“Because of My Foolishness” (Ps 38)

“There is no soundness in my flesh because of Your anger, Nor any health in my bones because of my sin. For my iniquities have gone over my head; like a heavy burden they are too heavy for me. My wounds are foul and festering because of my foolishness.” (vs3-5)

It is our fault because of sin; we sinned in our father Adam and brought the curse upon ourselves, even slavery to sin and the misery thereof (vs1-5). He says, “Because of my sin... My wounds are foul and festering because of my foolishness”. We brought death, transgressions galore, and pain upon pain upon ourselves by our own refusal to obey. It is not Adam's fault, but you and I sinned. Romans 5:8, “through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned”. It isn't our parents fault, the bosses fault, or anyone else's fault that WE are sinners; it is ours alone. The things that we have done are not excused by what others did to us; the Lord Jesus, the Son of God, never sinned, though He was chased at His birth, raised by imperfect parents, hated by the world, forsaken by His friends, and made to bear the curse of God's hatred upon His body when He died for God's elect. He did no sin, and we can't blame anyone for the sin that we've done, except ourselves; it is not God's fault, either.

If you realize this, then you can and will obtain mercy, because only the blameable are forgiven, and only sinners meet with God in Christ (Luke 18:9-14).

Secondly, our sin causes us great misery and grief (vs6-10). He says, “I am feeble and severely broken; I groan because of the turmoil of my heart. Lord, all my desire is before You; and my sighing is not hidden from You. My heart pants, my strength fails me; as for the light of my eyes, it also has gone from me”. Not only are we to blame, but we've brought agony upon ourselves, separation from God, and the miserable consequences of sin; not only have I done evil, but evil has come upon me justly, even grief, woe, helplessness, and despairing thoughts of self. Sin isn't a friend; it is a foe, leading us to pain through the temptation of pleasure, causing us to hurt ourselves while promising, “It isn't so bad”, to get us to indulge. Satan told the woman, “You will not die. For God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil”, choosing for yourself what's right (Gen 3:4-5)! But, sin hurts, and by this pain, we seek after mercy and find God gracious to sinners.

Finally, we have utter confidence in the Lord (vs11-22). He says, “For in You, O Lord, I hope; You will hear, O Lord my God. For I said, 'Hear me, lest they rejoice over me, lest, when my foot slips, they exalt themselves against me”. He is merciful to sinners. The other day, I passed by a drunk holding up a, “Single Parent, Need Help, God Bless”, sign. He was in his late 50's, bore no evidence of children, and stumbled drunkenly while holding his sign. I did not give, but I kept driving. Yet, God is MERCIFUL to sinners, to people who ruined their lives, brought pain upon themselves, and who want to be helped. If you approach Him as you are – guilty and miserable – then He'll show you who He is – merciful, gracious, and wise - 100% of the time. The sins you hate have brought you to Christ, so that you may be forgiven, alleviating the pain of conscience and reconciling you to God. He will give strength to honor Him now, for Christ's sake, because He was made sin, guilty, and miserable for you, suffering the wrath you deserve in full, until it is put away from God forever! Pain is needful, guilt is preliminary to mercy, and God will assuredly hear. He says, “Do not forsake me, O Lord; O my God, be not far from me! Make haste to help me, O Lord, my salvation!” He is 100% my salvation when I've found myself, by confession and pain, to be 100% unworthy, hell-worthy, and sinful.

“Concerning the Transgression of the Wicked” (Ps 36)

“A saying within my heart concerning the transgression of the wicked: there is no fear of God before his eyes.” (vs1)

The problem with the wicked is that he doesn't fear God. Scripture says, “there is no fear of God before his eyes”. He is audacious in his unbelief and bold in challenging Almighty Power. He won't humble himself to be saved, but he rebels against God's mercy, challenges His holy law, and he denies God His rights as God. Man is foolish not to FEAR Him who sends the soul to hell. Our Lord said, “And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. But rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell” (Matt 10:28).

Secondly, there is a difference between the righteous and the wicked, for “he sets himself in a way that is not good; he does not abhor evil” (vs1-4). Job, in righteousness, feared God and hated sin. It is said of him, “There was a man in the land of Uz, whose name was Job [“Hated”]; and that man was blameless and upright, and one who feared God and shunned evil” (Job 1:1). He refused it, rejected it, and looked upon sin as disgusting, displeasing, and surely wrong. The wicked don't hate evil or shun it, but they live in it to the full as their only ambition.

