Bible Basics Conference 2010: Results of Christ's Death

… Well, good morning everyone. The subject, as you know, is the results of the death of Christ, and you will imagine that when we tried to divide the subject into a limited number of sessions, that it was a very difficult task, and we felt that in a way each one had too little time, and also there were others to cover. But nonetheless, hopefully we can discover and rediscover some of the beauties and glories of this work of Christ. Now the theme of the first session is God Satisfied and Made Manifest, and I would like to start by reading a verse from John's Gospel in chapter 13. John's Gospel, chapter 13, and verse 31. Jesus said, Now is the Son of Man glorified, and God is glorified in him. If God be glorified in him, God shall also glorify him in himself, and shall straightway glorify him. Now we'll come back to this verse, but a question that arises is, what does it mean that God has been glorified, that he has been made manifest, and that he has been satisfied? Now I think it's very helpful to go back, as so often actually, to the book of Genesis to understand this, because you find that before the flood, the food of men consisted of fruit and vegetable, green herbs, and so forth, Genesis 1, 29, 30. And it was only after the flood that men were allowed to eat meat. Every moving thing that liveth shall be food for you, Genesis 9, verse 3. Now what had changed? Well from this time onward, it was possible for men to enjoy meat, to eat meat. Now in order for them to eat meat, something had to happen, and death had to occur. In a way, what happens now is, the new thing is that now there is food, there is nourishment out of death. And perhaps this can be a little heading, or subheading for our conference, nourishment out of death. And the exercise is that this may be priestly food that will result in priestly worship. But perhaps one or two say, well, why shouldn't we be looking rather at something that concerns us more directly? Why should we look at God glorified? It's a slightly abstract subject perhaps to some. Now it is true that the work of Christ has wonderful results for us. And in every session that we go through, you will find a new facet of the death of Christ. You will find that we were bond slaves and needed to be redeemed. You will find that we were guilty and we needed to be justified. And all these things are not exactly the same as you will hear. But apart from all these wonderful things that the death of Christ means for us, there are results for others. For example, there are results for the people of Israel, for other nations, for Old Testament believers. Job could speak about the Redeemer. And there are results, in fact, for the whole universe. But isn't the first and foremost question that we should ask, what does it mean for God? In fact, the Bible is God's book. It's a book in which he reveals himself. And we read this book because we have come to love him. I don't know if we have any engaged people here, but if we do, or actually I do, we have. I know we have. I know we do. If there is a letter coming, or perhaps these days it's an email, and it comes from that other person, I can't imagine that email goes unread. And if that email says something that doesn't concern you directly today, and it doesn't tell you what you need to do, you would still read that email. And you would find it very interesting. Now, if God sends us a letter, shouldn't we read that in the same way? It's good to ask, what should we do? And what does this chapter mean for me? But the first question should be, what did God want to say? Why did he write this? Now, interestingly, when he talks about the sacrifices, picturing the work of his son, he also starts with what concerns him. He doesn't start with the sin offering, which perhaps we would have started with, or the trespass offering. He starts with the burnt offering, that which ascends to God and gives pleasure to him. Now, I mentioned earlier that we need to go back to Genesis in order to understand what it means that God has been glorified. Why was it necessary? Well, we find... Actually, sorry, that's the trouble with slides. You have to talk about what's on the slide. I'll come back to this other Genesis verse in a minute. My apologies, but at least now everybody's awake. Before I come to what happened in Genesis and why it was necessary for God's honor to be restored, there's one other point from Genesis I want to mention before. And actually, I should mention before, it's good we have slides. And that is that there is a figure of the death of Christ even before sin came into the world. Now, the figure, as you know, is the deep sleep that fell on Adam, a picture of Christ who went into death. And as a result, Eve was formed. And in this way, God gave a picture of his counsel, that his son should go into death and that on this basis, he could have formed Eve out of dust, I have no doubt. But God wanted it to happen this way, to give a picture of the fact that death was necessary to form a bride for Christ. Now, what does this mean? This means that if we have a limited view of the death of Christ, and your answer to the question, why did Christ die, is well, to save me from hell. That is true, and it's wonderful indeed, but it's a limited view. God gave this picture of the death of Christ before sin came, before there was even sickness or death or tears or anything. And even then, it was in God's mind, and of course, it was in his mind and plan before he gave even this type. But now, finally, the other thing from Genesis, what happened? Man was tempted by the serpent. And one aspect of this story, which perhaps we don't think about that often, is that this event, when Satan, in the form of the serpent, tempted man, and man listened to the serpent, was a multiple insult against the honor and glory of God. You might say, why? The serpent just said, you know, have some fruit there. But really, the serpent said, has God said, you shall not eat of every tree of the garden? In other words, does he not even allow you to eat freely of your own garden? God gave you this paradise. It belongs to you. How can God be so unrighteous and not allow you to eat? The serpent also said, between the lines, of course, Satan is never that blunt, but between the lines, the serpent said, God is a liar. Now why is that? Because God had said, the day that thou eatest from this tree, thou shalt surely die. And the serpent said, thou shalt not surely die. Don't worry about it. In other words, God is a liar. But thirdly, the serpent said, for God does know that in the day he eat thereof, your eyes shall be opened, and you shall be as gods. Now, that's true, isn't it? God knew that, that their eyes would be opened. That was true. Now, that they would be as gods, I don't think that would be true, only in the sense that they would know good and evil. But the point the serpent is making is that God is not good. The serpent says, you would get an awful lot of benefit from eating from that tree, and God doesn't want to give it to you. God is not good. Now that was at least a threefold insult. God is unrighteous. God is a liar. God is not good. Now that was a terrible insult. And the attributes of God were completely distorted and darkened, obscured. And you might say, well, how could that be put right? Well, with regard to righteousness, it could have been put right very quickly. What God would have to do would be to judge Adam and Eve immediately and to cast them into hell forever. And that would have corrected one distortion, unrighteousness. But what you wouldn't have seen is anything of his love, of his mercy, of his goodness. And how could this come out? And in a measure, God's love came out in history and his goodness. Think of how he dealt with Abraham, with Israel, with different people. But ultimately, we have to recognize that God waited for 4,000 years. Imagine that. He had been insulted in that way, and he waited 4,000 years. And then it happened that Christ came and put this right. And this is the verse we read from John's Gospel. Now is the Son of Man glorified, and God is glorified in him. Remember, this is part of the Lord's farewell address to his disciples. Judas had just left, and the Lord, anticipating his death, says, now is the Son of Man glorified. But he also says, and God is glorified in him. Now, what does it mean to be glorified? And I have to apologize to some very patient hearers here who may have heard me say this once or twice before, but I still think that the best picture for glorification is the rainbow. The white sunlight has properties that we cannot see with the human eye. And it's only when this sunlight is refracted in the tiny drops of rain that suddenly the different wavelengths come out. That means the different colors of the light, and that's what you see in the rainbow. Now this is, to me, this is a beautiful picture of what happened at the cross. It was in the water of judgment. Think of all these millions of drops of rain. It was in the waters of judgment that the attributes of God were revealed, just as in the rainbow the different colors of the light come out. And Christ is, in a way, you know, I don't know what comment you would have expected. He was about to go to the cross, Judas had just left to do his dirty work, and you might have expected Christ to say, now all is over and I'm going to die. But he doesn't say that. He says, now is the Son of Man glorified. He says, the greatest event ever is going to take place. The full attributes, the full character of the Son of Man and of God is going to be revealed. Now, this should mean something to us. It certainly means a lot to God, because the Lord goes on to say, if God be glorified in him, that's in the Son of Man, in his death, God shall also glorify him in himself. And that will happen. God will make sure that Christ one day will be recognized and reign over the earth and over the universe. But God says, the work is really too great for me to wait for another 2,000 years. Something needs to happen now. I have been glorified in such a way that I will straight away glorify him. And how did God do that? By raising Christ up and giving him a place of honor at his right hand. Now, we mentioned the rainbow, the idea that glorification means to bring out the colors, the attributes. Now, let's mention just some of them. We don't have much time. But let's start with a wonderful theme, the theme of God's love. Romans 5 verse 8 says, but God commends his love towards us in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Now, this is the ultimate proof of God's love to us that he gave Christ when we were sinners. But it's not only the love to us. If you go on to John 3, 16, it says, for God so loved the world. In other words, God says, the work of my Son is so great and my love is so great, it can't be restricted to Abraham, it can't be restricted to Israel, it can't be restricted to a few. God showed that he loved the whole world, and that's why he gave his Son. Now, when it says he gave, ultimately, this included giving him on the cross, giving him into death. But the cross is not there to, let me put it this way, the cross proves that although it showed the perfect love of God, God would still be righteous. He would not overlook sin. And you read in Romans 8 that what the law could not do, and that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh. Sin was and is irremediable, it cannot be mended, it can only be ended and judged. Now, how could God judge sin in man whilst at the same time showing love? If he had judged Adam and Eve, he wouldn't have known about that love. It could only be done by judging someone as man whom God had given himself, namely his Son. And this is what happened in the three hours of darkness when Christ was made sin and God condemned sin in the flesh. At this time, you also see God's holiness. Psalm 22 starts with this great paradox that one who has always pleased God is forsaken of God, although in history those who trusted God had never been forsaken by him. My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? Why art thou so far from helping me and from the words of my roaring? O my God, I cry in the daytime, but thou hearest not, and in the night season, and am not silent. And then you have the key, you have the solution to this paradox in verse 3, but thou art holy. That's why Christ had to be forsaken by this holy God. Now what did this mean for the Lord to enter into these hours of darkness and into this judgment? In John's Gospel, you don't find Gethsemane, but you get a glimpse of what this prospect of death and judgment meant for the Lord in chapter 12. Now is my soul troubled, and what shall I say? Father, save me from this hour. But then the sentence goes on, and he says, but for this cause came I into this hour. Father, glorify thy name. The deity of the Lord did not mitigate his trouble in any way. You might say the converse is true. He had an infinite capacity to feel it. His perfect knowledge, and that includes foreknowledge, and his infinite holiness caused him to shrink from this hour. And yet his prayer was not to be saved from this hour, but that the Father might be glorified in this hour. And the answer is a voice from heaven. Glorified in death. It sounds like a contradiction in terms, really. Death is the least glorious thing, really, that we can think of. And yet it is true that God was glorified in the death of Christ. There's a beautiful verse, which you all know, in Ephesians 5, verse 2, which says, Christ has loved us and given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling savor. So you find that it is for us, this divine love. But the other side is that his sacrifice and his offering is toward God. And that's the perfection of his motive. It was unto death. And the verse mentions the sweet-smelling savor to bring out the beauty and the fragrance that this sacrifice had in the eyes of God. In John 17, the Lord says in verse 4, I have glorified thee on the earth. I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do. Now when he says I've glorified thee on the earth, this is his life and death together. I would not restrict this to his life. But in his life and in his death, he brought glory to God. Now when I say to God, this is what we spoke about a moment ago. Strictly speaking, in this verse, it's a slightly different aspect. Here it is that he glorified the Father. Now with God, we perhaps tend to think more of the holiness and the righteousness, also the love of God. But the other thing that happened is that the Father was revealed on the cross. The whole heart of the Father's love was revealed. And incidentally, not incidentally, I should say note as well, it happened on the earth. Remember, the earth is the platform in the moral theater of the history of mankind. It's the platform on which the moral question is decided. And in this corner of the universe, God had been dishonored in such a terrible way. And Christ says, you know, on this earth, where you've been dishonored so much, this is where I brought glory to thee. Now the Old Testament contains wonderful pictures of this aspect of the work of Christ, dealing with the fact that it was actually God-ward, and it meant fragrance. It meant a sweet odor to God. And even when Christ atoned for sin, God looked on him with deepest satisfaction. Now I can only hint at this now, but I hope Nick will be able to sell you some very good books on the offerings, the sacrifices in the Old Testament. And one really to study is, well, study them all, but perhaps one to start with is Leviticus 1. You find there that the sacrifice had to be without blemish. Because God says, if anything has to speak of my son, it has to be perfect. And it's then offered at the entrance of the tent of meeting where God dwells, and it says it's for his acceptance. In other words, God says, the offering of my son, the sacrifice, is so perfect. He has glorified me so much. If you are connected with him, if you put your hand on this offering, you will be accepted. I cannot hold back blessing anymore. The whole favor that I have towards my son, I now have towards you if you are connected with him. Then the blood is presented, the sign of death. But then they had to flay the burnt offering to show that it was not only outwardly perfect, but every inward part was perfect. And God says, so to speak, the life and death of Christ did not only look perfect from the outside, but it was indeed inside. And they had to cut it into pieces. Every aspect deserves contemplation, and then they had to put it on the fire, on the altar, exposed to this judgment, the heat of fire. But it was there, on the cross, that Christ brought this glory to God. And it mentions the head. You can think of the thought life of Christ. Even then, there was no thought that would not have been to the honor of God. It mentions the fat, the energy that actually made him to go to the cross and accomplish that work. And the inward parts, speaking of the emotions. What are our emotions like when we are under pressure? But with the Lord, even the inward parts were perfect. The legs, speaking of his walk, bearing his cross, he went up to the cross. Now, these parts had to be washed with water to make sure that they were clean, because only then could they speak of Christ, who was clean. And this all had to be burned on the altar, not outside the camp, on the altar, and it all ascended up to God. And as we read in Ephesians, it gave this sweet-smelling savor. Now, just two more short thoughts. In Genesis 22, it's not the first time where you have an altar, not the first time where you have a sacrifice. But what we learn here for the first time is that this burnt offering is actually given by the one who is the son. Abraham had to offer his son as a burnt offering. And the other thought is from Exodus 29, where God says, you know what I want? I want a burnt offering in the morning, and I want a burnt offering in the evening. And the next day, I want a burnt offering in the morning and a burnt offering in the evening, and I want that every day. And it really shows that what God desires is that some praise for the perfection of this work of his son, in which God has been manifested, rises up to God every morning and every evening of our lives. …

… Well, what Mike has brought before us has certainly been a good introduction to this wonderful subject. I must get by the microphones, mustn't I? This wonderful subject of the death of the Lord Jesus and what is accomplished for God and His glory and for us and our blessing. And now we're going to look at these two subjects of propitiation and substitution. Now very often when we look at the death of Christ, we do find that the words that we have in English to describe the results of His death are quite long words, propitiation, substitution. And perhaps some of us who are younger are a little bit intimidated by them, but one way perhaps to look at them is to see that the results of Christ's death are so wonderful that they have to be explained by these large words. The fullness of what He's done is conveyed by the length of these words. Propitiation and substitution. First of all, I'm going to talk about atonement. We already had the word atonement mentioned. If you don't understand my pictures, don't worry about it. Most people don't understand them. Atonement is an Old Testament term which is closely related to one of our subjects, propitiation. Now if you look at the footnote, atonement in Romans chapter 5 verse 11, we'll just read this verse out. It comes at the end of a beautiful passage in Paul's letter to the Romans, chapter 5. And it says after Paul has gone through all the blessings related to the work of the Lord Jesus for us upon the cross. And not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ by whom we have now received the atonement. But many of us will know that that is an incorrect translation. It should say at the end of the verse, the reconciliation. And the word atonement doesn't actually occur in the New Testament. It's an Old Testament word, but it is closely related to the subject of propitiation. So we've got to really speak about it first before we can get onto the matter of propitiation. The Hebrew word to atone means to cover. That's why we've got a book cover on our slide. In the sense of shelter from God's judgment. Sin deserves God's judgment. So we need something or someone acceptable to God to atone for our sins, to cover us from the judgment which must inevitably fall upon us because of our sins. Now there are many examples of this in the Old Testament. Genesis chapter 3 verse 21. You can look at these as we go along or at home. We find that Adam and Eve have sinned as we've had brought before us by Michael. And immediately they feel naked in the presence of God. And in fact, they've already gone to the trouble of making aprons of fig leaves for themselves. But God provides them a covering, the skins of animals. But the important thing was they felt naked in the sight of God. They needed to be covered. Sin had come in and there had been this sense created in them of the fact that they were exposed to God's judgment, exposed to his displeasure. In Genesis chapter 6 verse 14, we have the flood, a very powerful picture of God's judgment. Noah and his wife and his three sons and their wives, they were in the ark. In order to preserve, be preserved from that judgment, the ark was covered with pitch inside and outside. In Exodus chapter 12 verse 7, when God's judgment came upon Egypt, in order for the people of Israel to be preserved from it, the blood of the Passover lamb had to be put on the doorposts and the lintels of their houses. And then God promised in verse 13 that when the angel of that judgment, the angel that would carry out that judgment came to the land, he would pass over their homes. They would be sheltered by the blood. In chapter 13 verses 11 to 16, we get the atonement money. Each male of 20 years old and upwards had to pay when the people of Israel were numbered, the half shekel of the sanctuary in order that there might be no plague upon the people of Israel. In order that they were covered, it was atonement money. It was to do with the sanctuary, the fact that the presence of God was with them. That payment had to be made in order that they might be preserved from God's judgment, covered from God's judgment. And in Leviticus chapters 1 and 4, we have first the burnt offering, which Michael has brought before us, and then the sin offering. And both those offerings, they provide atonement for the one who brings the offering. In one case, he puts his hand on the offering and all the value of that burnt offering is transferred to him. In the other case, he puts his hand on the offering, the sin offering, and all his sin is transferred to the offering and the offering takes the judgment he deserves. So he's covered, he's atoned for in the presence of God. Atonement in the Old and New Testament, it's a matter of value. The Old Testament offerings, atonement money, etc., had no intrinsic value. They couldn't really atone for sins. But they symbolized, they pointed to a person who does. And we've already had him brought before us, the Lord Jesus Christ. And these verses from Hebrews, I won't read them now because we haven't got enough time, they show that in the Old Testament, you couldn't really go into the presence of God. Only the high priest could do that once a year on the Day of Atonement. The others couldn't. That showed that the work had not yet been done that really atones for our sins before God. The Day of Atonement pointed to something that would really atone for our sins, the death of Christ. And that's emphasized again in chapter 10, verse 14, and of course we know these verses from Peter chapter 1, verses 18 to 19, which tell us we've not been redeemed with corruptible things such as silver and gold. These things such as the blood of animals, the atonement money, the silver that was presented then, they had no real intrinsic value, but the precious blood of Christ is the blood by which we are covered in the presence of God. The New Testament is based on the fact of his death, of course. It presents us his death and goes into the truth of the atoning value of his death in much fuller detail than the Old Testament can. Using terms like ransom, a price paid to set someone free. I won't say too much about that because we haven't got much time and someone else is going to deal with that aspect of the death of Christ, too, because that comes into the matter of redemption. Sorry, this is a rather dark slide. It's not meant to be. It's a bright slide. So what does the word propitiation mean? Well, it goes a bit further than simply the matter of covering us before God because of our sin. The Greek word means vindicating God, upholding God's holiness and righteousness, indeed all his attributes as Michael has brought before us because he wants to bless us. It's what he desires to do. Don't get it into your mind that propitiation means appeasing or placating him, trying to get him to treat us well. That's the concept the Greeks had in connection with their gods. So God desires to bless us, but he's a holy and righteous God, so he has to be vindicated in his holiness and righteousness about the question of sin so that all that love he desires to bestow upon us can be released and we can enjoy it and he will be glorified in that. It's a Godward thought because its primary purpose is to glorify him about the question of sin. Now I mentioned that verse from Romans chapter 5 which had the word atonement in it, but really it's the word reconciliation. But propitiation does really come in to the book of Romans in chapter 3. It tells us in chapter 3 that the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all has been brought to light and this is important because if God is to be glorified about the question of sin then it has to be consistent with his righteousness. And we see here at the end of this verse something I'm going to mention a little later on. It's unto all and it's upon all them that believe. So in propitiation we're seeing the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe. And this is what is brought to light in the gospel in the New Testament. God presents the Lord Jesus, we've had him in that first verse, chapter 3 verse 22, presented in connection with our faith in him. God presents him as his mercy seat and this word mercy seat is very closely related to the word propitiation and it's through faith in his blood that the Lord Jesus is a mercy seat for us. And in this is demonstrated God's righteousness in the past because during the time that those animal sacrifices were being brought to him as we've already thought. They weren't really dealing with the question of sin. They were only pointing through to the Lord Jesus, pointing to the Lord Jesus. So really he was overlooking those sins in that sense. He wasn't dealing with them because people were offering these sacrifices but those sacrifices didn't really deal with them. They pointed to the one sacrifice of Christ that would deal with them. But when that one sacrifice was made God was proved to be righteous in what he had done in the past and he's proved to be righteous now in offering salvation to us who live after the cross, who look back at that death of the Lord Jesus upon the cross. So God's righteousness, hence the picture of the old baby, not St. Paul's Cathedral. God's righteousness has been vindicated by the death of the Lord Jesus and he's enabled to be the just one, which he is, and yet at the same time to be the justifier of him which believes in Jesus. These two things are brought together in the death of Christ. He is enabled to be what he is, the just one. The judge of all the earth shall he not do right? Yes indeed, because he's the just one. But then if he's the just one how can he vindicate, justify the sinner and still be just? You say it's impossible, it's a conundrum, we can't make it add up. But in the person of the Lord Jesus in his death God is enabled to be just and the one who justifies the sinner. This is because he's been glorified about the question of sin by the death of the Lord Jesus, the truth of propitiation. Now quickly, why refer, why does Paul refer to the mercy seat in the tabernacle? Why is this thought of the mercy seat brought in? Well, the mercy seat was on the ark in the Holy of Holies where God sat as it were, put it in inverted commas there, sat between the cherubim, those beings that looked after the interests of God in the universe. They were pictured in these two figures overshadowing the mercy seat in the Holy of Holies in the tabernacle God's righteousness, God's holiness was being watched for in that tabernacle. And yet that tabernacle was in the center of the camp of the people of Israel. How could such a holy God dwell among such a people who we know from their history were marked by sin? Well, once a year on the day of atonement, the high priest sprinkled the blood of the goat of the sin offering, which was the offering for the people on the mercy seat so that the cherubim could see it and before the mercy seat seven times. And that enabled God to continue dwelling among his people and enabled his people to continue to feel at home with him there in the midst of them. That's brought before us in Leviticus chapter 16 verse 15 and Hebrews chapter 9 verse 7. And Paul uses that day of atonement, what happened on that day when the high priest did those things, when he took the blood into the Holy of Holies and sprinkled it on the mercy seat so that God could continue to dwell among his people and they could continue to enjoy his presence among them as a picture of what has been accomplished in a perfect way by the Lord Jesus upon the cross of Calvary. God has been glorified about the question of sin and therefore the blessing he desires to give us, he desires in fact to commune with us just as in a way we can see this in the way in which he dwelt among his people Israel. He desires to have us at home with him. How can this be accomplished when we think of our sin only by the fact that the precious blood of the Lord Jesus has been shed for us, for the glory of God, for the glory of God for us. So what have we learned about propitiation? Well I hope we've learned this, all our sin is unrighteousness against God. In fact the three classes of people mentioned in the letter to the Romans, the barbarian, the one who has no thought towards God at all, the moral person who thinks he's alright with God and the Jew, they're all described in those sections in that letter that speak about them as having unrighteousness or being unrighteous and because of that it must be put right if God is to be glorified about the question of sin. The Lord Jesus did this once for all when he offered one sacrifice for sin and that's in Hebrews chapter 2 verse 17 and also in the passage chapter 10 verses 1 to 18. And incidentally in verse 17 the word reconciliation occurs when it shouldn't. In that particular case it should be translated propitiation. In fact we'll read it just so that we can be absolutely sure. Hebrews chapter 2 verse 17, that wherefore in all things it behoved him, that's the Lord Jesus, to be made like unto his brethren that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God to make, now it shouldn't be reconciliation, it should be propitiation for the sins of the people. In Hebrews we'll often find the writer alluding to the day of atonement as he explains to his readers what the Lord Jesus has accomplished for the glory of God and for their blessing. And this provides a righteous basis for God's offer of love and blessing to all and we've already had these verses mentioned. John chapter 3 verse 16 and 1 Corinthians chapter 15 where the apostle Paul going back to what he had preached to the Corinthians when he had first come across them he said Moreover brethren I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you which also ye have received and wherein ye stand by which also ye are saved if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you unless ye have believed in vain for I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures. This brings this wonderful thought before us because the apostle Paul is talking about what he preached to them at that time before they were Christians that Christ had died for their sins. In propitiation God is glorified and God makes his offer of blessing to all. And John confirms this in his first letter Jesus Christ the righteous is the propitiation for our sins actual effect and not for ours alone but also for the whole world. He doesn't actually say the sins of the whole world in that verse as it does in the authorized version. They can't really say that unless they've believed but the scope of the work of Christ in propitiation is for the whole world is his potential effect. The world just came into view a bit too quickly then and he adds also later on in the letter here in his love this is the love of God coming out on the basis of what's been accomplished by the Lord Jesus not that we love God but that he loved us sent his son his only begotten his world beloved son to be the propitiation for our sins. God has been glorified by his son about the question of that which dishonored him our sins and that's enabled him to give the best to us as a result. But we must be a whosoever believeth are you a whosoever believeth? Are you one of those who can say yes I'm in those two words I'm one of those who's believed. We cannot benefit from propitiation unless these words in Romans them that believe these are in the verses we had on a previous slide faith in his blood and him which believes in Jesus are true of us and that's where substitution comes in. I picked this picture because it shows the idea of substitution someone taking the place of someone else there's probably not many other thoughts that you can connect between the truth of substitution and football but that's probably the only one that we need to think about at the moment. The word substitution isn't found in scripture but the truth is the use of one person or thing instead of another is very much part of scripture. We've already had the thought of Isaac and Abraham or Abraham and Isaac in chapter 22 verse 13 when Abraham was about to slay his son in obedience to God the angel interposed and what did Abraham find behind him a ram caught in the thicket by its horns and he offered that up instead in the place of as a substitute for Isaac because Isaac is a double picture of what happened at the cross and in 1 Peter chapter 3 verse 18 the truth of substitution comes out again let's just read this verse 1 Peter chapter 3 verse 18 for Christ also have once suffered for sins the just for the unjust you can't get a clearer idea of substitution but in that verse that he might bring us to God. It's us-ward propitiation is God-ward substitution is us-ward because each one of us needs to believe on the Lord Jesus as the one who has suffered and died on our behalf in order to save us substitution on the day of atonement let's go back to the day of atonement I mentioned there was a goat that was killed and its blood was sprinkled on and before the mercy seat but there was a second goat that day did you know that the high priest took a second goat and he had to lay his hands on the goat and confess the sins of the people of Israel over it before it was led away to the wilderness to bear those sins in a land apart you can read about it in Leviticus chapter 16 verses 20 to 22 and it's also mentioned by the writer to the Hebrews in chapter 10 verse 17 of that letter and that's what the Lord Jesus did for us in reality in reality on the cross but we can only say he did it for us if we believe on him as our saviour if we like the high priest have confessed our sins as it were over him we've trusted him we've said Lord Jesus I believe you've taken my place that's what substitution involves God reckons counts his righteousness to us if we believe on the Lord Jesus because he was delivered for our offences raised for our justification Romans chapter 4 verse 25 incidentally the Lord Jesus doesn't give us righteousness because of his law keeping in his life that's a wrong thought we get it from his death and resurrection so he's taken our place he was delivered for our offences raised again for our justification Isaiah says he was wounded for our transgressions he was bruised for our iniquities the chastisement of our peace was upon him and with his stripes we're healed that's a wonderful verse from the Old Testament which brings before us substitution the people of Israel in a future day will take up this verse and they will confess it for themselves that it was true on that cross although they said crucify him crucify him there he was taken their place but we can put our names individually in this verse he was wounded for Simon's transgressions he was bruised for Simon's iniquities the chastisement of Simon's peace was upon him and with his stripes Simon is healed that is what each one of us can say if we've trusted the Lord Jesus as our saviour the all and the many comes out as well remember we talked about that verse which showed the potential extent of the work of the Lord Jesus it's to all when we think of his work of propitiation but when it's substitution it's only for those who believe those who said yes he was there for me from the point of view of propitiation God desires all men to be saved so the Lord Jesus gave himself a ransom for all and these verses that I've mentioned there convey the thought of propitiation extending to all from substitution standpoint he came to give his life a ransom for many and was once offered to bear the sins of many and this is the side which is emphasised in these verses so propitiation and substitution go together we can't benefit from propitiation unless the Lord Jesus is our substitute what the Lord Jesus has accomplished for God's glory so that God can bestow his love cannot be ours if we haven't made the Lord Jesus our substitute but he can only be our substitute if we believe on him as the one who has in propitiation glorified God about the question of sin so that he can bless us so much hands much hands on these thoughts of propitiation for believers we look at Christ's death we see it glorifies God about the question of sin he's laid a righteous basis for all God's operations of blessing towards us even new birth which makes us children John's writings and the many spiritual blessings he bestows on us such as acceptance that's a wonderful thought acceptance comes out in the letter to the Ephesians without the Lord Jesus glorifying God about the question of sin we wouldn't enjoy these things as believers and in substitution Christ's death proves his great love to us each one of us by suffering God's judgment on our behalf not our behalf I've used the word behalf to emphasise it's an individual thing to secure the benefits of propitiation for us so that we can be assured of enjoying them now and for all eternity may these things really encourage us and make us thankful to the Lord for his great love towards us …

