The Word of Life

Q: What does the Bible say about the sovereignty of God?

The Bible teaches that God is absolutely sovereign, reigning over all creation and executing His will without restraint. Scripture presents God as being absolutely sovereign, which means He has all power and authority. He does what He wants to, and no one can stay His hand or question His decisions (Daniel 4:35). This sovereignty is evident not just over the inhabitants of heaven and earth, but even over hell, as Satan is described as God's devil. The assurance we find in His sovereignty is foundational to our faith; it means that nothing occurs outside of His divine plan and purpose, which ultimately works for His glory and the good of His chosen people. As such, God's sovereignty reassures believers that He is in control, ensuring their salvation and sustaining them in all circumstances (Romans 8:28).

Q: How do we know Christ is the Word of Life?

Christ is identified as the Word of Life in the Bible, embodying God's revelation and salvation for humanity. The term 'Word of Life' ascribed to Christ emphasizes His unique role in revelation and salvation. As stated in John 1:1, 'In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.' This designation reveals that Christ is not merely a communicator of divine truths but is Himself the embodiment of life and light for humanity. The term is used specifically in Philippians and 1 John to signify that Christ, through His very nature and works, is the source of both spiritual and physical life. His authority to command life is evident in the Gospel accounts, where He speaks and it is done (Matthew 8:16). Thus, recognizing Christ as the Word of Life is essential for understanding His purpose and the nature of salvation.

Q: Why is understanding total depravity important for Christians?

Understanding total depravity helps Christians recognize their complete reliance on God's grace for salvation. Total depravity conveys the biblical truth that humanity, affected by Adam's sin, is completely incapable of achieving righteousness on their own (Romans 5:12). This concept highlights that every aspect of human nature is tainted by sin, including the will and desires, which are hostile towards God (Romans 8:7). Recognizing our total depravity leads to an important realization: we must rely entirely on God's mercy and grace for salvation. This understanding eliminates any notion of self-righteousness or the idea that we can earn favor with God, reinforcing that salvation is a sovereign act of God's grace alone (Ephesians 2:8-9). It is through acknowledging our sinful condition that we can fully appreciate the depth of Christ's redemptive work.

Our text is found in Philippians chapter two, if you would like to turn there. And I will start this message by saying happy Mother's Day. I said at the first hour more people showed up, so happy Mother's Day to those who I didn't say before. Philippians chapter two.

Here on our text we have something written that's only recorded two times in the entire word of God. This is one time here and the other times in first John. It's the word of life, the word of life. That's what I've titled the message, the word of life. John one, first John one verse one says, that which was from the beginning, that which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon and our hands have handled, Of the word of life. Now that one word word is capitalized because it's a name. It's the Lord Jesus Christ in the beginning was the word and the word was with God and the word was God. John chapter one. I believe I have us turning there later on, but our Lord is the only one that has the word of life. So he is the word of life, but it's the only one that has the word of life.

He speaks and it happens. Let there be light. God commanded the light to shine out of darkness. He's the only one that can give life. You and I, are born dead and trespasses in sin. And the only way that we will be made alive is if God chooses by mercy and by grace to say, live. Lazarus come forth. And he came forth bound hand and foot. He's the only one that can speak the word. and we come forth. He's the only one that can do that. Men foolishly believe that it's something that they do, even in their dead state, that causes life to be given to them. That doesn't make any sense. Dead men can't do anything.

But when we understand that we're dead dog sinners by nature, that we're completely depraved, not just a little bit depraved, we can understand fully better that we have to have the word of life speak, the word live unto us, or we'll never live. The good news is, is that's the promise that was made in the covenant of grace before time ever began, that the father elected the son was purposed to redeem and the spirit was purposed to regenerate. We know that if we're the Lords, if we're the elect, He's going to say, live unto us. I can rest knowing that my living spiritually has nothing to do with me whatsoever. Not a choice I've made, not a prayer that I've prayed, not a work that I've done, because He finished the work on the cross of Calvary. He's the only one qualified to do so, and He's the only one capable with all power to say, live unto a dead sinner, and they be made alive and perfectly righteous.

