We come prayerfully then to the subject this
morning, the further key word and probably the
last in our present series, obedience.
Do you find it easy to obey?
It's a question we ask the children but
it's a question we have to ask one
another.
Could our relationship to our Lord Jesus Christ
be described by him or by others looking
on in terms of our obedience to him?
Are we known among other Christians as men
and women who seek to know the will
of God and then to do it?
Is this thing and goes under the name
obedience?
Is it written into my life and your
life that we are known as those who
are pledged to obey?
George Macdonald wrote, I find that the doing
of the will of God leaves me no
time for disputing about his plan.
Someone had told him that they were never
sure about the will of God.
His reply in these words is this, that
He had very little time to think about
the will of God, he was so busy
doing it.
Another has written, God is too great to
be withstood, too just to do wrong, too
good to delight in anyone's misery.
We ought therefore quickly to submit to his
dispensations as the very best.
Spiritual development and maturity does not come by
any means that avoids obedience.
We may talk about this shortcut to holiness
or some other alleged means of cutting corners.
There is no cutting off the corner of
obedience.
It is written into the warp and woof
of biblical Christianity from beginning to end and
is doubly so in the New Testament.
Two main points this morning and the first
is this, obedience is a necessity in the
Christian life.
Not a luxury, not an optional extra, obedience
is a necessity in the life of a
believer.
The Apostle Peter addresses the readers of his
first letter as God's elect.
Then he goes on, who have been chosen
according to the foreknowledge of God the Father
by the sanctifying work of the Spirit for
obedience to Jesus Christ and the sprinkling of
his blood.
Now, please don't miss that.
Whatever God has done for us and the
Spirit is doing in us, it is all
meant to lead to this, our obedience to
God's will and God's word as it is
revealed in his only Son, Jesus Christ.
The whole thrust of salvation is to make
us obey.
There is no bypassing the duty of obedience
as far as Scripture is concerned.
Obedience then is clearly essential in Scripture as
we shall see in a moment.
I'm making the statement now and I shall
prove it as we go along.
It is a necessary fruit of the saving
work of grace wrought by God in our
human hearts.
Unless I am obedient to God as revealed
in Christ and in his word, unless I
am obedient, I have no infallible way of
proving that God is really my God.
He's God to me when I obey him.
I have no real way of proving that
Jesus Christ is my Savior other than by
obedience to him.
I can talk about him, I can sing
about him, but the only way I prove
that he is more than a talking point
to me is when I obey him.
I have no other way of proving that
the Holy Spirit is in my heart other
than by obeying him so that the fruit
of the Spirit and the gifts of the
Spirit and the grace of the Spirit grow
and mature in my life and the will
of the Father expressed in the Son is
reproduced in me and through me.
Obedience is indispensable.
Grace does not, grace does not cancel the
necessity of obedience.
Whereas disobedience marred the original happy relationship existing
between God and his creatures as with Adam
and Eve in the garden and with Cain
who murdered his brother in Genesis 4 and
with a general populace of Noah's Edge and
others.
Obedience does the exact opposite.
Disobedience puts things wrong.
Obedience is the way to realign our lives
with God and our wills with his.
Obedience does the exact opposite to disobedience.
Obedience links men with God in an indissoluble
bond of fellowship and of intimacy and we
become as Paul puts it workers together with
God.
This is evident again in the Old Testament.
Abel offered an offering that was pleasing to
God.
He obeyed.
Enoch walked with God.
Noah built his ark according to God's specifications
and on to Abram and and further on.
This is the message of the book.
Disobedience makes things wrong, puts things topsy-turvy.
Obedience moves in the opposite direction.
It rectifies everything and it brings us into
an experience of being reconciled to God and
of fellowship with him which is deeper than
reconciliation.
A fellowship with him that brings heaven down
to earth.
Now as sin spread its ugly influence upon
mankind we are perplexed and even shattered to
see that it influenced the most privileged people
of all.
Not only the unprivileged of the Old Testament
but the most privileged.
Despite the example of the lustrous Abram in
believing God and obeying him and walking for
a thousand miles along the Euphrates valley to
a spot where God would take him.
Despite Abram's faith, Abram's seed were so openly
violently at times opposing the will of God.
Though they knew what it was even after
they had the law.
This is one of the characteristic features of
their lives.
