this morning to the book of Zechariah. Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechariah,
Malachi. So if you just go to Matthew
and go back to books, you'll be able to more easily find Zechariah. Now, I believe that some time
ago I may have preached from this text here. I don't remember where, but I
remember I have preached on numerous occasions from Zechariah chapter
13 in verse seven, but this verse was brought to my attention a
few weeks ago, again, as one of our men in our pre-service
prayer times. I have different ones of the
men. We get together for about 15 minutes before the worship
service and have a time of reading of Scripture, and each man has
the responsibility of coming with a portion of Scripture in
reading it, and one of the men directed our attention to this
chapter, which again started my mind going as to what is declared
here in the Old Testament that is just as clear and plain with
regard to Christ in the gospel as what you could find in the
New. I know our Bible is divided between Old and New, but it has
one message, and that is Christ. When we read here, for example,
in verse one, where it speaks of that in that day, there shall
be a fountain opened to the house of David and to the inhabitants
of Jerusalem for sin and for uncleanness. That word for is
because of. That's all that we are, you know,
when it speaks of the house of David and the inhabitants of
Jerusalem, yes, they were a chosen people before God, and yet there
had to be a fountain opened for sin, for forgiveness of sin,
for the putting away of sin, and for uncleanness. A fountain
that would make them clean. Now, what is that fountain? Is
it talking about the work of the Spirit? No. We just sang
it, didn't we? There is a fountain filled with
blood. The Spirit doesn't have blood. Don't attribute to the Spirit
the work of righteousness because it required bloodshed. The Spirit
didn't shed blood. Christ did. Therefore, it required
a body. That tells me right there this
could not have been accomplished in eternity. It had to have been
accomplished in a death in the work of the Lord Jesus Christ.
And that's really what it points to. And if you have any questions
as to that being the interpretation, look at verse 7. of Zechariah
13 and verse 7, awake, O sword, against my shepherd, in order
for sin to be put away, in order for a people to be declared righteous. It required nothing less, but
I'll also say nothing more, than the death of the Lord Jesus Christ. The death of Christ is God's
That's why this verse is important. Awake, O sword, against my shepherd,
and against the man that is my fellow. Now, these are interesting
words when you stop and think. This is God, the Father, saying,
against the man that is my fellow. We tend to use that term, that
fellow. We use it in a derogatory sense,
or pertain to somebody that we don't have much to do with. There
was such and such a fellow. But here it's described in the
sense of an associate, one who is brought alongside to get the
job done. Fellow. We talk about fellowship.
There's a oneness. So there's a man that was one
with God himself, against whom the Father brought this sword
of justice. He's called his shepherd. Why? Because there were sheep that
would benefit from this death. So he's the shepherd, he's the
fellow, he's the man. Sayeth the Lord of hosts, what? Smite the shepherd. Smite the
shepherd. I'm as firm a believer as anybody
that what God purposed in eternity would be. There's not one thing
that takes place in this life and in this world, not one speck
of dust that flies up, kicked up off the heels of a shoe, but
what it lands exactly where God purposed it to be. No question. But there still had to be this
working out of righteousness. There had to be this working
out of salvation by a man in order for God to be just and
justify sinners. God justly could not just declare
it and it be done. His very nature, His very attributes
would not allow it. Before justice could be declared
on behalf of somebody, I'm sorry, before mercy could be declared
on behalf of somebody, justice had to be satisfied. And that's
what we see being set forth right here. Four hundred some years
before it actually took place. To the detail. To the detail. This gives me great confidence
that what I read here is the word of God. Because as we look
on this side of the cross, we see it having been accomplished
exactly as God said it would be. Smite the shepherd, and the
sheep shall be scattered. We don't like to read that part,
do we? In our pride. We like to think that we have
something to do with the salvation. But as far as law and justice
