Welcome to Reign of Grace. This
program is brought to you by Reign of Grace Media Ministries,
an outreach ministry of Eager Avenue Grace Church in Albany,
Georgia. It is our pleasure and privilege
to present to you the gospel message of the sovereign grace
and glory of God in the person and work of the Lord Jesus Christ. We pray that today's program
will be a blessing to you. Thank you for listening and now
for today's program. I'd like to welcome you to today's
program. And if you'd like to follow along in your Bibles,
I'm going to be concluding a series of messages that I've been preaching
throughout the passage in the New Testament of 2 Thessalonians
2. 2 Thessalonians 2. And today's message is entitled
Everlasting Consolation. Everlasting Consolation. We've
been talking about this chapter. If you haven't heard any of the
messages on this before, I urge you to listen to them on our
website or order them on 2 Thessalonians 2. We've been talking about the
events and the signs leading up to the second coming of Christ. The Apostle Paul had told the
believers at Thessalonica that it's gonna be a day of great
deception, much, much religion, but very little truth. And I'll
tell you, you need to listen to that. Much, much religion
that comes in the name of Christianity, but denies the truth of Christ,
the truth of His glorious person, the truth of His finished work,
His powerful work, His successful work of redemption as the surety,
the substitute, the redeemer of His people. Christ, who is
the very righteousness of God, which means that He is the Redeemer
and Savior of His people because He alone established the only
righteousness upon which God could be just and justify the
ungodly, to save sinners. Paul had had stated here that
many people will be deceived and receive not the love of the
truth. They'll reject the truth, and that's how you know whether
or not you're lost or saved. If you reject the truth of the
gospel, the person and work of Christ, the truth of God and
His sovereignty and His grace and His mercy, His justice, the
truth of the Holy Spirit and regeneration and conversion,
all of these things, But he said, now I preached on this last week,
look at verse 13. But we're bound to give thanks
all the way to God for you, brethren, beloved of the Lord, because
God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation. That's election.
The only reason that anybody is saved is because God chose
them before the foundation of the world in Christ. And I read
from Ephesians one on that, and we could go all over the Bible.
That's a biblical doctrine, a gospel doctrine. How do I know that
I've been chosen? to salvation. He says in verse
13, through sanctification of the spirit and belief of the
truth, that's the new birth, regeneration, conversion, the
spirit giving life. You see the righteousness of
Christ that God has imputed, charged, accounted to his people
is the ground of their justification. The fact that they've been forgiven
of all their sins and declared righteous in God's sight, that's
their justification. Well, Christ, the obedience unto
death, His blood, His righteousness imputed is the only ground of
their justification, and it's the source and power of their
regeneration and conversion, the new birth. If God has chosen
you from the beginning, given you to Christ, if Christ has
redeemed you from all your sins by His death on the cross, then
you have His righteousness. Imputed to, you're forgiven and
you will be born again. And how will you know that? Sanctification
of the Spirit. Being set apart by the Holy Spirit
and belief of the truth, verse 14, what truth? Where unto he
called you by our gospel. Do you believe the gospel? To
the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. That gospel,
that faith that God gives, that brings a sinner unto repentance,
repentance of dead works, repentance of false religion. I was in a
church for years that claimed to be Christian, but I didn't
know the gospel, didn't know the truth. And when God brought
me to faith in Christ under the truth, sanctification of the
spirit and belief of the truth, I embraced Christ by the power
of the Holy Spirit, the gift of faith. And I had to repent
of all that false religion that I was in, even though it's called
itself Christian, but it was not, it was Christian in name
only. Now, having been brought by God to a saving knowledge
of Christ, listen to what he says in verse 15. Therefore,
now don't forget what's been said before, brethren, those
who believe the gospel in the family of God, stand fast, stand
firm, immovable, dogmatically, if you will. and hold the traditions
which you have been taught, whether by word or our epistle." Now
the traditions there is not talking about the traditions of men.
He's talking about the truth of God that has been revealed
from the beginning. They are traditional because
they never change. Whatever God revealed from the
very beginning in the book of Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers,
and so on up through Malachi. And what he's revealed in the
New Testament, it's always consistent, it never changes, it never contradicts. And these are the traditions,
the truths that they had been taught by the apostles. He says,
which you've been taught. Now, ultimately, the teacher
is God, but he uses faithful men to preach the gospel and
faithful witnesses to preach and teach and witness the gospel. to get the gospel to his people.