Even their supernatural redemption from Egypt after being
there for 400 years did not take out
the spirit of rebellion from their hearts.
Nor did the high privilege of being constituted
the covenant people of God on the slopes
of Sinai make them obedient.
They professed obedience.
God's covenant with them was the product of
course of his own infinite grace.
But it was conditional.
Do you remember the terms?
I'm sure you do.
This is a key segment of scripture you
can't even understand the New Testament if you
are not sure about these principles.
Exodus 19 5 and 6 tell us that
God spoke to the children of Israel on
the slopes of Sinai in these terms.
Now if you obey me fully and keep
my covenant then out of all nations you
will be my treasured possession.
Although the whole earth is mine you will
be for me a kingdom of priests.
Imagine that a whole nation a kingdom of
priests and a holy nation.
Ere the covenant was ratified God caused Moses
to ask Israel three times over one question.
Now some of you will say we've heard
you say that before.
Well I'm sorry you I have to say
it again this morning.
Before the covenant was ratified God caused Moses
to be quite clear with Israel as to
the conditionality a conditional character of the covenant.
Three times over he asked one question.
Will you do what God is commanding you?
Are you prepared to obey?
And three times over they said yes.
Let me give them to you.
Exodus 19 8 the people all responded we
will do everything the Lord has said.
So Moses brought their answer back to the
Lord.
Turn over the page to Exodus 24 and
verse 3.
When Moses went and told the people all
the Lord's words and laws they responded with
one voice everything the Lord has said we
will do.
That's the second time.
Exodus 24 and verse 7.
Then he took the book of the covenant
and he read it to the people again.
What a preacher he's saying everything three times
over and he's making quite sure they've got
the point.
And all that God has said all the
laws and all the covenants are read now
again before the people.
Now he says did you get it?
And so we read in verse 7 then
he took the book of the covenant and
read it to the people.
They responded we will do everything the Lord
has said we will obey.
Thus did the children of Israel pledge themselves.
But though their profession was made in triplicate.
Their ensuing actions soon belied their professed dedication
to God's terms.
They became again disobedient.
Try to break loose that is a term
that is used in the Hebrew language.
They broke loose.
They kicked against the bricks.
They went their own way.
They tried to get away from God.
They were disobedient, disloyal.
The ministry of the judges in particular and
of the prophets was largely a matter of
bringing a disobedient people back to the terms
they had promised to obey.
Now this lack of desire or of determination
or of ability whichever may be all three.
To keep their covenant obligations with God by
rendering obedience to his laws and statutes.
Was a major problem in the ongoing life
of ancient Israel.
You see they were they shared in the
fallen nature of mankind.
And they knew the temptations of the flesh
and they knew something about the powers of
the devil.
And they knew something of what the power
of the world of worldliness was.
For they lived among a pagan community most
of their days.
And they found it very difficult sometimes they
didn't have the desire.
Sometimes they didn't have the determination.
Sometimes they didn't have the ability the capacity
to do it.
Let the scripture speak for themselves.
God promised something that would deal with all
these problems.
Isn't it marvelous?
You see one of the things you find
in the Bible is this.
There are all sorts of problems mounting from
one direction or another.
Then God suddenly reveals himself as a God
who's got the answer to that problem too.
God reveals himself as having foreseen and prepared
beforehand the answer to this inability, lack of
capacity in men and women to do his
will.
And he promised them a new covenant.
And the new covenant provisions would not only
tell them what to do but enable them
to do it.
Let me read.
Now these are familiar words to most of
you I'm sure.
Isaiah Jeremiah 31 and verse 31.
The time is coming declares the Lord when
I will make a new covenant with the
house of Israel and with the house of
Judah.
I will it will not be like the
covenant I made with their forefathers when I
took them by the hand to lead them
out of Egypt.
Because they broke my covenant.
Though I was a husband unto them declares
the Lord.
This is the covenant I will make with
the house of Israel after that time declares
the Lord.
Now here it is.
I will put my law in their minds
and I will write it on their hearts.
I will be their God and they shall
be my people.
Not in name only but in reality.
And in Jeremiah 32 and 40.
I have no time to read more.
We have these added words explaining the same
principles.
And I says God and I will inspire
them to fear me.
So that they will never turn away from
me.
Ezekiel adds to that.
It's the same picture but Ezekiel adds something
quite a new flavor really to it.