is concerned, as far as a holy God is concerned, the sheep had
to be completely taken out of the way. and that there be no
other object of God's smiting. It doesn't say smite the sheep. It says smite the shepherd. And
the sheep shall be scattered. But he says, and I will turn
mine hand upon the little ones. Now it says turn my hand upon
the little ones. That doesn't mean turn my hand
in discipline. Why did you scatter? They had
to be scattered. They had to be removed out of
the way. in order to be brought again to themselves, but brought
again to Christ. And that's what we have here
in this verse 7, I believe, in this one verse is a very description
and a declaration by God himself regarding the manner in which
he would justify sinners. Now, our Lord himself let us
know that this verse pertained to him. I know there's a lot
of people that when you quote a verse like this or apply it
to Christ, they come back and say, well, is that really what
it's saying? Well, look over in Matthew chapter 26. There's
no better commentary on Scripture than Scripture itself. And here
in Matthew chapter 26. And verse 31, this was on the eve. Of our Lord going to the cross,
he had just instituted the Lord's table. It had now moved from
being the Passover feast to the Lord's table, and you can see
that up there in the context when he took the cup, verse 27,
gave thanks and gave it to them, saying, Drink ye all of it, for
this is my blood of the New Testament, which is shed for many for the
remission of sins. Now you notice how it's put,
is shed. It's almost as if it was done,
but it wasn't. It was about to be shed. When the scriptures
speak like this, it's because of the certainty of it happening.
Not that it was already done, but the certainty of what would
be accomplished. And he says, But I say unto you,
I will not drink henceforth of this fruit of the vine until
that day when I drink it new with you in my father's kingdom. Now, again, when did he drink
it new with them in his father's kingdom? It's not talking about
in a sweet by and by. It's talking about after his
resurrection. We find him for 40 days going around, not to
everybody, but showing himself to those for whom he died and
sitting and eating and drinking with them. When Christ told the
thief on the cross, today you shall be with me in paradise,
that kingdom which has been forever Yet the very foundation stone,
the cornerstone, was laid here at the cross. And it's by that
work of the Lord Jesus Christ that we enjoy that fellowship
with God through him. It's all pertaining to his blood.
Could not be any fellowship otherwise. It says, When they had sung a
hymn, they went out into the Mount of Olives. Now verse 31,
Then saith Jesus unto them, All ye shall be offended because
of me this night. For it is written, where is it
written? Well, Zechariah chapter 13 and
verse 7, I will smite the shepherd and the sheep of the flock shall
be scattered abroad. Now you say, well, where's the
rest of the verse there where it says that I will turn mine
hand upon the little ones? Well, look at verse 32. But after I am risen again, notice
he didn't say if I am risen again, but after I am risen again. He says, I will go before you
into Galilee. Now, those sheep had to be scattered,
because we, like Peter, all have this sense of pride in ourselves
that if I had been there, I wouldn't have done that. And Peter had
that attitude. Even after hearing it, you can
see in verse 33, Peter answered and said unto him, Though all
men be offended because of thee, yet will I never be offended.
That's why he had to be scattered. Every one of us has to be brought
in our lifetime. If the Lord died for us, we're
going to be brought in our lifetime to understand that there is no
good thing in this flesh. Even as regenerate sinners, it
is not our walk and conduct that God looks to in order to bless
us. If it were, Peter would have
never been blessed. It's the work of the Lord Jesus
Christ, isn't it? That's exactly what I want you
to see here, and that's why I've entitled this message, Saved
and Kept by Christ. That's a precious truth to anybody
that, like Peter, had been brought to see that if left to ourselves,
we would go the way of all flesh. All right? So by way of introducing
this, I want us to just consider four particulars here. I'm going
to give these to you, and there's a There's a heart to this message
that we're going to get to after I show you these four things.
But first of all, just just know coming back to Zechariah chapter
13 and verse 7. The commission given to the sword. By the Lord of hosts, the sword
is almost personified here, isn't it? This is language of scripture.
