Well, good morning and welcome
to our continuing study in Luke chapter four and verse 31 and
32. And we've been using these as
a launching platform to examine what it talks about in these
two verses. Let's read there from Luke chapter four, verse
31 and 32. And they came down to Capernaum,
a city of Galilee, and talking about Christ, he came down from
Nazareth after they ejected him there. He came down to Capernaum
and taught them on the Sabbath days. They were astonished at
his doctrine, for his word was with power." And that's what
we've been looking at, these doctrines that would have been
astonishing to these people that weren't works oriented, that
were based in grace, that were based in his finished work, the
resting in Christ, as it says. Today we'll be looking at limited
atonement, or what's sometimes called particular redemption.
And we're going to talk about for whom did Christ die and make
an expiation for their sins. Did he die for every man? And if so, why are some men in
hell if their sin has been paid for? Was it an effectual death
or an ineffectual death? And the truth of limited atonement,
or as it's sometimes referred to as particular redemption,
it's a basic truth of the gospel of the substitutionary nature
of the death of Christ. So let's begin by turning to
1 Peter chapter 2. There's very pertinent scripture
here that I think helps us to appreciate what we've been looking
at. In 1 Peter chapter 2, let's start in verse 5. Ye also, as living stones, are
built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual
sacrifices acceptable to God by Jesus. Spiritual sacrifices,
not physical works sacrifices, but spiritual sacrifices. They
that worship Christ must worship him in spirit and in truth. He
says, wherefore also it is contained in the scripture, He's quoting
the Old Testament here. Behold, I lay in Sion a chief
cornerstone, elect, precious, and he that believeth on him
shall not be confounded. Unto you, therefore, which believe,
he is precious. But unto them which be disobedient,
the stone which the builders disallowed, the same is made
the head of the corner, and a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offense,
even to them which stumble at the word being disobedient, whereunto
also they were appointed. But ye, you are a chosen generation,
a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a peculiar people, that you should
show forth the praises of Him who hath called you out of darkness
into His marvelous light." Now when you're regenerated, when
you've been born again, when you've experienced grace, you
fall into these categories of these Scriptures. You fall into
this part where it says, you should show forth the praises
of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous
light. And we that we believe these
doctrines, these astonishing doctrines, They're precious to
us because they are what He did for us, not what we did for ourselves. And that makes them precious
to us. Look what He did for me. Look
what He did for me that I couldn't do myself. Look what He did for
me that I would never have done myself. Look what He did for
me when I didn't even want Him to do it. And he did it anyway. Well, we were yet sinners. Christ
died for us. And so, to you therefore which
believe, he is precious. His doctrines are precious. His
works for us are precious. And that calls for us to show
forth the praises of him, not ourselves. And that is the exact
opposite of what religious teaches, because they always emphasize
the man side of things. The man's responsibility. Man's
will. Man, man, man. And then it comes
down to, well, I did this, and I did that, and I prayed this,
and I did this, and therefore he's obliged to respond to me. Well, that's not
grace. That's not unmerited favor. That is earned credit. So we
make that differentiation as we begin again this lesson on
limited atonement. Man-based religion always interjects
the will of man as superior to and in place of the will and
purpose of God in this matter. As I was talking to my pastor
this morning, many years ago I engaged in a discussion with
a Baptist pastor whom we both knew regarding why the Orthodox
Baptist confession of faith, which they insisted on, And orthodox
means conforming to the usual beliefs or established doctrines.
