Would you turn back to Luke chapter
21? Let's read verse 28 together. And when these things begin to
come to pass, these things regarding the second advent of our Lord
Jesus Christ, Then, look up and lift up your heads, for your
redemption draweth nigh. I've entitled this message, Your
Redemption Draweth Nigh. Now, when the Lord uses the word,
your redemption, Is He speaking of every man? Is He speaking
in generic terms? You know better than that. Turn
with me for a moment. Hold your finger there and turn
with me to Revelation chapter 6. This is speaking of the same
event in Revelation chapter 6 verse 12. And I beheld when he had opened
the sixth seal, and, lo, there was a great earthquake. And the
sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became
as blood. And the stars of heaven fell
into the earth, even as a fig tree casteth her untimely figs
when she is shaken of a mighty wind. And the heaven departed
as a scroll when it is rolled together. And every mountain
and island were moved out of their place. And the kings of
the earth, And the great men, and the rich men, and the chief
captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every
free man, hid themselves in the dens and the rocks of the mountains,
and said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us
from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath
of the Lamb. For the great day of his wrath
is come, and who shall be able to stand? Now this is the response
of many. with regard to the second coming
of the Lord Jesus Christ. But he says to his people, those
who are redeemed, he says, when these things come to pass, look
up, lift up your heads, for your redemption draweth nigh. You haven't experienced it yet,
but your redemption draweth nigh your complete deliverance when
you will no longer be a sinner. Do you find that attractive? Your redemption is when you no
longer sin. Hadn't happened yet. But it is
going to happen. Praise the Lord. Now what is
meant by the word redemption? Your redemption draweth nigh. And this is a promise to every
single believer, everyone he's redeemed, everyone who looks
to him only. I think it's very important to
point out that this is not promised to every man. To some men, when
he returns, it'll be the beginning of an eternal misery, suffering
under his wrath. And I don't even like talking
about it. But to some, he says, when you
see these signs regarding my second return taking place, your
redemption draws near. Now, this word redemption is
found both in the Old and New Testament in the oldest book
in the Bible, the book of Job. Job said, I know my Redeemer
liveth. His only hope was his Redeemer. When God saved Israel from Egyptian
bondage, it was said he redeemed Israel from Egyptian bondage. Now the word redemption means
a release. or a liberation caused by the
paying of a ransom. It's a release. It's being set
free. It's being liberated upon the
payment of a ransom. Listen to the words of our Lord
in Matthew chapter 20. He said the Son of Man came not
to be ministered to but to minister and to give his life a what? A ransom. A ransom for many. His death was a ransom that paid
what his people owed to the law of God that they might be set
free, released from the bondage of sin and from the bondage of
the law. Now, this thing of redemption,
I love the song redeemed how I love to proclaim it. Redeemed
by the blood of the Lamb, redeemed by His infinite mercy, His child
and forever I am. Now this thing of redemption, if I'm redeemed, I was redeemed
in eternity past. I love thinking about that. Isn't
it precious to you that Christ is called the Lamb slain from
the foundation of the world? He's always been my standing.
There's never been a time when He was not my standing. I was
redeemed eternally by the blood of the Lamb before time ever
began. You see, everything we have was
given us in Christ Jesus before the world began. And I was redeemed
when he bowed his mighty head and said, it is finished. All my sin was put away even
then. And I was redeemed in my experience
when I heard the gospel as gospel, when I heard the good news of
his redemption, what he accomplished for me. But we won't be completely
redeemed until we can say, when I stand before thy throne, dressed
in beauty not my own, when I see thee as thou art, Love thee with
unsinning heart, then, Lord, shall I fully know, not till
then how much I owe. Now we haven't experienced that
part of redemption yet. But the Lord says, when you see
these signs, look up, for your redemption draweth nigh. This
is what Paul calls in Romans 8.23, the redemption of the body. How we long for that. We won't have to say anymore,
O wretched man that I am, who shall deliver me from the body
of this death? That language will be gone. Ephesians
chapter 1 verse 14 says, We're sealed with the Holy Spirit of
promise, which is the earnest of our inheritance until the
redemption of the purchased possession. Ephesians 430 says, Grieve not
the Holy Spirit of God whereby you are sealed unto the day of
redemption. Now that's a day every believer
is looking forward to. The day of redemption when I'm
made perfectly conformed to the image of Jesus Christ and I'm
no longer sin. I have no unbelief. I have no
wicked desires. I have perfect conformity to
His image. Every believer is waiting for
that day. Father, I will that they which
you have given me be with me where I am that they may behold
my glory. That is the day of redemption. Go back up to verse 25 of Luke
chapter 21. And there shall be signs. This
is talking about his second coming when he returns. And there shall
be signs in the sun and in the moon and in the stars. And upon
the earth, distress of nations with perplexity, the sea and
the waves roaring, men's hearts failing them for fear and for
looking after those things which are coming on the earth. For
the powers of heaven shall be shaken. Now, I don't know how
to give an explanation for this, but I don't believe it's speaking
in metaphor. When the Lord came down upon
Sinai, remember what happened? There were earthquakes. There
was lightning. There was thick darkness. There
was the sound of a trumpet and the voice of words. These things
happened literally. Can I explain how they happened
literally? No, but they did. What about when the Lord was
hanging on the cross and the sun quit shining? And there were rocks rent. Graves were opened. There were
supernatural things that took place. beyond physical law as
we understand it, but God created the physical laws and He can
easily do whatever He will. So I don't understand what all
these signs are, but I know that people are going to see these
things and they're going to be filled with fear. Men's hearts
failing them for fear because they can't get any explanation.
