I want you to turn with me to
Psalm 85 for our meditation this week. I've called this message
Saved From Their Sins. Saved From Their Sins. This is
the gospel of grace and what I keep telling you, scripture
declares God's salvation. It doesn't instruct us how to
live. That's not its primary purpose. Its primary purpose
is for God to declare his salvation of his people. a salvation which
is accomplished, saving his people from their sins through the person
and work of his son. That's what this book is about.
Those that go on Desert Island Discs on the radio, and they're
always given, I always think they get to the books that they
can have, and they can have the full works of Shakespeare, and
I bet they all think, oh, that's a good thing, that'll keep me
reading for a little while, I'll delve into some of those. Oh,
and you can have the Bible as well. And I wonder how many of
them think, well, I won't be opening that. You know, if I'm
on that desert island, that's the last thing I'll be opening.
I don't want to have anything to do with that book. No. But
anyway, they get the Bible. But what it's about is not instructions
for how to live. It's God saving his people from
their sins in the person and work of his son. And, you know,
the only reason that our society looks into this book, I'm talking
about the King James version of the scriptures, is because
they say how beautiful is the language, what a wonderful piece
of literature, how it's influenced the rest of the English language
and our modern culture and the turns of phrase that we have
and you know you come across them occasionally like that mercy
and truth are met together and righteousness and peace have
kissed you know it's beautiful isn't it it's poetical it really
is it's the height of English literature in this translation
but is that all it is? Yes, it's beautiful, but no,
it's speaking of Christ. These are they, he said, these
words in the scriptures that speak of me. Do you ever stop
and think what an outrageous claim that is if it is not absolutely
true? A man 2,000 years ago stood and
said, this book is talking about me. That's what he said to them.
it's either the most outrageous thing ever said or it's 100%
true there's no two ways it's one of those indisputable absolutely
unmovable facts it's either true 100% or it's the most outrageous
thing ever said but it's true he said these speak of me he
expounded to those disciples on the Emmaus road in all the
scriptures the things concerning himself. Not the things that
they must do, the things concerning himself. I said it's about the
Babylonian captivity and the return from the Babylonian captivity,
and they've come back, they've been forgiven their iniquity,
their sin is covered, they've come back into the land, the
temple's being rebuilt. It's for his people he did this. Do you not see that as well?
The message of the scripture is that it's God's salvation,
but God discriminates grace to his people, who are his people,
a multitude that no man can number. But the message of scripture
is that God discriminates grace to his people. Of all the peoples
on earth, it says of Israel. Why? You weren't the biggest
and most powerful land or people. You were so tiny, nobody took
much notice of you. But because God loved you, he
did this. He discriminately loved his people. He discriminately loves his people. He calls his people, in our relations
with other people, to be indiscriminately fair and kind to all we encounter. You know, whilst Israel was so
favoured, it was told, if the foreigner comes in, you be kind
to him. If the poor comes amongst you, you do something to look
after their needs. You take care of them. Very,
very much indiscriminately fair and kind, but in respect of salvation
from sin, Our God has been favourable to his land. Lord, thou hast
been favourable unto thy land. He's been favourable to a particular
people. He's been favourable to his church,
which is his land, which is his Zion. Thou hast brought back
the captivity of Jacob. Thou hast forgiven the iniquity
of thy people. Thou hast covered all their sin. discriminating discriminating
he's he's been favorable to his land and it's his land the church
is his work Redemption is His work. The people don't get it
for themselves, it's what He does. Psalm 44 verse 3 says this,
For they got not the land in possession by their own sword,
neither did their own arms save them, but thy right hand, God's
right hand, thine arm, and the light of thy countenance. Why? because God discriminated for
them, because thou had favour unto them. God did it and has
been favourable to his church in Christ. Oh that's not fair,
that's the way it is, that's the way it is. That's the way
it is. God discriminates for his people. He's been favourable to his church.
For them, for that multitude which no man can number, and
them alone he's satisfied justice. He's done it for them. He's been
favourable to the land. He's forgiven the iniquity of
his people. He says it there, verse two,
he's forgiven the iniquity of his people. The iniquity that
historically it was talking about was the iniquity of idolatry
for which they were sent into captivity. He's forgiven their
iniquity. And look, thou hast covered all
their sin. I wonder how many so-called reformed
evangelical Calvinistic churches you will go into on a day like
this and you will hear that God has done He's dealt with your
sins before you believed the gospel but from now on you're
responsible for them and you must stand before the judgment
seat of Christ and give an account for how well sanctified you've
been in this life. It says here he's covered all
my sin. All of it. All of their sins.