Why was this confession, this fourth edition, it says on the
cover, it says that it was matured by the late Dr. W. Lee Rector. Well, now if the
Word of God changes not, if Christ changes not, then why does the
confession need to change? Why does the confession need
to mature? Which means to fully develop
or to perfect. It was good enough in the old
days and in the London Confession of 1646 it was accepted as a
declaration of what we believed about Jesus, what we believed
about sin, what we believed about God and man and regeneration,
atonement, all those things. Well, it turns out that many
things under the guise of maturing were just outright changes to
emphasize the ability of man to choose or not to choose. And this was especially popular
back in the early history of the United States and grew, although
it's always been around, it grew especially during that period. And it emphasizes the ability
of man to choose or not to choose God, to accept or reject salvation,
making man's will superior to the will of God. And in the case
of atonement, the London Confession of Faith of 1646, that edition
states regarding the atonement of Christ, it's very plain, very
clear. quote here, Jesus Christ by his
death did purchase salvation for the elect that God gave unto
him. These only have interest in him
and fellowship with him for whom he makes intercession to his
father in their behalf and to them alone doth God by his spirit
apply this redemption as also the free gift of eternal life
is given to them and none else. And then it lists several scriptures
here that those facts are drawn from. Ephesians 1.4, Hebrews
5.9, Matthew 1.21, John 17.6, 1 John 5.12, John 15.13, John
3.16. That just barely scratches the surface of atonement. It's nowhere
near representative of all the scriptures that talk about this. Now, to the natural man, as we
discussed in our previous lesson on unconditional election, this
just seems grossly unfair, that he would just die for a particular
people. And to their minds, it does not extend the gospel invitation
equally to all men, which is patently false. And whosoever
will may come. Anyone that wants to listen to
the gospel is free to do so, but they won't. And so the confession then needs
to be matured to reflect this more evangelical in their thinking
approach. Emphasize man's ability to choose
God or reject Him in the sacrificial death by Christ on the cross. And the matured confession exactly
identifies what natural man believes and what is therefore now required
in their teaching of the doctrine, these man doctrines. In section
seven of this confession on the blood atonement, It says, he,
that's Jesus, through obedience during his earthly walk, personally
honored the divine law by keeping it. And that's true. And through his death on the
cross, actually satisfied the penalty of the offending law
by suffering in the sinner's stead. That's true. That he,
through his obedience and sacrificial death, made full and vicarious
atonement. Then they put, for all sin. that
He died, the just for the unjust, bearing our sins in His body."
They put both things in there. They put the elect, the sheep,
the church, bearing our sins. Plus, He died for all sin. "...in
His body on the tree, that He, through the shedding of His blood
on the cross of Calvary, evidenced eternal provision for pardon,
for peace, and for rest. So you see the difference there.
He didn't actually secure salvation. He didn't actually purchase salvation
for anyone, but he died and made provision. And that provision
is based on them accepting or rejecting or saying this or saying
that in order to obtain that. And that's quite the opposite
of what we find in scripture. So a drastic change here made
not only to the earlier confessions of faith, but to the scripture
itself. The evidence eternal provision is not in the Bible. To make provision for is not
the same as Jesus Christ by his death did purchase salvation
for the elect that God gave him. Those are 180 degree apart. Those are two separate opposite
things and they both cannot be right. The next changes we found
are in section 8 on repentance and faith. In the matured confession
it says we believe that repentance and faith are solemn and inseparable
prerequisites of salvation. And that's just the opposite
of what we find actually happens. Repentance and faith are fruits
of the Spirit in a person that's been born again. It's like Lazarus
on the table in the tomb there. Lazarus, repent. Lazarus, be
sorry for your sins. Lazarus, he can't hear you because
he's dead. He can't do anything because
he's dead. And he doesn't do anything until Christ says, Lazarus
live. Then he wakes up and says, it
was a miracle. I couldn't do anything. In fact,
Jesus left him there in the tomb four days on purpose so that
there wouldn't be any chance that people could say, well,
he had a spark of life left in him and he just needed to be
fanned a little bit to make it glow back into spiritual life. They said, don't roll that stone
back because he's going to smell bad because by four days he's
been decomposing. And Jesus said, Lazarus, live. Lazarus, come forth. So what
a picture, what a picture. So we find that in truth, repentance
and faith are fruits of the Spirit, evidence after the revelation
of the new birth by Jesus Christ. He reveals to his people if he's
saved them. And then he's precious to them
and his doctrines are precious to him because in their former
state they say, None seeketh him. There's none that understand.
There's none righteous. There's none, none, none. None
that seeketh God. No man can come to him except
God the Father draw him. So next comes what we find after
this prerequisites of salvation. We come to this five-step program
to salvation that you find in this Orthodox matured confession
of faith. It's not neither Orthodox And it's changed. First, you
find the Holy Spirit deeply convicts a person of sin, of righteousness,
and of judgment to come. Makes him ashamed and scares
him into repentance. His understanding is enlightened
so that he can see the way of salvation through Christ. Now
you picture Lazarus laying there. Christ says, well, okay, Lazarus,
I'm just going to open your eyes so you can see a little bit.
And first, I want you to be really sorry in your dead condition
that you're sorry. No. And then, number three, he
does then, after these things happen, he does actually repent,
turning to God with unfeigned contrition, confession, supplication,
which is begging and as The famous hymn, Rock of Ages, says, Could
my tears forever flow? These for sin could not atone.
Thou must save and thou alone. Then, number four, then he does
actually believe. So they have these steps. First
you have your conviction. Then you have enlightenment.