Do you see that? It's amazing, isn't it? It's a, it's a miracle of grace is what it is. It's a miracle of grace. So let's read this together. Philippians 2 verse 14 through 18. Do all things without murmurings and disputings, that you may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom you shine as lights in the world, holding forth the word of life, that I may rejoice in that I may rejoice in the day of Christ, that I have not run in vain, neither labored in vain. Yea, if I be offered upon the sacrifice and service of your faith, I joy and rejoice with you all for the same cause also do you joy and rejoice with me. I already said this, but in John chapter one, first John chapter one, the word, word of life is in the, in the phrase, word of life, the word word is capitalized.

It's a person. It's the Lord Jesus Christ here. It's not capitalized, but, and yet it still bears the same significance still bears the same meaning. That's the name that is the name of our Lord. So what we have, uh, if we go just turn with me to, uh, John chapter one, Not 1 John, but the Gospel of John, chapter 1. The word of life is not a thing. It's a person. But he's the one that speaks it. So we have the written word, we have the living word, and we have the spoken word of God. Those three. Those three. And right now we're talking about the word of life.

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. All things were made by Him, and without Him was not anything made that was made. In Him was life, and the life was the light of men.

The light shineth in darkness, and the darkness comprehended it not." That's why the Lord has to say, let there be light to a sinner. He comes to a sinner that's in darkness, that's dead, and he says, live, let there be light. Why? Because he is life and he is light. He is life and he is light. Let's read on.

There was a man sent from God whose name was John. The same came for a witness to bear witness of the light that all men through him might believe. He was not that light, but was sent to bear witness of that light. That was the true light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world.

He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not." He was in the world, and the world was made by him, but the world knew him not. Can you imagine meeting the Lord Jesus Christ and not knowing who he was? Well, that's exactly what would happen unless he chose to reveal himself to us. This is why we need the word of life. This is why we need him to speak the word live. Because if he doesn't, if he was sitting in our midst right now, we wouldn't know it. Unless he reveals himself. Unless he makes us spiritually alive, there's no way of knowing him. There's no way of knowing him.

Verse 11, he came to his own and his own received him not, but as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name, which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.

And the word was made flesh and dwelt among us. And we beheld his glory. The glory is of the only begotten of the father, full of grace and full of truth." The word of God isn't just his name. It's his person. It's his character. It's everything about him. He is the, we have here the written word, And we know the spoken word, we have some of it recorded as written, but he's the only one with the power.

He literally is the word of God. Literally, he is the word of God. He's the fullness of the triune Godhead bodily, the eternal everlasting God. He is the sum and substance of God's gospel and God's salvation. Christ is all in this. He is the word of life. He created all things for His glory, for His own purpose and will.

And I said this last hour, because there's other people in here, I'll say this again. If somebody ever asked you, what is salvation? Tell them Jesus Christ is salvation. Jesus Christ is salvation. How do I get saved? You say, you can't get saved. It's His choice. Salvation's a choice. We believe that. It's just not my choice or your choice. It's God's choice. If salvation was my choice, I'd mess it up because the flesh is bound to its nature. See, I need the word of life to speak life, to breathe life into me in order for me to even desire to choose God.

We love him because he first loved us. He chose us from the foundation, before the foundation of the world. That's the hope that we have as his people. Not that we chose him, not that we love him, but that he chose us and loves his elect, his people. Let's go back to Philippians chapter two. A believer, you know the difference between a believer and a non-believer, and I've said this many times, a believer believes. A believer believes whatever God says.

I said this the first hour, but that Syrophoenician woman that said, truth, Lord, it didn't matter what he said, it was truth. And she knew it. She said, I am a dog, but the dogs desire the crumbs that fall from the master's table. That's us. That's us, we say truth, Lord.

Whatever you say is truth. Not that you can only speak truth, it's truth because you speak it. Your words make it truth. He can't lie. Look at verse 14. Do all things without murmuring and disputings, that ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world, holding forth the word of life.

How do we shine as lights in the world? Hold forth the word of life, that I may rejoice in the day of Christ, and I have not run in vain, neither labored in vain. Yea, and if I be offered upon the sacrifice and service of your faith, I joy and rejoice with you all for the same cause also do you joy and rejoice with me."

The Lord told the disciples, I am the light of the world, but when I go away, you're the light of the world. You're the light of the world. It says, a city is set on a hill, cannot be hid. Neither do men light a candle and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick, and it giveth light to all that are in the house. How can we be a light?

