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Devotions from Gospel Chapel Ministries HOME SERMONS SERMON NOTES
WHAT IS YOUR DESIRE?
"For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all," JAM 2:10.
You and I need a Surety, One who is both able, and willing, to assume our whole obligation, or we will perish eternally. The price we owe is perfect legal obedience to God's holy law. The penalty which compounds with every infraction of that law is death. Since we have lost our ability to please God with our best righteousness, and are guilty of violating His whole law, Cf. JAM 2:10, we need a Surety who is willing to redeem us, not only from the penalty of sin, but from the power of sin as well.
We read about this Redeemer in TIT 2:11-14, "For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world; Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ; Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works."
The grace of God, the Divine influence of the Holy Spirit, appeared to all men--all mankind can see who possesses grace. They have been redeemed from the power of sin--from wrong attitudes and from the servitude of sin, Cf. JOH 8:31-34. The redeemed no longer serve sin. Our Saviour Jesus Christ became our Surety; He took upon Himself our debts to fulfill the whole law in perfect obedience which we are not able to do.
Christ fulfilled the payment of the debt in full with perfection to "redeem us from all iniquity and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works." In other words, people must understand that salvation is much more than just having our debt paid; salvation is much more than escaping hell. He paid our debt in the way of perfect obedience to redeem us from the servitude of sin; this grace of God, i.e., this Divine influence of the Spirit upon the heart which reveals itself in the attitudes and actions, is evident to all men by our being zealous of good works. This new creation spoken of in EPH 2:10 reveals itself by a new desire to live according to the perfect will of God.
In PSA 119:122 David says, "Be surety for thy servant for good: let not the proud oppress me." That verse does not speak of a primary concern of a need for a Surety for the penalty of sin, but when held in its context reveals David's primary concern was his need for a Surety to redeem him from the power of sin. David proclaimed the Lord to be his God all through this Psalm. David was not primarily concerned with heaven or hell; he desired to be delivered from bringing reproach upon God's name and bringing God's disfavor upon himself. In Verse 120 David said, "My flesh trembleth for fear of thee; and I am afraid of thy judgments." He was concerned about losing God's favor.
When David sinned in the matter of Uriah, the Hittite, he brought God's judgment upon himself; through God's disfavor he brought unspeakable grief and agony into his life. The sword would not depart from his house! David committed adultery, and the Lord punished him that he might see the grievousness of adultery. How? This punishment came in the form of incest among David's own children; one of David's own sons forced his sister, David's daughter.
David committed murder, and one of David's sons murdered his own brother, David's son. The sword came into his own household, and he saw the grievousness of his own sin--and God's judgment brought down upon himself because he encountered God's disfavor. This is David's primary concern in our text; David's plea for a Surety is to redeem him from the power of sin and give him that eternal security of His everlasting arms to uphold him that he may not bring God's disfavor upon himself.
When Hezekiah was arrested, and summoned to death to pay the debt we all owe, he confessed his inability to satisfy that debt and pleaded for a Surety to redeem him. See how Hezekiah confessed his need of a guarantor in ISA 38:14, "Like a crane or a swallow, so did I chatter: I did mourn as a dove: mine eyes fail with looking upward: O LORD, I am oppressed; undertake for me." He pleaded for the support of those everlasting arms underneath him because within he had a sinking feeling. He said, " mine eyes fail with looking upward: O LORD, I am oppressed; undertake for me." He asked the Lord to take and carry his burden which he was not able to bear.
Our Saviour reserves Himself for such who have become distressed over the load of their debt which they cannot pay. The Lord Jesus Christ is not precious to someone who is filled with self and feels no debt or burden. The Lord Jesus said the "whole" need no physician because they are filled and content with the things of this life. To them Jesus' name becomes a by-word; how many of the so-called self-sufficient do you hear use the name of Jesus Christ in the form of blasphemy? This is because they feel no need of Him.
The Lord Jesus Christ reserves His love, mercy, and peace for those who are distressed and cry out for mercy. See what a blessed invitation He extends to those in MAT 11:28-30. "Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light." This invitation is for those who feel their load of sin, and they are spiritually insolvent within themselves. They feel their total bankrupt condition outside of Christ; the invitation is just for those whom Christ came to save with His redemption from all iniquity and the power of sin.
For those who do cry out for mercy we read in PSA 50:15, "And call upon me in the day of trouble: I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify me." The Lord sends trials and soul trouble. This was what David was dealing with in our text--temporal circumstances, the proud were oppressing him in trials in this life. He feared they would overcome him; therefore, he asked the Lord to be his Surety. David's plea was "Be surety for thy servant for good: let not the proud oppress me."
When we come into trouble, most often, the trial of our faith comes in the form of temporal circumstances. The question that remains is: Are we able by obedience of faith to make the necessary sacrifice to obey the Lord? Do we understand what Christ went through? In obedience He was willing to give His life's blood before He would disobey. We are also put to the test. Will we follow in the way of the cross? Amen.
Come, ye souls by sin afflicted,
Bowed with fruitless sorrow down;
By the broken law convicted,
Through the cross behold the crown;
Look to Jesus; mercy flows through hHm alone.
Take His easy yoke and wear it;
Love will make obedience sweet;
Christ will give you strength to bear it,
While His wisdom guides your feet
Safe to glory, where His ransomed captives meet.
Blessed are the eyes that see Him,
Blest the ears that hear His voice;
Blessed are the souls that trust Him,
And in Him alone rejoice;
His commandments then become their happy choice.
~ Author: Joseph Swain, 1792
Our sermons and devotions are a ministry of Gospel Chapel located in Conrad, Montana. We also have a daily devotion and sermon notes on-line. We pray this devotion has been a blessing to those who read it. Thank you.