Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners (Quality: good)

[0:00] As the Lord may be pleased to help me, friends, I will direct your attention to the first epistle of Paul to Timothy, chapter 1, verse 15.

[0:16] This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief.

[0:34] The 15th verse, the first epistle of Paul to Timothy, chapter 1. This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief.

[0:55] You know it well, don't you, friends? Well enough to accept it. Well enough to be able to say it is indeed a faithful saying, for it is the word of the living God, and I believe it.

[1:14] Why are you miserable, then, friends? How many times we have found in this condition the children of the living God, miserable, wretched in self, darkness of heart, unable to lift oneself above the earth.

[1:35] My friends, the word before us may well be known to men, but there is a need to be to have it written in the heart.

[1:47] It is to have that understanding which comes alone from the work of the blessed Spirit of God. But, oh, how close it comes, friends.

[2:01] You sing it oh so often, so do I. Real religions more than notion something must be known and felt.

[2:13] Do we know the reality, the meaning of that word? It speaks very clearly to living souls.

[2:25] Your name, my friends, must be written in heaven, must be found in the Lamb's Book of Life, written there in precious blood.

[2:37] It must be known to God, none but Jesus, can do helpless sinners good.

[2:54] Comes ever so close. Because you come in and out of chapel, don't you, week in and week out. Sometimes it is because you have always done it, isn't it?

[3:08] And sometimes when you are found in chapel, you are as hard as the seat you sit on, aren't you? Why should these things be?

[3:20] Does the question ever arise, is my religion real? Well, I do believe the children of the living God are taught of God, but am I among them in such a condition as this?

[3:38] Well, my friends, if the Lord will help me for a little while, I'm going to trace the way again. The way is the way of a sinner called by grace.

[3:51] It is an experimental knowledge of living truths. Not head knowledge, though that may well go with it.

[4:03] But it is to enter into these things personally. The children of the living God, who will know the words of our text as a living truth.

[4:18] This people are no different to any others. They're sinners. Died sinners.

[4:30] Contaminated throughout, utterly undone in their flesh. My friends, the children of the living God, like to hear the truth.

[4:46] Do you? There are many empty, dead professors today, who have religion in their flesh, and they'd hate to be called deep-dyed sinners.

[5:02] But the Lord gives his dear people to know, unless he cleanses them, wash them in precious, precious blood, the blood of his own dear son.

[5:19] They'll remain in that condition. Utterly undone. But this God has a people.

[5:30] He foreknew them at time began. He saw them utterly ruined in the fall, as yet not come about, before the worlds were framed, before he had created Adam.

[5:44] He foreknew them utterly ruined, but he loved them. Why? A sovereign God decreed, this people shall be my people.

[5:59] I will be their God. He loved them because he would love them. He chose them because he would choose them. He gave them to his own dear son, according to eternal purpose, before it was practically carried out in the time state, in that completed work, the fulfillment of his holy law, in a body of flesh and blood without sin, in the satisfaction of his eternal justice, in the life, death, and resurrection of his own dear son.

[6:40] He saw this people. He loved them. He determined that they should be saved. He created Adam.

[6:50] All his progeny are contaminated with his sin, all utterly ruined in that fall, and by practice, for all come into this dying world with a wicked heart, a deceitful heart.

[7:12] They come into this dying world determined to satisfy their flesh. Solemn things, aren't they?

[7:23] Is it your character? Do you know anything of a day of unregeneracy? Do you know anything of such a day now?

[7:40] Real things, my friends. This God determined to save his dear people from that condemnation which must come if there be no equipment, no deliverance.

[8:01] This people determined by God the Father to be his people. He calls them in the time state by his grace.

[8:14] How many times you've heard that, friends? Do you know anything of a calling? How does the Lord call his dear people out of nature's darkness?

[8:27] He convinces them they're sinners. Have you been convinced? God help me.

[8:49] God help me. God help me. As a result of the Lord convincing you of what you are and convincing you there is no help in self or out of self in man, any other man, to help you.

[9:07] This character is brought to a knowledge of his utter ruin. He catches a glimpse from time to time of those hidden depths of a wicked heart.

[9:21] You there. You there. Do you know anything of it? This character is led by the Spirit of God to the mercy seat and he prays, God help me.

[9:36] God help me. God help me. Why the repetition? Because, my friends, the Lord God is determined to help this one and he sets in his heart an intensity of desire.

[9:56] He sets in his heart a need that will not be satisfied until there is a realized help. You've been there.

[10:08] How many times you've prayed formally, sinner? How many times you've set forth words and forgotten all about them after you have set them forth?

