With the Lord helping me this
morning, I would direct your prayerful attention to John chapter
17 and verse 2. John 17 verse 2. As thou hast given him power
over all flesh, that he should give eternal life to as many
as thou hast given him. as thou hast given him power
over all flesh, that he should give eternal life to as many
as thou hast given him." Here in John 17 we have the prayer
of the Lord Jesus Christ, which He offered up to the Father before
He suffered, before He offered up Himself as the sacrifice for
the sins of His people. Very appropriately then, might
this prayer be called the Lord's Prayer that which is commonly
called the Lord's Prayer which we have in Matthew and in Luke
that was a prayer which the Lord taught his disciples to pray,
he taught his disciples to pray but it was a prayer which he
never prayed himself and which he could never pray himself You see, the impeccable Saviour,
the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, could never pray and
forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors. He was and He is
without sin. He is the impeccable Savior.
The word impeccable means not able to sin. Christ was not able
to sin. He is holy, harmless, undefiled,
separate from sinners. He did no sin, neither was guile
found in His mouth. He had no need then to pray for
the forgiveness of sins, unlike His disciples, unlike us. In this prayer, which as I say
may be very appropriately called the Lord's Prayer, Christ prays
for himself, he prays for his apostles, and he prays for all
those who should hereafter believe on him. He prays for the whole
of the elect body, the church, for himself as the elect head,
and for all his people who were chosen in him. What we have in
John 17 is Christ's high priestly prayer. Here is, as it were,
a specimen, a sample of His intercession as the mediator between God and
men. And it is here recorded for the
Church's instruction and encouragement and edification. Well, may we
then find encouragement and instruction here, and may we indeed be edified,
built up in Him. and established in the faith
as we consider this portion of Holy Scripture. As thou hast
given him power over all flesh, that he should give eternal life
to as many as thou hast given him. We should consider three
things from these words this morning as I say with the Lord's
help I trust and with his gracious blessing. Firstly, the Lordship
of Christ. Secondly, the extent of Christ's
authority. And then thirdly, the consequence
of these things. That is the comfort, consolation
and encouragement that there is in these words to all the
Lord's people, for all the Lord's people, for His Church. Well,
firstly, We see that this scripture sets before us the lordship of
Christ, that is, his mediatorial lordship. Now I should say at
the outset that the word power in this verse is translated as
authority in other verses. The word is exousia, power or
authority. And so what we see here, firstly,
is the Lordship of Christ. That is His mediatorial Lordship. And I say mediatorial because
we see that this Lordship, this dominion, this power or authority
is given to Him by the Father. Now, Christ as God ever and eternally
had power and dominion and authority. He is co-equal with the Father
and with the Holy Spirit. But sovereign power, sovereign
authority has been granted to the Son as the mediator of the
new covenant. As the only mediator between
God and men, the man Christ Jesus has absolute sovereign power
and authority given to him by the Father. This is his mediatorial
order. These things were spoken of in
the Old Testament. It was told, Abraham and thy
seed shall possess the gates of his enemies. The true seed
of Abraham. What is it? What is the true
seed of Abraham? It's Christ. It's Christ, the
incarnate Christ. the Word made flesh, and in thy
seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed." Wicked
Balaam saw the dominion of Christ from afar, you remember. Out of Jacob shall come he that
shall have dominion, he said. The kingdom and dominion of Christ
was revealed to David. See the examples that we have
in the Psalms. See these few examples that I
bring before you now. Psalm 2, from verse 6. Yet have I set my king upon my
holy hill of Zion. I will declare the decree the
Lord hath said unto me. Thou art my son, this day have
I begotten thee. Ask of me, and I shall give thee
the heathen for thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the
earth for thy possession. See Psalm 45 from verse 2. Thou art fairer than the children
of men. Grace is poured into thy lips.
Therefore God hath blessed thee forever. Gird thy sword upon
thy thigh, O Most Mighty. with thy glory and thy majesty,
and in thy glory and in thy majesty ride prosperously because of
truth and meekness and righteousness. And thy right hand shall teach
thee terrible things. Thine arrows are sharp in the
heart of the king's enemies, whereby the people fall under
thee. Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever. The sceptre of
thy kingdom is a right sceptre. Thou lovest righteousness and
hatest wickedness. Therefore God, thy God, hath
anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows. Psalm 72 from verse 11. Yeah,
sorry, from verse 8. He shall have dominion also from
sea to sea, and from the river unto the ends of the earth. They
that dwell in the wilderness shall bow before Him, and His
enemies shall lick the dust. The kings of Tarshish and of
the Isles shall bring presents. The kings of Sheba and Seba shall
offer gifts. Yea, all kings shall fall down
before Him. All nations shall serve Him.