That's why the hymn writer could write and you know there's some
that won't sing this because they don't think it's true. My
sin O the bliss of this glorious thought! My sin, not in part,
but the whole, is nailed to his cross, and I bear it no more.
Bless the Lord. Bless the Lord, O my soul. Based
on this, thou hast covered all their sin. Are you good enough
to be saved? Are you sanctified enough to
be saved? Do you know, I'm speaking from
experience, thinking back, years, years in reformed legalism, you
know, am I good enough to be saved? Am I sanctified enough
to be saved? What does the scripture say?
The Philippian jailer cried out, what must I do to be saved? And
Paul said to him, simple, believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and
thou shalt be saved. Didn't say do anything, he just
said believe. God says, look unto me, Isaiah
45, 22, look unto me, all ye ends of the earth, and be ye
saved from wrath, from condemnation, from judgment, from the second
death, be ye saved, for I am God, and there is no other. For
as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must
the Son of Man be lifted up, that whosoever believeth on him
should not perish but have everlasting life. The serpents had bitten
the people, Numbers 21, and Moses was told, make an image in brass
of the very thing that's cursing you. And our Lord Jesus Christ,
our glorious, sinless God, was made a curse for us on the tree
of Calvary, on that cursed tree, for cursed is everyone that hangeth
on a tree. He was lifted up on that cursed
tree, bearing the sins of his people. And as that brass serpent
was lifted up and those that were dying of the poison of the
serpents were told, go to this medicine and do this, that and
the other. No, not a thing of it. Look at that brass serpent. That's it. Look to him. All their
sins are forgiven. All of their sins are covered.
The iniquity is taken away. This is the work of God. What
must we do that we do the work of God? To be saved. This is
the work of God, said Jesus, that you believe on him whom
he has sent. And this is the testimony of
all the scriptures. Micah chapter 7, verses 18 to 20. Who is a
God like unto thee that pardoneth iniquity? God, who is holy by
definition, by nature, by the very essence of his being, he's
God. God is not somebody, some impotent
being sitting on the touchline of this universe and of this
life, just observing what goes on in the match. No, not at all. God is the source and the origin
of everything. He is the source of all truth
and righteousness, and who is a God like unto thee, perfectly
righteous, who pardons iniquity? You would think a God must always
condemn iniquity, and he must, but this God pardons iniquity
and passes by the transgression of the remnant of his heritage.
There is a people called his heritage who he passes by the
transgression of that remnant. He retaineth not his anger forever
because this God who is perfect and holy delights in mercy. He delights in mercy. He delights in it. He will turn
again. He will have compassion upon
us. He will subdue our iniquities. And listen to this, this is it.
And thou wilt cast all their sins into the depths of the sea. My sin, oh the bliss of this
glorious thought. Casting them all into the depths
of the sea. thou will perform the truth to
Jacob, the truth of the gospel of grace, and mercy to Abraham. Is that you and me? If you're
a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ, we're the children of
Abraham, with the same faith as Abraham. He will perform the
mercy that he's promised to Abraham, which thou has sworn unto our
fathers, I will make of thee a great nation. This is what
he promised Abraham, and he promises it to all his people in him.
