God's perfecting.
"The Lord will perfect that which concerneth me: thy mercy, O Lord, endureth forever: forsake not the works of thine own hands."
I. THE PSALMIST'S CONVICTION. Words such as these are said only in the strongest grandest moments of a good man's life. David, St. Paul, St. Peter, St. John, could say them; but the majority of believers in Christ cannot say them at all times; only at certain privileged moments of their lives. And the reason is—they see their own imperfections more strongly than God's unchangeable love towards them; that salvation has a multitude of convictions as well as a multitude of promises. Look at some of the words of Christ and the apostles, and ask what they mean (John 10:27-29); Paul (Romans 8:1-39.; Philippians 1:6; 1 Peter 5:10). I think it may be said that the meaning of these uniform utterances is that the strength of God's faithful love to us, and not the strength of our love to him, is the pledge of our salvation—the guarantee that we shall not be left to perish in our sins and weakness. We may unfold this in two particulars.
1. That God will do for us towards this end what we are unable to do for ourselves. Some think little of their sins. Forgiveness, renewed day by day, extending to the new sins I commit. I have not the right nor the disposition (often) to pardon myself. He will give grace—that is, help and strength—according to our needs. "But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Jesus Christ." He will permit no temptation to assail us for which he does not furnish the means of resistance. He can do no more. In dying, we shall be utterly helpless in ourselves; but he will be with us to save and preserve—to lead us through the dark labyrinth. He will raise us up at the last day.
2. God will do for us what we are not willing to do for ourselves. A great part of our danger arises more from want of will than want of strength. He will institute purifying processes. "Every branch in me that beareth fruit he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit." We are averse to this—to trials and afflictions and discipline. The clay does not know into what beautiful shapes it may be wrought by the hand of the potter. Gold when it is in the ore does not know its need of the furnace, to be separated and refined from the dross. We are disinclined, naturally, to love him supremely, and to employ the means that will lead to it. He conquers our aversion by successive revelations of his love. "He worketh in us the willing and the doing" by his own sovereign will.
II. THE GROUNDS OF THIS GLORIOUS CONVICTION.
1. God's enduring, unchanging mercy. His disposition to pardon—his delight in saving. Can it be a question, even for a moment, whether God would rather save you or allow you to perish? "His mercy endureth forever;" "He delighteth in mercy;" "Who is a God like unto thee?' Then he will endure you and save you, though you have many sins in your heart—if you do not love the sins so that you cannot be separated from them. He will endure many backslidings, till he has healed you of them. Will endure your cold earthliness of mind, till he has made you heavenly minded, etc.
2. God will not forsake the work of his own hands. Has not forsaken the earth, or the sun, or any work in the material universe, much less the most precious work he ever began. "The mountains may depart, and the hills be removed; but my kindness shall not depart from thee, neither shall the covenant of my peace be removed." The sculptor may leave his statue unfinished, the artist his picture, and the poet his epic; but God the Ever-Living will not forsake the work of his hands.
CONCLUSION.
1. Take courage.
2. Be diligent to make calling and election sure.—S.
Psalms
Psalms 138 - psalms-138 - worlddic.com