Let me give you two texts to
begin with this morning. Job chapter 33, when you found
that, turn to 1 Corinthians chapter 15. More than 200 years ago, Jonathan
Edwards, who was not only a tremendous preacher of the gospel, but also
the first president of Princeton University, wrote a tremendous
book called The History of Redemption. And I'm going to borrow the title
of his book for the title of my message this morning. This
history of redemption begins in Job 33 and verse 24. Before the world began, the Lord
God Almighty looked upon His Son and looked upon chosen sinners
in His Son. And this is what he says concerning
every chosen sinner. Job 33, 24. Then he is gracious
unto him, and saith, Deliver him from going down to the pit. I have found a ransom. There's somebody that God Almighty
is going to deliver from eternal damnation. Because he found a
ransom in Christ Jesus the Lord. Alright, that's where we will
begin. Turn to 1 Corinthians 15 and verse 24. Redemption's
finished here. Then cometh the end. I don't know much what's going
to happen between now and then. But I know what's going to happen
in the end. Then cometh the end, when he shall have delivered
up the kingdom to God, even the Father, when he shall have put
down all rule and all authority and power. The Lord Jesus Christ,
that one in whom Jehovah has found a ransom for our souls,
shall at last put all his enemies under his feet, and shall reign
gloriously, presenting every ransomed sinner to the Father
in the perfection of redemption finished." Would you be among
that number? Would you stand before God Almighty
forever accepted? justified, forgiven, well-pleasing
in God's sight? Oh, preacher, I'd do anything
if I could. Would you be willing to do nothing? Believe on the Son of God. And this redemption is yours. Oh, may God give you grace to
believe. Now, obviously, I'm using the
word redemption in a very, very broad sense this morning. Sometimes the word is used strictly
to speak of our ransom, our being redeemed from the curse of the
law by the blood of Christ, or being redeemed by the power of
Christ from the dominion of sin. Our Lord Jesus Christ, by his
blood, entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal
redemption for us. Our Savior has redeemed us from
the curse of the law being made a curse for us. But frequently
the word redemption is used in a much broader sense than that.
Listen to this. If you will, you turn over to
Ephesians 4.30. But listen to this, the psalmist
says in Psalm 130, let Israel hope in the Lord, for with the
Lord there is mercy, and with him is plenteous redemption,
and he shall redeem Israel from all his iniquities. We are waiting
for the adoption, that is, the redemption of the body. So Paul
speaks, as David does, of redemption in a much broader sense than
just the ransom of our souls. He's talking about the redemption
of our bodies from the grave in resurrection glory. Christ
is made of God unto us wisdom, righteousness, sanctification,
and redemption. We are sealed with the Holy Spirit
until the day of redemption. Look here at Ephesians 4.30.
Paul says, Grieve not the Holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are
sealed, preserved, and kept unto the day of redemption. Now that's
talking about the consummation, the final act, the final work
by which redemption shall be accomplished when we shall be
raised up in resurrection glory and made like Christ. Now I want
to use the word redemption in that sense, in this broadest
possible sense, taking in everything involved that's necessary for
the saving of our souls, bringing us out from under the curse and
ruin of the fall into the resurrection glory of the sons of God. Now
everything that God does, everything, everything that God permits to
be done, He does for the redemption of His people. It is best for
us that we not know the future. Our Lord tells us plainly the
secret things belong to God. The things that are revealed
belong to us and to our children. It is not for you to know the
times and seasons. It's best that we not know what
will take place or transpire in our lives tomorrow or in the
world tomorrow. Those things God has tucked away. But it is best for us to look
with prospective faith upon that which God has promised that he
will do in the future. Now this is what God's doing
in all providence. He is accomplishing the redemption,
the salvation of his people. Jonathan Edwards in that book,
The History of Redemption, made this profound observation. Let
me read it to you. God's main work in providence
is this of redemption. The creation of heaven was in
order to the work of redemption, as a habitation for the redeemed.
Even the angels were created to be employed in this work.
