The Christian's Heritage
Isaiah 54:17
No weapon that is formed against you shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against you in judgment you shall condemn…


I. THE CHRISTIAN'S EXPERIENCE.

1. Weapons are formed against him. No Christian need expect aught else. As Israel's experience in the wilderness, so the Christian's in the world.

2. Tongues rise against him. From the days of Cain it has been so, and will be so to the end. So they treated the Lord, and so they will treat His disciples.

II. THY CHRISTIAN'S SECURITY.

1. No weapon shall prosper. The Christian's enemies may be mighty, malignant, crafty, constant; but more mighty, more wise, more watchful, more indefatigable and loving is his protector.

2. Every tongue he shall condemn.

(1)  He shall do it himself by well-doing (1 Peter 2:15).

(2)  God shall do it for him.

(3)  It shall be done sufficiently on earth (Psalm 37:6).

(4)  Perfectly in eternity (Job 19:25).See also Zechariah 3. Let Christians see to it that they so live that men speaking evil of them shall do it falsely, and God shall fully vindicate them. Who has this security? and in answer see —

III. THE CHRISTIAN'S CHARACTER. "The servants of the Lord." This security is described as —

IV. THY CHRISTIANS HERITAGE; and this description may teach us —

1. That while the Christian is a servant, he is also a son and heir.

2. That his security is a thing not of merit, but of inheritance. It is a legacy secured to him by the death of Christ. It is the Father's good pleasure to give them the kingdom.

3. We may be sure that a heritage from God is a certain possession. He is "without variableness or shadow of turning."

V. THE CHRISTIAN'S TITLE. Perhaps this last clause had been better translated uniformly with previous one: "And this is their righteousness (justification) from Me. But taking it as we have It, we may interpret it as teaching us

1. That the Christian's justification is of God. It is the righteousness which is of God by faith.

2. That the Christian's sanctification is of God. It is He who worketh in him "to will and to do of God's good pleasure."

3. That boasting is excluded. "What hast thou that thou hast not received?"

4. That security is perfect; for if God justify, who can condemn (Romans 8:34)? and if God sanctify, He will "perfect that which concerneth" us. This clause thus explains as well as ratifies the promise, and, farther, it tells us how we may secure this promise for ourselves. Righteousness we have not by nature, righteousness we cannot attain of ourselves — but righteousness we may receive from God.

(D. Jamison, B. A.)



Parallel Verses
KJV: No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, and their righteousness is of me, saith the LORD.

WEB: No weapon that is formed against you will prevail; and you will condemn every tongue that rises against you in judgment. This is the heritage of the servants of Yahweh, and their righteousness which is of me," says Yahweh.




Justification Through Imputed Righteousness
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