All I can say, Randy, is we thank
God for ink and paper. I guess we come to that point
in our lives where we'd forget our own names if it wasn't written
down. Sometimes somebody will say,
well, what did you preach on this morning? And I'll have to
stop and really think. I know it was the gospel, because
by the grace of God, I hope I preach that every time. but to know
the title of the message and all. But this is entitled Who
Is Every Man? It's from Hebrews chapter two.
If you'll turn in your Bibles there. Who is every man? Here it says that Jesus Christ
tasted death for every man. I mentioned two weeks ago when
I preached from this that the word man there, this is in verse
nine, The word man there is not in the original. It would be
better translated, he tasted death for every one. Some translations
say for every son. And that is because it is a masculine
pronoun. And that's because of verse 10.
He talks about bringing many sons unto glory. So the issue
in this message As really if you think about it every message
is for whom did Jesus Christ die? And it comes from the fact
of two things, the greatness of the Lord Jesus Christ. That's
what the book of Hebrews is about. He is such a great savior. We can't really begin to describe
how great he is. We have some of the language
of the Word of God that tells us. Some say, well, the theme
of Hebrews is Christ is better. Yes, he is better. He's the best. Somehow that doesn't say it all,
does it? He's greater than the angels. Our salvation is not
in angels. I thank God for the angels. But
Christ is better. Our salvation is Christ. His
name, Jesus, means salvation. He's better than Moses. The Jews
bragged about Moses. They said that we have the law
of Moses. Christ told him, he said, you
don't even believe what Moses wrote. Remember in John chapter
five, he said that? Moses wrote of me, he said. He's
greater than David. He's greater than Solomon. He's
the great prophet. He's greater than Aaron and the
priesthood of Israel. He is our great high priest.
The only hope that we have in being accepted with God, being
right with God, is Christ, who's better than anything we could
ever imagine. He's certainly better than us,
isn't he? We're sinners, saved by grace. He's the sinless one
who went to the cross for our sins imputed to Him. So not only
is His greatness at issue here, but also the security of the
saved. We're secure in Him. Our security
doesn't come from within. It doesn't come from each other.
It comes from looking to Christ as the author and finisher of
our faith. He states that over in Hebrews chapter 12. But because
of what Christ accomplished, now listen to me, this is very
important. And people today don't understand
this now, many people. This is not talking about what
Christ tries to do for you, or has tried to do for you, or is
trying to get you to do. Because if that's what it was
about, it would all be a failure. And if you don't believe it would
be a failure, I'll tell you what your problem is. You think too
highly of yourself. This is all about what Christ
accomplished as the surety, the substitute, and the redeemer
of his people. God in human flesh. What did
he accomplish? Well, he accomplished the redemption
of his people. He put away our sins. He established
righteousness by which God can justify sinners like us. That's
his righteousness imputed. And because he accomplished all
that, it says in verse eight that God has put all things in
subjection under his feet. Everything, nothing excluded,
is in subjection to Christ. And he says, for in that he put
all in subjection under him, he left nothing that is not put
under him. Can you get any plainer? But now we see not yet all things
put under him as we look at this world and all of its sinfulness
and all of its chaos. And we even look at our own lives
and the things we go through. We don't see with the physical
eye how everything is put under him, but we know by God's word
that it is, he's in control. And how do we know that? Verse
nine, look at it. We see Jesus. We see salvation. We see him
as our salvation. Everything is working all of
its course according to God's plan under the feet of Christ
to exalt him, give him all glory. It's all coming together. And
this is the one who was made, verse nine, a little lower than
the angels. What's it all about? What is it that he accomplished?
