Once again, good morning. Good
to see you folks. Glad to have you with us this
morning We're in Hebrews chapter 2 and we looked a little bit
at verse 16 last week And I want to go a little bit deeper a little
bit deeper Let's read chapter. Let's read verse 16 of chapter
2 once again with me if you would It says for verily he speaking
of our Lord Jesus Christ took not on him the nature of angels. He took not on him the nature
of angels, but he took on him the seed of Abraham. And we considered the word election. We considered how this points
to election. Christ could have taken on the
seed of Adam, but he didn't. He chose to take on the seed
of Abraham. And this morning, I want to look
at you a little bit about what that means. We must see and acknowledge
first, though, the God of glory is absolutely sovereign in all
things, especially in salvation. He wounds and he heals. He kills and he makes alive. It is his sovereign right to
either save man or damn him. to either be gracious or to pass
me by. Rebels would be wise to fall
down before his sovereign throne and beg for mercy. Like a leper,
fall down at his feet and say, Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst
make me clean, as we read in Mark chapter 1, verse 40. I ask,
will you perish in your proud rebellion? Or will you take your
place in the dust and beg for mercy? Our song we just sang,
pass me not, oh gentle Savior, hear my humble cry. Hear my cry
as that one who is over in the side of the synagogue, crying
out, pounding his chest, Lord, hear my cry, have mercy upon
me. rather than one who stands before
God in his own self-righteousness saying, I'm thankful that you
didn't make me like those other folks over there. Folks, we were
made as those other folks over there. We're just like them. We walked through this world
shaking our fist at the true and living God, saying we will
not have him to rule over us. We will rule over ourselves.
And as children of God, we know that's the way we walked. We
clearly see now what we were blind of before. I tell you without
hesitation that this gospel of God's free and sovereign grace
of divine sovereignty is a vital gospel. It's a vital doctrine,
a vital teaching. The world doesn't want to hear
about a sovereign God. They want to hear about a God
who works out things according to what they want them to work
it out to. God's people, we bow to the Lord
of all. as the Lord of all. Why is this important for us
to believe, to consider these things over and over again? The
same reason it is for us to come to this table in remembrance
of Him. Because we walk through this
valley of shadow of death in this flesh. And this flesh is
weak. You might be strong, but I sure
aren't. I'm sure not. It says in Ephesians 2, verses
2 and 3, and this applies to us. This applies to me. It says,
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 disobedient, among
whom also we all had. This is Paul, the apostle Paul,
who is speaking who clearly sees the truth now about what he is
before God. Remember what he was before the
Lord showed him the truth? He was a proud Pharisee. He was
going about doing God's work. He was a very, very religious
man on this path to destruction, doing exactly what we saw here,
according to the Prince of the Spirit, and now working the children's
disobedience, among whom also we all had our conversations
in time past, in the lust of our flesh, fulfilling and desiring
the flesh and the mind, and whereby nature, the children of wrath,
even as others. Grace keeps these truths always
before us. It is the intention, it is the
desire and the purpose of Christ to save all of the seed of Abraham. He took not on him the nature
of angels. He took not on him the seed of
Adam, but he took on him the seed of Abraham. The Son of God
took hold of, that's what that means, took on, took hold of
the seed of Abraham to save them. God Almighty grabs ahold of us. He grabs us with his own arms. I'm not, it's like I told the
folks at the funeral that I was at on Wednesday night. God's
not waiting around for you. If he was waiting around for
you and I, we'd be still on that path to destruction. Aren't you
thankful he intercedes? Aren't you thankful he comes
to us and grabs us out of that pit that we were once in and
pulls us up to him? He takes a hold of us. Abraham's
natural seed is not what it's talking about here. You know,
Abraham, he was of the Jewish race. And his seed, and out of
his seed came Jacob, whose name was turned to Israel. And this
is not talking about that, though. It's not talking about his natural
seed. It's talking about his spiritual
seed. It's talking about the seed of
promise. It refers to the whole company
of God's elect. Look over at Romans chapter four
with me for a moment. Turn over to Romans chapter four.
We're talking about the seed of Abraham here, the seed of
promise. In Romans chapter four, verse
16, this is the seed of promise. This is the seed of Abraham.
Therefore, it says in verse 16 of Romans chapter four, therefore,
it is of faith that it might be by grace to the end the promise
might be sure to all the seed, the seed of promise. Not to that
only which is of the law, but to that which is of the faith
of Abraham, who is the father of us all. He's the father of
the seed of promise. What was Abraham's righteousness
accounted to him for? He believed God, isn't that what
scripture tells us? He believed God. It wasn't something
he did. It wasn't something that he could
call righteousness of his own. He knew that that very faith,
he knew that the Lord Jesus was the author and the finisher of
his faith, of his belief, just as it is for you and I. We believe
God's word. Abraham, who is the father of
us all, look again now if you would over Romans chapter nine.
Turn a couple of pages to the right. Let's go to Romans chapter
nine for just a moment. And let's look at verses six
through eight of Romans nine. We're speaking about our father,
Abraham, who's the father of belief, the father of promise.
Beginning in verse six, not as though the word of God have taken
none effect, for they are not all Israel, which are of Israel. We're talking about, it's not
the natural seed of Abraham, but the spiritual seed. For they
are not all Israel, those of the natural, which are of Israel. Neither, verse seven, because
they are of the seed of Abraham, are they all children. But in
Isaac shall thou seed be called, is what we see in scripture.
