The People of God 07 Unique Shielded People — James K. Boswell

Now, please open your Bibles at Deuteronomy and the 33rd chapter. Deuteronomy, chapter 33. It is lovely having you here. We trust that it will bless you and grant you much joy for coming along. The 33rd chapter.

I think you know the verse by this time. Verse number 29. Let us read all together just twice, shall we? Happy art thou, O Israel, who is like unto thee, O people saved by the Lord, the shield of thy help, and who is the sword of thine ecstasy, that thine enemies shall be found liars unto thee, and thou shalt tread upon their high place.

That is wonderful. Just once more, all right? Happy art thou, O Israel, who is like unto thee, O people saved by the Lord, the shield of thy help, and who is the sword of thine ecstasy, that thine enemies shall be found liars unto thee, and thou shalt tread upon their high place.

The Lord will add His blessing to that reading from His word to our hearts today. We are looking at this wonderful theme, O people saved by the Lord. When the people are saved by the Lord, we are a happy people.

The Saved People as Unique and Shielded

We are a unique people. And then we are a shielded people. We are a defended people. We are a vindicated people. And we are a triumphant people. We have all that, as you know, in that 29th verse. Time is not going to allow us to develop all these wonderful themes.

We are going to look this morning at we as a unique people and as a shielded people. And just see how the two again dovetail the one into the other, as we have seen how the happy people and the saved people just dovetail one into the other.

Because we are a saved people, they were triumphantly happy, aren't we? For the happy people we are as God's beloved people. Remember then last night, we saw the fact of the happy people. They are happy, holy.

And because we are holy and healed, we are assured and accepted. We are powerful and victorious. We are peaceful and expectant. And we are yielded and delivered. This morning I want to link these two together by me, unique and shield.

Just put these words down, the words unique and the words shield. And just see how they dovetail the one into the other. For I told we are a unique people. There's nobody like us. We like to think that at times, don't we?

But it's perfectly true. We are a peculiar people. You see, that's more like it. I mean not being odd nor a square, but we are a peculiar people. This word peculiar comes several times in the book of Deuteronomy.

A people without a match. We stand out. Unique. The word peculiar has a double meaning. First of all, it means a people for his own possession and his own special treasure. His own special treasure. And secondly, a people beyond the ordinary.

Did you get that? A people beyond the ordinary. That's what we are. And only we are people beyond the ordinary, but we are his own special treasure. We are the darling of his own heart. As a people beyond the ordinary, we are in our birth.

We are born not of blood, nor the will of the flesh, nor the will of man. We are born of God. And in our relationship, we are now the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus. And beyond our citizenship, for our citizenship is in heaven, from whence also we look for the Saviour.

And in our companionship, for our companionship is with the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, and with all who out of a pure heart call upon the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. Beloved, we are a unique people.

We are a people beyond the ordinary. Oh, that could only get into our hearts. That could only grip us. It wouldn't make us egotistical, not at all. But Paul would say, by the grace of God, I am what I am.

It's no longer I, but the grace of God that works in me. All the joy relies on all the important truth, that we are unique people. A people beyond the ordinary. But then, I suggest a people for his own possession, his own special treasure.

I like that thought. Our son, Peter, when he's much younger than he is today, we just read it from him this morning, he's been dining with the governor there in St. Kitts. And all the, what do you call it, the government officials, he's just been there, in fact he travelled home just on the 27th of this month, been down there and worked for the government from Canada, these underprivileged countries.

But when he was much younger than he is today, I remember getting home from a evangelistic crusade. We were living near Birmingham, England at the time. He was next door to the Baptist minister's wife of the Lord.

And she saw me going through my garden path. I said, look Peter, she was walking up your garden path. Another fellow saw me, he got through the garden fence, came running down, threw his arms around my legs and looked up and said, My own dada, my own dada, these words, my own, have never left me.

My own. And this morning, beloved, the Lord looks into your heart with my heart, and he says, you're my very own special treasure. You're my own by creation. You're my own by redemption. You're my own by precious blood.

You're my own by sovereign right. O beloved, this morning Luke often saying, glad response, O Jesus, Lord and Saviour, I give myself to Thee, for Thou in unatonement didst give Thyself to me. I own no other master.

