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Online Text Sermon - The Bride of Christ, Psalm 45 v.13

Date16/01/2003
Time19:30
PreacherRev. Lloyd Roberts, Dores
Sermon TitleThe Bride of Christ
TextPsalm 45 v.13
Sermon ID521

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"The king's daughter is all glorious within: her clothing is of wrought gold" (Psalm 45, 13).

The Psalmist in this wonderful Psalm is speaking of the marriage of the Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ, to His Church - to each and every believer. That time when the child of God will be taken up to be with Christ for ever. Here it is speaking in this verse about the believer, the true church of God - that is the church invisible - about to be married to the Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ.

1. THE TITLE GIVEN TO BELIEVERS

2. THE NATURE OF BELIEVERS

3. THE APPEARANCE OF BELIEVERS

As we look at these words briefly let us see a little about the title that is given to believers in this verse: "The king's daughter". Then let us look briefly at the nature of believers as that is described here: being "all glorious within". Lastly, the believer's appearance: "her clothing is of wrought gold".

1. THE TITLE GIVEN TO BELIEVERS

First of all: the title that is given to those who are spoken of here and form part of the church invisible - the true people of God in every age and in every place. This wonderful title that is given to the Lord's people here: "The king's daughter". This speaks of great privilege and honour - such a wonderful reality, difficult to imagine we may think so often and yet this is the reality; this truly belongs to each and every child of God. Each and every one who is enabled by the grace of God to call upon the Name of the Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ; to look to the Saviour for the forgiveness of sins; to trust in Him and in Him alone. However weak, feeble, helpless and useless we may feel, if we have a true love for the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ then this is the reality that is given to us: "The king's daughter" - the child of the king. That is an honoured position.

In the world, the children of the Sovereign are in a position of great honour. The honour and position that belongs to the Lord's people is so much greater than that because they are not merely the children of the king but the children of the King of kings. They are the children of the Lord of lords; the children of the Most High God: the One Who is the Creator of all things; the One Who is the Sustainer of all things; the One Who is holy, holy, holy. Yet, He Who is thrice holy is the One Who has given this great privilege, position and honour to you this evening if you truly love the Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ; you are the son or daughter of the King of kings. Every one who truly loves the Lord has that position - child of the King. It is the Lord, the Most High God that has regenerated us, given us spiritual life, given that new birth that speaks of the life in the children of God in Christ.

Think of the example of a newborn child. Compare that to the one who is born again of God: experiences, feelings and senses as they grow and develop. How many truths can we see about the way that the Lord works in His people in that very picture itself. We have the One Who is the origin of that spiritual life - the Lord Most High - He is the One Who gives spiritual life to those who are the children of God. He is the One Who gives us the great privilege of adoption: being taken into the household of God, given that position in the very family of God. What a great honour and privilege it would be to be a slave in the household of God, greater privilege still to be a servant. These, however, are not the privileges that belong to the Lord's people, as they are adopted into the household of God and given all the privilege, honour and place that belongs to those who are sons and daughters: all the privileges and blessings that belong to one who is a child in such a family.

We can think of the relationship between a child and father. We know something of that in our own experience. A father is most fallible and yet what love, care, concern, instruction, assistance, discipline and inheritance are given to his child. Yet, those who love the Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ, are adopted as the children - sons and daughters - of the One Who is infallible; to Whom belongs all things; Who is Almighty. He is the One Who knows all things, Who is all wise, Who knows what is best for us and knows His purposes for us. He is the One Who is perfect in His discipline, the One Who is infinite, eternal and unchangeable in His love towards His people. What a wonderful position this is - to be the King's daughter.

Also, at the death of the believer, we come to the occasion spoken of here - being married to the Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ, the eternally begotten Son of God; that glorious union completed. We may often feel utterly unworthy and unfit for such a position and feel that it is too good to be true. But yet this is true for everyone whose hope is in Christ. Whether we be a babe in Christ or whether we be mature; whether we be such a babe that we scarcely know that we are alive - this is as fully true as it is for those who are mature in the faith and are enabled in a measure to rejoice in that - This is true for everyone who believes. Is it true for you tonight? What a question. Can you say that you are a child, son or daughter of the King though most unworthy of it? Or are you a stranger to Him? Are you one, who if called in to His presence now He would have to say, "I never knew you."

