Now, turn in your Bible once
again to Mark chapter 1. Mark chapter 1. Last week we considered verse
1. Let's read verse 1 and 2. Mark 1, 1 and 2. The beginning, the gospel of
Jesus Christ. The Son of God. God the Son. As it is written in the prophets. Behold, I send my messenger,
God's servant, before thy face, which shall prepare, he shall
prepare the way before, before thee. Now the gospel of God,
the gospel of God concerning our Lord Jesus Christ is older,
is older than the following. The gospel of the Lord Jesus
Christ is the ancient gospel concerning the Lord Jesus Christ. It is an old gospel. It is older than creation itself. For we read in the revelation
of the Lamb slain, before the foundation of the world, before
ruin entered in, before sin entered in, before Adam fell, the Lord
Jesus Christ stood as that surety, the mediator of the covenant. We read of this covenant by our
Redeemer. Hebrews 13 20 don't turn let
me just read it to you here the God of peace that brought again
from a dead our Lord Jesus that great Shepherd of the sheep through
the blood of the everlasting covenant before ruin and The
remedy stood. Before sin entered in, salvation
was certain and sure and done in Christ Jesus. No doubt about
that. The beginning of the gospel of
Jesus Christ. The Son of God. Now look at verse
2 in our text. As it is written, as it is written
in the prophets. The gospel of Christ, as it begins,
so we find it goes on. as it is written, just as it
has been foretold, just as it is written. Turn, if you will,
to Acts chapter 10, as it is written. The gospel begins, the
gospel carries on, just as God said it would happen, it came
to pass, and it carries on as it is written, as it is written. The Word of the Lord, remember
what we read, the Word of the Lord shall stand forever as it
is written. Acts 10. Verse 42, He commanded us to
preach unto the people and to testify that it was He which
was ordained of God to be judge of the living and the dead. He
was what? Ordained of God to be judge of
the living and the dead, the quick and the dead. To Him give
all the prophets witness. Our Lord said that Moses wrote
of Him. Our Lord said Abraham saw My
day and was glad and rejoiced to see it. He told those Jews,
you search the Scriptures and in them you think you have eternal
life. But there they would testify of Me. To Him give all the prophets
witness that through His name Whosoever believeth in him shall
receive," now notice that word there, remission. Remission of
sins. Now we use that word often times
in our conversation with someone who has cancer. We say that his
cancer is in remission. His cancer is not progressing,
it is going backward in remission. My friend, the believer in the
Lord Jesus Christ, his sin is just not diminishing, his sin
is in total remittance, total pardon. Whosoever believeth in
Him shall receive complete, and the word here is forgiveness,
pardon, deliverance from all sin. He is our Redeemer. who does deliver us from our
sin, as it is written, as it is written, look back at the
text again, as it is written in the prophets, they shall all
be taught of God, as it is written. All aspects of the gospel, all
events of the gospel were foretold in Scripture before they came
to pass. All events concerning birth, concerning his life, concerning
his death, concerning his resurrection, concerning his coming again,
all aspects of the gospel are written, recorded for us, all
aspects and all events of the gospel. Now let me show you a
couple of places here. Hold your place here, but find
Luke 24. As it is written, the gospel begins, the gospel is
carried out as it is written. God's decree, God's purpose. He said, I've spoken it, I'll
bring to pass, I've purposed it, I will do it as it is written.
It begins, so it's carried on. Luke 24, Luke 24, Luke verse
44. These are the words which I spake
unto you while I was yet with you that all things must be fulfilled. Remember, he said, I must go
to Jerusalem, I must be betrayed, I must die, I must be raised
again. All things must be fulfilled
which are written in the Law of Moses, in the Prophets, in
the Psalms concerning, what's it all about? Christ. Then opened
he their understanding that they might understand the Scriptures.
