You are a holy nation. Now Israel never was a holy nation in conduct. And the same can be said of the church; never been holy in conduct. Israel’s failure is glaring. The church’s failure is appalling. But we’re holy in our relationship with Him. He’s been made unto us righteousness. And Christ is our righteousness. And if you have any standing before God, it’s not in you, it’s in Christ. And I can’t think of anything more wonderful than thatthat today I stand complete in Him. And how wonderful it is to be a member of a holy nation.

Friends, isn’t it wonderful that the love of Christ draws our hearts together? It draws believers together. It’ll help you in your home. It’ll help you in your church. It’ll help you everywhere if you love Him. That’s the thing that’s important. And it will bring rejoicing to your heart. Are you a rejoicing Christian today? Just think, I’ve got an inheritance that’s coming up someday. I don’t have much down here, but I’ve sure got one over there. Oh, I tell you, I’m a child of the King. I’m a child of the King. How wonderful it is to be a child of the King. I’ve got an inheritance that’s coming someday.

The trial that you’re going through is for a purpose. It has a very present purpose. God today is doing for you what they do with gold. Now when they go and mine gold, what do they do with it? They bring it to the smelter, and they put it in a red-hot furnace. To destroy the gold? No, purify. You see, when they melt it, the dross is drawn off and you get pure gold. He’s using a very apt illustration, because he’s going to say here we’ve been redeemed not with silver and gold, but something more preciousthe blood of Christ.

God tests us by trials and troubles. The Lord Jesus said in the world we were going to have trouble, and James said that, and now Peter comes along and says that. And Paul said that. And may I say to you, do you know that the way God is going to improve you and me is by suffering? That’s not popular. And so today we have to have a lot of things to encourage us that we’re somebody and we’re going to be somebody. My friend, we’re nothing until the Spirit of God begins to move in our hearts and lives. We have nothing to offer to God. He has everything to offer to us, and He’s going to improve us.

Some of you ought to sit down, if you’re standing up, to hear this: My friend, you cannot live the Christian life. Somebody says, You don’t mean that? I do mean thatand I challenge you to show me a verse or any Scripture where God has asked you to live the Christian life. He hasn’t done that at all. I’ve got an old nature, and that old nature’s going to be with me. Now, the only way in the world that you’re going to live the Christian life is by the power of the Holy Spirit and by the fact that you’re kept by the power of God, my friend, right on through till the day that you’re delivered to Him.

God doesn’t ever change His mind. God is immutable. God never changes. But when a sinner repents and turns to God, God has said to him, I’m going to judge you. God says, Now you’ve turned to me, I won’t judge you. Why? Because He’s gracious and merciful and slow to anger and of great kindness and He repenteth of the evil. He’s always good and He’s always gracious; He’s always merciful. He’s always slow to anger. He always exhibits great kindness. And friends, you can depend on God. I don’t know how this world has treated you. I don’t think the world outside is very kind, very graciousbut God is.

Oh, my friend today, only the Spirit of God can control our tongues. And when we indulge in gossip, when we say malicious, gossipy things about others, James is very real. James says that a fountain cannot give forth both sweet and bitter water; and if you’re giving forth bitter water, then evidently the sweet water you give is just a profession. Oh, friend today, make it real with Him. Deal with Him in reality. Bring to Him today your heart and your tongue. He wants to give you a new tongue.

Oh, the brevity of human life down here. And many of us really never learn to live down here upon the earth. And because of that, you and I today ought not to spend our time in strife and envy and jealousy. It spoils our life, you see. Oh, to come to Christ, and put your life down before Him and really start living, friends. That’s what a great many of us, He says, I am come that ye might have life; that you might have it more abundantly. He wants to give you life that is life indeed. By the way, are you living that life today?

But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but He giveth grace unto the humble. Now we’ve said this again and again. God is overloaded with grace. You and I just don’t know how gracious He is. And He has abundance of grace. Grace means unmerited favor, but I call it love in action. God couldn’t save us by love; He gave His Son and now by grace, and He’s got so much of it. Somebody says, Oh, I’m so wrong on the inside. Go and tell Him you’re wrong on the inside and ask Him for grace to overcome it. He’ll give you grace. He’s the living Christ up there for you.

Be ye doers of the word . Now God is talking to His children, and He is saying that if you’re just a hearer of the Word, you’re only deceiving your own selves. And we need to recognize that He is making it very clear that hearing leads to doingnot to ritual and that which is habitual. Not that which is drab or monotonous, not that which is routine. And the word for doers here, actually, it has to do with exciting living, thrilling experience, creative action, doing something for God, motivated by an inner desire.