We're going to see things that we can't explain, Mighty things,
like they saw on Mount Sinai, like on the day the Lord was
crucified. They're going to see these physical
catastrophes. They're not going to be able
to give any account for it, and they're going to be scared to
death. They're going to know something's happening. What in the world
is going on? What is happening? Men are going
to be afraid. And then look in verse 27. And
then shall they see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power
and great glory. Now, this is speaking of the
second advent of the Lord Jesus Christ. Let me read you these
scriptures. In Luke 17, verse 24, Christ
said, For as the lightning lightneth out of one part of heaven and
shineth through another part, so shall also the Son of Man
be in his day. Now, we've all seen that. When
the lightning lights and you see it, nobody, you see it. Everybody sees it. No doubt what's
going on. 1 Thessalonians 4, 16, for the
Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the
voice of the archangel, and the trump of God, and the dead in
Christ shall rise first. Oh, blessed are the dead that
die in the Lord. They're the ones that are going to rise first.
But think of this trump, this archangel. We read in Revelation
1, 7, Behold, he cometh with the clouds, and every eye shall
see him, and they which also pierced him, and all the kindreds
of the earth shall wail because of him. Now here, once again,
when Christ comes, everybody's going to know who he is. I don't
know how to explain that either, but everybody's going to know.
Everybody's going to see him, including those who pierced him. Verse 28, And when these things shall begin
to come to pass, these great signs that usher in the coming
of the Lord Jesus Christ, and when these things begin to come
to pass, then look up. Lift up your heads, not in fear,
but in confident expectation, in joy. When these things begin
to come to pass, then look up and lift up your heads for your
redemption, your complete Deliverance is drawing near. It's at the
door. You're going to be completely
redeemed. You're going to be perfectly
conformed to the image of the Lord Jesus Christ. Now, what
I'd like for us to consider is just what redemption is. Very,
very important. What is Turn with me to Hebrews chapter
9. Hebrews chapter 9. Now, I've
already touched on this, but I want us to read this verse
of Scripture. Verse 12, neither by the blood of goats
and calves, but by his own blood. He entered in once into the holy
place, having obtained, and what's that next word? Eternal. Having obtained eternal redemption
for us. Now, the word eternal means without
beginning, and without end. The redemption he obtained for
every single one of his people has something to do with eternity. Not merely redemption, but eternal
redemption. Now what that means is if I am
redeemed, I've been eternally redeemed.
So much so that in His redemption, I'm already glorified. For whom He did foreknow, them
He also did predestinate, to be conformed to the image of
His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren.
Moreover, whom He did predestinate, them He also called, whom He
called, them He also justified, whom He justified, them He also
glorified. Here's how this redemption I'm
looking for, that I haven't experienced yet, I already have it and it's
fool's. Somebody explain that to me.
It can't be explained. It can only be believed. He hath obtained. If he's obtained it, that means
I've got it. And I am redeemed already to
the fullest extent, even though I've not yet experienced it." I like that, do you? I love that aspect of redemption.
