this evening by singing together
hymn number 95, that the tune is St Bernard 219. And did the
holy and the just, the sovereign of the skies, stoop down to wretchedness
and dust, that guilty worms might rise. Hymn 95, tune St Bernard
219. Dear the holy and everlasting
suffering of the soul, Still down to bitterness and dust and
guilty and blind. This man, redeemed again, Is
come, is raken, sworn on high, to see the wonder, to suffer,
need and die. He took the dying traitor's place, and
suffer in His stead. O man of Israel, full of grace,
O man, the Savior, ? Till moon and heav'n be one ?
? Earth shall be my home ? ? Turning home ? ? Life is a sinless act
of love ? ? There never was one too proud ? ? What can we tell,
when I am gone ? O favours so divine! O take my hope, this
restless heart, and make it holy. Let us read together from the
Holy Word of God in the Paul's epistle to the Hebrews in chapter
10. Hebrews chapter 10. For the law having a shadow of
good things to come, and not the very image of the things,
can never with those sacrifices which they offered year by year
continually, make the comers there unto perfect. For then
would they not have ceased to be offered, because that the
worshipers once purged should have had no more conscience of
sins. But in those sacrifices there
is a remembrance again made of sins every year. For it is not
possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away
sins. Wherefore, when he cometh into the world, he saith, Sacrifice
an offering thou wouldest not. But a body hast thou prepared
me. In burnt offerings and sacrifices
of sin thou hast had no pleasure. Then said I, Lo, I can't. In
the volume of the book it is written of me. to do thy will,
O God. Above, when he said, Sacrifice
and offering and burnt offering and offering for sin thou wouldst
not, neither has pleasure therein which are offered by the law.
Then said he, Lo, I come to do thy will, O God. He taketh away
the first, that he may establish the second. By the witch will
we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus
Christ once for all. And every high priest standeth
daily ministering 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 on the right hand of
God from henceforth expect until his enemies be made his footstool,
for by one offering he hath perfected forever them that are sanctified. Wherefore the Holy Ghost also
is a witness to us, for after that he had said before, this
is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, saith
the Lord. I will put my laws into their
hearts, and in their minds will I write them, and their sins
and iniquities will I remember no more. Now where remission
of these is, there is no more offering for sin. Having therefore,
brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus,
by a new and living way which he hath consecrated for us, through
the veil, that is to say his flesh, and having an high priest
over the house of God, let us draw near with a true heart in
full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an
evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. Let us
hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering, for he
is faithful that promised. Let us consider one another to
provoke unto love and to good works, not forsaking the assembling
of ourselves together as the manner of some is, but exhorting
one another, and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching. For if we sin willfully after
that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth
no more sacrifice for sin. but a certain fearful looking
for a judgment and fiery indignation which shall devour the adversaries.
He that despised Moses' law died without mercy under two or three
witnesses. Of how much sore a punishment,
suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy who hath trod on underfoot
the Son of God and hath counted the blood of the covenant wherewith
he was sanctified and unholy thing, and hath done despise
unto the Spirit of grace. For we know him that hath said,
Vengeance belongeth unto me. I will recompense, saith the
Lord, and again the Lord shall judge his people. It is a fearful
thing to fall into the hands of the living God, but called
to remembrance of former days, in which after you were illuminated
you endured great fight of afflictions, partly whilst you were made a
gazing-stock, both by reproaches and afflictions, and partly whilst
you became companions of them that were so used. For ye had
compassion of me in my bonds, and took joyfully the spoiling
of your goods, knowing in yourselves that you have in heaven a better
and a more enduring substance. Cast not away therefore your
confidence, which has great recompense of reward. For you have need
of patience, that after you have done the will of God, you might
receive the promise. For yet a little while, and he
that shall come will come, and will not tell. Now the just shall
live by faith, but if any man draw back, my soul shall have
no pleasure in him. But we are not of them who draw
back unto petition, but of them that believe to the saving of
the soul. May the Lord bless the reading
of his own precious word, grant to us a spirit of real Holy,
holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, which is, and art, and art to
come, we desire to bow before thy glorious majesty. Thou art
in heaven, and we upon earth, and thy word exhorts us, therefore
let thy words be few, for in the multitude of words your want
is not iniquitous. And O Lord our God, We are very
conscious that thou art holy and that we are unholy. We're
unclean and unrighteous altogether. For I know that in me, that is
in my flesh, there dwelleth no good thing. And Lord, we painfully
feel that to be the case. Our hope is built on nothing
less than Jesus' blood and righteousness. I dare not trust the sweetest
fame, but wholly lean on Jesus' name. We have no other hope but
this. And as thy word declares unto
us, not by works of righteousness that I have done, but according
to his abundant mercy. Oh, we pray that we may feel
that abundant mercy in our souls tonight as we gather around thy
precious word. that the word of truth may be
open to our heart and to our understanding, that the Lord
Jesus Christ might be exalted and set forth as the way, the
truth and the life. Jesus is the way to God. Jesus
is the way to bless. We pray to be led, taught, guided
and directed by thy Holy Spirit. For the Spirit searcheth all
things, yea, the deep things of God, we pray to be led by
thee, most blessed Spirit of truth. It was through thy sovereign
power that thou didst enter into our hearts, and quicken our souls,
and bring us to faith in Jesus Christ, truly convincing us of
our sin, and of our great need as a sinner before a holy God.
