Hebrews chapter two, I've entitled
today's message, The World to Come. And you find these words
in verse five. In verse 14 of chapter one, actually
verse 13 of chapter one, I want to begin reading. It says, but
to which of the angels said he at any time, sit on my right
hand until I make thine enemies thy footstool. God never said
that to the angels, it's a rhetorical question. Are they not all ministering
spirits? They're servants, serving spirits.
Sent forth to minister? For them who shall be heirs of
salvation. The book of Hebrews is about
salvation. This is what the Bible is about. It's about God's saving work
to save his people. It says here, heirs of salvation
in verse three. We saw last week how that we
should not neglect or we must be careful not to neglect so
great salvation. Jesus is called the author of
eternal salvation in chapter 5 and verse 9, and he says in
chapter 10 that we are not of those who draw back unto perdition,
but are those who believe to the saving of the soul. And the
Lord Jesus Christ is said to live forevermore, to intercede
for us, to save us to the uttermost. And so throughout the book of
Hebrews, it's about God's salvation of his people. And he says here
in verse 14 that his people are heirs of salvation. That means
they are given, it's given to them. It's not something they
could earn, not something we work for, but given freely by
God according to his grace out of the abundance of his grace
and the abundance of all that God is to save his people. But in chapter 2, verse 1, it
says, Therefore we ought to give the more earnest heed to the
things which we have heard, lest at any time we should let them
slip. For if the word spoken by angels was steadfast, and
every transgression and disobedience received a just recompense of
reward, how shall we escape if we neglect so great salvation,
which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, the Lord
Himself? and was confirmed unto us by
them that heard him, which would be the apostles, Peter, James,
John, the apostle Paul, and so on. God also bearing them witness
both with signs and wonders and with diverse miracles and gifts
of the Holy Ghost according to his own will. That was God's
will that caused his people to take his word and have that word
confirmed by those signs and wonders. Verse five. Now he's
going to pick back up on what he said in chapter one. that
this world is going to be folded up like a garment, but the Lord
Jesus Christ does not change. And he says that the angels were
never told to sit on my right hand till I make thine enemies
thy footstool, because they're servants for the heirs of salvation. Now, if they're servants for
the heirs of salvation, what does that mean in their relation
to God's people? It means that they are to serve
God's people. And that is what he's gonna pick
up on now. He's gonna do two things here. He's gonna show
that angels are, even though we as God's saints, as Christ's
church, are presently in this life lower than angels, in the
world to come, the church will actually be above the angels.
Not the church by itself, but the church in Christ. Okay, that's
the first thing he's going to show here. The second thing he's
going to show is that the Lord Jesus Christ is not just the
Son of God in his divine nature, but he's also the Son of Man.
And this is the way in which God is, from the beginning, determined
to put angels under his people, under the Lord Jesus Christ.
Not because the angels, the holy angels, had somehow sinned in
the beginning, and therefore were made lower in the world
to come than God's saints, but because that was always God's
purpose. And we'll see many things about that in a moment here.
Let's read from verse five to the end of the chapter. For unto
the angels hath he not put in subjection the world to come,
whereof we speak, but one And this one speaking was in the
Psalms, Psalm chapter eight. But one in a certain place testified
saying, what is man that thou art mindful of him? Or the son
of man that thou visitest him. Thou madest him a little lower
than the angels. Thou crownest him with glory
and honor and did set him over the works of thy hands. Thou
has put all things in subjection under his feet. For in that he
put all in subjection under him, he left nothing that is not put
under him. Now he's talking about man. But
which man? And which men? If there's more
than one, that's the question. He says in the end of verse eight,
but now we see not yet all things put under him. We don't see all
things put under ourselves, do we? Even as believers, do we
see all things put under ourselves? Not with the natural eye, we
don't. But we see Jesus. We do see things, all things
put under Him. How so? We see Jesus who was made a little
lower than the angels for the suffering of death. Why was He
made a man? So that He could suffer death.
We see Him crowned with glory and honor. Ah, now we see the
fulfillment of Psalm 8 in the Lord Jesus Christ. He was made
lower than the angels for a time, for the suffering of death. At
the end of the verse, he says that he, by the grace of God,
should taste death for every man. Verse 10, for it became
him, this is speaking about God the Father, for it became him,
God the Father, for whom are all things, and by whom are all
things, in bringing many sons to glory, to make the captain
of their salvation perfect through sufferings. The captain of our
salvation is the Lord Jesus Christ. The many sons brought to glory
are the every man spoken of in chapter, verse 9. Verse 11, for
both he that sanctifyeth and they who are sanctified are all
of one, for which cause he is not ashamed to call them brethren,
saying, I will declare thy name unto my brethren. In the midst
of the church will I sing praise unto thee. And again, in another
scripture, I, the Lord Jesus said, I will put my trust in
him, his father. And again, behold, I and the
children which God hath given me. Now, all of these quotations
from the Old Testament are meant to underscore how the message
of the old and new are the same, that God always meant to exalt
his son as man over all things and make him not only man over
all things, but the brother of all of God's sons. And so he
talks about how he himself puts his trust in his father, how
he's not ashamed to call his people his own brethren, and
how he declares to his own brethren the name of his father. I will
sing praise to thee, and I will declare thy name to my brethren.
