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[0:00] Let us resume our public worship of God by singing to his praise from Psalm 46.

[0:10] Psalm 46, and we're singing from the beginning to verse 7, six stanzas. God is our refuge and our strength in straits are present aid.

[0:23] Therefore, although the earth remove, we will not be afraid. Though hills amidst the seas be cast, though waters roaring make and troubled be, yea, though the hills by swelling cease to shake.

[0:38] A river is whose streams do glad the city of our God, the holy place wherein the Lord Most High hath his abode. God in the midst of her doth dwell, nothing shall her remove.

[0:52] The Lord to her and help her will and that right early prove. The heathen raged tumultuously, the kingdom smoothed where.

[1:03] The Lord God uttered his voice, the earth did melt for fear. The Lord of hosts upon our side doth constantly remain. The God of Jacob's our refuge has safely to maintain.

[1:20] Let us sing these verses, Psalm 46, from the beginning. God is our refuge and our strength in straits are present aid. God is our refuge and our strength in straits are present aid.

[1:49] John 46, from the back of his guard, please, Janet YeInteresse crime. We will not be afraid.

[2:05] Through hills amidst the seas be cast.

[2:16] Though watchers rowing in me I travel in all the hills I swear the sea's to shake A river is to speak to guide The city of our God The holy place where in the Lord Most high of His love God in the midst of earth doth dwell

[3:23] Nothing shall her remove The Lord to have an elven will And that I carry through The heath nourished so much as me The kingdom smelt it when The Lord the dead that it is wise The earth did never hear The Lord of hosts upon our side

[4:33] Doth constantly remain The God of Jacob's average Let us join together in prayer Let us pray Oh Lord of God We give thanks again for the Renewed opportunity to gather in your name Here in this place May it be to us The very gates of heaven May it be to us The place where You have been pleased to

[5:34] Make yourself known to us So that we can Readily Find within our hearts and minds A response To Your own Leading By way of your spirit That there would be an echo coming From our souls In response to The revelation Of your great glory We marvel at your forbearance And at your long suffering For often we do come In a state of unpreparedness For Meeting with our God And It is The case that When we come

[6:34] Into the courts of your house That we have not settled our mind Upon that Encounter with God And it is So In the way that we live our life here in this world That many have found themselves to Be assured into the presence of God In an unprepared way We acknowledge that We live always in uncertain times And That may be true at several levels The world that we live in Is in a constant state of flux There are changes And Decay In all that we survey What was once So apparently A fixture Within the experience

[7:36] Of many of us Has been Removed and Is now no longer In evidence And often And often That is the case The things that we Grew up with And that we Were aware of As constants Have proved themselves To be anything but And we find it the same Within The sphere of experience Within the spiritual realm The church of Christ Is constantly changing When we reflect on What it was like In The experience of the Old Testament Saints And the change Is wrought by your hand With regard to the worship That you ordained Should be offered And in whatever way You decreed that it Should be delivered In the New Testament

[8:38] Days You You Ordained that All Manner of worship Would be directed To the Passion of Jesus Christ As revealed in the Gospel And All that Applies To him As you were pleased To reveal it To the saints Of The New Testament Era And with the Developing history Of the world As it As it goes on As it will go on Until the End of days We see Events taking place We see Occurrences We see Changes Within the Physical Body Of Christ Here in this world But we are thankful That the Spiritual Body

[9:38] Of Christ Is ever the same That you possess A people To bear your name Here in this world And that they will Readily testify And bear witness To the truth Concerning Their Lord And Saviour Christ Jesus And whatever Their experience Of that Encounter With Christ Involves Whatever culture They belong to Such as our own We know that Your people Are all one In him And while There may be Differences And divergences And all Kinds of Interactions That That speak Of Of the Power of God Unto salvation Revealed in the

