You can turn in your Bibles to 1 Peter. 1 Peter 1. We'll read from verses 1 to 9. From verse 1 to verse 9. Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, to the pilgrims of the dispersion, in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia.
Elect, according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, in sanctification of the Spirit, for obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ. Grace to you and peace be multiplied. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who, according to his abundant mercy, has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled, and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, who are kept by the power of God, through faith, for salvation, ready to be revealed in the last time. In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials, that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, Though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ, whom having not seen you love, though now you do not see him, yet believing you rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory, receiving the end of your faith, the salvation of your souls.
Amen. Well, let's pray again for the preaching. Heavenly Father, we ask again that you would now be glorified in this act of worship, the preaching of your word. We do pray that this would be an exercise unto the praise of your grace.
You would be honored in this. We pray that you'd help fallible preacher and fallible hearer to take in well, to preach well and take in well the things of your word, the things of your revelation, that Christ may receive the honor and that we may rejoice in such a savior. And it's in his name that we do pray. Amen.
Well, if you were to do a a theological study in the Bible, working through the Bible and studying various aspects of theology. If you were, for example, to begin with the study of the doctrine of God, theology proper, studying the Trinity, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. If you were to study that and then move to the doctrine of redemption or the doctrine of salvation, you wouldn't be setting aside a study of the Trinity necessarily. Because in redemption, in salvation, we have the triune God at work.
And that's what we're going to look at tonight using 1 Peter 1 verse 2 as a launching pad for a study of the Trinity and the death of Christ. And we've looked at this or we looked at this a number of years ago, but now observing the Lord's Supper, I thought it a good exercise in preaching, to look at our triune God and the death of Christ. It is the case that only the Son died on the cross. Jesus Christ was put to death upon Calvary's tree.
The Father wasn't, the Spirit wasn't. But nevertheless, it is the case that with respect to the death of Christ and the cross of Christ, the triune God is active, was active, and will always be active with respect to the benefits and the efficacious power of that death and that cross. So we're going to have a look at the Trinity and the death of Christ simply under three very easy headings because it's the triune God, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. And first off, just by way of introduction, it's good to refresh our minds with a little bit of a recognition of the doctrine of the Trinity.
Remember what the shorter catechism does with this doctrine. asking various questions, and in providing the answers to those questions, after affirming that there is only one true and living God, it asks the question, how many persons are there in the Godhead? And the answer is, there are three persons in the Godhead, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost, and these three are one God, the same in substance, equal in power, and in glory. James White gives this definition, which is the same, in different wording, within the one being that is God, there exists eternally three co-equal and co-eternal persons, namely the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Vitally important, of course, because if at any point a member of the Triune Godhead is rejected, then we no longer have God.
To know God or when we say we know God and when we say we love God, if it is not the triune God of Holy Scripture that we are knowing and that we are loving, then we are knowing and we are loving God of idolatry and madness and folly. It is the biblical God, the triune God revealed in the scriptures, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost that we can only truly know and that we can only truly love, and it is to that God, that we go in studying the Trinity and the death of Christ.
God the Father
So first off, God the Father. Now, if you're still at 1 Peter in your Bibles there, just note here what we have in the text. With respect to those saved, the elect that Peter is writing to, the pilgrims of the dispersion, we have the triune God identified in the address given to those pilgrims of the dispersion. Notice verse 2. elect, well, just backing up to the end of verse one, to the pilgrims of the dispersion in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia.
Elect, according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, in sanctification of the Spirit, for obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ. So we have there simply in an identification of the recipients of a letter, in addressing them at the same time, we have the triune God presented as the triune God of perfect salvation. Notice what we have here first with respect to God the Father. We have in the text, we have Peter writing that the elect of the dispersion are elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father.
