Now, we're turning again in our
Bible to the book of Galatians chapter 4. Galatians chapter
4. And I pray that the Lord will
bless us together. Our message is taken from verse
1 down through verse 7. The title of this message, Heir
of God. Believers have an eternal inheritance. We've been made heirs of God
through Christ Jesus. Notice in the last verse, In
chapter 3, if you be Christ, bought with His blood, chosen
by His grace, then are you true sons of God, just like Abraham. Abraham believed God and it was
imputed to him for righteousness. And we've been made heirs of
God. Get a hold of that. Heirs of
God. And the inheritance that we have
is not earthly, it's not fleshly, it is a spiritual inheritance,
and it is an eternal inheritance we have in Christ Jesus. And
it's all according to somebody's promise. All according to somebody's
word. Somebody's promise. I like that
word promise. All the promises of God in Christ
are yes. Amen. And in him. I'm of the same persuasion of
Abraham of old that of all that God has promised, Some of it
will come to pass. Oh, I misquoted that. Of all
that God has promised, He is able to perform all that He promised. But you know, that's what this
religious world thinks. They think that God is trying
to and failed. He wants to and can't. He's trying
to save you, but you won't let Him. That's not the God of the
Bible. The God of the Bible is absolute
God. I like what Arthur Pink wrote
when he wrote his book on sovereignty of God. He simply defined what
is the sovereignty of God. He simply said, God is God. And that echoes the same thing
that Scriptures say. I am God, beside me there is
no other God, the only just God and Savior. Paul refers to the
Lord Jesus Christ who out tied us and in first and second Timothy
as God our Savior. God our Savior. I like that phrase. God our Savior. Seeing every believer has a vital
union to the Lord Jesus Christ who is life and who is salvation. We are children of promise. Children by the grace of God.
children by His determination, His sovereign will, not mine. His grace, His mercy, His purpose
alone were heirs of God by promise according to the covenant of
grace in Christ Jesus through the blood of the everlasting
covenant. We read of this in Hebrews 13,
20. Now the God of peace that brought
again from the dead our Lord Jesus Christ That great Shepherd
of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant,
make you perfect, complete in Christ Jesus. We read just a
moment ago from the book of Titus, not by works of righteousness
which we have done, but according to His mercy. He saved us by
the washing of regeneration and the renewing of the Holy Spirit.
That's the work of God in us. which He shed on us abundantly
through Jesus Christ our Savior, that being justified by His grace,
we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life."
Now I want you to find 1 Peter. Turn over there. 1 Peter. 1 Peter chapter 1. This thing
of an inheritance that we have in Christ and being made heirs
of God, we ought not think lightly upon these things. It's such
a privilege to be called sons of God. Beloved, now are we sons
of God. Behold what manner of love the
Father hath bestowed upon us that we should be called sons
of God. I Peter chapter 1, the quote
it says in verse 3, Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord
Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy hath begotten
us again into a living hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ
from the dead, to an inheritance, inheritance incorruptible, undefiled,
fades not away, and it's reserved for you, reserved for you. who were kept reserved in heaven
for you, who were kept by the power of God through faith unto
salvation, ready to be revealed the last day." I like that inheritance. It's incorruptible, undefiled,
that fadeth not away, that is reserved, that is reserved for
us, being made one with Him. Now, He gives us a homely, domestic
illustration. found in verses 1 and 2 of Galatians
4. Let's read these two verses.
Now I say that an heir, as long as he is a child, he differs
nothing from a servant, though he be lord of all. But he's under
tutors, under governors, under a guardian, or under a steward,
until the time appointed that the father determines, okay,
You can receive the inheritance. And you can experience the inheritance.
You can enjoy the inheritance. Now, this domestic illustration,
a homely illustration, to teach us what is spiritually implied.
Now, here's a child. His father is wealthy. And he
designated in his last will and testament that his firstborn
son should be the heir to whatever the father has determined he
should have. Now the child, he didn't earn
or he didn't merit, he is an heir solely by the will of the
father. Solely by the will of the father.
