Are you heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ ?

Posted : 4 Jul, 2013 04:54 AM

Psalm 119:118 You have trodden down all them that err from Your statutes: for their deceit is falsehood.



119 You put away all the wicked of the earth like dross;

therefore I love Your testimonies.





The Psalmist's determination to keep the statutes of God was

strengthened by marking His judgments on those that erred

from them. And thus the Lord expects us to learn at their cost.

The cheerful, grateful respect to His statutes marks also a

difference of character indicative of a difference of state. "His

saints are in His hand, or sitting down at His feet;" His

enemies are trodden down under His feet in full conquest, and

disgraceful punishment. His own people He has exalted to be

"heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ." Even now "he has

made them to sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus;"

and shortly will they "be a crown of glory in the hand of the

Lord, and a royal diadem in the hand of their God;" while the

ungodly are put away like dross from the precious gold.

"Reprobate silver shall men call them, because the Lord has

rejected them." The same difference He makes even in

chastening- upholding His own children under the scourging

rod, lest they faint; but "breaking the wicked with a rod of iron,

and dashing them in pieces."

This separation has been from the beginning; in His conduct

to the first two children of men; and in His selection of Enoch,

Noah, and Abraham, from the world of the ungodly, "as

vessels of honor, meet for the Master's use." In after ages, He

made Egypt "know, that He put a difference between the

Egyptians and Israel." They were His own "people, that should dwell alone," and not "be reckoned among the nations"-a

people, whom He had "formed for Himself, that they should

show forth His praise." And the same difference He has made

ever since, between His people and the world-in their

character- their way-their exercises of mind-their services their privileges-and their prospects. At the day of judgment,

the separation will be complete- final-everlasting. "'When the

Son of Man shall come in His glory, and all the holy angels

with Him, then shall He sit upon the throne of His glory; and

before Him shall be gathered all nations; and He shall

separate them one from another, as a shepherd divides his

sheep from the goats. And He shall set the sheep on His right

hand, but the goats on the left; and these shall go away into

everlasting punishment; but the righteous into life eternal."

But mark the character-They err from God's statutes-not in

their minds, through ignorance; but "in their hearts" through

obstinacy. They do not say, 'Lord, we know not,' but, "We

desire not the knowledge of Your ways." It is not frailty, but

unbelief; not want of knowledge, but love of sin-willful,

damnable. Justly, therefore, are they stamped as the wicked

of the earth, and marked out as objects of the Lord's eternal

frown-expectant of the "vengeance of eternal fire."

And is not this a solemn warning to those "that forget God"-

that "they shall be turned into hell;" to "the proud"-that in "the

day that shall burn as an oven, they shall be as stubble;"-to

the worldly-that in some "night" of forgetfulness, their "souls

will be required of them;"-to the "hypocrites in heart"-that they

"are heaping up wrath?" Thus does the eye of faith discern

through the apparent disorder of a world in ruins, the just,

holy, and wise government of God. "Clouds and darkness are

round about Him; righteousness and judgment are the

habitation of His throne." If the wicked seem to triumph, and

the righteous to be trodden down under their feet, it shall not

be always so. "The end" and "wages of sin is death." "The ungodly shall not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the

congregation of the righteous."

How awful, then, and almost desperate their condition! Their

deceit is falsehood; "deceiving and being deceived"-perhaps

given up to believe their own lie-perhaps one or another

"blessing themselves in their own heart," saying, 'I shall have

peace, though I walk in the imagination of my own heart, to

add drunkenness to thirst.' What, then, is our duty? Carnal

selfishness says, 'Be quiet-let them alone'-that is-"Destroy

them by our" indolence and unfaithfulness, "for whom Christ

died." But what does Scripture, conscience, no more,-what

does common humanity say? "Cry aloud, spare not." Awake

the sleepers-sound the alarm, "Now is the accepted time-the

day of salvation!" the moment to lift up the prayer, and stretch

forth the hand for plucking the brands out of the fire.

Tomorrow, the door may be shut, never to be opened more.

How awful the judgment of being put away like dross! Look at

Saul, when put away-going out, to harden himself in the sullen

pride of despondency. Hear the fearful doom of Israel-"Son of

man, the house of Israel is to me become dross; all they are

brass, and tin, and iron, and lead, in the midst of the furnace;

they are even the dross of silver. Therefore says the Lord

God- Because you are all become dross, behold, therefore I

will gather you into the midst of Jerusalem, as they gather

silver, and brass, and iron, and lead, and tin into the midst of

the furnaces to blow the fire upon it, to melt it; so will I gather

you in My anger and in My fury; and I will leave you there, and

melt you." But how should this justice of the Lord's

proceedings endear His statutes to us! It is such a sensible

demonstration of His truth, bringing with it such a close

conviction of sovereign mercy to ourselves-not less guilty than

they! Add to this-If He were less observant of sin-less strict in

its punishment as a transgression of His word-we should lose

that awful display of the holiness of the word, which commends it supremely to our love-"Your word is very pure;

therefore Your servant loves it.



by

Charles Bridges

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