He puts it like this.
God says I will give you a new
heart and put a new spirit in you.
I will remove from you your heart of
stone and will give you a heart of
flesh and mark this.
And I will put my spirit in you
and move you to follow my decrees and
be careful to obey my laws.
God said that.
Now have you got the picture?
It's all disobedience.
I don't want to do God's will.
I don't like God's will.
I can't agree with God's will.
I haven't got the power to do God's
will.
Well my friend once you come into the
enjoyment of new covenant blessings of Christian salvation.
You will begin to like God's will.
Because he writes his law on your mind
and on your heart.
And he puts his spirit within you to
cause you to move you to inspire you
in the way of the statutes.
If you want new testament terms.
Paul tells the Philippians work out your own
salvation with fear and trembling.
How can we do it?
Or says he it is God who is
working in you both to will and to
do of his own good pleasure.
That's exactly what he's talking about.
A Christian is a man or a woman
who has entered into possession of new covenant
salvation.
And that means the desire to do God's
will and to obey him.
The capacity to do it and to go
on doing it.
Such promised provisions were a boon to the
God fearing.
Of course the faithful were already able to
draw grace from God.
Enoch did.
Isaac did.
Abram did.
But this is something different.
This is something over and above that with
the law of God written on your heart.
So that deep calls unto deep.
Now when we come to the new testament
then we start there.
We are not where the Israelites were on
the slopes of Sinai.
We are a changed people.
A regenerate people.
God has taken away the heart of stone
and he's given us a heart of flesh.
He's put his own Holy Spirit within us.
I trust there is no man or woman
here this morning who doesn't know what that
means.
If you're a believer God has put his
spirit in your heart.
Now think what that means.
The very spirit in God that makes him
act as he does is in you.
And if the spirit of God is in
you, you will want to do what God
wants to do.
And you will want to be what God
is.
And by the incoming of the spirit of
God into our human lives, obedience becomes not
only a necessity but a possibility.
My second point this morning is this.
Disobedience is most reprehensible in those who are
heirs of new covenant provisions, new testament provisions.
Now that is exactly what we are.
Let it be clearly said, were it only
for the sake of young believers among us
this morning whom we're always glad to welcome.
We salute those of you who've come to
the Lord Jesus recently and I'm glad to
have you.
Let it be said were it only for
for for younger Christians to whom this is
new that all believers this side of Bethlehem,
this side of Calvary, this side of the
resurrection, this side of Pentecost, all believers, there's
no exception, all believers who have embraced Jesus
Christ as Savior embrace the new covenant promises.
We are men and women of the new
covenant.
When our Lord Jesus Christ took bread and
wine on the night of the paschal supper
recorded in the gospels, he announced, this cup
he said is the new covenant in my
blood.
That was symbolic but he didn't stop there.
They sang a hymn and they went out
into the Mount of Olives and he set
the machinery in motion that ultimately brought him
to Calvary where that which was symbolized in
the upper room was actualized on the old
rugged cross and the covenant, the new covenant
promised by God was there signed and sealed
before the public eye by the precious blood
of his Son.
It is written the age of the new
covenant has come in and Pentecost began to
prove it.
Now the story of the book of Acts
is precisely that.
It's the proving to the world that we
are living in new covenant days.
You say, how that?
Well, because in the book of Acts not
only weak men are unable to obey God
but enemies of God, enemies of his will,
enemies of his word, enemies of his people
are transformed in their hearts so that they
join the people of God and love to
obey him.
This is a thrilling story, isn't it?
Here you find these weak disciples, the weakest
of the weak who locked the doors you
remember after Jesus had been crucified and they
were indeed afraid to go out and if
I had been with them I would have
been afraid and you would have been afraid
so don't, don't let's be too hard on
them but we're noting the fact they were
afraid.
But something happened on the day of Pentecost,
the covenant promises were kept and God put
his spirit in their hearts.
He sent forth his Holy Spirit, he came
to tabernacle within them and lo and behold
they're marching into the streets of Jerusalem where
their Lord was accused and condemned and died
and rose again in the very headquarters of
the enemy.
This is what they're doing.
See, power has come now.
They not only have the desire, they have
the ability they're doing what God requires of
them.
Weakness has given way to power.
