Turn in your Bible to 2 Peter
chapter 1. 2 Peter chapter 1. I'm going to
try to bring you a message entitled Precious Things. Precious Things. What do you really consider to
be precious? Those things you love. I mean
you really love. Those things to you are precious,
aren't they? Certainly they are. Well, I'll
get to that in just a minute. 2 Peter 1, verse 1. 2 Peter 1, 1. But I have to say
this. I just can't go on without saying
this. And a word of thanks. Thanks to God. Thanks to God,
as Paul said, we thank God for you all. for your generous giving, your
prayers, your support. Many of you know we went through
several floods there in the Pikeville area, there at the church and
the parsonage, 2009, 2010. Flooded, rebuilt, flooded again.
And God's people just kept giving, kept giving, kept giving. Some
came and even shoveled mud. Some got right down in the trenches
with us in that nasty flood mud and sewer and smell and dug it
out. And then the Lord sent it again.
And the folks came again. And folks gave again. What a
blessing. What a blessing God's people
are to each other. Churches from New Jersey to California,
Grace Churches. Churches from England to Mexico. The churches in Mexico sent an
offering to help us with the flood work. I just broke my heart,
I'm just so thankful. From New Jersey to California,
from England to Mexico, folks in England helped. From Iowa
to Florida, and from all over Kentucky, Virginia, Ohio, West
Virginia, Tennessee. You know, the Lord's people,
not only believe that salvation is by the grace of God alone.
As Peter said, we believe through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ. We shall be saved by his grace. But you know what I found in
the last 35 years of hanging around people who love the gospel?
They're gracious folks. They love one another. They forgive
one another. They pray for one another. And
when one's in need, they come to the aid. Why do they do that? Well, you know they want a bigger
reward. No, I'll tell you why. Love. The love of God constrains us,
moves us. What greater motivator is there
than the love of God that shed abroad in our hearts? Oh, my
friend, the Lord has blessed us so, so greatly. On the behalf
of the church at Zebulon, Thank you, thank you to the churches
here and elsewhere that have sent help to us. The word says
we're to love one another and to forgive one another even as
God for Christ's sake has forgiven us. The Lord has blessed this
country and this nation with many outstanding gospel preachers
of the past and the present. And the Lord has given us a sweet,
blessed fellowship. A sweet, blessed fellowship.
There's folks here from different churches, but we're one in Christ.
We have a blessed, blessed fellowship, and we're one. We're one in Him. And that's how we serve the Lord,
by serving one another. I remember back in the early
80s or middle 80s, along in there when there seemed to be a revival
among the grace churches and men who were coming forth and
standing forth and preaching the sovereign grace of God in
the Lord Jesus Christ. And there was getting to be quite
a number of preachers and someone approached Pastor Henry Mahan
and said, well, we ought to organize this thing. I mean, we ought
to get an association and get all these things and organize
it and categorize it and do all these things. You know what he
said? He said, you organize it, you
kill it. It's the love of God that constrains
us, that controls us. It's the sovereign mercy of God
that helps us along. Now, 2 Peter chapter 1, and we'll
get to the message here, verse 1. Things that are precious, things
that are precious. In 1st and 2nd Peter we find
this word precious used seven times. Twice here in 2nd Peter,
five times in 1st Peter. And I want us to consider these
scriptures and consider what God calls precious. What God calls precious. Now
most people consider many things to be precious. Some talk about
precious jewels. or they even have a song about
precious memories, or precious health, or precious children,
grandchildren. While those things have their
place among men, to the believer, the only thing that we consider
really and truly and eternally precious are those things connected
with the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. That's the only thing
that's precious to a believer. We read in Psalm 49, verse 8,
The redemption of a soul is precious. The redemption of a soul is precious. We read in Psalm 116, the Lord
says, precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his
saints. You know why it's precious? John
17, 24, our Lord prayed, 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 before the foundation of the
world, for thou art lovest as you love me, you love them. Father, I want your people, my
