Daniel and the King's Law Part III

Daniel and the King’s Law Part III

Then the king commanded, and they brought Daniel, and cast him into the den of lions. Now the king spake and said to Daniel, Thy God whom thou servest continually, he will deliver thee.

The forth thing to be considered is the fact that: God must deliver: for, “The things that are impossible with men are possible with God.” (Luke 18:27) King Darius had labored to set Daniel free from the sentence of the law, but the result is that “they brought Daniel and cast him into the den of lions. Such must ever be the result of man’s attempts at justifying himself in the sight of God by his own works of righteousness. For, our best and most holy performances, that is, “all our righteousnesses” are only filthy rags in the sight of God (Isaiah 64:6). As the Apostle Paul wrote: “For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: (Romans 7:18), the Psalmist also writes “And enter not into judgment with thy servant: for in thy sight shall no man living be justified.” (Psalm 143:2). We are warned by the Apostle Paul: “For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse: (as many as seek to be justified by their own works of law keeping are under the curse of the law, writer) for it is written, Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them.” (Galatians 3:10).  

The reason we are cursed if we seek justification by the deeds of the law, is that our deeds of law keeping are not unto perfection, for we are not capable of keeping the law of God perfectly. As an example: we are commanded to love God, with our whole heart, and the children of God do love God: but, not perfectly, there is yet remaining love of self, love of family, and love of other things. We love God because He first loved us, (I John 4:19) but now, we do not love God as we will when sin in our members is no longer a problem for the family of God: that will be our state after we are raised in His likeness, until then we will love according to the portion of grace given us by Jesus Christ (Ephesians 4:7). The same is true of our faith, it is imperfect, we do believe God, but, there is still unbelief in us, there are still doubts of various kinds, this is sin in our members, (Romans 7:23) the faith of the children of God is justifying faith, though it is imperfect, it is the object of faith that justifies; that is, it is Christ Jesus who is the object of faith: the children of God are justified by His blood and righteousness alone (Romans 5:9). “Through faith we understand” how, we are justified by Christ’s shed blood and His righteousness (Hebrews 11:3): therefore do we rest in Christ alone, and not in our faith, but, through fatih.

God requires perfect righteousness for those who would come to Him, God must receive them on a just ground; and by a just ground is meant; they must be justified from all things in the sight of God (Acts 13:39), they must be counted not guilty of any infraction of the law of God. Those who would come to God must be accounted free from any and all forms of offence of His holy, just, and good law: “For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all. (James 2:10). Therefore those who would come to God must: as it is written, “Be ye therefore perfect, even as your father which is in heaven is perfect.” (Matthew 5:48). This perfection in the sight of God is by faith of Jesus Christ, who has made an end of sins and has brought in everlasting righteousness; not for himself but for those given him in the covenant of grace before the foundation of the world (Daniel 9:24-26). The everlasting righteousness brought in by Jesus Christ is the righteousness of God (Romans 1:17), and the only righteousness that is accepted by God as the justifying righteousness of sinners. This righteousness of God, is received by faith: faith apprehends it, by faith sinners understand the worth of it, by faith sinners rest in it, by faith sinners glory in it, by faith sinners hope in it, and through faith sinners are justified by this righteousness of God. The righteousness of God, is wholly outside the sinner; and is “THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS” (Jeremiah 23:6) Himself. The righteousness of God is imputed to the believers account; and accounted their own righteousness by God Himself. Clothed in this righteousness we meet, the measure we must meet, which is perfect righteousness of God in Jesus Christ, for, it is written “Because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance to all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead.” (Acts 17:31). God hath set a day in the which He will judge the world in righteousness by our Lord Jesus Christ; “Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation (a satisfaction of the law and justice of God, for the acquittal of those who flee for refuge to lay hold on the hope that is set before them in Christ Jesus, writer) through faith in his blood,” (Romans 3:25) and what horrible wickedness it is in any man who hath done despite to the spirit of grace, (Hebrews 10:29), by not trusting the finished salvation that is in Christ Jesus for the salvation of his soul. ”For there is not a just man upon earth, that doeth good, and sinneth not.” (Ecclesiastes 7:29).