Then you can see your need of salvation. Then you repent. You be sorry for your sin. Then
you believe and surrender yourself wholeheartedly to the Lord Jesus.
Then immediately, when you do all these four steps, then immediately
you receive Him as your personal Savior. It's a program. It's just the exact opposite
of what we find in the scripture. All these conditions emphasize
the activities and the behavior of man and not God. God, he's
done all he can. He died the death. Now it's up
to you to accept it or reject it. And that's what they say. All these conditions emphasize
the activities and behavior of man and not God, and are almost
an exact reverse of what actually transpires in the salvation of
the Lord's elect, his people, his church, his sheep, his people
here. And here it says, Sovereign Grace
Baptist Church, we do not subscribe to any confession of faith, but
we rely solely, as it is stated in the Latin motto on our weekly
bulletin, sola scriptura, that's solely on scripture, sola Christus,
by scripture alone through Christ alone. And so it is. to the Word of God, to the scriptures
that we turn to for truth, not to these matured confessions. And I was reviewing some confessions
yesterday and today, going back to the Waldensians and the Albigensians. And you could see over time,
well, this was the original confession of faith. And then they modified
it a little bit to adapt to these people over here, what they believed.
Next generation adapted it to this a little bit. And then another
generation changed this part of it because they didn't believe
in election. And they didn't believe in particular redemption.
And they didn't believe in total depravity. And so they just little
by little whittled away at it until it was nothing. And it
didn't represent the Bible at all. And so we turn to the Word of
God for truth. Jesus said, they are they that
testify of Me. Not what man should do. The Bible
is not about man other than it says that he is lost and dead
and trespasses in sin. Additionally, we have the very
words of Christ in your red letter edition Bibles where the very
words of Christ are printed in red ink so you know that it is
him speaking. So we ask, do the scriptures
actually identify for whom did Christ die? Now regarding what
the scriptures say about the atonement of Christ, that's the
payment. The atonement is satisfying God
by paying the sin debt for a person, a people. In our lesson on total
depravity, we learned that Adam did not choose God when he sinned.
and did not turn to him in repentance after he sinned. In fact, we
find quite the opposite happened. First he hid himself, instead
of turning to God and asking forgiveness for sin, he hid himself. Then he blamed his wife. Then
he blamed God and said, it's not my fault, it's their fault.
If you hadn't given me the woman, she wouldn't have given me the
fruit and I wouldn't have eaten. Everybody else's fault but mine.
I'm okay. In fact, I made myself an apron
because I lost my covering. I lost my thing that identified
me with the fellowship of God. So I had to make my own out of
fig leaves. We learn that a picture of the
sacrifice, which was required, and in fact, which had been,
as it were, a lamb slain from the foundation of the world,
was instituted at that moment. And it says in Genesis 3.21,
none to Adam, also unto his wife, did the Lord God make coats of
skin and clothe them. the death of someone else was
required to give them a covering. In our last lesson on unconditional
election or the sovereign choosing by God, we learned from Genesis
and Malachi that God sovereignly chose Isaac and not Ishmael,
that God chose and loved Jacob and did not choose or love Esau.
It says, Esau have I hated and laid his mountains and his heritage
waste. So would it be likely that Christ
died for Esau? No, Esau I hated. And he cursed
him and all of his progeny. Religion proposes, as we noted
from the matured confession of faith, that Christ died for all
men indiscriminately, making only provision for salvation.
And man is free to accept or reject that offer of sacrifice. And it goes out indiscriminately
to everyone. But we notice in the scriptures the very precise speaking of
it in proclaiming for whom did Christ die. It's a multitude
which no man could number. And we find that in Revelation
chapter 7 verse 9. There was a multitude that no
man could number. But it is not all men indiscriminately. But it's a lot. And, as in Jacob,
it is a sign to those whom God loved from eternity and gave
to the Son to redeem from the penalty of sin. Jacob have I
loved. And not because Jacob earned
it. Jacob was a stinker as we learned from our lesson in Genesis
25. He was a schemer, he was a conniver,
he was a cheater, a liar. Those are pretty good qualities.
And he probably said, well, I earned it really. He probably rationalized
why he was doing it. But God didn't see that. He only
saw him through the eyes of, I've loved you with an everlasting
love. Therefore with loving kindness
have I drawn thee. Even when we were yet without
strength, Christ died for the ungodly. While we were yet sinners,
Christ died for us. And that describes Jacob pretty
perfectly. In this, we just quoted from
Jeremiah 31.3, the Lord appeared of old unto me, saying, Yea,
I have loved thee with an everlasting, or eternal, love. Therefore,
with lovingkindness have I drawn thee. It would be well if you
underlined, have I drawn thee. Because that's what must occur.