Some are wicked in religion, others in licentious ungoverned lusts, but either way, he doesn't have faith and love.

On the other hand, however, God is good, faithful, and the life giving sustainer of all things (vs5-6). He says, “Your judgments are a great deep; O Lord, You preserve man and beast”. Without Him, we'd have no life, no hope, and no truth; we wouldn't exist.

Finally, in the Lord Jesus our God, we see salvation and pleasures ever more (vs7-12). He says, “How precious is Your lovingkindness, O God! Therefore the children of men put their trust under the shadow of Your wings. They are abundantly satisfied with the fullness of Your house, and you give them drink from the river of Your pleasures. For with You is the fountain of life; in Your light we see light”. In the gospel, we see glory, something to compel worship from our hearts, as God reveals forgiveness by the blood of Another, election unto salvation predetermined for us by God, and salvation performed in us by the revealing power of God the Spirit. 2 Cor 4:6 says, “For it is the God who commanded light to shine out of darkness, who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ”. In the gospel light, we see a reason to live, have hope in eternity, and we know that we are reconciled to God eternally and fully. The gospel is the hope, the joy, and the peace of everyone who knows and sees God; it makes us reject the way of sin, even as you'd reject poison for nourishment and pain for peace. The Psalmist said, “Oh, continue Your lovingkindness to those who know You, and Your righteousness to the upright in hearts. Let not the foot of pride come against me, and let not the hand of the wicked drive me away”.

“Let Him Alone” (Hosea 4:14-5:12)

“For Israel is stubborn like a stubborn calf; now the Lord will let them forage like a lamb in open country. Ephraim is joined to idols, let him alone. Their drink is rebellion, they commit harlotry continually. Her rulers dearly love dishonor” (vs16-18)

The worst thing possible is being LEFT ALONE by God (Hos 4:14-19). He said, “Ephraim is joined to idols, let him alone”. When sin is not reproved in the conscience by chastisements... when we think we're getting away with it... then we really hurt ourselves, because we don't hurt, and so we destroy ourselves increasingly (Eph 4:17-19).  In chastisement, God gives us warning, but if we feel no pain and are without chastisement, then we're bastards (Heb 12:7-8).  God must save us, and when He doesn't speak and move us, then we can't be saved.

Saints are allowed to be destroyed in our schemes, by God letting them “prosper”, until we learn later (2 Chron 20:35-37).  Sinners are permitted to rebel, only to be utterly taken out in the long run.  Thus, silence is fearful, and doing your will and getting away with it is one of the worst things imaginable. When God says, "let them alone", He refuses to give knowledge necessary for salvation, since we've so despised the knowledge He gave already.

Saints are encouraged to discern our way by God's word, rather than our feelings or success.  We secure our path, because we can't judge by "open doors", which, perhaps, we've forced and opened ourselves. We seek God's kingdom, walking in the light of scripture, and we make sure that we're safe, rather than deceived (Ps 139:23-24).  Don't think painless joy is the mark of safety; it is better to have misery and be blessed by God's word exalting your way as pleasing to Him, than to have the delusion of peace (Rev 2:8-11).

Secondly, ignorance causes destruction, so heed knowledge (Hos 5:1-4).  We read, “They do not direct their deeds toward turning to their God, for the spirit of harlotry is in their midst, and they do not know the Lord.” People don't know God naturally and must be taught.  Those who obey God's word in trembling fear are blessed for receiving God and believing Him for who He is in truth (Is 66:1-2).  Those who reject the gospel are cursed in their lie, punished for their caricature of God, and they miss out on the salvation Christ gives. Do not be unwise! God is whom He declares Himself to be, and the Lord Jesus is the one and only mediator, the only One capable of appeasing wrath. Salvation is free, earned by Him, and given to sinners not one bit better than another. Therefore, only God is glorified in the salvation that makes us obedient, for He saves for real, giving the blessings of holiness. If this God is yours, then rejoice, and honor Him wholeheartedly. If you have another, or if you're cold towards God's commands for you, then repent. Ignorance isn't bliss.

Finally, God hurts us for taking man's word over His, so FEAR God and glorify Him who is Lord and Savior (Hos 5:10-13). He says, “Ephraim is oppressed and broken in judgment, because he willingly walked by human precept”.  Man can't help or heal the bones that He's broken, so disregard men and serve God.  Know where you stand according to scripture, and do not bow to anyone else (Matt 10:27-28).  God will fight for the hated believer, but He hates the fear of man, and He'll show that man can't save you, and glory is Christ's alone (Deut 32:36-41).  Your God is either the God of the bible in grace and truth, or it's man-made idolatry.  Who will you serve?  God or men?

