Raised Up by God

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This is a message given by guest speaker Rev. Randy Spacht who is a missionary affiliated with the organization, One Mission Society. Randy used details from the story of Ehud in the book of Judges to illustrate how God raises up individuals at specific times for specific tasks in the work of His kingdom.

Redemption: Sinners' Smartest Option - Part 2

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This is the sixth sermon in a series of messages on the topic of redemption. This message speaks about the work that God does in the heart and life of the individual who is redeemed.

Written Excerpts:

1 Timothy 1:15 (NKJV) ¹⁵ This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief.
Introduction:

We’ve been doing a series of sermons on the topic of redemption. This is a topic that is woven through the entire Bible from front to back. Every single person is in need of redemption and our wonderful Savior, Jesus Christ, has provided a perfect plan.

Salvation and redemption is a free gift offered to everyone. That is, it cannot be earned or deserved by effort. But, it is not automatic. God has clearly outlined the choices and decisions that a person must make in order to acquire the gift for themselves.

Last Sunday we considered our decisions or choices that are conditions for appropriating the plan God has provided.

Today, as we focus on the second part of the topic: “Sinners’ Smartest Option,” we are specifically talking about God’s provisions, and we are going to discuss the actual redeeming process that God works into our lives.

II.  God’s Provisions

We’ve already talked about how desperately humanity needs redeemed, and how effectively Christ provided it with His life, sacrificial death and victorious resurrection. Once an individual follows the admonitions in God’s Word and meets the conditions we spoke about last Sunday, then God begins to effectively apply the power of redeeming grace in the life of the believer.

This is what God does:

A.  He Justifies Us

Jeremiah 31:34 (NKJV) ³⁴ No more shall every man teach his neighbor, and every man his brother, saying, 'Know the LORD,' for they all shall know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them, says the LORD. For I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more."

Romans 5:1 (NKJV) ¹ Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,

Hebrews 8:12 (NKJV) ¹² For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more."

1 John 1:9 (NKJV) ⁹ If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 

B.  He Regenerates Us (Initial Sanctification)

John 3:3 (NKJV) ³ Jesus answered and said to him, "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God."

2 Corinthians 5:17 (NKJV) ¹⁷ Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.

C.  He Adopts Us

Romans 8:14-17 (NKJV) ¹⁴ For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. ¹⁵ For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, "Abba, Father." ¹⁶ The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, ¹⁷ and if children, then heirs--heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ….

Galatians 4:6-7 (NKJV) ⁶ And because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying out, "Abba, Father!" ⁷ Therefore you are no longer a slave but a son, and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ.

Ephesians 2:19 (NKJV) ¹⁹ Now, therefore, you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God,

D.  He Sanctifies Us

I already mentioned earlier that initial sanctification begins at the new birth (regeneration). However, the Bible emphasizes additional need for holiness even for Christians.

John 17:17 (NKJV) ¹⁷ Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth.

Romans 12:1-2 (NKJV) ¹ I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. ² And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.

2 Corinthians 7:1 (NKJV) ¹ Therefore, having these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.

1 Thessalonians 4:3-7 (NKJV) ³ For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you should abstain from sexual immorality; ⁴ that each of you should know how to possess his own vessel in sanctification and honor, ⁵ not in passion of lust, like the Gentiles who do not know God; ⁶ that no one should take advantage of and defraud his brother in this matter, because the Lord is the avenger of all such, as we also forewarned you and testified. ⁷ For God did not call us to uncleanness, but in holiness.

1 Thessalonians 5:23 (NKJV) ²³ Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely; and may your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Cleanse; Set apart for holy purpose, not ordinary.

Some verses are in grammatical forms that denote gradual process. Other verses are in grammatical forms that denote completed process. Both emphases are intended.

E.  He Glorifies Us

The final phase, perfection in every area, occurs when we arrive in heaven.

Romans 8:20-23 (NKJV) ²⁰ For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it in hope; ²¹ because the creation itself also will be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God. ²² For we know that the whole creation groans and labors with birth pangs together until now. ²³ Not only that, but we also who have the first fruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, eagerly waiting for the adoption, the redemption of our body.

Romans 13:11 (NKJV) ¹¹ And do this, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep; for now our salvation is nearer than when we first believed.

Philippians 3:20-21 (NKJV) ²⁰ For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, ²¹ who will transform our lowly body that it may be conformed to His glorious body, according to the working by which He is able even to subdue all things to Himself.

Conclusion:

One of the reasons I used the title “Sinners’ Smartest Option” is partly because of the choices and decisions that need to be made which we talked about last Sunday. Another reason for the title is because after we understand what God does with us and for us in the process of redemption, who in the world wouldn’t want to experience it?

Forgiveness, pardon, and wiping the record clean; Transforming and recreating us into someone we never could have become; Adopting us into the royal family of God after we had lived outside the kingdom and estranged from the King; Purifying our hearts and lives to conform more and more to the image of Christ. Finally, completely restoring everything that was lost in the Fall – perfect health, perfect understanding…. !

Oh, hallelujah! What a wonderful Savior!

What a Wonderful Savior #345

Redemption: Sinners' Smartest Option - Part 1

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This is the fifth sermon in a series of messages about the theme of redemption. This message focuses on the conditions for faith that are described in the Scriptures.