[10:38] Lives of men And women Throughout the world That they will Come when all These differences Will cease When all That Reflects Our sinfulness Our fallenness Will come To an end And This church Will be a glorified church It will be a church Where the worship Of God Will be Universally Acceptable And it will Be uniformly The same And all Who will be In the near Presence of Christ Will approach The throne Of glory Upon which Is that One who Bears the name The son of man And he Will be Worshipped As the angels And the The saints

[11:39] Who have Ascended Into glory Upon death Worshipped Him now So hear Our prayers Remembering That we Are but A short Space Of time Before Those that Have been Taken From this World Into The realms Of glory As your People Are promised We pray For your Blessing Upon our Congregation At this Time A time Of preparation And anticipation Whatever We know Has changed Over our Life's Experience With regard To the Gatherings Of your People Especially At communion Times The focus Of the Worship of God Is the Same The Remembrance Of the Death Of Christ Is the Same These Elements That are Representative Of a Body

[12:39] That is Broken Or blood That is Shed Remain The Same And it Is a Strengthening Ordinance To To the Saints As they Journey Onwards And we Give Thanks For the Opportunity That is Afforded Your People By which They may Stretch Forth Trembling Hands To lay Hold All these Tokens And Experience The provision That you Have made For them As a Provision That is Most readily Suitable To their Needs So remember Our congregation To that End Congregation That has Made Today In Remembrance Of Christ In that Fashion We pray Your blessing On all That has Been Done And all That will Yet be Done We pray For the Extent Of the Congregation Here All its Needs All your

[13:40] People With regard To their Needs Temporal And Spiritual We bring Before you Again this Evening The grieving Family That are Part of The Congregation And ask For your Blessing To be Their Portion And that Those who Have knowledge Of Christ As the Alone Saviour Of sinners That they May be Encouraged To lean Upon him And to Place their Trust in The provision That he has Made for His people When they Have to Drink the Bitter Dregs That death Is associated With May it be A sanctifying Occasion To those Who are Out of Christ And those Who Have no Knowledge Of Christ As the One Who is The resurrection And the Life We pray Lord for Your blessing Upon all Households And all

[14:40] Families Is affected By grief In recent Days Beyond Our own Boundaries And in Every place In the World Where we Know that Calamities Have overtaken Communities And individuals And we Know that It is no Strange Event But it Can Be something That we Routinely Come to Expect Without Without Without Having Fully Comprehended The awful Reality Of Departing The scene Of time With our Soul Unprepared So pour Out Your spirit Upon all Such Instances So that Those who Are eyewitnessed To it Would reflect Upon Where they Stand In relation To Christ If they Have such As standing Or a

[15:40] Relationship With him May they Realize As we All must That To be In him Is the Perfect Assurance That we Need That whatever Comes in Life or In death We are Ready for It Because he Has given To us That preparation That Ensures That no Matter what He is With us Throughout All things We pray For your Blessing On the Gospel That is Preached And proclaimed Throughout Our island And beyond We pray For the Word of Truth To be Disseminated Fully And without Fear Or favour Especially In the High Resolence Of power Those who Think Themselves To be Beyond The reach Of God's Word May they Think again And may They reflect On what The truth Means To them

[16:41] And to The calling That they Espouse We pray For your Blessing Upon your Word that it May go Forth And that it May touch Lives And that it May bring Conversion And bring A sense Of the Sinfulness Of that Estate Into which Man fell That there Is a need For repentance And that there Is a need For all of us To turn from Sin To embrace Christ As he is Freely offered In the Gospel So continue To watch Over us Remembering All we Entrust To your Care and Keeping Pardoning Sin In Christ The Redeemer's Name Amen Let us sing Now from Psalm 119 And verse 9 To verse 16 The section Of the Psalm The second Part of The psalm Psalm 119

[17:43] Verse 9 By what Means shall A young Man learn His way To purify If he According To thy Word Thereto Attentive Be Unfeignedly Thee Have I Sought With all My soul And heart O let Me not From the Right Path Of thy Commands Depart Thy Word I In my Heart Have Head That I Offend Not Thee O Lord Thou Ever Blessed Art Thy Statutes Teach Thou Me The Judgments Of Thy Mouth Each One My Lips Declared Have More Joy Thy Testimonies Way Than Riches All Me Gale I Will Thy Holy Precepts Make My Meditation And Carefully Have Respect Unto Thy Ways Each One Upon Thy Statutes My Delight Shall Constantly Be Set And By Thy