That simply means, as we all know, that God had that plan before the foundation of the world that Jesus Christ would come and save a fixed number of elect sinners Considered as sinners to the praise of his glorious grace There are persons elected out of the mass of humanity before the foundation of the world not for anything done Not for anything good wrought in them But simply by the good pleasure and sovereign will of God to be saved in time and in history by Jesus Christ we have Saints here being identified as elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father it does not mean that That God saw through the tunnels of time who would choose for Christ, and then before the foundation of the world, elected based on the choice. That runs against the entire declaration of Holy Scripture with respect to the sovereignty of God in the redemption of sinners. It is that God, according to his counsel, and according to his sovereignty, and according to the love that he bestowed upon the elect before the foundation of the world, predestinated them unto salvation by Jesus Christ.
The Father's Purpose in the Cross
Now with respect to God the Father and the death of Christ, we have first that thing that we've talked about much, purpose. You see, the crucifixion of Jesus Christ isn't something that took place haphazardly. It's not something that took place in history as a divine plan B because plan A didn't work out. The crucifixion of the Lord Jesus Christ is according to the plan of God, before the foundation of the world, it is the reason for all of history.
Turn with me to Luke 22. Luke chapter 22. God the Father in the death of Christ has his contribution of purpose before the foundation of the world. In eternity past, he determined beforehand that Christ would die and foreordained him to do so.
Notice in Luke chapter 22, Maybe backing up to verse 19 and he took bread Gave thanks and broke it and gave it to them saying this is my body which is given for you Do this in remembrance of me likewise He also took the cup after supper saying this cup is the new covenant in my blood which is shed for you but behold the hand of my betrayer is with me on the table and And truly the son of man goes as it has been determined, but woe to that man by whom he is betrayed. You see, we're observing the Lord's supper tonight. We're observing the institution, the observance, this blessed ordinance given to us by Jesus Christ that we just read of here in Luke 22. And in observing that, We're observing a death that is the stuff of verse 22 and truly the son of man goes as it has been determined.
Or we could read that truly the son of man goes as it has been eternally preordained. But woe to that man by whom he is betrayed. You see, the crucifixion of Jesus Christ, that event that he was resolutely committed to in his messianic task, it was something that was predetermined by God. And Luke, the gospel writer there in the book of Acts, chapter 2 and verse 23, hopefully a verse that is in your minds, hopefully, an address of Holy Scripture that you know, but the same author of Luke 22, 22 wrote this in Acts 2, 23, narrating or writing a narrative of the events surrounding Peter's preaching on the day of Pentecost.
We read this, beginning in verse 22, men of Israel hear these words, Jesus of Nazareth, the man attested by God to you by miracles, wonders, and signs, which God did through him in your midst, as you yourselves also know, him being delivered by the determined purpose and for knowledge of God, you have taken by lawless hands, have crucified and put to death. There we see, declared by Peter, the plan, the purposive will of God in sending forth Christ Jesus to be crucified, him being delivered by the determined purpose and for knowledge of God. So what does God the Father have to do with the death or the cross of Christ? Among many things, we see the purpose of God the Father in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ.
One brief text before we move on, back in 1 Peter. In 1 Peter, we have a glorious statement with respect to God's before the foundation of the world plan to send forth Christ as a propitiation for the sins of his people. In fact, in the chapter that we read from, in 1 Peter 1 verse 20, speaking of Jesus, he indeed was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you. We have God the Father involved purposively in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ.
The Father's Promise in Scripture
Secondly, under God the Father, we have the fact of promise. We have the fact of promise. God the Father in the Old Testament and in accordance with his purpose gave promise of the Christ who would come to give his life. You see the connectivity, for lack of a better term, between the purpose and the promise and the execution of the promise is glorious as we read our Bibles, isn't it?
We see a purposive God, a God of planning. A God of a perfect and unblemished mind who executes a plan to the praise of his glory. And so we have God the Father as God the Father of promise with respect to the cross. That which he purposed, he promises in the Old Testament scriptures.
There's one thing that's very important to note. I'm just gonna read briefly from our confession of faith because In the Confession of Faith, in chapter 7, speaking concerning this very thing, but specifically under the doctrine of the covenant, of God's covenant, the Baptists deviated from the Westminster divines at this point, and they did so with theological brilliance. Because their chapter 3 is at no point the same as the Westminster or the Savoy. but rather reflects proper covenant theology and finding the centrality of covenant theology in the cross of Christ. So God orders history by way of covenant and he brings it and at the center or at the heart of his covenantal dealings is the promise of the seed of the woman.
