Now if God will speak by his
word. Leviticus 25. Leviticus 25. The Old Testament scriptures
are full of gospel pictures. Pictures and types of God's grace
and salvation in Christ Jesus. And one of the most instructive,
one of the most blessed of those pictures is the law God gave
concerning the kinsman redeemer. Here in Leviticus chapter 25,
the law of the kinsman redeemer is described for us. Now, remember,
this law was given at Mount Sinai, we're told in Leviticus 25 verse
1. At the very time God gave the law, by which sin was condemned. He gave this law, which shows
how sin is removed. So that at the very giving of
the law, the Lord God declared himself gracious and merciful
to his people. Remember, too, that the context
is describing the year of Jubilee. So those two things are important.
In the context where this kinsman redeemer is spoken of, it's given
at the very time God gave the law at Sinai, and it's given
in the context of the year of Jubilee. The Lord Jesus, the
Son of God, became our kinsman, our next of kin, our nearest
kinsman. He became one of us so that he
might redeem us. Redemption was not otherwise
possible. He became one of us that he might
redeem us and set us free from all bondage. Now let's read the
portions of this passage, specifically speaking of the kinsman redeemer.
Beginning at verse 25. Leviticus 25, 25. If thy brother
be waxen poor and hath sold away some of his possessions, And
if any of his kin come to redeem it, then he shall redeem that
which his brothers sold. And if the man have none to redeem
it, and himself be able to redeem it, then let him count the years
of the sale thereof, and restore the overplus unto the man to
whom he sold it, that he may return unto his possession. But
if he be not able to restore it to him, then that which was
sold shall remain in the hand of him that hath bought it until
the year of jubilee. And in the jubilee it shall go
out, and he shall return unto his possession. Now verse 47. And if a sojourner or a stranger
wax rich by thee, and thy brother that dwelleth by him wax poor,
and sell himself unto the stranger or sojourner by thee, or to the
stock of the stranger's family. After that he is sold, he may
redeem again. He may be redeemed again. One
of his brethren may redeem him. Either his uncle or his uncle's
son may redeem him. Or any that is nigh akin unto
him of his family may redeem him. Or if he be able, he may
redeem himself. I want to call your attention
to three things in this message. First, I'll talk to you a little
bit about the redeemed, those who were redeemed. And then the
redeemer. I'll spend the bulk of my time
there. And then I'll conclude by talking to you a little bit
about the redemption. First then, this book here speaks
about the redeemed. If one of the Jews had fallen
into deep poverty by neglect, or by carelessness, by foolishness,
or by any other means. If he fell into great poverty
and need and sold himself, his land, his possessions, and at
last himself to a stranger, the Lord God made a law. He made
a law by which that one who had lost everything might be redeemed
and called here the kinsman, the one who would redeem him.
Now this is a powerful, clear picture of Adam selling himself
and all his race into sin and bondage. When that happened,
God made a provision for his redemption. Verse 48 says, after
that he is sold, he may be redeemed again. This word, after, tells
us this is after the fact. This verse also states a possibility
in the words, he may be redeemed. So that after the man has been
brought into poverty, been brought into great need, then there's
a possibility that he may be redeemed. Just as our God gave
the law in Israel, before anyone needed redemption, Before anyone
was ever brought into this state of bondage, oppression, and poverty,
our great God found a way to redeem his lost ones long before
we fell in our father Adam. Redemption with God is not an
afterthought. Redemption with God is not an
afterthought. There are people who will tell
you that The Lord Jesus came into this world really because
he wanted to be a king over in Israel, and because the Jews
wouldn't let him pretty please be their king, then God switched
to plan B, and now he died at Calvary and redeemed us. No. Redemption is not an afterthought
with God. That's not all. Nothing is an
afterthought with God. God not only anticipated everything
that comes to pass, He purposed everything that comes to pass.