If that's what he is saying, we hold forth the word of life because we're the light of the world. Look to Christ. Look to Christ. If somebody ever asked you about salvation, if somebody ever asked you what you believe, tell them. Tell them what you believe. Well, we don't believe that Jesus died for everybody. We don't believe he loves everybody. That'll pretty much shut the conversation down pretty quick most of the time. But some people will say, what?

I've never heard that before. Well, here's our website. We'd love to have you. Sometimes I just invite them and I say, well, come listen. You wanna know what we believe? Come listen. Maybe they'll come in here. But the responsibility of being the light of the world as the church, we are the light of the world because of what we're doing right now. The declaration of the gospel. That's the word of life. That's the Lord's doing. He's ordained this for his word to go forth that his people might be called, his sheep might be called. He said, my sheep hear my voice and I know them and they follow me. His sheep will come. There's no stopping that. The Lord will bring them.

What does he mean to hold forth the word of truth? It means we no longer speak what we used to speak. We no longer think like we used to think. And I love the fact that Steve read Isaiah 55. We were right along with this. My thoughts are not your thoughts. Your ways are not my ways. As the heavens are higher than the earth, so is my thoughts above your thoughts and my ways above your ways. We don't think anything like God.

He's absolutely sovereign, knows everything all the time. He's omnipotent. He's everywhere all the time. He's omnipresent. So we speak what he speaks now. And there's three things that I'm going to mention that we're going to look at. The three things that's really changed. The three things that's really changed. Number one, we speak different about us.

We speak that we're sinners. You know what you won't get a religious person to say? That they're a sinner. They'll tell you, well, I used to be until I made my decision. Now I'm a saint. But it's what they say. We believe we're sinners, don't we? And we believe we're great sinners that need a great Savior. So we speak the same as what God speaks regarding us as being sinners. Secondly, we speak the same as what God says about Him being sovereign. Sovereign. If we believe that we're sinners, we know it's going to take a sovereign God to save us. Because if God's up there, As some men believe, I suppose, playing chess with the devil.

I don't know how they get that, but we're in trouble. He's not pacing the floor. He's not wringing his hands. He's not saying, oh, I wish you would let me have my way and let me do my will. No, he's God. We don't speak like we used to about God. We speak that he is sovereign now. And lastly, we speak the same about his salvation. His salvation. So first we look at his word, we look to his word of truth and speak the same about ourselves as he does, that we're sinners. We're born in sin, we're shaping in inequity. Sin's not, sin's not a, it's not just a symptom, it's the cause, it's the, we are sin by nature, we're not sinners by, just by doing. Does a bird fly to become a bird? Does a fish swim to become a fish? Because if it does, some people are going to start identifying as birds and fish. I promise you that. But it swims because it's a fish, and it flies because it's a bird.

Isn't that right? Dog barks because it's a dog. It doesn't bark. OK. The first time a dog barks, does it become a dog? No. It's a dog. It barks. We sin because we're sinners. Somebody said, well, I'm getting better. No, we're not. We're getting worse. We're getting worse. Every day that we're on this earth, we get worse and worse and worse. The outward man perishes, but the inward man is renewed day by day. That's our hope, not this flesh. The Lord didn't come to save the flesh. He came to save the soul.

If someone were to ask you, if someone were to ask you, or I was to ask you, what does it mean to be a sinner, what would you say? Most, would say, well, that means I do bad things. Explain being a sinner, I've done some bad things. Men's concept of sin is all wrong. See, we died an atom. And with that nature, that's a sinful nature. That's what we're going to do. That's what we're going to strive after. We don't even mean to do it.

Paul said, that which I would do, I do not, but that which I would not, that's exactly what I found myself doing. Can you relate to that? He said, Oh, wretched man that I am, who shall deliver me from this body of death? Not that I was, not that I used to be, but now I'm better. No. Oh, wretched man that I am right now. And that was later on in his ministry. He started out by saying he was the least of the brethren. And then he went to not worthy to be an apostle. Then he became the chief sinner.

The way up is down. That's the best way I can put that. The way up is down. It's not like men think, I feel like I'm getting holier. No, no, we're not. Not in this flesh, we're not. We speak the same thing that God says about us. We are born dead, and trespasses, and in sin.

And the Lord must fix it because we can't do anything but commit iniquity if we try to fix it. We run to the law, it's iniquity. Do good deeds to try to fix it, it's iniquity. Give my heart to Jesus, that's iniquity. It's not doing anything. God don't want our heart. It's deceitful above all things and desperately wicked.