Notice in, well not notice because you don't have a confession, but listen as I read this concerning God the father, and the promise of Christ in the scriptures concerning his death. This covenant, the covenant of grace, is revealed in the gospel, first of all to Adam in the promise of salvation by the seed of the woman, and afterwards by farther steps until the full discovery thereof was completed in the New Testament. You see, what we have in covenant theology is a purpose, that Christ would come into the world to save sinners. And then that covenant of grace made with Christ, wherein he would come in due time to save sinners.
And then all of history following creation is building towards that terminus, that end. Christ upon the cross, working out the salvation of sinners. So God purposes to save by the death, by the cross, by the blood of Christ. And he promises it in the Old Testament.
And if I was to ask you the question, well, where in the Old Testament does he promise that Christ would come according to his purpose? Well, hopefully Genesis 3.15 would be the first one that you think about. We just read that, the promise concerning the seed of the woman, to Adam in the garden. That's where we have that first influx of gospel truth, in the garden after the fall of man.
We have the promise of salvation by the seat of the woman, by the Lord Jesus Christ. And then afterwards, by farther steps, the gospel is revealed through God's revelation and in his covenantal dealings with his people. And then, of course, Isaiah 53 that we just read. There's so many texts in the Old Testament, but Isaiah 53 that we read at the outset.
You see, as time and history progressed, as this farther steps revelation of the seed of the woman, Jesus Christ, were made, we have more and more truths mounting on top of each other, divinely designed in such a way so that the fullness of the times would come and those people, by God's grace, would recognize their Messiah. And so we have in Isaiah 53 that clear declaration. It's been said before that if we were just newly converted, we didn't know the Maybe we didn't know with great detail the structure of the Bible and Isaiah 53 being written 700 years prior to Jesus Christ. If we didn't know that and we read Isaiah 53, we would think that it was an acknowledgment after the fact of Christ's saving and substitutionary work.
You read the language in Isaiah 53. If the Gospels give us narrative of Christ's death Isaiah 53 actually gives us more content than the Gospels as to the theological interpretation of what Christ's death means Written 700 years prior to him coming it is an amazing text, but there we see God the Father Promising to do what he purposed to do before the foundation of the world and
The Father's Punishment of the Son
thirdly under God the Father we have punishment We have punishment. God, the father in the fullness of the times and in accordance with his purpose and promise punished Christ at his death. We read that in Isaiah 53, it pleased the Lord to bruise him or it pleased the Lord to crush him. The truth set forth in the Holy scriptures that Jesus Christ is crushed by the father as a substitute for guilty sinners.
Instead of us brethren, instead of, God's elect being crushed upon the cross of Calvary, being crushed in any sense with respect to the wrath of God being rightly visited upon us, Jesus Christ goes in our room, in our stead, and in our place and bears that crushing, bears that bruising, bears the taking of God's wrath for us. 2 Corinthians 5.21, Galatians 3.13 set this forth quite clearly. Speaking of Jesus in Galatians 3.13, he became a curse for us, that just as it is written, cursed is he who hangs upon a tree. Wonderful truth there in Galatians 3.13, he became a curse for us. And then of course, 2 Corinthians 5.21, he made him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in him.
Never tire of meditating and dwelling upon that truth of 2 Corinthians 5.21. Again, some of us, our minds might spin with theological terms thrown at us, and that's fine. You're not saved by virtue of your knowledge of theological terms. The penal obedience of Christ, the imputation of the righteousness of Christ, you need to understand the truths behind the words.
But that's the point. If words bug you, then the truths of the Holy Scriptures, as they're presented by the authors in their raw form, never tire of their glory and their power and the amazing nature of what they're declaring. He made him who knew no sin to be sin for us. You think of your, and again, it's not an exercise you should do.
