The Apostle John, when he begins
the third chapter of his first epistle, breaks out into admiration
and praise and gratitude. He draws our hearts to give praise
to God for his great love for us and making us his sons, making
us his children. And John speaks of that love
of God, drawing clear lines of distinction, showing us that
by his love for us, God makes all who are the objects of his
love to be the sons of God. He gives us wondrous displays
of his love in his acts of love toward us. Every word in this
first verse is a sermon. Every expression rises with continually
increasing praise to God and continually increasing adoration. Watch what it says. First John
chapter 3 verse 1. Behold what manner of love the
Father hath bestowed upon us that we should be called the
sons of God. John was overwhelmed in the contemplation
of God's love. Behold, mark with astonishment
this fact. God, the God of heaven, the father
of our Lord Jesus Christ, loves such things as we are and takes
such things as we are. And by His love for us, His free
love for us, has made us to be the sons of God. Behold, what
manner of love the Father hath bestowed on us, that we should
be called, of all people, that we should be called the sons
of God. Chosen in love, predestinated
in love, called in love, redeemed in love, kept in love, accepted
in love. We are ourselves called the sons
of God and made to be the sons of God because he loved us. Now sometimes in the scriptures
God speaks of us as his sons and daughters. here and in other
places where he specifically deals with the matter of our
adoption, he speaks of both his sons and daughters as the sons
of God, not because God's confused. But in order for us to understand
that we who are in Christ, one with Christ, made to be heirs
of God and joint heirs with Christ, have all the possession all the
privileges, all the rights, all the honor of the firstborn son
himself, in whom all the honor of the family is bestowed by
the Father. We're the sons of God. Behold
what manner of love the Father has freely bestowed, heaped upon
us, that we should be called the sons of God. What manner
of love is this? This is a subject I have for
us tonight. What manner of love? What manner of love? But there
are three things in this book that we are specifically called
upon to behold with astonishment, with wonder, with gratitude,
with praise to God. Turn back to John's Gospel, chapter
one. This man whose life was filled
with wonders, speaks of wondrous things as one who is almost surprised
by the things he speaks of. And yet these things were his
everyday knowledge, his everyday experience as one born of God
and taught of God. There are three things we're
called upon to behold specifically in the scriptures with adoration.
Here in John's Gospel chapter 1 and verse 29, the next day
John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb
of God which taketh away the sin of the world. John's talking
to his disciples. Those who have been following
Him, who've been listening to Him preach, just as you listen
to me. Those who have been instructed by Him, just as you've been instructed
by me. And he sees the Lord Jesus coming
to him, and he says, Behold now, the Lamb of God, the one I've
been talking about. Behold, stop, pause, stand in
wonder here. Behold, the Lamb of God, that
taketh away the sin of the world, who takes away effectually and
continually the sins of his elect throughout all the world. And
that's precisely the meaning of John's words. Our Lord Jesus
is referred to throughout the Old Testament Scriptures as the
Lamb of God. In Genesis chapter 3, immediately
after the fall, just before driving our cursed parents out of the
garden, The Lord God slaughtered innocent victims. He slaughtered
innocent victims for Adam and Eve and made for them skins to
cover them. I presume the victim slaughtered
with a lamb or lambs, a lamb for each of them. I presume that
because when Abel came to offer his sacrifice to God, he brought
the firstlings of the flock. He brought one who was a lamb,
Abraham. was with Isaac on Mount Moriah.
And Isaac said, Father, we've got the fire, we've got the wood
for a burnt offering, but we can't come to God without a lamb. He said, where is the lamb for
a burnt offering? And Abraham said to Isaac, my
son, God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering.
