Good morning. Turn with me this morning to Galatians chapter one. Galatians chapter one. We'll begin reading in verse one of Galatians one. Paul, an apostle, not of men, neither of men, but by Jesus Christ and God the Father who raised him from the dead and all the brethren which are with me unto the churches of Galatia. Grace be to you and peace from God the Father and from our Lord Jesus Christ. Grace and peace. Grace and peace. That's a good way to start a letter, isn't it? This letter written to the Galatians. Paul begins with grace and peace Grace, unmerited favor and acceptance. Grace and peace. Peace with God. Look back at verse three. Grace be to you and peace. Here we see the source of grace and peace. It's from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Let's read on in verse four. again of Galatians 1, who gave himself for our sins that he might deliver us from this present evil world according to the will of God and our Father. Jesus Christ who gave himself for our sins. He gave himself. The gospel declares Jesus Christ gave himself.

Turn with me to 1 Peter 1. Hold your place in Galatians 1, but turn to 1 Peter 1. 1 Peter 1. Look beginning with verse 18 of 1 Peter 1. Here we read, for as much as you know, you were not redeemed with corruptible things, such as silver and gold, from your vain conversations received by tradition from your fathers. But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot, he gave himself for our sins.

In the book of Hebrews, Hebrews chapter nine, beginning with verse 24. For Christ is not entered into the holy place made with hands, which are figures of the true, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us. Nor yet that he should offer himself often as the high priest entered into the holy place year after year with blood of others. For then he must have suffered since the foundation of the world. But now, once in the end of the world, hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself. He offered, he gave himself.

Paul writing in Hebrews 10, beginning with verse 12, he said, but this man, speaking of the Lord Jesus Christ, this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down on the right hand of God, from henceforth expecting till his enemies be made his footstool. For by one offering, that's right, one offering, he hath perfected forever them that are sanctified. One offering, and not just any offering, Again, He gave Himself. He gave His back to the smiters. He gave His cheeks to those who plucked out His beard. He didn't hide His face from shame and spitting. The Lord Jesus Christ gave Himself. There on the cross, He suffered and died in the room instead of his people. He gave his body. He made his very soul an offering for sin, a sacrifice for sin. His body broken, his blood was shed. He gave himself.

Listen to the words of our Lord in John chapter 10. Turn there with me, John 10. John chapter 10. John 10, look at verse 18. He said this, no man taketh it from me. Speaking of his life, no man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. Our Lord says, I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This is the command I have received of my Father. He gave himself a willing sacrifice. He gave himself as an obedient sacrifice. He was obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. He gave himself for our sins, a sacrifice for sin. He made reconciliation for our sins. He shed his blood for the remission of sins, the sins of his people. The Lord Jesus Christ, he had no sin, he did no sin, but he was made sin for us. The spotless lamb of God was made sin for his people. He gave himself for our sins.

Turn back to Galatians chapter one. Galatians chapter one. He gave himself. Why did he do that? Why did the Lord Jesus Christ lay down his life? Why did he suffer and die? Well, let's read here. It says, he gave himself for our sin that he might deliver us. That he might deliver us from this present evil world.

Who's this us declared in scripture? He came to deliver a certain people. It says he came to deliver us. Who does that speak of? Well, it speaks of his church. God's word declares that Christ loved the church and he gave himself for it. Us, his elect, an elect people mentioned time and time again in scripture. God's word says, who shall lay anything to the charge of God's elect? It's Christ. The Lord Jesus Christ laid down his life for his people. God justifies his people in Christ.

Who's this us? Often referred to in scripture as his sheep. Our Lord said this, he said, I lay down my life for the sheep that he might deliver us, his church, his people. elect his sheep, his people, that he might deliver us from this present evil world.

I need deliverance. I must be delivered, delivered from this present evil world. I must be delivered from my sin. Scripture says by sin, by one man, sin entered into the world and death by sin. So death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned. And you can follow that all the way back to Adam, all the way back to the garden. When Adam disobeyed God, when Adam rebelled against God, when he sinned against God, we sinned in him.

