I'm going to focus primarily on verse 18 this morning in terms of our meditation for the Lord's Supper, a verse that B.B. Warfield calls the summation of the gospel. But I just want to read beginning in verse one so we can see the larger context and all that the apostle had said to Agrippa. Beginning in chapter 26 at verse one.
Then Agrippa said to Paul, you are permitted to speak for yourself. So Paul stretched out his hand and answered for himself. I think myself happy, King Agrippa, because today I shall answer for myself before you concerning all the things of which I am accused by the Jews, especially because you are expert in all customs and questions which have to do with the Jews. Therefore, I beg you to hear me patiently.
My manner of life from my youth, which was spent from the beginning among my own nation at Jerusalem, All the Jews know. They knew me from the first, if they were willing to testify, that according to the strictest sect of our religion, I lived a Pharisee. And now I stand and am judged for the hope of the promise made by God to our fathers. To this promise, our twelve tribes, earnestly serving God night and day, hope to attain.
For this hope's sake, King Agrippa, I am accused by the Jews. Why should it be thought incredible by you that God raises the dead? Indeed, I myself thought I must do many things contrary to the name of Jesus of Nazareth. This I also did in Jerusalem.
And many of the saints I shut up in prison, having received authority from the chief priests. And when they were put to death, I cast my vote against them. And I punished them often in every synagogue and compelled them to blaspheme. and being exceedingly enraged against them, I persecuted them even to foreign cities. While thus occupied, as I journeyed to Damascus with authority and commission from the chief priests, at midday, O King, along the road I saw a light from heaven, brighter than the sun, shining around me and those who journeyed with me.
And when we all had fallen to the ground, I heard a voice speaking to me and saying in the Hebrew language, Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me? It is hard for you to kick against the goats. So I said, who are you, Lord? And he said, I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting.
But arise and stand on your feet. For I have appeared to you for this purpose, to make you a minister and a witness both of the things which you have seen and of the things which I will yet reveal to you. I will deliver you from the Jewish people as well as from the Gentiles to whom I now send you to open their eyes in order to turn them from darkness to light. and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who are sanctified by faith in me. Therefore, King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision, but declared first to those in Damascus and in Jerusalem and throughout all the region of Judea and then to the Gentiles that they should repent. turn to God and do works befitting repentance.
For these reasons, the Jews seized me in the temple and tried to kill me. Therefore, having obtained help from God to this day, I stand witnessing to both both to small and great, saying no other things than those which the prophets and Moses said would come, that the Christ would suffer, that he would be the first to rise from the dead and would proclaim light to the Jewish people and to the Gentiles. Now, as he thus made his defense, Festus said with a loud voice, Paul, you are beside yourself. Much learning is driving you mad.
But he said, I am not mad, most noble Festus, but speak the words of truth and reason. For the king, before whom I also speak freely, knows these things. For I am convinced that none of these things escapes his attention, since this thing was not done in a corner. King Agrippa, do you believe the prophets?
I know that you do believe. Then Agrippa said to Paul, you almost persuade me to become a Christian. And Paul said, I would to God that not only you, but also all who hear me today might become both almost and altogether such as I am, except for these chains. When he had said these things, the king stood up as well as the governor and Bernice and those who sat with them.
And when they had gone aside, they talked among themselves, saying, This man is doing nothing deserving of death or chains. Then Agrippa said to Festus, This man might have been set free if he had not appealed to Caesar. Amen. Let us pray.
Father, we thank you for the written word and we pray for the ministry of your spirit now. We ask that he would guide us and instruct us in the things concerning Christian truth. Father, that we would understand the gospel of our salvation, that it would be a means to encourage us on this day, to remind us afresh of the great work of Jesus Christ on behalf of his people. And we ask in his most blessed name.
Amen.
Introduction
Well, as I said, we're going to focus primarily on verse 18 this morning, making five observations on this particular text. But it is good for us to consider the larger context. Remember that the apostle had appealed to Caesar. And so Festus calls to Agrippa.
Festus wants Agrippa to hear what is going on concerning this man, Paul, the apostle. Now, the Agrippa mentioned here in chapters 25, and 26 is Herod Agrippa II. He is the son of Herod who killed James and imprisoned Peter, as recorded in Acts chapter 12. His great uncle was Herod Antipas, the Herod that is indicated in the Gospels.
