Let's take our Bible and find
Galatians chapter 1. Galatians chapter 1. I know this
is usually your Bible study time where your pastor brings you
a Bible lesson, so let's take the Word of God and let's study
together this morning. As Brother Mahan used to say
from time to time, I don't want to preach to you so much as to,
but maybe just to visit with you a while. to visit with you
a while. I do have a message the Lord
has laid on my heart for you at this time found in Galatians
chapter 1. Galatians chapter 1. I'm entitling
the message Six Marks of the Certified Gospel. Six Marks of
the Certified Gospel. That is the genuine gospel. the only gospel of God concerning
the Lord Jesus Christ. Now, we'll come back to verse
11 in a minute, but let's just look at verse 11 and verse 12
about this certified gospel. Now, I've been looking at Galatians
for many, many years, over 30 years, and somehow I've missed
this one word here. I've read it, I know. Verse 11,
I certify you. I certify you. I certify, I guarantee
you, brethren, that the gospel, that's where I got my title,
certified, certified gospel, which was preached of me is not
after man. It's not man's gospel. It's God's
gospel. For I neither received it of
man, neither was I taught it by man, but by the revelation,
the revelation but by the revelation of Jesus Christ, the certified
gospel. About thirty years ago or so,
when I first stood before many of you as a young lad at that
time, the first time I stood before many of you to bring a
gospel message, as Brother Mahan asked me to bring a message to
you one Wednesday evening, And the text I selected to bring
the message was from Galatians chapter 1. And when Frank called
me to come and bring a message to you today, I thought about
Galatians chapter 1. Galatians chapter 1 came back
to my mind. Well, this book has been one
of my favorites for many, many, many years. And I pray that God
will enable us to preach Christ unto you. the gospel of the Lord
Jesus Christ. I'll tell you what happens when
Christ is, you remember over in John 12 he said, if I be lifted
up I'll draw, I'll draw all unto me. When Christ is lifted up
in the preaching of the gospel, There is a drawing and a wooing
in the heart of God's people near unto Him. As Christ is lifted
up and He's exalted, the Lord blesses that to the hearts of
His people. And there is that, remember in Luke 24 when the
Lord was preaching and teaching those two men on the road to
Emmaus, and you remember what they said later? They said, didn't
our hearts burn within us when He opened the Word of the Lord
unto us? That's what we experience when
we come together in these times and when we lift up Christ and
preach the gospel and he's exalted and our hearts are warmed and
God the Holy Spirit takes those things of Christ and reveals
them unto us and it just warms us, it burns us, it enlightens
us, it enlivens us, it rejoices our heart, doesn't it? It does. The hearts of God's people. I
found this over the years to be true. You'll never find a
believer complaining about, well, you know, all he preaches is
Christ. I've never heard a believer complain
about that Christ is preached too much, too often, or he's
preaching too high, exalting too high, give him all the glory.
I'd like to be guilty of such, of preaching the Lord Jesus Christ
too much, too often, too high. You can't preach him too high
because God has highly exalted him and given him a name which
is above every name, that name. Every knee will bow and every
tongue will confess. Now, let's get back to the text
here for a moment. We see here in this first chapter
of Galatians a terrible and dreadful consequence of preaching or believing
what he says here in verse 6, 7, 8, and 9 of a different gospel. He uses the word here, another.
You see that? Verse 6, I marvel that you are
so soon removed from him that called you. into the grace of
Christ unto something different, another gospel. Now, just make
no mistake, there's only one gospel, right? One Lord, one
faith, one baptism. But some here who came in among
these churches and who said they were believers, they tried to
add circumcision, remember? They were saying that Christ
was not enough, that you had to have a little bit more. Is
the Lord Jesus Christ enough? If he's all you've got, everything,
Christ is all and in all. Now, which is not another, verse
7, but there be some that trouble you and would pervert or change
the gospel of Christ. But though we are an angel, here's
the dreadful consequence of preaching or believing another message,
changing the message, changing God's gospel or attempting to. But though we or an angel from
heaven preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have
preached, let him be damned." That's the word there, a curse.
