The subject of ours again this evening, and
for the past three weeks we have been
looking at this depression.
And evening after evening I've called it depressed
disciples.
Dr. Martin Lloyd-Jones believes, and I believe
with him, that the one thing the devil
takes to haunt, and horrify, and distress, and
upset, and left, make you, in your mind,
go nearly round the bend.
The one thing that he takes to oppress
and depress disciples, is that one sin that
somebody committed so long ago.
You know, there are so many of God's
people, and you know, there's an old sin,
maybe they committed it thirty years ago, maybe
more, and they wish they had never committed
it.
They cry to God continually, Oh God, that
I had never been guilty of this.
And the old devil haunts them, horrifies them
through this.
A lady said to me, not very long
ago, that one horrible, hellish, haunting sin, it
drives me round the bend.
Oh yes, it was the devil that was
doing this.
And I believe there are saints tonight, real
saints, born again saints, and they're walking the
floor of the bedroom night after night about
this thing.
Or they're tumbling in bed with tears in
their eyes.
Saints that phone me up and say, I'm
nearly out of my mind.
And they're depressed disciples.
And the devil is using this one sin
to distract and disturb.
Now, let me say a word again about
depressed disciples.
I was telling the meeting last week, and
some of you were not here, that a
gentleman came in to see me, and he
said to me, you know, you're talking these
nights about depressed disciples, and I don't quite
agree with this.
And I said, what's wrong with it?
He said, well, the psalmist, when he was
writing, he said, Hattie, is that people whose
God is the Lord?
And you know, I looked him up and
down very closely, I knew who he was,
and where he came from.
And I wondered, had he got into this
cult that's abroad, because there are people abroad
that are in a cult, and they believe
that if you're really saved from the moment
that you're born again, you'll never have a
care in this world.
Just to be perfectly frank about it, I've
never really met anybody like this.
They like to stand up and say, from
the moment I was saved, I never had
a care, I never had a fear, I
never had a tear, I never had a
sorrow.
They don't like to do it.
You remember when Nicholson said, is there a
man here who never had a row with
a wife?
A wee man stood up and put his
hands up, and Nicholson said, sit down, you
wee hypocrite, you.
Oh, I'm afraid that sort of thing won't
work at all.
So I want to tell the rest of
the meeting this evening, and it's for a
very special purpose that I'm sort of doubly
laying this foundation.
I said to this gentleman, where did you
find this text?
Happy is the people whose God is the
Lord.
He said, I found it in Psalm 144,
have a look at it.
Because it's worth looking at again, and it's
worth remembering where it is too.
It's in the book of Psalms, and it's
144.
And it's the last verse.
Happy is that people that is in such
a case, yea, happy is that people whose
God is the Lord.
And there is a conference tonight, and they
say we're happy all the day.
And I said to him, who penned this
Psalm, and if you've got a good Bible
in your hand, you can see that Psalm
144 was a Psalm of David.
No troubles about it at all.
So I said, David penned this did he?
He said, oh yes he did.
So I said, and it's in Psalm 142.
Well he also penned that, and that's not
very far away from 144.
And in the third verse of Psalm 142,
David said, when my spirit was overwhelmed within
me, then thou knewest my way, my path.
That took him back a little bit you
see.
I said, are you trying to tell me
that when his spirit was overwhelmed within him,
that he was happy?
You're not trying to tell me that you're.
And then I went on to Psalm 143.
Because that follows on.
For in Psalm 143, in verse 3, it
reads like this, for the enemy hath persecuted
my soul.
Then verse 4 comes in there, therefore is
my spirit overwhelmed within me.
You see, I think that we've got to
think very soberly here.
You know, we rejoice in God's salvation.
And we rejoice with joy unfeasible and full
of glory.
No quibbles about that at all.
And in a certain sense we are a
happy people.
But let's not forget that we're living in
time and there is an enemy.
What do you know about the enemy, do
you?
