Isaiah 26, let's read the first
four verses again. Isaiah 26, verse 1, in that day,
in that day, 43 times that phrase is given, in that day. It's the
day of salvation. It's the day of grace. In that
day shall this song be sung in the land of Judah. That's the
land of promise. We have a strong city. We have
a strong city. We have salvation in our God. Salvation will God appoint for
walls and bulwarks. Open ye the gates that the righteous
nation, which keepeth the truth, may enter into this strong city,
this city of salvation. Open ye the gates that the righteous
nation, and that's the description of God's people, They've heard
the truth, believe the truth, and they keep the truth, that
they may enter in. We enter in in Christ. Thy will
keep him in perfect peace. Peace, peace, as the marginal
reference has. Perfect peace, whose mind, notice
the marginal reference on the word mind, thoughts, imaginations,
our heart is stayed, stuck, stuck on Christ. Stayed on thee, because
he trusteth in thee. Our heart is fixed, trustee in
the Lord, the Lord forever. For in the Lord, Jehovah. You remember all them different
names of Jehovah that we've been over. Jehovah Jireh, the Lord
will provide. Jehovah Sid Canu. One of those
names is Jehovah Shalom, which means the Lord our peace. And
he is our peace. For in the Lord, Jehovah is everlasting
strength. He is the rock of ages. Augustus'
top lady wrote about rock of ages cleft for me. Let me hide
myself in thee. Now, I'm entitling the message
from what is said there in verse 1, salvation will God appoint. Salvation, that's what we need.
We need salvation. It comes by His appointment,
not by our decision. His appointment. What a glorious
thought. The salvation we so desperately,
urgently need is all according to God's eternal purpose and
grace. the grace of our God and Savior, Jesus Christ. Remember
the Apostle Paul, while in prison in Rome, writes his last words
to Timothy, reminding him it's God who saved us and called us
with a holy calling, not according to our work, but according to
his own purpose, God's own purpose. purpose and grace given us in
Christ before the foundation of the world. God saves every
sinner whom he wisely saves on purpose. God never saved a sinner
by accident, always by purpose, purpose. And this salvation is
appointed, appointed for God's people. The Lord Jesus Christ
is our appointed Savior. He's the only just God and Savior. The Lord Jesus Christ is the
appointed means to purchase our salvation for us. In the fullness
of time, God sent forth His Son, made of a woman, made under the
law to redeem them. The Lord Jesus Christ has appointed
that people Those people, covenant people, His elect, to that salvation,
as many as were ordained to eternal life, they believed the gospel. Aren't you thankful that the
Lord's salvation is by His appointment? God has appointed us not to wrath. Remember we read that in 1 Thessalonians
chapter 5? God has not appointed us to wrath,
but to obtain salvation. by His grace. Now, Isaiah declares unto us
the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ in that day. If you look
back at chapter 25, Verse 9, and it shall be said
in that day, talking about the day of salvation, the day of
the coming of the Messiah who accomplished our salvation, and
it shall be said in that day, lo, this is our God. We have
waited for Him. Remember Simeon waiting for the
consolation of the Lord? When he saw the Lord Jesus Christ,
he said, let me die now. I'm ready to die. I've seen God's
salvation. We've waited for Him. He will
save us. And He did call His name Jesus.
He shall save His people from their sin. This is the Lord.
We waited for Him. We will be glad and rejoice in
His salvation. Salvation we see all through
the Word of God. That salvation is of the Lord
Jesus Christ. He accomplished salvation for
us and then He brings it to us and reveals it unto us. Therefore,
in that day, in that day of salvation, in the day of the coming of the
Lord who has accomplished our salvation for us, look at verse
1 now, chapter 26, in that day, This song shall be sung in the
land of Judah. We have a strong city. We have
a strong city because we have an Almighty God. He's the Lord
God Almighty. Remember we studied in the Revelation? I was reading again in the Revelation
and read all the way through it again today and several times
it says, it describes the Lord Jesus Christ as the Lord God
Almighty. I like that. We have a strong
city because we have a big God, a strong God. Salvation that's of the Lord
is by His appointment. And as the walls and bulwark
are to a city, those cities, ancient cities were always walled
cities like Jericho, like Jerusalem. They were walled cities and they
were walled cities to protect from the enemies entering in.
and we have a strong city, and that is the Lord Jesus Christ.
