I want you to open your Bibles
now to the book of Malachi. The book of Malachi chapter 3. This is the last book in the
Old Testament. Malachi, the third chapter. There
is a prophecy in Malachi chapter 3, verse 1, that I want us to
note. In Malachi 3, verse 1, the prophet
of God wrote, Behold, I will send my messenger, and he shall
prepare the way before me. And the Lord whom ye seek shall
suddenly come to his temple. And the Lord whom ye seek shall
suddenly come to his temple, even the messenger of the covenant,
whom ye delight in. Behold, he shall come, saith
the Lord of hosts." Now there was a man called Simeon in Jerusalem
who was seeking the Lord, the Lord whom he This man waited
for the coming Redeemer. This man waited for the Messiah
who would redeem Israel. It says in Luke chapter 2, verse
25, Behold, there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon,
and the same man was just and devout, waiting for the consolation
of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. and it was revealed
unto him by the Holy Spirit in a most uncommon, unusual way,
that he would not see death, that he would not die until he
had seen the Lord's Christ. Now then the Holy Spirit led
him, verse 27, that day to the temple, the day that Mary and
Joseph brought the child Jesus to do for him after the custom
of the law. That same day the Holy Spirit
brought Simeon to the temple, and the Lord whom ye seek shall
suddenly come to his temple. This was not in Bethlehem, this
was not in Nazareth, this was not in Capernaum, this was in
Jerusalem. This was in the Lord's temple
in Jerusalem. And when Mary and Joseph brought
the child Jesus to the temple to do for him according to the
law, the Holy Spirit brought this man Simeon, this man upon
whom the Spirit of God had come in an unusual and common fashion,
and promised him, according to God's word, that he would not
see death. until he had seen the Savior,
until he had seen the Christ, until he had seen the Messiah.
And he took, verse 28, he took the child up in his arms, this
old man Simeon. And then he lifted his eyes to
heaven, and he praised God, and he said, Lord, now lettest thou
thy servant depart in peace according to thy word, for mine eyes have
seen thy salvation. Let thy servant depart, I've
seen thy salvation." A man's not ready to die who has not
seen God's salvation. A man's not ready to die who
has not seen the Lord's Christ. A man's not ready to die who
has not seen Him who is our Mediator. And when Simeon saw the Savior,
Simeon said, Now I'm ready to depart, and to depart in peace. A man certainly cannot die in
peace who has not seen the Savior. He dies in fear and trembling. He can never die in peace. And
Simeon went on. He said, Let me depart in peace
according to thy word. His faith was based upon God's
word. You told me, Lord, that I would
see the Christ. You told me, Lord, that I would
not die until I'd seen the Christ. You told me, Lord, that he would
be the Savior. And now that I've seen him, I'm
ready to die. the world lost for Simeon its
attractiveness and its beauty. He stood there and looked into
the face of him who is God's Redeemer, and he praised God,
and he said, Lord, now I'm ready to depart in peace, for mine
eyes have seen thy salvation. When Simeon saw Jesus Christ
He saw salvation itself. He didn't just see a plan, he
saw salvation. He didn't just see a way of redemption,
he saw redemption. He didn't just see a way of justification,
he saw justification. For everything about Christ is
saving. I read some time ago this statement, And that's the birth of Christ.