As to this lower world, listen now, as to this lower world,
it was doubtless created to be a stage upon which this great
and wonderful work of redemption should be transacted. That's
what the world is. It is a stage upon which God
unfolds the wondrous drama of redemption. The world is but
the stage in which God performs his marvelous works on our behalf. Therefore, this lower world is
wisely fitted in its formation for souls in such a state of
man, as he is since the fall under the possibility of redemption. All right, now let me, before
I look at these various acts of redemption, try to show you
from the scriptures what God's purpose is. God's purpose really
is fivefold. God is determined put all his
enemies under his feet. Look at 1 Corinthians 15, 25. God's determined to put all his
enemies under his feet. You remember the first gospel
promise in Genesis 3, 15? Was that of the Lord Jesus Christ,
whose heel would be bruised by the serpent's seed, but that
one who would crush the serpent's head. The Son of God was manifested
that he might destroy the works of the devil. That is, he was
manifested that he might undo, repair, and completely destroy
all the evil that Satan brought into this world. Look here in
1 Corinthians 15 verse 25. He must reign till this is done. He hath put all his enemies under
his feet. God's goodness will at last be
found triumphant. He has sovereignly arranged all
things so that Satan will be confounded and the works of Satan,
all the works of Satan shall be completely destroyed. All
right, secondly, God's purpose is to retrieve his creation,
the whole creation, from the ruins of the fall. The Lord Jesus
Christ bought the world in this sense. He bought creation as
the God-man, our mediator, to redeem the entire creation from
the ruins of the fall. There is a time coming in Acts
chapter 3, we're told, called the times of the restitution
of all things. Brother Linsden mentioned this
morning that the law requires not only satisfaction for sin,
the law requires restitution. God Almighty is going to make
all things give restitution to him and everything shall be restored
to him. Everything. Everything. A man's
soul was ruined by the fall. The image of God was marred.
Man's nature was corrupted. He became dead in sin. God's
design and redemption for the souls of chosen sinners is to
restore his elect to the image of his Son and make us to be
conformed to Jesus Christ the Lord in all things. Man's body
was also ruined. By the fall it became subject
to sickness and pain and disease and death. And it shall go to
the dust, sown a corruptible body. But blessed be God, the
day is coming when it shall be raised an incorruptible body
with no possibility of sickness, no possibility of disease, no
possibility of death, no possibility of sin. The world was ruined
by the fall. As effectively as if it had been
reduced to chaos again. But God's purpose is to restore
his creation to the perfect order which will show forth his glory
and righteousness shall flourish everywhere. He says, behold,
I create new heavens and a new earth and the former shall not
be remembered. Now come to mind. Satan shall
be triumphant nowhere. Nowhere. The slime of the serpent's
trail shall be totally expunged from God's creation. so that
even hell itself shall show forth perpetually the glory of God's
power, justice, and wisdom in the execution of His wrath, showing
forth Him to be God Almighty, and Satan shall have triumph
nowhere, not in heaven, not in the earth, and not even in hell.
Another great design of God in the work of redemption is to
gather together all things to Christ. Look at Ephesians 1. I have been studying this verse
of scripture for the better part of 35, 36 years.
And I haven't begun yet to get it. I don't understand the fullness
of it. Don't pretend to. I've read everything
I know to read on it and still don't understand it. But here
in Ephesians 1.10, We are told that this is God's purpose in
the saving of his people. That in the dispensation of the
fullness of times, I take that to mean when God gets done. When
God gets done, he might gather together in one all things in
Christ. Both which are in heaven and
which are on earth, even in him. All elect men and angels shall
be perfectly united to Christ. He's made the head over all things.
All creatures shall be brought back and subject to Christ the
God-man. All creation subject to Him. But more than that, all things
shall at last give praise to Him who is the God-Man, our Savior,
Jesus Christ, the Lord, everything. Fourthly, God's purpose is to
perfect and bring into everlasting bliss and calls to inherit complete
glory for all His elect. God Almighty He's gonna make you perfect. I'm not talking about just judicially
perfect. I'm not talking about just give
you a perfect new nature as He has done in justification and
in sanctification. I'm talking about God's gonna
make you perfect. Perfect. In your body. In your soul. in your spirit,
in your heart. He's going to give you everlasting
bliss. He's going to cause you, my brother,
my sister, to possess all of glory, even as Christ himself
now possesses it. I hath not seen, nor ear heard,
neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which
God has prepared for them that love Him. We have it revealed. It's written in the Word. But
we can't even begin to think about what it shall be. to be perfect forever in the bliss of everlasting glory
with uninterrupted fellowship at the throne of God. And one more thing, in all this
work of redemption In all this great work, God is
determined to glorify Himself. He's done all these things to
the praise of the glory of His grace. He's done all these things
to the praise of His glory. He's done all these things to