My heart shall be Thy throne. My life I gave henceforth to live. O Christ, I fall Thee alone. O friend, you see how precious you are to Him. This truth can only dawn in a father, or he will become increasingly precious to us every moment of every day.

The Children of God and Their Fourfold Destiny

Keeping that still before you, in 1 John chapter 3 we'll read these words, Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed upon us that we should be called the sons of God, and such we are, says the Revised Version, and such we are.

The world knows it not, because it knew Him not. It does not yet appear what we shall be, but we know that when He shall appear, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is. And those that have this hope set on Him purify themselves even as He is pure.

In that quotation we've got four D's, and I want to give them to you. First of all, we are a people of dignity. We are the sons, the children of God, for an honour conferred upon us that we shall be called, and such we are, the sons of God.

Thy royal blood surging through your veins. Peter said this morning in his letter, he promises, they've closed it, I'll get to visiting with the Queen. My friend, listen, just think of royal blood surging through your veins.

Look to form a great esteem, great appreciation, what dignity, what a voice, he's a prince, she's a princess. But listen, that boils into insignificance when you recognise this morning you are the child of the King of Kings and Lord of Lords.

Think of the dignity resting upon us. We're a unique people. There's nobody like us. And please, oh please, never be apologetic to let people know you're a child of God. Never, my friend, be ashamed to let people know you're a Christian.

Don't sit in apologetic, half-hearted, sloppy kind of way, oh yes, I'm a, be sure, be definite. And when the truth dawns in upon us this morning, all the gleam that comes into your eye, all the spring that comes into your stay, all the glow that flushes through your whole being, why, I'm a child of the King of Kings and Lord of Lords.

And remember, there's nobody like you. You're the aristocracy of heaven walking up and down the streets of Kingston Heights. No wonder, just think of it, my friend, who you are and what you've been brought into as a child of God.

The very first thing my good brother Jack said to me this morning at the table he said, he said, Jim, I couldn't sleep last night. I said, why? He said, because I'm afraid to continue coming into my heart.

It kept coming and coming. I said, what was it? He said, I'm in the Beloved and the Beloved's in me. I said, I've been thinking about it all night. What a wonderful thing to think about, eh? What a thing to keep awake with.

That fact that I'm in the Beloved and the Beloved's in me. Now, isn't that true? That in the voluble union that we are a child of God. I love that. Not only are we a people of dignity, we're a people of distinction.

As says, remember, the world knows us not because it knew him not. We are a distinct, distinctive people. I love that. That means a lot to us. We like to think we're a people of distinction, and we are.

We are. The world knows us not. The world can't understand us. We're an enigma. We're an amazement. We're a wonder to them. And may I say, in passing, when the world can't understand us, there's something wrong with our testimony.

There's something wrong with our testimony. What? That takes time off? To go way down from the north and go down the path of Beth for four or six months amongst all those Christians? You must be a square.

There must be something wrong with you. To go to prayer meetings, to go to Bible study, morning and evening. Why? There must be something wrong. They don't know the joy, do they? They don't know the thrill.

They don't know, my friend, the joy that we have in Christ Jesus, and the joy of finishing together one with another. Oh, the sweetness of this story. And we are a people of distinction. There's a mark of distinction about you and about me because we're Christians.

I love to develop that time with Allah. Not only are we a people of dignity and distinction, we're a people of destiny. A people of destiny. We shall be with Him, we shall see Him, and we shall be like Him.

My friend, no wonder Paul said, I have not seen nor heard nor entered the heart of man all that God has prepared for them that love Him. This rules my soul. That only are we going to be with Him, that's absolutely wonderful.

But we're going to see Him, and my friend, if this glimpse of love is so divinely sweet, what will it be above His gladdening smile to me? Are these seasons so precious and so sweet and so real just now, with all our physical limitations and failure?

Oh, my friend, what's the full realization going to be? To see Him and to be with Him throughout all eternity. We are a people of destiny. Aren't we glad about that this morning? We're going to be like Him.

This takes me back to a thing that happened at Brantford, Ontario some twenty-one years ago. On my first visit to Canada, I was given a series of talks for ten nights on the Lord's coming in that little chapel there.

