Turn with me to Daniel chapter
10. Daniel chapter 10. For our Bible
study a moment ago, we just looked at the description that is given
of our Lord Jesus Christ. And that description was given
here at the beginning, the first few verses of this chapter. Verse five says, then I lifted
up mine eyes and looked, and behold, a certain man. Daniel saw the Lord Jesus Christ. And what I would like for us
to look at now for this message is what the result is of seeing
the Lord Jesus Christ in this way, as he is described in the
scripture. And I'll go ahead and tell us
that the result of seeing Christ as he is, is salvation. That's the result of it. Salvation. We are going to look this morning
at the experience of salvation. And let me begin the message
by clarifying this truth right here. This is where I want to
start, okay? Turn with me. You hold your place right here
in Daniel and turn with me to 2 Thessalonians 2. Second Thessalonians chapter
two. Verse 13 says, but we are bound to give thanks
always to God for you, brethren, beloved of the Lord, because
God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification
of the spirit and belief of the truth, whereunto he called you
by our gospel to the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus
Christ. When it comes to the salvation
of God's people, they were all chosen to that
salvation by God the Father before the foundation of the world.
I just told you that we're looking at the experience of salvation. when someone is saved. And here's where we're going
to start. When it comes to the salvation of God's people, they
were all chosen to that salvation by God the Father before the
foundation of the world. The salvation of God's people
was forever settled in heaven before heaven or earth or any
of those people were ever even created. It was settled in heaven. The salvation of God's people
was and is of God. It is of God. It was His will,
it was His work, and it is His calling. Verse 13 says, we are
bound to give thanks always to God. for you, brethren, beloved
of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you
to salvation through sanctification of the spirit and belief of the
truth, whereunto he called you by our gospel to the obtaining
of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. Look with me at 2 Timothy
1, just a few pages over to 2 Timothy 1. The last word of verse eight
is God, speaking of God. Verse nine says, who hath saved
us and called us within holy calling, not according to our
works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was
given us in Christ Jesus before the world began. but is now made
manifest by the appearing of our Savior, Jesus Christ, who
hath abolished death and hath brought life and immortality
to light through the gospel. So salvation was God's will and
God's work. And in time, he notifies his
people of who he is and what he has done for them. And that
notification is their quickening to life. That's what it is. It's
their calling to his salvation. And that's what I want us to
look at this morning, the experience of that calling to salvation,
that notification that comes to a child of God. And we can
plainly see this in Daniel chapter 10. Go with me back over there.
Daniel 10. Let's begin reading in verse
1 and we'll see if the Lord will reveal this spiritual picture
here. Verse 1 says, In the third year of Cyrus, king of Persia,
a thing was revealed unto Daniel. Salvation is a revelation. It's a revelation. It is not
a decision. I feel like the Lord has given
me a lot to say in this message, and this thought went through
my brain. I was looking over this this
morning, and when I got here in my notes, I thought, I'm gonna
tell them, if you hear anything, hear this. But I kinda wanna
say that three or four times through this message. But hear
this. Salvation is not a decision. It's not. Salvation is not a
personal dedication. That's what people think. You
know, when people say, I got saved, that never happens. The
only thing I got was sin. And that's what people think
is it's like, you know what? Okay, that's it. I'm done. I'm going to make a personal
dedication here. It's not salvation. Salvation
is not a decision. It's not a personal dedication.
It's not a cooperation with God. It is a revelation concerning
an operation that God did, an operation that God made. It's an announcement of something
God has done. That's what, boom, this quickening
to life. It's an announcement of something
God has done. That's the gospel declaration. The gospel is a declaration. The gospel revelation. Verse
1, in the third year of Cyrus, king of Persia, a thing was revealed
unto Daniel, whose name was called Belteshazzar, and the thing was
true, but the time appointed was long. And he understood the
thing and had understanding of the vision. When a child of God
receives this precious promise of salvation, the child receives
faith to believe the promise of salvation. But the fulfillment
of that promise, the actual knowing of the fullness of it is long. Every soul who receives that
promise Well, I am about to get ahead
of myself. They say the same thing Daniel says. But the actual laying hold and
fulfillment of this promise is long. Hebrews 11 says, these
all died in faith, not having received the promises, meaning they were given promises
and they believed them, just hadn't obtained the fulfillment,
the fullness, in body, in reality yet. These all died in faith,
not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off
and were persuaded of them and embraced them and confessed that
they were strangers and pilgrims on this earth. Even though the
end of the promise is far off, God's people have received faith
to believe it and know it and cling to it. Verse two. In those
days, I, Daniel, was mourning three full weeks. I ate no pleasant bread, neither
came flesh nor wine in my mouth, neither did I anoint myself at
all till three whole weeks were fulfilled. This man was empty.