Awake, O sword against my shepherd. The stroke of the sword. When
you think of a sword, we're not talking about just a simple rod
here of chastening. A sword depicts death, doesn't
it? Awake, O sword. It depicts a death sentence. But not against the sheep. But against the shepherd. You
know, our nature would say, oh, no, it's the sheep that deserve
it. True. But here is substitution. the
fact that God has purposed that the sword be awakened against
the shepherd. And God himself bids it to awake
and smite. I ask you, was it for sins of
his own that he should face such a death? Absolutely not. Not for sins of his own, but
for sin, yes. He was made sin. He was made sin. He was made
the object of the guilt of sin that was mine. But that was put
on Him. Not put in Him, but put on Him.
You see, smite the shepherd. It says, and the sheep shall
be scattered, but not lost. I like that. All these terms
are important. They were scattered, but all
the while spared. That shows me right there that
this salvation wasn't dependent upon or conditioned upon something
Christ did, plus what the sheep would do. The sheep were taken
completely out of the picture, excluded, taken out of the formula
by God himself. And he did it with purpose. You
say, why did those disciples run? Why did they scatter after
three and a half years of following? It had to be to be demonstrated
that if they were to be saved and even in their worst denial
of Christ, you realize they denied Christ as much as Judas did.
Judas just did it in a different way, perhaps, but that was all
a denial of Christ. In fact, the word, the language
that's used here in Scripture is that they would be offended
in me. That's what Christ said in Matthew
26, 31. So it wasn't just running scared. To be offended in him
means that they found a fence in identifying with him. And
yet it did not keep Christ from saving him and drawing him again
to himself. All the more reason to glorify
his person and his work. That's where salvation is. And
I'll tell you, that's good news for me as a sinner. Good news. Smite the shepherd and the sheep
shall be scattered but spared, nonetheless spared. You know,
it's as if the Lord God said, come forth out of the scabbard,
O sword of justice, sheathed for so long time. Now, this was
purpose from the foundation of the world. And all of those types
and pictures of the land slain in the Old Testament down through
the millenniums, all were types and pictures of what should be
accomplished. But the time would come when
in reality, that sword would actually have to be taken out
of that scabbard. and brought to smite, kill the
shepherd, that God be just and justified and that law and justice
be satisfied. I know people get upset with
us. They say, well, you're always talking about the legal aspects
of salvation. Let me ask you something. If
the legal aspect of salvation has not been fulfilled in every
jot and tittle, what kind of joy or peace or hope or comfort
could you ever expect to find if it weren't so? You'd have
none. Your experience would be a false experience. It's the
very reason why I can joy. It's the very reason why I can
hope. It's the very reason why I can
rest. Because I see that law and justice
has been satisfied. Has been satisfied. That's what
this is all about. Don't deny me that joy of talking
about what satisfied God himself. And that's the death of his son,
the Lord Jesus Christ. but now has been awakened for
what purpose? To draw blood such as never before
had been shed. You think about how even kings
have died. The most royal of men. They say royal blood was drawn. None like this. None like this. But dear friends, it had to be.
He's the Lamb of God. You talk about how serious this
matter of salvation is in God's eyes. He spared not his own son,
but delivered him up. That we might be forgiven sins,
that we might be declared righteous before a holy God. That's where
it was accomplished. That's where the execution took
place. That's where law was satisfied. That's why Christ said, and I'll
raise again. And when I do, I'll go before
you into Galilee and draw you to myself. It's all about what
was accomplished there. And if it wasn't. There's no
hope for any of us. No hope for any of us. All right.
The second thing that I'd have you to note here in this portion
of scripture is the person against whom this sword was commissioned.
