Isaiah chapter 43. The name of
the message is, Thou art mine. Thou art mine. Three wonderful words. Wonderful
words for sinners. Look at Isaiah 43, verses 1-8
we'll read. Our key text will be verse 1. But now, thus saith the Lord
that created thee, O Jacob, And He that formed thee, O Israel,
fear not, for I have redeemed thee. I have called thee by thy
name. Thou art mine. We could stop right there. When
thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee. And through
the rivers, they shall not overflow thee. When thou walkest through
the fire, thou shalt not be burned. Neither shall the flame kindle
upon thee, for I am the Lord thy God, the Holy One of Israel, thy Savior. I gave Egypt for thy ransom,
Ethiopia and Sebia for thee, since thou wast precious in my
sight. Thou hast been honorable, and
I have loved thee. Therefore will I give men for
thee, in people for thy life. Fear not, for I am with thee.
I will bring thy seed from the east and gather thee from the
west. I will say to the north, give
up, and to the south, keep not back." That's not a God who's trying
to save people, is it? That's a sovereign God. Bring
my sons from far and my daughters from the ends of the earth, even
everyone that is called by my name, for I have created him
for my glory. I have formed him, yea, I have
made him. Bring forth the blind people
that have eyes and the deaf that have ears." This week in talking with Brother
Marcus, He mentioned verse 3 and 4 of this chapter and how God
will move nations and people for His people. And we were rejoicing as we were
talking about this. The next day I looked at this
wonderful chapter again. And these three words in verse
1 just struck me. Thou art mine. What great comfort for the believer.
God says to the believer, Thou art mine. Mine. And let's look at verses 3 and
4. Like I said, Brother Marcus brought up how the Lord will
raise kingdoms and nations for His glory and for His purpose
to accomplish whatever He pleases. Look at what he says in verses
3 and 4. For I am the Lord thy God, the Holy One of Israel,
thy Savior. I gave Egypt for thy ransom,
Ethiopia and Sebia for thee, since thou wast precious in my
sight. Thou hast been honorable and I have loved thee. Therefore
will I give men for thee, and people for thy life. What a picture. What a picture of the church
of God. Look at verse 2. And remember
this. This is a great verse for us to go to when we're going
through things in life, because we will, right? Look at the comfort
that verse 2 can bring us. And this is the same God who
spoke in verse 1, right? When thou passest through the
waters, I will be with thee, I'll be with thee. The waters
of life start to rise, I'll be with thee. And through the rivers they shall
not overflow thee. When thou walkest through the
fire, when you're going through the fire of tribulation and trial, thou shall not be burned. neither shall a flame kindle
upon me." Turn, if you would, to Psalm 121. Our God is ever
watchful over His people. He watches over us always. Always. Look at Psalm 121. Where does our help come from? Oh, it only comes from God. We can find comfort in no other
but Him. Sometimes we're exhausted earthly
comforts and earthly friends, but only true comfort comes from
Him and Him alone. Look at Psalm 121. I will lift
up mine eyes, verse 1, unto the hills. From whence cometh my
help? Verse 2, my help cometh from the Lord. My help cometh from the Lord.
He's my help and my shield, my stay. Which made heaven and earth. He's the sovereign God. He will
not suffer thy foot to be moved. He that keepeth thee will not
slumber. He watches us all the time. He
cares for His sheep all the time. Behold, he that keepeth Israel
shall neither slumber nor sleep. The Lord is thy keeper. The Lord
is thy shade upon thy right hand. The sun shall not smite thee
by day, nor the moon by night. The Lord shall preserve thee
from evil. He shall preserve thy soul. Saving grace is keeping grace. He preserves our soul. He preserves
us, keeps us going. The Lord shall preserve thy going
out and thy coming in from this time forth, even forevermore. So let's look at back to our
verse in Isaiah. knowing that God will
never ever leave us, never forsake us. He's always with us no matter
what we go through. He never slumbers. He never sleeps.