He was empty. He was in mourning. He was sorrowful. He was sad. He had nothing to
fill himself with. And that's the place that God
brings all of his people to when he begins to deal with them.
The first thing that he does is he empties them. He brings
his people down. He brings them down to a broken
and contrite place. Before he lifts his people up,
he brings them to the deep miry clay and they sink in it. They sink down into the loathing
and the sorrow of their sin. He puts all of his people in
a true place of need. Before salvation comes to a child
of God, and this is so true, that's what I pray God would
do for us. Put a need in us. Put a need
in us. Before salvation comes to a child
of God, that child is going to see and feel and know his or
her need of salvation. That child is going to know his
or her emptiness. And that child is gonna be put
in a place where he or she desires nothing more than the fullness
of the Lord Jesus Christ. Verse four says, in the four
and 20th day of the first month, as I was by the side of the great
river, which is Hittikal, then I lifted up mine eyes and looked
and behold a certain man. Again, the center margin says
one man. One man. Salvation comes when a person
sees Christ. Salvation comes when a person
sees Christ. That's it. One man. One man. Christ and Christ alone. One man. Salvation does not come when
a person sees election. It does not. Salvation does not
come when a person sees election. Election is a true doctrine of
God, just like the total depravity of man is, just like the particular
redemption of Christ for his people is, just like the irresistible
call of grace is, just like the perseverance of all of God's
saints is. But seeing a doctrine is not
salvation. Seeing a doctrine is not salvation. I could not begin to tell you
how many people I've met who know election, but have missed
Christ. Our hope is not in a doctrine.
It's in a person. It is in a person. Again, in
our Bible study just a moment ago, we looked at this description
right here of our Lord in verses 5 and 6. I'm going to give you
a recap of this because seeing Christ in this way is salvation. this person, this one man, verse
five, then I lifted up mine eyes and looked and behold a certain
man clothed in linen. We saw that that represents his
holiness. His holiness. When a man or a woman stops looking
for holiness in himself or herself, and finally sees all holiness
to be in Christ alone, salvation has come to that man or woman.
And I'm going to repeat that. When a man or a woman stops looking
for holiness in himself or herself, and finally sees all holiness
to be in Christ alone, salvation has come. to that man or woman. I don't possess any holiness. He is my holiness before God. Christ is the only holiness we
have. He is the only holiness we have.
Verse five says, then I lifted up mine eyes and looked, and
behold, a certain man clothed in linen, whose loins were girded
with fine gold of Uphaz. That's his royal majesty. That is his sovereign kingship. If a sinner ever sees Christ
to be the Lord and the sovereign that he is, the ruler and the controller
that he is, his dominion is an everlasting dominion, not mine. He does what he wants in the
armies of heaven and among the inhabitants of the earth. And
nobody can stop him or question what he's doing. Not me, him. Once a sinner sees the kingship
of Jesus Christ and the absolute necessity of bowing the knee
to Him, salvation has come to that sinner. Verse six says, his body also
was like the barrel, that stone most precious, clear as crystal. That's his purity. That's his
righteousness. All I can say about this flesh
right here is impure, impure. Lepers going down the street
had to cry, unclean, unclean. That's all I can say about this. I have no righteousness of my
own. All my righteousnesses are filthy
rags. But once a sinner sees Christ
to be all of his righteousness before God, salvation has come
to that sinner. A man named John Jasper, a preacher
from a long time ago, somebody asked him, John, if you get to
heaven and you're standing at the gates of heaven and the question
is asked to you, what right do you have to come in here? What
are you gonna say? He said, I'm gonna say, I have
no right to come in here. I'm not here on my right. I'm
here on the right of another. Jesus Christ, my righteousness,
that's knowing salvation. Salvation is not in just knowing
that I need a righteousness before God. Everybody in false religion
knows that. It's not in just knowing that
I need a righteousness before God. Salvation is in knowing
Jesus Christ to be that righteousness for me. All of my righteousness before
God. Verse six, his body also was
like the barrel and his face as the appearance of lightning.