We have the sword commissioned, but the person against whom it
was commissioned, he says, my shepherd and the man that is
my fellow. So our Lord Jesus Christ is referred
to as the shepherd. That's his person. and he's referred
to as God's fellow. Now, both of these images would
be a message in and of themselves. And I would encourage you to
take the word, you have a concordance just like I do, and run these
words through scripture. Hebrews likes to talk about behold
the man. Behold the man. It was necessary
that a body be prepared for him. That's why this matter, even
though God purposed it from eternity, could not have been accomplished
in eternity, because Christ did not eternally have a body, did
he? I know God doesn't change, and
yet it says that he was made flesh and dwelt among us. It didn't change who he was in
his divine nature, but he became flesh and now ever lives in glory
in that flesh. That's an amazing thing. He didn't
discard it when he set it on high, and he'll come again in
the same manner in which he's gone. And when we're in glory,
we'll see this man, fellow. Actually, he won't see a spirit. We'll see a man described as
the Lamb, slain, seated upon the throne. So this is an important
language that we're reading about here. But first of all, the shepherd. You know, in progression of scripture,
I like progressive revelation. It's like telling a good story
to your kids. You don't tell them the end before
the beginning. You start off and every little
sentence, as you're telling the story, gives a little bit more
detail, catches their attention. And as they listen, all of a
sudden they're anticipating. And then finally, when the end
of the chapter comes, what do they like to tell you to do?
You have little kids still on your knees. Can we read it again?
We read it again. We never tire of progressive
revelation. You see, we never tire of it.
Even in how Christ is revealed as the shepherd. Here he's called
my shepherd in Scripture. The Lord is my shepherd. But
as you get into the New Testament, look over in John chapter 10
and verse 11. This is why I know that it could
never be said of Christ that by bearing the sin of his
people, he actually became sinful. Because he's called what? The
good shepherd. You can't call sinful what is
good. And you can't call good what is sinful. But you see,
that's how he describes himself in John 10, verse 11. I am the
good shepherd. Now, how does the shepherd manifest
himself as good? A lot of people talk about how
good Christ is to them. They profess to know him and
he's paying the bills, he's taking care of the sickness, he's doing
this and that. Look how scripture describes
his goodness. Right there in verse 11. The good shepherd giveth
his life for the sheep. I could be in stark poverty right
now with hardly a change of clothes, but if the Lord died for me,
he's the good shepherd. He's the good shepherd. I don't
look to anything else. I don't deserve anything. His
goodness is in the fact that he laid down his life for me. It could be true of I could be
in facing a terminal illness right now, but he's the good
shepherd. If he died for me, I rejoice
in that in his death, my sin was put away and I have a true
hope of glory. You see, that's how he's the
good shepherd. But it doesn't stop there. If
you progressively Again, verse 14, I am the good shepherd, and
know my sheep. Notice the order is so vital.
It says, and am known of mine. That's true. That's what the
Spirit does. It causes us to know him. And that word know
means in an experiential way. We're not setting aside experience.
But experience alone is not salvation. Salvation is in this one who
laid down his life. The experience flows from that.
But what's vital here is that he is the good shepherd who laid
down his life. And he says, I know my sheep. We might not be so discerning
as to who he died for, but there's one one thing's for sure. Christ
knows his sheep. There's no question as to as
to who he knows and those for whom he died. So that's why he's
the good shepherd. Now, if you look over in Hebrews,
chapter 13, again, progression. As we fast forward here in the
scriptures, in Hebrews chapter 13 and verse 20, how is he described
here? Well, we read now the God of
peace that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that
great shepherd of the sheep. He's the good shepherd. He's
the great shepherd of the sheep. But look at here, through the
blood of the everlasting covenant. How is he identified as the great
shepherd? Still in connection with his
blood. Through that blood of the everlasting covenant, that
covenant, eternal covenant made between the father and son, but
that had to be ratified. And when was it ratified? Not
when you believed. But when he died. It was done. It was accomplished. It was finished.
That fits the whole idea of a testament, a will and testament, doesn't
it? When is that testament activated? When the testator dies. All those
named in that will then benefit as a result of that death. That's
the same language that's used right here with regard to Christ.
