Phil Beach Jr. emphasizes the incredible goodness of God as revealed through Jesus Christ, who embodies God's love and reconciliation for humanity. He explains that through faith in Christ, believers are justified and granted peace with God, highlighting the transformative power of God's love even when we were sinners. The sermon underscores the importance of abiding in Christ to find refuge from worldly strife and pride, assuring that God's presence offers protection and strength in daily struggles. Beach encourages believers to recognize the practical implications of God's goodness in their lives and relationships, fostering a spirit of encouragement and support among Christians.

Psalm number 31, verse number 19, an incredible fringe benefit of being in the glory of God. Oh, how great is thy goodness. Beloved, you need not look any further than the person of Jesus Christ to see the greatness of God's goodness. Everything that God is and ever shall be and can possibly offer to any living human being is wrapped up and found in the blessed person of the Son of God, the Lord Jesus Christ. For Jesus is God's goodness. When we see Jesus, we see His goodness. We see His loveliness. Jesus, speaking to Philip, said, How long have I been with you, Philip? And don't you know that if you've seen me, you've seen the Father. That is, Jesus was the exact representation of the Father. In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. And the Word became flesh, perfectly representing, perfectly manifesting everything that the Father was. How lovely to think of the fellowship that the blessed Son of God has had with the Father through all eternity, and will continue to have. And how, because of His great love for us, He has reconciled us. It's wonderful to know, as you keep your finger on Psalm 31, that in the book of Romans, the wonderful book of Romans, the heavenly revelation of the redemption of Christ penned by the Apostle Paul, I'm sure the book of Romans will be written in gold in heaven, there to be seen and read by all the generations to come, as the marvelous plan of redemption made available to those that were lost and dead. But, as we were mentioning the wonderful word reconciliation being brought back, the fellowship that Jesus, the Son of God, had with the Father from all eternity, and to think that because God loved you and I so much, He made provision for us to be restored back into fellowship with God. Now, there's two places that we can learn of this wonderful fellowship, and in Romans chapter 5, Romans chapter 5, we read, Therefore, being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. All beloved, in the Prophets Isaiah, Isaiah declares to us, There is no peace, saith God to the wicked. There's no peace to the wicked. But, thank God, therefore, being justified by faith, we have peace with God. God has brought peace to the soul that was bound by sin through the wonderful redemption of Jesus Christ, by whom also we have access by faith into this grace. Oh, how wonderful to know that here we were sold as slaves into sin, there tormented and molested by sin, forever separated from the holy, wonderful presence of God, and now we have been brought nigh, according to Ephesians chapter 2, by the precious blood of Jesus Christ, nigh to God. The cross has brought reconciliation. And there we have access by faith into this grace, wherein we stand and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also, knowing that tribulation worketh patience, and patience experience, and experience hope. And hope maketh not ashamed, because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Spirit, which is given unto us. For when we were yet without strength, Oh, that word without strength is a marvelous word. The word suggests absolutely, positively, entirely, 100% powerless. Ha, ha, ha, ha. Isn't that marvelous to know that God considered us when we were powerless, entirely, completely deprived of any goodness, or any benevolence, or anything that would make us pleasing to God as far as moral action is concerned. For when we were yet without strength in due time, that is in the fullness of time, when God decided that it was time, Christ died for the ungodly. For scarcely for a righteous man will one die, yet perhaps for a good man some would even dare to die. But Christ commanded. Ah, how wonderful. You know, when Christ commands something, it's certain. When Christ commands something, it's irrevocable. When Christ commands something, the certainty of it is undeniable. And here we find that God commanded. The scriptures in the book of Psalms speak of God commanding the oceans to go so far and then to stop. The scripture speaks of God commanding the stars to shine in the sky. God commands the planets to keep their course. God commands the morning and the evening to come and go. And we see the faithfulness of God in the heavens. Ah, beloved, there is a command that God has made and that is that He commanded His love toward us. And may I suggest that God's command, that His love would ever shine, is as certain as His command in the heavenlies and possibly even more certain because the scripture speaks that there'll be a day when the heavens shall roll as a scroll and the sun shall cease from shining. But God's love toward those that are redeemed, toward those that have joined to Christ, will never cease. Is that comforting to us? We're still here looking for something that I wanted to point out before I continue to read this Psalm before we close tonight and enjoy the presence of the Lord in our specific homes. But God commanded, oh, I just can't stop on this one verse. My God, God has commanded His love. God has spoken it to me. God has decreed it. God has said it. And the Bible says, when God decrees a thing, shall it not come to pass? But God commanded His love toward us in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more than being now justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him. Paul here is trying to get us to understand that if while we were yet sinners at enmity with God, He loved us. How much more does He love us now that we are no longer His enemies? Oh, how Christians who are weak in faith, the Bible says not to discourage the weak, not to judge them and be critical, but to support them. Don't become impatient with a weak Christian who is stumbling and who is questioning God's love for him. Just gently encourage them and gently work with