Our Christian Psalms ~ 14 |
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Psalm 14 - Come Lord Jesus!
"Oh that the salvation of Israel were come out of Zion!" (v:7). That heartfelt cry is our response to what we see and experience in this fallen world! It is the cry of the righteous in every generation. In this Psalm David is the mouthpiece for Christ's mystical body, the church. The church, in the union and communion with Christ, is waiting like a bride for her Saviour/husband to come out of Zion. As believers we are part of Christ's waiting-for-the-Lord-from-glory church. The Old Testament saints waited for Him, and he came as promised. Having perfected our salvation in his death and resurrection, he ascended into heaven, promising to come again. We New Testament saints take over the waiting that our Old Testament brethren began. And so the church - in every generation - awaits his return (see also Hebrews 11:39-12, Revelation 5:6-10). As we wait we sing this prayer/song of the waiting bride: "Oh that salvation of Israel were come out of Zion!" And in the language of the New Testament scriptures: "He which testifies these things says, Surely, I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus" (Revelation 22:20). What leads Christ's waiting church to lift that particular cry to her Lord in heaven? That is described in verses 1-6. As Christ's witnesses we stand amidst the ruination of sin and its misery and malice. We live among total depraved rebels (people who are just like we were and are by nature) who are most assuredly going to meet our God and Saviour when he comes to save us. But they are fools in the true sense of the word, for they deny the undeniable. They say in their hearts: "There is no God" (v:1). They are like blind men standing in the full light of the sun denying the light that surrounds them! What a blinding power sin is! And all the while, "the Lord looked down from heaven upon the children of men to see if there were any that did understand and seek God" (v:2). Verse 3 describes what God saw: "They are all gone aside, they are all together become filthy: there is none that doeth good, no, not one." Those words are reproduced in Romans 3:10-13 - because we need to know that sin has utterly ruined mankind. We are not very sick, and much depraved. We are not in need of God's help. No indeed, God's assesment in these verses is truth. The unsaved person is totally depraved, "dead in trespasses and sin" (Eph. 2:1-5, Col.2:13, John 3:5-6). That puts the church of Christ (which will not cease calling upon the Lord) right in the firing line. As God continues to look down from heaven, the ignorant workers of iniquity eat up his people as they eat bread (v:4) Though in their heart they know that God is in the generation of the righteous, and great fear haunts their conscience, they will not leave off their hatred (v:5). They mock and ridicule the Lord's poor ones for making the promising Saviour, Jehovah, their refuge (v:6). Brethren, these lamentable sights and experiences must not overwhelm us. They should drive our hearts heavenward! They are designed to lead us into prayer for our Saviour to come: "Oh, that the salvation of Israel were come out of Zion! When the Lord brings back the captivity of his people, Jacob shall rejoice, and Israel shall be glad." They should bounce our minds into the joy that awaits us upon Christ's return! We are people who can face and experience the black horror of sin and not be overly discouraged. For, every glimpse and glance at it should bounce our believing minds immediately up to our almighty Saviour. He IS. He came to us in his saving grace! And he is coming again in his salvific glory! That lightsome reality brightens even the darkest night in our pilgrimage through this present evil world. In the strength of that reality we can even continue to stand forth, boldly, as His witnesses to a fallen world. We can continue to bring the knowledge of Him to our dead-in-trespasses-and-sins neighbour. For we know that he can come to him/her as he did to us, by his Word and Spirit, to make them singers of the song with us! "Oh, that the salvation of Israel were come out of Zion." Come, Lord Jesus - come quickly! Lord, never let sin silence your church's glorious song! Keep coming in your grace - then, come arrayed in all your glory! Pastor C..
Revelation 22:20 Romans 3:10-13 (King James Version) Ephesians 2 Psalm 14 |
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Now although we do not deny that the reprobate (who live in external communion with the church) are called by God through the gospel; still we do deny that they are called with the intention that they should be made actual partakers of salvation (which God knew would never be the case because in his decree He had ordained otherwise concerning them). - Francis Turretin |
Lecture 1
Refocusing For Ministry to a Pagan World - Rev. Chris C. Connors
Lecture 2
Gospel Outreach to a Fading Generation - Rev. J. J. Lim
Lecture 4
The Pastor As National Prophet - Rev. Au Yeong HauTzeng
Lecture 5
Speaking to Our Next Door Neighbour - Rev. David Torlach