Let me read a verse or two here
in the seventeenth chapter of the book of John, and I want to talk to you for a few
minutes here this evening about the certainty of the death of
the Lord Jesus Christ, the certainty of his doing and his dying. The second and third verse of
the seventeenth chapter, the Lord Jesus in His prayer
says unto the Father, and verse 25, He calls Him, O Righteous
Father. That's about the only time that
I can remember of our Lord addressing the Father as Righteous O righteous
Father, the world hath not known thee, but I have known thee,
and these have known that thou hast sent me." Second verse, in his prayer unto the Father,
he lifted up his eyes to heaven. He said, Father, the hour has
come. Glorify thy Son, that thy Son may also glorify thee, as
thou hast given him power, that is, authority over all flesh,
that he should give eternal life to as many as thou hast given
him. And this is life eternal, that
they might know thee, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom
thou hast sent." That is salvation. full and complete. This is life eternal, that they
might know Thee, the only true God, only one God. He is the
true and the living God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast
sent. Now, I said that the death of the Lord Jesus Christ was
no experiment uncertain in its He died on purpose. He died in
order to justify God in the salvation of a sinner. You remember I told
you not too long ago that over there in the book of Genesis,
in Abraham's dealing with God concerning his son, Take thine
only begotten Son, Abraham, told Abraham, your only begotten Son,
take thine only Son to a certain place, a certain
mountain, and offer him up as a sacrifice. Well, Abraham, without hesitation,
got a couple of the servants together and told his boys that
we're going on a journey in the morning, Mount Moriah. And so
they set out on this journey, and they got, I guess, within
sight of the mountain, and they stopped a while and talked about
it. And the boy said to his dad, he said,
Father, he said, We got the altar here, would
make us an altar out of stone or wood, whatever it was. And
we got the wood, evidently had something to make a fire. But
he said, where's the sacrifice? Where's the sacrifice? No, animal
sacrifice was introduced. And that's the reason I said
this morning that when, in God, when he, had Noah build the ark, he brought
in two of a kind, so many, of unclean beasts. So animal sacrifice
would continue. They had to have a lamb or a
goat or a buck or some animal to sacrifice, which was a type
of the Lamb of God would eventually come, the Messiah, and this was
a picture of that. So he told his father, he said,
We've got everything here that we need. But he said, Where's
the sacrifice? Now, this is the key to all of
it right here. Abraham said to his boy, he said,
God will provide Himself a sacrifice. And if you remember right, I
said, and if I've said it once, I've said it a hundred times. Nobody's ever heard me, I don't
think. But I've said it, and I've said it, and I'm going to
keep on saying it until someone hears me. He said, Son, God will provide
Himself a sacrifice. Now, God must do something for
Himself before He can do anything for you or me or Abraham or Isaac. His justice must be satisfied. And the picture of the Lamb,
the goat or whatever it was, with its throat cut and its blood
running out on the ground, was a picture of him who was to come,
the Lord Jesus Christ. Now, God's justice, you know,
must be satisfied because he said, the wages of sin is death. The soul that sinneth shall surely
die. Somebody's got to die. Blood's
got to be shed. So God sent his Son, now, I'm
not saying that God looked all over heaven to see who would
be available, because none could be available. Only the wisdom
of God could come up with such a plan as that, that the second
person of the Trinity would become a man, incarnate, become a man,
and a body would be formed in the in the virgin's womb. And this man, all man, this man
would be born to come and to die in the place of sinners,
pay their debt and establish a righteousness which would stand
them in good stead with sinners. Now, I said his death was no
experiment uncertain of its results. The work of the Holy Spirit is
not just a mere trial to see what could be accomplished. It was not a dry run. Now, there are three things that
I want to emphasize in particular. I cannot, this evening, with
a good conscience, subscribe to a doctrine of an unfaithful
father. I cannot subscribe to a doctrine
of an undefeated spirit, the Holy Spirit, and I cannot subscribe
to a defeated son. So what I want to tell you is,
that the death of Jesus Christ was not an experiment uncertain
in its results. Now, I certainly believe in a
faithful God, and I believe that you do, too, that our Father
in heaven is faithful. I remember reading over here I believe in the book of Romans.
