We'll come back to 1 Peter in
just a moment, but I'd like to read a few verses of scripture
before we do, before we come back to our text in 1 Peter 1,
verse 19. Hebrews chapter 10, comparing
those earthly sacrifices, and as we've said before, and when
you read through the book of Hebrews, you'll find the word
better, better, better used over and over again in comparison
to the earthly priesthood and their sacrifices and the outcome
of it in comparison to what Christ did when he offered himself with
that spot to God, Paul says it's better. It's infinitely better. Verse 1 of chapter 10, for the
law having a shadow of good things to come and not the very image
of the things can never, can never, if that which God himself
commanded could never take away sin, we can be sure nothing we
come up with can. Can never with those sacrifices
which they offered year by year continually make the comers thereunto
perfect, for then would they not have ceased to be offered?
And the answer is yes. If they got the job done, then
they would not continue to be offered. Because that the worshipers
once purged should have no more conscience of sins. But in those
sacrifices, there is a remembrance, again, made of sins every year. But it's not possible that the
blood of bulls and of goats should take away sin, because they could
never justify a sinner, because God was never satisfied with
them. God could never be satisfied
with the blood of bullocks and goats. And there can never be
mercy granted to a sinner. It's never been done. There's
never been one instance of God bestowing his mercy upon any
sinner at the expense of his justice. It's never been done. John, our salvation is as much
a matter of justice as it is of mercy. John said God is faithful
and just. We sang it just a moment ago
in the hymn in our bulletin by Brother Don. Payment God cannot
twice demand. That wouldn't be right. The judge
of all the earth must do right. That wouldn't be just. If God
Almighty laid my sins upon Christ and he bore them away forever,
it won't be right for him to demand payment for those same
sins from me. Oh no, Jesus Christ paid it all. As Brother Scott Richardson used
to say, before God does anything for you, Before He does anything
for you, He must do something for Himself. God did not set
aside His law in the forgiveness of a sinner. No, Christ magnified
the law. He satisfied the law, therefore
enabling God to be absolutely just when He justifies a sinner. God could never say of those
animal sacrifices, it's enough. It's enough. I'm satisfied. Turn back, if you will, to Luke's
gospel, chapter 18. Luke chapter 18. The death of
Christ accomplished some things. Now, I know most of this religious
world, when they speak of the death of Christ, say that when
he died, he made something possible. He made something possible. I
am so thankful that what we do today in observing the Lord's
Supper, we're remembering not something made possible, but
something accomplished, something done, something that was obtained,
something that was finished by our glorious and faithful high
priest. Here in Luke 18 verse 31, Then
he took unto him the twelve and said unto them, Behold, behold,
we go up to Jerusalem, and all things, everything that's written,
by the prophets concerning the Son of Man shall be what? Made
possible? No, shall be accomplished. Everything they said concerning
me, every reason I came into this world for, everything God
the Father sent me to do shall be accomplished. It won't be
made possible, it will be done. For he shall be delivered unto
the Gentiles. and shall be mocked, and spitefully
entreated, and spit it on. And they shall scourge him, and
put him to death, and the third day he shall arise again." One
of those things that the Son of God accomplished by his death
was the eternal redemption of his people. Turn, if you will,
to John's Gospel, chapter 19. Oh, I love this. And this is
what we remember. This is what we celebrate today.
The Lord's accomplishments. He laid down his life for us. He obtained our eternal redemption. He purged our sins. He didn't
attempt to do it. He done it. This is the language
of scripture. Not the language of this religious
world, but the language of God's word. Here in John chapter 19,
verse 28. Christ is on the cross. After
this, Jesus, knowing all things that were now accomplished, that
were done, that the scripture might be fulfilled, said, I thirst,
because there was something else yet to be accomplished. It was
prophesied. It was told that of what takes
place here in verse 29. That's why the Lord said, one
more thing to be done. One more thing. He checks off
each prophecy concerning all those things that he came to
do. Now there was a set of vessel full of vinegar and they filled
the sponge with vinegar and put it up on his and put it to his
mouth. When Jesus therefore had received
the vinegar, he said, It is finished. Oh, my soul. What glorious words. It is finished then, not before
then. And he bowed his head and gave
up the ghost. It is finished. And one of those
things that were finished when Christ died was that he obtained
our eternal redemption. One more passage. Hebrews chapter
9. Hebrews chapter 9. Then we'll
go to our text in 1 Peter. Hebrews chapter 9. Again, it
doesn't speak of a possibility, but it speaks of a certainty.
