Studies in Psalm 16:-03 — James K. Boswell

In this moment, at the very outset of our talk, O, to be saved from myself, dear Lord! O, to be lost in Thee! O, that it may be no more I, but Christ, who reigns in me! Reign over me, Lord Jesus! Reign over all within!

Psalm 16 and Exclusive Devotion to the Lord

Make me a loyal subject to Thee in everything! Now with all that before you, still basing my talk on that giant psalm, number 16, which please turn to, psalm number 16, and verse number 1 again. Preserve me, O God, for in Thee do I put my trust.

O my soul, Thou saidst unto the Lord, Thou art my Lord, I have no good beyond Thee. To the saints that are in the earth, unto the excellent, in whom is all my delight. Their sorrows shall be multiplied, hasten after, offer gifts to, exchange me for another God.

Their drink-offerings of blood will I not offer, nor take up their names into my lips. Now may I go back over that fourth verse? Their sorrows shall be multiplied, then exchange me, offer gifts to, hasten after another God.

There is no God in my life, none but Thee, Lord Jesus. And here the psalmist is saying, I will not offer the offerings of blood, nor take up the names of any other God, as I come to worship Thee. The dearest idol I have known, what e 'er that idol be, help me, dear Lord, to tear it from Thy throne, and worship only Thee.

Now go back to the last phrase of verse number 3, and in Thee I find all mine a delight, in whom is all my delight. O can we look up this morning and say triumphantly, Lord, Thou art enough, the mind and heart fulfilled.

Earth takes my eye, so holy Lord, on Thee. That with Thy beauty occupied I elsewhere none may see. O precious Lord Jesus, how lovely Thou art! Come and abide in, rule in my heart. Break every fetter, Thy faith let me see.

Then thou shalt ever be precious to me. In Acts chapter 2, and verse number 36, you have these words. Peter is saying, Let all the house of Israel know assuredly that God has made this same Jesus, which ye have taken, and with wicked hands crucified and slain, both Lord and Christ.

Again Peter, in Acts chapter 10, again verse 36 says, He is Lord of all. Man's estimation of our adorable Lord Jesus was a cross above, a crown upon, a reed for a scepter, and they clothed Him in mockery.

God's estimation, He has given Him the highest place, that heaven upon. He has placed a crown of pure gold upon His kingly brow. He has clothed Him in all the royal apparel. He has given Him the royal scepter and the authority to wield that scepter.

There was all that before your heart. I want to suggest to you in the statement from Acts 2 and Acts 10, His Lordship is plainly a declarer. In respect of what you may say, or anyone may say, God says concerning His beloved Son, He has plainly declared that He is Lord of all.

Christ's Humiliation and Servant Lordship

Now I want you to come with me, bearing along the same lines of Philippians chapter 2. Philippians and the second chapter. And we are just going to go down this somewhat slowly. Philippians chapter 2, and verse number 5.

Now let us come into the Holy of Holies this morning. May we recognize we sung in that lovely hymn, Lord Jesus Christ, we seek Thy thanks. Within the veil we bow the knees. Oh, let Thy glory fill this place and bless us while we wait on Thee, shouting with Thee far, far above, the rest of this world or below.

We seek to learn and prove Thy love, Thy wisdom, and Thy great knowledge. In a day in front of grace and so beautifully, and, I believe, really from His heart, He touches. Oh, may we know the touch of the pierced hand of the Risen Lord on your life, and on mine, and we'll never, no never, be saved, nay, oh for that touch.

Now look at verse number 5. Let this mind be in you, which is also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the very substance, the very essence of God, sought it not properly to be equal with God. The first Adam grasped after equality, reached out after equality with God.

The last Adam had no need to do that. There was never a time when he was not God. There'll never be a time when he'll never be God. He's God over all, blessed forevermore. Verse number 7. But made himself of no reputation, he never made himself of no character.

He made himself of no reputation in his birth. The only one who got the choice of a mother, and he chose Mary. The only one who got the choice of a birthplace, and he chose the state. He made himself of no reputation in his death.

He died between two married men. He made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant. Now notice the contrast. Verse number 6 is in the form of God. God of very God. Now we see him here, in the very form of a servant.