Let me look just real quick if I can find that. The book of Romans. Chapter 4,
I believe it is. Listen to this now. Abraham believed in a faithful
God. He said he staggered not at the
promise of God, through unbelief, but was strong in faith, given
glory to God, being fully persuaded that what he had promised he
was able to perform. What God has promised, he is
able to perform. That is the reason I say that
the death of the Lord Jesus Christ was not an experiment. It was not a dry run. It was
actuated, it was accomplished to a certain end, and that certain
end was that our sins would be forgiven on the basis of His
shed blood, and we would be clothed on the basis of this righteousness
that He worked out. In all of this, God was glorified
in the doing and the dying of the Lord Jesus Christ. So I believe
in a faithful God that God will keep his promise. Whatever he
has promised in the scriptures, he will keep. Abraham staggered
not at the promises of God, but was strong in faith, giving glory
to God. He believed that whatever God
promised him would come to pass. And I believe that, too. I believe
that whatever God has promised us in the Bible will come to
pass. And he promised to save every
poor, hopeless, helpless, doomed, damned sinner that believed his
testimony concerning who Jesus Christ is and what Jesus Christ
did. God promised to save him and
keep him saved throughout time and throughout eternity. God
promised that. So I'm saying here that the death
of the Lord Jesus Christ was no experiment uncertain of its
results. What God promised, he'll do. So he who is a faithful God,
I believe that. I believe that God is faithful
and keeps his word. He talks about two immutable
things. It is impossible for God to lie. He said that he has saved the
vilest sinner on this side of hell on the ground of the person
and the finished work of the Lord Jesus Christ. makes any
difference how far off from God he is. If he comes to God in
Christ and agrees with God concerning himself that he's a sinner and
he's guilty and his mouth is shut, God will save him on the
ground of the work and the person of the Lord Jesus Christ. So,
I say then, without hesitation that I believe in a faithful
God, and I believe in an invincible spirit. I don't believe God is
defeated, neither do I believe God's Holy Spirit is defeated. And I certainly believe in a
victorious Jesus Christ, that He was victorious over death,
sin, and hell. and he saved his people from
their sins. It has been said that every soul
for whom Christ shed his blood as a substitute, he will claim
as his own and he will have him as his right. not only claim
him as his own, but he will have the right to claim him as his
own. Oh, this is a precious truth,
I think, and I love to proclaim it. Now, all the powers on the
earth and all the powers in hell and all the stubbornness of the
human will in all the depravity of a human soul can ever prevent
or keep the Lord Jesus Christ from seeing the travail of his
soul and be satisfied. You remember reading over here
in the book of Matthew chapter 53, no, in the book of Isaiah, in the book of Isaiah. Let me
read this. I think it is Isaiah 53. In verse 10, it said,
Yet it pleased the Lord to bruise him. It pleased God the Father
to bruise the Lord Jesus Christ. It pleased God to do it because
of the substitutionary work, of the transfer. Our sins were
transferred from us and laid on Him. So the justice of God
was pleased to bruise the Lord Jesus Christ because our sin
being on Him and, of course, the Bible says, on Him who knew
no sin. So it pleased the Lord to bruise
Him. He hath put Him to grief. When
thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed,
he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the Lord shall
prosper in his hands. Now listen to this. He shall
see the travail of his soul and shall be satisfied, a victorious
Christ. That is, he is doing, he is dying,
His blessed person and his blessed work accomplished what God purposed
it to do, the saving of the sinner by way of transfer, the transfer
of his guilt and shame and sin upon the Lord Jesus Christ. And
the Lord Jesus Christ, having no sin, suffered the vengeance
of God and the wrath of God against our sin being placed on the Lord
Jesus Christ. And the Lord Jesus Christ said
he'd see the travail of his soul and he'd be satisfied with what
he did. Redemption, redemption, full
and complete. He shall see the travail of his
soul and he shall be satisfied. And by his knowledge, my righteous
servant, justify many, for he shall bear their iniquities."
Well, that's satisfying. Well, in this seventeenth chapter
of the book of Romans that I read to you at the outset in the second,
third verse, it says, "...as thou hast given him power over
all flesh, that he should give eternal life to as many as thou
hast given him." God hath made a choice. God hath given us grace
in him before the world ever was. Set us apart, sanctified and
set us apart, fixed his eyes upon us, determined, God in his
will and his purpose, determined to save so many out of this fallen
race. as thou hast given him power
over all flesh, that he should give eternal life to as many
as thou hast given him. So he gave them to Christ before
the world ever was, chose them in Christ, put them in Christ,
preserved them in Christ, called them in Christ, to as many as
thou hast given him. Will God go back on His promise? No, a million times no, God will
not go back on His promise. He promised so many unto the
Lord Jesus, conditioned upon the finished work of the Lord
Jesus, that the Lord Jesus would suffer in their stead, shed His
blood and die the death of a sinner in their stead, and establish
a righteousness by fulfilling every jot and tittle of the law
and charging that to their account. Now, will God go back on his
word? Will the Lord Jesus Christ be
disappointed? Will there be an empty or vacant
chair in heaven that Jesus died for somebody, suffered for somebody,
went into the grave for somebody, provided a righteousness for
somebody, and that somebody won't make it? Certainly not. The death of the Lord Jesus Christ
was not an experiment. He did it on purpose. He accomplished
redemption by his person and his work. And then he says, And
this is life eternal. To know him, to know the Christ