Written Excerpts:

1 Timothy 1:15 (NKJV) ¹⁵ This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief.

Introduction:

We’ve been doing a series of sermons on the topic of redemption. This is a topic that is woven through the entire Bible from front to back. Every single person is in need of redemption and our wonderful Savior, Jesus Christ, has provided a perfect plan.

John Newton, the author of Amazing Grace and many other hymns said this when he had reached the later years of his life, "My memory is nearly gone, but I remember two things: That I am a great sinner and that Christ is a great Savior!" (Today's Best Illustrations)

(R. L. Wheeler – Draper's Book of Quotations) If I had the wisdom of Solomon, the patience of Job, the meekness of Moses, the strength of Samson, the obedience of Abraham, the compassion of Joseph, the tears of Jeremiah, the poetic skill of David, the prophetic voice of Elijah, the courage of Daniel, the greatness of John the Baptist, the endurance and love of Paul, I would still need redemption through Christ's blood, the forgiveness of sin.

Last week we talked about the plan of redemption being a wise plan designed by God exactly the way that matched our great need. That plan was fulfilled in the life and sacrifice of God’s Son, Jesus Christ. He was truly God and truly man, who freely laid down His life as a perfect sacrifice and He rose again in victory over the Devil and the curse of death upon the human race. Salvation and redemption is a free gift offered to everyone. That is, it cannot be earned or deserved by effort.

But, it is not automatic. God has clearly outlined the choices and decisions that a person must make in order to acquire the gift for themselves.

As we consider the topic of redemption being “The Sinners’ Smartest Option” we are going to break it down into two parts. The first part will focus on man’s decisions or choices. The second part will focus on God’s provisions.

I.    Man’s Decisions

It is certainly important to talk about how desperately humanity needs redeemed, and to talk about how effectively Christ provided it. But, even if a person understands those vital truths, he still isn’t enjoying the personal experience of being redeemed until he follows the instructions that God has laid out in order to receive it.

The word of God teaches that there are several conditions that must be met for any person to personally experience redemption in his own life.

A.  Confession

“Confess” – to say the same thing.

The Bible speaks about two kinds of confession.

1.   Confession about ourselves.

1 John 1:8-10 (NKJV) ⁸ If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. ⁹ If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. ¹⁰ If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us.

We must admit & say the same about ourselves as God says about us. (i.e. we are sinners. We have violated God’s standards of righteousness and we are under the judgment of death.) This is the same point we made a few weeks ago when we talked about man’s greatest need.

2. Confession about Christ

Romans 10:9-10 (NKJV) ⁹ that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus [or Jesus is Lord] and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. ¹⁰ For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

We must say the same thing about Jesus Christ that God says about Him.

·     He alone is the atoning sacrifice for our sins

·     He alone has accepted our consequences

·     He is the only way to the Father/heaven

B.  Repentance

“Repent” – to experience a complete change of mind or thinking, resulting in a turning away from former beliefs and practices.

Isaiah 55:6-7 (KJV) ⁶ Seek ye the LORD while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near: ⁷ Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the LORD, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.

Matthew 21:28-29 (NKJV) ²⁸ “But what do you think? A man had two sons, and he came to the first and said, 'Son, go, work today in my vineyard.' ²⁹ He answered and said, 'I will not,' but afterward he regretted it and went.

Repentance results from true godly sorrow for sin.

2 Corinthians 7:8-10 (NKJV) ⁸ For even if I made you sorry with my letter, I do not regret it [now]; though I did regret it. For I perceive that the same epistle made you sorry, though only for a while. ⁹ Now I rejoice, not that you were made sorry, but that your sorrow led to repentance. For you were made sorry in a godly manner, that you might suffer loss from us in nothing. ¹⁰ For godly sorrow produces repentance leading to salvation, not to be regretted; but the sorrow of the world produces death.

C.  Faith (Believe)

“Faith” – A conscious choice to trust everything that is said about Christ (His identity and His sacrifice).

Romans 10:9-10 (NKJV) ⁹ that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus [or Jesus is Lord] and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. ¹⁰ For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

Ephesians 2:8-10 (NKJV) ⁸ For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, ⁹ not of works, lest anyone should boast. ¹⁰ For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.

The Cross, Not the Scales (John Stott in Authentic Christianity) The repeated promises in the Qur'an of the forgiveness of a compassionate and merciful Allah are all made to the meritorious, whose merits have been weighed in Allah's scales, whereas the gospel is good news of mercy to the undeserving. The symbol of the religion of Jesus is the cross, not the scales. (Today's Best Illustrations)

D.  Receive

John 1:11-12 (KJV) ¹¹ He came unto his own, and his own received him not. ¹² But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:

Don’t know if “receiving” is actually different than believing, except to say…

Believing with just a mental agreement, but not a true confidence and trust is not really “faith.” But faith that is real and genuine will “reach out and accept/receive” God’s gift of grace, trusting that God will keep His promise.

Take It, It's Free! — Debbie Brumley, Concord, NC. Christian Reader, "Lite Fare."

To emphasize the point of salvation being free and a gift from the Lord, our pastor held up a dollar bill and said, "You see this dollar bill? It is a gift to whoever will receive it. Now if you really wanted it, you would have to come and accept it."

