I want to read just three verses
here in Galatians chapter 4, verses 4, 5, and 6. Paul says, but in answer to, in response to
what he has written before, and we'll look at it in a moment,
he adds this, but When the fullness of the time had come, was come,
God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law,
for this purpose, 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 hearts,
crying, Abba, Father. Between the Old Testament and
the New, there was a period of 400 years that transpired. Commentators referred to them
as the silent years. Silent because 400 years since
God had last spoken by the prophet Malachi, when he said this, Behold,
I will send my messenger And he shall prepare the way before
me, and the Lord whom you seek shall suddenly come to his temple,
even the messenger of the covenant whom ye delight in. Behold, he
shall come, saith the Lord of hosts." During those 400 years
that God hadn't spoken, religious tradition didn't stop. It flourished. It flourished. To the point when Christ came
on the scene, he told the religious leaders, like you taught this
morning, John, the scribes and the Pharisees, the teachers,
the instructors, the rabbis, those that the people looked
to. He said to them, you teach for doctrine the commandments
of men. You teach for God's doctrine
your own ideas, the commandments of men. And in doing so, you
make void the Word of God by your tradition. Ah, so doesn't
that sound familiar? You make void. You set aside
and put in its place your tradition. Man's ideas of God of Christ,
of himself, of salvation, is based on not God's Word, but
religious tradition. Religious tradition says salvation
depends not on God's will, is not determined by God's will,
but is determined by man's will. Is that an exaggeration? Am I
making that up? No, it's so. Salvation is determined
not by what God does, what God wills, what God has purposed,
but man's, so contrary to God's Word. God's Word says the very
opposite. I'm reading now from John's Gospel,
chapter 1, verse 10. We're told this. He was in the
world, that is, our Lord Jesus Christ, our Creator. our Savior. He was in the world. The world
was made by Him, and the world knew Him not. He came unto His
own, the Jewish people, and His own received Him not. But, but,
but as many as received Him, that them gave He the power to
become the sons of God, even to them that believe on His name.
Now what made that distinction? Who made that difference between
those who received him not, believed not, and those who did? Who made
that difference? Whose will determined that great
change? And we're told that in verse
13. Here's the reason. Some received him and some didn't. Those that received him were
born not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh. Ouch! Ouch! Not the will of the flesh? Not
man's so-called free will? Are you saying is God telling
us that man's will doesn't determine salvation? That's exactly what
it says over and over again. Do God be the glory? Great things
He has done. He purposed to save. He sent
His Son into the world to be the Redeemer of His people. And
we were born not of blood nor of the will of the flesh. I'm
so thankful for that. In Romans 9 we read, so then,
in conclusion Paul says, so then, it is not of him that willeth. And every true believer is thankful
that that's so. So thankful that it's not of
him that willeth. You know why? Because if God
Almighty leaves you to your will, Christ said, here's what it'll
boil down to. This is what it'll come to. Left
to your will, you will not come to me. your will is bound to
your nature and it's contrary it opposes your carnal nature
to come to the Son of God and if he leaves you alone you will
not come to me. Oh but thank God he willed, he
purposed to save a people And in his sovereign majesty and
grace, the great shepherd of the sheep will not take no for
an answer, and I'm glad that's so, who were born not of blood,
nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of
God. Religious tradition tells us
that salvation is easy. It's simple. There's nothing
to it. Anybody can do it. And the Lord
Jesus Christ said that's not true. With men it's impossible. Here in Galatians 4 verse 4 tells
us not what man did. But what God did. But what God
did. Tell me what God did. Do you want to comfort me when
I'm low? Tell me what God Almighty has
purpose to do. Tell me about the captain of
my salvation. Tell me, remind me of the great
shepherd of the sheep. Would you encourage me? Would
you lift me up out of my despondency? Then tell me about him who loved
me and gave himself for me. But God. But God. God, we read there, in his own
appointed time, that time that he purposed. God does things
on purpose. He purposed what he brings to
pass. In that time that he had purposed
and determined, time did not dictate Christ coming, but God
dictated the time that He would send His Son into the world.