And then he says, in case you misunderstood what I said, I'm
going to tell it to you one more time. If any man, angel from
heaven, or anyone preach any other gospel unto you than that
which you have already heard and received, this certified
message, this certified gospel, Well, the consequences are dreadful. Let him be damned. Damned. If any man loved not
the Lord Jesus Christ, remember over in the Corinthian epistles,
if any man loved not the Lord Jesus Christ, let him be condemned. Now, there's just one gospel
that there are many people, and even in the early days, in the
early church, there came among those early believers, those
who tried to pervert or change the message of grace alone, Christ
alone, through the glory of God alone. There's just one gospel,
and to try to change it is to pervert the gospel of God. In
Galatians chapter 5, we read where Paul says, A little leaven
leaveneth the whole lump. Now, you ladies who bake know
what that's talking about. Just a little bit affects the
whole lump. So the point is, if you introduce
human merit and creature works into the scheme of God's gospel,
you change it from grace to works. It becomes another message, another
gospel. Now hold your place here and
turn back a few pages into 2 Corinthians chapter 4. And Paul here talks
about, if he that cometh among you, preach another, another
Jesus. whom we've not preached." See,
a counterfeit. Someone who wants to and can't
and tried in faith, that's a counterfeit. Whom we've not preached, or if
you've received another spirit, which you have not really received,
not if you're a believer, or another gospel, which we have
not accepted, you might well bear with me. That's what Paul
was saying. See the marginal reference. Don't
leave the gospel, and don't listen to these jack-legged preachers
who come preaching another gospel, another message, another spirit. Now, look at verse 11 and 12
again in Galatians chapter 1. Here the Apostle Paul declares
unto us that the gospel of Christ, that is the power of God into
salvation, is not after man. You see that? I certify you,
brethren, that the gospel which was preached of me is not after
man. Well, I neither received it of
man, neither was I taught it from a man, but by the revelation
of the Lord Jesus Christ Himself." Now, here the apostle declares
unto us the certified gospel that he preached that he made
known unto them, and the gospel that he preached unto them was
not after the origin of men. You see, the gospel is the gospel
of God, not of man, nor from man, but rather by the revelation
of the Lord Jesus Christ. Our Lord said to Peter and those
that day, whom do men say that I, the Son of Man, am? Well,
some said, you know, you're one of the other prophets, or maybe
John, come back from the dead. But the Lord said to Peter, whom
do you say that I am? And he said, Thou art the Christ,
the Son of the living God. Blessed art thou, Peter, Simon
Peter, for flesh and blood hath not revealed this unto you, but
my Father, my Father hath. You see, the gospel, the gospel
of the Lord Jesus Christ to the heart of God's people comes by
revelation. It comes by revelation. You don't
educate folks into the kingdom of God. They're born into the
kingdom of God. And it's a revealing of the gospel
of God that shines in the face and the glory and the person
of the Lord Jesus Christ. God's gospel. The gospel of the
Lord Jesus Christ. The gospel of His grace. The
gospel of His glory. The gospel of God is older than
the fall. It's older than the fall. It's
older than creation. The gospel is an everlasting
gospel. Before Adam fell, before Adam
fell, turn over to Titus chapter 1, before Adam fell, before sin
entered in, before Adam fell, the Lord Jesus Christ stood,
didn't he? He stood as a surety. He stood
as a representative, the federal head, the mediator of the covenant
of God's grace in Christ Jesus. You see, the gospel predates
the fall. It predates sin entering in.
It's the ancient gospel. It's the gospel of God. Look
what he says here in Titus chapter 1. Paul, verse 1, a servant and
apostle of Jesus Christ, according to the faith of God the left,
and acknowledging of the truth which is after godliness, in
hope of eternal life which God that cannot lie promised before
the world began. He promised. The Lord Jesus Christ
is a lamb slain before the foundation or from the foundation of the
world, but hath in due times manifested his word through preaching
which is committed unto me according to the commandment of God our
Savior in hope of eternal life which God that promised cannot
lie from eternity." You see, the gospel is not of man. The gospel is a revelation of
the Lord Jesus Christ. You see, it's God's gospel in
the fact that He is the, He's the author of it. He is the author
of it. He's the author of eternal salvation. He has saved His people with
an everlasting salvation. It's God's gospel in that He's
the subject of it. He's the subject of it. The Lord
Jesus Christ is called in that same epistle we read just a moment
ago in Titus, He's called, I like that phrase, we just read, God
our Savior. You see, it's God's gospel. He's
the author of it. He's the subject of it. The Lord
Jesus Christ is God, our Savior. He is God Almighty, manifest
in the flesh. Without controversy, great as
the mystery of godliness, God was manifest in the flesh. That's
who the Lord Jesus Christ is. He said on more than one occasion,
when you've seen me, He said you've seen the Father. I and
the Father, we are one. One. So it's God's gospel, not
man's gospel. He's the author of it, the subject
of it. He's the executor of it. God who hath begun a good work
in you. God who hath begun the work. It's His gospel to execute it,
isn't it? It's His gospel to apply it to
whom He will. It's His gospel to sustain this
gospel. It's His gospel to reveal this
gospel unto His people. But when it pleased God, who
separated me from my mother's womb, and called me by His grace
to reveal His Son in me, that I might preach Him among the
heathen, immediately I conferred not with flesh and blood." to
reveal his Son in me." Christ in you is the hope of glory. He's the executor of it. God
who has begun a good work in you, he will finish it, perfect
it, complete it. He is the revealer of it. He's
hid these things from the wise and prudent and revealed them
unto babes. It's God's gospel in that he sustains us in this
thing we call salvation, perseverance. Faith, we're kept by the power
of God. You see, the Lord Jesus Christ
said that His sheep, they hear my voice, I know them and they
follow me. And I give unto them temporary
life. Some of you are shaking your
heads. Woke some of you up, didn't it? Come on now, stay with me. I give unto them eternal life. And He said they'll never perish.