But not only that, a thrilling story of
the book of the Acts is this not
only were weak men made strong but enemies
were made friends.
The gospel is a way of transforming its
enemies and making use of them to the
building up of its own kingdom.
Think of Saul of Tarsus.
He's the classical, he's not the only one.
If you read the story through you'll find
many many more but just think of Saul
of Tarsus.
There he was destroying the church as best
he could and he was willing himself to
be destroyed in the bargain.
He had authority from the high priests, from
the chief priest to do anything necessary to
get rid of this sect.
Riding his high horse metaphorically and otherwise he
was coming near the gate to the city
of Damascus.
And the blessed Lord Jesus Christ manifested his
glory to him.
And the glory of the Lord greater than
the glory of the sun at midday says
Paul was shining upon him and he was
physically blinded.
But if he was physically blinded he was
spiritually illumined and a new man was born.
And the old hatred and the old animosity
and the old bigotry died out.
And there came into existence a new man
no longer Saul of Tarsus but Paul an
apostle.
And he began to build the cause that
he had been tearing to pieces.
And he began to encourage the saints whom
he had so discouraged.
Did you see how God deals with things?
These are new covenant blessings.
What makes a man like this?
What transforms men and women like this?
Well it is this.
God pledged something and this is what he
pledged.
I will make a new covenant he says
and the new covenant is such that I
will write my laws upon your heart.
And the things you used to do you'll
cease to do them.
And you will begin to do the things
that I love because my spirit will be
in you.
And I will cause you to walk in
my statutes.
Now that's the believer.
In any conversion you and I may profess
to have had which has not brought us
into possession of the spirit and an experience
of desiring to please God even though we
may have failed many times because of other
things I'm not mentioning this morning.
Unless we have come to this point our
experience is short of saving.
Now the New Testament has many ways of
bringing this out.
Many, many, many different ways.
I want to mention one way this morning
very briefly.
We must assume our New Testament responsibilities.
New covenant responsibilities.
Obedience.
Whatever God commands us to do.
Now some theologians have been very fond of
using two terms and I'm going to use
them this morning.
I hope I don't confuse you.
But they speak of the indicatives and the
imperatives of the New Testament.
And what is meant is this.
In the New Testament you often come across
indicative statements plain statements of fact relating to
every Christian man and woman that has ever
been and ever will be.
They're indicatives.
But then following those indicatives if you're careful
you will notice in every context certain imperatives.
An imperative is a command.
It tells you this is what you've got
to do.
If you are heir to the indicative then
you must obey the imperative.
Now let me illustrate this.
In Romans chapter 6 you have a number
of illustrations of this but let me just
give you one.
Let me take up the thread at verse
2 there where Paul says and this of
course applies to every Christian.
Now this is the indicative.
We died to sin.
A Christian is a person who was died
to sin in the death of Christ.
In his association with Christ.
How can we live in it any longer?
Or don't you know don't you know as
if you were now wondering whether they were
accepting what he had said or don't you
know he says that all of us who
were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into
his death.
We were therefore buried with him through baptism
into death in order that just as Christ
was raised from the dead through the glory
of the father we too may live a
new life.
Now let's not go into the details of
that this morning but the point is this.
Paul says by the baptism what a baptism
is a symbol of the baptism of the
spirit whereby we are incorporated into Christ.
We are made one with him and being
made one with him we share in his
death we share in his resurrection we share
even beyond that says Paul to the Ephesians
in his ascension and in his reign at
the father's right hand and Paul means that
too in Romans 8 when he says that
we are more than conquerors through him who
loved us.
Now that's the affirmation.
The indicative.
Well so what?
Okay wonderful we have a share in the
death of Christ a share in his resurrection
we share in all the benefits of what
he did.
On the basis of that indicative however the
apostle announces certain imperatives.
Let me read to you.
Let me give you another illustration without going
into detail.
Verses 12 and 13 in Romans 6.
Therefore he says do not let sin reign
in your mortal body so that you obey
its evil desires.
Do not offer the parts of your body
to sin as instruments of wickedness but rather
offer yourselves to God as those who have
been brought from death to life and offer
the parts of your body to him as
instruments of unrighteousness.
Have you got the point?
By faith we belong to the Lord Jesus
and we participate in the merit of his
death and resurrection and ascension.
That's an indicative.
It's true of everybody.
You may not be aware of it young
Christian this morning.