And Christ came forth proclaiming. In sacrifices, those types, those
shadows, those symbols, they could never take away sin. They weren't intended to take
away sin. They were a picture of Him who
should come and take away sin. In sacrifices for sin, thou hast
had no pleasure. Then said I, This is the words
of our Redeemer. Then said I, in the volume of
the book it is written of me, I come to do thy will, O God. I come to do thy will, all of
God's will, and glory to his name. He did it perfectly. That was the glorious theme of
the Songs of Angels the night that he was born into this world. God became flesh. The angel told the shepherds
that night, behold, there was born unto you this night in the
city of David, the city of David, Bethlehem. House of bread is
the meaning of the word. I'm the bread that came down
from heaven, Christ said. Eat of me and you'll live forever. There is born unto you this night
a Savior, which is Christ the Lord, just as it was prophesied
700 years before. Remember what we read in Isaiah? Let me read it to you. Isaiah
chapter 9, verse 6. For unto you is born, for unto
us a child is born, rather. Unto us a son is given. And the
government, oh, doesn't Tradition tells us that Jesus wants to,
and he hopes to, and he tries to. But the Word of God doesn't
speak of our Redeemer that way. Oh, no, no, no. Unto us the Son
is given, and the government shall be upon His shoulder, His
mighty shoulder. And His name shall be called
Wonderful. the Counselor, the Mighty God, the Everlasting Father,
the Prince of Peace. Yes, that's Him. He comes in
His human nature as a child born. Because His brethren, we read
in Hebrews 2, because His brethren were flesh and blood, He likewise
took hold of the same. He took not hold of the nature
of angels because He didn't come to redeem angels. He took hold
of the nature of His brethren, flesh and blood. He came to redeem
all those the Father gave Him to redeem before the world began. Unto us a child is born. Oh,
but as to His divine nature, He's not the Son born. He's the
Son given. He's the everlasting Son of God. Deny who he is. Deny his deity. Deny that he is God in the flesh
and you deny the value. You take away the value of everything
he did, John. It's because of who he is that
gives virtue and merit to everything he did. Who died? Who died? Tell me who died? And then I'll know whether his
death was effectual or not. The Son of God, God Almighty
in the flesh, who died? Whose blood was it that was poured
out on Calvary that day? And then I'll know something,
I'll have something of an idea of what he must have accomplished.
In John chapter 1 we read, and that word, that eternal word
of God, that very expression of God, that was in the beginning
with God that made all things that are made and that was nothing
made without him that eternal everlasting word became flesh
wow wow and dwelt among us I've said this before but I can only
imagine I can only imagine that night in that stable in Bethlehem,
there is that little dark-skinned Jewish infant boy lying in the
arms of its mother. And John tells us, that's God. That's God. My, so isn't that
something? The greatest wonder in the world.
The Word was made flesh and dwelt among us. Nothing compares to
that. Nothing that men individually
or men collectively, nations, nothing that men have ever, ever
done even comes close to equaling this. God Almighty coming into
this world. The infinite becomes an infant. He who created all things and
upholds all things carries the universe upon his broad shoulders,
is carried by a woman, man. No wonder Paul said, without
controversy. We're not going to argue about
this. We're not going to debate this. Oh, without controversy,
great is the mystery of godliness. God was manifest in the flesh. Yes, but when it pleased God,
we read in our text. All that was spoken previously
is about to change. Why? But God. But God. That matters. That's all that matters. Our
condition before, verse 3, we were in bondage. Slaves to sin. Slaves to sin. That's what man
is by nature. He's not free. He's bound. He's bound. And we could not free ourselves.
Nothing we could do could free ourselves from the bondage of
sin. Religion says, tradition says, if you'll make your decision,
that won't do it. That won't do it. People make
decisions all the time. Make your decision. Decide to
Decide for Jesus. Decide to make a pledge, make
a promise, just make a decision, but it doesn't change the heart.