Night after night, a fellow sat in the second front row. He was a converted boxer, a man, not a dog. I converted boxer, every part the boxer. He wanted to shout, hallelujah. He wanted to say, praise the Lord.

He wanted to say, amen. But it wasn't done in such circles. Not etiquette, not polite. Why? I simply don't know. Do you? And how you can sit there so quiet and not say amen, I don't know either. Never mind.

We'll enjoy it together. And this man, you know, after he was all over, he just bubbled over. He just couldn't contain himself. This night, the last night, I speak on, behold I show you a mystery. We shall not all sleep.

We shall be changed in a moment in the twinkling of an eye at the last trump. Now I meant to say something like this. In a moment, that's too long. The twinkling of an eye. Your eyelids will be up, and before it's down, you'll be in heaven.

The twinkling of an eye. Do you know how long it takes to wink? The 46 ,000th part of a second. That's all the time it takes, and yet how much harm and heartache has been caused in such a short time. The word is animos.

Animos. There is just a spring of, the only time you come across the word animos in the Bible is right there. A moment is far too long. So in the twinkling of an eye, animos. In a moment. The twinkling of an eye in heaven.

And we're going to be changed. We're going to be like Him. And I meant to say this. I've not much to look at now, and before I got my next verse, Amen brother. But I meant, I've not much to look at, but one day I'll be well worth looking at because I'll be like Him.

And He's altogether lovely. He's the fairest of the fair. He's the chief among tens of thousands to our soul. Why won't that just be wonderful that we are a people of dignity and distinction and destiny and because in view of this, there is a duty.

And let all those that have His hope set on Him purify themselves even as He is pure. Now with all that before your heart come down to this word unique. And as a unique people, we are united. A couple of you.

Union with Christ and the New Creation

We are united indeed to our beloved Lord Jesus Christ. Says in Psalm number 86, verse number 11, Unite my heart to fear Thine aim. The word is to reverentially trust Thine aim. We are united to Him. All the intimacy, all the oneness, all the closeness that is between the believer and His beloved Lord Jesus Christ.

In a word, we are married to Christ. The wonderful state of matrimony between the bridegroom and the bride. Between Christ and His church. We are members one of another. Bone of His bone. Flesh of His flesh.

All the wonderful wonders that He knows the very life of our lives. Hearts to united one. Now that is what marriage is. Hearts to united one. And there we are, my friend, this morning. We are in the beloved.

And He, by His Spirit, lives in us. And again I repeat, there is an indissoluble union between Christ and His people. If only this could grip our heart by divine revelation. All the stamina, all the spiritual strength, all the spiritual vigor and vitality it brings into our lives.

All the glow, removing all the fear, all the dust, all the suspicion, all the jealousy, all the detrimental criticism. All these things would go when we look up and say, they whose minds are stayed upon Him, they have great peace.

They have perfect peace. They have a deep settled peace deep down in their heart. All that wonderful oneness between Christ and His people. Now that is what I want to suggest to you. We are a new creation.

Not only are we united to Christ and one in Christ, but we are a new creation. In 2 Corinthians chapter 5, verse number 17 it says, that we are a new creation where in Christ Jesus all things have passed away because all things have become new.

Aren't you glad you got a new sparking, a new salvation, a complete new life? Aren't you glad your old life has been done away with once and for all? And God sees you no longer now as a child of Adam.

He sees you in His Son, holy and without blame, before Him in love. We are a complete new creation. As in Adam all died, so in Christ shall all be made alive. You'll get that lovely word new. And I like that word new, don't you?

Here it is, because we now have a new nature. A new nature. I love that. It says remember in Peter, that we have become partakers of the divine nature. We now receive the very nature, the very life of God.

We have now a new nature. Then again, a new energy. A new energy. And what does the Bible say? I can do all things through Christ. Through Christ, who strengthens, who energises me. Then, Father, God is faithful, who also will do it.

Then it says, remember, in Philippians chapter 2, it says, well, work out your own salvation with fear and dread, for it is God who worketh in you. All this new nature brings with it a new energy. Not my struggling and striving to try and live the Christian life.