That must be what happens. Man cannot draw himself. Man
cannot elect himself. Man cannot do anything because
man is spiritually dead in trespass and sin. So, this verse in Jeremiah
points out a few scriptural and necessary truths. God reveals
himself to his people. He appeared unto me of old, it
says. He appeared unto me. That means
he revealed himself to me. And when he appeared, when he
revealed himself unto me, and as he does to all of his people,
He says, I've loved thee with an eternal love. I loved thee
from before the foundation of the world. And you can go to
Ephesians chapter 1 and Romans chapter 8 and get more of the
particulars of that operation by God in your behalf. And we
might read a little bit from that later on. But it's true
here in the scripture from Jeremiah that He reveals Himself to thee. He has loved a people eternally
I've loved thee with an everlasting love and the word therefore Is
a big and because of my eternal love for you because I've loved
you with an everlasting love therefore I This sovereign, electing love
from eternity, therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee."
That's how He views you through Christ. With lovingkindness.
Even when you're cursing Him. Even when you're against Him.
Even when you're at enmity with Him. Even when you're conniving,
lying, cheating, stealing, murdering, whatever. The Bible is replete with the
examples from David, from Paul. Everyone has their story. Abraham
living in an idolatrous nature, and God called him out of there. He said, I've loved you even
though, because I see you through the blood of my son. And therefore with loving kindness
have I drawn thee. And this calls again to action
on the part of the Father, not action on the part of the believer. The believer is solely a recipient
of a blessing of grace here. I've loved you, therefore I've
drawn you to me. And in the words of Jesus himself
from John 6.44, no man can come to me except the Father which
has sent me, draw him. and I will raise him up at the
last day." Those who the Father gave the Son to redeem, Jesus
calls them the sheep. It's a metaphor picturing His
flock over which the Father had given Him and made Him the shepherd,
the overseer, and given Him the responsibility for their rescue,
for their salvation, their redemption, the atonement for their sins. It's interesting. We're not too much of an agrarian
society nowadays, but farmers are pretty good record
keepers. When I was in the FFA, I kept a journal every day of
my livestock endeavors, and I recorded everything. And if you go out
to a Farm, likely you're going to
see, if it's a cattle endeavor, you're going to see a bunch of
cattle running around. They've got tags in their ears with numbers
on them, and they keep track of those numbers. They know how
many cows they bought at the auction. They know how many cows
they got by natural production. They know how many steers, how
many bulls, how many cows. They know everything about their
flock, about their herd. And shepherds in this time that
the Bible was written is no different. The shepherd takes the sheep
out of the pen in the morning and he says, well, there's 35
sheep. They're all mine. At the end
of the day, I have to come back with 35 sheep, or it's my responsibility. I don't want no lions to get
them. I don't want them to get lost. I don't want one wandering
off. And maybe if there's an increase, a natural increase,
there might be 36 when I come back, or 37. But there can't
be less than 35. So these, whom the father gave
to the son, they're all numbered. Even the very hairs of your head
are numbered. Everything is numbered. He knows their name. He knows
everything about them. So this sheep is a metaphor,
picturing His flock over which the Father had given Him responsibility. From the word of the Lord Himself
in John chapter 10, we turn to John chapter 10, again in your
red letter. In the Bible, the shepherd has
been given a flock, and he knows them. He knows how many, because
he knows each by name. John 10, verse 1, Verily, verily,
I say unto you, he that entereth not by the door into the sheepfold,
but climbeth up some other way, the same as a thief and a robber.
A person that says, well, I don't need a shepherd. I can do all
it myself. I can come. I can do the five step program,
so I don't really need the grace provided by the finished work
of Christ. I don't need to rest in that. He that entereth in by the door,
and that's Christ, is the shepherd of the sheep. To him the porter
openeth. And the sheep hear his voice,
and he calleth his own sheep by name, and leadeth them out."
