Turn back, if you will, to Hebrews
chapter 9. Hebrews chapter 9. We'll be taking
as our text verse 12. Just these words, by his own
blood. By his own blood. Let me read
you a comment, a statement by old Mr. Spurgeon. There's hardly
a preacher in the land these days that doesn't quote Spurgeon.
They despise the gospel that he preached, but they always
quote Mr. Spurgeon. Well, here's Spurgeon,
and he said this. He wrote, after some years' experience,
the Christian comes to know better than he did at the first how
much the gospel suits him. He finds that its simplicity
suits his bewilderment, its grace suits his sinfulness, its power
is suitable to his weakness, It's comfort to his despondence,
and the more he grows, the more he loves the gospel of the grace
of God. I find that exactly right, don't
you? That's exactly true. I need a
great Savior. I know there are professing Christians
today who claim that they reach what they refer to as a second
work of grace, that the old nature is completely eradicated, which
means they're without sin. I've not reached that plateau
yet. Neither have they. No, I realize the longer I served
Christ, the more, not the less, but the more I need him. The
more I need him. I'm not getting any better. I'm
not getting any better. I need a great Savior. And thank
God I have a great Savior to meet that need. Jesus Christ
himself. Let's read verse 12 again. again
together here in Hebrews chapter 9. Neither by the blood of goats
and of calves, but by his own blood, his own blood, O how valuable
is that! What is that accomplished? He
entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal
redemption for us. Christ entered in, not to obtain,
not in order to obtain, but because he had already obtained. That's
why he entered in, because he had already obtained eternal
redemption for us. He's welcomed back to glory as
the mighty victor that he is. Today we will once again celebrate
the Lord's Supper, the death of our Savior. We remember when
we do that. I thought about this for the
last several days, looking forward to this service. We will remember
the success of Jesus Christ, not what he attempted, but what
he accomplished. In Luke 18 he told his disciples,
and it was near that time for him to go up to Jerusalem, to
lay down his life for his people, and he said, Behold, behold,
we go up to Jerusalem, and everything, all things that are written in
the prophets and in the Psalms concerning the Son of Man shall
be, what did he say? Accomplished. Accomplished. He came to accomplish something.
He came to establish something to get the job done. We will
remember, and I'm happy that it's so, the success of Jesus
Christ who bore our sins in his own body on the tree. We rejoice
to know that he's now enthroned in glory because he obtained
our eternal redemption. Otherwise, he wouldn't be there.
There's an old hymn we haven't sung it for a long, long time.
on number 141, look ye saints, the sight is glorious. And there's not a more glorious
sight. The hymn writer wrote, look ye saints, the sight is
glorious. See the man of sorrows now. He's not the man of sorrows anymore.
From the fight returned victorious. Every knee to him shall bow. He accomplished what he came
to do. He did it. The last verse says, Hark, those
bursts of acclamation! Hark, those loud, triumphant
chords! Jesus takes the highest station! Oh, what joy the scythe affords! He obtained the eternal redemption
of his people by his own blood. We're going to mention several
things, five exactly. There's many more, but we'll
be brief on each one. These five things that Jesus
Christ accomplished by his own blood. And the first is this,
turn back if you will to chapter 1 here in Hebrews. Here is 1. He purged again, like our text,
obtained in the past tense. He purged. He didn't attempt
to do it. He didn't offer to do it. He
didn't try to do it. He didn't halfway do it. He purged
our sins. Look at verse 3 here in Hebrews
1. Who is describing the Son of God? who being the brightness
of his glory, that is God's glory, and the express image of his
person, and upholding all things. Oh, he does, he sounds so unlike,
so unlike that pitiful Jesus we hear about today that just
can't seem to have his way. He wants to save people, but
they just won't let him. He wants to be Lord, but they
just won't allow him. Oh, no, no. That's a figment
of man's imagination, his depraved imagination. No, the Lord Jesus
Christ is King of kings and Lord of lords. Again, Hebrews 1 and
3. And upholding all things by the word of his power, when he
had Oh, the hymn writer said, oh look ye saints, the sight
is glorious. When he had by himself purged
past tense, purged our sins, he sat down at the right hand
of the majesty on high. The son of God himself by himself
and by the sacrifice of himself made atonement for the sins of
his people. He took their sins upon himself. God made him who knew no sin
to be sin for his people. He made atonement for their sins.