If the pastor was still in possession of the dollar bill when he concluded his sermon, he could have made a strong point of how many souls are lost because they hesitate to accept the gift of salvation until it is too late. Any such plan to bring across that point, however, was foiled when our three-year-old son ran out of his seat to the front of the church and took the dollar from Rev. Massey!

Rev. Massey capitalized on the situation, however, and made and equally impressive point after the roar of the congregation had settled down. With our little son now back in the pew and proudly holding his newly acquired gift, an obviously pleased pastor changed his object lesson to: "If only folks could see the value of God's great gift, Jesus, they would be running to him also!" (Today's Best Illustrations)

E.  Obey

Obedience is not something we do to gain God’s approval so that He will save us. It is not something that we must do to earn His favor. Obedience is the visible sign that we do actually believe what we say we believe.

Acts 5:32 (NKJV) ³² And we are His witnesses to these things, and so also is the Holy Spirit whom God has given to those who obey Him."

Hebrews 5:9 (KJV) ⁹ And being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him;

Ephesians 2:8-10 (NKJV) ⁸ For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, ⁹ not of works, lest anyone should boast. ¹⁰ For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.

Conclusion:

Today I have tried to explain what the Bible says about the conditions for being a recipient of redemption. We do believe that the sacrifice Jesus made is available to the entire human race, however only those who meet Him on His conditions will be awarded the benefits of His sacrifice.

Remember that these decisions are conditions that God has defined as the path to receive His saving grace, but never forget this… THE CONDITIONS DO NOT EARN ANYTHING.

Salvation is totally by the grace of God and it is totally through faith in Christ. By following the path He has defined, you merely show your faith in what He has said. You’re here this morning with the privilege of hearing how you can know you are redeemed or saved.

If you do not know you are redeemed, come and pray this morning to settle the matter for certain.

We're going to close the service by singing: Jesus Is Calling

Redemption: God's Wisest Plan - Part 2

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This is the fourth sermon in a series of messages on redemption. This message emphasizes the work Jesus Christ did to provide our salvation for us.

Written Excerpts:

Isaiah 53:5 (KJV) ⁵ But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.

Introduction:

We have been talking about the plan of redemption that God ordained for our salvation. It is a subject that is promoted in the Bible from Genesis to Revelation.

We’ve had three segments in the series so far;

Redemption: Heaven’s Sweetest Song

Redemption: Man’s Greatest Need

Redemption: God’s Wisest Plan

God’s overall plan of redemption is a wonderful plan. It truly is “His Wisest Plan,” and it has unfolded over a long period of time stretching from eternity past to eternity future.

Last week we talked about God designing the plan of redemption even prior to the creation of the world. We also spoke about how various parts of the Old Testament provide a foreshadowing of redemption. The “shadows,” symbols or types show up in such things as animal sacrifices, priests & temples, deliverance of Israel from bondage, etc., etc.

One of the other shadows that I failed to mention last week is the symbolism included in the laws for redemption of property. The story in the OT book of Ruth shows a great example of Boaz redeeming a piece of property, and all the details point to Christ being our “Kinsman Redeemer.”

Today, I want to move on into the NT and summarize the ways in which Jesus Christ accomplished redemption through His death and resurrection. And then, we’ll finish up by looking forward to eternity and the final achievement of redemption.

III. Redemption was achieved by Jesus Christ.

A. Jesus achieved redemption because of who He was.

1.   Son of God (deity)

Matthew 1:23 (KJV) [Angel speaking to Joseph] ²³ Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.

Mark 1:11 (KJV) ¹¹ And there came a voice from heaven, saying, Thou art my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.

John 1:1 (KJV) ¹ In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

John 5:18 (KJV) ¹⁸ Therefore the Jews sought the more to kill him, because he not only had broken the sabbath, but said also that God was his Father, making himself equal with God.

These are just a few of the verses that show Jesus Christ to be divine in nature. He is equal with God.

2.   Son of man (humanity)

Dozens of references where Jesus refers to himself as the “Son of man.”

John 1:14 (KJV) ¹⁴ And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.

1 Timothy 2:5 (KJV) ⁵ For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus;

Over and over throughout the NT the humanity of Jesus is emphasized… gets tired, suffers, and expresses emotions…

Why does it matter?

If He is God, but not man, He isn’t legally qualified because He isn’t one of us. How can God (any god) assume responsibility for the sins of humans? If He is Man but not God, He isn’t morally qualified, because He can’t be a perfect sacrifice; He is tainted with the sin nature just like us.

A number of years ago I read some Jehovah’s Witness literature that was explaining the passage that I just read from 1 Tim. 2:5. In their attempt to explain that Jesus couldn’t be God, they said that a mediator couldn’t be related to either party seeking reconciliation, so Jesus couldn’t really be God, He was someone created by God. However, if we follow their argument, then the mediator couldn’t be a man either. But the verse literally calls Him the man Christ Jesus.

The truth is, the best mediator is one who is related to both parties – one who seeks the best interest of both parties because he is related to both. Which actually turns out to be another argument for the fact that He is God-man.

No other being in all the universe has the “credentials” for redeemer except Jesus Christ.

B.  Jesus achieved redemption because of what He did.

1. He died in our place. He took our sentence.

Isaiah 53:5-6 (KJV) ⁵ But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. ⁶ All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned everyone to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.

