Like I mentioned a moment ago, we're looking into the book our brother Don Fortner wrote that was titled, The Basic Bible Doctrines. And he takes his thought for chapter 10, and the title of that chapter is, The Son of God, Our Savior. And he takes his thoughts from Matthew 1, verse 21, where we read, And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name Jesus, for he shall save his people from their sins."

Now, Don introduces this chapter by saying this, he says, there is one word in the Bible which in itself forms an entire library. One word, which is the sum and substance of the entire Bible, one word. which comprises all truth, that word is Christ. He is the uncreated, living, eternal word whom to know is life eternal. To know Christ, to know the uncreated, living, eternal word of God is to have life eternal.

When chosen redeemed sinners are brought out of the darkness into light by the irresistible regenerating grace and the power of God the Holy Spirit, when Christ is revealed in the chosen vessels of mercy, when they become savingly acquainted with the divine word of God, they are made wise unto salvation through faith, through belief, That's Titus 3 verse 15. As we are led by the Spirit in the life of faith, enabled by His grace to live upon, walk with, rejoice in the glorious person and the finished work of our Lord Jesus Christ, we are brought into what the Apostle Paul describes as, in Colossians 2 verse 2-3, all the riches of the full assurance. of understanding, to the acknowledgment of the mystery of God, and of the Father, and of Christ, in whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.

And it is stated consistently, over and over again, emphatically, as it is in 1 John 5-7, there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost, and these three are one. So when we're talking about the Son of God, our Savior, this is who we're talking about, Jesus Christ the Lord. Very simple.

The Scriptures state these facts also. They state the fact that the revelation of the Holy Trinity is found in Christ alone. It's in Him. And He is the visible Jehovah. We can't see God the Father. He's Spirit, but we can see Him in His Son completely and fully as the brightness of His glory in His Son, the Lord Jesus. He is the image of the invisible God, as we read in 1 John 1.18 and Colossians 2.9.

We looked at last week, why did Christ come? And we spent some time looking at that, but I want to begin in this part, all of our time, why did Christ come last week? And we know why. He had to. We considered the body that was prepared that we speak of, that we read of in Hebrews chapter 10. A body was prepared so that it might die for you and I, where we deserve death, our substitute.

So who is this Jesus? That's the next section of this chapter, chapter 10. You may think to yourself, well, I've heard about Jesus all my life. I remember hearing about the Lord Jesus when I was just a little kid. Remember when we were little kids and we would go out on Christmas morning to the Christmas tree and we'd hear about this one called Christ? This one called Jesus? Perhaps you might think that everyone knows who Jesus Christ is. You think about that as we just celebrated the birth of our Lord and Savior. But that would be a mistake, writes Don. To think that the world knows of the Lord Jesus Christ is a mistake. To think that you knew who the Lord Jesus was when you were a child is a mistake, based on what you knew of the world. The fact is this, very few people of this world know who the Lord Jesus Christ is. The Christ that is worshipped in the average church is nothing but an idolatrous figment of man's imagination, an idol, a false god carved from one of the trees in the dark forest of man's depraved mind.

Our Lord Himself warned us of these days. He said this over in Matthew 24, He said, There shall arise false Christs and false prophets, and shall show great signs and wonders, insomuch that if it were possible, they would deceive the very elect. It also says over there in Matthew 24, Lo, here is Christ, or there, believe it not, When men come to us and say, here is Christ and there is Christ, our Lord warns us, don't believe it.

That makes this question very important. Who is this Jesus? This one who this entire book defines and describes and talks about. Who is this Jesus? Who is the Christ of the Bible? We must know, trust, and worship this Christ.

Don says, if I would know God and be accepted of Him, as it says in John chapter 17, verse 3, and this is life eternal, that they might know Thee, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom Thou hast sent. If we trust a false Christ, no matter how sincere we are, We are lost under the delusion of Satan.

Allow me, writes God, to show you from the scriptures who this Jesus is, of whom it is written, he shall save his people from their sins. This Jesus is the Son of God. When the Bible speaks of Jesus Christ as the Son of God, it is declaring to you and I that Jesus Christ is God, the Eternal Son, the Second Person of the Holy Trinity, in every way equal with God the Father and God the Spirit.

