Good morning. Our text this morning is going to be in Galatians 3, but before we go there, go to Isaiah 45. Isaiah 45, we'll begin reading in verse 18. Isaiah 45, 18. For thus saith the Lord that created the heavens. God himself that formed the earth and made it. He hath established it. He created it not in vain. He formed it to be inhabited.

And he says, I am the Lord, and there is none else. I have not spoken in secret in a dark place of the earth. I said not unto the seed of Jacob, seek ye me in vain. I, the Lord, speak righteousness. I declare things that are right. Assemble yourselves and come. Draw near together ye that are escaped of the nations.

They have no knowledge that set up the wood of their graven image. And pray unto a God that can not say. While searching for a message this morning, I read this passage and those last two words fell heavy upon me. can not save. Is there any sadder experience than to be in a situation where help is so very near and yet can not help?

My mom had an aunt and an uncle that lived close to where she grew up. And one night, their house caught on fire. And her aunt made it out of the house, but her uncle became trapped. This poor lady heard the cries of her husband as he was being burned. She was just outside the house. but she could not get to him. She wanted so very desperately to help. She was willing to help, but she was ultimately unable to help.

We all, because of our fallen, dead nature, come into this world with no knowledge of God or his righteousness. In our natures, we all pray unto a God that cannot say. May our Lord be pleased this morning to allow us at this present time to examine our heart individually and reveal to us the true answer. Can my God Not your God, not anyone else's God. Can my God save? Here in Isaiah, the one true and living God declares there is a God which cannot save. And he declared that he himself is the God who saves. Verse 20 again, here in Isaiah 45.

Assemble yourselves and come, draw near together, ye that are escaped of the nations. They have no knowledge that set up the wood of their graven image, and pray unto a God that cannot say. Tell ye, and bring them near. Yea, let them take counsel together. Who hath declared this from ancient time? Who hath told it from that time?

Have not I the Lord? And there is no God else beside me, a just God and a Savior. There is none beside me. Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth. For I am God, and there is none else. This is the God I want to know. This is the God I must know. This is the God I want to declare this morning, a just God and a savior. We're assembled here this morning and we have all prayed unto a God that cannot say. I hope that is not our current case, that we are now praying unto a God that cannot save.

I must know eternal life and death hangs on this knowledge. I must know the God who is a just God and a Savior. Is His salvation legitimate? He see my soul safely through before the judge of all the earth. Turn to our text now, Galatians 3. Galatians 3, verse 13. Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us, for it is written, curse is everyone that hangeth on a tree. Who is the God who declares himself a just God and a Savior? Our text reads, Christ hath redeemed. The Lord Jesus Christ is God. He is the just God and Savior.

Isaiah recorded he would come, for unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given, and the government shall be upon his shoulder. and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, the Mighty God, the Everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace." Hold your place here and turn over to John chapter 1. John 1 verse 1, In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. Skip down to verse 14. And the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth." Christ himself said, I and my Father are one.

We read these passages and the words are so simple. For the most part, one syllable There are a couple that are over that, but most of the words in these three verses we just read are one syllable. And because they're so simple, we neglect, we miss the profound meaning behind these words, the profound revelation given to us. Look at verse 14 again. And the word. the word who was with God and the word was God. So we can read verse 14, and God was made flesh. What a statement. When our Lord spoke with the Sumerian woman at the well, he said, God is a spirit.

Solomon at the dedication of the temple said, but will God indeed dwell on the earth? Behold, the heaven and heaven of heavens cannot contain thee, how much less this house that I have built. Solomon was amazed that God would dwell on the earth. much less in the house that he built, that temple in Jerusalem. How much more to wonder God was made flesh. The heaven of heavens cannot contain thee. Yet God entered the womb of a virgin. The word was made flesh. Verse 14, and dwelt among us.

Last year, our family spent some time in Colonial Williamsburg, and there they've got either replicates of the buildings that were standing just before the Revolutionary War, or original houses that they've fixed up and brought back. And two of these are the governor's palace, that's where the king's appointed representative dwelt, and the tavern. And the tavern was where many of our founding fathers would go and gather. While on a tour of the tavern, I asked if the governor would have ever come to the tavern. And the answer was, oh, most assuredly not. The tavern was for the common people, not for royalty.

The word. dwelt among us. The King of kings and Lord of lords came among us while he dwelt in the flesh among us. He was not found in the luxury of the wealthy and the privileged and the powerful. He was born in a manger. He said, foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man hath not where to lay his head. The King, the Word, God Almighty dwelt among us, publicans and sinners.

