Appropiating the Word — William MacDonald

Appropriating God's Word by Faith

I'd like to talk to you tonight on the subject of appropriating the word of God by faith. It should be a buffet, there should be something in it for everybody. You turn first of all, please, to Genesis chapter 13, verses 14 through 17.

Genesis 13, verse 14. The Lord said to Abram, after Lot had separated from him, Lift your eyes now and look from the place where you are northward, southward, eastward, and westward, for all the land which you see I give to you and your descendants forever.

But I will make your descendants as the dust of the earth, so that if a man could number the dust of the earth, then your descendants also could be numbered. Arise, walk in the land through its length and its width, for I give it to you.

God's Promise to Joshua and the Rule of Possession

Joshua chapter 1, verses 1 through 9. Joshua chapter 1, verse 1. After the death of Moses, the servant of the Lord, it came to pass that the Lord spoke to Joshua, the son of Nun, Moses' assistant, saying, Moses, my servant, is dead.

Now therefore arise, go over this Jordan, you and all this people, to the land which I am giving to them, the children of Israel. Every place that the sole of your foot will tread upon I have given you, as I said to Moses.

From the wilderness in this great Lebanon, as far as the great river, the river Euphrates, all the land of the Hittites, and to the great sea toward the going down of the sun shall be your territory. No man shall be able to stand before you all the days of your life.

As I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will not leave you nor forsake you. Be strong and of a good courage, for to this people you shall divide as an inheritance the land which I swore to their fathers to give them.

Only be strong and very courageous that you may observe to do according to all the law which Moses, my servant, commanded you. Do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may prosper wherever you go.

This book of the law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.

Why not, commanded you, be strong and of good courage? Do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go. One more verse, Joshua 13, Joshua 13, and verse 1. Now Joshua was old, advanced in years, and the Lord said to him, You are old, advanced in years, and there remains very much land yet to be possessed.

Well, that's interesting, isn't it? The Lord says to Abraham, look, here, look how I've given you the whole land, but you have to walk in it. Now get going. And then he says to Joshua, Joshua, here it is, you've got to enter, the whole land is yours, but only those places where the sole of your foot treads upon is yours.

You say, well, that's a paradox. Is it or isn't it his? That's what he said. The whole land is yours, but there's a rule of possession. You have to walk on it in order for it to be yours. And then in Joshua, after the land had been taken, there remains very much land to be possessed.

Making the Word of God Personal

Now what does that have to say to us today? Well, it has a lot to say to me. You know, the moment I was saved, the Lord in effect said to me, look, the whole book is yours. It all belongs to you, but only what you appropriate really belongs to you.

It's good to read the Bible. It's good to study the Bible. It's good to meditate on the Bible. It's good to memorize the Bible, but it isn't enough. You have to make it your own. We sing that sometimes.

I wonder if we think when we're singing, hearing his voice in every line, making each faithful saying mine. That's it. That's appropriating the word of God through faith. Making each faithful saying mine.

It's an interesting thing that a Jew, an Orthodox Jew, doesn't really become a man until he's 40 years of age. And until he's 40 years of age, there are two parts of the Bible he must not read. Two parts of the Old Testament he must not read.

He must not read the Song of Solomon. Too sexually plain for such a tender mind, which is nonsense of course. The other is Ezekiel chapter one. He mustn't read Ezekiel chapter one because that's such a tremendous description of the glory of God.

And actually this Jewish tradition that one Jew under 40 tried to read it and fire came out from the page and devoured him. Well, when God gave me that book, he said, look, Bill, it's all yours. But only the places that you make your own are yours.

So what the point is, we must appropriate the word of God through faith. Now let me go back and begin with the subject of God. God. Basically, it's a matter of believing God. And God is true. God cannot lie.

He can't be deceived and he can't deceive. And therefore, if God says something is true, I mean, that's a given. And it doesn't take any, there's no risk involved in believing God. It's the most sane, sensible, rational thing that a person can do to believe in God.