And long before we needed redemption, we were redeemed in Christ our
Savior. Turn to the book of Romans. I
want you to look at this very familiar text again. Romans chapter
8. Our redemption in time arises
from God's purpose of redemption in eternity. Our experience of
redemption in time arises from and just declares the accomplishment
of redemption in eternity. Romans chapter 8 verse 28. We
know that all things work together for good. Not everything's going
to turn out all right. Not everything's going to have
a good end. Not some good's going to come out of everything. That's
the language of fatalists who don't know God. No, no. No, no. All things work together for
good, to accomplish good, to them that love God, to them who
are the called according to his purpose. They do not work together
for everyone's good. Not everything that happens to
some people turns out for good. In fact, for the reprobate, everything
that happens turns out for bad. Nothing turns out for good. But
to those who love God, And who is it that loves God? Those who
are called, thee called. Those who are thee called. The
word here used doesn't mean those who are called by God's irresistible
grace, though that certainly is included. The word here is
the word that's used to name someone. You about to have a
baby and you want to give it a name, so you name it. You give
it, you call it by this name. We are those whom God called,
whom God named his sons from eternity. These are the ones
who love God in time. They are the called according
to his purpose. And here's his purpose. It is
plainly stated in the very next verse. For whom he did foreknow. Oh, that's the answer. God looked out through the ages
of time and with his telescope knowledge of omniscience he saw
who would believe and who would turn to him and who would let
him save him and so he chose them. No. That's not what foreknowledge
means. It is not what he did foreknow
but whom he did foreknow. And the word for knowledge doesn't
speak of God's pre-science, God's knowledge beforehand. It speaks
of God's everlasting love, whom he knew with everlasting love
from eternity. It speaks of his acceptance and
approval of his own in Christ Jesus, whom God did love with
an everlasting love. Approved of and accepted. Remember
what Paul said in Ephesians 1? Accepted in the beloved. This
is what Fordon is talking about. Then he also did predestinate. Predestinate. That's a wonderful
word. Predestinate. Religious folks,
I don't like predestination. If you ever get in on it, you
will. predestinate. Our Heavenly Father did predestinate
somebody, those whom He foreknew, those whom He loved and accepted
in Christ before the world began. He predestinated to be conformed
to the image of His Son, that His Son, His Son might be the
firstborn, the preeminent one among many brethren, that He,
being the firstborn, may be the head of a huge family. And that
which God predestined, he didn't leave to chance. He already accomplished. Now watch what it said. Moreover,
whom he did predestinate, them he also called. And whom he called,
those he named to be his sons, them he also justified. And whom
he justified, them he also glorified. And the words are all in the
past tense. This was done from eternity.
This is not a prophetic word of God. This is a decorative
word of history accomplished in eternity. You mean, Brother
Dodd, we were adopted in eternity? Well, of course we were. You
mean we were justified in eternity? Of course we were. You mean we
were glorified in eternity? conform to the image of his son
in eternity. Well, how can that be? I don't
know, but I'm glad it's so. God's will to do is the doing
of a thing. God's will to do is the accomplishment
of a thing. The words redeemed again in our
text. It might be redeemed again. Speak
of getting something back that was lost. The man sold his property,
sold his land, sold his house, and finally sold himself into
bondage. And he goes to redeem that which
was once his. And God Almighty sends his son
in the mighty operations of his grace in the accomplishment of
redemption by blood and by power according to God's purpose to
bring back to himself that which was his from eternity. So redemption
itself declares a prior ownership. God Almighty in redeeming our
souls brings us back to Him who were one with Him in eternity
before we were lost in our father Adam. So the redeemed one spoken
of here, All of these spoken of as being the redeemed ones. Redeemed by this kinsman redeemer
are Israelites. A people chosen of God. A people
who belonged to God. A people for whom and with whom
God made a covenant in their father Abraham. The redemption
was for somebody special. The redemption was for a specific
people. The redemption brought back specific
things for a specific people because of God's purpose. So
it is with Christ, our kinsman redeemer. He came into this world
to redeem God's Israel, called in this book the Israel of God.
