What God Has Sworn To Do

Q: What does the Bible say about God's sovereignty?

The Bible teaches that God is sovereign over all creation and that His purposes will ultimately prevail (Isaiah 45:23-25). Isaiah 45 clearly emphasizes God's absolute sovereignty, stating that He has sworn that every knee shall bow and every tongue shall confess His lordship. God's governance spans all creation; everything He does is orchestrated toward the fulfillment of His divine purpose. Human reasoning falls short in understanding God's ways, while we are called to submit to His will, knowing that He rules with infinite wisdom and righteousness. The ultimate declaration that every knee shall bow to Him signifies a total acknowledgment of His sovereignty, where all will recognize His authority, either in joyous worship or fearful submission.

Q: How do we know the purpose of God is accomplished?

God's purposes are assured and will be accomplished according to His eternal decree (Isaiah 45:23). In Isaiah 45, God declares that His word will not return unto Him void, meaning that what He has ordained will surely come to pass. The assertion that every knee shall bow reflects that His purpose is not only a future certainty but is being worked out in our present reality. God's actions in history—like raising Pharaoh and Cyrus—demonstrate His providence in aligning all events to serve the ultimate goal of glorifying Himself through the salvation of His people. Therefore, our confidence rests in God's unchanging nature and His commitment to fulfill His divine purposes.

Q: Why is faith important for Christians?

Faith is essential because it is our means of receiving righteousness and strength from God (Isaiah 45:24). Isaiah 45 establishes a profound simplicity in faith: 'Look unto me, and be ye saved.' This directive underscores that faith is about reliance—looking to Christ for salvation, righteousness, and strength. Faith connects believers to the very source of salvation, as we acknowledge that we have no inherent righteousness of our own. Instead, all believers will confess, 'In the Lord have I righteousness and strength,' thus indicating that true faith is recognizing our dependence on Christ alone. This faith is not just a mental assent but an active trust that shapes our lives and leads to justification before God.

Q: What does 'every knee shall bow' mean in the Bible?

'Every knee shall bow' signifies universal acknowledgment of God's authority and lordship (Isaiah 45:23). The phrase 'every knee shall bow' communicates that all humanity, regardless of belief or rebellion, will ultimately recognize God's sovereignty. This acknowledgment can occur willingly in faith or forcibly in judgment. As reiterated in Philippians 2, every being—whether in heaven or hell—will confess Jesus as Lord to the glory of God the Father. The scriptures assure us that God's decree will not be thwarted, and even those who oppose Him will ultimately submit, demonstrating His absolute authority over creation and history.

Q: Why is God's justice significant in salvation?

God's justice ensures that salvation is given fairly through the righteousness of Christ (Isaiah 45:21). In Isaiah 45, God reveals that He is both just and a Savior, emphasizing that His dealings with humanity, including salvation, are grounded in His righteousness. This is crucial because true justice requires that sin must be dealt with. The sacrifice of Christ is the means by which God's justice is satisfied, allowing Him to justly save those who believe. Understanding God's justice in salvation helps believers appreciate the depth of grace—He does not overlook sin but instead provides a way to reconcile His holy nature with His love for His chosen people, affirming that salvation is both a gift of grace and an act of divine justice.

God's ways are not our ways. His thoughts are not our thoughts. His ways and His thoughts are infinitely wiser infinitely higher, infinitely better than we could ever imagine. Therefore, we ought willingly to submit to His will and His way in everything. Now, if we tried to understand, as we usually do, the things going on around us, the things going on in our lives, the things going on in our nation, the things going on in the lives of our friends, our families, if we tried to understand those things only by human reason, only by human calculation, only by our puny, puny, puny limited abilities, we would constantly be driven to despair, constantly be driven to utter anguish of heart and of mind. because there's no understanding of things in this world apart from understanding that our God rules this world.

Not only does he rule it, but he has revealed to us why he does everything he does. He's revealed to us what his purpose is. He hasn't shown us the details. He's shown us the grand picture. It's best for us, while we live in this world, to live by faith in Him, trusting His wisdom, His goodness, His power, His grace, not that we should live by sight, trusting our understanding. And so He's not revealed the details to us. He has simply shown us the overall purpose that He has in all things and what He's doing in all things. And that ought to give us contentment. Let's take one more look at Isaiah chapter 45, the last paragraph of this glorious, glorious chapter.