[18:43] Grace I Never Will Thy Holy Word Forget Psalm 119 Verses 9 To 16 By What Means Shall I Learn His Way To Peutify I Watch In Shall I Learn His Way To Peutify If We Are Talking To Thy Word There To Watch And Job Do To Love

[19:43] Our Day Time To Prose I Video datas Please l Hi Ol Comment O Let spatial It T Sń StonesSi Do Let not all thy commands depart.

[20:13] Thy word I in my heart thou wilt that I offend, O Lord, thou wilt that blessed heart thy son, church, teach thou me.

[20:48] The church makes all thy mortgages want my lips declares power.

[21:08] More joy thy death, demonish with unriches, all may give.

[21:28] I will thy holy peace, let me take my meditation and carefully I'll have respect to thy wisdom.

[22:01] Upon thy shudges my delight shall constantly be said, and by thy gifts I never will thy holy word forget.

[22:40] Let me turn to read in the New Testament Scriptures in Paul's epistle to the Romans.

[22:54] Paul's epistle to the Romans, chapter 8, and we'll read from the beginning down to verse 17 Romans chapter 8 There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus who walk not after the flesh but after the spirit for the law of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death for what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh God sending his own son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin condemned sin in the flesh that the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us who walk not after the flesh but after the spirit for they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh but they that are after the spirit the things of the spirit for to be carnally minded is death but to be spiritually minded is life and peace because the carnal mind is enmity against God for it is not subject to the law of God neither indeed can be so then they that are in the flesh cannot please God but he are not in the flesh but in the spirit if so be that the spirit of God dwell in you now if any man have not the spirit of Christ he is none of his and if Christ be in you the body is dead because of sin but the spirit is life because of righteousness but if the spirit of him that raised up

[25:08] Jesus from the dead dwell in you he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his spirit that dwelleth in you therefore brethren we are debtors not to the flesh to live after the flesh for if ye live after the flesh ye shall die but if ye through the spirit do mortify the deeds of the body ye shall live for as many as are led by the spirit of God they are the sons of God for ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear but ye have received the spirit of adoption whereby we cry Abba Father the spirit himself beareth witness with our spirit that we are the children of God and if children then heirs heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ if so be that we suffer with him that we may be also glorified together and so on may the Lord add his blessing to a reading of this word and to his name be the praise we can sing now to God's praise from Psalm 143

[26:43] Psalm 143 the first version of the psalm from verse 6 to the end verse 6 to the end my hands to thee I stretch my soul thirsts as dry land for thee haste Lord to hear my spirit fails hide not thy face from me lest like to them I do become that go down to the dust but mourn let me thy kindness hear for in thee do I trust teach me the way that I should walk I lift my soul to thee Lord free me from my foes I flee to thee to cover me because thou art my God to do thy will to me instruct thy spirit is good me to the band of uprightness conduct revive and quicken me

[27:53] O Lord even for thine own name's sake and do thou for thy righteousness my soul from trouble take and of thy mercy slay my foes let all destroyed be that do afflict my soul for I as servant come to thee we can sing these verses psalm 143 the first version of the psalm from verse six to the end my hands to thee I stretch my soul thirsts as dry land for thee my hands to thee I stretch my soul first last dry land for thee is Lord to hear my spirit cleanse side now thy days from me less like to them might you become that broken to the dust at morning let me thy kindness here for any do

[29:35] I trust teach me the way that I should walk I left my soul to thee Lord free me from my force I plead to thee to cover me because thou art my God to do thy will dominion strike thy service stood me to the land on the brightness on day revive and quitten me

[30:48] O Lord him for thy known him sake and do the fall thy righteousness my soul from trouble came and all thy mercy my my force let all destroyed be that you afflict my soul for I have said land young to thee I would like us to turn now to