the praise of His glory, He tells us three times in the first chapter
of Ephesians. God Almighty will be glorified
in us and by us forever. He will be glorified, Rex Bartley,
in you. In his wonderful work of grace
in you. And he will be glorified forever
by you. Now that's God's purpose. how I would love to glorify Him
just this hour. I mean really to honor Him, really
to set forth His glory. But soon, all soon, I shall glorify
Him perfectly all the time forever. That's redemption finished. Indeed, all things shall praise
and magnify our God in that day. The Lord hath made all things
for himself, yea, even the wicked for the day of evil. Surely the
wrath of man will praise thee, and the remainder of wrath wilt
thou restrain. Now, let's see how God does this
work. Come back to Job chapter 33. The history of redemption begins
with Christ's covenant engagements as our surety on our behalf before
the world began. The Lord God looks on us in his
son, the lamb slain from the foundation of the world, and
then he is gracious unto him and saith, deliver him from going
down to the pit, for I have found a ransom. The fact is, before
the world began, God made an election. God made a choice. Salvation's got to begin with
somebody's choice. Folks say, well, I believe salvation
depends on my choice. Well, you believe wrong. Salvation
begins with God's choice and depends upon God's choice. God,
from the beginning, has chosen you to salvation through sanctification
of the spirit and belief of the truth. Salvation begins with
God choosing to save a people. When God Almighty chose to save
a people, He made a covenant on our behalf. A covenant ordered
in all things ensured. A covenant which is sealed by
the blood of Jesus Christ the Lord. And our Lord Jesus Christ
is the surety of that covenant. Now, let me tell you what I mean
by surety. Turn over to Genesis chapter
43. Genesis 43. You remember Benjamin has been taken prisoner by Joseph. And it's a terrible, terrible
time. Terrible time. Nobody knows this
is Joseph. They think he's just a cruel
Egyptian. And Judah comes to his father in chapter 43 verse
9. And says, I'm sorry, not Benjamin, but his brother's been taken
captive. And this man in Egypt, Joseph, he said, you got another
brother at home? Bring him down here. And they
were about to send him. But Judah says to his father,
let me have him. I will be surety for him. I will
be surety for him. Of my hand shalt thou require
him. If I bring him not unto thee
and set him before thee, then let me bear the blame forever. The Lord Jesus Christ stands
before God Almighty as our covenant surety and says, Father, put
him right here. Put him in my hands. I will be surety for them. I'll
redeem them. I'll justify them. I'll save
them. I'll bring them back to you in
my perfection. And if I fail, I'll bear the
blame forever. And so the father trusted us
into the hands of his son as our covenant surety. And when
he did, all things were finished with regard to the salvation
of our souls. Let me show you. Look at 2 Timothy chapter 1.
2 Timothy chapter 1. Paul was in prison. In prison
because of the gospel he preached. And it tells Timothy, now don't
you be ashamed of me, and don't you be ashamed of the gospel
for which I now suffer this imprisonment. This gospel which is of God.
And look at verse 9. Here it is. Who hath saved us
and called us with an holy calling, and our works didn't have anything
to do with it. Not according to our works. but
according to his own purpose and grace, get it now, which
was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began. It's
the same thing he said back in Ephesians. He blessed us with
all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ. This purpose
and grace, this thing called salvation, this calling, was
given us in Christ assurated before the world began. Preacher,
that sounds like salvation was done before it ever got started. You got it. Look at verse 10.
But is now made manifest. Manifest in you, manifest in
time, manifest by the wonder of God's work of grace in you,
by the appearing of our Savior Jesus Christ, who hath abolished
death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel. What did God do when He saved
your soul? He came to a dead sinner and by the gospel He brought
life and immortality to light. He brought to light in you what
God did for you before the world began. It's manifest. God's work from eternity manifest
in time when He saves us by His grace. It is this covenant of grace,
it is Christ's suretyship engagements, it is our covenant head which
preserves the whole world until the day when God's covenant work
is fulfilled for all his people. When Adam sinned in the garden,
when the first Adam sinned, The whole human race would have been
destroyed right then. God said, in the day that thou
eatest thereof, thou shalt surely die. But he didn't. How come? Because the work of the last
Adam was already done. And it is the work of the last
Adam which preserves the fallen race of the first Adam until
all God's elect are saved by Christ Jesus the Lord. The Lord
is not slack concerning his longsuffering, as some men count slackness,
but his longsuffering to usward, not willing that any should perish. That is, any of us given to Christ
before the world began should perish, but that all should come
to repentance and knowledge of the truth. This world stands
preserved and kept. exactly according to God's purpose
because God still has a people here whom he shall save according
to those terms of the covenant made in Christ before the world
began. When will the world end? When the last one has been saved
by his grace. Alright, look secondly, Galatians
chapter 4. Redemption then begins with a
covenant. The second great event in the
history of redemption was the incarnation and birth of Christ.
