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Morning everyone. You can turn in your Bibles with me to 1 Timothy chapter 1. 1 Timothy chapter 1. When we think of the Proverbs in Christianity, we rightly think of the Old Testament and the book of the Proverbs, those wise sayings of Solomon that we find true to their word and good to our souls. We do have some proverbs, though, if you will, in the New Testament as well. These concise, memorable statements that capture the blessedness of common truth, the blessedness of practical wisdom or a moral lesson.

And we see one of these in 1 Timothy 1.15, this glorious proverb concerning the blessed simplicity of Gospel truth. So I'm going to read 1 Timothy 1 from verse 1 to verse 17. 1 Timothy 1, beginning at verse 1, the Word of God. Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ, by the commandment of God our Saviour and the Lord Jesus Christ our hope, to Timothy, a true son in the faith, grace, mercy and peace from God our Father and Jesus Christ our Lord.

As I urged you when I went into Macedonia, remain in Ephesus, that you may charge some that they teach no other doctrine, nor give heed to fables and endless genealogies which cause disputes, rather than godly edification which is in faith. Now the purpose of the commandment is love from a pure heart. from a good conscience, and from sincere faith, from which some, having strayed, have turned aside to idle talk, desiring to be teachers of the law, understanding neither what they say, nor the things which they affirm. But we know that the law is good if one uses it lawfully, knowing this, that the law is not made for a righteous person, but for the lawless and insubordinate, for the ungodly and for sinners, for the unholy and profane, for murderers of fathers and murderers of mothers, for manslayers, for fornicators, for sodomites, for kidnappers, for liars, for perjurers, and if there is any other thing that is contrary to sound doctrine according to the glorious gospel of the blessed God which was committed to my trust.

And I thank Christ Jesus, our Lord, who has enabled me, because he counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry. Although I was formerly a blasphemer, a persecutor, and an insolent man, but I obtained mercy because I did it ignorantly in unbelief. and the grace of our Lord was exceedingly abundant with faith and love which are in Christ Jesus. This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners of whom I am chief. However, for this reason I obtain mercy, that in me first Christ Jesus might show all longsuffering as a pattern to those who are going to believe on him for everlasting life.

Now to the King eternal, immortal, Invisible to God, who alone is wise, be honor and glory forever and ever, amen. Well, let us pray. Heavenly Father, we thank you for this time in worship, the preaching of your holy word. We do pray that you would bless this time. Help us now to be focused. Help us to have a whole-souled attention to this particular aspect of worship as we seek to avail of your word to the sons of men. We pray that you'd help us to see your truth, to know your truth, to glory in Jesus Christ, who is the way, the truth, and the life. We pray in his precious name, amen.

Well, as I stated, we have a wonderful proverb here. A proverb is simply a nice, short, concise statement, a memorable word, a saying that expresses a common truth, a moral lesson, or some practical wisdom. We see the language of Proverb and the faithfulness of it here in verse 15 and the content of the Proverb and even a proof for its truthfulness.

This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptance that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief." What a wonderful simplicity to the Gospel message that we have here. Over and against, or up and against all other religions that have complexity mounted upon complexity, or untruth mounted upon untruth, we have the blessed simplicity here of what creation and providence ultimately serve. that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners. But the blessed truth is we gather together as Christians here this morning to be able to rehearse this blessed ABC of biblical Christianity ought to be of the highest joy.

We see three things, or we will look at three things from this verse here this morning. The character of the proverb, the content of the proverb, and then the proof of the proverb. So three simple things. The first thing we want to see here is the character of the proverb.

Notice the language that Paul uses here. This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptance. He uses this language, or language very similar and almost exact, at least five times in his epistles. And we see here that it comes as every text does, in a context.

And he's setting the faithful saying that is worthy of all acceptance against an unfaithful saying that is worthy of no acceptance. In the context we see here at verse three, as I urged you when I went into Macedonia, remain in Ephesus, that you may charge some that they teach no other doctrine, nor give heed to fables and endless genealogies which cause disputes, rather than godly edification, which is in faith. So this faithful saying that the Apostle Paul is setting forth here in verse 15 is set against the faithless and godless sayings and so-called truths, which are no truths at all, that are propagated by these errorists and those in opposition Notice verse 6, from which some, having strayed, have turned aside to idle talk, desiring to be teachers of the law, understanding neither what they say nor the things which they affirm. the Christian is to stay away from such idle words, to stay away from such faithful babbling, and to focus upon the blessed God-delivered proverb, in this case, that which is a faithful saying worthy of all acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into this world, sinners to save. So we see here that the character of the proverb is that it is trustworthy and reliable.