… It's good to be with you, and we have our subject of redemption. If long English words frighten you, then I hope long Greek ones won't frighten you even more. But if I can understand them, then I assure you that you'll be able to as well. But redemption, in general, redemption means the freeing of the one in bondage or in captivity by the paying of a price. It's the liberation of the slave, of the prisoner, through the paying of a price. We read in the Word, God says of His people in Egypt, Thou wast a bondman in Egypt, and the Lord thy God redeemed thee. When they were enslaved, it was then that a price was paid and they were set free. And so we have two words in the New Testament for redemption. We have apolutrosis, which means a release through payment of a ransom. And it comes from the word lutron, which means ransom. And the ransom is the means of loosing. And a ransom meets a demand. And the demand has been made by God. It is the demand of His holiness, the demands of His righteousness. And what does that holiness demand? Well, in Ezekiel, chapter 18, verse 20, we read, The soul that sinneth, it shall die. That is the demand of God's righteousness. And so we had sinned against God. We had fallen short of His glory, the demands of His glory. We had fallen short. We were in captivity to death on account of our sins. And yet God, in triumph, He cries out in Job, chapter 33. We read of the one who is captive. It says, Then God is gracious unto him, and saith, Deliver him from going down to the pit. On what ground is that grace shown? Grace must be righteous. God cannot show grace and, as it were, shut his eyes to the sin. Because then he will be denying his own holiness. And grace must be in accord with his own holiness. So he says, Deliver him from going down to the pit. I have found a ransom. He has found that which satisfies his glory in regard to our sins. And the Lord himself is that ransom. We have the scripture, didn't we, in Matthew 20, where the Lord says, The Son of Man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister and to give His life a ransom for many. The many there, as we've heard, they are the ones who have put their trust in Him. They are the ones that He has freed on account of that ransom. And so the thought of apolatrosis, redemption, means the freeing of a captive on the payment of a ransom. But then we have another word which completes the picture of redemption. It's the word exaggerezo. And that is the thought of a price paid for the purchase of a slave. In order that he might be set free. And, well, a king can be ransomed, but we weren't kings, were we? We were in bondage. We were in bondage to sin. We were in captivity to death on account of our sins. We were in bondage to sin because we had turned away from a righteous and holy God. In Adam, we had died. In Adam, we had inherited a nature which could only show self-will and insubjection against God. And so we were in bondage to sin itself. But the word aggerezo, which we have, which means to buy, to purchase, literally it means, aggora, means the marketplace. And aggerezo, it's to buy in the marketplace. It's the thought of the purchase of a slave. But exaggerezo goes further than that. It's to purchase the slave and then to set him free. And that's the thought of redemption. The purchase of the slave. He is transferred, as it were. He is brought under the authority of another master, the Lord Jesus himself, who has paid the price through his own death, through the shedding of his own blood. And he comes under a new master. And that new master has the power to set him free. So in redemption, we get the thought of a price paid, the blood, but also we get the power of the redeemer. So we are redeemed on the ground of his death. We are redeemed by blood, but we are redeemed through power. And we'll look at this as we go through this subject. Perhaps we should just mention the thought, too, in the thought of aggerezo, purchase. In one sense, the Lord, through his death, he has purchased everything. We read in Matthew, chapter 13, verse 44, about the treasure in the field. And in that chapter, we understand the field because the field is mentioned in other contexts. We're told quite clearly by the Lord himself, he says, the field is the world. But there's treasure in the field. There's that which is precious to Christ that he wants. And in order to have that treasure, he sells everything and he buys the field. So the Lord, in his death, he restored that to God, which had been lost by man. We read that in Psalm 69, don't we? They that hate me are more than the hairs of my head, he says. And that scripture continues. I can't remember the whole verse. But he goes on to say, then I restored that which I took not away. And so God has given him the right to all things on account of his death. And so in that sense, he is Lord of all. In that sense, he has purchased everything and he has the rights of ownership of everything. And so in John 17, verse 2, in his prayer to the father, he says that thou has given me power over all flesh. He has power over everything as the creator, as the son of God who made everything. But as the son of man, he has given authority over all flesh on account of his death, he has given authority over all flesh on account of his death, on account of the fact that he has propitiated God in regard to everything so that God has put all things into his hands. Man, though, although in his unbelieving state, although Jesus is still his Lord, he doesn't own it. He is still bound willingly under sin. He refuses that Lord. He doesn't want him. And he continues in his sin. But those who put their trust in him, they're not only bought, but they are set free. And I suppose in a special way, whenever the believer is spoken of as being purchased, it's always spoken of in the context of the fact that he belongs to the Lord in that special way. The Lord has made him his own and he has set him free, liberated him from all bondage of sin and from the guilt of sins. So, if we could just look at the price that the Lord Jesus paid in obtaining our redemption. It might be helpful to look at Exodus chapter 12, the type of Israel in Egypt. And it was then that the Lord redeemed them. So we have the thought of redemption there. And if we read from Exodus 12, start at verse 1. And the Lord spake unto Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt, saying, This month shall be unto you the beginning of months. It shall be the first month of the year to you. Speak ye unto all the congregation of Israel, saying, In the tenth day of this month they shall take to them every man a lamb according to the house of their fathers, a lamb for an house. And if the household be too little for the lamb, let him and his neighbor next unto his house take it according to the number of the souls. Every man according to his eating shall make your count for the lamb. Your lamb shall be without blemish, a male of the first year. You shall take it out from the sheep or from the goats. And you shall keep it up until the fourteenth day of the same month. And the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall kill it in the evening. And they shall take of the blood and strike it on the two side posts and on the upper doorposts of the houses wherein they shall eat it. And they shall eat the flesh in that night, roast with fire and unleavened bread, and with bitter herbs they shall eat it. Eat not of it raw nor sodden at all with water, but roast with fire his head with his legs and with the pertinence thereof. And he shall let nothing of it remain until the morning, and that which remaineth of it until the morning he shall burn with fire. And thus shall ye eat it with your loins girded, your shoes on your feet, and your staff in your hand. And ye shall eat it in haste, it is the Lord's Passover. For I will pass through the land of Egypt this night and will smite all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast. And against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgment, I am the Lord. And the blood shall be to you a token upon the houses where you are. And when I see the blood I will pass over you, and the plague shall not be upon you to destroy you when I smite the land of Egypt. So Egypt was under God's judgment. He was going to bring his judgment upon them because of their iniquity and because of their idolatry. But here was this people whom he loved in Egypt. And if God was to judge Egypt's sin, well God's judgment cannot be partial. He could not shut his eyes to the fact that there was sin in his own people. He would have to judge them also, bring his judgment upon them. But he gave them this provision. The lamb, the lamb slain, its blood put upon the doorpost and the lintel. Speaking of a death accomplished. And when he saw the blood, he would pass over them. Because that which he demanded in his righteousness, the death of the sinner, he saw in the death of the lamb, that which satisfied him. Because it spoke of his son, the Lord Jesus Christ. Who we read in 1 Peter 1 verse 18. For as much as you know, you were not redeemed with corruptible things as silver and gold, but with the precious blood of Christ as of a lamb without blemish or spot. And so we have the price that must be paid in order that we might go free from the guilt of sin. The Lord himself must offer himself up to God. He must suffer the judgment of God upon our sins. And take that and himself exhaust God's wrath upon our sins. And therefore it would have been upon us. And it would have involved for us an eternity of suffering. Because we had sinned against the eternal God. We had offended him. So the only way that his judgment, his holiness could be satisfied, would be through an eternity of suffering in hell. We read, don't we, in Psalm 49 verse 8. The redemption of their soul is costly and must be given up forever. It's an eternal issue, this redemption. It involves that which must be, that which is eternal. If it was man, well it would be forever as it were in hell. With the Lord Jesus is involved an eternal weight of suffering upon the cross. But he is the eternal God. And in those three hours, he exhausted that judgment. That eternal weight of judgment. That infinite judgment. He bore it in three hours. He bore it in three hours upon the cross. And in those three hours for him the sufferings went beyond anything that we could know or reckon. But it is in the contemplation of his sufferings that we comprehend more of his love. Because if we are to know how much God loves us, how much the Lord Jesus loves us, it is seen in relation to the depths of the sufferings that he was willing to endure on our account. And so in Lamentations we read, behold, the Lord says, behold, look upon this steadfastly, behold, and see if there be any sorrow like unto my sorrow which is done unto me, wherewith the Lord hath afflicted me in the day of his fierce anger. The sorrow, how great it was. That was the cost to the Lord Jesus in suffering. And again in Lamentations chapter 3, verse 19, prophetically he says to the prophet, this is the word of the Lord himself prophetically, remember thou mine affliction and my misery, the wormwood and the gall. My soul hath them still in remembrance and is humbled in me. The Lord would have us to think upon his sufferings and of course every Lord's Day morning he would bring us into his presence with that sole purpose that we might remember him in his sufferings and that we might learn more of his love. We might learn more of himself through that remembrance. So the price of redemption is indeed costly. We've got a scripture at the end of this slide, the shed blood speaks of a finished work which abides eternally. I thought really we should perhaps contrast this eternal redemption with the temporal redemption of Israel because this scripture does in fact contrast that. Israel was redeemed through the blood of an animal shed. As we have said the value of that is in what it speaks of, not in anything intrinsic in that animal. But Israel was brought because of that into an outward position in regard to Egypt which was true of them only while they were in the earth. But the Lord Jesus through his death, he has wrought an eternal redemption on account of him shedding his blood. So it is spiritual, eternal to do with the soul. The love of the Lord Jesus is seen in the price that he was willing to pay. But also in redemption we not only get his love but we get his power. And Nehemiah speaks of that, doesn't he? Now these are thy servants and thy people whom thou hast redeemed by thy great power and by thy strong hand. And if we are to look at that typically then we must turn to the crossing of the Red Sea in Exodus 15. In Exodus 15. Exodus 14. If we begin verse 21. Verse 21. Verse 26. Verse 27. The Lord Jesus in his death, he has the right to redeem because he paid the price. But we see him in his risen life. He has the power to redeem. There's a lovely picture of that with Boaz, isn't there, in Ruth. If we read Ruth 3 and 4 we see Boaz, the mighty man of wealth. The one who could redeem Naomi, her inheritance. And along with that inheritance was Ruth. And that speaks of a redemption that Israel will come into. By power. They will be redeemed. Their souls will be redeemed. Every individual within that nation, that remnant nation Israel, will have that work of God wrought in them. And that whole nation will turn to their Lord, to their Messiah. And they shall be saved and then they shall be brought into their inheritance. But we can, in our type, we can stay with our own type. And we can see Moses as a picture of the Lord Jesus in resurrection. His very name means drawn out. Because he was given that name, you remember, by Pharaoh's daughter because she had drawn him out of the water. And in Psalm 69, Psalm 18, verse 16, he sent from above, he took me, he drew me out of many waters. Moses speaking of the Lord in resurrection, the rod of God in his hand. The authority and power given to him. And on account of that, in Titus, chapter 2, verse 13, we read these words. The great God and our Saviour, Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity or all lawlessness. And purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works. There is not so much sins, but sin itself, lawlessness. It's that spirit of disobedience which governs the flesh. We see it, don't we, in Pharaoh in Egypt, who could say, who is the Lord that I should obey him? I know not the Lord, he says, I will not let Israel go. That's lawlessness, it's opposition to God, in subjection to him. And that whole sphere of lawlessness, that influence of lawlessness, we have been removed from it completely. Just as Israel was taken out of Egypt and delivered from Pharaoh and from Egypt, that whole realm of things and brought under the authority of Moses. We have been redeemed from all lawlessness, from Satan. We have been liberated from Satan, liberated from the world, liberated from sin, that terrible tyrant which we had to obey. We have been liberated from all these things on the ground of his death, through his power. We have been taken out, as it were, from that realm completely and brought near to him. So that we might be, as Titus would continue, that he might purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works. My time is going quickly, I'm afraid. I'm going to go on to the next slide. I would have liked to have spoken on the redemption of the body and the redemption of the purchased possession, but I'm not going to have time. So I'm going to go on to the next slide and just speak briefly about the purpose of redemption. We often see our salvation in terms of what God has blessed us with, and there's nothing wrong with that. It's a happy thing to dwell on. And indeed, Moses and the children of Israel, when they sang that song in 17, they say in Exodus 15 verse 12, Thou in thy mercy has led forth the people which thou has redeemed. Thou has guided them in thy strength unto thy holy habitation. A lovely thing, isn't it, to think that we have been redeemed in order that we might be brought to the Father's house, that we might be guided by the Lord throughout our lives, that we might know his love, that we might know the joy of his presence. But God says of Israel, I will take you to me for a people. I will be your guard, and you shall know that I am the Lord. This is God's sign. He wants to have us for himself. And so in Titus chapter 2 verse 14, we read that he redeems us from all lawlessness to purify to himself a peculiar people. That means a people that belong to him only. That's his desire. In order that the love which was expressed at Calvary might be satisfied. And in Peter, 1 Peter chapter 2 verse 9, we read that it's a people for his praise. That doesn't mean they're a people who praise him, although no doubt that's true. But it means a people who by their very existence cause the whole universe to praise him for his grace, for his love, for his power. They will praise him because in this people they will see those things so wonderfully displayed. In that people, but by their very existence, a people for his praise. And that is in order that his glory might be shown forth. So we've had that thought already, haven't we? The thought of God, the thought of the Lord being satisfied and his glory displayed. And it's through this people that he is redeemed through his own precious blood. And then finally, we get the joy of redemption. Redemption's joy. The slave, he groans in his bondage, he sighs in his bondage. The prisoner too, groans in his chains. But the redeemed ones, they sing for joy. They sing the praises of their Redeemer. They rejoice in him. They rejoice in all that he has wrought through that redeeming work. In Isaiah chapter 52, God says his people have sold themselves for nothing. They'll be redeemed without money. And then in Isaiah 53, we get the sufferings of the Redeemer. And at the end of that chapter, he shall see of the fruit of the travel of his soul and he shall be satisfied. And then Isaiah 54 begins with the word, sing. Redemption brings joy to the redeemed, but also to the Redeemer. We read in Exodus 15 that it was Moses and the children of Israel who sang this song. Moses is a type of Christ. Israel, a picture of his people. So both the Redeemer and the redeemed, they sing this song of joy. We read of the Lord singing in the midst of the congregation. In Hebrews chapter 2, in the midst of the great congregation, I will sing praise unto thee. He will sing praise unto God. His joy will be expressed in that praise, in that song. But also in Zephaniah, we read the Lord thy God in the midst of thee is mighty. In the midst of his people, he is mighty. He will save, he will rejoice over thee with joy. He will rest in his love. He will joy over thee with singing. He joys in his God, he sings praise to his God. He joys in his people, the people that he has redeemed unto himself. And he sings over them in his love. …

… I think in our different sessions today and tomorrow we are attempting to distinguish things that differ and to see what the leading thoughts are in relation to each of our subjects. But we are also finding that the truth of God is a whole, that all the truths with which we have been occupied and are going to be occupied are interconnected. And though we attempt to follow a particular subject through in scripture and to keep on that track, we are finding that just like the track work at the throat of the major railway station crosses and criss-crosses, so our subjects also cross and criss-cross. And there are many passages in the New Testament where this is the case, where there is this complexity. But if you have in your mind the principal thoughts connected with each of these separate subjects when you come to such passages as those, it will help you in your understanding of them. There are two facts that are the background to our subject in this session and they are in connection with what we have done, fact one, and in connection with what we are, fact two. And in relation to fact one, there are really two things, although I've highlighted what we have done. In Romans 3 verse 23, there is what we have done and there is what we have not done. What we have done is sinned. And to sin means to practise one's own will rather than to seek and to practise the will of God. But not only have we sinned, but we haven't attained to God's standard. And God's absolute standard is not the law, but his own glory. And coming short of the glory of God means that we have come short of God's manifested excellence. And I think that ties in with the definition of glory that Mike was giving us earlier on in connection with the rainbow and the refraction of light, where you have God's excellence manifest and we've come short of that excellence. In relation to fact two, we have what we are and that is that we are full of sin. We have a nature that is fallen and that is inseparable from sin. This principle where we choose our own will, we choose our own way, always, rather than choosing the will and way of God is instinct to this fallen nature. So that so far as what we have done is concerned, this is the corrupt fruit that grows on the corrupt tree of what we are. We can see, can't we, just considering these two facts, how desperate our need is and indeed these are two issues, two facts that really have concerned believers from the very earliest times. I've been struck already this morning by the number of occasions where reference has been made to the book of Job and I want to make reference again to the book of Job in relation to these two facts. Job asked in relation to the first fact, what we have done, the fact that we are sinners, in the light of that, how can man be just with God? How can God reckon someone who is a sinner to be righteous in his sight? And in relation to the second fact, what we are, Job asked, who can bring a clean man out of the unclean? And in fact, our subjects of justification and deliverance this afternoon address these two questions and show how we can be just with God. The answer is we can be just in God's sight by means of justification, which is a subject addressed in the earlier part of the epistle to the Romans and who can bring a clean man out of the unclean? Of course God can. And he brings the clean man out of the unclean by new birth, by giving us a new nature, making us partakers of the divine nature and this new nature is unmixed with sin. It is holy, it is perfect and he delivers us from the old nature. And both of these things, as I think all the subjects that we are considering, have at their basis the death and resurrection of the Lord Jesus. We'll look then first at the subject of justification, although justification and deliverance are closely connected with one another because justification is addressed in the epistle to the Romans up to chapter 5 verse 11 and the subject of deliverance is addressed in the epistle to the Romans from chapter 5 verse 12 onwards. When we look at the two words, justification and righteousness, in English at first glance they look rather different, although if we hyphenate the word justification, to be just really means to be righteous and if we look at the two words in the Greek, we can say in fact that the root of the two words is the same and in the Greek the two words are the same to the extent that they stand next to one another in a Greek concordance. So that to be justified really means to be clothed with the righteousness of God, to be reckoned righteous in God's sight and as Paul develops his subject in the first part of the epistle to the Romans, the first thing he does is to show us that we have no righteousness of our own. We need this righteousness of God, we need justification because in ourselves we are the opposite, we are unrighteous, there is none righteous, no not one and this quotation in Romans 3 is from Psalms 14 and 53 and if you look at the verse in those two Psalms you find in the case of Psalm 14 it's Jehovah, in the case of Psalm 53 it's God who looks down upon the children of men. So he looks down upon the human race on earth and without exception he has to say there is none righteous, no not one. The Jews were God's special earthly people and yet Isaiah has to say in Isaiah 64 verse 6 all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags. We were thinking earlier on Simon made reference to the fig leaves which Adam and Eve sewed together to make for themselves aprons to hide their nakedness, they were conscious that they were exposed to the scrutiny of God's eye, they were exposed to God's judgement but immediately God speaks to them, they realise that this clothing is inadequate and it's only when God clothes them with skins that are the product of the death of those animals from whom the skins came that they realised then that God had come in and provided for them what they could not provide for themselves. And so it is in Isaiah's case and in relation to the children of Israel all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags. The children of Israel were people under the law and it's important to emphasise at this point that by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in God's sight. Just as we have seen that those efforts made by Adam and Eve to work up something themselves were in vain that shows us that on the principle of law, on the principle of works we cannot make ourselves fit for the presence of God. Indeed the Apostle Paul speaks in Philippians I think it is where he says that I may be found in him not having my own righteousness which is by works of the law but righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ. Were it possible for someone to keep the law, to keep it perfectly all they would establish is their own righteousness. But the righteousness with which we are clothed is the righteousness of God. It is a righteousness of God that has been secured by the death of the Lord Jesus and is revealed to us in the Gospel. I might say there's a reference at the end of the third bullet point there to Romans four where the case is argued out and we see that Abraham was justified without any reference to the law. Before the law was given, before the right of circumcision was given we read that Abraham believed God and it was reckoned to him for righteousness. So it is by faith, it is by believing God, it is by believing on the Lord Jesus that we are justified. The righteousness of God secured and revealed. Again we see this crossing over of different truths of scripture references already be made to Romans 4 25. He was delivered for our offences and raised again for our justification. And we think of Exodus 12 and Exodus 14 and those two chapters very much go together because Exodus 12 shows that we are redeemed by blood and Exodus 14 shows that we are redeemed by power. And both of these things are prominent in relation to our justification and in relation to our deliverance. And we see this in the Lord Jesus who was delivered up for our offences. His life was given, his blood was shed. But he was also raised again, divine power came in to raise him from among the dead, to bring him forth from the grave and to give him life and this was for our justification. It's righteousness of God revealed in the gospel and this is a really interesting scripture because when we read Romans 1 verse 17 we find that it is the righteousness of God that is at the foundation of the Christian gospel. Therein righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith according as it is written the just shall live by faith. So again it is a question of God having been satisfied of all his claims, having been righteously met in order that he might reckon righteousness, might reckon righteous those who believe on his son so that God can be just or righteous, justifying clothing in righteousness the believer. The righteousness of God applied to the believer. While it is towards all, it is only upon those who believe. It is only those who through faith in the blood of the Lord Jesus are justified. And being justified by faith we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Now this is a really, really important point because our two subjects, justification and deliverance are closely connected with one another but you cannot really move on to the subject of deliverance unless you first have solid peace in your soul that the question of your sins has been dealt with. And that's why the subject of justification comes before the subject of deliverance. The point has already been made by another speaker that we are not justified by the righteousness of Christ which would be our Lord's personal righteousness as a man under law who kept it. There are some other references as you can see that show that God, that the Lord Jesus and the Holy Spirit are all involved in this matter of justifying the believer and they're certainly worth further consideration. So we come to the subject of deliverance. Justification is connected with what we have done, our guilt, whereas deliverance is connected with that fallen nature that we have as children of Adam. It is a nature mixed with sin that cannot be separated out from sin. It's called the flesh. Paul in Romans 7 verse 18 speaks about my flesh and when you look at these references you see that in each case he is speaking about fallen human nature. But a word of caution. Don't think that whenever you come across this word flesh in the New Testament it necessarily refers to the fallen nature that we have because it doesn't always refer to our fallen nature. It's not talking about the human body. The human body is not sinful. The human body is something that we can present to God, holy, acceptable to him. We can use the members of our bodies as instruments of unrighteousness to sin but that's because we choose to, not because the body is intrinsically sinful but because within us there is that fallen sinful nature that we can and should distinguish from the body. And we can think of the reference to the Lord Jesus in John 1 verse 14 and the word became flesh. It's