And that's how you know who God's elect are. That's how you know
who's been chosen to salvation from the beginning. You preach
the gospel. If there's 10 people, and I preach
the gospel to 10 people, and five of them believe, that's
the power of God. They're the elect of God. They're
loved of God. And five of them don't believe
and continue in that unbelief until death, what's the Bible
say? The wrath of God abides on them.
They were not elect. They were not loved of God. And
so that's what the scripture teaches. So hold fast, he says. Stand firm. And we know that
the only reason any sinner will hold fast and stand firm is by
the power of God. He keeps us. He will not let
us go. And so whether it's by word,
whether we preached it to you orally, or whether we wrote it
to you in a letter, in an epistle, You stand fast in this word.
And look at verse 16. Now our Lord Jesus Christ himself
and God, even our Father, even our Father. What he's talking
about is the Trinity. He spoke of the Holy Spirit,
God the Holy Spirit, who sanctifies us and brings us to belief of
the truth. He sets us apart. He's spoken
of God the Father who chose us before the foundation of the
world. He speaks of the Son who redeemed his people on the cross. He says the good shepherd gives
his life for the sheep. Now that's not three different
gods, or even three gods in any capacity. It's one God who subsists
in three persons, and that's how he reveals himself. And so
he says, now our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God, even our Father,
which hath loved us, how do we know? Because he chose us from
the beginning, he brought us to belief of the truth, and hath
given us everlasting consolation and good hope through grace. And look at verse 17. Comfort
your hearts. That's what consolation is. It's
a comfort. Comfort your hearts. and establish
you, establish you in every good word, in the right doctrine,
and work in the right way of life. You see that? That's the
whole of salvation. And so he gives us everlasting
consolation. And what is this consolation,
this comfort, this good hope? It's through the grace of God.
And that's what comforts our hearts. Salvation is by God's
free and sovereign grace. And what that means is this.
We are sinners and we cannot earn it and we cannot deserve
salvation. It is freely given. The book
of 1 Corinthians chapter 2. speaks of that. You know, in
verse 14, it says, the natural man receiveth not the things
of the Spirit of God, neither can he know them. They're spiritually
discerned. Well, what is it the natural
man cannot know and understand and receive, not? Well, back
up in verse 12 of 1 Corinthians 2, he talks about how we have
received not the Spirit of the world, but the Spirit which is
of God, that we may know the things that are freely First
Corinthians 2.12, freely given. Well, what is freely given to
us in salvation? Everything. It didn't come to
us by virtue of our choice or our decision or our free will. It didn't come to us by virtue
of any works that we do. Romans 9 teaches that. It's not
of him that runneth, nor of him that willeth, but of God who
shows mercy, sovereignty, And so it's not of the works of men,
it's not of the will of men, it's freely given. And so this
everlasting comfort and this good hope, what is hope? It's a certain expectation of
a good outcome. Hope in the Bible is not a wish
or wishful thinking. or just I hope something will
happen without any basis or real solid ground to expect it. No, it's not wishful thinking.
It's the certain expectation of eternal life and glory because
God has promised it and all of his promises are made sure and
certain in Christ. That's the good hope. And that's
what gives us comfort. That's what comforts the hearts
and the minds and the whole person of God's people. We live in comfort
knowing that God is gonna keep his promise. He's faithful. And
all of his promises in Christ. We have a good hope, a good foundation. Now this everlasting consolation,
I wanna show you some things about that. It's all wrapped
up in the glorious person and the finished work of Christ.
It's all wrapped up in his righteousness, established. And you know, one
of my favorite passages is back in Luke chapter two. It's about
a man named Simeon. And this was after the birth
of Jesus. And when his parents, Joseph
and Mary, brought him to the temple to do what the law commanded
to do to a child, it talks about in verse 25. This is Luke 2.25. Now listen
to this. It says, and behold, there was
a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon. And the same man
was just and devout. Now whenever the Bible talks
about someone who is just, that's a person who is righteous. And
whenever it talks about a person who is righteous, it's talking
about a sinner saved by grace. It's not just talking about somebody
who's moral and responsible. Now we should be moral and responsible. But whenever God says a man is
just, that means that man has been made righteous before God
based upon the righteousness of Christ, imputed and charged,
accounted to him. And then it says Simeon was devout.