[31:49] Paul's epistle to the Galatians chapter 2 and we'll return to consider verse 20 Galatians chapter 2 verse 20 I am crucified with Christ nevertheless I live yet not I but Christ liveth in me and the life which I know live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God who loved me and gave himself for me the life which I know live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God who loved me and gave himself for me as I said in the morning we wanted to consider this verse in two parts really just trying to divide the version into two although

[32:59] I'm sure you will have noticed that I wasn't as careful or as cautious in observing the division of the truth with regard to this verse because it's such an intricately woven text that the truth that is contained within it inevitably overlaps and I think well that's my excuse anyway I think that the overlap that it is helpful in many ways in giving us a better and a clearer understanding of what the apostle means us to understand and I'll try to avoid repetition but we noticed at the very outset of the service in the morning how the main theme of the apostle for this epistle as a whole is the doctrine of justification by faith in

[34:19] Christ and we we emphasize the fact that what what is understood and what the bible probably the whole of scripture means us to understand is that there is a justifiable wrath on the part of a holy god against a fallen world there is probably there always has been an endeavor on the part of man to narrow the distance that exists between fallen man and a holy god because obviously it suits if the holiness of god is not as exalted as it is and if the fallenness of man is not as extreme as it is but according to the teaching of scripture we can't escape it god means us to understand the nature of the fall and the scripture means us to understand the elevated position that a holy god occupies and that being said it doesn't mean that mankind has not mankind has ceased to strive to in some way deal with his condition by way of his own devices that there is an understanding on the part of many that they can right the wrongs even their own wrongs by their own endeavors in their own power or by whichever way they would choose to do so

[37:28] Globe best here must have some biblical knowledge, will argue that while they understand that they have not fulfilled all righteousness, that they have not established God's righteousness in their own lives, they'll shrug their shoulders and say, at least I tried.

[38:15] I did my best. And because I've done my best, then that surely should be enough to satisfy God. But the truth of the matter is, that is not the way it is.

[38:33] Others will not even attempt to do that. They will simply aspire to to bring some kind of contentment into their life on the basis of the judgment of friend or family or neighbor, or even placing themselves on the throne of judgment and saying, that's good enough.

[39:03] It's satisfy me, satisfy me, and it should therefore satisfy God. But that is again a futile exercise.

[39:17] And whoever rests upon that pillow will discover that it is not a very comfortable pillow. If that's where your head is lying.

[39:30] someone has spoken of of we mentioned Peter in the morning.

[39:47] How Paul had to deal with the apostle Peter because of of how he had departed from the knowledge that he possessed as God had made it known to him.

[40:09] And not only was it harmful to himself, but it was harmful to those who followed his example. But it was the same Peter when he was challenged by the Lord Jesus Christ and when he was under the instruction of the Holy Spirit, he was convinced that that because of what he was by nature, that he had to go outside of himself to find a remedy for his sinful condition.

[40:43] To whom else can I go? The words of eternal life, you have them. They are not found in me. And by coming to Christ in faith, we are told we no longer engage in dead works.

[41:04] That's the essence of what we discovered in the morning. When we have put our trust in Christ, we have trusted in his work rather than in our own.

[41:18] Not just the works that we have done in the past, the works that we are doing now or the works that we intend to do in the future. All of these things are discarded as works of righteousness upon which we rely for salvation.

[41:38] We rely upon one thing and one thing alone, and that is the passion of the Lord Jesus Christ Christ as the one who has come into the world.

[41:51] As we read in this passage in Romans, Paul frequently returns to this truth, and that should remind us that this truth is a truth that is challenged, a truth that makes people uncomfortable, a truth that we all find ourselves taking issue with, whether we do it knowingly or not.

[42:17] It is something that we are reminded of constantly by the apostle, that salvation is all of grace, it is God's doing, and Christ alone is the author of salvation.

[42:34] But looking at the last part of the verse, as I said, there is a sense in which most of what the apostle says in this verse isn't interrelated.