The porter is assigned the task of making sure that any indiscriminate
person just doesn't wander up and say, I'll take nine of those
sheep and be on my way. He says, you're not the shepherd. He openeth to the shepherd, and
then the shepherd leads his sheep out. He says, they hear his voice,
and he calleth his own sheep by name, and leadeth them out. He knows everything about every
single one of them. And when he putteth forth his
own sheep, he goes before them. and the sheep follow him, for
they know his voice." So Jesus, he clearly identifies himself
as a shepherd here. He knows his sheep by name, his
flock by name. He goes in front of them, and
they follow. He's the leader. And because
he's out there in front, making the way, making the provision,
making the atonement, to us He's precious. His doctrines are precious. These doctrines that say Christ
died for the ungodly, Christ died for our sins according to
the scriptures, they're precious to us. that He elected us, that
He chose us when there was nothing in us that should have been meritorious
in the way of choosing. We should have all been in the
same boat of not being chosen, but He chose some out. And we're
grateful to Him for that because we didn't deserve it. The next
block of scripture in John chapter 10, these words of Jesus in your
red letter edition indicate that the nature of natural man is
to find some other way. But those are the ways of death.
The only way the sheep are saved is by the shepherd laying down
his life in place of them. John 10, verse 7, And then said
Jesus unto them again, Verily, verily, I say unto you, I am
the door of the sheep. All that ever came before me
are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not hear them.
I am the door. If any man enter in, he shall
be saved, and shall go in and out and find pasture. Any man that comes in by Christ,
through Christ, shall go in and out to find pasture. The thief
cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy.
I am come that they might have life, and they might have it
more abundantly. I am the good shepherd. The good
shepherd giveth his life for the sheep. It's just plain and
simple. He doesn't give his life indiscriminately
for every person in the world. John chapter 17, he says, I pray
for the ones that thou has given me. I don't pray for the world.
I pray not for the world, I pray for those whom thou hast given
me, as he prays to the Father. So it's very specific here. We
don't know how many that is. We don't even know who they are.
It's a multitude that no man could number, as we learn from
Revelation 7 and 9. I am the good shepherd, the good
shepherd giveth his life for the sheep. And Jesus specifically
says for whom he would die, which is the sheep. Again, this will
be the third time he lays this down in John chapter 10. I am
the good shepherd and know my sheep. He knows whose sheep are. and known of mine. Those who
he regenerates, he reveals himself to, and they know him, and they
love him. We love him because he first
loved us. As the Father knoweth me, even
so know I the Father, and I lay down my life for the sheep. And
other sheep I have, which are not of this fold, them also I
must bring. And they shall hear my voice,
and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd. Therefore doth
my Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I might take
it again." The Father gave him the task, the responsibility
of redeeming, of atoning for the sins of the people. And the
only way that could happen was someone had to pay the price
that they earned in their stead. And that's the Father love. This
is my beloved Son in whom I'm well pleased. because He lays
down His life. And He says, that I might take
it again. No man taketh it from Me, but I lay it down of Myself. I have power to lay it down.
I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received
of My Father. So three times in this block
of scripture, this sola scriptura, Jesus the Lord clearly states
that he lays down his life only in connection with the sheep.
And we don't know who those are, so we're compelled to declare
the gospel to everyone and let the Holy Spirit apply that and
sort out to whom it goes. But we must declare it to whomever
we preach the gospel to. The gospel message which goes
out to all the world is this, Christ died for our sins according
to the scriptures. And clearly sheep are the object
of his sacrifice on their behalf. The Holy Spirit at the new birth
gives us the belief, the knowledge, and the trust, the total reliance
that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures.
No works involved at all. By grace are you saved through
faith, through total reliance on Christ for salvation. And
that, not of yourself. It's a gift of God. Not of works. It can't be any clearer than
that. Ephesians 1, verse 17 talks about
this. It says that the God of our Lord
Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit
of wisdom and the revelation in the knowledge of Him. That's
how that comes, by revelation. By Him giving you this understanding
that you did not have before. In the eyes of your understanding
being enlightened that you may know What is the hope of His
calling? Lazarus, he couldn't see anything
until he was reborn. Then when Jesus said, Lazarus
live, Lazarus come forth, then his eyes were opened and he was
able to see. But the birth part had already
taken place. Your eyes of your understanding
may be enlightened that you may know what is the hope of His
calling. And what the riches of the glory of His inheritance
in the saints. And we would go back to 1 Peter
2 where it says, and we would show forth the praises of Him
that's called us out of this darkness of death into His marvelous
light. And what is the exceeding greatness
of His power Verse 19, everybody should underline verse 19 of
Ephesians 1. What is the exceeding greatness
of His power to usward who believe according to the working of His
mighty power. That's how we believe. It takes
the same power, it says in verse 20, which He wrought in Christ
when He raised Him from the dead, and set Him at His own right
hand in heavenly place. That's a lot of power. And that's
what makes the difference, and that's what it takes for a person
to believe and for these doctrines to be precious to him. So God
sovereignly acts in dispensing almighty power upon the sheep,
causing them to believe and have total reliance on Christ for
salvation. Now turn back to John chapter
10. We're going to finish reading a little bit in John chapter
10 starting in verse 26. Jesus makes a delineation between
some people that were there and the people that he was talking
about formerly, which were the sheep. The sheep that he knows
by name, the sheep that he calls out, the sheep that follow him,
the sheep that hear his voice and know him. The sheep that
he said, I lay down my life for. In verse 26 he says, but you
believe not because you are not of my sheep. As I said unto you,
my sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. And I give unto them eternal
life." And so he makes a distinction between the ones he's talking
to now and the ones that he was formerly talking to. Them I give
eternal life, I don't give that to you. They believe, you do
not. They are sheep, you are not.