His great grandfather was Herod the Great, who ruled at the time Jesus was born. Now, the one indicated in the passage as Bernice is not his wife, but rather it is his sister. And their incestuous relationship was spoken of or was talked about in all of Rome. And then Felix's wife, Felix from earlier on, his wife, Drusilla, was their sister also.
So that's the man to whom the apostle is speaking. He had some understanding, as is evident in the passage of the Jewish religion. He understood something of Moses and the prophets. Paul could appeal to him on that particular level.
And so we notice Paul's defense very specifically beginning in chapter 26 at verse one.
Context of Paul's Defense
He mentions first his early life as a strict Pharisee. His early life, verses 1 to 8. Then he mentions the fact that he raged against the church in verses 9 to 11. He was a fanatical persecutor.
Some of those things ought to strike a chord with us when we consider the magnificent grace of God. We see what the Apostle Paul was. He was engaged in rage against the very church of whom Jesus died for. It is Paul, who was one of the chief antagonists in the early chapters of the Book of Acts.
It is Saul of Tarsus who is standing by, nodding his approval, giving his consent, while that holy and godly man Stephen is executed. It is Saul of Tarsus who is guarding the garments or the clothes of those engaged in stoning Stephen. And as a response to Stephen's prayer, Lord, do not charge them with this sin. In Acts chapter nine, the great change comes upon Saul of Tarsus.
He goes from murderous rage. He goes from fanatical persecutor to a commissioned apostle. And that's what he recounts in verses 12 to 18. He had authority and a commission from the chief priests.
He rehearses that he was on his way to Damascus. This is the third time in the book of Acts where this testimony is given. This is the fullest account of it in Paul's words before Agrippa. He highlights the fact that Jesus appeared to him and said, Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?
I find it very interesting that when Christ's church is persecuted, when the souls of this world target the people of God, it is Jesus that is being persecuted. He says, why are you persecuting me? And then Jesus saves him on the road to Damascus. Jesus gives him this commission as an apostle, primarily to the Gentiles.
And it is that to which we direct our attention. Notice in verse 16, it says, But rise and stand on your feet, for I have appeared to you for this purpose, to make you a minister and a witness, both of the things which you have seen and of the things which I will yet reveal to you. Jesus revealed other truth to the apostle. along his life. Verse 17, I will deliver you from the Jewish people as well as from the Gentiles to whom I now send you.
Paul was persecuted by everybody. He was in a Jewish synagogue. He was opposed there. He was among Gentiles.
He was opposed there, wherever he went and whoever he spoke to. If they were not saved, they mocked or they rejected him. They opposed him and very often wanted to kill him. He records that in Second Corinthians 11, the very things that he suffered on behalf of the gospel ministry.
In fact, Jesus, in his call to him in Acts chapter nine, says, I will show him how much he must suffer for my sake. And certainly that came true in the life of the apostle. But then notice, Jesus sends Paul to the Gentiles and to Jews as well to give a very specific message on a very particular mission in verse 18. He says, to open their eyes in order to turn them from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who are sanctified by faith in me.
It's the primary calling of the gospel minister. the primary calling of the apostles of our Lord Jesus. It wasn't to be the most winsome fellow. It wasn't to be the most popular fellow. It wasn't to be the best speaker, the most knowledgeable, but rather they were to function as a witness.
They were rather to function as God's man, bringing God's message to the people to whom they were sent. And I want to look at five things from verse 18 this morning by way of encouragement to our hearts to see the purpose of Jesus and the purpose of gospel ministry.
First: Eyes Opened, Darkness to Light
The first thing he indicates there is to open their eyes from darkness to light. to open their eyes from darkness to light. Again, Paul did not go to synagogues, and he didn't go among the Gentiles simply to teach another way. He didn't go there simply to tell them other religious truths. He didn't go to supplement what they already knew by nature by their own pagan or heathen religions.
But rather, Paul understood the real condition of mankind. Their eyes are closed. They are in spiritual darkness. If you are here this morning, your condition is a lot worse than you ever imagined if you are not a believer in the Lord Jesus.
You don't need a little help. You don't need a little encouragement. You don't need a bit of supplemental information that Christianity provides. The Scripture says that your eyes are closed.
