God's purpose. Verse 17, for the scripture saith
unto Pharaoh, even for this same purpose have I raised thee up,
that I might show my power in thee, and that my name might
be declared throughout all the earth. When Moses comes to Pharaoh,
Pharaoh says, who is the Lord that I should obey his voice
to let Israel go? I know not the Lord, neither
will I let Israel go. And God says to Pharaoh, says
the scripture says, we considered that last week, when the scripture
says God says, and when God says the scripture says, God said
to Pharaoh, even for this same purpose have I raised thee up
that I might show my power in thee and that my name might be
declared throughout all the earth. Now, God has a purpose. He is a God of purpose. And everything He does, He does
on purpose. And God has made His purpose
known in His Word. It would be ridiculous for me
to be talking about the purpose of God if we didn't have the
Bible, the Word of God, which tells us what his purpose is. Now I read that verse of scripture
in Job 23 verse 13 that says he is one mind and who can turn
him? And what his soul desireth, even
that he has. Now he is in one mind. In all of the acts of God's providence,
and let me explain what is meant by providence. Providence is
the working out of time, in time, of everything God determined
before in eternity. Did God know you'd be here this
morning? Yeah. And the reason He knew
you would be here is because He determined for you to be here. Did He know I would be saying
these words? Of course He did. He determined
for me to say these words. God has a purpose and everything
in providence is his purpose being done. He's in one mind. He has a fixed and settled purpose. That's who God is. Let me quote
some scriptures. Jeremiah 51 29 says every purpose of the
Lord shall be performed. Isaiah 14.24 says, As I have
purposed it, so shall it stand. Isaiah 46.11 says, I have spoken
it, I will bring it to pass. I have purposed it, I will also
do it. Ephesians 3.11 speaks of the
eternal purpose. which he purposed in Christ Jesus
our Lord. All that he does, he does on
purpose. God is a God of purpose. He's
of one mind. And then Jeremiah said, or Job
says, who can turn him? Now the first clause of the sentence
tells us he has a purpose. And the second clause tells us
that his purpose remains unchanged. He is immutable. He never responds. He never reacts. He never puts
out fires. He has no contingency plans.
His purpose is unchanging. never changes. Whatever his purpose
was, it still is. And whatever his purpose is,
it always shall be. God is a God of purpose, and
that purpose never changes. And then the scripture says,
whatever his soul desireth, that he doeth. Being omnipotent, he
always causes his purpose to come to pass. whatsoever the
Lord pleased, that did he. David said, our God is in the
heavens. He hath done whatsoever he hath
pleased. Now, God's purpose cannot be
thwarted. It's always done. His purpose always comes to pass. Now Ecclesiastes chapter 3 verse
1 says, to everything there is a season and a time to every
purpose under heaven. Now I want you to think about
this. There are no random events. To everything there is a season. A purpose to every time. There
are no random events. There is no such thing as good
luck. There's no such thing as bad luck. The wills of providence
grind most surely. Whatever God's will is, it's
going to be done. And that's why we're instructed
to give thanks for everything. For whatever it is we're giving
thanks for, this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning
you. Whatever is going on, this is
the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you. Now, back to
Romans chapter 9, I'd like to read verse 11. Like I said, I
want to attempt to look at the scriptures that speak of God's
purpose. God is a God of purpose. Everything
He does is on purpose. In Romans chapter 9, verse 11,
speaks of the children, talking about Jacob and Esau being not
yet born. neither having done any good
or evil, that the purpose of God, according to election, might
stand. And here's what his purpose according
to election is, that salvation might not be of works, but of
him that calleth. Now that's God's purpose. That
salvation might not be of works, but of him that calleth." Now
listen real carefully. Your good works cannot possibly
recommend you to God in any way. And you know why? Those good
works in reality are nothing more than filthy rags according
to the scripture. Isaiah 64 6 says, our righteousnesses Our righteousnesses are as filthy
rags before God. Obviously, that's not going to
recommend you. But thank God, your bad works,
your evil works, my sin cannot disqualify me in this sense. You cannot be too sinful. You
cannot be too bad. You cannot be too evil to be
saved, and here's why. Because salvation has nothing
to do with our works. Isn't that good news? Here's
God's purpose. Here's God's purpose in divine
election. Here's why He chose one and passed by the other,
that He might demonstrate that salvation is not of works. It has nothing to do with anything
that you or I do. But it's according to Him that
calleth. Turn with me to Galatians 1.