Psalm 89 Verse 23, And I will beat down his foes
before his face and plague them that hate him. But my faithfulness
and my mercy shall be with him, and in my name shall his horn
be exalted. Verse 27 of that psalm, Also
I will make him my firstborn, higher than the kings of the
earth, My mercy will I keep for him forevermore, and my covenant
shall stand fast with him. And we sang, didn't we, in the
metrical version of Psalm 110? The Lord said unto my Lord, Sit
thou at my right hand until I make thine enemies thy footstool.
The Lord shall send the rod of thy strength out of Zion. Rule
thou in the midst of thine enemies. The prophets too spoke of the
kingdom and dominion of our Lord Jesus Christ. Isaiah chapter
9 verse 7 of the increase of his government
and peace there shall be no end upon the throne of David and
upon his kingdom to order it and to establish it with judgment
and with justice from henceforth even forever the zeal of the
Lord of hosts will perform this. In chapter 11 of Isaiah verse
4 But with righteousness shall he judge the poor, and reprove
with equity for the meek of the earth. And he shall smite the
earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips
shall he slay the wicked. And righteousness shall be the
girdle of his loins, and faithfulness the girdle of his reins. And again in Isaiah, chapter
32, behold, a king shall reign in righteousness. Now we can
turn to Ezekiel. Ezekiel 34. And verse 23. And I will set up one shepherd
over them, and he shall feed them, even my servant David. He shall feed them, and he shall
be their shepherd. And I, the Lord, will be their
God, and my servant David a prince among them. I, the Lord, have
spoken it. In the book of Daniel, Daniel
7 verse 13. I saw in the night visions, and
behold, one like the Son of Man came with the clouds of heaven,
and came to the Ancient of Days, and they brought him near before
him. And there was given him, mark the words, there was given
him, dominion and glory and a kingdom that all people nations and languages
should serve him his dominion is an everlasting dominion which
shall not pass away and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed then in micah Chapter 5, verse 2, But thou,
Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands
of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is
to be ruler in Israel, whose goings forth have been from of
old, from everlasting. And Zechariah, chapter 9, verse
9, Rejoice greatly, O daughter of
Zion! Shout, O daughter of Jerusalem!
Behold, thy King cometh unto thee. He is just, and having
salvation, lowly and riding upon an ass, and upon a colt, the
foal of an ass. And so we could go on. We clearly
see that the Lordship of Christ, His dominion, power and authority
was foretold in the Old Testament Scriptures. And we clearly see
the fulfillment of all these Old Testament Scriptures in the
New Testament. The angel Gabriel was sent unto
a city of Galilee, named Nazareth, to a virgin, espoused to a man
whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. and the Virgin's
name was Mary. And we have here, in the New
Testament Scriptures, the words of that angel to the Virgin. And behold, thou shalt conceive
in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name
Jesus. he shall be great and shall be
called the son of the highest and the Lord God shall give unto
him the throne of his father David and he shall reign over
the house of Jacob forever and of his kingdom there shall be
no end an angel announced his conception
in in the womb of the virgin an angel announced his birth
too remember the words of the angel to the shepherds Fear not,
for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall
be to all people. For unto you is born this day
in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord. Christ the Lord, or the Lordship
of Christ, was proclaimed at His birth, and His Lordship was
plainly declared at His death, too. And Pilate wrote a title
and put it on the cross, and the writing was, Jesus of Nazareth,
the King of the Jews. The Lord Himself, during His
earthly ministry, declared the authority which had been given
to Him by the father all things are delivered unto me of my father
he says in Matthew's Gospel and in John he says for the father
judgeth no man but hath committed all judgments unto the son that
all men should honor the son even as they honor the father
he that honoreth not the son honoreth not the father which
hath sent him again in that fifth chapter of John, for as the father
hath life in himself, so hath he given to the son to have life
in himself, and hath given him authority to execute judgment
also, because he is the son of man. and there was evidently a power
and authority in his preaching we read in Mark's gospel when
they went into Capernaum and straightway on the Sabbath day
he entered into the synagogue and taught and they were astonished
at his doctrine for he taught them as one that had authority
and not as the scribes And the Lord Jesus Christ not only declared
His power and authority in His words, but He also demonstrated
His power and His authority in His works. Again, there in Mark
chapter 1, we read of Him casting out an unclean spirit, a demon. And they were all amazed insomuch
that they questioned among themselves, saying, What thing is this? What
new doctrine is this? For with authority commandeth
he even the unclean spirits, and they do obey him. After he had cast out a devil
and opened the mouth of the dumb in Luke's gospel, the Lord Jesus
said, But if I with the finger of God cast out devils, No doubt,
the kingdom of God has come upon you. There was a Gentile who recognized
Christ's authority. Many of the Jews didn't recognize
his authority, but there was a Gentile who did, a Roman centurion.