Hebrews 9:12-14 (KJV) ¹² Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us. ¹³ For if the blood of bulls and of goats, and the ashes of an heifer sprinkling the unclean, sanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh: ¹⁴ How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?

1 Peter 3:18 (KJV) ¹⁸ For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit:

Matthew 26:28 (KJV) ²⁸ For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.

These are just a few of the references in Scripture regarding the sacrifice that Jesus made with His own life and blood.

But, this is not all. He not only died, but

2. He rose again.

The death wouldn’t have been effective if the resurrection hadn’t happened.

See 1 Pet. 3:8 “…put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit.”

See also 1 Cor. 15:17 "If Christ be not risen, then your faith is vain."

What is the significance of all this?

1.   It means Jesus is unique.

No other person in all of history predicted his own death and his own resurrection and then completely carried it out. No other person in all of history claims to be the ONLY way (path) to heaven, and then backs it up with such miraculous evidence. Jesus stands out in all history as the most unique; not because of what He did (although that was truly amazing), but because of who He was. He has “earned” the right to say, “I am the way, the truth and the life. No man comes to the Father but by me.”

2.   It means salvation is entirely and completely adequate for the needs of humanity.

None of us has to leave this world condemned to hell because of our sin. None of us has to stand before the Judge of all the universe awaiting an eternal death sentence. The blood sacrifice of Jesus Christ is sufficient for the sins of the whole human race. His sacrifice is a perfect sacrifice.

IV. Redemption will be totally accomplished in glory.

Even though we can put our faith in the sacrifice of Jesus Christ and we can surrender to His power and control in our lives, we still experience the limitations of our fallen humanity.

We still are affected in many ways by the curse of the fall.

But one of these days… Time will end and we will all be ushered into eternity. All of the end-time events will be complete and the entire creation will be finally and utterly redeemed. The whole created order will be restored to perfection and we will eternally and perfectly serve and worship the one God and Creator.

Romans 8:18-23 (NRSV) ¹⁸ I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory about to be revealed to us. ¹⁹ For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the children of God; ²⁰ for the creation was subjected to futility, not of its own will but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope ²¹ that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to decay and will obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God. ²² We know that the whole creation has been groaning in labor pains until now; ²³ and not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the first fruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly while we wait for adoption, the redemption of our bodies.

Paul is reminding us that there is coming a day when we will experience the “redemption of our bodies” along with all of creation that is currently in bondage to decay.

Acts 3:18-21 (NKJV) ¹⁸ But those things which God foretold by the mouth of all His prophets, that the Christ would suffer, He has thus fulfilled. ¹⁹ Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord, ²⁰ and that He may send Jesus Christ, who was preached to you before, ²¹ whom heaven must receive until the times of restoration of all things, which God has spoken by the mouth of all His holy prophets since the world began.

Jesus Christ is currently in heaven until the times of all things being restored, i.e. to its original perfection.

Conclusion:

God’s wonderful plan of redemption is a perfect plan. It is the wisest plan. The sacrifices God required in the Old Testament were only a shadow of the true sacrifice that was to take place on Calvary. The blood of the perfect Lamb has been sprinkled on the heavenly altar, and forgiveness, redemption and total restoration is available for everyone.

It’s no wonder John the Baptist looked at Jesus and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God which takes away the sin of the world!” (Jn. 1:29)

Back in 2014, Rodney Griffin, with “Greater Vision” wrote a song titled, “Put Out the Fire” that was recorded on a CD they released in the Spring of last year. This song vividly describes how the sacrifice of God’s Lamb has superseded all previous sacrifices and is eternally effective in washing away our sins. Hallelujah! Praise the Lord!

Jesus Christ IS the perfect, spotless Lamb! The fires on the altar of the temple have been put out! The cross of Calvary has forever become the altar and the sacrifice is finished. His redeeming sacrifice is sufficient for every person. It’s sufficient for you and for me!

If you leave this world without Christ and lose your soul, it won’t be because the sacrifice or the plan of redemption wasn’t adequate. Everything has been perfectly planned and implemented, now it’s up to you and me to believe it, accept it, and live it.

Redemption: God's Wisest Plan - Part 1

(To download an mp3 file of this message, click on the title above. To listen now, click on the play button of the audio player shown.)

This is the third sermon in a series of messages on the topic of Redemption. This message discusses God's ordaining of the plan for redeeming humanity before the creation and it also speaks of the ways redemption is symbolized and foreshadowed in the Old Testament.

Written Excerpts:

Introduction:  After speaking about man’s greatest need last week, we are going to continue discussing the overall plan of redemption from beginning to end. The title of the message today is: Redemption: God’s Wisest Plan. God’s overall plan of redemption is a wonderful plan. It truly is “His Wisest Plan!”

His plan unfolded and became revealed over a long period of time stretching from eternity past to eternity future. Because there is so much to cover in this area, we are going to consider part of it today and part of it next Sunday. This week we are going to talk about the beginning of the plan and how it unfolded throughout the Old Testament of the Bible.

I. The redemption of humanity was planned before creation.

1 Peter 1:18-20 (NKJV) ¹⁸ knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold, from your aimless conduct received by tradition from your fathers, ¹⁹ but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot. ²⁰ He indeed was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you

Verse 20 here indicates that the “lamb” was “foreordained” before the foundation of the world.

