Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ,
to the strangers scattered throughout Pontius, Galatia, Cappadocia,
Asia, and Bithynia. Elect according to the foreknowledge
of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience
and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ. Grace unto you
and peace be multiplied. Now last week we looked at the
portion of verse two which speaks of the fact that we are sanctified
by the Holy Spirit of God. And we've been looking at this
verse And we see clearly, just as Jonah proclaimed that salvation
is of the Lord, because we see in this verse here that the whole
Trinity is in action in the salvation of God's elect. We see God's
people are elect according to the foreknowledge of God, and
then they're sanctified by the Spirit, and they are redeemed
by the blood of Christ. And then, of course, grace unto
you and peace be multiplied. The only way we can receive grace
and the only way we have peace with God is in and through Christ
Jesus, our Lord. And it is multiplied. It is multiplied
very, very much. So God, the Holy Spirit, is the
third person of the holy, sovereign, triune God. In the Holy Scriptures,
refer to the Holy Spirit as Him, Himself. Many times in the Scriptures,
we looked at this last week, and we looked at, it is He, the
Holy Spirit, who guides us into all truth. He guides us into
all truth. Remember, we looked at how He
wouldn't speak of Himself, but He points us to Christ and teaches
us the things of Christ. He takes the things of Christ
and shows them to God's chosen blood-bought people. And the
miracle of the new birth is also performed by him, in him alone. I've noticed in the religion
of our day, and I remember hearing Brother Henry mention this back
in the 70s, one of the messages of his I was listening to, and
it is extremely prevalent even today. He said that decisionism
has replaced regeneration. And we see it. It's rampant.
It's rampant. People say, just make a decision
for Christ. And then you're saved. Well, the miracle of the new
birth is that it's a miracle. It's a work of God, the Holy
Spirit, where we're born again by the Holy Spirit of God. And
then we believe we have faith. And it can only be wrought by
him. It can't be wrought by anything we do at all, because that's
why salvation is of the Lord. If we had anything to do with
our salvation, then it would be of us and it wouldn't be salvation.
But salvation is holy in him, in Christ. And the Holy Spirit
is the one who regenerates us. And it's performed by the power
of God. And he sanctifies God's sheep through the belief of the
truth, granting us faith and repentance to believe on the
Lord Jesus Christ. Again, what comes first, faith
or regeneration? Well, regeneration. You won't
believe unless you're born again. It's a mighty work of God. It's
a mighty work of God. It is the spirit that quickeneth
the flesh, profiteth nothing. The words that I speak unto you,
they are spirit and life, John 6, 63. So today we'll be looking
at the latter part of verse two. It speaks of the perfect redeeming
work of the second person of the Trinity, the Lord Jesus Christ,
the one who is the believer's Lord and the one who is the believer's
Savior. It says, unto obedience and sprinkling
of the blood of Jesus Christ, grace unto you and peace be multiplied. In our text, we see Peter being
inspired by the Holy Spirit of God, and we see that he's placed
sanctification before redemption. Now, did he here contradict Jude's
statement about us being sanctified from eternity by the decree of
God? Absolutely not. Did he contradict Paul, who makes
sanctification the result of redemption of the blood of Jesus
Christ? Absolutely not. Peter was here inspired by the
Holy Spirit of God to record these three works of grace before
us in the order of experience for us. In the order of experience
for us, not in the order of accomplishment. God has chosen his people in
Christ, and we experience the sanctifying work of the Holy
Spirit of God in regeneration and in effectual calling. by
which he gives us faith in Christ before we can know anything about
our election. Now we're already redeemed by
Christ before we believe. God's people are. But for us
to have that knowledge of it, before we know anything about
it, we must be born again, beloved. We must be born again. Before
we know anything about our election, which is the source of all grace,
or our redemption, which is the grounds upon which grace is bestowed.
