I've entitled this message, Saved
in Child-Bearing. Hold your finger there in 1 Timothy
2 and turn to Galatians 3, if you would. Verse 26. For you are all the children
of God by faith in Christ Jesus. For as many of you as have been
baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew
nor Greek. There is neither bond nor free. There is neither male nor female,
for you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you be Christ's,
then are you Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise. In Christ, there is no male,
there's no female. In heaven, we're going to understand
something about that. We're not going to be given in marriage
to one another, we're all going to be the bride of the Lord Jesus
Christ. No male, no female. You're all one in Christ Jesus. Men are not superior to women. But men and women are certainly
different. and have different roles. My
favorite statement was made by Bruce, what's his last name in
Tennessee? Bruce, he's a dear friend, but
he said, he made this statement, he said, women are not like other
people. What's his last name? I know him. Daly, yeah, yeah.
Women are not like other people, I concur wholeheartedly. But
women and men being different, they have different roles. We're
going to see this from this passage of scripture. Now, God is one
God in three distinct persons, God, the father, God, the son,
and God, the Holy spirit. But the three different persons
do have different roles. They're not inferior one to another.
God, the son is not inferior to God, the father, God, the
spirit is not inferior to God, the son. They're all the one
God. They have different roles. God the Father elects, God the
Son redeems, and God the Spirit regenerates. And in this passage
of scripture, Paul is dealing with women in the church. Now in false religion, women
run the church. You think about that. In false
religion, women run the church. they dominate the church. Not really the church, the religious
institution. And the religious institution
would fall to the ground without the women. It is a woman, the
harlot of Babylon, that represents false religion. And you know,
we're kind of raised thinking women are morally superior to
men. It's true in my case. I know
that. I've said many times it's hard
to be married to somebody who's morally superior to you, and
I've got to deal with that on a daily basis. But what I mean
by that is nobody's mom's in hell, are they? Now, dad's probably
in hell. I can see where he would be,
but not mom. Not mom, you know. Women are looked upon in a different
light. The true church is not run by
women and that's not because men are better. That's not because
men are superior. This is God's order. Look in
verse 13 of first Timothy chapter two for Adam was first formed. Then Eve, this is God's order. Eve came out of Adam to picture
the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. And this became more
severe, for lack of a better word, after the fall. Turn to
Genesis chapter 3. Verse 16. Unto the woman, he said, I will
greatly multiply thy sorrow and thy conception. In sorrow shalt
thou bring forth children, and thy desire shall be to thy husband,
and he shall rule over thee." That's what God says. Now turn
back to 1 Timothy chapter 2. Let's begin reading in verse
9. In like manner also, Now, why does he say in like
manner? Well, he said, I will, therefore, that men pray everywhere,
lifting up holy hands without wrath and doubting. We considered
that last week, the women are due to do the same thing. In
like manner, women also, that the women adorn themselves in
modest apparel, with shame-facedness and sobriety. Not with broided
hair, or gold, or pearls, or costly array, but which becometh
woman professing godliness with good works. Now let the woman
adorn themselves in modest apparel. Now, that same word, modest,
is translated in verse 2 of chapter 3 of good behavior. A bishop
then must be blameless, the husband of wife, one wife, vigilant,
sober, of good behavior. The same word is modest. Let
them wear modest, decent, appropriate, orderly, well-arranged apparel. And how we dress is important.
How we dress is important. Contemporary worship. One of the churches in town,
it used to be on Dennis Drive, and it's moved out somewhere
else. I can't remember what the name of the church is. It's one
of those great big secret churches. But I remember going by there.
We had to drive by there before the services, and people would
actually come in pajamas. And that was an appeal. You don't
have to do anything. Just come in your pajamas. Everything's
fine. That's contemptible. That's wicked. We're coming to
worship the living God and dress appropriately. Would you go anywhere
else in pajamas? There isn't anywhere you'd go
in pajamas. But here in this kind of contemporary religion,
we're making it real easy for everybody. You don't have to
put any effort. Listen, I don't want to make worship easy in
any way. I mean, why would we make the worship of the living
God make it more convenient for people? That whole idea is just
so contrary to who God is. We're not trying to make this
convenient. We're trying to Worship God according to his word. So
how we dress is important. We shouldn't overdress and call
attention to ourself, and we shouldn't underdress. I remember
one time a guy that was a cross-dresser called me and asked me if he
could come to church. I said, sure, you're welcome. He said,
can I wear a dress? I said, no, no. If you came in
here wearing a dress, nobody would hear a word I said. Everybody
would just be staring at you. Obviously, that's the case. But
how we dress is important. I don't want to dress to call
attention to myself, either over the top or slovenly. He said, let the woman adorn
themselves in modest apparel, and look at this next word, with
shamefacedness and sobriety. Now what is this thing of being
shamefacedness? Because that almost doesn't seem good, does
it? As far as the way we think of it. What is this thing of
being, that being some kind of diffidence? What's he talking
about? When those cherubims were flying
around the throne, the scripture says they had six wings, with
two they covered their face. They were actually ashamed of
themselves in the presence of a holy God. And they didn't even
sin. But they knew they could if they
weren't preserved. God is holy. With two, they covered
their feet. This is shame-facedness. Even
these cherubims before a holy God were ashamed of their walk.