He's a sovereign, majestic God who rules and reigns in heaven
above. And look at verse 1 again. But
now thus saith the Lord that created thee, O Jacob, and He
that formed thee, O Israel, fear not, for I have redeemed thee. I have called thee by thy name,
Thou art mine. Let's look at five precious truths
from this verse. Our great King says to his people,
Thou art mine. We who are sinners by birth,
by nature, and by choice, God says to his elect, Thou art mine. What mercy. There's nothing in
us to make us deserving of this mercy, is there? God himself says, Thou art mine. God's people are his before the
foundation of the world. So the first thing I'd like to
look at here is Thou art mine, God says Thou art mine to his
people by covenant and by choosing, by covenant and by choosing.
Let's look at our text again. But now thus saith the Lord that
created thee, O Jacob, and he that formed thee. Long, long
ago, in the councils of eternity, before the world ever was, before the world ever was, God gave a people to Christ. A people who were chosen in Christ.
A people who would be redeemed by Christ. God the Father chose His elect,
His people, in Christ, based upon absolutely nothing in us.
I know that's a nail we grace preachers keep hitting, but we
have to proclaim that. It's not dependent upon us. God
did not look down through time and choose people based upon
who would choose them. That's just not how it was. That's
a lie from the pit of hell. God unconditionally, based upon
nothing in us, chose a people for Himself. to bring glory and
honor and praise to Him, and praise His mighty name. He included,
I say, those of us who are saved. Turn, if you would, to Ephesians
chapter 1. The Son pledged to redeem those given to Him by
the Father with His own precious blood. The Holy Spirit pledged
to draw those given to Christ by the Father and regenerate
them, born again by the Holy Spirit of God. Look at Ephesians
1. Verse 3, Blessed be the God and
Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all
spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ. Every spiritual
blessing that we have is in Christ. It's nowhere else. It can be
found nowhere else. Only in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Look at verse 4. Now remember, we looked at Sunday
School. This was based upon the love of God. Holy and without
blame. Sinners! Holy and without blame
before Him in love. And as I said, this covenant
was made in eternity. Now, the God of peace that brought
again from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great shepherd of
the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant.
This covenant is called the everlasting covenant, Hebrews 13.20. So we
are, God says, thou art mine to his people by covenant and
by choosing. He chose his people and he made
a covenant. And that covenant was ratified
by the precious blood of Christ. Let's look again at our text
in Isaiah 43, verse 1. But now, thus saith
the Lord that created thee, O Jacob, and he that formed thee, O Israel,
fear not, for I have redeemed thee, I have called thee by thy
name, thou art mine. God says, thou art mine. We are a people. Point number
two, we're a people by creation. Turn, if you would,
to Romans chapter 9. God says, Thou art mine in a
very distinct way in this text. He is the creator of all things
and all people, right? He is. He's the creator of all
things. And He's showing that He has
all power and majesty. We're shown by the Holy Scriptures
that He is a sovereign God who rules and reigns, and no one
can tell Him what to do. No one can say, what are you
doing, Lord? No one. Earthly kings have counselors.
Earthly presidents have counselors. God has no counselor. None. He rules supreme. And He reigns. And we are clay in the potter's
hand. Look at Romans chapter 9. He
can mold us and make us into whatever He so pleases. Look
at Romans chapter 9, verses 17. Starting in verse 17. For the
Scripture saith unto Pharaoh... Remember we read here, I gave
Egypt for thy ransom? God raised up Pharaoh. For the
Scripture saith unto Pharaoh, Even for this same purpose have
I raised thee up, that I might show my power in thee, that my
name might be declared throughout all the earth. Therefore hath
he mercy on whom he will have mercy, and whom he will be hardened. Thou wilt say unto me, Why doth
he yet find fault? For who hath resisted his will?
