Today I would like you to turn
your Bible, please, to Isaiah chapter 14. Isaiah chapter 14,
and we'll begin reading at verse 24. Isaiah 14, the Lord of hosts
hath sworn, saying, Surely as I have thought, so shall it come
to pass, and as I have purposed, so shall it stand. that I will
break the Assyrians in my land, and upon my mountain tread him
underfoot. Then shall his yoke depart from off them, and his
burden depart from off their shoulders. This is the purpose
that is purposed upon the whole earth, and this is the hand that
is stretched out upon all the nations. For the Lord of hosts
hath purposed, who shall disannul, who shall change the purpose
of God? And his hand is stretched out And who shall turn it back? Who will stop the hand of God
is the question. Now in chapter 13 and 14 of Isaiah,
Almighty God has promised his people Israel certain defeat
of their enemies. He talks about the defeat of
the Babylonians and the Philistines. And also the verse that we read
here, he promises deliverance from the enemy the Assyrians,
and God did fulfill all his promise. Now, Isaiah gave these certain
and sure promises of deliverance from their enemies based upon
the eternal purpose of God. Do you notice how many times
in these few verses he says, I have purposed and so shall
it stand? The Lord hath purposed, who shall
change God's purpose? God promised deliverance based
upon His promise and upon His purpose. Now the same thing is
true of God's spiritual Israel, God's elect, God's chosen. God has given to His people the
certain and sure promise of salvation from all our enemies, our spiritual
enemies. Can you think of some of them?
How about the dominion of Satan? God has promised deliverance.
How about the bondage of sin? God has promised deliverance
based upon His purpose. How about the law? God has redeemed
us from the curse of the law. God has promised salvation from
all and deliverance from our spiritual enemy based upon the
eternal purpose of God revealed in Christ Jesus. We read of this
promise. In 2 Peter 2 verse 4, whereby
are given unto us exceeding and great precious promises, that
by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, that is,
salvation, by God's promise, God's purpose. Now listen carefully,
and I want you to understand this. All whom God wisely saves
and justifies from all sin, those whom he makes righteous in his
sight, is by His infinite purpose and decree." Now listen to the
scripture, Ephesians chapter 1. We read this, "...in whom
also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according
to the purpose of Him," purpose of God, "...who works all things
after the counsel of His own will." All the elect of God,
all of God's chosen, all who believe the true gospel of God's
grace, are saved by God's purpose and grace. That's exactly what
the apostle told young Timothy. God saved us and called us with
a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to
his own purpose and grace. Now, here's what I'm saying.
Here's what the Scriptures teach about salvation, salvations of
the Lord. Before the world was made from
eternity, God purposed, planned, promised, and predestinated whom
he would justify." Now, this is clearly what the Scriptures
teach. Let's read this Scripture in 2 Thessalonians 2 verse 13. God hath from the beginning chosen
you to salvation through sanctification of the spirit and belief of the
truth. God purposed and planned from
all eternity who would be justified by God's grace. The second thing
we know is this. the grounds by which he would
justify guilty sinners. God purposed and planned the
grounds by which he would justify sinners. We read in Romans 3,
24, being justified freely by his grace through the redemption
that is in Christ Jesus. We're not redeemed with corruptible
things, Peter says in his epistle, but rather with the precious
blood of Christ. God also, before the world was
made from all eternity, purpose, plan, and promise, who He would
justify, the ground by which He would justify them, and the
means whereby they would receive the justification and salvation
of their soul. What is the means? How is it
done? Well, here's the Scripture. Romans
4, 16. The Apostle said, it is of faith. Salvation is received
by faith. Christ is received by faith.
That it might be by grace to the end, to this purpose, that
the promise might be sure to all God's elect, all that seek. The certainty of their salvation
is based upon the eternal covenant of grace given in Christ and
promised in Christ before the world began. Now, listen to our
Lord in John chapter 6. He said, All the Father hath
given me shall come to me, and him that cometh to me I will
in no wise cast out. You see again, the Scriptures
teach clearly and plainly that salvation is of the Lord. Now,
I want to consider three things from these verses in Isaiah 14,
verse 24. Verse 26 and verse 27. Three things about the eternal
purpose of God. And listen to me carefully. Let's
see if I can help you by God's Spirit. Let's see if we can,
by the help of God, by the Word of God, understand something
about the eternal purpose of God. Now here's the first point.
Down to verse 24, he said, Surely as I have thought, so shall it
come to pass. As I have purpose, so shall it
stand. And that's Isaiah 14, verse 24.