And said unto them, Thus it is written, and thus it behoove
Christ to suffer. to rise from the dead the third
day, that repentance and remission of sin should be preached in
His name among all nations, beginning
at Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things. You are witnesses
of these things. Now turn to John 19. As it is
written, so it begins, so it is done, and so it shall be,
as it is written. You see, there is no variable
nuts. nor shadow of turning, with thus saith the Lord." He
spake, and it was done. He commanded, and it stands fast,
John 19. John 19, look at verse 28. After this, knowing that all
things are now accomplished, the Lord Jesus is about ready
to yield up His life. Knowing all things were now accomplished,
that the Scripture might be fulfilled, He said, I thirst. Now there
was set a vessel full of vinegar, and they filled a sponge with
vinegar and put it on the hyssop and put it to his mouth. When
Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, It is finished,
and he bowed his head and yielded up his spirit. As it is written,
he said, All things are fulfilled. I want you to find Acts chapter
13 now, Acts chapter 13. As it is written, You see, we can believe what
God has said in His Word. Acts chapter 13, this is Paul's
first trip preaching the gospel, and
he says in Acts 13, 26, Men and brethren, children of the stock
of Abraham and whosoever among you feareth God, to you is the
word of salvation sent. For they that dwell at Jerusalem,
and their rulers, because they knew him not, nor yet the voices
of the prophets, which are read every sabbath day, they have
fulfilled them, as it is written, in condemning him. They did what
they wanted to do, but they did what God determined before to
be done. Though they found no cause of
death in him, yet desired they positive that he should be slain.
And when they fulfilled all that was written of him, took him
down from a tree, laid him in the grave, but God raised him
from the dead. He was seen many days of them
which came up with him from Galilee to Jerusalem, who were witnesses
unto the people. And we declare unto you glad
tidings, how that the promise which was made to the fathers,
God hath fulfilled the same unto us their children, in that he
raised him up again as it is written." Now you could spend
the rest of the day reading Scriptures as it is written. You see, it's
no chance gospel. It's the gospel as it is written
by God. In the second Psalm, Thou art
my Son, this day have I begotten Him from the dead. Now turn to
1 Corinthians 15. As it is written, so shall it
be. Christ died for our sins as it
is written. 1 Corinthians 15. Verse 3, For
I delivered unto you first of all, which I also received, how
that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures,
that he was buried, that he rose again the third day according
to the scriptures. Now see what he's saying here
as it is written in the prophets. As it begins, So it goes on,
every promise, type, prophecy recorded in the Law and the Prophets
and Psalms concerning His suffering, concerning His death, had their
fulfillment in Him. Nothing more clearly prefigured
and foretold and nothing more punctually and fully answered
in the Lord Jesus Christ, in Him crucified. Redemption in
Christ was worked out and accomplished in every step just as it is written. So it shall be. You can believe
God. He says it's so. Even concerning,
now look back at the text. Even concerning the ministry
of this one we know as John. John the Baptist. Even in the
ministry of John as it is written, verse 2, in the prophets, Malachi
3 talks about the coming of the forerunner Christ to identify
him. And then Isaiah 40, Behold, I
send my messenger before thy face, which shall prepare thy
way before thee. The voice of one crying in the
wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make straight, make
straight his path. You see, every minute thing concerning
the Lord and all events around his life and his ministry were
all foretold by God Almighty. Who is this servant named John
here? He's God's messenger, sent with
God's message to point sinners to the Lord Jesus Christ. He
said, I'm not the like. I'm sent to bear witness of the
like. And when they came, he pointed, not to himself, he pointed
them to the Lord Jesus Christ. His name means, the Lord has
given grace. That's what John means. You remember
how he was named? His father, Zacharias, was a
priest in the temple, and he had a wife named Elizabeth. They
were both old in years, and she was barren. And the angel of
the Lord appeared to Zacharias as he ministered in the temple,
and he said, you're going to have a son, and you're going
to name him John, and he's going to do exactly what I tell him
to do and declare God's message. His name means the Lord has given
grace, and he has. He does. His office and his calling
is one who is crying in the wilderness. He is God's preacher. And notice
where he ministers. He ministers in a peculiar place.
Not in organized religion. Not down at a local synagogue. He's out there in the wilderness.