During the menial task, taking the Lord's service place, laying aside his garb, giddling himself around with a towel, and stooping down towards the very feet of the man who was just about to deny him Peter, and the man who was just about to betray him Judas.

For Judas was at that Passover supper, he was not at the Lord's supper, and in between those two there comes the feet washing. Now here is one, and you the heart of Peter, and you the heart of Judas, and yet my friend how delightful, and yet how challenging to your heart and my heart, to the laws of life and law, getting down and washing the feet of those men.

And he said, As I have done it unto you, so do ye one to another. He that is chief among you, let him be yourself. I came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give my life a ransom for all.

Can he go lower? Let us read. And was made in the likeness of man. Speaking reverently, the Lord would never mean anything. By his own voluntary will, by his own definite actions, he became in the likeness of man.

Now look at the next part. And being found in fashion or habit as man, as man. There are only two men, the first Adam and the last Adam. The first Adam, the federal head of the whole of the human race, unless you came from a monkey.

If you came from a monkey, I didn't. And neither did you. You are far too good looking for that. And so, Adam is the federal head of the whole of the human race. Whereas Christ, the last Adam, is the federal head of the whole of the spiritual race.

Union with Christ and the Two Adams

And the Bible says, As in Adam all die, so in Christ shall all be made alive. All by nature are in the first Adam. All by grace are in the last Adam, the Lord from heaven. We can't be involved at once.

The moment, my friend, you trusted Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, God sees you no longer as in Adam. He sees you in Christ, holding without blame before him in love. The wonder of that glorious truth.

May I repeat, As in Adam, under the curse. In Christ, in the blessing. Under condemnation, justification. In death, in life. In darkness, in light. In hate, in love. In bondage, in liberty. In separation, in acceptance, in the beloved.

Now, where are you? Where are you? In Christ? Amen? Oh, the wonder of it all! There is this morning that we are in Christ, and as he is before the Father, in all his inflexible holiness, in all his intrinsic rights, in all the eternal worth and value of his own glorious person.

So are we today, darling. Look out now. Aren't you glad you're a Christian? Aren't you glad you're a child of God? Oh, the wonder of it all! We are in another life. I think of that lovely verse in Hebrews 2, verse 14, which says,.

For as much as the children are partakers of flesh and blood. Now, that is by the natural course of events. You could not help being born the very beautiful person you are. I could not help being born just as I am.

It's by the natural course of events. But the very next phrase says,. But he likewise took part. A different word altogether. We are partakers of flesh and blood by the natural course of events. But Christ likewise took part by his own voluntary will.

By his own death and action. He took a body like unto your body and my body, yet apart from sin. It is impossible for God to die. Yet if we were going to be saved from dying in our sin, then God must come into manhood.

God must come into manhood. For as much as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he owes himself likewise to his father's sin. That through death, he might destroy him that hath the power of death and deliver those who feel fear of death, for all the lifetimes subject to bondage.

Oh, the glorious joy! No wonder John Grisham could say, as he meditated upon the incarnation of our beloved Lord Jesus, he said,. The great Creator contracted to us man indescribably made man. And we sing from our hearts this morning, Thou art the everlasting Word, the Father's only Son.

God manifests his seed in her, and heaven's beloved one. Worthy, O Lamb of God of Thou, that every knee hath and every knee does thee should bow. In the beginning was the Word, that's his eternity. And the Word was with God, that is his personality.

And the Word was God, that's his deity. But verse 14 says,. And the Word became flesh, and tabernacled among us, and we beheld his glory. We've done that, we say, haven't we? We've just beheld the glory of our glorious Lord Jesus Christ, the wonder of it all.

Christ's Obedience, Death, and Substitution

Now, go back with me for a minute, will you? Philippians, chapter 2. It says here,. And being found in passion as man, I want you to try and keep in your mind now Hebrews 2, 14 -15. It says here, He humbled himself.

You say, is it possible that he might humble himself any lower than he's gone already? Yes, the Bible says, He humbled himself, and became obedient up unto death. He was never obedient to death as an enemy.