Incarnation is God becoming a man. And this author said, incarnation
is the beginning of substitution. Semion could look at Christ,
the incarnate God, and he could say, I've seen thy salvation. He didn't see Gethsemane's garden. He didn't see Calvary's cross. He didn't see the tomb. that
if the two, he didn't see the ascension, all he was looking
at here was a baby. And he said, my eyes have seen
thy salvation. And the reason he could say that
is because incarnation is the beginning of substitution. And
salvation is guaranteed by incarnation. For Jesus Christ would not enter
the battle and quit before the victory. Jesus Christ would not
start what he did not intend to finish. So the very birth
of Christ is saving. And then secondly, the life of
Christ is saving. Turn to Romans chapter 5. If
we are not careful, and we ought to make much of the cross, the
Apostle Paul said, God forbid that I should glory save in the
cross of Christ. We preach Christ and him crucified. But my friends, we are saved
not only by the death of Christ, we are also saved by the life
of Christ. In Romans 5, verse 18, the scripture
says, Therefore, as by the offense of one, that is, Adam's transgression,
judgment came upon all men to condemnation, even so by the
righteousness, by the obedience, by the holy life of one, Christ
Jesus, the free give came upon all men unto justification of
life. Christ's birth is saving, and
Christ's life is saving. For by one man's disobedience,
verse 19, Romans 5, many were made sinners, So by the obedience
of one shall many be made righteous. And this is not only obedience
unto death, even the death of the cross, but this is obedience
unto the law. The very fact that Mary and Joseph
brought him to the temple with those two turtledoves or two
young pigeons, that was an offering for a very poor woman. The offering
varied according to a person's ability to pay. And the very
fact that they brought him to the temple to be circumcised
and to offer those purification vows and sacrifices is proof
that Christ was fulfilling the law. He was born under the Jewish
ceremonial law, and he fulfilled it. He was born under God's moral
law, and he fulfilled it. He was born under the civil law
of the Roman Empire, and he fulfilled it. He was born under all of
the laws, the laws of the home, and he fulfilled them. So we're
saved not only by his death, but by his life. Christ's obedience
was a perfect obedience. and imputed or reckoned unto
us as if it were our own. Simeon saw in the birth of Christ
salvation. Simeon saw in the life of Christ
salvation. And also, look at Romans 5, verse
6. His death is saving. His birth,
his life, his death. For it says in Romans 5, verse
6, For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ
died for the ungodly. Verse 8, God commended his love
toward us in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for
us. I once was lost, but now I'm
found, and by God's grace I'm heaven-bound. But my only hope,
my only plea, is that when Christ died, he died for me. He took
my sin in his body on the tree. He took my guilt in his soul
on the tree. And he took my hell and wrath
from the hand of God on the tree. And he paid in full the entire
debt and set me free. and then his resurrection. Look
at Romans 5, verse 10. For if when we were enemies we
were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more being
reconciled we shall be saved by his resurrected life. Right now Christ intercedes for
us. Look at Romans 8, verse 34. Paul says, Who is he that condemned
It is Christ that died, yea, rather if risen again, who is
even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession
for us." What I'm saying is this, that when Simeon held in his
arms the child Jesus and lifted his eyes to heaven and blessed
God and said, My eyes have seen thy salvation, he saw in Christ
salvation. He saw in Christ redemption. He saw in Christ justification
in the person Christ Jesus. You cannot disassociate redemption,
sanctification, forgiveness from the person of Christ, and you
cannot isolate it to one phase of his life or his death. Christ
is salvation. in his birth, in his life, in
his death, in his resurrection, in his intercession, and in his
covenant relationship. Turn to Hebrews 13. In Hebrews
13, verse 20, Christ is saving, is the Savior, in his covenant
relationship with us. He is the guarantor, he is the
surety. His blood is the blood of the
everlasting covenant. Look at Hebrews 13.20. Now the
God of peace that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus,
that great shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting
covenant. Christ's relationship with his
people started before his people were ever born. Christ's relationship
with his people started before his people ever fell. Christ's
relationship with his people started before his people were
ever created. Christ's relationship with his