Who can resist the will of God? No one. Nay, but O men, who art thou
that replyest against God? Shall the thing formed, say to
him that formed it, why hast thou made me thus? Shall, say
you're working on a, you're working on a, when I was a kid, when
I was in high school, it was really neat. We actually had
pottery and I took the class because my mom was into it and
I thought, ah, it'd be kind of neat. So I actually got to spin that
wheel, you know, you spin the wheel and you form the clay,
you know, and you make it. And I made a candlestick, it
didn't look very good, but I made a candlestick for my mom. But
the candlestick didn't say, hey, I want you to make me a bowl.
The clay didn't say to me, you know, I don't want to be a candlestick.
I want to be a bowl or a vase. No. No, I had complete power
over that clay to make it whatever I chose to make it. See, God can do whatever he pleases
with all of us. Hath not the potter power over
the clay of the same lump to make one vessel unto honor and
another unto dishonor? What if God, willing to show
His wrath and to make His power known, endured with much longsuffering
the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction, and that He might
make known the riches of His glory on the vessels of mercy?
Oh, the elect of God, on the vessels of mercy, beloved. The
vessels of mercy, which He had aforeprepared unto glory. So
we are His people by creation. Thou art mine by creation. Vessels
of mercy. God creates and God forms, and
here have mercy on whomever he pleases to have mercy upon. And
we who are saved, we're thankful he's had mercy on us. Because we're no more deserving
than anyone else, are we? Goes to the scripture, who made
you to differ? And what do you have that you
didn't receive? But God says to his people, thou art mine. Thou art mine. And we're his
people by creation. God will get his sheep. There'll
be none lost. He knows every single one of
them. And He calls everyone by name. Let's look at our text
again. But now thus saith the Lord that
created thee. O Jacob and he that formed thee.
He created and formed us. O Israel, fear not. Now remember, this is before
Christ even died on the cross. What great comfort for us, eh?
For I have redeemed you. We are His people. Thou art mine by purchase. By purchase. And the redeeming here speaks
of the kinsman-redeemer. Redeemed there speaks of the
kinsman-redeemer. And we are God's people by the
great purchase of our kinsman-redeemer. He purchased us with His own
precious blood. Acts 20, verse 27 says this. If you want to turn there, 27
and 28. Oh, God has redeemed His people. God has done this. And we know. How are we saved? Only by the
blood of Christ. Therefore, we know that Christ
is God. He's not just a mere man. He's
God incarnate in the flesh. And He redeemed His people from
their sin. Paid everything. Everything.
There's nothing left. He paid it all. Ruined sinners
redeemed by the precious blood of Christ. Look at this, Acts
20, verse 27 and 28. For I have not shunned to declare
unto you all the counsel of God. Take heed therefore unto yourselves
and to the flock over which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers
to feed the church of God. The church of God is the elect,
right? which he hath purchased with his own blood." God purchased
the church with his own blood. Jesus Christ is God incarnate
in flesh, and he purchased us with his precious blood, shedding
his own blood on Calvary's cross to pay the price for my sin and
the sin of all the elect of all the ages once. He only did it
once. He didn't have to be repeated. God manifests in the flesh. Turn, if you would, to John 23. God manifests in the flesh to
die on Calvary's cross, to save His people, to purchase them
with His blood, to redeem those who could not redeem themselves.
And our text says, I have redeemed thee. I have. I have, He says. Oh, what mercy. This is mercy
that knows no bounds. It's boundless. Sinners by birth,
nature, and choice, and He redeems us from our sins. I'll read Revelation
5-9 while you're turning to John. In Revelation 5-9 it says, "...and
they sang a new song..." We have a new song. "...saying, Thou
art worthy." This is why we say we give Him all the glory and
all the honor and all the praise. He's worthy. He's the only one
who's worthy to take the book and to open the seals thereof,
for thou wast slain. He died on Calvary's cross and
has redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, tongue,
people, and nation. Our sins were imputed to Christ,
and His righteousness is imputed to us, and we are free! Free. All our sins are paid for. There's not one left. They're
paid at all. Past, present, and future. It's
wonderful. Wonderful news for sinners. Oh,
that God might show you you're a sinner and you're in desperate
need for Him. Look at John 19. Oh, Christ has redeemed His people
from their sins. Everything that God demanded
for the sins of the elect, Christ paid it all. He paid it all. This is the fallacy of works-based
religion, which says, you've got to do this. No, He did it
all. I just looked to Him and I lived.