God's chosen people, a people chosen by God from eternity,
a people who belong to God from eternity, a people with whom
God made a covenant and for whom God made a covenant of pure free
grace from eternity. Second, this chapter speaks about
the Redeemer. And this is both the best and
the most important part of the chapter. The nearest kinsman
had the responsibility of redeeming his brother and his brother's
lost property. If a person was forced into slavery,
his redeemer purchased his freedom. When debt threatened to overwhelm
the man, the kinsman stepped in to redeem his homestead and
preserve his family. If the family member died without
an heir, the kinsman gave a name to his family by marrying the
widow and raising up a son to his brother. Now, this law was
in practice long before it was given. Back in the 38th chapter
of Genesis, you remember that Judah's son, Ur, died before
he had any children. So he gave his wife, Tamar, to
his son, Onan. And Onan married the woman, but
refused to give her a son, refused to give her his seed, lest he
spoil his own heritage. And for that, God killed him
like he did his wicked brother. And then the law of the kinsman
redeemer is given in Deuteronomy 25 verse 5. And it's illustrated
for us magnificently in the book of Ruth. Boaz, Ruth's near kinsman. Ruth said to him, said, thou
art near akin to me. And she used that as a claim
upon Boaz's goodness and bid him spread his skirt over her.
And Boaz, her near kinsman, came near and redeemed her before
all of Israel as he went to the gates of the city in Bethlehem,
Judah. When death came at the hands
of another man, this man who was out here working in the field
and he suddenly Draws back to take another lick with the axe,
and the axe head falls off and splits his neighbor's head. There
was somebody who was sent to kill him. Someone was sent to
kill him, called the Avenger of Blood. Remember that when
God gave the law to the cities of refuge? He said now if he
gets to the city, then he's free from the Avenger blood But the
Avenger blood had the right under God's law to kill the man who
had accidentally slain his brother the word Avenger is Exactly the
same word that's here used for kinsmen. I Exactly the same word
the word Redeemer here in Leviticus 25 is the word Avenger in numbers
35 12 When God gave his law he's telling us that this kinsman
Redeemer is also the kinsman Avenger The word is used throughout
the scriptures with regard to the Lord God Himself, describing
Himself as our Redeemer. Turn over to Isaiah chapter 41. I want to show you just five
passages here in Isaiah. Let me read you a few along the
way while you're turning. In Exodus chapter 6, God declares
himself our Redeemer, making it clear by implication that
he who is our kinsman Redeemer is himself God, our Savior. He who is our kinsman Redeemer
is himself Jehovah, the infinite God. Exodus 6. Wherefore say
to the children of Israel, I am the Lord. I will bring you out
from under the burdens of the Egyptians, and I will rid you
of their bondage, and I will redeem you with a stretched out
arm and with great judgments. Job said, I know that my redeemer
liveth. David spoke of God as that one
who redeemeth thy life from destruction and crowneth thee with loving
kindness. Now look here in Isaiah 41 verse 14. hear God speak. Fear not thou worm, Jacob, and
you men of Israel. I will help thee, saith the Lord,
and thy Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel. God says, I'm your
Redeemer, the kinsman Redeemer. He is our God. Look at chapter
43, verse 41, verse 1. Now thus saith the Lord that
created thee, O Jacob, he that formed thee, O Israel, fear not.
For I have redeemed thee. What a word. What a word. And I cannot avoid making this
comment. There is no greater declaration
of limited atonement than Isaiah 43 verse 1. God says to all who
are redeemed, fear not. Fear not. If every sinner is
redeemed, no sinner has reason to fear. If every sinner is redeemed,
none shall go to hell. If every sinner is redeemed,
none shall experience justice. Ah, but God says to a specific
people, they're the sons of Jacob. Fear not, for I have redeemed
thee. I have called thee by thy name.
