Thy mercy, my God, is the theme
of my song. For God to decree an event to
occur is identical to its occurrence, since he is eternal and not limited
by the passing of time in any fashion. He is the one who quickeneth
the dead and calleth those things which be not as though they were.
So we say that all things begin with the decree of God and are
certain to occur or unfold in time. God is seen fit to make
known unto men his purpose, to redeem a people which he chose
in Christ before the foundation of the world. This is an era
before which man can know nothing about. We are certain that all
of God's revelations to men are the result of His willingness
to make His decrees known unto men, and we are certain that
His decrees are as ancient as Himself. Yet being finite creatures,
we can only begin to comprehend His purpose as we see it unfold
in a time frame of which we are a part presently and shall always
be. The Lord has described the central
subject of and reason for His creation of the world, being
His purpose or decree to manifest the glory of His grace in the
salvation of those people which He chose in Christ before the
foundation of the world. There was nothing foreseen in
them that moved Him to make that choice, except His own free and
sovereign grace, for the children being not yet born, neither having
done any good or evil, that the purpose of God, according to
election, might stand, not of works, but of Him that calleth.
They were his children because he made them so, and loved them
with an everlasting love. In order to set the stage for
the unfolding of redemption, he formed Adam from the dust
of the ground. All of those who were the objects of his love
and placed in covenant union with Christ, though as yet they
had no existence in him, along with the vessels of wrath fitted
for destruction, were in Adam plunged into the darkness of
sin's night. This was so that His great grace
in redeeming His people might be contrasted with the reprobation
of those He destined for destruction. For who maketh thee to differ
from another? And what hast thou that thou didst not receive?
The Lord has revealed that the pivotal event in the salvation
of His people is the redemptive work of Jesus Christ. Redemption
is the theme and substance of all that is set forth in the
gospel. Without Christ's redemption, there would be no gospel. Redemption
is the buying back of something that belonged to you in the first
place. The Scripture says that the elect were given to Christ,
and yet in His purpose they were lost for a season, until such
time as He purchased their redemption. His redemption of His people
is decreed, yet it pleased the Lord to bruise Him. He hath put
him to grief. 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
hand. He shall see of the travail of his soul and shall be satisfied.
By his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many, for he
shall bear their iniquities. His redemption of his people
is secured. For when we were yet without
strength in due time, Christ died for the ungodly. For scarcely
for a righteous man will one die, yet peradventure for a good
man some would even dare to die. But God commendeth his love toward
us, and that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved
from wrath through him. He who knew no sin became sin
for his people and absolutely satisfied the claims of his own
holy law in their behalf. He actually paid their debt with
his own life's blood. It is here that all the boasting
of the sons of God is found, even as Paul said, but God forbid
that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ,
by whom the world is crucified unto me and I unto the world.
He has obtained eternal redemption for his elect by the shedding
of his blood. His redemption of his people
is accomplished. We speak of something as being
accomplished when all that one has undertaken to be done is
complete. We are certain that the redemption of God's people
has been decreed and secured by Christ, but as of yet it is
not complete. Paul said, now is our salvation
nearer than when we believed. Though Christ has paid the complete
and full price for the redemption of his people, he has as of yet
not come to claim that purchased possession. But He does presently
give them faith, in whom also, after that ye believed, ye were
sealed with that Holy Spirit of promise, which is the earnest
of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession,
unto the praise of His glory. This Spirit which causes them
to cry, Abba, Father, is the evidence that they shall indeed
receive the adoption of sons. Ye have received the Spirit of
adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. Even we ourselves groan
within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption
of our body. We shall be changed in the twinkling
of an eye. Are you looking for Him? If you would like a free transcript
of this broadcast, email us at forthepoor at windstream.net.