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A Wonderful Message

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A Wonderful Message

10 minuten leestijd Arcering uitzetten

Rev. W.C. Lamain (1904-1984)

What an eternal, inconceivable, incomprehensible, unfathomable wonder it is that the God of heaven and earth has wanted to make Himself known—that God, who of Himself is perfect and has no need to be served by the hands of man, He who gives to all creatures life, breath, and all things. He is eternally glorified in Himself and delights in Himself. He loves Himself although it has been His will and good pleasure from eternity to make Himself lovable and to be loved by those people whom He has chosen in Christ from eternity. Truly, it is infinitely far above human understanding. It cannot be understood, but it can be admired by all those in whom He has His good pleasure. It is a wonder that continually becomes greater, according to the measure that the eyes of His people’s understanding of God and godly matters have been enlightened.

The more the majesty and holiness of that blessed Being are revealed and the depths of our fall in Adam are opened up, the more will be experienced of that eternal good pleasure, and that will cause the soul to sink away in adoration so that there is no more spirit in us. Now with deep reverence and holy awe I may write down what His address is. We find it in Isaiah 57:15, “For thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy; I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones.” Oh, what condescending goodness and what incomprehensible love God has shown and that in a way which could never have been devised by angel or man but was designed in the mind of God from eternity. No wonder, then, that David also cried out in Psalm 139:17, “How precious also are Thy thoughts unto me, O God! How great is the sum of them!”

We have lost the true knowledge of God because of our fall. We have no thoughts of anything godly anymore. By nature, we go on in this world thoughtlessly. Indeed, we cannot even think or form a thought of God unless God comes to fill us with such thoughts—with thoughts of peace and not of evil. Humanly speaking and with deep reverence, God gives us His address. Thus, we know who He is and where He is to be found. He dwells above the sun, moon, and stars, in the heaven of heavens, in His dwelling place. There is His throne, and from there He comforts the heart that flees unto Him with weeping. He is not present where there is confusion and evil work, but He is present with the contrite and humble spirit.

It is not in our own hand to make ourselves contrite or to bring ourselves in true soul’s humiliation. Christ bruised and humbled Himself to the very deepest reproach and agony of hell, and thereby His people may also take that low place. It is all the fruit of His mediatorial ministration, so that those people are privileged to bow before Him in the dust. It is the love of God that brings them there. We have bidden God farewell, but oh, eternal wonder, God has never cast off His people. God’s purpose and counsel are unbreakable. What He has once decreed shall surely come to pass. God, in Christ, reconciles the world unto Himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them, and commits unto us the word of reconciliation. What we have made impossible, Christ has ever again made possible, and what we have put asunder, Christ has joined together again. Eternity shall not be too long to admire that wonder.

Now in the second place, God also knows the address of His people. We read in Revelation 2:12b&3a, “These things saith He which hath the sharp sword with two edges; I know thy works and where thou dwellest, even where Satan’s seat is.”

One of our Bible commentators writes the following about this text: A king in the kingdom in which he rules has a residence in which he dwells and a throne on which he sits, and although his dominion reaches to the utmost borders of his territory, he especially reveals his kingly might at the place where he dwells. In that way Satan also works throughout the whole world. He goes through it, everywhere performing his deceiving work unto destruction (Job 1:7; Job 2:2; and 1 Peter 5:8). The whole world lies in wickedness, but Satan has specific areas where he shows his might, a dwelling place or a throne where he especially puts his power to work. The places which he chooses are the gatherings where an increase of human greatness are found because there he can control mankind at his will. However, neither does Jesus neglect those places. He even assembles His church there. Christ does not shun the battle with Satan. He attacks him in the very heart of his kingdom. All power in heaven and in earth was given unto the Son of Man.

Nothing, therefore, may be left for Satan. He must be assailed even upon his throne. That makes the position of God’s Church and people dangerous at such places. Yet they need not fear; Christ knows where they dwell, and His knowing means giving heed, taking notice of them, being near unto them, and granting His help. The Lord also observes them there. He knows what they are doing. He knows what happens to them, and also there He observes them in both good and evil. He knows very well the difficulty of the conflict. God’s people often look more at the battle and the conflict than that they cast an eye of faith upon the blessed King of Zion, upon Him who holdeth the seven stars in His right hand, who walketh in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks. He shall not forget the congregation of His poor forever. Their faithfulness is the joy of His heart, and He acknowledges and esteems it very highly.