Oh, we pray that that same power may be put forth this evening
hour into our souls, that thou would lift us above ourselves
and above our helplessness and above our insufficiency and above
our unworthiness, our wretchedness. Gracious God. Oh, we prove, and
we prove it daily, that the heart is deceitful above all things
and desperately wicked, and we painfully feel it to be so. We
pray, most blessed Spirit of truth, that thou wouldst work
precious faith in our hearts, that we may lay hold of Jesus
Christ, that we may behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away
the sin of the world. We pray that we may come as that
dear woman in the Gospels, if I might but touch the hem of
his garment, I shall be made whole. All that we could touch,
the hem of Jesus' garment, and draw from that fullness that
there is in him. For a fullness resides in Jesus
our head, and ever abides to answer our need. For he is full
of grace and truth. and in him dwelleth all the fullness
of the Godhead bodily. Gracious God, give us a view
by faith of the glory of the atonement, of the wonder of redeeming
love, of the fullness of that salvation that is in Christ Jesus. Oh, we do pray, most gracious
Lord, that thou wouldst take of the things of Jesus and reveal
them unto us, that thou wouldst testify of Christ the Lamb, testify
in our hearts of the efficacy and the power of the love of
our Lord Jesus Christ. We pray that we may feel in our
hearts this evening as we gather round the word the love of our
eternal Father. For God so loved the world, he
gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should
be saved. Oh, we do pray that we may be
drawn unto Jesus Christ. None come except the Father draw. No man can say that Jesus Christ
is Lord, but by the Holy Ghost. And if any man have not the Spirit
of Christ, he is none of his. We pray, most gracious Lord,
that thy spirit may dwell in our hearts, that we may lay hold
of that hope that is set before us in the gospel. We pray to
be delivered from sin and from its power and from its influence. Oh, do hear us, Lord, we humbly
beseech you. Pray for grace to fight the good
fight of faith and lay hold of eternal life. We pray that we
may see thy goodness pass before us in the We pray that thou would
be with us and bless us as a church and as a congregation and work
mightily, powerfully, effectually among us to the great glory of
thy name. Oh, we do beseech thee, Lord,
that we may have signs to follow the preaching of the word. We
thank thee for what thou hast done for us. And we would render
thanksgiving and praise unto thee for all thy mercies to us.
But, O Lord, we long to see greater things. We long to see others
brought to come and tell to sinners round what a dear saviour they
have found and point to thy redeeming blood and say, behold, the way
to God. Hear us, Lord. We humbly beseech
thee and bless us as a church and as a congregation. Remember
our brethren, the deacons, and give wisdom, grace, and help
unto them. all their responsibilities here
and among the churches of God. Remember our dear friends here
that expect to go for rest and change in this coming week, and
we pray that thou would grant them that rest and change, and
that thou would grant that rest of faith in our Lord Jesus Christ,
and grant them thy divine support day by day. Be with all in affliction,
trouble, trial, perplexity, bereavement, undertake for each one. O Lord,
we do pray Thee. We pray that most gracious and
merciful Lord God, that Thou would remember the little ones
and the children that are brought into the sanctuary, that Thou
would remember them with the favour that Thou barest unto
Thy people, and that Thou would visit them with Thy great salvation,
that they may be brought to living, vital, saving faith, in Jesus
Christ. Remember, O Lord, the young friends.
