Alright, John chapter 13. We left off last Sunday. Now,
Judas had just gone out into the night to betray the Lord.
He went out into that black night. And this is such a dark, dark
time in human history. The creature gone to betray the
Creator. And it's the beginning of a very
dark time in the disciples' lives. And our Lord begins to tell them
something that's going to help them in these hours of darkness.
They don't realize this time of darkness is upon them. He
does. And He begins to tell them some things that are going to
help them in those hours of darkness. And we'd be wise to listen in.
Those times that we find ourselves in that deep darkness. You know
this kind of darkness. It's so dark, you can't see the
end. There's no light at the end of
the tunnel. You can't tell which way to turn, where to go, and
you're scared by the darkness. Our Lord gives us some words
of comfort for those times. I titled the message, Four Truths
About Salvation. In those hours of darkness, our
Lord gives us someone to hang on to. Some words about salvation. And you notice, as I read this
earlier, our Lord doesn't talk to his disciples about the darkness,
does he? It's coming. This is his purpose in giving
them these words, the darkness is coming, but he doesn't talk
to them about the darkness. He doesn't explain the darkness
to them. They probably couldn't understand if he did. He doesn't
tell them the darkness is not real. It's real. And He doesn't
tell them it won't last. Now, it won't last, and we tell
that to one another. You know, this is just temporary,
and it is, but maybe when you're in the midst of that darkness,
that's not the most comforting thing. I don't know. Our Lord
doesn't talk about darkness at all. Instead, He talks about
Himself. He talks about His glory. Glory
that will be seen all the more clearly because it shines through
this darkness. Here is the first truth about
salvation our Lord teaches us. Salvation is a work that glorifies
God. Look at verse 31. Therefore,
when he was gone out, Jesus said, Now is the Son of Man glorified,
and God is glorified in him. If God be glorified in him, God
shall also glorify him in himself, and shall straightway glorify
him. Our Lord here, this is interesting,
refers to himself as the Son of Man. He didn't say son of
God. He says the son of man. Now he's
both son of man and son of God. So why does he refer to himself
here as the son of man who will glorify God instead of the son
of God who will glorify God? Well, our Lord does this because
time and time again, he shows us this. God became a real man,
a real man. Now the son of God. He can't
be glorified anymore than He already is. He already has all
glory. But the Son of Man will be glorified. Because the Man, Christ Jesus,
the Man is going to glorify God. And God's going to glorify that
Man. The Man, Christ Jesus, glorified God in His death. In every way. In every attribute of God. The
death of Christ glorified the wisdom of God. God found a ransom. We could never find a ransom.
We're not that wise. God not only found a ransom,
He provided it. There He is, suffering and dying
for His people. The ransom for their sin. The
death of Christ glorified the truth of God. In the death of
Christ, we see salvation that's true. True to the character of
God. Now we see how God can be both
just and justifier. It's through the death of the
Son of Man. The death of Christ glorified the holiness of God.
When Christ died, we see God punishing sin. God wasn't playing
at this thing. God punished sin. It was found upon His Son and
puted to His Son, and God killed Him for it, for this reason,
so that sinners could be made holy in Him. In the death of
Christ, we see the grace of God. Look at the lengths God will
go to to be gracious to sinners. This is grace. In order to be
gracious to His people, God killed His Son. That's grace. The death
of Christ glorified the love of God. God must love sinners. He must. There's no other reason
for Him to do that to His Son other than He loves sinners.
This is what must happen for those sinners to be saved. Christ
must suffer. He must die. God did that. God put the Father, put His own
Son to death because He loves sinners. Son of God can't die,
but the Son of Man did. He died to glorify God. All the purposes of God are glorified
and fulfilled in the death of Christ. When Christ cried, it
is finished. All the purpose of God regarding
the redemption of His people was finished. The great transaction
is done. You want to hear something glorious?