He's my Savior and King. Look at John chapter 19, verses
23. And we'll look all the way down to 34. Oh, then the soldiers, when they
had crucified Jesus, took His garments and made four parts
to every soldier apart, and also His coat. Now the coat was without
seam, woven from the top throughout. They said, therefore, among themselves,
let us not rent it, but cast lots for it, whose it shall be
that the Scripture might be fulfilled. would say that they parted my
ramnet among them, and for my vesture they did cast lots. These
things therefore the soldiers did." Scripture being fulfilled,
and they don't even have a clue they're fulfilling Scripture.
Now there stood by the cross Jesus' mother and his mother's
sister Mary, the wife of Cleopas and Mary Magdalene, When Jesus
therefore saw his mother and the disciples standing by whom
he loved, he saith unto his mother, Woman, behold thy son. Then saith
he to the disciple, Behold thy mother. And from that hour, that
disciple took her unto his own home. After this, Jesus, knowing
that all things were now accomplished, that the Scripture might be fulfilled,
saith I first. Now there was set a vessel of
vinegar, and they filled the sponge with vinegar and put it
upon Hesop and put it to his mouth. When Jesus therefore had
received the vinegar, he said, Yes, yes. Finish! It's finished. It means it's
done. It's perfect. It's perfect. It is finished. He bowed his head and gave up
the ghost. The Jews, therefore, because
it was the preparation that the bodies should not remain upon
the cross on the Sabbath day, for the Sabbath day was a high
day, besought Pilate that they might or that their legs might
be broken and that they might be taken away. Then came the
soldiers and break the legs of the first and of the other which
was crucified with him. But when they came to Jesus and
saw that he was dead already, they break not his legs. But
one of the soldiers with a spear pierced his side and forthwith
came there out, blood and water. He gave up the ghost, beloved.
He had all power. All majesty, it is finished. Sins are paid for. All the sins
of all the elect, and think of that. All the sins of all the
elect, of all the ages, I have redeemed thee. Our text says, I have redeemed
thee. Oh, beloved. He's redeemed His
people from their sins. What wonderful words. What comfort
that brings us. As we go through things each
day, as we know we're sinners, to our shame we still sin, but
He has redeemed us. He's purchased us. It's finished. God's law and justice is satisfied. The believer is clothed in the
righteousness of Christ. We simply look and live. Look
and live. But now, thus saith the Lord
that created thee. Back to our text. O Jacob and
he that formed thee, O Israel, fear not, for I have redeemed
thee. I have called thee by thy name. Thou art mine. What God
says, He will do. He has done this in Christ Jesus
our Lord. He has redeemed His people from
their sins. And all we say is praise His
mighty name. We just give Him all the glory
because we know we couldn't redeem ourselves. The next point is we are His
by calling. Look in our text again. But now,
thus saith the Lord that created thee, O Jacob, and He that formed
thee, O Israel, fear not, for I have redeemed thee. I have
called thee by thy name. I have called thee by thy name."
We looked not long ago in our Sunday school as we were going
through the doctrines of grace that God's calling of a sinner
is an irresistible calling. An invincible calling. You can't
resist it. It's God who's calling His people.
Turn, if you would, to 2 Timothy. It's an invincible calling. when
God calls His people whom He hath redeemed on Calvary's cross.
And note the order in our text. Note the order in our text here.
I have redeemed thee. First of all, He says He created
thee. Then He formed thee. Then He says I've redeemed thee.
And I've called thee. It's marvelous. What a picture
of the gospel. What a picture of how the Lord
saves a sinner. He redeemed us and then He called
us by His marvelous grace. Look at 2 Timothy 1, 9 and 10.