This could carry the weight and does carry the weight that the power or effectiveness of a teaching to produce its proper effect. It's a faithful saying. God does what he says and his promises are sure to bring about what God intends by them. God does not fail. He is ever and always the teller of truth and the giver of truth.

There's a section in our Confession of Faith that speaks with the language that's targeted to capture the reality of the Bible and the characteristics of the Word of God as set apart from every other writing in the history of mankind. And it's talking about what are the incomparable excellencies of the Word of God that sets it above, again, all other writings, all other sayings, all other words expressed. And some of the things that it touches upon are, first, the heavenliness of the matter, but secondly, the efficacy of the doctrine.

I think what's in view there is the stuff of 1 Timothy 1.15.

What God says will come true. The power or the effectiveness of a thing to bring about its intended purpose or its proper effect. In other words, and as we'll see, the salvation of sinners. This is a faithful saying. It is trustworthy. It is reliable because it brings about what God intends by it.

And notice as well, it is deserving of universal assent. This is a faithful saying worthy of all acceptance. What follows the words of the Apostle Paul in these introductory words, the character of the proverb, it is so glorious, and it is so high, and it is so significant, and it is so important that it ought to be universally accepted, universally assented to by all who hear it, by all who read it, by all who know it. This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptance. It bears trustworthiness and reliability and it's deserving of universal assent.

Why? We ask the question, okay, that's good, Paul, but why is it a faithful saying and why is it worthy of all acceptance? I think our first answer comes because of the God who gives it. Because of the God who gives us this proverb. It is trustworthy and reliable and it is deserving of universal assent because of the God who gives it. Notice, if you'll turn with me to Psalm 12. Just to see, we're talking about the character of the proverb, and why is it trustworthy and reliable? Why is it deserving of universal assent? Because of the God who gives it. Notice such character and such glory with regards to divine truthfulness, first in Psalm 12.

Notice, help, Lord, for the godly man ceases, for the faithful disappear from among the sons of men. Notice, they speak idly, everyone with his neighbor, with flattering lips and a double heart they speak. May the Lord cut off all flattering lips. and the tongue that speaks proud things, who have said, with our tongue we will prevail. Our lips are our own. Who is Lord over us?

For the oppression of the poor, for the sighing of the needy. Now I will arise, says the Lord. I will set him in the safety for which he yearns. Now notice in contradistinction to the idleness of men's words and the idleness of the wicked, the words of the Lord are pure words. like silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times. You shall keep them, O Lord.

You shall preserve them forever, from this generation forever. The wicked prowl on every side when vileness is exalted among the sons of men. For those who were with us last Lord's Day morning, you'll remember in the occasion regarding the burning of the fiery furnace, into which Nebuchadnezzar and his cronies through Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, that in his rage and in his ungodly haste, Nebuchadnezzar heated the oven seven times. He heated the furnace seven times.

Notice, in contrast, the words of the Lord, not rendered in rage, not rendered in anger, not rendered in any sort of human haste, but rendered in the patient calmness, if you will, of the throne room of heaven and earth, the words of the Lord are pure words, like a silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times. The ungodly, the wicked, in their rage and in their anger, seek the perfection of a seven-fold judgment, but here God is described as one whose words burn, as if that which melts the dross off of silver and purifies silver seven times. All of that to come back to this, that in contrast to the idleness of men's speech, the faithfulness of men's speech, we have the words of the Lord as pure words. The words of the Lord as faithful.

You can turn forward to Psalm 19. Remember what we noted, that the character of this proverb is such that its words are trustworthy and reliable, and that that carries the meaning of something bringing about its intended effect, what God intends by those particular words. Notice in Psalm 19 at verse 7, the law of the Lord is perfect. Notice, affecting by its power a particular and converting the soul.

The testimony of the Lord is sure, bringing about what? Effectively, making wise the simple. The statutes of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart. The commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes. The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever. The judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether. You see, those things that are faithful are those things spoken by the Lord God Almighty, and they bring about the desired and the proper effect.