So we sing songs of joy and praise and thankgiving for that glorious
salvation that we joy in Christ Jesus in that day. Remember Psalm
118, this is the day the Lord hath made. This is the day, in
that day, This is the day the Lord has made, and we will rejoice
and be glad in it. It's the day of mercy to the
miserable, grace to the guilty, salvation to sinners. We gladly
sing the song of redemption. Worthy is the Lamb. Worthy is
the Lamb. Don't turn, but we're going to
see this in our study in the Revelation over in chapter 5. Don't turn, let me just read
it to you. where it says, they sung a new song saying thou art
worthy to take the book to open the seals thereof for thou was
slain and has redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every
kindred, tongue, nation and people. People and nation has made us
kings and priests and through our God and we shall reign, we
shall reign with him. Now, if you want to, you can
turn To this one, if you want to read it with me and mark it
maybe in your Bible, Psalm 98. Psalm 98, you remember from our
study in the book of Psalms, O sing unto the Lord a new song. This is that song of salvation
that's sung in the land of Judah, that promised land that God gave
His people. O sing unto the Lord a new song. For He hath done marvelous things. His right hand and His holy arm
hath gotten Him the victory. We have a strong city because
the Lord hath defeated all our enemies. And we praise His name. In that day, this song will be
sung in the land of Judah. The land of Judah is the place
promised and purpose of God for Israel to inhabit. and to prosper,
and it typically represents the whole church of the Lord Jesus
Christ in this gospel age in which we live. The church is
a place established by the Lord for His covenant people to inhabit,
to enjoy, and to prosper. We have therefore great reason
to trust Him at all times and to sing praises unto His name.
He has accomplished. He performed. You remember that
Psalm? Psalm 57 where it says, He performed
all things for us. He performed all things for us.
And every believer persuaded like Abraham of all that God
has promised, He is able to perform for us. Now, in verse 1, I have
four points in the message. Verse 1, 2, 3, and 4. In the Lord Jesus Christ, we
have security, safety and salvation because we have a strong city,
a strong city. The city spoken of here is the
church of the Lord Jesus Christ, the church of the firstborn.
It's a city that was built by God himself. We have this strong
city because we have an almighty absolute sovereign God who does
all things exactly according to His will and purpose, who
is not frustrated at all. Our Lord told Peter, upon this
rock I will build my church, I will build my city, and the
gates of hell shall not prevail against it. This strong city
is appointed to our salvation. The strength of our salvation
does not depend upon our will, does it? Not of him that willeth,
nor of him that runneth, but of God that showeth mercy. It
does not depend upon our work, does it? Aren't you glad? Not by works of righteousness
which we have done, but according to his mercy. He saved us. It
doesn't depend upon our worthiness, for there's none worthy, no,
not one. We are nothing but guilty, vile sinners. But rather, this
appointed salvation in this appointed city is rather, it's upon His
will, right? Now if his own will be as he
is, upon his work, he said, it is finished, the work the Father
gave me to do. And it's the worth of the Savior.
He's worthy of all honor and glory and blessing. Now aren't
you glad that salvation is fixed that way, appointed that way?
We have no strength in ourselves. We are weak, feeble, impotent,
while our Savior is mighty to save. Turn over here to Isaiah
63. Isaiah 63. God is able to save
them to the uttermost, you remember? All that come to God by Him.
Isaiah 63. Who is this that cometh, verse
1, from Edom, with dyed garments from Basra, This that is glorious
in His apparel, traveling in the greatness of His strength,
I that speak in righteousness, mighty to save." I tell you what
dead, guilty sinners need. They don't need an impotent God.