They can't. Our Savior, God our Savior, is
eternal, and we're in Him. He's seated on the throne, and
we're already in Him, seated in the heavenlies in Christ Jesus.
You see, it's God's gospel. This is a certified message.
You see, this is a certified gospel. There's only one gospel. Now, having said all that, let's
see if we can define it, okay? It's found right here in front
of us. Any time anybody ever asks you to define the gospel,
it's right here, verse 3, 4, and 5. Let's look at it again.
Verse 3, 4, and 5. Here's a good, plain, simple,
God, Holy Spirit-given description of the gospel, the certified
gospel of God concerning the blessed Savior. Let's read verse
3, 4, and 5. Grace be unto you, and peace
from God the Father, and from our Lord Jesus Christ, who gave
himself for our sins. Now let me give you these points
here. Point number one, you see that word? Grace. Grace. Grace. Point number two, peace. Peace. Peace from God our Father,
from the Lord Jesus Christ. Point number three, who gave
himself for our sins, Number four, that he might deliver us
from this present evil world. Five, according, deliver us from
this present evil world according to the will of God our Father,
to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen. Now that sums it
up. It's all right there. The definition, if you want to
look for a good definition of the gospel, it's all through
God's word. This morning, we're going to
focus on what he says right here, okay? And I think it'll help
you if someone asks you, what do
you preach down there? How do you define the gospel?
How is what your pastor preaches, how is it different from what
my pastor is preaching? Is there a difference? Okay. Let's see, let's find out here.
I think we can tell. He gives us here six distinct
marks of a certified gospel, and I want us all to consider
this question, and I want you to take this personal. Is the
gospel I believe the certified gospel? Now, is the gospel you believe,
is it the certified gospel? Or is it what he calls here another
gospel, a different gospel? Now that other gospel doesn't
save, it won't save the flea. The gospel of God is the power
of God in salvation. He's able to save to the uttermost
all that come to God by Him. So, here's the first thing. The cause of salvation. The cause
of salvation. You see it in verse 3? The cause
of salvation is the grace of God. The cause of salvation is
the grace of God, the sovereign favor and almighty, the sovereign
favor, almighty, irresistible grace of God. This grace of God
is the sovereign pleasure of God, the sovereign favor of God,
the will of God that cannot be frustrated, cannot be confused
or distorted. Now turn one page, turn one page
to Galatians chapter 2. This is one of my favorite verses.
You want to know my favorite verse? One of my favorite verses,
I have put it that way. I've had I have a lot of favorites,
but this verse got a hold of me by the early years ago, way
back in the 70s, way back in the 70s. The Lord used this verse
right here to really ground me and settle me and root it in
the gospel. Verse 21, Galatians 2, 21. I
do not frustrate the grace of God, distort it, confuse it,
change it, for righteousness is by the law. then Christ is
dead in vain. Righteousness can come, but if
I can be justified by something I do, then why is it necessary
for the Lord Jesus Christ to come and give his life, lay down
his life, obtain for us eternal redemption, everlasting redemption
in Christ. So the gospel of God starts with
the grace of God, the grace of God. The grace of God all the
way through any sinner, that we see the grace of God in God
saving any sinner. Any sinner coming to believe
and love the gospel from election to glorification is all of God's
grace. The gospel starts with grace,
continues with grace, and it ends with grace. I thought of
this. What begins in grace, think with
me, what begins in grace ends in glory. Is that right? That's
so. What begins in grace ends in
glory. Noah found... Noah found... What's that word?