It is God who is faithful, and this is great for us as Christians who rest upon this God, who find comfort in this God, who see this God as our rock, as our stay, as our tower of refuge. We don't put our trust in men. A, that's a good thing and we never should in this particular sense and context, but B, it's because men are not trustworthy and they are not faithful like our God. If we rest upon the words of men, we will always be disappointed. If we rest upon the promises of men, which almost always fail, or men In their giving of promises, being very often not those who fulfill their promises, we shine the light upon the God who promises, the God who delivers truth, and we see that He always comes through.

The statutes of the Lord are right, the commandments of the Lord are pure, the law of the Lord is perfect, the testimony of the Lord is sure. Notice as well in Psalm 119, just one other Psalm, as we rehearse the fact that God's words are sure, in God we have one whose words are faithful and bring about their desired effect. Notice in Psalm 119 and verse 89.

Forever, O Lord, your word is settled in heaven, Your faithfulness endures to all generations. You establish the earth, and it abides. They continue this day according to your ordinances, for all are your servants. Now, notice the connection here between the language of the settledness of the creation, as those things man can rely upon, the foundations of the earth as established by God, and the testimony that that bears or the relationship or comparison it bears to the Lord's words. Forever, O Lord, your word is settled in heaven.

When God says a thing, Christians, we can rest on that. And as we move in this proverb forward towards the very content of that proverb, we see what glory is to be had in what God speaks and what God has brought about. But just before we get there, we ask the question, okay, why is it a faithful saying? Why is it worthy of all acceptance? And we said, because of the God who gives it, we ought to answer in a second way, and because of the Christ who performs it. So it's a faithful saying worthy of all acceptance, this saying that follows, because of the God who speaks it and who gives it, but also because of the Christ who performs it. The dignity of the person of Christ and the efficacy of his work are in view behind the faithfulness of the saying that's worthy of all acceptance.

It comes again in particular context. We notice the faithfulness of this saying, the truthfulness of the proverb, the trustworthiness and reliability of the proverb is set against the lack of that in the words of men. But notice as well, it's set in the context of Paul's own experience and his own resume. Notice, although I was formerly a blasphemer, verse 13, a persecutor, and an insolent man, but I obtained mercy because I did it ignorantly in unbelief.

And the grace of our Lord was exceedingly abundant with faith and love which are in Christ Jesus." He's reflecting upon his wickedness, his own sin, his own transgressions, his depravity, and then he transitions to this statement, this is a faithful saying worthy of all acceptance that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners of whom I am chief. It's faithful and worthy of all acceptance because it did to the Apostle Paul what God intended it to do, to bring him from the deadness and the madness and the folly of opposition to Christ to being one of his greatest truth propagators.

What a glorious reality we have in this trustworthy and reliable statement that is deserving of universal ascent. And so what is the proverb? What is the content of it? We move to that next. This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptance that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners. That is the content of the proverb presented blessedly in its simplicity. The message of Christianity is captured here. Christ Jesus came into the world, sinners to save.

We have in our Bibles these sorts of blessed clarity, moments of, not that the Bible is obfuscates or is given by God that we might be perplexed. There are things that are hard to understand, acknowledged by us, no doubt, and acknowledged by the Apostle Peter, for example. regarding Paul's own writings. But the clarity of the Bible, given by divine inspiration, is very sure. Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners. This is one of those verses wherein the blessedness of gospel truth and the message of Christianity is so concisely captured. And we ought to regard a few things in the content of the proverb.

First, we see here the language being used, Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners of whom I am chief. It would have been perfectly adequate for Paul to say the Son of God came into the world, sinners to save. Christ Jesus, in a similar verse, uses the language of himself. One of those favorites of his, the Son of Man came into the world, not to be served, but to serve and to give his life a ransom for many, so Paul could have used the language of the Son of Man here, and it would have been perfectly acceptable. We see this joining together, though, of the language of Christ Jesus, and in the context of coming into the world, sinners to save, it makes good sense.

Christ itself being a name that captures the fact that he is the anointed of God to do that very messianic work that God had intended him to do, that language of Christ as applied to him, the anointed one, the promised Messiah. And of course, the name Jesus, which itself, remember, means a particular thing. You can turn with me to the book of Matthew. In the context of giving a proverb concerning the message of Christianity and its blessed simplicity, using the language Christ Jesus, we see brings a measure of weight to it. Notice in Matthew 1, and this is regarding the language of the announcing angel, speaking about the birth of the Lord Jesus Christ in verse 21, and she will bring forth a son, Matthew 121, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins. And so in a passage calculated to communicate the blessed reality of salvation by the Savior, It's perfectly acceptable and perfectly right for the Apostle Paul to use the language of Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.