simply speaking about the fact that the Lord at his incarnation took humanity but he didn't take fallen humanity. The human nature that he took was completely apart from sin. But we have a new nature that doesn't commit sin, that yields itself to God and has fruit unto holiness and the end eternal life. So old nature, new nature, how are we set free from the old nature and enabled to walk in the new nature? What are the truths that God brings to bear upon this situation to deliver us and help us to be in this scene for him? The first thing, and there are really four key things that we find in the chapters in the epistle to the Romans that deal with this subject, and the first thing is that we are to know certain things. We are to know what God has done in connection with the fallen nature that we have. So we're looking outside of ourselves to see how God has addressed this situation. And first of all we find that our old man was crucified with Christ, that the body of sin might be an old, that henceforth we should not serve sin. Mike mentioned earlier on that what could not be mended, God has ended. We think of the Lord Jesus as a man who was unrighteously condemned to death and crucified, and we sometimes forget that God used those circumstances and that he made the Lord Jesus sin for us, and that the totality of sin and of our sins was laid on his head. He identified himself completely with our guilt and with our state, and God dealt with him there as such. We think of crucifixion as a shameful death, and yet this is the death that our fallen nature deserved. This is the right place so far as the flesh is concerned. And God dealt with it there in the cross of Christ in order that the body of sin might be an old, in order that its power over our lives might be taken away so that we don't give in to the temptations of the flesh of which we are so often conscious. We are to know that he that is dead is free from sin. When the believer dies, that old nature ceases to be active. But in fact we have died in the Lord Jesus. And in that he died, he died unto sin once, but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God. So you can see we are brought out of that state where we are dominated by this sinful fallen nature that we have. We are brought into a new state in Christ in that he lives and he lives unto God. And I began by emphasizing the fact that there are things that God wants us to know. And you remember that the Lord Jesus said, the truth shall make you free. So that as we understand the truth, it really will set us free practically. So knowing is the first key point. The second key point is reckoning. Reckoning in the light of what God has done in the work of the Lord Jesus. We are to reckon also ourselves to be dead, indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord. I was speaking earlier on about Exodus 12 and Exodus 14, the fact that we are redeemed by blood and by power. But here also we have, I think, an allusion to the crossing of the Jordan. We are to identify ourselves with the Lord and with his death and to follow him. Knowing, reckoning, knowing and reckoning are largely matters of the mind. We come to a certain knowledge and we reckon in the light of that knowledge. But when we come to this word yielding, this is a much more day by day thing. We are not to yield our members as instruments of righteousness to sin, but yield ourselves unto God as those alive from the dead. For as ye have yielded your members, servants, to uncleanness and to iniquity, and to iniquity even so now. Yield your members, servants, to righteousness and to holiness. And finally, by walking, knowing, reckoning, yielding, walking, walking in the spirit. If we walk in the spirit, we shall not fulfill the lusts of the flesh. Paul tells us in Galatians, he says to the Galatians, if ye live in the spirit, walk in the spirit. And if we walk in the spirit, we won't fulfill the lusts of the flesh. Rather, although we are not under law, we shall fulfill its righteous requirements. And we can be sure of the practical help of the Holy Spirit. And it is striking as you read through these chapters in the epistles of the Romans, just how many references in Romans chapter 8 there are to the Holy Spirit. So that in conclusion, in summary, there is this wonderful verse in Galatians 2. I was going to say earlier on in connection with the various strands of truth that are before us. As we follow up each strand of truth, we find that in each and every case, its study leads us to the Lord Jesus. It leads us to his death and resurrection. It leads us up to the glory of God. And this verse, this well-known verse in Galatians 2.20 seems to encapsulate that. The law could not give life. It never gave an object. It never gave power. But in this verse, we have all three of those things. We have Christ as our object. We have Christ as our life. And as we are occupied with him, the Son of God, whom each of us can say, love me, and gave himself for me, we shall find that we are empowered to answer to the exhortations that have been occupying us in these chapters. If therefore the Son shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed. And this is true liberty. This is true victory. May we be helped along these lines till the Lord comes. …

… The topic for this session is sanctification, and it is sanctification as a further and distinct, different fruit or result of the work of Christ. I would like to start by reading from Hebrews in chapter 10, it says in verse 10, we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. So this is sanctified through the offering of the body. Then in verse 14, for by one offering has he perfected forever them that are sanctified. And finally in Hebrews 13, it says in verse 12, where for Jesus also that he might sanctify the people with his own blood suffered without the gate. Now these references and the topic in itself pose the question to us, well what actually is sanctification? Generally I very much agree with the positive approach that the speakers took this morning of just presenting the truth. Now with sanctification though, there is the problem that there are all sorts of teachings that are very widespread and increasingly widespread, and in particular one which I think I need to mention. So if you bear with me, I would like to first tell you what sanctification isn't, and hopefully that will make it easier for us to understand what sanctification is. Now when we ask what does a term mean, the first thing many of us will do is reach for the dictionary. And I have nothing against dictionaries, I have one or two myself. But if we get a doctrinal definition out of a dictionary, we need to check it very carefully against the Word of God, and I'll show you why in a second. If you consult this particular dictionary here, it will say the following. Sanctification is the making truly and perfectly holy what was before defiled and sinful. It is a progressive work of divine grace upon the soul justified by the love of Christ. The believer is gradually cleansed from all the corruption of his nature and is at length presented faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy. Sounds good, doesn't it? If it does, then we have a problem. It's not a good definition. And we have to ask with Galatians 4 verse 30, nevertheless what saith the scripture? Now before I tell you what the scripture says to this definition, I want to tell you about a young man. And this young man is called, was called Henry. Unfortunately the picture I've got from him is one where he wasn't that young anymore. But Henry had a believing mother. His father died early. Through the testimony of his mother and also regular visits from evangelists, by evangelists, he accepted Christ in his early years as a young teenager. He was shortly after this confronted with exactly this holiness teaching that was outlined in this definition. And he actually wrote a book to, well he wrote many books, more books than you or I could carry. But he wrote one particular book where he describes what happened to him while he was exposed to this particular teaching and how he then discovered the truth. Now I'll read just some extracts to you from his book. It's actually called Holiness, the False and the True. And in his book he says how after his conversion when he was still a teenager, he says the following, I became interested in what were called holiness meetings held weekly in the army. That's the Salvation Army, Army Hall. At these gatherings an experience was spoken of which I felt was just what I needed. It was designated by various terms, the second blessing, sanctification, perfect love, higher life, cleansing from inbred sin, and by other expressions. Now he then says a little later, substantially the teaching was this, in order to maintain himself in a saved condition, very dangerous term, the believer needs a further work of grace called sanctification. Now remember again that's what sanctification isn't. This work has to do with the sin, the root, as justification had to do with the sins, the fruit. The steps leading up to this second blessing are the following. First, you need a conviction as to the need of holiness. Then you need to fully surrender to God. Thirdly, you need to claim in faith the incoming of the Holy Spirit as a refining fire to burn out all inbred sin. And the fourth step is you then need great watchfulness, lest Satan deceive you and introduce again the same kind of evil principle that you had just eradicated from yourself. Mr. Ironside, and you now know who this Henry was, Henry, Ellen, or Harry Ironside, he then goes on to describe how is this teaching, and actually in these holiness meetings there were people who gave testimony. He speaks about one woman who said she had now reached it for 40 years, she had not committed a single sin, and she had reached a state of absolute holiness and the whole old nature was gone, so she said. And he shows how this teaching, A, makes you very proud, but B, when you find out it's not true, it makes you very depressed. But he says that he even remembers, he says, I remember how often I prayed to God to give my dear mother the blessing he had given me, and to make her as holy as her son had become. And that pious mother had known Christ before I was born, and knew her own heart too well to talk of sinlessness, though she was living a devoted Christ-like life. By the way, it's a very frequent feature of Ford's teaching that it's something that appeals to our flesh, like the teaching here, you know, if you go through these steps you can claim I've now become so holy I can't sin anymore. But what happened to him? He says later in his book, nearly 18 months of an almost constant struggle followed. At last I became so troubled I could not go on with my work. Five years of active work had left me almost a nervous wreck, worn out in body and most acutely distressed in mind. I saw only the blackness of despair before me, but yet I knew too well his love and care to be completely cast down. And then he goes on to speak about how he was delivered from this teaching, and how the light of scripture dawned on him when he discovered the truth of sanctification. Now I think this experience is a solemn warning, but of course it's not a test of a doctrine. A doctrine can only be tested by scripture, so we'll do that now. The interesting thing is that if you look up the references to sanctification, it's not that you get a long list and in there you kind of find one that contradicts this definition. It's basically every single reference that flies in the face of that definition that we heard earlier. Just look at this. The very first example is the Sabbath day, and God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it because that in it he had rested from all his work. Now you tell me how was inbred sin eradicated from the Sabbath? How was something that was sinful before made holy? You find, actually if you go through the elements of the definition, you find none of them in this case. Well let's go on. The next thing won't help the holiness doctrine or movement anymore because if you look at Exodus 19, it talks about a mountain. Mount Sinai and God had said, and sanctify it. Exodus 19 verse 23. And again you will agree that the mountain had no sinful nature that had to be eradicated and it was not sinful and unholy before. And the same applies to the altar of which it says in Exodus 40 verse 10, sanctify the altar. I still haven't told you what sanctification is. Most of you will know it, but at least I hope we are more and more convinced that what we heard earlier is what sanctification isn't. Now you find many more verses that demonstrate the same because the next problem you get is that you find that one person can sanctify another. And the Lord spake unto Moses saying sanctify unto me all the firstborn. Exodus 13. Now how again could one man eradicate a sinful nature from another or from a whole group of people? But it gets really tricky now for anyone who believes the holiness doctrine because now you find that, sorry should I say the false holiness doctrine, because you now find that somebody can be sanctified to do evil. Isaiah 66 verse 17. They that sanctify themselves and purify themselves in the gardens behind one tree in the midst, eating swine's flesh and the abomination and the mouse, they shall be consumed together says the Lord. Now that puzzle will also disappear once we have the true definition. But just think of some New Testament references. The Son was sanctified by the Father because the Lord says in John 10, say ye of him whom the Father has sanctified and so on. So the Son was sanctified by the Father but also Christ sanctifies himself. And even thinking, even speaking of a sinful nature that had to be eradicated would be would be pure blasphemy. So it can't be true that that is the meaning of sanctification. You may say well but what about the application to believers? In believers it still kind of has to mean that hasn't it? Well no it hasn't because you find in Corinthians that sanctified believers are not people where there is no sinful nature present anymore but they can even be people who are carnal. Paul says to the Corinthians that they were sanctified chapter 1 verse 1 and two chapters later he says and I brethren could not speak unto you as under spiritual but as unto carnal for ye are yet carnal. Similarly in 1 Peter 1 first Peter says they had sanctification and then he exhorts them and says be ye holy for I am holy. It sounds like a contradiction in terms but we will find it isn't. Then you find that even God has to be sanctified but sanctify the Lord God in your hearts 1 Peter 3 15 and then we read in Hebrews that the sanctified had actually been made perfect and it says here forever whereas this doctrine that we talked about says once you are sanctified you need to take great care so you don't suddenly fall out of that position. The sanctified are made perfect forever and how? It says here by one offering and this is our subject the work of Christ. So then what is sanctification? Now sanctification which is use of persons and things means simply setting apart separating and this means to set apart from the ordinary use and to be for God's own possession and use and enjoyment and if you go through the examples we had you find that this simple definition really clears away all the mist all the fog that we have seen just take some examples we saw that the Sabbath day can't be made holy from say turn from being sinful into being unsinful or holy but what could be done was one day could be set apart for a special use now the same applied to the firstborn they were set apart to serve God same applies to the altar wasn't there for anyone to prepare his meal it was set aside for a special use for God namely to bring sacrifices to him. Now what other examples did we have? Let's just have a very quick look for example first when we spoke about if you were sanctified those who were sanctified to do evil they simply had set themselves apart from the rest of the nation in order to actively pursue those unclean things. Now if the son is sanctified by the father again it can't mean take away sin but it does mean set apart and even now Christ has sanctified himself he is up there in heaven at the father's right hand and he is the object for us to be occupied with and he has set himself apart sanctified himself in that way so that we can be occupied with him. Now on the references that talk about believers who on the one hand are holy and on the other hand or sanctified and on the other hand are exhorted to be holy or to sanctify themselves the same word should have said. I will come back in a moment because the problem that would otherwise remain is that you have this apparent this seeming contradiction take the Corinthians again God Paul addresses them as those who have been sanctified and then he says to them but you are carnal. Peter writes to those who had known sanctification and then he exhorts them and says now be ye holy. Now how does this fit together well sanctification is used in the New Testament in in two ways and that the primary sense in which it is used is positional and that means because of the work of Christ we are set apart. You know when when you believe on the Lord when you are born again when you belong to him one other thing that happens to you that we may not have realized at the time is that God basically does not see us anymore as part of the rest of the people in the world but he says you now belong here and you are set apart. But the practical question is what if that is our position if God looks at us in this way are we then sanctified in a practical sense in our ways and our walk if the world is interested in I don't know the idols of football or cricket bats or whatever it is or whatever they go after maybe money or something are we sanctified in our practical walk to be that we are conscious to be set apart by God. Now some may use a different word here some may speak about progressive if you want to use the word progressive that's up to you but then you have to explain what you mean by it. I very much prefer the word practical. One thing is our position the other thing is our practice. Now just some examples we touched on 1 Corinthians 1 verse 1 as an example for positional sanctification where Paul addresses them as sanctified and think of them as Corinthians you know that there were problems in their midst there was a lot of disorder but their position and this is the fruit of the work of Christ is that they were sanctified. Actually we learn a little bit about this in chapter 7 chapter 6 I should just read this verse because it gives you a flavor for this change of sanctification. Paul reminds them there in 1 Corinthians 6 verse 9 of what they had been like he speaks of fornicators, idolaters, adulterers 1 Corinthians 6 verse 9 effeminate abusers of themselves with mankind, thieves, covetous, drunkards, revilers, extortioners and he says they shall not see the kingdom of God and then he says in verse 11 and such were some of you and then he goes on to say but you are washed, you are sanctified, you are justified. So you can imagine for these Corinthians who had been actively involved in idol worship and immorality and so forth what it meant for them to know they actually had been set apart they had been sanctified. Now we looked at the three references as well in Hebrews 10 we saw again that it was our position that we were sanctified and it was emphasized in verse 10 we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. There is no question of falling out of sanctification there's no question of having to guard your position of being sanctified I say position and the assurance given is that we are sanctified once for all but again what was necessary was the offering of Christ so it is another one of the great fruits of that work. Verse 14 for by one offering he has perfected forever them that are sanctified. Now if you are sanctified then you are also made perfect and made perfect forever and finally and that is another very clear allusion to the work of Christ in chapter 13 and verse 12 where it says where for Jesus also that he might sanctify the people with his own blood suffered without the gate. He had to leave the camp the religious camp which was at the time at Jerusalem he had to be outside the camp outside the gate like the sin offering had to be burned outside the camp in the Old Testament and why did he have to do this because he wanted by in this way to bring about this work of sanctification and then the exhortation is well if this is so if he suffered without the gate in order to sanctify the people then let us go forth therefore unto him without the camp bearing his reproach. Now the other side is the practical side you learn and it's very important to mention this although strictly speaking the main subject of our conference is the positional sanctification because we're talking about the results of the work of Christ but if through his work we have come into this position then we want to live in this way practically just as someone who is perhaps a prince would be expected to live as a prince to show in his life that he is of royal descent and background. Now on this practical side a few references and again John 17 where the son prays to the father and he says to them sanctify them through thy truth through the truth thy word is truth. Now this is practical if you if we read the Bible we will find that the Bible has an effect on us and every time we read the Bible we find we are reminded that actually I don't belong here everything I see around me is different from what I read in this book and you find how this truth this word sanctifies you practically it just brings it home to you you don't belong here you are set apart for a special life and a special use. Now in Ephesians 5 it talks about husband and wife and then it talks about Christ in the church and it shows the love of Christ how he first gave himself for the church but then also how he continues to be occupied with her and he does two things he washes and he cleanses and sanctifies and he does this through the washing of the word. So you find again a different context but the same principle practical sanctification through the word. Now the next two are exhortations to us to bear this in mind in 1 Thessalonians 4 verse 3 and remember the Thessalonians had were young believers they had just been converted out of idolatry turned their back on the idols to serve God and wait for a son from heaven and Paul says to them this is God's will for you holiness or sanctification. We mentioned 1 Peter 1 verse 16 the exhortation be he holy for I am holy this is not how this is not an exhortation to to be holy and more and more holy so that in the end God can accept us we know we are accepted we know we are sanctified and that's why we now want to be here living and set apart for God. Now finally you find another reference in 2 Timothy 2 verse 21 and there you have the picture of a great house and there are different vessels and there are some vessels to honor and some vessels to dishonor. And then Paul says you have to actually dissociate you have to purge yourself from the vessels to dishonor so that you can then be a vessel to honor sanctified and fit for the master's use. If you allow me to quote Mr. Ironside once more and I'll sit down on this verse he gives a nice illustration of a noble sort of household and the master of the house comes home and brings a guest with him and they go to the to the lounge and he wants to get a silver vessel out of the cupboard to serve something to his no doubt equally noble guest and he opens the cupboard and it's empty there's nothing there and he calls the servant and he says where's this vessel I think it was called a goblet or something is that possible goblets okay and I'm not so good with his household things anyhow he calls the servant and says what is going on here why can't I find this silver goblet and the servant says I'm really sorry it's it's in the kitchen and it's there with all the other washing up and it's it's going to be cleaned so the master gets him to clean this silver goblet and once it's clean and it's set aside from the other from the dirty vessels in the kitchen and it's brought into the lounge it is now a vessel fit sanctified set apart and therefore fit for the master's use now that was the story about the silver goblet and finally in closing three points on sanctification you will find that sanctification is by blood it is by the spirit and it is by the word these are no contradictions just different aspects by blood as we read in Hebrews 13 sanctify the people with his own blood speaks of the means that God used in order to bring this about to set us aside sanctification by the spirit of which you read for example in 2 Thessalonians 2 says that God has from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the spirit and belief of the truth this is about the experimental side of how it happens there are hundred people in the room they listen to the gospel 99 are untouched and don't believe and one believes what has happened the Holy Spirit has worked in his heart and through the work of the Holy Spirit this one person receives the gospel and is set as part sanctified and finally and we spoke about this there is sanctification by the word sanctify them through thy truth thy word is truth and this is the practical side so may the Lord help us to do both to have a deeper enjoyment of our position we are sanctified but also to strive to seek to reflect this in our lives by showing that we are sanctified …

… Okay, in this session we're going to look at another aspect of the results of Christ's work, access, approach and acceptance. And we sometimes say it's as easy as A-B-C, well it's even easier, here it's A-A-A. Now, it may be that we can't exactly discern between access and approach, and indeed my session was really split into two, access and approach, firstly, and then thirdly, acceptance. But perhaps I may break it down into these three, and the way I would think of it is this, that the three things are progressive, and initially, the first thing is we must gain access into the presence of God. And then secondly, having gained access into the presence of God, we can approach in the sense that we can draw near. And once we're there, conscious that we're in the presence of God and we can draw near, then we can think about our place there in God's present acceptance. And I make no apologies for going over a little bit some of the ground we've already gone through, because we need to be well grounded in the basis of what we have in blessing. And I want us to go back a little and to take perhaps a similar approach to Michael. Before we look at the right, the correct approach to God, I want us to consider the wrong way. And I'm going to look at this in two ways. Firstly, sewing, as in sewing with a needle, and secondly, sewing grain. And for this, we need to go back to Genesis. It's always a very good thing to go back to Genesis. We find there very often the principles set out, and we've had this already in our first session. Simon reminded us that consequent upon the fall, Adam and Eve, they sewed fig leaves together to make themselves aprons. And we were reminded that Adam and Eve were conscious in God's presence of being naked. They were aware that before the eyes of God, they were open to scrutiny. They felt naked, and they attempted to remedy this by doing a work. Their own works, their own efforts, they sewed. I don't suppose they had a needle and thread, exactly as we would understand them, but the Bible tells us they sewed fig leaves together to make themselves aprons. And you know, this is very much an attitude of men and women today. They think that they can answer to their own need, if they think about it at all, if they're conscious of their nakedness before God, that they don't measure up to the mark. Nevertheless, they think that by working, by sewing, that they can accumulate enough good deeds to tip the balance. Some, regrettably, may even take a very much stronger position, one of arrogance. And I've heard people say things like this, If there is a God, they say, if, and if I ever come before him, I'll tell him why I should be accepted. I'll ask him about this, about that. Why did he allow such and such a disaster to happen? What about this? What about that? This is the arrogance of man. They think that if they stand before God in their sins, they'll be able to argue their case. And I tell you, they'll not open their mouth. They'll be silent. And the proof of it is here, because Adam and Eve, they took those fig leaves and they sewed aprons. Now, think of what an apron is. It's just, I think, really, the word here, we could translate it, loincloth. That's all it is, the bare minimum, a token covering to their nakedness. And we read, we read in Genesis chapter three, they heard the voice of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day. And what confidence did Adam and Eve have in their aprons? Nothing. As we read, they hid themselves from the presence of the Lord. And Adam said, I heard thy voice in the garden and I was afraid. And, you know, this will be the response of anyone that thinks, anyone that dares to think they can approach God still in their sins, when it comes to it, that terrible day of judgment. They'll not have any answer. There'll be fear. They'll have to acknowledge that they stand before a holy and a righteous God and they have no answer. They have no covering. They are naked. And so this is a very solemn matter to take up. Man's works are inadequate. And not only are they inadequate from God's side, they're inadequate from our side. There is no peace, no rest, no security. We've moved a few years ago, but our old next-door neighbor, she spends some of her time knitting. And she knits very nice little garments. And, in fact, she's donated some garments to be sent to those that have need of them overseas. And she said to Ruth one day when she was handing over her latest batch, well, she said, you know, you do what you can. You do your best. You do good things and you hope it's enough. Well, it's a very sad and solemn thing to think of anyone thinking like that. Can we ever take up knitting needles, sewing, needle and thread? Can we ever think we can ever do anything to remedy the state we're in before God? Thankfully, in the case of Adam and Eve, God stepped in. And we've been reminded, Simon helpfully pointed out, that God did something for Adam and Eve in place of their own works. He made coats of skins and clothed them. And here, notice it's not provided aprons, but he clothed them. A full garment. And that's one aspect of what we're taking up in our studies today and tomorrow. That what God does goes so far beyond our necessity. It doesn't just answer to our need, but it brings us into a wideness and a fullness of blessing. And we see this, I suggest, even in God's providing clothing. Not just aprons, but a full garment of skins. And we've already been reminded that this brings into the truth of substitution. The animal that had to die in order to provide the skins is a picture of the person and the work of the Lord Jesus. Okay, that's sewing with a needle. Then we had sewing a seed. And this now brings in another aspect. With Adam and Eve, their sewing was with a view to meeting their need. To atoning for their sins, their sinful state, their disobedience in taking the fruit. And they attempted to provide their own covering for such things. But now we have Cain and Abel and we're told Cain was a keeper of sheep. Abel was a keeper of sheep and Cain a tiller of the ground. He sowed, he sowed grain, he sowed corn. And as a result, there was fruit came up. And we can read in Genesis 4 that Cain brought of the fruits of the ground and offering unto the Lord. Abel, he also brought, he brought of the firstlings, the fat of his flock. And now there's a key difference. A key difference because Abel was, his role, his work involved life. And sheep are alive and what he offered involved death. So one of his sheep, it had to be given up in death. Again, a picture, a figure of the work of the Lord Jesus. And we read that it was of the firstlings, the fat. It was the very best. And this answers to the demand of God that the lamb should be without spot, without blemish. But of Cain, we read only this, that he brought of his, the fruits of the ground. It doesn't say it was the best. It doesn't say it was the first of the crop that was available. It was just some of it. It almost seems that it was just what was spare, what was left over. You see the completely different attitude that Cain and Abel had. Now, I suggest this brings out another aspect of the approach, the attempt to come into God's presence that men have. This is not so much now covering for sin. It's not a matter of atonement. But it's simply men presuming that they can come into God's presence and bring something which God will find acceptable. Some time ago, I asked some young people to define or suggest what they understood by the term worship. And there were various suggestions, various responses. And I think they were quite typical. If we ask, we were to ask anyone about what is worship? I think you'll find you'll get all sorts of different answers. And people will say, well, there's all different forms of worship. And I worship in my way and he or she worships in another way. And it's all just a different way of approaching God. And I think the root of it is found here in Cain. He presumed to approach God with something according to his own ideas. And we read, the Lord had respect unto Abel and to his offering, but unto Cain and to his offering he had not respect. And as a consequence, Cain was very angry and his countenance fell. So we have this twofold aspect of the attempt of men. You know, some time ago there was a young man, and I think he's in our audience today. He posed this question to the editor of the Bible Monthly. The question was, what is worship? Well, you can find yourself an old copy of Bible Monthly and find out what Mr. Hocking's answer was. But I think it was along these lines. That worship is simply the presentation to God, the Father, of the person and the work of the Lord Jesus. And that is the only basis on which we can have access to, approach to, God. And all these things are figured. And we have a number of verses I'd like us to take up very briefly. Romans 5 verse 2. We have by whom the Lord Jesus, by whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand. And we've seen thus far that all