Grace! In the eyes of the Lord. I knew
what it was. I just wanted to... Grace. Kind of help you maybe
remember again. Noah found grace. Noah found
favor in the eyes of the Lord. Salvation begins and ends and
all the way through is grace, grace, grace, and more grace.
When the Apostle is about ready to be executed, he's on death
row, the Apostle Paul, sitting on death row, knowing he's going
to die for his message, knowing he cannot change, he cannot recant,
he cannot back down, knowing that he's going to die for preaching
the gospel, he writes back to young Timothy and says, don't
be ashamed of me. or my gospel. It's God who saved
us and called us. And He did it with a holy calling,
not according to our works, but according to His own purpose
and grace. Two words, purpose and grace,
which He had given us in Him before the foundation of the
world. That's the grace of God I'm talking
about. Saving grace, sovereign grace,
electing grace. You see, it's electing grace
that chose us in Christ. Electing grace, right? There's
a remnant, Romans 11, there's a remnant according to the election
of grace. It's the grace of God that justifies the ungodly. We're
justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is
in Christ Jesus. It's His grace that called us
unto Christ. It's calling grace. We read that
a moment ago in verse 15. He called me by His grace. So
it's calling grace. It's electing grace. It's justifying
grace. It's redeeming grace. It's the
grace of God that brings us to believe the gospel. Did you know
that? Over in Acts 15, what I call
the first Bible conference, when they came together to consider
that question about circumcision in Christ, or whether it's salvation
all of Christ alone, Or do we need to add, you remember they
said, except you be circumcised after the manner of Moses, you
cannot be saved. And they came together to consider
that question. You remember Acts 15? And Peter
stood up and said, okay. He cleared the air, cleared the
floor. He said, we believe through the
grace of the Lord Jesus Christ that God's going to save us,
oh rebellious Jews, the same way he saves the ungodly pagan
Gentiles. Grace, grace, grace alone. You see, believing the gospel
is by the grace of God. I love that scripture over in
Ephesians chapter one which says, we believe, we do believe, but
faith's the gift of God. We do believe, but we believe
according to the working of His mighty power. Do you remember
reading that? You know what it talks about in the next verse?
It talks about the resurrection glory of the Lord Jesus Christ.
So what he's saying is this, the same power it took to raise
the dead body of the Lord Jesus Christ is the same power that
causes, the same power that raises a dead man up, gives him spiritual
life and causes him to believe the gospel. We believe according
to the working of his mighty power which he wrought in Christ
when he raised him from the dead. You see, believing the gospel
is a resurrection miracle. You've been raised from the dead.
Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ, he's born of God,
begotten of God. Well, point number one, you see,
this gospel is defined by the grace of God, right? Right, okay. And then we move on to the second
point he says there about peace, peace, peace. You see, this gospel of the grace of God,
this certified gospel, has the fruit, the second point is the
fruit of salvation by the grace of God, is peace with God. Peace with God. Now, most of
the epistles that you read of Paul where it says, grace be
unto you in peace, grace be unto you in peace. Now, if you read
through the epistles of Paul, most of them begin with this,
what we call a salutation or introduction, doesn't it? Grace
and peace. And a lot of people, well, they
just read over that, well, that's just a common salutation. It's
like good day or greetings or how you doing. And I tell you,
it's more than that. It's more than that. Grace and
peace from God. Look what it says. Grace unto
you and peace from God the Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ.
The origin of grace is in God, the heart of God, the purpose
of God. Now, grace and peace unto you is more than just a
common salutation. It is a declaration of the gospel
itself. There is no peace with God apart
from His grace. We would never know anything,
and it's never peace and grace when we read these salutations.
It's always grace and peace from our Lord Jesus Christ. You see,
this peace is the fruit of His grace. The fruit of His grace. We often hear, I believe Brother
Nybert made this statement last night, but I've got it written
down here too. And I worked on this last week, so I didn't look
at his notes, nor did he at mine. But we often hear people say
this or make this statement. I'm trying to make peace with
God. Or make your peace with God.
