The name of the message is What
a Hope in Christ. Today in the current situation
we find ourselves in there is a fear about the virus which
is affecting our everyday lives. We see fear being brought forth
in the news and when we speak to our unsafe family members
and even We who are the children of God can be gripped with fear
when we look at the situation occurring around us. This weekend
is usually a time when we find ourselves gathering with family
and friends as it is a national holiday. Now we find ourselves
in our homes and not able to gather with our church family
or our natural family. We who are the people of God
celebrate our Lord's resurrection all the time, but this is a time
when usually others who do not know Christ may inquire about
Him with us. May we pray that God would open
up doors of utterance for we who are the people of God to
tell others of the hope we have in Christ Jesus our Lord. Paul,
when he penned the words in Colossians by inspiration of the Holy Spirit
of God, he gives God's people a remedy in Christ. No matter
what situation we find ourselves in, we who are the people of
God know this to be true as Christ is our only hope. Turn if you
would to Colossians chapter 3 and we'll read verses 1 to 4. Colossians chapter 3 verse 1,
If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above,
where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. Set your affection,
not your heart. So we see that he tells us to
set our minds, seek those things which are above, and now he tells
us to set our affection, our hearts, on things above. And
remember, this is all by inspiration of the Holy Spirit of God. Set
your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. For
ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God. When
Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear
with him in glory. Beloved, we serve and worship
the one true living God, our Lord Jesus Christ. It is He who
rose from the grave. And we see in verse 1 that He
is right now sitting on the right hand of God. We know that He
is ruling and reigning over all things. Every virus in the world,
every atom, all things visible and invisible are governed by
His almighty sovereign power. So what a hope then the believer
in Christ has when we look to our risen Savior knowing that
it is He who has saved us by the shedding of His precious
blood on Calvary and knowing that He satisfied the law and
justice of God in our place. Knowing He has raised for our
justification We see why then Paul said, don't set your mind
on things on this earth, but set your minds upon Christ, our
Lord Jesus Christ. And it's he who the believer
is hidden. We are hid in Christ. Now people
unfortunately fear this virus more than they fear God. Listen
to what the Bible says about our great God. It is him who
people should fear. Matthew chapter 10, verse 28,
the scripture declares, and fear not them which kill the body,
but are not able to kill the soul, but rather fear him which
is able to destroy both soul and body in hell. My, what a
description we have here before us of the power of God in Matthew
10, 28. God is able to do that which
man is not able to do. Man can kill the body, but he
cannot touch the soul. God is able to destroy. That
is to torment and punish both body and soul in hell, in everlasting
punishment. For neither soul or body will
be annihilated, but no, the punishment which awaits the wicked is eternal. Should man not fear He who is
able to hurl and will hurl all the wicked into hell, the lake
which burns with fire and brimstone forever? Should God not be feared
and dreaded? Yes, He is the only one to be
feared. Cruel and persecuting men are
not to be feared at all. God alone should be feared. chiefly,
principally, solely, as He alone has the power over the life and
death and power over the souls of men and women. So what a hope
the believer has then in Christ. Now we who are the people of
God, we fear Him with irreverent fear, don't we? Knowing that
we have received mercy instead of wrath. Knowing that we are
just as deserving to perish in our sins as the wicked turn if
you would. Turn, if you would, to 1 Thessalonians 5. We know
we are but sinners saved by the grace of God. We know that we
are sinners declared righteous only in and through the Lord
Jesus Christ. God's people know this. We know
