Alright, let's open our Bibles
to Romans chapter 8. Romans chapter 8. I started preaching last week
on the subject of salvation. And I wanted us to look at the
Scriptures, the Word of God concerning this great subject. It's something that every one
of us should be interested in, especially if we claim to be
saved. I fear, as I said last week,
that there's so many today who claim salvation, who don't really
understand salvation, don't understand what the Bible teaches, and therefore
could be and are deceived concerning that. That's sad. That's a sad
thing, isn't it, to think that somebody could in their own minds
claim that, maybe in their own minds be assured of it and still
be deceived. But we have to go to God's Word. We must settle this issue not
as we think or not according to our opinions and ideas or
even some preacher's opinion or ideas. But what does the word
of God say? And I wanted us to look at salvation
under four realms. And if you were here last week,
you may remember that. And I call it realm. You know
what a realm is. That's a kingdom. And I think
that's really appropriate because that's what salvation is. It's
the kingdom of God. If you're saved, you're a subject
of the king. You're a citizen of the realm.
a citizen of heaven the scripture says a citizen of the kingdom
of heaven the kingdom of god and of course christ is the king
the god man and he is the foundation of this kingdom i wanted us to
look at salvation in four realms and all four of these realms
They're all together. They're all really... We're just
dividing up one realm is what we're doing. Just to look at
the whole view of it as the scripture teaches us. It's all one realm.
But we'll divide it up into four realms for purposes of our study
and the preaching. Hearing the gospel. The gospel
of the kingdom. The good news of salvation. And
all four of these realms are of the Lord. Salvation is of
the Lord. All four of these realms are
founded upon and centered around the Lord Jesus Christ who is
the salvation of his people. Christ is our salvation. We're
not our own salvation. Christ is our salvation. The
scripture teaches that. And remember I showed you how
interesting it is that the first time the word salvation itself
is used is that Old Testament Hebrew word Yeshua, which is
Joshua, which in the Greek is Jesus, which is Savior. His name shall be called Jesus,
Matthew 121, for he shall save his people from their sins. And
all four of these realms, the whole realm of salvation is salvation
by grace. It's a kingdom of grace. Every
part of it is of grace. And what that means, it's all
conditioned on Christ. Listen, it's all by His power. It's all by His goodness. It's
all by His will. We looked last week at the first
realm, which is the eternal realm. Think about that. What a glorious
subject that is. We can't really grasp the depth
of the eternality, eternal things. But we know it's true because
the Bible says it. As I said last week, somebody
said, well, if we can't understand it, why preach it? Because it's
in the Bible. And God revealed it for a purpose. God is eternal. Has no beginning, no end. God
is unchangeable. That's something that just, it's
just mind-boggling to us. Because we're so subject to time.
We're so limited, aren't we? In every way. But God is not. He's only limited by himself,
by his own nature and his own character. And this salvation
is the product of an eternal covenant of grace. In fact, to
me it's a glorious thing to understand that the preaching of the gospel
is the preaching of the terms of an eternal covenant. And that
means it didn't originate with man. Paul called it the gospel
of God in Romans chapter 1. It's not the gospel of man. This
is not the concoction of man. If you want to know the difference
between the so-called gospels of men as contrasted with the
gospel of God is all the gospels of men are salvation in some
way by works. But the gospel of God is by salvation
by grace. And that's what this kingdom
is all about. When we talk about the eternal realm, we're talking
about the origin and cause of salvation. This salvation, this
plan of salvation, this purpose of salvation is older than the
world, older than the earth. It was given us in Christ Jesus
before the world began. Christ was set up before the
world began to be the surety of His people. It includes the
election of grace. God chose a people and gave them
to Christ. Put all the responsibility of
our salvation upon Him, on His shoulder. The government shall
be upon His shoulder. And so we're talking about the
origin and cause of salvation. Salvation purposed and planned.
Look here at Romans 8 verse 28. That's what this means. And we
know, verse 28, saw this last week. We're going to go a little
further here now today. And we know that all things work
together for good to them that love God, to them who are the
called according to His purpose. That's salvation in eternity. What is God's purpose? It's to
glorify Himself in the salvation of His people through Jesus Christ. It's not just to populate heaven
or the new earth. God's purpose is not just to
fit our felt needs. God's purpose is not just to
feel sorry for us. God's purpose is not just to
populate the new heavens. God's purpose is to glorify himself. Every attribute, every bit of
his character and nature, God is going to honor in the salvation
of his people through Jesus Christ. That's why the Bible says in
him, in Christ dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead bodily.