So there's a clear line here in the sand. I give them eternal
life and they shall never perish. And this is how secure they are. Neither shall any man pluck them
out of my hand. My Father which gave them me
is greater than all, and no man is able to pluck them out of
my Father's hand. I and my Father are one." There's
a lesson that we may bring later about this plucking. There's
kind of an interesting story there that we won't have time
to go into today, but this plucking is interesting. And so we have
this clear delineation that has been declared by Christ regarding
His sheep, which He knows by name, and for whom He laid down
His life, and who are divinely caused to believe the gospel,
and those who are not the sheep, and who do not believe, and will
not believe, and cannot believe unless God has mercy on them
and causes them to believe. Before that, they don't, and
they don't want to. And they want nothing to do with
Him. The Scripture says they are enmity with Him. They think
their way is good enough. They're like Cain. Well, here's
my work of my hands. It's my best. I did my best.
It ought to be good enough for you. And God says, I have no
respect for that. the sacrifice that will pay for
your sins. This is just your works. It just
puts you more in debt. So clearly, this delineation
exists. In Habakkuk 1, verse 5, it says,
Behold you among the heathen, we're all out there among them,
and regard and wonder marvelously For I will work a work in your
days which you will not believe, though it be told you." When
God Almighty says, you won't believe it. I'm going to send,
in Malachi, I'm going to send my messenger of the covenant. I'm going to send someone from
Isaiah 53 that's going to bear the transgressions of my people. He's going to pay the penalty
for the sin in the Psalms. He's going to hang there on the
cross and his joints are going to be all out of joint and his
tongue is going to cleave to his mouth like a dried up old
pot shirt. He's going to suffer the agony
that we deserve. You won't believe it unless the
almighty power of God comes and causes you to believe it. Clearly
then we're told, for whom did Christ die? It was for the sheep.
Further, he calls them friends. He looks at you more than just
objects as sheep. He says, you're my friends. He
calls them brethren. He calls them friends. In John
15, 13, Greater love hath no man than this. There's no greater
expression of love that exists than a man lay down his life
for his friends. That's what he thinks of you. You're of much value to him. You're precious in his sight.
That word peculiar that we read up there in 1 Peter 2, verse
9, a peculiar people, that means a treasure. It doesn't mean we're
odd, we got three ears, or an extra nose, some deformity or
something that makes us what we term as peculiar nowadays,
it means a purchased treasure. It's a valuable commodity. So,
greater love hath no man than this, than a man lay down his
life for his friends. These for whom Christ died are
sinners. And we find this written to the
church at Rome in Romans 5, verse 8, God commendeth His love toward
us. He extends His love toward us.
It's this love that He has had from eternity, from before the
foundation of the world. He commends his love toward us
in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. And of course
that was written to the church, that was not written to the world
at large. As we find many of the scriptures
in the New Testament are written to a specific group, a group
that was made up a church, and it was written to the church
at large. So how many did Christ efficaciously
die for? Well, in Isaiah 53, We find this
report, and Isaiah starts off by saying, who hath believed
our report? Isaiah 53-1. At the time, he
was kind of feeling all alone, like he was the only one, and
they were trying to kill him. Because to them, it was a rock
of offense. And they were stumbling at the
doctrines of grace. They were stumbling at the salvation
provided by the Lord. They were disobedient. But, he
says, who has believed our report? And to whom is the arm of the
Lord revealed? 4. He shall grow up before him as
a tender plant, and as a root out of dry ground. He hath no
form nor comeliness, and when we shall see him, there is no
beauty that we should desire him. 5. He is despised and rejected
of man, a man of sorrows. What a gospel he was preaching
here regarding man, acquainted with grief. And we hid, as it
were, our faces from him. We're just like Adam. Adam hid
himself. Well, we hid ourselves. He was
despised, and we esteemed Him not. The Scripture says we are
enmity with Him. Surely He hath borne our grease.