He took their sins upon him and he bore them. He bore them. How
far? Away. He bore them away like
that scapegoat into the wilderness. He's driven away to never be
seen again. They're utterly abolished, which
the priest under the law, as Paul tells us here in Hebrews,
could never do when he had done so. Oh, here's the second phrase
there in the verse, verse 3 of Hebrews 1. After doing that,
after purging our sins, oh, look at the mighty captain of our
salvation. Look what he does. He does what
the high priest could never do. They stood. They stood daily
offering the same sacrifices. They stood. There was no place
for them to sit because their work was never done, but Jesus
Christ After he purged our sins, after he obtains eternal redemption,
he sat down at the right hand of the majesty on high. It shows
that he did his work and he was accepted and was now enjoying
the rest and the ease and the honor and the glory in which
he is due. And the place at whose right
hand he is, he sets now, is on high in the very presence of
God Almighty. Jesus Christ would never have
returned to his Father had his work been unfinished. As a matter
of fact, if the Lord did not obtain eternal redemption, if
he did not purge our sins, if he did not accomplish everything
God sent him into this world to do, He would have never rose
from the dead. No, no, no. He was declared to
be the son of God with power by the resurrection of the dead.
When he hung up on that cross, one of the last things he said,
taking on every divine prophecy, knowing now that all things were
fulfilled concerning him, he said, now it is finished. Three days later, God Almighty
demonstrated his satisfaction and his agreement with what his
son had accomplished when he raised him from the dead and
set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places. As we
said, the high priest, the priest, standeth daily ministering and
offering offering oftentimes the same sacrifices which can
never take away sin. Oh, but this man, oh, what a
sight. See the man of sorrows now, victorious. This man, after he had offered
one sacrifice for sins forever, he got the job done. It'll never
be repeated. That's what we read here in the
last part of chapter 9. He sat down at the right hand
of God, from henceforth expecting, till his enemies be made his
footstool, according to God's word, by one offering he hath
perfected forever those that are sanctified." Those that were
set apart in eternal glory. Turn, if you will, to Philippians
chapter 2. You know this, but it'll do us
good to look at it, to read it again together. Philippians chapter
2, we're told the very same thing. You notice in the word of God,
The writers made much of the death of Christ, spoke much about
it. As a matter of fact, Paul said,
unlike those that glory in the flesh, he said, God forbid that
I do that. I'll not join them. God forbid
that I should glory in anything but the cross of our Lord Jesus
Christ. And he didn't mean that wood, the cross, the literal
cross that Christ suffered on. He meant the atonement, what
Christ accomplished there. Philippians 2 and verse 5. Let
this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being
in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with
God, but made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of
a servant, and was made in the likeness of men. And being found
in fashion as a man, being made like unto his brethren, he humbled
himself and became obedient unto death. I come to do thy will,
O God. even the death of the cross.
Wherefore? Wherefore? Now we're going to
read what happens in light of what we just read, what Christ
had done, what he accomplished. Here's the reason. Wherefore? Because he failed? Oh no, because
he finished the work of redemption. He got it done. Wherefore God
also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is
above every name, that at the name of Jesus there is no doubt
about that. Rebels will not bow now unless
God makes them to bow. Oh, but one day every knee, no
exceptions, no exceptions, every knee at the name of Jesus shall
bow of things in heaven, and things in earth and things under
the earth. And every tongue should confess
that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father.
Again I repeat, God raising his son from the dead is absolute
proof that he accepted the sacrifice Christ made of himself to God
the Father. He made atonement to God. He
offered himself to God, to God. Ephesians chapter 1. speaks of
the power of God which he wrought in Christ, verse 20, Ephesians
1 and 20, which he wrought in Christ, that is God, when he
raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand
into heavenly places, far above all principality, and power,
and might, and dominion, And every name that is named, there's
none like, oh, Jesus Christ, there's just something about
that name. Kings and kingdoms shall all
pass away, return to dust, oh, but not the Lord Jesus Christ,
there's something about that name. Not only in this world,
but also in that which is to come. And he hath put, that is
God, hath put all things under his feet. It sounds like to me,
I'm not the brightest light in the house, but it sounds like
to me, reading those several passages, that Jesus Christ succeeded
in what he came to do. He didn't make a stab at it.