Undertake for them. Fulfill that wonderful promise.
Instead of thy father shall be thy children, whom thou mayest
make princes in all the earth. Work mightily in their hearts. Bring them to living faith in
Jesus Christ. Make them true followers of thee
and of those who through faith and patience inherit the promises. Hear us, O Lord, we pray thee,
be with them in all the paths of providence, whether in their
education or employment or regarding a partner in life's journey.
Lord, we lovingly commend them to thee and pray that thou would
graciously guide them and direct them in life's journey. We pray,
O Lord, to be delivered from the temptations of Satan, from
the power and the dominion of sin, We find, O Lord, that Satan
has so much to work on us and to tempt us with, because we
have such a wicked, sinful, corrupt heart. Lord, we do pray to be
delivered from sin and from its power and from its influence. We pray for the sanctifying power
of the Holy Ghost in our hearts. We pray that the Lord Jesus may
be made precious unto our souls, that ye may be made unto wisdom,
righteousness, sanctification and redemption. We do humbly
pray thee. Lord, we do pray that thou, in
thy precious mercy, would remember the prodigals that have wandered
from the ways of truth and of righteousness. Oh, we do pray
that thou would cause them to return, cause them to be in want.
There's nothing too hard for thee. Indeed, O Lord, they are
able to do abundantly more than we can even ask or think. O Lord, we pray for this village,
that the glory, light and power of gospel truth may shine into
this village. Precious souls may be gathered
unto Christ. We pray for the blessing of the
word that is distributed in the area and the calendars. O that there was grant thy divine
witness with thy word that poor sinners may be converted and
brought to a saving fame in Jesus Christ. Do hear us, Lord, we
humbly beseech thee for thy great namesake. Lord, we do pray that
thou wouldst remember all in the midst of the journey of life
that wisdom, grace, and help may be given to each one and
thy divine guidance and blessing. Oh, we do pray that thou wouldst
hear prayer, that thou wouldst grant a return, that thou wouldst
grant that thine holy arm may be made bare. Oh, do hear us,
Lord, and send out thy light, send out thy truth. We think
of those wonderful promises. I will bring thy sons from far,
and thy daughters from the ends of the earth, and they shall
come from the north and from the south and from the east and
from the west. O Lord, we do pray. Thou hast
promised in thy word, I will work, and who shall let it? And thou hast exhorted us, O
Lord. Indeed, in thee, prophet, thou
didst say, for this will I yet be inquired of the house of Israel
to do it for them. I will increase them with men
like a flock. O Lord of hosts, O God of Israel,
O Thou that dwellest between the cherubim, shine forth. We
do humbly beseech Thee, and grant that we may indeed see the pulling
down of the strongholds of Satan, and the setting up of the kingdom
of the Lord Jesus in the hearts of sinners. We do humbly beseech
of Thee. O Lord, we do pray. that Thou
wouldst remember those of us that are in the evening time
of life journey. Remember us with the favour that
Thou bearest unto Thy people. Visit us with Thy great salvation. Show us Thy ways, O Lord, and
teach us Thy path, and guide us safely unto Thy heavenly kingdom. Deliver us from temptation. We
do humbly beseech of them. Sometimes, O Lord, when we look
upon the sin that abounds on every hand and the spirit of
Antichrist that pervades, and sometimes, Lord, we get very
cast out to the point of being ready to give up. But we pray
that we may persevere, that we may indeed cast not away our
confidence, which has great recompense of reward. May we be enabled
to cast our burden upon the Lord, and may we prove that sustaining,
upholding, and strengthening mercy. O Lord, we do thank thee
for our little house of prayer. We thank thee for the open Bible.
We thank thee for the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. for
the incarnation of the Son of God, for the holy life he lived
as a man under the law, fulfilling all its holy commandments and
precepts, and thereby bringing in everlasting righteousness
for his people, we do thank thee for Jesus Christ, for his precious
blood and righteousness. We thank thee that He offered
that holy and that perfect sacrifice on Calvary, and that He had put
away sin in that one offering. Oh, we do thank Thee, O Lord,
for that one glorious offering, that satisfaction made of divine
justice. Jesus had put an end to sin.