The redemption that Jesus Christ wrought, the atonement that he
made to the Father, the redemption that he accomplished, that he
obtained, is not dependent upon anything More done in time. John, the success of what Jesus
Christ did is not determined by, not dependent upon anything
you do. It's not made effectual by your
faith. Oh no, no. If you believe Christ
died for you, oh no, no, no, no. You will believe. If Christ
died for you, you will believe. Here in Hebrews chapter 9 verse
11. But Christ, but Christ, Being a high priest of good things
to come, by a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made
with hands, that is to say, not of this building, neither by
the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood, he entered
in Once. Once got the job done. Once was
enough. Once accomplished his purpose.
He entered in once into the holy place having obtained eternal
redemption for us. Now turn to 1 Peter 1. We'll
take our text. The precious blood. Ages and
ages have rolled by since the Lord Jesus Christ shed his precious
blood. And during that time, there have
been millions, millions upon millions have gone to heaven
in virtue of the merits of that precious blood. And yet, it still
avails. It still avails. The old hymn
writer expressed it well, and I quote it often. Dear dying
lamb, Your precious blood shall never lose its power to all the
ransomed. Church of God, be saved of sin
no more. John said, I saw the redeemed
before the throne of God clothed in white robes, a multitude that
no man can number. And by virtue of that precious
blood, that one sacrifice for sins, millions continue to enter
glory on the merits of that blood. The blood of Jesus Christ still
reigns over sin. I'm glad that's true. I am glad
that's true. The blood of Jesus Christ still
reaches deeper than the stain has gone. Ezekiel's vision of
the deserted infant, once reclaimed by God, clothed in the righteousness
of Christ, it said his beauty went forth among the heathen
because it was perfect. Your beauty was perfect. How
in the world can any sinner stand before God Almighty and be declared
in the eyes of God Perfect. God himself looks and says, I
see no fault in him. He's without blemish, without
spot, or any such thing. How can that be? Through my comeliness. You're perfect. You're perfect
through my comeliness which I have put upon you. Again I say, I
am so thankful for that, aren't you? aren't you? Louis, you're
looking at a sinner that's got nothing to pay. I'm like that
debtor in the parable that the Lord spoke of. When justice called
for payment, it's more than I could give. It's more than I could
produce. Oh, but mercy smiled upon me,
saying, I forgive. I'm thankful for that. And they
sung a new song. This is the theme of the redeemed
in heaven. And I'm sure, I'm sure, that
they sing just as enthusiastically now than they ever have. Oh, every time another redeemed
sinner, another blood-washed sinner, is ushered into the presence
of glory, into the presence of God Himself. Again they strike
up the tune, worthy is the lamb that was slain. Another trophy
of grace comes to glory. And they sing a new song saying,
thou art worthy to take the book. They don't sing about a little
mansion next to mama's in the corner of glory land. They don't
speak about diamonds in my crown. They don't speak about anything
other than the Lord Jesus Christ. He's the theme of that song in
glory. Thou art worthy to take the book. Why? Because you were slain. You were slain. And when you
were slain, you didn't make something possible. I want us today when
we Eat the bread representing the body of our Lord, that body
given and broken for us, and the wine which represents His
blood shed for us. I want us to remember and to
rejoice in the blessed truth that by that shed blood, He brought
in an everlasting salvation. He obtained our redemption. He
didn't make it possible. Oh, no. Glory to His name. He
got the job done. When I was a boy at home and
my father would give me something to do, He expected me to do it. He was old-fashioned. He was
old-fashioned, Don. If he told me to do something,
he expected me to do it. And if I didn't do it, he wouldn't
call me to himself and say, now, son, let's have some dialogue. Oh, I'd like to have some dialogue.