What is the ground of the salvation of his people? What is the ground
of God's glory for the suffering of death? Why was he made a little
lower than the angels? Why? That's talking about his
sinless humanity. God in human flesh. He shall
save his people from their sins. He's God with us. He's the word
made flesh. He was made that way for the
suffering of death. God cannot die, but this person
who is God did die. That's attributed to his humanity,
but an act of his entire person. That's an amazing thing to think
about. He died. And because of his death, he's
crowned with glory and honor, verse nine. Now that means that
what he did in his death was an accomplishment. I love that
over in the book of Luke, I think it's chapter nine, where it talks
about his transformation, on the Mount
of Transformation, where he gave that vision to three of his disciples
of his impending glory. And it says that he appeared
in glory and he spoke with Moses, who represents the law, and he
spoke with Elijah, who represented the prophets, and it says they
spoke of his decease, And the word deceased there is the Greek
word for exodus. In other words, his death was
not the end. It wasn't just putting a fella
to death and putting him in the grave and that's it. His death
was an exodus out of the sin that was imputed to him, the
judgment of God that was upon him. He was led out of that by
his death. And it says, they spoke of his
deceased, which he would what? Accomplish. It's an accomplishment. Out of his death comes righteousness
that ensures the entire salvation of all for whom he died. And
it says that he, by the grace of God, a total gift from God,
should taste death for every man. Now, who is the every man
there? It's not everybody without exception. The Bible tells us
that. Randy just read almost a whole
chapter that deals with it. Who did the good shepherd die
for? He died for his sheep. And He'll have His sheep. The
preaching of the Gospel, and somebody said, well, why preach
to everybody? Because we're seeking His sheep. The Lord will find
His sheep. He sends us to His sheep. Why
did Christ say to the disciples, we must need to go through Samaria? Because one of His sheep were
there. That's right. I found some sheep over in Hawaii. The Lord had already brought
him to himself. There's some sheep here. The
good shepherd laid down his life for the sheep. But here, look
at verse 10. He says, for it became him for
whom are all things and by whom are all things, that is this
death that Christ died to secure the salvation of all for whom
he died, the every man here, the every one, It was fitting,
it was appropriate, it was accomplishing the glory of God. This is what
God required. His death was not a token or
an expression. It was, as the Bible tells us,
a propitiation. That's what it was. A sin-bearing
sacrifice that brought satisfaction to the justice of God, for the
sins of his people imputed, charged, accounted to him. And so it was
fitting, God is a just God. Listen, God is merciful, God
is loving, God is gracious, but none of those things can be expressed
by God without his justice being satisfied. He must be just when
he justifies. And so it says that it became
him in bringing many sons unto glory. Now there's the first
identification of the everyman. Who is the everyman? For whom
did Christ die? Well, he died for these many
sons, and this is not just speaking of men. It includes daughters. It's God's elect out of every
tribe, kindred, tongue, and nation, they're sons of God that are
brought by the grace of God through the death of Christ unto glory. That's what it's talking about.
The children of God, that's who he's talking about. Look over
at verse 13. He says, and again, I will put
my trust in him and again, behold, I and the children, which God
hath given me his children. He said in John 6, 37, all that
the father giveth me shall what? They shall come to me and him
that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out. How do I know
if I'm a son or a daughter or a child of God? Look over at
Galatians chapter four with me. Listen to the language of the
word of God. And in Galatians chapter four,
he speaks of Christ coming into the world. Galatians four and
verse four. It says, but when the fullness
of the time was come. Now, what is the fullness of
the time? That's when the time that God appointed before the
foundation of the world had come. The time was right. God sent
forth his son. Christ, the second person of
the Trinity, very God of very God, made of a woman, that's
His sinless humanity, made under the law, that's all of salvation
conditioned on Him. In other words, the weight of
the law was upon Him, not upon us, His people. Salvation, the keeping of the
law, the satisfying of justice was in Him. And it says, what
did He do that for? Verse five, to redeem them that
were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons.
How do we become sons of God? Children of God, by adoption.
