You'd be turning to Romans chapter
12. My script would be Romans 12,
33 through 36. Let us pray. Oh, gracious Lord. We come before
you this morning in your word. Seeking your help. Seeking your instruction. Seeking
your teaching. We would beg that you honor yourself
this morning and teach our soul something concerning the Lord
Jesus Christ. Bless us with your presence.
Give us tongues to say, ears to hear. Open the understanding
of our soul. Teach us and we'll be taught. Help us to see the glory of God
and our Savior. In whose name we pray, amen. Oh, the depth of the riches,
both of the wisdom and knowledge of God. How unsearchable are
his judgments. and his ways past finding out.
For who hath known the mind of the Lord, who hath been his counselor,
who hath first given to him, it shall be recompensed unto
him again. For of him and through him and
to him are all things. To whom be glory forever. Amen. The title of my Presentation
this morning. I had to change it to him. And
if you read those four of him through him to him are all things,
but I'm going to do it this way. Who is him? Him is a person. Him is a name. That I want to
give a scripture of scriptural benediction to whoever him is. All Scripture is given for our
instruction and learning. All Scripture is given Christ
as a subject and Him crucified. Might not be able to find it,
might not be able to see it, except it be revealed to us by
God Himself, but it's there. All the Gospel of Christ, the
Gospel of God, is from one end of the scripture to the other.
The truth of the gospel is from one end of the scripture to the
other. We learn through multiple truths
those things concerning Christ. Let me just show you an example. Henry Mahan made this statement
one time, what do you say when you speak to believers? One simple
thing, he said, tell them what Christ has done for your soul. And lo and behold, I found that
Rupert dealt with the scripture on that. Psalm 616, come and
hear all ye that fear God, and I will declare what he has done
for my soul. So this morning is the declaration
of what he has done for my soul. I was raised in a grace church. I probably know him and Mahan
along with anybody in this whole congregation. Met him in 1953. I was 11 or 12 years old. Used
to come to our house and eat lunch, because we had six kids,
and we'd just pile the food on. He loved to eat. What did he
preach? He preached the same thing that
this church does, the church I grew up in. And I sat there
for 30 years, believing with all my heart, all those doctrines,
all those truths, and I had no clue whatsoever what they were.
For almost 30 years. I mean, I would sit there, and
let me just go through them, depravity. David said, shaping
iniquity, conceiving in sin, dead and trust as limp. Oh, I
believe that. And in comes unconditional election. It's the eternal love before
the world began, before even the beginning, God chose somebody
in Christ. And the atonement and redemption.
He shed his blood for those he chose before the foundation of
the world. I believe that stuff. Irresistible
grace. When God speaks, we come. The best example I can think
of is Lazarus. Lazarus come forth. What did Lazarus do? He came
forth. It is irresistible. The perseverance
of the saint, to me that was real simple. His promise, I will
never leave you, never forsake you, means he's perpetually,
eternally, always with us, whether we find him or not. I'm sitting
there saying I would fist fight with anybody that wanted to argue
on these truths, but I had no clue in my soul what they were. Salvation, Christ, is not doctrine,
it's not creed, it's not what you believe, it's not even a
list of truth. That is not salvation. Faith does not save. These are
precious truths. I'm not saying these things like
depravity. which to me is the fundamental
thing that men object to because of their pride. They want to
have some part in their salvation and depravity says you are unable,
inalienable, you are dead. You can't hear, you can't walk,
you can't come, you can't do anything. That makes election
absolutely, utterly necessary. If you're dead and can do nothing
for yourself, then somebody has to do something for you. And
that's what election is. God calling forth many people. All these things, they are precious
truths concerning the Lord Jesus Christ. No scripture, and I'm going to
be very careful to say this, No scripture urges us or declares
us to trust in any of those things. Do you trust in depravity? Do
you trust in election? The point I'm making is these
doctrines, these truths, simply, like the scripture says in the
law, the law says, the scripture says the law is our schoolmaster
to point us to Christ. All these doctrines are scriptures
that point us to Christ. It is not Christ himself. I know scripture tells us to
trust in the blood of Christ. If you show me a scripture that
says trust in that blood, even trust in that grace, and I don't
want anybody to misunderstand that I'm not saying these are
most precious things to the soul of a sinner, but it's not their
salvation. It took me, Doug, so many years
to sit there and believe and know these things. And to be
quite honest, I didn't completely see it until about 30 years ago
when I started coming here and sitting under Rupert. Then all
of a sudden, oh my goodness, I see the light. Now I understand these things.