Maybe he lets you alone.
Remind you, I would be sorry for you
if he does.
Because I think that the devil is letting
you alone at salvation you need.
I don't know anything, I don't know anything
with a 30, 40, 20, 10 year experience
who hasn't had trouble.
I don't know them.
I never met them and nobody else has.
You take the history of the church from
Pentecost to this moment.
Sure I could keep you all night telling
you about the troubles.
Oh, there's an enemy, you know.
And he'll persecute your soul if you don't
watch until your spirit is overwhelmed within you.
I said to this character, because I really
meant to bump into him.
I said, you know, once upon a time
Peter stood up and denied the Lord with
all the churches.
It was a terrible moment in his life.
And the Lord turned slowly, I think, and
had a look at him.
I don't think the Lord looked angry or
anything like that.
I think he looked sort of sympathetically at
him.
His eyes sort of said, didn't I tell
you?
Didn't I warn you what you would do?
And Peter went out and wept bitterly.
Did you get it?
Wept bitterly.
You're not telling me he's happy when he's
weeping bitterly, do you?
Oh, the tripe I have to listen to.
It tends to be nice.
It's pure tripe.
And a big man standing up who's got
intelligence.
I should take him and throw him through
the window.
Oh, but I've just got to be as
nice as I can.
My dear, you know right well on resurrection
morning when the poo went down the road
to Emmaus that the Lord Jesus drew near
and went with them and said to them
what manner of conversation is this that you
have one to another and walk under our
sand?
Of course they're our sand.
You see, we live down here on this
planet and there is an enemy.
And there's a thing called sin.
And if you deny the Lord, for if
you do what David did, you'll lose the
joy of your salvation.
For if your faith is insincere, you'll walk
and you'll be sad.
You'd think we weren't living down here, you
hear some of them.
We're all ordinary folks, you know, living.
And there is a devil and there are
troubles and there are storms.
And when the disciples were in the boats
and the boat was being rocked, you know,
the brook said, they were in jeopardy.
I looked into his eye and I said,
do you think they're happy when they're in
jeopardy?
Do I need to go on with this
prank?
Let's have it over.
For God's sake, learn you're on the earth
and there is an enemy.
And there are difficult days and there are
storms and there is pain.
And we all blunder.
And you're sorry when you do it.
And if you're not, you should be.
You see, I had to read this to
him before I got right into him.
Let's have a look at this.
This is 1 Peter in chapter 1.
1 Peter.
And this is why I went back onto
this this week, just for the moment or
two, of course.
And it's 1 Peter chapter 1.
And you know, Peter's a great old writer.
Remember, he was just a fisherman.
And he was a non-learned and ignorant
man.
Oh, but what the Spirit of God can
do with a vessel when he gets it.
So it begins with the word Peter.
Not the Holy Father Peter, you know.
Oh, no, dear Roman Catholic friends.
You've tangled the words well.
It is no poetry.
It starts with a plain word.
No old ecclesiastical Roman nonsense, which some of
the Protestants have copied.
What a bit of Peter.
That's all.
An apostle of Jesus Christ.
And he's writing to the strangers scattered throughout
Pontus, Galatia and so on.
He's writing to Jews who were gloriously saved.
They were elect according to the foreknowledge of
God the Father.
That's really thrilling, isn't it?
Through sanctification of the Spirit onto obedience and
sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ.
Grace unto you and peace be multiplied.
Blessed be the God and Father of our
Lord Jesus Christ.
Which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten
us again onto a lively hope.
By the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the
dead.
To an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled.
On that feet it moth away.
Preserved in heaven for you.
Who are kept by the power of God
through faith.
Unto salvation ready to be revealed in the
last time.
Wherein ye gratefully rejoice.
Now that's it.
You know when you know that you're one
of the elect and you're chosen.
And you're washed in the blood and you're
journeying home.
And there's an inheritance reserved in heaven.