The Scripture says that you live in darkness. The Scripture says that you love darkness rather than light. You want nothing to do with the things of God Most High. The scripture tells us that this is one of the one of God's judgments upon men for their idolatry.
When men worship idols, they become like those idols, according to Psalm 115 and verse eight. When we worship those who have eyes but cannot see, when we worship those who have ears but cannot hear, when we worship those who have mouths but cannot speak. It is no accident that we become like them. It is no accident that we take on their characteristics.
The Psalms tell us this. And here, the idea is that as we worship dumb or blind idols, we are blind. We are spiritually darkened. We have no understanding.
We have no ability to comprehend the truth. So Jesus sends Paul, again, not to supplement the religious understanding in the Roman Empire or among the Jewish people, But he sends them with the message of truth so that their eyes will be open, so that they'll behold their own sin. They'll see their place before a holy God and they'll see that Christ alone is the way of salvation. To open their eyes from darkness to light.
The scripture tells us over and over again that this is a mark of those who are dead in their trespasses and sins. We read it in Isaiah 42 today, didn't we? What's one of the missions of Jesus? to open their eyes. This is what he is dispatching Paul to do.
It's always struck me as well that when Paul, the apostles, and effective gospel ministry imitates the Lord Jesus, they participate in his mission. And this is precisely what he says here. Paul doesn't have the ability to open spiritual eyes. Paul is a vehicle, a vessel, to preach the truth by which the Holy Spirit works to open their eyes.
Cornelius Van Til said, man walks around like he has an iron mask on his face. Our task is to preach truth to him, trusting in and praying for the spirit of God to rip that mask right off of his face so that he can behold the glory of Jesus Christ. This is what Paul was tasked to do, to open their eyes from darkness to light. Warfield said, here we have, in the briefest compass possible, the whole apostolic mission.
You want to understand what the apostles were about? Verse 18 describes it. You want to know what the ministry ought to be about today? Verse 18 describes it.
The apostles are sent into a world blinded by sin, sunk in the darkness of soul that comes from sin to open men's eyes. Witness bearers, as they are, their duty corresponds with their equipment. They have received of the Lord. Let them impart of what they have received to others.
They have only to open men's eyes to open them to a clear vision of their state, of their danger and destiny, and of the love of God in Christ, which has provided a reprieve from the danger. So in other words, when Paul goes on this mission to open their eyes, he doesn't just come and say, look, you take Jesus and you'll have a better life. You take Jesus, you'll be a happier soul. You take Jesus and everything will be great for you.
No, he comes and he declares God's wrath. He comes and he pronounces the fact that men are lawless. Men are rebels. Men sin.
Men reject. Men rebel. Men love darkness rather than light. Men would rather bow to an idol than glorify the living and the true God.
You see, Paul always started with the bad news. He spoke of God's wrath for man's having broken his law. Because until we come to that place, brethren, our eyes will never be open. Until we come to the reality that we are under the wrath and fury of an almighty God, we will never see the beauty and amazing character of Jesus.
We'll see him as one option among many, a little bit more happiness for my already packed life. That's not how the gospel is presented in the apostolic account. You need to be reconciled to God. What does that presuppose?
There's a breach between you. You need to be redeemed by God. What does that mean? But that you're a slave in the market of sin.
You need to be saved. What does that mean? Except that you are lost. You need to have your eyes open to the light of Christ because the presupposition is your eyes are closed.
You're in darkness. The sad testimony today is that men in darkness, apart from the Spirit of God, love that darkness. Isn't that what Jesus taught us in John 3, 19 and 20? He says men love the darkness.
They don't want to come to the light. They don't want to be exposed. They don't want to be found out. It's like being blind and loving itself. being opposed to God and loving it so.
And I realize sinners aren't usually that honest, but the Bible is honest and it tells us the truth concerning man in sin. Darkness is representative of evil in scripture, and it further illustrates this idea of spiritual blindness. Again, if you're here this morning and you don't know Christ, you're blind. You may have physical sight.
You may be able to go out today and see the rain, the clouds, the beauty. You may be able to go out and see the mountains. You may be able to see the sunshine. You may be able to see your mothers and your fathers and your friends and your children.
But if you don't know Jesus Christ, you're blind. You're dark. You love it. The scriptures are clear.