He became obedient up unto death. Even the cruel, despicable, loathsome death of the cross, he became obedient to the Father's will. He was ever obedient to the Father's will, and that will led him right on through Gethsemane's gardens.

Father, not my will, but thy will be done, right on the Calvary's cruel cross. There's a spin between heaven and earth, but on crowned brow, his whole body veiled in blood. We hear so dramatically this morning, that thrilled our hearts, as he hung there, a spin between heaven and earth.

The cry ringing from his heart, It is finished! And he bowed his head. The same Greek word as in John chapter 13, when John laid his head upon his breast. Same word. The Lord bowed his head, that we like John might have the great joy this morning of laying our heads upon his breast, and learning the secret of that tender heart.

Aren't you glad you're a child of God? Aren't you glad you're a child of God? O beloved, this morning I thrilled myself, that I sing of these words again, that loud triumphant cry, It is finished! And he bowed his head.

And please get this now, death had no claim upon him. Christ did not need to die. But we need to die. And thank God he died in your place. And he died in my place. And bearing shame and scoffing rude, in my place condemned, he stood, sealed my pardon with his blood.

Hallelujah! What a Savior! But now get this, the Prince of Life, at whose voice death was ever obedient, he goes into the home of Jairus, death takes its place, meets a few in procession, death takes its place, he goes to the graveyard, death takes its place.

But now this one became obedient unto death. What for? He heard and responded the call of death, that we might hear and respond to the call of life. And to his death we have life this morning. Now get this, I want a good story here.

He summons death to be his servant. Got that? He died as he willed to die. And when he willed to die, man could not kill him. Isn't that wonderful? Man could not kill him. By the determined and whole knowledge of God, he was delivered up.

But he summons death to be his servant. He died as he willed to die, and when he willed to die, Father, and please remember, the Father-Son relationship never ceased to exist. There was never a time when he was not the Son of God, not even upon the cross.

He cried, My God, my God, why? No wonder Luther said, God has God turned his back upon him, not the Father. He said, Father, forgive them, he's in touch with the Father. Father, forgive them. Then he said, Father, I say, Father does something different.

Father, can you hear him say it? Father, into thy hand I commend my all the while. How greatly Jesus must have loved me. How greatly Jesus must have loved me to bear my sin, to bear my sin in his body on the tree.

That this one who knew no sin should become sin for you, sin for me. It was then, his whole being was astounded out of recognition. If it is my mourn of any man, it is for a mourn of sons of men. But listen, the sun refused to shine while God, the incarnate meek of God, sight was so terrible, God shrugged him in darkness.

I'm so glad my brother didn't leave us there this morning, aren't you? I'm so glad you didn't leave Christ upon that cross. Go to 1 Paul 55, wherefore? In the next verse. It says, 1 Paul 3, 55, wherefore?

The Exaltation of Christ and Every Knee Bowing

Wherefore, God highly exalted him, get the picture, this number 8, this one who humbled himself and became a beast up on the death, even a cruel, despicable devil, is the one whom God has highly exalted.

Is that not a principle running through scripture? That if we humble ourselves, we shall be exalted. But if we exalt ourselves, we shall be humbled. And what does the Bible say? He humbles himself, wherefore, God has highly exalted him.

And this word, highly, the only time you ever read it again, it connects with this verse. Mary highly favored among women. This word means a super exaltation. Now come the sublime, majestic, thrilling words of Holy Scripture, verse 9.

I could repeat them to you, but I want you to follow them through with me. Wherefore, God also has highly exalted him. This super exaltation. Do you hear the point? I had a super time. I've got a super vice.

He has a super exaltation. He is superior to all others. He is not only superior, he is supreme. And this is a supreme exaltation. But notice what it says. And has given him a name, which is above every name, that in, not merely at, but in the name of Jesus.

Now notice this. Every knee should bow. Are things in heaven? Celestial. Things on earth? Terrestrial. Things under the earth? Infernal. Celestial, Terrestrial, Infernal. Heaven, Hell. Every knee should bow.

And notice verse number 11. And every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is said, Lord. And for whose glory? For the glory of God the Father. Isn't that lovely? God has highly exalted him. And every knee will bow to him.