[42:49] But I'd like us just to think of these things that are brought to our attention. The person that has come to Christ by faith is somebody who, by reason of their relationship with Christ, now possesses life, in a way that they were not in possession of it before then.

[43:19] They are new creatures in him. We mentioned it in the morning, but just worth emphasizing again, the believer is somebody who is in possession of new life, and that life is who is or hers by reason of their relationship of faith with Christ.

[43:43] And Christ alone is the source of that life. It doesn't come from any other channel. It doesn't come to them by way of anything that they do or say, but he is the one who provides that life for them.

[44:00] The life which I now live in the flesh, I live by the faith of the Son of God. And it is a life that they possess through faith in Christ, and that merits further attention.

[44:21] And the third thing that we have here that the description that is given to us of the source of that life.

[44:34] He is called the Son of God. I live by the faith of the Son of God. And you could say, well, that doesn't really need to be said.

[44:50] But I think that having said it, you need to ask yourself, why is it said? Why is it just not simply the person of the Lord Jesus that is spoken of?

[45:04] But it gives further clarity to what has been done by him, and the power that what Christ has done, that it is the essential power for the salvation of sinners.

[45:19] It is what is its source is none other than the divine passion, the God of glory, the Son of the God of glory, through the Holy Spirit, which as we shall see is necessary also, because when Christ speaks of his people, and the life that he is to bestow on his people, it is in and through the passion of the Holy Spirit that this comes our way.

[45:51] And along with that, he says, the Son of God who loved me and gave himself for me, almost. Dare I say, this whole of Scripture is of equal merit, of equal worth, of equal value, but these words seem to jump from the page at you, the Son of God who gave himself for me.

[46:20] And the person who can see that, and who can see it with the knowledge that is necessary for realising the implications of it, there is no version of Scripture that is more important to us than that Christ gave his life for me.

[46:45] Whatever he did for anybody else, if you can say this of yourself, that Christ died for you, then there is a power associated with that statement, there is a substance to that statement that buoys the soul even when it is at its most vulnerable in all the experiences that we have in this world.

[47:14] world. Well, let's think of it. If we remind ourselves of the words of Romans 8, which we read, we could have read any number of verses, as I said, Paul returns to this very important theme again and again.

[47:35] but in that chapter he is describing to us the walk of the believer and I believe in that particular section of Romans 8, he is describing the work of the Holy Spirit in the life of the person who is now a living soul, the person who has been quickened and by reason of their relationship with Christ they are experiencing the influence and the life-giving Spirit of God within them which helps them to live in this world as believing people.

[48:28] Many of the divines, many of the theologians when they divide up the book of Romans or the epistle of Romans and the emphasis that the apostle places upon the various sections in the epistle that the burning issue as far as the apostle at this point in the epistle is concerned is the power of sin has been broken and it has been broken by reason of the relationship the believer has with Christ and the effect or the influence of the Holy Spirit in their life.

[49:16] And what we need to understand and what we need to remind ourselves of is this, that it is not a paper exercise as some would treat it.

[49:29] In the sense that we saw in the morning how some people think of the liberating power of faith in the life of the believer with regard to sin.

[49:45] That sin is not held to their account because the law is no longer of relevance to them. The law has been satisfied.

[49:58] The penalty of a broken law has been met. Therefore the antinomian will say we can live with a disregard of sin.

[50:14] It might not, they would argue. Of course that's not an argument we can count on as we can allow in any way, shape or form. nor is it true that when the person who comes to believe in Jesus Christ and who places their trust in him for the salvation of their soul, that they are alive at that moment, that they are born again of the Spirit of God, that they are quickened and experiencing all the effects of the quickening at the moment that they close in with Christ by faith, that they are safe at that moment, that they are saved at that moment, that does not mean that they are to remain as they were when the Spirit of God entered into their experience.

[51:09] Their relationship with sin has been changed. They no longer are able to tolerate sin, they are no longer able to think of sin as something that is trivial or of no consequence.