“foreordained” – literally means “having been foreknown”

(Lenski New Testament Commentary) So we say that in regard to Christ and to his precious blood the foreknowledge of God rested on his gracious decision to send him as our Ransomer; because God so decided he foreknew, the verb implies, not a bare previous knowledge, but one in which God was most deeply concerned cum affectu et effectu. (with feeling and performance)

Acts 2:22-24 (NKJV) ²² "Men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a Man attested by God to you by miracles, wonders, and signs which God did through Him in your midst, as you yourselves also know-- ²³ Him, being delivered by the determined purpose and foreknowledge of God, you have taken by lawless hands, have crucified, and put to death; ²⁴ whom God raised up, having loosed the pains of death, because it was not possible that He should be held by it.

In other words, the birth, life, and sacrificial death of God’s Son was all decided and planned out before the world was ever created.

Perhaps you’re thinking, “So what? God decided and knew before creation that the Son of God, the Lord Jesus Christ would come and redeem humanity with his life’s blood. What is so significant about that?”

Significance – God knew beforehand that man would sin, but He created man anyway. 

·     It seems to imply that God values human free will more than guaranteed obedience. 

·     It also seems to imply that the plan God made was absolutely adequate to deal with the problem of sin.

Man’s disobedience and fall into sin, didn’t catch God by surprise, and so therefore, the redemption plan was thoroughly and adequately planned to perfectly match the need or problem. wasn’t a haphazard, hastily devised plan that failed to cover every possibility.

(Greater Vision)

O the blood still cleanses hearts of sin

It still delivers fallen man

It has never lost its power to save

No the blood hasn’t ever changed.

The plan of redemption is the oldest plan in the universe and it is still just as effective as it ever was, and it always will be! Hallelujah!

II. The redemption of humanity is foreshadowed in the OT.

The second phase of the unfolding plan that we want to talk about is the foreshadowing that is presented in the OT.

“Fore” + “shadow” – fore = beforehand. Shadow = shade cast by light over an object, not the real object, thus a type, symbol, or representation of the real object. 

Hebrews 9:23-24 (NKJV) ²³ Therefore it was necessary that the copies of the things in the heavens should be purified with these [i.e. blood, water, scarlet wool and hyssop mentioned in v. 19], but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these. ²⁴ For Christ has not entered the holy places made with hands, which are copies of the true, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us

Col. 2:16-17 (NKJV) ¹⁶ So let no one judge you in food or in drink, or regarding a festival or a new moon or sabbaths, ¹⁷ which are a shadow of things to come, but the substance is of Christ.

Heb. 8:4-5 (NKJV) ⁴ For if He were on earth, He would not be a priest, since there are priests who offer the gifts according to the law; ⁵ who serve the copy and shadow of the heavenly things, as Moses was divinely instructed when he was about to make the tabernacle. For He said, "See that you make all things according to the pattern shown you on the mountain."

A.  Redemption is specifically symbolized, typified, and represented in the OT covenant that required sacrifices and offerings.

Requirements for the tabernacle/temple, sacrificial animals, altar, priests, etc. have symbolic significance. 

B.  Redemption is pictured in OT passages about the nature of God and the ethical requirements for man.

OT shows truths about God’s nature that are important in understanding redemption. (Love, Holiness, Grace, etc.)

Ethical requirements of the Law (Ten Commandments) so man could continue to live in relationship with God.

C.  Redemption is foreshadowed in God’s covenant and dealings with the nation of Israel.

God’s care for Israel to produce Messiah and illustrate what redemption and salvation are all about.

God chose Israel out of sovereign grace.

God remains true to covenant promises.

God forgives Israel’s frequent backslidings.

God sovereignly guides nation to produce Messiah/Savior.

Conclusion:

There is much more to cover in regards to God’s Plan of Redemption, but we do not have time to talk about it today. Next week, the Lord willing, we will continue by looking at the plan of redemption being completed and fulfilled in the person of Jesus Christ. We will also talk about redemption’s finale in the future glory.

I want to sing an old familiar hymn before we celebrate the Lord’s Supper:

Nothing but the Blood     

Redemption: Man's Greatest Need

(To download an mp3 file of this message, click on the title above. To listen now, click on the play button of the audio player shown.)

This is the second sermon in a series of messages on Redemption. It takes a look at the problem of sin as the reason redemption is needed.

Written Excerpts:

Romans 3:23-24 (KJV) For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God. ²⁴ Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus:

Introduction:

Last Sunday we introduced the series of messages on redemption by speaking about “Redemption: Heaven’s Greatest Song.”

I still get excited and choked up when I think about the creatures and elders in heaven singing a song about redemption… the wonderful plan God provided so human beings, created in His image, can be rescued, delivered and transformed into the glorious examples of God’s grace.

Today, we are going to continue our study by considering “Redemption: Man’s Greatest Need.”

When we speak about God providing a plan to rescue us and to transform us, it all implies and indicates that there must be something wrong with us. There apparently is a deep-seated need in us that must be addressed. That is the focus of our thoughts today.

I. The Need Simply Stated

We are slaves to sin and doomed to death. Humanity was hijacked, enslaved and condemned.