I want to talk to you this evening about that which God has sworn He will do. Now, there are some things that God from eternity purposed, and those things He is doing. And when this world is done, when God has done the final act, of his providence, when he has accomplished the final end of all things, these five things which God has sworn to do shall be accomplished exactly according to the purpose of God. Now, when you ask yourself, why did God do this? Why has God brought this to pass? Why did God allow this thing to happen? Always remember, he did it for this purpose, to accomplish His purpose of grace toward us in Jesus Christ.

Everything. And when I say us, I'm not talking about you and me personally, though that's certainly included. I'm talking about us, the whole body of God's elect collectively. Everything in the world is ours. Everything past, everything present, everything to come. For we are Christ, and Christ is God. That's what the book says.

All right, now here in Isaiah 45, in verse 20, the Lord describes all lost religious people as a people who have no knowledge, who pray to a puny peanut God like themselves, who cannot save. And I'm telling you that those who pray to a God who cannot, in and of and by himself, save whom he will, pray to nothing but a puny figment of their imagination. He's no God at all. And such people have no spiritual knowledge.

In verse 21, the Lord God describes himself. He says that he is God. I am the Lord. There is no God else beside me. And this is my character, a just God and a Savior. Now let men say what they will, let men quibble as they will. You and I who believe God understand this.

Everything that God does is right. Everything. Everything. Sometimes I'm asked, how can you bear to imagine someone you love perishing under the wrath of God? What God does is right. It's right. My children and my family no more deserve God's mercy than yours or Judas's. Whatever God does is right. He's a just God. And even when he saves sinners, he does it on the ground of righteousness. Only when justice is satisfied. Only through the sacrifice of his son by whom righteousness is brought in and justice satisfied. And then God describes faith. Oh, what a description of faith. I've read books on faith, large books on faith. It's one of those subjects about which much language and much talking is just much confusion. This is faith.

Look unto me. Look unto me. Simple as that. Simple as that. It is looking to Jesus Christ for everything. Look to him for life. Look to him for righteousness. Look to him for strength. Look to him for direction. Look to him for everything. Look unto me and be you saved all the ends of the earth. Why look to him?

He says, I'm God and there is none else. And then in verses 23, 24 and 25, the Lord God describes his providence for us. Now here, God tells us what he's doing in this world. When God gets done with this world, everybody in the world, every demon of hell, every man in the world, lost and saved, all the regenerate and all the unregenerate, all the elect and all the reprobate, everybody is going to know who God is.

Everybody. God raised up Pharaoh and destroyed him and the armies of Egypt for the salvation of his people in order that all men might know who he is. That's what he said. Read Romans chapter 9. He said, even for this same purpose have I raised thee up, that I might show my power in thee, that everybody might know who I am. And I'll tell you what, I don't know anybody I've ever met who doesn't know about Pharaoh and the Red Sea.

I don't know anybody. They may not understand anything else, but they know God dunked his carcass in the sea. God rules everywhere, and he did it for the saving of his people. When God got done, at the end of the day, everybody in Egypt And everybody in Israel knew who he is. Everybody. They didn't all know him, but Bobby the Dead sure knew who he was. There's a big difference between knowing him and knowing who he is.

And God tells us here concerning this man Cyrus. that he raised him up to deliver Israel out of Babylonian captivity. Cyrus, a splendid type of Christ, was raised up to deliver Israel, to deliver them in a specific way, for the very same reason that Pharaoh was raised up in Egypt. Look at verse 6 of Isaiah 45. He said, I raised you up for this purpose, that they may know, look at this, that they may know, The Lord God raised up His Son, Jesus Christ, the antitype of Cyrus, that they may know, everybody, from the rising of the sun and from the west.

What's that mean? Everybody in the world. Everybody, from the east to the west, that they may know that there is none beside me. I am the Lord and there is none else. Now this is what I'm saying. God created, rules and disposes of everything in the universe for his glory, for the one great reason that everybody might know him and glorify him and glorify him in the saving of his people. When he gets done, when God gets done, the whole universe Is going to adore and magnify and praise him even those with unwilling rebel hearts They will acknowledge adore and praise him for the way he's disposed of everything for your salvation Everybody well, can you show me that in the book right here where we are? Look in isaiah 45 verse 7 read it with me I formed the light and create darkness. I make peace and create evil.