this. Look at this in 1 Thessalonians
5, verses 8 and 9. to 11. But let us, and you remember
Paul is writing this letter by inspiration of the Holy Spirit
of God. He's writing to God's born-again
blood-washed people at Thessalonica and he says this, but let us
who are of the day be sober putting on the breastplate of faith and
love and for an helmet the hope of salvation. So We know that
Christ, He's the helmet of our salvation. That whole armor of
God described in Ephesians is all Christ. It's all Christ. Look at this though. Look at
this marvelous verse in verse 9 here. For God hath not appointed
us to wrath, Paul's writing to God's people, and he's telling
them, God has not appointed you to wrath. What has he appointed
us to? But to obtain salvation by our
Lord Jesus Christ, because the wrath that was due us, it fell
upon Christ in our place. in our place. It goes on, who
died for us, that whether we wake or sleep, we should live
together with him. That's with Christ. Wherefore,
comfort yourselves together and edify one another, even as also
you do. What a hope this is for the believer
in Christ. What words of comfort these are
for the believer in Christ. Look, it says, for God hath not
appointed us to wrath. No, we receive mercy instead. Mercy, we're deserving of that
wrath, but we received mercy and we've been appointed to obtain
salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ in and through the perfect redeeming
work of the Lord Jesus Christ in Him alone. Behold the One,
behold the Lord Jesus Christ, we who are the born-again, blood-washed
saints of God. Trust our eternal souls to Christ
and Christ alone. Behold Him, behold Him. By faith
look upon Him. Behold the Lamb of God by faith,
the Word of God, the Second Person of the Trinity. It is He who
by the purpose and will of God the Father from eternity as the
Lamb slain before the foundation of the world, for a people whom
God gave to Christ in eternity, all because it pleased Him to
do so. This is wonderful truth. Behold
with the eye of faith the Lamb of God, the Lord Jesus Christ,
the Savior of sinners, the Word of God incarnate, who was made
flesh and dwelt among us, and who is full of grace and truth,
the sinless, spotless Lamb of God who came down to this earth,
from heaven to save His people from their sins. Behold, by God-given
faith, behold the Lamb of God, the Lord Jesus Christ, dying
on the cross in the place of His people. Again, the sinless
one, dying for the ungodly, dying for sinners. What love is on
display here, beloved of God, that our great God has for His
people. What love is on display here
that He would bear the punishment, the wrath of God for our sins. The God-man would do that. The
Lord Jesus Christ would do that. Behold what manner of love that's
on display before us in the death of our Lord Jesus Christ when
He died for our sins. And marvel at the sinless sacrifice
of the Lamb of God, the sinless one, dying in the place of His
people. Sinners by birth, nature, and
choice. And remember the verses in 1
Thessalonians 5, verses 9 and 10, which we read just before
this portion. For God hath not appointed us
to wrath, for God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation
by our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us, that whether we
wake or sleep, we should live together with him. Beloved, we
are vessels of mercy. He's appointed us as vessels
of mercy. He has not appointed the born-again,
bloodless child of God to wrath, as He appointed that wrath which
was deserving our sins to fall upon Christ. God appointed that
to occur. And oh, what mercy, what grace
we then see displayed at Calvary when Christ died to save His
people from their sins. Behold the Lamb of God, the Lord
Jesus Christ. They laid Him in a tomb, but
death could not hold the sinless one. No, behold, He has risen. He is risen for our justification
to show us, to manifest to we who are the people of God, that
God the Father is fully satisfied with the sacrifice of Christ
in the place of His people. Behold Him, the risen Lamb. Revelation chapter 5 verse 6
says, And I beheld, and lo, in the midst of the throne, and
of the four beasts, and in the midst of the elders, stood a
lamb, as it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which
are the seven spirits of God, sent forth into all the earth.
