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Houston, Texas 77037
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10250 North Freeway @ West Road
Houston, Texas 77037
Tel: (281) 447-8484
KEEPING HOUSE FOR
THE LORD
Written by H. Frank Fort
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Today we consider the second item in formal worship,
which is prayer. Last week we considered the first act of formal worship, the
preaching of the word. In the preaching of the word, rightly divided, men are
taught how to pray. On one occasion, a disciple said to the Lord, "Lord
teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples. And he said unto them, When
ye pray, say, Our Father" etc. Luke
11:2. From this verse we see that in order to pray, the first thing that
must be done, is for man to get into that state where in he can call God
"Father". This can be done only through the new birth, for thus does
God become the Father and men the children of God. There are two families of men
spiritually,
·
"Ye
are of your father the devil" Jn.
8:44, and
·
"the
children of God" Luke 20:36.
The
latter only can pray to God, and address him as "Father".
While Christ was on earth, he did not teach his
disciples to pray "in my name", for he said, "in that day (when
he shall have "gone to the Father" vs. 28), ye shall ask me nothing (as they did while he was with
them). Verily, Verily, I say unto you, whatsoever ye shall ask the Father, in my
name, he will give it you. Hither to (that is, before the day referred to) have
ye asked nothing in my name, ask and ye shall receive, that your joy may be
full…at that day ye shall ask in my name. And I say not unto you, that I will
pray the Father for you: For the Father himself loveth you, because ye have
loved me and have believed that I came out from God" Jn.
16:23,24,26,27. Notice now, the words of Christ in the next verse:
·
"I
came forth from the Father, and am come into the world"
Jn. 16:28.
Why?
"We have seen and do testify that the Father sent the Son to be the Saviour
of the world" 1 Jn. 4:14. Thus
Christ said, "The Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was
lost" Luke 19:10, and by the
work, of which he said,
·
"I
have finished the work which thou gavest me to do" Jn. 17:4.
In
the intercessory prayer which presupposed his death as the basis of it, in the
light of Jn. 19:30. "It is
finished". Paul wrote, "By his own blood he entered in (to the
priesthood) vs.11, once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption
for us" Heb. 9:12, "Now to
appear in the presence of God for us" Heb.
9:24. Note now, again, in Jn. 16:28,
that which is said to follow the finishing of the work to be accomplished in the
world in behalf of sinners.
·
"Again,
I leave the world, and go to the Father".
Why?
God's word says "for us". But for whom? For those who receive the
redemption wrought on earth. These may approach God through Christ in prayer.
The privilege of prayer was purchased for us. If we refuse to be purchased, we
shall not be heard in praying. Only the redeemed can pray, according to Christ,
"in my name".
Now let us consider the things essential to prayer as
an act of worship. Christ said to his disciples, "If ye abide in me (the
position of salvation) and my words abide in you (the response of the saved to
the will of God, as related to service) ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall
be done unto you" Jn. 15:7.
The
result of the twofold abiding is "much fruit" vs. 8, and is the result of that spiritual state which will
"bring forth fruit" vs. 16,
having the promise "that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name,
he may give it you".
Jn.
15:16. Here
is the order of truth:
·
"If
ye abide in me"
·
"And
my words abide in you"
·
"Ask
of the Father"
·
"In
my name"
·
"He
may give it you"
Let
us now consider these five things in order:
·
"If
ye abide in me". This expression "in me" is a salvation term
·
"Saved…in
Christ Jesus" 2 Tim. 1:9
·
"In
whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins" Eph.
1:7
·
"Neither
is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given
among men, whereby (wherein ‑margin) we must be saved". Therefore, to
be saved, one "must" be "in Christ"
·
"Eternal
life…is in his Son" 1 Jn. 5:11.
We see that salvation, forgiveness, and life is "in Christ" thus,
·
"salvation
through faith which is in Christ Jesus" 2 Tim. 3:15
·
Through
this man is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins: and by him all that
believe are justified" Acts 13:38,39
·
"He
that believeth on me hath everlasting life" Jn. 6:47. It is written, "Many believed in his name" Jn.