If you can't believe God, who can you believe? And yet he that cometh to God must believe that he is and that he's the rewarder of them that diligently seek him. Whatever he says is true. And to believe him is reasonable.

There's no risk involved. To disbelieve God is irrational. And not only that, it makes God a liar. God says something, I disbelieve it, what am I saying? I'm saying God's a liar. But we must really appropriate the word of God by faith.

Taking God at His Word in Salvation

I like that story. I know some of you have heard it about Napoleon. And he was on a horse one day and there was a buck private nearby, a buck private nearby. And the horse became unruly. And this buck private rushed up and grabbed the horse by the reins, you know.

And he stilled the horse. And Napoleon said, thank you very much, Captain. And he said, of which regiment, sir? You get it? The man was only a buck private. Napoleon said, thank you very much, Captain.

He promoted him from buck private to captain. As a man said, of which regiment, sir? He appropriated the word of Napoleon. He took him at his word and that's what God wants us to do. And that's what we do in salvation.

Salvation is nothing more than that, is it? It's taking God at his word. The Lord Jesus Christ says, most assuredly, I say unto you, he who hears my word, believes in him that sent me, has everlasting life, shall not come into condemnation, but is passed from death unto life.

It's the word of a gentleman. It's the word of a person who cannot lie. I appropriate it and I'm saved. That's what salvation is, isn't it? Nobody's ever saved unless he appropriates the word of God, I say.

He makes it his own. I mean, the verse is there in the Bible, whether anybody believes it or not, but it's when you say, yes, I believe it. I take God at his word. That's how we're saved. It's marvelous, isn't it?

Why do people stumble over it? It's so simple. Marvelous. And not only that, forgiveness. A lot of people are plagued by their sins, and I don't wonder, it's enough to plague anybody. But, you know, when I come and believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, my Bible says my sins are forgiven.

My Bible says that God can't find a single sin on me with which to punish me with eternal death. My Bible says that as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed my transgressions from me.

I'm glad he didn't say the north or the south, because you could measure that, but you can't measure the east and the west. My Bible says he's cast the sins into the deepest sea, and he said, I will remember them no more.

I will remember them no more. And so I come to him, I believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and I say, thank God, the sin question is settled. And those sins need never bother me again. They're gone. Yeah, but after you're saved, and then you sin again, and this time you're sinning against grace, you know, you have to appropriate the word of God.

First John 1, 9 says, if we confess our sins, he's faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. I sin. I get down on my knees. I confess the sin to God. I get up from my knees and listen, the record's absolutely clear.

How? It's just appropriate. I take God at his word. That's what it says. Isn't that what it says? I hope that's clear to us tonight. An unbeliever gets forgiveness of sins by believing on the Lord Jesus Christ.

A believer gets forgiveness of sins by confessing them. The unbeliever gets judicial forgiveness of sins. He gets forgiveness, the forgiveness of sins of a judge. The believer gets parental forgiveness of sins.

He gets the forgiveness of sins of a father. Wonderful, isn't it? But you know, there are a lot of Christians today who have, who don't know how to appropriate forgiveness. And they get down on their knees and they confess their sin to the Lord, and they get up and they go through all kinds of mental contortions and live through agonies, and they say, I don't feel forgiven.

What's the matter with them? Well, the matter is that they just don't know how to appropriate forgiveness. That's all. And they get down and they confess the same sin a thousand times. Dear friends, God can only forgive a sin once.

And instead of confessing sins a thousand times, you should confess them once and thank God a thousand times they've been forgiven. That's the right balance. Just confess them once and thank God that those sins have been forgiven.

Assurance of Salvation and Eternal Security

Forgiveness. Salvation. Forgiveness. Assurance of salvation. How do you know you're saved? Well, you say, I just feel it. Well, thank God I don't base my assurance of salvation on my feelings, because I might have to go back tonight and take a Bear's Aspirin for a headache.

I don't have to, but I might not feel so good. I base my assurance of salvation by appropriating the word of God, specifically 1 John 5, verse 13. These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life, even he that believeth on the name of the Son of God.