And the purpose for Christ coming into this world and his commissioning, the apostle Paul, is to open their eyes to spiritual reality, to open their eyes to the truth, to turn them from darkness onto that marvelous light. In fact, Peter summarizes it in that way. It is God who calls us out of darkness into his marvelous light so that we may proclaim his excellency, so that we may proclaim his praises. The Scripture highlights this fact that God in the Gospel is giving us eyes to see.
He's giving us ears to hear. He's giving us that ability to move from darkness into the light, which is Jesus Christ. Brethren, as we feast this morning on this bread and wine, think about that reality. I realize we're not as holy as we ought to be.
We're not as godly and as righteous as we ought to be. But brethren, the fact that we see The fact that God has called us out of darkness and that we now see our sin and we see Jesus as the only way for sinners. Praise God Almighty. This is not to be taken lightly.
We understand the sovereignty of God in these things. Man can't just click his fingers and open his own eyes. Any more than a blind man can go to a surgery and lay himself down and conduct eye surgery and fix his eyesight. Can't do it.
If you see this morning, it's by God's grace. If your eyes are open, it's by God's grace. If you understand something of the gravity of your own sin, it's by God's grace. If you see that it's Christ alone who pays the debt, it's by God's grace.
If you understand what this bread and this wine represents, it's by God's grace. If you realize it's not just an empty ritual or an empty rite that we just sort of go through. What represents the doing and the dying of our Lord Jesus Christ. That's why God's grace to open their eyes from darkness to light.
Second: From Satan's Power to God
He goes on, secondly, to say to turn them from the power of Satan to God. It's not a beautiful statement. Remember, Jesus indictment of the Jewish leaders in John eight says you are of your father, the devil. You are of him.
That's a strong statement. And the desires of your father you want to do. What's he described Satan as? He's the father of lies.
He's a murderer from the beginning. Oh, Jesus, don't you know that's going to offend their delicate sensitivities? Don't you know they're going to be a little bit bothered by that association? Don't you realize that these men and their pride and arrogance are boasting that they're sons of Abraham?
He says, you are not sons of Abraham. Your sons are the father of your father, the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. Well, that's not just true of unbelieving Jews to whom Jesus threw down. It's true of us as well.
Look at Ephesians chapter 2 verses 1 to 4. Ephesians chapter 2 verses 1 to 3 actually is a before picture, a before picture, what we are prior to salvation, prior to the but God of verse 4 in Ephesians 2. Notice in verse 1, and you. who were dead in trespasses and sins in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience. We all walk this way.
We are all of our father, the devil. We were all of this spirit who works in the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience. Notice Paul lumps himself in this description as well. Among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the others.
You see what Christ has come to do? He comes to deal the death blow to Satan. He comes to make good on the promise of Genesis 3.15. He will crush the head of the seed of the serpent.
He doesn't play games at Calvary. He doesn't partially save. He doesn't just keep the devil at bay. He crushes him.
He destroys him. The language is very powerful. And it's interesting here that Jesus tells Paul that I send you to turn them from the power of Satan to God. The rule of Satan is the power of darkness.
It is described as the hour of darkness in Luke 22. He is the God of this world, according to 2 Corinthians 4. And he is behind the opposition to Christ, which his people in this world face. Not the thrust of Ephesians 6.
We don't wrestle against flesh and blood. Oh, now, flesh and blood manifest that aggression. They manifest that opposition. Abortionists are driven by a devilish rage.
But it is the devil who is behind these things. You see, it's a very strong power. But Christ comes to break that power. Christ comes to deal with that power.
John Murray says it is most significant that the work of Christ, which is so central in our Christian faith, is essentially a work of destruction that terminates upon the power and work of Satan. He said, this is not a peripheral or incidental feature of redemption. It is an integral aspect of its accomplishment. He says, it is surely significant that the first promise of redemptive grace, the first beam of redemptive light that fell upon our fallen first parents was in terms of the destruction of the tempter.
He also says elsewhere, we are prone to a naturalism that fails to reckon with spiritual truth. In other words, we see the abortion clinics, we see the drive-by murder, we see the drug wars, we see all this stuff, and we forget there is an enemy behind this. We think our struggle is only against flesh and blood. We run into a spiritual battle armed physically.
We need to be prayerful. We need to understand the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but they are mighty for the pulling down of stronghold. We need to understand that abortion. We need to understand the drug trade.