I'll tell you the dialogue he gave me. This is what he spoke
to me through that belt, that belt on my hind end. That was
the dialogue we had. He said, son, I gave you a job
to do, and I expect you to do it. In the fullness of time must
come, God sent forth His Son to do something. He sent forth
His Son to accomplish something. He sent forth His Son to attain
something, to get the job done. And glory to His name, the Son
of God said, I got the job done. It's finished. He put away all
the sins of all of His people. And that's what they sing to
His praise and glory. You were slain. And what did
that do? You were slain and have redeemed
us to God by Thy blood out of every kindred and tongue and
people and nation. The blood of Jesus Christ attracts
the eye of divine justice and meets all of its claims. It must
be perfect to be accepted. Is that right? Accept your righteousness. The righteousness of the scribes
and Pharisees, ye shall in no wise inherit, enter into the
kingdom of God. But the blood of Jesus Christ
meets all God's claims. It satisfies all God's demands. Oh, indeed, it is precious blood. It's the blood of the Lamb who
takes away all the sins of all of His people. All the sins. John said, in the blood of Jesus
Christ, his Son, cleanseth us from all sin. Oh, my soul, with
wonder of you, for future sins, there's pardon too. Past sins,
present sins, future sins. My soul, what can wash away my
sins? What has enough virtue, enough
merit? Nothing but the blood of Jesus.
Not a thousand sins, not a million sins, not most of my sins, but
John says, the blood of Christ cleanseth me from all my sins. They're gone. In that day the
prophet said they shall be searched for, the sins of Judah, and they
shall not be found. God's buried them in the sea
of his forgetfulness and he puts up a sign that says, no fishing
allowed. Don't try to dig them up. They're
gone. They're all gone. Jesus, the hymn writer said,
thy blood and righteousness, my beauty are, my glorious dress,
misflaming worlds, and these are raised with joy, so I lift
up my head. This spotless robe, the same
appears when ruined nature sinks in years. No age can change its
glorious hue. The robe of Christ is ever new. Jesus being was praised to thee,
whose boundless mercy has for me a full atonement made, and
an everlasting ransom paid. We didn't read it earlier, but
in chapter 1 here of 1 Peter, verse 1, Peter refers to the
believers as being pilgrims and strangers. And that's true of
every child of God. We're glad. We're glad that this
world is not our home. We're glad that we're not of
the world. We're thankful that God has chosen us out of the
world and called us by his grace. Yes, we're natives by our first
birth, but by our second birth, we've been made citizens of that
heavenly country, that better country. And this is true as
well. Verse 2, elect. Elect. There's that word again. You
know, the believers in New Testament times, they weren't ashamed of
that word. They used it often. They referred
to each other, God's people, as elect, chosen by God, elect
by God the Father, and called affectionately by God the Holy
Spirit, and given the precious gift of faith, faith, and unto
the sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ. And then he reminds
them. the price of their redemption,
what it wasn't, what it could never be. Verse 18, for as much
as you know, you know this, that you weren't redeemed with corruptible
things as silver and gold from your vain conversation received
by tradition from your fathers. That wasn't what redeemed you.
Silver and gold refers to anything we do or give or produce. Money cannot buy grace. Grace
is free. The prophets say, come ye and
buy milk and wine without money and without price. Is anybody
thirsty, come and drink. It's free. It's free. Bobby sang
it in one of the verses of the hymn she sang to us. Christ is
all. The spirit and the bride say
come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely. Most people foolishly imagine
that God's grace can be bought by human works. The price of
redemption is much too high than anything you and I can offer
to God, and believers know it. Peter said, we know better than
that. The price on the sinner's head is blood and death. And
God's law must be honored, and his justice must be satisfied. And glory to Jesus' name, he
did both. He did both. And Peter reminds
us of that. Ye were not redeemed with corruptible
things as silver and gold. Turn, if you will, to Psalm 46.
Psalm 46. Listen to these words of the
psalm, I'm sorry, Psalm 49, Psalm 49 verse 6, Psalm 49 and 6. They that trust in their wealth
and boast themselves in the multitude of their riches, none of them
can by any means redeem his brother, nor give to God a ransom for
him, for the redemption of their souls is precious, and it ceases
forever. that he should live forever and
not see corruption. Look down at verse 15. But God,
God will redeem my soul from the power of the grave, for he
shall receive me Selah, Selah. When Peter speaks of your vain
conversation received by tradition from your fathers, he's talking
about Christless religion, Judaism in particular. Our Lord said
concerning them that you make void the Word of God by your
tradition. Doesn't that sound familiar?