That says to me that God wrote that book so that if I believe on the name of his Son, I can know I have eternal life. What is it? It's appropriating the word of God. See, the verse is there in the Bible.

It was there after I got saved, but I went on three months in agony because I didn't appropriate it. I was looking for assurance of salvation where it could never be found, and that's in my feelings. And then eternal security.

Now that I'm saved, can I ever be lost? If I sin, do I lose my salvation? I go to John 10, 27, 28, 29. My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. And I give unto them what my Bible says, eternal life.

And they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. My Father which gave them me is greater than all. And no one is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand. Thank God. I have the word of Jesus Christ that no sheep of his will ever perish, appropriated by faith.

People can come to me with all their arguments. I know a man who. Well, I know a Bible which. That's better than knowing a man who. I don't base my doctrine on men who. If I based my doctrine on the experience of men, I could prove anything.

Because human experience is so varied. No, I know I will never. If I ever perished, Christ wouldn't be God. He would have to get down from the throne. He would have said something that wasn't true, but that can't happen.

And he said, no sheep of mine will ever perish, shall never perish. Dr. Ironside was speaking one night on this subject, and he loved, in fact, he loved the doctrine of the eternal security of the believer, and he spoke on it a lot.

And afterwards, a woman steamed up to him. She was really angry, and she said, well, I certainly don't believe what you taught tonight. And he said, what, don't you believe, madam? She said, well, I don't believe this business of once saved, always saved.

And he said, well, madam, just let me quote a verse of scripture to you. My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. And I give unto them eternal life, and they shall never perish. She said, I don't believe it the way you believe it.

He said, madam, let me quote it to you again. My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. And I give unto them eternal life, and she said, I don't believe it the way you believe it. He said, madam, please let me quote it to you again.

And he started to quote her. She said, don't quote that to me again. I don't believe it the way you believe it. He said, madam, I haven't told you yet how I believe it. She was fighting against the word of God.

She wasn't fighting against Ironside. All he was doing was quoting the scripture. She was fighting it. She didn't know how to appropriate God's precious. And then God has lessons. He leads us on in the Christian life.

Acceptance in Christ

And he starts teaching us about our acceptance before him. We go to Ephesians chapter one, we read that expression, wherein he has made us accepted in the beloved. I wonder if all of those who are believers here tonight have appropriated that.

What does it mean? It means, don't be shocked. It means that the believer in Christ is just as accepted before God as Jesus Christ is. That's what it means. Why? Because the believer is in Christ. That's why.

Wherein he has made us accepted in the beloved. It's wonderful. I wouldn't dare say it if it wasn't in my Bible. There it is in the Bible. It's clear as clear can be. And so, it's really no exaggeration when we say or sing, near, so very near to God, I could not nearer be.

For in the person of his son, I am as near as he. Dear, so very dear to God, dearer I could not be. The love wherewith he loves his son, such is his love to me. Have you appropriated that? Do you believe tonight that God loves you with the same love that he loves his beloved son?

Well, it's true, whether you believe it or not. It's absolutely true. Making each faithful saying my, incidentally, the more simple your faith is in the Christian life, the better off you are. A lot of people out think themselves, you know, and they get all tangled up in their thinking, you know, just believe the word and be a happy Christian.

Just be a simple Christian. I go on and I read, seated with Christ, I wonder what that means to seated with Christ in the heavenly places, Ephesians chapter two, verse six, Ephesians chapter two, verse six.

I think we're going to get a little deeper now, aren't we, and say, uh-uh, I wonder if I have really appropriated that to myself. Ephesians chapter two, verse six, and raised us up together and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus.

What does that mean to you? Made us sit together with Christ in the heavenly places. This has to do with our position. As far as our bodies are concerned, they're here on earth. I'll never get famous for saying that, but God sees us seated in Christ in heavenly places.

You say, well, how do you appropriate that? Well, I think I mentioned during the week, the Christian should not be one who stands on the earth and looks up to heaven. He is one who appropriates his position seated in Christ and looks down upon the earth.