He didn't say God will provide for himself, though that's certainly
true. He said God will provide himself
a lamb for a burnt offering. Are you still there in John chapter
1? Now watch this. John the Baptist specifically
identifies the Messiah, the Christ, as the Lamb of God and directs
his disciples to follow him. Look at verse 30. This is he
of whom I said, after me cometh a man which is preferred before
me, for he was before me. This man who's coming now after
me is preferred before me because he was before me. He is the eternal
one. He is God, the eternal son. Read on. And I knew him not,
but that he should be made manifest to Israel. Therefore am I come
baptizing with water. And John bear record saying,
I saw the spirit descending from heaven like a dove and then a
boat on him. And I knew him not. But he that
sent me to baptize with water, the same said unto me, upon whom
thou shalt see the Spirit descending and remaining on him, the same
is he which baptizeth with the Holy Ghost. And I saw and bear
record that this is the Son of God. Here is the Lamb. The Lamb prophesied and pictured
and promised throughout all the Old Testament Scriptures. The
Lamb who is Himself God. The Lamb who is provided by God. The Lamb who is accepted by God. Behold the Lamb by whom we may
draw near to God. The Lamb by whom we have access
to God. The Lamb of sacrifice God accepts. Behold the Lamb of God which
taketh away the sin of the world. Some of you here are yet without
my Savior. Maybe your guilt is crushing
your soul as it were down into hell. I call on you now right
where you are behold the Lamb of God. He says look unto me
and be you saved all the ends of the earth for I am God and
beside me there is none else. Salvation is to be had by faith
in Christ Jesus. Salvation is to be had by faith
in Christ Jesus. Brother Eric Richards called
me Late last night, we chatted a little bit. No, this morning
it called, early. And we chatted a little bit and visited somebody. He was concerned about a message
he had preached. He said, I want so much to make
people understand that if you believe on Christ, you have Christ. Oh, that ought to be the aspiration
of every man every time he preaches. Believe on the Son of God. If right now you believe on the
Son of God, your faith in Christ is the fruit and the evidence
that God loved you with everlasting love from eternity, chose you,
has redeemed you and called you by His grace. You could not believe
except He gave you life and faith to believe. Oh, then believe
on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved. Others of
you have been walking with God for some time, born of His Spirit,
called by His grace, well taught by His Word. My message to you
is relentlessly the same. Behold the Lamb of God. Look away to Christ. Whatever
you need, whatever your circumstance, Whatever your heartache, whatever
your trouble, whatever your joy, whatever it is that distracts
you, look away! Away to Christ the Lord. Behold
the Lamb of God who takes away your sin by the sacrifice of
Himself, who by His blood has put away your sin, who by bearing
your sin in His body on the tree has put away your sin. Behold
Him And He taketh away. Isn't that a good word? He taketh
away. But Brother Don, that was done
from eternity. I know that. This will surprise some folks.
I understand that. But that was finished at Calvary.
I know that too. I can't tell you how good it
is when your mind is barren, your heart's empty, soul is filthy, to look away
to the crucified Son of God and have your Savior take away the
uncleanness, take away the sin, take away the guilt and cleanse
you from all your filth and revive and refresh your soul. Ever since God saved me, I've
been hearing preachers talk about revival, and they
want to do things to conjure up revival. They read about old
revivals, and they say, well, we must be doing something wrong,
so we'll change our message, and we'll change our methods,
and we'll see if we can't get God to do something and work
up revival. Would to God somebody would just
stand and preach Jesus Christ crucified and God the Holy Spirit
speak by his word and let us behold the son. And as you behold
him, your heart is convinced of sin. And your heart is convinced
of righteousness. And your heart is convinced of
judgment. And your heart is drawn out in
devotion and commitment to Him. And your heart by His love for
you is drawn out to love for Him. Behold the Lamb of God which
taketh away the sin of the world. Behold Him and be identified
with Him in all His riches and glory. Turn over to Revelation
chapter 5. Revelation chapter 5. I was already
working on this message when Brother Merle read this passage
to us Sunday evening. Look at it again. You remember
what he read concerning this great lamb? Revelation 5. John says, I saw in the right
hand of him that sat on the throne a book written within and on
the backside sealed with seven seals. And I saw a strong angel
proclaiming with a loud voice, Who is worthy to open the book
and to loose the seals thereof? Who's worthy to unravel the mysteries
of God? Who's worthy to unseal the book
of God's decrees? Who's worthy to take the secret
things of God and show them, make them plainly known to us?
Who's worthy to open the book and to loose the seals thereof?