That's his quick, sharp, powerful victory. That's his glory. That
is his glory. If a sinner ever sees all of
the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ, salvation has
come to that center. Verse six, his body was like
the barrel. His face is the appearance of
lightning and his eyes as lamps of fire. That's the judgment
of God. If a sinner ever sees the judgment
of God in Christ, that's another one I want to read. I'm about
to repeat it 900 times. If a sinner ever sees the judgment
of God in Christ. Number one, that he is the judge.
We must all stand before the judgment seat of Christ. But
number two, that he was judged in the place of his people. The
judgment of God on his people was in Christ. Verse six says, his arms and
his feet like in color to polished brass. That's his substitution.
That's his substitution sacrifice that he made bearing the judgment
of God for the sin of his people. If a soul ever sees substitution,
that's another one. You get anything, get that. May the Lord let me get that. If a soul ever sees substitution,
If a soul ever sees, I pray God will reveal. If anybody here
does not know what I'm talking about, in your heart, quietly,
ask the Lord to reveal it. Say, Lord, reveal the substitution
of Christ to me. If a soul ever sees the substitution
of Christ for his people in every way that his people needed a
substitute, every way, a substitute for righteousness. We talk about
righteousness, And we talk about holiness and purity and sanctification. I need goodness and perfection
within and without. I can't go around doing good
deeds and be a hypocrite in here. I need a substitute for righteousness. I need a substitute for holiness. I need a substitute for justice.
I need a substitute for judgment. I need someone to stand in my
place under judgment. I need a substitute for punishment. I need a substitute for death.
The wages of sin is death and I need a substitute for that. If a soul ever sees Christ as
his or her all-in-all substitute, I love the story of the hookster. I'm just a sinner and nothing
at all, but Jesus Christ is my all-in-and-all. If God ever brings
a person to that right there, well, don't you want to talk
doctrine? I don't know that I'd be too good on that with you.
Here's all I know, I'm just a sinner, nothing at all, but Jesus Christ
is my all in all. When everything is cast on Christ, when Christ becomes everything,
every answer for every need, when Christ becomes all, that's
the evidence that salvation has come. The end of verse six says,
and the voice of his words like the voice of a multitude, as
it's worded in other places, the sound of many waters. That's
his comfort. That's his peace. That's his
rest. If a sinner ever truly rests
in Christ, it breaks my heart to see people who have gotten
a hold of some doctrine, and they're struggling, and they're
trying to figure things out, and they're searching, and they
just can't rest. Wait, but what about now? Hold
on now, but what about now? Tell me about if a sinner ever truly just rests
in Christ. If Christ ever becomes a sinner's
Sabbath. The Sabbath is not a day. The
Sabbath is a person. If a sinner ever truly rests
on Christ, salvation has come. to that sinner. That's the experience
of a child of God when salvation comes. Verse 7, and I, Daniel,
alone saw the vision. Salvation is an individual thing.
It's an individual thing. Salvation is between Christ and
me. I'm the sinner who needs it. Verse 7, I, Daniel, alone saw
the vision, for the men that were with me saw not the vision,
but a great quaking fell on them, so they fled to hide themselves. That's the difference in a true
hope and a false hope. While this unbelieving world
is trying to hide themselves, God's people are crying, Lord,
hide me. You hide me. I can't hide myself. Where could I go? Where could
I flee? God's people are hiding in Christ. Jesus Christ, my hiding place. Hide me, oh my Savior, hide. Hiding in Thee. Verse 8 says, Therefore I was
left alone and saw this great vision, and there remained no
strength in me. That's what God's people experience
when salvation comes. No strength in me. No strength in me. No ability
in me at all. Not some. Not half. None, none. Verse eight, therefore I was
left alone and saw this great vision and there remains no strength
in me for my comeliness was turned into corruption. I'm telling
you, if you get anything out of this message, get this. This is the experience when salvation
comes. A sinner will say, what I thought
was beauty, comeliness. What I thought was beauty, as
soon as I saw God, and as soon as I saw His holiness, and as
soon as I saw my sinfulness, and as soon as I saw Christ,
what I thought was beauty in me, immediately turned to corruption. It all turned to corruption. It all turned to ruin. It all
turned to death. Verse 8 says, And I retained
no strength, none. Now here's the good news. Verse
9 says, Yet, but, yet heard I the voice of his word. Thank God, he opened my ear,
and I heard his word. Yet heard I the voice of his
words, and when I heard the voice of his words, then was I in a
deep sleep on my face, and my face toward the ground, and behold,
and hand touched me, which set me upon my knees and upon the
palms of my hands. Daniel said, all this was done
to me. I didn't do it. He touched me. He set me. Verse 11, and he said unto me,
O Daniel, a man greatly beloved. That's the good news of the gospel.