It doesn't change their nature. If you'll take the first step,
well, that's just a problem. That's just a problem. I can't
take the first step. I'm dead in sin. If God doesn't
come to me, I can't take the first step. We're told, tradition
says, if you'll open up your heart again, there's the problem. I can't. I can't. There's no
hope in anything I do. That bears repeating. There's no hope in anything I
do, Terry. Nothing. There's no hope in anything
I do. Nothing. The only hope this sinner
has is this. But God, but God, but God, or
it's hopeless. But God, or I remained in bondage. But God, or I stay where I'm
at, lost, undone, and condemned. Oh, but again our text says,
but God sent forth his Son. I don't have any doubt, any doubt
for any wary pilgrims here this morning. If God Almighty is pleased
just to give us a glimpse, a reminder, a fresh look at the captain of
our salvation, oh, then we will know. We will know. It must be. It has to be. It can't be anything
but. Well, with my soul. Behold your king. Is anything
too hard for him? Behold first when he came. It was God's time, God's appointed
time, God's decreed time when his son came forth. Thou shall arise and have mercy
upon Zion for the time to favor her, yea, the set time is come. That time unlike any other, unlike
any other event in history. This is the hinge upon which
the doors of eternity revolve. Everything prior to this time
looked forward to it. Everything since that time looks
back to it. It's all about our glorious Redeemer. Christ said just before He went
to the garden where He was arrested, He said, Behold, the hour has
come that the Son of God should be glorified. except a corn of
wheat fall into the ground and die, it abides alone. And Christ was referring to himself
as that corn of wheat. If I don't die, I abide alone. Oh, but if he die, listen, But
if it falls into the ground and dies, what? What? It brings forth. There's no doubt about it. There's
no question about it. There's no guesswork about it.
If it falls into the ground and dies, it brings forth much fruit. Behold the captain of our salvation. He's the captain of a great army
of many brethren that he'll bring the glory. Everything revolves
around this time, that time that the triune God agreed upon before
he ever even created the heaven and the earth. When God the Son
promised the Father he would come and fulfill everything required
to redeem his people. Is that not what we just read?
He came to redeem his people. to redeem his bride and bring
her back to the Father's house without a spot or a blemish or
any such thing. The Father in that covenant of
grace, that covenant of grace, gave a people, a bride, the church
to Christ. and committed every one of them
into his hands. Will you have this bride? Fallen. Fallen, defiled. Will you take this bride? Do
you remember those vows? Will you have this woman? Will
you take this bride, God the Father said? And oh, our glorious
husband, our bridegroom, the head of his church said, Father,
I will. I will. Turn, if you will, to
John chapter 6. This is exactly what he speaks
of here in John's gospel chapter 6. He refers to his speaking
of that everlasting covenant of God's grace. In John 6, you know the passage
well. Oh, but it's delightful to hear
it and to read it again. Hear our faithful bridegroom
speak concerning his church. In verse 37, he says, All that
the Father giveth me shall come to me, and him that cometh unto
me I will in no wise cast out. For I came down from heaven on
purpose. Not to do my own will, but the
will of Him that sent me. And this is the Father's will
which has sent me, that of all which He had given me, I should
lose nothing. Oh, faithful captain of our salvation. Successful Savior. Glorious Redeemer. There's no ifs or maybes or perchance
about the covenant of grace. It's ordered in all things insure. That's what dying David referred
to when he said, this is all my salvation. This is all my
hope. God had made with me through
my glorious redeemer, through the great shepherd, the head
of the covenant. He had made with me through him
an everlasting covenant, and it's sure, and it stands fast,
and it can't be broken. This is what Christ is speaking
of. For I came down from heaven not to do my own will, verse
38, but the will of him that sent me. Father, I will. I will. And this is the Father's
will which is sent me, that of all which he hath given me, I'll
lose only one or two." Oh, no, no, no, no. He says, I should
lose nothing. Father, I will. I will. I'll go in the fullness of time.