That's why he's the great shepherd, the great shepherd of the sheep. And then when you get over to
Let's look on over to 1 Peter chapter 5 and verse 4. Again,
working down toward the end of the New Testament. God calls him My Shepherd there
in Zechariah. Here in John calls him the Good
Shepherd. In Hebrews we see him as the
Great Shepherd and as if that weren't great enough here in
1 Peter chapter 5 and verse 4. We read and see that he is the
chief shepherd. It says, and when the chief shepherd
shall appear, ye shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth
not away. What is that crown of glory?
Well, that's the final effect of what Christ accomplished in
his death. It's our glorification. It's
the removing of of the very presence of sin. Isn't that what we struggle
with right now? I've been delivered from the
penalty of sin by his death, by his spirit. I'm delivered
from the power of sin as far as its ignorance and blindness
and darkness. But thank God it's not over.
I shall be, when the chief shepherd shall appear, ye shall receive
a crown of glory, a crowning glory. that fadeth not away."
What is that crowning glory? To be made like Christ. That's what I look forward to.
To be as He is without sin in my very presence. Now that is
not the case. Even though I've been bought
and redeemed and called, I look forward to that time, that crowning
glory. That's what it's about. It's not some little crown that's
going to be put on our head that we're going to strut around with.
Let's see how many crowns you've got. We're all going to share
in that same crowning glory to be sinless. What a glorious day. What a glorious day. But that's
why he's the chief shepherd, because he brings it to pass.
What does a sheep do for itself? Put a sheep out there and let
it fend for itself. It's going to die. It takes a
shepherd. It takes one that cares for it
and keeps it and preserves it. And that's how Christ is described
here. And again, in this verse, these are important matters to
underscore, Zechariah 13, 7, that it is the shepherd's sole
responsibility. The sheep does nothing for himself,
does nothing to impress the shepherd. Can you imagine a sheep kicking
its heels up a little bit and coming up next to the shepherd
like it's somebody? Now, it's just enjoying the comfort of
the shepherd being there. The shepherd redeems. It's the
shepherd. It's by that shepherd's smitten
that God justifies. The shepherd feeds. The shepherd
guides. The shepherd preserves the flock of God's elect unto
the end. But here, as if that language were not enough, in
Zechariah 13, 7, as I said, the person against whom this sword
is commissioned is called God's fellow man. God's fellow man. It literally means one like himself. That's an amazing thing, we stop
and think about it, a man like himself, like God himself. Well,
here's where we need the help of scripture again. How's that?
So with the Lord Jesus, we'll look over in Philippians chapter
two. And I know this is a passage that we're all acquainted with,
but when you see how all of this falls together in scripture,
one verse complimenting another, it shows us the glory of this
very word that we hold in our hands, the inspired word of God.
In Philippians chapter 2 and verse 6, we read, Who being in the form
of God, that is God himself, thought it not robbery to be
equal with God. In the beginning was the word,
the word was with God, the word was God, that describes Christ.
but made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of
a servant." Just as he was really God, and that's how it speaks
there of him being in the form of God, he was really God, so
he became really man. He was made, he took upon him
the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of man. Now, this is important, in the
likeness of man. He was not made as men in the
sense of being having taken our depravity. But he was made in
the likeness of men in the sense that he had a mind, will and
soul. You see, just as a man, but yet
without sin, it had to be all the way to the cross, yet without
sin, because he was that perfect lamb that had to be a perfect
lamb. And it says, being found in fashion
as a man. It doesn't mean he was any less
a man, but in fashion as a man, in the sense that he did not
take our sin nature. He took our human nature, but
he did not take our sin nature. But he humbled himself. You know,
if he'd taken a sin nature, or if any way, even by God imputing
sin to him, In essence, making him a sinner, if that were the
case, then it would not be said that he gave up his spirit unto
God when he died on the cross. You know, the scriptures say
he gave up the ghost. Is there any one of us that can do that?