Crying. God's message. Behold the Lamb
of God. His character is very meek and
lowly. He didn't demand a mansion. He
went out in the wilderness as a simple man, clothed in simple
clothing, with a simple diet. He says, when they came and asked
him of his ministry, John says that the Lord Jesus must increase
and I must decrease. As soon as he announced and identified
the Lamb of God, God said, your ministry is done. It is over. He came for that purpose, and
for that purpose He fulfilled right well. Our Lord said of
John the Baptist, our Lord said of him, among those born of woman
is not greater than this one, the Son of God. His message was
one fold. Sinner, behold Christ. Behold Christ. Now His message,
His message, as we read in Isaiah chapter 40, it's one fold pointing
sinners to Christ. And in doing that, He identified
the problem, all flesh is grass. He identified the source of hope
and comfort, thus saith the Lord, the word of the Lord shall endure
forever. And then He points us to the
only hope any sinner has, behold, God our Savior. Now listen to
me. John's message and our message
is the same message. It's the same message. Our message
doesn't change because God doesn't change. You see, our need doesn't
change. We're born in sin, shaped in
iniquity. Our need doesn't change. He doesn't
change. The way of salvation doesn't
change. Therefore, our message does not change. He said, I'm
the Lord. I do not change. The religion of men and the religion
of the lost is always changing. Always changing. It's malleable.
It's changing all the time. God doesn't change. His message
doesn't change. Our need doesn't change. And
the Lord Jesus Christ, He's the same yesterday, today, and forever. Now, four things I want to bring
to you. John preached this. He preached remission of sin
only by the blood atonement of Jesus Christ. John preached a
great redemption, because we have a great Redeemer. I turn
to John chapter 1, and that's what we preach. We preach a great
redemption. We preach a redemption and atonement
that gets the job done. That puts away the sin of God's
covenant people once for all. He said, their sin and their
iniquity will I remember no more. That's what we call an effectual
atonement. An effectual atonement. John
chapter 1 verse 29. He preached a great redeemer. Only by the blood atonement is
sin put away. John 1 verse 29. Now you must
understand. Look what he says. The next day
John seeth the Lord Jesus. Jesus, the Savior, coming unto
Him, and He saith, Behold, the Lamb, the Lamb of God, the one
that God has provided for Himself, a sacrifice for sin, which does
what? He takes away. Now notice the
reference on that word taketh. Notice the center reference,
or the marginal reference, beareth. He took our sin in His own body
on the tree and in taking our sin, you know what He did? He
buried it away. He took it away as far as the
east is from the west. Behold the Lamb of God. Now notice
down in verse 35. John 1 verse 35. The next day
after John stood. The next day. Now here He's preaching
now the following day. You reckon He's going to change
His message? Look what He says here. Again, the next day after
John stood and two of his disciples looking upon Jesus as he walked,
he said, Behold the Lamb of God. And two of the disciples heard
him speak and they followed the Lord Jesus Christ. Oh, if someone
by God's grace would be inspired to do that this morning, to fall
in love with the Lord Jesus Christ. John preached a great Redeemer. A great sacrifice of a great
Lord that truly puts away the sin of God's people. Behold the
Lamb! Now turn to 1 Peter chapter 1.
Now we must understand something. John's daddy, Zacharias, was
a priest. You know what that tells us?
That tells us that John grew up around the temple service.
You reckon how many days of atonements he witnessed? He was 30 years
old, I think, when he began his public ministry. How many times
morning and evening did he see animal sacrifices come, and lamb
after lamb after lamb? All those pointing to the Lamb
of God. He passes by all those lambs
in type and picture, and he said, this is the Lamb of God. 1 Peter 1. 1 Peter chapter 1. You see, He
preached a great Savior, a great Redeemer. That's what I need.
You know why? I'm a great sinner. I need a powerful Redeemer. 1 Peter 1, look at verse 18. For as much as you know, we're
not redeemed with corruptible things. Now anything I do is
corruptible. We're not redeemed by anything
I do. Without the shedding of blood
is no remission. For as much as you know that
you were not redeemed with corruptible things as silver and gold from
your vain conversation received by tradition from your father,
but with the precious blood of Christ as the Lamb without blemish
and without spot, who was truly foreordained before the foundation
of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you."