And I love the wording here because it's not a question at all. Who has saved us? Christ saved
His people. I have redeemed thee," He said
in our text. And we saw in John, it is finished. Who has saved
us? 2 Timothy 1, 9 and 10. Who has
saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our
works, notice it said, with a holy calling, not according to our
works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was given
us in Christ Jesus before the world began, but is now made
manifest. manifested in Christ, manifested
in Him by the appearing of our Savior, Jesus Christ, who has
abolished death and has bought life and immortality to light
through the Gospel. God, the Holy Spirit, draws and
calls us into Christ, doesn't He? Thy people shall be made
willing in the day of Thy power. Sinners who do not desire God,
or desire Christ, are born again by the Holy Spirit of God, and
bought the saving faith, looking to Christ. And it's through the
preaching of His Word, Romans 10, 17 says this, So then faith
cometh by hearing, so then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing
by the Word of God. Oh, this is why we preach and
proclaim the gospel and send it out. Oh, that the Lord may
save His people. But first and foremost, that
He may be glorified. That He may be glorified. I listened to a message, part
of a message by Henry yesterday, and he brought that out. Brother
Henry brought that out. How to glorify God is our first
and foremost. To glorify God. to glorify Him
in our lives, to glorify Him in the church. So God calls His people in Christ. And it's an irresistible call.
It's an irresistible call. We are chosen by God in Christ,
redeemed by God, and we are kept by God. Why? Because thou art
mine. Thou art mine. And the only one
who made us differ from our brothers in the flesh and our family members
is Christ. I'm the only one in my family
who the Lord saved. I keep praying for my family
that if it's the Lord's will, He'd save them. And I'll have
hope. I remember hearing, oh, I think
it was Bruce Crabtree told me this, I have hope for my family
members until they breathe their last breath. And we do, don't
we? We just keep lifting them up.
And if God wills to save them, He will. Oh. Chosen by God, created by
God, redeemed by God, kept by God. What's the summed conclusion
of all this? Salvation is of the Lord. It's
all His doing. All according to His purpose
and His grace and not according to our works. God chose us in
Christ. Turn, if you would, to Psalm
65, verse 4. We are a blessed people, beloved. We are a blessed,
blessed people. Psalm 65, verse 4. Mercy overbound. Mercy more vast than the oceans,
which we have upon this world is the mercy of God in Christ.
So vast. Psalm 65, verse 4. Blessed is the man whom thou
choosest. God chooses a people. And causes
to approach unto thee. Look at that. It's not by your
free will. You don't have free will. Our
wills are bound to our nature. And if you have a dead nature,
you'd never come to Christ. But if you're born again by the
Holy Spirit of God, that's why, what comes first? Faith or regeneration?
Regeneration. Because if you're born again,
you're going to run to Christ. And God, look at this. and causes
to approach unto thee, that he may dwell in thy courts. We shall
be satisfied with the goodness of thy house." Oh, we're satisfied
in Christ, aren't we? "...even of thy holy temple."
God calls His people by His precious grace at the time appointed of
Him. The preacher is simply an instrument
in the hands of God. God calls His people when it
pleases Him. Preacher is one beggar telling
other beggars where to find bread. And we point you right to Christ.
Don't look to me, look to Him. Look to the one who can save
you from all your sins. Turn, if you would, to Galatians
chapter 1, verse 15 and 16. And this is the opposite of religion,
right? Which tells you, you've got to make a decision. You've
got to do this. If God wills to save you, you'll
be saved. Now, we still say, now is the
time. Now is the day of salvation.
We call people still. We say, come, flee to Christ,
right? We do. Because He is the only hope.
