The Bible Baptist Church located
at 2015 Beulah Road in Madisonville, Kentucky would like to invite
you to listen to a message of the sovereign grace of God in
the Lord Jesus Christ by their pastor David Edmondson. Has God shown you that you are
a sinner? When I say center, I'm not talking
about someone who merely knows that they've done some things
wrong. I believe every adult would agree to being the type
and kind of center who has spoken and done thought and imagine
some things that are not right. When I speak of a sinner though,
I'm talking about one who's grieved over their state and their condition
before God. One who hates and despises the
way that they are. Are you that kind of sinner?
A sinner like Job who said, I abhor myself. A sinner like Paul who
said, oh wretched man that I am. A sinner like David who said,
I've sinned against the Lord. You know, that's what makes our
sin so horrendous. It's all against the Lord. David
prayed into his God and he said against thee and thee only have
I sinned and done this evil in thy sight. A sinner like Mephibosheth,
that's the kind of sinner I'm talking about, who concerning
himself said unto his master, what is thy servant, that thou
shouldest look upon such a dead dog as I am? Oh, do you see that
you're like Mephibosheth, one who is lame upon both of his
feet because of a great fall? When I say sinner, I'm talking
about a man and a woman who understands that sin is what they are, not
just what they do. I'm talking about a sinner who
knows what they deserve when they stand before a holy God
to give an account of the things done in their body while on this
earth in this life. A sinner whose heart is deceitful
above all things and desperately wicked. Has God shown you that
concerning your own heart? If you can easily move on past
the fact that you're a sinner, then you've yet to truly see
the depravity of your own heart. You see a believing sinner finds
great difficulty in getting over their sin. A real sinner sees
that they were shaped in iniquity and conceived in sin. Psalm 51,
five. And to be conceived and shaping
and sin means that you were a sinner before you were ever born. You
were a sinner before you ever sinned. Your mother was a sinner. Your father was a sinner. And
that which comes from forth from the flesh is flesh. Sinners produce
sinners. We can trace our sin all the
way back to Adam, our first father. I'm talking about the kind of
center that knows that from within, out of the heart proceeds evil
thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, thefts, covetousness,
wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride,
foolishness. I'm talking about a great center.
Do you see that you're a great center? sinners like the ones
that god saw when he looked down from his throne in the days of
noah genesis 6 5 we read and god saw that the wickedness of
man was great in the earth all the sin of man was great in the
earth because great was the sin in the sinner Oh, God saw the
wickedness of man was great in the earth and that every imagination
of the thoughts of his and her heart was only evil continually. And it's here. We see something
of the great wickedness of man. When we see that every imagination
and thought of his heart was evil. When we see every imagination
and thought of his heart was evil continually. Oh, a desperately
wicked heart has a constant flow of evil. It's a heart that has
thoughts and imaginations that are only evil and continually
evil. Does that describe your heart?
I'm talking about a biblical center. Not what men and women
today believe a center to be. I'm talking about the kind of
center that God describes in this Holy book. We call the Bible. I mean the kind of center that
God says, but they obey not neither inclined their ear, but made
their neck stiff that they might not hear nor receive instruction. Jeremiah 17 23. Are you that
kind of center centers that will not come to Christ that they
might have life centers that will not have this man, Christ
Jesus to rule and reign over them. Has God shown you that
you're that kind of sinner? I have another question for you.
If God has shown you you're that kind of sinner, do you desire
to have your sin forgiven and put away? If you could at this
moment, Know that all your sin, all past sin, all present sin,
all future sin, all sins, sins of thoughts, sins of words, sins
of deed, sins of imagination. If they could forever be put
away to never be held against you, would you be at all interested
in knowing how? If you're a biblical sinner,
you will. If God shows you what sin is, you'll desire to know. If you know who your sin is against,
you'll desire to know. If you want real reconciliation
with God, you'll desire to know. And this is a question that will
expose you for who and what you are. You'll either confess to
being a sinner in need, Or you'll confess to being righteous in
your own sight with no need. But if you could this very minute,
no, and have full confidence and complete assurance that you
would be forever, eternally be in the presence of God, residing
in a sinless glorified body forever, praising and worshiping Christ.