Let me put it this way. In the will of God tomorrow, I'll be taking a plane to fly back to California, and when I'm on the ground, I look around, and I see the maintenance men there, and I see the baggage men there, putting the baggage into the plane, and everything's light side.

And then we take off, and we start ascending. The more we ascend, the cars begin to look like toys, and the men begin to look like ants. The higher you go, the less significant the things of this world become.

Don't you think that's the practical application of that seated with Christ in heavenly places? We get so caught up with the things of this world that we really don't see things in their proper perspective, seated with Christ.

Righteousness, Perfection, and God's Provision

And then in 2 Corinthians 5 .21, I read that I'm clothed with the righteousness of God. He has made him Christ to be sin. He, God, has made him Christ to be sin for us. Him who knew no sin, that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.

What does that mean to you? That's true. It means I can look up into the face of God, and I can say, Oh, God, as far as my position is concerned, I have your righteousness. That's what makes me acceptable in heaven.

It's the only way I could ever get into heaven is being clothed with the righteousness of God. Not my own, but with the righteousness of God. I appropriate it by faith. Then I turn to Hebrews 10 and 14, and it says those words, perfected forever.

For by one offering, he has perfected forever them that are sanctified. I tell you, that's pretty heavy, isn't it? But it's all true. And faith appropriates that, and plants its feet on that. I believe it, and God would never let me down.

But you go on in the school of God, and one day you come to this verse. Matthew 6 .33,. But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you. He's been talking about the foolishness of living for the future here on earth, of living for the future here on earth, of piling up riches and treasures against a dim, unknown, rainy day.

That's what he's been talking about. And he's saying, look, if you have to make the future your worry, you won't have much time to serve me. So I want to make an agreement with you. You seek the kingdom first, and God's righteousness, I'll take care of your future.

Have you ever planted your feet on that one? Have you ever appropriated that by faith? You say, well, it's getting a little tough now. I know, I know. We are so security conscious, and we have to have our pillows and our props and our crutches and our support, and we feel more secure with a balance in the bank than we do in the naked promise of God.

But faith goes to a verse like this, I'm going to burn out for Christ, and I'll let him take care of my future. Will he do it? Of course he'll do it. Has he ever failed? No, he's never failed. Then why'd he have a nervous breakdown?

No, you might have a nervous breakdown if you don't do it. That's where it never leads you, to a nervous breakdown. Then you come to the same thing in Philippians chapter 4 and 19. My God shall supply all your needs.

Cordy was richest in glory by Christ Jesus. He's talking to the Philippians. They had been faithful in supporting Paul and the work of the Lord. And Paul says, don't worry, God will take care of you. Supply all your needs.

In a mean, niggardly way? No. According to riches in glory by Christ Jesus. Boy, that's pretty good, isn't it? I'm going to supply my needs according to riches in glory by Christ Jesus. I've got nothing to worry about.

But faith has to appropriate that. And you know, faith greatly honors God. It really does. It greatly honors God. Put yourself out on the limb with God. And you'll bring great glory to Him. I go back in the book of Job and I read in chapter 1 verse 10 that God has a hedge around His people.

God has a hedge around His people. And God controls that hedge. He can let it down. He never removes it, but He can let it down. That gives peace and poise to my life. You know, nothing can happen to me apart from His permissive will.

I was counseling a couple just before I came here. And going through deep waters, listen, before it ever comes to me, it passes through the love of Christ. Whatever the thing in life might be. I tell you, that gives you a really tremendous peace when you can just appropriate that and say, I'm immortal until my work is done.

God's Grace in Suffering and His Guidance

This was brought home to me very vividly a few years ago. I was traveling in a plane from Chicago to Florida. It was a Delta, I'll never forget it. And we were just going to pass over Atlanta and the flight attendants had served a meal.

I can tell you what the meal was. It was Swiss steak and rice and peas. And just as we were passing over Atlanta, we went into what is known as clear air turbulence. It's something that doesn't show up on the radar.

They have no way of knowing, and they don't know when they've gone through it or halfway through it. Once you start in it, you never turn around and go back because you don't know when you've hit the halfway point.