people started before this world had a being, for he was the Lamb
slain before the foundation of the world. And he is our Savior
in covenant relationship, he is our Savior in his birth, he
is our Savior in his life, in his death, in his resurrection,
and now in his intercession and in his second coming. He is salvation. Now, the second thing. Simeon
had not found salvation anywhere else. It says in verse 25 that
he was a just man. He was a just man, but he had
not found salvation in his character. He had been a just man for a
long time. But it wasn't until he saw Christ
that he said, now I'm ready to die. It wasn't until he saw Christ
that he said, I'm ready to depart, and that in peace. I have at
last seen thy salvation." In Galatians chapter 2, verse
16, the Apostle Paul very emphatically states that we are not justified
by the works of the law. Listen, knowing that a man is
not justified by the works of the law, But by the faith of
Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might
be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works
of the law. For by the works of the law shall
no flesh be justified." It doesn't matter who that flesh is. It
doesn't matter how just that flesh is. It doesn't matter how
devout that flesh is, it doesn't matter how sincere that flesh
is, by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified. It doesn't
matter under what dispensation that flesh is born, whether in
the millennium or whether in New Testament days or whether
in Old Testament days or whether under the days of innocence or
conscience or whatever, by the deeds of the law shall no flesh
be justified. Simeon had certainly not found
salvation in his character. He was a just man. He was a devout
man, the Scripture said. But it wasn't until he saw Christ
that he said, I've seen salvation. And then Simeon had not found
salvation in the law. He was a priest. Some think he
was a high priest. He was a man who was a student
of the law. He was brought up under the law. He was a teacher of the law. And I'm sure to the best of his
ability, he was a keeper of the law. And he had held that law,
those old manuscripts and parchments in his hand, thousands of times. But he never saw salvation in
the law. It wasn't until he saw Christ
that he said, these old liars have seen salvation. And then he had not seen salvation
in the ceremonies. Not many of those Jewish leaders
knew what Paul knew. Paul wrote in Hebrews 10, for
it is not possible that the blood of bulls and goats can take away
sin. It's not possible. I'm sure Simeon
had gone about the ceremonies of the temple hundreds and hundreds
and hundreds of times. I don't know how old he was,
but I just picture him as being a very old man. probably with
snow-white hair, probably with stooped shoulders and a wrinkled
face and gnarled hands, and he held that little child in his
hand. These hands had gone about performing ceremonies and rituals
and all kind of feasts and all kind of special days and all
kind of sacrifices, and yet his heart had never known any peace.
His heart had never known any rest. His heart had never known
any assurance. He had not found in any of those
religious ceremonies any peace. It was not until he picked up
that child that he could lift his heart to God and say, I'm
ready to die. I've seen thy salvation. And then he did not find salvation
in his religious affiliation. He wasn't a Baptist, or a Methodist,
or a Presbyterian, or a Catholic. He was a Jew. He was one of God's
chosen people. And not only was he one of God's
chosen people, but he was one of God's chosen priests. And not only was he one of God's
chosen priests, but he was one of the priests that ministered
about the things of the tabernacle and the temple. And yet he found
no satisfaction, he found no salvation in his religious affiliation. It looks like, as Paul said,
if anybody has anything to boast about, he said, it's me! Why,
he said, I'm a Hebrew of Hebrews, I'm a Pharisee, I was born of
the tribe of Benjamin the Beloved, circumcised when I was eight
days old, exceeded many of my equals, concerning the Jewish
law blameless, but these things to me I count done, that I may
win Christ and be found in him." I wish we could get modern denominationalists
to say that. I wish we could get some devout
Baptists to say, or some devout Methodists, or some devout Presbyterians,
that this label means nothing to me. These customs and traditions
mean nothing to me. I was brought up in a devout
Baptist home, a Pentecostal home, but I count these things but
done, that I may learn Christ and be found in him. Oh, that
I may know him and the power of his resurrection. Oh, that I might be made conformable
to his death. We're too proud to do that. But
Simeon had not found salvation in his character, and I'm sure
his character was above reproach, that is, by men. He had not found
salvation in his good deeds, and I'm sure they exceeded ours.