You may not be fully aware of all
that has happened to you when you become
a Christian.
There are many people in that condition.
They've never yet come to realize what really
has happened to me.
Well this is the biblical explanation of it.
You're one with Christ.
You're a man or a woman in Christ
as Paul puts it so often.
But now whether you understand it or not
comes the imperative.
There are certain things you can't do now
but there are certain things you must do.
One he says don't let your body be
used for your old masters whether self or
Satan or anybody else but hand over your
body and the members of your body as
instruments of God.
These are imperatives.
So you look at your body.
You look at your hands and your arms
and your torso and your legs and your
feet and your mouth and your ears and
your eyes and you hand over the whole
thing to God now.
This is the imperative.
All belongs to God now.
Now I have no time this morning to
enlarge upon that but you find it in
many many places in the New Testament.
If you want others well I can give
them to you but not now.
And what happens then?
What happens then?
What happens then is quite astonishing to use
New Testament language.
Heirs of salvation according to God's covenant and
sealed by the blood of Christ are possessors
of privileges that match their onerous responsibilities and
enable them to do what the law of
God requires of them.
In Romans 8 3 and 4 Paul says
this among other things.
I'm only quoting.
What the law was powerless to do.
What?
Is being done in the lives of those
who are heirs of new covenant promises.
Because Christ died etc.
In order that the righteous requirements of the
law might be fully met in us.
Who do not live according to the sinful
nature but according to the spirit.
Or again in Romans 13 verses 8 to
10.
He who loves his fellow man has fulfilled
the law.
Do you know what Paul is saying in
these statements and in many other places?
He's saying this.
That when the spirit of God promised as
a new covenant benefit comes into our hearts
and this deep work of writing the law
of God upon the inner nature of a
man.
When this takes place we not only have
the capacity but we are in touch with
all the necessary resources to obey God's law.
Obedience to God's law and his known will
therefore is an imperative in the New Testament.
It is not simply a not mere Pauline
stress.
You have it in Jesus.
You have it in Peter.
You have it in John.
You have it everywhere.
You remember our Lord Jesus in the in
this passage asking why do you call me
Lord?
Lord and do not what I say.
Do not what I say and do not
what I say.
I will show you that he is like.
Sorry.
I will show you what he is like
who comes to me and hears my words
and puts them into practice.
So we had the story we read this
morning is like a man.
He's like a man.
He says building a house who dug down
deep and laid the foundation on rock and
the storm came and of course the storm
couldn't touch him because he was built upon
a rock but the man who hears everything
and doesn't obey.
He's like the man who according to Matthew
built on sand or according to Luke's imagery
built on the superficial earth and doesn't dig
deep down to lay a foundation on rock
and when the flood comes and the storm
arises he flops and flounders and falls.
Jesus says obedience is necessary.
John says in his first epistle we know
that we have come to know him if
we obey his commandments.
Nothing less than obedience will prove that we
belong to Christ's family.
Whoever does the will of my father in
heaven is my brother and my sister and
my mother.
Matthew 12 50.
Not everyone who says to me Lord, Lord
will enter the kingdom of heaven but only
he who does the will of my father
who is in heaven.
Matthew 7 21 to 23.
Judas heard everything the others heard.
Oh my soul be solemnized by this awesome
truth.
Judas Iscariot heard everything the others heard but
he was not obedient.
We must be obedient.
Obedience therefore is implicit in the invitation of
the gospel.
How often we miss this but it's true.
Obedience is implicit in the call of the
gospel.
Last Lord's Day morning was it Mr. McLeod
was preaching and come unto me all ye
that are weary and burdened and I will
give you rest.
Do you remember what it says immediately after
that?
Take my yoke upon you.
What does that mean?
Be joined to me.
Let me lead you.
Become partner with me and I will lead
you.
I will take you where I want you
to go.
I will lead you where I want you
to be.
I will tell you what I want you
to do.
I will be the leading partner and you
are yoke to me not I to you.
Under the yoke to Christ it's implicit in
the invitation of the gospel.
Or if you want another one let Paul
give us his rendering.
Through him says Paul in Romans 1 5.
Through him that is through Jesus Christ and
for his name's sake we receive grace and
apostleship.
To call people from among all the Gentiles
to what?
To the obedience that comes through faith.