He didn't leave it half done. I told you before about my father
growing up, he was a strange man. When he said to do something,
he expected us to do it. That's odd in our day, isn't
it? But when he gave me and my brother something to do, He expected
us to do it, and I thought to myself, my soul, that man is
so hard to please. Oh, but God Almighty, he's hard
to please, isn't he? God is hard to please. Paul talked
about the foolishness and the futility of those his brethren
after the flesh, the Jews, that thought they could establish
their own righteousness before God Almighty. It's foolish, it's
absurd, it can't be done because God won't accept it unless it's
absolutely perfect. And nothing we can offer him,
nothing we can bring to him passes that test. It's not perfect. Oh, but the Son of God, When
the Son of God offered himself without spot to God, it was perfect
and God was satisfied. Christ was victorious. He satisfied
the justice of God. That's the second thing. As you've
heard me say about Brother Scott Richardson, he said before God
could do anything for the sinner, He has to do something for himself. Before God Almighty can forgive
any sinner of his sins, he must be just in doing so. There can
be no setting aside of his righteous justice. There can be no making
void of his demands. His justice must be satisfied.
He must remain just when he justifies a sinner. Now how can that be
done? How can that be accomplished?
Romans chapter 3 tells us. Romans chapter 3 speaks of the
Lord Jesus Christ satisfying the justice of God. This must
be done. Verse 21 of Romans 3. But now,
but now, the righteousness of God without the law is manifested,
being witnessed by the law and the prophets, even the righteousness
of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all
them that believe, For there is no difference. For all have
sinned and come short of the glory of God. Is there no hope
then of being justified freely? Don't you like that word? Come
take the water of life freely. Being justified freely by his
grace. How? On what grounds? Through
the redemption that is in Christ Jesus. Whom God has set forth
to be a propitiation through faith in his blood. to declare
his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past through
the forbearance of God. To declare, I say at this time,
his righteousness that he might be just and the justifier of
him which believeth on Jesus. John wrote, if we confess our
sins, God is faithful. Yes, God is always faithful.
Faithful to his son, faithful to his purpose, faithful to his
promise, faithful to his people. But that's not all that John
said. He's faithful and he's just. He's just. Mercy always
comes to the forgiven sinner on the wings of justice that's
been satisfied. I like that, don't you? The cross
not only shows the love of God more gloriously than anything
else, it also shows and exemplifies the righteousness of God, the
justice of God, the holiness of God. Why did Jesus Christ
have to die if it's only a matter of love? Why could not God have
said, I love you, I've loved you with an everlasting love,
therefore I forgive your sins? No, no. Justice. God's justice
stood opposed to that and said, I must be satisfied. And God's
justice and holiness and all the glory of his eternal attributes
shine forth at the cross. They all can be seen there together,
blending in perfect harmony. What can wash away my sins? My will won't do it. My works
won't do it. Not even my faith does. Not even
that precious gift of faith, real faith, by which we behold
the Lamb of God. That doesn't wash away my sins.
Oh, no, no. Jesus Christ by himself washed
our sins away. Nothing but the blood of Jesus.