Galatians chapter 4 verse 4. When the fullness of time was
come. Isn't that a good term? The fullness
of time. When the time was fully accomplished
that he should come. When the time had fully accomplished
all things in preparation for it, when the fullness of time
was come. God sent forth his Son, made
of a woman, made under the law. God's Son came into this world
made of a woman, made of the seed of a woman, just as he promised
back in Genesis 3.15. Made under the law, subject to
the law. to redeem, to deliver by a just
and righteous payment, to redeem them that were under the law,
that we might receive the adoption of sons. Now this was the dawn
of hope for fallen man. Our Savior's name is Emmanuel. God came down here in human flesh. He who is our Savior is God Almighty
in the body of a man, fully God and fully man. This one who is
God and man is able to say to the uttermost all that come to
God by Him. Alright, thirdly, the triumph
of Christ over Satan and his temptations while he walked on
this earth. was necessary in redemption.
You remember in Matthew chapter 4, the Lord Jesus was driven
of the Spirit into the wilderness. There he went out, not as a helpless
victim taken by surprise when Satan would assault him, but
he, driven by the Spirit, went out into the wilderness to meet
Satan and there to confront him as Satan comes to tempt him.
And the Lord Jesus foils the serpent. He came and found nothing
in him. Nothing in him that could be
tempted. Nothing in him that could be
allured. Nothing in him that had any lust. Nothing in him to defile. And
our Lord Jesus sends him slithering away. And then, just before he
dies as our substitute, See him kneeling yonder in Gethsemane on a cold, cold night as he anticipates
being made sin for us. His holy soul is crushed within
him and he sweats until his pores
ooze with blood with the horror before him. And he cries, not my will, thy
will be done. And he rises up and goes out
to meet Judas and the soldiers, and sends Satan again slithering
away, making him to understand, and understand clearly that his
death at the cross, his death upon the cursed tree, is not
something that he endures because Satan is triumphant, but rather
it is that by which Satan shall be conquered, by which he shall
crush the serpent's head. And our Savior conquers Satan
in his temptations and trials. Now that's important. That's
important. Because this man who is God is
a real man. And he was tempted in all points
like as we are. The scripture tells us he even
bare Our sicknesses. What's that mean? What's that
mean? Tempted in all points like as
we are, yet without sin. Even bear our sicknesses. He never had a sniffle like I've
got this morning. He had no sin. He never had a headache. He had
no sin. Those things are a result of
sin. He never had any of that. He was never sick a day in his
life until that day when he was made to be sick. And on that
day, his body convulsed with all the pain and all the fever
and all the sickness and all the distortion known to humanity
in the agony that he suffered as our substitute. So he couldn't possibly know
what it was like. A friend came to me just this
morning, had trouble praying. He knew what that was like. He
knew what that was like. Did he not cry, my God, my God,
why hast thou forsaken me? He's touched with the feeling
of our infirmities. Do you hear me, my friend? He
knows everything you feel, everything that touches you, everything
that hurts you, everything you must endure. He has endured and
endured triumphantly as our substitute. Therefore, He is able to succor. I love that word. He's able to
succor. He's able to help with sympathy
them that are tempted. He's able. And because He is
a merciful and faithful high priest making intercession to
us, making intercession for us to our God, He is able to save
to the uttermost all them that come to God by Him. And then
at last, our Lord died as our substitute. He hath made Him to be sin for
us, whom you know sin, that we might be made the righteousness
of God in Him. Our Savior said, now is the judgment
of this world. Now is the prince of this world
cast out. And I, if I be lifted up from
the earth, will draw all men unto me. That word judgment,
it might be translated to crisis. The doctor comes out from the
surgery and has done everything he can do. And he says to the
family who's waiting, The next few hours are critical. They're
critical. And this is what that means.
If you make it the next few hours, everything's going to be all
right. Everything hinges on this right here. Everything hinges
on this. Our Lord says now is the critical
hour. Everything hinges on this. the whole purpose of God, all
the glory of God, the salvation of our souls, the glory of the
God-man, everything determined from eternity hinges on this. Now is the critical hour of the
world. And I, if I be lifted up from
the earth, when I get done here, and I've been raised up from
the earth, I'll draw sinners to me from everywhere, and God's
purpose shall be accomplished on this hinge, my sacrifice as
the substitute of my people. And so it has come to pass. Complete
atonement thou hast made. And to the utmost farthing pain,
whate'er thy people owe, O me God's wrath cannot take place.