Now, to be devout was to be a person of faith, one whom God had brought
to faith in Christ and repentance of dead works. Now that's how
we read the Bible. That's the whole context of the
Bible. And it says here that Simeon, verse 25, was waiting
for the consolation of Israel. He was waiting expectantly with
a good hope of the consolation of Israel. Now this is the comfort
of Israel. And the Holy Ghost was upon him,
and verse 26 says, and it was revealed unto him by the Holy
Ghost that he should not see death before he had seen the
Lord's Christ. Now who is the consolation of
Israel? Christ is. And to be the consolation
of Israel, the comfort of Israel, it means that he's the one who
would bring comfort, everlasting consolation, to Israel. Now, I'm not gonna go into all
this today, but Israel that he's talking about here is spiritual
Israel that includes God's chosen people, chosen before the foundation
of the world, given to Christ, whom God loved and sent Christ
to die, and whom God would bring to believe in Christ. He would
truly be their comfort. Now how do I know that? Now listen
to what he says. It says in verse 27 that Simeon
came by the Spirit into the temple. And when the parents, that is
Joseph and Mary, brought in the child Jesus to do for him after
the custom of the law, and I believe that to have him circumcised
and all of that, then took he him up in his arms, Simeon, They
put the baby Jesus in Simeon's arm and Simeon took him up in
his arms and blessed God, which means he praised God, he worshiped
God, and said, Lord, now let us thou thy servant depart in
peace according to thy word. Let me depart in peace because
I have your word on this. For mine eyes have seen thy salvation. Looking at that little babe,
that helpless babe physically, humanly. He said, he is God's
salvation. Now look, look what he says.
Now this is important. Verse 31, which thou hast prepared
before the face of all people a light to lighten the Gentiles
and the glory of thy people Israel. So you see, this includes the
Gentiles. And that's the whole issue there.
Who is spiritual Israel? Every person whom God has brought
in the power of the Spirit, sanctification by the Spirit, and belief of
the truth. Believing in the Lord Jesus Christ. You're a citizen of a spiritual
nation, a spiritual kingdom. It's called Zion, it's called
Israel, it's called the church, it's called the sheepfold, the
kingdom of God, all of that. And who's part of that? All who
believe in Christ and rest in Him. Now let me show you that. If you're following along in
your Bibles, if not, just write this down and see it later. Look
at Hebrews chapter six. And this is verse 13, where the
writer of Hebrews is talking about Abraham. Remember Abraham. He was a prime example. of how
God justifies the ungodly, sinners. And it's based upon Christ's
righteousness imputed. Back over in Romans 4, 6. I know
I'm diverting here a little bit, but I'm gonna be reading from
Hebrews 6, 13 here. But back over in Romans chapter
four and verse six when Paul was led of the spirit to explain
how God justifies the ungodly. He used Abraham for an example
and it wasn't by works. It was to him that work had not.
Abraham didn't work his way into the forgiveness of sins. Abraham
didn't work his way into being declared righteous in God's sight.
It was a free gift. of God's grace, freely given.
And then he goes to David, King David, and he said, it's even
as David said in Romans 4, 6, he said, even as David said,
blessed is the man to whom the Lord imputeth. That word impute
is a mercantile, a business term, or a legal term. It means to
account the demerit or the merit of a work to another. And so,
like the sins of God's people, his elect, were accounted, imputed
to Christ. The demerit of our works, imputed. Our sins, the debt, imputed to
Christ. Charged to Christ. That's why
he died. He didn't die for any sins that He committed. He was
sinless. He didn't die for any sins that
were transferred to Him, or contaminated Him, or brought into Him. The Bible says He was made sin. He wasn't made a sinner. The
sins of God's people were imputed, charged to Him, and He died justly
under the law. He was made under the law. And
that means sin's not imputed to his people who believe, who
shall lay anything to the charge of God's elect. It's God that
justifies. But David said there, or Paul wrote there in quoting
David, blessed is the man to whom the Lord imputeth righteousness
without works. And that's what it's all about.
That's how Abraham was justified. We'll look back over in Hebrews
chapter six and verse 13. It says, for when God made promise
to Abraham, now God made a lot of promises to Abraham. Some
of those promises were earthly, temporally, and applied to the
physical nation Israel, the physical nation. But those were temporary. Those promises, the promise of
an earthly land, All of that, that was temporary. And then
God made promises to Abraham that were eternal and concerned
spiritual Israel. And those were salvation. And
he says, for when God made promise to Abraham, and that's what he's
talking about here. The spiritual promises that God
made to Abraham that applied to spiritual Israel, all believers. When God made promise to Abraham,
he could swear by no greater, he swore by himself. That means
God couldn't, you know, when men swear, well, let me just
read it, so he'll tell you. Verse 14, saying, surely blessing
I will bless thee, and multiplying I will multiply thee. Verse 15,
and so after he had patiently endured, Abraham, he obtained
the promise. For men verily swear by the greater,
and an oath for confirmation is to them an end of all strife.