God's gonna have to do all the saving. And it starts with us being taught of him by repentance, you're a sinner. Not because of what you do, But because of what you are, I'm a sinner, not because of what I do, but because of what I am. God's gonna have to do all the saving. The truth is that everything we have ever done in ourself is sin because of what we are.

Everything we've ever done, every good thought that we had, every, um, In ourself, understand that, in ourself. The good news is you are complete in him, the Lord Jesus Christ. It's in him we live, move, and have our being. So as we heard the first hour, the Lord sees us in Christ as perfectly obedient always, always has. That's glorious, gives us rest.

The word of life says, all have sinned and come short of the glory of God. All have sinned and come short of the glory of God. That's so simple. And yet, men will use other verses in Romans and they'll say, well, this is what you have to do to fix it.

No. Scripture says they that are in the flesh cannot please God. They that are in the flesh cannot please God. The flesh is enmity. It's hostile against God. what is my hope? Well, the Lord has caused us to speak the same as He does regarding ourselves. We no longer believe what we used to believe. Turn with me to Romans chapter 5.

Look at verse 12, Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin, and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned. Well, that's simple. That's simple. That is completely, utterly dead. Completely depraved. Verse 13, for until the law, sin was in the world, but sin is not imputed when there is no law. Nevertheless, death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over them that had not sinned after the similitude of Adam's transgression, who was a figure of him which was to come.

But not as the offense, so also is the free gift. For if through the offense of one many be dead, much more the grace of God and the gift by grace, which is by one man, Jesus Christ hath abounded unto many. And not as it was by one that sinned, so is the gift, for the judgment was by one to condemnation. But the free gift is of many offenses unto justification. For if by one man's offense death reigned by one, much more they which receive abundance of grace and the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one Christ. Therefore, As by the offense of the judgment came upon all men to condemnation, even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men under justification of life. For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous. Moreover, the law entered that the offense might abound, but where sin abounded, grace did much more abound. That as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness and eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord.

Sinner is what we are. But we have great hope in the grace and the right. This particular portion has the word justified, has the word redemption, has the word righteous. That's our hope. And the reason it's our hope is it's all by grace. It's all by grace. It's not what we do. We don't earn it. We don't merit it. It's all by grace. For by grace are you saved through faith in that not of yourself. It is the gift of God, not of works. And you know why? We would boast about it.

Sin is what we are by nature, and we cannot please God in our flesh because of that. We speak the same as the Word of Life speaks. We're sinners. Dead, dog, depraved sinners. What is it to hold forth the Word of Life? It's knowing and clearly declaring what God has said. I'm a sinner not because of what I do, but because of what I am.

Second of all, We speak now the same thing about God that he does. That he is absolutely sovereign. Absolutely sovereign. And I think I might have said this the first hour, and if I'm repeating myself and I said it this hour, forgive me. My brain goes faster, my mouth can keep up. Him being sovereign means he does what he wants to.

None can stay his hand or say unto him, what doest thou? He has all power, both in heaven and on earth. He does what He wants to. And I can't constrain Him, and I can't restrain Him. I can't persuade Him, and I can't prevent Him from doing anything. That's what sovereign means. He's absolutely sovereign. He's sovereign over the inhabitants of heaven. He's sovereign over the inhabitants of the earth. He's sovereign over the inhabitants of hell. Satan is God's devil. He's sovereign over everything. He's sovereign over everything.

You know when you read Isaiah 55 I couldn't believe that you actually read that because there are like 3 or 4 points, or 3 or 4 things I've said already that goes right along with that. But in Isaiah 55 it says, He's higher than the heavens. Explain that to me. How can He be higher than the heavens? That's my God, but I believe it by faith alone. But He's higher than the heavens? He's sovereign. He reigneth.

And I like that E-T-H at the end because it literally means continual. Continual. He's always reigning. There's never a time that he's not seated as the reigning King of Kings and Lord of Lords, the Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last, the one which was, which is, and which is to come, the one that cannot change. Jesus Christ, the same yesterday, today, and forever.

I am the Lord. I change not. Therefore, you sons of Jacob are not consumed. That's who our God is. He's sovereign. We don't speak about little baby Jesus in a manger anymore, do we? No, we don't put out nativity scenes. It's graven images, we know that.