They don't need a weak, need-frustrated Savior. They need an almighty
God, our Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. He's able to save. He
did save his people from their sin. Salvation that we have in
the Lord Jesus Christ, this city of God is secure and safe and
strong. What walls and bulwarks are to
a fortified city, so is Christ made to us. He's made to us wisdom,
righteousness, sanctification, and he's our redemption. Salvation,
we know, is of the Lord. God purposed it, planned it,
in the Lord Jesus Christ before the foundation of the world.
I read again today in the Revelation. Chapter 13, verse 8, that He's
the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world. Before God created
this earth, before God created Adam, before Adam sinned and
fell against God, sinned against God and fell, the Lord Jesus
Christ already stood as the Lamb slain, shedding His blood to
redeem us in God's eternal purpose. None of the elect of God can
perish unless you can change the eternal purpose which He
purposed in the Lord Jesus Christ. Can you change the purpose of
God? Absolutely not. He does according to His will
in the army of heaven and among the inhabitants of this earth
and none can say His name or say unto Him, Lord God Almighty,
what doest thou? Salvation is certain and secure
and safe and strong Because the Lord Jesus Christ bought us with
His own blood. We're not redeemed with corruptible
things, are we? Silver and gold? Silver and gold
won't buy anything. Silver and gold won't buy one
spiritual blessing. We are redeemed with the precious
blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. A lamb without blemish and without
spot. You see, it's His blood that
cleanses us from all our sin. It's His righteousness that justifies
us before God. The Lord Jesus Christ ever lived
to intercede for us. He is that one mediator between
God and men. We have one mediator, one way,
one covenant, one Lord, one faith, one Savior, one Redeemer. and
that is the Lord Jesus Christ. One God, one way, one mediator. Therefore the throne, therefore
none of the elect can perish for whom Christ died, because
he paid their sin debt. None can perish unless the blood
atonement can be made useless, unless the righteousness of Christ
is destroyed, unless Christ fails to continue to live, ever live
to intercede for us. Now you gotta kick him off the
throne, to kick his people out because we're in him. That ain't
gonna happen. That ain't gonna happen. Our
salvation in the Lord Jesus Christ is certain and sure. He said,
all that the Father giveth to me, they will come to me, and
they'll never perish. None can pluck them out of my
hand. My Father which gave to me, greater than all. But I don't
want anything to do with a failed Savior or a God that's frustrated. The God we have is God over all
things. Boy, that gives me confidence
and comfort. God is God. Salvation, we know,
is certain and secure because of God's promise of the Holy
Spirit coming. He said, when that Spirit of
truth has come, He'll teach you all things. It's the Spirit of
God, the Holy Spirit of God that quickens us and makes us new
creatures in Christ Jesus. It's the Holy Spirit that grants
us faith. The fruit of the Spirit is what?
Love, joy, long-suffering, meekness, temperance, faith. These things
God gives unto us. God the Holy Spirit is the one
who causes us to believe the gospel. We believe according
to the working of His mighty power. He is the one, God the
Holy Spirit, who quickens us from the dead and makes us new
creatures in Christ Jesus, who keeps us by His power. how we
ought to sing unto the Lord this new song of redemption for the
salvation that is of the Lord. We have a strong city. We can
sing about this. We can sing about all that He
has done for us. We don't sing about what we've
done for the Lord. I've served the Lord 40 years.
Well, that's not salvation. I've given and supported Churches
for all these years giving the salvation army. Certainly, certainly
that's a strong city. Oh no. No, that's flimsy and
weak and vile. God said away with this filthy
rag. We have a strong city. We have a strong salvation because
we have a strong Savior. The Lord Jesus Christ. Now, look
at verse 2. Salvation will God appoint. For
walls, He surrounded us with a wall
of His fire, His power, and bulwarks. Now, watch this, verse 2. He says to God's people, how
are we going to get in this city? God commands the gates to open.