Hold your finger in Romans 9 and turn to Galatians 1. Paul says in verse 13, For you
have heard of my conversation in times past in the Jews' religion,
how that beyond measure I persecuted the church of God and wasted
it, and I profited in the Jews' religion above many my equals
in my own nation, being more exceedingly zealous of the traditions
of my fathers. But, thank God for this word
but, but, when it pleased God, who separated me from my mother's
womb and called me by His grace. There's the call of God. When
He called me by His grace to reveal His Son in me that I might
preach Him among the heathen immediately. I conferred not
with flesh and blood. I didn't check this out with men. Now here's God's purpose. Salvation
is not of works, but of him that calleth. When it pleased God,
who separated me from my brother's womb and called me by his grace.
Here's God's call. Lazarus, come forth. And he that was dead came forth. You may be dead in sins right
now, but if God calls you, you know what you're going to do?
You're going to come forth. Zacchaeus, he's up in a tree,
make haste come down for today I must abide at thy house. You know what Zacchaeus did?
He made haste, he came down, and he received him joyfully. You see, this call is always
obeyed. Always. Matthew, Follow me. And he rose, forsook all, and
followed the Lord Jesus Christ. Now, this is God's purpose, that
salvation might not be of works, but of him that calleth with
that glorious, invincible, irresistible call. Now, back to Romans 9 in
verse 17. Verse 17, for the scripture,
saith unto Pharaoh, even for this same purpose, there's the
word, even for this same purpose have I raised thee up. And he,
in describing his purpose, uses the illustration of a man that
he passed by, Pharaoh. He said, I've raised you up for
this purpose, that I might show my power in thee, and that my
name might be declared throughout all the earth. Now that's God's
agenda. That's God's purpose. That he might demonstrate his
power and how his power was demonstrated in Pharaoh. Who is the Lord that
I should obey his voice? He found out, didn't he? He found
out. And the Lord wasn't trying to
get him to do anything. He was using him to demonstrate
his power, that his name, his attributes, who he is, might
be declared throughout all the earth. Turn with me to 2 Timothy
chapter 1. This is a very familiar scripture
and this is, mark this down in your heart, that this is a scripture
of incredible importance because Paul calls it the testimony of
our Lord that we're not to be ashamed of. Look in verse 8,
he says to Timothy, be not thou therefore ashamed of the testimony
of our Lord. nor of me his prisoner, but be
thou partaker of the afflictions of the gospel according to the
power of God, who hath saved us and called us with an holy
calling, not according to our works, but according to his own
purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before
the world began." Purposed grace. Grace on purpose. He speaks of the grace that was
given us in Christ Jesus before the world began. You see, salvation
is according to God's purpose and every and all gifts given
in salvation were given to the believer before the foundation
of the world. Do you have faith? Do you know
that that was a gift given to you before you had any existence?
The reason you believe is because he purposed it. Do you have love
to God? He gave it to you. Do you have
repentance? He gave it to you. Do you have
righteousness? He gave it to you. Every gift
the believer has was given them in Christ Jesus before the world
began. Grace is purposed grace. Grace on purpose and how we love
purposed grace. Turn to Ephesians chapter 3. Verse 11. What's beginning in verse 9?
And to make all men see what is the fellowship, Ephesians
3, 9, of the mystery which from the beginning of the world hath
been hid in God who created all things by Jesus Christ to the
intent that now under the principalities and powers and heavenly places
might be known. by the church the manifold wisdom
of God according to the eternal purpose which he purposed in
Christ Jesus our Lord. This is the purpose of revelation. Now if you know God, if you believe
the mysteries of the gospel, If you have some love for the
gospel of Christ, you know why? It's because God purposed for
you to have that love. Do you know the gospel? Love
the gospel? Love the Lord Jesus Christ? It's
because God purposed to reveal Himself to you. Do you believe
the mysteries of the Gospel? And they are mysteries, aren't
they? I mean, it's so mysterious to think of Christ in you, the
hope of glory, the mystery of... Great is the mystery of godliness.
God was manifest in the flesh. You believe that? I speak a great
mystery, Paul said, concerning Christ in the church. When he's
talking about marriage, the two shall be one. I am one with the
Lord Jesus Christ, whatever He is, I am. I'm united to Him,
and I believe that. That's because God purposed for
me to believe that. He purposed for me to receive
the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven. Look back in Ephesians
chapter 1, verse 11. in whom also we have obtained
an inheritance being predestinated according to the purpose of him
who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will."
The purpose of predestination. Somebody says, do you really
believe in predestination? That's kind of like saying, do you believe
in God? Same thing. If you believe in God, the God of the Bible,
I mean, I don't mean just God as some kind of supreme being,
but I mean the God of the Bible. If you believe in the God of
the Bible, you sure enough believe predestination. Everybody does.