“Newness of Life” (Rom 6:1-14)

What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it? Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life. (vs1-4)

I come to this message because of personal weakness and yet victory over sin. God's command PUTS power in us, so I will give the rational, the command, and the comfort of new life.

FIRST, THE RATIONAL

It is right to walk in newness of life, because we receive the whole gospel, which includes the resurrection (vs1-4). He says, “just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life”. If there be no resurrection, if Christ is in the tomb, then we are not forgiven of sins. God rewards the righteous with life, favor, and the beauty of His face. But, if Christ isn't risen, it means that God hasn't accepted Him. But, if He is risen, and we receive His death for us, then we must also receive the benefits of His resurrection, even determination to do His will. We can't have one (forgiveness) without the other (newness of life).

SECONDLY, THE COMMAND

“Reckoning” is the hard part, but we are to do it (vs10-12). He says, “For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God. Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord”. We are to BELIEVE that we're alive from the dead through the Lord Jesus Christ to sin no more, to battle sin, and to turn all heaven's cannons against it, receiving power to do God's will, even if it kills us. Have no light attitude or lax attitude about sin. War with it constantly, reckoning yourself a new person to walk in newness of life, married to the King. “Therefore, my brethren, you also have become dead to the law through the body of Christ, that you may be married to another – to Him who was raised from the dead, that we should bear fruit to God” (Rom 7:4).

THIRDLY, THE PROMISE

We have the promise (Rom 6:14). God says, “For sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under law but under grace”. We don't have to doubt, when it comes to obedience, that God will give us the grace. Having removed the sins that impeded our blessings, He has promised to reign down grace to do His will. We are not condemned, not subject to merit, and God insures us that grace will subdue the lusts within.

Sin will not reign because God breaks the power of sin, gives the conviction, and delivers us by the gospel. He gives power to the faint, and He humbles the proud to NEED mercy, so that He bestows it freely. Don't worry about if you can obey. Ask yourself. Is God the Redeemer able to GRACIOUSLY make you obey, supplying all the strength, even as He supplied the blood as payment?

Sin won't reign over God, so it won't reign over any for whom Christ died, who trust in Him as alive.

“The Traitor” (Luke 6:16)

“And when it was day, He called unto Him His disciples: & of them He chose twelve, whom also He named apostles... & Judas the brother of James, & Judas Iscariot, which also was the traitor” (vs13, 16).

Christ controlled all that happened to Him by submitting to the Father (Luke 6:16).

He did the Father's will and not His own, even if it meant suffering for us. He who did no sin was betrayed by wicked sinners, and He WILLINGLY went to the cross the pay for crimes He didn't commit, crimes God charged to Him for us.

Bless His holy name. He wasn't merely a Friend in good times, but He bore the wrath of God to be friendly with us eternally (Prov 17:17). He is the GREAT God and Savior because He saves, because He controls, and He gives us privileges, using even the wicked for us.

First, God is great because He saves. The Lord Jesus chose the apostles, and He chose one named Judas, who would betray Him (vs13). To die, He must be MURDERED, and to be murdered, He chose a friend to do the deed, to show that man REJECTS the mercies of God. He says, “For my love they are my adversaries: but I give myself unto prayer” (Ps 109:4). I look at Noah's ark, and I see room for “whosoever will”, and yet Noah condemned his generation by building an ark, preaching righteousness, and only eight souls entered in. Everyone else had mercy preached to them, not in word only, but also in life, and they WOULD NOT come in.

Secondly, He saves SOVEREIGNLY, by working all things after the counsel of His will. If you think the cross is merely the reaction of God to sin, then you are wrong. The cross is God's plan A for this world, the remedy for sin before sin was every committed, “according to a purpose of the ages, which He made in Christ Jesus our Lord,in Whom we have the freedom and the access in confidence through the faith of Him” (Eph 3:11-12).

All that He does is to save. It may be painful, it may be by betrayal, etc, but it will redound to the glory of God and the good of the church. Men mean it for evil, but God means it for good, “as it is this day, to save much people alive” (Gen 50:20).

Thirdly, the Lord teaches us to believe on Him. The wicked are not controlling anything. Sin is not out of control and unpunished. It is a Day coming when restitution shall be made, but it is NOT in the earth.