[10:22] You know the difference then. The Lord God answers such petitions. He gives his dear people a knowledge of peace with God.

[10:39] Do you know anything of that? How is it realized? This character cries, God be merciful to me, a sinner, and continues in heart, if not in words, until he be given a measure of peace, which gives him to know he has been accepted at the mercy seat.

[11:08] It is peace that flows through Jesus and his precious blood. Now here's the character, Now here's the character, friends.

[11:18] We're not going to dwell here too long. Do you know anything of the way? Has the Lord made you pray? Has the Lord brought you into that place where you've said in heart, if not in words, I'm not going away, Lord, until thou speak to my poor soul.

[11:39] I can't go on in this dreadful condition. Lord, help me. Lord, help me. Real religion is more of a notion.

[11:54] Something must be known and felt. If you've come this way, you'll believe that now. It isn't something you sing. Week after week. It is something that is a living experience in your soul.

[12:10] Give me Christ or else I die. Do you know this way, sinner? Our word tonight is a blessed word indeed.

[12:24] This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptation. It is a faithful saying because it is the word of the living God, Jesus Christ, the same yesterday, today, and forever.

[12:43] His dear Son loved his people as they were born. love them in their time state. Love you, if you be found amongst them.

[12:57] Love you throughout the rolling ages of eternity. The word of the living God. A faithful saying is this word.

[13:10] Christ Jesus came into the world. The world to save sinners. This same Jesus Christ, who is the same yesterday, today, and forever.

[13:24] He came into this lower world to save the chief of sinners. the character who has traversed the pathway.

[13:35] The way we have tried to set forth in a few words, at times feels himself to be the vilest of the vile.

[13:46] Is that too hard for you? If the Lord has given you some understanding of being born in sin, shapen in iniquity, there will be times when the devil will show you what a wicked heart you've got.

[14:08] There will be, you know, arguing with the apostle of whom I am chief. My friend, I feel from time to time as I move about in the denomination, there are some who would consider themselves not as the chief of sinners, but wonderful Christians because they have the truth in the denomination and they feel so proud to belong to us as a people.

[14:48] The Lord won't have this, you know. His dear people will be brought to an understanding as Job was brought to it.

[15:00] Behold, I am vile. What is the object of it? That which is not declared as often as it ought to be.

[15:13] There is but one name, a precious name, the name of Jesus. That only name under heaven given among men whereby we must be saved.

[15:30] The Lord God, the Father, will have that only name exalted in the earth and in heaven.

[15:43] He will bring his dear people to that place where they will cry out, none but Jesus, none but Jesus in desire.

[15:58] Set him on high, King Jesus, lovely Jesus, my Jesus, my salvation.

[16:11] You've got to be brought low to come there, friends. You have to be brought to the place to see the wretchedness of your condition, of the undeserving self, self, the unworthiness, the wondrous mercy of a kind and gracious God that he condescends to look upon you, to set you among that blessed family who shall know the joyful sound Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners.

[16:55] Just for a moment or two, we're going to look at that which we read together. Again, my friends, there is a need to remember the sufferings of Christ.

[17:11] It was done for you. What a need be there is for each of us at times to look at ourselves, to see the heinousness of our crimes as we can bear it, to see the undeserving of our natures and yet God, a holy God the Father, condescended to look down upon us, to put us in that blessed family at what cost, to take of his own dear co-equal co-eternal son, to put him in a body of flesh and blood without sin, to endure suffering as no human being ever could endure it, ever should endure it, to come into this lower world to be buffeted by man and devil, to be brought into that place of dreadful temptation that no man will ever understand in any human mind.

[18:36] for he was holy. The temptations of the evil one must have dreadfully brought him into agony, awful agony, forty days and forty nights in the wilderness to be tempted of the devil.

[18:59] Can we understand that? The dear son of God to be given into the hands of Satan, yet never to be overcome by him, but brought into that place of dreadful weakness that angels must come down to succor him at the end of that time, and to continue through life, many, many things not recorded, but ultimately to enter into Gethsemane's garden, to pass through that experience which his dear people know something of, but you'll never know the extremity that he entered into, wrestling prayer that brought forth great drops of blood from his pores, the exercise of prayer that battled against the powers of darkness, and sought the power of the living God to uphold his manhood, the dreadful sufferings of his mind as he foreknew the awful agonies to be entered into on the Calvary's tree, to be taken under the permissive will of the living

