Present privilege and future favour

‘The eternal God is thy refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms: and he shall thrust out the enemy from before thee; and shall say, Destroy them.’ Deuteronomy 33:27

Suggested Further Reading: Hebrews 13:8,20–21

I wish you to notice those two words which are the pith of the text. ‘The eternal God,’ ‘everlasting arms.’ The eternal God.’ Here is antiquity. The God who was before all worlds is for ever my God. O how I love that word ‘eternal;’ but, brethren and sisters, there are some people who do not believe in an eternal God, at any rate they do not believe in him as being theirs eternally. They do not believe that they belonged to Christ before they were born; they have a notion that they only had God to be theirs when they believed on him for the first time. They do not believe in covenant settlements, and eternal decrees, and the ancient purposes of the Most High; but let me say that for comfort, there is no thought more full of sweetness than that of an eternal God engaged in Christ Jesus to his people; to love, and bless, and save them all. One who has made them the distinguished objects of his discriminating regard from all eternity, it is the eternal God. And then there are the ‘everlasting arms,’ arms that will never flag, arms that will never grow weary, arms that will never lose their strength. Then put the two words ‘eternal’ and ‘everlasting’ together, and they remind us of another sweet word—unchangeability. An everlasting God that faints not, neither is weary, that changes not, and turns not from his promise, such is the God we delight to adore and to use as our eternal shelter, our dwelling-place, and our support.

For meditation: Each person of the Trinity is eternal; it should be no surprise that the eternal God has secured an eternal salvation for all who believe (1 Timothy 1:16–17; Hebrews 9:12,14–15; 13:8,20). Knowing the eternal God is life eternal (John 17:3). What right have we to question this?

Sermon no. 624
14 March (Preached 22 March 1865)