|
||||||
| SERMON #112 Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven, MAT 6:10. As we pray, "Thy will be done in earth," we are praying that we might be sanctified. We recognize and make a humble confession that our hearts are polluted with sin; we realize there is rebellion in our hearts. We see the need of sanctification, i.e., to be set apart to God's service, to be washed from the polution of sin, "...with the washing of water by the Word." EPH 5:25-26 says, "...Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word." When we come before the Lord and pray, "Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven," how do we know His will? How can we pray that His will be done and be ignorant of His Word? "...with the washing of water by the word" tells us that it is by the Word of God that His will is revealed unto us. It is by the Word and the Holy Spirit, applying, enlightening, and opening the Word that His will is revealed. So we are asking for the "...washing of water by the word," that by the Word our ways, our walk, and our will might be washed from the corruption that is in us by nature, and that we might be brought with a heart which is in total surrender to the will of God. We are asking to be cleansed by the washing of the Word. We cannot enter into the service of Christ's kingdom with a divided heart. It says in REV 21:27, "And there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie: but they which are written in the Lamb's book of life." This is speaking about the kingdom of heaven, the eternal kingdom of heaven, heaven itself; we are talking about entering His kingdom of glory. We must understand that when we say, "Father, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven," we are asking to have His will revealed unto us. We must have a heart that is tender in the fear of the Lord and a desire that our will shall be totally dissolved in the will of God, that we may be able to do His will. JOH 3:5-6 says, "Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God." Except we be washed "...with the washing of water by the word," we cannot enter into the service of the Lord. How can we do His will, how can we walk in the footsteps of Christ if we are ignorant of the Word? It is so important that we meditate upon, and search the Word of God. It contains such fullness that we can meditate on it day and night, and there are still depths and a newness revealed unto us of the will of God. How can we come carelessly before the Lord and say, "Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven," if we neglect studying the Holy Writ that has been given to us? Our first and constant desire should be our sanctification through studying, searching, and meditating upon the Word. The first petition in the perfect prayer is "Hallowed be thy name." Only then are we able to walk in a way that is to the glory of God. Jesus says, "Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God," JOH 3:5. We cannot serve the Lord with a divided heart, and we cannot enter that kingdom until our hearts have been washed with the water of the Word and with the Spirit of sanctification. We must have a new desire, a new heart, and a new spirit. Jesus continues in V:6, "That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit." If we are born of the Spirit, then we have the Spirit, i.e., the mind, of Christ. "Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus," PHI 2:5. The Spirit of Christ is to surrender totally to the will of the Father. Now the prayer Jeus taught in our text is, "Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven." The desire of the heart is that our walk of life, that our every step in this life, will be according to the will of God; we have a desire to do what is for His glory. The purpose of God's creation was that He should be glorified in the perfect submission and obedience of man. Now we see that He is to be glorified by His will being done in this life as well as in the life to come. We make a mockery of God's Word if we pray, "Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven," and we do not do the things which He says. There is a difference between Pharisaical legalism and the law of love which is to love God above all, with all our heart, soul and mind and to love our neighbour as ourselves. MAT 7:21 says, "Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven." We don't want to overlook "he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven." When we come before the Lord and say, "Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven," we are mocking God if we know His will and "doeth" it not. Mocking God is a horrible sin when we do willfully what we know is against the Word of God. Teaching obedience is not teaching legalism. Rebellion, when we are aware of God's will, shows arrogance against the revealed will of God. We must have the knowledge of the Word, but we must also seek to have the washing of the water of the Word. Our text is a prayer for our footsteps (our walk of life) and our hearts to be washed, cleansed, purified, and sanctified. We are admonished in 1PE 4:1, "Forasmuch then as Christ hath suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves likewise with the same mind: for he that hath suffered in the flesh hath ceased from sin." We must arm ourselves with the mind of Christ; He died unto sin once that He might live