Lord Jesus Christ is the God who is a just God and Savior. Turn back to Galatians 3. Galatians 3, 13. Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law. The mighty God, the everlasting Father, was made flesh. Why? Why would God be made flesh? Christ, God, hath redeemed us from the curse of the law.

There's a law, a holy, good, right law. God's law. And we have all broken his law. As with any law, there is a price for breaking the law. The wages, the earnings, the price of sin is death. God created man upright, complete, without sin. But man rebelled. We sinned, we broke the law, and we died. In Adam, all died. That death was much more than a physical death. It was a spiritual death, a death which separated us from God.

Isaiah 59.2, your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you. Our condition is grave. Being dead, we had no hope of life in ourselves.

But God commendeth his love toward us in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. It was As I was looking for a message, it was heavy on my heart. And from Gabe's message Wednesday night, from William's this morning, it's heavy on our hearts. How can I declare this man, who is so wonderful, in a way that will make us fall in love with him all over again. And the words fail. But it's our desire. God was made flesh because he loved us in the Lord Jesus Christ. First John 410, herein is love. Not that we loved God, how can we? We're dead. But that he loved us even while we were dead.

And sent his son to be the propitiation for our sins. The Almighty God, having declared His law, and the penalty for breaking His law, is just in His judgment and condemnation of sinners. And yet it pleased Him to be made flesh. God, seeing those whom he set his love upon in Christ Jesus, dead in trespasses and sins, chose to save those that he loves in Christ. Would the just God set aside his holiness, his glory, his righteousness? His justice to allow these guilty, rebellious sinners to escape the punishment that our sin deserves? God forbid he should sacrifice his nature for the little creature he has made. But the love he has for us in Christ, for those dead, undeserving, condemned sinners, drove the triune God, the just God and Savior, to do what he alone is able to do, save to the uttermost.

Why was the Word made flesh? Why did Christ come? Verse 13 says, Christ hath redeemed. Christ came to redeem, to pay the debt, the debt of death that we have earned in our sin, the debt of death which we being dead have nothing with which to pay. He came to save his people from their sin. Christ Jesus was made flesh. He dwelt among us. He was made a curse for us. We are under the curse of the law. The debt must be paid. Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us.

How was he? God the Son made a curse, for it is written, cursed is everyone that hangeth on a tree. From the time he entered the womb, he went about doing good. He said, I do always those things that please the Father. He, as a man in the flesh dwelling among us, obtained a perfect, righteous standing before the law. There was no curse held over him.

Solomon wondered that God would dwell among men. Oh great is the mystery of godliness. God was manifest in the flesh. Christ Jesus, God the Son, was made a curse. There on Calvary's tree, with my curse, my shame, my guilt, my God, the Lord Jesus Christ became what I am. cursed by the law. He shed his precious blood. He laid down his life to pay my debt, to redeem us from the curse of the law.

Can my God, the God that I pray to, can he save? Am I deceiving myself and still praying to a God that cannot save? Is your God the just God and Savior? Or do you and your God have a good thing going? Oh, do I still say in my heart, Oh, I know I'm not perfect, but my God knows that I'm trying my best and that's going to be good enough. That shall not stand when the books are open and we stand before the God with whom we have to do. Christ Jesus became a curse.

He died. He paid the debt in full. He laid in the tomb, he arose, and he, the man, ascended back to glory. Our Lord ever liveth to make intercession for us. Can the Lord Jesus Christ save? Oh, most assuredly, he has saved his people. He who loved us when we were in our sins, who loved us so greatly that He came in the flesh and dwelt among us, who loved us so that He became a curse in our place, paid our debt and died. And that debt being fully paid, the law is now satisfied. Those he loves, those he gave himself for, those he died for, are no longer under the curse. He bore it for us and paid it in full. He has robed us in his righteousness. He has saved us. He is able to present us faultless before the presence of His glory.

We heard it just a moment ago. Jude verse 24, now unto Him that is able to keep you from falling and to present you faultless before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy. Are you in need of a just God and Savior? Come to Christ. Look to Him and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth. He is God and there is none else. Will ye die? Today is the day of salvation.

Psalm 46.1 says, God, who is our Lord Jesus Christ, is our refuge and strength. A very present. He is. He's there. He's here. He's near. A very present help in trouble. Gabe said Wednesday night, come see a man. He's altogether lovely.

May God give us a love of Christ. If the Lord's pleased to open our eyes to see him as he is, words will fail to exalt him as we would And we'll cry out with so many before us, as William said this morning, who, he quoted this, who is a God like unto thee? Who was made flesh, dwelt among us, who hath redeemed, he alone has saved, who hath redeemed us from the curse of the law. being made a curse for us. Pray the Lord will bless it.