Now you can do with that what you want to. I'll tell you what I'm going to do with it. I'm going to bow down and worship God. Drop down ye heavens from above and let the skies pour down righteousness. Let the earth open and let them bring forth salvation. That's what it does. Everything in this world, bringing forth God's salvation. And let righteousness spring up together. I, the Lord, have created it. Man says, but I don't like that. I don't like the way God does things. I don't like God ruling everything.

Woe unto him that striveth with his maker. Let the potsherds of the earth strive with the potsherds of the earth. In other words, let clay strive with clay. Shall the clay say to him that fashioneth it, Why, what makest thou? or thy work he hath no hands? Woe unto him that saith to his father, What begadtest thou? or to the woman, What hast thou brought forth?

Thus saith the Lord, the Holy One of Israel and his Maker, Ask of me concerning myself. Concerning the work of my hands, command ye me. I have made the earth. Now here's God's answer. Lord, what about your sons? What about the earth? What are you doing? I have made the earth and created man upon it.

I, even my hands, have stretched out the heaven. Look at this now. And all their hosts have I commanded. All of them. Talk about shooting stars and meteors and comets. I command them all. Talk about the prince and power of the air, I commend them all. Talk about the angels of glory, I commend them all. All their host have I commended. I have raised him up, talking about Cyrus and talking about Christ. I have raised him up in righteousness. I will direct all his ways. He shall build my city. He shall let go my captives. Not for price nor reward, saith the Lord of hosts. Thus saith the Lord, now look at this, look at this.

The labor of Egypt, the pagan, ungodly, even Egyptians, and the merchandise of Ethiopia, all of it, and of the Sabaeans, every one of them, men of stature shall come over unto thee. I've got my elect in all of them. But not only shall men of stature come over to you, but they shall be thine. And they and their possessions, both the possessions of the elect and the possessions of the non-elect, the possessions of the believer and the possessions of the unbeliever, the labor of the righteous and the labor of the wicked, they shall be thine. They shall come after thee. In chains shall they come over, either in chains bound over to destruction or in chains as willing prisoners of the Son of God. And they shall fall down unto thee, and they shall make supplication unto thee, saying, Surely God is in thee, and there is none else.

There is no God. Verily thou art a God that hideth thyself. Buddy, that's what you were talking about back there in the office a little bit ago. God hides himself. He hides himself. How is it that people can't see? How is it that God hides himself? How does it mean to walk in such darkness? God hides himself. And when God sends darkness, there's no seeing. There's no seeing. Surely thou art a God that hidest thyself, O God of Israel, the Savior. They shall be ashamed and also confounded all of them. They shall go to confusion together that are makers of idols. But not everybody. Not everybody.

But Israel shall be saved. Saved in the Lord, saved with an everlasting salvation. You, the Israel of God, shall not be ashamed nor confounded world without end. For thus saith the Lord that created the heavens, God himself that formed the earth and made it, he hath established it.

Look at it now. He created it not in vain. God didn't create this world to run around and wind up in chaos. God didn't create this world, send it out spinning like a yo-yo in the middle of nowhere, spinning top out in space. You wonder what's going to happen. He didn't create it for nothing.

He created the earth for a purpose. and everything in the earth for a purpose. He brings everything to pass for a purpose. Look at it. He created it not in vain. He formed it to be inhabited. I am the Lord and there is none else. Now that which he has purposed, he will do. Nothing in earth, nothing in hell can prevent it or even hinder it.

Here's what he says he'll do. Look at verse 23. I have sworn by myself Because he could swear by no greater, he swore by himself. This is what he said, Larry. The word has gone out of my mouth in righteousness. My decree, my purpose, my predestination is righteousness, and it shall not return. In other words, what I purposed, I'll bring to pass. That to me, every knee shall bow, no exception. Every tongue shall swear, no exceptions. Surely shall one say, in the Lord have I righteousness and strength. Even to him shall men come, and all that are incensed against him shall be ashamed. In the Lord shall all the seed of Israel be justified and shall glory." Our God is the God of purpose. And our God is accomplishing His purpose. Everywhere, with everybody. Exactly according to schedule. Not one heartbeat ahead, not one heartbeat behind. Now in this passage, the Lord God declares to the assembled host of angels and men before His august, sovereign, holy throne exactly what He's going to do.