Open ye the gates. That the righteous nation, which
keepeth truth, we enter in. Who shall ascend to the hill
of the Lord? Do you remember Psalm 24? Who shall stand in
His holy place? He that hath clean hands and
a pure heart, who has never lifted his soul to vanity, who has never
sworn deceitfully. Who's that describing? It ain't
me. Not in myself. But that's us
in Christ. We enter in because He enters
in. He enters in and we enter in
in Him. Lift up your heads, O ye gates.
You remember? Let me read it to you. Psalm
24. Even lift them up, ye everlasting
door. The King of Glory is coming in. Who is this King of Glory? He's the Lord of Hosts. He is
the King of Glory. Oh, the gates open up to Him,
don't they? He commanded the gate to open that we may enter
in in Him. That the righteous nation may
enter in in Him. Our sin and fallen Adam banished
us from the presence of our God, from the city of our God. We
read in Isaiah 59 that our sin has separated us from God. Our
sin and ruin in Adam exiled us from the way to God. God put
Adam out of the garden, and when he put him out, he put us out,
and he put a flaming sword there to drive Adam away because he
was a sinful man. God is holy. Our sin had displaced
us from the life of God, and Adam all died, and Adam all sinned. Fallen Adam lost the way to God,
he lost the truth of God, and he lost life. The Lord Jesus
Christ is the way, the truth, and the life. He is the door. He said that in John 10. You
remember, I am the door. By me, if any man enter in, he
shall be saved. You see, open ye the gate that
the righteous nation, that's God's people, that's His elect,
and they keep the truth. They've heard the truth and they
keep the truth because they've been taught the truth. The truth
has been revealed unto them which keepeth the truth that they may
enter in. By one man's disobedience, many
were made sinners. By one man's obedience, many
shall be made righteous." We enter in, in the Lord Jesus Christ. We enter in, in Him. I'm thinking of a scripture.
For Christ had not entered into the holy places made with hand,
which are figures of the true, but into heaven itself, now to
appear in the presence of God for us. The forerunner is for
us, entered. Even Jesus made a high priest
forever. We have a hope, an anchor of
our soul, both sure and steadfast, which enters into that within
the veil. When He entered in and the gates opened, we entered
in in Him. And we're seated in the heavenlies
in the Lord Jesus Christ. Now look at verse 3. We've been made a righteous people. because Christ is our righteousness.
He is Jehovah Sidcanu, the Lord our righteousness. And believers
keep the truth and receive the truth and will not let it go.
Now look at verse 3. Thou wilt keep him. Thou wilt
keep him. You reckon God will find the
lost sheep and keep him for a while and then let him go? Thou wilt
keep him. I will keep him, I'm kept by
the power of God, you remember? Kept by the power of God, will
keep him in perfect peace, perfect peace, peace, peace, whose mind,
heart, thoughts, will is stayed, fixed, settled, because he trusteth
in the Lord, the Lord Jesus Christ. In the Lord Jesus Christ, believers
have perfect peace, complete, true, eternal peace with God. In Isaiah 26, look right across
the page at verse 12. Lord, Thou wilt ordain peace
for us, for Thou also hast wrought all our works in us. Reference there, marginal reference.
In us, for us, for us and in us. He is our peace. Apart from the gospel of Christ,
apart from faith in Him, apart from trusting Him for all of
our salvation, there's no peace to the wicked. There's no peace
to the wicked. We often hear religious people
say, well, I'm trying to make peace with God. You can't do
that. God's too holy. We read in Colossians
chapter 1 how peace is made. Who made peace? He made peace
for us with his own blood. Being justified by faith, we
have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. The peace
promised here is peace accomplished by the blood atonement of Christ.