2. THE NATURE OF BELIEVERS

This is the king's daughter then that is spoken of. She is described "all glorious within". That speaks of the splendour and majesty of the appearance of the nature of the daughter of the king. The word that is used for 'within' could mean 'inside a room', particularly in that space opposite the door where a royal throne would be. It could speak of the honour of such a position of those who are described as "kings and priests unto God". It is more likely I think in the case here, to speak of being 'all glorious within' in the sense of 'inside herself'. It speaks of the beauty of the children of God that is not merely an external beauty but an internal beauty also: beauty of character, heart, nature. There is something of that seen on the outside. Sometimes especially, we meet occasionally those who are the children of God and who have such a smile on their face all the time that they seem almost unable not to smile. They have that continual smile on their face. We meet them from time to time - giving them that beauty of appearance. What is spoken of here is that beauty of character. That is not what we are by nature. Each one of us is born in sin and "shapen in iniquity" (Psalm 51, 5), by nature full of sin, filthy in the mire of sin, utterly repulsive in the sight of God - sin clings to us, that is what we are like by nature.

The Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ, in His mercy gives a new heart to those who love Him. He gives them a new nature. They are born again. They have that desire after righteousness stirred up within them. The old nature is still there - as we know all too well. There is a continuous battle between the old and the new nature until gradually the new nature achieves the victory as the work of sanctification in the hearts and lives of the people of God makes progress. That work which would be completed at the moment of our death, when we would be made fit for the presence of Christ: fit to appear before Him; made truly perfect and, by that stage, "all glorious within" (text). That beauty of character will be perfected at that time.

Is this true of you? Do you see something of the work of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ within your own life? Do you see that as the sure end of the work of God within you? Yet, so often, the Lord's people find difficulty seeing that when they look at their own hearts. As we look inside our hearts and we see ourselves, too often it looks as though we are growing in sin instead of grace. Are we really making any progress? Perhaps it is that the Lord in his mercy hides, when we are young in the faith, so much of our sin from us. As we are able to bear it, He reveals more of that sin to our hearts and minds. We shall see more of the wonder of His salvation as we are able to bear more and more of what we are truly by nature - what we would be if we were left to ourselves. We may fear that we see little growth in grace in our own hearts, yet are we trusting the Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ, to perfect that work within us or are we trying to perfect that work in our own strength?

3. THE APPEARANCE OF BELIEVERS

We are told of the king's daughter, not only is she "all glorious within" but that her clothing is of wrought gold. The beautiful garment in which the daughter of the king is clothed, is a garment of pure gold. There is nothing there which is faulty or false, nothing there to stain or spoil the glorious perfection of that garment. This is the garment of the glorious righteousness of Christ which is imputed to every one who believes upon Him. We are not looking to our own righteousness or efforts to appear before the throne of God but are dressed in this glorious garment of wrought gold, the perfect righteousness of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. He Who is born of woman, Who was made under the Law that He might keep the Law perfectly, fulfilling every requirement and detail of it, that He would have that perfect righteousness to give to each and every one of His people. This glorious garment is perfect in every detail - rich and expensive when we think of what it cost Jesus Christ to provide it. He Who so humbled himself to become a man, to take upon Himself the form and very being of a servant, to suffer and die; He Who knew no sin to bear our sins; He Who bore that necessary separation from the Father in order to bear our sins. What it cost the Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ - a garment of "wrought gold" (text).

Gold itself is cheap compared to the price the Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ, paid. It is nothing, compared to the price the Saviour paid to provide this garment of His perfect righteousness for us. What a cost, and yet, how perfectly suited to our needs; this garment fits the Lord's people perfectly: it is fit for the daughter of a king. We have no righteousness of our own. We have nothing with which to appear before the throne of God of ourselves. This garment is provided for us, perfectly, to satisfy all our needs. It is fit for the daughter of a king - the one who is "all glorious within" and without, the one who is imparted with the righteousness of salvation within.

The time will come to meet with Him and the marriage feast will take place for the one who is "all glorious" without with the imputed righteousness of the Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. Does this speak of you? Are you rejoicing in this golden coat of Christ's, of His perfect righteousness, or are you satisfied with what you can produce yourself: these filthy rags covered in the filth and mire of sin, torn and ragged? Are you going to try to appear before the throne of God in your own rags? Our carnal nature, our self-righteousness - there is nothing there that will satisfy the perfect justice of God or appease the righteous wrath of God for our sins - only this garment of Christ's righteousness will satisfy on that day. Are you then the daughter of the King this evening? Made fit to appear before the throne of Christ by the grace of God? Or are you merely pretending - strutting about in the pride of your own rights, trying to satisfy in your own way or are you looking to the Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ?

How unseemly it would be if we were to appear before an earthly king in dirty clothes. How utterly incongruous it would be to appear before the throne of the Most High God in the filthy rags of our own efforts. Seek this glory for yourself. Seek to know the Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ, for yourself. Know what it is to be the daughter of the King "all glorious within" with the clothing of "wrought gold" (text).


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