Oh, we do thank Thee, most gracious Lord, for our Lord Jesus Christ,
and that he rose again for our justification, having died for
our sins, and that we do thank thee that he has bodily ascended
into heaven, and that we indeed have a great high priest who
has passed into the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God. O gracious God, do hear our prayers
and hear our praises, Do be with us as we turn to thy holy word. Do come and touch one's lips
with the live coal from off the heavenly altar. That do grant
that there may be that living power of the living spirit of
the living God that shall be known and felt in our midst this
evening. And that the word of truth may
be open to our heart and to our understanding. And that we may
catch a glimpse of yon lovely man And that scene of matchless
grace, tis Jesus in the sinner's place. Heaven's brightest glory
sunk in shame. O most gracious Lord, grant that
we may behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of
the world. We ask all with the forgiveness
of all our many sins, for Jesus Christ's sake. Amen. Let us now sing together hymn
number 1087 to the tune Whitburn 435. Was it for sin, for mortal
guilt, the Saviour gave his vital blood,
for sin amazing anguish found, the wrath of an offended God. Hymn 1087 Tune Whitburn 435 O come, O come, O come, O come,
O come, O come, to Bethlehem. ? Thou shalt lead your way ?
? With light of love ? ? Oh, see the days ? ? With amber skies
? ? And golden hands ? ? In my breast ? ? You can warm
my soul ? ? And shelter me ? ? In shame or hell ? ? It's all I ask of you ? ? And sin can make the sinner weep
? ? How glorious, how bright thy angels do ? I will be waiting,
and I will follow, The one with the gracious truth. He's ready to wear the pitchforks on. I do, I do, it seems to me, O'er the ramparts we watched,
were so gallantly streaming? And the rocket's red glare, the
bombs bursting in air, Greatly feeling to need the Lord's
gracious help, I direct your attention to the chapter that
we read, the 10th chapter of Paul's epistle to the Hebrews.
And we'll read verses 12 to 14 for our text. Hebrews chapter 10, verses 12,
13, and 14. But this man, after he had offered
one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down on the right hand of
God. From henceforth expect until
his enemies be made his footstool, for by one offering he hath perfected
forever them that are sanctified. But this man, this is a reoccurring
theme in the epistle to the Hebrews, but this man. And of course he's
speaking of the Son of God, the man Christ Jesus, who gave his
life, an offering for all. And he says in the chapter seven
and verse 24, but this man, because he continueth ever, hath an unchangeable
priesthood, wherefore he is able to save them to the uttermost
that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession
for them. For such an high priest became
us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sins, and made
higher than the heavens. But this This glorious man, the
hymn writer says, doesn't he? This glorious man, thy peace
shall be. The apostle, when he writes to
his son Timothy in the faith, and he says to him concerning
this glorious man, there is one God and one mediator between
God and man, the man, Christ Jesus, who gave his life of ransom
for all to be testified in due time. This man, this glorious,
holy God man, the man Christ Jesus, this wonderful miracle
of grace. It's a wonderful miracle of grace
that the Son of God was made flesh and dwelt among us. The apostle says when he writes
to Timothy, great is the mystery, it's a profound mystery, that
God was manifest in the flesh. That the Son of God assumed human
nature and became bone of our bone and flesh of our flesh.
But this man, this holy God man, we just read together in chapter
7, how he did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth.
He was holy. The only holy man to have lived
and died on earth. He was born without sin. That
cannot be said of any of Adam's race. We're all born in sin. We're all shapen in iniquity.
We're all unrighteous altogether. But this man, this man, he was
without sin, pure. He was holy in his very birth.
The angel speaking in the gospel according to Luke, and he says,
that holy thing that shall be born of thee is holy. It was a miracle. It was a divine act of God that
the Son of God assumed pure in nature, without sin, and became bone of our bone and
flesh of our flesh. He had a real human nature, this
glorious man. He lived here for 33 years as
a man. The Apostle as I often quote
it to you in Galatians 4 verse 4, made of a woman, that's the
son of God, made of a woman, made under the law that he might
redeem them that are under the law. He's the only person that
could do it. You know, you could have had
ten thousands of the finest specimens of the sons of men, and not one
of them, if they offered themselves as an atonement for sin, not
one of them would have been accepted. You might say, why? Because they're
sinners. The sacrifice demanded of divine justice was holy. It had to be a holy sacrifice. It had to be without sin. and
only a holy sacrifice would satisfy the demands of divine justice.
