A Drop of a Bucket

 

A Drop of a Bucket

 

Isaiah 40:15-17

 

Behold, the nations are as a drop of a bucket, and are counted as the small dust of the balance: behold, he taketh up the isles as a very little thing. And Lebanon is not sufficient to burn, nor the beasts thereof sufficient for a burnt offering. All nations before him are as nothing; and they are counted to him less than nothing, and vanity.

 

While driving a few days hence, the writer saw these words written on a church marquee: “God Loves you”. God does indeed love all those He chose to salvation in Christ before the foundation of the world for it is written: “But we are bound to give thanks alway to God for you, brethren beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth: whereunto he called you by our gospel, to the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ” (II Thessalonians 2:13-14). And it is written: “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ: according as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love: having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, to the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved” (Ephesians 1:3-6). Those who God loved He wrote in His everlasting covenant of grace in eternity past as the heirs of salvation, as it is written: “  Be not thou therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me his prisoner: but be thou partaker of the afflictions of the gospel according to the power of God; who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began, but is now made manifest by the appearing of our Saviour Jesus Christ, who hath abolished death, and hath brought life and immortality to light through the gospel” (II Timothy 1:8-10).

 

The people of God love Him because He first loved them. “We love him, because he first loved us” (I John 4:19). “Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins” (I John 4:10). God sent His Son to be the propitiation for the sins of those whom He loved. This is that world whose sins the Lamb of God has taken away. As John the Baptist said: “ The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world” (John 1:29) This is the whole world of those whose sins the Lamb of God has taken away as opposed to the world of Jewish believers as in former times. As it is written: “And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world” (I John 2:2) Not the Jewish world only, but also for the sins of the whole world. Whosesoever sins are made propitious throughout the whole world whether Jew or Gentile it is the blood of the same Christ who has been the propitiatory sacrifice. Christ Jesus is the only propitiatory sacrifice that God will accept and Christ alone is the propitiation (Romans 3:25).

 

In fact there has never been a time when God did not love them for God’s love is according to His nature, it is eternal, and immutable. As it is written in Jeremiah’s prophecy: “The LORD hath appeared of old unto me, saying, Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee” (Jeremiah 31:3). God has loved all the members of Christ as He has loved Christ. As it is written in the gospel according to John: “I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me. Father, I will that they also, whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am; that they may behold my glory, which thou hast given me: for thou lovedst me before the foundation of the world” (John 17:23-24).

 

  God’s love for His elect is not according to anything outside Himself. He is resolved to bring the objects of that love to final glory in Jesus Christ. For that reason He predestinated the objects of that love to the adoption of children and to conformation to the image of Jesus Christ, as it is written: “  And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified. What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us? He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things? Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justifieth” (Romans 8:28-33).

 

The message that God has left with the church is that which is written in the Bible. God has not given authority to make alterations to that message. The report the church gives of the character of God should be according to the true character of God. According to the report of God the Holy Ghost by the prophet Isaiah in the subject verse God counts the nations as “a drop of a bucket” and as the “small dust of the balance” it is said “All nations before him are as nothing; and they are counted to him less than nothing, and vanity” (Isaiah 40:17). In the book of Daniel it is written: “And all the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing: and he doeth according to his will in the army of heaven, and among the inhabitants of the earth: and none can stay his hand, or say unto him, What doest thou” (Daniel 4:35). The same God who inspired the writing of the Old Testament is the God who inspired the writing of the New Testament. His character has not changed. He is the same God now as then. The same God who so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth on him should not perish but have everlasting life, is the God who said: “The foolish shall not stand in thy sight: thou hatest all workers of iniquity” (Psalm 5:5).

 

There is a world of those who work iniquity, as it is written in Matthew seven: “Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity” (Matthew 7:21-23). Of this sort are they of the “world of the ungodly” of all ages, as it is written: “ And spared not the old world, but saved Noah the eighth person, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood upon the world of the ungodly” (II Peter 2:5 see also II Peter 2:1). The church is to: “Behold therefore the goodness and severity of God: on them which fell, severity; but toward thee, goodness, if thou continue in his goodness: otherwise thou also shalt be cut off” (Romans 11:22).

 

The professing church has no authority to coin its own message. True Christians must submit to the authority of the Holy Scriptures because the word of God is the final word. Christians are not instructed to “try the spirits” in vain. It is written: “Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world” (I John 4:1). These words were inspired nearly two thousand years ago. How much more are they applicable to day? The mystery of iniquity was already at work in the days of the Apostle Paul (II Thessalonians 2:7), and the Apostle John said the antichrists were already gone out from the true church in those very early days, as it is written: “Little children, it is the last time: and as ye have heard that antichrist shall come, even now are there many antichrists; whereby we know that it is the last time. They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us: but they went out, that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us” (I John 2:18-19)

. We must seek to assure ourselves that the doctrine we are hearing is the doctrine of Christ (II John 1:9-11) and not strong delusion sent of God, on the enemies of God (II Thessalonians 2:11).  The word of God is safe. Nothing else is safe in the realm of salvation therefore “Finally, my brethren, rejoice in the Lord. To write the same things to you, to me indeed is not grievous, but for you it is safe. Beware of dogs, beware of evil workers, beware of the concision. For we are the circumcision, which worship God in the spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh” (Philippians 3:1-3). “Buy the truth, and sell it not; also wisdom, and instruction, and understanding” (Proverbs 23:23). “God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth” (John 4:24). The doctrine of Christ is truth therefore we must worship God in the doctrine of Christ, by the preaching and believing the doctrine of Christ. “Whosesoever transgresseth, and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ, hath not God. He that abideth in the doctrine of Christ, he hath both the Father and the Son. If there come any unto you, and bring not this doctrine, receive him not into your house, neither bid him God speed: for he that biddeth him God speed is partaker of his evil deeds” (II John1:9-11).

 

AJ Ison

 

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