And then finally he said, the children which God has given
me. Verse 14, for as much then as the children are partakers
of flesh and blood, that would be us, all who believe on Christ,
he also, Christ, also himself likewise took part of the same.
He also took part of flesh and blood, the flesh and blood, the
nature of his people. that through death, his death,
he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is,
the devil, and deliver them who through fear of death were all
their lifetime subject to bondage. So he delivers us. That's called
redemption. For verily, he took not on angels, or in the italics
in the King James it says, took on him the nature of angels,
but it could be just left out. He did not take on angels to
save angels. He didn't take on either their
cause to save or their nature. But he took on the seed of Abraham. He took on him the seed of Abraham
to save the seed of Abraham. Not the physical seed. though
some of his physical seed, but all of those who were called
the spiritual seed of Abraham, meaning those who, like Abraham,
look to Christ, believe on him, and rejoice to see his day. Verse
17, therefore, in all things, or wherefore, in all things,
it behooved him. It was a compelling motive in
his heart, and by God's will, It behooved him to be made like
unto his brethren, to take flesh and blood like them, that he
might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining
to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people, for
in that he himself has suffered being tempted, he is able to
succor them that are tempted. To succor means to run to the
aid so that he can help them. to assist them. Many things in
the book of Hebrews are introduced and then later expanded And so
we see here the mention of the high priest, again, he's going
to elaborate on that much more in the pages to come, and the
reconciliation, or it could have been translated better, propitiation
for the sins of the people in verse 17. But what we see here,
I want you to consider the overview here in chapters two, three,
and four. Remember the nation of Israel. What was the big event
that took place in the nation of Israel in their history? It
was their deliverance from Egypt, wasn't it? It was on that night
when God had them take a lamb and kill it and sprinkle the
blood of that lamb over the doorposts of the door. And in the house
where they were, where that doorpost was sprinkled with blood, they
were protected. They were preserved. The Lord
did not visit that house and destroy the firstborn in that
house. But every house without blood
he did visit and destroy and kill the firstborn in Egypt,
even in animals and servants and kings. The firstborn of Pharaoh
on the throne to the firstborn of the servant. Even the firstborn
of the animals was killed that night in Egypt. Now that was
called redemption. The Lord redeemed Israel out
of Egypt. And throughout the Old Testament,
if you just read through most of the Old Testament, in the
Psalms and the Prophets, there's constant recall, there's a constant
re-emphasis of what God had done for Israel in redeeming them
out of Egypt, the house of bondage, from the cruel taskmasters, and
from Pharaoh, that wicked king. And then the next thing we see
in their history is that God brought them through the Red
Sea, And then he brought them into the wilderness. He gave
them his law from Mount Sinai. He gave them the priesthood.
There was Aaron, who was the high priest, and all the sacrifices
and the services of the tabernacle, by which God made himself known
in the tabernacle. And God preserved the people
through their wilderness sojourn. And he cleansed them, at least
ceremonially, by the ministry of the high priest. And then
we see them going through the wilderness. Eventually, they
are at the border of Canaan. The first time, of course, they
did not believe God and were turned back and spent the next
38 years in the wilderness. And all of the parents who came
out died. Only the children under 20 were
preserved through the wilderness. And that generation came to the
borders of Canaan and they went over into Canaan by Joshua, remember? So Canaan was the promised land.
God told them before he brought them out of Egypt, I'm going
to bring you into the land of promise flowing with milk and
honey. But before they were there, before they got there, they had
to go through the wilderness sojourn. So from redemption in
Egypt, redemption out of Egypt, brought through the Red Sea,
all their enemies destroyed in the sea, and they were walking
through the sea on dry land, the water was a wall on their
left and their right. They come through the Red Sea,
they enter into the wilderness, they spend the time in the wilderness.