Would you have any desire to. Would you have any interest in
knowing how you might be enabled to live forever without sin,
guilt, and shame? By the grace of God this morning,
I want to endeavor to show you how your sin and mine might be
forever put away and forgiven. And I could have chosen many
passages of scripture to answer this question, but God has directed
me today to show you out of the book of Hebrews chapter 10. And
in showing you how our sin can be put away and forgiven, I want
you to notice that the Holy Spirit first shows us how it cannot
be put away and forgiven. Hebrews 10 verse one reads, for
the law, having a shadow of good things to come and not the very
image of the things can never, never, with those sacrifices
which they offered year by year continually make the comers thereunto
perfect. Now it's imperative. Hear me
when I say it's absolutely necessary. It's crucial for us to know that
being reconciled to God, has nothing to do with us doing something
good, us doing a work of righteousness in and of ourselves that would
appease God, because God will accept nothing less than perfection. Being reconciled to God has nothing
to do with being good, but everything to do with being perfect. Now,
I would like if you're following along with me for you to turn
in your, hold your place here in Hebrews 10 and turn with me
to Matthew chapter 19. Matthew chapter 19. We have a,
an amazing story here that reveals the very thing that I'm trying
to convey to you about the difference between being good and being
perfect. Here we have a man, a man whom
the world would call a good man. You know, we base our opinion
of men and women on comparison to ourselves. When we say someone
is good, we mean compared to most people or compared to ourself. But the world would call this
a good man, a man who came to our Lord and in verse 16 of Matthew
chapter 19, he asked this question. He said, good master, what good
thing shall I do that I may inherit life? And isn't it obvious by
his words that he thought salvation had something to do with being
good? While he addressed the Lord as good master, his concern
was what good thing that he might do that would cause him to inherit
eternal life. Do you remember the Lord's response?
Well, we read it right here. He said, why call us down me
good? You see, salvation is not about being good. Being reconciled
to God, not about being good. The forgiveness of sin is not
about being good. Salvation is about being perfect
without sin. And in verse 17, Christ asked
that question, why callest thou me good? There's none good, but
one, and that is God. But if thou would enter into
life, keep the commandments. Well, that's all fine and good
to say, but we have to remember what else the scripture says.
That if we are going to attempt to be saved by the keeping of
the commandments, we've got to keep all the commandments and
we've got to keep them all perfectly. The scripture is very clear about
that for whosoever shall keep the whole law and yet offend
in one point. He's guilty of all, James 2 10. And in verse 18, the, he, the
good man said unto Christ, which, which commandment should I keep? And the Lord said, all of them.
We've got to keep them all and we've got to keep them all perfectly. Oh friends. If you insist on
being saved by keeping the commandments, you've got to keep all of them
and you have to keep all of them perfectly. And our Lord in verse
18 said, thou shalt not murder, thou shalt not commit adultery,
thou shalt not steal, thou shalt not bear false witness, honor
thy father and thy mother, and thou shalt love thy neighbor
as thyself. And the young man said unto him,
all these things have I kept from my youth up, what like I
yet? You see, he was a good man, morally
good man. Now listen, this is so important. If you belong to Christ, if you
are one of God's elect chosen people, Christ will meet you
every time, right where your heart is. Whatever your greatest
weakness is, that's where God will meet you and expose you
if you're one of his. In verse 21, the Lord Jesus asked
this question. if thou wilt be perfect. Jesus said unto him, if thou
will be perfect, it doesn't have anything to do with being good. No, sir, it has to do with being
perfect. If thou wilt be perfect, go and
sell that thou hast and give it to the poor and thou shalt
have treasure in heaven and come and follow me. It wasn't the
fact that the young man would become perfect upon selling all
of his goods, but selling all of his goods and following Christ,
trusting in Christ, depending upon Christ and Christ alone
is what makes a man perfect. But in verse 22, we read these
sad words, but when the young man heard that saying, he went
away sorrowful for he had great possessions. A dear sinner, in
order to be made perfect, you must be made willing to give
up all for Christ. Back in Hebrews chapter 10, we
saw in verse one that the law, that being the commandments,
had a shadow, and that word means shade, of good things to come. But not the very image of the
good things. The law shadowed, showed us a
shadow. It was a picture of good things
that were to come. To show us that we can never
With those sacrifices, which they offered year by year, continually
make the comers unto what perfect, perfect. The ceremonial law with
all its standing priest and sacrifices and ceremonies could never take
away sin. Verse 11. Do you see that year
after year for hundreds of years? The Jews sacrificed those animals
and all of them combined never took away the first sin. You
see the sacrifice that God requires has to take away all sin, all