You can't do it, my friend. Can't do it. Tell me how can
a guilty vile sinner satisfy a thrice holy God? How can you
meet his holy standard of perfection by your doing? Forget it. Forget it. By the deeds of the
law shall no flesh be justified. Look right across the page in
Galatians 2 verse 16. Knowing that a man is not justified
by the works of the law but by the faith of Now notice how this
is said. Faith of Jesus Christ. Even we
have believed in Jesus Christ that we might be justified by
the faith of Christ, not by the works of the law. For by the works of the law shall
no flesh be justified in God's sight. Tell me then how is peace
made? How is God satisfied? How is
God's holy law honored? How can God be just and justify
the ungodly and not violate His holy character? Eric read a moment
ago. How about our just God and Savior? That's the only way that God
can justify the ungodly is through the Lord Jesus Christ making
peace with His own blood. Turn over here to Ephesians chapter
2. You see, the Lord Jesus Christ
God was in Christ making peace for us, reconciling us unto himself,
having satisfied the demands of his own holy law. He is called
the Prince of Peace. He is called the King of Peace.
The Lord Jesus Christ, he is our peace. Being justified by
faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.
Ephesians chapter 2, that at that time, verse 12, you were
without Christ, being alien from the commonwealth of Israel. strangers
from the covenant of promise, having no hope and without God
in this world, but now in Christ Jesus, ye who sometimes were
far off or made nigh, reconciled unto Him by the blood of Christ. For He," look at it right there,
where's peace? How's peace made? He made peace
for us with His own blood. We read that last night. But
Christ, He is ours. being found in Him, we have peace
with God. Peace, peace, peace with God. It is only peace with God through
the Lord Jesus Christ. This is the only certified and
accepted peace we have before God. This is the certified peace,
the certified gospel, the certified grace of God that tells us about
salvation that's of the Lord and of Him only. We count all
else but lost and dung and ruined that we may win Christ and be
found in him, not having our own righteousness which is of
the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the faithfulness
of Christ himself. He made peace for us with his
own blood." Is that the peace you have? The certified gospel tells us
about the peace we have in Christ Jesus with God Almighty. Thirdly
is this, the means of salvation. Here is the main point, really.
Verse 4, the means of salvation by the grace of God is Jesus
Christ Himself. You see that, verse 4? The means,
the means. Yes, God has ordained the end,
but He has also established the means to arrive at that predestinated
end. Who gave Himself for our sins? That sums it up right there,
doesn't it? The certified gospel has a certified sacrifice. The
certified gospel has a sacrifice that's accepted of God. It's God's lamb that's being
offered up. The means of salvation is the
Lord Jesus Christ. Now, look at those words there.
Who gave himself for our sin? Now, there's a whole message
right there. There's a whole outline right there. Turn over
to chapter 2, look, verse 20 this time. Galatians 2, verse
20. He said, I'm crucified with Christ,
nevertheless I live, yet not I, but Christ liveth in me. And
the life which I live in the flesh, I live by the faith of
the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. That sums it up, doesn't it? He gave himself for us. Now, we see several things here. We see, first of all, who he
is, his person, who, who refers back to God the Father, refers
back to the Lord Jesus Christ. Now turn to Galatians chapter
4. You see what gives, let me ask you this, look at Galatians
chapter 4 and think about this. What gives such infinite value
and glorious merit, saving power and efficacy to the blood of
the Lord Jesus Christ? Is it just that blood was shed?
No, it's who this one is that's dying. You see, it's who He is.
God bought the church with His own blood. It's who He is that
gives infinite value and saving power to His redeeming blood. Now, if you find Galatians chapter
4, verse 4, But when the fullness of the time was come, God sent
forth His Son, made of a woman, made under the law, to redeem
them that were under the law. that we might receive the adoption
of sons. And because you are sons, God
has sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your heart, crying,
Abba, Father. God sent forth his Son. He didn't
come unsent. He's the sent one of God. Who,
look back at verse 4, who gave himself. We see who he is, God
Almighty. given of God, Son of God, God
the Son, and then we see what He did. He gave Himself. He gave Himself for our sin.
You remember our Lord said in John 10, no man takes my life
from me. I have power to lay it down.
I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received
in my Father. He lays down His life willingly,
lovingly, reverently before God Almighty. as our substitute to
put away our sin. Now, who gave himself? Himself. Now, as our great high
priest, the Lord Jesus Christ is our great high priest, right?