This is God's Lamb. and we have redemption through
the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. He appeared once in the end of
the age, turn to Hebrews chapter 1. He appeared once in the end
of the age to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself. He
didn't bring the typical animal sacrifice. He brought His own
blood. God bought us with His own blood. You see, John preached a great
Redeemer. An effectual atonement, a particular
atonement for God's people in this world. Just one atonement
for sin. Hebrews chapter 1, look at verse
3. Who being in the brightness of His glory, Hebrews 1, 3, they
expressed the image of His person upholding all things by the word
of His power. When He by Himself purged our
sin, He sat down, the right hand, the majesty on high. When He
had by, underscore that word, Himself. Himself. Purge our sin. He sat down on
the right hand of the majesty on high. I preach and believe
what this book says of an effectual atonement, a definite atonement
for God's sheep, His covenant people. Turn to Hebrews 2, look
at verse 17. Hebrews 2.17, Wherefore in all
things it behooved him to be made like unto his brethren,
that he might be merciful and faithful, high preaching things
pertaining to God, to make atonement, reconciliation, atonement for
the sin of the people. Call his name Jesus, he shall
save his people from their sin. So John preached a great Savior,
a great Redeemer. Secondly, secondly is this, Turn
back to John 1, the Gospel of John, chapter 1 again, and look
at this. Secondly, John preached a great
Redeemer, and he preached the great preeminence of the Lord
Jesus Christ. The preeminence of Christ. He
must increase. I must decrease. He said, I'm
not even worthy to stoop down and untie His shoe. Great glory of the Redeemer,
the preeminence of Christ. That simply means He must have
all the glory, and deservingly so. John chapter 1, look, verse
15. He preached a great Redeemer
and the great preeminence of the person of Christ. His work
and His person. John, verse 15, bear witness
of Him and cried, saying, This was He of whom I spake. He that
cometh after me, He is preferred before me. For He was before
me." John had a beginning. The Lord Jesus Christ is the
eternal God. For He was before me of His fullness
have we all received grace because of grace. For the law was given
by Moses, but grace and fruit came by Jesus Christ. No man
has seen God at any time, the only begotten Son which is in
the bosom of the Father. He hath declared Him. All preeminence
and glory is due to who? Worthy is the Lamb that was slain
to receive all honor, glory, blessing, and power both now
and forever." Turn to Colossians chapter 1. He preached the great
preeminence of the Lord Jesus Christ. And that's what we try
to do today. We try to point sinners to Christ, to magnify
His person to describe His glorious work and His glorious person,
that in all things He might have the preeminence, the first place,
the chief glory. Colossians chapter 1, verse 17,
He is before all things and by Him all things consist. Colossians
1.18, He is the head of the body, the church who is beginning,
the firstborn from the dead, that in all things He might have
the first place. the preeminence. For it pleased
the Father that in him should all fullness dwell, having made
peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all
things unto himself. By him, I say, whether they be
in earth or in heaven, and you were sometimes alienated enemies
in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled in
the body his flesh through death to present you Holy, unblameable,
unreprovable in His sight. You see, He gets the glory in
salvation. That's why salvation is all of
God's grace in Christ Jesus. Now turn back to John and find
John chapter 3. John chapter 3. Now look at this here. All the
preeminence goes to Christ. All the glory to Christ alone.
That's the song of the redeemed throughout the ages. Unto Him
who loved us and washed us from our sin in His own blood. Look
at John chapter 3. All the preeminence to Christ.
John answered, verse 27, and said, A man can receive nothing
except it be given him from above, from heaven. You yourselves bear
witness that I said I'm not to Christ, but that I'm sent before
Him. He that hath the bride, is the
bridegroom, but the friend of the bridegroom, which standeth
and heareth him, rejoiceth greatly because of the bridegroom's voice.
This my joy therefore is fulfilled. He must increase, I must decrease. Now read on. He that cometh from
above is above all. He that is of the earth is earthly,
and speaketh of the earth. He that cometh from heaven is
above all. You see, all preeminence. He's Lord of heaven and earth.
And what he hath seen and heard that he testified, no man receiveth
his testimony left to himself, he never will believe. He that
hath received his testimony hath set to his seal that God is true. Now read on. For he whom God
hath sent speaketh the words of God. For God giveth not the
Spirit by measure unto him. Now this is still John answering.