With regards to the content of the proverb, we ought to see here, clearly in view is the condescension of the Son. You have heard that language of condescension? in Christian context before a coming down to a lower place from a higher place, a coming down, to use the language of Calvin, from the pinnacle of glory to our lower shame or lower ignominy, a condescension, a stoop. The language here is clear regarding that coming down or that condescension that Christ Jesus came into the world sinners to save. And what does this coming into the world mean?

The language and with synonymous terms is used throughout the Bible, and it's used by the Lord Jesus Christ very often. We already noted one, Matthew 20, 28. The Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve and to give his life a ransom for many. Christ uses language in the Gospel of John of coming down from heaven, for example, in John 6 at verse 38. For I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will, but the will of Him who sent me. This is the will of the Father who sent me, that of all He has given me, I should lose nothing, but should raise it up at the last day."

In Christ's own words, the sum and substance of 1 Timothy 1.15, Christ came down from heaven that He might bring many sons and daughters to salvation and glory.

The Apostle Paul uses a little bit different language from the vantage point of the father in Galatians 4.4. Remember that language. When the fullness of the times had come, God sent forth his son, born of a woman, born under the law. And Paul in Philippians 2 uses different language, but the same thing, same theme. The Son of God, equal with the Father, very God of very God, emptied himself or made himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant and coming in the likeness of men.

So our 1 Timothy 1.15 language is like all of that, that Christ Jesus came into the world.

He came down from heaven. He was sent. He made himself of no reputation. And it's an interesting thing to observe here and we'll explore why it's interesting. Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief. Why is it interesting, this coming into the world?

Well, by virtue of Christ being God, very God of very light, light from light, true God from true God, begotten, not made, one in being with the Father, He is everywhere. He fills the heavens and the earth. So how can you come to a place where you already were? He did not leave a place so as not to be there anymore, and He did not come to a place that He was not before, because He fills the heavens and the earth. And in fact, the language of the Bible is sure and certain to this point, and exploring the language of Christ came down from heaven, or He came into this world, It's good for us to know what that doesn't mean.

Turn with me to Psalm 139. A wonderful psalm that speaks to the perfections of God. Among many other things that it holds forth in the glory of its language, Psalm 139 speaks, in our case and for our case, to the everywareness, if you'll allow that language, of God, that he is Immense, eternal, everywhere present. Notice in verse 7 of Psalm 139, where can I go from your spirit or where can I flee from your presence?

If I ascend into heaven, you are there. If I make my bed in hell, behold, you are there. If I take the wings of the morning and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, even there your hand shall lead me and your right hand shall Hold me. You see. This cuts two ways. For the Christian, for the believer, this is absolutely glorious. Where can I go from your spirit or where can I flee from your presence? If we ascend into heaven, God is there. If we descend into the uttermost parts of the earth, God is there. If we go to the sea, God is there. His right hand leads us, His hand shall lead us and His right hand holds us.

This cuts blessedly for the Christian with the knowledge that our God is always with us because he is always there in a special way, but no unbeliever as well that this cuts for terror for you who are in opposition to the living and true God. and who do not believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. This is a terrible thought. You cannot flee from God's Spirit.

Where can I flee from Your presence? Wherever I go, whether I ascend or descend, You are there. If I take the wings of the morning and try to flee from the presence of God to the uttermost parts of the sea, He is there. When I lay down my head and I wake it up in the morning, God is there. Be sure or know for certainty that God is in all places beholding the good and beholding the evil.

Notice in 1 Kings, one of the things that animates King Solomon, in his prayer of dedication to the temple, is this grand reality concerning God, the magnificence of His immensity, that He is in all places according to the glory and the perfection of His essence.

Notice that the dedication of the temple in 1 Kings 8 Verse 25, therefore, Lord God of Israel, now keep what you have promised your servant David, my father, saying, you shall not fail to have a man sit before me on the throne of Israel, only if your sons take heed to their way that they walk before me as you have walked before me. And now I pray, O God of Israel, let your word come true, which you have spoken to your servant David, my father.