When Christ cried, it's finished. The sin debt of His people was
paid. That's glorious. Atonement has
been made. And at the same time, God's law
and justice have been satisfied. Now that is glorious. All that's accomplished by the
Son of Man. He glorified the Father. The
Father was glorified by the God-Man, and the Father will glorify that
Man. This word, if, is translated
if. If God be glorified in him, really should be translated when,
or after. After God is glorified in the
Son. After, when God's glorified by
the Son, then God will glorify that Son of Man. will give the Son of Man the
glory that He had with the Father before the world was. And He'll
quickly, straightway, our Lord says, He's going to glorify the
Son in raising Him from the dead. Even after three days of laying
in the tomb, His body saw no corruption. Our bodies begin
to corrupt and decay immediately. Three days after our Lord died,
His body saw no corruption because the Father honored that man,
Christ Jesus, by not suffering His body to see corruption. Because
the sin that was charged to him is gone. There's nothing to corrupt
him. That's glorious. That shows us
the complete salvation in our Lord Jesus Christ. Sin's gone.
And you just try to think about it. We can't really identify
with this, but think about how the Father honored the man, Jesus,
when he raised him from the dead to die no more. He died in dishonor. He was raised in complete glory.
Because the sin of His people was gone. God never did that
for anybody else. But He did for the Son of Man.
Because the Son of Man glorified Him. Fulfilled His purpose of
redemption. Then the Father glorified the
Son. Tell Him to sit down. The work's finished. You sit
down here at my right hand. Crowned with glory and honor. Given a name which is above every
name. He glorified that man. Now get this. The Father is going to glorify
more men. because of that man, Christ Jesus. He's going to glorify
more men because the Son of Man, Jesus Christ, died for them. More men are going to be brought
to glory because that man, Christ Jesus, glorified the Father. I can't think of a more glorious
work than the work of salvation. Can you? I can't think of anything
more glorious than that. A glorious work for sinners.
But salvation, never forget this, is a work that glorifies God.
The death of Christ glorified the entire Godhead. Before God
could do anything for us, He had to do something for Himself.
He had to glorify Himself. The Old Testament prophecy says
it. God told Israel everything I'm going to do for you. He said,
now I'm going to do this for your sakes. I'm going to do this
because you deserve it. I'm going to do this for your
sakes. I'm doing it for my great namesake, to glorify Himself. The Son glorified the Father.
And now that the Father's pleased, now that the Father's glorified,
now He can glorify sinners. Because of the death of Christ,
it glorified the Father. The work of salvation glorified
God. Secondly, salvation is a work
that the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of Man, must do alone. Look
at verse 33. Little children, yet a little
while am I with you. You shall seek me, and as I said
unto the Jews, whither I go, you cannot come. So now I say
to you, I am so thankful. The Lord remembers our frame.
He knows we're just dust. Now the Lord knows everything
He's saying. It's for His glory and for the
eternal good of His disciples. He knows that. And they ought
to be jumping for joy, shouldn't they? They really should. But
he knows their hearts are troubled by what they're hearing. Have you ever been there? Don't
we know? Everything we see happening is
for good. We know that. We know, Paul said,
all things work together for good. To them that love God,
to them who are called according to His purpose, we know that.
We know everything we see happening. Look around you. Look around
you. Watch the news this past week. Boy, are you troubled?
Well, now, wait a minute. Don't we know everything that's
happening is happening for the glory of God our Savior? Don't
we know that? We know everything we see. We
ought to say, well, hallelujah! Do you all say that? I don't. I know I don't. But we should. Now, we know that we should. But the Lord knows our frame.
And He remembers that we're dust. And look how tenderly He speaks
to His disciples. He's got words of comfort that
are spoken with compassion. You know, a lot of times, how
you say something is as important as what you say. Our Lord has
words of comfort that are spoken with such compassion. He says,
little children. Little children. That's such
a tender term. Little children. It's a term
that's filled with comfort for God's people. Because it explains
our relationship to Christ. Little children. Just yesterday,
I had little children. Now they're grown. They're living
off of two hours from me. But when they were little children,
they didn't get out of my sight. They didn't get out of their
mama's sight. Little children. You're not out of sight of your
Heavenly Father. He's going to take care of His little children.