the results of Christ's blessing rest on himself as a person, the value to God of who the Lord Jesus is, his own beloved Son, sinless, spotless, holy, undefiled, the Lamb of God. And secondly, on the work of the Lord Jesus, what he did for us on the cross, a matter of substitution again. Those three hours of darkness, a very terrible and solemn time, during those hours of darkness, the Lord, he did a work for us. And we can say that these two things are inextricably tied up, his person and his work. And these two things together, they and they alone, form the basis for our entitlement to come into the presence of God, firstly, and secondly, to draw near, to boldly come into nearness to God. And we'll see in these verses that everything is based on, flows out from, connected with the person and the work of the Lord Jesus. Another one, Ephesians 2 verse 18. Through him, the Lord Jesus, we both, that's both Jews and Gentiles, have access by one spirit unto the Father. Ephesians 3 verse 12, Jesus Christ, our Lord, in whom we have boldness and access with confidence by the faith of him. Again, we can go back to Genesis, an Old Testament principle established. Noah built an altar unto the Lord, took of every clean animal, of every clean bird, and offered burnt offerings on the altar. And the Lord smelled a sweet savour. Now, this is again something we've already looked at. Leviticus chapter 1, the first offering that's taken up isn't the sin offering, not the trespass offering, not that which meets our need. That comes subsequently. But the first offering, the first matter taken up is what is acceptable to God, the burnt offering. And Noah, he understood something of this. He took account of it. And as a consequence of being passed through the flood, he offered that which was acceptable to God, a burnt offering. And we read, it shall be accepted for him. So, this now leads us on to the last of our three. I trust we can follow that there is one basis and one basis alone on which we can come into the presence of God. And secondly, to draw near with boldness. Not ever having anything of that fear of Adam and Eve, because we're not resting on our own work. There's no possibility of failure on the work of Christ. There is, of course, with our own work. We've never come with boldness to God on the basis of what we have done. But if we come on the basis of what Christ has done, it is grasping the truth of what we are positionally, then it has a practical outworking. And Hebrews tells us that we have, therefore, boldness to enter into the holiness, holiest by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way. And that's something we need to apprehend. It's something we need to know, to accept, to be clear about, to stand on and to rest on. It's a foundation stone. And having done that, and I trust that after this day, this weekend, we should be better equipped to know what it is on which we stand and rest. To be certain of the foundation on which we stand. But there must be something that goes beyond that. There must be a building, if you like, that's erected on the foundation. And here we have it. Let us draw near with a true heart. Now, I've got a number of pictures. They might be a little like Simon's. They might need a little bit of explanation for us to work out what have they to do with our subject. Well, here we have a very happy scene. We can assume it's a father with his two young children, young enough to pick up in an arm each. Now, look at the scene. Look there at the delight that the father has in his children. And look, too, at the delight the children have in the father. It's a very happy scene of relaxed intimacy. And there's no sense in either of these children that they're not really at home in his arms. They're not entitled to be there. They're not in the arms of a stranger, are they? Can we understand something of the feelings of these three characters in our picture? Now, of course, it's going to fall far short of the spiritual truth that we are thinking about today. But it's just a little help, I hope, that we might understand what it is that we have as a basis of the person and the work of Christ. That we can come with boldness into the presence of God, having complete confidence. And this is where our third A, acceptance, comes in. We have complete confidence that we have a right to be there. We're at home. Nothing intrudes. There's no doubt. There's no being held at arm's length. These two children are as close as they possibly could be to their father. And now we have another scene. This is a homely scene, a family scene, a father and a mother and the three children, a nice, cosy, warm fire. Now, I suggest we all know something of this. We have experience of what it is to be at home in our own homes. Perhaps to be at home in one another's homes. I heard of some visitors, I think they might even be here today. They were visiting my parents-in-law. And the man, whom I won't name, he put his feet up on the coffee table. And his daughter said, hey, Dad, what are you doing? And he said, it's okay, I feel at home here. And I'm sure it went down perfectly well. Well, I won't tell you who it was because you might not invite him to your house. But, you know, this is a very happy thing if we can feel at home in the homes of the brethren. Believers on the Lord Jesus, when I go to the home of another believer, it feels like home because we're of the same family. We have the same father. And this is a little something of what I want us to apprehend. The results of the work of Christ is that we are accepted in the Father's presence. We're at home in his presence. There's a warm glow. And this little scene, no doubt they're talking about something that's happened at school or I don't know, but it's a scene of domestic bliss and rest. And that should be a little picture to us of what our wonderful portion is in the presence of God the Father. Now, a different aspect. Here we have a proud father, a young son, and they're dressed the same. So this man has aspirations for his son. He wants him to be a chip off the old block. He wants him to follow in his footsteps. And this man has every confidence in his son. He's going to grow up to be just like him. He even dresses the same. That's the same tailor. And this young boy, do you think he feels uncomfortable? No, he's there, his father's hand on his shoulder. He feels relaxed. He's got someone to look up to. There's a relationship here. The father and his son, they know each other. They know where they're going. They have the same aspirations, the same interests. Now, again, it falls far short of the spiritual truth we're considering. But, you know, we have to say, speaking reverently now, of the father and the son there of one mind. This was clear in the life of the Lord Jesus. And if we want to know anything about the father, we have it revealed in the person of the son. And I suggest, too, that there's maturity in this young boy. He's only a young boy, but already there's a measure of maturity. It goes beyond that other little picture of the two children in their father's arms. This young boy here, he knows and understands his father's business, his father's mind, his father's thoughts. You know, that place is ours in Christ. We are brought into a measure of mature association with Christ before the father. We can think the way God the father thinks. He's brought us into a place where he desires for us to know his mind. We have his word. He's brought us, in his word he tells us what he's going to do in regard to his son, the Lord Jesus. We've had it already. At the name of Jesus, every knee shall bow. We know something of the prophetic scriptures which tell us what God is going to do in this world and beyond into the eternal state. God the father has entrusted us with wonderful truths and secrets. We're brought into a measure of maturity as a result of the person, the work of the Lord Jesus. And we have this brought out in this little scene. The father and the son working together on something that they enjoy. And there's a common purpose and a common activity. Of course, spiritual truth goes far beyond this simple picture. But this is just a little taste of what I want us to think about. And in closing, I would say, you know, it's a practical matter. Practice flows out of the positional side. What we know, what we rest on, should have a working out in our lives. And I suggest that in one area in particular, we can know this wonderful truth of having access, approach and acceptance before God. And that's when we come together on the Lord's Day morning to remember the Lord Jesus in his death. We have before us the tokens, the emblems of his love, his work. The cup, the loaf separated speaks of death. And we're there to remember him and what he's done. Now, when we're occupied with the Lord Jesus in that way, are we not brought into a conscious sense of our place before God? Can we not see that we're accepted in the beloved? Is there not then a being led out to appreciate our place before God, the Father? Can we not draw near in worship? Not as Cain, not just bringing any old thing that will do, but like Abel bringing the firstling of the flock. What can we bring that's acceptable to God? We bring our true worship, our heart's appreciation of the person and the work of the Lord Jesus Christ. That alone is acceptable to God. And we are, we're accepted in the beloved. This wonderful verse, having predestinated us, marked us out beforehand. It's a measure of sanctification there. We're predestinated, what for? For adoption by Christ, by Jesus Christ to himself. So we have this entitlement to be in the presence of God as his family. This is the aspect of children, but it goes beyond that. According to the good pleasure of his will, to the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he has made us accepted in the beloved. We have no greater, no better basis on which to come into the presence of God. And once there, to know that we're accepted. And I want to close by recalling an occasion when we were remembering the Lord. The Lord's Day morning in a town in the middle of the UK, in a meeting room which they no longer use because they now have a new one. I'll give you a clue. And an old brother there, at the end of the meeting, another brother who's present here today, he went up to him and he said, you know, I think we had a touch, a taste of heaven this morning. You know what this old brother said? He said, a touch, a taste? He said, we were there. We were there. And that's the sense, dear friends, that I want us to get to today, that on the basis of the work of the Lord Jesus, we can draw near with boldness to the presence of God, and there in his presence to rejoice in our being accepted in the beloved. And it's not only a taste, a foretaste of heaven, but we can say that we can know something of it. We can say we were there. …

… The purpose of this session is to look at the topic of reconciliation and we'll do so by reference to the headings that are up here on the slide, considering firstly the need for reconciliation, then the means by which reconciliation is achieved, the present result of reconciliation and also its future results, and then the present effects of reconciliation in us, and at time permitting we might look at one or two other verses. In contrast to some of the words or some of the concepts that we've been considering already this afternoon, such as atonement and propitiation, reconciliation is a word that's in common usage in everyday language today, perhaps not in common usage but it's certainly a word that most of us would be familiar with. The slide sets out some dictionary definitions of reconcile, they're from ordinary English dictionaries not Bible dictionaries, but really the concept of reconciliation has two elements to it. Firstly the existence of a difference or a dispute between two people or two groups of people and then that difference or dispute being resolved and a state of harmony being established in its place. That's reconciliation in a nutshell, but in the Bible reconciliation means much more than the word does when we use it in ordinary language and it really means much more than is set out on the slide and hopefully we'll see that by the end of this session. It means so much more than the ordinary meaning of the word because of the two elements of reconciliation that I mentioned before. It means so much more because of the starting point, because of the magnitude of the difference that there was between the reconciled and the reconciler and secondly it means so much more because of the second element, the result, the completeness of the change that is brought about by God's reconciliation. In this session we'll consider the verses that are set out there on the slide and there's a few notes about translations and Simon has already alluded to these two particular verses that are noted there, Romans 5.11 and Hebrews 2.17, the first verse being one where the word reconciliation should appear and the second being one where it should not. Simon's already gone through this so I don't need to go through it again but it's perhaps just worth making at this point that in saying that reconciliation should be in Romans 5.11 and should not be in Hebrews 2.17, it's not just a matter of comparing the JND translation of the Bible and the authorised version and where there's a difference preferring Mr Darby's version and it's also not the other extreme of any of us having to be Greek scholars to be able to work these things out for ourselves. The true meaning of God's word is available to us in the English language and in both instances if you look at the context of the passage you can see the right word that should be used in each instance. Romans 5 verse 10 is talking about reconciliation, verse 11 flows on from verse 10 so hence it is talking about reconciliation as well. Hebrews 2.17 in the authorised version the phrase appears, a reconciliation for sins and just as a matter of ordinary language that doesn't make any sense. Reconciliation isn't a word that can be applied to sins. So there are just a few comments on our various verses. One other thing that it's worth noting about reconciliation and again this differs from some of the other things we've already looked at and that is that reconciliation is not presented in the Old Testament even in type, even in any of the sacrifices. Apparently some words have been cut off from this slide in the conversion process. The slide did go on to set out the reasons why reconciliation is not presented in the Old Testament but perhaps that first point that has survived on the slide is enough because in the previous dispensation there was a covenant between God and Israel and that was an everlasting covenant and that's clear from Genesis chapter 17 and God's promises to Abram there. So there was a relationship between God and Israel and that relationship existed even when Israel sinned and so there was just no need for the concept of reconciliation. Moving now to the topic of reconciliation in a bit more detail. There are many verses in the Bible that describe our condition by nature and some of them are set out on the slide there and we could add many more to them. In Romans chapter 1 verse 28 it says that man by nature did not like to know God and in chapter 3 verse 11 it says that man by nature did not seek God and those verses apply to us as well. But I think perhaps the most dreadful description of man's natural state, of our natural state is what we have in one of our verses, Colossians 1 verse 21. I'll just read out the verse in full. It says and you that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works yet now hath he reconciled. The key words there for present purposes being you that were sometime alienated and enemies. I don't think there's a more dreadful description of our natural state than that we were enemies of God. We can sort of think of things in a spectrum. We have God and some of the other descriptions taking the middle one that's on the slide that we were dead in sins. While not wanting to play that down in any respect, we can consider that as being that there was nothing within us that would respond to God but when we consider that we were enemies that's even further down the spectrum and is really at the other extreme because it means that we were not merely not responding to God but we were pointing away from him. We were desiring to get away from him. We were at enmity with God. Our enmity was seen in our actions, our thoughts, our desires and again many more verses from the Bible could be quoted there but really enmity was what described our whole being. We were at enmity with God and perhaps it's good to have an appreciation of the thought of this, to follow Simon's example again and put our own names in there or apply these verses to ourselves. I was at enmity with God. You were at enmity with God and it's perhaps also worth at this point pausing to say that if there is any person here who does not believe in the Lord Jesus, to be blunt about it, you are at enmity with God. We can contrast though our position with God's position. From a human perspective us being at enmity with God we might think that reconciliation was impossible. In this world reconciliation doesn't happen if one party is still at enmity with the other. It needs a change of heart on both parties for there to be reconciliation. But again reconciliation in the Bible is much more wonderful than what we have in this world in human relations because God was never our enemy and we'll read another one of our verses now, 2 Corinthians 5 verse 19, God was in Christ reconciling the world unto himself not imputing their trespasses unto them and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation and it goes on. So there are three key elements to that verse as summarised on the slide. God was in Christ. God did not distance himself from man because man was at enmity with him. God did not cut off man because man was at enmity with him but rather God presented himself and more than that he presented himself to the world and he presented his character of wanting to reconcile men unto himself. God was in Christ reconciling the world unto himself and we'll come back to consider the third element of this verse a little bit later but for present purposes it's sufficient to say that in presenting himself to the world God did not and does not presently judge the world as it deserves because of its state of enmity. God does not impute man's trespasses unto man. We can take another verse in Romans which summarises this very well and that is that God demonstrates his love to us. These verses perhaps have their immediate application to the Lord's presence here on earth but the principles that are behind them I think have an ongoing and a present application. So we can now consider the means of reconciliation and as we saw in the first presentation I think it was God's love in and of itself and great though it was it wasn't capable on its own of achieving the things that we've been speaking about, wasn't capable of atonement being made or if there being a propitiation and similarly God's love alone was not enough to effect reconciliation. Man's enmity with God was the result of sin and sin must be judged and even that state of enmity towards God must be dealt with in a righteous way. But again there is a way that God's love and God's righteousness can be effected together and that is through the death of the Lord Jesus Christ. And our verses make it clear that reconciliation comes about by the death of the Lord Jesus. And we'll read the second of the verses that are quoted there in full reading from Mr Darby's translation because I think it just reads a bit better this time Colossians 1 21 and 22 and you who were once alienated and enemies in mind by wicked works yet now has it, that is the fullness of God, yet now has it reconciled in the body of his flesh, the Lord's flesh through death to present you holy and unblameable and irreproachable before it. The Lord's death was the means by which reconciliation was achieved. Now it's worth noting that all of this happened at a time at which we had no desire for it and in fact the world as a whole had no desire for it. The reconciliation was effected when we were enemies, while we were still enemies God's love brought about the reconciliation. We also had no power to bring about the reconciliation ourselves, there was no way that we could make amends to God for our state of enmity towards him because of God's righteousness and for that to be resolved it required something far greater than we could provide. And so it was God and God alone who reconciled us and again that is something that comes out clearly from our different verses that God is the one who has reconciled us to himself. And we might read another one of our verses, 2 Corinthians 5 verse 20, it says there now then we are ambassadors for Christ as though God did beseech you by us, we pray you in Christ's stead be ye reconciled to God. And that is the gospel message which we preach and it's the gospel message which goes out to the world and it's a message which goes out to anyone here who may still not believe on the Lord Jesus. And the message is very simple, it's set out in those four words in the Bible which are reproduced there on the slide, be reconciled to God. It's not a message that you need to do anything in order to be reconciled to God. It's not even a message that you need to plead for God's mercy, rather God has already done everything that is necessary for reconciliation to take place. The reconciliation is still presently available, all that is necessary is to take hold of what is offered and to be reconciled to God. Now there might be a question as to what is the relevance, if any, of the Lord's life to reconciliation because one of the verses that we have, 2 Corinthians 5 verse 19, refers to the Lord's life. It says there that God was in Christ reconciling the world. If we look at the context of the verses and read the verses together, we see that that statement that God was in Christ is actually referring to God's ministry of reconciliation. That phrase, ministry of reconciliation, is used in the previous verse. And a ministry of something is not the thing itself but rather a presentation of it. We might have a meeting for the ministry of the Word and while the Word of God is the focus of that meeting and the foundation of it, the meeting is actually a meeting for the presentation of God's Word. And so God's ministry of reconciliation through the Lord Jesus was a presentation of God's reconciliation to the world. And when we consider Christ's life, hopefully it's easy to see that it was a ministry or a presentation of reconciliation. And I've given some examples there on the slide proving that Christ was presenting God's reconciliation. He did not come, sorry, he came to seek and save that which was lost. We also read that grace and truth came by him. And finally, the Lord's own words, I came not to judge the world but to save the world. In Matthew chapter 9, there's a record of an incident where the Lord was sharing a meal with sinners. And the Pharisees see that and they rebuke the Lord's disciples and ask why this man is receiving sinners. And the Lord answers them by saying that he came not to save the righteous but the sick who needed salvation. That's obviously a bit of a paraphrase of the Lord's words there. But the point I want to draw out from that is that the Pharisees had in some sense rightly identified that there was some anomaly between someone who was calling himself the son of God receiving sinners. I say they were right because they were, in a sense, because they were also grossly incorrect because they were focusing only on the side of God that involves righteousness and judgment but they hadn't perceived the side of the Lord, the side of God, rather, that wanted to reconcile the world. And it was for that reason that the Lord, in that instance, was seeking sinners to spend time with him at that meal. Everything about Christ's life was a presentation of reconciliation but it was still his death that was necessary to make reconciliation possible. Turning to the present result of reconciliation, I mentioned before that there are two elements to the concept of reconciliation. That difference being done away and something new being established in its place. The removal of the difference between us and God is referred to in Ephesians 2 verse 16. It's not mentioned on the slide but I'll just read that verse again from Mr. Darby's translation because I think it puts things very powerfully. It starts off, and might reconcile both in one body to God by the cross, having by it slain the enmity. So the death of the Lord Jesus destroyed completely and absolutely the enmity that there was between us and God. So the enmity is done away with. But reconciliation is not the mere removal of enmity but it's also establishing something new and that something new is a complete change in us. The Moorish Bible dictionary gives the definition of the Greek word that's used for reconciliation in the New Testament as being a complete change and our verses again bring that before us. Second Corinthians 5, 17, if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature. Behold things are passed away, behold all things become new. And Colossians 1 verse 22, in the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and unblameable and unreprovable in his sight. So as ever, what God does in bringing about reconciliation is to establish something much better. In place of old things and in place of our enmity towards God, there is this new life and this new creation that comes from God that has no flaw. It says there that we are unreprovable in his sight. So there is nothing in us that God can charge us with. We are without reproach in his sight. We no longer have any enmity with God and in fact we have a desire for fellowship with God and for knowledge of things concerning God and that comes out from John chapter 17 verse 3 where the Lord is talking about new life. The reconciliation that God affects and the new things that he establishes in us also make us suitable for his presence and the reconciliation that God affects is complete and it's permanent and that is evident from the verses that we have. God has reconciled us, we have been reconciled and all things are become new. Just by the by, these verses present absolute truth about what God has done in us. There is also a practical side as to whether we make these things good in our lives now but that's not the focus really of what we're considering this afternoon. There's also a future side to reconciliation and that's mentioned in Colossians chapter 1 verse 20. It refers there to Christ having made peace through the blood of his cross by him to reconcile all things unto himself. By him I say whether they be things in earth or things in heaven. Now wherever sin has existed there needs to be judgment of what sin has brought about or there needs to be reconciliation. We've dealt with our reconciliation that we receive if we and when we believe on the Lord Jesus but Colossians 1 verse 20 promises a reconciliation of things in earth and things in heaven. Colossians 1 verse 20 doesn't actually expressly state when this takes place and there's no other verse in the Bible that expressly in so many words states when this reconciliation of these things will take place. It ought to be evident to us that it hasn't yet happened. There is still sin and the effects of sin in this earth and even in the heavens. We read in Ephesians chapter 6 that Satan has access to heaven. So this reconciliation of all things has not yet taken place and it is for a future day and again when it is not really the subject of this afternoon's presentation. So it may be something for further study to consider when precisely the reconciliation of things in heaven and things on earth will take place. But it is worth noting that the Bible doesn't promise reconciliation to the third category of things. Philippians 2 verse 10 refers to three categories of things, the things on earth, the things in heaven and the things under the earth. There is never reconciliation promised to that third category, only judgment. But to put things another way, the Bible never promises reconciliation for all men. We move now to reconciliation's present effects in our lives and from our verses we learn two things that reconciliation does now. Firstly, it states that we boast in God as a result of it. To read Romans 5.11, not only so but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ by whom we have now received the atonement. Worship should be the natural effect of reconciliation and it's something that all Christians should do. It says there, we joy in God. There's really no excuse for any of us who have enjoyed God's reconciliation not following that up with worship to God. Just briefly, if we compare this with the Darby translation of the same verse, we see that Mr. Darby uses the expression, we boast in God. And I like that because I think the word boast emphasizes that we should have real confidence in God and what he has done when we worship him. It shouldn't be that we're approaching God in a state of timidity or anything like that but we should have confidence in our new state when we come before God to worship him. The other effect is mentioned there on the slide, spreading the gospel and we've already read these verses from 2 Corinthians chapter 5. We see though that the gospel is something which God has committed to our trust. His ministry of reconciliation was something which the Lord Jesus originally affected or first affected but now it's something that God has committed our trust. In fact, we have the privilege of doing it as Christ's ambassadors and it's really quite a wonderful privilege when we stop to think exactly what that means. But again, it's something that is the responsibility of all believers. It wasn't just the responsibility of Paul and the other apostles when he was writing these words and spreading the gospel is not just the responsibility of an evangelist. What's being spoken of really in 2 Corinthians chapter 5 is not formal evangelistic work which might be the domain of an evangelist, someone with a gift for that, but it's simply passing on what we have received. We have received the reconciliation and we present it to the world. That's something that we all should be capable of doing. The last slide I'll have to leave for your own perusal at a later date. It just deals with a couple of questions that may arise from some other verses dealing with reconciliation. But just to return to where we started and to summarize what we have seen in these last few minutes, there was a need for reconciliation. We were enemies of God in that dreadful state. Reconciliation was brought about by the death of the Lord Jesus Christ. Christ's death was necessary to slay our enmity with God. The result presently is that that enmity has been removed and something new, a new creation of God has been put in its place for those who believe in the Lord Jesus. There's also going to be a future result of reconciliation of all things on this earth and all things in heaven. But reconciliation also has its present effects, firstly in spreading the gospel, but secondly and in furtherance of what I think was some of the exercise behind this weekend, reconciliation should be one of the many things which leads us to worship God. …