Until we experience the miracle of the new birth, until we are
enlightened by the Holy Spirit of God, we will never understand
the perfect redeeming work of the Lord Jesus Christ. We just
won't. But once we're born again, and
our Lord himself said in John chapter three, verse seven, you
must be born again. You must be, you must be. Once
we're born again, then we're taught of God. We're taught of
God. And all of God's elect come into this world dead in trespasses
and sins. And all of God's elect, the ones
Peter are writing to, must be born again. They must be born
again, because we're all sinners. And every chosen, blood-bought,
ransomed sinner shall be born again. They will be born again. You must be born again, because
unless you're born again by the almighty power of God and by
his grace, you'll never enter into the kingdom of God. So contrast that with decisionism, man-based salvation, to Holy Spirit regeneration.
We will never know this side of eternity, the damage, the
damage that Arminianism has done. We'll never know. People who
think they're going to glory, unless the Lord saves them, we'll
be in for a big, big surprise. But every chosen, blood-bought,
ransomed sinner shall be born again. They shall be. Let us
consider and be reminded of the truth of the Scriptures in proclaiming
the Holy Scriptures ascribe God's electing grace to the work of
God the Father in this verse. And the Word of God tells us
we know from other scriptures that the miracle of the new birth
is formed by the quickening power of the Holy Spirit. And Jesus
Christ is set forth in God's Holy Word as our perfect Savior,
our perfect Savior, the one who redeemed us, the one who redeemed
his chosen people, how? By the sacrifice of himself,
by the shedding of his own precious blood. Now, there are three divine
persons that make up one glorious, majestic God, God the Father,
God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. One God in three divine
persons. Our sovereign God is also of
one mind. He's of one mind. Our sovereign
God is of one mind. Think of this, when in the eternal
covenant of grace, God the Father chose us in Christ, the eternal
Son of God and the eternal Holy Spirit of God were in a perfect
agreement with those he chose. Just ponder that. They were in
perfect agreement. When the eternal Son of God agreed
to the conditions of the eternal covenant in eternity, which were
meant perfectly by our Savior, His perfect obedience unto death,
His death upon the cross, God the Father and God the Holy Spirit
were in perfect agreement with Him. Were in perfect agreement
with Him, with all the conditions of the eternal covenant, in perfect
agreement. God, the Holy Spirit, by his
sovereign power, makes sure that everything that was purposed
in the one perfect mind of God happens just exactly like it
was decreed. Exactly like it was decreed.
Now, this is very important for all of God's blood-bought children
to lay to our heart. And one might say, well, why?
Well, because we are not to believe every spirit, but we're to try
the spirits, whether they are of God, because many false prophets,
false preachers are gone out into the world. And there are
some preachers out there who claim to be followers of the
Lord Jesus Christ, and they're teaching universal redemption.
They're teaching universal redemption. They're saying that Christ died
for everyone. That's what they proclaim. And
they proclaim that his redeeming work was for all of Adam's race. We don't proclaim that here.
We proclaim that Christ died for his sheep and his sheep alone. Think of this. Think of this
universal redemption that's proclaimed. It makes the cross of Christ
of no effect. Of no effect. It's actually blasphemy. It states that the work of Christ
was a failure. When you really get down to it,
why, you might say, why? Well, because apparently, according
to them, he didn't meet all the conditions of the eternal covenant.
He did not save his people from their sins, because there's some
of them that are in hell. See, they don't think of that, do
they? They don't think that. But we know from Matthew 121
that Christ came, what? To save his people from their
sins. He came to do. Do you know that what he came
to do, he accomplished? We know that, we who believe know that.
We've been taught that, haven't we? We've been taught that. But if a person believes in universal
redemption, well, they basically are saying that his blood didn't
justify his people. We're not saved from God's wrath.
And his death didn't reconcile us to God. And that he was not
delivered for our offenses, not raised again for our justification.