The Father loveth the Son. and given all things into His
hand. All things, all preeminence due
to Him. Look at verse 36. He that believeth
on the Son hath everlasting life. He that believeth not the Son
shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him. You see,
He preached and believed such as all of God's servants have
done down through the ages. The great price and the great
Redeemer, the Lord Jesus Christ. He is the Lamb of God. that takes
away our sin. And we preach as John the preeminence
of Christ, the glory of Christ, the glory of His person, and
the glory of His work. Thirdly, John preached the great
power of Christ to save. The great power of Christ to
save. Turn to Matthew chapter 3. The great power of Christ
to save. John said, I baptize you with
water. Oh, but I'm telling you there's one coming mightier than
I. He will baptize you with the
Holy Ghost and with fire inwardly by His grace, making you a new
creature in Christ. That's the new birth. Matthew
chapter 3, look at verse 5. Matthew 3, verse 5. Then went
out to him Jerusalem and all Judea, and all the region round
about Jordan, and were baptized with him in Jordan, confessing
their sin. But when he saw many of the Sadducees,
Pharisees, come to his baptism, he said unto them, O generation
of vipers, who have warned you to flee from the wrath to come,
bring forth therefore fruits fit. You demonstrate that you
are a believer. Repentance. Think not to say
within yourself, well, we're Abraham's sons. We're Abraham's
seed. For I say unto you that God is able of these stones. And that's what he's done for
us. These stones who are dead, He's raised up and made them
sons of Abraham. Now, here's the great woodman,
and now also is the axe laid to the root of the trees. Therefore
every tree which bringeth not good fruit, forth good fruit
is hewn down and cast into the fire. I indeed baptize you with
water unto repentance, but he that cometh after me is mightier
than I. whose shoes I'm not worthy to
bear, he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost and with fire."
Read on, "...whose fan is in his hand, who will throughly
purge his floor. He will gather his wheat, and
he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire." Thank God
we have a mighty Redeemer. John preached a mighty Savior,
a mighty Redeemer, and such as we do today. Our Lord prayed
in John 17, All power is given unto me in heaven and earth.
Matthew 28, He said, All power is given unto me in heaven and
earth. Go ye therefore and preach that gospel, knowing I am on
the throne. And the gospel is the power of
God and the salvation. The Lord prayed in John 17, Father,
I thank you. You've given me all things. You've
given me power over all flesh. that I should give eternal life
to as many as you have given to me." You see, He preached
all power and authority, His saving power. This same Jesus
whom you crucified, He is both Lord and Christ. Aren't you glad
He's the mighty Savior who is able to save to the uttermost
all that come to God by Him? His power is in no way diminished
today as it was then. He is the eternal, unchanging
God. Well, the fourth thing John preached,
stay right here, Matthew 3. Look, verse 1. Matthew 3, verse
1. In those days came John the Baptist
preaching. Preaching. Oh, if someone would
go preaching God's message, God's gospel. In the wilderness of
Judea saying, repent! That word simply means turn.
Turn. Turn from your idols. Turn to
God from your idols. Turn! For the Kingdom of God,
the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand. The King is here! Turn from your
idols and look to Christ. And that's our message. Believe
the Gospel. Bow to the Lord Jesus Christ
and confess Him. Now know this. Repentance, like
faith, are sovereign gifts of God. We study in the book of
Acts chapter 5, He's exalted to glory to give repentance to
whom He will. And we know that faith is a gift
of God. He will have mercy on whom He
will have mercy. Faith like repentance are gifts
of God. Now stay with me here. I'm almost
through. Now wake up and listen to me
here. I've got something to say. Now here's some questions. Now
these are not tricky. But I want you to think with me. Does faith
put away sin? No. Faith doesn't put away sin. I tell you what true faith is,
what true faith does. The faith of God the elect believes
the truth of God, believes the Lord Jesus Christ. True saving
faith looks to the Lamb of God, the Lord Jesus Christ, who did
put away our sin." Faith doesn't put away sin. My faith didn't
die for me. My Savior died for me. True saving
faith looks out of self unto Him. Behold the Lamb of God. John was a preacher of God's
gospel. And he pointed sinners to the
Lamb of God in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sin according
to the riches of His grace, Ephesians 1.7. Here's a second question.
Now wake up, listen. Does repentance put away sin?
No. Come on now. Does my repentance
put away sin? Absolutely no. Absolutely no. You see, nothing I do puts away
sin. Without the shedding of blood,
there is no remission. Whose blood has to be shed? Well,
if I'm sorry long enough and feel sorrow enough, surely my
sorrow will put away my sin. Forget it. Forget it. So what is true repentance? I
tell you what, how do I know if I am repenting and believing
because it's an ongoing process? Repentance acknowledges the truth,
like faith. True, saving repentance, that
an ongoing thing is alive and real, and it acknowledges that
I cannot do anything to put away my sin, and true repentance,
look, to the Lord Jesus Christ, it's a turning away from myself
and turning to Him. That is true godly repentance. It's honoring and magnifying
to the Lord. He obtained eternal redemption
for us with His own blood. Now stay with me. Stay with me. God has given the church two
ordinances. The Lord's Table and Believer's
Baptism. Now, just in a little while,
Lord willing, we're going to have dinner and we're going to observe
the Lord's Table. I want you to find 1 Corinthians
11. Does partaking of the elements and partaking of the wine and
the broken bread and the wine, does the partaking of these elements
put away sin? Is that salvation? Not at all.