[51:25] It is something that they are now able to understand is not only anathema in the sight of God, but should be something that they find obnoxious in their own experience.

[51:43] You remember that when Jesus taught the disciples for very good reason he taught the disciples about the fact that he was going to leave this world and go to glory.

[51:58] But he taught them that when he would go that he wasn't going to leave them by themselves that he was going to leave somebody who would look after them and treat them and treat them with care and concern and comfort them and guide them and so on.

[52:22] And who was he talking about? Well, he was talking about the passion of the Holy Spirit. And he had very clear understanding of what the Spirit was going to do in their experience.

[52:36] What the Spirit was going to do to teach them and to guide them and to lead them in life and in living.

[52:50] In John chapter 14 we read I will pray the Father and he shall give you another comforter that he may abide with you forever.

[53:05] What Jesus is doing there is establishing this as a fact that the relationship that they will have with God's Holy Spirit will not be a temporary one, will not be one that fluctuates but one that will be permanent, that will continue.

[53:24] From the time that they have the ministration of the Spirit as God's children, as God's adopted family, as those who possess the Spirit of God, they will always have that.

[53:37] Maybe not in the same understanding of his presence or of the way that he is ministering to them, but always there. The same chapter, the comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things and bring all things to your remembrance whatsoever I have said unto you.

[54:06] Now, what do you think the Spirit was going to be doing? What teaching was he going to be doing? To what end? What does he mean us to learn?

[54:17] What does he want us to be instructed in? Well, he wants us to know all that is necessary for being equipped as children of God, all that is necessary to allow us to live in dependence upon God, all that is necessary for us to recognise the very things that are a hindrance to our relationship with God.

[54:47] Christ has given his Holy Spirit to the church for a purpose, not for our comfort, simply meaning that we can rest our head on a pillow and go on as if we're like Peter, like Jesus on the storm, asleep in the stern of the boat.

[55:07] maybe it's an unfortunate illustration, but what I mean is that some people behave as if Christ means them just to sit back and relax and it will all happen anyway.

[55:25] But that's not what it means us to understand by the coming of his Spirit. chapter 16 of the same gospel, Jesus again teaches us that the role of the Holy Spirit is very much an encourager, an intriguer, an informer, an equipper, somebody who will help us live as believers in this world.

[56:03] I tell you the truth, it is expedient for you that I go away. If I go not away, the Comforter will not come to you, but if I depart, I will send him unto you.

[56:15] And when he is come, when he is come, what is he going to do? He will reprove the world of sin and of righteousness and of judgment and so on, words that I'm sure you're familiar with.

[56:32] The Holy Spirit reminds God's people of the work of Christ as is often pointed out. The change that is wrought should be self-evident, quickened in a day of his power.

[56:51] And I think that is so important that we dare not overlook it. New creatures with new life, with a new reason for living, with a new recent death ray, a new purpose.

[57:14] You are no longer your own. You are bought with a price. You live your life to God's glory. Christ means us to understand that.

[57:27] The source of that life is none other than Christ. The source of that life is none other than divine. The source of that life is channeled to us through faith.

[57:42] Now, we haven't spent a lot of time, perhaps, faith in a way that is not healthy. Thinking about our faith.

[57:57] Thinking about it from a subjective position. Thinking about its quality. Thinking about its quantity. Thinking about whether it is a great faith or a weak faith.

[58:09] faith. I think what is meant to be conveyed to us here and what we have to understand is that the focus is on the faith that rests upon Christ.

[58:23] The faith of the believer as it looks to Jesus, as it depends upon Jesus. and that is important.

[58:37] I came across this statement by Stephen Alford. He's talking about the small book that he has that talks about the elements that belong in the life of the believer as they trust in Christ.

[58:53] And he uses this example and you can think about it. and think about its relevance.

[59:03] But he uses the illustration of the apostle Peter. And he draws attention to the time in Peter's life when Jesus had to rebuke Peter because of what lay in Peter's future.

