered.

[30:33] This is that perfect love that casts out fear. When Jesus shines into your heart to lighten your darkness, you're going to strengthen that meat for many days and you bless the Lord for those tokens of his love.

[30:50] It's like a little dew, isn't it? my dews shall drop as the rain, my doctrine shall drop as the rain, my speech shall distill as the dew. His speech, it distills.

[31:04] I know you feel some of the sweetness of this, the distilling of the dew, of his speech. My sheep hear my voice.

[31:16] Oh, the sweetness, dear friends, of these gospels. Repeat my eye, though my eye bring them forward, repeat them, but all the reality of them. You know, this confidence can never be removed.

[31:33] You may in the main of temptation be tossed, your sorrows may swell as the sea, but none of the righteous shall ever be lost. The righteous shall hold on his way. You cling to what the Lord has revealed to you, and what you long for him to reveal to you, if you've not had it yet.

[31:51] The time he has set, all the set time to favour, each and every soul redeemed by the blood of Christ, they're not casted away, because he exhorts you not to cast it away.

[32:05] Hold up my goings, you say, Lord, in your paths, and my footsteps slip not. We're prone to wander, yes, we are, because we are poor, weak things, blessed be the Lord, he strengthens your weak hands, he confirms your people's needs, he says unto you you are a fearful heart, fear not, thy God will come with vengeance, vengeance, yes, he's got to drive out this old devil, he's got to drive him out there, friends, the buyers and the sellers, and grant you that peace of God, the past of the knowledge and understanding, my peace I leave with you.

[32:46] He applies his peace, peace by his cross and Jesus head, oh, what a mercy, Jesus made, he blessed the Lord, don't we, for his peace, the peace of God that passes the knowledge and understanding, my peace I leave with you, not as the world giveth, give I to you, let not your heart be troubled, neither better be afraid, confidence to go in the strength of the Lord to make mention of his righteousness as his own.

[33:18] That's great recompense of reward. Moses said, as we said earlier, Moses said, choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season.

[33:32] Oh, what a mercy, dear friend, to consider that recompense of reward, esteeming the reproaches of Christ. yes, you don't want to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season, do you?

[33:47] You want these greater riches than the treasures in Egypt, for he has respect under the recompense of reward, the blessings of the gospel, the knowledge of salvation.

[34:00] Oh, you pray, don't leave me to neglect it, Lord, that I might truly feel some blessed token for good said, broaden my heart with the Saviour's love, but do remember this, having unloved his own in the world, he loves her to the end.

[34:21] Carry you here then, he says, in the city of Jerusalem until you be removed here with power from on high. Cast not away therefore your confidence, which hath great recompense of reward.

[34:36] Whether we shall have confidence in Monday morning when we meet with the world again, I don't know. You cannot alter the word of God, and as you meditate upon these things, you bless him for it.

[34:52] Lord, hold up my goings and thy powers that might put steps, live not. You won't despise the wicked, dear friends. I believe sometimes you'll pity them, because you know they're sinners and you know you're a sinner too.

[35:12] And you fail to be the vilest, yet through the mercy of God, the Lord found you in this waste-housing wilderness, did he not? The wilderness of the world.

[35:23] He taught you to consider him and endure such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest you be wearied in your mind.

[35:35] You may get weary of well-doing, but in due season you shall reap if you fail not. We're ready to fail, friends. These things are very high standard, aren't they?

[35:47] The standards of the gospel. But without him we can do nothing, and we bless the Lord that we're able to bring these things to him.

[35:59] that we might receive that promise, which is yea and amen in Christ. Or may help you and me to continue pressing toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.

[36:16] He'll never leave you and never forsake you. If you honour him, he'll honour you. You have to say, Lord, do keep me from evil. Keep my mind stayed upon thee, for blessed is the man whose mind is stayed upon God, for he shall surely thy salvation see.

[36:37] Amen.