Oh, but that He'd make you willing. That He'd show you, like He's
showing those of us who are saved, that we're but sinners in desperate
need of Him. Look at what Paul says in Galatians
1, 15 and 16. This is the opposite of religion, which tells you
it's your decision and your doing. Look at this, Galatians 1, 15
and 16. But when it pleased God, Paul was saved when it pleased
God. Every sinner who's saved is saved
when it pleases God. When it pleases God. Who separated me from my mother's
womb and called me by His grace. There's the calling. The irresistible,
effectual calling. And remember, when the Lord appeared
to Paul, he was on his face. To reveal His Son in me, that
I might preach Him among the heathen, immediately I conferred
not with flesh and blood. Wouldn't it please God? And John
10.27 says this, My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and
they follow Me. There's a day in every believer's
life when God calls him. And he runs. The sinner runs
to Christ. And may we just wonder at this
marvelous and matchless grace of God towards sinners like you
and I. Because there's nothing in us,
as I keep saying, that deserves this mercy and grace. except
the Lord says, thou art mine. His choosing. And think of this,
beloved. He said that way before Christ
died on the cross. Thou art mine. Thou art mine. The next point is this, that
God will preserve his people until the end. Isaiah 43, 1. But now thus saith
the Lord that created thee, O Jacob, and he that formed thee, O Israel,
fear not, for I have redeemed thee. I have called thee by thy
name. Thou art mine. Turn, if you would, to John 10. Thou art mine. I told you guys
about some guy who told me the other day, he said that God has
us in His hand, and you can jump
out. No, come on. I told him, you're
not even saved. That's salvation by man. Because
look what the scripture says here. God keeps those he saves,
he keeps. Look at John 10, verses 26-29. But ye believe not, because ye
are not of my sheep, as I said unto you. My sheep hear my voice,
and I know them, and they follow me. And look at the eternal security
we have here. And I give unto them eternal
life. So if a person can lose their salvation based upon their
doing, it's not eternal life. It's man-made. It's a refuge
of lies. And they're going to perish in
their sins. But Christ says here, I give unto them eternal life.
He gives to His people. He gives us eternal life. And
they shall what? Never perish. Neither shall any
man pluck them out of My hand. My Father which gave them Me
is greater than all, and no man is able to pluck them out of
My Father's hand. Oh, double security. Because
we are gods, we shall not perish. We shall not perish because we're
gods. And this is comforting words for the believer. This
is comforting words. Those God saves, He's able to
keep. God's grace is saving grace and keeping grace. Ecclesiastics
says this, I know that whatsoever God doeth, it shall be forever. Wow. Ecclesiastes 3.14. I know that whatsoever God doeth,
it shall be forever. And Christ says, I'll give my
people everlasting life. I'll save them from their sins. I know that whatsoever God doeth,
it shall be forever. Nothing can be put to it, nor
anything taken from it. And God doeth it. That man should fear before Him.
Ecclesiastics 3.14. What comfort we have. Turn, if
you would, to Hebrews chapter 7. Hebrews chapter 7. Oh, what comfort we have in Christ.
Our security, our life, our eternity rests in Christ and Him alone. Hebrews 7, verse 22-25. By so much was Jesus made a surety
of a better testament. And they truly were many priests,
because they were not suffered to continue by reason of death.
But this man, Christ, the King of glory, because He continueth ever, hath
an unchangeable priesthood. Wherefore He is able, Look at
this, verse 24. Wherefore He is able also to
save them to what? The uttermost. To save them to the uttermost
that come unto God by Him, seeing He ever liveth to make intercession
for them. He is able. He's able. And we can't conclude
this message without looking at two words that are in the
text that I haven't hit on yet. Let's go back to our text in
Isaiah 43. We can't conclude this without
looking at these two words. But now, thus saith the Lord
that created the old Jacob, and he that formed the old Israel, fear not. Fear not. Oh, what great comfort for believers. Fear not. Why? Because we've been redeemed by
the precious blood of Christ. All our sins are bought and paid
for. He'll always be with us no matter
what we go through. Fear not. Words of comfort. Words of comfort for us. Fear
not because Christ has said he will never leave us or forsake
us no matter what situation we're in. I'll never leave thee nor forsake
thee. Words of comfort for us. Fear
not because Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law. Words of comfort for us, fear
not, because Christ will keep those He has redeemed. Words of comfort for us, fear
not, because Christ has paid all that God has demanded for
the ransom of our soul. And fear not, Because Christ will bring us
His glory one day to be with Him forever. Oh, fear not, beloved.