I'm sheltered in thy righteousness and ransomed with thy blood. The death of our Lord Jesus satisfied
the justice of God and gives peace to the believing heart. I have Satan to accuse me, and
he does so often. You fake, you phony, you hypocrite,
you sinful wretch. How could somebody like you even
imagine he might be a child of God? And it's not too simple for me to put
it in the words of my brother Ed Hale, the song he wrote, I
got a pardon in my pocket. I got a pardon in my pocket. where you belong, silenced forever,
for the blood of Jesus Christ, God's Son, cleanseth me from
all sin. God cannot require more than
what God Himself has given in the sacrifice of His Son. And
then, our Lord Jesus rose from the dead. Turn over to 1 Timothy
3. 1 Timothy 3. Verse 16. Paul says, without controversy,
great is the mystery of godliness. God was manifest in the flesh. Now that's talking about the
whole life of our Lord Jesus Christ through his death upon
the curse tree. Here is God manifest in the flesh
of a man. Justified in the spirit. He was
made to be sinned. Because he was made to be sinned.
He was delivered under the wrath of God unto death because of
our sins imputed to him. Let's see if his sacrifice is
enough. Let's see if God will have him. Let's see if God will
accept him. Let's see if Jehovah will indeed
have his sacrifice. Three days later. He's raised
again because of our justification. Justified in the Spirit. And as He ascends up into heaven,
He is seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, we proclaim
they have believed on in the world, and received up into glory. Justified. Resurrected, seated
upon the right hand of the majesty on high, and our risen Lord,
Ascended on high is the exalted Lord, crowned with glory and
honor. Thou hast given him power over
all flesh, that he should give eternal life to as many as thou
hast given him. God Almighty has put into his
hands the reigns of the universe. giving Him total dominion as
the God-man, our mediator, to dispose of everything, to give eternal life to as many
as the Father gave Him as covenant surety before the world began. What's He doing? This one who has all power, who
rules the world, who makes intercession in heaven. He's saving his people
exactly according to his purpose. Each one at that time which is
called the time of love. And when the fullness of that
time has come, He who came here to redeem, who's
seated now in glory, calls His chosen redeemed sinners to receive
the adoption of sons. And first thing you know, you
lift your eyes to God Almighty, believing His Son. You say, God's
my Father. My Father accepted in the Beloved. And then there's something else
going to happen. Look at John 14, we read it earlier. This
thing's going to be consummated when Christ comes again. Peter, before this night's over, Before
the rooster crows tomorrow morning, you're going to deny me three
times. You're going to find out that you're just a piece of flesh. Fickle, unstable, sinful flesh. Let not your heart be troubled. Because Peter, none of this depends
on you. Have you got that? None of this
depends on you. None of this depends on you.
Let not your heart be troubled. You believe in God, believe also
in me. In my Father's house, are many
mansions. I know the modern translations
all make that abiding places or dwelling places. Well, that's
all right. I still like mansions. My father's
house is the house of the great king. Many mansions. If that weren't the truth, if
that weren't so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place
for you. And if I go and prepare a place
for you, I will come again and receive
you unto myself, that where I am, there you may be also. Now I
don't pretend to know much about prophecy, but I know this. Now is our salvation
nearer than when we believed. Our redemption draws nigh. And
when Christ comes, there's going to be a resurrection. Every eye
shall see him. They also which pierced him shall
wail because of him. And there's going to be a great
regeneration. He's going to make all things new. He says, behold,
I make all things new, a new heaven and a new earth. And there's
going to be a tremendous restitution. Everything, everything restored to God. All the slime of the serpent
gone forever. No, there's going to be rest. There remaineth therefore a rest
to the people of God. Rest. No temptation. No sin. No sickness. No sorrow. No pain, no death, no tears. Just rest. God shall wipe away
all tears from their eyes, and they shall see His face. Then cometh the end. Look one
more time at 1 Corinthians 15. Verse 24. Then cometh the end, when he
shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father, when
he shall have put down all rule and authority and power, for
he must reign till he hath put all enemies under his feet. The
last enemy that shall be destroyed is death, for he hath put all
things under his feet. But when he saith, All things
are put under him, it is manifest that he is accepted which did
put all things under him. And when all things shall be
subdued unto Christ, then shall the Son also Himself be subject
to Him that put all things unto Him. That is, the Lord Jesus
is going to say, Father, it's done. I told you I'd bring them back. and the children which thou hast
given me. And God shall be everything. God shall be all in all. Amen.