And every tongue will confess that he is Lord, the glory of God the Father. Oh my friends, his Lordship is plainly declared. But in this portion, his Lordship is richly deserved. It's richly deserved.

Christ's Lordship and the Obedience of His People

Now listen. All in heaven saying, Lord thou worthy, to take the scepter, and to wield that scepter, and to reign as Lord. All the redeemed on earth, your heart and my heart included. Whether we know the joy of it experientially or not, that's another story.

But with our lips. The sad thing is this. The Lord says, Why call ye me Lord, Lord, when your mouth or your heart is far from me? Why call ye me Lord, Lord, and do not the things I say? There is the truth, that Christ is Lord.

I am submissive to his word. I am obedient to his word. And all the redeemed on earth crying, Lord thou worthy, to wield the scepter, and to reign as Lord. One day, one day, at the greatest sizes, great white thrones, and all in the abyss, Satan, and all the mighty host, all the unrepentant, every unbeliever, will stand before that throne.

They shall gaze upon it, holding one. Till there in the mouth of Calvary's passion, I will sing. And their knees will bow to it. And their tongues will confess that he is Lord. The glory of God the Father, that acknowledge the fields of dew, that acknowledge that my frame was sealed, and prove that God is righteous and just, said Lord thou worthy.

All the redeemed have said, Lord thou worthy. One day all from the abyss, will the scepter reign as Lord. All the people, that hang at my heart, I shall say, that acknowledge that my frame was sealed in the fields of dew.

Oh aren't you glad, on this mountain top, oh love me more, that you've been wise unto salvation. And you bowed your knee, and you surrendered your will, and you said Lord, oh precious Lord Jesus, how I love thee.

Coward abiding, ruling my flock, break every feather thy faith let me see, then thou shalt ever be precious to me. God's sick beloved, one who went down in the dead dark to me, died down in the very lowest death, is the one whom God has hided from me.

He is a great God of honor. All the angelic hosts, that stood at them, and that turned to them, all the archangels stand there, a great God of honor. I hear Christ telling now to Mark of Calvary's passion, the man he's conquering, Lord, rises, planets and greatness of God, and his souls rise up as the great God of honor.

Goes up, up, up, up, up,.

Up, beyond all distinction, description, and dispensation of power,.

Up, high above all, up to that rainbow and circle through.

Your heart with my heart cries, far above all, far above all, Jesus the crucified is exalted far above all. Kingdoms may rise, kingdoms may fall, Jesus the crucified is exalted far above all. Look ye faithfully, see the man of sorrows now, from the fight return.

Victorious, and carry me in your arms. Crown him, crown him, crown him, Crown him,.

Crown him, the mighty victor. Your heart cries us more. I am speaking at the graduation of the Bible College in April this month away from the prairies of Canada. That vast crowd of people stood there and sang the great hallelujah chorus, the vast choir of Jesus sang it, and I finished with the coronation I did last night.

All I could think of as I saw a vast crowd stand there at graduation, we'd been there for five days at the convention and the teaching of spiritual life. And I never forget this, all I could think of was that moment, when the grand old Queen Victoria, when she heard the Hallelujah Chorus sung, she rose, something the Queen should never do.

All others rise, the Queen still sits. When it came to this point, the Hallelujah Chorus, and they sang out the Hallelujah, Hallelujah! Dear Queen Rose, did you cry? If you were to come in my reign, I would gladly pass my crown on you.

Will you pass the crown of self-will on me at his feet? Will you feel all not worthy, and will you learn the name of freedom, and become powerful? Why don't you trust him tonight? Why don't you, as a Christian, trust yourself to him?

Why don't you go to trial of your own little life, and do your own little thing? God is around to take over. You're struggling, you're strutting on to the victorious life, don't you? I never let him be in the seat.

He says we're more than conquerors in the world. Now you must yield yourself, and let no victory haunt you. Oh, give her that one moment. Now come closer to me, will you? Go back to Romans, chapter fourteen.