You know, people say we had to be made exactly like we are,
otherwise God couldn't have killed us. Can you just commend your
spirit to God and die when you determine? Christ said, no man
takes my life. I lay it down of myself. Were
he made a sinner, he could not have said that. He could not
have said that. But here he humbled himself and
became obedient unto death. In other words, that obedience
had to be there all the way until death. Until God determined that
he died. At no time, even on the cross,
could it be said that he was made a sinner. Why? Because he
was God's man. And God requires what? Perfection.
Holiness. He had to be perfect unto death. Even the death of the cross.
And there in verse 9 it says, Wherefore God also hath highly
exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name, that
the name of Jesus every knee should bow, things in heaven,
and things in earth, and things under the earth. So he was in
the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God,
but it was against Christ. It was against this fellow. He's
God's fellow. He's God's servant. He's God's
savior. He's God's substitute. And the
delight of his soul. All right, so that's the person
against whom it was commissioned. Thirdly, coming back to Zechariah
13, 7, what was the consequence? What was the consequence of this
deadly stroke on the shepherd? Well, it says here in verse 7,
and the sheep shall be scattered." So again, the sheep here in particular,
as far as the historical outworking of this, are represented in that
little flock of disciples that followed our Lord until he was
given into the hand of his enemies. Which at that time, when Christ
said, Now is the hour of darkness, at that time It says here that
they all forsook him and fled. As the scripture says, it was
necessary that Christ should tread that winepress alone, unaided
by any human comfort or relationship. You stop and think about that
in terms of Christ dying. They could not be there. It's
like creation. When God created the world, what
day was it that God created man? The sixth day. right in the last
place. That pretty much sows it up that
man didn't have anything to do with it. And it's the same thing
here with regard to the death of the Lord Jesus Christ, which
is what I believe the scripture is referring to as a new creation. It's not when we're regenerated,
but it's when God, the new man created in holiness has to do
with Christ coming as a man, the last Adam. and fulfilling
all righteousness, and that from there flows out a life that can
never be taken away. See, Adam was a creation, and
there was a perfection for a while in him, but then he fell. What
do we need? A new creation. We need a new
starting point. And again, a creation completely
removes man from the formula. When did that take place? when
the Lord Jesus Christ came into this world. He was born of a
virgin. Made flesh. That was a creation. Shaped in holiness. In Luke it says they're that
holy thing that is in thee. There's the new creation. Out of which comes life for all
those that he represents. Out of Adam came death, out of
him comes life. But in order for that life to
be, there had to be the satisfying of God's law and justice. And
that's what we see here. But the sheep had to be removed.
Christ tread this winepress alone. And for that reason, we see that
none would stand with him or own him in that hour. I'm going
to come back to that in just a brief minute here, but let
me give you the fourth particular that I want you to see with regard
to this death of the shepherd. It's the gracious effect of this
death. You see that in verse 7? I'm
glad it doesn't end with, and the sheep shall be scattered.
That would be a dismal end of the story, wouldn't it? But look
at here, and I will turn mine hand upon the little ones. You know, when he says that,
by little ones, he means, again, that immediate band of disciples
that was with him in the historic context, but in it we also see
a promise of hope for all that are the Lord's sheep, whom the
Father gave him from all eternity. As sheep, they're depicted as
what? Weak and feeble. Weak and feeble. But in the Savior,
what do we see? Nothing but strength and grace. Can you see that, dear friend?