Aren't you glad, thankful? Don't you thank the Son of God
that when you lie down tonight and you look back over the day,
And see, oh, how you've sinned, how you've failed, how you may
have dishonored God all in words and thoughts and deeds. Aren't
you glad that the grounds of your acceptance by that holy
God doesn't depend on what you do or fail to do? Aren't you
glad to know, doesn't it give you peace and comfort as you
lay your head down upon that pillow and before you fall asleep
to hear the Lamb of God declare, He took away all of our sins,
He made an end of transgression and brought in an everlasting
righteousness. Oh, what can wash away my sins? God told us what? When I see
the blood, when I see the blood, Hmm. When I see the blood, the
blood of my son, that satisfies me. That's enough. That's enough. I can demand no more. When I
see the blood, and he has seen the blood, he says, I will do
this. I promise you this. I will pass
over you. There's no condemnation to those
who are in Christ Jesus. God says, I will pass over you. The blood of Jesus Christ, God's
son, cleanses us from all sin. The blood of Christ alone satisfies
the justice of God and allows God to justify the sinner and
remain perfectly just in doing so. God is faithful and just
to forgive us our sins because Christ was made sin for us. Justification
is pronounced by him on the foot of a perfect righteousness, which
neither the law nor justice can find fault with. As a matter
of fact, they stand aside and say, satisfied. Satisfied, the
law and the justice of God are witnesses, witnesses that he
in perfect righteousness justifies the believing sinner. Oh, and
so he appears just and righteous even though he justifies the
sinner and the ungodly. The psalmist said, mercy and
truth are met together. They're not at odds. They're
friends. Mercy and truth are met together.
Righteousness and peace have kissed each other. That it has
now become not only an act of grace and mercy, but an act of
righteousness on God's part. For God to pardon the sins of
believers, having accepted the satisfaction of Christ by dying
made to his justice, for them." Christ again, when he offered
himself to God, cried, it is finished. And God responded,
yes, it is. I'm satisfied. I'm satisfied. I think I've told you about an
old brother in the church in West Virginia many years ago.
When we would observe the Lord's Supper, and I would call upon
him to pray, he would say, oh, Father, we thank you for the
sacrifice of your son. We thank you for the sacrifice
of the Lord Jesus Christ. We feast on Him, and you feast
on Him, Father, and we're both satisfied. Oh, we're both satisfied. Here's the third thing. By the
blood of Christ, by His own blood, He redeemed His people. By His
own precious blood, He redeemed His people. That's exactly what
Peter wrote in his first epistle, didn't he? 1 Peter chapter 1. Verse 18, for as much as you
know that you were not redeemed with silver and gold, with corruptible
things as silver and gold from your vain conversation received
by tradition from your fathers, but you were redeemed, what was
the price of that redemption? But with the precious, precious
blood of Christ as of a land without blemish and without spot. who barely was foreordained before
the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last
times for you." Oh, that great work of redemption. Christ loved
the church and gave himself for it, Paul said in Ephesians 5.
Christ said, I laid down my life for the sheep. The sheep. Christ, great rather as the work
of creation was, greater was the work of redemption. Oh, what
wisdom was seen in making us, but oh, what miraculous wisdom
in saving us. Great was the power in bringing
us out of nothing, but greater power in helping us when we were
worse than nothing in the new creation. God gave us ourselves
in creation, but in redemption, he gave us himself. God so loved the world, Jew,
Gentile, a world of elect sinners, that he gave his only begotten
Son. Here is a sentence along that
line by Brother Tommy Robbins. He wrote, commenting on 1 Peter
1, The blood of the Son of God is precious to the sons of God.
In context, precious simply means that the children of the living
God love the blood of Christ. They depend upon the blood of
Christ. They esteem the blood of Christ above all things. Were
it not for the blood, there would be no peace with God or peace
in our heart if not for the blood. By the blood of Christ, we've
been reconciled to God. The Father chose the objects
of mercy. and gave them to his Son to redeem.