It's the father's good pleasure that this young man is to receive
an inheritance. It's not something the son earned,
something the father earned and he is willed to the son. Not
only that, until the time appointed by the Father, he is under the
care of an overseer, a governor, or a steward, until upon the
decision of the Father, when the Father makes it known to
the Son now. You're ready to receive what
I purpose to give you, hands full on purpose. Now you're ready
to receive the inheritance, entitled to receive the inheritance completely,
not because you are deserving, because I delight to show mercy
to whom I will. And this is exactly the same
picture we see in the covenant of grace. Even so, he says in
verse 3, even so we, we as believers, even so we, when we were children,
we were in bondage under the elements of the world, under
the rudiments and elements of the world, and I believe that's
referring to the law. Even so we, even though we were
children, according to the inheritance of grace, as God had chosen us
in Him unconditionally, In time, He chose us in eternity, according
as He has chosen us in Him before the foundation of the world.
But what happened when we were born into this life? Even though
in that covenant of grace we were included, but we had a problem
when we were born into this life. We were born in bondage under
Adam's ruin and Adam's fall. Not only are we cursed by Adam's
sin, but the law had a claim on us. The law says a guilty
must die. We were under those elements.
We were in a state and condition of bondage under the curse of
the law. Notice what Paul writes over
here in Ephesians chapter 2. Turn over there. Ephesians chapter
2. He said, the Gentiles, he said
in verse 12, that at that time you are without Christ, being
aliens from the commonwealth of Israel. We were idolaters,
aliens, strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope without
God in the world. But now, in Christ Jesus, you
who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ."
We see what we are by nature and what God has made us by His
grace. Notice in Ephesians chapter 4,
turn over there. He says, at one time when we
were Gentile heathen idolaters in Ephesians 4 verse 17. This
I say therefore and testify in the Lord that ye henceforth walk
not as other Gentiles walk in the vanity of their mind, having
the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God
through the ignorance that is in them because of the blindness
of their heart. That's us by nature blind and dead and under
the curse until the time appointed God Almighty, predestinated by
God, until that time appointed, we were under the influence of
sin, and in this world, loving darkness, hating light, loving
darkness and hating God, until God made it known unto us, until
God revealed the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ unto us. Now, that's what it says in verse
4. Even so, even though we were children, we were still in bondage
under sin. We have all sinned. We've all
come short of the glory of God. But, something happened. But
God, who is rich in mercy for His great love wherewith He loved
us even when we were dead and in sin, hath quickened us together
by His sovereign grace. But God. But when the fullness
of time was come, what happened? God sent forth His Son, made
of a woman, made under the law to redeem them. Notice, to redeem
who? To deliver who? Them. Them. That were under the law that
we might receive the adoption of sons. Now, five things we
see in these two verses. Number one is this, what God
has purposed in eternity, He will bring to pass in time. But God, look back to Ephesians
chapter 1, what God has purposed in eternity, He will bring to
pass in time. We read of the Lord Jesus Christ
being the Lamb slain before the foundation of the world, but
what happened in time? He came in the fullness of time,
and He, by the appointment of God, Him being delivered by the
determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, He died for our sins,
just as God had purposed from all eternity. Now look what it
says here in Ephesians chapter 1 verse 10, that in the dispensation
of the fullness of times, He might gather together in one
all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are
on the earth, even in Him, in whom also we have obtained,"
there's this word inheritance, we have obtained. It doesn't
say we've earned it. We've obtained it by His grace.
We've obtained an inheritance being predestinated according
to the purpose of Him who worketh all things out of the counsel
of His own will, that we should be to the praise of His glory
who first trusted Christ and whom also in whom you also trusted
after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation,
in whom also after that you believed you were sealed with the Holy
Spirit of promise, which is the earnest of our inheritance."
We have a down payment on our inheritance. An earnest is token
or pledge of an inheritance. Our inheritance until the redemption
of the purchased possession unto the praise of His glory. He mentioned
this inheritance again in the same chapter, look at verse 18,
"...the eyes of your understanding being enlightened," Ephesians
1.18, "...that you may know what is the hope of His calling, and
what the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints."
Now, it's His inheritance given to us by His sovereign grace. God sent forth the Lord Jesus
Christ to fulfill all covenant obligation to that eternal covenant
of grace. When the fullness of time was
come, God sent forth the Lord Jesus Christ to accomplish our
salvation. God sent Him. Our Lord said,
I didn't come of myself. The Father has sent me. And this
is one that is promised all the way back in Genesis, chapter
3. The seed of the woman would come and accomplish salvation
by His obedience, by His sacrifice, and by His death, and by His
glorious resurrection. God sent forth the Lord Jesus
Christ. He said before, Abraham was,
I am, but in the fullness of time, He came to fulfill all
that God said He would do. Secondly, it says here, God sent
forth the Son. Now, who is this One? He's God
the Son. He's the God-man mediator, fully
and totally God, fully and totally man, made of a woman, made of
a woman. Now, this refers to His humanity.