[59:23] And this is what Alford says. The feet of Peter's faith. was so mixed with the chaff of sham and unreality that the Lord allowed him to pass through the fires of denial, cursing, and swearing until he was utterly broken and totally repentant.

[59:54] He was then restored. Peter often gets a bad press because he was so vocal and he was so outspoken and his actions were very obvious, whereas the actions of many of the disciples are not so openly highlighted.

[60:18] it. But I think what this man was saying to us is that when we think about how faith functions in the experience of a believer, it is never just a static straight line.

[60:41] It can and does change. Peter was a man of faith and even though a man of faith, his life demonstrated that there were times in his life where his eye was taken of the Lord.

[60:58] The most obvious time you see is when he walked on water and Jesus was in the boat in the storm and Peter took his eye of the Lord and he began to sink.

[61:12] Now whether that teaches us one thing, I believe possibly anyway, the need that there is to keep our eyes on the Lord might be as simple as that.

[61:27] That with regard to faith, we have to emphasize the elements that belong to faith, that there is an implicit trust in the Lord Jesus Christ, there is an understanding and a knowledge of who he is and what he desires us to do, what he needs us to do, what he wants us to do, and there is the ability that we have as believers to be content with what he means us to be.

[62:00] the Lord has done much and the believer can rest assured that what he has done is sufficient for their salvation and their salvation is assured by it.

[62:19] But we notice very quickly, Christ is described as the Son of God and as I said, I don't think it's a random statement, I think it emphasizes that what is being discussed by the apostle here brings assurance to the believer who looks to Christ, who considers the life that they now have through Christ in any other way than the life that is God-given, that is derived from God, God is its source, and that new life is from none other than a divine person.

[63:06] You know, the death of Christ is a mystery to many, a mystery in many respects, but we are taught clearly in the scripture that he did die and was the Son of God who died, but he died in all nature and before he could die in all nature he had to take that nature to himself in the incarnation he did so, but without him doing so he could not have died on the cross.

[63:32] So there has to be identification with the people for whom he died and there has to be, as we saw in the morning, very briefly, there is the substitution, there is the, I think we quoted Hugh Martin in the morning, he died for me and my death became his death and his life became my life.

[64:00] Why then did Christ die for me? That's the question. Why did Christ die for me? Do you ever ask that question? Why did Christ die for me?

[64:12] Can you actually ask yourself that question first and foremost? Are you able to say that he died for you? Is it not something that is relevant to some and not relevant to others?

[64:24] It truly is because not everybody can say that. But we must ask the question to ensure that there is that relationship and that it's a genuine relationship.

[64:41] If you don't believe that Christ died for you, then it must mean that he didn't die for you.

[64:52] And if he didn't die for you, you are still, as Paul says, in your sin. You are still in the grip of your sin. You are still condemned as a sinner.

[65:04] You are still living with the expectation that you will be judged for your sin. but Paul answers the question here, for those like himself who have come to Christ, who have new life in Christ, he died for me because he loved me.

[65:27] Because he loved me. And then again you ask yourself the question, what does that mean, that he loved me? Did he love me for myself?

[65:40] And there are some people who may think that, that Christ loved them for themselves, that he has seen in them something that is lovable, that he has seen in them something that drew him to them.

[65:56] But that is not where the love of Christ comes to fruition, where it comes to be testified to.

[66:10] he gave himself for me because he loved me, and he loved me for a reason. The reason is there, but we can't ever find it in ourselves.

[66:26] That's the problem. If we find it in ourselves, what we're doing is we're going full circle. We're going back to those who were believing the truth of the Judaizers, believing that in some way by law keeping we would please God, believing that in some way God was going to be content with what he found in me.

[66:49] That's not what the answer is. He loved me, and what he loved in me has to be found outside of me.

[67:01] I think John Owen the Puritan said, of himself, remember, he was speaking of himself before anybody else, that I do not know anything that is within my soul that could attract the love of God for me.