Thou art mine. Look at Isaiah 44, verse 6. Thus
saith the Lord the King of Israel and his Redeemer. Who is it? The Lord of hosts. God who rules
everybody and everything. I am the first and the last and
beside me there is no God. Isaiah 44 22. I have blotted
out as a thick cloud by transgressions and as a cloud by sins Returned
to me for I have redeemed thee there again a clear declaration
of limited atonement effectual redemption Those who are redeemed
are those whose sins God has brought it out chapter 48 verse
40 verse 20 Go ye forth of Babylon flee from the Chaldeans with
a voice of singing, declare ye. Tell this, utter it even unto
the ends of the earth. Say ye, the Lord hath redeemed
his servant Jacob. Now, look at Hebrews chapter
2. He who is our Redeemer is himself
God. He is God. But even God Even God cannot be our Redeemer
except to become our kinsman. God cannot be our Redeemer except
to become our kinsman. God could not redeem fallen man,
for God will not sacrifice his justice, except sin be punished
in a man. And so God, our Redeemer, must
become a man. Look here in Hebrews 2, verse
16. This is exactly what our God did when Christ came into
the world. Jesus Christ is God, our kinsman,
Redeemer. Hebrews 2, 16. For verily, he
took not on him the nature of angels, but he took on him the
seed of Adam. It's not what it says, is it?
That's not what it says. That is not what it says. He
took on him the seed of Abraham. He didn't take hold of the angels.
The angels that fell are reserved in chains of darkness under the
judgment of the great day. No mercy. But the Lord God, our
Savior, came into this world and took hold on the seed of
Abraham, God's chosen covenant people. Wherefore, in all things,
it behooved him. It was necessary for him to be
made like unto his brethren the seed of Abraham. that he might
be a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to
God to make reconciliation for the sins of the people. When
our Lord Jesus was born, his birth was different, distinct
from that of any other man. When you begin to read the first
chapter of Matthew, you'll read that so-and-so begat so-and-so
and they kept on begetting until we get down to verse 18. And
in Matthew 1, 18, there's suddenly a shift, a change. This is how
the birth of our Savior is described. God says, now the birth of Jesus
was on this wise. That is, the birth of Jesus was
not like the birth of Abraham or of David or of any other.
The birth of Jesus was on this wise. When his mother Mary was
espoused to Joseph before they came together, They were legally
married, that's what a spousal was. But Joseph had not publicly
taken her as his wife and had never gone to bed with her. So
Mary is a virgin. And before they came together,
Mary was found with child, listen to this now, of the Holy Ghost. That woman conceived the Son
of God in her womb by the power and overshadowing of God the
Holy Ghost. Our Savior became a man. God
became a man. God stepped into time, into humanity,
and became one of us, our nearest kinsmen, our nearest kinsmen. You've got a brother up in Pennsylvania,
don't you Bobby? I've got three sisters. We're
close kid, called blood kid. I've got a kinsman nearer than
they. For that relationship will be
severed in time. Soon, soon, one will lose the
other and at the end, all will lose that relationship. But here's
a kinsman. who is my kinsman from eternity
and my kinsman forever. He is Jesus Christ, my nearest
kinsman. He became a man that he might
be qualified as God. I use my words deliberately. He became a man that he might
be qualified as God to be our kinsman redeemer. Now, what's
required of a kinsman redeemer? Let me just state them for you.
If you want the scripture references, I'll give them to you later.
Five things were necessary. Five things were necessary. You
read through this book about the kinsman redeemer. These five
things were required for a kinsman redeemer. First, he must be near
of kin. That's what Ruth said to Boaz,
thou art near kin to me. Second, he must be able to redeem. That is to say, he must be free
of all calamity and of all need and of all debt. He must himself
have the wherewithal to redeem. And third, he must be willing
to redeem. Ruth had a kinsman nearer than
Boaz. We read about him in the fourth
chapter of Ruth. But he was not willing to redeem. He was able. He had plenty of money, plenty
of property, plenty of power, but he was not willing to redeem.