Believe on the Son of God, don't betray Him as Judas, and know that He works all to save. Take every painful tear and drop it into His bottle, knowing that He cares. Ps 56:8-9 says, “You number my wanderings; Put my tears into Your bottle; Are they not in Your book? When I cry out to You, Then my enemies will turn back; This I know, because God is for me.”

You Do the Same Things (Rom 1:13-2:1)

“Therefore you are inexcusable, O man, whosoever you are that judges: for wherein you judge another [to be wrong in what they do], you condemn yourself; for you that judges do the same things”(Rom 2:1)

Our only hope is Jesus Christ the Lord. No man stands meritoriously with God, because we’re worthy of wrath.  We have sinned and do sin against God, so we must be SAVED by Jesus bearing our sins, being justified by faith in Him, or we cannot stand - “For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness“ (Rom 1:18). We are not GOOD enough to stand on our own, for there is none good but God (Matt 19:16-17).  We can obtain mercy, but we can’t say, “Pay me” and expect less than wrath.

(1) We are ungodly to the point of rejecting light -  “because that which is known of God is manifest in them; for God manifested it unto them. For the invisible things of him since the creation of the world are clearly seen, being perceived through the things that are made, even his everlasting power and divinity; that they may be without excuse: because that, knowing God, they glorified him not as God, neither gave thanks; but became vain in their reasonings, and their senseless heart was darkened. Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, and changed the glory of the incorruptible God for the likeness of an image of corruptible man, and of birds, and four–footed beasts, and creeping things.” (Ro 1:19-23 ASV) Even though we know that He’s true, we choose the way of sin, because we are cursed to love sin and to hate God as just penalty for our Adamic rebellion (Rom 5:12).  Now, we love evil and hate the good.

(2)  Only Jesus obeyed God, and if we’re saved, it’s because He paid for us and God views us RIGHTEOUS by faith - “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believes; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.  For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith“ (Rom 1:16-17).  Because Christ did everything to save the elect, the believer is JUSTIFIED freely and may have the blessing.  But, apart from this justification, wrath hovers over us and awaits our end, to punish us forever (vs18).

Men say, “I can stand on my own”, but do you see the list of crimes (Rom 1:26-32)? This is God’s point of view, that you and I are wicked next to Him, that we do things abominable, and even the things that we SEE in others and despise, we do ourselves, for all hate, sin, steal, lie, cheat, and murder, because this is in the heart of man, even if hidden in many actions - “For from within, ot of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornication, murders, thefts, covetousness, wickednesses, deceit, licentiousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness: all these evil things come from within, and defile the man” (Mark 7:21-23).

No one but the Lord pleases God.  Will you be saved, or will you perish, sinning against light - not only of nature (God in the stars), but also in grace?  Will you forsake the only hope you have? 

(3) Paul preached the gospel because the wrath of God was real, so he was indebted to save men, in response to Christ’s call and commission - “I am debtor both to the Greeks, and to the Barbarians; both the wise, and to the unwise. So, as much as in me is, I am ready to preach the gospel to you that are at Rome also“ (Rom 1:14-15).  You and I are to preach the gospel to save hell-bound men, knowing that the issues are GREATER than our own personal happiness. Eternal souls are being saved and lost, and if you think sovereignty excuses responsibility, then you’re wrong. Sovereignty no more excuses the preacher from preaching and pleading, than it excuses the sinner from hearing and believing. We’re under orders, and because hell is eternal and hot, we are compelled to minister to men. Our mind isn’t, “The elect shall be saved, the rest blinded, and we will not care to trouble ourselves about it“. But, we strive to preach Christ and we beg God for opportunity to minister to SAINTS and sinners, so they can be saved.

The faith of the gospel saves, and all else is tragedy. Do you BELIEVE the Son and send His gospel to others, or do you think that you’ll escape some other way?

“Earthen Vessels” — 2 Corinthians 4:7 (Don Fortner)

We must face the fact that flesh is flesh. Though all who believe are saved by the grace of God, washed in the blood and clothed in the righteousness of Christ, so long as we are in this world, we are just “earthen vessels.” When Paul talks about that salvation which brings into our hearts “the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ,” he reminds us that “we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us” (2 Corinthians 4:6-7).

