Let the brother of low degree rejoice in that he is exalted. Maybe today you may say, Well, I’m just a poor individual. I don’t have very much. I don’t have any wealth. My friend, you’ve got a lot of wealthand believe me, friendyou have a whole lot of treasure. You’ve got treasure in heaven. And have you ever stopped to think what all you’ve got down here? What you have in Christ? Why we have everything. I don’t care if the humblest saint, whoever is listening to me that might be the poorest person on the earth. My friend, you are rich in Christ today. And you’ve got something to rejoice over.

Our problem today ismaybe it’s not your problem, it’s been my problem over a great deal of my Christian life is I just haven’t believed God. Now don’t misunderstand me; I trusted Christ as my Savior, and I believe with all my soul He saved me and He’s going to save me for heaven. I believe that with all my heart. But down here, where the rubber meets the road, that’s where I’ve had my problems. Why don’t you believe God today, friend? And I’m talking to you as a Christian friend. You’ve got a long face today? You’re wondering how this is going to work out and how that’s going to work out. I know exactly how you feel. I’ve been there. May I say to youwon’t you believe God? Won’t you trust Him?

God tests you in order that He might produce something in your life and that’s patience. Now how does God produce patience? Well, let’s look at this. Let patience have a perfect work that ye may be perfect and entire, lacking nothing. Now, it was patience that makes us a full-grown Christian. And the very interesting thing is patience is the fruit of the Holy Spirit. You’ll never be patient by trying. And neither does the Holy Spirit place it on a silver platter. Patience comes through suffering and testing. You’ll never be a perfectnow that means a complete; of full maturationas a Christian, and you can’t be that without patience.

I’ve come to many crossroads, and I didn’t know which way to turn. And I believe, my beloved, God moves us to the crossroads purposely. And if you and I will look to Him in wisdom, He’ll let us move out, and we’ll have to walk softly. And that’ll keep us close to Him, you see. If He gave us a road map, we’d forever be looking at that road map and not be looking to Him. And so He doesn’t always make it clear. As you and I move out, these decisions that confront us in life, we need wisdom. God never put a steering wheel on any of us, because He wanted to steer us. And when we come to those, we have a right to look to Him and ask for wisdom if we mean to do His will.

The church is to be presented to the Lord Jesus Christ as a bride. Listen, even to the church in Ephesus the Lord Jesus Christ says, I have something against you. Now he says, I know your works and I know your labor and I know that you can’t bear those with false doctrine. But I have this against you: You have left your first love. My friend, it’s not enough this morning to be busy for Christ. It’s not enough to be active today for Christ, and it’s not enough to be just fundamental. Those things are important, and they have their place, but the important thing is: Have you left your first love? Do you love Him today?

I can’t help but believe in this tragedy of sin, this drama of human life that’s being enacted down here in this world today, that God’s going to come out of it the victor. God’s going to win. Love will triumph. Our God is riding victoriously in His own chariot. He’s the Sovereign God, and God pity the man that gets under those chariot wheels. I don’t know about you, I want to go along with God. That’s the reason we invite you to get aboard the Bible Bus; because we’re going through His Word here to find out how to stay in the will of God in this difficult day in which we’re living.

I am the Lord thy God from the land of Egypt, and thou shalt know no god but me: for there is no savior beside me. Listen to Him, friend. You may work out a plan of salvation, but He is the only Savior, and since He is, you’d better come His way. The Lord Jesus said, I am the way, the truth, and the life; no man cometh to the Father, but by me. Now that’s either true or it’s not true. Millions have been coming that way. They found it true. And you may have your way of salvation, but God is the only Savior. And He’s the only One that can give you a plan of salvation. He’s the only One that can work it out.

A great many people say, Why doesn’t God break through today and why doesn’t God do this? Well, I don’t know why God doesn’t do a lot of things. He just hasn’t told me, but He’s God and I happen to be a little creature down here and I lack a great deal of information. And I’m not able to answer. But I do know this: God’s not going to force you. God’s not going to push you. He moved heaven and hell to get to the door of your heart, and He stopped there and politely knocked on the door and said, Behold, I stand at the door and knock. That’s where He is. He’s never crashed the door. He’s not going to push Himself in. You’ll have to respond to love.

It’s wonderful when you have a relationship with God, and you can go to the Lord Jesus Christ and say to Him, I love You. I belong to You. You belong to me. Remember Paul said even to the Corinthians, he says, Everything is ours. Paul is yours, and the world is yours, and Christ is yours. Have you made Him yours, friend? Do you belong to Him and does He belong to you? And if He does, you’ve got something good going, I’ll tell you that. There’s no relationship quite like that today. May I say to you, the important thingthe all-important thingis a personal relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ.

The way to God is in recognition of the fact that we’re a sinner; we need a sacrifice, that which points to the Lord Jesus Christ. Before He came and since He came, it must be a faith in Himso that today the way to God is not a church, and I believe in the church. And it’s not a ceremony, and I believe in a ceremony. It’s not in service, although service certainly has its place. But it’s in a personal relationship to Jesus Christ. I am the way, the truth and the life; no man cometh to the Father, but by me. And you come as a sinner. You come trusting Him as a Savior.