He had not found salvation in the law, and I'm sure that he
was a more law-abiding man than any of us. very life, he studied
it, he taught it, he observed it. He'd not found salvation
in any of his church rituals, and they were more complicated
than your sacraments and your baptisms. He'd not found salvation
in his religious affiliation, and there's more about the Jews
in the Bible than there is about the Baptists, I guarantee you. And then he labeled Christ correctly. He looked down at that child,
Jesus, and he said, Lord, mine eyes have seen thy salvation. He was not interested in man's
plans or remedies or ways of salvation. He said, I've seen
God's salvation. God's salvation. Turn to Isaiah
chapter 12. I want you to listen to this
verse of Scripture. Isaiah chapter 12, verse 1 and
2. Isaiah 12, verse 1 and 2. Listen
to it. And in that day, and in that
day, we're talking about the day when Christ shall come. And
in that day, thou shalt say, O Lord, I will praise thee. Though thou wast angry with me,
ye are the right to the heat of me. Thy anger is turned away,
and thou comfortest me. Behold, God is my salvation. God is my salvation, not my good
works, not my religious experience, not my decision. God is my salvation,
and I will trust and not be afraid, for the Lord Jehovah is my strength
and my song, and he also is become my salvation. God himself is
my salvation. When Simeon said, Lord, mine
eyes have seen thy salvation, he referred to the salvation
of which the prophets spoke. In Acts chapter 10, verse 43,
The scripture says, To him give all the prophets witness. When you turn to 1 Corinthians
10, I want you to see this right here. I want you to turn to it
and look directly at it. 1 Corinthians 10, verses 3 and
4. Now Luke wrote in Acts 10.43,
To him give all the prophets witness. And the prophets we're
talking about there, Moses and Samuel, and Isaiah, and Jeremiah,
and Hosea, and Malachi, and all the Old Testament prophets. To
him give all the prophets witness that through his name, whosoever
believeth in him should receive remission of sins." That's what
Moses wrote. Moses wrote of me. Christ said,
if you believe him, you believe me. That's what Abraham believed. Abraham saw my day and was glad.
Abraham, believe God, was counted to him for righteousness. And
in 1 Corinthians 10, verse 3, now listen, And all, and did
all eat the same spiritual meat, and did all drink the same spiritual
drink. For they drank," this is talking
about the children of Israel in the wilderness, leaving Egypt,
going to the promised land. This is way back before Christ
came to this earth. And they drank of that spiritual
rock that followed them. You remember the rock that Moses
spoke and water came out? Listen to the next verse. And
that rock was whom? That rock was Christ. If you
will underscore that verse right there, and from there go through
the rest of the Bible and see that that rock is Christ. And
that serpent lifted up is Christ. That serpent lifted up is Christ
Jesus. And that ark rising on top of
the water to save Noah and his family is Christ. And that bread
that fell from heaven is Christ. All of these Old Testament types
and illustrations, that sacrifice is Christ. That blood on the
mercy seat is Christ. That high priest going under
the veil to take the offering once a year on the Day of Atonement,
that's Christ. This Indian said, I've seen thy
salvation typified in the Old Testament. Christ is our Passover. When those old Jewish fathers
slew the Lamb and put the blood on the doorposts and on the two
side posts, and God went through at midnight and honored that
blood, He wasn't looking at that animal blood, for the blood of
an animal cannot put away the sin of a man. he saw Christ,
he saw the cross. When God looked at Abel's sacrifice,
he saw the cross. When God looked at the Day of
Atonement, he saw the cross. When God looked at every sacrifice
of the Old Testament, he saw the cross of his dear son. Thy
salvation, of which the prophet spoke, Thy salvation, typified
in the Old Testament, thy salvation which honors thy perfect law,
thy salvation which manifests thy glory and satisfies thy justice,
thy salvation promised, prepared, predestinated, and sent in the
fulness of time." Turn to Galatians. Here it is in Galatians chapter