the sin of all God's people throughout all time. And it's got to take
all of each of their sin away. God required a perfect sacrifice
and that perfect sacrifice His beloved son, God in the flesh,
the lamb slain before the foundation of the world, was capable of
putting away all sin, all of it. And in verses two and three,
we read this. For then, would they, speaking
of those sacrifices, not have ceased to be offered? That's
a good question. If these sacrifices could have
put away sin, wouldn't they have ceased to be offered? because
that the worshipers, once purged, should have no more conscience
of sin. But in those sacrifices, there's
a remembrance again, made of sins every year. In these animal
sacrifices, if they could take away sin, if the sacrifices of
those animals could remove sin, if they could justify a sinner,
then there'd be no need to ever offer another sacrifice. And
that's exactly why these sacrifices had to be year after year continually
offered, because they couldn't take away sin. They couldn't
remove the consciousness of sin. They couldn't remove the guilt
of sin. Every year, the sinner was reminded
that they were still sinners and that they still needed yet
another sacrifice. But here's the good news. When
God puts away sin, His justice is satisfied. When sin is taken
by God, sin is forever removed. When sin is gone, the conscience
is cleared. And that's the reason the child
of God can find rest in Christ and only in Christ. That's the
reason that Christ had to die only once. That's why we read
in verse 14, that by one offering, He, the Lord Jesus Christ, has
perfected forever them that are sanctified. You see, the blood
of Christ purges us from all sin. It cleanses us from all
sin. The blood of Christ atones us
from sin. The blood of Christ sanctifies
us. And again, they continued to
offer those sacrifices year by year. And wasn't that such a
clear indication that their sin was not gone? It was not put
away. This is great proof that sin remained. Sin was not put
away until Christ came and put it away. Now look at verse four,
for it's not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should
take away sins. Christ was able to put away his
people's sin because he was made in our likeness yet without sin. He was bone of our bone and flesh
of our flesh. And I heard a dear friend of
mine, a faithful pastor of over 50 years, tell me many years
ago, and I understand it now, that an animal couldn't die for
a man. Only a man can be substituted
in the place of a man. Only a man could redeem another
man. God instituted in the Old Testament
scriptures to bring animal sacrifices and the blood of a lamb was brought
and spilt and offered unto God until God's lamb came And by
bringing these lambs and these sacrifices sinners proved that
they believed that God's lamb was coming That's what God had
said Then and only then would the sacrifices stop Then the
sacrifices would cease to be offered. Why? Look at verse 12.
Because this man, Christ Jesus, after he had offered one sacrifice
for sins forever, sat down on the right hand of God. You see,
friends, the work is finished. Redemption is accomplished. Verse 14, by his offering, he
hath perfected forever them that are sanctified. And one day soon
in the end of the world, half he Christ appeared to put away
sin by the sacrifice of himself. That's the only way it can be
put away. The God man, the perfect man, God, who became man, God,
who was both man and God put away the sin by the sacrifice
of himself. How so? Cause he kept the law
perfectly. Christ has not entered into the
holy places made with hands, which are the figures of the
true, but unto heaven itself, now to appear in the presence
of God for us. You see, Christ did not enter
into that holy place made with hands. Speaking of that holy
of holies in the sanctuary, in the temple, that the high priest
entered into with the blood of those animals, Christ, the great
high priest, has entered into heaven itself and into the very
presence of God with his own precious blood, and he's put
it on the mercy seat of glory. And he sufficiently, effectively,
and eternally purged all the sins of all his people throughout
all time with his own blood. You see, it's not possible that
the blood of bulls and goats to put away sin, but the blood
of God did. And in verse five, it says, wherefore,
when he cometh into the world, he sayeth sacrifice and offering
thou wouldest not, but a body, a body that has prepared me. When Christ came to the world,
he said, a body does prepare me. God, the father prepared
a body for God, the son. Why? Because you and I who are
weak in the flesh. The law could not provide for
us what God required, and it wasn't the law that was faulty.
It was because man was, it was because you and I were. It had
nothing to do with weakness of the law. The law of God is perfect
and holy and right. But it had everything to do with
the weakness of and in the sinner. So Paul tells us in Romans 8
that God sent him his own son in the likeness of sinful flesh
and for sin. And if you have a marginal Bible,
it says by a sacrifice of sin. He condemned sin in the flesh
that the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us
by Christ substitution for us and in us who walk not after
the flesh, but after the spirit. Now, did you hear that? By sending
Christ in the likeness of sinful flesh, Christ condemned sin in
the flesh. The he condemned sin in his flesh. So he was a perfect man, but
the scripture is going to say that the righteousness of the
law might be fulfilled. Do you know what that means?