unto God, ROM 6:10. This is what you and I must do. We must die unto sin that we might live unto God. Then it says in 1PE 4:2, "That he no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh to the lusts of men, but to the will of God." When we come before the Lord and say, "Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven," we are mocking if we willfully transgress His Word. It is so important that we understand this. God's secret will, i.e., His decree, will be done, but we are to regulate our lives by His revealed will. DEU 29:29 says, "The secret things belong unto the LORD our God: but those things which are revealed belong unto us and to our children for ever, that we may do all the words of this law." People who overemphasize the Scriptural doctrines of the sovereignty of God, the decrees of God, and the predestination of God's people are in horrible danger as Satan would have them overreact by trying to regulate their lives by God's secret will instead of His revealed will. When we start regulating our lives by His secret will, we become fatalistic. We must understand that our lives are to be regulated by the revealed will of God; "that we may do" His revealed will. When we come before the Lord and pray, "Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven," then we must search the Word of God with our whole heart to see what His will is that we might do it. Coming in the service of the Lord is not to merit salvation, but it is our evidence that we passed from death unto life. Malachi tells how the Lord will make a separation between the sheep and the goats in the day of judgment. MAL 3:18 says, "Then shall ye return, and discern between the righteous and the wicked, between him that serveth God and him that serveth him not." Being delivered from the power of sin is salvation. We are not serving God to earn salvation, nor do we have salvation without coming into His service. So many people think salvation is limited to being washed in the blood of Christ to go to heaven and escape hell, to escape the consequences of sin. Do you know what salvation is? "...and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people [not in but] from their sins," MAT 1:21b. If we have never been saved from our sins, and we walk on willfully and deliberately doing what we know the Word of God forbids, then we may not claim salvation. Then we are not able to pray this petition of the perfect prayer, "Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven." We are admonished to understand that the laws of the nation demand satisfaction by the the letter of the law. The Pharisees lived by the law of their nation. You and I know that every country has its laws. We have laws that say we must wear seat belts and abide by a speed limit; we may not steal or commit murder. We can satisfy those laws by abiding by the literal letter of the law; it is an outward order of decency, a strict justice in our dealings. The courts of justice require "an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth," i.e., the penalty must be equal to the crime. The laws of the nation require no more self-restraint than to abstain from violating the letter of the law. The law of the land may prohibit the act of adultery, but there isn't one thing in the law of the nation that prohibits anyone from lusting after a woman in their heart; that restraint comes from the spirit of the law. Now let's consider the law of the gospel which is the spirit of the law. When we come before the Lord asking, "Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven," we must understand that the law of the gospel requires much more than the law of nature or the letter of the law. Many people teach that the law has been abolished because we now live in the spirit of the law. Do they understand the spirit of the law? The spirit of the law which is the law of the gospel, requires much, much more than the letter of the law. The law of the gospel requires serving according to the spirit of the law, i.e., the righteousness that excels as we saw in MAT 5:20-48. The righteousness that excels goes into the intents of the heart. Not only that we may not kill a brother, but we may not be angry with a brother either. That goes much further than the letter of the law; the law of the gospel goes into the thoughts and intents of the heart. Also, the law of the gospel is the law of Godliness, i.e., the right posture of our hearts before the Lord which we find in MAT 6:1-8. This Scripture shows that the Lord not only wants us to keep the letter of the law, but He wants us to keep the intent of the law which is for the glory of God. The intent and posture of our heart between us and the Lord must not be to exalt ourselves. The law of the gospel requires inward holiness. There is a tremendous difference between the letter of the law and the law of the gospel. The law of the gospel goes to the posture of the heart: the thoughts, intents, and desires of the heart. In HEB 12:14 we read, "Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord." The law of the gospel requires holiness in thoughts, attitudes, and posture of the heart before the Lord. That holiness flows from a desire to do what is to His honor and glory. We see now that the law of the gospel goes much deeper than the letter of the law. We do not keep the law to earn salvation; walking in the spirit of the law is