He hath obtained eternal redemption. Anna the prophetess, upon the
birth of Christ, spake of Him to all who looked for redemption
in Jerusalem. And I hope that that's what we
have here this morning, some people who are looking for redemption. Now, you've seen, if you're looking
for redemption, here's one thing you've seen for sure. You've
seen that you cannot redeem yourself. You're convinced of that. There's
nothing, absolutely nothing you can do to redeem yourself. If He doesn't redeem you, you
won't be redeemed. Because you cannot, in any sense
of the word, be saved by your works. You're completely dependent
upon Him to redeem you. Would that be you? If some part
of redemption is dependent upon me doing something to make it
work, then I won't be redeemed. My only hope is for Him to do
it all. I cannot redeem myself. I can't pay for any of my sins.
I can't do anything about them. I can't make up for them. I can't
do something to make what He did work for me. I'm totally
dependent on Him to do something for me, to redeem me. I cannot
redeem myself. Now, Psalm 130, verses 7 and
8, David says, Let Israel hope in the Lord, for with the Lord
there is mercy, and with him is plenteous redemption. He shall redeem Israel from all
his iniquities. That's the promise of God. Now
let's see what his redemption, his ransom price actually secures
for his people. Now, understand, his redemption actually redeemed.
His redemption is not a potential redemption where he made something
possible if we do our part. That kind of redemption is worthless
because we can't do our part. We don't do our part. We're totally
dependent upon Him. So this idea of Him redeeming
all of mankind, but now it's up to you to accept Him as your
personal Savior to make His redemption work, there's no gospel in that.
There's no truth to it. That is a complete denial of
what redemption is. With him there's plenty of redemption.
He shall redeem Israel from all his iniquities. So let's see
what this redemption price has actually accomplished. Turn with
me to Colossians chapter 1. Verse 14. in whom we have, that means we
got it, in whom we have redemption through
his blood, even the forgiveness of sins. Now here's the first
thing that his redemption has actually secured for every single
one of his people, even the forgiveness of sins. This heinous and willful and evil and any
other kind of adjective I can use to describe my sin The only
way I'm permitted to look at my sin is as forgiven sin. Forgiven sin. Sins that I've
not yet committed are to only be looked upon, and this is the
privilege of every believer, as forgiven sin. My sins are forgiven sins. Every single one of them. You
see, the forgiveness of sins is not some kind of process whereby
I do this and stop doing that and I get at the end of the road
the forgiveness of sins. No! When Christ said it is finished,
All of my sins by His redeeming work on the cross are forgiven
sins, in whom we have redemption through His blood, even the forgiveness
of sins. Where did that forgiveness come
from? The redeeming blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. And this
is what every believer possesses, the forgiveness of all their
sins. As good as that is, here's something
that's even better. Turn with me to Romans chapter
3. Romans chapter 3, verse 24. Let's look at verse 23. For all
have sinned and come short of the glory of God. All have sinned
and come short of God's glory. When God looks at the most moral
man upon the earth and the most immoral man upon the earth, how
much difference is there between the two that God sees? None. All have sinned. That's it. All have sinned and come short
of the glory of God. Now look at this next word. Being
justified. These ones who have sinned and
come short of the glory of God, being justified freely. Don't miss that word freely.
It doesn't have anything to do with anything you've ever done.
It's a free gift. Being justified freely by His
grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus. Now here is why every believer
possesses the forgiveness of sins. It's because they have
been justified. Justified. through the redemption
that is in Christ Jesus. Through the redeeming work of
Christ on the cross, every believer is justified. Now that's better
than forgiven. If I'm justified, you know what
that means? It means I never sinned. It means I stand before
God without guilt. Turn with me to Colossians chapter
1. Those sins are forgiven sins
because they are sins that have been blotted out and are no more.
And I stand before God justified. Now, justification. I hope I say this every time
I preach. Justification means if you're
justified, you stand without guilt before God. You don't have
any sin. You don't have anything to feel guilty about. You stand
perfect in God's sight through the justifying work of Christ,
through His redeeming work on the cross. Justification. Now,
Colossians chapter 1, beginning in verse 20, and having made peace through the blood of his cross
by him to reconcile all things unto himself. By him, I say,
whether they be things in earth or things in heaven, and you
that were sometime or before time alienated, and the enemies
in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled in
the body of his flesh through death to present you holy and unblameable and unapprovable. That's what justification means.