When men make a pact and swear an oath, they swear by something
greater than themselves. But when God made a pact with
Abraham and swore an oath, there's no one greater than God, so God
swore by himself. What that means is God put his
own reputation on the line here. And it says in verse 17, wherein
God, willing more abundantly to show unto us the heirs of
promise. Now who are the heirs of promise?
Believers. The immutability of his counsel, he cannot change,
confirmed it by an oath. And that was swearing by himself.
Verse 18, that by two immutable things, in which it was impossible
for God to lie, we might have a strong consolation. everlasting comfort, who have
fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us, which
hope, verse 19, which hope we have as an anchor of the soul,
both sure and steadfast, and which enters into that within
the veil. That's the picture of the veil
of the tabernacle. Christ went into the veil, verse
20, whether the forerunner, that is, is for us entered, even Jesus,
made an high priest forever after the order of Melchizedek. And
you see that? Two immutable things. What were
the two immutable things? God's oath and God's promise. You see, this promise is the
salvation of everyone whom he chose before the foundation of
the world, everyone for whom Christ died, everyone to whom
he sends the Spirit to invincibly bring them to faith in Christ.
And they have everlasting consolation. Who has this comfort, this everlasting
consolation? Those who have fled for refuge. to the hope that's been set before
them. And what hope has been set before them? Jesus Christ
crucified, risen from the dead. He who died for my sins, satisfied
justice, brought in everlasting righteousness, whereby I can
be saved and forgiven and justified, all of that. Look back at 2 Thessalonians
2 and look at verse 16. Now our Lord Jesus Christ himself
and God even our Father, which hath loved us and hath given
us everlasting consolation, the same consolation that Abraham
had, the same consolation that old Simeon had, the comfort and
the assurance, this is assurance, the assurance of eternal salvation
through the Lord Jesus Christ and a good hope through grace.
My hope is built on nothing less than Jesus' blood and righteousness.
And I dare not trust the sweetest frame, but wholly lean on Jesus'
name. On Christ the solid rock I stand. All other ground is
sinking sand. And through that he comforts,
verse 17, comfort your hearts and establish you in every good
word and work. Over in Hebrews chapter 12, just
after he had given us a long list of Old Testament saints
who were persecuted, but they died in the faith, they persevered
in the faith, and that by the power of God, not by their own
power and goodness. You see, we're saved by grace,
we're preserved by grace, and we'll be brought to glory by
grace, all because God swore an oath. and all because God
made a promise. And all of that is made sure
and certain by one person, not by two people, not by Christ
and me, but by Christ. All of that is made certain by
Him. But as we walk through this life and we encounter troubles
and we fight with the flesh, we have doubts and unbelief and
we have to fight it, it's a warfare. But we're to run the race, Christian
race, The race of grace, how? Look at Hebrews 12, two, it says,
looking unto Jesus, the author, that is the beginner, and the
finisher, the completer of our faith, who for the joy that was
set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set
down at the right hand of the throne of God. And why is he
at the right hand of the throne of God? to ever make intercession
for His people. And that's how He keeps us, by
His power, His goodness, His grace. You see, I began the race
of grace as a sinner saved by grace. I'm still a sinner saved
by grace. And when I enter glory, I'll
be a sinner saved by grace. When I enter glory though, all
sin in me, the flesh, will be gone. it'll be taken away and
I'll be made perfect within myself. I'm perfect right now in Christ,
legally justified. Not in myself, but in Him. And
that's my everlasting consolation. I have a righteousness that answers
the demands of God's law and justice. It's the righteousness
of the Lord Jesus Christ imputed to me, and which God has brought
me to receive by the gift of faith. I believe in Christ. He
is my righteousness. That's my everlasting consolation.
That's my good hope. That's my comfort. And that's
what establishes me in the faith. I hope you'll join us next week
for another message from God's Word. We are glad you could join us
for another edition of Reign of Grace. This program is brought
to you by Reign of Grace Media Ministries, an outreach ministry
of Eager Avenue Grace Church in Albany, Georgia. To receive
a copy of today's program or to learn more about Reign of
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at 1-1-0-2-3. Eager Drive, Albany, Georgia
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or email us through our website at www.theletterofgrace.com. Thank you again for listening
today and may the Lord be with you.