That means that the law of God could find no fault. in the person
and work of Christ, the God-man. You see, our Lord lived perfectly
his whole life. Therefore, the law had no claim
on him. The law couldn't charge him with sin. The law couldn't
punish him for sin. The holy justice of God's law
had to let all who were in Christ go. Being in Christ and one with
Him, the law cannot charge me. The law cannot punish me. In
Christ, the law must declare that I am perfectly righteous,
perfectly holy, without blame before Him in love. Therefore,
every sinner that's found in Christ has the righteousness
of the law, that being the perfect righteousness that Christ obtained,
fulfilled in them. Paul said, in us, who walk not
after the flesh, but after the Spirit. Who is that us? Those
who trust in Christ, those whom God chose, called, and drew by
His cords of love and mercy and grace, and brought to a saving
knowledge in Christ and Him crucified. Now listen, in the sacrifice
and offering of Christ for his people, God's well-pleased and
he finds great pleasure in his son. Did he not say, this is
my beloved son and whom I'm well-pleased. Now listen to me, if you're in
him, if you're trusting in him, if you're putting all your eggs
in him, his basket, oh, I'm telling you, God is well-pleased with
you. But we see in verse six that in burnt offerings and sacrifices
for sin, God had no pleasure. Verse seven, then said, I low,
I come in the volume of the book is written of me to do thy will. Oh God. And he did his will and
he did it perfectly. Above, when he said, Sacrifice
and offering, and burnt offerings, and offering for sin, thou wouldst
not, neither hadst 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. God found no pleasure
in the sacrifice of those animals. Oh, but when his son was laid
upon the altar and his blood was shed for his people, God
was satisfied. Now what's that talking about
when it says he taketh away the first and established that he
may establish the second? This is talking about the covenant
of works and the covenant of grace. All the covenant of works,
which God took away, Christ fulfilled the law. And now the covenant
of grace reigns. Crisis come to fulfill the law
by the sacrifice of himself. Don't miss that. It's by the
sacrifice of himself. Christ has come to establish
the gospel of free grace in himself. There's no love for a sinner
outside of Christ. No, there's no forgiveness of
sin, but that which is found in Christ. How can our sin be
forgiven and put away? Only one way, through the voluntary
sacrifice and offering of the Lord Jesus Christ. And in verse
10 we read, by the witch will we are sanctified, and that word
means made holy, through the offering of the body of Jesus
Christ once for all. And there again, We have the
heart of the gospel and it's called substitution. God doing
for me and the person and work of Christ what I could not, could
not do for myself. No wonder Peter wrote these words,
for Christ also hath suffered for sins, the just for the unjust,
that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh,
but quickened by the Spirit. Oh sinner, there's only one way
that God can remain just and still justify the ungodly. Look at verse 16. This is the
covenant that I will make with them after those days, saith
the Lord. I'll put my laws into their hearts
and in their minds will I write them. And here it is, verse 17. Oh my, what a wonderful, wonderful
declaration of mercy and grace. God says, and their sins and
iniquities will I remember no more. Did you hear that? I mean, did you really hear it?
All my sin, all my iniquity. The hymn writer said, my sin,
Not in part, but the whole, all of it is nailed to the cross
and I bear it no more. Praise the Lord. Praise the Lord. It is well with my soul. All
my sin and my iniquity, God will remember no more. Do you know
who that means something to? Real sinners, biblical sinners. Verse 18, now we're remission. forgiveness, deliverance of these
is, there's no more offering for sin. Friends, Christ has
put away the sin of His people forever. Trust in Him and Him
alone. You have been listening to a
message by David Edmondson, the pastor of Bible Baptist Church
in Madisonville, Kentucky. If you would like a copy of this
message or to hear other messages of God's free, sovereign grace
in Christ, you can write to our mailing address at P.O. Box 652
Madisonville, Kentucky 42431 or log on to our website at FreeGraceRadio.com. If you would like to come and
worship with us, we meet at 2015 Beulah Road, Madisonville, Kentucky. And our service times are Sunday
morning Bible study at 10 o'clock a.m. Worship services begin at
11 o'clock a.m. Wednesday evening services at
7 o'clock p.m. Please tune in again next Sunday
morning at 10 o'clock a.m. for another message of God's
free and sovereign grace in the Lord Jesus Christ.