Every day, God gave them manna from heaven, and he gave them
water out of the rock, which signifies Christ, the bread of
life, Christ, the water of life. And he brought them through the
wilderness all the way into the land of promise. And by Joshua,
he brought them into that land of promise, which was a land
of rest and plenty. A land where their enemies were
subdued by their mighty captain, Joshua. So you see these events. Redemption from Egypt, brought
through the Red Sea, a sojourn in the wilderness for like 40
years, brought into Canaan by Joshua. That's the analogy that's
being used here in the scripture. And that's why when he mentions
angels, we're reminded of the giving of the law. And that's
why it says here, if they escape not who didn't, if we, I'm sorry,
he says, If the word spoken by angels was steadfast and every
transgression and disobedience received a just recompense of
reward, if they disobeyed the word given by angels, there was
certain death. How much more so then if we neglect,
if we let slip, this so great salvation was spoken not by angels
but by the Lord himself. And so we see in these things
the history of the Israelites. But over that, what we see is
the spiritual history of God's people in the Lord Jesus Christ. Because just as Israel was redeemed
out of Egypt by the blood of the Passover lamb, So the church
of God, God's elect, were redeemed by the blood of the Lord Jesus
Christ out of the kingdom of Satan, from sin and from death
and from Satan. And that's what we just read
here a moment ago. He was made a little lower than
the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory
and honor, that he by the grace of God should taste death for
every man. He delivered us from death. He
redeemed us from sin. He redeemed us from death, therefore,
and he brought us to the Lord. And then the other thing we see
here is that there was a captain. Look at verse 10. Speaking of God the Father, it
became him for whom are all things and by whom are all things and
bringing many sons to glory to make the captain of their salvation
perfect through suffering. So who was the captain that brought
them out of Egypt? Who was the captain that brought
them through the Red Sea? Who was the captain that stood on
the hill with Aaron on one side and, I can't remember the other
one, on the other side, holding up Moses' arms as Joshua fought
in the valley with Amalek? And Israel prevailed as long
as Moses' arms were held up. Who was that captain? It was
Moses, wasn't it? God used Moses as a mighty captain,
and in verse 1 of chapter 3, he's called the apostle. Christ
is the apostle, so Moses was an apostle in that way. He was
sent by God to deliver his people from Egypt. But the Lord Jesus
Christ fulfills that in the spiritual sense. He is our captain. Moses delivered Israel from Egypt. Moses brought Israel through
the Red Sea. The Lord Jesus Christ brings
us out of the bondage of Satan's kingdom, from the power of Satan
to deceive us and hold us in the fear of death, under the
fear of death. It's not that the devil has power
over death itself, it's God who has power over death. But the
devil has the power to afflict us and hold us in bondage because
of the fear of God's wrath facing us because of our sin against
God. And it was Satan who brought us under that condemnation by
the temptation in the garden and by our own fall in Adam.
So the Lord Jesus Christ now is set for us in these verses
as the captain of our salvation. But not only that, in verse 11
of chapter 2, he's the sanctifier. He that sanctifieth, that's the
one who makes holy, who purifies, who cleanses his people from
their sins, who makes them holy before God, and they who are
sanctified, who are made holy, who are purified, who are cleansed
from their sins, are all of one. They're all of one, and we're
gonna talk about that in a second. What does it mean that they're
all of one? So you see how this is unfolding? First, Moses is
the captain. The Lord Jesus Christ is that
captain in a spiritual and an eternal sense. The Lord Jesus
Christ is the sanctifier. Who was the sanctifier of Israel? It was the high priest. The high
priest is the one who offered the blood of the animals, who
sprinkled that blood on the people and on the book and on the tabernacle.
And it was the high priest whose ear was anointed with oil, and
the oil on his head, and all those things signified the sanctifying,
the making holy to God. Well, this is all fulfilled in
Christ. He's both Moses in fulfillment and Aaron in fulfillment. And
then in chapter 3 he talks about how the Lord Jesus is our apostle
and high priest. In chapter 4 he says Joshua,
in chapter 3 they were in the wilderness, but in chapter 4
Joshua, as Joshua brought the Israelites into the land of Canaan
in rest, So the Lord Jesus Christ has brought us into the eternal
rest of our salvation and our inheritance in Him because He
finished the work of our salvation. He conquered our enemies. He
brought us into the promises God gave to us in Christ from
before the foundation of the world. Now that's what these
next three chapters are talking about, chapter two, three, and
four. And then in five, he shows how the Lord Jesus fulfilled
that priesthood of Aaron. And in chapter seven, he shows
that the priesthood of Melchizedek pictures the victory of Christ's
priesthood because it's an eternal priesthood. He conquered all
of our enemies and he blesses us now with the bread and wine
of his own broken body and shed blood. and he ever lives to make
intercession for us. So what we're looking at here
is God's panoramic view of our salvation in the Lord Jesus Christ. It's important that we see it
this way. It's important because there was a large, a long history,
hundreds of years of history that the nation of Israel underwent
this. And the believers in the Old Testament looked forward
to the The fulfillment of this in Christ. They look forward
to a country that was better. Remember Abraham, Isaac, and
Jacob? They lived in this world, but they looked for a better,
a heavenly country. And that's why he says in verse
5, look at it with me. For unto the angels hath he not
put in subjection the world to come whereof we speak. But one
in a certain place testified. Now let's go back to Psalm chapter
8 and look at this for a minute. In Psalm 8, it has this amazing
prophecy of how the Lord would set man, had set man, he speaks
of it in the past, had set man who was insignificant in himself
over all things. Psalm 8, listen to how it reads.