And what is that adoption based upon? The redemption that Christ
accomplished on Calvary, the price of his blood, the payment
for our sins. And look at verse six. And because
you are sons, you are children of God, What happens? How do
you know who a child of God is? He says, God has sent forth the
Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father. Now what
is he talking about? He's talking about the new birth
there. He's talking about a sinner being brought under the preaching
of the gospel and being given life from God, from Christ, having
Christ's righteousness accounted to us. were given life by the
Spirit and brought to faith in Christ and repentance of dead
works. Go back to Hebrews 2. That's what he's talking about. These many sons who are brought
under, they will be glorified. They're not gonna go to hell.
They're not gonna perish in their sins. Why? Because Christ paid
for those sins. They're not going to die in a
condemned state. Why? Because they're justified
by the grace of God in the blood of Christ. His righteousness
imputed. The death of Christ demands that they be saved, that
they be preserved, and that they be brought to glory. Isn't that
right? They're the many sons of God. We read over in the book of Matthew
chapter 12 last week when Christ, when he was preaching in a house
there, and his mother, Mary, his human mother, and his half-brothers
came and they wanted to talk to him. They went and said, your
mother and your brothers are out here. They want to talk to
you. And he said this. Remember, he said, who is my
mother? Who are my brethren? Who is my family? And you know how he answered
it? They which do the will of my Father, which is in heaven.
What is it to do the will of the Father? It's to believe on
the Son, to rest in the Son, to follow the Son, to look unto
Him as the author and finisher of our faith. And he says here,
look here, he says, to bring many sons unto glory, Hebrews
2.10, to make the captain of their salvation. That's who Christ
is. He's the captain of my salvation. I'm not the captain. You're not
the captain. Christ is, to make him perfect
through sufferings. Now that's not talking about
making him morally perfect, because he was always morally perfect.
Holy and righteous and separate from sinners. What that's talking
about is the completion of the work which the Father gave him
to do. He was made perfect, he completed
the work. How did he complete it? Through
his suffering unto death. He said in his death in John
19.30, he said, it is finished, he's completed. Christ is the
end, that's the same word, the end, the completion, the perfection,
the finishing of the law for righteousness to everyone that
believeth. And who are those who believe?
The many sons. And he says in verse 11, now
look here. Here's another identification of the many sons, for both he
that sanctifies, now that's talking about Christ, who set his people
apart, set us apart in electing grace before the foundation of
the world, justifying grace, set us apart in redeeming grace,
he died for his sheep, and then sets us apart in regenerating
grace when we're brought to faith in Christ, separated out from
the world, brought from the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom
of God's dear Son. They who are sanctified, he says,
both he that's sanctified and they who are sanctified are all
of one. Who is the every man? They who are sanctified. Who
are they? Look over at Hebrews chapter
10. Here they are, described in vivid
technicolor. Hebrews 10 and verse 14. For by one offering he hath perfected,
completed, he has finished forever them that are sanctified, them
who are set apart. Verse 15, where of the Holy Ghost
also is a witness to us, for after that he had said before,
this is the covenant that I will make with them after those days,
save the Lord. Now look at, I will put my laws
into their hearts, And in their hearts will I write them, and
their sins and iniquities will I remember no more. When does
God, now think about this, when does God write the law of God
in the hearts of God's people? The heart, what is that? That's
the mind, that's the affections, that's the will, that's the inner
person. When does he write the law of God on their hearts? when
he brings them by God-given faith to Christ, who is the end of
the law for righteousness to everyone that believe it. You
see, as long as you're trying to work your way into God's favor
by keeping the law, the law is against you. It's not written
on your heart. You're against it and you don't
even know it. Because you're trying to do something, number
one, that's impossible, for by deeds of law shall no flesh be
justified in God's sight. Secondly, you're doing something
that God forbids sinners to do by way of His command. God has
never commanded any sinner to keep the law in order to be saved. What has He commanded us to look
to Christ, who is the end of the law? for righteousness to
everyone. That's when the law of God's
written on our hearts, when we see it fulfilled in Christ. That's
the sanctified ones. Look at verse 11 again back in
Hebrews 2. It says in verse 11, for both he that sanctifieth
and they who are sanctified are all of one, for which cause he
is not ashamed to call them brethren. There they are again, the sons
of God, the children of God, his brethren. Who are my brethren,
he says. those who do the will of my father,
and they who are sanctified, brethren. The Bible says in Romans
8, 29, for whom he did foreknow, he did also predestinate to be
conformed to the image of his son, that he might be the firstborn
among many brethren. He's the firstborn brother of
his brethren. What does that firstborn mean?