Not my agonising and my carrying. Oh, no. It is God who worketh in you. In Philippians chapter 1, verse number 6 says, being confident of this very thing, that He will be done a good work in you, will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ.

That's the commencement. But it continues in chapter 2, verse 13, for it is God who worketh in you both to will and to do of His good pleasure. And then you've got the consummation of this in Chesapeake, verse number 21.

But it says, for our citizenships in heaven from whence also look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall change our body of humiliation like on His own body, according to the working, whereby is able even to subdue all things unto Himself.

There's the consummation. First of all, you have salvation. Then you've got sanctification. And now you've got complete satisfaction. And remember, it's all of God from beginning to end. It's all of His massive grace in your life and in my life.

Then last is connection. We've got a new will. A new will. Our will is lost in His will. And all the joy of seeing His will in the energy of a non-greed Holy Spirit. Remember again the words of the Mary to the disciples.

Whatsoever it says unto you, do it. Do it. Our will is surrendered, lost in His will. And remember, doing His will whatever the cost. I know that's a strong statement. I know it's a searching statement.

But is it real? Am I willing for His will? You know, Ernie Woodhouse and Dave Clifford and I used to work as a team. We worked as a team and called ourselves the Ten Commandments of the Crusade. We used to work all over the British Isles.

One of the favorite choruses of those days were these words. Sweet will of God be Thou my portion. Sweet will of God be Thou my choice. Self lost in me, if in the valley or on the mountain, says sweet will of God, my choice.

Is this real today in your life? And in my life? We've got a new nature. We've got a new energy. We've got a new will. And what does that do for the man? This new will, this new man now is going to magnify Christ.

Magnifying Christ Through the Believer

He's going to magnify Christ. That's it. Not I. And remember 2 Paul said that whether by life or by death Christ will be magnified in my body. And remember A we're going to attract to Christ. Going to attract to Christ.

John the Baptist said remember Christ must increase, I must decrease. And what does Paul say? There's wonderful words and the life all of Jesus might be made manifest through my immortal flesh. And Christ said and if I be lifted up I will draw all unto me.

All and how is he going to be lifted up? Oh I trust not only the ministry of his precious word but I trust he's been lifted up this morning before our eyes. That he's filling our vision and occupying our heart's affection.

For it's my sincere prayer that his beauty may rest upon me as I seek the lost to win. And they're going to forget the channel seeing only him. Not I but in every look and in every action seeing only Christ.

And Christ alone. Oh to be saved from myself dear Lord. Oh to be lost in me. Oh that there may be no more I in me. Oh what a salvation this is in me. Oh if this divine revelation grips our heart because this will magnify Christ it will attract to Christ and what's going to happen?

The man, the woman who knows his joy they are never without Christ. End. They're never without Christ. Isn't that lovely? The same yesterday and the day and forever. Lovely chorus. I love to teach this.

You can hear this time. I want you to get this. The very one who said it matters to him about you. It matters to him about you. All the day long. All the night through. He's caring for me and he's caring for you.

His mercies are tender. His love is ever true. It matters to him about you. He also says I will never leave thee nor forsake thee. The same yesterday and today and forever. Every friend they'll fail and leave you.

The one day soothe the next day grieve you. But this friend he'll never deceive you. Oh how he loves. Do you know him? Is he a reality in your life today? Remember you're a unique people. And remember furthermore you're united to Christ.

And Father you're a new creation in Christ. That takes me now to my next point. That little I. We are really in Christ. We're in the Beloved. I love that, don't you? In the Beloved. Colossians chapter 2 and verse number 9 reads like this.

Complete in Christ

And please the Father that in Christ should all fullness dwell. Now all the fullness of the gold-haired bodily is treasured up in our adorable Lord Jesus Christ. Now please don't ask me what that means for I simply don't know.

It's far beyond my solid mind. You might bring the Prince of Preachers a Charles Haddon's Persian. You might bring a great theologian like a John Nelson Darby. A great scholar like a Lincoln or a Kerry.

Or the Prince of Expositors an Alexander McClan. Or the Prince of the Avengers a D. L. Moody. Or you might bring that wonderful auditor a Talmadge. And please the more before you ask the question can you please tell us what this means?