And no man in heaven nor in earth Neither under the earth was able
to open the book, neither to look thereon. And I wept much,
because no man was found worthy to open and to read the book,
neither to look thereon. And one of the elders saith unto
me, Weep not. Behold, the Lion of the tribe
of Judah, the Root of David, hath prevailed to open the book
and to loose the seals thereof. And I beheld, and lo, in the
midst of the throne, and of the four beasts, and in the midst
of the elders." What's he saying? Right smack dab in the midst
of everything connected with glory. Ruth just sing, without
Jesus, heaven wouldn't be heaven. He's right smack dab at the center
of everything. At the center of everything.
I beheld and there stood right up out of the midst of the throne
a lamb as it had been slain. And everybody fell down and worshiped
saying worthy is the lamb. All the elders, all the living
creatures and every creature under heaven falls and says worthy
is the Lamb because Christ Jesus as the Lamb is the message of
this book. The Lamb of God for sinners slain
who takes away the sin of the world. But how does he do that? Turn back to Lamentations chapter
1. Lamentations chapter 1. Here's
the second thing. The great wonder revealed in
this book. Revealed as a constant theme
of this book that we're to behold It's the sufferings Sorrows and
death of Christ as the Lamb of God Let's hear the Lamb of God
as he speaks and Calls for us to behold with reverence his
sufferings and sorrows as our substitute lamentations 112 Is
it nothing to you? All ye that pass by. Is it nothing? Is it nothing? To hear most men preach, it's
nothing. It's nothing. Nothing. Pick up books of sermons and
find out what you read about this Listen to me and preach
men who? Claim to believe the what they
call the five points of Calvinism reform fellas. Listen to it.
It's nothing This is the most insignificant thing there is
revealed in the book as far as most people are concerned Tom
Bryce. This is the most glorious thing
revealed in the book This is the this is the great wonder
of heaven. This is the great mystery of
the gospel This is the great the great riddle that must be
understood if you would know God is it nothing to you? all ye that pass by Behold and
see if there be any sorrow like unto my sorrow which is done
unto me wherewith the Lord wherewith Jehovah hath afflicted me in
the day of his fierce anger. Behold the Son of God hanging
yonder upon the curse tree, bearing all the fury of God's indignant
wrath and justice, bearing all the fury the hail of God's anger
at one time in his body. Why? How could he thus suffer? How can he who is God and God's
own fellow, he who is God and God's equal, how could he be
made to suffer such? Only because he made sin for
us Who knew no sin that we might be made the righteousness of
God in him Turn if you will to Matthew's gospel. I want you
to see something Matthew's gospel Chapter 5 When you got your place there
turn to chapter 11 The enormous load of human guilt
was on my Savior laid with woes as with the garment he for sinners
was arrayed. And in the horrid pangs of death,
he went and prayed for me, loved and embraced my guilty soul when
nailed to the tree. Oh, love amazing. Love beyond the reach of human
tongue, love which shall be the subject of an everlasting song. Look here in Matthew chapter
11, verse 11. Verily, verily, I say unto you,
among them that are born of women, there hath not risen a greater
than John the Baptist. Notwithstanding, he that is least
in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he. Now, there's no question
there is only one who is the least in the kingdom of heaven,
and there is only one who is the greatest in the kingdom of
heaven. And our savior became both as our mediator, he who
is rich became poor that you through his poverty might be
made rich. He who is God himself stepped
into this world in human flesh and was made sin for us, made
utter poverty for us, suffering all the wrath of God and now
he is exalted the greatest in the kingdom of heaven as our
mediator and substitute. Let's see if that's not what
he's saying. Come back to chapter five. Matthew chapter five. And I said to Lindsey and Larry,
they first came in back here tonight, some of the fellows
that came early. I was reading this this morning and for the
first time in my life, it just jumped out plain and those on
your face. Matthew five or 17. The Savior
speaking, think not that I'm come to destroy the law. the
prophets I'm not come to destroy now watch this but to fulfill
to fulfill he came Larry Brown absolutely to fulfill everything
in the law and prophets to fulfill every type to fulfill every requirement
to satisfy justice and to bring in everlasting righteousness
fulfilling the law to be the end of the law read on now For
verily I say unto you, till heaven and earth shall pass away, one
jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law till all
be fulfilled. Not one thing gonna fail to be
fulfilled. They don't. Whosoever therefore shall break
one of the least commandments and shall teach men so He shall
be called, what does your Bible say, Mark? The least in the kingdom of heaven. Now, wait a minute. Matthew 11,
11 says this is the Savior, the least in the kingdom of heaven. Can this be He? Can this be He? We don't. But whosoever shall
do and teach them Now who qualifies there? Who does everything in the law
who does everything in the law only Christ He shall be called