It's talking about his resurrection from the dead. The Bible says
because he is risen, we are risen with him. That's the whole issue. It's those who are his brethren.
And look at verse 12 now. And you know, it's amazing. When
I see that term in verse 11, he's not ashamed to call them
brethren. You ever had any family members
you're ashamed of? I remember that song, who was
it? The black sheep of the family. That's what he called himself. Somebody said, well, I've got
a brother or a sister, but I don't own them. Something like that. Well, think about who we are.
We're sinners. And yet Christ said he's not
ashamed to call us brethren. Now, he didn't call everybody
brother or sister. Did you know that? He's not like
religious people today, everybody. It doesn't matter who they are.
Whatever they, everybody's our brother. Well, we can say everyone
is our brother or sister by creation. We're all members of the human
family. We can say that. But not by grace. Not all in
the same spiritual family. You remember Christ looked at
the Pharisees in John chapter eight, verse 44, and said, you're
of your father, the devil. And how are we naturally born
into this world? We're born children of darkness. The Bible says, you hath he quickened
who were dead in trespasses and sin, and what was the evidence
of that spiritual deadness? We walked according to the prince
of the power of the air, children of disobedience. Nothing differed
from us than the children of wrath by nature. Christ didn't call everybody
his brother or his sister, but he called his brethren, brethren.
Who are they? Look at verse 12. Here's another
identification. I will declare thy name unto
my brethren in the midst of the church while I sing praise unto
thee. It's those to whom he declares
his name. What does it declare his name?
Well, his name is that which identifies and distinguishes
him from counterfeits. You see, this is not talking
when it says his name. You know, the Bible says, whosoever
shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. That's true. But do you know
his name? Now, his name is not just a label. And he has a name, the Bible
says, because of what he did for his people, which is above
every name. You say, well, his name is Jesus.
Well, there are people, I mean, there are baseball players named
Jesus. Isn't that right? Jesus Christ, Lord. He goes by many names because
he is such a great Savior, multifaceted, that the one name cannot do him
justice. But here's the point that he's
making here. His name is that which identifies and distinguishes
him as the one and only Savior of sinners. There are counterfeit
Christ, did you know that? The idea of his name identifies
who he is. He is God-man, God in human flesh,
and what he accomplished in his death on the cross. He saved
his people from their sins. He brought forth everlasting
righteousness which God had imputed to them by which they're justified.
That one, listen, the one name they call Jesus, who only died
to make salvation possible if you'll let him, that's not the
name of the Lord of glory. That's another one, that's a
false Christ. Do you understand that? That one who is, as one preacher
used to say, bending over the banister of heaven just hoping
that you will seal the deal, that's a false Christ. That's
a false Jesus. There's only one true Christ.