You know, the Scripture says He charges His angels with folly.
They never sinned, but they could. All the Lord's got to do is remove
His hand and look where you'd go. Have shame-facedness. In that sense, it's a reverence
and it's an awe of His person that makes us like the cherubims.
We cover our face. We cover our feet. Sobriety. That means sound-mindedness. Not becoming drunken with the
things of this world. Not becoming intoxicated with
the things of this world. To where you can't think right.
Sobriety. It's not just talking about sobriety.
As a matter of fact, the word actually means sound-mindedness,
sensibleness. Let them adorn themselves with
shamefacedness and sobriety, not with broided hair, or gold,
or pearls, or costly array. Now, does this mean that these
things should not be worn? No, not necessarily. But in a
worship service, it shouldn't be that way. I shouldn't be drawing.
If you're going to a ball, you wouldn't go the same way, a ballroom
dance, you wouldn't go the same way you would to a worship service,
would you? I mean, there's a difference. There's a protocol. He said,
let not the woman be adorned with broided hair or gold or
pearls or costly array, verse 10, but which becometh women
professing godliness with good works. And may that adorn the
men professing godliness. Good works. What are good works? Anything done out of love for
Christ. I love that passage of Scripture where that woman broke
the alabaster box of ointment and poured it upon the Lord's
feet, His hair, and anointed His body, and so on. And that's
the only thing the Lord ever called a good work. And you know
what He said about her? He said, she's done what she could. We
talk a lot about what we can't do, but what can we do? A good
work for His glory. Oh, this is what beautifies someone. Verse 11, it says, Let the women
learn in silence with all subjection. Now that word silence is the
same word translated peaceable in verse two of this same chapter. For kings and for all that are
in authority that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in
all godliness and honesty. That word means causing no disturbance
to others. causing no disturbance to others. Let them learn in silence, not
raising objections, but being in subjection to the gospel.
Turn to first Peter chapter three. Let me show you an example of
silence. Likewise, you wives be in subjection
to your own husbands. That if any obey not the word,
they may also without the word. Their silence, their silence. Be one by the conversation of
the wives while they behold your chaste conversation coupled with
fear. Whose adorning, let it not be
the outward adorning of plating the hair and of wearing of gold
or putting on of apparel, but let it be the hidden man of the
heart in that which is not corruptible, even the ornament of a meek and
quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price. Let the woman learn in silence
with all subjection, obeying the gospel. Turn to 1 Corinthians
chapter 14. Verse 34. Let your women keep silence in
the churches, for it is not permitted unto them to speak. but they're
commanded to be under obedience, subjection to the gospel as also
the gospel is also say at the law. That's talking about when
Eve was made subject to Adam. And if they will learn anything,
let them ask their husbands at home for it's a shame for a woman
to speak in the church. Now, once again, in Christ, there
is no male or female and in heaven, Everybody's going to be the bride.
Everybody's going to be the female. And he's the only male. He's
the husband. But here the Lord has an order. And he brings that out very clearly
in this passage of Scripture. Now, verse 12. Paul says, But
I suffered not a woman to teach, nor to assert authority over
the man, but to be in silence. You know, God never called a
woman to preach. You can just write that down. Somebody says,
well, my pastor's a woman. No, no. No, God called pastor. God never called a woman to preach,
nor is the woman to domineer over the man. You know one of
the greatest problems of our society is men are not men. If
a woman domineers over the man, you know whose fault it is? It's
the man's fault. It's totally the man's fault.
And every woman will Every woman will seek to dominate
if they can. And I know that. But if they do, it's the man's
fault. This is hard to talk about, but
it's here in the scriptures. Here I go. I suffer not a woman to teach,
nor to usurp authority over the man, but to be in silence. Now, dear ladies, The only way
you will submit is if you want to, not because your husband
orders you to, not because he commands you to, but because
you want to, because you believe it's what the Lord would have
you to do. It's what the scripture says.