people, to be with me forever. Precious, precious to every Believer,
the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. To the believer, the
only things that are precious are those things connected with
the gospel. To every believer, what God calls
precious is also very precious unto them. The word means great
value. It means great cost. It means
most honorable. It means highly esteemed. And
truly among the Lord's people, the gospel of the Lord Jesus
Christ is just not something, it's everything. It's everything. One of the greatest blessings
God can send any city It's a gospel preacher establishing a gospel
ministry. You see, to the believer, Christ
is all and in all. He's everything. In Him dwells
all the fullness of the Godhead bodily, and in Christ we stand
complete. He is all and all. He is all together. Lovely. Lovely. to the believer, because
he's precious. Now, verse 1, 2 Peter 1.1, here's
the first thing we see. Simon Peter, a servant and apostle
of Jesus Christ, to them that have obtained like precious faith. Faith is precious. precious faith
with us through the righteousness of God. We don't obtain faith
by our righteousness, by our works, by our effort, by our
doing. We obtain, just like precious
faith, through the righteousness of God our Savior, the Lord Jesus
Christ. You see, the Lord Jesus Christ
is God our Savior, who is the Lord our righteousness. Now, let's consider this. Why
is faith precious and of great value and highly esteemed? We're talking about the faith
of God's elect. The faith of God's elect. Well,
several reasons. Without faith in Christ, we read,
it is impossible to please God. Hebrews chapter 11. Without faith. without the faith of God's elect.
Talking about the faith that sticks upon the Lord Jesus Christ. Without faith in Christ, it is
impossible to please God. You see, the man without faith
is a man without Christ. The sinner without faith in Christ
is a person without... Excuse me. Without salvation,
the person who is without faith in Christ is without salvation,
without eternal life. Listen to this scripture. He
that believeth on the Son hath life. Life, talking about eternal
spiritual life. He that believeth not the Son
shall not see life, but the wrath of God abideth on him. Our Lord said in John 8, if you
believe not that I am, if you believe not that I am, You'll
die in your sin. Lord, grant and give me faith. The sinner without faith in Christ
is a person without eternal life, without salvation. A sinner without
faith in the Lord Jesus Christ is without regeneration. That's how we believe the gospel.
He gives us a new heart and makes us a new creature in Christ.
Whosoever believes that Jesus is the Christ, He's born of God. You don't believe to be born,
you believe because you have been begotten of God. You have
the quicken, quicken, quicken who were dead. Without faith
in the Lord Jesus Christ, there is no salvation. Without faith
in the Lord Jesus Christ, there is no evidence of the work of
grace in the heart, no regeneration. Without faith in the Lord Jesus
Christ, there is no redemption and pardon of sin for the sinner. at all. You remember Paul's first
sermon in Acts 13? He said, through this man, talking
about the God-man mediator, through this man is preached unto you
the forgiveness of sin, and by him all that believe. are justified
from all things which you could not, which you could not be justified
by the deeds of the law. If righteousness come by the
law, one of my favorite scriptures, if righteousness come by the
law, then Christ is dead. in vain. Thank God that the Lord
Jesus Christ says in Isaiah 42, the Lord is well pleased for
His righteousness sake. He will magnify the law. He will
honor that. And that's what He did for His
people. That's what He did for His church. Oh, my friend, oh,
for faith to look. He said, look unto me, be ye
saved. I am God, beside me there is
no other. Why is faith precious? It is,
isn't it? It's the gift of God. Why is
faith called precious? Because it's the gift of God,
obtained, not earned, obtained by the doing and dying of the
Lord Jesus Christ. He is, as called in this text
here, He is God, our Savior. You see, faith is not something
that blooms in the heart naturally. Faith is a gift of God. For by
grace are you saved through faith, and that not of yourselves, it's
the gift of God. It's not of works that any man
should boast. If you're sitting here today
looking to the Lord Jesus Christ for all of your salvation, that's
something that God put in you. It's not there naturally. The
natural man is enmity, the carnal mind is enmity against God. The
natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God.