the fruit of salvation. There is a tremendous difference. We do not walk in the ways of the Lord for merit, but we walk in His ways because we have been washed in the water of the Word. The First Epistle of John especially teaches this as our evidence of salvation as we see from 1JO 5:13, "These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God." The law of the gospel requires true charity which reveals itself by our fruits. ROM 12:15 says, "Rejoice with them that do rejoice, and weep with them that weep." Do you see what the law of the gospel requires? What a mockery to come before the Lord asking for His will to be done while we harbor hatred in our heart for our neighbour. We may not have violated the letter of the law against our neighbour, but we violate the law of the gospel when we hate our neighbour and say we love God. 1JO 4:20 says, "If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen?" When we are told to "Rejoice with them that do rejoice, and weep with them that weep," their sorrow becomes our sorrow and their joy becomes our joy. The law of the gospel requires good for evil, not evil for good or a kind of revenge like the Pharisees taught in "eye for eye, tooth for tooth." Watch what we read in ROM 12:14, "Bless them which persecute you: bless, and curse not." That is the law of the gospel, from the heart. How do we say to the Lord, "Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven," if our heart is not right with our neighbour. Then we are walking in unrighteousness and ungodliness. God is love, and if we are going to say our heart is right before the Lord, and we love Him with all our heart, soul, and mind, then we must also love our neighbour because the second table of the law is like unto the first. We must have a righteousness that exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees. Jesus taught the law of the gospel in MAT 5:44, "But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you." The law of the gospel requires us to do good for evil, and to do good to those who have done evil things to you. In the law of the gospel we are required to mortify our corrupt affections, take up our cross, and follow Jesus. We are to mortify the corrupt affections of the heart. That means we are to get rid of the evil things of which we are fond. In 1PE 2:21- 23 we read, "For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps:" God has predestinated that we are to be conformed to the image of Christ who came upon the earth in perfection, performing the perfect will of the Father. If we want a pattern to see what "Thy will be done" means, we must lift up the Lord Jesus Christ as the only pattern or example because He showed the only perfect obedience to the will of the Father. Verses:22-23 continue, "Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth: Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously." Which one of us can find one stone to throw at a fellow man? When the Lord teaches us the perfect prayer, "Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven," our plea must be that we may become Christlike, that Christ may be formed in us so if we are reviled, we do not revile against them. What did Jesus do when He was reviled? When Jesus was reviled, He reviled not again; when He suffered, He threatened not. He committed Himself to Him that judges righteously. This is what we must do. If we are reviled, if someone comes against us, we must lovingly refrain from reviling because we must commit them to Him that judges righteously. God the Father knows the heart of every person, and He knows what is prompting them to revile us. Maybe the Lord has allowed this for our purging, to bring us a trial. Will we revile again? Satan sets his snares to trap us. Some of the greatest television evangelists have been snared by Satan. Satan uses this to bring blasphemy against the name of God and the church. When those who profess the name of Christ fall into Satan's trap, the name of God is blasphemed. Why must we pray, "Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven"? It is to glorify the name of God. When we pray, "Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven," it points us to the purpose of God's creation. He created man to render perfect obedience. Our Saviour rendered such perfect obedience unto His Father here on earth in our human nature as our substitute. We must understand that in human nature the Father can only be glorified with perfect obedience. We need that imputed righteousness of Christ; we need that blessed obedience and perfect harmony of will imputed to us. We also need these imparted to us. We need Christ formed in us so we may become Christlike. How? We must be cleansed "...with the washing of water by the word," EPH 5:26. We must study, meditate, pray, and search the Word of God to discover His holy will. "And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross," PHI 2:8. The Son of God condescended to come down and take upon Himself our human nature; He humbled Himself "and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross." We must understand that we are praying for the perfect harmony of will when we pray, "Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven." The only time and place this was ever done in perfection was in the Lord Jesus Christ. We need the imputed and imparted righteousness of Christ. When we