them, beloved. The Bible says receive the one who is weak in faith, not with doubtful disputations. In other words, don't be critical over their doubts, but be patient in long-suffering. Here Christ is saying that God commanded His love toward us not when we were holy and righteous and pleasing God, not when we were making God's heart happy, but when we were sinning, when we were alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that was in us because of the wickedness of our hearts and the thoughts of our mind. It was then that God commanded His love toward us. And the apostle here is saying if in that state of total apostasy God looked down and said, ah, how I love you and how I'm going to command my love towards you, how much more then now justified by His blood shall we be saved from wrath to come? Beloved, if God didn't pour out His wrath against us when we were sinners but offered us salvation, how much more shall we be spared from wrath now that we are His children? And not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ by whom we have now received, listen, the atonement. Now the word there, atonement, is a marvelous word. It's a word that was understood in that day and here's what it means. The word atonement is a word that means making an enemy your friend. Now, we read here, Oh, how great is Thy goodness! Oh, beloved, how great is Thy goodness! For God, while we were yet sinners, commanded His love toward us and reconciled us. We experienced the atonement. We who were enemies were made God's friends. That's quite remarkable, isn't it? Now, let's continue to read in Psalms as we see the goodness of God in the person of Jesus Christ. Which Thou has laid up for them that fear, those who revere, those who honor, those who esteem, those who reverently look up to God with a posture of humility and a posture of being low and thanksgiving. Which Thou has laid up for them that fear Thee, which Thou has wrought for them that trust in Thee before the sons of men. Now, I want you to notice verse number 20. This is what I was referring to earlier because the Savior was very thrilled this morning to see the wonderful blessings, but certainly He does not want us to see the blessings that were poured out upon us this morning as something that has no practical implication to us. So as we understand the goodness of God and we see the Lord making known unto us His marvelous grace, shall we not look for this practical blessing that follows the outpouring of God's Spirit? Verse 20, Thou shalt hide them. Who? Who are the them that He's referring to? Well, in verse number 19, How great is Thy goodness which Thou has laid up for them that fear Thee, them that trust in Thee. So this promise is for those that fear and trust in the Lord. Watch this promise now. Thou shalt hide them in the secret of Thy presence from the pride of man. Thou shalt keep them secretly in a pavilion, listen to this, from the strife of tongues. Beloved, may God help us to see that the glorious, spiritual, heavenly blessings that we are receiving as we come together as the church and the Savior comes in our midst and imparts life to us has a very real, practical effect upon our life and our relationship with people in the world. And here is the effect that it has. The result is a hiding in God's presence and a being kept in a pavilion, which is the Lord Himself, which protects us from the pride and strife that is in the world. Now, the overtones of that statement, the implications of that statement are so numerous, we couldn't even begin to touch on it tonight without extending our stay until midnight. But you'll know that so many Christians stumble over 1 John 2. Love not the world nor the things that are in the world. For all that is in the world, the love of the flesh, the love of the lust and the pride of life. How can the Christian be free from such a seducing, seductive power that is everywhere you turn? Oh, beloved, may I suggest that we look not in ourself for the power to find freedom from the seducing devil that now works in the children of disobedience, but to find it in a relationship with Jesus Christ. Find it hid in the presence of God, for He that abideth in Christ is hid in the secret place of the Most High. So therefore, the entire idea of being free from the seducing powers that are working in the world is understood in the one simple truth of abiding in Christ. Not only that, but also being free from the strife and the pride of men and the words that could cut, the words that could destroy, the words that could wound. Beloved, you can find in Christ the grace and the ability to be able to endure whatever it is that you have to endure in the world. I don't know what your lot is, but Jesus knows. And this is what Jesus offers you when you are not in the beautiful place here where the heavenly choir sings and the presence of God comes and your soul is filled. You say, what can I have when I'm in the work world? When I'm facing the daily struggles? The same thing, beloved. The same thing. Thou shalt hide them in the secret of Thy presence from the pride of men. Thou shalt keep them secretly in a pavilion from the strife of tongues. Blessed be the Lord, for He hath shown me His marvelous kindness. Here we go. In a strong city. Ah, how the Lord becomes a strong city in Zion. There, a haven of rest for the troubled soul. So may the Lord Jesus Himself help us to find the daily benefits that are incurred upon us as we meet together and experience the glorious outpouring of His Holy Spirit. And may I say that you can anticipate with great joy the change that occurs in your life in your dealing with people. And you will be surprised what will happen to you as a person when you find the blessing of God that comes on Sundays and Wednesdays affecting you on Thursday and Friday and Monday and Tuesday with your rapport toward people and your relationships with people. I know that Lucy, oftentimes, I know that in the place where she works, there's sometimes some very difficult situations that she has to cope with. She is exposed to strife, envy, jealousy, gossip. And I know that the Lord can become a pavilion. So, let's look for Him to be a pavilion and bring us through our times of trouble. Amen? That's all the Lord put on my heart for tonight. Appreciate everybody's fellowship. And we just want you to know that you're loved of the Lord and we love you very much. And God bless each and every one of you, is our prayer.