great in the kingdom of heaven He is both when he was made sin
for us he was made a curse for us and he bear all our guilt
in his body on the tree and he who was made sin for us did everything
required in the law and now look at the conclusion For I say unto
you that except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness
of the scribes and Pharisees, you shall in no case enter into
the kingdom of heathen. Our Lord Jesus says, behold and
see if there be any sorrow like unto my sorrow wherewith the
Lord God hath afflicted me. The sorrow he experienced was
my sorrow. The hell he endured was my hell. The death he died was my death. And this he endured, that he
might make me the righteousness of God in him. Oh, wondrous,
wondrous love of God. Now, look at our text. 1 John
chapter 3, verse 1. Here's the third wonder. The wonder of God's love revealed
to us in the Lamb, making us to be the sons of God. Behold what manner of love The
Father hath bestowed upon us that we should be called, named
the sons of God. John would have us to behold
with wonder the love of God for us in Christ Jesus. to behold
with wonder this fact that God has so loved us that he has bestowed
on us this love that we should be called the sons of God. He's heaped upon us his love,
making us his sons. We rejoice to know that God is
love. Without love, he could not be
God. Love is an attribute as essential
to God's being as His holiness, righteousness, justice, and truth.
But we know nothing of God's love until it is revealed and
made known in us in the revelation of Jesus Christ crucified in
His saving grace. You know love when you experience
it. You know love when you experience
it. How many times have you heard some television program or movie
or if you raised a daughter or a son, they'll come to you and
say, Mama, how do you know when you're in
love? How do you know? You ever try to explain that? How do you know? How are you
going to explain that? Daddy, how do you know when you
love a woman? How do you know? Well, son, you
know. You just know. You just know. You just know. You know love
when you experience it. And you know the love of God
when you experience it in his free saving grace, making you
the sons of God. The Lord God shows us his love
in eternal election, choosing us in Christ Jesus, in love,
having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus
Christ to himself according to the good pleasure of his will.
God shows us His love in the sacrifice of His Son, redeeming
us from our sins by the sacrifice of His Son. God commendeth His
love toward us. God recommends His love to us. And that while we were yet sinners,
Christ died for us. Hereby perceive we the love of
God, because He laid down His life for us. Herein is love,
not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his son
to be the propitiation for our sins. God's love for us is clearly
manifest in his calling of us by his grace. He said, I have
loved thee with everlasting love. Therefore, with loving kindness,
have I drawn thee blessed. Oh, blessed is the man whom thou
choosest and causes to approach unto thee. God's love is manifest. in this free saving grace freely
bestowed upon us according to the prophet when he said I will
love them freely and God's love oh how God's love is revealed
to us in keeping us by his grace as I know the thoughts I have
toward you thoughts of peace thoughts of love he keeps us
by his grace Men like to find reasons to fuss and argue about
the word of God. And I recommend that you don't.
I recommend that you don't. But people yak about this matter
of eternal security and the certain perseverance and preservation
of God's elect. What an absurd thing to think
about. Can you imagine one who is loved of God falling out of his hands? Can you imagine one bought with
the blood of God's darling son, called by God's Spirit, held
in the hands of God, being ripped from his hands? Why, what an
absurdity! What a blasphemy! Oh no, our
Savior says, no man can pluck you from my Father's hands. We're
in his hands, wrapped up in the hands of the triune Jehovah and
no man can pluck you out of my hands to declare to us the absolute
certainty that all his people are absolutely secure in him
and with him. People say, well, you've got
to hedge that. You've got to You just can't
leave that hanging and let folks think that they're going to be
kept and saved no matter what. No, I wouldn't want you to think
that. I'd want you to know that absolutely. There's nothing Rex Bartley can
do to rip himself from the heart of God Almighty. If there were, You'd have already
been gone. Understand that? We're kept by
the power of God's grace. Everyone who believes on the
side. Well, if I believed like that,
I'd live like I want to. I wish I could. My God, I wish
I could. Wish I could. God's love for us. Is to be observed
in his tender, providential care for his own. Were you a bit shocked? Sunday
morning when I read to you in John chapter 11, when the Lord
Jesus said to his disciples, you remember Martha and Mary
sent a note to the master and said, Lord, He whom thou lovest
is sick. And the Lord Jesus abode where
he was for three days waiting on Lazarus to die. Arranging it because after all
he is God who gives breath and takes it away. Who gives life
and takes it away. He who is Lazarus is life. Abode three days where he was
waiting for Lazarus to die, watching Martha and Mary and Lazarus in
the midst of this pain. They sat by Lazarus's bed and
watched him die. What he died of, we have no idea.