For if he redeemed, he must be marred in his estate. And he
wasn't willing to do that. The kinsman redeemer must be
free of debt. He must be able to redeem. And
third, he must be willing to redeem. Fourth, redemption was
completed when the price was completely paid. So that Boaz
was Ruth's kinsman redeemer, and he had the right to redeem,
and the power to redeem, and the will to redeem. Ruth was
not his until he redeemed her. He was not, she was not his until
he paid the price for her. And then fifthly, the kinsman
was required to redeem. The law required him to redeem.
Sort of. Sort of. That is to say, the
kinsman would not be put to death if he didn't redeem, but the
kinsman who refused to redeem must bear the shame of that refusal
forever, as Ruth's nearer kinsman did. The one who was there pulls
off her shoe and throws it at him because he would not redeem,
and so he bears his shame forever. The Lord Jesus meets those five
standards. He is our kinsman redeemer. Christ
had the right to redeem us because he is nearest of kin to us. Listen to what the book says.
What the law could not do in that it was weak through the
flesh. God sending his own son in the likeness of sinful flesh
as an offering for sin, condemned sin in the flesh. Christ is that one who is our
nearest kinsman. And he came here in his incarnation
to accomplish redemption. He was like us in every way,
except that he knew no sin and did no sin and had no sin. In
order to identify himself with us, he made himself of no reputation
and took on him the form of a servant and was found in likeness as
a man. For we have not an high priest who cannot be touched
with the feeling of our infirmities, but was in all points tempted,
like as we are, yet without sin. Second, the Lord Jesus, our blessed
Savior, has the power, the right to redeem because he's God. He gives infinite merit and efficacy
to all his work as a man because he's God. That which this man
does, he's a man like you and I, only without sin, a mortal
man, a man who could die and did die, a man who could only
as a man merit what a man can merit. But this man is God in
the flesh. That means everything he is and
everything he does and everything he says is of infinite worth
and infinite efficacy. God, who at sundry times and
in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the
prophets, hath in these last days spoken unto us by his son,
whom with appointed air of all things, by whom also he made
the worlds, who being the brightness of his glory and the express
image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his
power, when he had by himself purged our sins, he sat down
on the right hand of the majesty on high. Third. Blessed be his
name our nearest kinsman was willing to redeem us Lo I call in the volume of the
book it is written to me. I delight to do thy will. Oh
my god Brother mark asked me a very good question this morning
either before after service. I think afterwards Speaking about
our Savior said he's I do I Not my will, but the Father's will.
But isn't his will and the Father's will the same? Yes. Yes, indeed
they are. But our Savior came into this
world as Jehovah's servant, as our kinsman redeemer, as our
surety, the one responsible for our everlasting salvation, the
shepherd responsible for the sheep. trusted with our salvation
in Beru's hands, the triune God trusted his glory and his purpose. And he comes here to do the will
of God so that as a man, he says, I don't do my own will. I don't
do that which pleases me as a man. I don't do that which is comfortable
for me as a man. I don't do that which will gratify
me as a man. I came here to do my father's
will. He speaks of this commandment
have I received in my father. Well, if he's God, one with God
and truly God, how can he receive a commandment from God? He's
Jehovah's willing, voluntary servant, willingly subjecting
himself to all things as our kinsman redeemer. Our Savior
was willing to redeem. And so he lifts his hands in
eternity and he lifts his hand as he's coming into this world
and says, Lord, I come to do thy will. Oh, my God. And then forth. The Son of God
paid the price of our redemption. Jesus paid it all. All the debt
I owed. Sin had left a crimson stain. He washed it white as snow. Not
only is He qualified, willing, and able to redeem, not only
has He paid the price of redemption, our dear Savior effectually redeemed
His people by His blood. He didn't make redemption possible. He accomplished redemption by
his blood. Every sinner for whom he died
is redeemed. Justice is satisfied. The curse
is removed. The payment has been made. Christ
hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, for it is written,
Cursed is everyone that hangeth on a tree. He, with his own blood,
entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal
redemption for us. Because in Him we have redemption
through His blood, the forgiveness of sins according to the riches
of His grace. Hold your hands here in Leviticus
25 and turn to the book of Job. Job chapter 19. Now we recognize what the theologians
call progressive revelation, so that You begin in Genesis
chapter 1 and God begins to reveal himself and reveals himself a
little more with each revelation from God. But believing that
to be true, don't get the notion that God's saints of old did
not understand the gospel of God's grace. They fully did.