He'd never take His hand off of you. You're not crossing the
street without Him holding your hand. You're not crossing the
street on your own anyway. He's carrying you. Little children. And the Lord tells them, now
little children, I'm going away. Now that's real. I'm going away.
And you'll seek Me. And you won't be able to find
Me. That's kind of terrifying for a little child, isn't it?
I'm going to seek my Father? I won't be able to find Him?
The word means you'll seek me like someone who's in distress.
This is going to be a distressing time. You won't be able to do
what you've done these past three and a half years. For three and
a half years, they've been with the Lord every day, every moment. Now they won't have his bodily
presence anymore, and it will be distressing. He's going away. Why is he going away from his
little children? Because the work of salvation It's a work
that Christ must do alone. They cannot go with him while
he accomplishes this work. He's got to do it alone. Salvation
must be accomplished by Christ alone because if he takes us
with him and we try to contribute anything to it, we're going to
defile the sacrifice and no one will be saved. Just like the
commandment in the Old Testament, when you build an altar, don't
you build a Because the moment you put your tool, that stone,
you defile the altar and you defile the sacrifice. Salvation
is a work of Christ alone. His sacrifice alone. Christ alone
can save. Christ and me can't save. Christ
alone saves. Christ alone has perfect blood
to offer. Christ alone can come into the
presence of the Father with the blood of His sacrifice. Just
like the Day of Atonement, the high priest and some of the children
of Israel didn't go into the Holy of Holies with the blood,
did they? The high priest alone went. Everybody else was kept
out. And the high priest went in alone. For this reason, he's a picture
of Christ, our great high priest, who took the blood of the sacrifice
and went in alone to accomplish the eternal salvation of his
people. It's Christ alone that the Father will accept. Only
Christ can take the curse of sin away. And if he's going to
do that, he's got to die alone. He's got to be crucified, bearing
the curse. Cursed is everyone who hangeth
upon a tree. He must hang on that tree alone,
bearing the curse, taking the curse away. Only Christ, Christ
alone can take the sting of death away. But now to take that sting
away, he's got to die alone. He's got to be alone. And Christ
alone can go into heaven itself and take possession for His people.
But He's got to do it alone. Salvation is a work that the
Lord Jesus Christ does alone, by Himself, without any contribution
from us. But He does it alone so that
He will not be alone in glory. Many people are going to be with
Him. Many people are going to follow Him. Salvation is a work
that Christ does alone, but he does it alone so that his people
will never be alone. And since salvation is a work
that Christ does alone, salvation is sure. It couldn't be sure
unless Christ did it alone. Look over at verse 36. We'll
come back to these other verses in a minute. Our Lord goes on
to talk about a new commandment I give you. Peter just skips
over that. He hasn't got past this thing
about the Lord going away. He says in verse 36, Simon Peter
said to him, Lord, where are you going? Jesus answered him,
whether I go, thou canst not follow me now, but thou shalt
follow me afterwards. Peter, you can't follow me now. Salvation is a work I'm going
to accomplish alone. But here's how sure salvation
is. Thou shalt follow me afterwards. Peter, you're going to be where
I am. You'll follow me afterwards. But this work is a work I'm going
to do alone. Do you hear people make this
statement? I'm assured for heaven as if I was already there. And
for the believer, that's true. In this sense, you are already
there, seated with Christ. Isn't that right? So isn't it
more comforting to say this? I'm assured for heaven as Christ
is already Because He accomplished salvation. If He's there, thou
shalt follow Him afterwards. Chris, I can hallelujah that.
If my substitute's already there, there's no doubt I'll follow
Him there. Now, you remember when our Lord was talking to
those unbelieving religious people, the Jews of His day, He told
them something similar to what He told His disciples. He told
them, I'm going to go away. You'll see me. but you shall
not find me." But he says something a little bit different to Peter,
doesn't he? He said, Peter, you'll seek me, you won't be able to
find me. Where I go, you can't come now. There's a difference. You can't
come with me now. You'll find me afterwards. You'll
follow me afterwards. Those Jews, the Lord said, you'll
never find me. You'll never follow me. Well,
why not? Why will Peter follow them and
those Jews won't? Because our Lord died for Peter.