… I'm very thankful that as I stand here before you this afternoon, that the topic that we now have before us is one of forgiveness. And I'm quite sure that as we've seen other brothers seek to explain some long and difficult words to us, that each one of us, even down to some of the young ones there at the back, would know what we're talking about when we see this word forgiveness. It's a wonderful word, it's a wonderful concept, that all our sins have been forgiven. That by the death of our Lord Jesus Christ on Calvary's cross, who has preached unto those men and women in the very early days of Acts, the forgiveness of sins, that and resurrection, was the central planks of the message that was preached by the apostles. The forgiveness of sins. Perhaps we take it for granted, I hope we don't, that all our sins have been forgiven. We don't go to bed at night tossing and turning because of some wrong thing that we've done. Our consciences don't weigh us down, we're not miserable people, we're not worried, we're not anxious about what eternity might bring forth, because our Saviour, our Lord Jesus Christ, went into death, he paid the penalty of our sins, and we're forgiven. If we roll back in our minds something of our lives, some of the things that we've done wrong, that we're ashamed of, and we think of what put our Lord Jesus Christ on that cross, and yet we can think, we can rejoice over the fact that our sins are forgiven. How wonderful that is. How great and glorious it is that we can think of one who is able and willing to forgive us our sins. We can go back into the Old Testament, and we can see there that the nature of God himself was revealed to us. The Lord, the Lord God, merciful and gracious, long-suffering and abundant in goodness and truth, keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin. The character of God who delights to forgive. When I was going over my slides here and looked back and see that these verses were said to Moses on Mount Sinai, when the law was given, the law that would condemn them, the law that would show them how sinful they were, and yet God is here speaking. The fact that he is merciful and gracious, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin. Another verse, in the days of Nehemiah, but thou art a God ready to pardon, gracious and merciful, slow to anger and of great kindness. In the days of Daniel, to the Lord our God belong mercies and forgiveness. How wonderful that is, that God is a God who's ready to forgive, who's anxious to forgive those terrible wicked things that we've done against him. We've already had alluded to us some of the spiritual realities, those facts, those truths that are so very clear and very plain to us. God's holiness, how can a just and holy God forgive us our sins? The man in the street, the man in the street who perhaps we don't realize, appreciate, that people are bothered about their sins. They have got a conscience. These things, perhaps too occasionally, do bother people. But God's holiness, that man would, is very quick to point a finger, but when anything's done wrong, that's terrible. They should be punished, they should be sent to jail. God is holy and cannot look upon sin. Sin must be judged. When we've done things wrong, then it must be judged, it must be paid for. Sin is a real problem. It certainly is something that God has acted against. We see Satan accusing, going round, accusing the believers before God, speaking of the sin, the sins that were committed and are being committed by men and women all over this world, increasingly so. How can God rectify the situation? Well, we know that in the cross of Christ, we see that most important event in the history of this world, that on the cross, the matters were dealt with. We've been thrilled this morning to see the greatness, the extremity of the work of Christ on Calvary's cross. You would wonder how we're going to spend eternity thinking of what the Lord Jesus has done. But we can see already, can't we, that we're only scratching the surface. Where there's lots of things we don't fully understand, we certainly don't fully appreciate. But on the cross, God maintained his holiness because sin was condemned on the cross. His justice was satisfied. Consciences have been purged and Satan has been defeated. We always like to think of the story, that well-known story of David and Goliath. Goliath, that great mighty foe, the children of Israel in terror at this great giant of a man who defied the living God. But there was David, young boy, going down into the valley of Elah and he slew the giant. Our Lord Jesus Christ defeated Satan at Calvary's cross. Well might we say, hallelujah, what a saviour. But what is the ground, the basis of our forgiveness? When the Lord Jesus Christ died on Calvary's cross, as we know, God poured out his righteous wrath upon sin. He poured out his anger and his wrath on his beloved son. He condemned sin and God could not pass over a single sin, but he could put it away. So if we think and perhaps afterwards meditate on some of these wonderful verses that we've considered together. Without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness. Blood had to be shed. The life is in the blood. For us to receive forgiveness of sins, the Lord Jesus is the only perfect one. The only one who could pay the penalty of your sins and mine. He had to shed his blood so that we could receive forgiveness of sins. Ephesians 1.7, in him we have redemption through his blood. The forgiveness of sins in accordance with the riches of God's grace. What a wonderful verse that is. We've been reminded of this verse before. Their sins and their lawless acts I will remember no more. This is a holy God in righteousness speaking. As far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us. He thought of the goat the day of atonement being sent into the wilderness. And then in Psalm 32, blessed is he whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered. Blessed is the man whose sin the Lord does not count against him, and whose spirit is no deceit. He doesn't, God does not only cease to hold us guilty, but he shows his face towards us. How wonderful that is. But as we think of that ground, that solid basis, ground of our forgiveness, then we can think of the extent of forgiveness. How far does God's forgiveness go? But we see that in the death of Christ, there's provision made for the full forgiveness of all our sins. We can think of our past sins, everything that we've done wrong. Our future sins, those things that we will do wrong in our lives, what we might consider to be awful, terrible things that we have done or possibly will do. We might think of small sins, but of course small sins add up. How many small sins have we committed? How many? But as Isaiah tells us, the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all. How wonderful that is. The Lord laid on him, the Lord Jesus, the iniquity of us all. The extent of divine forgiveness. Because Christ died on the cross, we know that God can faithfully and justly forgive. There's no doubt. There's no cause for us to worry. Christ is our advocate in heaven. We can confess our sins. We can receive full forgiveness, forgiveness for everything. We can be perfectly cleansed and our communion can be restored. So we know that because of what Christ has done on the cross, that our sins, all of them, have been forgiven. But we come to the question that as we put our trust in the Lord Jesus Christ, as we know that we are eternally saved, that we will spend eternity in heaven with our Lord Jesus, that we go through our lives and we still do those things that are wrong. We still sin. We still make mistakes. And we have this wonderful verse. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. We have this verse, don't we? And perhaps of anything that we can think about here in this session this afternoon, do we follow this verse? Do we make use of what is provided for us? Because we sin. We still do those things that are wrong. But we have this instruction, don't we? What should we do when we sin? We all know. Do we confess our sins to God? Do we confess them? Do we say that we're sorry? Do we keep short accounts? When we've done something wrong, do we confess them immediately? Do we say that we're sorry? Do we clear that broken communion with our Father in heaven? We've had mentioned to us the Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, how they were ashamed, how they went and hid. We know that when we've done things wrong, that we feel bad about it. Our consciences do point them out. But we need to confess them sooner rather than later. We need to do that in our daily lives. We need to get used to keeping those short accounts. Because he cleanses from every unrighteousness, not just every sin. Everything that isn't perfectly done according to his mind and will. So the extent of God's forgiveness for everything that we've ever done wrong. And then we can think of the style of God's forgiveness. Is there anything more lovely than this? We can think that when we have an occasion to forgive someone, we perhaps might think of a child. A child has done something wrong. They realize it and come and ask for forgiveness. They perhaps might really have annoyed us. We're angry. But they say, a little voice might say, please forgive me. And we grudgingly accept their plea. We're grumpy about it. We might be gradual. We might not be in a state to forgive them perhaps, not just for many hours, but for many days, for many weeks. Do you still hold something against somebody that lasted might happen many years ago? It's not right, is it? But we have here the way in which God forgives. Just think of these examples in Luke 15 and there are many others. The lost sheep. Laying that lost sheep on his shoulders, rejoicing. Rejoicing. The lost sheep was found. We think, take the parable perhaps maybe a little bit too far, but the shepherd might have been out all night. Might have been cold and wet and angry. But no, God forgives and he's rejoicing in the fact that that lost sheep has been found. We see the example of the woman. She seeks diligently until she finds it. She keeps looking throughout the house until she finds it. She's not going to give up. And then the wonderful story of the prodigal son. The father saw him and had compassion and ran and fell on his neck and kissed him. How wonderful that is. The father, the picture of God looking down, searching and seeking in this chapter, looking, waiting, seeing the prodigal return. He's not grumpy. He doesn't do it gradually. As soon as he saw him, he ran, fell on his neck, gave him the best robe. How great that is. There was a story of a Christian man who was traveling by train one day and as he got onto that train, he saw a youngish boy in front of him. And as he sat there, he gradually began to realize that this young boy, young man perhaps really, was agitated. He was bothered. He was fidgety, couldn't sit still. His face was pale. He looked in a pretty awful state. He felt compelled to go up to him, asked him what was the problem. And the young man explained that sometime earlier that he'd left home, ran away from home, done something wrong and he'd scarpered. And like the prodigal son, it had taken him a while to come to his senses. At long last, he'd written a letter home to his mother and he asked for her forgiveness. He asked if he could come home. And he'd said in the letter to his mother that he would pass on the train that day. And if the mother could forgive him, he asked her to put out a white towel, small sheet on the tree at the bottom of the garden where the rail line passed. And as he was on that train, he was getting nearer and nearer to home. He was getting agitated. Was he forgiven? And he said to the Christian man, I can't look. I just can't look. Will you look for me? And as the train passed by the bottom of the garden and the Christian man looked out, he looked for that tree. He could see it easily because the tree was covered with white sheets. Absolutely covered from top to bottom. He exclaimed to the young man and the young man could see that tree. The style of God's forgiveness. He forgives us fully and freely, rejoicing. He runs, so to speak, towards us. There is much rejoicing in heaven as that lost one comes home. And as we see and look back even into history, we can see that as the disciples went and they proclaim this glorious message that through his name, whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission. The notes tell us that's another word that's used for forgiveness of sins. There's nothing in the history of mankind that is able to forgive our sins. But here was preached what man had waited for. There was a way back to God from the dark paths of sin. Sins could be forgiven because what our Lord Jesus Christ has done on Calvary's cross. Be it known unto you therefore, men and brethren, that through this man is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins. What a wonderful thing that is. But as we look practically, we come again to this verse in John chapter 20. Again, quite a remarkable verse. It is at a time when the Lord Jesus appears the first time to the disciples after his resurrection in that upper room. And what does he do and say? He says, peace be unto you. As my father has sent me, even so send I you. And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said unto them, receive ye the Holy Ghost. Whosoever sins you remit, they are remitted unto them. And whosoever sins you retain, they are retained. Well, what does this, these verses here mean for us? It was the Lord Jesus speaking to his disciples. And as we look on the matter, we can see there that those disciples there in that upper room with Jesus in the midst of them is a picture of the assembly. You'll notice that the words, if you read back, we're not speaking just of the apostles, but we're speaking of the disciples. And the Lord Jesus was giving them authority for the exercise of reception or discipline within their own limits. We're not speaking here of eternal forgiveness. Only God can forgive sins. We're speaking here of administratively or in discipline that the disciples, and that means you and I, that we have authority from God to retain or remit sins. Now that is quite striking that we have that authority here upon this earth. You'll notice that the Lord Jesus, as he appeared to those disciples, he, as soon as he was brought back to life, that he was giving to his disciples. He was breathing on them the Holy Ghost. He was, it was before the day of Pentecost, before the baptism of the Spirit. He was imparting to them that resurrection life that he had won and that resurrection life so that they could have the means whereby that they could be sent into the world and they could be entrusted with this administrative powers. You might think, well, where do we find examples of this in scriptures? We have the example of Ananias and Sapphira. A little time later on, how they told a lie, how they said that they'd sold all their goods and given all their money to the disciples, and yet they'd kept part of it back to themselves. You see Peter there acting and in a most severe way that they both of them fell down and they were dead and had to be carried out. You see later on in the book of Acts, Simon the sorcerer in Samaria, how that he saw the disciples and experienced the gift of the Holy Spirit and he wanted that ability. He had masqueraded as a Christian before that gift was given, but he had had some sort of miraculous powers, but now he found that when the gift was given that he hadn't any and he wanted that gift. And Peter had to retain his sins upon him. We know the example of the Corinthian man having his father's wife and Paul writes to the disciples, to the people in the Corinthian assembly and said, you've got to do something about this. This isn't right. You must put him out. You must take action yourselves. He didn't expect to take him an apostle to take action. The disciples were called upon to take action. We know the story of the forgiving king, the parable there of the king who forgave that man so much and the man immediately went out and went to one of his people that owed him money and demanded that he paid it back and that man himself there was put by the king into that place because of his unforgiving attitude. Peter was given the keys of the kingdom and we've hinted at just a moment ago that the assembly, the disciples is called upon to receive into fellowship to remit sins and to put out of fellowship those who've committed those things that are wrong and therefore retaining sins. So in conclusion then we have this verse which tells us that all the prophets testify about him that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name and we need to rejoice in that. We need to remember that. We need to thank the Lord for what he's done for us that our sins are all forgiven. The Lord Jesus told them that the Christ will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day and repentance and forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations beginning at Jerusalem. The message has gone throughout the world. There are believers throughout this world who rejoice in the fact that their sins are forgiven that there is a man the Lord Jesus Christ who was good enough to pay the price of sin who was willing enough to come from heaven itself and die on Calvary's cross to suffer in your stead and mine to pay the penalty of our sins and when we meet together in particular on the Lord's day the first day of the week when we pass the cup one for another we can remember the blood of the new testament which is shed for many for the remission of sins that our Lord Jesus Christ died. How true it is that as we think about some of the aspects of what the Lord Jesus has done for us in suffering and dying on Calvary's tree that we can sing all that thrills my soul is Jesus that he is more than life to me. I remember that chorus which I haven't sang for a while now we've been redeemed by the blood of the lamb been redeemed saved and sanctified I know I am all my sins are taken away praise the Lord praise the Lord. …

… Previous speakers have already mentioned that there are a lot of interconnections between the subjects that we've been considering, the results of Christ's death. And as I was preparing this session, that came across to me very much. We've thought about sanctification, both positional and practical. And there are connections between practical sanctification and the matter of cleansing. And Brother Nick also mentioned some of the issues that I hope to cover in this session about our enjoyment of God's things. And they were also covered to an extent by Brother Jeff. But it's good to reinforce these things to see that what the Lord Jesus has accomplished for us by his death is something which should have a practical effect on our lives now. Subject of cleansing. This little fellow, or maybe a girl, I don't really know, I can't tell very well, perhaps someone might put me right on that, has obviously been cleansed, has been washed. And that's the position of every believer on the Lord Jesus Christ. Cleansing is a wide and important subject. A holy and righteous God cannot have fellowship with us if we're unclean, and we ourselves will not be at ease in his presence unless we're clean. But there are different kinds of cleansing. So the Holy Spirit has used different words in connection with it, such as these in the New Testament. Now I'm not going to try and pronounce that word, but it describes being cleansed from sin or defilement, and it's the Greek word that's used very often in the New Testament for cleansing. This word, luo, I think, to bathe or wash all the body. Just what's happened to that child. And then this word, nipto, I think, to wash part of the body. So instead of being washed all over, bathed, just to wash your hands or maybe your feet. And then the word for sprinkling someone or something, and that's the end of the Greek lesson. That's the Alpha and Omega as far as the Greek lesson is concerned. So let's start the subject of cleansing. The perfect starting point is the tip of a spear. John's Gospel records that after the Lord Jesus died on the cross, one of the soldiers with a spear pierced his side and forthwith came there out blood and water. John chapter 19 verse 34. This must be very important because John adds, and he that saw it bare record, and his record is true, and he knoweth that he saith true, that ye might believe. That's the next verse in that Gospel. Blood and water. Blood and water are the two agents God uses for cleansing. Blood, and here's a verse which shows us this, the blood of Jesus Christ his son cleanseth us from all sin. And that word cleanseth means that's its property, that's its characteristic. The blood of Jesus Christ, God's son, cleanseth us from all sin. That's the character of the precious blood of Christ. Water. Here's a verse which tells us about water being the cleansing agent God uses. Christ also loved the church and gave himself for it, that he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, Ephesians chapter 5 verses 25 to 26. And that was the first word from the Greek we had up on the previous slide, to cleanse from sin. It's the main word the Holy Spirit uses in connection with both cleansing by blood, cleansing by water. The great cleanser. We've had two cleansing agents, blood and water, but who does the cleansing? Don't worry about this chap here, we'll talk about him in a moment. The Lord Jesus is the great cleanser because in 1 John chapter 5 verse 6 it says this is he that came by water and blood, even Jesus Christ. Not by water only, but by water and blood. Later on in that chapter it says these agents are witnesses to him. It says there are three witnesses, the spirit, but also the water and the blood and these three agree in one, they come to one conclusion about the Lord Jesus as the great cleanser, the one who makes us thoroughly clean for the presence of God, the Holy Spirit, the water and the blood. And the two witnesses are conveyed by the fact this chap's looking through binoculars. Let's look at the blood first, John chapter 19 verse 34. In that verse from John's letter we saw he mentions the water first and then the blood. And it's a theme in John's letters, indeed in his writings generally that he deals with the question of what the water speaks about. It's something which occurs throughout his writings, particularly in his gospel. You'll find water in very many chapters of John's gospel. But in that chapter we read, in that verse we read from chapter 19, the blood came first. And perhaps we shall see the reason why later on. As we've seen, the blood of Jesus Christ, his, that's God's son, cleanseth us from all sin. If there's one matter we want to emphasize here, it's the importance of the blood. We live in a day when people speak about Christian things, they're very reticent to speak about the blood of Christ. There's a reluctance to say anything about his blood. If you listen to his word being spoken about on the radio, you'll seldom hear the person speaking say anything about the blood. It's a sad thing that today the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ is not mentioned explicitly in public preaching generally. And yet, it's the most important thing that we can think of when we consider our salvation, as we're going to see. And it's very important for cleansing. And the Old Testament symbolized it. In Hebrews chapter 9 verse 22, almost all things are by the law purged with blood. In the law, when things were to be purged, almost in every case, it was done by blood. But of course, we know that it was the blood of animals. This point has been made several times. They looked forward to the precious blood of Christ, because it's not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sin. Yes, their blood couldn't purge, as it says in this verse, the writer to the Hebrews, writing to them says, purge your conscience from dead works. Only the blood of Christ can do that. And we see immediately, we're dealing with this matter of our sense of being guilty, of being wrong with God. We have it on our conscience. And as a result, we can't feel free about approaching God. We can't feel at home in his presence, because we know we've got our sins on us. We need the precious blood to cleanse us in the sense of purging our conscience from dead works. We need the precious blood of Christ. As we know, there's the loaf and the cup at the breaking of the bread, the Lord's Supper. And the cup speaks to us of his precious blood that was shed for us. It's not very, I don't know if that's coming out very clearly, but hopefully, the cleansing value of the blood, the cleansing value of the blood lies in the value of the one who sheds it. That's very important. The blood of the Lord Jesus is precious because of all that he is in himself. He is God over all, blessed forevermore. But he became flesh and dwelt amongst us, full of grace and truth. In him, those disciples saw one and only begotten with a father. The greatness of his person has given the value to his sacrifice and the precious blood he shed. And that, of course, is mentioned in 1 Peter chapter 1, verse 19, as we've already seen in earlier sessions. Being shed, it's the evidence of his perfect life poured out in death before God and for us. In Leviticus chapter 17, verse 11, we learn that the life of the flesh is in the blood. So when the blood is poured out, it shows that life has been laid down, has been poured out for us. John chapter 19, verses 33 and 34, we've already seen are the historical record of this happening when the Lord Jesus gave his life on the cross. In Leviticus chapter 16, verse 14, on the day of atonement, the blood was sprinkled on the mercy seat and seven times before the mercy seat, showing that God was satisfied and we can be perfectly happy, satisfied as well with the sacrifice he's made for us. Once for God, seven times for us before the mercy seat. We have acceptance before the presence of God. And this verse reference from Luke chapter 22 is wrong, it should be verse 20. The Lord Jesus spoke of the cup and said, this is the blood. This is my blood, which is poured out for you. Poured out for you. Recently, well, not that recently, you'll remember a film was made of the death of the Lord Jesus, which I haven't seen, but to all accounts and purposes, it dwelt on what happened to the Lord Jesus from men. And as I understand it, great emphasis was placed on what he suffered at the hands of men and the blood that was shed that was involved with that, the scourging, even the crucifixion. But it's interesting to note in the gospel, there's no mention of the blood of the Lord Jesus in connection with any of that. The blood which saves us is the blood that was shed from his side after he died. The evidence of his precious life laid down and it's that which cleanses us from all sin. And it cleanses us once for all when applied by faith, just like the people in Egypt, they put the blood on the doorpost, the lintels, we've had that already, but in every other occasion where a Passover was held, that was never done again. It was only done once when they were in Egypt. And it's so for us. We don't have to keep applying the precious blood of Christ to our lives. Once applied, we are cleansed from sin. We no longer have an evil conscience before God. And these other verses emphasize that fact. So why after all that, that cleansing by blood, why do we need cleansing by water? Well in Hebrews chapter 22, in Hebrews chapter 10 verse 22, we get the two brought together. Let us draw near. There's plenty of lettices in Hebrews. I won't try and explain that, but let us draw near. It's great to hear the writer to the Hebrews encourage us to take advantage of our Christian privileges and responsibilities. And we can do that because we've been cleansed. We've been made right for the presence of God. Let us draw near with a true heart, a heart which enters into the things that God wants us to enjoy in full assurance of faith, not doubting God and his word. Having our hearts sprinkled, that refers to the application of the blood. Sprinkling is often to do with blood. We mentioned that earlier on in another slide. It's been applied to us, that precious blood. We're under its shelter, we're cleansed by it. And we no longer have an evil conscience, what I was mentioning just a moment ago. That conscience has been cleansed. We don't feel any more that we're unfit for the presence of God because we've been cleansed from our sins. But he adds here, and our bodies washed with pure water, precious blood, pure water, bodies cleansed or washed with pure water. And often when we think of the body in connection with scripture, it's about what we are, what we are and how that is worked out practically in our lives. And we're going to come on that onto that now. The precious blood deals with the guilt we feel for the wrong things we've done, sins. And the blood cleanses us judicially, it puts us on a right basis with God and once done, it's done forever. It doesn't have to be repeated. But the pure water deals with our nature and circumstances by cleansing us morally. We've already had this distinction, what we've done and what we are and what comes out practically from what we are. So we need to be cleansed judicially, that's the blood side of things and we're going to see that's fundamental. But we also need to be cleansed morally. And these two things, they result from the death of the Lord Jesus. Had the Lord Jesus not died on the cross and shed his precious blood, we couldn't be cleansed either way. So let's look at this moral cleansing in more detail. It takes two forms, new birth once for all. There has to be a thorough cleansing in the sense that we are given a new nature. We're going to come on to that in a bit more detail in a moment. But there's a verse which speaks about it from James's letter. But we also need ongoing cleansing, experience throughout our lives. And that we can see from these verses, one of which we've read already. But the other one is in Psalm 119 verse 9. And I think even the youngest person could quote this one to us. But I'm going to read it out to make sure we get it absolutely correctly right. Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? By taking heed there too according to thy word. That agrees with Ephesians where we saw the washing was by the water of the word. Just a few words about new birth. It's God's work within us by which he imparts a new nature which is incorruptible by the Holy Spirit using the word of God. We see that in John chapter 3 where the Lord Jesus spoke to Nicodemus. Doesn't refer to baptism. If you think about the words the Lord Jesus uses to describe new birth, you'll see it can't possibly refer to a baptism. It was something that was spoken about in the Old Testament in Ezekiel chapter 36. And we get it again in this verse in 1 Peter 1 23. Let me read that one out as well. 1 Peter 1 verse 23 being born again new birth born from above as the Lord Jesus speaks about it in John's Gospel chapter 3. It's the same work being born again not of corruptible seed. You immediately get the thought there of that which is clean not of corruptible seed but of incorruptible by the word of God. There you see the word of God again is the agent by which this happens which liveth and abideth forever through his word in the power of the Holy Spirit. God does a work in us which brings about this new nature this nature which is entirely clean as opposed to our human nature. What we are naturally which is so spoiled by sin. It's fundamental moral cleansing and foundational to all else that should follow in our Christian lives in the power of the Holy Spirit including the ongoing moral cleansing which I'm just about to speak about. Those verses show that God has begun a work in us that starts with this work of new birth. Ongoing moral cleansing. While we continue to live in a sinful world even though we've been born again we need ongoing cleansing from the defilement we pick up on a daily basis. We've already had this verse mentioned in John's first letter but in 1 John chapter 1 verse 9. If we confess our sins he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. That's something that we have to do on a regular basis as Christians through our lives. When we fall into sin we have to confess our sin and we experience the cleansing effect. God uses the same agent for this but he uses a new birth the word in the power of the Holy Spirit. We've already mentioned a number of these verses already. Something I haven't put on this slide but I want to mention too is that we've talked about new birth being brought about by the word of God in the power of the Holy Spirit but sometimes we forget that this is important for the fact that as Christians we're indwelt by the Holy Spirit another consequence of the work of the Lord Jesus upon the cross now that he's gone back to heaven. But how can the Holy Spirit be at home in us except by the fact the Lord Jesus has shed his precious blood for us cleansed us from our sins judicially but for the Holy Spirit to have that place in our lives he wants to have not to be grieved as we have it in Ephesians chapter 4. We have to know what it is to have this ongoing moral cleansing too else he will be grieved and won't be able to use us for his service reminds us a bit of the dove that Noah sent out from the ark it couldn't find a place where it could stay on that earth straight away but that earth had to be cleansed before that was so. We can learn these things too from our Lord's lips the difference between new birth he that is washed and this is the word for bathing all over need is not saved to wash part of your body his feet so the Lord Jesus is making a distinction there in the upper room John chapter 13 between being washed all over new birth and then the ongoing moral cleansing that happens after that and we can see another aspect of ongoing cleansing from that chapter after that he pours water into a basin and began to wash part of the body his disciples feet if I wash thee not thou has no part with thee we cannot have communion with the Lord Jesus unless we have this ongoing moral cleansing in our lives equally in John chapter 15 now I eat clean the Lord Jesus says through the word which I've spoken unto you they have been made completely clean as the Lord Jesus had spoken to them God had done a work in their hearts as disciples but every branch that berry fruit he the father purge if it that's that ongoing cleaning process I know often we look at this word as just meaning pruning but it means really washing cleaning the vine or the branch so that it brings forth more fruit now you say to me well how are these things related to the death of Christ simply because we saw that when the spear pierced the side of the Lord Jesus forthwith there came out blood and water so that every action the Lord Jesus does in regard to cleanliness has its righteous foundation in the fact that he died on the cross without his death there could be no new birth as well as no judicial cleansing from sin and there could be no ongoing these things all eventually go back to the death of the Lord Jesus upon the cross God couldn't act in these wonderful ways of grace towards us in cleansing us in any way at all had the Lord Jesus not suffered and died for our sins upon the cross some pictures to help us take it all in this is the law of the leper book which is available at chapter 2 and now the good book dealers but the cleansing of the leper two birds were used one was killed it's blood sprinkled on the leper to cleanse him the other was set free flew up into the air in fact you can see it just to the left of the title the law of the leper it's not a smudge it's a little bird flying in the sky and they're all looking at it this is a dual type of the Lord Jesus who died and rose again delivered for our offenses raised again for our justification when the leper was then brought into the camp of Israel where he he had to shave and wash himself and his clothes self-judgment on the eighth day there were more ceremonies including the application of blood and oil to his right ear right hand and right foot judicial cleansing and the gift of the Holy Spirit affecting the whole course of a person's life so in picture form we have these things being brought before us in the cleansing of the leper who is a voice obviously a picture of the sinner keep looking at the Old Testament the red heifer the ordinance of the red heifer now what was this about numbers 19 perhaps a young one's thinking I've never seen anything about this well the red heifer provided a water of separation for purifying any one of the people of Israel who got defiled in the wilderness they were going through the wilderness they might come across a dead body they might then be defiled by touching it that's a matter of ongoing cleansing but the heifer had to be killed its blood sprinkled and the rest of the body burned before its ashes could be used mixed with the water to produce this water of separation that speaks about the death of Christ so the death of Christ is the foundation which then allows there to be a water of purification for ongoing cleansing for the people of God as they go through this world another case to look at the consecration of the priests Aaron and his sons were bathed all over new birth and had the blood of the sacrifice judicial cleansing and the oil the gift of the Holy Spirit applied to them but whenever they served God in the tabernacle after their consecration they had to wash their hands and feet in the labor ongoing cleansing in order to serve God and that's what the Lord Jesus was speaking about the importance of washing the feet not literally of course but washing the feet now in a spiritual way in order that we can have part with him individually and when we're together as his people gathered to his name so ongoing cleansing does find its basis in the work the Lord Jesus did upon the cross and once again I emphasize this point that's been emphasized already keep short and thorough accounts with God and each other we were talking a couple of us earlier on we often think about keeping short accounts with God and that's fundamental 1 John 1 9 comes to mind but we need to confess our faults to one another when we go against one another and there is a problem which can cause a root of bitterness which can defile many so we need to know ongoing cleansing as something not only relating to God himself but relating to one another and in the ordinance of the red heather the water of separation I spoke about was applied on the third and the seventh days it wasn't just he didn't quickly run over and quickly douse himself and then go back into the camp and say I'm okay now folks it had to happen on the third day and the seventh day and cedar and hyssop and scarlet were used in the burning of that red heifer the cedar speaking of the greatness of man the hyssop his smallness in contrast with the greatness of God the scarlet all that distinguishes him as a particularly in relation to kings it brings before us the fact that we have to have judgment as to what man is in the presence of God and self-judgment as to ourselves there has to be a thorough work a real confession if we're to know cleansing in its fullness and the same applied in the cleansing of the leper it just wasn't something you did routinely or carelessly or quickly or briefly it had to be a thorough matter it had to be a matter of thorough self-judgment and confession in order to know fellowship with God and with one another being restored Peter's case is an example of this when Peter denied the Lord Jesus the Lord Jesus looked at him the way between the Lord Jesus and his disciples suddenly opened up God arranged it of course the Lord Jesus was being abused by the leaders of the people while Peter just a few yards away was denying him cock crew Peter saw the face of the Lord Jesus he knew what he had done he went bitterly and went out into the night that was the start of the work of cleansing moral cleansing that had to happen to Peter but he didn't stop there there had to be that personal interview we don't know anything about with the Lord Jesus on the day of his resurrection and then still there had to be another work publicly before the other disciples the Lord Jesus spoke to him Simon son of Jonas love is thou me three times it was a thorough work if Peter was to be restored not simply to communion with his Lord but service for him yes it's very important to see that cleansing not only gives us a good conscience as believers to be in God's presence and to be together but to serve him too so the Holy Spirit can empower and direct us in our lives for him perhaps we lack power in our Christian lives because we don't attend to this matter of ongoing cleansing you can look at those verses later on I'm sorry that's a bit of a shortcut but we've run out of time unto him that loved us and washed us from our sins in his own blood the foundation for all of this is the shedding of the blood of the Lord Jesus that has cleansed us judicially before God has dealt with our sins which offended God without that being done we couldn't know any of the other blessings that we've been thinking about today and this should cause us to respond to God in worship unto him that loved us loved us so much he washed us from our sins in his own blood I know some people say this isn't the word wash they say it's the word freed loosed us from our sins I can't comment on that but I'm just going to take it as it is in our Bibles washed us from our sins his love was so great it caused him to be willing to shed his precious blood to wash us from our sins shouldn't that cause us to respond to him in our lives to keep to keep to keep ourselves to keep ourselves clean so often it's difficult in this world at the moment well it's going to be until the Lord Jesus comes you know because the world has been designed by Satan this world system to make us really dirty that's what the devil wants to do to each young person he wants to trip them into into the into the mire into the dirt of this world because he knows that if they're in that even though they're saved even though they're going to heaven they will be seriously compromised in their lives for him until he comes let's let's let's realize the importance of cleansing both that judicial cleansing once for all that foundational moral cleansing of new birth but also very importantly that ongoing cleansing which we should allow the Lord to practice in our lives and use others to help us in our lives and be willing to be used by him to help others in their lives so that they might be for his glory …

