Just a short recap today. We're going to finish up this chapter, chapter 10, of Don's book, titled Basic Bible Doctrine. And we've been looking at the teaching, the doctrine of the Son of God, our Savior. And Don takes his thoughts from Matthew 121, where we read, and she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name Jesus, for he shall save his people.

Folks, we are led by the Spirit, the Spirit of life and of faith, the Spirit of God Himself to see this that Paul writes of in Colossians 2 verse 23, all the riches, to see all the riches of the full assurance of understanding, to the acknowledgement and of Christ, in whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge."

We considered, why did Christ come? And like I just read in that verse of Matthew, he came to save his people. Oh, how I hope that we can grasp our minds around this as it tells us in Hebrews, a body was prepared that the eternal Son of God might inhabit it, might be born of a virgin, not of Adam. Remember, Adam's seed, we all sin. Christ could not sin.

Folks, as the God-man, he had to do everything perfectly. So why did he come? He came to save his people, to lay down his life, to sacrifice himself for what you and I couldn't do, and that's everything. We have the commandments of God, and don't get me wrong, I would never, ever, ever encourage anyone to willfully sin, but you're going to. To say that you don't is a sin in itself. It's to call God a liar. To say that you won't is to call God a liar, because He tells us, all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.

So, we consider why did Christ come, and then we consider who He was. He's God in the flesh, is He not? Born with the nature of the Spirit of God Himself in perfect Harmony with God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit.

It says in Matthew 24, 24 through 23, there shall arise false Christs and false prophets and shall show great signs and wonders, insomuch that if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect. They'll come to us and say, lo, is Christ here or there? Believe it not, our Lord says. There's only one Jesus. There's only one.

I remember Brother James, the day he came to this church and heard the gospel preached, as he was walking out in tears. I mean, he was crying. I remember, I felt the same way. I remember times when my own tears were there, when I was convicted of the sin that I was. But yet, dear God, for the first time, touched him through the preaching of his word. And he said, I left the church. And I can't remember how many years ago it was. He says, I quit going to church because they were preaching another Jesus. They were preaching about this one who wanted to be God but couldn't because man wouldn't let him.

People ask me, what's the difference between your Baptist church and somebody else down the street? And I'll say, because I preach about a God who is God. I don't mess around with something that's not real, something that wants to be. That sign out there stands true. If your God is trying, your preacher's lying.

Who is this Jesus? He's the perfect Son of the Living God. That's what Peter said. And then the Lord said to Peter, He said, upon that rock, upon this rock, the rock that He is, the Son of the Living God, I will build my church and the gates of hell shall not prevail. He said, blessed are you. Flesh and blood had not revealed this unto you, but my Father is in him. He didn't learn it from reading books. He didn't learn it from praying. He learned it from preaching of Jesus Christ and him crucified. That's the message God uses to save his people. Who is this one? This one who says he shall save his people. from their sins, He's the Son of God. And when the Bible speaks of Jesus Christ as the Son of God, it's declaring to you and I that Jesus Christ is God eternal, the second person of the Holy Trinity. We who believe are the sons of God by adoption.

And then we looked at, in the next study, we looked at who are His people. That was what we looked at last week. So this is the fourth part, and this morning I wanna consider how does Christ save? And we won't be very long with this, this is the end of the chapter, and it won't take very long, but Don writes this, he says, how does the Lord Jesus save his people? Good question. Whoever his people are, he says, they shall be saved from their sins. That's what we read. His name shall be called Jesus, for he shall, not maybe, not might, but shall save his people. That fact cannot be disputed at all. It is Christ who saves and Christ alone. We do not save ourselves, neither do we contribute anything to the work of salvation.

Listen to these words. from 1 Corinthians 4 verse 7. Who maketh thee to differ from another? Who makes us to differ from what we were before? And what hast thou that thou didst not receive? Now if thou didst receive it, why dost thou glory, as if thou hast not received it? Don says, but how does he do it? Here are three distinguishing works of grace by which Christ saves his people from their sins. And the first one is redemption. He saves us by redeeming us. He saved us from the penalty of our sins by the particular effectual redemption of our souls from the curse of God's holy law.

Listen to 2 Corinthians 5 verse 21. For he, God Almighty, hath made him, God the Son, to be sin for us, who knew no sin, that we, the people of God, as we saw last week, might be made the righteousness of God in him. This is how, writes Don, Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures. 1 Corinthians 15, 3, For I delivered unto you first all of that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures. He died in the room instead of God's elect as a voluntary, vicarious, victorious, sin-atoning sacrifice. And we'll look at that. Turn over to Isaiah 53.