We need to understand child molestation and pedophilia. We need to be in prayer about those things. Who's behind that but the father of lies? Who's behind that but he was a murderer from the beginning?
It is not an incidental thing that in the garden, that when God came to deal with Adam and Eve, that covenant of commencement, he says, it is he who will crush the head of the seat of the serpent. He deals decisively. The New Testament fleshes this out throughout. John 12, verse 31.
I want you to see this and understand this. Mentioned before, at least when I was a kid, there was a comedian by the name of Flip Wilson. And Flip used to say, the devil made me do it. That may fly, well it doesn't fly even with the non-Christian, but I've heard Christians sometimes, oh the devil, he's so strong.
What's John tell us? Greater is he that is in you than he that is in the world. There's actually Christians who claim that Christians can be demon possessed. As if Jesus or the Spirit of God and a demon can hang out together.
No. Jesus deals decisively. John 12, verse 31. John 12, verse 31, verse 30.
This voice did not come because of me, but for your sake. Now is the judgment of this world. Now the ruler of this world will be cast out. And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to myself.
Colossians 2, 13 to 15. Colossians 2, 13 to 15. I encourage you, brethren, when you sin as a Christian, don't blame the devil. Blame yourself.
It's easier to have a scapegoat, isn't it? Isn't that what we find in the garden? Pass the buck. The woman who now gavest me, she gave me and I ate.
He blames not only Eve, but he blames God. The implication, of course, is if you hadn't have given me this person, I would have never been given this fruit. What happens with Eve? Oh, it was the serpent.
Right? Pass the buck. Christians do that today. Instead of saying, you know, I'm not living consistently, with my profession of faith in Jesus.
I'm not living like Paul tells me to in Romans 6. It was this guy. It was the devil. It was this.
It was that. You know what? Accept responsibility. When David comes to repent before the Lord, he says, against thee and thee only have I sinned and done this evil in your sight.
He doesn't say, you know, she was hot. She was dressed immodestly. I had time on my... He didn't go into all these excuses.
We are an excuse-making people. Jesus has dealt the death blow to the devil. Colossians 2, verse 13. It says that you being dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, he is made alive together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses, having wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was against us, which was contrary to us.
And he has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross, having disarmed principalities and powers. He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in it. It wasn't just something done in the corner. When he said, it is finished, one of the things that he was referring to was dealing the death blow to Satan.
It was making good Genesis 3.15. Though his heel was bruised through crucifixion, that heel dropped on the head of the serpent and destroyed him. Hebrews 2. Just want you to see this.
That we have been turned from the power of Satan unto God, Hebrews 2, 14, inasmuch that as the children have partaken of flesh and blood, he himself likewise shared in the same, that through death he might destroy him who had the power of death, that is the devil. Notice where the decisive victory comes. It's through the death of Jesus. We're not waiting for him to come again in glory in order to judge the serpent or to crush the serpent.
He did that at the cross. 1 John 2, or 1 John 3 rather. Again, he links this decisive blow to the enemy of our souls with the first coming of our Lord Jesus. 1 John 3, verse 7. Little children, let no one deceive you. He who practices righteousness is righteous, just as He is righteous.
He who sins is of the devil, for the devil has sinned from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested. that he might destroy the works of the devil. Now, 1 Peter tells us that the devil roams about like a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour. Revelation 20 tells us that he is bound so that he may not deceive the nations.
The idea is that he has been defeated. He has been destroyed. He still wants to try and molest us. What's the scriptural admonition to us?
Sit on a mountain and pray and fast for 40 days and the devil won't bother you. Go to a Bob Larson conference and learn all the tricks and trades about how to cast those demons from you. Demon riddance through whatever potion that you can take. You know what the scripture says for the Christian to deal with the defeated enemy?
It's very simple. Resist him. Resist him. I got a buddy who said when he first got converted, he was going to a church where they were casting out demons from everything.
We're going to have a church car wash. Let's cast out the demons of rain. Demons behind those tumbleweeds. The Mojave Desert has a lot of tumbleweeds.
Cast out. You know what? Resist him and he will flee from you. You don't have to recite an incantation.
You have to wear garlic around your neck. You don't have to give him this. Resist him and he will flee from you. There is madness in the church today with reference to the devil.