Because you see, if some people are in hell, then the atonement's
a failure. But that's blasphemy. because
our Savior is a successful Savior. And he came to save his people
from their sins, and I'm here to proclaim, and every gospel
preacher get up in the pulpit today and proclaim that he saved
his people from their sins. And it fills God's people's hearts
with joy, with joy, joy. And unfortunately, many professing
Christians agree with these false preachers. And when you tell
them the truth of the scriptures, that Christ died only for his
sheep, they think the truth is a lie. They think the truth is
a lie, and they agree with the false preachers. And because
they receive not the love of the truth, that they might be
saved, God shall send them strong delusion. Sends them strong delusion
that they should believe a lie. Aren't you thankful? Those of
us who came out of religion, aren't you thankful God didn't
leave you there? Praise be to God. Oh my. That they all might be damned
who believe not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.
And remember, it's the ministry of God, the Holy Spirit to guide
us into all truth. And our Lord Jesus Christ said
he would do that. Therefore, those who believe in universal
redemption are not led by the God, the Holy Spirit. They're
not led by God, the Holy Spirit, because it's contrary to scripture.
Contrary to scripture. Some people might say, well,
that's hard words, but that's what the scriptures declare. Christ died for his sheep. He
didn't die for everyone. He died for his sheep. Our text
again says, elect according to the foreknowledge of God the
Father through the sanctification of the Spirit unto obedience
and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ. Grace unto you
and peace be multiplied. Now some believe that unto obedience
and sprinkling of the blood of Christ refers to the obedience
of the believer. when the Holy Spirit sprinkles
the blood of Christ on our conscience, purging us from dead works to
serve the living God. And it's true that the Holy Spirit
regenerates us. He gives us a new heart, a new
heart that loves Christ and a willing spirit to obey his clear commands.
But our text is talking about the work of the great triune
God in the salvation of his elect. That's what this scripture is
declaring. God's work, God's work. It's the work of God, the
Holy Spirit, to reveal to us the obedience of Jesus Christ,
that God, our Father, hath highly exalted his Son. Turn, if you
would, to Philippians, chapter two. God, our Father, has highly
exalted his Son, because he was obedient unto death. That's what
the scripture's talking about, Christ being obedient unto death. Look at Philippians, chapter
two, and then put your finger in Romans, and we'll go over
there next. Philippians chapter two, verses
five to eight. And keep in mind, I'll read our
text again, elect according to the four knowledge of God, the
father through sanctification of the spirit unto obedience
and sprinkling in the blood of Jesus Christ. Grace unto you
and peace be multiplied. And then look at Philippians
chapter two, verses five to eight. Let this mind be in you, which
was also in Christ Jesus, who being in the form of God, thought
it not robbery to be equal with God. but made himself of no reputation,
and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the
likeness of man. He condescended, God himself
condescended, and became a man. And being found in fashion as
a man, he humbled himself. And think of the great humility.
God himself becomes a man. The God-man mediator. And being
found in the fashion of man, he humbled himself and became
what? Obedient unto death. Why must he die? To satisfy God's
law and justice in the place of his people. To redeem his
people from their sins. To purchase them with the shedding
of his own precious blood. Even unto the death of the cross.
He's a willing sacrifice. But obedient unto death. He fulfills
everything that God demands. The sinless one dying for sins.
dying for His chosen people, dying for those who were elected
according to the foreknowledge of God the Father. What a Savior. And the Holy Spirit will redeem
to every child of God that the obedience of Jesus Christ is
not only every believer's righteousness, but it's our hope, isn't it?
It's our hope. What would we do without Christ's
obedience in our place? We'd be lost. we'd be lost, because
we can't fulfill the law of God. We can't satisfy the justice
of God. But Christ did that, didn't he, for his people. Now,
do you see the blasphemy of universal redemption? And they say, well,
Christ died for everybody, but some are in hell. Some are facing
the wrath of God. See, that's not the same Jesus.
No. Our Lord and Savior, the Lord
Jesus Christ, died for His people, redeemed His people. He's a successful
Savior. And now He sits upon the throne
in glory, mediating for His people. What a Savior. What a Redeemer
is Jesus Christ the Lord. And the believer is just in awe
that He included me. My. Look at Romans 5.19. Look
at Romans 5.19. And keep in mind again our text.