I don't want to say often because it depends, but it's not an exercise that you do in some sort of sick fascination with sin, but with your mind, reflect back on your transgressions. You don't have to go far, because we could probably go to some point within the last number of minutes. But reflect upon your transgressions and your sins, and think of the immensity and the amazement of the Savior's work in your stead. And not just your own transgressions, you don't have to think about other people's sins, but of the idea that all of the elect's sins are paid for in Christ's cross work.
Not only just thinking of those sins that we might call horrible, those sins, murder, adultery, sexual deviancy, all of these things. But think of your prior rejection of Jesus Christ. That Jesus Christ went to the cross of Calvary. If you're in this room today and you're a believer on the Lord Jesus Christ, we were once such as would cry out, crucify him, crucify him, give us Barabbas and that same Savior. that we would have cried that out to went to the cross for that sin.
What a blessed Savior. He made him who knew no sin to be sin for us.
God the Son
Now, secondly, God the Son. So we have God the Father involved at the cross of Christ. Purpose, promise, punishment. We have God the Son involved, of course, at the cross of Christ.
Penal Obedience of the Son
First off, and we need not spend a lot of time because we touched on that this morning, but penal obedience. Christ bore the penalty due for the elect at the cross. God the Son, in his death, bore the punishment due us for breaking the law of God. We see Christ's obedience generally set forth for us in John 6, 38, 39, for example.
It's my will to do the will of him who sent me. Or I came, the Son of Man came into the world to do the will of the one who sent him. We have the reality. of his obedience, including his death, set forth for us in Philippians 2. Remember what it said there.
It said that Christ became obedient even to the point of death, even the cross death, even the death of the cross. Christ bore the penalty due us at the cross. In fact, in 1 Peter, we have that glorious theology brought forth. Remember Peter quoting, Peter, almost what he could have done is just simply written out a portion of Isaiah 53 that he's alluding to here.
But in 1 Peter 2, we read this with respect to Christ. At verse 23, speaking of Jesus, who when he was reviled, did not revile in return. When he suffered, he did not threaten, but committed himself to him who judges righteously. Now notice verse 24, who himself bore our sins in his own body on the tree. that we having died to sins might live for righteousness by whose stripes you were healed.
A beautiful, amazing language. We can exhaust words to describe what this is saying. Remember that quote I said this morning, I'm trying to remember what Spurgeon was preaching on, but he was preaching on Jesus because it almost seemed like Spurgeon was always preaching on Jesus. That's what he said of himself, if anybody faults me, preaching Jesus Christ, you can charge me with that because I sought to set him forth every pulpit opportunity.
But he said concerning Jesus, he said, lay on you men of eloquence. In other words, lay on you sages, or bring forth words, gather papers and sketch on them. Lay on you men of eloquence. He says, spare no colors.
You can never depict Jesus Christ too bravely. When we come with two passages of scripture like this, the sages could exhaust the ink in their pen and the pages made from the trees of the earth. Now it's computers, you could exhaust terabytes. By setting forth, by speaking of, by writing of, by declaring the riches and the excellencies of Jesus Christ, we could never exhaust the amount of writing implements or whatever we might have in our in our arsenal to declare Jesus Christ and the beauty that is the Son of God.
So we have penal obedience. He bore our sins in his own body on the tree.
Perfection of Christ's Atoning Work
We have perfection. God the Son, the death of Christ, God the Son in his death without the need of human admixture actually and fully saved his people. Now that may not have been worded very well because God the Son didn't die, God can't die, but by virtue of the incarnation, the man Christ Jesus died on the cross. But Jesus Christ, in his death, without the need of human admixture, actually and fully saved his people.
You see, the death of Jesus Christ, the atoning work, the redeeming work of Jesus Christ, is not a redeeming or atoning work of perhaps and maybe. It was not a hypothetical salvation. He did not die upon the cross to inaugurate some sort of economy of salvation whereby men can be saved if only they will to be saved. But rather, Christ upon the cross perfectly worked out the salvation of a multitude that no man can number, and they will be saved.