[20:32] God, by wicked hands to be scourged, to be crowned with that crown of thorns, to be deeply humiliated in his holy manhood as they dressed him in purple, as they mocked him in bowing before him, as they spat upon him, to be taken by wicked hands, to be nailed to that cross at Calvary, the awful agonies of his body as they nailed him to the tree, the dreadful place of darkness as he entered into his holy soul, hidden from the Father's love, the holy manhood of Christ in darkness that none has ever known or ever will know, that deep cry that came forth from his heart, my God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me, it was done for you, sinner, the sufferings of Christ completed, that he gave up the ghost, he rose again, and as he rose, his whole dear family rose with him, all complete in him, holy as he is holy, in time, in the new man, and throughout eternity to come, never any separation finally from the love of

[22:35] Christ. It is, my friends, full assurance once in him, in him forever, thus the eternal covenant stands.

[22:53] Now, we need the evidence, don't we, that you're amongst this people, the children of the living God will have an experience in time, an experience of the deep necessity of their need of Christ.

[23:15] This word will be opened up to everyone. This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptation that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners of whom I am chief.

[23:36] There's no easy way to have a sinner. God has decreed every one of his dear people shall endure to the end, that every circumstance in time they will be held up under.

[23:57] However dark the way may be, the Spirit of God ensures they shall enter into glory, the foundation is a crucified yet risen Christ.

[24:16] There'll be temptation sinner, there'll be darkness, there'll be difficulties, there'll be fears, there'll be sins in the time state.

[24:32] and again and again the enemy will appear to have dominion over you. Do you know anything of this way?

[24:46] Here, my friends, you'll prove a precious Jesus. The pathway again and again will be manifested weakness.

[25:05] The enemy knows all about you. Oh, how many dead professors there are today who speak about Satan but don't know him.

[25:18] The children of the living God have to lean hard upon him who is able to save to the utmost. it will be made known to you sinner what it cost your Jesus to save you from hell for God hates sin.

[25:45] The enemy from time to time will touch you in those places that belong to your particular disposition. not a pleasant one is it?

[26:00] There aren't any refined Christians among the children of God. They all say in time unclean unclean unclean you know this way the enemy knows it to be true and he plays upon that particular weakness that belongs to the individual's disposition and he plays upon it with power.

[26:39] He falls. Have you been there? My friends this character will be a praying soul. are you one? Here's the evidence.

[26:53] Oh it's good to be able to say my Jesus lives. For this character from time to time is brought low.

[27:08] The enemy does his utmost to separate the living family from their God. He does his utmost to destroy that glorious work of salvation.

[27:21] He never will be able to destroy it. But he is permitted under a sovereign God to test the work of God.

[27:34] The dear people of God sink at times into such deep places and they pray Lord help me come this way has he helped you here's the evidence sinner when one can say not to man oh I despise that sometimes men who seem to just go about and talk religion but the child of God for the most part has a secret religion he tells his God it's good to have a foundation friends it's good to be able to say I know the Lord God omnipotent reigner for he's blessed my poor soul though the enemies cast me down he's lifted me up and enabled me to call upon the name of

[28:42] Jesus and he blessed me for he's faithful but promised the blood of Jesus Christ his son cleanseth us from all sins you've been in that place have you the enemy know a lot about you does he more than you know about yourself does he find from time to time those deeps in your wicked heart that you didn't know was there does he bring you down does he bring you then into those places where he says to you you've got no God you've got no hope you've got no religion but he can't separate you from the reality of these things because you know deep down in your heart in spite of his power in spite of your weakness in spite of the falls there still remains a faithful covenant keeping

[29:53] God and your poor heart cries out God be merciful to me a sinner come this way oh tis a wonderful word friends the word before us says tis a faithful saying worthy of all acceptation that Christ Jesus came into the world to save you the chief of sinners yes you'll be there from time to time to the end of the journey you won't be any different sinner for the word declares you can't bring a clean thing out of an unclean again the Lord emphasizes it very clearly the leopard cannot change his spots nor the Ethiopian his skin you will make yourself better not in your own strength nay it will be again and again the flesh lusteth against the spirit and the spirit against the flesh but oh this lovely

[31:11] Jesus he died for his dear people he died for them because he loved them he loves you poor sinner with an intensity of love that can never be measured in time his eye is upon you his ear is open unto your cry and he waits to be gracious and you poor sinner reply I know I've been there it isn't true strange isn't it friends to hear things like this from the poor but I've been in these places the heart cries out when at the ends of the earth when everything has gone wrong when it's all perplexity there is no light the devil is on your back why should these things be why should