Christ is the revelation of God. The second realm that we're going
to talk about today or start talking about is the legal realm.
The legal realm. And that's the ground of salvation. Salvation accomplished and secured. Salvation. Now listen to me.
Salvation is a matter of law and justice. That's right. And there's a lot of people...
Listen, this thing here, this legal realm of salvation, probably
more than any other truth of the Bible, has historically and
presently come under attack more than anything else, and I'll
tell you why. It's because this legal salvation, which is all
in and by the Lord Jesus Christ, totally excludes man's works,
man's will, or anything that man experiences. That's right. This is totally a work outside
of us. It's totally a work of God in
Christ without us. Now, if you want to talk about
what we experience, we'll go to the next realm. That's the
spiritual realm. That's the Holy Spirit's work in us. And we'll
talk about that later, in a later time. But this legal realm, that's
the ground of salvation. What we're talking about is salvation
accomplished and secured by Jesus Christ as the surety of His people,
as the substitute of His people, as the sacrifice for His people.
This legal realm of salvation involves two great sovereign
acts of God. Number one is our justification
before God. Look at verse 29 of Romans 8. He says, for whom he did foreknow,
he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his
son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. Now Christ
has the preeminence. That's what that means. God's
purpose in glorifying Himself is to have a people like His
Son. Verse 30. Moreover, whom He did predestinate,
them He also called. That's the calling of the Holy
Spirit. That's the spiritual realm of salvation. And whom
He called, them He also justified. That's the legal realm. Justified. And whom he justified, them he
also glorified. That's the glorified realm of
salvation. Verse 31, look at it. What shall
we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be
against us? And how can I know that God is
for me and not against me? How can I know that? Well, I'll
tell you exactly how you can know it. Who do you plead? as your hope and ground of salvation
before holy God. If it's anyone or anything but
Christ and Him alone, His blood and righteousness alone, I can
tell you right now, God is against you. Because He said, this is my beloved
Son in whom I am well pleased, hear ye Him. You come before
God pleading Christ, that's one whom God is for, right there.
But look at verse 32. He that spared not his own son,
but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him, with
his son, also freely. What does that mean? That means
you didn't earn it, you don't deserve it. Unconditionally,
without a cause, give us all things. How many things? All
things. Now look at verse 33. Now you
know what he said, God justifies us. What does that mean? I look at verse 33. Who shall
lay anything to the charge of God's elect? Who's going to charge
God's elect? You know what a charge is. You
committed a crime. You did this. You didn't do that.
That's a charge. What is the charge here? It's
sin. What is this salvation about?
It's salvation from sin, isn't it? All right. Who shall lay
anything to the charge of God's elect? Who's going to charge
God's elect? It is God that what? Justified. Justified. Now that's our justification
before God. That's part of this legal realm
of salvation. There's another part, and that's
our adoption into his family. We'll talk about that in the
next message. But let's look at this, our justification
before God. Them he also justified. Who shall lay anything to the
charge of God's elect? It's God that justifies. Do you
see that? Who justifies us now? Not man. Not ourselves. Christ spoke of
those who justify themselves. He says, you are they which justify
yourselves before men. But he said, that's Luke 16.
In verse 15, I believe it was, he said, but that which is highly
esteemed among men is what? An abomination before God. In
other words, the things that men see as their justification
before men, that they're so proud of, is an abomination under God. But now here he says it's God
that justifies his elect people. It's God that justifies his people. That's what this legal realm
of salvation involves. How a sinner is justified before
God. Somebody said that's the oldest
question. I don't know about that, but
it's posed twice in different forms in the book of Job, which
is said to be the oldest book of the Bible. How can a man be
just before God? Well, what is it to be just?
What is it to be justified? All right. Well, it's a legal
term. It's a law term. That's what just means. The word
for just in the Old Testament and in the New is sometimes translated
righteous. Righteous. To be right according
to some standard. So to be right according to whose
standard? Man's standard? No. It's to be
right according to God's standard. God's standard. Justifies a legal
term meaning this, it means to be clear of all guilt. Now did you get that? You know
over there where brother Joe read in Romans 3. It says in verse 19, Romans 3 and verse
19. Now we know that what thing soever
the law sayeth. Now here's the law. Whose law
is that? That's God's law. It sayeth to them who are under
the law, bound under that law, that what? That every mouth may
be stopped and all the world may become guilty before God.