And what I love about predestination, predestination, God, I love the
God of predestination. I love the God who predestinates.
And predestination doesn't mean, you know, let's say I fall off
this and crack my arm and, oh, well, it's predestined. Well,
it was, but that's not what predestination is talking about. Whatever happens
is all God's purpose. Here's predestination. 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. That's God's purpose of predestination,
to have a bunch of little brothers to Christ perfectly conformed
to His image. Isn't predestination glorious?
God's purpose according to predestination. And then there's a so familiar
passage of scripture in Romans chapter 8, if you will turn there,
Romans 8, verse 28. And we know. I love the we knows
of the scripture, don't you? We know. And you don't ever believe
we can say this. We know this. We know this. We don't hope it's this way.
We know it's this way. And we know that all things work
together for good to them that love God, to them who are thee
called according to His purpose. Now we know. We know that all things, when I fall and when I do not fall, every event, every circumstance,
every kind word, every harsh word, every bad thing, Every
good thing, everything I see and everything I don't see, which
is just about covers everything. Every trial, every tear, every
joy is working together for my eternal good and his glory. Now that's the purpose of God.
God has purposed it that everything is working together for good
to those who love God. And who are the ones who love
God? Those who are be called according to His purpose. Would you turn to Romans chapter
3? And this is the one that I really want to spend our last few minutes
on. This is where God's purpose is
not just something we believe, but here's where God's purpose
becomes real. May God bless this verse of scripture
to our hearts. In Romans chapter 3, verse 25, whom God, speaking of the Lord
Jesus Christ, Whom God hath set forth. Now that word set forth
is also translated purposed. It's the verb form of the noun
purpose. Whom God hath purposed to be
a propitiation through faith in his blood. I was real glad Paul read 1 John
chapter 4 because it speaks of a propitiation. God hath set
him forth. God hath purposed him. This is
God's purpose. If you want to know what God's
purpose is, here it is. God purposed for Christ to be
a propitiation. That's a big word. We're going
to consider what it means. Through faith in his blood. Now first of all, what is a propitiation? The word means to be appeased. God set him forth as an appeasement. It is a removal of the reason
for anger. If you're appeased, that doesn't
mean simply you're forgiven. If you're appeased, that means
you don't have a reason for anger. That anger has been removed. The reason for that anger has
been removed. There's no reason for you to
be mad when you're appeased. Now, when the scripture speaks
of a propitiation, it never speaks of us doing anything to appease
God. We can't do anything to appease
God. We can't do anything about our sin. We can't do anything
about somebody else's sin. There's nothing we can do. For
God to be propitiated, He's got to be the propitiation. He's
the one who does it. We never do anything to appease
Him. He appeases Himself. Now what I thought about was
Genesis chapter 22 verse 8 when Isaac and Abraham are going up
the mountain. to offer up Isaac as a burnt
sacrifice. He doesn't know yet what's going
on. He doesn't know that he's supposed to be the sacrifice.
He says to his dad, here's the wood, here's the fire, but where's
the lamb for a burnt offering? And Abraham said, my son, God
will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering. You can't provide
anything. You can't provide something God
will accept. God provides for Himself the
land. for the burnt offering. God himself
is the lamb for the burnt offering. He is the propitiation for our
sins. He provided himself as a propitiation
for our sins. It's his work alone. The songwriter
said, could my tears forever flow? Could my zeal no longer
know? These for sin could not atone.
Thou must save, and thou alone. He is the propitiation for our
sins. Here in his love John said not
that we love God. When you want to give a definition
of love, would you want to talk about your love for God? Man,
I wouldn't. I wouldn't even want that to
be brought up. Now, I do love him. I do. I love the Lord. But I'm ashamed of the love.
I love him a whole lot more than I do. And you should, too. And
I know you agree with that. When we're going to talk about
love, I love the way John says this. Here in his love, not that we
love God, but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation. for our sins, the removal of
our sins, the removing of his reason for anger. Now, don't
miss this, verse 25, whom God hath purposed to be a propitiation. Aren't you thankful that the
Lord sent his son to be a propitiation? That thrills my very soul. That
was God's purpose in sending him, to take away his reason
for anger. The Lord doesn't have a reason
to be mad at me. Isn't that glorious? He sees me as altogether lovely
through the propitiatory sacrifice of the Lord Jesus Christ. That
was God's purpose. Now, somebody says, how can I
know if He's done that for me? How can I know if He's my propitiation?