… I have a question here, which I hope I can answer, if I can read the handwriting. Redemption is the paying a ransom for the buying of a prisoner. We have been redeemed from Satan, among other things. Both of these statements were made. With unbelievers, the man is in bondage to Satan. In what way is Satan paid a ransom? Well, firstly, perhaps we should just look at what redemption means, the two words that we had. The ransom is paid, that aspect of redemption, is a ransom paid for the release of a prisoner, of a captive. So it's not so much a ransom paid to buy a prisoner, that comes in the other word, of the buying of a slave and freeing him. But with the ransom, it's more the thought of a ransom paid so that the prisoner, the demand is met and the prisoner is released. Now, is the ransom paid to Satan? Well, no, because the demand that is met is the demand of God's holiness. So the demand is God's demand and the ransom is the ransom that God demands to satisfy his own holiness. So in Job, he says, I have found a ransom. He's found a ransom for himself. He does not want to condemn the captive. He wants to ransom him. His glory demands a ransom and the ransom is found in Christ. So the ransom is God's ransom. It meets his demand. And the same could be said of the price paid for the slave. The slave is in debt. That's why a slave goes into bondage, because he cannot pay the debt that he owes and therefore he himself must become a bond slave. The debt again is to God. We have fallen short of his glory. And so he demands that debt is met and we cannot pay it. But Christ has paid it and therefore now we belong to him. So that's the thought there. Neither the price nor the ransom is paid to Satan. It's God's demand. Now, as to being redeemed from Satan, we have been redeemed from Satan, among other things. Well, it's certainly true that we were captive to Satan. On account of the fact that we were in bondage to death, we were captive to death and in bondage to sin, and therefore he had power over us because of that. If we read a verse from Ephesians, chapter two, verse two. In time past, we walked according to the course of this world. We could compare that to Egypt. According to the prince of the power of the air, we could compare him to Pharaoh. That's Satan. We could compare him to Pharaoh. The prince of the power of the air that now worketh in the children of disobedience. There we have the principle of sin, the children of disobedience. This is the nature they have inherited, that we had inherited, and that's why we walked according to that course. We could not walk according to any other course, and therefore Satan had power over us. And in that sense, we were captive to him because we were part of that moral realm which was opposed to God. Another reason we were captive to Satan, we get in Hebrews, chapter two, where it says, For as much then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself took part in the same, that through death he might destroy him that hath the power of death, that is the devil, and deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage. So another reason we were captive to Satan is because we were afraid of death. Why? Because death for us meant God's judgment, and therefore Satan had power over us. He could, as it were, say to God, if I am judged because of my rebellion, then these also, they must be judged along with me. So in that sense, he had power over us, we were captive to him. But the death of the Lord Jesus has met the ransom, paid the price, therefore he has the power, he has the right to remove us completely out of that sphere of things over which Satan rules, and bring us under his lordship, under his rule, bring us to himself, into that new creation order. And this is the liberation of redemption, this is the power of redemption, this is that aspect of it, that he can redeem us from all lawlessness. It's not their sins, that is true of redemption. We read in Ephesians, we have the verse read to us, Ephesians 1, In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace. That's the blood, as it were, the forgiveness of sins. But also, we have the power, we have been taken out from that sphere of things, that lawless sphere of things altogether, which we once walked. And we are now free to serve the Lord Jesus, because he has brought us into that new creation, he has given us a new nature, which loves him, and desires to serve him, and to please him, and he has given us the power to walk in accordance with himself, through the Holy Spirit dwelling within. So I hope that answers the question. Given one or two questions to attempt to answer, and I would like, in connection with these attempted answers, to turn you to some passages of scripture. And the first question is, considering how complete and perfect our justification is, could we explain it as being as just as if I'd never sinned? Justification is equal to just as if I'd never sinned. And I think that scripture shows us that this is an inadequate definition. Because it comes far short of what we are to understand by the truth of justification. And I'd like you please to turn first of all to Philippians chapter 3. Philippians chapter 3, and we're going to jump in toward the end of verse 8. That I may win Christ, and be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God, by faith. And then secondly, and you'll see the connection hopefully with the passage I've just read in a few moments in Romans chapter 3. The well-known verse, verse 23, for all have sinned and come short of the glory of God. We can see from what Paul says in Philippians chapter 3, that he desired to be found in Christ, not having his own righteousness. He realized that a personal righteousness that would be his, if he managed to keep the law perfectly, would actually come far short with the righteousness that is ours by believing on the Lord Jesus Christ. Because the righteousness that is ours by believing on the Lord Jesus Christ is not a personal righteousness, it is the righteousness of God. We are clothed with the righteousness of God. And I read the verse in Romans chapter 3, because again the verse shows us two things. Not only that we have sinned, but that we have come short of the manifested excellence of God. Now, if it was just as if I had never sinned, it would be my own righteousness in which I stand before God. And none of us would say that an individual's personal human righteousness reaches to the same level as the manifested excellence of God. Had I this personal righteousness by keeping the law, which as we all know in fact is impossible, but for arguments sake, had I such a righteousness as this, I would still come short of the glory of God. But the righteousness of God with which we are clothed, the righteousness of God which is ours through believing on the Lord Jesus Christ, reaches that level. It is consistent with the manifested excellence of the Lord Jesus. So I think we do often find that when we try and define something in scripture, and we don't use the words of scripture, that in some way or another we come short. And we're always best advised to keep close to the word of God. The next question is, are we justified by blood alone, or by his life, the life of the Lord Jesus, or his resurrection? And the first thing I can say about that question is that we are absolutely not justified by the life of the Lord Jesus in this world. Brother Mark was talking about that life as being a ministry of reconciliation. It was a life in which the disposition of God towards us was made manifest. But on the other hand, it was a life actually that condemns the sinner. Because it is a life that was absolutely perfect. A life that was lived in an environment that was altogether opposed to that life. And at the end of that life, what did we do to the Son of God? We crucified him. So that there is nothing there that can justify us. There is only there that which actually can condemn us. But by the death of the Lord Jesus and by his resurrection, we are justified. Scripture shows that. And it shows us that the basis of our justification is his blood. He was delivered up for our offences and he suffered in our place. He suffered for our sins. And the resurrection of the Lord Jesus is the proof that his work has been accepted by God. That his love to us led him into death on our behalf. And in that death, in his sufferings on the cross, prior to his death, he glorified God's righteousness. He met every claim of every attribute of God. And glorified every attribute of God. And the work being finished, he died. Now the first response of God in his righteousness to the Lord Jesus was to raise him from the dead. It was the action of divine righteousness. And we must remember that whilst the Lord Jesus identified himself with us, our state and our sins upon the cross, when he suffered at God's hand, we are now identified with him. So that when he came forth from the grave, we came forth from the grave in him. And by his resurrection thus we know that we are justified. It is the proof, the demonstration of the truth of our justification. There is a third question. If I make a mistake or get angry, does that mean I am not delivered? And I want you to turn to John's Gospel chapter 8. And I'm going to read from Mr Darby's translation. Chapter 8 verse 34. Verily, verily, I say to you, everyone that practices sin is the bondman or the slave of sin. Now the bondman abides not in the house forever. The son abides forever. If therefore the son shall set you free, ye shall be really free. So the first part of the question, if I make a mistake or get angry, does that mean I am not delivered? No. It doesn't mean you're not delivered. It means you've made a mistake. It means you've not been living as near to the Lord as you ought to have been. You've let things slip. And there's not one of us in this room who hasn't at some time or another let things slip. You remember when the Pharisees wanted the woman taken in adultery stoned. They all went out beginning with the eldest. So if you think you've let things slip, if you think you've done things that you ought not to have done, believe you me when I tell you that those of us who are older have probably done many, many more things like that than you have. But I read the passage in John's Gospel chapter 8 because here we have a contrast. The one who is in bondage is the one who practices sin. And when we think about this word practices sin, we're not talking about someone who slips away from the Lord and while they're away from the Lord they do things that they afterwards regret. We're talking about someone who is completely under the power of sin. And that isn't the situation with most believers. I say that isn't the situation with most believers. We know from what Paul writes in the epistle to the Romans chapter 7 that it can be the experience of a Christian. But in these circumstances, the end of Romans 7, Paul says, Who shall deliver me from the body of this death? And then immediately he says, I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord who giveth us the victory. If we find ourselves in such a state because we've never really understood the truth, we've never really understood what God has done in Christ in order that we might be delivered, if we cry to God about it, he will most certainly deliver us. And then the final question, how do I go about getting delivered? Stroke deliverance. And I want you to turn to Galatians chapter 2. Verse 20, and I'm not going to attempt to expound the verse, I'll perhaps pick out one or two things from it. I am crucified with Christ. Nevertheless, I live. Yet not I, but Christ liveth in me. And the life which I now live in the flesh, I live by the faith of the Son of God who loved me and gave himself for me. In the talk that I gave earlier on, I spoke of four key words, knowing, reckoning, yielding and walking. And we can see from the beginning of verse 20, where Paul says, I am crucified with Christ. That Paul understood what God had done in Christ, in his work upon the cross, in relation to the fallen nature that we have. And Paul reckons in the light of it. He doesn't say here, our old man was crucified with Christ. He says, I am crucified with Christ. In other words, he recognises that the place to which God has consigned our old nature, that is the place of death, is the place to which we are to consign it. And instead of living in that old nature, instead of giving place to that old nature, we are to live in the life which is ours in Christ. Yet not I, but Christ liveth in me. We have the life of Christ. And this is a perfect life. But practically speaking, this life in us is a dependent life. It's a life that needs to be fed. It's a life that needs to be nourished up. It's a life that needs to be given place to. And the more we do that on a daily basis, day by day, week by week, month by month, we shall find that the new nature in us gets practically stronger and that the old nature in us gets practically weaker. Now the old nature will always remain the old nature. You can't change it. You can't improve it. Don't look to the old nature for anything because all it can do is sin. And one of the wonderful things about the fact that we are in Christ is that God no longer identifies us with that fallen nature. We're not identified with it. Paul comes to this in Romans chapter 7 where he says, well it's no longer me that's doing these things, it's sin that's in me. So he suddenly made this discovery where he's not identifying himself anymore with this old fallen nature. Instead he's identifying himself with a new nature. And that's the beginning of practical deliverance. Another scripture that we could refer to in Romans chapter 8 is that we are not in the flesh, we are in the spirit. And the spirit will strengthen us and help us practically in relation to this matter until the Lord comes. Well I've got four questions. But Brother Robert has given an excellent introduction to one of them, what I thought he would do, so that's why I was keen to speak a little later. The first question is, is it true that our old nature will not be eradicated although we are sanctified? In brackets, or delivered. And if you've actually just heard the answer, it is true that the old nature will never be, will not be taken away from us as long as we live here. As long as we are on the earth, the old nature is there. And I'll give you two verses, one already referred to, Romans 7.17, which says, Now then, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me. Now there you have a plain statement that this old nature, sin, still dwells in the person who already has the new nature, because you find just in the verse before that he has good desires. He has the desires of the new nature. The second verse is 1 John 1, which says very plainly in verse 8, If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. Now clearly, we means believers. And if we say we have no sin, we don't have the old nature anymore, it would simply be self-deception. Now in addition to these two very clear doctrinal statements, you can find plenty of examples. A little later, John speaks about the case, if, chapter 2, If any man sin, we have an advocate with a father. Now if you maintained that the believer does not have the old nature anymore, then you'd need to explain where the sin comes from, how he can sin. Or Galatians 6 verse 1, if one of you gets overtaken by a fold. Or just think of examples like Mark going back from service and Paul having to withstand Peter in the face and so forth. You find many imperfections in the lives of believers in the New Testament that essentially just go to prove the same point. So the old nature will not be eradicated. I suppose the difficulty is, well, isn't it a contradiction to say on the one hand we are delivered and on the other hand we say this beast is still there. I suppose that's the kind of problem. And perhaps it's not that difficult actually. If you think of an example where you have a boat that is run by a very bad captain. And one day there is a change of power. The captain is bound and put into the cellar of the ship. And there's a new captain now who steers the boat. Now the old captain is still alive in the cellar of the ship and may be shouting, go back, go the other way. But he has no power anymore. He's still alive. And actually it's not really my example, it's an example from Romans because it says there about that old captain or master in Romans 6. For sin shall not have dominion over you. So that old sin or sin nature is still there. But the point is it shall have no power over you. We do not need to obey the codes of this old nature. Now then there was a question that said, if as a Christian we sin, how do we get re-sanctified? Now if as a Christian we commit a sin, a Christian wouldn't be practicing sin as Brother Robert explained, but it could happen. A Christian falls into sin. Now if that happens, it's not only a problem with sanctification, but it's also a problem with defilement. It not only requires re-sanctification, but it also requires cleansing. And the thing to do is, and this was mentioned already as well, is self-judgment. We first of all have to come to an assessment of what we have done in the eyes of God. So our judgment becomes his judgment. And we actually say what I've done there was very bad. And the thing to do is to confess it. And what happens is that this sin is forgiven and we are cleansed practically. And then I think you can think about the other step, which is what is called in the question re-sanctification practically. Of course positionally we are always sanctified, but practically you then also have to step back from this and say if I fell into the sin of not paying my tax, just fudged my tax return, Brother Jonathan would take a very hard line on this I think. Now it's not enough for me to just confess this and say it was wrong, but I keep fudging my tax in the same way. So I have to step aside from this practically and say I want to be set apart for God and I want to live here for him and part of that is that I give to Caesar what is Caesar's and so forth. So in other words I want to practically be set aside again. Incidentally both sides, the cleansing and the sanctifying, come out very nicely in Mr. Ironside's silver goblet example, which was dirty in the kitchen and it got clean and then it was taken to the lounge, it was set apart and then it was sanctified and fit for the master's use. Now the other two questions really go together. The first one is, in what way is an unbelieving person sanctified by their believing spouse? 1 Corinthians 7 verse 14. And the second question is, or the unbelieving apostate sanctified by the blood of the covenant? Hebrews 10 verse 29. We might just want to look at this very quickly. 1 Corinthians 7 says, We should start perhaps in verse 12. But to the rest speak I, not the Lord, if any brother has a wife that believeth not and she is pleased to dwell with him, let him not put her away. And the woman which has a husband that believeth not, and if he be pleased to dwell with her, let her not leave him. And now verse 14. For the unbelieving husband is sanctified by the wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified by the husband. Else were your children unclean, but now they are holy. So what you have here is that either the partner, the wife or the husband, is sanctified. And in addition, if there are children from the marriage where one was a believer, one was an unbeliever, the children are sanctified as well. Very glad the question came up. I believe, or at least I hope, that when we talked about sanctification, I said there are two main meanings. The first one is positional sanctification. That's the main meaning. And the other main meaning is the practical sanctification. But there is another sense in which the word is used in the New Testament, as the questioner very ably brings out in his questions, which is an outward sanctification. Clearly, when the unbelieving husband is sanctified, it cannot mean that he is a believer, obviously. And the same applies to the children. But the unbelieving partner lives in a household where there is a believer, where God is known, where Christianity is known. And in this sense, he is different from the people who are still in idolatry, who have no contact, even outwardly, with the truth of Christianity. So nothing to do with life, with eternity, with redemption, with new birth, anything like that. It's outward sanctification. Now, similarly, in the other passage we read, or the question alluded to, in Hebrews 10, Hebrews 10, verse 20. Let's read from verse 28. He that despised Moses' law died without mercy under two or three witnesses. Of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who has trodden underfoot the Son of God, and has counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified an unholy thing, and has done despite unto the Spirit of grace. Now, two cases compared. One is under the law of Moses, and one is under the covenant, and the blood of the covenant is mentioned, so it is a matter of the new covenant. Now, if there was a severe punishment on someone who transgressed under the law of Moses, that was clearly what had to occur, but the writer says it's an offense that is far worse if you despise, if you turn away from a far greater blessing. Now, if you were an Israelite, you were outwardly connected with that new covenant because you belonged to the people of Israel. But if you had just made a profession of Christianity, and then, and this is what much of Hebrews is about, you were about to turn your back on the Christian profession and say, I go back to that which is visible, to the visible sacrifices and altars and high priests and what have you, then you were really doing what is called here doing despite or insulting the Spirit of grace. So again, the sanctification here is an outward sanctification of one who has professed and who has then turned away from Christianity and has in this way insulted the Spirit of God. So in both cases, 1 Corinthians 7 and Hebrews 10, it's sanctification of an outward kind. The next question picks up on some words that are used in 2 Corinthians 5.19. So I will read out the particular words that the question concerns and then read out the question itself. So 2 Corinthians 5.19 contains the statement, God was in Christ reconciling the world unto himself. The question asks, what does it mean that God was in Christ reconciling the world? Are not some in the world in enmity with God? The second part of that question, the answer to that is a definite yes. People who do not believe in the Lord Jesus are at enmity with God. And that comes out from our verse in Romans chapter 5 and also in Colossians as well, where it refers to us having been enemies, alienated from God and enemies. So that's the position of everyone in the world who does not know the Lord Jesus. So there certainly are some in the world who are at enmity with God. I think what the question is really asking is, can that be reconciled, if I can use the word in a different sense, with the statement in 2 Corinthians 5.19 that God was in Christ reconciling the world. And perhaps the questioner has based their question on the understanding that that statement that we read from 2 Corinthians 5 is a statement that God has reconciled the world unto himself. Those words on their own, God was in Christ reconciling the world unto himself, they sound quite nice when we quote them like that. We have to be careful though when we're quoting words from the Bible that we are quoting enough to give them their full meaning. And just to quote those particular words on their own might not give the full understanding of what the writer was getting at in this particular passage in 2 Corinthians. So I think it's helpful actually to read verses 18 and 19 together. So we'll do that now. And all things are of God who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation, to wit that God was in Christ reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them, and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation. At the beginning of verse 19 in the authorised version there's those two words to wit which we don't use in everyday language today. But we could substitute for them perhaps the word namely. And we'll come back to that in a moment. But it brings before us that there is a link between verse 18 and verse 19, and verse 19 builds on verse 18. So we need to read the verses together to understand every phrase that's used in them. Now it's also just worth mentioning a few other things in those verses before coming back to the particular phrase that is the subject of the question. Verse 18 states that God hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ. God has reconciled us. Now that's consistent with Romans 5 and Colossians chapter 1, our other key verses from this afternoon. God has reconciled. So what God has reconciled is a past work, and the people that God has reconciled is us. It is a limited class of people. If verse 19 of 2 Corinthians 5 then went on to say that God has reconciled the world, that would be slightly curious writing because there wouldn't be any point in having the initial statement that God has reconciled us. In fact, God's word does not say that God has reconciled the world. That's not the language that's used in 2 Corinthians 5.19, and it's not language or a statement that is made anywhere else. The language in verse 19 is that God was reconciling the world to himself. So it was a past event, but it wasn't a single or an instantaneous event. It was an ongoing thing. That's why that tense is used. God was reconciling the world unto himself. In one of my slides from this afternoon, I was hoping to make the point that what is spoken of in verse 19 is God's ministry of reconciliation, a presentation of God's reconciliation, or I think Robert put it quite aptly, that Christ's life was a display of God's disposition towards us, and that is what is meant by this expression that God was in Christ reconciling the world to himself. In everything that the Lord did and said, he was displaying God's disposition towards us, not wanting to in any way denigrate anything that the Lord said or did, other than not wanting to denigrate those things. Nothing that the Lord said brought about reconciliation. Nothing that the Lord did brought about reconciliation, save his death. So Christ's life was not bringing about reconciliation, but it was presenting reconciliation, and the Lord was presenting reconciliation to the world. We can take that in a number of senses. The Lord's ministry, the Lord's life, the Lord's words and actions were not limited to Israel, but were limited to other parts of that region of the world. But more than that, everything that the Lord said and everything that the Lord did was a message from God to every person in the world that they need to be reconciled to God. Just one last thing about the verses. At the end of verse 19, and hopefully this will help emphasise why I'm saying the first part of verse 19 means what it does, the second half of verse 19 says that God has committed to us the word of reconciliation. So we have the message, the verbal message of reconciliation to pass on to the world. But through Christ, God was able to do something much greater because in addition to his words, every action that Christ did was a presentation of God's message of reconciliation. So to summarise, the statement that God was in Christ reconciling the world to himself does not mean that God has reconciled the world to himself. But when we look at it in context, it tells us that wonderfully God was willing to send his son, the Lord Jesus, to be that perfect display not only of himself, but that perfect display of his disposition towards the world, which was that he wanted every member of the world to be reconciled to himself. The last question for our attention this evening is, what is the exact difference between forgiveness and justification? I'm sure I can be very brief because Robert's reiterated what he's already said about justification. Forgiveness of our sins. We can think we know that all our sins are forgiven. That if we can think of that account sheet with all the wrong things that we have done are completely forgiven, blotted out, there's a clean sheet. But perhaps it's right to say that justification is a far higher thought. Robert's explained to us that we're clothed with the righteousness of God. Not only are we a forgiven, pardoned sinner, but through the death of Christ, God has clothed us with his own righteousness. Not our righteousness, but he's clothed us so that we can be viewed as perfectly righteous, as perfectly just before him. Truly that is wonderful, isn't it? That we're completely righteous, that God has made us completely righteous before him. So there is a difference, and an important difference, and I would suggest even a higher difference in what the work of Christ by his death has done for us. I believe that when it says God will be all in all, it's referring to all three persons of the Godhead. We are reconciled to God. We are not reconciled to the Father. We are reconciled to God. We are reconciled to God. We cannot be reconciled to one person of the Godhead without being reconciled to the Godhead. Three persons in one. God will be all in all. That will be displayed in a coming day. But now what position then will the Lamb take in relation to worship? We know at present we worship the Lamb, and indeed Revelation 5 is full of worship to the Lamb. Now in the description of the heavenly city in Revelation 21, we read in verse 22, And I saw no temple therein. For the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb. Two persons. The Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the temple of it. Now that is true is speaking of millennial conditions, but I see no reason to suspect a change between that and the eternal state. So to answer the question shortly, yes God will be all in all, because all evil will have been done away. But God and the Lamb will be the centre of our worship, I believe, in eternity. …