Our Lord died in the room Instead, as our substitute for God's elect, and he did it voluntarily, he did it victorious, and it was a sin-atoning sacrifice. Here in Isaiah 53, we read these words, beginning at verse 4. Surely he hath borne our griefs and carried our sorrows, yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. but he was wounded for our transgressions. Remember what I read a moment ago? For he hath made him to be sinned. The Lord Jesus Christ knew no sin. Everything that he did was perfect. Yet he went to the cross and died for our sins. God the Father made him sin for you and I. wounded for our transgressions. He was bruised for our iniquities. The chastisement of our peace was upon him, and with his stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray. We have turned everyone to his own way, and the Lord hath laid upon him the iniquity of us all.

" Turn over now if you would to John chapter 10. Look at John chapter 10. We're talking about the Lord who laid down His life. How does Christ save? He redeems us from our sins. And over here in John chapter 10, we read these words, beginning at verse 16, And other sheep I have which are not of this fold, them also I must bring, that they shall hear my voice. Remember what it said back in John 3, 16? My sheep, or actually it says that over here in chapter 10 as well, over in verse 27. My sheep hear my voice. That's what that's talking about right there in verse 27. So back here, he says, I must bring, and they shall hear my voice, And there shall be one fold and one shepherd. Then verse 17. Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life.

He redeems. Folks, that's what redemption is. It's redeeming us to God Almighty Himself. It's bringing us back in. Where we had separated ourselves through sin, Christ brings us in through His own righteousness. He says, I lay down my life that I might take it again, and then look at verse 18. No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have the power to take it again. This commandment have I received of my Father.

Let's look at it, turn over to Hebrews, if you would, and look at another one with me over there, Hebrews chapter 10. I love this verse. I love these verses over in Hebrews. I could refer to this book and these chapters every single message and it would never get tiresome. Look here at chapter 10 beginning at verse 5. Wherefore then he cometh into the world. This is Hebrews 10 verse 5. Wherefore, when he cometh into the world, he saith, Sacrifice an offering thou wouldest not, but a body, remember I mentioned that a moment ago, hast thou prepared me? and burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin that has had no pleasure.

Now drop down to verse 12. But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice, this is our redeeming Savior. This is Jesus Christ, our Savior, is what the whole scriptures teach. That's what the doctrine from cover to cover is all about, Jesus Christ, our Savior. And here's how he does it, by redeeming his people, for by one offering, one sacrifice for sins forever set down at the right hand of God, from henceforth expecting till his enemies be made his foes. For by one offering he hath perfected forever them that are sanctified."

Folks, if we're the righteousness of God in Christ, could it be anything less than perfection? If there's anybody who is teaching that it could be. They're not teaching about the Christ of Scriptures. So we see that our Lord saves us by redeeming us unto God the Father through the sacrifice of Himself.

Another one. Let's look at another one. Regeneration. He regenerates His people. How does He save us? He saves us by giving us a regeneration. That's what He's talking about when He's talking to Nicodemus. You must be born again. Well, that's what regeneration is. It's the new heart that he talks about in the Old Testament. We're going to look at that a little bit in the next message. He says, I will give you a new heart. That's regeneration.

The old heart hates God. The old heart, folks, is enmity. Do we understand that? If we know the Lord Jesus, According to his revelation, we get just a glimpse of what that is. That old heart, we were talking about it Friday night, weren't we, Roger? It could do anything. There are so many things that we don't even realize the depth of our depravity, the depth that we could go. You know, when you think about that, when you think about how I could go there. No, I couldn't. Oh, yes, you could, John. And when you think about those things, It sure makes it easier to look at somebody else and say, God's forgiven me, knowing that I could go exactly where you are right now. I pray God will give me the ability to forgive you.

You ever think about that? I have some folks in my life that if I told you about it, you would say, how could anybody forgive that person? That's the way I thought for many years. How could I ever forgive that person for what they did to me or one of my family members? I'll bet some of you have been in that same position. How could I forgive them? I'll tell you how. This is how. He has forgiven this one everything. Isn't that something? And if he's forgiven me of everything, Maybe I could be a little bit forgiving of others as well. Oh, I pray the Lord will give me and cause me to do so. I want to. I know I don't do it perfectly right, and sometimes I don't. But I want to. I want to be obedient.