They're foolish unto him, neither can he know them, because they
must be spiritually discerned. Faith is the purchased gift of
the Lord Jesus Christ by His blood atonement, and He freely
and sovereignly gives faith to whom He will. It's not of Him
that willeth. nor him that runneth, but of
God, of God that showeth mercy." You see, faith is that perfect
gift of God. As many as were ordained to eternal
life believed the gospel. Faith is not a product of the
flesh, it's a gift of God. It is very mean that God has
ordained for us to lay hold on eternal life and to receive the
Lord Jesus Christ. We say with the apostle, I know
whom I have believed and persuaded that he is able to keep that
which I've committed unto him against that day. Faith does
not accomplish salvation, does it? Faith received the Lord Jesus
Christ who did accomplish our salvation. And He accomplished
part of it. That's what most folks would
have us believe. No, the Lord Jesus Christ accomplished
all of salvation. He's the Alpha. He's the Omega.
He's the beginning. He's the end. From erection to
glorification. Salvation. I love that scripture
that says, Salvation. That's just a great word, isn't
it? That's what I need. Who needs salvation? You do,
whether you know it or not. I do. Salvation is for sinners.
Salvation is of the Lord. I love that. In His planning. It's execution, it's application,
it's sustaining power, it's ultimate perfection, salvation of the
Lord. Why is faith precious? We're
justified before God by faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. He
was delivered from our offenses, raised again for our justification,
and being justified Therefore, by faith we have peace with God
through our Lord Jesus Christ. The just shall live by faith. Faith upon what? Faith in whom? You hear these people on TV that
go through a tragedy, they say, well, my faith got me through.
They've got faith in faith. Faith is not in faith. Faith
is in Christ. Our Lord said, don't look in
here. Our Lord said, look unto Me.
Salvation is in the look. Look unto Me and be ye saved.
All the ends of the earth, I am God. Beside Me there is none
other. You see, saving faith looks to
the Lord Jesus Christ. looking unto Him, looking unto
Him, coming unto Him, looking unto Him who is the author and
finisher of our faith. Abraham believed God. And it
was imputed to him for righteousness. Oh, for a faith that will not
shrink. Faith that's given of God. Faith
that's kept by the power of God through faith in our Lord Jesus
Christ. It makes me cry out in my heart,
Lord, increase my faith. Lord, give me faith. Lord, grant
us faith. The rest in our blessed Redeemer,
the Lord Jesus Christ. You see what he's saying right
here? We have obtained like precious faith with us through the righteousness
of God, our Savior. Read on. 2 Peter 1. Grace and peace be multiplied
unto you. And it's only through Christ
our righteousness that grace and peace can be multiplied unto
you through the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. Look at
verse three, according, I love that word, according, according. He blesses us according as he
has chosen us in him before the foundation of the world. according
as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain
unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath
called us to glory and virtue, whereby are given unto us, given
unto us, by his divine power. What is divine power? That's
sovereign power, isn't it? Divine power is the power of
God, who has all power in heaven and earth. He works all things
up to the counsel of his own will, according as his divine
power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life
and godliness through the knowledge of him that hath called us, or
by glory and virtue, truth, whereby are given unto us exceeding Great,
it just doesn't say given unto us promises. It says here, I
love these words, exceeding great and precious promises. We have in the Lord Jesus Christ
precious Promises. Why are the promises of God made
through the written word exceeding great and precious? He said heaven
and earth will pass away, my word, that's his promise. That's
his promise, his word, his promise. He said heaven and earth will
pass away, my word will never pass away. That word, oh Lord,
is forever settled in heaven. The shared promises of God are
based upon God's word of which it says Turn over here, let's
read this. Titus chapter 1. God, it is impossible for our
God to lie. Titus chapter 1. Excuse me. Paul the servant,
verse 1, Titus 1.1, a servant of God and an apostle of Jesus
Christ, according to the faith of God's elect, acknowledging
of a truth which is after godliness, the faith of God's elect. There's
that word according again, according to the faith of God's elect.