They fully did. Here is a man by the name of
Job who lived at least as early as Abraham. The book of Job was
the first of all the inspired books in the Bible. It's not
given in that order in our Bible, but if you were giving them in
chronological order, you'd start reading the Bible at Job chapter
one, verse one. This is the oldest book in the
Bible. Job lived in those days of the
earliest times of man on this earth. And Job knew God. Job knew God. Listen to what
it says in verse 23, Job 19. Oh, that my words were now written.
Oh, that they were printed in a book, that they were graven
with an iron pin and laid in a rock forever. For I know, what
a word, I know that my Redeemer liveth. I know that my kinsman redeemer,
that's the word that's translated redeemer, I know that my kinsman
redeemer liveth and that he shall stand at the latter day upon
the earth. Job said I know I know that he
who is the God-man, my savior, who has not yet taken on himself
humanity, who has not yet come through the womb of the virgin
into the world, he shall at last stand on this earth. And he's
coming again in his glory, whom I shall... and they're after
my skin worms. Look at this, verse 26. Though
after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I
see God, whom I shall see for myself, and mine eyes shall behold,
and not another, though my reins be consumed within me. Job, way
back in the beginning, said, I know that Jesus Christ, the
God-man, lives, and that he's coming into this world in human
flesh, and I'm going to see him. And I know he's God. Oh, what
a declaration of faith. Come to Christ then, poor, needy,
guilty sinners. Come to Christ like Ruth came
to Boaz. Lay down at his feet and bid
him spread his skirt over you and take you. Lord, you came
here to save sinners. You came You came to put away
sin. You came to forgive iniquity. You came to set the captive free.
I qualify. Spread your sculder over me.
Take me as your own. I'll give you a word of promise.
I'll give you a word of promise. I started to say I'd stake my
soul on it. No, I have staked my soul on it. He will take you. He will take. Never did a sinner
bow at his throne and seek his mercy, surrendering to him as
Lord and King and God and Savior who was turned away by him. Now,
don't miss this. I mentioned it in the beginning.
Turn to Isaiah 62. Christ, our kinsman, Redeemer
is also the avenger of blood. Isaiah 62, the spirit of the
Lord God is upon me because the Lord has anointed me to preach
good tidings unto the meek. He has sent me to bind up the
brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives and the opening
of the prison to them that are bound, to proclaim the acceptable
year of the Lord. Now watch this, and the day a
vengeance of our God to comfort all that mourn. He who is our Redeemer is the
avenger of blood. He has avenged the justice of
God for us. He is the avenger of blood who
chased us into the city of refuge. And he is the city of refuge
in whom we have safety But there's one more thing in leviticus 25.
I want you to see I gave a hint to the men back in the office
a little while ago One more thing here about our lord. Jesus as
god our kinsman redeemer look at verse 26 and verse 49 In both
places The lord gives his law and speaks of the possibility
of one being sold into bondage, being able to redeem himself. If he be able, he may redeem
himself. What? If he be able, he may redeem
himself. Do you know almost everybody
I know believes in self-redemption? You ever listen to the moralist
talk on TV? I believe in redemption. Man can redeem himself. He can
make his record clean. He can straighten his life out.