You promised unto our fathers from the days of old. Robert Hawker comments on this
where it says thou wilt cast all their sins into the depths
of the sea. He says he casts all the sins
of his people into the depths of the sea of the Redeemer's
blood. Isn't that a lovely way of putting
it? He casts the sins of his people into the depths of the
sea of the Redeemer's blood. Why does that work? What's all
this about? The price of sin in the economy
of God, in the justice of God, is death. the life is in the blood and
Christ came as a man in the same flesh and blood as the children
with real human blood but with infinitely perfect sinless human
blood divine human blood met together in one body the fullness
of the Godhead bodily yet in a body that was fully human with
blood in it and the blood that he shed was the penalty for the
sins of his people he poured out his lifeblood and that's
why it is that the sins of his people Justice has been satisfied
in the shedding of the lifeblood of the Lord Jesus Christ, cast
into the depths of the sea of the Redeemer's blood. John in
his first epistle, 1 John chapter 1 and verse 7 says, and the blood
of Jesus Christ his son cleanseth us from all sin. His blood does
it. His blood, because his blood
is the life and the life is the price of sin and he's paid it
infinitely for his people. So the Psalmist can say thou
has covered all their sin. And if all their sin is covered,
hence there is peace with God. Verse 4. Turn us, O God, turn us, O God
of our salvation, and cause thine anger toward us to cease. You see, in those first three
verses is a clear statement of the gospel of substitutionary
atonement. Thou hast taken away all thy
wrath. Thou hast turned thyself from
the fierceness of thine anger. Why? Because the sin is taken
away. That's why. The judgment of his people, there
is none to do because it's taken away. that's the facts of the
gospel perhaps you know the facts of salvation as the scriptures
declare them there's not many do in these days there are very
very few it's such a privilege to be able in the purposes and
design of God to be able to hear the truth of eternal salvation. This concerns your eternal soul. This concerns eternity, for it's
appointed to man to die once and then the judgment. This is
serious. This concerns eternity. Maybe
you know in your head, because you've heard it often, the facts
of salvation. You assent to the truth. Yes,
I believe that's true, yeah, yeah, yeah. But is your heart
renewed to experience it? You must have a heart that's
renewed to experience it. And so this is the prayer. Turn
us, O God of our salvation. Turn us. If God doesn't turn
us, we won't experience it. We won't know it. We won't know
the blessings of salvation. Turn us, O God of our salvation,
and cause thine anger toward us to cease, because in believing
This is what you know. Have you read the accounts? Have
you experienced it yourself? Of people coming to a knowledge
of the truth? I love the accounts of those
of about 200 years ago, you know, under a great burden of the knowledge
of sin, consciousness of sin. and knowing that, you know, wishing
that they had been created an animal which was not responsible
for its own actions rather than a man who is, who must face God
for it's appointed to man to die once and then the judgment
and that great burden of sin upon them and then they come
to hear the gospel of grace. You know, God sends them a preacher,
crosses their path, and in hearing what the preacher says, they
hear the voice of God speaking to them, and they believe, and
they know, and like Pilgrim in Pilgrim's Progress, that great
burden in that bag on his back, he comes to the foot of the cross
and it falls off because there he sees it's gone it's gone away
and it rolls down into the tomb it's buried in the depths of
the sea of the forgetfulness of God and that's a good forgetfulness
because he said there's sins and iniquities will I remember
no more and they experience it turn us oh God not just to know
it in the head but to experience it in the heart turn us oh God
of our salvation and cause thine anger toward us to cease He doesn't
only save the people of his choice, doesn't only save them, doesn't
only do that which makes the record straight in the courts
of divine justice, but he turns every one of them to personally
trust him. He makes his people willing in
the day of his power. He makes them, who by nature
don't want anything to do with this because it'll mess their
life up too much, he makes them willing to turn and to trust
him. Verses five to seven. Wilt thou
be angry with us forever? Wilt thou draw out thine anger
to all generations? Wilt thou not revive us again,
that thy people may rejoice in thee? Show us thy mercy, O Lord,
and grant us thy salvation. You see, the awakened soul hungers
and thirsts for the righteousness of God. That's what the awakened
soul does. Blessed are they that hunger
and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled. It
will happen. They will be filled. How can
a man be just with God? How can a man have this burden
of sin dealt with? How can a man be the righteousness
of God? How can we follow after righteousness
without which no man shall see the Lord? It's in the gospel
of His grace. In the hungering and thirsting
for righteousness, there's the constant filling. by the Holy
Spirit in Christ, with the righteousness of Christ, knowing it, feeling
it, tasting it, experiencing it, experiencing the removal
of all condemnation, of all divine displeasure, of knowing, of knowing
that God who would justly condemn us has removed all of that sin
from us that would condemn us. He's taken it all away. He's
revealed his mercy. He who delights in mercy has
revealed his mercy. And where do we see it? We see
it in the face of Jesus Christ. It's in him and in him alone
that we see the mercy of God, that we experience the mercy
of God. Anybody that thinks that we can come to God outside of
Christ for any good whatsoever doesn't understand the first
thing of the gospel of grace, doesn't understand the first
thing of what the scriptures declare. The gospel of Islam,
if I can call it that, is one of complete delusion. For it
says that you can come to God and be accepted by Him outside
of Jesus Christ, and you cannot. He is the way, the truth, and
the life. No man comes to the Father but by Him. So then, there's
a prayer that God will turn us. There's a prayer that God will
cause us to experience. And in verse 8, he says, I will
hear what God the Lord will speak. I will hear what God the Lord
will speak. For he will speak peace unto
his people and to his saints, but let them not turn again to
folly. that prayer of his people that
we might know and experience in the heart that which is known
in the head. How does God answer his people's
prayer? He will definitely answer, for
the psalmist says, I will hear what God the Lord will speak.