Oh Lord, our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth,
who has set thy glory above the heavens. This is praise to the
Lord Jesus Christ, our Savior, our King. Notice in verse two,
out of the mouth of babes and sucklings has thou ordained strength
because of thine enemies that thou mightest still the enemy
and the avenger. Now does this sound familiar?
Does this verse sound familiar to you? Remember when Jesus came
into Jerusalem riding on the foal of an ass? And what happened? Well, the people laid the branches,
the palm branches in the way, and they threw their garments
in the way as he's riding into Jerusalem. And what happened
then? They all cried out, Hosanna,
Hosanna to the king, Hosanna to the son of David. Blessed
is he who comes in the name of the Lord. This is what they were,
and the children also. Even the little children were
singing these praises. And that's where this verse is
quoted in Matthew 21. And Jesus told the Pharisees,
haven't you ever read? Out of the mouths of babes and
sucklings that thou hast ordained strength and praise to God. It's
not that our words are strong in themselves or that we're strong
in and of ourselves, but what we're saying when we say, what
they said in Matthew 21, oh, Hosanna, oh, save us, we're ascribing,
we're giving credit to, we're praising God for the strength
that we have in His salvation, in our Savior, the Lord Jesus
Christ. You see, the mouths of babes and sucklings profess who
Christ is, and they say with their mouth what we as believers
trust in our heart, that Christ is everything for us to God. He is all of our salvation. The
Lord is my strength, he says in Psalm 27, remember? The Lord
is my strength in my psalm. I'll read that to you here. He
says, There's many places in scripture we could go to, and
I'm gonna go to a couple here, but I want to read this one in
Psalm 27. He says, the Lord is my light and my salvation, whom
shall I fear? The Lord is the strength of my
life, of whom shall I be afraid? Psalm 27, verse one. Now that
scripture is especially significant. It's especially appropriate today,
isn't it? Because you feel like you have
no strength against the enemy. Not only in ourselves, but in
the world. It's like the world just moves on, getting more and
more perverse. And so we feel that. And so what
does the believer say? Hey, I see it happening. I see the world. They boast in
their strength. They boast in their wisdom. They
boast in their riches. They claim to have control. It
looks like they have control. I feel helpless. I have God's
word. That's all I have. I have the
hope God has given me. That's all I have. But the world
seems strong and wise and rich. They seem to be getting the blessings.
Whereas believers, we just go along our lives. Godliness with
contentment is a great gain. That's with the believer. We're
content with having nothing but having Christ. And so we say,
like the children in Psalm 8, God has ordained praise through
our mouths. Because as infants, we have no
strength. We can't contribute. We can't do anything. What can
we do? The Lord is our strength. And
so in saying this from our heart, we're professing what God said
is true in heaven. And whatever God says is true
is the way that it is. And since we have been enabled
to lay hold on that, guess what? To us, the Lord Jesus Christ
is our wisdom, our righteousness, and our strength. He's everything,
isn't he? And so he says this in Psalm 8. Out of the mouths
of babes and sucklings hast thou ordained strength. because of
thine enemies, that thou mightest still the enemy and the avenger."
Verse 3. Now, when I consider thy heavens,
the work of thy fingers, the moon and the stars, which thou
hast ordained, what is man, that thou art mindful of him, and
the son of man, that thou visitest him? For thou madest him a little
lower than the angels, and hast crowned him with glory and honor.
Thou madest him to have dominion over the works of thy hands.
Thou hast put all things under his feet. As you read these words,
at first it says, what is man? He's insignificant. He's like
the grass of the field. Today is there, tomorrow it's
dried and withered and blown away. That's what our life is.
And yet, then he says here, it's almost like he says the opposite. First, he's insignificant, and
yet, in his insignificance, in his weakness, God says he made
him a little lower than the angels and yet had crowned him with
glory and honor and made him to have dominion over the works
of his hands and put everything under his feet. That seems like
a contradiction, like a paradox. And so in Hebrews 2, he explains
that apparent contradiction and paradox because he says that
prophecy is fulfilled and it shall yet be fulfilled in our
captain. and in his church. Look at Hebrews
chapter 2 again. He says in Hebrews 2 verse 5,
for unto the angels hath he not put in subjection the world to
come, whereof we speak. Oh, that's picking up from what
he said in verse 13 of chapter 1, but to which the angel said
he at any time, sit on my right hand until I make thine enemies
thy footstool, their ministering spirits or servants for the heirs
of salvation. Ah, so now in verse 5 he says
he has not put the world to come under the subjection of angels.
And so he refers back to Psalm 8, but one in a certain place
testified saying, what is man? That thou art mindful of him,
or the son of man, that thou visitest him. Now, think about
the insignificance of man here. God himself is saying, what is
he, really? He's nothing. He's lower than
the angels. Verse 7, thou madest him a little
lower than the angels. That's when he was first created.
