Morning. If y'all have your Bibles,
turn to Romans 3. You know, man has an opinion
of himself, of who he is as a whole. And they also have an opinion
as of who God is as a whole and who His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ
is as a whole. What we want to look at this
morning is what God's opinion is of man and what His opinion
is of Hisself and of His Son, the character of God and the
character of the Lord Jesus Christ. The first thing we want to look
at is we know that by nature all men are sinners before a
holy and a righteous God. And it clearly talks in the Holy
Scriptures when Adam sinned against God, that Adam being the representative
of all mankind, that all men suffered the penalty of sin,
and that we all died spiritually. Romans 5.12 says, therefore,
as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin,
and so death passed from all men For they all have sinned. Then as we look here in chapter
3 of Romans, this is what God says about man in verses 10 through
12. It says, As it is written, There
is none righteous, no, not one. There is none that understandeth.
There is none that seeketh after God. They are all gone out of
the way. They are together become unprofitable. There is none that doeth good,
no not one. All men by nature are sinful,
guilty, and helpless. And unless God intervenes, we
have no way to God. Before the foundation of the
world, God chose to have a people for his son, which is our Lord
Jesus Christ. And God placed his elect in his
son. And his son, who would be their
mediator of the elect, he would be their mediator, our substitute,
our redeemer, and our savior. God is just and he is a just
God. And God must punish sin. So the
question is, how can God be just and yet be justified fire of
the ungodly. 1 Peter 3, 18 says, For Christ
also, and this word means a lot, hath once suffered for the sins,
the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God. All
the promises of God, this is something a lot of men don't
understand, but all the promises of God are in Christ Jesus, our
Lord. 2 Corinthians 1.20 says, for
all the promises of God in him, which is Christ Jesus, are yes,
and in him, amen, and to the glory of God by us. If you will, we're gonna turn
to our text now, which is in 1 Peter. Chapter 1. I've titled this message,
The Cleansing Blood of Christ. As we've seen, the Bible says,
for all have sinned and come short of the glory of God. Our text is going to be in 1
Peter 1, verses 18-21. And if you would, we will read
it at this time. Beginning in verse 18, God's
Word says, For as much as you know that you were not redeemed
with corruptible things as silver and gold from your vain conversation
received by the tradition from your fathers, but this is so
precious right here, but listen to this, but with the precious
blood of Christ as a lamb without blemish and without spot, who
verily was ordained before the foundation of the world that
was manifested in these last times for you. Who's you? Who by him do believe in God
that raised him up from the dead and gave him glory that your
faith and hope might be in God. In verse 18 here, Peter says,
for as much as you know, who's he talking to? If you look in
the same chapter here, look at verse two of 1 Peter 1. He says, elect according to the
foreknowledge of God the Father through sanctification of the
Spirit and to obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ. Grace unto you and peace be multiplied. He's talking to all of God's
elect. And he says here in verse 13,
18, for as much as you know, it's not speculation, but it's
something that we know. And we know it by the gift of
faith that God has given his chosen people. We know that his
word, this scripture here, is absolute truth. If you remember
what Job said, he said, For I know that my Redeemer liveth, and
that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth. And though
after my skin worms destroy his body, yet in my flesh I shall
see God. And we all love this verse here.
It says in Romans 8, 28, And we know, God's people know, that
all things work together to the good, to them that love God,
to them who are the call of Cordon to his purpose. Verse 18 here,
it says, For as much as you know that you were redeemed, what
does redeemed mean? It means to purchase, to release
by paying a ransom, or to deliver by the payment of a prize. Because
all of God's people are helpless slaves to sin and condemned by
the law, and if they are to be forgiven and to be reconciled
to God, they have to be redeemed. And verse 18 here again says,
and our text says, Being where you mix grace with
works, for we know that salvation is of the Lord and God's chosen
people. They know that they can contribute
nothing. to attain their salvation. In
the book of Joel, Jonas says that salvation is of the Lord. If you will, go back to your
text and look at verses 18 and 19. It says, For as much as you
know that you were not redeemed with corruptible things of silver
and gold from your vain conversation received by perdition from your
fathers, but with the precious blood of Christ as a lamb without
blemish and without spot. It's the precious blood of Christ.