He can redeem himself. But that's not what the book
says. God says no man can by any means redeem his brother
nor give to God a ransom for him. No man can redeem himself. No man can redeem himself. Well,
what's this talking about there? If he'd be able, he may redeem
himself. This is given in the law of the
kinsman redeemer, given for our instruction. What does this refer
to? It refers to our great savior.
Now, listen carefully. For our sakes, the Lord Jesus,
God's darling son, sold himself into bondage. He became poor. You know the grace of our Lord
Jesus Christ, how that though he was rich, yet for your sakes
he became poor, that ye through his poverty might be made rich.
He took our sin and our debts to be his own. He was made sin
for us. And when he died, he redeemed
himself from the debt he had incurred as our substitute. commenting on Psalm 40 verse
12, John Trapp wrote this comment. He said, Our Lord Jesus Christ
was the greatest of sinners by imputation. For our sins, which
he calls his, he suffered. And his bitter agony is graphically
described. Neither is it absurd to say that
as he bore our sins in his own body upon the tree, he was first
redeemed by himself and afterwards we. Go back to ancient Israel in
the time of judges. Go back to Ruth chapter 4. Ruth
chapter 4. Can you see Naomi? She's holding
her newborn grandson in her arms, the son of Boaz and Ruth. Her
neighbors said, Naomi's got a son. God's given Naomi a grandson.
Look at that proud grandma. God's given Naomi a grandson.
And they named him Obed. Obed was the father of Jesse,
the father of King David. of the lineage of the Messiah,
the Lord Jesus Christ. God had redeemed her. The words of Naomi's friends
are a fitting reminder of God's grace in our lives. Ruth chapter
four, verse 14. And the women said unto Naomi,
blessed be the Lord, which hath not left thee this day without
a kinsman, that his name may be famous in Israel. Psalm
106, verse 8. Nevertheless, He redeemed them
for His namesake. Why did Christ do all this? To
make Himself famous in Israel as our Redeemer. He alone, our
Redeemer. We who had lost everything are
redeemed by Christ, our Redeemer. Now, the third thing I want you
to see, and I'll send you home rejoicing, just give me a minute,
just a minute, is the redemption our great Savior, our darling
Redeemer, the Lord Jesus Christ, our kinsman Redeemer obtained
for us. What is this redemption? Redemption. It is deliverance
From all ruin, complete deliverance. From all ruin, complete restoration
to God. With the overplus. With the overplus. not only restored
to what we lost in Adam, but restored to the very glory of
God in His Son, Christ our Redeemer, who paid all our debt, redeemed
us from all our poverty, delivered us from all bondage, has redeemed
us from the possibility of death, so that God's elect shall never
die. Never die. Isn't that good? I'm going to cross over Jordan.
I'm not going to drown in it. God's elect shall never die.
Never die. I think I told you Tuesday night,
my brother Ron Rumberg, Ron Wood's brother-in-law, I was chatting
with him, going down the road the other day, down Chattanooga,
Monday, and talking about an old man he knew, an old preacher.
They were at a preacher's meeting a year or so ago. This fellow
was in his early 90s. One of the young preachers knew
he wasn't in good health. They asked him, they said, brother, how
are you doing? He said, I'm doing great. I'm on the exit ramp on
my way home. That's it. I'm on my way home. I'm on my way. God, my savior,
my kinsman, redeemer has redeemed me from death. Death is an impossibility
for those redeemed by Christ Jesus. And he recovered everything. He recovered everything, made
us as He is. See Christ yonder in glory, Rex
Bartley, that's you, that's me. Is He accepted? Any possibility
of Him being rejected? Is He the object of God's smile
and approval? Is He God's delight? Is He filled
with all thoroughness? Is He complete? So are you, if
you're in Him. This is Christ, our kinsman redeemer. Let his name be famous in Israel
forever. Amen.