If you're justified, You're holy, unblameable, and unreprovable
in His sight. Now, I know I've said this numerous
times. I'm going to say it again. God's sight is the way things
really are. The way we see things, we don't
see things as they are, do we? I mean, we see things, but we
never see things. Everything's, we're living in
a veiled, we see through a glass darkly. But in God's sight, every
single believer who has been redeemed is holy, unblameable,
and un-reprovable. in the very sight of God. And
if in God's sight, right now, I'm holy, unblameable, and unreprovable. You know what that means? That
means I am holy. I am unblameable. And I am unreprovable. And you know what? I believe
that. In the very teeth of my sin,
I believe that I am in fact, through the redeeming work of
Christ, holy and unblameable and un-reprovable. It's what
the Bible calls justification. Now how can this be? We'll turn to Galatians chapter
3. How can this be? I'm aware, painfully
aware, of my sin right now as I speak to you. And many of you
are painfully aware of your sin as you're hearing this message.
How is it that my sins can be forgiven? How is it that I can
stand before God, holy and unblameable and unreprovable in the sight
of God to where it's real? It's real. It's the truth. Well,
here's how. Galatians chapter 3 verse 13, Christ hath redeemed
us. There's that word. Christ hath
redeemed us. He has paid that ransom price,
setting us free. Christ hath redeemed us from
the curse of the law being made a curse for us, for it's written,
Cursed is everyone that hangeth on the tree. When the Lord Jesus Christ was
nailed to that tree, and that tree was lifted up and dropped
in that And there he hangs. The scripture says he was made
a curse. He was made a curse. First, he was made sin. Now,
I don't know what all that means other than it means what it says
it does. He was made sin. It doesn't simply mean my sin
was charged to Him. If my sin's charged to you, justice
is not done. My sin was not merely charged
to Him. My sin was made His sin. God can do that. I can't do it.
I can't make my sin to be His, but God can. Is anything too
hard for the Lord? He took my sins and my sorrows. He made them His very own. He bore the burden to Calvary
and suffered and died alone. All that hell is, the curse of
God against sin, He was made to be. Christ hath redeemed us
from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us. Now, once again, When I preach the gospel, I'm
preaching things too wonderful for me. They're high, like David
said. I can't attain to them. I believe
them. But even what all this means, Christ being made a curse,
I know it means this. Whatever hell is, He experienced
to the full equivalence of being completely forsaken by God, completely
left alone, getting exactly what I deserve because He deserved
it when my sin became His sin. He took my sins and my sorrows
and made them His very own. That's what took place. And He
hath redeemed us from the curse of the law being made a curse
for us. So my sins are forgiven by His
redemption. I've been justified by His redeeming
work. And the reason all that is, is
that Christ was made a curse for me. Now His redemption redeems. Now turn to 1 Corinthians chapter
1, verse 30. 1 Corinthians 1 verse 30, but of
Him, of God, are you in Christ Jesus. Now, being in Christ is
the only place to be. You don't want to be anywhere
else. You don't want to be seen in
any other light. Being in Christ is the only place
to be. Somebody says, well, how do you
get in Him? God's got to put you in Him. Are you in Christ
Jesus? Now, if you're in Christ Jesus,
you know it doesn't have anything to do with anything you've done
to get in there. You know, of Him, are you in Christ Jesus?