That comes directly and individually to the child of God. When the
gospel comes, when salvation comes, and a sinner hears the
words of the Lord, this is what the sinner hears. You are loved. For God so loved. Herein is love. Greater love had no man than
this. He laid down his life for you. Verse 11, he said unto me, O
Daniel, a man greatly beloved, understand the words that I speak
unto thee, and stand upright, for unto thee am I now sent. And when he had spoken this word
unto me, I stood trembling. That's the experience of salvation. He lifted me. I stand because
he lifted me. I stand, but I stand trembling. I stand in the fear of the Lord.
That's the beginning of wisdom. That's the experience of salvation.
I stand in the fear of the Lord. Verse 12, then said he unto me,
fear not Daniel. All who do not fear this Lord
need to fear. But all who do fear can fear
not. In Christ, there's no fear, nothing to fear. And it's because
on the cross of Calvary, he removed everything that there was to
fear. He bore it all. Now, the Lord
willing, tonight we're gonna look at something from the end
of this chapter that I hope and I believe will be very enjoyable. I'm looking so forward to tonight's
message. But to finish out this picture
of a believer's experience and a believer's conversion, look
at verse 17 with me. Daniel said, for how can the
servant of this my Lord talk with this my Lord? How can I
even talk to you? For as for me, straightway there
remained no strength in me, neither is there breath left in me."
This is the experience of a child of God when the realization of
salvation comes. What is man that thou art mindful
of him? How can I even talk to you? Who am I? Have you ever said
that to yourself? Why me? Has anyone ever said
that? Why me? Why would you do this
for me? There's nothing in me. The end of verse 16, he said,
I have retained no strength. I still don't have any strength
in and of myself. Verse 18, then there came again
and touched me one like the appearance of a man and he strengthened
me and said, oh man, greatly beloved, fear not, peace be unto
thee, be strong, yea, be strong. And when he had spoken unto me,
I was strengthened and said, let my Lord speak for thou has
strengthened me. Thou has strengthened me. Thou
art my strength and my song. You've become my salvation. The
experience of every child of God is in Christ, I have comfort. I don't have any strength, but
he's my strength. I have strength in him. I have
comfort in him. I have comfort concerning his
covenant. In Christ, I have peace. I have
peace through the blood of His cross. Outside of Christ, there
is no peace, is there? But in Christ, once we get in
Christ, once we speak of Christ, once we speak of His blood, once
we speak of His finished work, there's so much peace. Peace
through the blood of His cross, peace with God. And Daniel said, that has strengthened
me. And all of God's people will say that. That's the experience.
He has strengthened me. He has helped me. In this, we
see that Daniel didn't do anything. All of this was done to Daniel,
and that's how it is every time when salvation comes. Every time. No soul who is truly saved goes
around telling everybody what they did. No soul. We don't go
around saying, I did this, and I did that, and I got this, and
I got that. No, so. He did it. He did it. This is what he did. And he notified me of all that
is finished. All of this was done to Daniel,
and that's how it is every time when salvation comes. And I pray
God will do that for us. Lord, do this for us. What he
did for Daniel, do it for us. I pray God will reveal Christ
to us. I pray God will make us to bow. I pray God will show us our redemption
in the Lord Jesus Christ. And I pray God will raise us
up together with him. For Christ's sake, amen.