And we identify him by the word of God. It's called the doctrine
of Christ. 2 John 9, he that transgresseth
and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ, the teachings of who
he is and what he accomplished, and abideth not in the doctrine
hath not God, but he that abideth in the doctrine of Christ hath
both the Father and the Son. He's declared his name. How does
he declare his name? Through the preaching of this
gospel in the power of the Holy Spirit. How are you going to
call upon him whom you've never heard? How are you going to hear
without a preacher? Faith comes by hearing and hearing
by the word of God. The Jesus that I believe in,
the Christ that I trust in, I must be able to identify him according
to this word. What does the Bible say of him,
who he is and what he accomplished? That's the ones to whom his name
is declared. And they're called here in verse
12, his church. What is the church? It's the
called out ones. They're called out by the preaching
of the gospel. Christ told Peter and the disciples,
he said, upon this rock I will build my church. What is the
rock? It's Christ who is the rock of the church. He's the
foundation of the church. He said the gates of hell will
not prevail against it. Paul told the Ephesian elders
in Acts 20, 28, take heed therefore unto yourselves and to all the
flock over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers
to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own
blood. It's the ones who are purchased
by his death. That's his church. The church
is not a building. Somebody said, we've got a lot
of churches in Albany. No, no, not really. Not according
to the definition of the church in the scripture. We got a lot
of religious organizations. Somebody said, well, you're just
being exclusive, elitist, or mean, or whatever. I don't believe
so. Do you know what's going on in
the world today? God's raising up his church through
the preaching of the true gospel And Satan is out sowing his tares
in the world, false churches. And do you know the main sign
of the nearness of the second coming of Christ, according to
his word to the disciples? There'll be more and more tares,
more and more. False Christianity is the main
sign of the nearness of the second coming of Christ. Now there are
other signs, but false Christianity is the main one. And you know
what he said? He said they'll be so close.
He said some will be so close that if it were possible, they
could deceive the very elect. But the elect cannot be deceived
ultimately, because they will be brought to faith in the true
Christ. This is his church. Look at verse
13. He again saying, I will declare
thy name unto my brethren in the midst of the church, Well,
I sing praise unto thee, verse 13, and again, I will put my
trust in him. Who are you looking to for salvation?
Are you looking to Christ and him alone? Are you looking to
yourself? He says in verse 13, and again, behold, I and the
children which God hath given me, as I said, quoting John 6,
37, all that the Father giveth me
shall come to me. Look at verse 14, for as much then as the children,
there's the children again, They're partakers of flesh and blood.
That's what his children are, they're human. Sinful human beings. He also himself likewise took
part of the same. He had to take part of flesh
and blood without sin. God and human flesh. That through
death, his death, as our surety, substitute, as our Redeemer,
destroy him that had the power of death, that is the devil.
Now I've got several things I want to say about that and it's going
to take a whole message to deal with that. But let me just say
this in closing and we'll pick up here next week. The devil does not have any power
to kill you. You believe that? A lot of people
think, well, God gives life and the devil gives death. No. The
devil cannot do anything that God does not allow him to do.
Now, I know that shocks a lot of people today, but they don't
know the Bible. They don't know reality. You remember the devil
had to go to God to get permission to even touch Job? Only God has the power to make
alive and to kill. Didn't Job say that after his
children were wiped out, his family? He said, he said, God,
God alone makes alive. He gives and he takes away. There is a time appointed, it's
appointed by God. So the power of death here is
not talking about the devil's power to kill. What I believe
he's talking about, and I'll show you this in the message,
is the devil's power of accusation. He's called the accuser of the
brethren, isn't he? Now, if someone accuses you of
a crime, and they arrest you and take you before the court,
and the accusation sticks, what's the result? You gotta pay the
penalty then, right? Whatever it is. If it's death,
it's a death penalty. But what if the accusation doesn't
stick? They gotta let you go. The devil
is the accuser of the brethren, but let me tell you something
about Christ's brethren. His accusations do not stick. You wanna know why? Because Christ
had our sins imputed to him, and he died and satisfied justice,
and we're righteous before God. I'm going to show you that in
the message next week. That's what he's talking about.
He who had the power of death, the power of accusation. Listen,
who shall lay anything to the charge of God's elect? It's God
that justifies. That's the everyman. Who can
condemn us? It's Christ that died. Risen
from the dead and seated at the right hand of the Father, ever
living to make intercession for us. That's our hope, isn't it?