2:23, and by doing so were saved, for it is written, "Believe on the
name of the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved Acts
16:31
·
And my words
abide in you". This refers to the words by which the will of God for his
children is made known, and not "my word" Jn. 8:37, singular, which produces the children, that is, "the
word of truth" James 1:18
employed by the Father as "incorruptible…word" 1 Pet. 1:23, to beget children. This word was already in the
disciples, or they would not have been pronounced "clean through the word
which I have spoken unto you" Jn.
15:3. Our text involves
"words" which must be heard, received, and retained, and acted on, in
order to bring forth fruit; thus not the truth, by which children are begotten,
but truth which "effectually worketh also in you that believe" 1
Thess. 1:13.
·
"Ask
of the Father". James tells us that it is from Him that "Every good
gift and every perfect gift…cometh down" James 1:17.
·
First,
"the gift of God" Jn. 4:10,
Jn. 3:16, came down, that in Him, men
might receive "the gifts" of
·
“salvation”
Eph. 2:8
·
“righteousness”
Rom. 5:17
·
"life"
Rom. 6:23
·
Second,
those who "have the Son" 1 Jn.
5:12, receive also, according to clearly specified conditions "every
good gift" which also "cometh down" for those who, according to
the truth, meet the conditions of "coming boldly to the throne of
grace" Heb. 4:15,16.
·
"In
my name". This means to petition the Father with the authority of the Son,
thus James said, "let him ask in faith" James 1:6. To ask, "in faith", or to "ask in prayer
believing" Matt. 21:22, demands
a promise.
God
will not grant prayers merely because his children ask, but God knows every
promise His Son has made his children, when the conditions are met, hence,
·
in His
name" (the authority)
·
believing
(the promise)
·
"He
may give it you". Or "ye shall receive", or "he will give it
you", or "it shall be done unto you".
Thus while we see that prayer is the privilege of
God's children, that privilege must be maintained in conformity with the truth,
and not at the expense of it. In Ps. 32:1‑5,
we have the account of David's penitent cry by reason of his sins, concerning
which it is written, "For this shall every one that is godly pray unto thee
in a time when thou mayest be found" Ps.
32:6. This Psalm warns that even for "the godly" the time may come
when the Lord will not hear. John warns of this as "a sin unto death" 1
Jn. 5:16, for which prayer will not avail. Solomon wrote, "He that
covereth his sins shall not prosper: But who so confesseth and forsaketh them
shall have mercy" Prov. 28:13.
David said, "If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear
me" Ps. 66:18.
·
The Lord
has made provision for his erring children. Christ taught his disciples to pray,
"forgive us our sins" Luke 11:4,
and promised "If we confess our sins, he is “faithful and just to forgive
us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness" 1
Jn. 1:9. The order of truth on the way back to fellowship with God, on the
part of a sinning Christian, is marked by the following signs:
·
"a
broken and a contrite spirit" Ps.
51:17. This condition of spirit will make one "sorry after a godly
manner" 2 Cor. 7:9
·
This
"godly sorrow worketh repentance" 2 Cor. 7:10
·
This
repentance will prompt "confession" 1 Jn. 1:9
·
This
confession obtains divine forgiveness 1
Cor. 2:10)
·
This
forgiveness restores to "fellowship" I Jn. 1:7
Notice carefully, "He that turneth away his ear
from hearing the law, even his prayer shall be abomination" Prov.
28:9. This means that when one does wrong, He refuses to judge his action by
God's standard, he thus despises the commandment of the Lord, and thus his
worship becomes a vain thing. One cannot disregard his disobedience, and suppose
that God will do the same. Our wrongdoing must be forgiven, and we must seek
that forgiveness, if we would walk in fellowship with God.
·
“Him
that knoweth to do good and doeth it not, to him is sin” James 4:17.
·
“Whatever
is not of faith is sin” Rom. 14:23.
Just such sins stand between God and his people. God cannot overlook them. The
Christian must not, if he would have the fellowship of God’s good pleasure.
Let us have the mind of God toward sin, and we will never consider it a little
thing.
Prepared
by:
H.
Frank Fort, Minister
Berean Baptist Church
Houston, TX. Sept. 11 1956.
"It Does Make a Difference What You Believe"