Sinners must appear at the judgment of God; and give account of the deeds done in the body and of every idle word (Matthew 12:36), there is but one place to hide in the day of judgment, and that is in the Rock Christ Jesus: as the LORD said to Moses “And it shall come to pass, while my glory passeth by, that I will put thee in a cleft of the rock, and will cover thee with my hand while I pass by:” (Exodus 33:22). This picture is typical of the church being hidden in the Rock of Ages: Christ Jesus, with God’s own hand of perfect righteousness protecting them from the glory of His vindictive and inflexible law. Have you fled from your own righteousness and works to lay hold on Jesus Christ? His name, Jesus shows us His humanity, that He is the friend of sinners; and the name of His office: the Christ of God, shows us that He is the God appointed Mediator between God and Man, there is no other way of approach but in Him, who, is the friend of sinners; and who, has power with God on the behalf of sinners. But some one may, worry, thinking, but I do not know that I am the elect of God, nor whether God hath predestined me to eternal life! To that it may be said: although you do not know if you are the elect of God nor whether you are predestined to eternal life, yet you do not know who the elect are: nor do you know that God has not chosen you, and predestined you to life eternal. We do know that Jesus Christ came into this world to save sinners, (I Timothy 1:15) and therefore if in your own eyes you see that you are a sinner, then perhaps Christ Jesus has come to save you, for the Holy Ghost teaches fallen men that they are sinners, and causes them to groan under the pressure of their sins. Have you any pressure of sin, weight of sin, burden of sin? Do you know that you stand condemned in court of God? If that is your case, it is good news, for the world goes on by these things uncaring and unknowing, but the children of God are taught these precious things.  Another thing we know is that “whosoever believeth on our Lord Jesus Christ hath everlasting life, for it is written: “Verily, Verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath everlasting life.” (John 6:47). Sinner: do you believe that Jesus Christ is able to save to the uttermost all that come to God by Him (Hebrews 7:25)? If so then you must flee “for refuge to lay hold on the hope set before us:” (Hebrews 6:18). Flee from the things that you think you can do to bring salvation, and simply trust Christ Jesus who is God’s Salvation. Flee with all haste possible from your own righteousness and works, and come to Jesus Christ empty to be filled, naked to be clothed, filthy in sin to be washed, bring nothing with you that is of yourself, do not bring any offering of your own will; for God’s people are made willing in the day of His power (Psalm 110:3). Do not come pleading your faith, for your faith is spurious, the faith of God’s elect, is the gift of God. Do not come thinking your repentance will save you, for repentance, like faith, is the gift of God. (Acts 5:31). Come to Jesus Christ alone as the sole Savior of men, for He “quickeneth (gives eternal life, Writer) to whom He will.” (John 5:21).  But yet, doesn’t the presence of desire for life indicate the presence of life already, for the dead do not desire anything; and a willingness to seek Christ Jesus, from whence have you that? For it is written “there is none that seeketh after God” (Romans 3:11). And the fact that you desire the Christ of God, as Savior, and will be satisfied with none else: does that not declare that you believe on Christ alone for all Salvation; and if that is true, why do you doubt that God has saved you? Do not these things prove your election of grace? So, you may ask, what is next to be done? To which may be answered, rest: rest, in the finished salvation of Jesus Christ. (Hebrews 4:11). “Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, I will give you rest. (Matthew 11:28).  Do not try to improve on the salvation wrought out by Jesus Christ, for that would prove you have not known Christ. Do not try to make yourself more secure in Christ for that cannot be, none are in Christ in part, for those who are in Him were chosen in Him, and sanctified in Him, and justified in Him before the world was made. If God the Holy Ghost has enabled you to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, for all your salvation: then trust Him alone, leave all of self out of the picture, come to God in Christ Jesus, who alone, is the Savior of sinners. To continue in Part IV.

See the writers blog at www.hebrews915.blogspot.com  hear the gospel preached at www.13thst baptist.org  webcasting live at listed service times.          

       

AJ Ison