That in Christ all fullness dwells. All these saintly golden men in all humility would bow their heads in their hearts and say we simply don't know. Now let something like that come over your spirit life.

All the gold my friend this morning is treasured up in the darling of his own heart. The very next sentence says get this and ye are complete in him. Isn't that amazing? He comes to us this morning and says he looks into your heart with my why you're complete.

You're made full in the darling of the wonder of this. The completeness in our beloved Lord Jesus. We are complete in him. I like that don't you? Doesn't that do something to your heart? The same thought is brought up remember in Romans chapter 6 where it says we are buried with Christ in baptism.

Where it says we've been planted together in the likeness of his death. So shall we be also in the likeness of his resurrection. When the Lord Jesus died upon the cross we were in Christ. His death is our death.

When Christ was buried we were buried. When he arose we arose. When he ascended we ascended. When he was placed at God's right hand that's our position this morning beloved. And that's what God sees us today accepting in the beloved.

Lost in all the fullness that's treasured up in God's beloved Son. Now if I recognize I'm in Christ. And the book of Proverbs says and I love it the name of the Lord is a strong tower. The name of the Lord is a strong tower.

Unite my heart to fear to trust thy name to the Sabbath. The righteous runneth into it and they are saved. Within that strong tower is our beloved Lord and we are complete. We are made full and friendless.

You can't add anything to that completeness. You can't take anything from that completeness. We are complete in Christ. That's why I don't believe in this fallen away theory. He was saved and lost again tomorrow.

My friend our salvation is a complete salvation. Our life is abundant and complete in Christ Jesus. Because I recognize I'm in Christ. He is my patience. He is my power. He is my purity. He is my love.

My wisdom. The everything. Many beloved people come along and say to us will you please pray the Lord will give us patience. When my wife prays for patience the Lord usually sends me home. Tribulation work of patience.

They are not quite as bad as all that. But remember they say will you please pray the Lord will give me patience. I'm so impatient. I'm so irritable. I'm so nervy. And they got the brainy idea that God is going to bundle up a bundle of patience put the name upon it drop it down there.

You are my dear there is your patience. He doesn't do that. He is your patience. When you get in that corner and you feel like blowing your top just quietly look up Lord take over the situation. Lord you are my life.

You are my patient Lord. Take over. A lady came to me some time ago and said in that life of victory you are preaching for a woman with seven children in a two roomed house. And I said my dear if it were not for you I would never preach it again.

Just as much for you in a two roomed house with seven children as it is for me preaching day by day. I met that lady quite recently said Jim I thank God the Lord has caused you to cross my pathway. That day I learned the secret that Christ is my patience.

I said enough when I just feel like blowing my top I just sit there quietly and say Lord take over in the situation. I just, all the inner serenity all the tranquility I never lost I said Jim it has been so wonderful it is the very life of my life and I want to tell you something I have had the joy of reading some of my oldest poems the Lord Jesus Christ.

They learned the secret He is our patience. Please don't throw me apart because He is our patience. Same with love. Oh please ask the Lord to send me love. I am so lonely I am so harsh I am so critical I don't want to be like that ask the Lord to send me love.

And they got the idea that God is going to abundant abundant love and put it in their pocket. There you are my darling. He doesn't do that. He is our love. And when you meet that person my friend coming down the street always rubs you up the long way and you don't feel like loving them just look at them Lord love them through me love them through me and it is amazing what that can do between husband and wife and what it can do between brethren and sisters.

Oh Oh Lord love them love them through me. I had ministry law in this life. I came to a convention some time ago and a a man came up and asked the service. He said St Bartholomew. I have seen something today.

I have never seen in my life before. What is that? He said I have been a secret smoker for years but he said I said to him brother I didn't say a word about smoking. Did I? I said my ministry is not a condemning negative ministry.

He said no I know. But he said when you talk about Christ singing through the thought running through the will looking through the eyes of compassion from the multitude. Christ loving through the heart Christ working through the fingers.

He said I could never think of his pure holy life staying with nicotine. And he said I will never smoke again. And that man has never gone back to the old weed. He could never think of the holy pure life of Christ who indwells him ever stay with nicotine.