I hope so. See, to have the eyes open is
to see yourself as nothing but weak and feeble, undeserving,
scattered. I like that, scattered but not
lost. He's going to find you. He's going to find you. But in
him, strength and grace. And when it says here, turning
his hand upon them, we see God's gracious gathering of them again
in love And that's what he does. Those
he loves, he saves and he keeps. They could not be forever lost,
although for a time they were scattered. And as Christ said,
look over in John chapter 17 and verse 12. Again, we see where
Scripture confirms Scripture here. In John chapter 17 and
verse 12, our Lord made reference to this, of the surety of his
death. He says in his high priestly
prayer, while I was with them in the world, I kept them in
thy name. Those that thou gavest me, I
have kept. Who's doing the keeping? Well,
it's Christ. Even in their scattering, they
were kept. They were kept. And he says none
of them is lost. We like to think, well, at that
time when they were scattered, they sure were lost. No, they
weren't. The shepherd knew where they were all the time. Maybe
they in themselves in that scattered state were lost, but not the
shepherd didn't lose him. Shepherd didn't lose him is all
according to the plan, he said, but the son of perdition, the
description might be fulfilled. He knew those that were his and
those that weren't. You see, so that's that's a blessed truth. Now, let me just I told you after
these four points, there's a there's a heart of the matter I want
to give you here in conclusion. I believe it should be clear.
to any of us reading this portion of scripture with eyes opened
by the Spirit of God, that our salvation is of the Lord from
beginning to end. From beginning to end. It's only
by Christ and his righteousness established, accepted, and imputed
at the cross that we're saved and kept. Now, if that has not
been brought home to your heart yet, Look again at what this
scripture is saying. It's not something in us that
saves us or keeps us. It's all in him. That ought to
be evident. That ought to be evident. Unfortunately,
there are some that would argue that to put the entire work of
righteousness at the cross of the Lord Jesus Christ is somehow
deficient thinking. and that we need to broaden our
thinking to include other ways of being saved. Here is the undermining
of the very message of Scripture, and I hope you see it just as
seriously as the Lord has caused me to see it. Now, in two ways. Some argue for salvation and
justification from eternity. I just recently read one of those
articles where a man who professes to be preaching the gospel makes
this sort of statement. Why are we arguing and bickering
over when the justification took place? God purposed it already from
eternity, so it was done. Why argue about it? If I was
to adopt that particular line of thinking, then why argue even
with a free willer? Why even make it a battleground
if it doesn't matter anyway? You see how foolish such thinking
is? Let me ask you this, if that were the case, if I was already
saved and justified back there in eternity, regardless of the
outworking of it in Christ's death, what then was my state
as one of God's elect when Adam fell? When I read those portions
of scripture and I see that in Adam all died, was I exempt from that? Some
say so. I was quite surprised when I
questioned the man on this, and he came back with this answer. He said, well, we didn't fall
in Adam, speaking of the elect, as the others did. We fell out
of fellowship only. Is that what the scriptures say?
Romans chapter 3. In fact, read Romans 1 through
3. All three chapters. I see nothing
but even with regard to the elect, condemnation. Condemnation. Condemnation. There is none righteous. No, not one. That's describing
elect and non-elect as far as their persons are concerned.
And dear friend, I'll tell you this. Unless God has made that
plain to your heart, you've not known Christ yet. You've not
known the gospel. It's vital. Did they fall in
condemnation with him or not? Did we? Scripture says we did. And that condemnation was upon
every one of God's elect until it was put away. Now, the scriptures
in Romans chapter 3, if you look in Romans chapter 3. Some people
argue, they say, well, how could you say that God loves sinners
and chose them and still say they were under condemnation?
Well, answer that question with the Lord himself, God's fellow.