He's not God, he's not deity, he's not omniscient. He is a defeated foe. Brethren, the blood of Jesus Christ, his son, has cleansed us from all sin. It has broken that bond that has connected us to the devil.
We are now of the father. And the desires of the Father, we want to do. We don't do it perfectly. We do it with sin, but we confess our sin.
He's faithful and just to forgive us.
Third: Forgiveness of Sins
Acts 26, the third thing. It says to grant them forgiveness of sins. Paul tells Agrippa. Jesus sent me to do this, to open their eyes in order to turn them from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God.
Thirdly, that they may receive forgiveness of sins. Isn't that beautiful? You can see why Warfield called this verse a summation of the gospel. It's all here.
It's all there. Conversion. Our eyes are open. Forgiveness.
Cleansing through the blood of Christ. washing, purification. Remember how Paul puts it to the Corinthians. And such were some of you. What were they?
Drunkards, extortioners, adulterers, homosexuals, murderers. Such were some of you. He says, but you were washed. But you were justified.
But you were sanctified. He breaks the power of reigning sin. He sets the prisoners free. His blood atones for the foulest, all your sins.
Jesus paid it all. When you trace through the book of Acts, brethren, note the emphasis. Repent and be baptized in the name of Jesus for the remission of sins. Pisidian Antioch.
Through this man has preached to you the forgiveness of sins. Christ makes this an identifying mark of the ministry that Paul would have. Go preach to them forgiveness of sins. Thinking about this earlier, imagine a social setting.
I don't know what social setting, just anything away from the church. Let's say there was a time to mingle before the actual meeting began. You might talk to people. You might say, hey, what brought you here?
Let's say it's a financial thing. Well, you know, I've made such and such a bit of money and I need to roll it over into whatever and I need these guys to sort of teach me. There's a common bond betwixt you. You say, well, that's why I'm here too.
I've made such and such amount of money. I need to hear from the Guru what I'm supposed to do. There's something that brings us together. You know what brings us together?
When this mingling occurs, why are you here? I'm a sinner. Isn't that it? We're not here because we're good.
We're not here because we're better. We're not here because we've arrived. We're not here because we've learned. We're here because we're sinners, saved by grace, forgiven by Jesus.
That's what brings us together. That's why we can have unity. That's why we can have fellowship. It doesn't matter what your economic background is.
It doesn't matter what your social status is. It doesn't matter your educational level. We're sinners saved by grace. Right?
In our mingling time, that's how we describe it. Why are you here? How come you came to this church? Because I'm a sinner.
I need Jesus. Isn't that why you're here? Are you here because you've arrived? You found out the Reformed Baptist got it all together?
We don't. It's a nice group of people. It's a nice group of people. Wonderful.
Great. But why are you here? Because I'm a sinner. That's all I love about that.
Oh, wow, the church is full of hypocrites. Exactly. What better place for them? What better place for a sick man than in a hospital?
Really? What better place for a hungry man than at the chow line? What better place for a thirsty man than falling down at the river to drink? We're sinners.
That's our common theme. That's what brings us together. That's what unifies us. That's why it amazes me as well.
In the church, that person sinned against me. Duh! That's what we do. It's how we roll.
I'm not justifying it. But I'm saying we ought never to just go, I can't believe it! You ever done that with your kid? I can't believe you've done that!
What's the implication? I would never do that. I'm holy, pure, righteous, and undefiled. We're parenting biblically.
We will be like God in Psalm 103. He pities us. He knows our frame. He knows that we are dust.
When we come to God, He doesn't go, how could you ever do that? He says, you've done it. Confess it. Forsake it.
You will find mercy. Now get out of here and don't do it again. I don't think He says it just like that, but that's the idea. We're sinners forgiven.
That's the issue, and that they may receive forgiveness of sin. Brethren, focus on this in your lives. Think about this chief blessing of the gospel. Think about it on a Sunday morning when you wake up.
Think about it each and every day when you wake up. Think about the blood of Jesus Christ, His Son, cleanses us from all sin. Think about the Gospel. Think about the cross.
Don't make the bread and wine just a monthly thing, but make it an everyday thing. Think about the death of Jesus. Think about His resurrection. Get Romans 4.25 deep in your mind and in your heart.
He was delivered up for our offenses. He was raised for our justification. Live by faith in the Son of God who loved you and gave Himself for you. Be always near the cross.