We do not read in 1 John 5, 7, 3, bear record. I'm sorry. Do we not read? I apologize. I read that wrong. Do we not read in 1 John 5, 7, 3, bear record, God the Father, God the Word, and God the Spirit? We who believe are the sons of God by adoption. Christ is the son of God by nature. This is who this Christ is. He's the son of God by nature. To say that he is the son of God is to declare that this man, whose name is Jesus, is himself He is not just a God, a likeness of God, or a creature of God. Jesus Christ is the God manifest in the flesh.

Turn over to Hebrews chapter 1. Who is this Jesus? Who is this Christ that the book of God speaks of? Look at verse 3, Hebrews chapter 1, who being the brightness of his glory and the express image. Folks, when you see God the Son, you see God the Father. When you see the truth of who Jesus Christ is, he said to his disciples, when you see me, you have seen the Father. Here our Lord tells us very clearly. That he is God manifest in the flesh. That's what we read over in John chapter one, isn't it? Isn't that what we read over there?

In the beginning was the word, and the word was with God, and the word was God. Let me just read that exactly for you, because I'll read the next verse after that. All things, it says in verse 3, were made by Him, and without Him was not anything made that was made. So we see the Lord Jesus is the creator of all that is. He's the eternal Son of God. There's never been a time when Jesus was not the Son of God. That's what it means to be eternal.

All of the attributes, writes Don, of divinity belonging to Him. He's the creator of all things, the sustainer of all things, the ruler of all things, and the disposer of all things. Jesus Christ is the revelation of God. That's what we read over in John chapter 1 verse 18, where we read, no man hath seen God at any time. The only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, He hath declared Him. If Jesus Christ is not God, if He is anything less than the Almighty Creator, we have no Savior. And that's the subject of our study. The basic doctrine of the whole Bible is that Jesus is God in the flesh. If He's anything else, He's an imposter. He's a fake. None but God could make atonement for our sins. Mike, you can't help me when it comes to my sin. I appreciate all the things you do for this church, but when it comes to my sin, I need something better.

That man who was born in Bethlehem, who died upon the cross, who rose again the third day and now sits upon the throne of God, is himself God, it says in Colossians 2 verse 9, for in him dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead bodily. This Jesus, who is God Almighty, writes, Don is the sinner's substitute. He's the daysman, the surety, the representative, the mediator, the substitute, by whose obedience sinners are reconciled into God. without whom we could never be accepted.

The key to understanding the book of God is to understand the gospel doctrine of substitution. Don says, when I say that Jesus Christ is the center substitute, I mean that He stood before God as the substitute for His people. And He stood there from before the beginning of the world as the Lamb slain. That's what we read in Revelation 13, verse 8. He is our eternal mediator in whom we were from everlasting blessed with spiritual blessings as we read in Ephesians 1 verse 3. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ.

The Lord Jesus is the surety of the everlasting covenant. in whom God's elect are given grace and salvation before time began. Listen to 2 Timothy 1 verse 9, who have saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose of grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began.

Obedience to God is our substitute. Folks, everything we need to be in the presence of God, including our obedience, we find in our Savior, the Lord Jesus. I'm not telling you to go out there and be disobedient. I'm not telling you to go out there and sin willy-nilly. I'm telling you that the only righteousness that we have is in our Savior, the Lord Jesus Himself. And that's everything. If I try to add one little thing, what does our Lord say about adding leaven to the lump of bread? What does it do? It destroys the whole lump, doesn't it?

Our Lord is our substitute in obedience. His obedience to the Father in this world was to pull all the righteousness on our behalf. Listen to Romans 519, for as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of who? One. One. The very one who by himself laid down his life and purged us from our sins. So shall by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous. He died, folks. Who is this Jesus? He's the one that died under the wrath of God as our substitute. He took our place on that cross where you and I deserve God's wrath. It was all laid upon our substitute, the Lord Jesus. Who is this Jesus? He's our substitute. for everything, not only obedience, but for death. Listen to this, 2 Corinthians, no, Galatians 3.13, Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us, for it is written, cursed is everyone that hangeth on a tree. And that famous verse from 2 Corinthians 5.21, for he hath made him to be, that word, That phrase, to be, is not in there. For He hath made Him sin for us who knew no sin, that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him.