And everything's okay.
Wherein ye gratefully rejoice.
And the big man's eyes were shining at
this obvious speech.
Now I said right behind it.
And there's not a full stop between them
either.
Wherein ye gratefully rejoice.
Though none for a season.
If needs be ye are in heaviness.
That's what the laugh of your face wouldn't
it.
As the king I'll see more things.
Or are you going to go on with
one eye shut.
Now I'm not going to batter this any
more.
But when we can come back we'll not
have any meeting here next Tuesday.
But we'll have one the next one.
For as I know that's the 19th.
And we're going to look at manifold temptations.
The word temptations there's the old Greek word
for testing.
Manifold testing.
Because you see some people are depressed by
one thing.
And some people by another.
And some by another.
And you see the devil uses these manifold
testings.
And we'll go into them when we come
back again.
But the one we're looking at tonight.
It's this one thing.
Mind you it's a terrible thing that he
uses.
You see sometimes a man or a woman.
They have committed sins a way back in
their own saved days.
Or one particular horrible hellish sin as the
lady called it.
Dr. Martin Lloyd-Jones writes a lovely story
in one of his books.
Can I read this to you?
He said let me give you what is
the most graphic illustration of this that I
have ever come across in my own experience.
I mention it simply to illustrate the point
I am making.
I remember an old man who was converted
and became a Christian at the age of
77.
One of the most striking conversions I have
ever known.
That man had lived a very evil life.
There was scarcely anything he had not done
at some time or another.
But he came under the sound of the
gospel and was converted in his old age.
The great day came when he was received
into the membership of the church.
And when he came to his first communion
service on the Sunday evening.
It was for him the biggest thing that
had ever happened.
His joy was indescribable.
And we were all so happy round about
him.
But there was a sequel and this is
the sequel.
Next morning even before I was up.
That old man had arrived at my house.
And then he stood looking a picture of
misery and rejection and weeping uncontrollably.
I was amazed and astounded especially in view
of what had happened the previous night.
The greatest night of his life.
The climax of everything.
I eventually succeeded in controlling him in a
physical sense.
And then asked him what was the matter.
His trouble was this.
After going home from that communion service.
He had suddenly remembered something that had happened
thirty years ago.
He was with a group of men drinking
in a public house and arguing about religion.
On that occasion he had said in contempt
and derision.
That Jesus Christ was a bastard.
When he got home that night.
He remembered it.
Felt sure.
There was no forgiveness for this.
Oh the devil was on the job wasn't
he.
Sometimes he kicks up something like this you
see.
And he creeps into the bedroom and he
creeps into your mind.
And he's going to depress you if you
don't watch.
Until he has you nearly round the bend.
You see I too have a lot of
experience about this sort of thing.
A professor at Queen's taught me one day
and said.
Willie I want you to do something for
me.
And he'd always been very kind to me
this gentleman.
And I said you know I'll do anything
I can for you.
He said I want you to go to
see my father.
He lives in Dangle in a big bungalow
there.
He's an old army major.
He was right through the war.
He says I understood your father was slaved.
Oh yes he says my father was slaved
through reading one of your books.
He says what's wrong with him.
He says we don't know.
He says but every year since the war
in March he goes off at head.
We've taken him to all the psychiatrists of
the day.
We've taken him to America.
We've got everything we can.
I'd like you to go down and have
a talk with him.
I said so long as you tell him
I'm coming.
I went away.
Found the bungalow.
Found the old major lying back in a
big chair.
I said your son taught me.
Tells me that every March that something happens
to your mind.
He said that's true.
But no one can help me.
He said you know I've been to the
best psychiatrist in the world.
We've spent a lot of money but nobody
can help me.
I said Major you wouldn't be hiding something
that you committed somewhere away back there somewhere.
And I can see him deeply moved in
the chair.
He said you come nearer than anybody.
Oh I said Major you're hiding things.
Who can help you while you hide like
that.