And there's only one man that could do that, the man Christ
Jesus, who gave his life of ransom for all to be testified in due
time. But this man, after he had offered
one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down on the right hand of
God. You know in the previous verses
of this chapter, chapter 10, the apostle speaks of the sacrifices
under the law. The sacrifices and offerings
are under the Levitical dispensation. which had been taking place for
hundreds and hundreds of years. What does he say concerning the
law and its sacrifices? For the law, having a shadow
of good things to come, and not the very image of the things,
can never, with those sacrifices which they offered year by year
continually, make the comers thereunto perfect. Utterly impossible. For then would they not have
ceased to be offered because that the worshippers once purged
should have had no more conscience of sins. But in those sacrifices
there is a remembrance again made of sins every year. He's
pointing particularly to that sacrifice on the day of atonement. When the high priest placed his
hands on the head of the sacrifice and confessed his sins and the
sins of the children of Israel. And he took the blood and went
into the holy place and sprinkled it seven times before the golden
mercy seat. And what the apostle is saying
here is that none of that could ever make atonement for sin.
It was merely typical. It was pointing to Christ. but
the offerings and the sacrifices themselves could never take away
sins. Says here in verse 4, for it
is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should
take away sins. Then it quotes here from the
book of Psalms, sacrifice and offering thou wouldst
not, but a body hast thou prepared me. Psalm 40. In burnt offering and sacrifices
for sin, thou hast had no pleasure. There was no effect from them.
Then said I, this is Christ himself speaking, it's quoted from the
Psalm 40. Then said I, lo I come, in the
volume of the book it is written of me, to do thy will O God,
above when he said sacrifice and offering and burnt offering
and offering for sin that what is not neither has pleasure therein
which are offered by the law. Then said he Loaika to do thy
will O God he taketh away the first that he may establish the
second. The first being the Old Testament
The second being the New Testament. That is what he's saying here. Old things are passed away, behold
all things become new. By the witch will, that is of
course the will of God. We are sanctified through the
offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. And there's an emphasis here
in the epistle to the Hebrews on the fact that it was only
ever needed was this one sacrifice and it says that the latter part
of chapter 9 verse 24 for Christ is not entered into the holy
place is made with hands which has caused them the ascended
Christ after it suffered bled and died which are the figures
of the true but into heaven itself now to appear in the presence
of God for us. In chapter four, he says, for
such a high priest have we, who is passed into the heaven, Jesus,
the son of God, is passed into heaven. What a wonderful mercy. And here again, lays an emphasis
on the Levitical dispensation in verse 11, and every priest
standeth daily, ministering and offering oftentimes the same
sacrifices, which can never take away sins. But this man, but
this man, this glorious holy God man, the man Christ Jesus,
after he had offered one sacrifice for sins, forever. So this all was ever needed,
this one glorious sacrifice for sins forever sat down on the
right hand of God. It's interesting here isn't it,
because elsewhere in scripture it speaks of the various things
that happen, the resurrection and then the ascension of Christ
into heaven. But here when the apostle is
speaking of this one offering, this glorious sacrifice of Christ
on Calvary, which was a perfect sacrifice, which was a holy sacrifice
and therefore acceptable unto God as a sin atoning sacrifice. This sacrifice of Christ on Calvary
satisfied all the demands of divine justice. And that was
what was required, the satisfaction of divine justice. And the only
person that could do it is the Son of God, manifest in the flesh. But this man, after he had offered
one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of
God. There's no doubt that the Apostle
here is referring to Psalm 110. And in the first verse of Psalm
110, the Lord said unto my Lord, sit thou at my right hand until
I make thine enemies thy footstool, from henceforth expect him, till
his enemies be made his footstool. And hence it ushers in the New
Testament. It ushers in the New Testament.