I will never smoke. And he never smoked again. I was sitting there all afternoon talking about the wrongs of smoking. How injurious to the system. How selfish how unclean how expensive is that filthy habit.

He would never have given up the love life touched him and had to go. Two women were seen weeping in the aisle of that particular building that day weeping at each other's shoulders. Someone said will you please go and see what is wrong with those two women.

He said not me. I could not deal with brethren's problems. I am not touching women's problems. They said we would like you to go. He said going along. May I help you. He said no. The hell is being given you.

You cannot help us anymore. He said. What is the matter. He said I have hated her for three years and she has hated me for three years. I have not talked for three years. He said I never said a word but getting right with each other.

Did I. He said no. But he talked about the love life flowing through the heart. A love life can't flow through the heart if I have got something against her. She thought the same thing at the same time and they reconciled to one another.

Brethren I do not care what your problem may be. I do not care what your habit may be. The love life is the answer. It is the only solution. You let the love life touch it and it has got to go. But we must be willing for the love life.

Mr. Willie right here can say can confirm what I am saying. Things have happened right here through the ministry. Not so much this time in the earlier days of my visit here where this love life began to flow and where barriers were broken down hard feelings were brought to the cross and people reconciled to one another who had not been talking to one another who had hard thoughts about one another because the spirit of God was allowed to operate.

Quickened and Upheld by God

And remember this morning dear children of God we are united to Christ. We are a new creation in Christ and remember we are complete in Christ. Lord Father what is the next letter. We are quickened. Quickened in Him.

And it says in Ephesians chapter 2 verse number 1. We are once dead and now quickened into life. Quickened into life. I thank God for that. Our desires this morning. Our ears may be quick and centered and alert to hear His voice speaking to us.

Not only so but we are upheld. We are upheld by His hand. Isaiah 41 10 says. Fear not. Be not dismayed I am thy God. I will strengthen thee I will help thee I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.

So beloved not only are we this morning united in Christ and a new creation in Christ and in Christ complete. Not only are we quickened into the light and abundant of light in Christ but remember we are upheld by the omnipotent hand.

Oh thank God by the right hand which means omnipotence. That's the hand that holds you today the hand that will never let you down. I want to give you another view here because we got the upward look.

The Upward Look and the Hope of Christ's Return

The upward look. Why we are looking upward. We are expecting our Lord to come back at any moment. We are looking unto Him and looking for Him every moment of every day. And the word of God says remember in Hebrews 12 verse number 2.

Looking off. Looking off. Looking away unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith. Oh to have that upward look this morning as we go meet people and I want to whisper something to you. If this morning I know the joy of being united in Him and the joy of this new creation and the joy of being Christ complete and the joy of the quickened heart and spirit and ear toward Himself and my heart's quickened toward Him.

Then this morning I know the joy this wonderful joy of being upheld by Him. And with the shadow of a doubt we got one longing. It's the upward look and we're upward bound. And maybe it's very deep we're going up.

Maybe it's very deep. We shall hear the Lord saying rise up my love my fair one and come away far above the clouds. Listen beloved this morning the Lord Himself shall descend from heaven with a shout with a voice the archangel trumpet of God.

Our loved ones who have gone before shall be raised. We shall be changed reunited with them and caught up together to meet the Lord in the air. Wouldn't that just be wonderful today from these wonderful congenial sweet precious surroundings to hear the Lord saying rise up.

The Blind Boy Who Longed to See His Healer

A boy was born blind when this boy was about 18 or 15 years old. His father got home from his office this day and he found his wife despondent really down in the dumps. He said what's the matter dear.

I'm alright. There's something troubling you. What is it I want to know. I tell you I'm alright. Come on tell me I know there's something troubling you leave me alone. I'm alright. So he got hold of her and pushed her right against the wall.

You tell me there's something troubling you. Oh how you women try to cover things up don't you. She tells him. And she began to cry. She said. It's breaking my heart to think. The child whom I have brought into the world whom I have cared for all these years will never see the mother who has done this for him.

I can't take it any longer. She went back to his office. Somewhat distracted he confronted one of his workmates who told him the Harvest Street Special way back yonder in London England when performing wonderful operations.