He said look I never wanted to say
this but I've got to say it now.
I said go on get it up your
chest so we hear what's wrong with you.
He said you see I was taken prisoner
at the end of the Hitler war 1945
or thereabouts.
And he said you know when they took
me to the German prison camp I could
see with one eye as an old warrior
that Hitler was defeated.
He had got little lads of fifteen and
twelve and fourteen guarding the camp.
He had no men left.
He said I weighed this up in so
many hours.
These kids are looking after these warriors.
And I went down to the kitchen to
wash pans and I stole a butcher's knife
and put it down my shirt.
Big long butcher's knife.
And when the little fella came in that
evening to lock the door I just rammed
it through.
He said I can hear the crunch of
this thing on his rib jet.
And I can hear the gasp of his
breath and I can see his eyes open
wide as he went back.
He said I took the keys off him.
I walked out into the corridor and there's
another boy at the far end.
And I walked up and I just rammed
it into him too.
And another one round the corner I gave
him the same.
I let the man out.
They're all free.
He said I can't get over it.
I can hear that gasp of breath yet.
And I meant to arouse him.
I said did you think this was a
sin?
It was murder.
He said I thought you know that you
were a believer in the Lord Jesus.
He says I am.
I said do you believe that he was
wounded for your transgressions and bruised for your
iniquities?
He said I do.
I said no you don't.
I said Major what's up with you is
that you believe that he was bruised for
all your iniquities but this one.
And I assure you if he wasn't bruised
for this you'll be in hell.
Oh yes you know.
They're all devils of this.
He comes in to this.
He would like to wipe out the cross
wouldn't he?
Oh he does isn't he.
I received a letter once from a lady.
She lives about a hundred miles away from
here.
So nobody will know her and I'll not
tell you where.
But I could see it was written by
somebody who knew how to write.
And how to put things down on paper.
And I received it about 8 o'clock
in the morning.
And that half past 8 I was on
the way to see her.
A hundred miles away.
And I had to ask a lot of
questions to find the house.
And stopped at the garage when I was
getting near the place.
And said do you know Mrs. So and
So?
Yes I do indeed.
See you see that big house standing in
its own grounds there.
Not winding up and not through the trees.
That's where she lives.
I said does she live alone?
She said no there are others who live
there too.
I said do you know her?
She said I know her very well.
I think she's the nicest lady in the
country.
Thank you.
Dropped the drive, knocked the door.
Lady in black.
Silk black.
Silver hair.
Beautiful face.
72 years of age but doesn't look anything
like it.
She said Mr. Mullen.
You know me here?
She said yes I know you.
I wrote the letter.
She said come in.
We'll go into a room on our own.
She said I'm out of my mind.
I've been walking the floor for a year
and a half.
About a cent.
For about a minute.
I don't know what to do about it.
I said you'd like to tell me about
it do you?
She said when I was a girl going
to school I was only 14.
And I used to steal sweets out of
the house to take to the road man.
And give them to the old road man
on the road.
And talk to him.
And we talked and laughed together.
Then one morning he put his arms around
me and kissed me.
Then he took me into the field and
we committed sex.
That was the only time I ever knew
a man at all.
And I didn't think about it.
Until now that I'm away 70 years of
age.
And the devil's driving me round the bend.
And I said the same to her as
I said to the old major.
I thought you were a believer dear.
I am a believer.
I believe Jesus died for me do you
know?
Do you believe he was wounded for your
transgressions and was bruised for your iniquities?
Yes I do she said.
No you don't I said.
You don't get an offer that dear.
You just believe that he died for some
of your iniquities but not this one.
I said did Christ leave this house?
When he's on the cross.
When God laid upon him all our iniquities.
Would you believe that?
You'll go to hell and go off forever.
And like a slouch I can say this
you know.
This was something I will never forget.
I can see her looking up and her
eyes opening wide.
Says my God I'm being tormented for something
that Jesus died for.
