Sovereign Grace Chapel, located at 135 Annabel Lane in Beaver, West Virginia, invites you to listen to a gospel message concerning Jesus Christ our Lord. If you would, turn with me to Luke 18, Luke 18. And we'll read one verse in Luke 18 to start with. Verse 13 of Luke 18. Very familiar to you.

And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God, be merciful to me, the sinner. I just got to thinking about the five points of Calvinism, and specifically, limited atonement. I just know that some like to use particular redemption in place of limited atonement, and that's fine. I have no problem with using either one, because Scripture supports both. But just know that some have a problem with this point, so they leave it out. They call themselves four-point Calvinists. Some of the other points, and some don't believe any of the points.

I just remember when God first opened my eyes, and Walter and I think were driving down the road, and Walter asked me, he said, do you know what tulip is? And I thought I knew he was getting at something, but I said, a flower? And we both just kind of chuckled at that, from what I remember. But I remember this, that Walter said about this, and if I get it wrong, Walter, you can correct me later. I forget what was going on at the time, but it was the first time he was ever asked if he was a five-pointer. And all he could think about was a buck out in the field. But then, later, once he knew the five points of Calvinism, he was talking to someone, and they said a certain individual was a four-pointer. And Walter thought, or maybe he replied, well, he's pointless.

That statement is true, no matter which way you look at it, really. I believe the five points of Calvinism, and I believe they're based on the truth of the scripture. So I believe the five points. But there's much more than just those five points in scripture, I do want to say that. These five do not cover everything. But as I said, I do believe those five points, and I want to go to scripture to see what it says about the matter. I don't need what man has wrote down, which is not God-breathed, as his word is.

Anyway, I got to thinking about these two phrases that are sometimes used, where some use limited atonement and some use particular redemption. Now let me say, most who do say this, they do agree on both, and the results are the same with both of those phrases. So I'm not trying to say it's wrong in either case.

But I was interested in knowing what the scripture said about both. First, atonement slash reconciliation. Anyway, let me keep going. And redemption. So I want to try and go through these two words and just look at what we see in scripture. I pray he teach us something. So we're gonna have atonement and reconciliation and redemption. When I first started doing this, I thought I would go through the differences between atonement and reconciliation. But I can't really do that. I just don't have the ability.

There are several Greek words used for the one English word, reconciliation. The words are a little bit different, but have basically the same meaning. The same with the word redeem, or variations of the word redeem. Different Greek words depending on where you are in the scripture, but they basically mean the same thing. The one word where it's used, the word atonement, means to exchange. The word for reconciliation means to conciliate or to atone for. Then the meaning for redeem is to buy up.

So let me make a sentence with these meanings, which is true. You may not find this directly in the scripture said this way, but it is true according to the preponderant testimony of scripture. Christ exchanged himself in our place. He was our substitute for to pay for that which I or we could not pay. And in doing so, he brought us back together with God. Folks, that is the gospel.

We will see this glorious truth when we look at the scripture as it concerns this glorious gospel, and the scripture will show God's intentions toward His people from before the foundation of the world. Without this glorious truth, it is pointless to do what we are doing. Right? If this is not true of us, that is, if it is not true that Christ did this for us, it makes no sense for us to do anything because we have nothing to pay for what God says we owe.

So we will look at the doctrine of limited atonement or particular redemption. So let's start out with this verse, which is familiar to us, the text verse that I read. And this publican standing afar off would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God, be merciful to me, a sinner. This man knew he could in no way appease God for the debt he owed, which was death.

Scripture says the wages of sin is death. I earned those wages. And lest anyone have any doubts that this does not include you, we also know that the scripture confirms us that all have sinned and come short of the glory of God. So we have all earned those wages. So since we have all sinned, we have all earned death because the payment of sin is death.

I can never come back from that, and Joe was kinda saying this this morning, if I were to die. Because my sacrifice will not satisfy a holy God. So if God is pleased, he will cause me to beat on my chest and say, propitiate me, be merciful to me. Stand in my stead, Lord. Be my substitute, knowing you can satisfy your own judgment and you alone. You can do for me what I cannot do for myself. That which you do for me will be a reconciling.