Now, this is not about a man being a tyrant, but a man being
a man and a man being a leader in the home. You see, when you
have a man and woman, both can't lead. And happy is that home
where the man leads in love, gentleness, thoughtfulness, and
responsibility. Men make your wives happy to
follow you. That's the call of the gospel.
Verse 13, he says, for Adam was first formed and then Eve. And this is why a woman is not
to usurp authority over the man. Look in 1 Corinthians 11. You know, a lot of times in,
say, Reformed religion or Fundamentalist Baptist or not, the men love
to get with these passages of Scripture and just, you know,
show, submit, this is what you're... Listen, the man is called upon
to love Christ, or to love his wife as Christ loved the church.
And that always puts this in the right perspective, doesn't
it? But look in 1 Corinthians 11, beginning in verse 8. For
the man is not of the woman, but the woman of the man. She
came out of Adam to picture the church coming out of Christ.
Neither was the man created for the woman, but the woman for
the man. I need to remind Lynn of that
from time to time. For this cause ought the woman
to have power on her head because of the angels. Nevertheless,
neither is the man without the woman, neither the woman without
the man in the Lord. For as the woman is of the man,
even so the man also is by the woman, but all things of God. Now back to our text, verse 14. And Adam was not deceived, but
the woman being deceived was in the transgression. Adam was
not deceived. When he ate of the fruit, he
did it with his eyes wide open, knowing exactly what was going
to take place. Eve was deceived. Eve believed
what Satan said. The woman is more easily deceived
in that sense. He points that out. Adam wasn't
deceived. The woman was deceived. She believed what Satan said.
She really thought she was going to become as a god. She really
thought that this was going to be a good thing. She really thought
she was not going to die if she ate the fruit. She believed what
the devil said, but Adam didn't. ate of the fruit with his eyes
wide open, and that makes what he did worse than Eve. There
was a willfulness in his sin. He knew exactly what he was doing. Now I've heard it said that Adam
was a type of Christ here. He said, I'm going down with
her. I love her so much, I'm going down with her. Now that
may be the case. But it almost makes what Adam
did noble, if you look at it that way. And what Adam did was
not noble. He plunged our race into ruin
by what he did. So I can see, in a sense, where
you can look at it that way. But it's also true, when the
Lord came after him, he said, the woman that you gave me, she
gave me of the fruit, and I did eat. The implication being, if
you hadn't given me that woman, this would have never taken place.
He was blaming her. It doesn't sound much like he
was really taking up for her at that time. He was blaming her.
Adam did what he did willfully. Adam was not deceived, but the
woman being deceived was in the transgression. Notwithstanding,
she shall be saved in childbearing if they continue in faith and
charity and holiness with sobriety. She shall be saved in childbearing.
Now, when I used to read that, I'd read that, say, you mean,
does that mean that she's not gonna have as much pain in labor
if she continues in faith and charity and holiness with sobriety?
Well, I was at Jessica Clark's house last night, and she was
telling me she went through 19 hours of labor a couple of weeks
ago, and she said it was like the worst experience. It was awful, painful. Did she
not have any faith, charity, holiness, or sobriety? You know
it doesn't mean that. Or does it mean that they're
not going to, or they're going to be saved through this experience
of childbearing? It just doesn't mean that. Turn
with me to Genesis chapter 3. We've already been there. Genesis
chapter 3. Verse 15, God says to the serpent, let's begin in verse 14, And
the Lord God said unto the serpent, Because thou hast done this,
he deceived Eve. Thou art cursed above all cattle,
and above every beast of the field, and upon thy belly shalt
thou go, and thus shalt thou eat all the days of thy life,
And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between
thy seed and her seed. It, her seed, shall bruise, shall
crush, shall destroy thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel."
Isn't that what took place on the cross? This is a reference
to the gospel. Look in chapter four, verse one.
And Adam knew Eve, his wife, and she conceived and bear Cain
and said, I've gotten a man from the Lord. She believed at that
time that she had the promised seed that was going to destroy
the serpent's head. Now, some 4,000 years later,
turn with me to Matthew chapter one. Verse 18, Now the birth of Jesus Christ
was on this wise, when as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph
before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy
Ghost. Now here is the woman's seed
that will bruise and crush the serpent's head. Then Joseph, her husband being
a just man, not willing to make her a public example, was minded
to put her away privily. Now, do you think Joseph for
a minute believed it when she said, I'm with child and I've
not known a man? Well, you wouldn't have believed
it either. That would be impossible to believe. He thought she was
lying. And he was thinking, well, I'm going to have to put her
away, and I'm going to do it in a way to not embarrass her. He was
a just man. He was looking for a way to put her away privately
because she had been unfaithful to him. So he thought. He didn't realize that this was
the answer to Genesis chapter 3, verse 15. He didn't even have
a clue. He just thought she was lying.