Now, of Him, are you in Christ Jesus? Oh, my soul, when God
looks at me, the only place I want Him to see me is in Christ. I
don't want Him to see me in my works, in my preaching, in my
prayers, in my good stuff, in my bad stuff. It's all bad. I
just want Him to see me in the Lord Jesus Christ. Of Him are
you in Christ Jesus. Look what it says. Who of God
is made unto us wisdom. God embraces me as a very wise
man that He can have fellowship with. How's that? Christ is my wisdom before God. He's made unto me wisdom. He's
made unto me righteousness. I have perfect righteousness
that God can embrace, that God can accept because He has made
unto me righteousness. And then next it says He's made
unto us sanctification, holiness. holiness. He is my holiness. And God can embrace me as being
holy as His Son because I have the holiness of His Son. That's
my personal holiness. He's made that unto me. And He's made unto me redemption. Redemption, full and complete
deliverance right now I have because he's made unto me redemption
right now I have and possess what I have not yet experienced
but look for it by faith because he is made unto me redemption now the Lord says when you see
these things come to pass Lift up your heads, look up for your
redemption draweth nigh. Now, he's talking about something
we haven't experienced yet. I know something about the forgiveness
of sins. I know something about justification. I know what it's
like to have your conscience cleansed through the blood of
Christ and to know that his righteousness is your righteousness before
God. I know something of what it is to know that the only reason
I'm saved is because He was made a curse for me. And I know something
about the fact that He has made in me redemption. He's my full deliverance. But there is a redemption that
I've not experienced yet. And that's when I will never
sin again. And that time is coming when
I will never sin again. And that's what makes me cry,
Oh, come Lord Jesus. I anxiously expectantly look
for the time. because of the redeeming work
of Christ, that I will never sin again. Now turn with me to
the book of Revelation. Revelation chapters 4 and 5,
we're given a glimpse into heaven itself. Look at how chapter 4 opens. After this I looked, and behold,
a door was opened in heaven. Now John is telling us this is
what heaven looks like. This is what is going on in heaven. That place of complete redemption. Now look in chapter 5. And I saw in the right hand of
him that sat on the throne a book written within and on the back
side Sealed with seven seals. Now this book is all of the purposes,
all of the decrees of God. This is everything. Nothing can
be added to it. It's written on the front side
and the back side. There's no empty space. It's
everything God has determined to do. And it's sealed with seven
seals. It means you can't open it. Verse two, and I saw a strong
angel. I reckon every angel is a strong
angel, don't you? I saw a strong angel proclaiming
with a loud voice, who is 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. Moses, can you open the book?
No. Paul, can you open the book?
No. What about John, the beloved
disciple who laid his head on the breast of our Lord? Can you
open the book? No. No man is able to open the
book. Verse 4, 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 seven
seals thereof. And I beheld, and lo, in the
midst of the throne of the four beasts, in the midst of the elders,
stood a lamb as it had been slain." Now I love the imagery here.
He was looking for a lion. And what did he see? A lamb. as it had been slain. You see,
the lion is the lamb, and the lamb is the lion. And he saw this lamb as it had
been slain. Now this doesn't mean he saw
something with wool. That's talking about he saw the
Lord Jesus Christ with all the scars of his body. You know,
even now, as he's seated at the right hand of the Father, all
the scars he received from the cross, he still possesses. And he saw this lamb as it had
been slain, the Lord Jesus Christ, having seven horns, that means
omnipotence, and seven eyes, omniscience, which are the spirits
of God sent forth into all the earth. He came and took the book
out of the right hand of him that sat upon the throne. He
didn't come and ask for it. He took it. He took it. Oh, the power of the Lamb. He
came and took the book And when he had taken the book, the four
beasts and the four and twenty elders fell down before the Lamb,
having every one of them harps and golden vows full of odors,
which are the prayers of the saints. And they sang a new song,
saying, Thou art worthy. The theme of the Bible. Thou
art worthy to take the book and to open the seals thereof, for
thou was slain and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of
every kindred and tongue and people and nation, and hast made
us unto our gods kings and priests, and we shall reign on the earth.
And I beheld And I heard the voice of many angels round about
the throne, and the beasts and the elders, and the number of
them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands,
saying with a loud voice, Worthy is the Lamb that was slain. to
receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honor,
and glory, and blessing. And every creature which is in
heaven, and on the earth, and under the earth, and such as
are in the sea, and all that are in them, heard I say, blessing,
and honor, and glory, and power be unto him that sitteth upon
the throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and ever. And the four
and twenty beasts said, Amen. And the four and twenty elders
fell down and worshipped him that litteth for ever and ever. And that is the eternity of everyone
he is redeemed. Our cry worthy is the lamb that
was slain who redeemed us. Thank God for his redemption. Let's pray. Lord, we ask in Christ's name
that you will enable us, by your grace, to enter into this song,
worthy is the lamb that was slain. Lord, how we thank you. for his
redeeming work on Calvary's tree. How we thank you that he was
made a curse for us. How we thank you that he's the
lamb slain from the foundation of the world. How we thank you
that he's made into us wisdom and righteousness and sanctification
and redemption. And Lord, how earnestly we look
forward to the day of our redemption when we're perfectly conformed
to the image of thy dear son, And Lord, we ask in his name
that you would give us the grace to cause our lives, our attitudes,
our actions, and our works to reflect glory and honor on
thy redemption. Lord, how we thank you. for the redemption that is in
Christ Jesus. All praise and glory goes to
the Lamb. In His blessed name we pray.
Amen.