Romans 5:12 (KJV) ¹² Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:

This is only one verse out of dozens or even hundreds that we could use. But this one tells us a few things about the condition of humanity.

·     All have sinned

·     All are condemned to death because of sin

·     It all started with one man

One question that has come to me: Why couldn’t / didn’t God limit the consequences of the fall to affect only Adam and Eve instead of the entire human race and the entire created order? I’m not entirely sure if there is a correct answer to this question, but it seems to me that part of the answer could be that mankind needed to understand the extreme seriousness of sin. Limited consequences would probably result in a very shallow and superficial view of sin.

II. The Need More Deeply Explained

A. Definition of sin

“hamartia” – the most common word for sin in the NT.

It literally means, “To miss the mark.” It suggests a target bullseye as the standard and anything outside that mark is a “sin.” Biblically, the “bull's-eye of the target” is the standard of God’s absolute holiness and purity. Anything that falls below that standard is sin.

There are several verses of scripture that help us to more accurately define sin.

1. It is a “transgression of the law.”

1 John 3:4 (KJV) ⁴ Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law.

This expresses the idea of target or standard that is missed. Sin is anything that doesn’t measure up to the standard of the law.

2. It is an attitude of lawlessness.

1 John 3:4 (NIV) ⁴ Everyone who sins breaks the law; in fact, sin is lawlessness.

This understanding expresses the concept of a sinful nature or sinful disposition, rather than sinful actions. It expresses attitude of rebellion, self-will, or insubordination.

3. It is failure to do what we know we ought.

James 4:17 (NKJV) ¹⁷ Therefore, to him who knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin.

This expresses “sin of omission,” but also emphasizes the aspect that knowledge must be present for it to be properly understand as "accountable" sin.

4. It is anything that is “not of faith.”

Romans 14:23 (NKJV) ²³ But he who doubts is condemned if he eats, because he does not eat from faith; for whatever is not from faith is sin.

5. It is the germination of desire and will.

James 1:13-15 (NKJV) ¹³ Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am tempted by God”; for God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He Himself tempt anyone. ¹⁴ But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed. ¹⁵ Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death.

Important to understand as stated here in James that temptation is not sin, but consent of the will is sin.

When I listen to a lot of people express their view/concept of sin, I discover that they are describing temptation, not sin.

Two problems often encountered:

·     Too lenient of a view of sin. (Nothing is really sin.)

·     Too strict of a view of sin. (“Everything” is sin.) When everything is sin, then nothing is.

C. Important distinctions

Some distinctions that seem to show up in the Scripture  include:

·     Some verses emphasize the legal understanding of sin. i.e. Only sees/cares that the law has been violated. 

·     Other verses emphasize a moral understanding which seems to focus more on the person and whether they are accountable or not.  

For example, in OT, a sacrifice had to be offered whether the sin was intentional or not. However, knowledge and intent were important in deciding what to do with the offender, or what kinds of sacrifices, restitution, etc. would be required. These distinctions are also important for the discussion over whether it is possible to be victorious over sin or not.

D. Extent of sin

When we talk about the “extent” of sin we are referring to three things:

1. It is extensive – it affects every aspect of our humanity; physically, emotionally, mentally, spiritually…

Isaiah 1:4, 6 (NKJV) ⁴ Alas, sinful nation, A people laden with iniquity, A brood of evildoers, Children who are corrupters…. The whole head is sick, And the whole heart faints. ⁶ From the sole of the foot even to the head, There is no soundness in it, But wounds and bruises and putrefying sores….

Jeremiah 17:9 (NKJV) ⁹ “The heart is deceitful above all things, And desperately wicked; Who can know it?

Romans 7:18 (NKJV) ¹⁸ For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh) nothing good dwells; for to will is present with me, but how to perform what is good I do not find.

2. It is NOT intensive – that is, men are capable of further degrees of wickedness, and not all people are equal in their expressions of evil.

Related to this point is the fact that men still retain the image of God after the fall, even though that image is marred in all ways.

Gen. 6:5 – the reason given for capital punishment is because murder is the taking of a human life made in the image of God.

If the fall had totally destroyed the image of God in humanity, then the grounds for capital punishment are absent.

3. It is universal – it affects every human being in the whole human race.

Romans 3:9-10 (NKJV) ⁹ What then? Are we better than they? Not at all. For we have previously charged both Jews and Greeks that they are all under sin. ¹⁰ As it is written: "There is none righteous, no, not one;

Romans 3:23 (KJV) For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.

E. Consequences of sin

Romans 6:23 (NKJV) ²³ For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

1. Spiritual Death

Isaiah 59:2 (NKJV) ² But your iniquities have separated you from your God; And your sins have hidden His face from you, So that He will not hear.

Romans 7:11 (NKJV) ¹¹ For sin, taking occasion by the commandment, deceived me, and by it killed me. (Yet, he is still physically alive or he wouldn’t be writing this.)

John 5:24 (NKJV) ²⁴ “Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life. (Can’t be referring to physical death or the person wouldn’t be able to hear and believe.)

2. Physical Death

Genesis 2:17 (NKJV) ¹⁷ but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die."

Physically speaking, Adam and Eve knew nothing of physical death, but the day they sinned, they began to die physically.