“Who dwell where Satan’s seat is” may perhaps be understood literally in a sense that the angel of the church of Pergamus had his house near the place where the highly honored idol was set up, while in a general sense, it can be understood of the whole church, “Among you, where Satan dwells.” Sometimes the Lord leads His people beside the still waters, but they live in enemy territory. This is not the land of rest. The devil is also called the prince of this world. It is his work to oppress the church and to persecute God’s people. Often those of their own house are their enemies. Everywhere and at all times Satan’s aim is the downfall and destruction of God’s favorites.

It is a difficult life, and it is also impossible to move away from all this misery. That sworn enemy accompanies us everywhere. Even in our home there is no place where he does not follow us. He is at our heels all the time. He is with us even when we bow our knees and when we are given a little love and desire to pour out our heart before that all-knowing and omnipotent God. Moreover, we always take ourselves with us. If it were possible to leave that greatest betrayer, our own flesh, behind somewhere, then we would have heaven upon earth, but, oh, that abyss! The heart is deceitful above all and desperately wicked—that heart which so often casts up mire and dirt, that hell within which makes life so difficult and which restlessly goes forth to destroy and to draw us away from God, the Fountain of Life. It is still a privilege if we may be burdened with all this misery and be grieved by it and may become strong against it in the strength of the Lord. Alas, there are numerous other times when often we are brought into captivity of the law of sin which is in our members. So many times we let ourselves be carried along, and we ourselves must pick the bitter fruits of it.

A short time ago I found a letter which I had received from a much tried and exercised child of God who, for several years already, is rejoicing before the throne. At the bottom of the letter it was written: My address is a prodigal and squanderer of the Lord’s goods; therefore, I must often stay ashore with a broken ship.

For the world there is no future other than soon to be separated from God and cast into outer darkness where there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth, but for God’s people it will be different. Here they are strangers and wanderers, absent from the Lord, but one day they shall be delivered out of this vale of tears from this body of death. They shall be carried up to meet the Lord in the heavens and shall be with Him forever. They shall be brought to their destination, “As for me, I will behold Thy face in righteousness: I shall be satisfied, when I awake, with Thy likeness” (Psalm 17:15). Then we shall neither grieve God nor have to condemn ourselves anymore; everlasting joy shall be upon our heads, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away. What a future!

The ground for this lies completely in a Triune and most blessed Covenant God. It is eternally firm in the electing love of the Father, in the redeeming work of the Son, and in the irresistible ministration and application of the Holy Spirit. The question is, “Shall it be for you and me?” It is a personal matter, and it becomes more and more a personal matter. We cannot set forth on our journey to eternity with a “perhaps.” The state of those people who dare to venture upon such a “perhaps” is very questionable. God’s Word teaches us something else, and the operation of God’s Spirit brings forth different fruits. There is no durable rest until our restless soul may find it in God through faith in Christ Jesus. The truly convicted and discovered people of God yearn for the assurance of this. Paul wrote to the Corinthians, “And this we wish, even your perfection,” namely, to be confirmed in their state and confirmed in their condition. The Lord is free in allotting the measure of grace; we cannot take it or seize it, but it is so necessary that we receive it out of grace.

David knew his condition when he testified in 2 Samuel 23:5, “Although my house be not so with God; yet He hath made with me an everlasting covenant, ordered in all things and sure.” He was in the firm covenant of God, and Paul knew where he stood when he wrote to Timothy, “For I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that He is able to keep that which I have committed unto Him against that day.” There can never be any expectation from us, but happy are we if our anchor may lay firm in the inner sanctuary, in the mediatorial work of Christ, in that Rock whose work is perfect.

Our address is not to our honor because it is all the fruit of our deep fall in Adam, but now to be glad with the proclamation of the most blessed and all sufficient God out of Isaiah 57 and to find strength in the fact that, although no one knows where to find us, the Lord knows where we dwell and favors us with His coming and visits.

My Saviour Thou art,
And my strength evermore,
No longer Thy coming delay.

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Bekijk de hele uitgave van maandag 1 maart 2010

The Banner of Truth | 24 Pagina's

A Wonderful Message

Bekijk de hele uitgave van maandag 1 maart 2010

The Banner of Truth | 24 Pagina's