How could he be the loved one of God, holy and pure, and still
be under the wrath of God when he died? He bore that wrath. It didn't in any way change who
he was as the loved one, as the beloved of God. And yet, because
justice required it, wrath was poured out upon him. In that
instant, he bore that condemnation. But as far as we who are the
Lord's, that sentence of condemnation that was since Adam was ours
until Christ put it away. Absolutely. And that's what we
see here in Romans chapter three. Look at it with me here in. In
verse 10. As it is written, there is none
righteous, no, not one. You can't say none except for
the elect. There's none righteous, if that justification took place
back there in eternity, and as some say, God has always seen
us as justified and we were never under condemnation, then how
on earth do you read a passage like this? There is none that understandeth,
there is none that seeketh after God. They are all gone out of
the way. They are together become unprofitable. There is none that doeth good,
no, not one. And you can keep reading right
on down to verse 19. Now we know that what things
soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law,
See, we were at one time under that law's condemnation. How? By imputation. Sin of Adam
being imputed to our charge, to our account, that every mouth
may be stopped. Quit arguing that you weren't
under condemnation. The reason it's revealed is that
we might own that, yes, we were. And all the world may become
guilty before God, all the world. Therefore, by the deeds of the
law, there shall no flesh be justified in his sight." So again,
it brings us forward. Now, that being the case, being
under that condemnation, it's not by the deeds of the law that
we're going to be satisfied, justified in his sight. For by
the law is the knowledge of sin. That's why it's given, the knowledge
of sin. These men that are arguing, well,
I was never under that condemnation because it was all done in eternity.
They're not acknowledging what the law says. You were guilty.
You were guilty. Now listen, but now, verse 21,
you see the progression here? You cannot rip these verses out.
But now the righteousness of God without the law, in other
words, without you keeping the law, is manifested, is revealed,
being witnessed by the law and the prophets. That's the Old
Testament. Even the righteousness of God Which is what? By faith of Jesus Christ. By that faith that sets Christ
forth. That faith in connection with
his person and his death. It's by that that we're declared
righteous. And notice the righteous. And
it says unto all and upon all them that believe. It's not your
believing that gets it done. But it is already upon all and
unto all that believe. It was already established. It
was already set forth. And that's why those believe,
that do believe, because of that righteousness. Don't get the
cart before the horse. And that moves me into the second
point that I want to close with here, you know, because those
that argue eternal justification, are completely wiping aside everything
is set forth in the scripture is the necessity of the necessary
outworking of this righteousness and salvation. There's a there's
a very real condemnation that took place in Adam's fall. There's a very real righteousness
that's been established and imputed. It's all of God's righteousness.
That's how it's described here. The righteousness of God. Why
is it called his righteousness? Because he ordered it. and he
has accepted it as being established and accomplished by the death
of his son. But some argue, and this is the second last point,
for salvation and justification from the point of believing,
and I dare say that's where most of us were in error in our thinking. We thought that yes, Christ died,
and that for some time we gave glory to Christ, having finished
the work, so we said, And yet we believe, we still believe
that we were still under the wrath of God until we believed. Let me ask you this. What was
the death of Christ all about then? Either he put away sin
or he didn't. Either he satisfied law and justice
or he didn't. And if he did, that means from
that time forward, that condemnation was removed. Even though I am
still in blindness, I am in darkness, but that's not the condemnation
of which the scriptures say men are under. I agree with this
statement that you are either justified before God or you're
condemned. There's only one of those two
states. That is true. But I'll tell you, that doesn't
change based on your believing or not. If I'm justified before
God, if my sin was put away, I've been declared righteous
before God, when I'm brought to believe does not move me then
into a state of justification. It just what it does is causes
me, by God's grace, to know of that justification that was already
accomplished for me there at Calvary. But I'll tell you this. I know this. If it wasn't accomplished
there for you, you are and ever shall be under condemnation.
God's left you to yourself because there's no hope apart from the
shepherd that was smitten and the satisfaction that he accomplished
there at Calvary. You know, if our justification
were dependent upon believing, let me ask you this. What would
be the case, then, of these disciples who were scattered? They all
made the promise. They all said, We'll not die.
We'll not go away. Maybe others will, but not us.
What was their salvation at that time when Peter was denying our
Lord in that judgment hall? His salvation was the one that
that judgment was being put upon. It wasn't anything in him. It
wasn't anything that Christ was looking for in him. Christ was
standing in his place for him. And that's true of any sinner,
any that the Lord has been pleased to save. We're saved and we're
kept by him. Well, there's a lot more that
I could say, but I pray the Lord will bless this to our hearts
and bring us to bow. that one true righteousness of
God accomplished through the death of the Lord Jesus Christ.