He committed them into the hands of his Son. And the Son, in that
everlasting covenant of grace, before they ever created the
heavens and the earth, agreed to be their surety, to be their
mediator. Yes, Father, in the fullness
of time, I will go. I'll do all you demand, all you
require. I will satisfy every demand if
you're the Holy Law. And when I have done so, I'll
go to the cross and I'll bear their sins. He lives for his
people. He died for his people. He intercedes
for his people. The father chose the objects
of mercy again and gave them to his son. The father, let me
read you a statement. You may have heard this before,
but, oh, this is 400, probably 500 years ago. A man by the name
of John Owen wrote a book called The Death of Death and the Death
of Christ. And he said this, the father
imposed his wrath due unto and the son underwent punishment
for either all the sins of all men. That's what most people
believe today. I've never seen the logical conclusion
of that would be. But anyway, either all the sins
of all men or all the sins of son men or some of the sins of
all men, in which case it may be said that if the last be true,
that he died for some of the sins of all men, then there are
sins they must answer for, therefore none will be saved. If the first
be true, that he bore the sins of all men when he died upon
the cross, he bore the sins of all men, then all men should
be saved. If he bore their sins, they should
be saved. Oh, Owen went on the right. No,
it's the second that is true, that he bore the sins of his
people, of all of his elect in the whole world, and because
that is so, they must be saved. They must be saved. Unless God
ceases to be faithful and just, those whose sins Christ bore
upon the tree, they must be saved. Glory to his name and they shall
be saved. There's no maybe about that.
They shall be saved. Remember, the price of redemption
was the precious blood of Jesus Christ himself. Will he not have
what he paid for? Paul said, you've been bought
with a price. You're not your own. You've been
bought with a price. You've been purchased. I've redeemed
you. Don't be afraid when you walk
through the fire. You won't be burned. I've redeemed you. Jesus
Christ will see of the travail of his soul, and he'll be satisfied. How in this world could that
ever be said if from the throne of glory he looked down and saw
one for whom he suffered and died in hell? How could he ever
be satisfied? Oh, that can never be. No, he
bought us. He sought us and he bought us.
He redeemed us and we belong to him. He shall have what he
paid for. Thank God that his people have
been bought and paid for and must be, must be with Jesus Christ
in heaven who made that payment. The hymn writer said, Complete
atonement thou hast made, and to the utmost farthing paid,
whatever thy people owed. How then can wrath on me take
place, if sheltered in God's righteousness, and sprinkled
by the blood? God by the prophet Jeremiah said,
In those days, and in that time, saith the Lord, the iniquity
of Israel shall be sought for, and there shall be none. There shall be none. And the
sins of Judah, and they shall not be found, for I will pardon
them whom I reserve. The church of Jesus Christ and
the eye of God the Father, by virtue of her union with him
and oneness with him, God says when he looks upon her, she's
altogether lovely. Altogether lovely. He beholds
no iniquity in her, neither perverseness, Jesus declares of his bride that
she is all fair and that there is no spot in her and he will
present her back to himself without a spot or a wrinkle or any such
thing, without any trace of sin whatsoever, unblameable and unreprovable
in his sight. Thou art worthy, thou art worthy,
they sing in heaven, thou art worthy to take the book, and
to open the seal thereof. For you were slain, you were
slain, and you redeemed us to God by your own blood out of
every kindred and tongue and people and nation. As long as
the blood of Jesus Christ continues to be enough to satisfy the justice
of God who required it, I'm safe. I'm safe. As long as the atonement
of Jesus Christ offered to God continues to be accepted by him,
I'm secure. And until God can change and
cease to be faithful and just, my sins are all forgiven. And
until the precious blood of Jesus Christ can somehow lose its worth
and prove to be an insufficient ransom for my soul, I am redeemed. Thank God that those things can
never happen. The purpose of God the Father,
the death of Jesus Christ, and the work of the Holy Spirit would
all have to be overcome for the eternal salvation of every chosen
redeemed sinner not to take place. That can't happen. That can never
happen. I love the lines from that old
hymn by William Cooper, Calper. Dear dying lamb, thy precious
blood shall never lose its power till all the ransomed church
of God be saved of sin no more by his own blood. he brought
forgiveness to his people. Ephesians chapter 1, Ephesians
1 verse 6, verses 6 and 7. To the praise of the glory of
his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved, in
whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of
sins. according to the riches of his