Let's just pause for a moment. This is fitting, because we have already talked about the faithfulness of the Word of God. Solomon here is resting upon, and if you will, bringing down upon this situation the very faithfulness of God in the giving of His promises. And we see here, verse 27, But will God indeed dwell on the earth? Behold, heaven and the heaven of heavens cannot contain you, how much less this temple which I have built.

And so finding our way back to 1 Timothy 1.15, I think we can have this sort of preliminary and quick-before-we-actually-think-about-it thought about the Son of God, about the Lord Jesus Christ, and his coming down from heaven. We can kind of picture in the vanity of our humanity that he is this being, he was this being that resided in heaven and he was nowhere here and then he left there to depart from there and no longer be there and came down here to a place where he was beforehand absent.

You kind of have this, almost this Greco-Roman notion of a deity moving from one place and coming to another. Solomon is speaking of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Solomon is speaking, and he's speaking about Christ when he says, your glory in the heavens is such that even the heavens of heavens cannot contain you. You fill the heavens and the earth.

And so When we read that Jesus Christ, Christ Jesus, came into the world to save sinners, we ought not to abandon our notions of the Christian God and imbibe some Greco-Roman notion of deity where he was in a place, he left that place, and he came to a place where he was beforehand absent. This is the language of some in the history of the church. This is targeted not to have our minds arrive at some lofty place of theological reflection, but to glory in the God that we worship, and to rejoice and glory in the Christ who came to save us. Cyril of Alexandria, regarding this language of coming down from heaven The Eternal Word, remember, the Son of God, who is Christ, subjected Himself to birth for us, and came forth, man from a woman, without casting off that which He was.

Although He assumed flesh and blood, He remained what He was, God in essence and in truth. For although visible and a child in swaddling clothes and even in the bosom of his virgin mother, he filled all creation as God and was a fellow ruler with him who begat him.

For the Godhead is without quantity and dimension and cannot have limits. Isn't this a glorious God to worship and to lay hold of? One who is without quantity and dimension and who cannot have limits? We're not those who follow after Greco-Roman conceptions of deities, these anthropomorphic men with gray beards and canes who walk in the clouds, but rather we're those who lay hold of a God who is without quantity and dimension and who cannot have limits.

John Kelvin likewise wrote in his Institutes, here is something marvelous. And this is what these things are targeted for us to do, to marvel. Here is something marvelous. In other words, human minds, redeemed by grace, lift your minds to the high and lofty thoughts of what is about to follow. Here is something marvelous.

The Son of God descended from heaven in such a way that, without leaving heaven, He willed to be born in the Virgin's womb, to go about the earth, to hang upon the cross, yet He continually filled the heaven and the earth even as he had done from the beginning. And one other, John Owen.

By this infinite condescension, his coming into this world, by this infinite condescension to be a suffering man, he lost nothing of his power as God omnipotent, nothing of his infinite wisdom or glorious grace. He could still do all that he could do as God from eternity. If there be anything, therefore, in a coalescencia, a coming together, an intermingling, a coalescency of infinite power with infinite condescension to constitute a sanctuary for distressed sinners, it is all in Christ Jesus. And if we see him not glorious herein, it is because there is no light of faith in us. What a blessed truth we have.

In this condescension, Christ Jesus came into the world, not leaving a place and coming to a place where He wasn't before, departing that place, but filling the heavens and the earth. What then did He do? What does it mean to come into the world? What does it mean for someone who was already here in the replete of glory of his essence to come to a place? It is that he took to himself our humanity. It is that he assumed our nature with all the essential properties and common infirmities thereof.

It is that he became man, that he was born of a virgin, that he went about the earth doing good, that he bled, that he suffered, that he died, and that in that he brings a multitude of sinners to glory. What a wonderful condescension that we have when we reflect upon this, and hopefully, Christians, you are right now, perhaps in spite of the preaching, you are nevertheless, because of this blessed truth, reflecting upon so glorious a condescension that the maker of the heavens and the earth, that the upholder of all that he created, that the one who is infinite without quantity and dimension, who has no limits, the one that is infinite, eternal, and unchangeable in all of his glorious perfections, his glory, his being, his truth, his justice, his goodness, his love, all of those things that is God and that God is, that this one assumed our shame, our lowliness, our humanity, and came into this world to save us. We'll be singing this as long as we live on this earth, and we'll be singing it into eternity, and our minds still will not be able to wrap around the glory of so great a condescension.