Now if you want to understand Paul's evangelism
there it is.
He was asking people to believe in the
Lord Jesus Christ that they might be saved.
Yes yes but here is I beyond that.
Believing in order to the obedience that springs
out of faith.
If faith really links me to Christ the
Savior that faith will bring new life to
me.
Eternal life and that eternal life in me
is a life that will want to please
God.
May be very hard.
I have to take up my cross daily.
But you don't take up a cross for
any other reason than to die on it.
This is the way.
Finally lest anyone be tempted to think that
obedience to God's law is a soul damaging
or spiritually cramping experience.
Let me suggest that it is not.
Many people and especially psychologists and psychiatrists who
are not Christian.
Often suggest that the disciplines of the Christian
life are cramping your personality.
You cannot really grow up unless you are
absolutely free to do anything that any impulse
in you requires you to do.
And whatever passion you have whatever desire you
have express it.
And if you don't express it you'll suffer
for it down the line.
My friend I've got news for you.
The only perfect man that ever lived this
world in this world.
The only psychologically balanced and mature man I've
ever known.
Jesus of Nazareth put himself under the law
of God.
In youth through young manhood until he was
33 years of age.
And he died under the law obediently.
Did it destroy his sanity?
Did it disturb him psychologically?
Did it curb him from anything that a
psychiatrist can make of you or of me?
Can my psychiatrist make me a better man
a more wholesome man than Jesus was?
I'm not speaking against psychiatrists as such.
Please don't misunderstand me.
That those who assume this particular point of
view.
That disobedience to the word of God and
obedience to the passions of my fallen nature.
All this is expected of us in the
20th century.
And it is right in the 20th century.
So you don't need to put your neck
under the yoke.
You don't need to take up the cross
and die to self and sin and satan.
Jesus died to himself and he came to
his glory via the cross.
Do you call me teacher and Lord?
He says and rightly so for that is
what I am.
Now that I your Lord and teacher have
washed your feet.
You also should do as I have done
to you.
I tell you the truth.
No servant is greater than his master.
Nor is a messenger greater than the one
who sent him.
Now that you know these things you will
be blessed if you do them.
And Paul agrees.
Your attitude he tells the Philippians should be
the same as that of Christ Jesus.
Well what was the attitude of Christ Jesus?
Who being in the very nature of God.
Did not consider equality with God something to
be grasped.
But made himself nothing.
Taking the very nature of a servant being
made in human likeness and being found in
appearance as a man.
He humbled himself and wait for it.
And became obedient unto death even death
on a cross.
Obedience to the word and the will of
God will not make a fool of you.
It will not hamper your growth or your
development.
On the contrary it is the wicked gate
that leads to life everlasting.
However narrow it be at the opening.
It opens out into all the vistas of
eternity.
And this is the only life that doesn't
get cramped at the end.
And is better at its end than its
beginning.
Brothers and sisters we have a wonderful savior.
Treasure him.
We have a wonderful gospel proclaim it.
Use your time.
Employ your talents.
Give your treasures.
There is one thing that I have no
qualms about.
And that is asking the saints of God
to give their money for the propagation of
the gospel of Jesus Christ.
But we need to put ourselves into it
as well.
For our gospel makes it possible not only
for the disobedient to become obedient.
And to overcome their weakness in order to
become obedient.
But also he transforms enemies.
Into the way of his will.
This is the new covenant.
These are its blessings.
May God grant us as pastor and people.
And all of us worshiping here this morning.
A new understanding of what he expects of
us.
And of the provisions he has made for
us.
That we may be able to do what
he bids.
And honor and glorify his name.
Let us pray.
Oh Lord hear us as we confess our
often confusion.
In the reading of your word and particularly
in implementing your commands.
How often we have made our impotence the
excuse for disobedience.
And sometimes our ignorance as a valid reason
for living as we ought not to live.
And failing to do your bidding.
Spirit of the living God.
Fall upon us afresh.
Make your image clear upon our hearts and
your spirit felt within our spirits.
Work in us both to will and to
do of your own good pleasure.
Be our God, our Savior, our life this
week.
May we sense eternal life in our souls.
Cutting against the stream of things.
Generating and quickening holy desires in unholy environments.
And enabling us to be more than conquerors
through him who loved us.
Oh God hear our cry through your all
-worthy Son, our Savior.
Amen.