I will. I'll be made like unto my brethren.
I will. I will keep your law. And I will
suffer the penalty of your broken law. I will. I will do everything
required. Everything. And Father, I will
bring them back to you. And I will present them back
to you all that you have given me. I'll lose none. I'll bring
them back to you without a blemish, without a spot, without any such
thing. I will. I will. Oh, I love the
sound of that. Oh, what sweet music that is,
to hear Him say, Father, I will. And this is the Father's will
which is sent me, that of all which He hath given me, I should
lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day.
And this is the will of Him that sent me, that everyone which
seeth the Son, and believeth on Him, may have everlasting
life, and I will raise Him up at the last day. John chapter
17. Our Lord is praying his high
priestly prayer, making intercession for his people. And he says in
verse 2, as thou has given him power over all flesh, that he
should give eternal life to as many as thou hast given him. Verse six, I have manifested
thy name unto the men which thou gavest me out of the world. Thine
they were and thou gavest them me and they have kept thy word. All this was done according to
the everlasting covenant of God's grace. That's when he came. Now
secondly, Who came? Who came? God sent forth his
son and everything depends on him. If a sinner is ever saved,
it depends on him. If anyone's sins are ever put
away, it depends on him. If that perfect righteousness
that God Almighty demands and can accept nothing less than,
it all depends on Him. Anyone being brought to heaven
depends on Him. God being enabled to be just
when He justifies a sinner all depends on Him. God sent forth
His Son in Revelation 5. John wept because there was none
in heaven, in earth, that was fine worthy. None with enough
virtue, enough merit, enough value to bring to pass the decrees
and purposes of God. None was found worthy to open
that book. And the angel told John, Don't
cry. Don't weep. Behold. Oh, brothers and sisters in Christ,
behold. Behold. Dry those tears. Dry those tears. Behold, the
lion of the tribe of Judah has prevailed to open the book. And he came, glory to his name,
he came and took the book. from the hands of God himself
and fulfilled everything necessary to save his people from their
sins. And they all began to sing. Worthy
is the Lamb. Who's worthy? The Lamb's worthy.
Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive honor and glory and
power and dominion because He hath redeemed us to God by His
own blood. Glory to His name. He got the
job done. He prevailed to accomplish God's
will, to fulfill the law, to put away sin, and to redeem His
people. The very fact that God sends
His Son is an indication that he intends something great for
his people, does it not? Look who he sends. The incarnation
foretells salvation, does it not? Because without him, what
do we have? Without him, nothing. Nothing. Wrap me up in all the
religious tradition and all the garb and all the nonsense that
goes on in our day just wrap me up head to toe and God looks
at it and says filthy rags. Oh! But bring this sinner into the presence of Jesus Christ
and like that filthy stinking prodigal son wrap him in the
robe, the best robe, the best robe of Christ's absolute perfect
righteousness. And God Almighty looks down and
says, hmm, what a savor. That smells good. In the garments
of God's own Son, I'm as holy as the Holy One. Oh, my soul,
I lack nothing. Not with Him. I lack nothing. God has made Him to be unto us
wisdom and righteousness and sanctification and redemption. Yes, our great God and Savior
has come. He who had no beginning has come. He came down to man. He became
what he was not, that we may become sons of God. And John says, behold. Behold
this wonder, that God has made us, us, to be called the sons
of God. Oh, that's the very reverse of
man's religion, isn't it? Religion tells sinners, try to
reach to God. Try to reach up to God. Oh, but
Paul tells us, no, no, Christ came down to us. I like what
Mr. Spurgeon said. Oh, son of man,
he wrote, I know not which to admire the most, thine height
of glory or thy depths of misery. Though he was rich, yet for your
sakes he became poor, that we through his poverty might be
made rich. Verse 5, last of all. We considered
when he came, who came, and verse 5 tells us why he came. To redeem
them that were under the law that we might receive the adoption
of sons. I like that, don't you? I like