Make Fanny Crosby's hymn yours. Jesus, keep me near the cross. Make Paul's statement yours. I determined to know nothing among you except Christ and Him crucified.
Make Paul's statement yours, brethren. The life that I now live by faith in the Son of God who loved me and gave Himself for me. I hope that you don't think gospel only when we come to the Lord's Supper. You think gospel constantly.
I hope gospel is just in you, that it's just what makes you, makes you happy, makes you delighted, makes you get up in the morning. Quite frankly, sometimes there's not a lot of arguments out there as to why we should get up. But when you think Jesus paid it all, you should jump out of that bed ready to rumble in a good way, not ready to throw down.
Fourth: An Eternal Inheritance
And then notice, fourthly, to grant them an inheritance. Isn't this beautiful? It's not enough that He forgives us now. He's going to bring us to glory.
Isn't that amazing? It's not enough that He forgives us now. He's going to bring us to glory. The best exposition of this passage in terms of this inheritance, turn to the latter portions of Revelation 21 and read into chapter 22.
It's beautiful. In our hymn books, you may turn to 599 and it says, The bride eyes not her garment, but her dear bridegroom's face. I will not gaze at glory, but on my king of grace. Not at the crown he gifteth, but on his pierced hand.
The land is all the glory of Emmanuel's land. We have forgiveness of sins, and we've been given an inheritance. We have title deed to Emmanuel's land. We have the hope of better things.
We have joy unspeakable and full of glory. We will one day see Jesus Christ. It's amazing, isn't it? I love the way the hymn writer puts this.
The bride eyes not her garment, but her dear bridegroom's face. I've seen weddings in this room, and when the lady walks up here, she's not going, wow, look at how hot I am. Look at me. Maybe somewhere deep in her heart and mind, that thought is there.
I got the thunder in this room. When she comes up here, she's looking at her bridegroom's face. She's gazing into his eyes. She is saying, I'm yours and you're mine.
We're together for the long run. Isn't that what the hymn writer says? The bride eyes not her garment, but her dear bridegroom's face. He translates it and he says, I will not gaze at glory, but on my King of Grace.
When you get into heaven, I doubt, brethren, the first thing you're going to look at are the streets paved with gold, or the pearly gates, or the various stones bejeweling that glorious kingdom and realm. You're looking at Jesus. Jesus makes heaven heaven. Jesus is what heaven's about.
I will not gaze at glory but on His face. Not at the crowning gifts. Not at what He gives me, but I'm going to look at His pierced hand. I'm going to see why I'm there.
I'm going to see what love is all about. The Lamb is all the glory of Emmanuel's land. You see what Jesus says to Paul. Go and preach to them.
Don't tell them they'll have their best life now. Tell them they'll be forgiven and they are being set aside for an inheritance incorruptible, in a place where moth and rust do not destroy, in a place that cannot be stolen away from them. You tell them there is something better. Paul, when you go to various churches and you deal with people who are persecuted, you deal with people who have trials and difficulties, you deal with cancer patients, don't come along and lie to them and say, well, of course God's going to make you whole and healthy and wise.
And if that doesn't happen, it's all you. No, you come and tell them that the maladies, the problems, the difficulties in this lower world are a momentary light affliction. We have an exceeding weight of glory ahead of us. Brethren, get your minds off earth and into heaven.
That's what this inheritance is all about. Eighty years seems like a long time, brethren. It's nothing in comparison with eternity.
Fifth: By Faith Alone
And then the fifth thing. Notice. How do these blessings come? Not by works of righteousness, but by faith in Me, Jesus says.
When you go out and preach to those various peoples, Paul, When you go to the Areopagus, when you stand before an Agrippa, when you stand before a Thestis, when you stand before a Felix, you are not coming to preach moral reform. You are not telling them to clean up their act a little bit. You are telling them to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. You are turning them away from self unto another.
The gospel is extraspective. It is a focus upon another. It is by faith in Jesus, faith alone. That's why Protestantism arose, was to fight the idea that we have faith plus words in order for salvation.
Protestantism needs to maintain sola fide in our day, because without faith alone, there is no salvation. God will share his glory with no man. It's all of Christ, or it's none of Christ. These are mutually exclusive categories.
The summation of the gospel, according to B.B. Warfield, and I think he's on the right track.