The Lord Jesus Christ has no beginning as God. He is the Eternal
Son. He is the eternal Word, the Word
in time, the Word who was with God and the Word who was God
and is God. The Word was made flesh, made
flesh and dwelt among us, made of a woman. He was a real man. As much as it says in Hebrews
2, 9 and 10, as much as the children were takers of flesh and blood,
He also Himself likewise took part of the same, that He might
redeem us. He might redeem us by His grace. Made of a woman, born of a woman,
not begotten of man, begotten of God. The body of the Lord
Jesus Christ was begotten by God the Holy Spirit. He had a
real body, but not tainted with sin. He had a real humanity,
but apart from sin. The apostle put it this way,
God was manifest in the flesh. I can't explain that, but God
doesn't ask me to explain it. As old brother Barnard used to
say, I'm not in the explaining business. I'm in the proclaiming
business. God was manifest in the flesh. justified by the Spirit, vindicated
by God the Holy Spirit, preached unto the Gentiles, received up
to glory. God became... Old Gil said this,
old John Gil, he remained what he was, eternal God, and became
what he was not, flesh, and dwelt among us. God and man in one
blessed person. The God-Man Mediator is what
the old timers called the Lord Jesus. Made of a woman. Made
of a woman. You see, God can't die. The law requires that the guilty
must die. The God-Man Mediator, He did
die. He did die. Had to be made of
a woman. Had to be a real man. Sin required payment. The Lord
Jesus Christ met that requirement. Look what it says next. Thirdly,
made of a woman. He created a woman, but He was
made of woman. He gave the law, but yet put
Himself in subjection to His own law. Not to work out a righteousness
for Himself. He is righteous, but to work
out a perfect righteousness for His covenant people as the man. The Lord Jesus Christ, Son of
God, but He's also called the Son of Man, a real man, a real
man, made of a woman, made under the law, subject unto its judgments,
its precepts, and its penalty. The Lord Jesus Christ said, I
didn't come to destroy the law. Thank God He didn't. He said,
I have come to honor the law, to fulfill the law. Isaiah writes
of Him that He magnified the law. He didn't meet the minimum
standard. He exceeded the standard so much
so that God Almighty said, this is My beloved Son in whom I am
well pleased. Hear Him. Hear Him. All made under the Law. Obeyed
the Law of God perfectly. Perfectly. He never had a tainted
thought. He was tempted and tested in
all points like as we are, yet without sin. Was his temptations
real? Absolutely. Absolutely real. He was really tempted. Really
tempted. And yet, he did not fail. He
says of Satan, he's found nothing in me. There was nothing in the
Lord Jesus Christ that aligned Him with Satan's deception or
deceit. He's a pure God-man mediator. He never failed in any aspect
honoring God in word, thought and deed according to what God
said, love me with all your heart, soul, mind and strength. That's
what He did. And He did that for me. He did
that for His covenant people. Philippians chapter 2, we read
something about that. Turn over there. Obeyed every
precept of that law, obeyed even the penalty of that law, satisfied
the penalty of that law. Philippians chapter 2, rather. Let this mind, verse 5, be in
you which was also in Christ Jesus, who being in the form
of God, thought not robbery to be equal with God, but made himself
of no reputation, took upon him the form of a servant, and was
made in the likeness of men. And being found in fashion, habit,
as a man, he humbled himself, became obedient unto death, even
the death of the cross. Wherefore God also hath highly
exalted him, given him a name which is above every name, that
at the name of Jesus every knee should bow. of things in heaven,
things in earth, and under the earth, and that every tongue
should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the
Father. Made under the law, my friend,
He redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse
for us, as it says in Galatians 3 verse 13. He redeemed us. He redeemed us. Oh, wonderfully
redeemed. Verse 5, it says in our text,
Galatians chapter 4 verse 5, here's the fourth thing. To redeem
them. To redeem them. He redeems us
not only by blood, but He redeems us by power. By power and blood
to redeem them. And it means to deliver them.