He came to Christ, beseeching him to heal his servant who was
lying at home, sick of the palsy, grievously tormented. The Lord
told him that he would come and heal him. but then we read that
the centurion answered and said Lord I am not worthy but thou
shouldest come under my roof but speak the word only and my
servant shall be healed for I am a man under authority having
soldiers unto me and I say to this man go and he goeth and
to another come and he cometh and to my servant do this and
he doeth it and you know the Lord honored that man's faith
And Jesus said unto the centurion, Go thy way, and as thou hast
believed, so be it done unto thee. And his servant was healed
in the selfsame hour. Oh, see Christ's power and authority
in his words and in his works. We see something of Christ's
power and authority, don't we, in the stinning of the storm.
He and his disciples had taken ship, you remember? We read in
Mark's gospel. And there arose a great storm
of wind, and the waves beat into the ship, so that it was now
full. And he was in the hinder part of the ship, asleep on a
pillow. And they awake him and say unto him, Master, carest
thou not that we perish? And he arose and rebuked the
wind, and said unto the sea, Peace, be still. Apparently in
the original the words are, be muzzled peace be still and the
wind and the wind ceased and there was a great calm and he
said unto them why are you so fearful how is it that you have
no faith and they feared exceedingly and said one to another what
manner of man is this that even the wind and the sea obey him even the wind and the sea obey
Him. The Lord Jesus Christ has sovereign
power and authority over all the forces of nature and over
all creation. He declares His power in His
Word and He demonstrates His power in His works and surely
the power of the Lord Jesus Christ is to be seen in His death and
His resurrection. therefore does my father love
me because i laid down my life that i might take it again no
man takes it from me but i lay it down of myself i have power
to lay it down and i have power to take it again this commandment
have i received of my father after he had finished his work
and before he ascended up into heaven he could say all power
is given unto me in heaven and in earth yes by his cross he
has spoiled principalities and powers and made a show of them
openly triumphing over them in it God has made that same Jesus
who was crucified both Lord and Christ and he has set him at
his own right hand in the heavenly places far above all principality
and power and might and dominion and every name that is named
not only in this world but also in that which is to come and
hath put all things under his feet and gave him to be the head
over all things to the church which is his body the fullness
of him that filleth all in all. We clearly see in the scriptures
of the Old and New Testaments the Lordship of Christ. But you know, it's not until
we are born again of the Spirit of God that we are truly brought
to see it, and to believe it, and to confess it. No man can
say that Jesus is the Lord, but by the Holy Ghost. Let us go on in the second place
to consider the extent of Christ's authority. We read here in the
words of our text that Christ is given power over all flesh. as thou hast given him power
over all flesh that is to say he has been given power over
all men or over all mankind but we're not to lose sight of
the fact that Christ is given power over all angels as well
Christ has sovereign power and authority over the good angels
being made so much better than than the angels as he hath by
inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they he was made a
little lower than the angels for the suffering of death but
he is now crowned with glory and honor he has been given a
name which is above every name that at the name of Jesus every
knee should bow of things in heaven and things in earth and
things under the earth it is the angels highest privilege
to worship him and to serve him And again, when he bringeth in
the first begotten into the world, he saith, And let all the angels
of God worship him. John saw those angels in the
Revelation. In Revelation 5 verse 11 he says
and I beheld and I heard the voice of many angels round about
the throne and the beasts and the elders and the number of
them was ten thousand times ten thousand and thousands of thousands
saying with a loud voice worthy is the lamb that was slain to
receive power and riches and wisdom and strength and honor
and glory and blessing Oh, they are ever ready to do his bidding. Are they not all ministering
spirits sent forth to minister for them who shall be the heirs
of salvation? But you know, the Lord Jesus
Christ has sovereign power and authority over the fallen spirits
too, for he has conquered them. He has bruised the serpent's
head. He has bound the strong man and
spoiled his goods. He has spoiled principalities
and powers. He has broken the snare of the foulness. He has
led captivity captive. And all this he has accomplished
by his incarnation and by his death and by his resurrection.