And that plane began to be tossed about in the air like a feather in a gale. I have never been in anything like it and I don't particularly want to again. At one point it fell 3 ,000 feet. There were not six square inches of floor in the whole economy section of the plane that didn't have Swiss steak, rice and peas.

People were screaming. They were in all their finery going down on a vacation to Florida and they were absolutely screaming. But you know, it's wonderful to have the Word of God at a time like that. And I bowed my head and said, Lord Jesus, I've had a wonderful life.

This is the end of my ministry. Thank you very much. And that wasn't Bill McDonald, let me assure you. That was not the natural Bill McDonald. That was the Lord. Eventually we passed through the turbulence and the plane recovered its flight.

The woman next to me said, Is that your dessert in my bag? I said, No, my dessert's here in the aisle. But you know, I learned a wonderful lesson. I would give up that experience for anything. You know what I learned?

When you need the grace, He gives it to you. I had grace for dying that day. He gave it to me. And I think, I don't say this boasting, I think I was the only one on the plane that wasn't screaming. It was quite an experience.

The heads around us. Nothing can come into my life without His permission. Now, promises of guidance in the Word. How simple is my faith? If I really want to do the will of God, can He guide me? It says that.

It says the meek He will guide in judgment. The meek He will show His ways. And I will guide you with my eyes. Or do I dare to let Him guide me? This is a problem, a real problem. I mean, I have trusted Jesus Christ for my eternal salvation.

I have committed my soul to Him for my eternal salvation. I really have. Can I trust Him to manage my life down here? Oh, that's a different question. That's a different question. I mean, I have my own plans and my ambition.

I know what I want to do with my life. And I'm not sure I want somebody to interfere. I went through that. I went through all of that. Till the Lord showed me the folly of it. And I said, Lord Jesus, you know better than I do.

I know that the way of man is not in Him. It's not in man that walketh to direct his steps. And I just turn my life over to You. You take the controls. You work it out. Do we dare appropriate the promises of God with regard to guidance?

Contentment, Strength, and the Believer's Possessions

Freedom from discontent. Romans 8 .28. God is working all things together for good to those who love Him. To those who are called according to His purpose. We quote that verse quite glibly. But have we really approached?

It's possible to memorize that verse without really appropriating it. Especially when the tough times come in life. They say, what good could come out of this? I talked to a person recently who was angry with God for the difficult situation he was going through.

But it's still true. God is working all things together for good to those who love Him, who are called according to His purpose. And in fact, if you read on, you'll find out what the good is. The good is that we might be conformed to His Son.

It's right in the same passage. That's what the good is. You say, what good can come out of Christlikeness? That is, I'm exercised by the working of God in my life. Really amazing. Really amazing. Freedom from dissatisfaction with my lot in life.

Do you ever wish you were like somebody else? Do you ever wish you were different than you are? If you do, you're really finding fault with the providence of God. I like 1 Corinthians 15. By the grace of God, I am what I am.

That's lovely. If I had God's wisdom, love, and power, I would order my life exactly the way He orders it. That's what my Bible teaches me. By the grace of God, I am what I am. If I had, I wish I were taller.

I wish I were shorter. I wish I were thinner. If I had God's wisdom, love, and power, I'd order this life just exactly the same way He does. You've got to believe that. Otherwise, you're finding fault with the providence of God.

Freedom from frustration. I was talking with a brother just after lunch today about this. Freedom from frustration. I can do all things through Christ which strengthens me. Have you ever appropriated that verse by faith?

Well, I used to have a problem with that verse. In fact, I illustrated it to this brother. He had a van there and I used to think, well, that verse can't be true because I can't pick up this van with two hands.

I know, but that's not what it's saying. I can do all things through Christ. What it's saying is, if the Lord wants me to do it, I can do it. The Lord never calls me to do anything that He doesn't give me the power to do it.

That's what the verse is saying. I can do all things through Christ which strengthens me. I can't go out and command the mountain to be removed, but listen, if that mountain stood between me and the accomplishment of the will of God, I could.