3, Galatians the third chapter. It says in Galatians 4, verse
4, listen, But when the fulness of time was come, God's own time,
the time that he purposed, the time that he predestinated, the
time that he foreordained, the time that he prophesied, the
time that he typified, when the fulness of time was come, God
sent forth his Son. made of a woman, made under the
law, to redeem them that were under the law, that we might
receive the adoption of son. And then in the last place, Simeon
saw in Christ all of salvation. Let's look at his testimony one
more time. And he took the baby up in his
arms, and he lifted his eyes to God, and he said, Now let
thy servant depart in peace according to thy word, for mine eyes have
seen." Now, the Holy Spirit lets Simeon see the Lord Jesus Christ
and reveal to him God's salvation. The Holy Spirit does the same
thing for you and me. We see with eyes of faith in
the word of God salvation in Christ. And he said, I have seen
thy salvation. He didn't say, now listen to
him, he didn't say, I've seen a part of salvation. Christ,
a part of salvation. You know, someone jokingly said
one time, what most people believe is Jesus paid a part, and our
part, you know, sin left a crimson stain, but we washed it white
as snow. No, Simeon didn't say, I've seen
a part of our salvation. He didn't say, I've seen a payment. on salvation. He didn't say,
I see a saving effort. He didn't say, I see an offering. He said, I see thy salvation. All of it. Salvation from the
ruin of the fall. In Adam we died, in Christ we're
made alive. Salvation from the guilt of sin,
for the blood of Jesus Christ, God's Son, cleanseth us from
all sin. salvation from the power and
dominion of sin, for he said, Sin shall not have dominion over
you." And then turn to Hebrews 13. In Hebrews 13 verse 5, salvation
from the love of this world. I see in Christ the same thing
Simeon saw 2,000 years later. I don't see him in the flesh
with natural eyes, I see him in the Word of God with spiritual
eyes. But I see him through the influence and power of the same
Holy Spirit. And I see in Jesus Christ, not
a payment, not a part, but I see in Jesus Christ all of salvation,
all that I need, wisdom, righteousness, sanctification and redemption,
everything in Christ. I'm complete in him. That's what
Scripture says, you are complete in him. And salvation from the
ruin of the fall, salvation from the penalty of the fall, salvation
from the power of the fall, and salvation from this world. In
Hebrews 13, verse 5, let your conversation be without covetousness,
and be content with such things as you have. For he has said,
I'll never leave thee. I want you to listen to the amplified
version on that verse of scripture. Will you listen to it? Let your
character be free from the love of money, from greed, from craving
for worldly possessions, and be satisfied with what you have. For God himself has said, I will
not in any way fail you, I will not leave you without support,
and I'll never forsake you, so that we may boldly say, The Lord
is my helper." That's what David was saying when he said, The
Lord is my shepherd. I shall not walk, I shall not
walk. He maketh me to lie down in green
pasture. He leaves me beside the He leads
me in paths of righteousness for his namesake. He restores
my soul. Here, though I walk through the
valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil. Thou art with
me. Thy rod and thy staff, they comfort
me. Thou preparest a table before
me in the presence of my enemy. My cup runneth over. Surely goodness
and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life. All the
days of my life. Goodness and mercy. God says,
I'll not leave you, I'll not forsake you, your inheritance
is not in this world, your inheritance is undefiled, reserved in heaven,
and faith not away. And when we see Christ, the world
just loses its vanity, and loses its attractiveness, and loses
its influence, and loses its magnetic appeal. And we want
to see a whole lot less of it, and a whole lot more of Him.
Salvation from death. Christ said, because I live,
you'll live. You'll live. And salvation from
judgment. We have a mediator. We have a
high priest who can be touched with the feeling of our infirmities.