There's no question he will answer. I will hear what God the Lord
will speak. He will speak peace unto his
people. He will. God's purpose is to
speak peace to his people. What does he say to his preachers?
In Isaiah 40, verses one and two, comfort, comfort my people,
says your God. This is the job of a preacher,
is to speak peace to his people. God's true preachers speak the
peace of the gospel of grace to the people of God, who are
children of wrath by nature, even as others, who are aliens
from the commonwealth of Israel in their nature, in their being,
who are what the scriptures call enmity with God. Enmity. Enmity. Not a good feeling, is
it, to be enemies of someone, especially if we're talking about
being enemies of God enmity with God by virtue of sin and rebellion
but he speaks peace to those who are that by nature he speaks
no condemnation for there is therefore now no condemnation
to those who are in Christ Jesus are you in Christ Jesus do you
know you're in Christ Jesus this morning there is therefore no
condemnation There is no awaiting judgment, there is no awaiting
banishment to hell for those who are in Christ Jesus. He speaks
peace to his people and to his saints, to his saints, to his
set-apart ones, his set-apart ones. So are you hungering to
hear this? Are you hungering to know the
truth of salvation in your heart? Wait for it. I will hear, I will
wait and hear what God the Lord will speak, for he will speak
peace unto his people and to his saints, but let them not
turn again to folly. Where do you wait? How do you
do that? Where do you wait for him to
hear, for him to speak and for you to hear what he says? You
need to wait in the right place. You do. This is why this is important. And any that are not able to
gather together in a number together, you need to make use of the things
that God uses to speak to his people. We've got so many resources
these days on the internet with sermons on Free Grace Radio.
There's no excuse, there's no excuse for not availing yourself
of those things. That's where we need to wait.
These are the pools, look back in the previous psalm, verse
six, who passing through the valley of Bacchar make it a well.
The rain also fills the pools. These are the wells and the pools
in Bacchar's veil. This is the right place to wait
and he will speak. Where is it? Where his word is
preached. where his word is preached, where
prayer goes up. These are the places to wait.
Verse nine, surely his salvation is nigh them that fear him, that
glory may dwell in our land. Do you feel far away from salvation? Do you? His salvation is nigh
them, near them that fear him. The nearness of God's salvation. again and again in the scriptures
we're told how close these things are to us Deuteronomy 30 verse
11 this commandment which I command thee this day it is not hidden
from thee neither is it far off and he goes on to say you don't
have to go across the sea to some far off land you don't have
to ascend into heaven and you know Paul quotes that in Romans
chapter 10 the truth it's near you it's near you it's here we've
got the word of God we've got the spirit of God speaking to
us the nearness of God's salvation think how close was it Paul speaking
to one of the was it Festus or Felix or one of those in the
Acts of the Apostle you are not far from the kingdom of heaven
you're not far I mean you're as far away as the grace of God
puts you but he said in his listening to the word of God he said you're
not far from the kingdom of heaven he said also in Acts 17 this
is Paul speaking to the Athenians speaking about the unknown God
that he and his salvation is not far from each one of us in
him we live and move and have our being think of that you know
is God something that you can ignore and just pretend doesn't
exist and hope that you can get into a way of just not having
to think about. In him we live and move and have
our being. He is the one that gives us our
next breath. He is the one that decrees to take it away. It's
in his hands. You know, people used to glibly
sing, he's got the whole world in his hands. He has, he's sovereign
over all things. The nearness of God's salvation.