He didn't die for those Jews. And everyone that Christ died
for will follow Him there. Will be with Him in glory forever.
All because of the work of salvation that Christ did by Himself. Salvation is a work that Christ
does by Himself. Third, salvation in Christ and
by Christ will produce a new man. Look back at verse 34. A new commandment I give unto
you that ye love one another, as I have loved you, that ye
also love one another. By this shall all men know that
ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another." And because
of the death of Christ, God's elect will be born again. Everyone that Christ died for,
Wayne, they must be given life. They must. Because Christ died
for us. If he died to death, we deserve.
We must be given His life. And that new man who's born in
the new birth, he follows a new commandment, from a new heart,
with new motives, following a new example. All things are made
new. That new man who's born in the
new birth, he's born with the Spirit of Christ. He's born with
the nature of Christ. He's made a partaker of the divine
nature. Does Christ love His people?
Absolutely he does. And that new man who is born
in the Spirit of Christ, partaker of His nature, will be loving. Has to be. Look across the page
here at John 15, verse 13. I ask you, does Christ
love His people? Yeah, He does. Greater love hath
no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. Christ lay down His life. for His people. You mean to tell
me that Christ died for a sinner like me? That Christ would suffer
and die? That He would take the sin of
a wretch like me? Brother, if that isn't love,
the ocean is dry. There's no clouds in the sky
and a sparrow can't fly. Greater love has no man's ever
seen than this. Christ died for me. Try to get a hold of that. Now
that new man that's born of that Savior, from that love, is going
to be a man who loves. He has to be. Because he's got
the nature of Christ. Now look at verse 12 here in
John 15. One verse up. This is my commandment. That
you love one another as I have loved you. That's the commandment.
You love one another as I've loved you. Here's the example. Greater loveth no man than this.
The man laid down his life for his friends. In verse 14, here's
the result. You are my friends. If you do
whatsoever I command you. The result is you will do what
he commands. What your Lord and Savior commands.
Because that's your new nature. The new man has got a loving
nature. A perfect nature. Yet, you know this, Scripture
commands us. We just read it twice. Scripture
commands us to love one another. I've got a nature that loves.
Why do I have to be commanded to love? Because I've still got
that old nature too. And that old man is unchanged
by the new birth. Any hatred, any discord that
we feel, that comes from the old man. And we're commanded
to fight against it. This is not a suggestion. This
is not a good idea. You know, make your life more
pleasant if you do. This is the commandment of the
Savior. You fight against it. You love
one another. This is like a parent on the
deathbed. Our Lord's preparing to die.
Very shortly, He's going to die. This is His final words to His
little children. Just like the final instruction
of a father as he's dying to his children. That make you want
to pay attention? The dying words of our Savior,
the dying instruction of our Savior is this, a new commandment
I give unto you, that you love one another. If I have loved
you, that you also love one another. By this all men know that you
are my disciples, if you have love one to another. Does that
grip your heart? It does if Christ died for you. This new commandment, look back
at Leviticus 19. And our Lord says, I'm giving
you a new commandment. Well, it's not a new commandment
in this sense. It's not newly given. This commandment's
been given before. The Old Testament law required
love. It sure did. Look at Leviticus
19, verse 18. Thou shalt not avenge nor bear
any grudge against the children of thy people, but thou shalt
love thy neighbor as thyself." Who said that? I am the Lord.
This is the commandment of the law. Now look at 2 John. John backs this up in 2 John,
verse 5. And now I beseech thee, lady,
not as though I wrote a new commandment unto thee. This is not new. But
that which we had from the when, the beginning, this is ancient
commandment, that you love one another. And this is love, that
we walk after his commandments. This is the commandment, that,
as you've heard from the beginning, you should walk in it. That you
walk in love one with another. But this old commandment is made
new by the death of Christ. Now see if I can show you how
that is so. The old commandment is made new
by the death of Christ. Now we have a new example of
love. As I have loved you, you love
one another. There's a new motive of love.