… We want to continue this afternoon with a conference theme which is results of Christ's death, some of the results flowing out from the death of the Lord Jesus. And we were occupied with some of those results yesterday. And the blessings that we were hearing about on the past day were all blessings that reach us as individuals. Blessings that every one of us need in order that we might stand in the presence of God, that we might be at rest there, that we might know liberty there. But individual blessings are not all that the Lord Jesus had before him when he went to the cross. Well, we are going to speak about the fact that in going into death, the Lord Jesus also had before him that he might gather together into one the children of God who were scattered abroad. We can think of the standing witness to the nation of Israel which were the twelve loaves that were set down upon the table of showbread in the tabernacle. And God's primary thought in connection with the nation of Israel was not that they were one nation but that through them the earth should be administered by the twelve tribes of Israel to the glory of God. And we know that in the world to come this will happen. But when we think of the standing symbol of the assembly, we think of the one loaf. Not twelve loaves as in the case of Israel but one loaf. And that one loaf speaks of the unity of the spiritual body of the Lord Jesus, the assembly. And we have in a way these two thoughts in Matthew chapter 13. Somebody yesterday made reference to the parable of the treasure. And the treasure, the various pieces, the various different pieces that together made up the treasure represent each of us as individuals. Each of us as valued by the Lord Jesus. Each of us as individuals for whom the Lord Jesus gave himself. But as you well know, there is also the parable of the pearl. This one pearl that was of great price to the goodly merchantmen that sought it. And the goodly merchantmen of course is a figure of our Lord Jesus Christ who went down beneath the waves of God's judgment in order that that one pearl might be his. Now believers have always had life. One could not be a true believer in any dispensation without having life communicated to the soul by God. But it isn't by possessing life that this unity that the Lord Jesus desired that there might be is brought about. There is only one way that this unity was brought about and that was by the coming of the Holy Spirit to indwell believers on the day of Pentecost when the body of Christ was first formed. The body of Christ had no existence before the day of Pentecost apart from, if you like, having an existence in the purpose of God. And as we begin our subject, one of the most striking things that we have to realise is that though the body is one and has many members, but all the members of the body being many are one body, so also is the Christ. And this, I think, is a unique statement. I hope brethren will correct me if I'm wrong. But in this verse, the Christ represents the Lord Jesus united to his spiritual body on earth by the Spirit. We are so completely identified with him that we are included in this description, the Christ. And how astonishing this fact is. It is a fact. And I think it's a fact that we do well to ponder because I'm sure as we do so it will speak to our hearts and to our consciences. In other words, what is to be seen in the body on earth are the features of the head in heaven. We, his body with him, make one complete whole, one spiritual entity. And I find my heart challenged as to the extent in which this is seen in my life, day by day. Do people really see Christ in me? Or do they see features that have no business in the body of Christ? So the Holy Spirit has come and by indwelling all believers, he has formed this one body. And we can say in relation to the verse in 1 Corinthians 12, first of all, by one Spirit are we all baptised into one body, the we all is all believers. It isn't an elite class of believers. It isn't believers who practically have attained to a certain degree of sanctification or practical consistency with the truth that is revealed in scripture. No, because it is by the indwelling of the Holy Spirit every believer is part of this one spiritual body of the Lord Jesus on earth. We are baptised into one body. And the idea of baptism is that there is a burial. And certain things are to go out of sight. There are certain things that are not to be seen anymore. And the things that are to go out of sight in connection with our baptism by the Spirit into one body are all those things that would militate against the unity of the body. And in the verse there are two things in particular that are referred to and they are national and social differences. These are not to be seen. These are not to impact in any way upon the expression of the unity of the one body of Christ. And we're all made to drink into one Spirit. Baptism is something outward. The imbibing of the Spirit, the drinking into one Spirit is something inward. And God is not content with what is outward merely. He would produce this unity in our hearts. So it's not a feigned unity. It's not something that we find extremely difficult to maintain an appearance of because it's a real unity. It's an inward unity produced by the Spirit of God. All made to drink into one Spirit. And here it seems to me is another challenge for us in our day. We know that the church, the assembly is terribly fragmented in its testimony. But we also know that because the body of Christ has been formed by the coming of the Holy Spirit that the unity of the body is never destroyed. Despite the fact that the Christian testimony is so broken. Yet this unity of the body continues to exist. It continues to exist in the sight of God and we are still in our day to conduct ourselves in ways that are consistent with the truth of the unity of the body. And we know from Ephesians, for example, that we are to endeavour to use diligence to keep the unity of the Spirit in the uniting bond of peace. It carries deeply practical implications for us as to the way that we behave towards one another, the way that we treat one another and that point was well made yesterday. I've spoken about unity, the word in the title bar showing our subject speaks of union. The union of the body is with the Lord Jesus, its head in the assembly, its head in heaven. And in Ephesians 1 verse 23 we read that his body is the fullness of him that filleth all in all. And here again this is a most remarkable statement because it's telling us that the Lord Jesus as a man is incomplete without the assembly, without his body. And that his spiritual body on earth is his fullness or complement. So that if all that he is as man is going to be expressed as God wants all that he is as man to be expressed, his body is vital to this. And we know that the fullness that is in him as man will be expressed and will be fully seen in the world to come. In Ephesians chapter 1 just a verse or two above verse 23 there is a reference to the world to come. And that will be when Christ takes possession of his inheritance. When as man he takes possession of everything that he created as God. And we will take possession with him and his glory will be seen, will be set forth by those who are his own, the members of his body. We thought of the fact that by the spirit of God his body is united to him. And it is a fact that we will never be more united to Christ than we are now. 1 Corinthians 6 verse 17 tells us that he that is joined unto the Lord is one spirit. And we can think of those verses in 1 Corinthians chapter 2 that tell us that no one knoweth the things of a man save the spirit of a man which is in him. There are certain things which I could tell you about myself. There are certain things that my wife and family could tell you about me. But if you had my spirit you would know everything that there is to know about me. And as you know in 1 Corinthians chapter 2 Paul goes on to say that God wants us to know the things that are freely given to us of him. And in order that we might do so he's given us his spirit. But here we find that we're joined unto the Lord by the spirit and that we can know everything about him as man. We can enter into his thoughts, we can enter into his feelings as we read the word of God. And the Holy Spirit, the spirit of Christ will bring these things before us. In Ephesians 5 this truth is described as a great mystery. I speak concerning Christ and the assembly. And we know that a mystery isn't something that in the conventional sense of the word is a mystery to us today. It's something that was hidden but is now revealed first of all to the apostles and prophets and through them to us in the scriptures. And the truth of Christ and the assembly is one of the two mysteries that is called in scripture a great mystery. And the other great mystery is the mystery of godliness which speaks of the incarnation of the Lord Jesus. But Christ and the assembly, the truth of Christ and the assembly, the truth of Christ and his body is a great mystery. It's great because it's God's masterpiece. There is nothing in which all the treasures of God's knowledge and wisdom are so set forth as in relation to the assembly, this one entity that is joined to the Lord Jesus by the Spirit so that together they can be referred to as the Christ. The union of Christ and the assembly is a pattern for marriage as Ephesians 5 shows us and we've already considered the fact that in fact our union with Christ is more intimate than any natural marriage can be because we have his spirit. And the assembly, the body and bride of Christ of course, is the object of Christ's present care and future delight. We are going to be with the Lord Jesus in heaven. This mystery is going to be manifested in glory and God would make known to us now what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles which is Christ in you the hope of glory and perhaps this verse requires a little further explanation. We have the Lord Jesus in us now as life. We referred to that at the beginning of this session and this life is the life of Christ and as such it's a life that isn't at home here. It's a life that can only be at home in glory and the reason it can only be at home in glory is because it's a glorious life. We were thinking yesterday about the fact that all have sinned and come short of the glory of God but this life, this life that we have, the life of Christ is a glorious life and belongs there. That is its proper home and our being there with him, the hope of glory, is a proper Christian hope. A hope that we know will be realised at the coming of the Lord Jesus for us. So we have this wonderful hope and we know that our bodies will be made fit for heaven. They will be made suitable suitable for heaven when we are changed at the Lord's coming for us. When there will be that exercise of divine power in relation to our bodies and he will change or transform our body of humiliation into conformity to his body of glory so that we shall be like him then. He won't be ashamed of us and yet the the glory that will light us, if you like, is his glory. He comes, our bodies are changed and then sometime afterwards after we've all appeared before the the judgment seat of Christ and so on, after those events that are to take place in heaven, after the marriage supper of the Lamb, when he is manifested we shall be manifested with him in the same glory. And I might say in relation to the marriage supper of the Lamb that as a consequence of the marriage supper of the Lamb, as I said earlier on, we won't be more united to the Lord Jesus than we are now. That is not possible. But that marriage supper will be a celebration of the union that exists and we know that concerning ourselves at that time all taint of sin shall be removed, all evil done away and we shall realise that union with Christ in a much deeper, in a much fuller way than we do while we are down here. So that this hope that we have in him as 1 John 3 2-3 shows us is to have a present moral effect upon us. Our bodies are going to be changed at the coming of the Lord but this hope that we have in him is to affect us now morally. It should bring about a moral change and I'm going to absolutely fly through my remaining points because I don't want to be rightly ticked off by any of the dear brothers down there. 2 Corinthians 3 brings before us that process by which we are changed morally and it is by beholding the glory of the Lord. The chapter shows us that there is nothing between us and him. There was a veil on the face of Moses when he came down out from the presence of God into the camp of the children of Israel. They couldn't look on his face because it shone with the glory of God and he had to cover his face. But there is no veil on the face of the Lord Jesus and the Holy Spirit would so occupy our hearts with him that we are transformed inwardly and we are changed from glory because it is Christ in glory that is our object and this transformation continues until we are in glory with him. And now I've done something astonishing which I think means we've come to the end of this talk. …

… Christ's victory. What a wonderful theme for our consideration this afternoon. But what is it exactly that we're speaking about? How may we be assured of Christ's victory? And I think there can only be one answer to that question. I'm going to illustrate it from the story of David and Goliath. And those who were listening yesterday might have caught something of that. Remember how the little shepherd boy went out against the Philistine champion, this great giant who disdained him? One little stone went through the air and the giant came tumbling down. Now if you were standing there, what would you have been thinking? You might have been hopeful. You might have been encouraged. You might have been anxious. I think you might have been wondering, well, what's going to happen next? Is the giant going to get up and fight back? But you know what David did? He went and he took Goliath's sword and he stood on the giant and he cut off his head. Was there any doubt about David's victory when he stood with Goliath's head in his hand? And that's what we're told of the Lord Jesus Christ, that through death, through Satan's own weapon, he destroyed him that has the power of death, that is the devil. And what corresponds for us to that action is the resurrection of Christ. So when we speak of Christ's victory, we're looking beyond death and we're looking forward to resurrection and we can distinguish these things without dividing. We must take these things together. And Paul says, I delivered unto you first of all that which also I received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures. And that he was buried and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures. That's 1 Corinthians chapter 15 verses 3 and 4, the resurrection chapter, a very important chapter for us. And incidentally, what we have in front of us supposes Christ's manhood. It's the man Christ Jesus who was capable of dying. He was buried, that refers to his physical body. And he rose again, that's the bodily resurrection of Christ. So this scripture tells us of his true manhood. And this is what Paul calls the gospel. He says he had received it, he had preached it. The Corinthians had received it and they were saved. And that's what we need to do, young as well as old. We need to receive the gospel for ourselves in the first instance. And then we need to preach it and proclaim it and make it known to others in order that they too may believe and receive it and then they also will be saved. So when we think of Christ's victory, we're bringing ourselves forward through death to resurrection. And we can even bring in the thought of ascension. The resurrection is a fundamental part of the gospel. Ephesians 4 verse 9 tells us, he that descended is the same also that ascended up far above all heavens, that he might fill all things. Now notice in this verse, the continuity of the person. He that descended is the same also that ascended. He is a divine person, unchanged and unchangeable. He is the word. We're told the same was in the beginning with God, but that same word became flesh and tabernacled amongst us. So we have his person, his divine person brought before us here. But he descended, he came down from heaven, but it was as man he ascended. He did not assume a personality. He assumed a human nature. He became man. This one who was and is God became man. He descended and then he ascended up far above all heavens, that he might fill all things. He fills all things as man. Our brother Robert was telling us of things that were true of him in manhood. Of course, as God, he always filled all things. But here's one who has come from the highest place. He's gone down into the lowest place. He's ascended up far above all heavens, and now he fills all things. What a wonderful person we have as our savior. Well, now coming to Christ's victory, I'd like to mention four things. Christ's victory in itself. Christ's victory over Satan and principalities and powers. Christ's victory over death. And Christ's victory over sin. And I wish to take those four points in that order. Christ's victory in itself. He was the prince of life. I've been in the presence of death. And it's not a very pleasant thing. In my life's experience, two people have passed away, have dropped dead in my very presence, no further away than from where Jonathan is sitting. Just like that. My question to you today is, if you were to pass away in my presence, where would your soul be? Where would you spend eternity? If God were to call you to give an account to himself through death? But you know, beloved, no one ever died in the presence of the Lord Jesus Christ. He was the prince of life. No doubt they killed the prince of life. God raised him from the dead. Peter could say, we're off, we are witnesses. Acts 3 verse 15. No one died in his presence. He raised Jairus's daughter. He raised the widow of Nain's only son. And he raised Lazarus from the dead. And he rose again himself in the power of an indissoluble life. Up from the grave he arose with a mighty triumph for his faults. He arose the victor from the dark domain and he lives forever with the saints to reign. He arose. He arose. Hallelujah. Christ arose. You see, there was that divine power. There was that in him which could not be held by death. He had said, destroy this temple, referring to his bodies. And in three days, I'll raise it up again. He could speak of himself as the one who had power to lay down his life. And he had power to take it again. That was true of no one else. And he was raised by the glory of the father. And he was quickened or made to live by the Holy Spirit. And this shows that divine persons, that the Trinity, that the Godhead acts in unison. The actions of one person in the Godhead is essentially the actions of all three. He raised himself, the spirit quickened him and the father of glory visited the tomb and took him out of death. So there is that intrinsic excellence and power in Christ, which was such that death could not hold its prey. Christ's victory because of who he was in his own person. But secondly, he was victorious over Satan and over principalities and powers. We're going to take this in two stages. Part one, over Satan. Here, the verse that I want to refer to, I've mentioned already Hebrews 2 verses 14 and 15. Since therefore the children partake of blood and flesh. That's the human condition. He also, in like manner, took part in the same. It's a slightly different Greek word there. He took part in something which was outside of himself. But we're told of the purpose of his coming into manhood. That through death, he might destroy or he might set at naught. He might annul him who has the power of death. That's Satan. He's the evil being who introduced sin and death and who wields the power of death. Tells us here who he is. That is the devil. And he might set free all those who through fear of death were subject to bondage. That was the position of people in the Old Testament. They had great fear of death. We can think of Hezekiah. They didn't quite know what was beyond it. But Christ has brought to light life and incorruptibility. And we as believers in the Lord Jesus Christ should not have any fears in regard to death or in regard to judgment or in regard to what will be true of us in a future day. And if anyone here has any doubts or questions in their mind as to these things, maybe certain anxieties, you need to listen carefully to what's being said in these sessions. You need to study the scriptures for yourself. You need to speak to someone in a pastoral way or someone who has got an understanding of the Word of God who can explain these things to you. Because it's not God's thought that you should be in fear. It's not God's thought that you should be anxious. It's not God's thought that you should be uncertain. You want to be assured of the victory, which is not in ourselves, but is it in Christ. It's outside of ourselves. And I think again, by way of illustration of the children of Israel, after they passed over and before they crossed the Red Sea, they were hemmed in. They were surrounded. The water of the Red Sea was in one side of them. Pharaoh and his armies were closing in on them. And it looked as if it was going to be certain death for them. But God, made a way through the Red Sea, speaks of the death of Christ. And Moses and those were with him were able to pass through. And then the sea closed over in the armies and Pharaoh and his hosts were destroyed in those waters. What did they sing? The Lord has triumphed and triumphed gloriously. The horse and his rider hath he thrown into the sea. They triumphed over Pharaoh and his armies. We as believers in Christ triumph over Satan and over those wicked principalities and powers. Because Christ has the victory through death. He has destroyed him that has the power of death and he has set us free. As well as over Satan, it's also part two over principalities and powers. And here I go to Colossians chapter two, verse 15, where it says, having spoiled principalities and power, he made a show of them openly. He made a display of them triumphing over them in it. It was like the Roman general returning to Rome, victorious over his enemies. And as a proof and as a sample of his victory, the enemies were chained and they followed in his train. And he was, the general was triumphing over them openly and letting everyone see how victorious he was. And that's exactly what Christ has done, beloved. In his death and in his resurrection, he has triumphed over every wicked power, over everything that is against us. And in his resurrection, he's made a show of them openly. What a triumph! This is the victory that Christ has. Now moving to the next scripture, which refers to this is Ephesians four, verses eight to 10. And here we're told that the one that ascended, what is it? But that he also descended first into the lower parts of the earth. In the words of the creed, he descended into hell. That needs to be properly understood because it means a state of death. It means the place of the departed. But here we see again that the one who came from the highest place went right down into the lowest place, into the grave, into the state of the dead. And in doing so, coming out of death, ascending on high, he again leads captivity captive. Those who were held captive to sin and Satan, he has freed and led captive. Or we may look at it that those who have held us captive, the principalities and powers, Satan are held captive by him. His victory is so great that the release for us is such that he can give gifts onto humankind and he can use us in his service. The third point, victory over death. Christ's resurrection in itself is victory over Satan and principalities and powers. But just think of the triumph over death in his own person. Christ the firstfruits, but the last enemy that shall be destroyed is death. First Corinthians 15 verses 26 and 27. This is a victory which will be seen in its fullness for the believer when Christ in its fullness for the believer when Christ returns. And he says, behold, I show you a mystery. The previous speaker has told us that a mystery is not something mysterious. It's something that was not previously revealed, but which has now been revealed to faith. In other words, Paul is saying, I'm going to show you a new truth. I'm going to tell you something which was not previously known. And the mystery doctrines of the New Testament form an important subject for our considerations. And here he says what this mystery is. Well, not all sleep. Now, that doesn't mean sleep in the meeting or sleep in bed at night. That means physical death, sleep as regards the body. David, having served his generation, fell on sleep. And we're also told about Stephen that when he had said this, he fell asleep. They were pelting him with stones. He committed his spirit to the Lord Jesus. He said, lay not this into their charge. And he fell asleep. He fell on sleep. That meant that he went through the article of physical death. Paul here is saying we talking about believers in general, we're not all going to physically pass through the article of death because Paul says amongst the Christian company, there will be those who will be changed. That's a possibility for us that we may be alive on this earth when the Lord Jesus returns. And then one of two things will happen. If we're saved, we'll be changed and we'll be caught up to meet the Lord in the air. And so shall we ever be with the Lord. But if we are not saved and if we are not ready. Ready. I say you, because through grace, I've trusted in the Lord Jesus. But if you do not know the Lord Jesus Christ as your savior and Christ were to return. Those who are his in a moment in the twinkling of an eye will be gone. We'll all be gone and you'll be left behind to the judgment of God. That's why it's so important to come to grips with these truths. And so important for each one here to know the Lord Jesus Christ as a personal savior. It's only the believers that will be changed in a moment in the twinkling of an eye at the last trump for the trumpet shall sound and the dead shall be raised incorruptible. Here we come to the victory of God. Here we come to the victory of Christ. Here we come to the victory over death. And it's coming again as regards the believer, the dead will be raised incorruptible and the living shall be changed. And we know from other scriptures that we will go to meet the Lord in the air. But this even is true, even as to this earth, even on this earth, where sin has come in. Where death has come in, in this very place, on this earth. Christ is going to have the victory over death. And he's going to raise the dead on this earth. And he's going to change the living on this earth. And then we'll be caught up. And I'll leave you to read what it says. Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? O death, where is thy victory? But thanks be to God who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. That's what we're speaking about, dear friends, Christ's victory. Death's not going to have the last word. The grave's not going to have the final stay. The question's asked them, where is thy victory? It might seem at times that death and the grave are victorious. But beloved, we look on to Christ's coming. And even at this present time, we can say, thanks be to God who gives us the victory as a present thing to faith through our Lord Jesus Christ. This is Christ's victory. So far, we've looked at Christ's victory in Christ's resurrection, at the time of his resurrection, and we've looked at it at his second coming. Two aspects. But there is a third one. And that is the culmination and the fullness of his victory in the eternal state. And our brother mentioned that verse of the hymn, all taint of sin shall be removed, all sorrow done away, and we shall dwell with God's beloved through God's eternal day. What a victory that's going to be in those bright and blessed scenes where sin can never come. So we come now in the last place to the victory over sin. And in this respect, I want to refer to John's Gospel 1 verse 29. And I want you to do something for me. I want you to fill in the blank. The next day, John seeth Jesus coming on to him and saith, behold, the Lamb of God who takes away thee. I wonder, I think I heard something there. I wasn't expecting an audible response, but I actually heard what I expected to hear. You'll notice I don't have the verse in quotation marks here, because this isn't actually what the verse says. I wonder who it was said who takes away the sins of the world. Because very often, mostly when you hear this verse quoted, the people say who takes away the sins of the world. But you know, beloved, if Christ had taken away the sins of the world, everyone would be saved. It would be universalism. That's not what the verse says. It says who takes away the sin of the world. Sin, singular. It's looking at it in its entirety. It's looking at it in its totality. And it's drawing attention to the person who does it. It might also be translated. Look at the Lamb of God, the taker away of the sin of the world. John was pointing to the person. He says he's the taker away of the sin of the world. He wasn't doing it at this particular point in time, but he's drawn attention to the person. There he is, the taker away of the sin of the world. The cross answers to heaven. The work of Christ is such that there's going to be a day when sin will be removed from God's universe, and when there will be a new heaven and a new earth wherein dwells righteousness, when there'll be a beautiful new creation, when all things are of God. And this is what's referred to in Hebrews 9, verse 26. Also, I know in the program it says 9, verse 23, but I think it's meant to be verse 26. At least I'm taking it as such. Speaking of the Lord Jesus, it says of him, now once in the end of the age of the world, it's the end of the Jewish age, the end of that time period when man had been tested. If you like the end of the Old Testament times and the end of the age, he's appeared. And what is the consequence of his death? What does it reach forward to? And fullness and the culmination. The purpose of his death was to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself. That's a very exalted view of Christ's death, of Christ's sacrifice, and that takes us a very long way forward because it takes us into the new heavens and the new earth when all taint of sin shall be removed. So there's much in Christ's victory, and it's a subject indeed for further meditation. We've looked at what it is in itself. We've looked at his triumph over Satan and over principalities and powers. We've seen the way in which he's overcome sin and the way in which he's overcome death. And we've looked at it in his own resurrection and in his own person. We've looked at the present effects for our enjoyment. We've looked at the consequences which will follow at his coming, and we've looked on to the full result in the eternal state. What a victory Christ has won for us. May we be in the enjoyment of it. …