In Adam, we are lower than the angels. But not in Christ. In Christ, God has given to his
people this eternal purpose that they would sit with Christ in
glory. Look what it says. Thou madest him a little lower
than the angels. Thou crownest him with glory
and honor, and did set him over the works of thy hands. Thou
has put all things in subjection under his feet, for and that
he put all in subjection under him, he left nothing that is
not put under him. So he explains the verse in Psalm
8. God said he left nothing not put under man. But then he remarks,
he says, but now we see not yet all things put under him, but
we see Jesus. And now when we look at the Lord
Jesus Christ, the first thing we see is this. He was made himself
a little lower than the angels. Now that's very significant.
For a time he was made lower than the angels. Why? He answers
it, for the suffering of death. and then, now, crowned with glory
and honor. Why was this death, why was this
suffering and death, why was he made lower than the angels
to die and then crowned with glory and honor? For this reason,
that he, by the grace of God, should taste death for every
man. Not every man out of Adam's race, but every man that was
chosen by God. Every man who was called the
sons of God in the next verse who are going to be brought to
glory. The brethren, the church, the seed of Abraham. Those in
the next few verses that are explained by these words. So
let's read on. Verse 10, for it became him,
it pleased the father, it seemed good to him. Why, Lord? Why have you chosen me? Why have
you redeemed me? Why have you called me your son?
How did you do this and why? Because it seemed good to God.
What was there in us to merit, esteem, or give the creator delight? It was even so, Father, we ever
must sing, for so it seemed good in thy sight. And that's the
only reason. Jesus said, Father, I thank thee,
Lord of heaven and earth, Father, I thank thee that thou hast hid
these things for the wise and prudent and has revealed them
unto babes, even so, Father, for so it seemed good in thy
sight. This is why it seemed good to
the Father, verse 10, it became Him, it was fitting in His sight,
for whom are all things, everything that is is for Him, and by whom
are all things, in bringing many sons to glory. Now this was His
will to do what? To bring many sons to glory. Now the relation of sons, by
definition in what came before here, is higher than the relation
of angels to God the Father. To which of the angels said he
at any time, sit at my right hand? To which of the angels
said he at any time, thou art my son, this day have I begotten
thee? He's speaking there in the first case of Christ, but
in the end he's talking about his many sons, and therefore
this is a different relationship, isn't it? We're sons of God by
Jesus Christ. By God the Father's adoption,
he predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus
Christ. Ephesians 1 verse 5. And so he
says here, for it became him for whom are all things and by
whom are all things and bringing many sons to glory. Where are
we going? To glory. But where are we now? We're lower than the angels.
How are we brought to glory? By our captain, in order to bring
us to glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through
sufferings. And how did the captain of our salvation bring us to
glory? Through his own personal sufferings. How did Moses bring
Israel out of Egypt? It was by the blood of the Passover
lamb, wasn't it? Not by his own personal sufferings,
but by the suffering of that Passover lamb that was killed,
whose blood was sprinkled. God saw the blood and he passed
over them. How did he bring them through
the Red Sea? Well, by Moses stretching out his rod. But the Lord Jesus
Christ had to go under the flood of God's wrath in order to bring
us through the Red Sea, the floods of God's wrath against us. And
it seemed good to God. It pleased him. He wanted to
bring many sons to glory, but he couldn't bring many sons to
glory who in themselves were sinners, so he had to do it in
their captain. in their champion, in their forerunner,
the one who would go before them. To represent them, and stand
for them, and answer for them, and do all for them in their
place and in their stead. And to suffer, even suffer for
them, that he might taste death for them, as he says in verse
9. And because Christ did that, because he did taste death and
he did suffer, he is both crowned with glory and honor, and he's
also the champion over our enemies, but he himself has entered into
our inheritance. Where are we now? We're in the
wilderness of this world. Where is Christ now? He has passed
from this world into glory. And he now sits on the right
hand of God in glory in everything. Principalities and powers are
made subject to him. 1 Peter 3, verse 22. Everything
is subject to Christ. But what about us? We're called
the sons of God by adoption, by the redeeming blood of Christ,
by the Spirit of God dwelling in us, making known to us that
we are His sons through Christ's blood, and that God has done
this. It was an eternal appointment
God made of His people, not to wrath, but to obtain salvation. So here we are now. We're called
the sons of God. He's given us the authority to
be called the sons of God, having given us faith in Him, in Christ. And he says, those who believe,
who have received Christ Jesus, the Lord, and believe in Christ,
they have the power or the right to be called the sons of God.