Representing his people before God, right? What does he bring
as an offering unto God? Not the blood of bulls and goats,
Hebrews 9, 11, and 12. He didn't bring that typical
animal sacrifice, did He? He said, not with the blood of
bulls and goats, but with His own blood, He obtained for us
eternal redemption. When He by Himself purged our
sin, He sat down on the right hand of God, having made full
payment for our sin. Who gave Himself for our sins? For our sins. He was manifested
to take away our sin. You remember 1 John 3.5. He was
manifested to take away our sin, and in Him is no sin. The Lord
Jesus Christ then dies in our room and in our stead as my substitute. He took my place. He took my
guilt. He took my sin. He dies in my
place. The guilt and the wrath of God
due to my sin fell on my substitute, the Lord Jesus Christ. He dies
as a sinner's substitute. But this one who dies in our
place had no sin, knew no sin, and did no sin. It says in Hebrews
7, such a high priest became us who was holy, harmless, undefiled,
and separate from sin. Yet he dies for the sin of his
covenant people laid on him. Wounded for our transgression,
bruised for our iniquities. He bare our sin in his own body
on the tree, Peter says. The just one. He suffered once
for our sin, the just for the unjust that he might... I like
this word here. He died... I like all those words,
but this one particular word here speaks sweet comfort to
my heart. Christ also once suffered for
our sin, the just for the unjust, HB, that he might bring us, bring
us. I like that word. If he doesn't
bring me, I'm not coming. No man can come unto me, except
the Father which sent me draw him. He loved his people with
an everlasting love, therefore with loving kindness does he
draw them to himself. The Lord Jesus Christ dies the
appointed death at the appointed time for the appointed people.
He is the appointed sacrifice that God required. Never think
of the Lord Jesus Christ as a helpless victim of godless men. He is
the appointed sacrifice of a thrive holy God. John said, Behold the Lamb of
God that taketh away our sin. We are redeemed with the precious
blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. He bought us. He loved the church
and gave himself for it. You reckon? You reckon that he's
going to take home what he bought? Paul, when he writes to the Corinthians,
said, God bought you with a price. You are not your own. You're
redeemed with his blood. He's going to have what he bought.
Now I can make a, I can give you a homely illustration, a
homely illustration about his purchasing power. When you ladies
make out your grocery list and you go down there to Walmart
and you make a, what do you make? You make a purchase, don't you?
I mean, you selected what you, you elected what you're going
to buy, right? You wrote a list, you went in there and picked
it up and paid for it in full. Now, you leave your groceries
in the store and go home? Not on purpose you don't. Now, sometimes we do that, unintentionally. But when you go to the store
and make a purchase, what are you going to do? You're going
to take it home with you. That's right. That's right. The
Lord Jesus Christ is going to make such a great purchase price
to purchase his people with his own blood and not bring them
home to glory. I love that scripture over in
Hebrews 2 where it talks about behold I and the children. I
can just imagine the Lord saying behold I and the children and
we're all here. He presents us before the Father.
You see, he can't lose any of his sheep. He bought them. He's
going to have them and he's going to take them home. He said, my
father has given them to me and they'll never perish. I give
unto them eternal life and I'll no way, no wise, never cast them
out. You see, he gave himself for
our sin. He paid our debt in full. Now, here's the center of this
message. Because it's the center of the gospel. Remember these
three things. God planned the cross. God planned
the cross. It's not an afterthought. God
planned the cross. Him being delivered by the determinate
counsel and foreknowledge of God. He planned the cross. We
read in Matthew chapter 12 that those Pharisees went out and
held a council how they might destroy Him. Remember they plotted
and planned to destroy Him. They schemed and hated and plotted
to kill Him. God beat it to him. God beat
it to them in the council halls of eternity. God determined him
being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of
God. You have taken and by wicked hand have crucified and slain
the Lord of glory. God planned the cross. It was
his intention and his purpose all along. Yes, Herod and Pontius
Pilate and the Jews and the Gentiles were gathered together for to
do whatsoever His purpose, His plan, His determination to be
done. They purposed what God determined
before to be done. That's how it said. That's what
it said. Yeah, they did what they wanted to do. But in doing
that, they they completed the purpose of God. God planned the
cross. Secondly, God presided over the
cross. Who was in charge that day? You know, Pilate thought
he was in charge. You remember, he said, don't
you know I have power to release you, I have power to crucify
you." And the Lord corrected him and said, you don't have
any power over me, father. Not at all. I have power to lay down
my life. I have power to take it again.
This commandment have I received of my father. You don't have
any power over me. If God ever vacated his throne, then he hasn't,
but it wouldn't have been on that day. He has all power. He's in charge of all things.