grace. Christ satisfied the justice of God for his elect, and he
shall be satisfied by the justice of God with the salvation of
his elect. He shall see it through the veil
of his soul and be satisfied. Redemption demands forgiveness. Redemption demands forgiveness. What does the blood of Christ
say about me? Brother Frank Tate, He wrote
this, he said, the shed blood of Christ says how sinful I am. I must be very sinful and very
vile if the only thing that will wash me from my sin is the blood
of God's Son. The shed blood of Christ also
says how fully and completely redeemed God's people are. If
the Son of God shed his blood as the atonement for my sin,
I must be eternally saved, justified, sanctified, and forgiven. Here's
the last thing. By His own blood, Christ opened
the entrance of heaven for His people. He's there as our representative. Oh, but what a multitude shall
follow Him and are following Him there. Jesus Christ has given
His redeemed the right. I didn't mispronounce that. Jesus
Christ has given His redeemed the right to enter heaven. Blessed
are they that do His commandments. This is the commandment that
he believed on his son that God had sent, that they may have
right to the tree of life and may enter in through the gates
into the city. Galatians chapter 1 verse 12,
giving thanks unto the Father, who hath made us meat. That word
is fit. The word is fit. Fit to be partakers
of the inheritance of the saints in light, who have delivered
us from the power of darkness, and have translated us into the
kingdom of his dear son. Oh, I'm a child of the king,
a child of the king, with Jesus my savior. I'm a child of the
king, in whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness
of sins. Because I'm with him, Christ
gives me the right to enter heaven. As Israel sang at the Red Sea,
Exodus chapter 15, As they sing at the Red Sea, so will all God's
elect. Sing when they're all gathered
in glory. But we will sing even, we begin
that song even now, don't we? Oh, redeemed, how we love to
proclaim it. We're getting tuned up now. Thou
and thy mercy, they sing. Oh God, thou and thy mercy has
led forth the people which thou has redeemed. The same one. that were in the houses where
the blood was applied, the blood you saw and passed over them,
you've led them forth, the people that you redeemed. You've guided
them, no one else, them, the redeemed, in thy strength and
to thy holy habitation. That sounds much like what Christ
himself prayed in John 17, Father, I will, I will. He'd already
said all power was given unto him in heaven and earth. And
he says, I will. that they also whom thou hast
given me be with me, be with me. Oh, how does our light affliction
compare to that? Be with me. I do declare I think
it'll be worth it all when the first glimpse we have of that
one who loved us and gave himself for us, all these things will
just vanish. Be with me where I am that they
may behold my glory. was thou hast given me, for thou
loved me before the foundation of the world. And again, in the
Lord's Supper, we rejoice to remember that Jesus Christ obtained
eternal redemption for us. We remember the success of our
Savior. He did not fail. The shout from
the cross was not, it's almost done. It's partly done. There has to be something added
to to make it done. No, he said, it's finished. It's
finished. Glory to his name. It is finished. And the blood shall be to you
for a token upon the houses where you are. And when I see the blood,
I will pass over you. And the plague shall not be upon
you to destroy you when I smite the land of Egypt. For even Christ
our Passover is sacrificed for us. What can wash away my sin? Nothing but the blood of Jesus.
What can make me whole again? Nothing but the blood of Jesus.
Oh, precious. Precious is the flow that makes
me white as snow. No other fount I know. Nothing
but the blood of Jesus. Now let us remember our great
God and Savior who redeemed us with his own precious blood.
Let us unite with the saints already in heaven singing the
praises of the Lamb. It's called a new song, Revelation
5 and 9, and they sung a new song. It's called a new song
because redemption's work was newly finished when Christ entered
glory. It's new because only those who
have been given a new heart can sing it. Thou art worthy. Oh, I'm looking forward to that.
There won't be a word about man's will, about man's worth, about
man's work. It'll all be about the Lamb.
It'll all be about Him. Thou art worthy. Nobody else
is. Oh, but you are. To take the book and open the
seals thereof. For you were slain. You were
slain. And by being slain, you have
redeemed us to God again past tense. Redemption is accomplished. It's obtained. You've redeemed
us to God by your own blood out of every kindred and tongue and
people and nation. Thank God there is a fountain
filled with blood, drawn from Emmanuel's veins, and every sinner
plunged beneath that flood lose all their guilty stains. When
this poor, lisping, stammering tongue lies silent in the grave,
oh, then in a nobler, sweeter song I'll sing thy power to save. Worthy is the Lamb. God bless you. Thank you for
your time.