To deliver them. His covenant people. His covenant
children. That were under the law that
we might receive the adoption of son. To redeem them. The blood
atonement and sacrifice of the Lord Jesus Christ is the only
means that God has ordained to deliver us from the penalty and
consequence of sin and to justify us by His blood. Justified by
His blood. The only means that God has ordained
to redeem them. Peter put it this way, we're
not redeemed with corruptible things, but with the precious
blood of Christ. He is the spotless Lamb of God. This redemption that I love to
talk about, four things you must know about this redemption we
have in Christ. He says to redeem them, four
things. They all start with P, the letter
P, like Paul. It is particular, number one. It is particular to redeem them. Called His name Jesus, He shall
save His people from their sin. The Lord Jesus laid down His
life for His covenant people. We don't preach a general amnesty. We preach a real particular redemption
from all sin by His blood. And we stand for it. And we do
not compromise. And my friend, don't ever ask
me what my theory is on the atonement. I don't have a theory. I have
an atonement that truly puts away our sin, the sin of His
covenant people. So it is particular. Secondly,
it is powerful. Powerful! How powerful! Well,
we read in Scripture, 1 John 1, 7, that He cleanses us from
all our sin. That must be pretty powerful.
It must be a real cleansing in the fountain of this blood, in
the fountain of blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. His blood,
you see, it's not just that someone shed blood, it's who this is
that died that gives it its infinite value and merit before God Almighty. It's powerful because of who
He is. Thirdly, not only particular,
not only powerful, but it is perpetual. It is perpetual. His blood just keeps on cleansing,
keeps on cleansing. And we read in Hebrews 9, verse
12, that this great high priest, he didn't bring that typical
animal sacrifice, blood of bulls and goats, but with his own blood
he obtained for us, his covenant people, what kind of redemption?
Eternal redemption. I knew you knew that. Eternal
redemption. Everything God does for His people
is eternal. He saves us with an everlasting
salvation. He forgives us from all our sin,
so much so that He said their sin and their iniquity will I
remember no more. It is perpetual. It is powerful. It is particular. And the last
point with another P like in Paul, it's permanent. It's permanent. We don't have a temporary redemption. We have, in the Lord Jesus Christ,
a permanent, a permanent redemption. I read this portion of Scripture
in Ecclesiastes chapter 3 this morning in our service at Zebulun,
and it says there in verse 14, "...whatsoever God doeth, it
shall be for Ever. Nothing can be put to it. Nothing
can be taken from it. God does it that it shall be,
how long? Forever. Forever and ever. That's good news. That's good
news. And that's what this redemption
is all about. He has redeemed them that were
under the law. Having satisfied the claim of
the law, the law no longer has any claim on me. dead to the
law through the body of Christ. There is therefore now no condemnation
to those who are in the Lord Jesus Christ. The fifth point
is this, number five, found in the last part of verse five,
that, that, in order that, to this end, for this purpose, this
cause, we might receive We might receive what God has purpose
for us. To receive it. To experience
it. To enjoy it. To possess it. To have it. To love it. To live in it. To walk in it. That we might receive this adoption
of sons. And to know that we are sons
of God. Blessed of God Almighty. This
is the inheritance that we have. Turn to Colossians chapter 1.
Look at this. Colossians chapter 1. This inheritance
we have. A couple of scriptures here on
this inheritance. That we might receive the blessing,
the privilege of sonship. This inheritance that we have
in Christ Jesus. This inheritance. You find Colossians
chapter 1. And let me read this to you over
here. In Ephesians chapter 1. You find Colossians chapter 1
verse 12 and listen to this. He says in Ephesians 1, "...having
predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to
Himself according to the good pleasure of His will." Now look
at this scripture here, Colossians 1, verse 12, "...giving thanks
unto the Father, all who hath made us meet." And the word there
means fit, to be partakers of the inhabitants. How do you qualify
to be a son of God, to be adopted in His family? He hath made me
fit to be a partaker of this divine nature. He has made me
fit to be a partaker of this inheritance of the saints in,
and I like to read it this way, in light, in Christ. He is our light. He is our light.
"...who delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated
us into the kingdom of His dear Son, in whom we have redemption
through His blood, even to forgiveness of sins." We have an inheritance
in Christ Jesus. That's what he's talking about
back over here in Galatians chapter 4. Now look at verse 6. Give
me just a couple more minutes here. And because, now get a
hold of this right here. This religious world has turned
this verse backwards. They've turned it on its head.