God planned the cross. Secondly, God presided over the
cross. He has all power in heaven and
earth. God participated in afflicting
him upon the cross. Right? God planned the cross. God presided over the cross.
That's right. And participated in afflicting
him, dear son. Now, listen to this carefully. It wasn't what men did that day
at the cross that's our hope, is it? Oh, they treated him with
such hatred and cruelty? But it wasn't what they did,
was it? No. It wasn't the pain that they
inflicted upon Him. It's what God was doing at the
cross. That's our hope. The Lord Jesus
Christ looks beyond the intimates of the cross to the author of
the cross and said it's of the Lord. You remember that scripture
over in Lamentations chapter 1? Is it nothing to you, all
ye that pass by, to hold and seek, or be any sorrow like unto
my sorrow? which is done unto me, wherewith,
wherewith the Lord hath afflicted me in the day of his fierce anger."
Why would God be angry at His Holy Son? One reason, S-I-N. God laid on Him our sin. This is the only certified sacrifice
that God will accept. God will only accept this sacrifice. God will only accept what He
has provided. were accepted in the Beloved.
The Lord Jesus Christ is that Lamb of God. As Abraham said
to Isaac, my son, God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering. This is the only sacrifice that
God has provided. This is the only sacrifice that
will satisfy God. This is the only sacrifice for
sin to put away sin. The only certified sacrifice.
Is that your hope of forgiveness? That sacrifice alone? Christ
putting away our sin. He appeared once in the end of
the age to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself. You see,
it pleased the Lord to bruise Him. He had put Him to grief. He had made His soul an offering
for sin. He shall see His seed, He shall
prolong His days, and the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in
His hand. Now, look back at the text again. Grace unto you and peace from
God our Father, from the Lord Jesus Christ, who gave himself
for our sins, that," what's going to happen? That, that, he might
deliver us from this present evil world. Here's the promise. Here's the promise of that Here's
the promise and character, the hallmark, the stamp, the assurance
of this certified sacrifice, this certified gospel that he
might deliver us from this present evil world. The Lord Jesus Christ
did not die to make salvation a possibility for all if they would meet certain
standards. The Lord Jesus Christ didn't
die to put men in a savable state. delivers us with his own blood. You see, the consequence of his
sacrifice has got to be the fruit of that death. He delivers us. He actually puts away our sin
and delivers us from the kingdom of darkness and puts us into
the kingdom of God's dear Son. The atonement of the Lord Jesus
Christ is an atonement. It's an atonement. It's not an
attempt, is it? I don't want an attemptment.
He didn't attempt to put away sin. The sacrifice of the Lord
Jesus Christ is a complete covering. He is a propitiation. Here in
His love, not that we love God, but that He loved us, sent His
Son to be the propitiation, the complete expiation, the complete
extermination of our sins. They no longer exist, and therefore,
He has delivered us. Put away our sin. God says their
sin and their iniquity, I remember no more. They no longer exist.
He actually delivers us with His bloody sacrifice. He actually put away our sin. The Spirit of the Lord is upon
me because he has anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor.
He has sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the
captives, recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty
them that are bruised. He redeemed us from the curse
of the law, being made a curse for us." Turn to Galatians chapter
5 verse 1. Stand fast therefore in the liberty
wherewith Christ has set us free. He set us free. Be not entangled
again with a yoke of bondage. He has delivered us. Call His
name Jesus. He shall save His people from
their sin. He shall deliver us. He is the
Redeemer who really delivers. He delivers upon His promise.
He is the Redeemer who really redeems us. And that word redeemed
also means deliverance. He's our deliverer. He is our
redeemer. He really has redeemed us from
our sin. He is a Savior who really saves
his people and cannot fail. He's able to save to the uttermost.
Again, this is the only certified gospel that really and actually
delivers us from the bondage of sin. Translates us out of
the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of God, dear son.
Is this a certified gospel that you believe? Grace, peace, He
gave Himself as a substitute to deliver us, to deliver us
up unto our Father. He who spared not His own Son,
but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also
free to give us all things, all things, all things in Him? Our
great God cannot fail to save His people and deliver them. Now look at this. I have to wind
this down. I know I'm preaching too long.