The enemies he speaks of here, of course there were Romans,
there were Greeks, there was all manner of enemies, but the
principal enemy that it speaks of here is the Jews. He came
unto his own and his own received him not. They rejected him. And the fulfilling of the prophecy
of Isaiah, he is despised and rejected of men, a man of sorrows
and acquainted with grief. They rejected him. They would
not receive him as the son of God. Indeed, that was the principal
reason they gave for his crucifixion. He made himself the Son of God. Their eyes were blinded. They
couldn't see who he was. Of course, there were those,
many, that their eyes were opened. And they said, truly, this was
the Messiah. This is the Messiah. But for
the vast majority of Jews, they rejected him as being the
Messiah. But this man, after he had offered
one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down on the right hand of
God, from henceforth expect until his enemies be made his footstool,
his footstool. In other words, he would reign
over his enemies. I think you'll find it was in
about AD 70 that Titus, the Roman Emperor, so angry at the obstinacy
and the rebelling of the Jews, he brought a large army down
to Jerusalem and he literally destroyed the city of Jerusalem. Tens of thousands of Jews were
slaughtered in that day. And this is the fulfilling of
what it says here, till his enemies be made his footstool. They were
enemies of the cross of Christ. They were enemies of God. They
were enemies of righteousness and truth. They thought they
were doing the will of God. Look at the Apostle Paul when
he was Saul of Tarsus. How he went about hailing men
and women to prison. When he stood by and watched
the first martyr Stephen, when he was stoned to death, no doubt
egging them on. An enemy. But by the wonderful grace of
God, he was brought to be a follower. and one of the greatest followers
of our Lord Jesus Christ. He could say and he could rightly
testify that concerning himself and all the other apostles, I
laboured more than them all. He did. He was the apostle to the Gentiles. And
look how he laboured going from country to country. And he goes through in the Corinthians
how that he was beaten with many stripes, in prisons oft. He had a very difficult trying
pathway. And there's no doubt, there were
times when he thought he would never make it through. He speaks of so great a death,
but his hope was in the glorious person of Jesus the Son of God
who loved me and gave himself for me. That's what he says when
he writes to the Galatians. He loved me and gave himself
for me. And when he writes to his son
Timothy in the faith and he recounts his own conversion, how the Lord
stopped him in his mad career. But what does he go on to say?
He breaks out into that beautiful doxology Now unto the King eternal,
immortal and invisible, the only true God, be honour and glory
everlasting. Amen. Why? Because of that wonderful
grace that had reached him. That wonderful grace of our Lord
Jesus Christ. He says when he writes to the
Corinthians, God forbid, Or rather the Galatians, he says, God forbid
that I should glory, saving the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ. But this man, after he had offered
one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down. He rests from his labors. He sits down, he's there now.
I remember reading a piece by Dr. Gill on Christ in heaven. and what is often called in theologians,
his session at the right hand of the father. And Dr. Gill made this point
and I felt it was very enlightening. He said, Christ in heaven is
always pictured apart from a couple of times sitting and resting
from his labors. He said we shouldn't run away
with the idea that every time a poor sinner comes to supplicate
the mercy of God in Christ that Christ bows himself before the
throne on the behalf of that sinner. He said he sits next
to his father in that exalted position at the right hand of
the father and when a poor sinner comes in the name of Christ the
father looks on Christ. He doesn't look on that poor
sinner. looks on that holy saviour, he looks on that holy sacrifice,
he looks on that precious blood of his only begotten son and
he receives that poor sinner in the name, in the person of
his only begotten son, this one God, this one mediator between
God and man, the man Christ is John puts it in another way in
his first epistle, and he says, we have an advocate with the
Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. An advocate, one that stands
between, one that pleads our cause, an advocate with the Father. He rests from his labors. The
Father looks on those labors. He looks on that cross, he looks
on that precious blood that was shed, he looks on the holiness,
the righteousness of his son and he receives a poor sinner
in the blood and righteousness of Jesus Christ. We have no acceptance
of our own. Our only acceptance is in the
Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. I often think of that opening
passage, of that lovely description given of our Lord Jesus Christ
in Solomon's Song, Chapter 5. My beloved is white and ruddy. My beloved is white and ruddy.
