Excerpt from sermon # 242 IN THAT GREAT DAY “For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known,” 1 Corinthians 13:12. God is so pleased with charity in His loved ones, that true love for God, that yearning desire to do that which is for His glory, that yearning desire to do that which is for the edification of the church. We see this in Hebrews 6:10: “For God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labour of love, which ye have shewed toward his name, in that ye have ministered to the saints, and do minister.” To think He would forget any labor of love we have done for one of His saints would be ascribing unrighteousness to God. Jesus told how this will be remembered in heaven in Matthew 25:33-36: “And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left. Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in: Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me.” See how pleased He was, and now He comes with His reward. We don’t merit anything, but the Father has His reward. I want you to understand how mutual this love is. The Father loves, and loved from eternity, and this is the character of God being restored in the hearts of His children. We do not see how pleased God is with our acts of charity. We can only see it as through a glass darkly, but then we will see it as face to face. Then we will see as He sees. In Matthew 25:37-40 we read: “Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink? When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee? Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee? And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.” They didn’t realize they were doing it to the Lord. They were doing acts of charity to the poor, to their fellow man. They didn’t see how pleased the Lord was. When faith becomes sight, what a revelation that will be, to understand how mutual the love relationship is between God and His church. As we struggle through this life we do not see how the joy of our salvation is mutual. Isaiah 62:5b says, “For as a young man marrieth a virgin, so shall thy sons marry thee: and as the bridegroom rejoiceth over the bride, so shall thy God rejoice over thee.” Watching a wedding, seeingthe bride and groom mutually in love, they come before the church to proclaim their desire to become one as man and wife; this is the relationship that will be revealed when faith becomes sight. We will see that the joy of the Lord Jesus Christ is equal to the joy of the bride. This is the joy that was set before our Saviour as the object of His faith. When He was in the Garden of Gethsemane, when He was hanging on the cross and being taunted and cursed, this was the joy that was the object of His faith. What was His joy? The joy of that blessed marriage union. We read in Hebrews 12:2: “Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.” This joy is expressed in Revelation 19:7-9: “Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready. And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints. And he saith unto me, Write, Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb. And he saith unto me, These are the true sayings of God.” In that great day, when faith becomes sight, we shall then understand the preciousness of that marriage union. When faith becomes sight we will learn what true gratitude is for such undeserved love. Not only will we understand that love union, but we will understand true gratitude. We see this in Revelation 5:9: “And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation.” See the song of praise, the song of gratitude that will become so real. Then faith will become sight. Now we can try to comprehend just a little by faith, but what will that be in that great day of days when we can lay our crowns at His feet. Continuing in verses 10 and 11, we read: “And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth. And I beheld, and I heard the voice of many angels round about the throne and the beasts and the elders: and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands.” Think of then the song of praise and gratitude. Sight not faith, but to be there, to be part of that. We read in verses 12 and 13: “Saying with a loud voice, Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing. And every creature which is in heaven, and on the earth, and under the earth, and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, heard I saying, Blessing, and honour, and glory, and power, be unto him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and ever.” Amen. Children of the heav’nly King, As ye journey, sweetly sing; Sing your Saviour’s worthy praise, Glorious in His works and ways. Shout, ye little flock and blest; You on Jesus’ throne shall rest; There you seat is now prepared, There your kingdom and reward. John Connick, 1742 Gospel Chapel
Posted on: Fri, 28 Nov 2014 01:39:36 +0000
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