Faith's the gift of God, not a product of the flesh. and the
acknowledging of a truth, that's what the faith of God's elect
does, it loves the truth, it receives the truth, in hope of
eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the
world began, but hath in due times manifested his word through
preaching, which is committed unto me according to the commandment
of God our Savior. These promises that are exceeding
great and precious promises are the sure promises of God based
upon his word. And it is impossible for God
to change or to change his promise or to change his word. In 2 Peter
1, we read about the sure word of prophecy. In 2 Timothy 3,
we read about all scripture is given of God. And then in Romans
chapter 4, it is of faith that it might be by grace that to
the end the promise, the promise of salvation in Christ might
be sure to all the seed. We have in Christ to share promises
of God. There are exceeding great and
precious promises because these promises of the gospel are promises
of mercy. Sovereign mercy. He said, I will
have mercy on whom I will have mercy. It's not of him that willeth
nor of him that runneth, but of God that showeth mercy. But
my friend, He will show mercy to whom He will. The promise
of mercy, sovereign mercy. The promise of His grace. God
who called us and saved us, not according to our work, but according
to His own purpose and grace. Purpose and grace, married together. His purpose and His grace, given
unto us in Christ before the foundation of the world. The
sure promises of God, of mercy, of grace, of peace. How do we
have peace with God? We hear people sometimes in religious
circles say, well, I'm trying to make my peace with God. My
friend, don't ever go there. you'll never satisfy a thrice
holy God. He is holy. We are just the opposite. We are to the other end. We're
unholy and ungodly, and this ungodly sinner can never satisfy
a thrice holy God. I can never make peace with God,
but thank God the Lord Jesus Christ did with His own blood. He reconciled us unto God with
His blood, and we're one with Him. One time our sins separated
us from God, but now our sins have been separated from us,
and we're reconciled. We're one with God in the Lord
Jesus Christ. You see these exceeding great
and precious promises, that by these you might be partakers
of a divine nature. Thomas is of his love. Of his
love. His love is not just a wish or
a shot in the dark. His love to his people, he said,
I've loved them with an everlasting love. Therefore, with loving
kindness, I will draw them unto me. I love that scripture over
there in Ephesians chapter 2 where it says, But God, who is rich
in mercy for his great love, wherewith he loved us even when
we were dead in sin. God committed his love toward
us in that while we were yet sinners, the Lord Jesus Christ
died for us. Through these precious promises
of the gospel, sinners, totally depraved sinners, are made partakers
of a divine nature. Of a divine nature. Now what's
he talking about here? How can this bankrupt sinner,
totally depraved sinner, have a divine nature. Nothing but
what I do, I know that for sure, of his own will begat he us with
the word of truth. That which is born of the flesh,
that's all it is, is flesh. That which is born of the spirit
is spirit. You see, he's talking here about
this divine nature. He's talking about something
that's not in us by nature. By nature, all that's in us is
the old man, the old nature. But in regeneration, if any man
be in Christ, he's a new creation. He implants and puts within us
a new divine nature. How can a totally depraved sinner
have a new, holy, divine nature? The answer is right here in verse
3, according as his divine power. How much power does it take to
raise a dead man from the grave? You see, we believe the gospel,
and we do by his grace, but we believe the gospel according
to the working of his mighty power. And then you know what
it says next? Over there in Ephesians chapter
1 where it talks about How we believe the gospel according
to His mighty power, which He wrought in Christ when He raised
Him from the dead. What does it take to raise a
dead man? Power. The power of God. Thank God the