And he's near, that salvation is near to them, look, that fear
him. That fear him. Them that fear
him. The fear of the Lord is the beginning
of knowledge. The fear of the Lord is the beginning
of wisdom. You want true wisdom and true
knowledge? It begins with the fear of the
Lord. The fear of the Lord. Psalm 130 verse 4 says something
that human logic finds odd. There is forgiveness with thee
that thou mayest be feared. What? You'd think it'd be the
other way around, wouldn't you? There's forgiveness with God
so that we don't need to fear him anymore. No. There is forgiveness
with thee that thou mayest be feared. A right relationship
with God is a relationship of filial fear. That's a childlike
fear, you know? I hope those of you that are
young amongst us love your dads. I hope you do. I'm sure you do.
I hope some of you really miss your dad, but you know, as much
as you love him, as much as you love him, there should be there
should be some respect, some fear, you know, for who he is,
for his experience, for his wisdom, for his situation, for the authority
that God's placed in his hands. And that's a right relationship.
And he says that In a relationship with God, where the true children
of God truly have this scriptural fear of the children of God for
the Heavenly Father, that's where forgiveness is experienced. In that right relationship with
Him. In that Gospel knowledge. In that knowledge of Christ.
Paul said to the Philippians what he wanted, what his ambition
was, that I may know Him. that I may know him, not know
about him, that I may know him, that it might be somewhere where
we experience the felt glory of Christ in all of his saving
grace. Because wherever that's gone,
you know what the word is now, it's Ichabod. Ichabod, departed
glory. The glory has gone when the Ark
of the Covenant was stolen by the Philistines. They said Ichabod
this child shall be called Ichabod Ichabod departed glory that I
may know him that I may know him that I may know Christ as
the glory of his church that glory may dwell in our land glory. What's our land? we're not talking
about israel in the return from the captivity that's just the
historical context this is the church in our day, in the day
of the experience of every believer, that glory may dwell in that
land. Salvation is nigh them that fear
Him, are in that childlike fear relationship that they experience
the forgiveness of God, that His glory might dwell in the
land, and that's only in the context of Christ being the glory
of His church, and of His church being the glory of Christ. together
glory dwelling in the land for if he has gone it's Ichabod departed
glory and sadly so many churches where Christ was faithfully upheld
so many They're Ichabod. You can just paint it above the
door. Ichabod. The glory has departed.
Why? Have they not got stained glass
windows? Have they not got beautiful architecture?
Yes, they've got all of that. But there's nothing about Christ
and the fear of the Lord and the gospel of his grace. Ezekiel
20 and verse 6 says about his land, a land that I had espied
for them, this is God talking about, a land that I had espied
for them, flowing with milk and honey which is the glory of all
lands. Obviously in that context it
was talking about that promised land. that God had spied out
for his people. But it's just a picture of this
land, not Britain, the church of Christ. The church of Christ. And we'll be taken to that new
Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven as a bride prepared for
her husband. That glory of all lands. John
17, 22. Jesus says this in his high priestly
prayer. The glory which thou gavest me,
I have given them. In the gospel of his grace he's
given them the glory which the father had given to the son.
And in his body, Ephesians 1.23, his church is called his body.
The fullness of him that filleth all in all. Christ is the glory
of his church and the church is the glory of Christ. Salvation
is nigh them that fear him that glory may dwell in the land.