And salvation from hell. He said, they shall never perish. God so loved the world that he
gave his only begotten Son that whosoever believeth in him not
in words about him, in him. Not in ordinances which typify
him, in him. Not in churches and friends that
represent him, in him. But whosoever believeth in him,
to as many as receive him, not the words about him, not even
the truth about him, but to as many as receive him, To them
gave he power to become the sons of God. I think that's where
we're missing it. I think there are people right
here tonight who believe the truth about Jesus Christ, but
they've never received him. I believe there are people here
tonight, there are people who will hear this message on the
radio, who believe the truth about him, and the words about
him, but they've never personally, intimately, intelligently, willingly,
lovingly, eternally, on purpose received him as prophet to reveal
God to me, as priest to secure God's mercy for me, and as king
to reign over me. Have you received him? Have you
ever, like Thomas, when Christ came into that upper room, actually
fallen at his feet and said, my Lord and my God, Oh, I believe Christ died on
the cross, so does the devil. The Bible says you believe there's
one God, you do well, the devil believes that and trembles. Well,
I believe he was buried and rose again, so does the devil. But
the devil's never bowed to the scepter of Christ. The devil's
never bowed to the lordship of Christ. The devil's never cried
for mercy in Christ. And that's what a sinner's got
to do. If you shall receive Jesus Christ to be Lord, believe in
thine heart, God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt
be saved. To as many as receive him. Not an offer extended from
his hand, him. Not an inheritance provided for
him, When you receive him, you receive the offer. When you receive
him, you receive the inheritance. When you receive him, you receive
the forgiveness. When you receive him, you receive
salvation. God, he's salvation. You see
the difference? I wish I could make it clear.
I can't. I wish I could make it plain.
It's impossible. It has to be revealed by the
Holy Ghost. But you don't receive just forgiveness from the hand
of Christ. You receive Christ, and when
you receive him, you have forgiveness. You don't receive eternal life
from the hand of Christ. You receive him who is eternal
life. You don't receive salvation provided
somebody says, I'm trusting the finished work of Christ. I'm
not. And I don't mean to be irreverent there. And I don't mean to destroy
somebody's playhouse, but that's not what I'm trusting. I'm trusting
Christ. You say there's a difference?
There certainly is a difference. I'm not trusting his finished
work, I'm trusting him who finished the work. He's my Savior. The
cross is not the Savior. The one who hung on the cross
is the Savior. That's who the Savior is. That's
what Simeon is saying, what I've been trying to point out in this
message. He said, he didn't even see the cross. He saw a person. In fact, he didn't know anything
about the cross, because he died before Christ died on the cross. He saw a person, and salvation
is Christ. and Christ is salvation. And
when I receive him, when he comes in, when I bow to him, when I
receive, when I submit, Barnard said the word receive in John
1.12 is nothing in the world but the word submit. And when
I submit to a person and receive a person and rest in a person,
I have everything that that person can give me. When a woman marries
a man, She receives everything he's
got. He gives her his name. He gives her his money. He gives her his home. She's
joint heir with him. They're hers too. Now then, she
can't have the name without marrying him, without the man. You can't
have the name without the man. You can't have the home without
the man. You can't have the money without the man. You can't have
the inheritance without the man. You see what I'm saying? But
if you have the man, they're all yours. And that's the way
it is when Christ Jesus, when we receive him as our Lord and
Savior, we receive a person. And when I receive him, I have
his covenant churcheship. I have his death, I have his
life, I have his wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, I have eternal
glory. I'm a joint heir with Christ
because I'm one with Christ in what he has I have, where he
is I am. See what I'm saying? That's the reason Simeon said,
I've seen God's salvation, I'm ready to depart. I'm ready to
depart because I've seen thy salvation. Let us all pray, God,
reveal salvation to me, reveal Christ to me. And let us pray,
Lord, give to me and strip me and break me and humble me to
the place where I can see my inability and his ability and
that I will come to receive him and him alone. And when I have
him, I'll have everything God's got. There's nothing more to
be gained if I have Christ. Lord, bring me to Christ. Our
Father, bless the word. Make it effectual. Lord, able
to take the words that we have spoken tonight and make them
life-giving words in the hands of thy Holy Spirit. Glorify thy
matchless name, and we'll praise thee forever. In Christ's name
we ask it. Amen.