John 1, verse 12 and 13. And it's not by their will, not
by the will of another man, not by their relation to Abraham
or anyone else by blood, but by God, of God's doing. So if
this is true of us, that we're made sons of God by the work
of God in Christ, by his spirit given to us, then here we are
in the wilderness of this world. Why aren't we also now above
the angels? Why isn't everything made subject
to us? Because we haven't entered into our rest yet, not in our
own experience, but we have in our captain, our forerunner has
entered for us. And because our forerunner has
taken possession of his inheritance, and because we belong to him
and we're called his brethren, and we're the sons and daughters
of God, as Ramel was mentioning earlier, then that inheritance
that's given to him is given to all of God's sons with him.
You see, we're heirs of God, because we're sons of God, and
joint heirs with Christ, Romans 8, verse 16 and 17. Now this is phenomenal. I want
you to think about this. What kind of love is this? Behold,
what manner of love the Father has bestowed upon us that we
should be called the sons of God. What is man that thou art
mindful of him? Behold, what manner of love the
Father has bestowed upon us that we should be called the sons
of God. Right? It does not yet appear what we
shall be, but we know that when he shall appear, thou art captain
who has entered heaven for us, obtained glory, and now sits
in perfect rest, having finished the work, all things accomplished,
When He shall appear, then shall we also appear with Him in glory.
Then shall we be, when we see Him, we'll be like Him. Right? This is from 1 John 3, verse
one and two. And so, God has made us His sons,
and God has done things for us. out of his love that are beyond
all expression of words and comprehension. Yes, we can understand something
of it, but really how little we understand of it. So when
he says, behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed
upon us, he's emphasizing the enormity, the stoop of God to
love us who are insignificant and make us his sons. Remember,
what is man who is made a little lower than the angels in Adam,
and yet now in Christ, we are the sons of God. We're taken
from this to this. It is extremely amazing. In 1 John chapter 4, just take
a look at some of these verses here. In 1 John chapter 4, verse
9. He says, in this was manifested
the love of God toward us because that God sent his only begotten
son into the world that we might live through him. Herein is love,
not that we love God, but that He loved us and sent His Son
to be the propitiation for our sins. That's love, isn't it? What did God give out of the
love He had for His sons by adoption, by election and adoption? He
has blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places
in Christ. What did He give for us? He gave his son. How did he give him? Why? To
be the propitiation for our sins. He was made lower than the angels
for the suffering of death, that he might taste death for every
son, every member of the church, every brother of Christ, everyone
who is the seed of Abraham, you see. So if God gave his son for
us, What more could he give? How could we earn this love?
How could we repay this love? There's nothing we can do. Look
at Romans chapter 8. I want you to see the connection
and the flow of the argument here. What does he give in Hebrews
chapter 2 to the sons of God? He brings them to glory. How
does he do that? Through the suffering of their
captain. They didn't contribute to this. The sanctifier is Christ. The sanctified are those who
in themselves were ungodly. Romans chapter 8 verse 29. For
whom he did foreknow, meaning love before, know in love before,
he also did predestinate, which we saw in Ephesians 1.5, to be
conformed to the image of his son. that He, Christ, might be
the firstborn among many brethren. You see, we're related to God
in the same way Christ is, we're brethren. The Lord Jesus Christ
is the only begotten Son. We're all sons related to God,
the Father, by His adopting, by His regenerating grace, and
we're brethren of Christ. This is an amazing, amazing stoop
on God's part, but an amazing gift of God's love and grace
to us beyond compare. Verse 30, Moreover, whom he did
predestinate, them he also called, and whom he called, them he also
justified, and whom he justified, them he also glorified. So that
if we were foreknown by God, then there's no doubt that we
will be in glory. If we're in glory, there's no
doubt that we were already before predestinated to that. We were
justified by Christ. We were called by His Spirit.
And being justified and called and predestinated, we're glorified.
There's no break in this chain. Every part of it will remain
in its integrity. God is not going to fail. There's
not going to be one foreknown who's not in glory, and there's
not one in glory who wasn't justified by the blood of the Lord Jesus
Christ. Verse 31, what shall we then say to these things?