He delivered me. He delivered me. Christ delivered me from my sin. That's what David said. David wrote that in Psalm 40. He said, he brought me up also out of a horrible pit, out of a miry clay, and he set my feet upon a rock, and he established my goings, and he put a new song in my mouth. even praise to our God. Many shall see it and fear and shall trust in the Lord.

He delivered us from this present evil world. Luther wrote this, he said, though this world with devils filled shall threaten to undo us, we will not fear for God hath willed. his truth to triumph through us.

This present evil world. Listen, and not only do we live in it, we're part of it. Turn to Romans chapter seven. Romans chapter seven. You have it, Romans 7, 18. I know, I know that in me, that is, in my flesh dwelleth no good thing. For to will is present with me, but how to perform that which is good I find not. Is that true of you? Is that true of me?

The Word of God declares this, that all have sinned. All, all have sinned and come short of the glory of God. That's one thing that we all have in common. Whether you know that or not, whether you believe that or not, all have sinned. But there's good news. There's good news, Christ, the Lord Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners.

Here we read in our text, Galatians 1 verse 4, who gave himself for our sins that he might deliver us from this present evil world. Deliverance, we read of deliverance. And deliverance is mentioned throughout the Word of God. Back in Daniel 3, I won't have you turn there, but if you'll remember, the Lord delivered three men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. He delivered them from a fiery furnace. King Nebuchadnezzar, he had asked this question. He said, who is that? He spoke to these men and he said, who is that God? that will deliver you out of my hand? Do you remember their answer? Do you remember what they said to this king that was about to cast them into this fiery furnace?

They said, O Nebuchadnezzar, we're not careful to answer thee. We don't have to give this any thought. You don't have to give us time to think about this. If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us. He's able to deliver us from this burning, fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of thy hand, O King. But if not, be it known unto thee, O King, we'll not serve thy gods, we'll not worship the golden image which you have set up. He is able to deliver thee.

And what happened? What happened to those men? Well, King Nebuchadnezzar, he cast them into that fiery furnace. Several of his men were consumed, his mighty men, casting them into that furnace. But then he looked, King Nebuchadnezzar looked, and he said, didn't we cast three men bound into the fire? And they answered and said unto the king, O king, true, that's true. And he answered and said, Below, I see not three men, but I see four men walking in the midst of the fire and they have no hurt. No hurt, no harm. And the form of the fourth is like the Son of God.

Later on, that king spoke again and he said this, I believe it was in verse 29. He said, there is no other God that can deliver after this sword. God will deliver his people.

Rahab the harlot. That whole city of Jericho was destroyed with the exception of a harlot named Rahab and her family.

Daniel. Daniel was delivered out of the mouth of the lions. The king had cast him into that den of lions and the next morning he came and he spake and he said, Daniel? Daniel, are you still there? Daniel, are you still alive? Old Daniel, servant of the living God, is thy God, whom thou service continually, able to deliver thee? Is he able to deliver thee? Able to deliver thee out of the mouth of the lions, able to deliver thee from this present evil world?

And Daniel said, Oh, the joy that must have filled the king's heart. Daniel said, oh king, live forever. My God has sent his angel and has shut the lion's mouth and they've not heard me. For as much as innocency was found in me, and also before thee, oh king, have I done no hurt.

Noah, Noah and his family, Eight souls, this whole earth, this whole world destroyed and yet God delivered eight souls. He delivered Noah and his family.

In Job 33 verse 24, the Lord is gracious unto him and saith, deliver him. deliver him from going down to the pit, I have found a ransom, a payment. Deliverance as the result of a ransom. Isn't that what we've read in all these scriptures?

Nebuchadnezzar, he saw four men. He cast three men into that first. He saw four. Who was the fourth? None other than the Son of God. None other than the Lord Jesus Christ.

How about Rahab? What set Rahab apart from all those in Jericho? That scarlet cord. That scarlet cord that pointed to the Lord Jesus Christ.

Noah and his family. Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord. God put them in the ark. He closed the door. He preserved them. He kept them. He delivered them in the ark, that ark that pictured the Lord Jesus Christ.