What do we do? We look to God by faith alone. By faith alone. We look to him and believe him and speak what he has caused us. And I don't wanna make it sound like that we're speaking this because we've made a choice. That's not true. God has made his people speak what he speaks. He gets all the glory in this. I didn't wake up one day and arrive and said, okay, I'm gonna start talking the way that God talks. I'm gonna believe what God has said.

No, he had to arrest me. He had to, and that song was beautiful that we sung off the back of the bulletin, because it literally talks about how his grace broke my stubborn will. You remember that line? That's the truth. His grace had to come and break our stubborn will, because we would not have bowed. We would not have bowed.

Unless we were made to see, he is absolutely sovereign. Our Lord created all things for his glory. He has purposed all things to come to pass by his will. He's seated, not only as the creator of all things, but as the sovereign, successful redeemer of his people. Everything that's happening is happening because he purposed it to happen.

Nothing unfolds that catches him off guard. Nothing happens that causes, he doesn't worry. He doesn't fear. He doesn't fret. He's not concerned with, he's God. He's not, our God is the awesome God. He's amazing. He's glorious. He's magnificent. All the words, I can't even come up with enough of them. Him being seated is one of the most evident things that we have of not only salvation being successful, but knowing that everything that's coming to pass is because he's allowed it.

Why is this happening? Well, it's for the Lord's glory and for his people's good. Why is this happening? For the Lord's glory and for his people good. You mean that hurricane? For the Lord's glory and for his people's good. I don't know how, but I know this, all things work together for good. To them that love God, and I love him because he first loved me. To them who are thee called according to whose purpose? Mine? Yours?

No, his purpose. According to his purpose. He alone has the power to make vessels of honor, or lest leave a vessel to itself, a vessel of dishonor. He's the potter. And we're the clay, we're likened unto clay in, what is that, Romans nine, I believe it is. He's the potter. He said, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and whom I will all harden.

Can you rest in a God like that? He's the only one. Shouldn't say a, the God. Can you rest in that, our Savior? How do you see God? It's a question I'll ask you. How do you see God? That has a lot to do with how we see ourself. Did you know that? Because if I don't see myself as a sinner, I will not see him as sovereign. See, repentance and faith go hand in hand. If he's giving me repentance, I see that I'm a sinner, and I see that he's absolutely sovereign, so I'm in trouble. But faith looks to the substitute surety who took his people from the Father, guaranteeing their redemption before time ever began. Faith looks to Christ. It doesn't look to self. It doesn't look to surroundings. It doesn't look to anything else. It looks to the Lord Jesus Christ. When? Always. Always. It's never not looking. It's always looking to Christ. How do you see God?

Well, it depends a lot on how we see ourself. If we see ourself as not that bad, we're not seeing him as holy as he is. And really, I don't think we can understand the concept of holiness. We just have to believe it by faith. Good definition. Best definition I've heard is other. Other than we are, completely. As already been said a couple times, his thoughts are above our thoughts, his ways are above our ways. He's other than we are. And until we're made to see that, we won't be able to see how bad we really are.

I'm not that bad. I'm not as bad as so and so. Well, I used to do this, but I don't do it anymore. I'm getting better. That's what men believe, and it's not true. It's just not true. Because we don't do what we do to become anything. We do it because we're sinners. And we see ourselves as sinners and speak about ourselves as sinners because that's what God said. And we speak about him being absolutely sovereign.

Holy means this, brethren. He must destroy even the most minute, microscopic sin, if I can even put it that way, but you understand what I'm saying. Somebody said, well, I told a white lie. That's more than enough for eternal hell. That's how, he's holy. He's absolutely holy. Will not acquit the guilty. He will not say, okay, I'll give you a free pass.

You know what, people are gonna say to him, Lord, we've done all these wonderful things in your name. We've cast out demons, we've done this, we've done that. And he's gonna say, depart from me. It has nothing to do with what we've done. It has everything to do with what he has done. He's sovereign. There's no such thing as a little bit of wrath. It's all or nothing. It's all or nothing.

That's who God is. So we've established who we are, what we are. We've established who he is and his greatness, his sovereignty, and that we have been taught of him to speak what he speaks. And lastly, we've been taught to speak what he speaks regarding his salvation. And I said his own purpose.