That is, in verse eight, they which are the children of the
flesh, these are not the children of God, but the children of the
promise, are counted for the seed. So we see again, we are
the seed of promise. Turn over to Galatians chapter
three. Go to the right one more time
just before Ephesians. Galatians chapter three. Look
with me at verse seven. Know ye therefore that they which
are of faith, the same are the children of Abraham. Those who
are of belief, we're gonna look a little bit about that in this
morning's message at 11 o'clock. The light that shineth. Know
ye therefore that they which are of the faith the same are
the children of Abraham. Look over at verse 13, chapter
three, verses 13 through 16. Christ hath redeemed us from
the curse of the law, it says in verse 13, being made a curse
for us, for it is written, cursed is everyone that hangeth on a
tree. That the blessings of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through
Jesus Christ that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through
faith. Brethren, I speak after the manner
of men. Though it be but a man's covenant,
yet it be confirmed, no man disanulleth or addeth thereto. Now to Abraham
and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, and to the
seeds of many, but as of one, and to thy seed, which is Christ. That was where the promise was
first made, was to the Lord Jesus Christ before the world was ever
created. The covenant of the great three
in one, the covenant of grace. So we can see through the word
of God, those who have true God-given faith are by grace the seed of
Abraham. So when did Christ take a hold
of us? Christ took a hold on Abraham's seed as their surety
in the covenant of grace before the world began, and agreed to
save them, as we read in Genesis 43, 9, where it says, I will
be the surety for him of my hand, shalt thou require him. If I
bring him not unto thee, and set him before thee, then let
me bear the blame forever. Now that was the surety of Jacob. I mean, I'm sorry, Joseph. When
his brother was, no, no, no, not Joseph. It wasn't Joseph.
It was Joseph's younger brother. I'm getting the names confused.
I apologize on that. But this is talking about Jacob's
sons. When the oldest son wanted to
take the youngest son down into Egypt, he was told to bring his
youngest brother, Benjamin, bring Benjamin down into Egypt. And
he assured his dad, he assured Jacob, Let me be the surety. If anything happens to the lad,
I will be the surety. That's a picture of what Christ
said to the Father for you and I. The difference is, our Lord
Jesus is a better surety than any flesh could ever be. In John
chapter 6 verse 39 it says this, and this is the Father's will.
which hath sent me, of all that which ye have given me I should
lose nothing, but should raise it up again the last day. In
Ephesians chapter 1 verse 13 we read this, In whom, in Christ,
whom ye also trusted after that ye heard the word of truth, the
gospel of your salvation, in whom also after that ye believed,
ye were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise. Our Lord took
a hold on his elect as our substitute, legally taking our place under
the wrath of God, dying under the penalty of our sins upon
that cross, that's what we read in 2 Corinthians 5 verse 21,
for he, God the Father, hath made him, God the Son, to be
sin for us who knew no sin, that we might be made the righteousness
of God in him. And we just read in Galatians
chapter 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. When our substitute died, insofar
as God's law and justice were concerned, we died in him. Folks,
to be in Christ is to have gone through everything Christ has
gone through. To be part with him, to be co-heirs with him,
to be blessed of him in all heavenly and spiritual blessings. When
he died, we died in him, as it says in Romans 7, verse 4, wherefore,
my brethren, ye also are become dead to the law by the body of
Christ, that ye should be married to another, even to him who is
raised from the dead, that we should bring forth fruit unto
God. We were crucified with Christ, and in the fullness of time,
the good shepherd comes to each and every one of us, every one
of his sheep for whom he died, and he takes ahold of us. by
the hand, his almighty hand, his almighty irresistible hand,
and he saves us in grace. That's what we read in Luke chapter
15 verses 4 through 5. What man of you, having a hundred
sheep, if he lose one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine
and nine in the wilderness and go after that which is lost until
he find it? And when he hath found it, he
layeth down his shoulders rejoicing. Is that not what Christ did to
each and every one of us? And blessed is his matchless
name forever, our Lord, our God, our good shepherd. He holds us
securely in his hand, his almighty grace, and he will not let us
go until he has brought us safely into heaven above. Look with
me at John chapter 10. Look with me, if you would, at
John chapter 10. When did our Lord take a hold of us? He takes
a hold of us right this very moment, holding us up. In John
chapter 10, we read these words in verse 28. And I give unto
them eternal life, and they shall never perish, neither shall any
man pluck them out of my hand. Does that not hold us up? Is
that not Christ Jesus grabbing ahold of us and holding on to
us? I remember our pastor telling us many a times, you know, you're
not the anchor of the ship, but the anchor is holding on to us.
The anchor of our soul, the anchor of our life. Turn back to verse
16 of the same chapter, John chapter 10, verse 16, and look
with me there. And other sheep, he says, I have
which are not of this fold. Also I must bring, and they shall
hear my voice, and there shall be one foal and one shepherd. Brother Don Fortner wrote this,
he said, since Christ took on himself the seed of Abraham,
you can be sure of this. You can be sure that all of the
seed of Abraham shall be saved. He shall save his people. Isn't
that what we read in Matthew 121? We read in Isaiah 42, he
shall not fail. Folks, the purpose of God cannot
be overturned. The covenant of grace cannot
be nullified. The cross of Christ cannot miscarry. The grace of God cannot be frustrated. The seal of the Spirit cannot
be broken. The intercession of Christ cannot
be ignored. The hold that Christ has you
and I cannot be broken. Don closes with these words.
He says, does man do nothing? Has God done it all? Does man
do nothing? Listen to this. He says, oh yes,
we did much. We did the falling. He did the
lifting. We did the running. He did the
catching. Isn't that wonderful? We did
the wandering. He did the fetching. We did the
sinning. He did the saving. He took on Him the seed of Abraham. Amen.