The peace promised here is perfect peace. Every good gift and perfect
gift comes from God. It's perfect peace. He doesn't
give second-hand gifts. He doesn't give hand-me-down
gifts. He gives perfect gifts. He is the perfect Savior. The
peace here is peace accomplished by His blood. The peace promised
here is perfect peace. Perfect peace. He's called the
Lord. Jehovah is the Lord, our peace. Jehovah Shalom. Remember? We
have Jehovah Rapah, the Lord that healeth thee, Jehovah Nisa,
the Lord our banner, Jehovah Jiber, the Lord will provide,
Jehovah Sidkenu, the Lord our righteousness, Jehovah Shalom,
he's the Lord our peace. Jehovah Rea, he's the Lord my
Shepherd, the Good Shepherd. Jehovah Shema means the Lord
is present. He's with us all the time. He
said where two or three are gathered in my name, that's where I am.
He's right here with us tonight. This peace is promised to those
whose mind and heart is stayed. You see that? Whose mind, thoughts,
will, heart is stuck. Fixed. Stayed on thee. How has it stayed on Christ?
By faith, looking unto the Lord Jesus Christ. Would you dare? Saving faith looks nowhere else. For assurance, for comfort, for
hope, for salvation. It doesn't look anywhere else.
It's stuck on Christ. Do you get it? Fixed. Our heart is fixed. Our heart
is fixed. Psalm 57 verse 7 says, My heart
is fixed on Thee, O Lord. Fixed. To be stayed upon Him
is to be fixed upon Him. To have your heart fixed upon
Christ means you set your affection on things above, not on the things
of this earth. It's to lean upon Him. It's to
trust Him. It's to cast all your burden
upon Him. Let me read this to you. I've got
this stuck on my on my computer screen in there
back when we were going through a lot of the flood mud. Somebody sent me a little, I
don't even know who it is, somebody sent me a little teeny scrap
piece of paper and it had this verse written on it. Psalm 55,
22. Cast thy burden upon the Lord.
He shall sustain thee. You shall never suffer the righteous
to be moved. It's been stuck on my screen
for 10 years. It's a blessing to read God's
promises. Oh, it's a blessing. Thou wilt
keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stuck, stayed on thee
because he trusteth in thee. That's faith. We trust Him. We don't trust ourselves. We
don't have any confidence in the flesh. We're trusting the
Lord Jesus Christ for not some of salvation. Christ is all and
in all. We trust Him for all of our salvation,
all of our righteousness. He's all of our pardon. He put
away our sin by the sacrifice of Himself. Now look at verse
4. Trust ye in the Lord. Forever. We trust Him forever. We trust Him forever. For the
Lord Jehovah, that is God my Savior, is everlasting strength. And I like the marginal reference.
Rock of ages. He is that rock in a weary land. He is that rock that never moves. That foundation that God has
laid in Zion. You remember Isaiah 28? He's the everlasting, everlasting
rock upon which we rest, upon which we reside in the Lord Jesus
Christ. I'm thinking of a scripture here,
and I had it in my mind, and I lost it, and now I found it
again. He only is my rock, Psalm 62,
6, and my salvation. He is my defense. I shall not
be moved. Even God is my salvation, my
glory, the rock of my strength. And my refuge, what's in God? He's a refuge of truth, not a
refuge of lies. Trust in Him at all times, ye
people. Pour out your heart before Him. God is a refuge for us. Oh, it's a safe place to hide
in our blessed Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. Trust ye in the
Lord forever. For in the Lord Jehovah is everlasting. Now you think about that word
everlasting. He obtained for us eternal redemption,
right? Isaiah 45, 17 says that he has
given us everlasting salvation. Everything we have in the Lord
Jesus Christ is eternal. Everything in this life is temporary,
it's perishing. Everything we have in Christ
is eternal. Aren't you glad? My soul is eternal. I need an eternal Savior. And
He is the everlasting strength. He's our everlasting salvation. He is our strength and He'll
give us strength that we need to endure trials, to endure temptations,
and to rest in Christ alone. He said, I'll never leave you.
I'll never forsake you. Lo, I'm with you always, always.