Not out of obedience to the law. This is not, you know, under
threat of the law and threat of death that you love one another.
This is out of obedience. Little children, be obedient. This is out of obedience. to
the Savior who died for you and the Savior that loved you. That's
new, isn't it? That's much different than the
law. This love comes from a new heart. It's not written on parchment.
It's written on your heart by the finger of God. All things
are new. So the commandment is love one
another. Alright. How? You love one another as Christ
is love to you. Well, how does Christ love His
people? Let me give you five things. Number one. He loves His people without any
reason. For no reason whatsoever. We
found it in ourselves. Just because He would. You and
I are sinners. Sinners by birth. Sinners by
choice. Sinners by practice. We have
never given God the first reason to love us. Not one. And he loves
his people. Someone says, well, they wronged
me. They never apologized to me, so I refuse to love them. I'll say I love them, but I don't
have anything to do with them. Well, now wait a minute. That's not
the way Christ loves you. Aren't you glad it's not? You
and I have sinned against God. We've wronged God with our sin. Yet while we were yet sinners,
Christ died for us in the greatest display of love mankind has ever
seen. He loved us without reason. You
love one another without reason. Second, how has Christ loved
his people? Loved us first. Someone said,
well, they don't love me, so I'm not going to love them. I'm
just going to stay separated from them. I don't care about
them. Let them go on. Now wait a minute. Is that the
way Christ loved you? People who love build bridges. They don't blow them up. They
build them. You know why? Because that's how Christ loves
us. We hated God. That's why the nature we're born
with hates God. But God, They'll but God loved
us first. So what did he do? He came where
we are. Adam sinned and created a great
gulf between God and men that man cannot cross. Even if we
wanted to, we couldn't cross it. So in the person of his Son,
the Almighty crossed that mighty gulf that divided us and him. He came where we are because
He loved us. He was made what we are because
He loved us. And in response, we love Him. He built the bridge. He crossed
that mighty gulf because He loved us. And in response, we cross
the bridge back and go to Him. Now you love one another that
way. You build bridges. Don't let this separation get
set in stone. You build the bridge. Don't wait
on somebody else to do it. You do it. He loved us first. Third, how has Christ loved His
people? He loves us equally. Christ, His love is far different
than ours. You know, we've got our favorites,
don't we? Christ loves the least as much as He loves the greatest.
He loves His children equally. Now you love one another that
way. Let your love be without dissimulation. Fourth, How does
Christ love His people? Well, He didn't love in word
only, did He? We saw His love in action. How do we know? He laid down His life for us.
Greater love is no man than this. He laid down His life for His
friends. He put His love in action. He
came to us where we are and He saved us by His grace. He willingly
shed His blood to wash us free from every sin. He gave us a
new nature. He did that because He loves
us. Now you put your love in action. The greatest way you
can put your love in action is how? Give of yourself. Isn't that how the Lord loved
you? He gave of Himself for you. Now you give of yourself for
your brethren. You forgive as God, for Christ's sake, forgave
you. You seek avenues of union just like Christ made a union
with you. He brought you into union with
Him. Now you seek avenues of union. Fifth. How does Christ love His people?
The best way I can think of to sum it up is this one word. Anyway. He loved us anyway. Someone says, well, they did
this, or they did that, or they said this, or they said that. All that is, is trying to think
up an excuse to justify our sin, justify our disobedience. Whatever
it is, somebody did to you. Whatever it is somebody said
about you, we did that more to Christ. And He loved us anyway. Anyway. Peter denied Him. John deserted Him. Thomas doubted
Him. He loved Him anyway. There's
little children. Having loved His own which were
in the world, He loved them to the end. Showing love. It's vital for a believer. It's
vital. By this, all men know that you're
my disciples, if you've got your doctrines straight. Isn't that
what he said? By this, all men know that you're
my disciples, if you're a pretty good Calvinist. Isn't that what
he said? By this, all men know that you're
my disciples, if you give enough, and you do enough, and you preach
enough, and you teach enough, and you keep the roads hot traveling
thousands of miles to preach the gospel. You know what he
said? By this shall all men know that
you are my disciples if you work miracles and speak in tongues.