of God is life eternal. To know who he is, that he's
a child, he's a child born, but he's a son given. He's God and
man one person. This man, Christ Jesus, is none
other than God manifest in the flesh. To know Him, to know what
He done on our behalf. This is life eternal, that they
might know Thee, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom Thou
sent. Well, eternal life. So, let me
say this then, the ground of our security then is guaranteed
by the faithfulness of God. God will be faithful to his promise. The Lord Jesus Christ said, I'll
guarantee, I'll guarantee, I'll be responsible for all that's
required out of those that you gave me. I'll be responsible
for it. If they've got to be perfect,
I'll be their perfection. If they've got to keep every
jot and every tittle of the law, I'll keep every jot and tittle
of the law. If they've got to suffer and die, I'll suffer and
die in their stead and their place in our... And God honors
the person and the work of the Lord Jesus Christ, and God is
not defeated, and the Lord Jesus Christ is not disappointed, and
everyone for whom Christ died is going to finally, eventually,
wind up at the throne of God himself, all on the account of
the Lord Jesus Christ. The ground of our security is
guaranteed by the faithfulness of God. That is, the called,
called with a holy call. The called and justified are
safe forevermore. They are safe as long as God
keeps his word to his Son. I'm not saying now that those
who are called and justified, quickened, regenerated, followers
of the Lamb, I'm not saying that they shall be free from chastisement. Freedom from chastisement depends
upon the believer's behavior. If he does not behave, then the
Lord will chastise him and bring him back in line. But he'll never be lost. He'll
be chastised. God only chastises those that
he loves. And he that is without chastisement
is a bastard and God never knew him. Now, God has made promises,
promises to the poor, helpless, mourning believer, and God will
faithfully perform every promise he made. If you'll turn with
me to Psalm 89, I believe this will encourage
you, for it encouraged me. Psalm 89, listen to this. In verse 28, My mercy will I keep for him
forevermore. My covenant shall stand fast
with him. His seed also will I make to
endure forever, and his throne as the days of heaven. If his
children forsake my law and walk not in my judgment, if they break
my statues and keep not my commandments, then will I visit their transgression
with the rod and their iniquity with strikes, that's chastisement.
Nevertheless, now listen to this, nevertheless, my lovingkindness
will I not utterly take from him, nor suffer my faithfulness
to failure. My covenant will I not break,
nor alter the things that is gone out of my lips, Once have I sworn by my holiness
that I will not lie unto David. His seed shall endure forever,
and his throne as the sun before me." Our security is grounded
upon the faithfulness of God to His dear, beloved, and precious
Son. And all the promises of God are
yea and amen in Christ Jesus. So God has made promises over
and over and over to His poor, helpless, wandering children. And He will faithfully perform
every promise that He made. Why? For the gifts of God, for
the gifts and the calling of God are without repentance. God doesn't change his mind.
You can't make him change his mind. God is faithful in preserving
his people. John chapter 10 and verse 27, John 10 and 27, listen to what
he says. He said, My sheep hear my voice,
I know them, and they follow me. I give unto them eternal
life. They shall 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. I and my Father are one." Then
turn over here in the book of I Thessalonians. 1 Thessalonians chapter 1, verse
5. Listen to this. It says, Knowing, brethren, beloved,
your election of God for our gospel came not unto you in word
only, but also in power, and in the Holy Ghost, and in much
assurance, as ye know what manner of men we were among you for
your sake." And then over here in 1 Peter chapter 1 verse 5, Listen to this. Well, he says in the third verse,
God be blessed, Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according
to his abundant mercy hath forgotten us again unto a lively hope by
the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance,
listen to that now, to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled,
that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for whom? for the believer,
for the child of God, reserved in heaven for you. Who? Listen, are they going to be
lost? Is Christ going to die for some poor, hopeless, helpless
sinner and draw himself unto him and then finally, in the
end, be lost, fall away? Oh no, they are kept. How? By the power of God. Kept by
the power of God. What can I liken unto the power
of God? Indescribable is the power of
God. He that is without beginning
and without end. His power is indescribable. If any of the prophets said,
Isaiah I believe it was said, Is anything too hard for God? There's nothing too hard for
God. He can keep us, bless God. If our behavior don't meet His
criteria, He'll chastise us. But nevertheless, He'll not ever
forsake us. We're kept through it all by
the power of God. through faith unto salvation,
ready to be revealed at the last time. One more verse here. Maybe I've already read it. I
don't know. Psalm 27, I think. Well, the Lord is my light and
my salvation. Whom shall I fear? The Lord is
the strength of my life. Of whom shall I be afraid? When
the wicked, even mine enemies and my foes, come upon me to
eat my flesh, they stumble and fail. Though an host should encamp
against me, my heart shall not fear. Though war should rise
up against me, In this will I be confident, one thing have I desired
of the Lord, that will I seek after, that I may dwell in the
house of the Lord all the days of my life, and behold the beauty
of the Lord, and inquire in his temple." God is faithful in preserving
his people. He's going to keep us. He's going
to save us. and He's going to keep us saved,
and when we die, we're going to go to sleep in Jesus, and
when we wake up, we'll be in glory. It's that sweet and that
sure. Oh, isn't that wonderful? God
give us heaven when we deserve hell. God give us Christ when
we deserve the devil. Marvelous, matchless grace. Well, let's stand.