Daniel said this, he said to the king, Innocency was found in me. How could innocency be found in Daniel? The same way innocency can be found in any child of God. It's through his son, it's through the Lord Jesus Christ. All of these Pictures of Christ. I found a ransom. Who's our ransom? It's the Lord Jesus Christ who came and he gave his life as a ransom for many. He paid the ransom price. The Lord Jesus Christ is sacrificed and his people, they go free. He's delivered his people.

Well, turn with me again back to Galatians 1. Look at verse 3. Galatians 1 verse 3. Grace and peace from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ who gave himself, he gave himself for our sins. Why? That he might deliver us from this present evil world. And then we read here, according to the will of the Father. Not your will, not man's will, but according to the will of God the Father.

Scripture says, it's not of him that willeth. Not of him that willeth. Not of him that runneth. But it's of God that showeth mercy. The will of the Father. We're not saved. Contrary to popular belief, we're not saved by man's free will. There's no such thing. We're saved by God's free will. My free will doesn't bring me to God.

James 1, verse 18, write that verse down. You can go back and look at it later. It says this, of his own will. Whose will? His own will. begat he us with the word of truth. The word, the living word. The word that we preach, the preaching of his word. The will of the father. You see that? According to the will of the father. According to the counsel. He that does all things after the counsel of his own will.

Turn with me to John chapter 6. Again, hold your place in Galatians and turn to John chapter 6. Look at verse 37. John 6 verse 37. All that the Father giveth to me shall come to me, and him that cometh to me, I will in no wise, who will? I will in no wise cast out. All that the Father hath given him will come to him. And listen, he will never forget them, he will never forsake them, he will never cast them out.

Look at verse 38 of John 6, it says, For I came down from heaven not to do mine own will, whose will? But the will of him that sent me. The Lord Jesus Christ came to this earth to do the Father's will. Verse 39, what is his will? This is the Father's will, which hath sent me. Again, according to the will of God the Father. is the Father's will which has sent me, that of all which he hath given me, I should lose nothing, but raise him again in the last day.

Our text reads according, according to the will of God the Father, according to his will. And then here in John 6, we read this, this is the Father's will. That all that were elected, elected by God the Father, all that were redeemed by the Son, all who are called by the Spirit of God, they'll be raised from the grave to eternal life. And listen, not one of them, not one of them is gonna be lost. The salvation of God's elect is of the Lord.

In our day, in our day, men are called to walk an aisle, to say a prayer, They're asked to do something, to do something for salvation, something to obtain salvation. These things are contrary to the gospel. These are contrary to the word of God. According to scripture, it is God who saved us. It is God who called us with a holy calling. not according to our works, not according to anything we've done or not done, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given in Christ Jesus before the world began.

Salvation. Salvation is of the Lord. This is the will of him that sent me, that everyone which seeth the sun, and believeth on him may have everlasting life, and I'll raise him up at the last day. His sheep, his elect, his bride, his people, they're gonna hear the gospel. They're gonna see the Lord Jesus Christ, to see him. To see Him as all my wisdom, all my righteousness, all my sanctification, all my redemption. To see Him as all my salvation. And by faith, faith which is the gift of God, they're gonna believe Him and rest in Him and look to Him.

Well quickly, turn back to Galatians 1. Galatians 1 verse 5. Last point. To whom? To whom be glory forever and ever. Amen. This, the salvation of his people, is for the glory of God. It's for his eternal glory. To God be the glory. Great things he hath done.

And listen to just a few passages of scripture in closing. Listen to these. For by grace are you saved through faith. And that not of yourselves, it's the gift of God. Not of works, lest any man should boast. Salvation's of the Lord, it's by His grace.

In another place we read, for who maketh thee to differ one for another? And what do you have that you did not receive? And if you received it, why do you glory as if you didn't receive it? I ask you, who gets the salvation? Who gets the glory? in the salvation of a sinner. We read it here in our text. It says, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen. For of him and through him and to him are all things to whom be glory forever. To God. To almighty God be the glory.

I pray he'd be pleased to bless his word.