Like what John said in chapter one, verse 29, he's saying Christ
is coming unto him. And he said, behold, the lamb
of God that taketh away the sin of the world. This is God's atonement
for his church. for the sins of his elect. God's
people know that we are redeemed only, we are redeemed only by
the precious blood of Christ. If we are enlightened by the
Spirit with a true sense of our sin, our inward sin, our outward
sin, our known sin, and our sin within, and to also truly know
that the way of salvation is in the precious blood of Christ,
how, through his obedience and sacrifice, we look to and we
rest in Christ and Christ only, and the blood of Christ gives
us what? Complete justification, pardon, and deliverance from
all sin. and we have fellowship with our God. 1 John 1 says,
but if we walk in the light as he is in the light, we have fellowship
one with another. And the blood of Christ Jesus,
his son, cleanses us from all sin. The only ransom price by
which the souls of man can be redeemed is by the precious blood
of Christ. The Bible says in Romans 4, 12,
neither is there salvation in any other, for there is none
other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be
saved. And we know that for all that
Christ died for, they will be saved. Hold your place here,
if you would, and turn to the first chapter of Matthew. We're
going to look at who now, who the Bible says that this Lord
Jesus Christ is. First chapter of Matthew. We want to look at verses 18
through 21. concerning Jesus Christ, our
Lord, and why he come into this world. In verse 18, it says,
Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise, when, as his
mother Mary was espoused to Joseph before they come together, she
was found with child of the Holy Ghost. Then Joseph, her husband,
being a just man and not willing to make her a public example,
was minded to put her away privately. Listen to this. This is the word
of God. While he thought on these things,
behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a green
sand, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto
thee Mary thy wife, for that which is conceived in her is
of the Holy Ghost. And look at this verse, And she
shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name Jesus,
for he shall save his people from their sin. John 17, 9 says, The Lord Jesus
said, I pray for them. I pray not for the world, but
for them which thou hast given me, for they are thine. If you will take your Bibles
and turn to John 6. These are the word of God, not
of man. John 6, verse 44. The Lord himself said, No man
can come to me except the Father which hath sent me, which hath
sent me, draw him, and I will raise him up at the last day. If you look in the same chapter
there, look at 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 come down from heaven,
not to do my own will, but the will of him that sent me. And
this is the Father's will which hath sent me. But of all which
he hath given me, I shall lose nothing, but I shall raise it
up again at the last day. And this is the will of him that
sent me. But every one which seeth the
Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life, and I
will raise him up. The last day. Thank God for his mercy. Thank
God for his love. Thank God for his grace. We'll
go back to our text now in 1 Peter. Beginning in verse 18. It says,
for as much as you know that you were not redeemed with corruptible
things as silver and gold from your vain conversation received
by tradition from your fathers. Verse 19, but with the precious
blood of Christ as a lamb without blemish and without spot. Verse
20, who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the
world and was manifested in these last days for you. It says as
a lamb without blemish and without spot. You know all through the
Old Testament we see a lamb offered, a lamb sacrificed. It began in
the garden when Adam and Eve sinned against God. And in Genesis,
unto Adam and to his wife did the Lord God make coats of skin
and clothed them. Then you have an Abel's lamb,
you have his sacrifice. And then in the time of Moses,
you had the morning sacrifices and the evening sacrifices. And
then you had the Passover when God was delivering his people
out of Egypt. He said in Exodus 12, when I
see you, when I see the blood, I will pass over you. I thank
God for that. Our Lord is a fulfillment of
all these lambs. They all temptify the Lord Jesus. What does temptify mean? They
represent, or they're an example of. If you will, for a moment,
take a look at Hebrews 9, verse 11. The precious blood of the Lamb
of God. Bible says, he that believeth
on the Son hath everlasting life, and he that believeth not, does
not. I thank God for that. Life is in the Son. Life is in
the blood. It says here in verse 11, but
Christ Jesus come, our high priest, of good things to come, by a
greater and more perfect sacrifice, not made with hands, but is to
say not of this building, neither by the blood of goats and calves,
but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place,
having attained eternal redemption for us. For if the blood of bulls
and goats and ashes of heifers sprinkling the unclean sanctify
to the purifying of the flesh, How much more shall the blood
of Christ, who through the eternal spirit offered himself without
spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the
living God? And then if you look on over
in the same chapter in verse 19, It says, for when Moses had spoken
every precept to all the people according to the law, he took
the blood of calves and of goats with water and scarlet wool and
hyssop and sprinkled both the book and all the people, saying,
this is the blood of the testament which God hath enjoined unto
you. Moreover, he sprinkled with blood
the tabernacle and all the vessels of the ministry. And almost all
things are by the law purged with blood, and without the shedding
of blood is no remission. It was therefore necessary that
the patterns of things in the heavens should be purified with
these, but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices
in these. For Christ is not entered into
the holy place made with hands, which are the figures of the
true, but unto heaven itself, now to appear in the presence
of God for us, nor yet that he should offer himself often as
the high priest entered into the holy places every year with
blood of others. For then must he often have sacrificed
since the foundation of the world, But now, once in the end of the
world, have he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of
himself. There are two words that describe
the gospel very plainly. Substitution. by the Lord Jesus Christ in satisfaction. He satisfied the law of God,
and he satisfied the Father by his perfect obedience. His perfect
obedience is our righteousness. I thank that. And our sins and
the demands of the law of God was completely satisfied. If
we'll go back to our text now, 1 Peter, verse 18 through 20
again, it says, for as much as you know, that you were not redeemed
with corruptible things as silver and gold from your vain conversation
received by the condition of your fathers, but with the precious
blood of Christ and of a lamb without blemish and without spot,
untainted, blood that had no sin in it at all, who verily
was for ordained before the foundation of the world that was manifested
these last times for you. Why is the blood so precious?
Why is the person of the Lord Jesus Christ so precious? You
know, most people in this world, they don't even recognize him.