I've had people tell me, well, I don't care what the Word of
God says, this is what I think. What? What? Do you believe what
you think? Your thoughts are equal with
what God's Word declares? This is what I think. I think
this. But God says otherwise. making
void the word of God by their tradition. That's exactly what
the apostle Paul did. Turning to the Galatians chapter
1. Paul said there was one time in his life during his days of
darkness when he didn't know God. When even in his rebellion
he thought he was doing God a service. But what he was really doing
was trying to keep intact the tradition of his fathers. This is what he says in Galatians
chapter 1, verse 11. Galatians 1 and 11. I certify
you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached of me is not
after man. For I neither received it of
man, neither was I taught it, but by the revelation of Jesus
Christ. For you've heard of my conversation,
the way I live. in times past in the Jews' religion,
how that beyond measure I persecuted the church of God and wasted
it, and profited in the Jews' religion among many my equals,
in mine own nation being more exceedingly zealous of the tradition
of my fathers." Now skip down to verse 23. But they heard only
that he which persecuted us in times past now preaches the faith
which he once destroyed and they glorified God in me. What brought
about that radical change? What did that? There's only one
answer. There's only one explanation.
Verse 15. Verse 15. This is the only way
any sinner comes out of darkness. This is the only way any sinner
believes on the Lord Jesus Christ. It's not their work. It's God's
work. It's not their doing. It's God's
doing. That's what happened to Saul
of Tarsus. When it pleased God, who separated
me from my mother's womb, He called me by His grace to reveal
His Son in me that I might preach Him Preach him, nothing else
but him. Not politics, not social reform,
but preach him. Who else would he preach? Who
else would he preach but that one in whom sinners are complete?
Who else would he preach except that One in whom dwells all the
fullness of the Godhead bodily? Who else would he preach except
the One who is the only way to God, the Truth and the Life? That One that no sinner can come
to God by except Him. Who else would he preach but
Him? My soul, the glorious Redeemer,
the Son of God, the everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace,
who else would anyone preach except Him? That I might preach
Him among the heathen, immediately I confer not with flesh and blood. But grace, Paul says. Paul, that
day on the Damascus road, met grace personified. He experienced
grace face to face in the Lord Jesus Christ. Verse 19. But, back in 1 Peter chapter
1, verse 19. Let's spend the rest of our time
right here. You weren't redeemed with corruptible
things, but with the precious blood of Jesus Christ. How was I redeemed with the precious
blood of Christ? How can God be just when he justifies
a sinner by the precious blood of Christ? How can any fallen
son of Adam have a hope? Everybody has a hope. I mean,
you can hardly find anybody today that doesn't have a hope. hasn't
had a religious spasm, hasn't made a decision. Scott Richardson
used to say, man, I've got good news. The gospel, glad tidings,
good news. If I could find a sinner, if
I could find a lost man, I've got good news. Oh, how can a
real sinner be declared just by a holy God? How can any fallen
son of Adam have a hope, a good hope of acceptance before a holy
Lord God? Are you interested in that? Or
as the hymn writer put it, depth of mercy, can there be mercy
still reserved for me? Can my God his wrath forbear
and me the chief of sinners spare? How can that be done? How can
that be done? God does it. But, the text says,
there's a way. There's a way. Do you hear God
say? Do you hear God himself? issue that proclamation from
the throne of his righteous justice and he says deliver his soul
from going down to the pit because he's worthy. Oh no. Deliver his
soul because I think he deserves it. Oh no. Deliver his soul from
going down to the pit. I will not allow him to go to
hell. Why? Because I found a ransom. What did the Lord Jesus Christ
say? The Son of Man didn't come to be ministered to, but to minister
and to give his life a ransom for many. And God Almighty accepted
the ransom. As Abraham told Isaac, God will
provide himself a sacrifice. What can wash away my sins? Oh, nothing but the blood of
Jesus. Peter says, we know that we were redeemed with the precious
blood of Christ. This is the doctrine of Holy
Scripture, the Bible. Wherever you find forgiveness,
wherever you find forgiveness, you find blood. Wherever you
find God extending mercy, you find blood. Wherever you find
the sons of Adam worshipping, truly worshipping the holy Lord
God, you find blood. And God saying, when I see the
blood, I'll pass over you. Man, that must have been good
news that night to those Israelites that were in the house where
the blood had been applied. God says, when I see the blood,
not your worth, not your will, not your work, not anything about
you done by you or in you, but when I see the blood, that's
the reason I'll pass over you. Oh, how comforting. How comforting
to know that I'm wrapped up in the perfect robe of the perfect
righteousness of the perfect Son of God. And God says, when
I see that, Larry Criss, that's why I'll pass over you. Deliver
his soul. I have found a ransom. The blood of our divine Savior
is emphatically called precious blood. Precious. There's nothing else like it,
John. Nothing else can do what it does. The shedding of His
blood procures our pardon and our peace with God and our everlasting
salvation. On the cross, our sins were imputed
to Him and His righteousness is imputed to us. We traded places. God had made Him to be sin for
us. Did He? Did He? Yes, He did. He didn't pretend to be, He was.