Now you know what it means to be guilty? It means to be justly
deserving of God's wrath. Down there in verse 23, look
at that. For all have sinned and come short of the glory of
God. Why do all without exception
justly deserve God's wrath? We fell in Adam. We sin in Adam. It's what the Scripture teaches.
When Adam sinned, we all sinned. He was our representative. And
then we're born dead in trespasses and sin and we come forth from
the womb with that fallen sinful human nature which does nothing
but sin in the eyes of God. Even our best is sin in the eyes
of God. And therefore we all by nature
and by practice have earned and do deserve the wrath of God. That's guilt. Now to be justified
is to be cleared of all guilt. Not guilty. That's what it is
to be justified. Not guilty. Now how does that
happen? How does that come about? Now
if you get to that question, that's the issue of all religion. Right there. Whatever your concept
of God is, whether it's a low concept or a high concept, the
Bible gives a high concept of God, the highest. And He is a
holy God, a just God, and He must punish sin. He cannot just
look over sin. He cannot just deny it and act
like it's never happened. I hear preachers today talking
like that, that justification means just as if I've never sinned. Oh, no. That's not a good definition
of justification. You have sinned. I have sinned. That's what this book says. All
have sinned and come short of the glory of God. In fact, 1
John 1 says if we say we've not sinned, we what? We lie. This matter of justification,
this legal realm of salvation is no play acting on God's part. It is no fake declaration. And you know there are so many
people who think that it is. I heard a preacher say that a
lot of people think that being justified means that you're righteous,
but you're really not. And I said, well, where did you
get that? Not from the Bible. Let me tell you something. If
God has justified you, you're really justified. He's not playing
games. If God really pronounces you
not guilty, you want to know something? You're not guilty. But look here, look at Romans
3 and verse 20. He says, therefore, by deeds of law, said there shall
no flesh be justified in his sight. That is, by works of the
law, no flesh, no sinful human being will be not guilty in God's
sight. He says, for by the law is the
knowledge of sin. The only thing the law can do for a sinful human
being is show that person to be a sinner. That's all the law
can do. It can do no other. Why? Because
all sin becomes sure of the glory of God. What does that mean?
What is sin? Well, it means to miss the mark.
It means to miss the mark. There's a mark. There's a standard.
And as long as we miss that mark and that standard, what does
that mean? That's sin. Well, what is that mark? Well,
that mark is righteousness. Perfect Righteousness. Where can we find, and men have
different views of righteousness. Used to be common in the 70s,
they'd say to a person, well he's a righteous dude, you know,
or something like that. No he's not. He may be a dude,
but he sure ain't righteous. What is it to be righteous before
God? It's to be as good as God. is to be as good as Christ. If
your love, all right, your attempts at loving people, all right,
if it's not as good and as perfect and as sinless as Christ loved
for His people, you cannot call it righteousness. It falls short. It misses the mark. It is iniquity. That's another word for sin that
comes from the word inequity, which means it doesn't equal
out. doesn't balance out your obedience to the law if your
obedience to the law is not as good and as perfect and as sinless
as Christ perfect obedience to the law it cannot be called righteousness
it falls short You say, well, preacher, where does that leave
us? It leaves us right where we need to be, sinners in need
of mercy, sinners in need of God's grace. And my friend, that's
why the gospel is good news to a sinner. It's the revelation
of the righteousness of God. And who is that? Christ is the
end of the law for righteousness to everyone that believe it.
Look down at verse 21. Now he said you can't be justified.
You can't be declared not guilty. Now the positive side of justification
is being declared righteous. Not guilty. Righteous. Who does that? God does. It is
God that justifies. Who shall lay anything to the
charge of God? It's God that justifies. Now how does that
come about? How can a sinner like me How can God honestly,
truly, without faking it, without pretending, how can He, and listen,
God doesn't fake or pretend anyway. He's a God of truth. He judges
according to truth. How can He truthfully look at
me, a sinner, and say not guilty? How can He look at me and truthfully
say righteous? There's a man. He's righteous.
How can He do that? How can that happen? Well, religion
has its answer. Well, you've joined the church
and accept Jesus as your personal Savior. Is that how he does it?