Verse 4, according to your free will. All this is contingent
upon, Eric, you're laughing. You know that it's not according
to your free will. You know how ridiculous that
sounds, because you know the truth. This salvation by the
grace of God is according to somebody's will, and it's not
yours. We're born again not of the will
of the flesh, not of the will of man, but we're born of God
according to His will. That's what it says there, according
to the will of God our Father. That's what it says. That's what
it says. That's what the certified gospel
says. Salvation by His will. His way. Salvation by the sovereign
will of God. He said, I will have mercy on
whom I will have mercy. I will have compassion on whom
I will have compassion. So then it's not of him that
willeth, nor of him that runneth, but it's God that shows mercy.
He does according to his will in the army of heaven and among
the heavens of this earth, and none can stay his hand or stand
to him. Lord God Almighty, what doest
thou? Of his own will beget he us with the word of truth. Now,
these people who insist upon this free will thing, We do have
a will, but it's not free. Our will is in bondage to our
rotten nature. And our rotten nature is always
self-worth and down-worth, never God-worth and up-worth. And I
can give you a very simple illustration. Man's will is like free-running
water. You put a garden hose out there
on the parking lot this morning and turn it on, which way is
that water going to go? Which way is it going to go?
Gary, you know, don't you? That's right. Downhill. Man's
will is like free-running water. It's always downhill. It's always
selfward and inward. Never Godward and upward. Never. He has to make us willing in
a day of His power. And if He doesn't invade us,
change us, make us new creatures in Christ, we'll never seek mercy
in Him. Never. Never. Oh, but I tell
you, when He wills our salvation, it will be done. He will conquer
the rebel. He will invade our heart. He
will make us a new creature in Christ Jesus. This is a certified
gospel. It's salvation by His will, determined
by Him, dependent upon Him, and accomplished by Him. Lastly,
you were waiting for me to say that, weren't you? Lastly, lastly,
this certified gospel that we have here, and this is a certified
gospel that's preached here, isn't it? According to God's
word that's been preached here since the get-go. Who gave himself
for our sin that he might deliver us from this present evil world
according to the will of God. Here's the clincher. To whom
be glory forever and ever. Amen. Dale, who gets the glory
and salvation by God's grace? If not, boy, look what I've done. If not patting anybody on the
back, to Him be the glory for great things He hath done. We
sing that song, don't we, Mike? To God be the glory. Great things
He hath done for us. The gospel that's a certified
gospel of God gives all the credit, honor, and glory to Christ alone.
Christ alone. God forbid. Turn to Galatians
chapter 6. I was determined to read a scripture
out of each of these chapters, and I think I've met that goal. But Galatians chapter 6, verse
14. God forbid I should glory, save
in the cross of the Lord Jesus Christ. It all gets down to His
glory. Now, I want you to turn to the
book of Jude. The book of Jude. It's right
over there before the Revelation. Look at Jude over there. Verse 24, you got it. You knew
where I was going anyway, didn't you? But Jude, we say chapter
one to just one chapter, verse 24. Now unto him that is able
to keep you from falling and to present you faultless before
the presence of his glory with exceeding joy. He's able. Willing
to be our kinsman, Redeemer. Remember the criteria had been
your kin had been willing, had be able the Lord Jesus Christ
is our able kinsman, Redeemer, now unto him that is able to
keep you from falling and to present you faultless for the
presence of his glory with exceeding joy to the only wise God, our
Savior, be glory and majesty and dominion and power both now
and forever. And what's that word? What's
that next word? We just looked at that word the
other night, didn't we? 2 Corinthians 1, verse 20. For of him and through
him, for all the promises of God in him are yes and amen. Amen. To the only wise God our
Savior be glory, majesty, dominion, power, both now and forever. Amen. Amen. This is the only certified gospel
that gives God all the honor and glory. And. You see, if we
just take and here's what we try to do in preaching and teaching
the gospel, your pastor does does this and for the mayhem
taught us well to do this, to take the word of God. And to
teach it line by line, verse by verse, book by book, chapter
by chapter, we don't need to to necessarily try to explain
things. I think I remember something
Brother Mahan said years ago. We're not in explaining business. We proclaim the gospel as it
is. We don't try to smooth it down
or take off the offense. It says that in Galatians chapter
5. If you remove the offense, you
remove the power of it. I think it's something old Scott
said years ago. He asked this question, well,
what is preaching? What is preaching? Well, we could probably define
it in a lot of ways. But you know what he said? It's
simply repeating what God's already said. And that's what I've tried
to do. And that's what God's servants
do. Simply repeat what God's already said. You can't improve
on the Word of God.