Application: Gospel Blessings Applied
We learn a few things and then we close. First, the condition of mankind. I touched on this initially. There's a man by the name of Rolf Barnard.
He was a preacher in the Southern Baptist churches. He was an evangelist. You can find his book, Sermons. He preached with fire.
Many of you have heard Pastor Al Martin before. You say, wow, he really raises his voice sometimes. I don't mean this disrespectfully, but he was a bit of a lightweight compared to Ralph Barnard. Ralph Barnard would often preach to ignorant people.
You know how you define total depravity? He says, the Bible says you just plumb bad. It's a nice colloquial way of saying it. You just plumb bad.
Doesn't mean you're as bad as you could possibly be. Doesn't mean you only ever go out and kill people and do horribly wicked things. But the Bible says that in your blind state, in your darkness, you are bad. You cannot merit God's favor.
You cannot achieve his inheritance. You cannot gain anything from him. We see that in this passage. To open their eyes.
See, Christianity isn't an alternate. It isn't a supplement. It isn't something that comes alongside of paganism. Well, you know, what you guys have is good, but I just want to kind of push you over the edge.
No. Heathenism, paganism, Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, they're blind. That's the condition of mankind. Blind.
Dead in their trespasses and sins, as Paul says in Ephesians 2. Notice the purpose of the Christian ministry. It's not to come and make men happy. It's to come and call men to believe the gospel.
Warfield here says, the appointed means of breaking this darkness is the proclamation of the gospel by which alone can men's eyes be opened. The appointed means of breaking this darkness is the proclamation of the gospel by which alone can men's eyes be opened. Brethren, pray for the Christian ministry, not just Pastor Cam and Pastor Jim and this church. But we live in a day and age when the false prophets are saying, peace, peace, when there is no peace.
We're living in a day and age of substitution, a day and age of compliment, a day and age of attitudes and things that detract from the gospel. We need men that see their mission as defined in terms of Acts 26, 18. Go preach the truth. Call men to believe the gospel.
Right? Isn't that the point here? The final analysis, if I'm not your best buddy, that's okay, or Tam's not your best buddy. If we are calling you to believe the gospel, There's no better service a man can render in terms of faithfulness to the Lord and in terms of service and love to the brethren than preaching, faithful exposition and application of God's Word.
This isn't a self-promotion plot here. This is not, hey, we have something. No, no. This is what the context is.
Paul is defying for a grip on what Jesus called him to do. A lot of question, a lot of talk today. What does the pastor do? What is missional?
What is it? Do what Paul did. Preach. Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you shall be saved.
That's what needs to be heard in the churches. That's what needs to be heard outside the churches. That's what we need to pray to God will be thundered from pulpit to pulpit. That's what caused the Reformation.
Remember that quote, Luther said, all we did was, you know, hang out basically and preach the word and God did the rest. You look at Calvin and Luther and these giants of the faith. What made them giants of the faith? They preach the word.
They did what Paul does or did. They preached the word. And then for us, let us consider the blessings of the gospel. We have had our eyes open.
We have turned from darkness to light by his grace. We have been broken or saved from the power of Satan onto God. And we have received forgiveness and we have an inheritance. Brethren, that ought to put a spring in our step.
It ought to put a hallelujah in our hearts. It ought to put worship in our bones. And when we come to the house of God, let it be in terms of Psalm 122. I was glad when they said unto me, let us go to the house of the Lord.
This is the last place we should come in like this. This is the last place where we should look like we just got shot. This is the last place where we should look so bummed out. Brethren, we are here to celebrate the Redeemer who gave Himself for us so that we would have these benefits, so that we would have these blessings.
Let us praise and worship and celebrate and honor and glorify and adore this God and our Savior, Jesus Christ. Well, let us pray.
Closing Prayer
Father, we thank you for this passage of Holy Scripture. We thank you for the blessings of the Christian gospel. We thank you for your power. The face of man's sin.
You have been so gracious to provide atonement. You've been so gracious to provide forgiveness. And we know it comes through the blood of Jesus Christ. And we pray that today this gospel would be proclaimed all over the earth.
And we pray that today your spirit would be at work in the midst of churches and assemblies and among sinners who are hearing these words. And we pray that your spirit would cause men to come forth to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and to know the joy of everlasting life. We ask through Christ our Lord. Amen.