It’s not always God’s will, friends, to work a thing in your life or my life that’s miraculous. This idea today that you can force God to do something and that God is more or less working for you and that you can command Him or get Him to do anything you want Him to—you can’t do that. God is sovereign. We happen to be the creatures, and we must yield to the will of God, and that may not be pleasant at times. But the will of God is that which is all-important; not your will or my will.

And then we’ve noticed the very subtle insinuation of the devil. First of all, he says, “If thou be the Son of God, turn these stones into bread.” In other words, prove it in a way which is not God’s way. The inherent evil was to get Him to go outside of the will of God for His life. Now the Lord Jesus answered him from the Word of God. In other words, He used the sword of the Spirit to meet the enemy of God, and the enemy of man for that matter. His answer was, “It is written.” Oh, if we were only a little bit more adept at using a sword; that is, the sword of the Spirit. That’s our weapon today, and it’s a good weapon, friends.

What is the answer to the question why was Jesus baptized? I think the primary reason is given right here. The Lord Jesus said it is essential “for the fulfillment of righteousness.” He is identifying Himself here completely with sinful mankind. The prophet had written, “He was numbered with the transgressors.” Here is a king that comes down, and He’s identified with His subjects. And I believe that that is the purpose of the baptism of the Lord Jesus, for the baptism means actually “identification.” And this is the coming down and identifying of Himself here with them.

Now somebody says, “Well, isn’t the unsaved supposed to repent?” Not the way you think of it. He’s told to “believe on the Lord Jesus Christ.” That’s what Paul said to the Philippian jailer, and that old rascal needed to do some repenting. But, you see, in faith there is repentance. You see “faith” means you turn to Christ. Now when you turn to Christ, you turn from something; and if you don’t turn from something, you don’t turn to Him, you see. And so repentance is in the word “believe” today. And I think that’s the primary message that should be given to the lost today—is to believe. The important thing is to trust Christ as your Savior. And if you’ve really done it, if you’ve turned to Him, you’ve turned from something.

May I say I don’t think anyone would say that I am opposed to studying the Word of God. But, friend, there is a danger of just wanting the information and the knowledge and not translating it into shoe leather and letting it become part of our life. Now, Bible knowledge—you can only learn certain basic facts. The Spirit of God has to be the teacher. You can know those things theologically without actually these things getting possession of your heart. The important thing is to know the Word of God; that’s a laudable attainment. The thing is not to have it for our own benefit, but to pass on to others and to translate it into shoe leather.

A great many people today need to recognize that the years that we spend in living a shabby Christian life, just a waste of time. You find that the children of Israel—you will recall, God called them to get out of Egypt and get into the land. They didn’t go in. Forty years they wandered around. God appeared to Joshua; He says, “Now go into the land.” They’d wasted forty years. How many people today are wasting their lives as Christians? My, the tremendous spiritual lessons that are here for us. And I think one of the reasons they’re here for us, some of us are just like Jacob, you see. And, thank God, He says He’s the God of Jacob. I love that.

“But as for you, ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive.” Friends, God has a far-off purpose that you and I do not see. And that respects your life and my life today. And I must confess how human I am about this because, I tell you, I can’t see any farther than my nose when trouble comes to me, and my question is, “Why does God permit it to happen?” Well, He’s got a good purpose in view, and He’s not going to let it happen to you unless it will accomplish a good purpose in your life.

We’re told Jacob when he was dying blessed both the sons of Joseph and worshiped, leaning upon the top of his staff. Now I think you can discover here another evidence of the spiritual side of Jacob. That he’s growing. He’s come a long way since his early days. But the growth has been slow. We’re told to grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. And we’ve had to wait now till he’s become an old man to see the fruit, but thank God for the possibility of growth in our lives and the patience of God which permits it. God very patiently dealt with this man, and He very patiently will deal with you and me.

Have you ever heard of the Lamb’s Book of Life? And the question is is your name written there? You get there by faith in Christ. Just as you got into the line of Adam, and we’re all in that line, why you get in the line of Christ by the same way—a birth. Only now it’s a new birth. And that comes about by receiving Him as your personal Savior. Now when you do that, you become a child of God. How important are you? Well, the thing that interests me a great deal is that I don’t know you and probably most of you do not know me personally, but God knows you. In fact, the hairs of your head are numbered. He knows you better than anyone else. God knows you personally.

“And he said, Behold, I have heard that there is corn in Egypt: get you down thither, and buy for us from thence; that we may live, and not die.” He had heard something. He believed it, that it would bring life to them, and he acted on it. That’s what saving faith is. Somebody says, “How can I believe in Jesus?” Well, the way to believe it is to act upon it. The Lord Jesus said, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved.” You hear something; you believe it. And that’s what this man did. That’s the way he got corn that brought life to them. That’s the way we get eternal life is through faith in Christ.