Lord Jesus Christ obeyed God's law for us. He was the sinless
one weaving that perfect coat of
righteousness for his people while he lived upon this earth.
Look at Romans 5, 19. For as by one man's disobedience,
many were made sinners. When Adam fell, we all fell,
everyone, everyone. So by the obedience of one, what?
Shall many be made righteous. We're made righteous by the righteousness
of God. Isn't that wonderful? By him,
and through him, and him alone. In our natural state, we're all
sinners. That's what the scripture declares there. We're all sinners. For by one man's disobedience,
many were made sinners. Well, Adam's our father. I'm born a sinner. My father
was a sinner, and his father was a sinner, and all the way
back to Adam. But praise be to God. Oh, praise be to God, the
God-man. So by the obedience of one shall
many be made righteous. And then look it over at Romans
chapter 10. Romans chapter 10. Romans chapter 10. Brethren,
my heart's desire, verse one. Verses one to four. Brethren,
my heart's desire and prayer to God for Israel is that they
might be saved. For I bear them record that they
have a zeal of God, but not accorded knowledge. For they being ignorant
of God's righteousness and going about to establish their own
righteousness. Now let's stop right there for a second. Look
what it says. For they being ignorant of God's
righteousness and going about to establish their own righteousness.
There is billions of people in this world right now trying to
establish their own righteousness. Be it they be religious people
or not religious people, they are trying to work their way
to what they call heaven. And there's all different variations
of that too, isn't there? Nothing new under the sun, beloved.
There's nothing new under the sun. For they being ignorant
of God's righteousness, and going about to establish their own
righteousness, and have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness
of God. Now look at verse four. Verse
four is a mountaintop scripture, beloved. For Christ is the end
of the law for righteousness to everyone that believes. He
fulfilled the law of God in the place of his people. He lived
that perfect life that you and I could never live in the place
of his people. And he is the end of the law
for righteousness. The end of the law for righteousness
to everyone. There's a clause though, to everyone that believes.
Not everyone goes to heaven. those who believe on the Lord
Jesus Christ, those who are elect according to the foreknowledge
of God, those who are sanctified by the Holy Spirit of God, born
again by the Holy Spirit of God, those who were redeemed by the
precious blood of Christ, to them, he is the end of the law
of righteousness. And in our text says, and the
sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ. Turn, if you would, to
Hebrews chapter nine. Hebrews chapter nine, the sprinkling
of the blood of Jesus Christ. We know that scripture declares
in another portion, the life of the flesh is in the blood.
Christ gave his life for his people. The sprinkling of the
blood of Jesus Christ that we read about in our text is an
obvious reference here to the Passover and to the sprinkling
of the blood on the doorposts of the house. And there is a
reference to the sprinkling of the blood and the mercy seed
in the day of atonement. And both of these things were
pictures of our Lord's great work of redemption. Look at what
it says in Hebrews 9, verse 12. Neither by the blood and goats
of calves. They could never take away sin.
They could never take away sin. But by his own blood, and remember,
the life of the flesh is in the blood. By his own blood, God's
blood. What has he done? He entered
in once into the holy place. God himself, the God-man mediator,
having obtained, praise God, having obtained, just let that
sink into your heart, beloved, having obtained eternal redemption
for us, for his people. He didn't die for everyone, but
oh, praise be to God, he died for his people, didn't he? And
he's obtained eternal redemption. It's his to give. He purchased
it. He purchased His people with
His own precious blood. And when the truth concerning
the perfect redeeming work of the Lord Jesus Christ, as it
is set forth in the Holy Word of God, is revealed to God's
elect, it does exactly what it's intended to do. It gives our
great God all the glory. All the glory. he will not share
his glory with another. And it reveals God's glory in
the face of Jesus Christ, revealing to us that the excellency of
the power of God may be of God and not of us. Not of us. My, what a Savior. And it purges
our conscience from dead works to serve the living God. And
it shows God's children that we have been redeemed by the
blood of Christ. And man's work cannot enter into
the redemption, this redemption that is ours in Christ Jesus.