If God be for us, this is what we should say. If God be for
us, who can be against us? Now listen very carefully to
the next verse. He that spared not his own son,
but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also
freely give us all things? Put simply, if God gave His Son
and delivered Him up and did not spare Him for us, there is
nothing that God will not give His people. What is man that
thou art mindful of him? Thou hast set him over the works
of thine hands, thou hast put all things under his feet. not
in ourselves, but as the church of God in Christ. We're given
all things with Christ. And look at verse, go back to
Hebrews, or actually look at another verse. So the Lord, God
the Father has loved us, he's given his Son for us, he did
not spare him, he delivered him up for us all. He's made us his
sons, he will therefore give us all things. We're heirs of
God and joint heirs with Christ. But look at Galatians chapter
two. Several verses here, just real quickly. The Lord Jesus
Christ. We're not only the objects of
the love of the Father, but we're the objects of the love of the
Lord Jesus Christ. Galatians chapter 2. Galatians
2 verse 20. I am crucified with Christ. which
I didn't even feel it. I didn't experience it. But He
took me. He suffered. He took my sins. He suffered for them. The captain
of our salvation was crucified, and because we were joined to
Him in His death, therefore we were crucified. I am crucified
with Christ. Nevertheless, I live. I should
be dead, but I live. Yet not I, not the old me, but
Christ liveth in me." Incredible, incredible grace. Christ, the
Son of God, lives in me. And the life which I now live
in the flesh, I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved
me and gave himself for me. We could go on and on. Revelation
1.5, unto him who loved us and washed us from our sins in his
own blood. Right? And this verse here, the
Son of God who loved me and gave himself for me. Christ loved
the church and gave himself for it, Ephesians 5, 25. The church
of God which he has purchased with his own blood, Acts 20,
28. All these texts of scripture say one thing. The Lord Jesus
Christ loved his people. Out of that love, he gave himself
for them. and he didn't look back. He gave
himself in total for them. God the Father gave his son,
did not spare him, delivered him up for us all to the suffering
of death under the weight of our sins and the forsaking of
his own presence. There's no way we can even enter
into what Christ suffered, and yet the Lord Jesus Christ gave
himself to this out of his love. Now, in Romans 8.32, he says,
if God the Father has done this for us, what shall he withhold
from us? Nothing. If the Son of God gave himself,
what is he going to withhold from us? Nothing. Look at 1 Corinthians
3. Because we belong to the Lord
Jesus, because we were made sons of God, by God's adopting grace,
by Christ's suffering for us. Listen to these verses. 1 Corinthians
3 verse 21, Therefore, let no man glory in men, for all things
are yours. It doesn't seem like they are,
does it? It does not seem like it. How much is in subjection
to you? We cast our vote, our vote doesn't
seem to get counted. Nothing seems to be under our
subjection, does it? We can't even control our own
kids. We can't even control ourselves. It doesn't seem like it anyway.
God has to step in, doesn't he? Anyway, all things are yours.
This is a statement of truth, but it's a statement of truth
we cannot see except by faith. Whether Paul, or Apollos, or
Cephas, or the world, or life, or death, or things present,
or things to come, all are yours. God has put them in the hand
of our captain. Therefore, they're ours in him. He rules over all things. Could
we do better? Should we take over? No. Of course not. We trust Him for everything. Our life, our health, our eternity. And He says, all things are yours,
all are yours, and you are Christ's. That means we are His inheritance.
You're Christ's. Is He going to let one of His
inheritance go? His portion? No. and Christ is
God's. Everything belongs to our Father.
Christ is the heir of all, and all things are ours because we
belong to Christ. He's the captain. He's entered
our inheritance. He's taken possession of it.
He conquered our enemies. He has obtained the promises.
All the promises of God in him are yes and amen to the glory
of God. and yet we're made a little lower than the angels. Think
about God's ways for a minute. Doesn't it please God to take
things that are high and make them low, and take things that
are low and exalt them? Isn't God pleased to take the
things that are mighty and confound them by the things that are weak?
Look at 1 Corinthians in chapter one. I like to see the connection
between these principles by which God runs his kingdom and obtains
for us our salvation spoken of throughout scripture. 1 Corinthians
1.26, For you see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise
men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble are called. But God has chosen the foolish
things of the world to confound the wise, like the babes, out
of the mouths of babes and sucklings. And God has chosen the weak things
of the world to confound the things that are mighty, or which
are mighty, and base things of the world, and things which are
despised. How despised are Christians in
the world today? I mean true Christians. Things
which are despised hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not
to bring to nothing are not things that are, why? That no flesh
should glory in his presence. But of him are you in Christ
Jesus. Now all these things God said
is gonna confound, listen to the list. He's gonna confound
the things that are wise by the foolish things. by the weak things. He says, but you are in Christ,
who of God is made unto us. Our wisdom is in Christ. Our
righteousness is in Christ. Our holiness is in Christ, our
sanctifier, and our redemption, not only now from sin, but from
the body of this sin, and from this world, and from Satan. All
of our redemption is in the Lord Jesus Christ. That according
as it is written, he that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord. And
that's from Jeremiah 9, verses 23 and 24. So you see this, look at 1 Samuel
chapter one, chapter two rather, 1 Samuel chapter two. This is
phenomenal, the way that God in his ways and the way that
God does things, he is pleased to take the nothings and make
them his treasure, his jewels. He says in 1 Samuel chapter 2,
Hannah prayed and said, my heart rejoiceth in the Lord, mine horn
is exalted in the Lord, my mouth is enlarged over mine enemies
because I rejoice in thy salvation. This is 1 Samuel 2 verse 1. And
in verse 2 of 1 Samuel chapter 2 he says, there is none holy
is the Lord. But there's none beside thee,
neither is there any rock like our God. You see, out of the
mouth of this woman who was despised, who had no children, she just
says with her mouth what's in her heart, there's none holy
but the Lord. And that's true. And so God is
glorified. He brought out of her mouth praise
to himself, out of his people. He does this. It pleases him.