I don't understand that. I can't explain that. Oh, that's
a marvel. All I can do is bow down before
Him and say, Hallelujah, what a Savior. God made Him who knew
no sin to be sin for me. And what's the result of that?
What's the outcome of that? What fruit did that bore? What
did he accomplish by that? Did he make something possible?
Oh, no. Oh, no. He assured that I be
made the righteousness of God in him. We look to Calvary and
view the suffering Savior, bearing our sins in His own body on the
tree and putting them away. putting them away forever by
the sacrifice of himself. There's only one answer. What
can make me whole again? There's only one way God will
accept. Only one that can redeem. And
verse 19 tells us, by the precious blood of Jesus Christ. Do you believe that? Do you believe
that? Do you believe that the precious
blood of Christ was shed for you? Do you really believe that? Then you're one of God's elect.
People say, well, I'd like to know I'm elect. Do you believe? If you believe on the Son of
God, you're elect. If you believe on the Son of
God, you're chosen. You know that you were chosen
in Him before the foundation of the world, but you cannot
possibly know that. You don't have a right to know
that. Until you believe and bow before the Son of God, then you'll
know. I was one of those blessed ones
chosen in the Son before the world began. Oh, precious is
the flow that makes me white as snow. Precious because of
whose it is. Remember what Paul told the elders
of the churches of Ephesus? Feed the church of God, which
is among you, that he hath purchased with his own blood, and it's
precious because of what it does. If you look up the word precious
in the dictionary, it would say of high price or value, highly
esteemed, dear. And Jesus Christ is all that,
isn't he? to God and to his redeemed. In chapter 2, three times it
speaks of the word, or uses the word precious, rather, in verses
4 through 7. And every time, every time it's
talking about Jesus Christ. He's precious to God. He's precious
to us. He's precious to those that believe. He's precious to God and to the
redeemed. Christ is both the high priest
that offers the sacrifice and the sacrifice himself. Paul said,
he loved me and he gave himself. He gave himself for me. Turn to John chapter 18. I love
this passage. I love this passage of scripture.
What a beautiful picture of substitution. You know it well. Our Lord is
in the garden. He's gone to Gethsemane. He went to that place that Judas
was familiar with. Judas knew that's where he would
be. Our Lord didn't try to hide. Oh, no. In verse 4 of John 18,
Jesus, therefore knowing all things that should come upon
him, went forth and said unto them, this mob, whom do you seek? Whom seek ye? They answered him,
Jesus of Nazareth. Jesus saith unto them, I am he.
And Judas also, which betrayed him, stood with them. As soon
as he had said unto them, I am he, they went backward and fell
to the ground. Now, who does it look like is
in control to you? Verse 7. Then asked he them again,
Whom seek ye? And they said, Jesus of Nazareth.
And Jesus answered, I have told you that I am he, if therefore
you seek me. If you seek me, let these go
their way. It's got to be one or the other.