White representing his pure, holy righteousness. Ruddy, which
is red, representing his precious blood, in other words the blood
of righteousness of Jesus Christ. And that is where a poor sinner
confides and rests in what he has done. We preach Christ crucified,
Christ crucified. But this man after he had offered
one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down on the right hand of
God, from henceforth expecting till his enemies be made his
footstool, for by one offering he hath perfected forever them
that are sanctified. He's perfected apostle puts it in another way,
you are complete in him. Understand that the word complete
and the word perfect they are often the same word that is used. To be complete is to be perfect,
to be perfect is to be complete and his one offering was perfect. for by one offering, if perfected
forever, then that are sanctified. What does the word sanctified
here mean? We have to look at the context
to get the meaning of it. There is the sanctification of
the Spirit. There is also sanctification
in Christ. And then it speaks in Holy Scripture
of the Father sanctified. And I believe that that is the
sense here meant. It's the Father sanctifying.
He hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified. To sanctify,
the essence of the meaning of it is to separate. To separate
from this world. Now, in those eternal councils
of the covenant, ordered in all things and sure, The Father chose
a people. He chose a people. He separated
them from the whole mass of mankind. And the Apostle says that they
were chosen in Christ. The Father chose a people in
Christ. Peter, the Apostle, he says in
his epistle, chosen before the foundation of the world. Chosen before the foundation of the
world. You know I think perhaps one of the clearest
places is in the epistle to the Ephesians in that first chapter
where it speaks so clearly of the divine work of the Father
and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost. And Paul, an apostle of
Jesus Christ, by the will of God, to the saints which are
at Ephesus and to the faithful in Christ Jesus, grace be to
you and peace from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ.
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who
hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings, in heavenly places
in Christ. You see, he sanctified a people
before the foundation of the world. He separated them by divine
decree. And all the blessings, it says
in verse four, according as he has chosen us in him. That's
in Christ, before the foundation of the world. that we should
be holy and without blame before him in love. How can that be? That we should be holy and without
blame. We know, we feel painfully our
sinfulness, the sinfulness of our nature, the corruption of
our nature. And it causes as much heart searching,
and much pain, and much grief. Sometimes we have to say, can
ever God dwell here? Because I'm such a sinful person. But, through that eternal love
of our Heavenly Father, that we should be holy. How? Through the blood and righteousness
of Jesus Christ. The blood of Jesus Christ, God's
Son, cleanseth us from all sin. From all sin, it does. And that glorious everlasting
robe of the righteousness of Christ covers our nakedness. It's beautiful, my beloved friends,
that fullness there is in the gospel of Jesus Christ. He goes
on in Ephesians 1, he says in verse 5, having predestinated
us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself according
to the good pleasure of his will. Not because of anything in us,
but according to the good pleasure of his will. And don't we have
to echo the language of the hymn writer. Those of us that have
been called and to whom Christ has been made precious. How often
we have to say, why me? Oh, blessed God, why me? Why
such a wretch as me, that must forever lie in hell, were not
salvation free? Having predestinated us unto
the adoption of children by Jesus Christ, to himself, according
to the good pleasure of his will, to the praise of the glory of
His grace, wherein He hath made us accepted in the Beloved, in
whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of
sins according to the riches of His grace, wherein He hath
abounded toward us in all wisdom and prudence, having made known
unto us the mystery of His will. That is Christ. Christ is the The mystery of sins forgiven. The mystery of a poor rebellious
sinner reconciled unto God. What a mystery, isn't it? How
can it be? It says in Colossians, he will present you holy, unblameable,
unreprovable in his sight. And we stand, my beloved friends,
amazed at the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. That a poor, wretched,
filthy, hell-deserving sinner can be presented unblameable,
unreprovable, in and through the glorious precious blood and
righteousness of Jesus Christ. That in the dispensation of the
fullness of times, he might gather together in one all things in
Christ, both which are in heaven and which are on earth, even
in him. in whom also we were in this
crucified Saviour, in this suffering Saviour, who died for our sins
and rose again for our justification, in whom also we have obtained
an inheritance being predestinated according to the purpose of Him,
who worketh all things after the counsel of His own will,