pray, "Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven," we are admonished to remember PHI 2:4-7, "Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others. Let this mind be in you [We must be able to condescend to men of low estate], which was also in Christ Jesus: Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men." Can we walk in those footsteps of Christ? Our prayer is "Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven." The will of the Father is that we walk in the footsteps of Christ, that we prefer the other man before ourselves. Jesus was the King of kings; He sat on the throne of heaven, yet He took upon Himself the form of a servant in the likeness of man. Look back to the admonition: "Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others." If every person was more concerned about doing the will of his fellow man than his own, if that Spirit of Christ was in every person, he couldn't pick a quarrel with anyone on the face of the earth; it would be impossible. Every quarrel comes from self-centeredness, self-exaltation, self-pride, and a violation of the Spirit of Christ, so let this mind be in you which was also in Christ. When we properly understand faith, we understand what it is to raise our eyes unto Christ as our example, and His faith becomes the object of our faith. What is faith? If we don't understand the faith of Jesus Christ, we don't understand faith. It was by faith that the Lord Jesus Christ stepped into the waters of baptism; it was by faith that the Lord Jesus Christ stepped under the wrath of His Father as an act of obedience. We cannot separate faith from obedience. How is His will going to be done if it isn't through faith? How is His will going to be done unless our eyes are lifted unto Christ as our example? His faith becomes the source of our faith. In GAL 2:20 we read, "I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me [By looking unto the Lord Jesus Christ as the source of my faith, I become conformed to His blessed image.]: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me." When our eyes are lifted up to the Lord Jesus Christ and we see how by faith He obeyed, and how by faith He became a servant, and how by faith He reviled not again, then we begin to "live by the faith of the Son of God." The faith of Christ becomes the object of, and the source of, our faith. It is through faith that we are brought unto Christ, unto conformity with that image of Christ, i.e., Christ is formed in me. "Nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me," GAL 2:20. How can Christ live in me except I be conformed to that blessed image of Christ? A faith's view of Christ's humility, corrects every arrogant thought. Where is there room for pride if God comes with His Holy Spirit and truly opens our eyes with a faith's view to see the condescension of Christ? If we truly learn to see how He stooped down and became a servant, how can we exalt self? Jesus stepped down into the wrath of the Father to pay the penalty of our pride. Where is there room for pride? Where is there room for any self-exaltation? Where is there any room for any arrogant thought when we see how He humbled Himself? If our eyes are lifted up, Christ is lifted up as the object of our faith? If He is in me, then I live without any arrogance. It corrects any arrogant thought. The Apostle Paul said in PHI 2:4-7, "Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others." Jesus looked on the broken law, the broken, forsaken condition of His people before God; He looked at the broken bond of love, and He looked upon their condition. He didn't look upon what would happen to Him, and by faith He stepped in and appeased the wrath of His Father upon the sins of His people. He immersed Himself underneath His Father's wrath upon our sin, and when He came up out of that gall of bitterness, He brought His church up with Him in that great resurrection. "Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others." Do you see how blessed it would be if that Spirit of Christ was truly formed in us, if Christ truly lived in us? This is the will of God that Christ be formed in us the hope of glory. V:5 continues, "Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus." That is what it means when we pray, "Thy will be done on earth, as it is in heaven." A faith's view of Christ's obedience which purchased our salvation, and His blood which appeased God's wrath upon our sin reminds us of our demerits. It reminds us of our unworthiness and what hell-worthy sinners we are if we really get a faith's view of what Christ suffered for us. If we see how He had to be obedient unto death to appease the wrath of the Father on our sin, then we see how unworthy we are. Then every other person becomes more worthy than we are. Such a faith's view of the faith of our lovely Saviour will bring contentment with God's will in every providence. When we learn to see that, and understand what God commanded His own Son, how Jesus obeyed by stepping into death for our sins, then our hearts are surrendered completely to every providence that God brings upon us. Look at Job; "And the LORD said unto Satan, Behold, he is in thine hand; but save his life," JOB 2:6. Was the Lord sovereign in doing this? Oh yes, He could have justly given Job into Satan's hand eternally, but He said, "but save his life." When the Lord purges us in