Lord Jesus Christ had power over all flesh, that He should give
eternal life to as many as the Father hath given to Him. Oh, that's good cold water. Believers are partakers of a
new nature. A new man created in righteousness
and true holiness, being born again, not of a corruptible seed,
but of an incorruptible by the word of God, which liveth and
abideth forever. Of his own will begat he us with
the word of truth. We are made new creatures in
Christ. I still have that old nature,
but thank God I have a new nature, a divine nature. Christ in you,
the hope of glory. These promises of God are precious
and sure because, well, these promises of God are precious
and sure because they're in Christ. Because they're in the Lord Jesus
Christ. Turn over here to 2 Corinthians chapter 1. I'm persuaded like
Abraham of old of all that God has promised he is able to perform. All the promises of God are in
the Lord Jesus Christ. Is there salvation? Yes, in Christ. Is there pardon of sin? Yes,
in Christ. Is there righteousness to be
had? Yes, in Christ. 2 Corinthians chapter 1 verse
18, but as God is true, Our word toward you was not yea and nay,
for the Son of God, Jesus Christ, who was preached among you by
us, even by me, Silas, and Timothy, was not yea and nay, but in him
was yes. For all the promises of God in
him are yes, and in him, amen, unto the glory of God." The promises
of God. in the Lord Jesus Christ of mercy
and salvation are absolutely certain and sure and will not
fail. The dying words of Joshua, he
said this, of all that God had promised, not one word shall
fail. We have these exceeding great
and precious promises of the gospel that made us. He called us out of darkness
into his marvelous light, translated us out of the kingdom of darkness
into the kingdom of God, dear son. And he did so that we might
show forth the praises of him who called us out of darkness
into his marvelous light. One of my favorite scriptures
about the description of our blessed Savior in Isaiah 42,
where he said, Behold my servant, my elect, in verse 1, and then
he says in verse 4, He can't fail. The Lord Jesus Christ knows
nothing of failure. I'm a failure. I admit it. I
was born one, raised one, and in the end of myself, I'll die
one. But in Christ, I tell you, my
friend, thanks be unto God who has given us the victory through
the Lord Jesus Christ. You see, the Lord Jesus Christ,
who is my surety, who is my mediator, who is my advocate, He cannot
fail. And because He cannot fail, salvation
to His people, to His elect, to His chosen, salvation is certain
and sure in Christ. They're amen, yes, and sure. Okay, two down, three to go.
Find first Peter. And I don't know if I'm gonna
have time to go through these the way I want to. We need to dismiss at 12 o'clock,
is that the time? Todd said don't worry about it.
These folks are in trouble. They're in trouble, I'm warning
you, you're in trouble. It's much easier to preach for
two hours than it is for 30 minutes. 1 Peter chapter 2. Turn over there.
I'm working backwards here. 1 Peter chapter 2 now. Verse 2. As newborn babe desire
the sincere milk of the word that you may grow thereby, if
so be you tasted that the Lord is gracious, To whom coming,
as unto a living stone, disallowed indeed of men, but chosen of
God, the Lord Jesus Christ, He is the elect. I quoted just a
moment ago, Isaiah 42.1, Behold my servant, my elect, first time
it's ever used in Scripture. Who's he talking about? Christ.
He is the elect. We're chosen in Him. To whom
coming, as unto a living stone, disallowed indeed of men, but
chosen of God, He is chosen of God, And He's precious. He's
precious to God. And He is. This is my beloved
Son in whom I'm well pleased. He is precious to every believer.
Chosen of God and precious. You see, we're chosen in Him.
He also is living stone to build up a spiritual house, a holy
priesthood to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God
by Jesus Christ. Verse 6, Wherefore also it is
contained in the scriptures, Behold, I lay in Zion a chief
cornerstone. This goes back to Isaiah 28,
16, doesn't it? A chief cornerstone, elect, precious. And he that believeth on him.