And those that do, they don't recognize Him for who He really
is. But our Lord Jesus Christ, He is an almighty, sovereign
God. That's who the scriptures speak
of Him. The Bible will read in Matthew
1.23, Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring
forth a son, and they shall call His name Emmanuel, which being
interpreted is, God with us. And a verse that we are so familiar
with, but I can't pass it up. If you hold your place here and
turn to Isaiah 9. It blesses our heart every time
we read it. Isaiah 9. Verse six and seven, listen to
these words. We're talking about our Lord
here, our Savior. He says, for unto us, in verse
six, it says, for unto us, a child is born unto us, a son is given,
and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall
be called. Listen to these names. Wonderful,
Counselor, the Mighty God, the Everlasting Father, the Prince
of Peace. And then in verse 7 here, of
the increase of His government and peace, there shall be no
end. I can comprehend that, but 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, and henceforth forever. But zeal of the Lord
of hosts shall perform this." Thank God for that. 1 Timothy
3.16, let's go back to your text. 1 Timothy 3.16 says, and without
controversy, Great is the mystery of godliness. What is the mystery
of godliness? That God himself could become
a man, flesh and bone as ours. It says great is the mystery
of the godliness. God was manifested in the flesh. He was justified by the Spirit. He was seen of angels. He was
preached to the Jettiles. He was believed in the world.
He was received up into glory. And it was by his precious blood.
Look at verse 20 here. Who verily was ordained before
the foundation of the world, but was manifested in his last
times for you. You know, the cross was no afterthought.
God's word says that he was a lamb chosen, slain, he was ordained
before there was ever an Adam, before there was ever a man,
an earth, stars. Says in Revelation 13.11, 13.8,
and all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him whose names
are not written in the book of life, of a lamb that was slain
from the foundation of the world. Verse 20 here, before anything
was made, God purposed to save people for His Son, our bride. Ephesians 1, verse 3 and 4 says,
Blessed be the God and the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who
hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in the heavenly places,
in Christ, according as He hath chosen us in Him before the foundation
of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before
Him in love. The Almighty God. Acts 15 and
18 says, No wonder to God are all His works from the beginning
of the world. If you will take a hold of your
place and take a minute and look at verse 46. I'm about to finish. Isaiah 46. With God there is no such thing
as time. Time was established for this
physical world. There's always been a Lord Jesus
Christ. There's always been God the Father.
God the Holy Spirit always has been and He always will be. It
says in verse 9, of Isaiah 46. He says, remember the former
things of old, for I am God and there is none else. I am God
and there is none like me. Declaring the end from the beginning
and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, send my
counsel for stand and I will do all my pleasure. We'll go
back to our text. Verse 20, 21. Who verily was foreordained before
the foundation of the world, but was manifested in his last
times for you. Who by him do believe. Do believe
in God that raised him up from the dead and gave him glory that
your faith and hope might be in him. God's word says he was
manifested for you who believe in God and the record that he
has given us of his son. By him we believe. It says over
in the book of Ephesians 2.8, for by grace are you saved through
faith in that honor of yourselves. And that faith is of God, not
of works, lest any man should boast. We can approach God. John 14.6 says, Jesus himself
said, I am the way, the truth, and the life. No man cometh unto
the Father but by me. And we are accepted by God. Ephesians 1.6 says, we are accepted
in the beloved. And then we come to God. This is such a privilege right
here. We can come to God because we
have a high priest, and that high priest is Jesus Christ.
The Bible says, seeing then that we have a great high priest that
is passed into the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God. And he knows
what we've went through. He knows what our infirmities
are. And he says that we can come to the throne of grace bowling
and obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need. What
a privilege that is. And we know that we can know
God. In 1 Corinthians 1.30, the Bible
states, but of him in Christ, being in Christ, that's our only
hope that we may obtain Christ and be found in him. Being in
Christ, God has made unto us what? Wisdom and righteousness
and sanctification and redemption. We have no confidence in his
flesh at all. But God, Lord Jesus Christ, he
is our faith and our hope, and he is our sure foundation. There's a song that we sing that
blesses my heart, and I pray that we can enter into this.
But it truly is, and in order to have inner peace and comfort,
And it is to realize that we are saved by the blood of the
Lord Jesus Christ and him only. Nothing that we have ever said
and done, nothing we ever will say and do. But God chose us
before the foundation of the world and placed us in his son.
And then his son went to the cross and died and shed his blood. We must never forget that. But
I love this song in the name of, we all know it, but I'm going
to repeat it. says nothing but the blood. What can wash away
my sins? For my pardon this I say, nothing
can for sin atone, nothing, nothing, because this is all my hope and
peace. And what is that? Nothing but the blood of Jesus.
What can make me whole again? For my cleansing this I plead,
not of good that I have done, This is all my righteousness. And what is that? Nothing but
the blood of Jesus. Oh, precious is the flow that
makes me white as snow. No other fountain I know. Nothing
but the blood of Jesus. It's all in our Lord Jesus Christ. You know, with and in Him, we
have everything. And without him, we have nothing. It's not about us. It's all about
the precious blood of the Lamb of God, our Lord Jesus Christ. Thank you. I pray that it was
a blessing to you. Come around here, Eddie.