While we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Died for many of
us that weren't born at the time that He did this. But the people
in the Old Testament, they looked forward to it. The people in
the Gospel in the New Testament saw it happen, and now we look
forward to Him Coming back, surely He hath borne our griefs and
carried our sorrows. We did esteem Him stricken, a
smitten of God, and afflicted for us. But, it says, He was
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've turned everyone to his
own way, and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all."
And you know who he's writing to? Those who have believed the
report. It's not to the world at large
because they don't believe it and they don't want it. He was
oppressed and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth.
He is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, the lamb slain from
before the foundation of the world. And as a sheep before
her shearers is done, so he openeth not his mouth. He was taken from
prison and from judgment. Who shall declare his generation
for he was cut off, as it says in Daniel. Cut off out of the
land of the living, for the transgression of my people was he stricken,
those who believed the report. And he made his grave with the
wicked. And with the rich in his death, because he had done
no violence, neither was any deceit in his mouth. His doctrines
were with power." They were astonishing to people because they were so
contradictory to a works-oriented, keep the law or do this or do
that kind of proposition for salvation. And he made his grade with the
wicked and the rich in his death, because he had done no violence,
neither was there any deceit in his mouth. Yet it pleased
the Lord to bruise him. He hath put him to grief. And when thou shalt make his
soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed. He shall
prolong his days, and the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in
his hands. He shall see the travail of his soul, and be satisfied. That's God the Father shall see
the travail, the work of the soul of Christ as He offered
Himself up a living sacrifice for sin and dying on the cross. By His knowledge shall my righteous
servant justify many, for He shall bear their iniquities.
So there again we have the term their iniquities tied to the
word many. Not all. Not indiscriminate,
but applied to those, in this case, who will believe the report. Those who believed it back in
Isaiah's days and those who to this very day look at this Scripture
and say, this is a picture of Him dying for my sins when I
was yet a sinner. When I had no strength. When
I was without strength. And that means without ability.
When we were yet without strength, Christ died for the ungodly. So the iniquities of many or
the iniquities of all men? It seems pretty clear by the
scriptures that we just read. The great mystery here is why
would he die for any, let alone all? They hate him. Why would
he die for people that had no connection to him, that he didn't
feel any... Well, back in my youth, I didn't
love him. I didn't want anything to do
with Him. And yet, it turns out He's loved me all the time, all
from eternity. So why would He die for any?
None seek Him. There's none that understand.
None of themselves love God. All men by nature are at enmity
with God. While we were yet sinners, Christ
died for the ungodly. And we do not see ourselves truly
as ungodly until our condition is revealed to us in the new
birth. Here we'll read this from Ezekiel
36 again. We're fond of reading this scripture because it tells
kind of the order in which things happen, which is pretty much
the opposite of the order that you would find in that 1965 Orthodox
matured Baptist confession of faith that said, first you must
be convicted, and first you must that do this, and then you'll
be enlightened, then you'll repent, and then after you do all these
things, then you'll believe, and then the moment you believe,
then Christ will tap you with His wand and save you. Well,
let's read from Ezekiel 36, 22. And let's keep an eye out for
the things that the Lord says, well, because you had a lot of
merit, because you did a lot of good stuff, this is why I'm
doing that. Therefore say unto the house
of Israel, thus saith the Lord God, I do not this for your sakes,
O house of Israel, but for my own holy name's sake, which you
have profaned among the heathen where you went." That's a good
recommendation. Not only did we despise him and hate him and
reject him, but we profaned his name everywhere we went. And
I will sanctify my great name, which was profaned among the
heathen, which you have profaned in the midst of them. And the
heathen shall know that I am the Lord, saith the Lord God,
when I shall be sanctified in you before their eyes." Something's
going to happen that's going to make a big change that people
are going to recognize and realize that this is not from their own
doing. He says, for I, and here he says,
this is what I'm going to do. I will take you from among the
heathen. I'll call you out from the north,
the south, the east, and the west. I'll call you out of wherever
you are, from every kindred, nation, tongue, and tribe. and
gather you out of all countries, and will bring you into your
own land, the Zion, the kingdom of God. And then will I sprinkle
clean water upon you, and you shall be cleaned from all your
filthiness, and from all your idols will I cleanse you." Now