David in Psalm 51, after he had sinned with Bathsheba, Nathan had came to him and told him, David, you're the man. You're the, you're the one that's done all this. David wrote Psalm 51 as a prayer or a hymn, I guess, of repentance. And he said, restore unto me the joy of thy salvation. Why is it the Lord's salvation? Well, first of all, he chose to elect. Second of all, he chose to redeem. Lastly, he chose to regenerate.

Now, what part of that did you and I have anything to do with? Not a thing. And I love that because that means I can't mess it up. Because as soon as we put our hand to it, we mess it up. Just like Uzzah, he's going to help out God by steadying the ark. It was going to fall. I got to help. I can't let the ark fall. God said, touch it. You're dead. Well, he touched it and he died. It's a picture.

Well, first of all, they propped it up on a cart. It shouldn't have been carried that way. It's supposed to be carried with staves. And that's a picture of men propping up the gospel, making it sound a certain way to be more appealing. It's not as burdensome. We'll just let the donkey drag it, the cart, rather than the men carrying it.

And so you see the picture of men watering down the truth. And when you water it down, if you speak a half-truth, that's a lie. But when you speak the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth, you're carrying that burden and you're hearing that burden. That's the burden the Lord's pastors have, true pastors. You have to speak the truth in love. You have to speak the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth.

That's the only thing that gives honor and glory to the word of life, the only thing. We never lay our hands to it, because the moment we do, we ruin it, we ruin it. So first, we speak and believe what God has said about me being the chief sinner, not just a sinner. We speak and believe what God has said about himself as our sovereign God. That's what it means to hold forth the word of life. And lastly, it is salvation. We speak and believe the same thing he has said about his salvation before time began. God chose a people. It's called the covenant of grace.

It wasn't because some were prettier than others, or some were smarter than others, and I'm thankful for that one. Sometimes I don't feel like the smart, I feel like I'm losing my mind sometimes. But it had nothing to do with me, it had nothing to do with you. Didn't matter how, I'll break it down for you as simple as I can, doesn't matter your hair color, doesn't matter if you have hair. Doesn't matter your eye color, doesn't matter your height, your weight, doesn't matter anything about you.

Has everything to do with the person and work of Christ. The Lord gave his chosen people to his son. His son was purposed to redeem those chosen people all by grace. And that's exactly what happened. In the fullness of time, the Lord Jesus Christ came to this earth as a man, born of a woman, born under the law to redeem them that were under the law.

He wasn't born to try to do something like men make him out to seem like. He was just as much God when he was laying in that manger as he was whenever he was asleep on the boat. He was just as much God when he stopped the winds and the waves from moving by saying, peace, be still, as he was on the cross. He's just as much as God, as he always has been right now in glory, seated as the successful redeemer of his people.

He didn't try to do anything. We were already given to him. Do we see that? The Father already had entrusted, it was already done. As far as God was concerned, we were saved and eternity passed. Now in the fullness of time it had to take place, but God can't fail. That goes back to the sovereignty thing we were talking about. We don't think the way we used to think about God.

If God wants to do something, He doesn't want to, He just does it. We have desires, we have wants, right? He's not up there desiring for men to do something. He's not up there wanting, He don't want for anything. I love that. What would he want? What would he want that he can't have? He's not in want for anything. That's why we can say, the Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want, because he has everything. I'll be in want for nothing because he's everything. Our Lord chose to save his people.

He didn't try. came to this earth as a creature of dust, born in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh. I can't, the condescension, I mean, he had to go to the lowest hell to save wretches and vile creatures such as us. And men want to say that he tried to do something, that salvation's an offer to man? No, there was an offer that took place one time, and it was Christ offering himself to the Father. He offered himself to the Father alone.

And the father said, when I see the travail of his soul, I'll be satisfied. God was eternally satisfied with the sacrifice of the Lord Jesus Christ. When the Lord bore our sin in His body on the tree, God was satisfied. We can back up and say whenever He was in the manger, God was satisfied. When He took His first steps, God was satisfied. When He spoke His first words, God was satisfied. No matter what He did, God was satisfied. And had we heard the first hour, because we are in Him, God's pleased with His people.

That's how he sees us, perfectly righteous. Scripture said, he hath made him to be sin who knew no sin, that we might be made the righteousness of God in him. Do you feel righteous? No. In his eyes you are, if you're in Christ. If He gave you to Christ, you're perfectly righteous right now. Never had sinning one time in His eyes. He said, there's sin and there's iniquity, I'll remember no more. Justified doesn't mean as if I'd never sinned. It means you literally have never sinned in His sight.