Christ's Lordship Longingly Desired

Romans, chapter fourteen, and verse number nine. His lordship is plainly declared. His lordship is richly deserved. Now, in verse number nine of chapter fourteen of the Grand Epistle to the Romans, we read here, His lordship is longingly desired.

Longingly desired. Now, verse nine says, For to this end Christ both died, and rose, and revived, that he might be, what? Lord. He died, he rose, he revived, that he might be Lord. All in heaven say he's worthy.

All the redeemed say Lord God worthy. Worthy Lord. What is right? Is it possible that we're going to rob him of the fruit of his passion? A longing, this longing desire. It's a desire of his passion. That he should be Lord in due life.

And Lord in my life. All in heaven may recognize him as Lord. And with our lips we confess and we sing that he is Lord. But is he really Lord? Lord Supreme, without a rival, in due life. And in my life, he died, he rose, he revived, that he might be.

What does this really mean to me? Am I willing this morning to hand over the reins of my life to him? To hand over the steering wheel? For please, oh please remember, the Lord will not be a steer wheel in anyone's life.

For many want him as a mere emergency. He must have the steering wheel. Are you willing to hand over the master key? To every compartment. I hear my good brother Willie mention this at Top of the Pond.

Not just a key of the bunch, but hand over the master key to every part of your life. And my life. I'm going to go through every avenue of your life. And my life, because it's the truth. Lord over all, bless you.

Rejecting or Receiving Christ's Reign

Just go back with me, will you, to Luke chapter 19 and verse 14. His Lordship is plainly declared. 19 verse 14. His Lordship is richly deserved. His Lordship is longingly desired. But here in verse 14 of chapter 19 of Luke, it's heartlessly disputed.

Heartlessly disputed. We will not have this man. Reign over us. Is that the language of some heart here? You want all the benefits of the cross work? Is that identifying yourself with the Christ across?

Is your heart saying now, I will not have this man? Reign over me. This man who died for me. Who shed his blood for me. Who gave his all for me. A young girl was going around with a very fine young man.

But they realized they were not suited for each other. At least she did. She felt he was not the man for her. And she let him go. In his sorrow he went away to another country. He came back some years after and found this girl very happily married.

A very fine young man. And in a fit of jealousy, he shot the husband. And he gave himself up. He became a very wealthy man. Extremely wealthy. Some weeks afterward, this young widow was sent for. Not so much a young widow now, but she was sent for.

By a lawyer. He said to her, You have become a very wealthy lady. The man who murdered your husband, Has led his whole estate. All his wealth to you. We want you just to sign this here. And all that inherits is yours.

A yellow plush. Tears being streamed down her eyes. In a flash of holy indignation, she pushed the papers forward. How can I take anything from the hand of the man that stained with the blood of my beloved?

How can you fraternize with the world, in the ways the world, and think that in the all-Adamic nature of staining with the blood of your beloved? Is your heart saying this morning, I will not have this man to rape over me?

The Cost of Surrendering to Christ

I close. This is not my message, but I meant to do it on Sam 16. I... Ahem. Ahem. That is all introductory, but I am going to close right now, I will be gone probably tomorrow morning, at the 7th Tenth Meeting on Sam 16.

But this all sprung out of Brother Richardson's message this morning. I just couldn't get away from it. And you can see how things just started to move on into the other. I just met Boyd Nicholson, out by the Greenwood Hills, and the whole thing.

There were well over 300 people there at that convention. But the whole thing just started to tail right in, because through my ministry, Boyd, some years ago, just listened to a message like this, and he entered in.

The very same message I am giving you now, Boyd Nicholson entered into that message, and surrendered his life to Jesus Christ. And you know the man of God's meeting. I know another young man, who that very same day, at St. Catherine's, said to his young wife, and said, No, the cost is too much.

The cost is too much. I know what my mother and my wee kids went through, because my father was an evangelist. God's given us a lovely home. God's given us a good mind, and given me a good job. You're expecting a baby.

The cost is too much. And she wept. She and I feel like, Oh, we ought to. We ought to surrender. That message was from God tonight, now that we know others entered in that night. Boyd Nicholson had him, had him up to center up against each other, at the commercial park, in a poor pub in St. Catherine's.