So what a hope the believer then in Christ has. Not only did Christ
fulfill the law of God in our place and pay for all of our
sins and extinguish the wrath of God that was against us, but
He has risen, beloved, and we know that where He is, we will
be also. So what a hope, again, the believer
has in Christ. Death is but a doorway for us
into the presence of our great Savior, our great God, the risen
Lamb of God, the Lord Jesus Christ. Behold the Lamb of God, the great
unchangeable I AM. The Lord Jesus Christ, the One
who the Scriptures declare is the same yesterday, today, and
forever. Behold the Lamb of God, the Lord
Jesus Christ, the King of glory and of grace. Turn, if you would,
to Psalm 24. Behold Him, the Lord Jesus Christ,
the God-Man, the king of glory, the king of grace, the great
I am, the one whom it is said from the lips of the masses that
Abraham rejoiced to see my day, and he saw it and was glad. Behold,
he who declared of himself that he is the great I am, he proclaimed
this in John chapter eight, verily, verily, I say unto you, before
Abraham was, I am. Oh, behold the Lamb. of God,
the Lord Jesus Christ, who is declared in the Psalms to be
the King of Glory, Psalm 24, verses 7 to 10. Lift up your
heads, O ye gates, and be ye lift up, ye everlasting doors,
and the King of Glory shall come in. Who is the King of Glory? the Lord strong and mighty, the
Lord mighty in battle. Lift up your heads, O ye gates,
even lift them up, ye everlasting doors, and the King of glory
shall come in. Who is this King of glory? The
Lord of hosts. He is the King of glory, Selah. He is the one we hope in, beloved
of God, the Lord Jesus Christ, the King of glory. He is the
one who Paul, by inspiration of the Holy Spirit of God, exhorted
we who are believers to set our minds upon, in contrast to setting
our minds on the things of this world. Have you ever heard somebody
say that you're too heavenly-minded to be any earthly good? I do
not like that, because Paul himself exhorts us to set our minds on
things above, to set our minds and our affection on Christ and
Christ alone. It's when we get looking to the
world and looking to circumstances that every born-again, blood-washed
child of God gets in trouble. So we are to set our minds upon
He who we hope in, beloved. In contrast to setting our minds
on the things of this world, behold the Lamb of God, the Lord
Jesus Christ, the Word of God incarnate, sinless in eternity,
perfectly holy as the Word of God, the Lamb slain before the
foundation of the world, sinless in His life, the willing substitute
of His people, the God-man, fully God and fully man, sinless and
spotless. Behold our great God, the Lord
Jesus Christ, the sinless one, dying as a substitute of his
people, who gave himself up before God without spot, perfectly holy
in his life and perfectly holy in his death. Behold our perfect,
spotless righteousness, the Lord Jesus Christ. He is our righteousness. He is the Lord, our righteousness. Turn, if you would, to 1 Peter
1, and listen to these wonderful words penned by Peter again by
the inspiration of the Holy Spirit of God. 1 Peter 1, verses 18
to 21. For as much as you know that
you were not redeemed with corruptible things as silver and gold from
your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers,
but with the precious blood of Christ. Christ's blood is precious,
beloved, because it's God's blood. He's the God man. He's the perfect,
sinless, spotless lamb of God. But with the precious blood of
Christ is of a lamb without blemish and without spot. That's who
he is. He has no spot, no blemish. He's
perfect. He's holy. He's sinless. Who verily was foreordained before
the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last
times for you. Who by him do believe. That's
who we believe in. We believe in Christ and we believe
by him. granting us faith to believe,
oh my, that raised him up from the dead and gave him glory,
that your faith and hope might be in God. Who's our faith and
hope in? It's in God. It's in the God-man,
the Lord Jesus Christ, the Word of God incarnates. the one who
is the lamb slain from before the foundation of the world.