Our Lord intercedes for you and I today as our advocate in heaven, as our substitute before the throne of grace. How do I know this? Listen to 1 John 2 verses 1-2. My little children, these things I write unto you, that ye sin not, And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ, the righteous. And He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only, but for the world, the whole world. Speaking of all of His people throughout all time, throughout all nations, throughout all tribes, throughout all tongues.

And He, our Lord, Our great Savior will stand before God in the last day as our substitute at the bar of justice as the grounds of our eternal salvation. Let me turn over to Jeremiah 23. I forgot to put that down in here. You can turn with me if you want to as well. Jeremiah 23. Look at one verse over there. This one who declares He will be our righteousness, our substitute. When it comes to the accuser, Look at verse 6, In his days Judah shall be saved, and Israel shall dwell safely. And this is his name, whereby he shall be called the Lord our righteousness.

Be sure you understand this, writes Don, if Jesus Christ is indeed God, and he is, then all that He has undertaken to do as our substitute must be effectually and completely accomplished by His own omnipotent arm. Isn't that what it tells us in Hebrews chapter 10? For by one offering He hath perfected forever them that are sanctified. Isn't that what the scripture tells us? That means everything that God did on our behalf in His Son, the Lord Jesus, is perfect. Those whom He came to redeem are redeemed. Those whom He undertook to justify are justified. All those whom He undertook to save, they must be saved, as it is written. He shall save His people from their sins. And over in Isaiah 42, it says, He shall not fail.

Folks, if our God could fail, then we are wasting our time. That's why we put all of our trust in Him. That's why we believe fully upon Him. This Jesus, the Christ of the Bible, who is Almighty God, is the Savior of His people. Christ alone is our Savior. He is our complete salvation, as we read over in 1 Corinthians 1, verse 30 in Colossians 2. Let's look at that, shall we? Look over at 1 Corinthians. Some of you know the words already, you don't even need to turn there. I will, because I forget some word and I mess it up if I forget one word. Look at verse 30. 1 Corinthians 1, verse 30, But of him, but of God, are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom and righteousness, and sanctification and redemption. He's our all in all.

Look over Colossians chapter 2. Go to the right, just after Ephesians. You got Ephesians, Philippians and Colossians. Look at Colossians chapter 2 verse 10. And ye are complete in Him. Folks, I don't know about you, but these are the blessings that God lays upon the hearts of his people. When we get up every morning and we see the sin in his flesh and the old nature rearing up its ugly head in the mirror, the only hope I have is the one who is obedient unto death on my behalf. The very one, for in Him dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead bodily, as it says in verse 9, and ye are complete in Him.

This Christ is the effectual Savior of His people. Would you not agree with that? And this Jesus, who is God, in order that he might save his people, is the sovereign monarch over the universe. Listen to John 17, verse 2. As thou hast given him power over all flesh, that he should give eternal life to as many as thou hast given him. Without question, he is the monarch. of all things by virtue of His eternal Godhead. But He has been given this place of dominion as a man, as the reward of His obedience to God as our mediator.

Look over at Acts chapter 5. Turn over to Acts chapter 5. Look at verse 31. This is Acts chapter 5, verse 31. Him, the Lord Jesus Christ, Him hath God exalted with His right hand to be the Prince and a Savior, for to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins. We see there where our Lord, by His obedience to God, is risen up.

Look at Romans chapter 14. Go back to the right again to Romans chapter 14. Look over there at one verse with me if you would. Romans 14 verse 9. For to this end Christ both died and rose and revived that he might be Lord of both the dead and the living. Look at the pedestal our God has put his Son on.

Do you understand who Jesus Christ is, writes Don? He's the Son of God. He's the sinner's only sufficient effectual substitute.

Before I close this morning's study with what Don says here last about this, I want to bring this point once again before you. Remember the story of when our Lord was over on the coast of Philippi, I think it was, or Caesarea. And he asked his disciples, who do men say that I am? And after answering, some think you're a prophet, Isaiah says, oh, he says, well, who do you say that I am? And Peter steps up and he says, well, thou art the son of the living God. Blessed are you, Simon Barjona, for flesh and blood hath not revealed this unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven.

And then he says this, upon this rock, upon the rock of whom Jesus Christ is, I will build my church, not on something that they have done, not on some wild thing that men have come up with, but on the fact that he is God of the flesh. That's what he builds his church on.