Now verses 10 and 11. Mercy and truth are met together
Righteousness and peace have kissed each other. What beautiful
words. I can't help reading them without
a shiver going down the spine, you know, the same sort of thing
that you get when you hear good music. Just beautiful words. Mercy and truth have met together. Righteousness and peace have
kissed. What's it talking about? How
do you know this? How do you experience it? It's
in Christ. Mercy and truth have met together
in Christ. Righteousness, the righteousness
of God, which is unchangeable, has met with peace. They've kissed
each other in Him. Because in Him, all the fullness
of the Godhead, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, all the fullness
of the Godhead dwells bodily. It's met there together for the
salvation of His people from their sins. Thou hast covered
all their sin in Him. in whom dwells the fullness of
the Godhead bodily in Christ the God-man God become man for
the salvation of his people in Jesus they said behold the man
look at him when they were leading him away to crucify him behold
the man in that man there is mercy mercy mercy and truth met
together righteousness and peace have kissed there is mercy in
him when the father of John the Baptist Zacharias was able to
speak again when he said his name will be John not Zacharias
and his voice came back and in Luke 1 verse 72 he said speaking
of who he would go before that this child will go before the
Redeemer who will come and he said that the Christ was to come
to perform the promised mercy remember we read earlier God
is a God who is a God like thee who delights in mercy how does
he perform mercy in this child that Zacharias was talking about,
the Messiah coming. Christ was to come to perform
the promised mercy. In him mercy and truth are met
together because in him is truth. I am the way, the truth, and
the life. What is truth? He is truth. Christ
is truth. Christ is the truth of God. In
him they're met together. He's the one that springs out
of the earth, verse 11. Truth shall spring out of the
earth. He's the one that springs out
of the earth. Isaiah 11, verse 1, talks about a branch from
the root of Jesse, David's father, springing out of the earth. That
Christ is coming as that branch from that root of Jesse. He's
the offspring of David, as a branch springing out of the earth. Truth
shall spring out of the earth. Truth in Him, our Lord Jesus
Christ. And righteousness. Righteousness,
in Him is righteousness. You know that Jeremiah said that
He, the Redeemer, is the Lord our righteousness. That is His
name. The Lord, it's in capital letters, Jeremiah 23 verse 6.
He is the Lord our righteousness. Who is the Lord our righteousness?
For of God, He is made unto us wisdom from God. and righteousness
and sanctification and redemption. 1 Corinthians 1 verse 30. They're
met together in him. It's in his person that mercy
and truth are met together. In him the mercy of God in forgiving
sins meets the truth of God. The soul that sins it shall die.
He cannot overlook sin. He must punish sin. He's a purer
eyes than to behold iniquity but in his son mercy and truth
are met together so that God is just and justifier of the
one who believes in him. He's just, he never ever alters
his absolute rigid inflexibility concerning the law and righteousness
yet in Christ he's established that righteousness for those
who are sinners. so that the justice of God looks on his people
and sees no iniquity there, sees no cause for condemnation and
there is none, no cause for condemnation. Truth and righteousness and peace,
righteousness and peace have kissed. I imagine Fabrizio will
listen to this and I'm sure that Fabrizio will like that verse.
Righteousness and peace have kissed. They've come together
in an affectionate union. They've come to get the righteousness
of God. The righteousness of God. Not
that it condemns, but for his people it makes peace. For he,
how often do I quote this? Does it matter? For he who knew
no sin was made sin for us, that we might be made the righteousness
of God in him. So that righteousness and peace
have come together in an affectionate union. He is the Prince of Peace. Isn't he? For unto us a child
is born, unto us a son is given, and the government shall be upon
his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor,
Mighty God, the Everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace. The Prince
of Peace. In him, he is the Prince of Peace. He is our peace. Ephesians 2,
14 and 17. He is our peace. He came and
preached peace to his people. In Micah again, chapter 5, verses
2 to 5, it talks about out of you, Bethlehem Ephrata, Bethlehem
in Judah. Out of you shall come the one
who is the Redeemer, the Messiah. And it says in the end of verse
5, this man who is coming in Bethlehem, this man shall be
the peace of God. He shall be peace, the peace
of his people. Mercy and pardon. go together
if God is merciful it's because he wants to pardon it's because
he determines to pardon it's because he will pardon but the
truth of God must stand that the soul that sins it shall die
but his righteousness is established in what his son has done when
he made peace through the blood of his cross Colossians 1 verse
20 Christ made peace through the blood of his cross verses
12 and 13 yea the Lord shall give that which is good and our
land shall yield her increase righteousness shall go before
him and shall set us in the way of his steps all the blessings
of gospel grace in Christ for his church that's what it's talking
about yield its increase the land shall yield her increase
yielding her increase meaning that every one of his elect will
be set in the way of his steps, as it says there. Set in the
way of his steps, right at the end of the psalm. When he is
lifted up, he says, Jesus says, John 12, 32, I, if I be lifted
up, will draw all men, all his people, he will draw to himself
and on to eternal glory. This is it. The gospel of God's
grace has established the salvation of his people from their sins.
What a beautiful, what a clear, what an unmistakable declaration
of accomplished salvation for the people of God. Doesn't that
comfort your heart? Does it turn your heart to seek
him while he may be found?