            The more we think of the utter weakness of our flesh, the more thankful we are that our security and preservation in Christ is not dependent upon our own weak nature, but upon God’s constant power and sustaining grace. We are so feeble that if the matter were left in our hands, we would all fall and perish very soon. Many cannot endure the teachings of Holy Scripture regarding this matter of our security and preservation in Christ, because it makes the whole of salvation a work of divine grace from beginning to end. It allows no room for human merit and works.

            We do not pretend to live above sin. Sin is a sadly common fact of life. You will never find one of those men who lived and walked with God in the Bible bragging about his righteousness or his perfection. In fact, they all struggled with sin in their flesh. All of God’s people are like Paul. We have two natures within us struggling for supremacy; the one is good, the other evil; the one is righteousness, the other sin; the one is spirit, the other flesh. If we could avoid it, we would never sin. We abhor our sin as an infinitely evil thing! We long for the day when we shall be totally free from sin. But, for now, we have the treasure of God’s saving grace in these earthen vessels, so that the excellency, the greatness, the power and the glory of our salvation may be attributed to him alone and not to us.

            Does this mean that God’s people are no different from the unbelieving of this world? Certainly not! The believer is like a man climbing up a hill. He does slip and fall; but his face is set toward the summit. The unregenerate man is always going down, because his face is set in that direction. The believer is like a man on a ship. He often slips and falls on the deck; but he never jumps over board. Our judgments may at times be wrong, like the bewitched Galatians (3:1). Our affections may cool like the church at Ephesus (Revelation 2:4). Grace may at times seem to be lost to a child of God; but it never is really lost. The people of God, like the church in the Song of Solomon, do become slothful and negligent; but their hearts awake (5:2). The sun is sometimes eclipsed; but it regains its splendor. The trees lose all their fruit and leaves in the winter; but they have fresh buds in the spring. Israel may flee before her enemies at times; but she enters the land of promise triumphantly when her journey is over. So, too, the true believer falls many times; but the Lord raises him up, and he shall finally enter into heaven triumphantly through the blood, the righteousness and the grace of Christ. It is utterly unthinkable that one of God’s elect should fail to enter into eternal glory. Like Jonah, we all may at times flee from the will of God; but grace will pursue us, preserve us and cause our hearts to return to him who loved us and gave himself for us.

             I am like you, a man struggling with sin. At times, my sinful thoughts and my sinful deeds almost drive me to despair. But I am reminded by the gospel and by the Spirit of God that his grace is sufficient even for me. My salvation and my acceptance with God are not in myself, but in my Substitute. Like you, I am just an “earthen vessel;” but Christ is “The Lord our Righteousness.” He is all my Salvation, all my Desire and all my Assurance. I hang all my hope upon him. Do you?

www.Donfortner.com

Another Law

Romans 7:21 I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me. 22 For I delight in the law of God after the inward man: 23 But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members.

Men have complicated this and argued over it for many years, but all believers have experienced this very thing and the word here clearly describes that experience. The inward man, the new man (Col 3:10), loves God’s law, delights in it and desires to keep it. This is not the old nature, which despises God’s law, is enmity against God and cannot be subject to His law: Romans 8:7 Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.

This new man is, well, let’s let God describe him: Ephesians 4:24 And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness. This is why he loves and would keep God’s law. But, we are all familiar (all believers that is) with this “other law.” It is the old man, the law or principle of sin, the old nature that cannot be subject to the law of God. It is rebellious and wicked; it is the “me” in which dwelleth no good thing (Rom 7:18).

There is warfare raging within each child of God. We love God, but that love is all but quenched at times by the lackadaisical, lukewarmness of the old heart (Rev 2:4). We would worship, and yet we cannot watch with Christ for even one hour, because “the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak (Matt 26:41 ).” We believe, and yet our prayer must ever be “Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief (Mark 9:24).”

We would do good, but evil is present and continually is bringing us (the tense here is present and active), perpetually drawing us away from Christ, His worship, our first love of Him and our most holy faith (Jude 1:20).

No one who has not experienced this can understand it or believe it. This seems a tragic circumstance, a sad and terrible place to be and it is in a sense. It is what caused Paul to cry out the way he did in the last two verses of this chapter. Yet thank God that we are not complacently dead. Warfare is brutal and disturbing, yet it is preferable to unrestrained and comfortable rebellion and evil. Paul thanks God for deliverance in Christ from this body of death, but he also, calls this warfare “a good fight (1Tim 6:12).” And though we are in this body of death now, yet, in Christ Jesus, we are bound always to give thanks. 1Thessalonians 5:18 In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.

Chris Cunningham