For as much then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood,
he also himself likewise took part of the same, that through
death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that
is, the devil. John says, for this purpose the
Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of
the devil. We are to remember that the devil
is a defeated foe. Now sometimes it doesn't feel
like that. We're so oppressed and perplexed and tempted and
persecuted. But faith looks to the Lord Jesus
Christ as the good shepherd. And you know sometimes the good
shepherd sends the dogs to snap at the heels of his sheep. or
they can never touch them, but they can certainly make them
fearful. And the Lord Jesus, after they have accomplished
his design and purpose, he is just as easily able to call them
off again. He is able to just as quickly
call those dogs off from snapping at the sheep, the heels of the
sheep. The Lord is sovereign over all angels, elect and fallen. Now these things I say by way
of digression or parenthesis. Our text says that Christ is
given power over all flesh, that he's over all mankind. And we
note the word all. As thou hast given him power
over all flesh, that he should give eternal life to as many
as thou hast given him Christ has power over all flesh, he
has power and authority over all the elect and he has power
and authority over all the reprobate all flesh is divided into these
two the elect and the reprobate and Christ is Lord over them
both to him is given power or authority
over all flesh Paul in Romans chapter 9 speaking of God says
therefore hath he mercy upon whom he will have mercy and whom
he will he hardeneth and he goes on to say and how solemn are
the words hath not the potter power over the clay of the same
lump to make one vessel unto honour and another unto dishonour
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, that he might make known the riches of his glory
on the vessels of mercy which he had aforeprepared unto glory? Out of the fallen mass of mankind
there are some who are elected or chosen to everlasting life,
while others are reprobate or rejected. That's the meaning
of the word reprobate, rejected. And Christ is Lord over all,
elect and reprobate alike, as thou hast given him power over
all flesh. Now how contrary this is to much
of, indeed to most, modern preaching today. If we can call it preaching,
that is. Today's modern gospel, which
is really no gospel at all, is that Christ has no power over
anyone. It is only when we submit ourselves
to his authority and allow him, blasphemous words, allow him
to reign over us, it's only then that he is able to exercise any
power. This modern gospel, which in
reality is no gospel at all, says that all flesh has power
over Christ. But what a weak and ineffectual
Christ theirs is who preach after this man? It is certainly not
the Christ of the Bible to whom is given power over all flesh
that he should give eternal life to as many as are given to him
by the Father in the eternal covenant of grace. Jesus Christ is Lord over all
the elect. The elect are Christ's special
portion, which are given to him by the Father from all eternity.
They are the as many as thou hast given him in our text. Thine
they were, and thou gavest them me, Christ praising. Here in
John 17 verse 6. They were given to him in the
eternal covenant of grace, which covenant was made before the
foundation of the world. According to the electing love
of the father, Christ was set up from everlasting to be the
mediator of that covenant. And it is from everlasting that
all those were given to him for whom he was to act as a surety
and as a mediator. They were given to him to save
and to keep. John chapter 6 verse 37, All
that the Father giveth me shall come to me, and him that cometh
to me I will in no wise cast out. For I came down from heaven
not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me.
And this is the Father's will which hath sent me, that of all
which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise
it up again at the last day. They are Christ's, for He has
redeemed them and purchased them with His own precious blood.
They are the recompense and the reward of His sufferings. They
are the joy of His heart. It was for that joy that was
set before Him that He endured the cross, despising the shame.