There's that faith again. You can't get away from it. Face
the gift of God. Without faith it's impossible
to please God. He that believeth on him shall
not be forced out, ashamed, or confounded. Verse 7. Unto you
therefore which believe. He is precious. What is the Lord Jesus Christ
to you? Right now in your heart, you
know if He is precious or not. to you who believe He is precious."
Precious. He is chosen of God and we are
chosen in Him. The Father speaks not once but
twice from heaven and said, this is my beloved Son in whom I am
well pleased. And we are only accepted in the
beloved, in the beloved, the Lord Jesus Christ. Because Christ
is that precious fountain which God has laid for us to rest upon.
He said, come unto me, all ye that labor and heavy laden. I
will give you rest. You see, there's no other foundation
to rest upon than the one that God has provided. No other foundation. But Christ and Christ alone,
neither is there salvation in any other. For there's no other
name under heaven given among men whereby we must be saved.
Ice is the rock of ages upon which our hope rests totally. Psalm 62 says this, He only is
my rock and my salvation, my defense, I shall not be moved. I shall not be moved. You see,
believers are fastened to the rock. Christ is the rock of ages. To move the believer, you've
got to move the rock, and that ain't happening. The Lord said,
I'll build my church in the gates of hell. Upon this rock I'll
build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against
it. To you who believe, the Lord
Jesus Christ, He is precious. Christ is precious. He is altogether
lovely. He's the fairest of 10,000. He's
a brightened morning star. He's a lily of the valley. To
you who see your need, you know that the Lord Jesus Christ meets
our every need. Every need. Singular. My God shall supply all your
need according to His riches in glory through the Lord Jesus
Christ. To you who see your guilt, you
know that the Lord Jesus Christ has grace for the guilty, mercy
for the miserable. When we were yet without strength
and due time, Christ died. Christ died for the ungodly. Sin demanded death and payment. And the Lord Jesus Christ paid
the full debt with His own life, with His own blood. To you who
see your ugliness and ungodliness and sinfulness, to you who know
your need, you know if you see your sinfulness and your ungodliness,
you know you need His beauty and His righteousness. He has
clothed His people with a garment of salvation and with a robe
of righteousness. He is called the Lord, our righteousness. He is made unto us wisdom, righteousness,
sanctification, and redemption. To you who believe, He is, always
will be, precious. If He's precious to you right
now, He will be forever. Because the song of glory is
this. unto Him who loved us and washed
us from our sin in His own blood. To Him be all the honor and glory,
both now and forever. If Christ, the Lord Jesus Christ,
is precious to you now, He will be for eternity. And it just
grows brighter, clearer. Three down, two to go. Chapter
1, 1 Peter. I wish I knew something about
preaching. I get so frustrated with myself. I'm just so hindered
by this flesh. I just wish I could rip it off
and preach the gospel one time. I mean, just really preach it
as it ought to be preached. Don't you feel that way sometimes?
Lord, just get me out of this thing. Get me out of this body
that I'm in. Lift him up as he ought to be lifted. Exalt the
Savior. Deport you to Him. Now look at
this. Get a hold of this. 1 Peter 1.18. For as much as you know. Here's
what believers know. I mean, we're not the smartest
guy around. I'm not. I fess up. But I do know this. The Lord
hath taught me this. We're not redeemed with corruptible
things. Whatever you bring, whatever
you have, put your name on it. Corruption. Corruption. Wickedness. Silver. Gold. Your money, what is it?