Now, verse 20. But while he thought on these
things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in
a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take
unto thee Mary thy wife, for that which is conceived in her
is of the Holy Ghost. And she shall bring forth a son. Now here is saved by childbearing
right here. She shall bring forth a son and
thou shalt call his name, Jesus, Joshua. Now you remember Moses,
the representative of the law could not bring the children
of Israel into the promised land. He couldn't do it. Works can
never save anybody. If salvation is dependent upon
my works or your works in any way, it's over for us. Moses
cannot bring us into the promised land, but who did? Joshua brought
the children of Israel into the promised land. Thou shalt call
his name Jesus, for he shall save his people from their sins. Now we're going to get back to
that in just a moment, but let's go on reading. Now all this was
done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord
by the prophet, saying, Behold, a virgin shall be with child,
and shall bring forth a son, saved by childbearing, and thou
shalt call his name Immanuel, which being interpreted, is God
with us. Not God against us, God with
us. Then Joseph, being raised from
the sleep, did as the angel of the Lord had bidden him, and
took unto him his wife, and knew her not, till she had brought
forth her firstborn son, and he called his name Jesus. Now
she shall be saved in childbearing. That's exactly what that means.
I'll be saved in this childbearing. This is that son, this is that
child who is born, but the son who is given. And the government
shall be upon his shoulders, and his name shall be called
Wonderful Counselor, the Mighty God, the Everlasting Father,
the Prince of Peace. Saved in childbearing. I was
saved in this childbearing. That's my salvation. That's my
testimony. I was saved in this childbearing. Now go back to
verse 21. This is one of those very special verses of scripture. And she shall bring forth a son.
And thou shalt call his name Jesus, for he shall save his
people from their sins. Now here's the gospel. He, the
Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, he shall. Not he'll make available, not
he'll make possible, He shall. This is absolutely certain. He
shall. He shall save. Save from what? He shall save his people from
their sins. Now this is what I need saved
from. I can speak of this with... I need saved from my sins. I
can't save myself from my sins, and I need for Him to save me
from my sins. And that's what He came to do.
He came to save this sinner from his sins. He came to save His
people, all of the elect of God, everybody He came to represent,
all those the Father gave Him. He came to save them from their
sins. Salvation in childbearing. And that's exactly what He did. Now, let me say something about
my sin. I can't save myself from my sin. I can't pay the penalty that
my sin demands. Where God says the soul that
sins shall surely die, I can't pay the penalty. I can't stop
sinning. I can't quit sinning. I can't. You need to stop sinning. I can't.
I can't. I'm under, by nature, the power
and dominion of sin. I can't believe. I can't repent.
I can't come to Christ. I need to be saved from the power
of sin because I can't stop sinning. And listen, I need to be saved
from the presence of sin. You know, heaven would not be
heaven if I was still a sinner. I'd ruin that place. I need to
be saved from the very presence of sin to where I'm perfectly
conformed to the image of the Lord Jesus Christ. Now that is
salvation. Salvation from the penalty of
sin, salvation from the power of sin, and salvation from the
very presence of sin. Now this is what the Lord accomplished
on Calvary's tree. First of all, He saved me from
the penalty of my sin. And thank God, I'll never have
to give an account for my sin. Because He paid for it. There's
therefore now no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus.
I will never be called on to pay for my sin because it's been
washed away. The very holy law of God looks
at me and says, not guilty. Justified. And I'm never going
to be left to myself. I'm safe from the power of sin.
Right now, I'm safe from the power of sin. Now, I realize
somebody's thinking, well, sin seems awful powerful to me. I
realize that. I realize that. And the only reason you see that
is because you've been safe from the power of sin. You wouldn't
even see that if God hadn't done something for you. But because
God has given you life, you see the power of sin. And even in
my experience, there was a time when I could not believe. And I can remember that. I didn't
even know what it meant to believe. I tried to believe, but I believe
now. I've been saved from the power
of sin. There was a time when I couldn't repent. I didn't even
know what it meant. I tried to do it. It didn't work. What's
it mean to repent? And then I found myself repenting. My mind had been changed because
I was saved from the power of sin. And bless God, I'm already
saved from the presence of sin. I only know that by faith. But
the scripture actually says that we're all, every believer, is
seated together in the heavenlies in Christ Jesus right now. And
I believe that I'm saved from the very presence of sin. I haven't
experienced it yet, but I know I am by faith. And one of these
days, I will be perfectly conformed to the image of Christ. Now that's
salvation. Saved by childbearing. She shall
bring forth a son. I shall call his name Jesus,
for he shall save his people from their sins." Don't you love
that? That's the gospel. Now, notice
what else it says in our text, though. Turn back to 1 Timothy
2. She shall be saved in childbearing,
and so shall, that's not just the woman, that's the man too.