You can mark it down. When God gets done with this world, when God snuffs out the light of the sun, when God burns up the present heavens and earth, when God makes all things new, these five things will be finished, all five of them. Just hold your Bibles open and look at them, just briefly. Number one, every knee shall bow to the Lord Jesus Christ, acknowledging and confessing that he's Lord and he has every right to be. And one of them, I have sworn by myself the words gone out of my mouth in righteousness and shall not return that unto me. Every knee shall bow and every tongue shall swear, either bowing to him in submission, in repentance, seeking his mercy, or bowing to him as he calls his angels to bind them hand and foot and cast them into hell. Every knee shall bow to Christ, you and me. your children and mine, your parents and mine, your siblings and mine, every knee shall bow to Jesus Christ. No question about it. Somebody said, won't you make Jesus your Lord? You ain't got anything to do with him being Lord. Nobody does. You will bow to him as your Lord, either now and willingly take his yoke upon you or later and be cast into hell, but bow to him you will.

Every knee shall bow. This is what Paul said in Philippians chapter two. Being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, look at it, of things in heaven, and things in the earth, and even in hell, things under the earth. And every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. It's gonna happen. It's going to happen. Sooner or later, everybody's going to know who he is. Sooner or later, everybody's going to bow to him. Sooner or later, everybody's going to confess him.

Our Lord God said to his son as he spoke to him in the covenant of grace, you can read it in Psalm 2 verse 8, ask of me and I'll give you the heathen for your inheritance. And he said, now father, I finished the work which you gave me. Glorify your son and he gives him the even for his inheritance. He reigns and rules He's taken his seat in heaven waiting expecting till his enemies be made his footstool Either made his footstool by grace or made his footstool by justice, but made his footstool for sure All right. Here's the second thing the Lord Jesus Christ Shall have a people to worship and serve him look at verse 24.

I Surely shall one say. Why does he say one when he's talking about hordes? Why does he say one when he's talking about 10,000 times 10,000 and thousands of thousands of numbers which no man can number? Because they confess it one at a time, individually. Not collectively, we confess him now collectively, but each one individually by personal faith calls on him and one says, in the Lord have I righteousness and strength.

You see, there is a people in this world chosen of God, who must and shall be called out by His grace, born of His Spirit, because Jesus Christ redeemed them, God the Father chose them, and swore that the Son should have them for His people, and have them He will. In Psalm 22, we read that He was cut off out of the land of the living. that he was cut off, but who shall declare his generation? And the psalmist answers the question. A seed shall serve him, and it shall be counted to him for a generation. Where's his seed? He's unmarried. Where's his seed? He has no bride. Where's his seed? His seed is a spiritual seed born of his spiritual bride.

His church brought to pass by his spirit, by his power through the word preached in this world. I don't know who God's elect are. I just know he's got them. I don't know where they are, I just know he's got them. I don't know when he's going to call them, I just know he will.

Well, what do you do then? We preach the gospel and wait. Wait. I preach the gospel expecting somebody to believe. Well, there's somebody going to believe. Somebody going to. And you know, I suspect it's best, I know it's best, that we not really know how where and when God uses what we do for the purpose of the gospel. Just wait and find out. The day's coming. The day's coming. God's going to gather his elect.

We preach the word and wait. We preach the word and pray. We preach the word without compromise, without fear, as faithfully as we can by the power and grace of our God, and we wait on God to make it effectual, because we know that there is a people who will come and say in the Lord, I have righteousness and strength. That's the confession of every belief. Every child of God, every man, woman who's born of God's Spirit confesses, Christ is my righteousness. I have none other. Christ is my strength. I have no other. He's everything. He's everything.

People say, well, I don't believe that. I believe we have some righteousness of our own. I said believers said this. Oh, but I know folks who are believers who don't believe that. No, you don't. No, you don't. You know religious folks who have no knowledge who believe that. Believers say, in the Lord have I righteousness, in the Lord have I strength.

All right, here's the third thing. Every one of these people, every one of God's elect, shall come to Christ. Surely shall one say, in the Lord have I righteousness and strength, even to him shall men come. To him, the Lord Jesus Christ, who is our righteousness and strength.