You know what he said? By this shall all men know that
you are my disciples if you have love one to another. In the days
of the early church, I read that the heathen always knew when
they saw two disciples pass one another on the street. Because
every time they did, there was a display of affection. They
stopped and they hugged one another. They kissed their cheek. I don't
know what they did, but there's always a show of affection because
they loved one another. It was obvious. When men know
that you're a disciple of Christ, when you see your brother have
need and you feel it. When you forgive a wayward brother.
When love overlooks a multitude of sins. We have show of affection. A genuine heartfelt show of affection. Now I'm thankful to have that
here. But now guard it carefully. Guard
it carefully. Because the badge of discipleship
is love. I know I can't see your heart.
But I can see your love in action. I surely can. I can't tell him
there's a Lord who doesn't. That's above my pay grade. But
I can see your love in action. Look at 1 John chapter 3. Now
John heard our Lord making these statements personally. Later
on, after some years gone by, this is what he wrote. 1 John 3, let's begin reading in
verse 11. For this is the message that
ye heard from the beginning, that we should love one another.
Not as Cain, because of that wicked one that slew his brother.
And wherefore sleuthing him? Because his works were evil and
his brothers righteous. Marvel not, my brethren, if the
world hates you. That's their nature. But now
don't you be like them. We know, here's how you know
you've passed from death unto life. You were born with the
nature of this world that hates God, that hates his gospel, hates
his people, that hates everything but yourself. How do you know
you've passed from death unto life? Because we love the brethren. He that loveth not his brother
abides in death. Whosoever hateth his brother
is a murderer. and ye know that no murder hath
eternal life abiding in him, hereby perceive we the love of
God, because he laid down his life for us, and we ought to
lay down our lives for the brethren. But whoso hath this world's good,
and seeth his brother hath need, and shutteth up his bowels of
compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him? How can
you say the love of God dwells in him? He is not one to give
of himself, he is not one to give of his groceries, much less
of himself. Let us not love in word, neither
in tongue, but in deed and in truth." Now look over at chapter
4. I'm not done on this subject.
Chapter 4, verse 7. Beloved, let us love one another,
for love is of God. And everyone that loveth is born
of God and knoweth God. He that loveth not knoweth not
God, for God is love. And this was manifested, the
love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten
Son into the world that we might live through him. Herein is love. Not that we love God, but that
he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our
sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one
another. No man has seen God at any time.
If we love one another, God dwelleth in us and his love is perfected
in us. Now look down at verse 19. Now we do love him. We love him because he first
loved us. If a man say I love God and hateth
his brother, he's a liar. For he that loveth not his brother
whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen?
And this commandment have we from him, that he who loveth
God love his brother also. You reckon John got the message?
I think he did, didn't he? He heard what the Lord said.
That new man who's born has got a new nature. He's born of God
and he's going to show love. This is the commandment. If you
love one another as Christ has loved you and you believers,
that new man who's born in you is perfect. He's going to love. He's perfect. He's righteous.
He cannot sin. But none of our actions are perfect. None of them will be perfect
until we get rid of this flesh, this body of flesh, this body
of sin. I look at myself and all I see
is sin, sinful actions, sinful thoughts, sinful dreams, sinful,
sinful, sinful, sinful, sinful. Are you that way? I've got a
word to comfort you. Here's the fourth truth about
salvation. Salvation is for sinners. Is there any sinners here this
morning? Salvation is for you. Look at
verse 37. Peter said unto him, Lord, why
cannot I follow thee now? I will lay down my life for thy
sake. And Jesus answered him, Wilt thou lay down thy life for
my sake? Verily, verily, I say unto thee,
the cock shall not crow, for thou hast denied me thrice. is so sure of himself. We are too. We can't be looking
down on our brother Peter. We're sure of ourselves too.