When explaining the consequences of the curse to Adam, the Lord said:

Genesis 3:19, 22 (NKJV) ¹⁹ In the sweat of your face you shall eat bread Till you return to the ground, For out of it you were taken; For dust you are, And to dust you shall return." ²² Then the LORD God said, "Behold, the man has become like one of Us, to know good and evil. And now, lest he put out his hand and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live forever"—

God explains to Adam that returning to the dust of the ground is included in the curse as a result of sin. This does not mean that everyone who dies is being judged because of some sin they committed. It simply reinforces the fact that all of humanity is under the curse of death.

3. Eternal Death

Matthew 25:41 (NKJV) ⁴¹ Then He will also say to those on the left hand, 'Depart from Me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels:

Revelation 20:10-15 (KJV) ¹⁰ And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever. ¹¹ And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them. ¹² And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. ¹³ And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. ¹⁴ And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. ¹⁵ And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.

Revelation 21:8 (NKJV) ⁸ But the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death."

Conclusion:

You can see from what we’ve covered today that humanity is in a terrible condition.

Our condition of sinfulness and our sinful conduct have created a hopeless mess.

Not only is our situation hopeless, but our eternal destiny is hopeless unless God intervenes and rescues us.

It’s no wonder the creatures and elders in heaven are singing the praises of God for redeeming mankind!

Sin has caused havoc in us.

Our only hope is redemption, and God has wonderfully and marvelously provided the remedy needed.

May I say, dear friends, as I will be mentioning again in the future, before we understand what the good news of the gospel really means, we have to understand what the bad news of our condition really is.

We need to recognize our sinful condition and our need to be redeemed.

Redemption: Heaven's Sweetest Song

(To download an mp3 file of this sermon, click on the title above. To listen now, click on the play button of the audio player shown.)

This is a sermon that was given by Pastor Les on Sept. 4, 2016 and it is the first of a series of messages on the topic of "Redemption." It is an introduction to the series and stresses the text in Rev. 5:9.

Written Excerpts:

Revelation 5:9 (KJV) And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation.

Introduction:

A few years ago I did a series of Bible study lessons on Wednesday nights regarding the topic of redemption. At that time I said if I was to reduce the message of the entire Bible to just one word, it would be the word “redemption.” For several weeks now I’ve been feeling led to develop a series of sermons on this same study of Redemption.

I want to introduce the series today by reading a story that was one of the favorites that Paul Harvey used to read on his radio program every year at Easter. (The Bird Cage)

This morning I want to give you some explanations of the term redemption, then I want to finish up by briefly looking at the verse in Revelation, which is the basis for the sermon title today.

I. The Meaning of Redemption

Earthly/material meaning or applications:

Buy Back – i.e. Pawn Shop  

Pay Off – i.e. a lien, ransom  

Turn in / Exchange – i.e. Lottery/Raffle Ticket; Store Coupons

Atone for – i.e. “He redeemed himself by bringing roses home the next day.”

Spiritual Meaning: Gal. 4:1-7. Context is 3:13ff; i.e. purpose of the law 

We were in “slavery” to elements of the world. (4:3) “Elements” = rudiments, principles; that is, material vs. spiritual principles. Understood in context, it means temporal, visible, or elementary understanding of the law. Now it’s time to “graduate” to spiritual understanding.

God redeemed us from condemnation of law. We now are no longer slaves, but sons.

(Pocket Dictionary of Theological Terms.) Redemption - The process by which sinful humans are “bought back” from the bondage of sin into relationship with God through grace by the “payment” of Jesus' death. Redemption is one of the pictures or metaphors that the NT uses to give insight into God's gracious saving work in Jesus.

Oswald Chambers – The cross of Jesus Christ and his baptism express the same thing. Our Lord was not a martyr; he was not merely a good man; he was God Incarnate. He came down to the lowest reach of creation in order to bring back the whole human race to God, and in order to do this he must take upon him, as representative man, the whole massed sin of the race. (Draper's Book of Quotations for the Christian World)

(Charles Hodge, Quoted in Easton’s Illustrated Bible Dictionary) The purchase back of something that had been lost, by the payment of a ransom…. There are many passages in the New Testament which represent Christ's sufferings under the idea of a ransom or price, and the result thereby secured is a purchase or redemption (Compare Acts 20:28; 1Co 6:19, 20; Gal 3:13; Gal 4:4, 5; Eph 1:7; Col 1:14; 1Ti 2:5, 6; Tit 2:14; Heb 9:12; 1Pe 1:18, 19; Rev 5:9). The idea running through all these texts, however various their reference, is that of payment made for our redemption. The debt against us is not viewed as simply cancelled, but is fully paid. Christ's blood or life, which he surrendered for them, is the "ransom" by which the deliverance of his people from the servitude of sin and from its penal consequences is secured. It is the plain doctrine of Scripture that "Christ saves us neither by the mere exercise of power, nor by his doctrine, nor by his example, nor by the moral influence which he exerted, nor by any subjective influence on his people, whether natural or mystical, but as a satisfaction to divine justice, as an expiation for sin, and as a ransom from the curse and authority of the law, thus reconciling us to God by making it consistent with his perfection to exercise mercy toward sinners" (Hodge's Systematic Theology).