Turn over to that passage Rex read a little bit ago, John chapter 6. The psalmist said, Blessed is the man whom thou choosest and causes to approach unto them. Blessed be his name. He causes his people to approach to him. Thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power, willing to come, willing to trust, willing to believe, willing to take Christ.

Look here, John 6, verse 37. The Lord Jesus speaks and says, all that the Father giveth me. I've shown you this so many times. Right now, right now, that's the present tense. As we preach, as we seek to proclaim the gospel around the world, the Father is giving a people to his Son. In his providence and in his grace, inclining a people to come to him.

All that the Father gives me shall come to me. All of them and nobody but them. And him that cometh to me, I will in no wise cast out. For I came down from heaven not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me. And this is my Father's will which hath sent me, that of all, look at it now, which he hath given me. Back yonder in eternity, in covenant love, mercy, and grace, he gave a people to his Son. All which he hath given me, I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day. And this is the will of him that hath sent me, that of every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life, and I will raise him up at the last day.

All right, here's a fourth thing. Look at verse 24. The last line of this verse. Even to him shall men come, And all that are incensed against him shall be ashamed." Everybody. What does that mean? That means that every rebel, every rebel, and that's what we all are by nature, every rebel, every son of Adam, every demon of hell, every rebel incensed against the Son of God is going to bow before his throne in utter shame. Well, how can that be? I have been brought to bow to his throne in utter shame for what I am and for all I have done and all that I am doing. Utter shame. Utter shame. And I'm going to tell you something.

Once the sinner has been brought by God's grace to bow at his throne in utter shame of himself, he stays right there. In that condition, utterly ashamed of himself. He never gets any better. He never rises above that. Utterly ashamed. And the more he bows there and sees him, the more of his own corruption he sees. And he's utterly ashamed of himself. We bow to Him in repentance with shame. But I'm warning you, if you don't bow to Him in repentance, you will bow to Him with utter shame and forever and ever and ever cast away into the lake of fire in utter shame and confusion.

I don't even pretend to have an idea of what hell is. But I know this much is involved. In hell, forever, men and women will be keenly aware, in their inmost sensitive, keenly awakened consciences, of what they are. Fully deserving of God's wrath. and yet never improved in utter madness and insanity, suffering the wrath of God forever in shame and confusion of things.

Here's one more thing. Every chosen sinner will indeed be saved, and being saved by grace alone, they will every one glory in the Lord forever. Look at verse 25. In the Lord shall all the seed of Israel be justified and shall glory. All of it. Now, sometimes folks will read that and say, well, that's talking about the Jews, Abraham's physical seed. No, I don't think so. I don't think so. If that were the case, then Judas would be saved. If that were the case, sons of Korah could be saved. This is all the seed of Israel. He's not talking about physical seed. He's talking about spiritual seed. He's talking about God's elect. He's talking about that same seed of Israel spoken of in Romans chapter 11, verse 26. And so all Israel shall be saved. As it is written, there shall come out of Zion the deliverer and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob. In verse 17 of Isaiah 45, the Lord said, but Israel shall be saved in the Lord with an everlasting salvation.

You shall not be ashamed nor confounded, world without end. And these who are saved in the Lord with everlasting salvation, being saved by free grace alone, they say not unto us, not unto us, O Lord, but unto thy name give glory for thy mercy and for thy truth's sake.

They glory, but not in themselves. They glory, but not in their experiences. They glory, but not in their deeds. They glory, but not in their feelings. They glory in the Lord. They say, of Him are we in Christ Jesus, who of God has made unto us wisdom and righteousness and sanctification and redemption. Therefore, let no flesh glory in His presence, but he that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord.

And when God gets done, that's exactly what's going to happen and to the degree to the degree that we can right now believe it all to that degree we can submit to God's will in everything to the degree we can believe it Sam we can bow to Him and say Thy will be done this is what God has purposed and this is what God shall do

What God Has Sworn To Do

What does the Bible say about God's sovereignty?

How do we know the purpose of God is accomplished?

Why is faith important for Christians?

What does 'every knee shall bow' mean in the Bible?

Why is God's justice significant in salvation?

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What God Has Sworn To Do

What does the Bible say about God's sovereignty?

How do we know the purpose of God is accomplished?

Why is faith important for Christians?

What does 'every knee shall bow' mean in the Bible?

Why is God's justice significant in salvation?

Sermon Transcript

About Don Fortner

Comments

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