Do you believe that? That's appropriating the word of God by faith. Jesus said this. 1 Corinthians 3, 22 and 23 says, all things are yours and you are Christ, and Christ is God. Do you believe that? All things are yours.

Have you appropriated that? I tell you, you'd be a lot richer if you did. And I think it would add new dignity and nobility to your step too. What do you mean? I drive through the San Joaquin Valley there in California.

It's the breadbasket of the nation. It's where they raise most of the fruit and vegetables for the nation. And I could look out on those fields and I see the farmer working them and I say, thank God, it's all mine.

You say, you're kidding. I'm not kidding. It's all mine. It says that in my Bible. All things are yours. You say, well, don't try to take possession. I'm coming back to take possession of it. In the meantime, God wants me to walk as a pilgrim and a stranger.

Isn't that right? God gave the land to Abraham. Abraham says, thank you very much, Lord. I'm content to live in a tent down here. I'm looking for the city which has foundation who's builder and maker as well.

And that pleases God. When we live in a scene and it all belongs to us and we say, well, there's something better than this and I'll just hurry on toward it. Appropriating the word of God through faith.

Freedom from Anxiety and Trust in God's Care

Have you ever appropriated Philippians 4, 6 through faith? Be anxious for nothing. You say, well, it doesn't mean. It must mean something else. The first rule of Bible interpretation is if the first sense makes sense don't look for any other sense.

And that first sense makes good sense. Be anxious for nothing. But in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, let your request be made known unto God. I tell you, there remains very much land to be possessed.

Are you a worry wart? You'll never get delivered from it until you acknowledge that worry is sin. It doubts the wisdom of God. It says he doesn't know what he's doing. It doubts the love of God. It says he doesn't care.

It doubts the power of God. It says he's not able to deliver me from the thing that's causing me to worry. I tell you, when you appropriate that verse in Philippians, it just delivers you from worry. Be anxious for nothing.

And then, of course, 1 Peter 5, 7 Casting all your care upon him, for he careth for you. There are two different kinds of care in that verse. Casting all your care upon him. That's anxious care. For he careth you.

That's loving care. Different, aren't they? And he says, just bring all of those cares to me, and I'll take care of them for you. Is this practical? Are we just talking theoretical tonight? Appropriating the word of God through faith is very practical.

Faith in God's Word During Bereavement

At the end of the war, there was a lady in Australia, a Christian lady. She had her roots deep in God. And she had five sons in the army. They were all in the same regiment in Germany. One day, that dear lady was looking out her window and she saw the local chaplain coming up the drive.

And he had a yellow slip in his hand. He was the one who had the unhappy assignment of carrying the news to parents when their son was killed in battle. This woman knew what it was to appropriate the word of God by faith.

He came and he knocked on the door and she opened the door. And her chin rather quivered briefly. And she said, which one? And he could hardly get himself to say it. He finally said, all five of them.

She said, they were all the Lord's. We gave them to the Lord and now he has taken them to be with himself. And they got down on their knees and they prayed. Dear friends, it's possible to appropriate the word of God by faith.

It makes a tremendous difference in a Christian life. We're going to pray and then our brother's going to lead us in a hymn after we pray. Father, tonight we're reminded of the words of Joshua 13 that remains very much land to be possessed.

We realize as we go over some of these verses that we're just in the kindergarten of your school. And many of the verses we know, we know them very well. Many of them we have believed and many we have appropriated, but so many more that we just leave them hanging there in midair.

Pray that as we go on in the Christian life, we might hear your voice in every line and make each faithful saying our own. And should there be one here in the meeting tonight who is still a stranger to you and to your grace, we pray that that person might know how to take you at your word.

You've said that if we come to you in repentance and in faith, you'll save us. You've saved many in this room tonight. Many who are in the room tonight, we pray that others who are still in the valley of decision will say, I believe God.

God has said it. I will appropriate his word. May I ask it as we give our thanks in the Savior's name. Amen.

We close in singing number 362. 362, take my life and let it be. Consecrated Lord to thee. 362.