So our hope and our faith is in God and God alone, and that
being the Lord Jesus Christ. Again, the one who is our perfect,
spotless righteousness. And the scriptures declare this
of the believer in Christ, but of him are ye in Christ who of
God has made unto us wisdom. He's all our wisdom and righteousness. He's our righteousness and sanctification. Only in Christ are we made holy
and redemption. There is only redemption through
our great God and Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, that according
to His written, He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord. See,
it takes away any kind of creature boasting. And we glory in Christ,
in Christ alone, because we know that everything we've received
is by the mercy and grace of God. So behold the Lamb of God,
the Lord Jesus Christ, the believer's only hope, as our souls have
been purchased by His precious blood. We are one with Him. He
is the head and we are the body. And though we shall pass through
death's door, because we are one with Him and because of His
almighty power, He will bring His elect in His presence to
be with Him forever. And this will all happen according
to His mercy and His grace. So marvel at this wondrous fact. you whose only hope is the Lord
Jesus Christ. Our souls have been purchased,
our eternal souls have been purchased by the precious blood of the
God-man, by the precious blood of God. the Lord Jesus Christ. Turn, if you would, to Acts 20,
verse 28, and see how this is brought forth. And then also
put your finger in Titus 2. Acts 20, verse 28, and also Titus
2, verses 13 and 14. We'll look at all these verses
here. Look at this. Acts 20, 28. Take heed, therefore, unto yourselves
and to all the flock over which the Holy Ghost hath made you
overseers. Paul is talking to the Ephesian pastors, the elders,
the ones who are chosen by God to preach and proclaim this word,
this marvelous gospel. He says, to feed the church of
God. God's preachers are to preach the gospel. They're overseers
over God's sheep, and they are to preach the gospel to them,
the church of God. That's his bride, look at this,
which he hath purchased with his own blood. Again, this speaks
of Christ's deity. And then in Titus chapter two,
verses 13 and 14, it says this, looking for that blessed hope
and the glorious appearing of our great God and our savior,
Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us. that he might redeem
us from all iniquity. Oh, he's saved us from all our
sins. And purify himself a peculiar
people, zealous of good works. We're made holy in Christ, in
Christ alone. Do you know that we're hid in
Christ? Go back to our text in Colossians
chapter three, and it says this. It says, for ye are dead, speaking
again of God's born again blood washed people, for ye are dead
and your life is hid with Christ in God. Beloved of God, what
a hope then we as believers have. In verse three in Colossians
here, it brings forth that we are dead as far as this world
is concerned. With its riches and its honor
and its temporary glory, its fame, its pleasures and its relationships,
we're dead to those things, beloved. And beloved of God, the more
we are aware of our union with the Lord Jesus Christ, the more
our minds are set upon Him, the less interest we have in this
world, and in all its passing vanities. What a hope we have,
beloved of God, knowing that one day we will be with our Lord
Jesus Christ, our great God, forever, and it'll all be according
to His mercy and according to His grace. So when we are tempted
and tried, when the enemy tempts us to despair. Let us always
remember our Lord's words to our beloved brother Peter in
Luke chapter 22, knowing that this is true of all of us. Luke
22 verses 31 and 32. And the Lord said, Simon, Simon,
behold, Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you
as wheat. But I had prayed for thee, that
thy faith fail not. And when thou art converted,
strengthen thy brethren. Turn, if you would, to John chapter
17. We can find great comfort as
God's people, great rest, knowing that our risen Savior is mediating
for us right now at the right hand of the Father, and knowing
that in his high priestly prayer in John chapter 17, that he prayed
for we who are his people. John chapter 17. We see our Lord
speaking of His finished work on behalf of His people and in
speaking of His disciples. John 17 verse 4. I have glorified
Thee on the earth. I have finished the work which
Thou gavest me to do. And now, O Father, glorify Thou
me with Thine own self, with the glory which I had with Thee
before the world was. I have manifested Thy name unto
the men which Thou gavest me out of the world. Thine they
were, and Thou gavest them Me, and they have kept Thy word. Now they have known that all
things whatsoever Thou hast given Me are of Thee. For I have given
unto them the words which Thou gavest Me, and they have received
them." By God's grace, they've received them, haven't they?
just like we've received the Word of God by God's grace and
in power. Remember our study in 1 Thessalonians
talks about how the Thessalonian believers didn't just hear the
Word spoken, but they heard it in power. And that's happened
to every single believer, every single born again, blood-washed
believer in Christ. For I have given unto them the
words which thou gavest me, and they have received them, and
have known surely that I am come out from thee, and they have
believed that thou didst send me. I pray for them, I pray not
for the world, but for them which thou hast given me, for they
are thine. Now let's look a little further down in this absolutely
wonderful chapter. Let's read verses 20 to 26, which
speaks of all who hear the gospel from the word of God, with the
life-giving power, of course, of God the Holy Spirit. John
chapter 17, verses 20 to 26. Neither pray I thee for these
alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their
word. that they all may be one as Thou, Father, art in me, and
I in Thee, that they also may be one in us, that the world
may believe that Thou hast sent me, in the glory which Thou gavest
me, I have given them, that they may be one even as we are one,
I in them, and Thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one,
and that the world may know that Thou hast sent me and hast loved
them as Thou lovest me. Father, I will that they also
whom Thou hast given me be with me where I am, that they may
behold my glory which Thou hast given me for Thou lovest me before
the foundation of the world. O righteous Father, see our God
is holy. He's righteous, just like Christ.