Just real sure. Well, just wait. The Lord removes his hand for
a moment. We'll just blow the lid off of
it. Now, Peter's not lying. Peter loves the Lord. He does. This emotion is not
fake, and he meant what he said. Lord, I'll die for you. He meant
to die for him in the garden. He took that sword out. He's
going to take that whole crowd out on just one sword. I mean, he
was willing to die for the sake of the Lord. He really was. And
our Lord, when he says, Will you, Peter? He's not questioning
Peter's sincerity. He knows Peter's willing. He
really is. But our Lord knows this. Spirit's
willing, and the flesh is weak. The flesh is weak. Peter's going
to learn this. It's easier many times, probably
all the time, I don't know, to die for the Lord than to live
for Him. If I die for Him, it's over.
I'm with the Lord. But it's harder to live bearing
the insults and hatred of this world. And Peter's face to that
he folded, didn't he? is going to deny the Lord three
times. After our Lord's died, Joseph
of Arimathea came and took His body. With Nicodemus, they went
and buried Him. Peter didn't go. Do you ever wonder why? Can you imagine how Peter felt? The Lord's dead and he's buried. Peter knew Judas hung himself.
It seems like his whole thing is unraveling. What happened?
Everything I was expecting. Everything the Lord said. It
seems like it's all unraveling, doesn't it? And Peter thought,
I'm responsible for this. I denied it. I denied it. Peter had to think. The Lord
cast me off. Peter heard. I don't know if
he was there to hear it, maybe somebody told him, but he heard.
The Lord told that thief, that thief who said, I'm getting what
I deserve. This is exactly what I deserve
to be put to death. Our Lord told that wretch today,
thou shalt be with me in paradise. Peter got no such message. Peter, listen to me. You Peters, you listen to me. Christ died for sinners. Christ died for sinners. He didn't
die for good people. He died for sinners. Are you
a sinner? Your sin is forgiven. I can tell
you without fear of contradiction, your sin is forgiven. Here's why I can be so bold.
Because the blood of Christ is never shed in vain. Your sin is forgiven. If Christ
shed His blood for you, you're cleansed from every sin, from
every stain. Now, there's no excuse for sin. This doesn't make us want to
feel like we've got a license for sin. Not at all. I hate my
sin. I'm determined to not sin again. And my first breath after that
statement, I ruined it. But when any man sin, we have
an advocate with the Father. I made this statement a couple
of weeks ago. I think it was on Wednesday night. Any man sin,
we have an advocate with the Father. And that advocate, that
attorney, never lost a case. On the way out the door, Dale
Parker made this statement. He said, our advocates never
lost a case because every case he takes, they're not guilty.
He made them not guilty. The advocate died for them. He shed his blood for them and
made them not guilty. Now, they're sinners, but Christ
died for sinners. He made them not guilty. He made
them the righteousness of God in Him, and they're saved. Their
salvation is secure. You shall follow Him later. You shall. Whatever darkness
you have to go through, and there'll be darkness. I can't explain
it. Can't do it. I won't tell you
it's not real, because it's real darkness. I won't tell you it
won't last forever. You know that. But it's going
to be real darkness. It's going to be tough. Whatever
darkness you go through, Between here and there, you're going
to go there. Thou shalt follow me later. Because Christ died for sinners.
Because of the death of Christ that accomplished salvation. Salvation that glorifies God. Salvation that Christ accomplished
alone. Salvation that's going to produce
a new man. Salvation that's for sinners. That's good news for
sinners. Let's bow in prayer. Our Father, how we beg of Thee
that You'd bless Your Word, cause Your Word to reach the hearts
of Your people, to glorify Your Son in our hearts, in our understanding,
in our vision, and to comfort the hearts of Your people, to
comfort those who are in darkness and difficulty and they don't
know which way to turn. Father, they're Your little children.
Give them a sight of your glory and it will all be well. How
we thank you for our Lord Jesus Christ. How we thank you that
he died for sinners. What a glorious gospel, a gospel
that glorifies the entire Godhead and enables us to be glorified
in him. Father, we're thankful. Bless your word, we pray. It's
in Christ's name. We pray and we ask these blessings.
Amen.