Peter wanted to be obedient. He wanted so much to be obedient that he offered to give his life. He said, I will die for you, Lord. We looked at this in Friday night study. But guess what? He couldn't. Does that mean he didn't want to be obedient in his heart? No. This flesh is weak. That's what Paul is saying when he tells this old wretched man that I am. I don't do the things I should, and I do the things I shouldn't. That's what that's talking about. Oh Lord, help me. Help me through the regeneration of this body, this soul, this mind, this heart. Don says, Christ saves his people from the power of their sins by the power of his spirit in sovereign, effectual regeneration.

Listen to these words from John 5, verse 25. Verily, verily, I say unto you, the hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God, and they that hear shall live. Or how about this one from Psalm 65, verse 4. Blessed is the man whom thou choosest and causest to approach unto thee. Look over to Ephesians chapter 2. Turn to the left of Hebrews there if your Bible is still open to Hebrews. Look over to Ephesians chapter 2 and read with me if you would verses 1-4. Another verse that Could again be repeated at every single message and it would never get old. And you hath He quickened. Gave life. Who were dead in trespasses and sin. That's regeneration, folks. Giving us life that we would hear His Word. giving us life in a heart, ears of the heart, eyes of the heart, to see the truth of his word.

Verse two, where in times past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience, among whom also we all had our conversation in times past, in the lust of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others. Here comes regeneration, but God. I look out and I see smiles all across the folks here. Yeah, but God. Isn't that good words? Who is rich. He's rich enough in mercy to save me. He's rich enough in mercy to save you. Oh, it's so good. For his great love, wherewith he loved us, even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, by grace ye are saved. As he raised Lazarus from the dead, writes Don, so he raises his people from spiritual death. That's what that's talking about, God who is rich in mercy and quickening, even though we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ by grace ye are saved. So, our Lord raised Lazarus the same way. He raises all of his people from spiritual death to spiritual life by the omnipotence, the all-power of his saving grace as I just read from John chapter 5 verse 25. The Lord saves his people from their sins by making his people righteous before God. As we saw in 2 Corinthians, He hath made him sin to be sin, that we might be the righteousness of God in Christ. He makes us righteous in the Lord.

In justification, the righteous obedience of Christ is imputed to us, just as our sins were imputed to Him. 2 Corinthians 5.21, which we've already read. In sanctification, His righteous nature is imparted to us. And look over at Galatians 5, if you would, and we'll look at a couple verses there. Galatians 5. And then we'll close out with the last one. Just to the left of where we were in Ephesians. Go to Galatians chapter 5. Two verses there, 22 and 23.

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, that His righteous nature that is imparted to us, because we don't do this. The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, and faith, meekness, temperance. Against such there is no law.

Now turn over to 2 Peter chapter 1. Go to the right, just the other side of Hebrews. 1 Peter chapter 1. Look at one verse over there with me if you would. Verse 4. To an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled, that fate is not a way reserved in heaven for you.

And then the third point that Don brings out, how God saves us, is resurrection. The Son of God shall save his people from the presence and the consequences of their sins in the resurrection of the just. Turn over to 1 Thessalonians chapter 4. The resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead is the acceptance of God the Father for what He did. How does He save us? He saves us through the resurrection of the just. 1 Thessalonians 4, beginning at verse 13.

But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God, and the dead in Christ shall rise first. Then we, which are alive and remain, shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore, comfort one another with these words.

" Don closes with these thoughts. He says, there shall be a resurrection of the just and of the unjust. The wicked shall be raised to suffer the consequences of their sins. They will stand before the throne of judgment. But the righteous, those who are righteous in their Savior, Christ Jesus the Lord, shall be raised to be ever freed from the consequences of sin.

Upon what grounds may a sinner have confidence that he is one of his people? There is only one answer, only one to that question. If you trust the Christ of God as your only Lord and Savior, you are one of His people. He chose you. He redeemed you. Sorry. He redeemed you. He has called you and given you the gift of eternal life. And in 1 John chapter 1, you can turn over there now if you want, we'll close with reading these very verses. 1 John chapter 5, let's begin reading at verse 9. If we receive the witness of men, the witness of God is greater. For this is the witness of God, which he hath testified of his son. He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself. He that believeth not God hath made him a liar, because he believeth not the record that God gave of his Son."

Oh, that's so important, folks. You know, it reminds me, as I read this before I close with those verses, reminds me of this. Remember the man who the Lord said, if you would just believe, when he was healing his son, and he said, Oh, folks, this heart that God has given us is a heart to believe. I believe, but help thou mine unbelief, for I am weak, but thou art strong.

Go on, shall we here? Those who believe not the record of God gave his Son, and this is the record that God has given us, given to us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. He that hath the Son hath life, and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life. 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. Amen.