They have destroyed the meaning of the Gospel. That's what this
religious world has done. Look at verse 6, "...and because
you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your
hearts, making us to cry, God have mercy on me, the sinner."
Abba Father, now don't invert the divine order here of Holy
Scripture. This is God's divine order. Those
who are ignorant of God's eternal election would put the cause,
which is totally the effect. Because you're already a covenant
son by the eternal decree of God, in time God does cross our
path with the gospel and does quicken us by the work of regenerating
grace. That's what he says over here,
isn't it? Turn to II Thessalonians. Chapter
2, verse 13. Whosoever believeth that Jesus
is the Christ, oh, he's born of God. The reason he believes
is because he's begotten of God. He doesn't believe to be born. He believes because he has been
begotten of God. That's the difference. II Thessalonians
2.13, we are bound to give thanks always to God for you, brethren,
beloved of the Lord, because God has, from the beginning,
chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit.
Tell me, what is that? That's the new birth, that's
regeneration, which leads to belief of the truth by the means
He has ordained, whereunto He called you by our gospel to the
obtaining of the glory of the Lord Jesus Christ. Because you
are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your
hearts. Crying, Abba, Father, if any
man be in Christ, he is a new creation. Old things are passed
away, and behold, all things have become new. We have an eternal
inheritance in Christ Jesus. Because you are sons. Because
you are the children of the covenant, God the Holy Spirit invades our
being, makes us to know what we are by nature and what He
has made us by His grace. He conquers our stubborn will
and enthrones Christ in the heart. Salvation is an invasion of the
land. It's an invasion of God Almighty
in our heart. And He enthrones Himself within
us. Christ in you. That is the hope
of glory. Wherefore, he says in verse 7,
Therefore he says, thou art no more a servant but a son, and
if a son, then you are an heir of God. You are an heir of God. You are a son of God, a child
of God through the Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, no longer
a servant of sin, no longer under the curse of the law, no longer
seeking to be justified by the law, by the deeds of the law,
Christ at the end of the law for righteousness to everyone
that believe it, but a son of God by His sovereign mercy, son
of God by His covenant promise. And being a son of God, being
an heir of God through Christ Jesus, we have this eternal inheritance. Now, can you bear with me to
read a couple of scriptures? Fine, first of all, Matthew 25. Matthew 25, and then we'll read
two more. Matthew 25, this inheritance
we have in Christ Jesus, this eternal immaculate inheritance, covenant mercies
in Christ Jesus. Matthew 25, verse 34. Then shall
the king say unto them on his right hand, Come ye blessed of
my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation
of the world. Now, two more. Find Acts chapter
20. Acts chapter 20. Turn over there. Acts chapter
20. Paul's departing word to those
elders at Ephesus. Acts chapter 20, verse 32. And
now, brethren, I commend you to God, to the Word of His grace,
which is able to build you up to give you an inheritance among
all them that are sanctified." We have an inheritance. We've
been adopted. We're heirs of God and joint
heirs with Christ. Now, one last scripture. You
turn and mark this in your Bible, Hebrews chapter 9. Hebrews chapter
9, this inheritance that we have in Christ, oh, I tell you how
precious. Precious bought, bought with
His blood, bought with His blood, Hebrews 9, Hebrews chapter 9,
over here at verse Let's begin at verse 11 Hebrews 9 verse 11,
but Christ being come a high priest of good things to come
By greater and more perfect tabernacle not made with hand that is to
say not of this building Neither by the blood of goats and calves
but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place having
obtained eternal redemption for us for if the blood of bulls
and of goats and the ashes of a heifer and sprinkling the unclean,
sanctify to the purifying of the flesh in a way of ceremony. According to the law, how much
more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit
offered Himself without spot to God, purge your conscience
from dead works to serve the living God? For this cause He
is the mediator of the new covenant, that by means of death, for the
redemption of transgressions that were under the first testament,
that they which are called might receive the promise of what? Eternal inheritance. Eternal
inheritance that we have in Christ Jesus. This is the good news
of the gospel. Wherefore thou art no more a
servant, but a son, and if a son, an heir of God. An heir of God
through Christ Jesus.