Oh that's better dear.
Oh yes this is what the devil does.
You know he goes on with this thing
doesn't he?
And there are not only these cancers.
There are thousands more.
And I want to note for you this
evening that there are two things wrong in
all this.
You know if there's somebody here then maybe
nobody knows about it.
But you lie awake about these sort of
things.
Or that something has dogged your footsteps.
Or the old devil has taken up something
that you're guilty of.
And you're really guilty.
And he's coming around and he's tormenting.
And he's vexing and you're grievously vexed.
And you're oppressed by the devil.
And you're depressed.
I want you to get the hold of
it my dear friend.
That there is a devil.
I think you know some of the believers
don't really believe that there's a devil.
Fundamentally you know they would argue there is
a personal devil.
Oh yes.
You don't think that there should be talks
to end.
That some of the things that go through
your mind to disturb you is the devil.
I think you don't realise the disturbance of
the devil.
My dear friend if you read through the
book tonight we would wish all the time
I'm talking about the devil going about as
a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour.
And he is you know.
He doesn't leave me alone.
He and I are not friends.
Not anymore.
No.
Paul talks about the fiery dust of the
wicked.
He must have had an experience or two.
Paul talks about stupid hindrance.
The Canaanites woman came and said My daughter
lies at home grievously backstabbed the devil.
Yes.
David was right when he said The enemy
have persecuted my soul.
And you know so many of these depressed
disciples they are not only not realising the
disturbance that the devil is creating in their
minds but the big thing is that they
are ignorant of the doctrine of justification and
forgiveness of sins.
These two things are wrong.
There is a disturbance of the devil and
there is the ignorance of the doctrine.
Now I have dealt with a lot of
souls you know.
And I have had a great lot of
success in helping folks which gives me great
joy.
Now first of all let me say this.
What these souls need is not to be
told to tell.
Oh you know when you go around and
say you know I am going around the
bend and something distracts me.
Some old character says you know you want
to go home and pray.
Dear that is the last thing you want
to do and that is not right for
me to say you shouldn't pray but that
is the last thing you should do.
You see dear what you are covering is
that I am not believing God here.
What is the use of you praying to
God when you don't believe Him.
Just cut out the praying for a minute
or two and you will get absolutely out
of the matter.
And you can come back and pray when
it is fixed up all right.
Some of the things of God they believe
the devil's lies quicker than they believe God's
truth and then they want to pray to
God.
Leave the praying out for a minute or
two.
We are trying to help you.
You see what I think you need is
to know the way to get about this
thing.
And you know you want to realize the
whole picture of justification by faith.
And you need to know exactly what Christ
did with sin at Calvary.
Now this is the way let me start
to teach you the way And I believe
if you follow this that you will be
blessed forever more.
Let's go to 1st Timothy and we are
only shortly getting started aren't we.
1st Timothy and we are at the first
chapter.
1st Timothy and we are at chapter 1
and we are at verse 12.
Now please try to follow this and watch
it carefully.
1st Timothy chapter 1 verse 12 Paul talking
to Timothy said And I thank Christ Jesus
our Lord who hath enabled me for that
he counted me faithful putting me into the
ministry.
And I want you to see the three
things that the Lord did for this poor
sinner.
You know he says the Lord hath enabled
me.
Now I could take a whole night on
the enablement of Christ to a poor sinner
who has come to us.
And then you do know that the Lord
counted Paul faithful we were out there from
Sunday morning.
Because he was a chosen disciple.
Remember the Lord was going to trust him
with a lot of things.
And knew he could trust and he counted
him faithful.
Putting me into the ministry.
Now here is what he has to say.
Who was before a blasphemer?
Yet a sinner in his true light.
And a persecutor.
Oh yes he persecuted.
But Christ did he said in another place.
And injurious.
You know he was hounding the saints of
God.
And he was bringing them not only to
prison but he was bringing them to death.