But for three days, they watched their brother die, knowing that
the master could have come had he so desired. And Lazarus died
And the Lord Jesus said to his disciples, Lazarus is dead and
I'm glad. Lazarus is dead and I'm glad
for your sakes. Cause now by this, I'm going
to teach you and Martha and Mary something about faith in me. And then he. came to the place
where Lazarus was, and Jesus wept. And the Jews said, behold, how
he loved him. Oh, behold, how he loves you. Tenderly caring for his own,
touched with the feeling of our infirmities, able to succor them
that are tempted. If the climax of God's love is
our redemption by Christ, the apex of his love is our adoption
into the family of God. Now watch this. Behold what manner
of love the Father hath bestowed on us that we should be called
the sons of God. What manner of love the Father
hath bestowed on us that we should be called the sons of God. Lindsay, I can't think of another
place in scripture where we're specifically told of the Father
loving us. I can't think of another place.
I've looked Last several weeks, I can't find another place where
we're specifically told of the Father's love for us. We're told
about God's love for us, Jehovah's love for us, never specifically
of the Father's love for us, except right here. Why was John
inspired by God, the Holy Spirit, to say, behold, what manner of
love the Father, the Lord Jesus, I'm going to my father and your
father. And the spirit of God here says,
John, you tell him what manner of love the father. God, as the
father, hath bestowed on us that we should be called the sons
of God. Turn back to John, chapter 17. I think I can give you the
answer. Might not be complete, but the
emphasis here is placed upon the father's love for his elect.
Because our adoption as the sons of God arises from the fact that
God the Father loves us in his son as one with his son as he
loves his son. John chapter 17 verse 22. Our
Savior is praying and the glory which thou gavest me I've given
them. That they may be one even as
we are one I in them and thou in me that they may be made perfect
in one and that the world may know When god gets done when god gets
done Everybody in heaven earth and hell is going to know he
loves me as he loves his son that the world may know that
thou hast loved them. Now watch this. As. As. Thou hast loved me. Now, you can't press that too
far. You're right. You can't press
that too far. Just run just as far as you can
with it. How can you say that? Has God, the Father, loved Don
Rodary as he loves his own son, the Lord Jesus? Yes, he does. Yes, he does. Read on. Father,
I will that they also whom thou hast given me be with me where
I am, that they may behold my glory, which thou hast given
me. For thou lovest me before the
foundation of the world. Oh, righteous father, The world
hath not known thee, but I have known thee, and these have known
that thou hast sent me. And I have declared unto them
thy name, and will declare it. Now watch this, watch this. I've
declared to them your name, and will declare it. That is, I've
come and revealed God in them, that the love wherewith thou
hast loved me may be in them, and I in them. God comes in sovereign free grace
and plants in the hearts of chosen sinners, his own son, and thereby
sheds abroad the love of God into our hearts so that we lift
our hearts to heaven and cry, oh God, my father. And this moral heart, is the
love of God that assures our hearts that we may have boldness
in the day of judgment. God loves me as he loves his
son, as one with his son, and will never cease so to love me
because he has made me the son of God. Behold, what manner of
love The Father hath bestowed on us that we should be called
the sons of God. Sons we are through God's election,
who in Jesus Christ believe by eternal destination, sovereign
grace we here receive. Every fallen soul by sinning
merits everlasting pain. But thy love without beginning
has restored thy sons again. Paul's my soul adore and wonder
ask. Oh, why such love to me? grace
grace Grace has put me in the number of my Savior's family
Amen