If you take me, you can't have them. The sword of divine justice
said, a Waco sword against the man who is my fellow, my companion. Smite the shepherd, smite the
shepherd, strike the shepherd, but the sheep, but the sheep
go free. Oh, in that day we stand before
a thrice holy God. That one, the great shepherd
of the sheep who loved us and laid down his life for us that
he might bring us to God. God says, Oh, the sheep must
go, Father, here am I. Here am I. And all the sheep
that you've given me, I've lost none. He alone meets all the
holy demands of God's law. He alone is that one who is perfect
before the Lord God. He was and is sinless in life,
and as a substitute for His people in death, behold the Lamb of
God. And the needs of all His people
are founded in Him. Look at verse 18 of chapter 3
here in 1 Peter. 1 Peter 3 and 18. For Christ also
had once, one time suffered for sins, the just for the unjust,
that he might bring us to God, that he might bring us to God,
being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit.
Yes, he brings us to God, one with himself, accepted in him
when he died, when he died. And he does so in time. He said,
all that the Father giveth me shall come to me. He satisfied
God as the ransom by which we were redeemed. In Ephesians chapter
5 verse 12, Paul speaks of our Lord Jesus Christ and His sacrifice
as being a sweet-smelling saber before God. With that robe of
His perfect righteousness, By which his people are clothed,
then God said, mm, that smells good. What did the father say
concerning the returning prodigal? Man, he just crawled out of the
pigpen. He didn't try to clean up before
he went back to the father's house. I'm sure he still had
the stench of that pigpen in him and on him. But the father
said, put on the best robe, put on the best robe. Put on the best robe. And with His holy garments on,
I'm as holy as God's own Son. Just as accepted as He is. Precious because of what it does. There is more merit in the blood
of Jesus Christ than all the demerit in the sins of His people. By His blood we have been brought
near to God. These are the things accomplished
by the precious blood of Christ. Look if you will again back in
Hebrews and we'll wrap this up. Hebrews chapter 9. We read a
few verses from it earlier. Hebrews chapter 9. We read verses
11 and 12. But look at verse 24. Hebrews
9 verse 24. For Christ is not entered into
the holy places made with hands, which are the figures, the shadows,
the types, pictures of the true, but into heaven itself, now to
appear in the presence of God for us, nor yet that he should
offer himself often as the high priest entered into the holy
place every year with the blood of others, for then must he often
have suffered since the foundation of the world. But now, once in
the end of the world, had he appeared to put away sin by the
sacrifice of himself. And as it is appointed unto men
once to die, but after this the judgment, so Christ was once
offered to bear the sins of many. And after doing so, he said,
it is finished. And unto them that look for him
shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation. Chapter 10, verse 11. And every
priest ended daily ministering and offering oftentimes the same
sacrifices, which can never take away sins. But this man, after
he had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down at
the right hand of God from henceforth expecting till his enemies be
made his footstool for by one offering he had perfected forever
them that are sanctified. Oh, the love that drew salvation's
plan. Oh, the grace that brought it
down to man. In Luke chapter 22, when our
Lord instituted the Lord's Supper, after observing the last Passover,
the shadow must flee away because he who represented it fulfilled
it. He said, take the bread and the
wine. This is my body broken for you. This blood of the New Testament
is shed for you. For you. I want to feel and I
want you to feel the preciousness of that. For you. For you. Isn't that a marvel? Isn't that a wonder? For you. We're one in Christ. Our head
and the church, his body We're loved the same, called by the
same grace, redeemed by the same precious blood. And in a moment,
we'll do what he commanded us to do until he comes. For over 2,000 years, God's people
all over the world, believers, take the bread and the wine,
and they do so in remembrance of him until he comes. Then we won't need this to be
remembered or rather to remember his death any longer, but then
we shall be with him and see him as he is. Not health, nor
wealth, nor sounding fame, nor earth's deceitful empty name,
with all its pomp and all its glare, can with the precious
Christ compare. He's precious in his precious
blood, that pardoning and soul-cleansing blood. He's precious in his righteousness,
that everlasting heavenly dress. And as they draw near their journey's
end, how precious is their heavenly friend. And when in death they
bow their head, he's precious on a dying bed." Like Bobby sang. That sinner, as his spirit passed
away, whispered, Christ is all. Christ is all. God bless you.
Thank you.