No. The Catholics, they have theirs.
You go to confession and say the rosary and make sure you
get to that Mass. No, that's not the way to do
it. That works. It has nothing to do with anything
I do or anything done in me or through me. Look at it. Now look at verse 21. Now he
says, but now the righteousness of God. Now that's what I need.
That's what you need. You don't need the righteousness
of men. You need the righteousness of God. Well, what did Paul say
back in Romans 1, 16, 17? That the gospel is the power
of God unto salvation because therein is the righteousness
of God revealed. Now, what is that? But now the
righteousness of God, Romans 3, 21, without the law. Now, what does that mean? Does
that mean that the law is totally disregarded? No. How do you know
that? Because Christ was made under
the law. Christ is the end of the law. He said, I didn't come
to destroy the law, I came to fulfill it. So what does it mean
when it says the righteousness of God without the law? That
means without your works or without my works of the law. And it's
manifested. It's here, folks. It's not something
far off down the road. It's here. And he says it's witnessed
by the law and the prophets. It was present in the Old Testament
by promise. But just as real back then. I've
heard some say, well, now the Old Testament saints, they couldn't
be justified before God until Christ actually died on the cross.
Oh, no. They were justified by promise, looking forward to what
Christ would come and do. And then he says in verse 22,
even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ. It's by his faithfulness to do
what he said he would do. Meeting those conditions. And
it's unto all. What does that mean? It means
just to preach to everybody. I'll tell anybody and everybody
about Christ. And it's upon all them that believe.
It's imputed. It is put upon. Now that word
put upon, that's a metaphor. And what it means, it's charged
to. It's laid to the account of everyone who believes. If
you believe in Christ, you have His righteousness charged to
you. Your sins were charged to Him. He was made sin. Christ who knew no sin for us
that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him. So how can a sinner
be justified before God? Well, listen to what he says
here. He says it's by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon
all them that believe. There's no difference for all
sin and come sure of the glory of God. Being justified freely,
unconditionally, without a cause by His grace. That means you
didn't earn it, you don't deserve it. Through what? Who met the conditions? Who fulfilled
the requirements? Christ did through the redemption
that is in Christ Jesus. It's by the death of Christ that
a sinner is justified before God. He took my sins and he gave
me his righteousness. Verse 25, listen to this. Whom
God hath set forth for ordained. That's the eternal realm. To
be a propitiation, a satisfaction to what? To the justice of God.
Christ went under the curse of the law for His people. Peter
said He was made a curse for us. Cursed is everyone that hangeth
on a tree. And it says through faith in
His blood, that's His death. What did His death do? Satisfied
the law. satisfied the justice of God.
To declare what? His righteousness for the remission
of sins. That's where the pardon and the
forgiveness of sins comes from that are passed, that's the Old
Testament saints, through the forbearance of God. In other
words, why didn't God... Listen, when Abraham lived, Christ
had not yet come. Isn't that right? Why didn't
God snuff out Abraham? Why did He forbear with Abraham,
for example? Why didn't He just send Abraham
on to hell? I'll tell you exactly why, because Abraham was justified
by promise of one who was to come. And we're justified by
the same promise, the same person that's already fulfilled. And
he says, look at verse 26, he says, to declare, I say at this
time, his righteousness, that he might be just and the justifier
of him which believeth in Jesus. How can a sinner be declared
not guilty? How can a sinner be declared
righteous before a holy God? My friend, there's one way, through
the redemption that is in Christ Jesus. That's right. Now, the reason people don't
like that, and they say things, well, that's not real, you see,
because I haven't felt it yet, you know. I've got to feel it
first. Let me tell you something. I
hope this happens to you. But if you owe any money right
now, and you know I always use this example, but it's a good
one. If you owe any money right now, somebody could go down to
the bank and pay your debt and you wouldn't even know it. Now
let me ask you this. Does that only become real under
law when you know about it? Or is it real when they pay it?
It's real when they pay it. You may not know about it for
years. That's the way it is with the
payment of our debt by Christ. My debt was paid by Christ 2,000
years ago. It was purposed in eternity past
and in the mind of God all along. It never did change. The cross
didn't change God's mind. It just revealed God's mind.
I didn't know about it until about 30 years ago. But when
I knew about it, Thank God, and that's part of the realm of salvation. That's the spiritual realm. That's
the new birth. And it's all necessary for the salvation of the sinner.