And this man's hand was stained with blood.
Yes he stood by while those stone thieves
and the great saints in the other church.
He says who was before a blasphemer and
a persecutor and injurious but I obtained mercy
you know.
Because I did it ignorantly and on belief.
And the grace of our Lord was exceeding
abundance with faith and love.
Which is in Christ Jesus.
And he comes out with this great statement
this is a faithful saying worthy of all
that faith in that Christ Jesus came into
the world to save sinners.
And this is a big bit that we
leave out of whom I am chief.
Let's all get the hold of this we
are sort of looking at the chief of
sinners now.
A man who was a blasphemer of a
character that you would never think about.
He hated the name of Jesus.
Yes a man who was a persecutor of
man and woman who yelled hell did the
name of Jesus abroad.
A man who was injurious who brought saints
not only to prison but to death.
Says I am the chief.
How be it for this cause I obtained
mercy that in me first all that did
this be that in me first Jesus Christ
might show forth all non-suffering for a
pattern to them that should hereafter believe on
him for life ever.
But he says I am the patron.
Well do you see me?
Oh look at me I am the chief
of sinners.
If he that comes then shall you get
bound.
Do you not know about this?
This was the patron here in me first
you know.
The Lord Jesus has let me see what
he can really do what grace and mercy
can do.
It doesn't matter who you are or what
you have done you know.
You will never be up in this realm
at all you see.
He was the chief of sinners.
He was in the top league of sinners.
Let's go back to Acts of the Apostles
chapter 10.
The Acts of the Apostles and we are
at chapter 10.
And this is Peter you know.
You can read the whole story when you
get home but we will read from verse
9.
Acts 10 verse 9.
And on the morrow as they went on
their journey and drew nigh on to the
city Peter went up on to the housetop
to pray.
About the sixth hour it's always good to
leave the clouds and go to pray.
And he became very hungry and would have
eaten but while they made ready he fell
into a stance and saw heaven opened and
the second vessel descending on to him as
it had been agreed.
Sheets knit up before God was let down
to the earth wherein were all manner of
four footed beasts of the earth and wild
beasts and creeping things and foibles there and
there came a voice to him Rise Peter
kill and eat.
But Peter said not so Lord.
And it was Dr. Campbell Morgan I think
who pointed out first that you can't say
those three words together.
When the Lord speaks to you and tells
you to do something you can't say not
so Lord.
You'll have to say not so and cut
the Lord bit out of it he's not
your Lord if you're saying not so.
Or you'll have to say Lord and cut
the not so out.
You'll have to do as you're told.
And this is not right language at all
you can't look at your Lord and say
not so Lord.
But this is what Peter said Not so
Lord for I have never eaten anything that
is common or unclean.
And the voice speaks unto him again the
second time What God hath cleansed What God
hath cleansed that call not thou common.
You know dear as God hath cleansed you're
not allowed to call anything that God hath
cleansed common or unclean you're not allowed to
do it.
You see on Sunday evening at the gospel
here we were looking at this mighty statement
The blood of Jesus Christ God's Son cleanses
us from all sin.
And I was trying to get this over
to the people that what John was really
saying was this that there is power in
the blood.
He was saying the blood of Jesus Christ
God's Son cleanses us from all sin.
He was saying that there is power in
the blood.
And you know he was going a bit
further than that He was saying there is
cleansing power in the blood.
The blood of Jesus Christ God's Son cleanses
us from all sin.
So there is not only power in the
blood but there is cleansing power in the
blood.
And the word cleanses is an old Greek
word that has a present continuous sense about
it.
So the Greek scholars tell me Dr. Robertson
said so and I think he knows.
So that what John is saying is this
there is not only power in the blood
and there is not only cleansing power in
the blood but there is continual cleansing power
in the blood.
It will never lose its power.
It's like the whistle on the windscreen it
goes on and on and on and on.