And it gives assurance to all God's enlightened saints that
the redeeming work of the Lord Jesus Christ has not only purged
our sins, not only purged us, removing them from God's sight
forever, but also assures us that the Lord Jesus Christ is
our immutable surety. our immutable surety, who is
able to save us to the othermost, and God will not allow anything
to be laid to the charge of God's people. The charge of God's,
like why? Because Christ paid all that
was demanded to ransom their souls. To ransom their souls. And with this in mind, Turn,
if you would, to Galatians chapter 313 and listen to what the Holy
Scriptures teach us concerning the perfect redeeming work of
the Lord Jesus Christ dying on Calvary's cross. Galatians 313. Christ hath redeemed us from
the curse of the law, being made a curse for us. For it is written,
cursed is everyone that hangeth on a tree. Our Lord didn't try
to redeem us, beloved. He didn't do all that He could,
and now the rest is up to you, did He? That's a lie from the
pit of hell. No, beloved. He hath, look at
that, Christ hath, that's past tense, beloved. Christ hath redeemed
us. He's redeemed us from the curse
of the law. Those wicked men didn't try to
hang our Lord Jesus Christ on the tree by God's divine decree
and purpose. They actually nailed him to the
cross. Turn, if you would, to Romans
chapter five. Verses 8 to 11. And we'll see again, the Holy
Scriptures teach us what they teach us about the perfect redeeming
work of the Lord Jesus Christ. Look at this, Romans chapter
5. Verses 8 to 11. But God commandeth
his love toward us in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died
for us. Much more than being now justified
by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him. For when
we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of His Son.
Much more being reconciled, we shall be saved by His life. And
not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus
Christ, by whom we now have received the atonement. God didn't send
His Son to die for us. so that he could love us? No, no, he sent Christ into the
world because he loved us. Because he loved us from eternity.
Not so he could love us, but because he loved us. He sent
Christ to die for his people. And then turn, if you would,
to Romans chapter eight. Now again, the scriptures declare
of the perfect redeeming work of the Lord Jesus Christ. that
He was delivered up for all His people. Romans 8, verse 32. And 33, He that spared not His
own Son, but what? Delivered Him up for us all?
Christ was delivered up! to redeem His people from their
sins. How shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?
And then look at 33. This is just, who shall lay anything
to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justifies. Christ
was delivered up for His people to die in the room instead of
His people. And the result of that perfect
redeeming work, who shall lay anything to the charge of God's
elect? All those who were justified by the blood of Christ shall
be saved from wrath through him. And none shall be able to lay
any charge to them. Not one. That's good news for
sinners, isn't it? That's wonderful. And then go back to Romans chapter
five. I should have had you keep your finger in there. Look at
verse 10. All of God's elect were reconciled to God by the
death of his son. This is what the scriptures declare
about the perfect redeeming work of the Lord Jesus Christ. Romans
chapter five, verse 10. For if when we were enemies,
we were reconciled to God by the death of his son, much more
being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life. So the death
of Christ didn't make it possible for us to be reconciled. It doesn't
say that, does it? That's what false preachers proclaim,
though, isn't it? Romans chapter five, 10 says
that We were reconciled to God by the death of his son. And
when? Well, we were yet enemies. Moreover, those who were reconciled
to God by the death of his son shall be saved by his life. Look
at that. For if when we were enemies,
we were reconciled to God by the death of his son, much more
being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life. The perfect
redeeming work of the Lord Jesus Christ in his life and in his
death. It's a substitute for his people. Our Lord said, because I live,
ye shall live also. Christ is our surety, wherefore
he is also able to save to the uttermost those that, also to
save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing
he ever liveth to make intercession for them. So the one who has
saved us is the Lord Jesus Christ. by the shedding of His own precious
blood. If His blood hadn't been shed, if He hadn't lived the
perfect life, we'd never be saved. The One who has all power did
this too. The One who is seated right now
on the eternal throne in heaven. Right now. The majestic, true and living
God, the only Pope, King of kings and Lord of lords. in all of
God's elect, also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ,
by whom we have now received the atonement. The Lord Jesus Christ is every
believer's joy. Again, Jesus Christ didn't try
to make atonement, make reconciliation for our sins. He did it for his
people. He did it. He has reconciled
his people to God. by his dying upon the cross.