He's God incarnate in the flesh. He's holy, He's righteous. O
righteous Father, the world hath not known Thee, but I have known
Thee, and these have known that Thou hast sent me. And I have
declared unto them Thy name, and will declare it, that the
love wherewith Thou hast loved me may be in them, and I in them. Look what he says, though, in
verse 20, neither pray I for these alone, but for them also
which shall believe on me through their word. That's us, beloved.
So behold the Lamb of God with the eye of faith. Behold the
Lamb of God, the Lord Jesus Christ, sitting upon his throne right
now. If you've been convicted of your
sins within, look unto Him and live. Look unto Him and live. He is able to save to the uttermost
all who come to Him. May God make you willing in the
day of His power to flee to Him and Him alone. You who are the
beloved of God, look to our risen, exalted Savior. Look to Him in
all circumstances which come your way. He is in control of
all things. All our trials, all our tribulations,
they are all used to wean us of this world, a dear sister
who meets with us here in Alma. She bought that forth one time,
and it's such a wonderful truth that God uses trials and tribulations
and things that occur in our lives to wean us from this world,
to make us look more and more to Him, beloved, to make us homesick
to be in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ. So look by
faith upward. Look by God-given faith upward
from this world, in all the circumstances of this world, if you're a believer
in Christ, and see our Lord. See our Lord by God-given faith
upon the throne of glory, and take comfort in knowing that
He who rules and reigns watches over all the souls, every one
of His born-again, blood-washed, chosen people, and realize, then,
what a hope we have in Christ. Our dear brother in Christ, Stephen,
had the same hope, the same hope we have, beloved. Listen to what
the scriptures proclaim in Acts chapter 7 verses 55 to 56 at
the time of Stephen's death. But he, being full of the Holy
Ghost, looked up steadfastly into heaven and saw the glory
of God and Jesus standing on the right hand of God and said,
Behold, I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing.
on the right hand of God. So behold the Lamb of God, the
Lord Jesus Christ, beloved. Beloved of God, look to Him.
Look up from this world and behold our blessed, risen, sinless Savior,
the Lord Jesus Christ, the one who by His work and His work
alone saved the souls of His people. He lived that perfect
sinless life and He died sinless. and a full payment for the sins
of all whom the Father gave Him has been paid for, has been paid,
how? By the shedding of His precious
blood. And may your and may my sinful
soul, we who are believers, glory in the fact that our soul is
counted free. because of the merit and of the
work of the Lord Jesus Christ. So what a hope we who are the
people of God have in Christ. What a sure foundation we rest
upon. What a great pardon has come
to us from the Father. The Father looks upon us and
he sees us clothed in the perfect spotless righteousness of Christ.
So marvel that God the just one is absolutely satisfied with
the sacrifice of Christ as the payment for the sins of all the
elect of all the ages. Turn if you would to Romans chapter
3 with me. Romans chapter 3, we'll read
verses 20 to 31 in light of what we've looked at today. Romans
3, verse 20, Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall
no flesh be justified in his sight, for by the law is the
knowledge of sin. So we see right there in plain
words that no one can be justified by the keeping of the law. You
know why? Because there's not one of us
who can keep the law. Christ is the law keeper, and
he did it in the place of his people. He did it as a sinless
sacrifice. That which was impossible for
you and I is possible with God. And no flesh, absolutely no flesh
will be justified in God's sight by their so-called keeping of
the law. It's impossible. For by the law
is the knowledge of sin. The law shows us our sinfulness.
The law shows us our desperate need for Christ. Look at verse
21. But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifest. Who's our righteousness? Who's
this speaking of? Well, this is speaking of Christ Jesus.