Nothing. I mean, it's nothing compared
to his precious blood. And your vain conversation, we're
not redeemed with these things of conduct and tradition and
good works and morality and these different things. But, verse
19 says, we are redeemed with the precious blood of Christ. Get a hold of that. The precious
blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. He is God's sacrifice for sin. He is the Lamb of God. He is the Lamb of God that takes
away our sin. But with the precious blood of
Christ, as of the Lamb without blemish and without spot, verse
20, who was truly foreordained before the foundation of the
world that was made manifest in these last times for you who
by Him do believe. So you can't get away from that
precious faith. I mean, you can't get away with it without faith. "...who by him do believe in
God, that raised him from the dead, and gave him glory, that
your faith and hope might be in the one who tried to put away
sin and didn't." The one who made a down payment on sin, and
then you have to make the rest of the payment. That's not what
it says. raised Him from the dead, that
God raised Him from the dead. Why did He raise Him from the
dead? He put away our sin, the sin of God's people, and gave
Him glory, gave Him honor, when He had by Himself, by Himself,
He put away our sin by the sacrifice of Himself. By Himself He purged
our sin. And now He's ascended and seated
and enthroned, having accomplished salvation for His people. Never
think of the atonement as an attempt. Never think of redemption
as an effort or a down payment. We have. I don't have a theory
of atonement. Anybody ever ask you that? What's
your theory on atonement? I don't have one. I have an atonement. How about you? I have an atonement. I mean,
one that satisfies God. Here in His love, not that we
love God, but He loved us. And He sent His Son to be the
propitiation, the mercy seat for my sin. And all the sins
of God's people laid upon the Lord Jesus. For God made Him
to be sin for us who knew no sin, that we might be made the
righteousness of God in Christ. I don't know why people want
to try to butcher that verse. It says what it says. God laid
upon Him. It says over here in chapter
2, He bare our sin in His own body on the tree. It says over
in chapter 3 that Christ also once suffered for our sins, the
just for the unjust, that He might bring us unto God. Do you
reckon He'll get it done? He's going to bring every son
home to glory. He said, Behold, I and the children
you've given me, they're all here. He won't lose one sheep. He laid down His life for the
sheep. Never think of atonement as something failed. It's successful. How do we know that? He's seated
in the heavenlies. And my friend, He obtained for
us as the Great High Priest, He obtained for us eternal redemption
as our Great High Priest, not with the blood of bulls and goats.
He didn't bring the typical sacrifice. The Lord Jesus Christ gave Himself
for our sin with His own blood, and He obtained for us temporary
amnesty. No, sir. No, sir. He gives His
sheep eternal life, and they shall never perish. You see,
He obtained for us eternal redemption. He gives us everlasting salvation. He said, My sheep, hear My voice.
I know them. They follow Me. They'll never
perish. No man can pluck them out of
my hand. My Father which gave to me is greater than all, and
no one can pluck them out of His hand. Our life is hid with
Christ in God. That's pretty secure, isn't it? I mean for For us believers,
the elect, for us to perish, you know what's going to happen?
You mentioned it last night. You see, the believers are already
exalted and seated in the heavenlies in Christ. Read Ephesians chapter
2. For us to fail, oh God's elect,
for them to fail and to perish, the Lord Jesus Christ has to
fail. He has to vacate the throne.
He has to be defeated. And that ain't going to happen.
Thanks be to God who has given us the victory through our Lord
Jesus Christ. And I can't, my soul, I can't
talk about these things and not get totally engrossed in it.
Because it's so vital in this day when the atonement of the
Lord Jesus Christ is being denied and mocked. My friend, the blessed
Savior appeared once in the end of the age to put away sin by
the sacrifice of Himself and He got the job done. How do we
know that? He ascended to glory, and He's
seated in the heavenlies, and we're seated in Him. God bought the church with His
own blood. He loved the church and gave
Himself for it, and He's going to have what He bought. He's
going to have what He bought. Here's the illustration I'm going
to use. It's a homely illustration. The
Lord Jesus Christ bought the church with His own blood, right?
He bought the church, His elect, His bride. He loved the church. He gave Himself for the church.