Somebody tried to call to me once and
said Look how is this power in the
blood?
Oh they would love to talk to me
like that wouldn't they?
I said you know when the Americans dropped
the bomb on Hiroshima Oh yes it was
the first atomic thing.
And you know it much flumes out You
know something about it don't you?
And there was a fallout going out there.
Hundreds of miles out there was a fallout
There was a rebellious activity that belonged to
Israel.
So it's still there.
And when Christ's blood was shed there was
an efficaciousness and a force of power in
the blood.
There is cleansing power in the blood.
There is continual cleansing power in the blood.
Oh but it went further than that.
John said the blood of Jesus Christ God's
Son cleanseth us from all...
Did you get that?
Because there is comprehensive continual cleansing power in
the blood.
Say hello Lindsay where is he?
Oh I thought you had gone to sleep
down there.
Yeah I should think so.
Friend what God has cleansed dear Don't you
let the devil come round to tell you
it's even common.
Because when God takes your sin on He
says there your sins be asked they shall
be as white as snow.
You see we need to know about How
Paul made a sort of example this chief
of sins.
We need to know about the cleansing power
of the blood.
You know we need to know what the
Lord Jesus did with our sins.
Supposing I take these two words Our sins
Every believer is included here everyone it doesn't
make a matter who you are or where
you come from or what denomination you belong
to if you are trusting in the Lord
Jesus then when we say our sins we
are talking about the whole family it's a
family text you know our sins.
It isn't finished now just watch me and
we'll not turn to it at all.
He his own self bare our sins in
his own body on the tree.
You got that haven't you?
Because that's tremendous you know.
Because it just means this that God laid
on him the iniquities of us all.
As my iniquities will make their sign me.
And there's Christ on the cross.
And God laid on him all my iniquities
to free all but the mortals and that.
He his own self bare the word bare
means to bare away.
He bore away our sins.
He took them away they're gone.
Not really got a wee bit more room
for this.
It says Christ died for our sins.
He didn't only bare them and he wasn't
only bearing them away he died.
Oh yes.
Christ died for our sins.
I like the hymn that said buried he
carried my sins far away.
Because the burial has got a bit to
do with it.
And I want to tell you this.
Say he had died himself for our sins.
Didn't only bare them away.
Didn't only die for them.
But when he had by himself purged.
What a word.
It means to blot them out.
And when we say our sins for any
six don't say half of them.
Now what would be the look of the
Lord dying for the half of them.
The other half of them.
Be the people in awe.
My sins in their totality for eternity and
calvary.
All are done.
Not coming back to do it all over
again.
It's done.
Christ died for our sins.
Dear saints get the hold of this.
Get the hold of it.
You see here's something else I think you
need to get the hold of.
Let's have a look at Acts chapter 13.
The Acts of the Apostles chapter 13.
And Paul preaching in one of the synagogues.
And a feel of feeling you know just
of what he does.
Here he's preaching just to cut it short.
Verse 38.
Looks round the cloud and he says Be
it known unto you therefore men and brethren
that through this man is preached unto you
the forgiveness of sins.
And by him all that believe are justified
from all things.
So I want you to see two things.
Through this man is preached unto you the
forgiveness of sins.
And by him all that believe are justified
from all things.
You know forgiveness and justification I'll tell you
there's a bit of a difficulty here.
You see we have a young minister in
the meeting there tonight and he knows this
quite well.
He knows better than I do of course.
That there is no court in this land
of ours.
This young man knows the law inside out.
There is no court in this land that
can forgive a man and justify him at
the same time.
They can't do that you know.
You see you may be brought before the
court and the judge may say well is
this is it your first time, your first
offence?
And he may let you go because it's
your first offence.
He may forgive you.
Not fine, don't do anything to you.
Get off.
Now I'll tell you he can't justify what
you did.
Oh no.
He can't do that.
There's a remark put down in the book
and if you repeat it in a couple
of years or maybe ten years they'll turn
it up and say you know you had
this before.