the furnace of affliction, it is to bring our hearts into subjection to His will. Is it just? Oh, yes! When our eyes are fixed upon what He required of His own Son, then we certainly have no quarrel within our souls as to what the Lord has laid upon us. Take notice of Asaph; he gives such a beautiful illustration of this. He said in PSA 73:1-3, "Truly God is good to Israel [but how does he qualify this?], even to such as are of a clean heart. [They are those whose hearts have been washed by the washing of the water of the Word of God.] But as for me, my feet were almost gone; my steps had well nigh slipped. For I was envious at the foolish, when I saw the prosperity of the wicked." It was after Asaph had a faith view of Christ that his heart smote him. V:16-17 says, "When I thought to know this, it was too painful for me; Until I went into the sanctuary of God; then understood I their end." Then he said, "So foolish was I, and ignorant: I was as a beast before thee. Nevertheless I am continually with thee: thou hast holden me by my right hand," PSA 73:22-23. "Truly God is good to Israel, even to such as are of a clean heart." Those whose hearts have been washed "That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word," EPH 5:26. Then Asaph goes on to confess his sin by saying, "For I was envious at the foolish, when I saw the prosperity of the wicked." Now watch, it was when he was brought back into the sanctuary, a place of safety, that he was brought into submission to God's providence. He was brought into the sanctuary which was a type of Christ. Asaph saw that the only place of safety, the only sanctuary, was the Lord Jesus Christ. That is the point I am making; when our eyes are lifted to the faith of Jesus Christ, then we come into total surrender to the providence of God. PSA 73:16-17 says, "When I thought to know this, it was too painful for me; Until I went into the sanctuary of God; then understood I their end." Then Asaph understood the end of those of whom he was jealous; he was jealous of the prosperity of the wicked, but now he saw that God had left them open to prosperity to the ruin of their souls. Asaph also saw the blessedness of the providence of God in leading and taking him through the furnace of affliction; he had been chastised and brought into the sanctuary by the "washing of water by the word." The Holy Spirit sanctified him through the "washing of water by the word" so he was brought into subjection to the will of God. To become reconciled with God and His will is where salvation lays; without it, there is no salvation. No person can claim to be saved when he is in a state of rebellion; that is impossible. It was that faith's view of Christ, his sanctuary, that brought Asaph to see his foolishness of rebelling against God's Holy will. It was when Asaph saw the blessed atonement, that perfect submission of Christ, in the types and shadows of the Old Testament sanctuary that he was brought into the only place of safety. Then he saw and understood how foolish he was. "Thus my heart was grieved, and I was pricked in my reins. So foolish was I, and ignorant: I was as a beast before thee. [That is the fruit of truly seeing Christ's sacrifice by faith.] Nevertheless I am continually with thee: thou hast holden me by my right hand," PSA 73:21-23. Now Asaph had no quarrel with the providence of God. He saw his foolishness. He begins with "Truly God is good..." In other words, in His providence, God is good. The prayer, "Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven," also goes into our submission to the providence of God. It is a confession that our hearts are in total surrender to the providences of God that come in our life. We accept them as from the Lord when our hearts are brought into total surrender. What a preciousness there is in Christ when we see how He brings us to submission and washes us. The Lord Jesus Christ sanctified His church "That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word." He brings us into a spirit of submission so we can say, "I am continually with thee: thou hast holden me by my right hand." That is a most precious thing. The Lord greatly comforted me in ISA 41:10, "Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness." He would not allow me to destroy myself. He would chastise me, yet hold me up by His right hand, and He would not allow me to fall into that pit. The Lord Jesus Christ is at His right hand; it is in that precious faith of Christ, in His obedience and atonement, that He upholds us "with the right hand of [His] righteousness." He places us in Christ. How? He does it by "Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven." He brings us into the Spirit of Christ; "...Christ in you, the hope of glory," COL 1:27. God's glory, i.e., the hallowing of His name, must be the central motive of our prayer. We must understand that Christ did all for the glory of the Father. When we pray, "Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven," MAT 6:10, it is for the glory of God; the central motive of our whole heart must be that God would be glorified. Entering the kingdom is being brought into the service of God for His glory. When we say, "Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven," our motive must be to glorify the name of the Father by total submission to His will. Jesus pleaded to be delivered from that hour of death because He knew the Father was able to deliver Him, but then in submission He said in JOH 12:27-28, "Now is my soul troubled; and what shall I say? Father, save me from this hour: but for this cause came I unto this hour. Father, glorify thy name. Then came there a voice from heaven, saying, I have both glorified it, and will glorify it again." Jesus had pleaded to be delivered from that hour, but did not receive an answer; when His prayer was for glorifying God's name, God answered with an audible voice. A desire to do the Father's will is a desire to become a new creature. EPH 4:29-32 says, "Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers. And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption. Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice: And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you." When evil communications comes out of our mouth, using railing and reviling, bringing reproach upon our neighbour, we are not using our mouth and communications to glorify God. When the Father's will is our will, no corrupt communications will come from our mouth, and we have become a new creature. Why does the Apostle Paul admonish us against bitterness, wrath, anger, clamour, and evil speaking? He knows our nature; he knows our heart by nature, and he knows the corruption of his own heart. He knows that we must become a new creature which means we will want to abstain from these things. We see the sinfulness of these things and how displeasing they are to the Lord. We want His will to be done; therefore, we abstain from these things so we do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God. These things are grievous to us because we have learned to see they are against the will of God. "Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven," directs our attention to angelic obedience. In other words, it points out how it is in heaven. The Lord Jesus Christ is in heaven, and He is sitting as King. His obedience has been fulfilled. The angelic obedience is seen as they go at their master's behest without any regard for the magnitude or simplicity of His command. It is simple obedience. An angel might be sent to destroy a Sodom or to reprove a wretch like me. No matter how insignificant a commission to reprove a single person might seem, he goes at the bidding of his Master without any regard to the significance or magnitude or the simplicity of the command; it is simple, unquestioning obedience. In other words, there is nothing too small or slight to obey. We must obey in this life as we are going to obey in heaven; we must see that the slightest of His commands or the slightest things in His will must be obeyed with equal reverence to His will. The Lord often uses the smallest commands to test our obedience. Adam was placed in a kingly place, but his respect for God's authority was tested by commanding him to abstain from violating a very insignificant statute, i.e., not to eat the forbidden fruit. The Lord uses the smallest commands to test our dedication to His will by obedience. I want you to understand that many people who do not profess to possess grace, will not commit murder because they consider it a gross violation of God's command, but they will desecrate the Lord's day, or His name, in their daily life. They will do all the things which they consider as little sins thinking nothing of them. When the Lord works grace in the heart, the more grace we have, the more we see the hand of God in the little things. A man who habitually used profane, blasphemous language while trying to sell a refrigerator to me said it was guaranteed against everything except an act of God. I asked him what he would call an act of God. He replied, "Well, if it is destroyed in a tornado, or from lightning." This blasphemer saw the hand of God in the lightning and tornado, but to him blasphemy was a trifle. Blasphemy is not a small violation of His command. EXO 20:7 says, "Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain; for the LORD will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain." The more grace we have, the more we will see the Lord's hand in the smallest things. When we see a sparrow fall to the ground, when we see the most trifling things, the smallest things in our life, then we will see God's hand in it. It takes grace to see the hand of the Father in the single hair which falls from our head. Jesus said in MAT 10:30-31, "But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear ye not therefore, ye are of more value than many sparrows." This brings us to the issue of keeping His commandments. If we can trifle with the least of His commandments, then we need more grace because we know the most trifling thing becomes the greatest offense when we truly understand the will of God. MAT 5:19 says, "Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven." The Lord measures our submission by how small a thing we look at as sin. If it is the least transgression of His law, and we can slight it because it is small, it is because we lack grace to see and understand the significance of how it is the Father, the Lawgiver, we are slighting. This teaches us how the Father looks at the posture of the heart, not at legalistic obedience. We don't keep His commandments out of a legalism to earn something, but we obey out of a Godly fear. Our will being dissolved in His will