And here we see it as this man praying to God. The Pharisee prayed with himself. But this man knew he was not worthy to do so, yet God heard this man. Because Christ tells us this man went down to his house justified. He was exalted to communion with God.

Second Corinthians 5, 18 and 19, we read this. And all things are of God who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ. and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation. To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them, and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation. I just want to say this about these two verses.

We are said here to be given something, Joe. We are said to have had something committed to us. Not us committing to it, although by his grace we do. But this is something done for us. The gospel we proclaim, the gospel that we hear is about one who was atonement for our sin and sins. Him being our substitute, he reconciled us to God. That is what has been given to us and committed to us. So if the gospel does not mean this to you, then this is not talking to you. But we are told this is given and committed to us, but it also tells us the gospel in these very two verses here.

Who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ. We are brought back into communion with God by Jesus Christ. This cannot be any more plain. But it tells us again, to wit, that is in this manner that God was in Christ reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them. In Christ is where we find reconciliation to God. In Christ is where reconciliation was done.

Another verse, Hebrews 2.17, Wherefore, in all things it behooved him to be made like unto his brethren, that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people.

First of all, we see a little bit of the limited part of limited atonement here. It says, it behooved him. And this basically means he had to. This is the way it had to be done. But for who? It behooved him to be made like unto his brethren. Who is that? Whoever it is, I want to be one of his brethren.

There is a good reason. because it says that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God to make reconciliation for the sins of the people. That which has separated me from God, Christ was made like unto me. He had flesh and bones just like me. He was a real man as much as he is a real God. But being made a man was how it had to be and the result of him being made like unto his brethren is reconciling them to himself. So who are these brethren? Who are these brethren or these us's that we read in 2 Corinthians 5?

Well, we can go to some scripture to find out. We go to Matthew 1 21 and we read, and she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name Jesus, for he shall save his people from their sins." So we know this is talking about the same thing because we see reconciliation here as well. It says, save his people from their sins. Here it is said in the present tense, at least in English, because it had not happened yet at this point. But it was sure to happen because it says he shall. And we can say he has. But who are his people?

And let's go to another verse, John 6, 37. All that the Father giveth me shall come to me. And him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out. So we see here that there are some who the Father hath given to the Son. These are the ones that will come to Him. These are the brethren which He made reconciliation for. Again, there is no doubt that they will come to this God because it says, shall come to me. Christ said this to us. Why do these come to Him?

It's not even left up to them, as Joe was saying. You have folks arguing or not believing in limited atonement. That is, it is limited in scope, meaning it was not done for the whole world but for his people. Limited in scope but not in power. It was particular in that it was done for a particular group of people. That particular group are those that the father gave the son.

But why do these come again in John 6 verse 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. Were you drawn by God? Then come to Christ. Did you come to Christ on your own or by your own decision? If so, you are at the very least not manifested to be one of his yet. But here is a glorious truth. Jesus Christ accomplished this when he died on that tree. But when I was born, I did not know this, didn't know this.

But we read in Romans 5.11, and not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement. We receive that reconciliation to God by Jesus Christ. That ministry of reconciliation is committed to us by Jesus Christ the Lord. I can now have peace with God because Jesus Christ brings himself to me by his glorious gospel of substitution. Jesus Christ accomplished all this. He is what brought me back to communion with God. But he also did something else. What did he do? He redeemed us. So next, redeemed.

To buy up or to pay for. We've already have said in scripture that there is a wage that I've earned by all my sins. I have earned this many times over. Because James tells us, offend in one point, you are guilty of all. I have broken many points and I have done so many times. So there is no doubt I have earned death. So how did Christ pay or redeem us?

Galatians 4, 4 and 5. But when the fullness of the time was come, God sent forth His Son made of a woman, made under the law, to redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons. Here we are told He was made under the law to redeem them that are under the law. Remember previously in Hebrews it said, it behooved him to be made like unto his brethren. There in Galatians it tells us he was. How did he do this or what is one aspect of him doing this?

Galatians 3.13, Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law being made a curse for us.