They are the travail of his soul. He shall see of the travel of
his soul, says Isaiah, and shall be satisfied. By his knowledge
shall my righteous servant justify many, for he shall bear their
iniquities. Behold, I will divide him a portion
with the great, and he shall divide the spoiled with the strong,
because he hath poured out his soul unto death, and he was numbered
with the transgressors, and he bare the sin of many, and made
intercession for the transgressors. They are Christ's, for he has
redeemed them. This is that seed and that generation
that we read of in Psalm 22, the crucifixion psalm. A seed
shall serve him. It shall be accounted to the
Lord for a generation. For they are his, for he has
purchased them by his blood. Now, of the elect for whom Christ
died, there are two sorts in this present world. There are
those who are already called, effectually called, and there
are those who are yet to be called. In those who are already called,
the power of the Lord Jesus Christ is clearly manifested. They were
by nature his enemies. Ah, but he has conquered them
by his sovereign love and by his irresistible grace. Thy people
shall be willing in the day of thy power. They are constrained
by the gracious working of the Spirit in their hearts to come
to Him. They are brought to feel their utter ruin and spiritual
poverty. They are brought to feel their
emptiness and their sin. The legal rod has been applied
to them. The sword of inflexible justice
has pierced their hearts and pricked their conscience. and
they know they must give account to God who made them and how they are brought to tremble
oh how they feel the need of one to stand between them and
God one who can bear away their sins one who can clothe them
with a robe of righteousness and they hear the preaching of
the Good News of the Gospel. Or as they read the Holy Scriptures
themselves, there is that revealing to them of that precious Saviour
that they need. To Jesus' wounded side, they
willingly flee. They willingly exchange their
filthy garments of sin and self-righteousness for the spotless robe of Christ's
righteousness. Furthermore, Christ's lordship
over those who are called is evident in His relationship to
them and in their view of Him. They are His people, His brethren,
His seed, His children, His servants, His disciples, His subjects,
His bride, and so on. To them, He is their father,
their husband, their master, their rabbi, their teacher, their
elder brother, their lord, their prince, their ruler, their judge
and their king. And Christ's authority and power
is exercised in His gracious dealings with those who are effectually
called. He rules in them by His Spirit, and He governs them by
His Word. And the entirety of the Word
of God is their rule of life, not just the law. Yes, he rules them by his spirit,
and he governs them by his words, and he keeps them by his power.
Yes, he chastens them sometimes in his love, but he does supply
all their need, both temporal and spiritual. He brings them
through many trials in his wisdom, and he grants them many deliverances.
When they fall, he lifts them up. When they're lifted up in
themselves, and in the natural pride of their sinful hearts
he brings them down when they're tempted he suckers
them for in that he himself hath suffered being tempted he is
able to sucker them that are tempted and Christ's power is
no less in and over the elect who are yet to be called though
it may not be so clearly manifested while they are yet in a state
of nature You see, in the day of His power, that is, in the
day of the manifestation of His power, He will make them willing. He will make them willing, even
though they are as unwilling as any of the reprobates until
that day of Christ's power. And other sheep I have which
are not of this fold, them also I must bring, He says. I must
bring. And again, hear the authority
of the Lord Jesus Christ in these words. All that the Father giveth
me shall come to me. He has declared, I will build
my church and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.
Christ has procured eternal life for all his dear elect and he
has power to bestow it upon them. as thou hast given him power
over all flesh, that he should give eternal life to as many
as thou hast given him. He has procured salvation, life
eternal. This is the good news of the
gospel. He has procured this eternal life for all the elect
of God, all those who are given to him by the Father in the eternal
covenant of grace, and they shall all partake of it, every single
one of them. Not one shall be missing on that
great day, that awful day of judgment. Yes, those who are called and
those who are yet to be called, they shall all partake of this
salvation. And do we not see here that eternal
life is a gift? it's not a wage, it's not something
to be earned by works, it is a gift, it's the gift of grace
that he should give eternal life grace implanted in the soul by
the Lord Jesus Christ is that well of water springing up into
everlasting life Jesus Christ is Lord over all the elect and
Jesus Christ is Lord over all the reprobate too though they
do not acknowledge it and though they do not acknowledge him Though
they imagine that they have a free will, and maybe they can repent
on their deathbed, when it suits them. Though they think that they can
do whatsoever they please, and whensoever they please. Who have
said, with our tongue will we prevail, our lips are our own,
who is lord over us? Though they say in their hearts,
we will not have this man to reign over us. Yet they shall
all ultimately be brought to know his absolute sovereign power
and authority in their everlasting destruction from the presence
of the Lord. They shall by no means escape
the punishment which is due to them. But those mine enemies,
which would not that I should reign over them, bring hither
and slay them before me. And do we not see the sovereignty
of Christ over the reprobate in this, that he judiciously
withholds from them the saving knowledge of the only true God
and Jesus Christ whom he had sent, which is life eternal.