takes the struggle out of every battle as soon as we can say from the heart, "Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven." It doesn't matter what trial we are going through; it could be that of approaching our death bed where we pass from this time state into eternity. If it is that great a matter, our struggle is over as soon as our heart can render true submission to the will of the Father and say, "Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven." That submission takes the struggle out of every trial. Jesus made a very important point when He was in the Garden of Gethsemane. He said unto His disciples in MAT 26:38-40, "My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death: tarry ye here, and watch with me." The Lord Jesus Christ was struggling with death; He was sweating great drops of blood going through the agonies of death. Jesus asked His disciples to pray with Him, watch with Him. V:39 continues, "And he went a little farther, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me [He was praying to be delivered from that hour.]: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt. And he cometh unto the disciples, and findeth them asleep, and saith unto Peter, What, could ye not watch with me one hour?" Jesus was going through the struggles of death. Three times He went and fell on His face before the Father praying the same words: "O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me." He was beseeching His disciples to pray with Him, but we see in MAT 26:44, "And he left them, and went away again, and prayed the third time, saying the same words." Now the struggle was over, for Jesus was fully resigned to His Father's will, and He knew the Father would glorify Himself in such perfect obedience, i.e., obedience unto death. That is why He said to His disciples in MAT 26:45, "Sleep on now, and take your rest: behold, the hour is at hand, and the Son of man is betrayed into the hands of sinners." He was submitted to the will of the Father; He said, "nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt." Jesus knew He would step into the wrath of the Father; He knew the Father could save Him from that hour if it was His will. When Jesus understood, unmistakably, that it was the will of the Father, His struggle was over. The proof of Jesus' submission to His Father's will comes in the next verse. "Then cometh he to his disciples, and saith unto them, Sleep on now, and take your rest: behold, the hour is at hand, and the Son of man is betrayed into the hands of sinners." It is going to happen, He is going to die stepping into the Father's wrath. The matter is settled and the struggle is over. It was over when Jesus said, "nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt." When you and I can truly understand what this is, to pray from our heart, "Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven," the struggle of every trial ends right there because we come into a passive obedience; now we come into a total resignation to the will of the Father. Here is the heart of true prayer, not "Lord do my will," but "Lord prepare my heart's desire, and strengthen me to do thy will." So often we come before the Lord trying to tell Him what to do. True prayer is "Thy will be done." True prayer seeks to know what His will is so our hearts will truly come in the right place before the Lord. The true meditation of our heart is then directed to knowing the will of the Lord that we may walk in the ways that are pleasing unto Him. Jesus said in MAT 26:42, "O my Father, if this cup may not pass away from me, except I drink it, thy will be done." Jesus came to that hour knowing the Father could deliver Him from it, but see the perfect submission. It is important to see that what Jesus had to go through wasn't over, but the struggle regarding God's will concerning it was over. Sometimes we come to the right place and our hearts are brought into the right posture before the Lord, but that doesn't mean He will deliver us from the trial. If He has brought us to our death bed, we might still have to die, but we die in total submission to His will. The struggle and trial may be over, but that doesn't mean the circumstances have changed. Submission is the heart of the true spirit of prayer. Every follower of the footsteps of Christ shall drink from this same cup of the spirit of submission. There is no way you and I are going to follow Christ without submitting to the will of the Father. If we are in Christ, we are going to find that in the way of the cross, He is going to lead us through our trials and struggles until we come to drink of the same cup of submission. In ROM 8:9 we read, "But ye 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." If we have never been brought to that spirit of submission, but go on in our rebellion, we are not His. It is that plain in the Word of God. If we do not understand what it means to have our will and the rebellion of our heart broken and to be brought into total surrender to the will of God, then we are none of His. The apostle said in PHI 2:5-8, "Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross." You and I must understand that the Lord Jesus Christ is the pattern for our lives, and if we do not have that Spirit of Christ, then we must take notice. Are we being washed with "the washing of water by the word"? Can we pray the Lord's Prayer saying, "Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven."? When God's people go through their worst struggles, even on a death bed, the struggle is over when the heart is totally surrendered to God's will, even though the circumstances are still the same. You and I may be brought into some tremendously trying circumstances. Just because the Lord gives us submission to His will does not always mean the circumstances are going to change. Many times they do; many times the trial is over as soon as the struggle is over and the heart bows. When our hearts come to an unconditional surrender is when God becomes "Our Father." Then we can worship Him who is "in heaven;" then we can hallow His name by entering into that kingdom to do His will on earth as well as in heaven. That is when we begin to understand MAT 6:9, "After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name." In MAR 6:49-50 we read, "But when they saw him walking upon the sea, they supposed it had been a spirit, and cried out: For they all saw him, and were troubled. And immediately he talked with them, and saith unto them, Be of good cheer: it is I; be not afraid." When the Lord Jesus Christ sends us out to sea (sends us trials) and we see those tumultuous waves that seem as though they would drown us, then what a blessing if we may see Jesus walking upon the waves, i.e., see the hand of the Lord in these trials, and surrender ourselves to the fact that it is of the hand of the Lord. So often unbelief keeps God's people from looking unto their Sovereign who reigns as King, instead they are looking at those waves (trials) in the tumultuous sea. We must take our eyes off flesh and blood if our eyes are lifted to that Sovereign who walks upon the sea, who brought that trial in the storm. We also would immediately hear, "Be of good cheer: it is I; be not afraid." What happened the instant Jesus spoke those words? There was a great calm because the struggle was over. That does not mean the circumstances changed. They were still out at sea, but the struggle was over; the storm ended because He came into the boat. He came on board; it was a great Bethel; God was there. Now the God of heaven was seen in that trial and the storm was over. The struggle was over because now their eyes were on the Sovereign instead of on the sea. The Apostle Paul was a God-fearing man, dedicated unto the Lord's will, yet he prayed three times that the thorn may be removed out of his flesh. That was unbelief. Analyze this; the Apostle Paul did not see the will of God. Paul was praying that his will would be done, so he prayed three times that the thorn would be removed from his flesh. He wanted the circumstances to change; at that point, he was not in submission to the will of God. When he became resigned to the Lord's will, Paul realized that his spiritual pride was a much greater threat to him than the thorn. He realized the thorn was sent to keep him from spiritual pride; he saw the blessedness of the thorn and was in subjection to it. In 2CO 12:7 Paul said, "And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure." The Apostle Paul saw the abundance of the revelations and the tremendous spiritual pride that he was subject to, and now he received the thorn in the flesh and a messenger of Satan to buffet or torment him, i.e., to dwarf or keep him small in himself. We must understand that we don't tell the Lord what to do. That is what you and I must understand when we pray, "Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven." If the Lord brings us through a trial, we are not to pray for the removal of the trial. We must seek and plead to know His will that we might be in submission to it. We need to pray to know His will; such a prayer says, "Give me to be in subjection to Thy will," knowing that if the Lord wants to send a thorn, He has a good reason for it. It might be to spare us from a grievous sin. Watch what we see in 2CO 12:8-9, "For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me. And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me." Look at the blessed spirit of submission this trial brought to Paul. How was Paul brought into such weakness? It was by the thorn in the flesh, by the messenger of Satan that came to buffet him so he would be brought into submission to the Lord's will; that thorn in the flesh would not depart from him. The power of Christ, the Spirit of Christ, that spirit of submission, that spirit of "Thy will be done," rested upon him. Then he delighted in the things he suffered for Christ's sake because he saw they were for his spiritual good. Verse:10 continues, "Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong." When we become weak in ourselves, then we become strong in faith because our faith is in the faith of the Lord Jesus Christ. Then we want God's will to be done, not our own. We don't pray that our thorn might be removed, but that we may have the strength to walk with it. We must pray that He will give us a blessing and that we might be in subjection to His holy will. Then we truly understand what it is to pray, "Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name." In other words, Thy name be glorified when I walk in that kingdom; that Thy kingdom may come, that I might come into the service of my holy Master and do His will, that "Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven." Amen. |
|