And those who are given faith to see that the Lord Jesus Christ
satisfied the holy justice of God for us, what do we do? We
rejoice with joy unspeakable. We rejoice. We rejoice. We never grow tired of hearing
this wonderful truth of what the Lord Jesus Christ has done
for us. Tell me again and again and again
and again and again. That's all I want to hear. What a Savior. By Him, our Lord
Jesus Christ, we have now received the atonement, and no one can
receive anything except it be given to him from above. And
all of God's blessings come through our heavenly Joseph, the Lord
Jesus Christ. In every believer's one and only
hope is Christ. We have no other hope. And after
his resurrection, our blessed perfect Redeemer entered into
heaven itself to appear in the presence of God for us, for his
people. And that is where he is now,
interceding for every one of his sheep. God himself gives strong consolation
to those who by faith flee to Christ for refuge. And God cannot
lie. cannot break his promise. And
the scriptures declare, believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and
thou shalt be saved. Do you believe on Christ? Oh,
if you don't, I pray God make you will it. That he grant you faith and repentance
to believe on him. And truly in Christ and Christ
alone dying for our sins, the believer has received from God
grace and peace multiple. multiplied. Just think of the
forgiveness of all our sins. Have you not received, you who
are the elect of God, you who are sitting here today, who are
blood-bought saints, have you not received through the death
of Christ and through his dying for your sins, grace and peace
multiplied? Because remember what the scriptures
declare, we were enemies with God, weren't we? My, oh, my. What a savior. What a savior. Turn, if you would,
to Revelation, chapter one, and we're closed with this scripture. Revelation, chapter one. I was
looking at this scripture with a dear brother. A couple of days ago, and look
at this, this absolutely wonderful, wonderful portion of scripture. Revelation chapter 1 verses 4
to 6. John to the seven churches which
are in Asia. Grace be unto you and peace from
him which is and which was and which is to come from the seven
spirits which are before his throne. And then look at verse
5 here. And from Jesus Christ who is
the faithful witness. Notice the singularity of that.
The faithful witness. And the first begotten of the
dead. This talks about his resurrection.
And the prince of the kings of the earth. This speaks of his
universal dominion and power that he has over all things visible
and invisible. But look at this, unto him that
loved us. And what? Washed us from our
sins. Made water than snow, beloved.
Grace and peace be multiplied to you. How did he do that? Washed us from our sins. What?
In his own blood. He gave his life for his people. He shed his blood for his people.
And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father. To him
be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen. Is it any wonder
that the saint says, give them all the glory, give them all
the honor, and give them all the praise. I've had grace and
peace multiplied to me through the forgiveness of all my sins
by the death of the Lord Jesus Christ. Glory to his name. Heavenly Father, we thank thee
for your goodness and your mercy and your grace. What an amazing, amazing redemption
that you have wrought out, you planned it, you executed it. And we who believe only believe
because we are regenerated by the power of God, the Holy Spirit,
and salvation truly is of the Lord from beginning to end. And
we marvel, Lord Jesus, that you left heaven to shed your blood,
to die, to give your life, the sinless one, dying for sinners,
but dying for those whom the Father gave you in eternity.
and we who believe marvel that we were included in that number.
May you receive all the glory and honor and praise today in
the preaching of your word and in the singing and when we fellowship
together for dinner. Oh Lord, we thank thee. We thank
thee for the salvation which you have wrought, Lord Jesus,
for us. In Jesus' name we pray, amen.