if you highlight, as I always recommend when I read this scripture,
you highlight all the things that God says He does. I will, I will, I will, we call
them, the I wills of God. A new heart also will I give
you. And a new spirit will I put within
you. Because the old part is dead
and trespassing sin. And the spirit that you have
in you is the spirit of man, and that man's spirit does not
like God. So He puts a new heart in you,
a new spirit within you. in this new birth. And I will
take away the stony heart out of your flesh and give you a
heart of flesh. And I will put My Spirit within
you and cause you to walk in My statutes. And you shall keep
My judgments and do them." And you know how we do that? We do
that in Christ because we're just in this old sinful body
and we just We can't make it through two hours without fouling
that up. But Christ says in His astonishing
doctrine, He says, I did that. I finished that work. I did it
for you. And you shall dwell in the land
that I gave to your fathers, and you shall be My people, and
I will be your God, and I will save you from all your uncleannesses. And I will call for the corn,
and will increase it, and lay no famine upon you. And I will
multiply the fruit of the tree, and the increase of the field,
that you shall receive no more reproach of famine among the
heathen." Then, after he has done all these things, then we
have this word, then. That means that all these things
have transpired. And they are all things that
God did sovereignly, and He all did for His own purpose and according
to His good pleasure and will, and not because of any merit,
work, will, whatever you want to call it. repeat after me's,
no altar calls, no this, no that. It's all stuff that He did. He
says, then shall you remember your own evil ways and your doings
that were not good, and shall loathe yourself in your own sight
for your iniquities and for your abominations. We don't loathe
ourselves before that because we think that's just the way
things are. It's okay. It's natural. I'm
no worse than John over there or Bill or Pete or Mary. I'm
a lot better than some. Maybe I'm not as bad as others,
but I'm a lot better than some. I'm glad I'm not like that man.
I give tithes. I fast three times a week and
I do this and I do that. And that publican, he just looked
at himself and loathed himself in his sin. He said, God have
mercy on me, a poor sinner. So then the Spirit reveals free
grace to us as Jesus reported in Luke chapter 4 from the book
of Isaiah. Remember in the early part of
Luke chapter 4 he quoted from, I think in verse 16 through 20,
he quotes to them. He went to the synagogue in Nazareth
and stood up for to read as was the custom and they brought him
a book of Isaiah. They brought him the scroll of
Isaiah for to read and he opened it up to that passage, and he
read it, and he was quoting here from Isaiah 61. The Spirit of
the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord hath anointed me to
preach good tidings to the meek, that their sins have been paid
for double, that I've finished the work. They can rest in me.
He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted. the ones who have
been caused to loathe themselves because of their sin. He says,
I'm binding up your broken heart and you can find me as precious
now, and my doctrines are precious, and you can give praise of Him
who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light. To
proclaim liberty to the captives, the ones who are bound in sin
all their life, and the opening of the prison to them that are
bound. To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord, the day of
the vengeance of our God, to comfort all that mourn. to appoint
unto them that mourn in Zion. And here's what we get. We've
been brought to this condition where we've been born again and
we find out that Christ did all these things for us. And then
we look at our own condition and we say, oh, how could He
ever love me? How could he ever die for me?
And then he says, I'm going to give you beauty for ashes. And it's going to be precious
to you. The oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the
spirit of heaviness, that they might be called trees of righteousness,
the planting of the Lord, that he might be glorified. And so
it is solely based in the eternal love and purpose of God that
He loved and saved anyone. And we know that that is a number,
a multitude that no man can number. It's called the many. It's called
the sheep. It's called the friends. And in Ephesians chapter 5 verse
25, we find another name for those for whom Christ died. Ephesians
5, 25, husbands. Love your wives even as Christ
also loved the church and gave himself for it. And that will conclude our lesson
for today. Next time, next up, Lord willing, we'll be looking
at irresistible grace. What causes man to come to God? Effectual calling it sometimes.
You know, many are called but few chosen. Those kind of verses. No man can come to me except
the Father which sent me draw him. That's this irresistible
grace that we find. And it's described in Psalm 110
where it says, thy people shall be willing in the day of thy
power. When He exercises His almighty power in us, we'll be
willing where we weren't before. And it'll be irresistible. And
until then, as the Scripture says, you do always resist. That's our nature. So thank you
for your attention today, and as always, from John chapter
8, my friends, be free.