For it is written, cursed is everyone that hangeth on a tree. He was made a curse for me because by nature, without Christ, outside of Christ, I am a curse before God. Because it was me that deserved to be on that tree, and only because He chose me in His Son is the only reason I was not there. He was also made sin for me, we know that.

But what does Scripture say specifically about it? How He redeemed me. First Peter 1, 18 and 19 we read, for as much as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things as silver and gold from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers, but with the precious blood of Christ as of a lamb without blemish and without spot. What comes in a lot of instances when you see blood? I know what happened in this case because we are told it did in Scripture. But what happens when you see blood? Death comes pretty soon after that.

He put his money down on the table, so to speak. He gave the price that was required for me to be reconciled and to be redeemed. He said, it is finished. Paid in full, stamped. Jesus Christ tells us that he has given the price required for my redemption. Nothing else is owed. He owns me and he bought me with the price of blood to the death. But I have to show one more thing here, and this goes toward particular redemption.

Titus 2.14 says, who gave himself for us that he might redeem us from all iniquity and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works. Is there anything that he did not redeem us from? It says here that he redeemed us from all iniquity. Thank God. Because I still commit iniquity all day and every day.

But he did this, it says, for a peculiar people. That word means special. The people he did this for are special, not because they are better than other people, but they are special to God and Jesus Christ because he made them special. He is the potter, we are the clay. He can do with us as he wills. There are some who were made to be special. But I'm not to think of myself too highly. I'm not to be high-minded.

First Corinthians 4.7, it says this. For who maketh thee to differ from another? And what hast thou that thou didst not receive? Now if thou didst receive it, why dost thou glory, as if thou hadst not received it?

He paid the price. I did nothing, and I do nothing. He was the sacrifice for my soul. I did nothing. Christ substituted himself in our place. Him being in our place, he had to die. Because of that, he paid the price. He paid with his blood unto death to pay for that which I could not and cannot pay. And in doing so, he brought us back together with God.

Is that not the gospel? So what are we to conclude from all this? It is pointless to leave out limited atonement, that is particular redemption. Because without it, there is not a soul who has a hope before God on their own. But if God commits to this word of reconciliation to us, it frees us from the bondage that we have in this flesh. We can certainly rest in what Christ has done.

I want to read one more passage and I will close with this. Turn with me to Ephesians 1. I'm sure this is new to you all, Ephesians 1. This is good. This tells us of this particular redemption. Ephesians 1, and I'm just going to read 1 through 12 and then say a few things. Ephesians 1, verse 1.

Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, to the saints which are at Ephesus and to the faithful in Christ Jesus, grace be to you and peace from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ, according as He hath chosen us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will. to the praise of the glory of His grace, wherein He hath made us accepted in the Beloved, in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins according to the riches of His grace, wherein He hath abounded toward us in all wisdom and prudence, having made known unto us the mystery of His will according to His good pleasure, which He hath purposed in Himself. that in the dispensation of the fullness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven and which are on earth, even in him, in whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will, that we should be to the praise of his glory who first trusted in Christ. To be without limited atonement, to be without particular redemption, is to be without hope and in this world.

Propitiate me, my Lord and my Savior. To that we can all say amen. Dear Lord God, remind us all of what you have done for us. Keep our eyes, minds, and thoughts on you, dear Lord. May your spirit apply these words to our heart, dear Lord, and sell them to our hearts as we go about so we can just continually think on you. all these things we ask in Christ's name. Amen. It is joy unspeakable and full of glory, full of glory, full of glory. It is joy unspeakable and full of glory.

Oh, the half has never yet been told. What a wondrous blessing I am saved from the awful gulf of sin. full of glory, full of glory, full of glory. It is surely unspeakable and full of glory. All the half has never yet been told. so bright and clear, living in the realm of praise. Oh, the Savior's presence is so near, I can see his smiling face.

It is joy unspeakable and full of glory, full of glory, full of glory. It is joy unspeakable and full of glory. Oh, the half has never yet been told. It is a joy no tongue can tell, how its rays of glory roll. It is like a great, o'erflowing well, springing up within my soul. It is joy unspeakable and full of wonder. Full of glory, full of glory, full of glory. It is joy, unspeakable and full of glory. All the half has never yet been told.