And He's going to take the church home and enjoy them forever because
He bought them with His own blood. You ladies, when you go to the
grocery store, you make out a grocery list, don't you? And you go down
the aisle and you pick out what you want to pick out. and you
put it in your bag, you put it in your buggy, and you go up
and you pay for it, and then what are you going to do with
it? You going to leave it in the store? You're going to take it home
and enjoy it, aren't you? Why? Why? You bought it. It's
yours. The Lord bought the church with
His own blood. He's going to take us to glory
and enjoy us forever. And we're going to have the privilege
of singing unto Him forever and ever and ever unto Him who loved
us and washed us from our sin in His own blood. Worthy is the
Lamb that was slain to receive all honor, glory, blessing, and
power both now and forever. We serve a victorious Lord Jesus
Christ. He knows nothing of defeat. He
knows a lot about agony. But He's no defeated Savior.
I'm glad your pastor preaches these things. The successful
How you, what one word would you use to describe the atonement
of the Lord Jesus Christ? Effectual? Successful? Eternal? Got the job done, didn't it?
Call His name Jesus, He shall save His people from their sin. You see, we are bought with the
precious blood of Christ. This is just not some Jewish
man who died. This is God incarnate in human
flesh. The Word was made flesh and dwelt
among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten
of the Father, full of grace and truth. He that spared not
His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not
with Him also freely give us all things? Who can lay anything
to the charge of God's elect? Come on. It is God who justifies. Who
is he that condemneth? It's Christ who died. He, rather,
is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also
maketh intercession for us. Oh, I tell you. He's able to
save to the uttermost all that come to God by Him. Because the Lord Jesus Christ
paid their debt, He justified them with His blood.
There's nobody in hell for whom the Lord Jesus Christ died. There's
nobody in hell for whom the Lord Jesus Christ loves. If there
is, His love is meaningless. If somebody's in hell for whom
the Lord Jesus Christ died, then his death means nothing. But
thank God it means everything to God and to His people. They
are saved with an everlasting, eternal salvation. Four down,
one to go. Chapter 1, let's start at verse
3. And I'm going to quit at 12 o'clock.
I've got a couple minutes. 1 Peter 1, verse 1. Paul, an apostle. Peter, excuse me, I should have
put my glasses on. Goodness, goodness. Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ
to the strangers scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia,
Asia, Bithynia, elect according to the foreknowledge of God the
Father through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience
and the sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ, grace unto you
and peace be multiplied. Blessed be the God and Father
of our Lord Jesus Christ. who according to his abundant
mercy hath begotten us again to a living hope by the resurrection
of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance incorruptible,
undefiled, that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you, who
are kept by the power of God through, there's that word again,
faith, faith, precious gift of God, kept by the power of God
through faith unto salvation, ready to be revealed in the last
time, wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need
be, ye are in heaviness, do manifold temptation, if need be, that
the trial of your faith be much more precious." Trials, precious? Oh yes, yes my friend. They come from the hand of God,
whom the Lord loveth, he chasteneth every son whom he loveth. The
trial of your faith being much more precious than of gold that
perisheth, though it be tried with fire. might be found unto
the praise and honor and glory at the appearing of our Lord
Jesus Christ, whom, having not seen you loved, in whom, though
now you see him, not yet believing, you rejoice with joy unspeakable,
full of glory, receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation
of your soul." Precious trials. Precious trials. The Lord saving
faith. This trying of faith here, not talking, it's a trial of
faith. It's not talking about common trouble that everybody
has. Everybody has common trouble.
He's not talking about that. He's talking about sending a
trial in his wisdom to your heart to try your faith, whether to
see if it is real or phony. And the trying of your faith.
The faith of God's elect that's a gift of God, when it's put
in the fire, it comes out to the honor and praise and glory
of the Lord Jesus Christ. And we say, and we know, all
things work together for good to them who love God, to them
who are called according to His purpose. God does everything
He does on purpose. He saves every sinner He saves
on purpose. There's no accidents with God. precious things. If He's precious
to you now, He'll be precious to you forever. Because what
begins in grace, God who has begun a good work in you, He'll
finish it. That which begins in grace will
end in glory. Mark it down. God bless you.