I've mentioned it before. It was A.N. Martin who was preaching a sermon on the incarnation. And like only A.N. Martin could, excuse me, Like only A.N. Martin could, he was making goo-goo ga-ga sounds as he was preaching about Jesus Christ in a manger. I imagine only he could do that. But with that aside, he said this, and this rings true, and this rings glorious.

It's very often that we like to think that we can wrap our minds around the truth in such a way that we fully enclose it inside the grip of our great humanity. We find ourselves in a good place when we are humble before the glorious God of heaven and earth and before his glorious truth. A.N. Martin said that if we could take all of the tendrils and the neurons and the nerves in our brain, whatever the thinking physiology is of our brains, wrapped them around the truth of the incarnation such that we could comprehend it. He said, we might congratulate ourselves for our cleverness, but we would never worship. If we could somehow within the grasp of our human brains, actually comprehend the glory and the condescension that Jesus Christ undertook and the blessedness of so great a salvation, yeah, we might congratulate ourselves and pat ourselves on the back for our genius. but we'd never enter into worship because we would have then contained God.

But since we cannot, and since it is so glorious, and since it is so magnificent that one who is without quantity and dimension and cannot have limits took upon himself quantity, took upon himself dimension, took upon himself limits in the assumption of our humanity, we can worship that God, we can glory in that God, not knowing the fullness of its mystery, yet knowing the simplicity of Christ Jesus came into this world, sinners to save.

His coming into the world was his assumption of our humanity for our redemption. and for our recovery, and that's what we see next. So the condescension of the Son, then what is the reason for this condescension? That Christ Jesus came into this world, condescension, and then the reason for it, to save sinners. Our salvation, our redemption, the salvation of humanity was the reason, the divine intent, the purpose for this glorious condescension. We see that in those verses that we noted beforehand, that speak to the coming down and the coming into and the sending. God sent forth his son, born of a woman, born under the law, that he might redeem those who are under the law, that we might have the adoption as sons. Being beforehand cast out, being beforehand not members of the household of God, Christ, by his saving work, has made us those who are part of the household of God, children, sons and daughters of the Most High God. The reason for this condescension is simply, yet blessedly, the salvation of sinners.

Notice the, again, Pastor Butler had preached this not too long ago, but just that section that speaks to that in Philippians 2 regarding what is the purpose of Christ emptying himself? What is the purpose of that emptying himself or that making himself of no reputation? Thankfully, when the Bible presents the gospel, when it presents the central meaning of Christianity, it joins together the history of it, the glorious reality of it, and then the purpose for it. Notice in verse 8 of Philippians 2, and being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. Christ Jesus came into this world, sinners to save. He made himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, that is, taking upon our humanity, and he gives his life of obedience for the salvation of a multitude which no man can number.

The blessed ABCs of Christianity, brethren, hopefully it's good for all of us, all of you, to very often come back to this fount of biblical simplicity, to rehearse the gospel of Jesus Christ, to rehearse the blessed simplicity of what is the purpose of the universe? What is the purpose of creation? What is the purpose of providence? What is the purpose of everything?

It is the glory of God through the salvation of sinners by Jesus Christ. The sharpest of the most wittiest of the most cleverest of the most genius, those weren't all real words, scientists in this lower world asking the questions of what is the meaning of life, where did it come from, what is it for, would be well served to land their eyes upon a faithful saying worthy of all acceptance that Christ Jesus came into the world, sinners to save. the blessed condescension of the Son, and the reason for that condescension is the salvation of sinners.

That He might save us from our sins. That He might save us from the guilt of our sins. From the power of sin that it has over us, and from the condemnation for it. And from the father of it, even the devil himself, the father of lies and murder, from the beginning. What do we see as well here? We see, under the content of the proverb, the certainty of this salvation.

It can perhaps be lost in the simplicity of the words, but it should always be found in the simplicity of the words, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners. There's certainty there. The language of the text is not Christ Jesus came into the world in order to make men savable as long as they exercise the power of their own will and do what they need to do in order to merit that salvation. No, it's that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners. It echoes that language that we already noted. He will call his name Jesus for he will save his people from their sins. the certainty of salvation, the glorious certainty of salvation.