that we should be to the praise of the of his glory who first
trusted in Christ. What a mercy, my beloved friends,
if we have been brought by that divine and blessed work of the
Spirit in the heart, brought to saving faith in Jesus Christ,
brought to see that Jesus is the way to God, brought to see
that we are nothing, that we are poor, wretched, ruined, helpless,
Hopeless, how deserving sinners. But in Jesus Christ we're saved. God so loved the world, he gave
his only begotten son, but whosoever believeth in him shall be saved. Believeth in that holy sacrifice,
believeth in that holy saviour, believeth in his glorious righteousness,
his precious sin-atoning blood, believing in his death and his
glorious resurrection from the dead. And in those words of Jesus,
because I live, you shall live also. What a wonderful thing, my beloved
friends, and we are given believing views of our Lord and Savior,
Jesus Christ. But this man, after he had offered
one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down. on the right hand of
God from henceforth expect him till his enemies be made his
footstool for by one offering he hath perfected forever them
that are sanctified. My mind it just goes to the,
it's the same sort of thing that Paul writes to the Ephesians
in the first epistle of Peter and chapter one. Peter is writing
to the strangers scattered throughout Pontius, Galatia, Cappadocia,
Asia and Bithynia. And what does he say? 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. Blessed be the God and Father
of our Lord Jesus Christ. These are the words that brought
me into gospel liberty, which according to his abundant mercy
hath begotten us again unto a lively hope, that's a living hope, by
the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. He died for our
sins. He rose again for our justification. In that risen Saviour, we know
that sin has been put away, that divine justice has been satisfied,
that He's paid the ultimate price. And when He rose again, it was
for our justification. Their sins and their iniquities
will I remember no more. To be justified is to be declared
without sin, to an inheritance incorruptible.
and that and undefiled and that faileth not away reserved in
heaven for you who are kept by the power of God through faith
unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time but then he
says in verse six wherein we greatly rejoice though now for
a season and it may be at this time but now for a season If need be, you are in heaviness
through manifold, that is, lots of, many temptations, that the
trial of your faith being much more precious than of gold that
perishes, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto
praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ. You see, my beloved friends,
it may be you have manifold temptations, greatly cast out. You look within
and you say, can ever God dwell here? You feel deeply the corruption
of your sinful nature. You feel painfully the temptations
of Satan. And you also feel the that evil
spirit of unbelief rising up in your heart. Oh, that the Lord
might enable us to keep looking and keep coming, lay aside every
weight and the sin that does so easily beset us, that we might
run with patience the race that is set before us, looking on
to Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy
that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame
that and is now set down at the right hand of the majesty on
high. But this man, after he had offered
one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down on 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. sanctified by the Holy Ghost. The Holy Ghost has entered their
heart, the Holy Ghost has quickened their soul, the Holy Ghost has
brought them to feel their need, and the Holy Ghost reveals unto
these poor needy sinners a precious Christ as the way and the truth
and the life. May the Lord add his blessing. Let us now sing together hymn
number 167. The tune is Diademata, 77. Come all harmonious tongues,
your noblest music bring. Tis Christ the everlasting God
and Christ the man we see. Tell how he took our flesh to
take away our guilt. Sing the dear drops of sacred
blood that hellish monster's spill, hymn 167, tune Diodemata,
77. ? Joy to the world, the Lord is
come ? ? Joy to the world, the Lord is come ? ? Joy to the world,
the Lord is come ? See the dead rose of sacred love
that buried monsters dead. There was a girl well-spent When
he came to this town. ? And the big sprout of the poplar
? ? That the grass where I stand ? ? In the fields of smiling
green ? ? In all its woods and grove ?
? And every trough, O my Jesus ? ? Lay heavy on its stone ? and the shades of grey. ? Make a place for God above
? ? If He abhors sin and faith ? ? Then the place shall be His
own ? O Lord, I love thee still, my
cross and reservoir, ? Alleluia ? ? Let his name ? ?
Evermore be heard adored ? ? Let the redeemer shine ? ? Cry
on this quiet shore ? ? Let all the world hear ? ? Heaven's choir
? ? And shouter on this shore ? ? And His pure courage shine ?
? With unflinching grace ? ? Ever blest with saints on high ? Now may the grace of our Lord
Jesus Christ, the love of God the Father, the sacred fellowship
of the Holy Spirit, Rest and abide with us each, both now
and forevermore. Amen.