When I knew about it, it didn't become any more real in the eyes
of God. Now, I stand before you a sinner
in myself, but I'm not guilty in God's sight. It's not that
I'm not guilty, but I really am. No, I am not guilty in God's
sight. Period. Now, I'm a sinner. And one day
I will be free from even the presence of sin. That's the glorified
realm. That's in the future for me and for you. But listen, I'm
a sinner and I stand before God right now righteous. Now, it's
not that I'm righteous, but I'm really not. No, I am righteous
in God's sight. He does not charge me with sin. That's what I'm saying. That's
truth. That's fact. That's real. I'm righteous, not by my works,
not by what I've experienced, But by my substitute, the Lord
Jesus Christ, the Lord my righteousness. I'm in Christ. And if you don't think of it
as real, then you don't know about it. I'm telling you, this
is no fiction. This is no legal fiction. You
know, that's what the Catholic Church calls what I'm preaching
to you this morning. They call it a legal fiction. That's exactly what they call
it. Because to them, you're justified when you cooperate with God and
do your part. That's not what this book says.
Listen, verse 24, Romans 3, being justified freely by His grace
through what? Through what Christ did, plus
your cooperation? No. Through the redemption that
is in Christ Jesus, whom God set forth to be a propitiation
through faith in His blood. to declare His righteousness.
Look at verse 27. Where is boasting then? Now that's
why men hate this doctrine. Because it doesn't leave them
any room to boast. Give me some room to give my
testimony. I want to tell people what God's
done for me and what I've done for God. That's what people want
to do. But you see, Paul says, this
leaves no room for boasting. It's excluded. By what law? Of works? No. Works doesn't exclude
boasting. Works gives man room for boasting. It's excluded by the law of faith.
What's the law of faith? Justification by the imputed
righteousness of Christ. Totally, totally, totally what
Christ has accomplished. Therefore, we conclude that a
man is justified by faith without the deeds of law. That's justified
by Christ. And then he says, is he the God
of the Jews only? Is he not also of the Gentiles?
Yes, of the Gentiles also. Seeing as one God, we shall justify
the circumcision by faith and the uncircumcision through faith.
In other words, Paul's saying it doesn't matter whether you're
Jew or Gentile, justification is the same for all of God's
people. It's by Christ. So do we then make void the law
through faith? God forbid, yea, we establish
the law. Now, how do we establish the
law through faith? Well, there's only one way. We
establish the law through faith by pleading what Christ has accomplished
on Calvary. Romans 10, 4, for Christ is the
end of the law, the fulfillment of the law, for righteousness
to everyone that believeth. That's the legal realm of salvation.
That's the court of God's law and justice. It's a legal declaration
by God Almighty in which a person's sins are forgiven and Christ's
righteousness is imputed to them, charged to them, accounted to
them. You see, for salvation to come, God must be just. Isaiah 45 verse 21, he says,
he calls himself a just God and a Savior. That's the legal realm
of salvation. He must be just when he's saved.
God is merciful. God is love. God is grace. But
God must be just and righteous and holy. He will not be merciful
at the expense of his justice. Psalm 85, justice and truth,
justice and peace, mercy and truth, righteousness and peace
must come together. God must be a just God and a
Savior. And He says, look unto Me and
be ye saved, all the ends of the earth. Look at Romans 5 and
look at verse 21. That God who is so gracious and
so mercy, whose mercy endures forever, that God who loved His
people from the beginning, must be righteous and just. Look at
verse 21. That as sin hath reigned unto
death, even so might grace reign through what? Through righteousness
unto eternal life. How? By Jesus Christ our Lord. This justification before God
has nothing to do with our works or our deeds. This justification
before God has nothing to do with what the Holy Spirit does
in us as to establishing the righteousness required. Now this
justification before God demands the work of the Holy Spirit in
us. Because where righteousness is imputed, life will be given,
faith will be given to receive it. But it's all of Christ alone. This is where we come to the
great gospel truth of substitution. Isaiah 53, he was bruised for
our iniquities. Christ stood as our substitute,
the substitute of his people. The good shepherd gives his life
for the sheep. He's our substitute. He took
my place. This establishes the great gospel
truth of imputation. David said, blessed is the man
to whom the Lord imputeth not iniquity. Paul said it the same
way. Who shall lay anything to the
charge of God's elect? God cannot charge me with sin.