how it reads. I mean, I can look at that head
on, sideways, on the table, under the table, And I don't read anything
there but an absolute redemption, accomplished redemption. He doesn't
read that he came to try to redeem, hope to redeem, or to offer to
redeem, but to truly and actually redeem. And that one who came
to redeem was said by God the Father to be his righteous faithful
servant and God said he shall not fail. Joseph, Joseph. You're worried for nothing, Joseph. It's not like you think. It's
not like you think. That which is in Mary, conceived
by the Holy Ghost, that holy thing, that's the Son of God. It ain't like you think. And
when he's born, call him Jesus. The salvation of God. The salvation
of the Lord. Call him Jesus because he shall
He shall. He's not going to try to. He's
not going to attempt to. He shall save his people from
their sins. Glory to his name. He entered
in one time into the holy place and he obtained eternal redemption
for us. The only comfort I have is in
an effectual redemption. Don't you? Lester, he got the
job done. He got the job done. That one
who redeemed me with his own precious blood, when thou shalt
make his soul an offering for sin, when he shall be bruised
beneath the wrath of a holy God. What shall be the outcome of
that? What shall be the issue of that, the fruit of that? He
shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, he shall see
it to develop his soul, and he shall be satisfied by his righteousness. His knowledge shall my servant
justify many, because he shall bear their iniquities. Hear him,
hear him. That's exactly what he said.
When he cried out, it is finished. That's what he said on the cross.
If it wasn't finished, he wouldn't have said so. If redemption wasn't
obtained, he wouldn't have said so. If my sins weren't put away,
he wouldn't have said so. If he hadn't put an end to my
transgressions, he wouldn't have said so. Oh, but glory to his
name, he cries throughout eternity. It still echoes in glory today. And angels still marvel about
it. It is finished. Oh, we see by faith the great
shepherd going forth as the substitute for his people. as my surety,
as my faithful bridegroom. The great shepherd stands forth,
knowing all things that should come upon him. He comes before
God's holy law and justice and says, take me, execute me, take
your full vengeance upon me. What about my sheep? They gotta
go free. My sheep must go their way. What debtors? What debtors to
free grace we are? What praise and worship Christ
deserves? One dear lady said, and I've
told you before, seeking God's mercy, experiencing conviction
of sin, being stripped. God does that. He strips us before
He clothes us. He brings us down before He lifts
us up. We must get lost before we're saved. And she was in that
state. And she said, oh God, did you
say something like this too? God, if you'll save me, if you'll
save me, you'll never hear the end of it. You'll never hear
the end of it. I think I remember saying something
like that too. God, if you have mercy on this
rebel, this sinner, if you'll save me, you'll never hear the
end of it. Man, I broke that promise a thousand
times. A thousand times. More than that. Oh, but he abideth faithful.
Randy, he can't. He can't. He can't deny himself. Revelation chapter Chapter 14,
let me read a couple of verses. We'll wrap this up. And he that
sat was to look upon, or I'm sorry, I'm in the wrong, chapter
14. Chapter 14, verse 3. And they sung as it were a new
song before the throne and before the four beasts and the elders.
And no man could learn that song but the hundred and forty and
four thousand, those representing God's elect, the redeemed, which
were redeemed from the earth. These are they which were not
defiled with women. They're virgins, they're pure.
They've been made pure. These are they which follow the
Lamb, whithersoever he goeth. These were redeemed. These were
redeemed from among men. This is my blood which is shed
for you. These were redeemed from among men. being the firstfruits
unto God and to the Lamb. And in their mouth was found
no guile, for they are without fault. O dear dying Lamb, thy
precious blood shall never lose its power. To all the ransomed
church of God be saved of sin no more. They are without fault
before the throne of God. What a Savior! 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. To the only
wise God our Savior, be joy and majesty, dominion and power,
both now and forever. Amen. Amen. God bless you.