That's how powerful the blood is. Men want to act like the cross. You can bring your sin to the cross and you can dump them there and the blood will wash them away. That's how men act. That's not true. No, every single person that Christ was dying for on the cross, their sins were washed away that day. 100% gone, cast as far as the East is from the West. That's what the Lord said. God was satisfied. See, we don't talk like we used to talk.

We've heard the word of life. Word of Life has showed us that Christ is all in salvation. That He had successfully redeemed His people. That He saved His people from their sin. Just like He said He would in Matthew chapter 1, call His name Jesus. That was the reason they called it. That was the reason He had that name. Call His name Jesus for He shall save His people from their sin. He didn't say try. He saved His people from their sin.

The Lord Jesus Christ was ordained before the world to die for his people and the spirit was purposed to regenerate them at the appointed time. When he bowed his head and he gave up the ghost, scripture says the veil in the temple was written twain from top to bottom.

You know what that means? That signifies that we can come boldly to the throne of grace Boldly. That doesn't mean arrogantly. That means in complete confidence. Are you confident in yourself? No. Am I confident in him? Yes. Yes. Everything he said, he did. Everything he promised, he's kept. He's faithful. The Lord's not looking at our faithfulness. He's looking at the faithfulness of Christ for his people. He's not looking at my works. He's looking at the finished work of Christ. He's not looking to my choice. He's looking to his own choice in election.

We can approach God now. We can approach God now by the blood of Christ alone. If we have been washed, we can approach. No longer do we have to fear the scepter. You remember, uh, Esther, she approached the king, and if he didn't raise that scepter, it meant death. There's no way that we could approach the throne before now, before the Lord finished the work on the cross of Calvary. It'd have been instant death. But we don't, that scepter's raised right now. It's never gonna be put down for the Lord's people. Never. If any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ, the righteous. We have a mediator. the mediator between God and man, the Lord Jesus Christ, we can approach.

He now sends his spirit and power and speaks the word of life to his people according to his will. And you know, he does it all by grace. Can't say that enough. You and I were walking along, or maybe we were just, didn't have a clue who God was, be the best way I can put it. He came to where we were. And he spoke the word of life, live, come forth. All of a sudden, my Bible rewrote itself. Next time I picked up the Bible, there he is. Well, there he is.

Anybody else testify to that? I still stand in awe whenever I read it. I'm like, I read that a thousand times. I never saw that before. I read the entire Bible one time and I went back and started doing it again. And I'm like, he's everywhere. But the first time, it was just about reading the Bible. I got a feather in my hat, you know, or whatever. Oh, in the volume of the book it's written of me.

He speaks the word of life and he reveals everything, makes all things new. That's what the scripture says about us. We're new creatures, new creatures. Behold, old things have passed away, behold, all things have become new. First Peter 1.23, being born again, not of a corruptible seed, but of incorruptible by the word of God, which liveth and abideth forever. You're born of an incorruptible seed by the word of God, the word of life. He says live, and by his grace, we're born again, made new creatures. He gives us his nature that looks to him alone as all of our wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption. Not in the flesh, but in the spirit.

So what is it to hold forth the word of life? It's to be made to speak what God says about ourselves, that we're the chief center. It's made to realize that even after I'm saved, I can't keep myself. He's going to have to keep me. And the good news is we're kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation. And it's his faith, by the way, faith bestowed, ready to be revealed at the last time. Secondly, what does it speak? What is it to hold forth the word of life? It is to be made to speak and believe what God has said about himself.

He is absolutely sovereign. Absolutely sovereign. Lastly, we have been made to believe and speak what God has said about his salvation. About his salvation. Salvation is of the Lord alone. Christ is all in salvation. Salvation's all by grace. If you believe this, you are holding forth the word of life. Let's pray. Heavenly Father, we ask that you would take this and bless it to our understanding for your glory. In Christ's name, amen.

The Word of Life

Key Quotes

What does the Bible say about the sovereignty of God?

How do we know Christ is the Word of Life?

Why is understanding total depravity important for Christians?

Sermon Transcript

About Caleb Hickman

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The Word of Life

Key Quotes

What does the Bible say about the sovereignty of God?

How do we know Christ is the Word of Life?

Why is understanding total depravity important for Christians?

Sermon Transcript

About Caleb Hickman

Comments

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