I see Christ himself. We are not to trust in the finished
work of Christ. The scripture doesn't say that. These scriptures, again, say
look to the source of that. That's who you trust. That's
where you put your trust. However, the scripture, all scripture,
does encourage and teach us to trust the person of Jesus Christ. Oh, what a blessing to be able
to see that. All right, so my topic is what
is a person, what is a name, and a benediction to those two.
What is a person? Every individual sitting in here
is a person. It's a unique being that's not
dependent upon anybody else or any component of anybody else
to be themselves. There's no two does. There's
no two duties. Unique person. And that person
is not dependent upon anybody or anything else to be the person
he is. And it is unique. Gill defines
it this way. A unique individual, not sustained
by another, nor is part of another. So what I'm saying, person. Isn't
it? And now I want to look at person. I'm going to call this person
him. Because I'll get to his name later. In the scripture
we read describes and characterizes this person, and I'm going to
call him him. Romans 11 and 36. and through him and to him are
all things to whom be glory forever." Listen, of, through, and to,
all things for him to the glory of God. Colossians 116, for by
him were all things created that
are in the heavens and in the earth, visible or invisible,
whether they be thrones or dominions or principalities or power, all
things were created by him and for him. Colossians 117, by him all things
consist. 2 Samuel 23.5, ordered in all
things and sure. What I'm saying is, whoever this
him-him is, look at it. By him, for him, through him,
to him, are all things in heaven and earth, regardless of what
they are. They are in him, this person
that I'm calling him. And the scripture is full. of
terms that define and describe and point to what this person
is, who this person is. I'm simply listing his characteristics. Ephesians 1.11, purposed of him
who worketh all things at the counsel of his own will. Oh,
he's sovereign. He purposes all things. Doesn't
care what it is. When I was growing up, somebody
told me that God was such a marvelous thing that even the hairs of
our head was numbers, and the preacher made a mistake and said,
even those little ants running across there, God purposed that
too. I said, scratch my head, oh boy,
I'm in trouble. I used to run in there and stomp
them ants. Stomp them as hard as I could stomp them. Now what
am I saying? These ants were purposed of God.
Now though, me stomping them ants was purposed of God. But
even those minute things that we think of in earthly or material
terms, what he's really saying, all things spiritual are mine. Purposed. and it's sovereign
by the determinate counsel of his own will alone, one. Person of them who worketh all
things at the counsel of his own will. Job 33, 13. What his soul desires, even that
he does. He does what he pleases. If he
thinks it, if he wills it, if his soul desires it, it happens. All things ordered, ensured. Daniel 4.35, none can stay his hand. Psalms
115.3, he had done whatsoever he had pleased. Colossians 1115, Hebrews 1-3,
who is this him? He is the expressed image of
the person of God. He is all we know about God. He is all that he reveals to
us is through himself that we know anything concerning God
Almighty. This is the person. He's unique. He does not depend upon anybody
else to make him an individual. In the same sense that we are
individuals, that we are persons. And what I'm saying is all these
scriptures that point to Christ as a person. And I'm just calling
him him. Look at what it does. By, for,
of, through, to, Him are all things absolutely sovereign,
and it's all to the glory of God in Himself. Now, Him has a name. Scripture teaches us to trust
in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. When Ed prayed this morning,
what did he pray? In the name of the Lord Jesus
Christ. So this hymn has a name. And this name is, the scripture
says, trust in his name. Call upon his name. Worship in
his name. Why? Because his name describes
his character as who he is and what he is. His name. When people say the name of Jesus
and this kind of stuff, all they're doing is saying the five-letter
word Jesus. It has nothing to do with the
spiritual meaning of his name. Pray in His name, worship His
name. Let me read you just one scripture. Acts 42, 12. Speaking of the
name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, crucified. Here's the verse. Neither is there salvation in
any other. For there is no other name under
heaven given among men whereby we must be saved." So the name
is associated with eternal life. The name of Christ describes
all his attributes, all his essence, describes all his perfections,
all his purposes, who he is, and what he is. And I'll make
it personal. What is so precious about that? He does it for your soul and
my soul. His name, and Rupert, I looked
it up on the internet, and I just simply typed in the names of
God. One of them had 609. One of them had 942 names. And
then I look at things like there is in the Old Testament, for
example, he has a name Jehovah. There are eight specific names
associated with Jehovah. The one is Tiskanu. Jehovah Tiskanu,
I think I pronounced that right, means the Lord is our righteousness. Every name in the scripture to
find the attributes and nature and character and work and activity
of God Almighty in the person of the Lord Jesus Christ. So
this name. I went to John Gill to see if
I could get some feedback on it. He's got 32 chapters on the
attributes of God. What does that tell me? It is
so far beyond my comprehension. But here is a person, not a creed,
not a doctrine, but a person, and that person has a name, and
his name is described throughout scripture in so many different
ways. I'll just take two of them. this expression of the character
of this person, his name. And I will say his omnipresence.