He's saved by that childbearing of the woman. But notice the
next word, if. If they continue in faith and
charity and holiness with sobriety. If they continue. Now this is
very significant. You see those words, faith, charity,
holiness, and sobriety. They're not verbs. They're not
something you do. There's nothing you do to have
this. These are nouns. They're nouns. This is not something you do
in order to be saved. It's something you are that is
evidence that you are saved. if they continue. Now that continue,
this is so important. We're made partakers of Christ
if we hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast to the end.
That's continuing. What's the evidence of election?
Perseverance. Perseverance all the way to the
end. Not that person who begins, but that person who continues
in the faith. The Lord said if you continue
in my word, then are you my disciples indeed. Now he said we're to
continue in faith now we're saved in childbearing if we continue
in faith you know what that means we don't stop believing we continue
to right now while i'm talking to you i know this as sure as
i'm alive right now i'm looking to christ only as my only way
of acceptance before god that's what right now I'm looking at
His righteousness as my only righteousness. I'm looking at
His precious blood as the only way I can be clean before God.
Right now, I'm relying on Him. I really am. I'm continuing in
that. By His grace, I'm not going to
stop doing that. I'm not looking anywhere else.
And we're made partakers of Christ only if we continue in faith
in that sense. You're the same hope I have right
now while I'm talking to you. Christ only, by the grace of
God. That's going to be the only hope I have tomorrow. And that's
going to be the only, if I'm alive in 10 years, that's the
only hope I'm going to have in 10 years. I continue in the faith. Hold your finger there and turn
to Colossians 1. Colossians 1. Verse 21, And you that were sometimes
alienated, and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now
hath He reconciled the body of His flesh through death, to present
you holy, and unblameable, and unreprovable in His sight, if
you continue in the faith. grounded and settled and be not
moved away from the hope of the gospel." That's who has this
great blessing. That person who continues in
the faith grounded and settled. And then he said if you continue
in charity. What's charity? Love. Love to God. Love to the Lord Jesus Christ.
Love to God the Holy Spirit. Love to God's people. Love to
one another. Now, I do. I love the Lord. I love Him as
He is. I love Him as He reveals Himself
in His Word. And I wouldn't change Him if it was in my power to
do it. I love Him just the way He is. I love His sovereignty.
I love His justice. I love His holiness. I love His
wisdom. I love His power. I love Him
just as He is. And I wouldn't change Him if
I could. That's how much I love Him. I don't want Him changed
in any way. I love the Lord Jesus Christ.
I love being saved by Him. He's altogether lovely. You just
read that. He's altogether lovely. And I believe that. He is altogether
lovely to me. All that thrills my soul is Jesus.
He is more than life to me and the fairest of 10,000 in my blessed
Lord I see. I love God the Holy Spirit. He's
the one who reveals Christ to me. All I see of Christ comes
from Him. He's the one who gave me life.
I love His people. Listen to me. Anybody who loves
Jesus Christ, I love that person. I really do. I'm their biggest
fan. I love anybody who loves the
Lord Jesus Christ. I love men. I want to preach
the gospel to them. I want to see them come to a
saving knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ. You can't quit
there. Listen to this scripture, Galatians
5, 6. It says, Neither circumcision avails anything. That's works. Doesn't avail anything.
Nor uncircumcision. Somebody says, well, I know it's
not works. Well, that doesn't help you either. But faith, which
worketh by love. Now that's what avails with God.
Faith, which worketh by love. And if you continue in holiness,
sanctification, you can't stop being holy. You see, if you're
a believer, you are holy. You are holy. You've been given
a holy nature. And if you can stop being holy, you never were
holy in the first place. You continue in holiness and
you continue in sobriety, soundness, temperance of mind. You continue
in that and you don't become intoxicated with this world. Now, what is the evidence of
being real? of the Lord really doing something
for you. I love what the Lord said. Let's look at it in John
chapter 8. This is our last scripture. Verse 30. As he spake these words, many,
many believed on him. Then said Jesus to those Jews
which believed on him, if you continue, not just begin, but
if you continue, remain in my word, then are you my disciples
indeed. And you shall know the truth
and the truth shall make you free. Truly, we are saved in
childbearing, aren't we? All our salvation is in the childbearing. Our Lord's glorious birth, life,
death, and resurrection. That's all my salvation, saved
in childbearing. Let's pray.