[67:25] Nothing in me or in any other person that I know that could deserve the love of God. It goes further than that, he says, truly, if Christ fixed his gaze on me, what he would see was the leprous soul that I possess, a poor, defiled, sin-ridden individual, from head to toe filled with the most odious, putrefying source.

[68:04] love. So the love that he had must have found a focus elsewhere, and that elsewhere is none other than in himself.

[68:18] He loved us because of a love that is divine, that finds expression in who he is rather than what we are.

[68:33] If I remember what Owen says, he says, when he thought like that, when he spoke like that, he said, I know I can cleanse these people, and I will.

[68:47] I know as their God, I know as their Saviour, I can take away the ugliness of sin, and I will. And because of his love, because of his desire to do that, he died.

[69:03] He was crucified. The cross was in his experience, and that itself is a wonderful and an awesome thought.

[69:16] But, you know, that truth needs to be expanded on. Jesus just doesn't, doesn't take us to himself to leave us as he finds us.

[69:37] You may think that's good enough. You may think that's the way that it's meant to be, that Jesus is happy to take you to himself, and happy to leave you the way he found you.

[69:57] But when you read on in the writings of the apostle, he tells you what Jesus has in view for his church. He has these words in Ephesians 5, Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church and gave himself for it.

[70:21] that he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, that he might present it, that is the church, that he might present it to himself, a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that it should be holy and without blemish.

[70:43] church. That's what Christ has in view when he went to the cross, when he put new life into his people, not that they would remain as they are or as they were, but that they would be changed by him, that they would be transformed by his grace.

[71:04] and how awesome is what Christ has done for his church. But what about if you turn the question upside down and think rather, not so much as what Christ has done for me, which is important, all important, but then ask yourself the question, what have I done for Christ?

[71:35] What have I done for Christ? What have I done with this new life that I have, with this new understanding that I have of sin and of unrighteousness and of what it means to live my life here in this world to the glory of God?

[71:55] What does it mean to me? Have I done what I could and what I should? Not with have you to gain implaudits or to go up steps in a ladder and to achieve glory by these doings, but by a greater and a better understanding of who Christ is and what he would want me to be.

[72:23] The divines tell us that when Christ secured us from the works of the law for righteousness they say it's not a license for sinning, a license to sin, but neither is it a license to sleep and do nothing.

[72:50] Think if the church were as active as they should be, as a believing body of people living their lives for the glory of Christ the church would be far more influential, far more effective as God's people in the world than they are.

[73:13] But God alone will one day bring that to light and we believe that will be the case. I pray that God would bless these thoughts.

[73:25] Let us pray. Lord of God we give thanks for the one who clearly understood what it meant to go to the cross not just in his own experience but in the experience of others that those who would be crucified in him would know something more of sin and what it means and how with his help that they could overcome it and ensure that the life that they live through him would be more bountiful and more expressive of what the relationship truly means.

[74:13] We pray for your blessing upon the word and that it may take root in our hearts and minds. We ask pardon for sin in Jesus name Amen. I'm going to sing in conclusion the words of Psalm 84.

[74:32] Psalm 84 the last four verses of the Psalm verses 8 to 12 Lord God of hosts my prayer here for Jacob's God give here see God our shield look on the face of thy anointed dear for in thy courts one day excels a thousand rather in my God's house will I keep a door and dwell in tents of sin for God the Lord is a son and shield he'll grace and glory give and will withhold no good from them that uprightly do live O thou that art the Lord of hosts that man is truly blessed who by assured confidence on thee alone doth rest and sing these verses Lord God of hosts my prayer here Lord God your voice my prayer dear

[75:32] O.

[75:47] my love For in thy courts one day excels At the hurtful mothering My God does well like it The good and the dwelling Tents of sin For God the Lord's Son and Shield Hail, grace, and glory, give And will withhold no good

[76:52] From them that are brightly to him O thou that art the Lord of hosts That man is truly blessed O thy apostles Mario This is the blessing of God And The new covenant Wishing you a peaceful God the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

[77:43]  Rest and abide with you all over and always. Amen.