And I've said this, I shall not ever leave you nor forsake you.
I don't care whereupon he is. I don't say that facetiously,
because selfishly he is with my soul. But that's true. He's with every soul of his elect. And that is what gives me comfort. His omnipotence, meaning almighty. I sit here thinking, oh, here's
somebody so powerful. He said, let there be light.
There was light. You tell me I understand that.
But let me tell you the closest thing I know to understanding
what power and light is. I was driving a two-ton truck
loaded with 100-pound bags of top trash to put on corn in early
May. Driving down the forward path,
and a cloud comes up, and you can't get that fertilizer wet
because it clumps like the devil. Sodium nitrate. So I threw them
bags of fertilizer on that truck and hauled Buggy going down that
pass as hard as I could. I got about as far from me to
Rupert from a pine tree about this big. And a bolt of lightning
came and whop, hit that tree. So help me goodness, it was as
if an atomic bomb had gone off. I have never seen a brighter
light in all my life. You were stunned. The concussion
from that just stunned. And then the odor from that burning,
I think they call it ozone and stuff. So Rupert, I got an inkling,
this is just a simple bolt of lightning. Just think what it
takes from a power standpoint to say, let there be light, and
there was light. And sorry to imagine that, I
had another episode. I had a 152 artillery round shot
at me, landed 30 feet from me, full of magnesium incendiary. And it's the second brightest
light I've ever seen in my life. That was a rude awakening too. What I'm saying is, I am convinced
that everything that happens in life points us to God's omnipotence,
his power. If it happens, it's, he's the
cause. And that's just part of his name. That's the description
of his name. His omnipotence. All the attributes,
all the perfections are applied by God in his name. When we talk about the finished
work, By itself, it is nothing, unless God Almighty, the source,
applies that. The blood is absolutely worthless,
except God Almighty apply it to our soul. If the Israelites
had not taken the blood and sprinkled it on the doorjams, God would
have killed their children. It is His name. He is the source. It is His attribute, His perfection. Everything he is, that's his
name. That's his character. Doug, if
I were to sit there and say, well, I'll pick somebody else.
Suppose I were to say Tommy. Am I talking about this Tommy
or that Tommy? You don't know. Now if I say
Tommy Parker or Tommy Padgett, then you know who they are. Why?
Because you know his character, his personality, know his character,
his personality, and you separate them out so y'all know him. The
same thing with Johnny. Suppose Johnny Tindall's back
here. You're talking about Johnny, Johnny Tindall. Until you say
Parker or Tindall, we have no idea. Christ comes to us and
says, this is my name. This, these attributes, are my
personality. These attributes are my perfections. These attributes are what I am. These attributes, these perfections,
is who I am. See me. Here is my full name. Another name. of Christ is simplicity,
meaning singleness. He is unique, and the simplicity
of all Scripture is in one word, Christ. One word. Now, when I look at this name
and I selected some names that mean something to me without
going through 900 and some names in the scripture. Exodus 13, 13. When the Lord approached Moses
and said, Moses, go speak to my people. And Moses asked him. When the people asked, what is
thy name, what shall I say? You know what God's answer was? Simple. I am that I am. Why do I like that name? I am what? All in all. You can take every other name
and sum it up. I am everything. Every soul of a believer experiences
that. What is his name? His name, he
is everything to my soul. He is the I am. John 14, 6. I am the way, the truth, the life. What is life? It's the I am. It's a person. It's not a doctrine. It's not a creed. It's a person. What is the way? It's a person. What's his name? I am. Who is
he? He's Christ. I am the life. Oh, Doug, what
a beautiful, most gracious statement saying, I am the life. More importantly, you read it
this way. He is my life. This person, this name, now he
applies it to my soul. I am your life. I am the resurrection and the
life. He that believeth in me, though
he were dead, yet shall he live. Eternal life. That's his name. Notice, even if you are dead,
I'll go so far as to say only if you are dead can He give you
life. When Peter was asked, who does
everybody say that I am? Some say Elias, some say John
the Baptist. No, Peter, who do you say that
I am? Thou art Christ, the Son of the living God. Thou art my
God. The Living God. Colossians 119. It pleads the
Father that in Him should all fullness dwell. Let me read that
again. It pleads the Father that in
I Am should all fullness dwell. Let me read it again. It pleads
the Father that in the Lord Jesus Christ shall all fullness dwell.