Oh you're not justified.
You see if a man stands at the
bar and he pleads his cause and he
puts his case right and the judge sees
that the man is not guilty at all
he can be justified before the court.
Oh but you can't forgive a man.
He never did anything.
Don't say you didn't do it at all.
You go on home, you're ok.
But if he justifies him he can be
forgiven.
Oh but I want you to get this
clear that heaven does both at the same
time.
Just because the Lord Jesus bore our sins
in his own body on the tree and
you come and put your trust in him
then God will give you forgiveness of sin.
Paul says we have redemption through his blood
even the forgiveness of sin.
But I'll tell you what's more you know
at the same psychological second God will justify
you from all things.
Here the judge of all the earth sitting
on the throne of life say a clear
man justified, just as his eyes never sinned
at all.
You'd rather hold to this because this happens
to be the doctrine that you would need
to know a bit more about.
You see you would need to know the
power of the blood.
You would need to know the work of
the cross.
You would need to know the forgiveness and
the justification that comes from God.
Do you know anything about the covenant the
new covenant the covenant that God makes with
every believer?
We don't want to waste time but I'll
tell you what the terms are it says
your sins and your iniquities I will remember
no more.
That's a very tight one you know you
think it's easy.
You know when God says I will remember
no more he's not saying I'll forget them
you know.
All that's mixed up remember no more with
forgetfulness.
You see forgetfulness is the human weakness.
I've got an old mind that remembers a
tremendous lot of things and I thank God
for it every day.
Good old memory it keeps me going.
Oh but I do forget things.
Wife sends me up to sleep for messages
and I meet somebody and talk to them
and I get into doctrines and I come
home without the message.
And you know what trouble I'm in then?
Yes?
But you see God is not forgetting.
Only God has this prerogative.
Only God can do this.
Only God can remember no more.
He can't do it.
They say John look you said that thing
about me give me your heart I'll forgive
you that's forgiveness.
I'll be good and remember it next week.
Well you're not going to go down and
take me and throw a rat to go
and come back here again you know.
You're just a human being.
But when God says your sins and your
iniquities I will remember no more God can
do that.
And only God.
God puts it out.
Yes you've got to get this doctrine haven't
you?
You know I once said to a soul
there was a soul who was in with
me and talking about this particular thing he
said it troubles me I can remember him
with the tears of it it troubles me
I said that's not your trouble at all
your trouble is not your trouble that's how
it is but never mind we'll tell you
those.
I said your trouble is not your sin
your trouble is not believing God is your
trouble.
Don't talk to me about your sins don't
talk to me about this Scarlet thing.
Don't talk about what Christ has done what
the power of his blood can do what
justification means what the covenant says but believe
God and I can remember many souls you
know just bowing down and saying my God
I've walked the floor and I've put an
endless night and Jesus Jesus paid it all
why should you weep when Jesus suffered for
your sins now when we come back on
the next Tuesday you're going to look at
those manifold testings because there's a whole lot
of them sometimes you're tested when people speak
evil of you ah the devil will see
that people speak evil of you never bother
let's bow together before the Lord we'll not
sing anymore let's just bow together Lord we
bow at thy feet we thank thee for
the cross work of Calvary we thank thee
for the power of the shed blood of
Jesus we thank thee for a great act
of forgiveness we thank thee Lord for this
mighty truth that we're justified by faith alone
we thank thee for the terms of the
covenant Lord just fill our minds and hearts
with these things until we can turn on
the devil and really challenge him and we
know that this book is true that if
we resist the devil he will flee from
us if there are any in this meeting
Lord that they've been going through nights like
these and they're depressed and vexed and upset
and round the bend Lord deliver them tonight
deliver them because Jesus died for them and
get glory to thy name and scatter thine
enemies we thank thee for this meeting part
us now in thy fear and with thy
blessing for thy holy name's sake Amen