Why? He charged it to His Son. And
He charged me with righteousness. For God made Him sin. Christ who knew no sin for us
that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him. Sin imputed to
our Savior, righteousness imputed to us. This establishes the doctrine
of satisfaction. Look at this verse. Turn to Hebrews
chapter 2. I want you to see this. Hebrews
2. This is the legal realm of salvation.
My friend, it's real. It's real. Don't let any preacher
tell you that it's not real until you experience it. If God says
from eternity that His people are not guilty in the surety
of Christ, and if Christ came and established that and worked
that out in time on the cross, it's real. It always has been and always
will be. Look at verse 14, Hebrews 2. For as much then as the children,
we're going to talk more about that next week in adoption. The
children are partakers of flesh and blood, that's you and me.
He also, Christ also, himself likewise took part of the same
that through death. He might destroy him that had
the power of death, that is the devil. That's the devil's power
to accuse, to charge you. That's destroyed. How? By the
death of Christ. He took the charge. So when the
arrows of the devil's accusations are aimed against me, they don't
hit their mark. Because why? Because we plead
the what? The blood of the Lamb, Revelation
12. We plead the blood of the Lamb. My sin, did you hear what
Jesus said to me? They're all taken away. Your
sins are pardoned. You're free. They're all taken
away. How? By the blood of the Lamb.
What can wash away my sins? Nothing but the blood of Jesus.
This is all my hope and peace. This is all my righteousness.
Nothing but the blood of Jesus. And he says in verse 15, And
deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime
subject to bondage. That's legalism. Work salvation. For verily He took not on Him
the nature of angels, but He took on Him the seed of Abraham.
Who's the seed of Abraham? All who believe the gospel. All
who are brought by the power of God to receive Christ and
submit to Him. Wherefore, for this reason in
all things it behooved Him. You know what that word behooved
is? It's the Greek word for debt. That's what it is. Wherefore,
in all things, he was indebted. The debt was taken to his account. Just like, remember Paul and
Philemon? Onesimus, the runaway slave,
had wronged his master Philemon and run away. And remember Paul,
by God's providence, he was brought to Paul and the Lord saved him. He brought him to faith in Christ
and he became a companion and a helper with Paul. And Paul
wrote back to Philemon about this old runaway slave, Onesimus,
who was guilty. And remember what Paul said? He said, now Philemon, if he
had done any wrong against thee, remember what he said? Anybody
know? Put it to my account. Charge it to me and I'll pay
it. Now that's a picture of Christ.
before the Father. Father, if they've done anything
against you, and they have, charge it to me. I'll pay it. And this is what it says here
in verse 17. Wherefore, in all things, He was indebted. That's
what that literally means. To be made like unto His brethren.
He had to become man. He had to be made in the flesh. The Word was made flesh and dwelt
among us. The God-man. that he might be
a merciful and faithful high priest in all things pertaining
to God to make reconciliation, satisfaction. That's close to
the same word propitiation. Satisfaction for the sins of
the people to pay the debt. The debt was put upon him. And
that's what it's talking about. This is reconciliation by the
blood of the cross. How does that fit with the eternal
realm of salvation? Well, let me show you one more
verse. Look over at Ephesians and then
I'll close with this. We looked at this last week. Ephesians chapter 1. Verse 3 there, he says, Blessed
be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. who have blessed us with all
spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ. That's in Christ
as our representative, our surety, our substitute, our sin bearer,
all looking forward to the cross. According as He has chosen us
in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should
be holy and without blame before Him in love. How are we going
to be without blame? He blamed it on His Son. He charged it
to His Son. having predestinated us unto
the adoption of children, again we'll look at that next week,
by Jesus Christ Himself according to the good pleasure of His will,
to the praise of the glory of His grace wherein He hath made
us what? Accepted. Accepted before God. To be accepted
before God is to be declared not guilty. It's to be declared
righteous in the Beloved in Christ. In whom we have redemption through
His blood, even the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches
of His grace. That's how. This was God's plan and purpose
in eternity from the beginning. And in time, He sent His Son
to be made under the law, to redeem them that were under the
law. That's the legal realm. And in time, He sends His Spirit
give us life and open our ears and our eyes so that we see him
and are justified in our consciences because we know his blood washed
away our sins Christ did it all let me tell you that's real if
you don't believe me just look to God's Word he says it's real
it's a reality all right listen