All those for whom Christ died will, on that great and final day, sing the blessings of their Messiah and their Christ. For by one offering, He has perfected forever those who are being sanctified. Turn to Hebrews 7 for a moment. That was Hebrews 10, 14, but turn to Hebrews 7 with me for a moment.
Because there we have, in fact, the entire book of Hebrews is one big book that sets forth the supremacy of Christ and the sufficiency of his death. It's within the rubric of or within the context of covenant theology. That all of the articles of old covenant religion, all of the multitudinous washings and sacrifices and ceremonies, were these all to be put away and nothing left but a bleeding savior? Yes, all of old covenant theology led towards Jesus Christ.
And Hebrews is about that, the sufficiency, the finality, the supremacy of the saving work of Jesus Christ. In Hebrews 7, look at verse 25, therefore he is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through him since he always lives to make intercession for them. Christ makes intercession for those for whom he died on the cross to save and none others. His salvation, his cross work, his blood shedding on the cross of Calvary is Perfect.
We think about that announcement in the gospel narratives in the birth narratives in the Gospels Matthew 121 the simple statement that clearly sets forth the the Perfection and the precision of Christ's redeeming work you will call his name Jesus for he will save his people from their sins A simple statement given in the birth narrative, but it speaks to the perfection of Christ's atoning work. Not he might save, not the possibility is good that he will save, but he will save his people from their sins. There's that wonderful statement in 1 Timothy 1.15. This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptance that Christ Jesus came into the world, sinners to save.
It's not the work of an ineffectual savior who came into the world to save sinners. That's his primary design. But you see now, it's up to the will of the creature and the volition of the sinful in order to make the power of his saving work effectual. That's horrible.
Christ came into the world, sinners to save. He does it, he does it perfectly, and he does it to the glory. of God the Father.
Protection Through Christ's Intercession
Lastly, under God the Son, we have protection. God the Son, by his death and afterwards by virtue of it, continues without failure to keep his people. You see, when we acknowledge that as we pray, rejoicing and thanking God for the fact that Jesus Christ came in the fullness of the times, born of a woman, born under the law, he died upon Calvary's tree, He was risen again and he was exalted to the right hand of the majesty on high where he whatever lives to make intercession for his people. This is what John Gill says with regards to the intercessory work of Jesus Christ.
He writes this, this he does now in heaven, intercession, not by vocal prayer and supplication. at least not as in the days of his flesh, or as if he was supplicating an angry judge, nor as controverting or litigating a point the court of heaven. But by the appearance of his person for them, by the presentation of his sacrifice, blood, and righteousness, by declaring his will that such and such blessings be bestowed on such and such persons, and by recommending the prayers of his people and removing the charges and accusations of Satan, The things he intercedes for are the conversion of his that are in a state of nature, the consolation of distressed ones, fresh discoveries of pardoning grace to fallen believers, renewed strength to oppose sin, exercise grace, discharge duty, and bear up under temptations, and deliverance out of them, perseverance in faith and holiness, and eternal glorification. You see, when we think of the intercession of Christ, maybe you're like me. You hear, okay, how does Christ intercede for us?
I can't come up with all of that. John Gill did. But that's what our Bibles disclose. You see, Christ's intercessory work isn't on one particular or peculiar part of intercessory work.
But it is a comprehensive work of intercession, of legal advocacy on our behalf. And what is at the foundation of that is his shed blood, the perfect work. of his atoning sacrifice. And so Christ is involved, of course, at his own death, in penal obedience, in perfection, and in protection. If you think of Psalm 23, that is a psalm of shepherdly protection by Jesus Christ.
Psalm 22, the psalm of the cross. Psalm 23, remember the psalm of the crook. The shepherd's crook, not a criminal, but the shepherd's crook. Psalm 24, the psalm of the crown, the exaltation and the glorification of the king.
Psalm 23, what does it speak of? It speaks of the perfect shepherding work of Jesus Christ, who perfectly keeps his people.
God the Holy Spirit
Moving on then to God the Holy Spirit. Lastly, God the Holy Spirit.