Look at 1 Corinthians 11. Look at verse 23. For I received of the Lord that
which I also delivered unto you, that the Lord Jesus, the same
night in which he was betrayed, took bread. And when he had given
thanks, he broke it and said, Take, eat. This is my body. This represents my body, which
is broken for you. This do to be saved. This do
to have your sin put away. Is that what it says? What does
it say? This do as a memorial. as a memorial
in remembrance of me." After the same manner, he took the
cup. And when he had stopped saying, this cup is the New Testament
in my blood, this do ye, as often as you drink it in remembrance
of me. Now look at verse 26, for as often as you eat this
bread and drink this cup, you do put away your sin. Is that
what it says? You do show the Lord's death
till He comes. You see, it's a symbolic picture.
of these elements represent His broken body and His shed blood.
And as we partake of those elements, we remember Him who did put away
our sin by His taking our sin and His own body on the tree.
Are you with me? You see what I'm saying? Now,
two ordinances the Lord gave His church. The Lord's Table and Believer's Baptism. Believer's
Baptism. Does baptism put away sin? No. Does not. Does not put away sin. Peter
says this, it's not the putting away of the filth of the flesh.
It's not. It's an answer of a good conscience
before God. It's an answer of a conscience
that's been purged by the blood of Christ. And it is a picture,
baptism is a picture of a death, and a burial, and a resurrection. It is a picture. Does a picture
put away sin? A person. A person. Believer's
baptism is simply identifying... Turn to Hebrews 10. I want to
show you something here. Stay with me now. I'm going to make
a point here. I want you to see this. Believers'
baptism, that's who baptism is for. Believers. Believers. Those who have been baptized
inwardly in their heart by His grace, by the Spirit, and with
the Holy Spirit, and then being regenerated and made new. That's
who are to confess believers' baptism. But it does not put
away sin. It identifies the person who did put away our sin. Now,
Hebrews 10. I want to show you something
here. The Lord's table and baptism are both symbolic pictures of
His glorious sacrifice. Just like these Old Testament
pictures and animal sacrifices. Did those sacrifices under the
law, they were types and pictures, right? Did they ever put away
sin? No! Look what it says, verse 3, but
in those sacrifices there is remembrance again made of sins
every year, for it is not possible that the blood of bulls and goats
should take away sin. Those sacrifices under the law
were types and pictures pointing to the Lord Jesus Christ who
put away sin. Baptism is a symbolic picture
of His death, burial, and resurrection. Does a picture put away sin?
A person. A person. Now, I thought of a
homely illustration. And I almost did this, but I
chickened out. I wasn't going to bring a picture.
and hold up a picture of my wife. Hold up a picture of my wife.
And then I was going to ask this question. My wife got up early
this morning and cooked some food. She did that. Could that picture do that? Could
that picture cook and prepare a meal? No. It represents her
who did. That's what I'm saying. Does
that make sense? Baptism and the Lord's Table simply point
to the Lord Jesus Christ. And it's a confession that Christ
is all my hope. When He died, I died. When He
was buried, I was buried. When He was risen and ascended
to glory, I'm risen and ascended and seated in Him. Neither baptism nor the Lord's
Table. Now listen to me. Neither baptism nor the Lord's
table are essential to salvation. Justified freely by His grace
through the redemption of the Lord Jesus Christ. The Lord Jesus
Christ Himself, He is the Savior. He is the one that is essential
to salvation. How is He received? By faith. By faith. By faith. However,
now listen to me, there's a however here, they are essential to the
believer's obedience to the Lord's command. Not to be saved, not
to have my sin remitted, not to be made clean, not to be made
whole, but rather because God has saved me by His glorious
grace in Christ Jesus. There must be that inward baptism
of God's grace, what we call the greater baptism. By the one
Spirit are we all baptized into the one body, we read in the
book of 1 Corinthians. Well, I pray that's helpful to
you, and I pray the Lord will bless that.