His wife did not respond that night. Did not respond. She wept her heart out, because Boyd had yielded his life to Christ. Days afterwards, she went down to his studio, weeping her heart out, and said, All right now, Boyd.

I too have surrendered. I'm offering Boyd a wonderful position. He turned it down. He said, I'm going to Africa. God called me. I'm going to the Congo. He offered him a salary he'd never had in his life before.

Then the boss came on and said, Boyd, SM Nicholson, we want you to have the job. If the salary's not large enough, we'll give you whatever you want. We want you. Come for an interview. He went along the next day.

Now look, I want you to understand, I am going to the Congo. Whenever the door opens, I am going to go. When he got there, there were 27 men after that job. 27 men. And he didn't realize anything about this.

He didn't apply for the job. And when he took the job, you know what they say to him? The locality you're living in doesn't go with this job. There's a certain prestige in this job and you've got to get out of that locality.

The boss said, get into my car. He got in the car. It was a lovely home, ranch quite old. He said, look, we'll give you an extra $100 upon your salary every month. You're all good. What happened to the young man?

He said, we're not. He lost his job. And his wife lost her baby. And she became absolutely covered right over in zimmer. Friends, the cost is too much for you not to surrender Christ's love. You got that?

Far too much not to surrender it. I plead with you. Now listen. I was in a large conference, over a thousand people, in Edmonton, Alberta. I preached this message I'm preaching now. And I looked around at Vance Crod and Jubilee Auditorium.

John Smart. Dr. James Nesmith were the other two speakers. I'm looking around at Vance Crod and John Smart is stroking on. The man on the throne. James Nesmith followed him and spoke on. The man at God's right hand.

What was left of me. He will trot God's man upon the throne of my body. He's on the throne of heaven. He's at God's right hand. He won't forget. There's more than you want. I demand that you run Vance Crod if you're coming with me this evening too.

Is there anyone here this morning or this evening rather would stand up and say I will not have this man to reign over me. I don't want him Lord in my life. I want his saviourhood. I don't want his lordship.

Is there anyone here stand up and say that. Then I want to challenge this great congregation. Are there those here this evening I will stand up and say well Lord. Yes Lord reign over me. The first man defeated is John Smart.

Second was James Nesmith. One afternoon at Vance Crod I woke to see that man Jesus Christ. Oh I know it's not just going to be another look out mountain conference. It's going to be a time that you're never going to forget.

Revival, Repentance, and Wholehearted Submission

I've seen revival all over the B .C. just recently. A man speaking the whole White House was supposed to be at the convention at 9 .30 at 10 .30. The whole thing was in session at one o 'clock in the morning.

Still going at one o 'clock in the morning. Men breaking down weeping their hearts out. Willing to do business with Jesus Christ. I'm fed up with this man big family wishing what. It's kind of a it's a kind of Christianity.

The Lord wants me to stand up and say Lord. In your life I need not move at all. We live in a moment of silence and in that moment there is a quiet word with the Lord himself. Lord we prayed earlier that the words of our mouth and the meditation of our hearts might be acceptable in thy sight.

Our God our strength and our redeemer. We ask you God to set a watch to our mouth that we may not sin against you with our lips. Lord we know how easy it is to speak and the trafficking unfelt truth. Oh God our God give us the grace to practice what we preach and to live just as we pray.

Oh God our God we long to be men and women and young people completely surrendered to the authority of the Lord Jesus filled and controlled and dominated by the indwelling spirit who lies day by day and may be an outshining of the indwelling cross and will give thee all the glory through Jesus Christ the wonderful Lord.

Amen. We're going to change the tempo of this meeting a little and we're going to say one hundred and sixty. I'm sure my good brother there he won't mind me doing this. One hundred and sixty. I want you to notice the word soldier fighting in the world's great strife on thyself relying that thing for thy life trust thyself no longer.

You've done it long enough though haven't you? You've been trusted the Christian life and the flesh haven't you? And you've been amazed at it haven't you now? Now as you come to this lovely hymn notice the word.

Then one two three. I want you to notice the word and we'll sing it softly though it's got to be sung with a marching tempo but we're going to sing it softly right?