[32:13] I have to travel this way there will be my friends from time to time a walking with Asaph the psalmist envious of the foolish looking out into the world they've got no troubles like I've got I make profession why should these things be has the Lord forgotten to be gracious will he be gracious no more as his mercy clean gone forever oh the perplexity oh the rebellion the merciful God my friends he knows the way you take you've heard this many times hear it again rebellious thou hast been and art rebellious still but since in love

[33:16] I took thee in my promise I'll fulfill I've bound thee up secure safe from the rage of hell the curse thou never shalt endure for I'm unchangeable was there ever such a God as this God Micah says who is a God like unto thee that pardoneth iniquity that passeth by the transgression of the remnant of his heritage who retaineth not his anger forever because he delighteth in mercy he is your God sinner he won't cut you off because you fall by the way he won't cut you off because the enemy is more powerful than you are and because you've got a wicked heart who falls in with his subtle temptations there's no license here there's no liberty here he'll chasten you but oh that chastening hand of your

[34:30] God is steeped in love it is because he cannot deny himself oh the precious words that are recorded in the word of God look from time to time at that wonderful chapter in Isaiah 43rd of Isaiah read it through again and again take hold of the opening verse and then find your character as you go through but now thus saith the Lord that created thee oh Jacob and he that formed thee oh Israel fear not for I have redeemed thee I have called thee by thy name thou art mine and then when thou passest through the waters I will be with thee what a wonder working God what a condescending God he doesn't lay any track for you to follow with regard to that it isn't when thou passest through the waters of trouble or anything special but he embraces everything the waters of temptation the waters of fear the waters of sin the waters of death

[35:55] I will be with thee this God is a faithful covenant keeping God he loved his dear people how they were born he loved them and decreed they should be bought with a price a price that satisfied his divine justice he bought them with that finished work of his own dear son the sufferings and the death of Jesus your Jesus and it accomplished that which the Lord now sets forth an assurance that can never be obliterated I even I am he that blotteth out thy transgressions for mine own sake and will not remember thy sins not for your sake not even because he will have mercy upon you tis for his own sake his own great namesake tis so that his own well beloved son shall be exalted king king jesus supreme lord of lords king of kings precious precious lamb of god and then he sets forth that wonderful invitation put me in remembrance let us plead together declare thou that thou mayest be justified the enemy comes in like a flood the enemy by his great power plays upon your wretched wicked heart he touches you in those things that belong to your ruined nature causes you to fall it is sin it is an abomination in the sight of your god jesus lives he ever lives to make intercession for sinners sinners saved by grace let us plead together declare thou that thou mayest be justified here is the invitation tell him he is your god plead he is your jesus plead again his faithfulness his precious atoning blood to deliver you from the curse tell him again your hope is built on nothing less than jesus blood and righteousness lord i dare not trust the sweetest frame but wholly lean on jesus name can you come in sinner who brought you this way did it spring out of nature's barren ground are you going to let the enemy bring you again into darkness are you going to fall upon that wretched cursed unbelief that dwells in your ruined heart or will you remember this precious jesus who suffered bled and died for you who dwells now in the highest bliss

[39:55] but looks down again and again from the heights of heaven to see you for the joy that was set before him he endured the cross despising the shame and is now set down at the right hand of the throne of god what for to make intercession for sinners for you while you're in the time state sinner the eye of the lord is upon you and his ear is open unto your cry it is a faithful saying worthy of all acceptation that christ jesus came into the world to save sinners of whom i am chief hear it again there is therefore now no condemnation to them that are in christ jesus who walk not after the flesh but after the spirit the same argument again of that great adversary of your soul you walk after the flesh but he doesn't tell you the times you walk after the spirit when you seek your jesus when you tell your god you can't live without your jesus isn't that walking after the spirit who brought you there when you cry before him god be merciful to me a sinner who taught you to repent who gave you a desire for mercy it is the new man within you it opens up the truth in every believer two armies are seen the new man of grace the old man of sin where there are two armies my friends there will be without a doubt the fulfilment of this for i am persuaded that neither death nor life nor angels nor principalities nor powers nor things present nor things to come nor height nor depth nor any other creature shall be able to separate us from the love of god which is in christ jesus our lord it's going to be well poor sinner it'll still be a warfare while you're in the time state but surely there is an end and thine expectation shall not be cut off when you come to the end of the journey it will be to see him whom your soul loveth he'll wait to take you over that dark river safely in the arms of jesus into eternal bless there you shall see his face never never sin and from the rivers of his grace drink endless pleasures in lord have his blessing his name shall have the praise amen amen

[43:38] Columbus is