They're one and the same thing. One name, one mind, one God. Perfection. Now, if it please
the Father, that in this I am, who is the life of our soul,
eternal life, that in him should all fullness dwell. Tells me
not only is he all thing, but he is the fulfillment. the completeness,
the finisher of all things. What is the finished work of
Christ? It's Christ Himself. He is the fulfillment of all
the purposes of God. One more scripture, Acts 17,
28. In Him we live. and move and have our being. Oh, that our souls can simply
say, oh, this is my Lord. Not the Lord. This is my Lord. That's what it says. I give your
soul's life, that soul lives and breathes and moves and has
its beard because Christ says, I am your life, your life so. Let me summarize. Creed, doctrinal statements,
even truth. are nothing except that God gives
us the grace to see that the source of all of that is a person
and his name is the Lord Jesus Christ, the I am of our souls. And we look to Him, not to any
other thing but Him. And we rejoice in His mercy and
His grace and all those blessings He gives us. But our salvation
is in the Lord Jesus Christ. No wonder Paul says, oh, to be
found in Him. That should be the cry of every
believer's soul. Oh, may I be found in him. Now, having said that, what is
the benediction to knowing him as a person, Christ, knowing
him as a name, the Lord Jesus Christ? What does Paul say in
all of his epistles? with respect to a benediction.
Now Paul's epistles all concern the eternal love of God for his
sinners. The multiple tender mercies applied
to these poor sinners. The exceedingly sovereign grace
of God, which is abundant, and He's most gracious in giving
it. Exceedingly abundant. He is all sufficient in all spiritual
things for our souls. All the way through these. It's
talking about here is what Christ is, here is who He is. How do
we determine that? By what he does. What he does
for sinners. All sufficient, mercy, grace,
love, everything that he gives freely of himself. Here is the
benediction. Romans 16. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ
be with you all. Amen. It's personal. It's grace, the
person of the Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen. To God only wise, be glory through
the Lord Jesus Christ forever. Amen. Then 1 Corinthians, Philemon,
1 Thessalonians, 2 Thessalonians, 1 Timothy, Titus, and Hebrews. All in essentially the same way.
The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. Amen. Listen to what he's saying. He
makes it personal. This grace. This person. Whose name is Christ. Be with
you. All amen. He makes it personal. He said that these things be
with you. Let's put it this way. What he's
saying is, may this grace be with my soul. Amen. There's another way to state
it. 2 Timothy 4.22. A benediction. Lord Jesus Christ be with thy
spirit. Grace be unto you. Amen. All
word of benediction. May the I am the Lord Jesus Christ. Be with my spirit that he breathed
into my soul. And grace be with me, amen. Fillman 125. The grace of our
Lord Jesus Christ Be with your spirit. Amen. So here's another
statement. Saying that this grace. This
Lord Jesus Christ be and I'm going to substitute the word
so be with your soul. Amen. This is Paul's prayer. This is Paul's petition to God
Almighty in his name that this be with us. Ephesians 2, 3. Peace be unto
the brethren and love with faith from God, the Father of the Lord
Jesus Christ. Grace be with them that love
our Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity. Amen. Here is a statement, peace
to the brethren, and love and faith and grace to all that love
the Lord Jesus Christ. In sincerity, truthfully, in
spirit and in truth. Amen. And here's the last one. 2 Corinthians. The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ
and love of God and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you
all. Amen. Oh, Grace, the love and
the communion of the spiritual being of God Almighty be with
us always. Amen. Amen. you