The Spirit's Publication of Truth
First off, with respect to the Holy Spirit, we have publication. Publication, what does that mean? God the Spirit publishes or makes known the truth concerning the death of Christ. It is the Holy Spirit who is involved in declaring and making known the truth concerning the death of Christ.
So the Holy Spirit declares, the Holy Spirit by the word in the scriptures with our Bibles declares the truths concerning Jesus Christ. If we have a look at 2 Peter, we see, or actually 1 Peter, sorry, in chapter 1 and verse 10. If you turn there with me, maybe you're already back there in 1 Peter. 1 Peter 1, and beginning at verse 10. Of this salvation, speaking of the salvation by the triune God, Of this salvation, the prophets have inquired and searched carefully who prophesied of the grace that would come to you, searching what or what manner of time the spirit of Christ who was in them was indicating when he testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ and the glories that would follow.
So you see here, the spirit is involved in making known to the prophets of old the things concerning the suffering of Christ and the glories that would follow. When we read the Old Testament, hopefully we don't make this mistake that the writers of the Old Testament scriptures were simply writing things relevant and with respect to their own history, not knowing the typology that they were actually pointing forward to Jesus Christ. No, the prophets of the Old Testament were writing with what theologians call a messianic consciousness. They're writing under the inspiration of the Holy Scriptures, but they're writing all the while knowing that there is promise to us, the seed of the woman who would crush the head of the serpent, who would come in time and history to save his people from their sins.
And so the Spirit of Christ is the one who publishes this. The Spirit of Christ who was in them was indicating when Christ, when he testified beforehand, the sufferings of Christ and the glories that would follow. The Spirit is involved in publication, making known the things concerning Christ. And we also have in 2 Peter 1, in 2 Peter 1 at verse 16, we have this written.
For we did not follow cunningly devised fables when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of his majesty. For he received from God the Father honor and glory when such a voice came to him from the excellent glory. This is my beloved son in whom I am well pleased. And we heard this voice which came from heaven when we were with him on the holy mountain.
And so we have the prophetic word confirmed which you do well to heed as a light that shines in a dark place until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts. Knowing this first that no prophecy of scripture is of any private interpretation. For prophecy never came by the will of men, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit, an agent of revelation, an agent of revealing to the men of God, to these holy men of old, the things concerning Christ, his sufferings and the glory that would follow.
You see, he also does this in the hearts of the elect. You see, we are regenerated through effectual calling by the power of the spirit, wherein God removes our hearts of stone, replaces them with hearts of flesh, the stuff of Ezekiel 36, 37, and then puts his spirit within us to cause us to walk in his statutes. The Holy Spirit is involved in the publication of truth with respect to the death of Christ.
The Spirit's Persuasion and Assurance
Persuasion, secondly. under God, the Holy Spirit at the cross of Christ. Persuasion. God, the spirit makes the published word effectual and affirms the fact of our salvation. God, the spirit makes the published word effectual.
That means powerful. It does what it's intended to do and affirms the fact of our salvation. First Corinthians two. If you turn there with me, we see The agency of the Holy Spirit involved in this aspect. 1 Corinthians 2, beginning at verse 10, you're probably familiar with verse 14.
We'll read the context here. Now, whom you forgive anything, I also forgive. For if indeed I have forgiven anything, I have forgiven that one for your sakes in the presence of Christ. Excuse me, sorry, I'm reading 2 Corinthians 2.
It was starting to look unfamiliar. First Corinthians chapter 2 at verse 10, but God has revealed them to us through his spirit for the spirit searches all things Yes, the deep things of God For what man knows the things of a man except the spirit of man which is in him? Even so, no one knows the things of God except the spirit of God. Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the spirit who is from God, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God.
You see, the spirit is involved here in causing the redeemed sinner with the redeemed mind to apprehend and glory in the truths that God has revealed. He goes on, these things we also speak, not in words which man's wisdom teaches, but which the Holy Spirit teaches, comparing spiritual things with spiritual. But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, nor can he know them because they are spiritually discerned. But he who is spiritual judges all things, yet he himself is rightly judged by no one.