Now here's the first point. The purpose of God, the decree
of God is immutable. That is, it is unchanging. God's
purpose does not change. He said in Malachi, I am the
Lord, I change not. And because God does not change,
His purpose, His plan does not change. Now, I don't pretend
to understand about all the purpose of God, but whatever it is, I
know this, it's unchanging. It's unchanging. Now, we read
in Isaiah 46, verse 9. Read this with me. Isaiah 46,
verse 9. Remember the former things of
old? For I am God and there is none else. I am God, there is
none like me, declaring the end from the beginning, from ancient
times to things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel
shall stand, I'll do all my pleasure. You see, the purpose of God is
unchanging. Isaiah 46, verse 11, calling
a ravenous bird from the east, a man that would execute my counsel
from a far country, I have spoken it, I bring it to pass. I purposed
it, I will do it. The counsel of God shall stand. The purpose of God shall stand. It shall not be changed. Now, especially in salvation,
when we talk about God saving purpose in Christ, His purpose
of salvation does not change. God has always saved sinners
by His purpose and by His grace. Now, we read this in Hebrews
chapter 6. Verse 17, wherein God willing
more abundantly to show unto the heirs of promise immutability
of his counsel. There's that unchanging purpose,
immutability, unchanging of his counsel, of his purpose. Confirmed
it by an oath, that by two immutable things in which it was impossible
for God to lie, we might have strong consolation lay hold upon lay hold upon the hope set
before us, which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both
sure and steadfast, which enter then that within the veil where
the forerunner is for us entered, even Jesus, made a high priest
forever after the order of Melchizedek." Now, the purpose of God in salvation
and the hope that we lay hold of and the refuge that we lay
hold of is by God's unchanging purpose and counsel, and that
is the Lord Jesus Christ. Now, here's the second point
about God's purpose. The purpose of God includes all
things. The purpose of God includes all
things. Now, Isaiah 14, verse 26 says
this. This is a purpose that is purposed
upon the whole earth, and this is a hand that is stretched out
upon all the nations. Now, here's the second thought.
The purpose of God includes all things. all things. The Lord
Jesus Christ, who rules us, rules all things for us, for His people. Now the apostle said that in
2 Corinthians 5.18, he said, All things are of God. All things
past, present, and future. All things in heaven, earth,
and hell. All things good, bad, or indifferent. All things are
of God. The great hand of our sovereign
God, of God's sovereign providence, rules and governs by absolute,
infinite, and undisputed control and authority. God is God in
this universe. And in God's universe, nothing
happens by chance. All things are of God. All things
are of God. Nothing in God's universe happens
by accident. Now, we read this in Romans 11
and many other scriptures, but let's consider Romans 11, verse
36. Of him and through him and to
him are all things to whom be glory forever. You see, all things
are of God. Nothing happens by chance. It's ordered by the decree and
good providence of God. Secondly, nothing is determined
in God's universe by the will of man. Not in creation, not
in providence, nor in salvation. Salvation is not by the will
of man. Salvation is by the will of God.
We read this in Romans 9, verse 15 and 16. God said, I will have
mercy upon whom I will have mercy. So then it is not of him that
willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that shows mercy. So nothing happens. I'm saying
the scriptures teach that all things are of God. Of him and
through him and to him are all things. Nothing is determined
in God's universe by the will of man, not in creation, providence,
or salvation. And thirdly, nothing in this
world is under the control of Satan. We read throughout the
scriptures, God is in charge. He said, I am the Lord. Beside
me there is none else. Satan is not in charge of this
universe. God is. We read in Psalm 135
verse 6, Whatsoever the Lord pleased, that did he in heaven,
earth, and hell, and all deep places. Now listen to me carefully.
Don't misunderstand what I'm about to say. The devil is under
God's control and God's dominion. The devil is God's servant. That's
right. He can't do anything without
God's permission. Now here's the third thing about
the purpose of God. We read in Isaiah 14, verse 27. The purpose of God is effectual
and must and will be accomplished. Now, let's read the scripture
again. Isaiah 14, verse 27. For the Lord of hosts hath purpose,
who shall disannul? That means who will erase or
remove the purpose of God. His hand is stretched forth.
His hand is stretched forth to execute the counsel of God. Who
shall turn the hand of God back? We read in Scripture none can
say His hand or none can say unto Him, Lord God Almighty,
what are you doing? So here's what I'm saying the
Scriptures teach. The purpose of God is effectual and must
and will be accomplished. There is nothing that comes to
pass in time but which God from all eternity has decreed and
everything he has decreed in purpose does and will come to
pass. And we read just a moment ago
from Isaiah 46, he said, I've spoken, I'll bring it to pass,
I've purposed, I will do it. Now who shall disannul? Who will
remove or erase the decree of God? Well, none. None can. None will. Who shall turn God's
hand from executing His purpose? Well, none will. His decree cannot
be frustrated. His will cannot be resisted.
We read in Psalm 110, verse 3, Thy people shall be willing in
the day of God's power. His power cannot be defeated.
Paul said, I'm not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, the Lord
Jesus. It's the power of God and the salvation to everyone
that believe it. Now, especially in regards to
God's covenant salvation, the purpose and will of God is effectual
or must be accomplished. The entire weight of our salvation
rests upon the Lord Jesus Christ alone, executing the Father's
will and accomplishing salvation and accomplishing redemption
for His people. If the Lord Jesus Christ failed
in any point to accomplish and execute God's purpose in saving
His people, if He failed in any point, we're in trouble. Thank
God He didn't fail. All those that were given to
the Lord Jesus in the covenant of grace, He established righteousness
for them and He died to put away their sin. We read in Isaiah
42 verse 4, He shall not fail, He shall not be discouraged.
Now our Lord said in John chapter 4 verse 34, My need is to do
the will of Him that sent me and to finish His work. We read
in John 17, I have glorified thee on the earth. I finished
the work you gave me to do. In John 19, the Lord said upon
the cross, when he accomplished all the purpose of God, he said,
it is finished. The Lord Jesus, as the mediator
and surety of the covenant of grace, did especially accomplish
all God's purpose in saving His people. Now, if you would like
to order a copy of this message, if you'd like to listen to it
again, you can call me at 631-9053. I'll send you a free copy with
no obligations. Or you can write to me at Zebulon
Baptist Church, 6088 Zebulon Highway, Pikeville, Kentucky.