He is the Lord, our righteousness for God's people. And he is the
righteousness of God. It says here, but now the righteousness
of God without the law is manifested. being witnessed by the law and
the prophets. The law and the prophets spoke of Christ. They
testified of our great King, even the righteousness of God,
which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that
believe, for there is no difference. God's people are given faith
to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, every single one of them. For all have sinned. Look at
this verse in verse 23 of Romans chapter three. For all have sinned.
There's that level playing field. Doesn't matter if you're rich
or you're poor. Doesn't matter. All men, women, children are
in desperate need of a savior. for all have sinned and come
short of the glory of God. And then verse 24, being justified
freely by his grace. Oh, we're justified through Christ,
by the grace of God, through the redemption that is in Christ
Jesus. He did it all. Salvation is only
in Christ, in Christ alone, whom God has set forth to be a propitiation. He's the only one who can appease
the wrath of God for the sins of his people. He's the only
one. He's the sinless, spotless sacrifice whom God has set forth
to be a propitiation through faith in His blood to declare
His righteousness, God's righteousness, which is Christ, for the remission
of sins that are passed through the forbearance of God. To declare,
I say, at this time his righteousness, that he might be just and justifier
of him which believeth on Jesus. You must be born again, right?
The scriptures declare, and we are granted faith to believe
when we're born again. We are granted faith to believe,
and that faith is God-given faith, and it has one object, and it's
Christ Jesus our Lord. Where is boasting then? Can we
boast about this? Well, no. Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law?
Of works? Nay, but by the law of faith.
We look to the one who's did it all. We look to the one who's
completed our salvation, the Lord Jesus Christ. We can't boast
in anything we do because all our works are like filthy rags
in the eyes of the Lord. Oh, if you're a sinner trusting
in your own self-righteousness, cast yourself upon Christ and
beg for mercy. Be like the public and then say,
God, be merciful to me, a sinner. That's what every born again
believer in Christ has done. And we will quickly tell you
we're just sinners saved by grace. But oh, cast yourself upon him.
Cast yourself upon the one who should be feared, the holy God
of the universe. My, look at verse 28. Look at
this. Very plainly spoken, very clear
what it's saying about the deeds of the law. Look at this. Therefore
we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of
the law. Without the deeds of the law.
Now we love God's law. We who are the people of God,
we love God's law. We just know we can't fulfill
it. I have to look to Christ and Christ alone. because he
is the great law fulfiller. If you're trying to justify yourself
before God by the keeping of the law, you're never gonna justify
yourself. You are not gaining merit and
favor with God. No, if you carry on in that way,
if God leaves you in that way, you're gonna go straight to hell.
No, the only way, the only way to be saved, the only way to
be saved from your sins and from my sins is in and through the
Lord Jesus Christ alone. And Paul writes, therefore we
conclude that a man is justified by faith, and that faith has
one object, that's the Lord Jesus Christ, without the deeds of
the law. So plain. Then it goes on in
verse 29, is he the God of the Jews only? Is he not also of
the Gentiles? Yes, the Gentiles also. Well,
praise be to God, because I'm a Gentile. Well, praise be to
God. seeing it is one God which shall
justify the circumcision by faith and the uncircumcision through
faith." My, oh, my. And that faith has one object,
Christ and Him alone. Do we then make void the law
through faith? God forbid. Yay, we established
the law. The law has been fulfilled by
the only one who could keep the law. the sinless, spotless Lamb
of God. And He did that in the place
of His people. So behold, the only Savior of
sinners, the Lord Jesus Christ, the King of glory and of grace. Let's finish today with once
again reading the verses we started with. And remember to set our
minds upon the Lord Jesus Christ, no matter what's going on around
us. He alone is our great hope, no matter what the circumstances
are occurring around us, and no matter what the circumstances
are we find ourselves in. Let's read Colossians 3 verses
1 to 4 again. If ye then be risen with Christ,
seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right
hand of God. Set your affection on things
above, not on things on the earth. for ye are dead, and your life
is hid with Christ in God. When Christ, who is our life,
shall appear, then shall ye also appear with Him in glory. Amen
and Amen.