Our redemption is not maybe, our redemption is not perhaps. I've shared that quote with you before from C.H. Spurgeon. If the Arminian conception, if the unbiblical conception of the doing and dying and rising again of the Son of God is true, then the cross quakes, the blood falls powerless to the ground, and redemption is a matter of perhaps. If it's the case that we must, in some way, be the champions of our own salvation, whether it is the exercise of a neutral will, or one that is always tuned towards good, which is itself an unfaithful saying, or whether it's by our own deeds, or whether it's by faith plus works, then the cross quakes, the blood falls powerless to the ground, and redemption is a matter of perhaps.

But praise God, the cross did not quake. The earth did. The sun was darkened. And praise God, the blood does not fall powerless to the ground because it fell victoriously to the ground because of the one who shed it, the one who is very God and very man, yet one Christ, the only mediator between God and man who came into this world to save sinners.

The certainty of our salvation is sure. Gil wrote, and these he saves, from their sins, from all their sins, original and actual, from secret and open sins, from sins of heart, lip, and life, from sins of omission and commission, that is, not doing what we ought to do and doing what we ought not to do. from all that is in sin and omission upon it, from the guilt, punishment, and damning power of it, by his sufferings and death, and from the tyrannical government of sin, by his spirit and grace, and will at last save them from their being of it, though not in this life, yet hereafter in the other world, when they shall be without spot or wrinkle or any such thing. What a glorious thing to reflect upon as Christians. The boon to our souls among many boons is that in Christ we have that forgiveness of sins by virtue of the perfection, not the imperfection, not the maybe-ness or perhaps-ness of His redemption or atonement, but of the perfection of His saving work. The simplicity yet the certainty of that is captured in Jesus came into the world, sinners to save.

And we see, lastly here, the proof of the proverb. The proof of the proverb. Is it true? We've already recognized that it's trustworthy and reliable. We've already recognized that the magnificence of it is such that it is deserving of universal assent.

But now we have a case study in its faithfulness, its reliability, and its deserving of universal assent in the simple clause of whom I am chief. This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptance that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners. whom I am chief. Paul has already reflected on the fact that he was formerly a blasphemer, a persecutor, and an insolent man. And now he can say that this is a faithful saying worthy of all acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into this world, sinners to save, and he says, of whom I am chief.

Why? Because he persecuted the church to death. He dragged men and women, Christian men and women, from out of their homes to march them to their death sentence. He was, truly. This isn't just some post-conversion reflection where Christians, and rightly so, because we are sinners who have transgressed. It's very, very Calvinistic and Reformed, and it should be very Christian to engage in a measure of perhaps wholesome self-loathing. I'm a blasphemer, a persecutor. I was a blasphemer, a persecutor, and an insolent man.

O wretched or wicked man that I am, who will save me from this body, this reality, this sphere of death? We, as Christians, reflect not upon our righteousness, not upon our righteousnesses, not upon our shining teeth and our flowing hair, we reflect upon the glory of Jesus Christ, the perfection of His work, and if we are to look inward and reflect upon self, we can say with Paul, I was this, and I was that, and I was this, yet God, in His condescension and in His mercy, saved me. I obtained mercy. because I did it ignorantly in unbelief and the grace of our Lord was exceedingly abundant with faith and love which are in Christ Jesus."

And hopefully it's your reflection here this morning to reflect with a bit of wholesome self-loathing upon not only your former state but also your current state because we're of course not perfect. Not in this life, yet hereafter in the other world when they should be without spot or wrinkle or any such thing. We, none of us, can walk up to our Christian mirrors and look at the law of God and see ourselves shining and glorious. The law, as one man says, shows that we're dirty, it doesn't make us clean. And so we can reflect, like the Apostle Paul, upon our former selves. We can reflect upon our current selves.

Though saved by grace, we still stumble, we still fall, we still sin. Yet we have this Christ who came into this world. sinners to save. And Paul again is proof of the veracity, of the truthfulness, of the trustworthiness, of the reliability of this proverb, because he was formerly a blasphemer, a persecutor, and an insolent man, but he obtained mercy by virtue of the condescending greatness grace and eternal loving kindness of his God. He obtained mercy, grace, and it was exceedingly abundant, Christ showing all longsuffering to him.

Just three things in conclusion. A sinner may rest his soul upon this saying because its foundation is the faithfulness of the triune God. One of the texts that speaks to this very richly and very gloriously, we sang a hymn this morning, Arise my soul arise, shake off thy guilty fears. I've often thought how one trusting in themselves or how one trusting in their own righteousness that they were righteous, trusting in their own deeds that they were righteous might I might sing a hymn like that.