Yes, he withholds from them that knowledge. See what the Lord
says in Matthew 11 and verse 27. All things are delivered unto
me of my Father, and no man knoweth the son but the father neither
knoweth any man the father save the son and he to whomsoever
the son will reveal him well let us go on to consider
thirdly and finally the consequence of these things That is the comfort, the consolation,
the encouragement that there is here for all the Lord's people,
for his church. Now there are, of course, consequences
for the reprobate. The Puritan John Owen says in
his famous exposition of the Epistle to the Hebrews, he says, that they do despise? Against
whom do they magnify themselves and lift up their horns on high?
Whose ordinances, laws, institutions do they contend? Whose gospel
do they refuse obedience unto? Whose people and servants do
they revile and persecute? Is it not He, are they not His,
who hath all power in heaven and in earth committed unto Him?
In whose hands are the lives, the souls, all the concernments
of His enemies? who can in a moment speak them
into ruin and that eternal. Surely such thoughts as these,
and the words of our text of course, ought to strike terror
into the hearts of the enemies of Christ. How awful it would
be for the ungodly and for the unbeliever on the day of judgment
the reprobate will then be struck with terror on that great and
awful day of judgments and the kings of the earth And
the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the
mighty men, and every bondman, and every free man, hid themselves
in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains, and said to
the mountains and rocks, Fall on us and hide us from the face
of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb,
for the great day of his wrath is come, and who shall be able
to stand? the consideration of these things
should bring comfort and consolation, indeed joy to all God's people,
to all Christ's willing subjects, to him who loves us and has given
himself for us. He's given all power in heaven
and in earth, all power in heaven and in earth is given to one
who is sovereign and who loves us. And that power he exercises on
our behalf for our eternal good and for his own and for his father's
eternal glory. the everlasting salvation of
the entire church is absolutely secured and assured as thou has
given him power over all flesh that he should give eternal life
to as many as thou has given him the word should indicates
purpose it's not that he ought to give eternal life to as many
as are given to him but it is the divine purpose to give eternal
life to as many as are given to him Paul speaks of God's eternal
purpose which he purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord and so
Christ says here that he should give eternal life to as many
as are given him the divine purpose cannot be frustrated it cannot
be thwarted I will work God says by the prophet Isaiah and who
shall let it? that is, who shall hinder it? I will build my church and the
gates of hell shall not prevail against it and because Christ
has given power over all flesh and all spirits too then we can
have the same persuasion that the Apostle Paul had for I am
persuaded that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities,
nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height,
nor depth, nor any other creature shall be able to separate us
from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord." In conclusion, we ought to ask
ourselves the question, are we those who are in possession of
that eternal life? Are we of that number who are
given to Christ? Pause, my soul, and ask the question,
aren't thou ready to meet God? Am I made a real Christian, washed
in the Redeemer's blood? Have I union? Have I union to
the Church's living Head? How can we know the answer to
this question? How can we know the answer to this question?
Can we know the answer to this question? Many say we can't. The Church of Rome says we can't
have any assurance of salvation. That's a lie of the devil. It's true that we cannot ascend
up into heaven and peer into the Lamb's Book of Life to see
if our names are there. We can't do that. No, it's true. But you know, the Holy Scriptures
are not given to us to engender doubt. That's not their purpose. That's not why they're given.
Quite the reverse. And it's not the purpose of the
ministry of the Word to engender doubt either. Quite the opposite. But these are written, but these
are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the
Son of God, and that believing ye might have life through his
name. John could write in his first
epistle, we know that we have passed from death unto life. And again he says, these things
have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son
of God, that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that
ye may believe on the name of the Son of God. All the scriptures
are not given to engender doubt, they're given to engender faith. We can know, we can know that
we are given to Him. How so? How can we know? By our coming to Him. All that
the Father giveth me shall come to me, and him that cometh to
me I will in no wise cast out. It is by our coming to him that
we know that we are given to him by the Father. By our coming
to him out of a felt sense of our need as sinners. For the
Lord Jesus Christ is the saviour of sinners. As thou hast given
him power over all flesh, that he should give eternal life to
as many as thou hast given him. Amen.