And she says, there's no rock like our God. He cannot be moved. Our hope is firm and sure and
certain and eternal because our rock is God. Talk no more, so
exceeding proudly. Let not arrogance come out of
your mouth, for the Lord is a God of knowledge, and by Him actions
are weighed. The bows of the mighty men are
broken, and they that stumbled are girded with strength. They
that were full have hired out themselves for bread, and they
that were hungry ceased, so that the barren hath born seven, and
she that hath many children is wax feeble. Listen to the next
couple of verses. the Lord killeth and maketh alive
he bringeth down to the grave and bringeth up this is the way
of with God he takes he he brings down he kills and he makes alive
he raises up he brings down to the grave and he brings up again
the Lord maketh poor and maketh rich he bringeth low and he lifteth
up he raises up the poor out of the dust and he lifteth up
the baker from the dunghill to do what out of the dunghill to
set them among princes and to make them inherit a throne of
glory you see we were it pleased God it seemed good to God to
bring many sons to glory who what were they in themselves
they were the the baker on the dunghill And he set them among
princes and made them inherit the throne of glory. We're made
priests and kings to God. Isn't that what he said? This
is amazing. He will do this. So God was pleased
from eternity to take a people for himself out of the human
race and give them to his son, and in his son exalt them to
the throne of glory. But in Adam they fell, and they
made themselves nothing but beggars on a dunghill. And the Lord,
by making Christ their captain before, then through his sufferings
made him perfect as their captain and brought Christ to glory,
and in Him we are also brought to glory. We are raised together
to sit together in heavenly places with Christ even now. But in
our experience as sons of God, it does not yet appear what we
shall be. So what do we do? We, through the Spirit, do wait
for the hope of righteousness by faith. Galatians 5.5 This teaches us so many things.
It teaches us the grace of God in our salvation. Who could earn
what God has given for His people? It teaches us the love of God,
that He gave us all things because He loved us enough in His own
purpose to give His Son, and Christ gave Himself for us. He
won't withhold anything from us. And in Christ, we already
have all things, the world, life, things present, things to come,
and everything is ours. All things are yours in Christ.
and in glory. In the order of the heavens,
the sons of God will rule on the throne of glory with the
Lord Jesus Christ." And I can't understand it. Look at this,
one more verse here, in 1 Corinthians chapter six. 1 Corinthians chapter
six, he says, verse one, Dare any of you, having a matter against
another, go to law before the unjust and not before the saints? Why are you taking your brother
to the civil courts instead of to the church? Verse two, do
you not know that the saints shall judge the world? God's
people are going to sit in judgment over the world of the ungodly. And if the world shall be judged
by you, are you unworthy to judge the smallest matters? Know ye
not that we shall judge angels? You see what God has done for
his people? In themselves, what are they? They are nothing, but
in Christ they are. seated as sons of God on the
throne with Christ in glory. We're seated with Christ in glory. All things given to Christ and
he has given all things to us. It says in Ephesians chapter
one and verse 22, and he has put all things under his feet
and gave him to be the head over all things to the church. which is his body, the fullness
of him that filleth all in all. You are Christ's, and Christ
is God's. And because you are Christ, you're
his body, you're his people, he's given everything to you.
You are the fullness of him who filleth all in all. And it please
God to make you his sons, to bring you to glory. In this life,
we're in a wilderness, just like the Israelites. How do we live
in the wilderness? by the manna from heaven, by
the water out of the rock, by looking to Christ, our high priest. God appears in that holiest of
all, in the tabernacle, in the wilderness. Christ appears for
us in heaven now. And he stands and intercedes
for us. And we will be given all things. And so it teaches
us that we are to live in patience of hope. This world is not our
home. We are just passing through.
Our treasure is laid up in Christ in heaven. So we're to trust
in him. Let's pray. Lord, help us to
live our lives as victorious because our captain is victorious.
Help us to see our inheritance is in him. Help us to see him
as already having taken possession of our inheritance, to see that
it is certain. And you were pleased to set your
people with your son as heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ
and judging over all things. And this completely sets us back. We don't know what to think.
It humbles us greatly. It makes us wonder that we would
have such an attachment to this world and wonder that we wouldn't
walk more carefully, that we would want to please our Savior
in all that we do because we have such a high admiration and
love for Him, for what He's done for us, for His nature, to be
so humble and so gracious and so full of love and justice and
mercy and truth and all these things. that we want to shine
as lights in this world, and preach your gospel, that you
might be pleased to bring many sons to glory. In Jesus' name
we pray, amen.