Charles Hodge’s extensive definition here includes the same concept that was expressed in the story of the caged birds that I shared earlier. But, it goes beyond the mere deliverance from entrapment and slavery to sin and the Devil. It also delivers and ransoms us from the curse of the law, which condemns us to death because of our sin.

(The New Unger's Bible Dictionary) Redemption implies [prior] bondage. Thus the word refers primarily to man’s subjection to the dominion and curse of sin (see Galatians 3:13; 1 Cor. 15:56). Also in a secondary sense to the bondage of Satan as the head of the kingdom of darkness, and to the bondage of death as the penalty of sin (see Acts 26:18; Hebrews 2:14-15). Redemption from this bondage is represented in the Scriptures as both universal and limited. It is universal in the sense that its advantages are freely offered to all. It is limited in the sense that it is effectual only with respect to those who meet the conditions of salvation announced in the gospel. For such it is effectual in that they receive forgiveness of sins and the power to lead a new and holy life. Satan is no longer their captor, and death has lost its sting and terror.

God has paid the price of redemption for every human being, but it is only effective for those who recognize their need to be redeemed and receive the deliverance and freedom offered through the message of the gospel.

Leith Anderson, "The Lord Is My Shepherd," Preaching Today.   God Bought Back His Sheep - There's a line in the Old Testament written by Isaiah that tells the result of God's gamble, Isaiah 53:6: "We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way." Although God has a right to own us because he created us, he gave us the option of freedom, and we all left. We chose sin and did not love him as he wanted to be loved. In response, he chose to send out his own son to look for us, to hunt us down, to find and redeem us at a terrible cost—the cost of his own life.

A shepherd notches the ear of a lamb born to his flock and has rightful ownership. That lamb deliberately walks away. The shepherd searches near and far to get that lamb back. A long time later, he finds not a baby lamb but a grown sheep for sale at an animal auction. The shepherd recognizes his mark on that sheep's ear. He goes to the auctioneer and says, "I can see the mark. That sheep is mine."

The auctioneer says, "Listen, you must bid and pay just like anybody else."

The shepherd bids and pays an outrageous price, far above any reasonable market value in order to get his lamb. He now has a double right to own this sheep: from birth, and from redemption.

God has a right to own us as creator and because he has paid the blood of his own Son—an outrageous price far above our market value—in order to redeem us back again. (Today's Best Illustrations)

Oh, dear friends, this passage in Isaiah and this illustration accurately depicts our plight. We rightfully belonged to God because of His act of creation. However, with the free will He created in us, we chose to use to walk away and seek our own happiness and satisfaction. We ultimately found ourselves in bondage and slavery to sin and under the curse of the law. In a very real sense we found ourselves on the devil’s auction block being sold for slaughter. Christ came along and offers to buy us back with His own life. All we have to do is once again acknowledge His rightful ownership and submit to His loving will.

(The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia) The idea of redemption in the Old Testament takes its start from the thought of property (Leviticus 25:26; Ruth 4:4ff). Money is paid according to law to buy back something which must be delivered or rescued (Numbers 3:51; Neh. 5:8)….

In the New Testament the idea of redemption has more a suggestion of ransom. Men are held under the curse of the law (Galatians 3:13), or of sin itself (Romans 7:23f). The Redeemer purchases their deliverance by offering Himself as payment for their redemption (Ephes. 1:7; 1 Peter 1:18).

I think this is illustrated by this OT passage:

Exodus 13:11-15 (NKJV) ¹¹ "And it shall be, when the LORD brings you into the land of the Canaanites, as He swore to you and your fathers, and gives it to you, ¹² that you shall set apart to the LORD all that open the womb, that is, every firstborn that comes from an animal which you have; the males shall be the LORD'S. ¹³ But every firstborn of a donkey you shall redeem with a lamb; and if you will not redeem it, then you shall break its neck. And all the firstborn of man among your sons you shall redeem. ¹⁴ So it shall be, when your son asks you in time to come, saying, 'What is this?' that you shall say to him, 'By strength of hand the LORD brought us out of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. ¹⁵ And it came to pass, when Pharaoh was stubborn about letting us go, that the LORD killed all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both the firstborn of man and the firstborn of beast. Therefore I sacrifice to the LORD all males that open the womb, but all the firstborn of my sons I redeem.'

II. Heaven’s Sweetest Song

Revelation 5:9 (KJV) And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation.

“They” – The “four living creatures and twenty-four elders.”

The creatures and elders are described in 4:6-11. Elders – possibly 12 Patriarchs from OT and 12 Apostles from NT.

They sing a new song and it is a song of being redeemed. It is new because now redemption is completed; now merely planned.

It is a sweet song because it honors and acknowledges the Lamb.

It is a sweet song because it showcases God’s crowning work: Redemption of humanity; i.e. those who were created in the image of God.

God didn’t redeem the angels who fell.

God has redeemed people from every nation, tribe, and tongue.

Conclusion:

Redemption is the theme of the entire Bible. From cover to cover, it reveals to us God’s wonderful plan and work to ransom His people from bondage to Satan and from the curse of the Law. He truly is worthy to receive the songs of worship and praise that is being sung in heaven. The song of redemption, I believe, is going on today, and it will go on forever! Hallelujah!