Arise, my soul, arise, shake off thy guilty fears. Thank God that I'm so glorious. I couldn't find anything that would rhyme there. But what do we sing, and wherein comes the surety, and wherein comes the certainty? Arise, my soul, arise, shake off thy guilty fears.

The bleeding sacrifice in my behalf appears. That's how our souls can arise unto confidence. and how we can as Christians rest upon certainty, trustworthiness, and faithful sayings. All of this is sort of brought together well by the Apostle Paul in a number of places, but in the book of Hebrews, notice the language of Hebrews 10 and verse 23. Hebrews 10 verse 23, but just backing up a little bit because it speaks with regards to the arise my soul, arise reality, that the bleeding sacrifice in our behalf appears. The foundation for our souls is the faithfulness of the triune God.

Notice Hebrews 10, 19, Therefore, brethren, having boldness to enter the holiest by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way which he consecrated for us, through the veil that is his flesh, and having a high priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a true heart, notice, in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. Let's just pause for a moment. You see what the apostle here is calling upon Christians to lay hold of? Not themselves, not their deeds, not their righteousnesses, not their perfections, not their shining teeth or flowing hair, but rather the blood of Jesus. who by a new and living way consecrated for us, went through the veil and had that veil torn, which is his flesh, being a high priest over the house of God.

Our full assurance of faith rests upon a triune God, who from first to last, midst and throughout, saves without a helper all those who draw nigh unto him. Notice verse 23. Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, For he who promised is faithful. This is a faithful saying, worthy of all acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world, sinners to save.

Secondly, the Incarnation should humble us deeply. There was nothing in us that drew Christ down except our own misery and God's mercy. Christ did not come into the world because men deserved it, but because God is rich in His mercy. this is something that ought to humble us, that Christians should be the humblest people on the face of the earth, because we have learned of our God, we have learned of our sin, we have learned of the punishment due for that sin, and we have learned of a Savior, a great Savior, who saves us from that sin. The Incarnation should humble us deeply that He descended from so great a height ought to call us to not pride but humility. In fact, I think those were Calvin's comments on the text of Philippians 2. Since then, the Son of God descended from so great a height, how unreasonable that we who are nothing should be lifted up with pride.

We hold on to things. We hold on to our own pride, and we hold on to things against others. We hold on to things in thinking favor towards ourselves, and yet we do that all the while in the face of one who is repletively everywhere by the perfection of his essence, who is immutable, invisible, who is alone wise. who is from everlasting to everlasting, yet who took upon himself our lower humanity and our shame, that he might bring a multitude of sinners to glory. We should be humbled deeply.

And lastly, the greatness of your sin is not greater than the power of Christ's salvation. Paul says, of whom I am chief. And if you're, so if you're here this morning, this isn't, when Pastor Butler says this and when I say it occasionally, there is no sin. Or let's put it this way, that you should not be sitting here in these pews thinking that you're too sinful for Christ to save you. It's not just a theoretical thing.

People have said this to us, and perhaps people have said this to you, Christians. So if you're out here this morning, and you think yourselves too sinful, that you've done too much, and you've done it too many times, and that you're too wicked, and that you're too depraved, and that you're too sinful, Paul was a blasphemer, a persecutor, and an insolent man, but he obtained mercy.

The grace of his Lord was exceedingly abundant. The Creator and the Upholder of all things, and the Redeemer of God's elect, saved sinners to the uttermost, those who were formerly persecutors, formerly murderers, and formerly insolent men. believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you shall be saved, and you shall know the blessedness of this proverb. It is faithful. It is worthy of universal assent that Christ Jesus came into this world, sinners to save. Christian, rejoice in that, and sinner here this morning, outside of saving faith, rest upon Christ, and he will be your everything.

Well, let's pray. God, thank you for your truth. We rejoice in your goodness to us. We rejoice in the word of truth. We rejoice in this faithful saying, worthy of all acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into this world, sinners to save. Thank you for the preciousness of your truth. Thank you for the preciousness of your word that is faithful, that is trustworthy, that is reliable.

Might we rest upon you once again, because it is possible only with you. Might you cause, by your grace, everyone here to leave these doors singing the praises of our victor and our redeemer, the Lord Jesus Christ, and it's in His name that we pray, amen.