That's what I'm interested in. I see that He is the propitiation. I see the only way God can be
satisfied is through Him and His propitiatory sacrifice and
what He accomplished on Calvary. I see that. I see that His blood
must be successful. I see that anybody He died for
must be saved. How can I know if He did this
for me? How can I know if He did this
for me? Now look back at Romans chapter
3 verse 25. whom God had purposed to be a
propitiation, the removal of the reason for anger through
His bloody death, through, through, look at these next four words,
faith in His blood. Through. faith in His blood. Do you have faith in His blood? Now right now I'm not asking
you if you're saved or if you're born again or if you know you're
Christian. We'll deal with that some other
time. But I am asking you this, do you have faith in His blood? Do you really believe in your
heart that His precious blood is all that's needed to make
you as white as snow, perfect before God? Are you relying on
His precious blood? Can you say right now, what can
wash away my sins? Nothing but the blood of Jesus. What can make me whole again? Nothing but the blood. of Jesus. Oh, precious is that
flow that makes me white as snow. No other fount I know, nothing
but the blood of Jesus. Faith in His blood. Now let me tell you what the
only hope, I say this a lot and I'm going to continue to say
a lot until I die, I hope. The only hope I have is in His
blood. The only hope I have is that he died for me. The only
hope I have is that he died for me. Got no other hopes. And once again, that is why I, if he could die for somebody
and they wind up in hell anyway, you've taken away the only hope
I have. Because the only hope I have is that he died for me. Now, regarding this thing of
Christ being a propitiation through faith in His blood. Somebody
says, well, tell me where to go with this. What? How can I experience faith
in His blood? I want to have this. Whatever
faith in His blood is, I want to have it, don't you? I want
to really rely upon the Lord Jesus Christ and to have this
faith in His blood that is spoken of in this passage of Scripture.
Well, to me, went into the temple to pray. One, a Pharisee, a very
religious man, a very outwardly righteous man. You would have
commended him for his life. And the other, a publican, a
very sinful man, a man despised, a man who deserved to be despised. I mean, if he was despised, it
was because he was, by his own confession, a sinful man. Two
men went into the temple to pray. The one a Pharisee, the other
a publican. The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself,
Lord, I thank thee that I'm not as other men are. Now that's
every natural man's religion. He compares himself with somebody
else and he thinks at least I'm better than that. I'm not as
other men are. I fast twice in the week. I give tithes of all that I possess.
I'm not an unjust man. I'm not an extortioner. I'm not
an adulterer. I'm certainly not like this publican. And the publican stood afar off. And here was his prayer. As he
beat upon his breast, God be That's the word. God, be propitious. Be appeased through the sacrifice
of your Son. Be appeased through the blood. That's the only plea I have. God, be propitious. To me, the sinner, the worst man to ever
live. And you know what the Lord said? He said, I say unto you that
this man who cried out, God be propitious to me, the sinner. This man went down to his house,
you know the next word, justified. No guilt, perfectly righteous
through the sacrifice. Now he wasn't just seeking general
mercy. He said, God be propitious to
me, the sinner. Now here's God's purpose. And like I said, this is where
I see where I fit in. It's God's purpose for everybody
who cries this prayer. God be propitious. That's all I'll plea. I'm not
talking about what I can do to make things better. I'm not talking
about what I believe, what I intend to do, what I have done or what
I haven't done. God be propitious. Let your anger be removed through
the sacrifice of your son. It's God's purpose that everybody
who prays this prayer God be propitious to me the sinner.
It's God's purpose that that person be justified. Remember what justification is. If you're justified, you didn't
do it. You stand without guilt before
God. Your sins were placed by God. on the great propitiatory sacrifice
of the Lord Jesus Christ. You didn't put him there. God
did. God has the authority to do that.
You don't have the authority to do that. I remember one time
hearing a fellow say, well, I put my sins under the blood. And
I thought, oh, you can do that? You can just up and decide, I'm
going to put my sin under the blood? No, you can't do that. But God
can. And God does. And he does it for all of those
who cry with that publican centuries ago, God, be propitious to me,
the sinner. May God give me and you the grace
from our hearts to pray that prayer. Let's pray together. God be propitious to me, thee,
sinner. Lord, may that be the prayer
produced by your spirit because of your call. May that be the
prayer of each person in this room for Christ's sake. Lord, how amazed we are at your gospel that can cause someone like that, someone like me, someone like
us, to go down to our house justified. To think when we eat
lunch today, We eat lunch as justified before your holy law. That when we lay our sinful heads
upon our pillows tonight before we go to sleep, it might bring in our hearts
that we're justified through the perpetuatory sacrifice of
our glorious Redeemer. Thank you for the gospel. In
Christ's blessed name we pray. Amen.