… One of the problems, speaking at the end of a conference, is that, as you sat, I sat there yesterday and today, I slowly listened to you, the speakers, eat into what I was going to say. And one was a bit apprehensive and thought, well, we might as well say let's just pass on to who. But on the other hand, it gave me the confidence that the things that the Lord has brought before me are the things that would be helpful for this closing or getting to the end of this time together. It is a wonderful theme that has been allocated for me to speak of Christ's joy, his bride, his headship, his glory. We also have his priesthood on one sheet, his exaltation. There's a verse in the Psalms which says, sorrow may endure for the night, but joy comes in the morning. And this morning, when we gathered to remember the Lord Jesus, we thought a bit, did we not, of his sufferings and of his sorrows? And well might we say, there was no sorrow like his sorrow. There was no sufferings like his sufferings. But we may also say, there is no joy like his joy. And so, I'd like to begin by giving a picture from the Old Testament. A few years ago, we had a Bible basics topic, and one of the subjects was the types. And in the Old Testament, I think that we can perhaps all here see that here is a most wonderful type of the father and the son. Genesis 22, the story of Abraham offering up his son Isaac. And the one statement that is made twice in that portion is, they went both of them together. And that I believe is a little picture of what we see in the Gospels. Do we not see the father and the son going both of them together? As we know the story, we will not read from 22. But in Genesis 22, Abraham takes his son Isaac to that place, and there he is offered. Typically, he is offered. We know there was a ram caught in the thicket. And he was offered in the stead of Isaac. But for the Lord himself, there was no ram. He was not only the lamb, but he was the ram. The ram would speak of strength. And as they were moving towards that place, Isaac could say to his father, here is the wood, and here is the fire. Where is the lamb? And Isaac's answer is, again, another verse which we very often misquote. Isaac is told by Abraham, God will provide himself a lamb for the burnt offering. And perhaps the supreme point is that here was one who offered himself to God without spot. And so we see that Abraham offers Isaac in tithe. And when they come down from the mount, and perhaps many of us, having read the 22nd of Genesis, would have skipped over those few verses, which gives a very small genealogy. But it is vital that we read through these genealogies in the Scriptures. Because in that verse, it speaks of Rebecca. It simply brings her in for a paradoxically no reason. But she is brought in. And I believe that she is brought in clearly in that chapter. Because as a result of the death of Isaac, there is to be a bride. And we see Rebecca is brought in. And so as a result of the death of the Lord Jesus, there is to be secured for him, and for his pleasure, a bride. Someone to be with him. Someone to be like him. Someone to be for him for all eternity. In the 23rd chapter of Genesis, we see that Sarah dies. And we can relate Sarah, no doubt, to the nation of Israel. We think of the Lord Jesus as a man when he was here. The words from John's Gospel must come before us. He came unto his own, and his own received him not. What did it mean to the Lord Jesus as a man when he was here? Coming unto his own, that nation which he had cherished, which he had loved, which he had brought out of Egypt into the land of Canaan. And yet they rejected him. We have to think of the words of the Lord Jesus. Typically from Psalm 69, I looked for some to take pity, and there was none. There was no one in that nation that could understand what the Lord Jesus was going through. He was indeed a man of sorrows. And yet the wonderful thing is, is in chapter 24, Abraham says, I want a wife for Isaac. You know, as a result of the death of Christ, we've said there's going to be a bride for the Lord Jesus. And Abraham says, I want you to go to my country and my kindred. What a wonderful thing it is that those that are going to be the bride of Christ are going to come from the same country. I put that down to be that we have been heavenly men of birth. We are going to have a new life, a new nature. We're going to be born anew. We're also going to be of the same kindred. And Robert mentioned this afternoon that we are going to be, we are indeed like Christ. There will be that, that will be of Christ in each one of us. In the letter to Peter writes, he speaks about it as he says, you have the divine life. We have the mind of Christ. We have the thinking capacities. We have the ability to appreciate what Christ is. And so it is important that Abraham makes that the bride comes from his own country and from his own kindred. And at the end of that chapter, we see that Isaac takes Sarah into his mother's tent and he was comforted. What a joy the Lord Jesus gets from having his bride at his side. What joy the Lord Jesus receives from each one of us today. And I challenge each one of us as to how much joy do we give to the Lord Jesus. We are here today as part of that bride, which will be seen clearly in an eternal day. But in the present day, are we giving joy to the heart of the Lord Jesus? The Lord Jesus said those words well known to most of us here in Hebrews chapter 12. For the joy that was set before him, he endured the cross. Let us never underestimate those words. He endured the cross. Why did he endure the cross? Well, I have three things here that I believe would be absolutely true. The first thing is that he endured the cross because he was doing his father's will. Psalm 40 verse 8, it says, I delight to do thy will. Oh my God. You know, when that verse is quoted in the epistle to the Hebrews, we find there the little expression to do thy will there, but the little words I delight is missing. Hebrews chapter 10. I read the verse. Hebrews 10 verse 5. Wherefore, when he cometh into the world, he said, sacrifice and offerings thou wouldest not, but a body hast thou prepared me in burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin thou hast no pleasure. Then said I, lo, I come in the volume of the book. It is written of me. He has dropped off the words I delight. And I wonder why. Why did the spirit of God, when he led the apostle to write the letter to the Hebrews, miss out the words I delight? And I believe the answer is given in the following verses where it says an offering of the body of Jesus once for all. The end of verse 11, the same sacrifices which can never take away sins. But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins in Hebrews 10, it is a question of sins. And we can say very clearly that it was not the delight of the Lord Jesus to be made sin. Sin was something which his Holy Soul absolutely abhorred, but he was made sin for us. But we know that the very first words that the Lord Jesus spoke as recorded in the Gospel of Luke, he could say, wish ye not that I must be about my Father's business. And was not that the main desire of the Lord Jesus that he might be here to do the will of his Father? But perhaps not as a secondary thought but perhaps as part of that one thought. It was that there should be secure for himself and for his glory for all eternity a bride. We will look at that in a few moments in our next section. But this wonderful bride as we find in Ephesians 5.27, it says that he might present it to himself. The bride is for him. The bride is for his glory. The bride is for his own blessing and his own joy and what joy there will be when he is presented with his bride. But not only so, Israel will be brought into blessing. All the prophecies that we find in the Old Testament scriptures which relate to an earthly blessing in this scene for Israel will be fulfilled. People might tell you that the blessings of Israel are seen in the church. No, the blessings of Israel are seen in Israel. And when the scripture says Israel, it means Israel. And so when the Lord Jesus says or when the scripture says in Zephaniah 3 verse 7, he will joy over thee with singing. What a day it will be when the Lord Jesus will return to this world, return to this earth, to his ancient people where the nation that rejected him and still rejects him will accept him. When in the words of Zechariah, they shall look upon him whom they have pierced. And when they will say the words of Isaiah 53, he was wounded for our transgressions. The true verses that the remnant in that day will say and what a joy it will be for the Lord Jesus that there will be an earthly company, Israel for his joy and for his blessing. At the end of Isaiah 53, we read that word, he shall see of the travail of his soul and shall be satisfied. Yes, there's a day coming when the Lord Jesus will be satisfied with Israel. We talk about the bride. And in the day in which we live, most of us will have a bride and it will only last for a day. There will be a great deal of expense for one day. But your wife is forever. As long as the Lord leaves us here, we will be together with our wives. Wonderful thing. But when we read in the scriptures and particularly if we think of Revelation 21 verse 2, a verse which is one of very few verses in the whole of the scriptures, which deals with the eternal state. And in Revelation 21 verse 1, I saw a new heaven and a new earth. The first heaven and the first earth have passed away and there's no more sea. And I, John, saw the holy Jerusalem come in prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. We're into the eternal state. And who do we see? We see there the bride and what is conveyed in the thought of the bride. Surely it would be the freshness of first love, affection and display. And that is going to be there for all eternity. You know, it is only John who speaks about the bride. I know Paul alludes to it in Ephesians chapter 5, which we've mentioned. But John speaks to us about the bride five times is all once in his Gospels in relation to the bridegroom, once in relation to the false church and three times in relation to the bride in the last few verses, chapters of Revelation. And I believe that John speaks about the bride because he was the one disciple that knew something of the affections of the Lord Jesus. He knew what it was to be laying on his bosom. He knew what it was to be able to write and say the disciple who Jesus loved. He appreciated that love. And when we think of the bride, do we not appreciate that throughout an eternity, that freshness of love will be there. What a tremendous thing. As far as the wife is concerned, we read in chapter 19, verse 7 and 21, verse 9, references to the wife. And there it is in relation to the kingdom. And it is as the wife that she will administer the kingdom with the Lord Jesus. So we see that the Lord Jesus will have a wonderful joy, not only in doing his father's will, the wonderful joy in that there will be a company upon this earth. Israel will be brought into blessing. But the wonderful thing, which was a very applicable to each one of us here, that if we have put our faith and trust in the Lord Jesus, and I trust that all of us have, we will be part of that company, part of that bride, which will enjoy the affections of the Lord Jesus through all eternity. But in the present day in which we live in, the Lord Jesus has not left us to wander, as it were, through this scene. We read also that he at this present moment, he is the head. He is the head of the body. He is head of the heathen. He is head of every man. As Andrew mentioned, he is head of principalities and powers. But as far as we are concerned today, he is head of the church. And each one of us that form part of that church, part of that company, that according to the Apostle Peter could say, God has visited the nations to call out from among them a people for himself. We are part of that company and he is the head. You know, there is nothing worse than a body that functions without the control of the head. There's nothing worse of a body that doesn't function because it doesn't have the connections between the head and the body. Our head in heaven will never fail, will never let us down. And it is up to us, according to Colossians 2, verse 19, we as responsible to hold the head. And if we hold the head, there will be nourishment. There will be that which will meet our needs. There will be that which will keep us and preserve us through this scene. Not only is there nourishment, but if we hold the head, there won't be any breakdown. There won't be any break ups. We will be, as the scripture says, knit together. You know, if everybody did what I did, we would all be together. But you know what? You would be going astray and you would be going off course. But if everybody did what Christ did, what a wonderful thing it would be that we would be knit together, not only as individuals in our families, in our assemblies, but as wide as we like to go. If we, everyone in the church, held the head firmly, there would be a knitting together of us all. And then there is the increase. And if we want to increase, and we very often would think of numbers, if you want to increase numbers, well, be knit together. If we hold the head, if we want to increase in our appreciation of Christ, the answer is hold the head. And so it is vital. It is important that we hold the head because he is the head. And this is one of the glories of the Lord Jesus. But on the sheet that, the first sheet I was given, and I think we'll just quickly go through this one, he is also a priest. I think it's pretty clear because we've had it already mentioned yesterday that priesthood has nothing to do with sin. John, writing to his epistle, he could say, when we sin, no he doesn't. He says if we sin. He puts it as a possibility, but not a certainty. And on the other hand, we had it mentioned that he doesn't say we don't sin. But if we do sin, and that is unusual, it shouldn't be the habitual thing that Christians do. It is just if we sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. But his priesthood is due to our infirmities and due to our weaknesses. And every one of us here, because we're moving through a scene which is hostile. You remember the disciples in Matthew 14, and they're crossing the sea. The Lord Jesus has gone up high, and it says the wind was contrary to them. We live in a world where everything is contrary to us, and we have infirmities, we have sicknesses, we have weaknesses, but we have one who is able to succour, he is able to sympathise, and he is able to save, and that is none other than the Lord Jesus himself. What a wonderful person we have before us. And so, as each one of us move through this scene, we will pass through difficulties, we will pass through trials. And I want to assure you that it says in Hebrews 4 verse 15, in all points he was tempted. There is not a condition, there is not a position that we pass through as his children, that he has not already passed through. Remember the temptations in the garden, in the wilderness. Satan, I believe, took him into the wilderness and thought, or Satan said, when he's in the wilderness, I'm going to tempt him, and I'll show you I can make him fall. The Spirit of God led him into the wilderness in order to prove that he was a man who couldn't fall. And we know that it was after 40 days of temptations that Satan came to him with his three trump cards, as it were, right at the end. And you know, during those 40 days, I believe the Lord was tempted in so many different ways, the ways in which you and I can be tempted. And yet, wonderful thing, that he defeated Satan. And being tempted, he is able to sympathise with us. He knows, we sing, he knows our feeble frame. He knows what sore temptations mean, for he has felt the same. What a wonderful person, the Lord Jesus. And he ever lives, in the old economy, the priest would pass off the scene. And even in the present day, if we go to a lawyer, he may take up our case. And then if he passes off the scene or moves to another job, we have to go to another one, and we have to start off again. But the Lord Jesus, he ever lives, he is always there. And he is able to save. Yesterday, we were speaking about one or two things, which are absolutely true, that make no difference to time. And one of them was justification. The moment you believe the gospel, you're justified. You're never any more justified than the day you believe the gospel. But you know, the moment that you believe the gospel, you are saved, but you will be more saved. And here, he is able to save us. Day by day, as we move through this scene, the one who is our great high priest, he is able to save, and he is going to save us yet again. He's going to save us out of the scene to be with himself. And so he is our priest. But then the glory of the Lord Jesus is going to be manifest and declared. When the Lord Jesus was here, amongst the mockery that they give to him, ere he died upon the cross, in Matthew 27, as he's hanged on that cross, ere those three hours of darkness came, they could say of him, you destroyed the temple, build it up in three days, save yourself. They knew his words. They said to him, you saved others, save yourself. You know, it wouldn't have been a miracle had the Lord Jesus came down from that cross. It would have been a disaster, because every one of us would have to face in eternity judgment from God. It was a miracle that he died there. And they also said, he trusted in God. They admitted his dependence. And then they said these words, see if he will have him. They said, will God have that person? And what did God say? We are so thankful that the will of God was clear that the Lord Jesus was going to go into death. In the Old Testament scripture says, Psalm 41, they say, when shall he die and his name perish? God says, thy name shall endure forever. He says, thy name I will make to remember in all generations. And the result of this question on the cross, God raised him from the dead. The work that he did was absolutely perfect and absolutely complete. And God has raised him from the dead. But not only did he raise him from the dead because of the value and the glory of the person that the Lord Jesus was, God has set him at his own right hand. And verse two should be one, Ephesians 1 verse 20. He has taken him up from the grave. He has not only put him onto the scene, but he has raised him up and put him at his own right hand. And God has declared that at the name of Jesus, every knee shall bow. He's given him a name which is above every name, Philippians 2 verse 9. And every knee shall bow and every tongue shall confess that Jesus is Lord to the glory of God the Father. We had it mentioned yesterday in relation to reconciliation of brother Mark mentioned that in Colossians, we read there that there will be the reconciliations of things in heaven and things in earth. When we come to Philippians chapter two, we are told that not only will knees bow in heaven, those heavenly beings, those angelic beings, they will bow. Things on earth will bow to the Lord Jesus, but things under the earth, the infernal beings, Satan and all his hosts and all those who reject the Lord Jesus will bow before him. And what will the result be? They will bow and they will own Jesus as Lord to the glory of God the Father. And what a wonderful thing it is that God has allowed us to have a look as it were into the wonderful thoughts of God that he should desire, that there should be a company that would be with Christ and like Christ for all eternity. There's a verse in Romans 8, which speaks about this being marked out to be conformed to the image of his son. I'm often telling people off when they say, well, before you were born, this before you were thought of this and this happened. I says, I was thought of in a past eternity and in that past eternity, God had planned that there would be a company that would be like his beloved son. There would be a company that would appreciate his beloved son. And in the course of time, the Lord Jesus has came into this scene, has secured for his pleasure, for his glory, that company, which you and I are part of. What a wonderful thing it is that even now in the scene of his rejection, we can bring joy to his heart and glory to God the Father. …

… Brother Rusty spoke of the perils of speaking late in the conference. I know precisely what he meant. I think it was our brother Robert who yesterday said that the lines of communication, or rather the lines of subjects, tend to cross and criss-cross like railway tracks. And I think this afternoon some fairly heavy trains have passed across the railway tracks. So what I propose to do is just to concentrate on five matters. So I'm not going to speak to everything on the slides, I'm just going to pass through some things. But what I want to do is to, and some of this is perhaps by way of a recapitulation, inasmuch as we have touched on it already. But what I want to concentrate on, these five things. For men, a mediator. For men, the hope of seeing God. For Christ, glory in Israel. For Christ, universal dominion. And finally, the eternal state. The new Jerusalem. A mediator. Job looked for a daismon, or to quote Mr. Darby, an umpire. Job was looking for someone who could stand between him and God, as though there was something to be said on both sides. Now we heard yesterday, did we not, I think it was Mark, speaking about reconciliation. When we speak of being reconciled to God, it is like nothing on earth that we know. When we speak of reconciliation, if I'm to be reconciled to you, it may be there's something that you need to adjust and undoubtedly there'll be something that I need to adjust. If we speak of ourselves being reconciled to God, did you notice those scriptures that were put up? They all referred to our being reconciled to God. We have nothing to commend ourselves, nothing that we can put forward as mitigating circumstances, as it were, nothing to say on our own defense. Indeed, there will be many, when it comes to judgment, who will have nothing to say. You remember the man without a wedding garment. He was speechless. And it is sad but true that many of the most voluble persons we have known will one day stand before God and be speechless. But God has provided His own mediator. I don't know whether, I can't remember now whether that word was used, I think it was. There is one mediator between God and man. The man Christ Jesus. A testimony in due time. A mediator between God and man. And He has bridged the unbridgeable gap. On one hand there is God's holiness and on the other hand there is our sinful nature. There are the sins we've committed but there is our sinful nature. And we got a flavor of this too on Saturday, didn't we? It was pointed out that with the burnt offering and with the sin offering, the offerer put his head upon the offering and he was identified with it. Now in the sin offering, he put his hand upon the sin offering and his sins were forgiven because he identified himself with that offering for his sins. And that we can find in the death of Christ. In the burnt offering, the offerer put his hand upon that which was offered and he was accepted because of it. The value of the offering, as it were, transferred itself to him and he was accepted because of the virtue of the burnt offering. Now that was not a question of sins. It was a question of his nature. How could an Israelite who had a sinful nature as each one does, how could he be accepted? How could his offering be accepted? Well, it was because he touched the head of that offering. And that is the way that our sinful nature is dealt with. Made acceptable to God and we heard on Saturday, did we not, how we are given a new nature. Sins can be forgiven, sin is condemned, but the believer is accepted because he is seen as in Christ. And for the believer there is the hope of seeing God. We have heard about that this afternoon, haven't we? We have been referred to the wonderful resurrection chapter 1 Corinthians 15. Christ the first fruits, afterwards they that are Christ's at his coming. The hope of seeing God is nevertheless not new to Christianity. Job could say, though the worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh I shall see God. How could he say that? Was that boasting? Was that an assumption on his part? No. Because he said before that, he said, I know that my Redeemer liveth. So the fact of any of us, Old Testament saint, Israelite believer can see God is because of the death of Christ. We have had read to us those verses at the beginning of 1 Corinthians 15, which really summarize the gospel in a nutshell. And if we believe those and we have accepted them, then we can enter into the joy of seeing God when the Father gives the signal for the redeemed to be conducted into the presence of the Lord Jesus. For I delivered unto you, first of all, that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the Scriptures. I can remember once, quite a few years ago now, a young person being baptized who said they wanted somehow to indicate at their baptism that they belonged to the Lord Jesus. Didn't want to make a speech, wouldn't have been appropriate, but they wanted to indicate somehow that what was being done, the baptizing, was what they wanted and that it meant something to them. So we said, well, if you're asked the question, do you believe that Christ died for your sins according to the Scriptures and that he was buried and that he rose again the third day according to the Scriptures, can you say yes to that? Oh, yes, I can. Oh, that's what I want to answer. Can I just throw that out into this room? I'm fairly confident that everyone here can say those words and mean them for themselves. But the day of mercy, as we have heard repeatedly in this conference, is not going to be extended forever. Today is the day of salvation. And we read in that chapter, and I'm not going to go over it again, how Christ is the firstfruits of the resurrection. And after that, those who are Christ's at his coming are going to be raised. Now, there are, of course, two mysteries in connection with that. One is that the Lord Jesus himself is going to come and call us out of this world. That's 1 Thessalonians 14. The other one is the changed body that we're going to receive and that's what we read about in 1 Corinthians 15. So in those changed bodies, we're going to see God. For Christ in connection with Israel. We've been thinking a lot about ourselves and our own blessings and that, of course, is quite right. In fact, we should have a good understanding of the grace wherein we stand and of the cost to the Lord Jesus for extending God's grace to us. But Christ has his portion in Israel. We often quote those verses. Let's read them, Isaiah 53, verses 10 to 11. Because this chapter is written by the prophet Isaiah and the speaker is not really... Yes, you and I can say these words and mean them and understand them, but the speaker is not really a member of the assembly. The speaker is a member of the righteous remnant in a coming day. And he is the one who exclaims, surely he hath borne our sins and carried our sorrows and so on. Then it comes down to verses 10 and 11 where the Lord Jesus receives his answer. Yet it pleased the Lord to bruise him, he hath put him to grief. When thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed. He shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hand. He shall see of the travail of his soul and shall be satisfied. By his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many, for he shall bear their iniquities. You can make that as wide as you like, but don't forget that part of the fruit of the travail of his soul is going to be a saved remnant from Israel itself. His exaltation is going to be seen and heard and understood in this world. Let's look at Psalm 110. I'll just read the first four verses. The Lord said unto my Lord, sit thou at my right hand. That's already happened. The Lord Jesus is there now as we speak. He's at the right hand of God. Until I make thine enemies thy footstool. That's what he's waiting for. Until his enemies be made his footstool, and he's going to come and he's going to carry that out himself. We could refer to scriptures in Joshua, in Romans, and elsewhere, which speaks of putting the feet upon the necks of enemies. Look them up at your leisure. They are worth considering. The enemies of Christ are going to be made his footstool. The Lord shall send the rod of thy strength out of Zion. Rule thou in the midst of thine enemies. Thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power. Do you see that? A willing people in the day of his power. There were some when he came the first time, weren't there? There were those faithful souls like Zechariah, Elizabeth, Joseph, Mary, Simeon, Anna. Faithful souls looking for the salvation of God. In his life he found faithful souls who were willing to serve him. Think of Martha, that dear soul, who took him into her house. Read through the Gospel of Luke and see his rejection. There's no room for him in the inn. There's no place for him anywhere. The Pharisee in chapter 7 invited him into his house, but he didn't really want him. But then in chapter 10, a certain woman named Mary received him into her house. And that is the beginning of blessing, to receive the Lord Jesus into your house. I'm speaking to people, some of whom have their own places. Some of whom are perhaps in temporary accommodation, lodgings, university, what have you. But the Lord Jesus must take his abode in your house. A willing people, those who are ready to do his bidding as Israel will be in that coming day. In the beauties of holiness, from the womb of the morning thou hast the dew of thy youth. The Lord hath sworn and will not repent. Thou art a priest forever after the order of Melchizedek. Melchizedek needs a whole hour to himself. We've heard about the priesthood of Christ for ourselves at this time. We know that he is a priest even now after the order of Melchizedek. But the kind of priesthood he's exercising for us at this moment has more in it of the Aaronic character. Of the Aaronic character. But in this day of which we're speaking, the day of millennial blessing, he'll exercise a Melchizedek priesthood towards his people. It'll be purely for blessing. Purely for blessing. Remember Melchizedek in Genesis 14, isn't it? Abraham had won the battle and Melchizedek brought him bread and wine. Purely for blessing. The victory had been won. In that day, the lion's going to lie down with the lamb. In that day, there's going to be perfect peace throughout Israel. Time is going. I must move. A people for his delight. Please look at, at your leisure, look at the Song of Songs. Chapter 6, verses 10 to 13 in particular. An earthly companion fit for him. Worldwide dominion. That's Scripture Numbers 4.13. You remember when the ark was to be carried forward when Israel were to move camp. They were to take the altar of burnt offering and spread over it a purple cloth. Now purple cloth speaks of universal dominion. A scarlet cloth may speak of dominion over Israel. Purple robe, scarlet robe. Different gospel writers use different figures, do they not? I believe the robe was made of both. But scarlet generally refers to Israel. Purple refers to universal dominion. The Lord Jesus is going to be seen and acknowledged throughout this world. The gospel of the kingdom is going to be proclaimed. And many are going to be brought to know Christ and to worship God in a millennial day. Now we come to the new creation. I'm sorry we can't linger more over the millennium. I want to read Revelation 21, verses 1 to 8. And I saw a new heaven and a new earth. For the first heaven and the first earth were passed away and there was no more sea. And I, John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men and he will dwell with them and they shall be his people and God himself shall be with them and be their God and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain, for the former things are passed away. And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write, for these words are true and faithful. And he said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely. He that overcometh shall inherit all things and I will be his God and he shall be my son. We'll stop there. New creation in display. We've heard of it already this afternoon. We've heard something of the character of this bride, the heavenly bride, the new Jerusalem. Bridal condition, bridal character even after the hundred years reign. But she's introduced here at this point. Not for the first time. The marriage supper of the Lamb took place in Chapter 19. And after that, the Lord Jesus returns to cast out his enemies. Then in Chapter 20, we get the judgment of the great white throne. And evil is finally banished. And it's then that the new creation can be seen in display. Earlier this afternoon, I think it was Andrew, referred to the Lamb of God that taketh away the sin of the world. Well, that sin is going to be forever banished because in Chapter 20, there is the final judgment of all that is not in accord with God's Word. Men are going to be judged according to the things written in the books of what they have done in their life. Perhaps it's surprising that it doesn't say they are going to be judged because they rejected the Lord. Perhaps that's one of the things that will be written. But what it says is they will be judged out of the things written in the books. And everything that offends is going to be cast into that lake of fire. A place inhabited by the devil and his angels. And don't let anyone tell you that Satan reigns in hell. He does not. Nor will he ever. He will be the most abject creature. Read Isaiah Chapter 14. And how sad those who could have had their names written in the Lamb's Book of Life yet have never committed themselves to that and find themselves sharing a sad and a lost eternity in that awful place. But that has to be described in order that our minds can be cleared of Satan, of evil, of death and of all Satan's works. And we can see alone in display the heavenly city, New Jerusalem coming down out of heaven as a bride adorned for her husband. Wonderful, beautiful triumph for the work that the Lord Jesus Christ has done. New creation takes the place of the old. Things millennial are brought to an end. Christ himself hands the kingdom back to the Father that God may be all in all. 1 Corinthians 15 again. You know the verse. God will be all in all. There's no more sea. There's no need for a sea anymore. A sea divides people and nations, doesn't it? There'll be no need of that anymore. Pristine state we've spoken of and Brother Rusty spoke of it earlier after a thousand years. And God is going to dwell with men. Do you read it that way? I do. I see God. I see this holy city coming down out of heaven. And it says in verse 3, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men. And he will dwell with them. And they shall be his people. And God himself shall be with them and be their God. Seems to me that is not referring to the holy city. That is referring to men on earth. There will surely be those who have come through the millennium and have not died. We don't read generally of death in the millennium. We read of the sinner dying, hundred years old, that'll be something unusual, something exceptional. But we don't read of a further resurrection after the end of the millennium only of those who take part in the first resurrection. And I believe, and you can look this up for yourself and tell me if I'm wrong, I believe that there will be men on the earth during the millennium who go through and who have part in the new creation. I'm referring to those who have faith in God. And that may account for such expressions as he will wipe away all tears. Because otherwise you might think, well, why would they have tears? There's no sadness anymore. But I believe that there may be that provision for those who have come through without death. What a wonderful sight it will be. How wonderful to be there. How wonderful to be part of that holy city. And we get more of a description of that of course in the succeeding verses which describes it in its millennial state. And if you've ever wondered why we get things presented in that order, we get the eternal before we get the millennial in chapter 21. It's for the reason I've just given that there's a line of thought that's followed through the elimination of evil, the introduction of new creation, sorry, the display of new creation, and then we go back to consider the city itself as it is in millennial days when God and the Lamb shall be the center and the temple of the new Jerusalem. In the millennium, righteousness is going to reign on the earth. But in the new creation, it's going to dwell. The new creation, of course, is being formed even now. We had the scripture yesterday, didn't we? If any man be in Christ, here is new creation. It's a joint thing. It's not exactly that I'm a new creation and you're a new creation, but new creation is a joint thing and it's what is being created as a result of the death of Christ and his calling out now a people for himself to share that heavenly glory that we've been hearing about this afternoon, his bride in that day. New creation, but one day it's going to be brought into display. But until that day, the water of life is being freely offered to those that thirst. …