For who has known the mind of the Lord that he may instruct him but we have the mind of Christ. The spiritual man, the Christian, the one redeemed by Jesus Christ is given the Holy Spirit who teaches wisdom and who testifies to the fact of our salvation. Remember the language of Romans 8, Paul writing there, his spirit, the Holy Spirit testifies with our spirit that we are the children of God. We have that wonderful activity of the Holy Spirit, not only in publishing truth, but in persuasion unto salvation as well as affirming the fact of our salvation.
The Spirit's Purification and Preservation
And lastly, under God the Holy Spirit and the death cross of Christ, we have the spirit involved in purification and preservation. Purification and preservation. The spirit is involved in cleansing the elect and in keeping them until the day of Christ. We see this language in John 3.
Unless a man is born of water, and the spirit, he cannot see the kingdom of God. A lot of people have thought that to mean a reference, the water at least, a reference to a woman's water breaking in labor. One being born of amniotic fluid, one must be born physically but also born by the spirit before he can see the kingdom of God. That's not what John's talking about, water and the spirit. refers back to Ezekiel 36 and 37, where God will purify us or wash us by the spirit, refers to regeneration.
But John writes in John 3, Jesus speaking to Nicodemus, unless a man is born of the spirit, he cannot see the kingdom of God. But it is also washing, and this washing is referenced to in the book of Titus. Titus, where it speaks of When he's talking about salvation, he says, not by works of righteousness, Paul does, not by works of righteousness, which we have done, but according to his mercy, he saved us by the washing and renewing of the Holy Spirit. So we have the Holy Spirit involved in purifying his people and in preserving him, Ephesians 1.
What's the Holy Spirit called there? He's called our seal and our guarantee. It is, as it were, God as king and magistrate using the Holy Spirit as if a signet ring being pressed into wax upon a legal document and saying, these are mine. They cannot be taken, but they will finally arrive in Emmanuel's land unto the praise of my glorious grace.
He is our seal. He is our guarantor, our legal reservation. He is the one who there testifies as the legal preserver of the reality that we will enter into heaven having been saved by the perfect efficacious work of Christ upon Calvary's tree.
Application
So brethren, as we go into the Lord's Supper, we should reflect upon these things. Imperfectly presented by a preacher, but perfectly disclosed by the triune God that we've just briefly studied. We have God the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Spirit involved at the cross of Christ and afterwards applying the benefits of the cross of Christ. From purpose before the foundation of the world to promise in the holy scriptures to the act of punishment by the father visited upon the son, to the penal obedience of Jesus Christ, perfection of his work, the Holy Spirit coming and doing all of those piece of persuasion and publication and purification.
We have the triune God active for his glory, for the good of the elect and to the honor and to the praise of Jesus Christ, the perfect Savior. Remember what we have in the scriptures. We have a triune God saving. We have not man saving himself at any point.
We have not man saving himself. bringing 25% to the table of the economy of salvation. But we have, as it's been said so many times before, in salvation, God first, God last, God midst and throughout in the salvation of sinners, saving to the praise of his glorious grace. As we go to the Lord's Supper, we remember specifically the Lord Christ's death until he come again. But we also remember that it is the triune God active in the cross of Christ. active in applying the benefits of the cross of Christ, active as we observe this ordinance in communicating from on high the efficacy of his grace to worthy recipients.
So let us gather together as we engage in that ordinance with great joy, reflecting upon the triune God who saves without a helper. Let us pray.
Closing Prayer
Heavenly Father, we thank you for the fact of Holy Scripture, what it discloses concerning our triune God, wholly active in the salvation of sinners to the praise of the glory of God. And we pray that you'd help us as we engage in the Lord's Supper to do so with great sobriety and seriousness, but also with great joy as we remember the Lord's death till he come again. And might it be impressed upon us as we take that God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit, all involved in bringing to bear the glory of the cross to the hearts of the saints. We just pray that you would be with us now as we continue to worship and we pray in Christ's precious name.
Amen.