← Back to sermon library

good evening everyone welcome back to free grace baptist church no announcements this evening so let's begin our worship than by a reading of Psalm 23 our call to worship this evening Psalm 23 the Word of God a psalm of David the Lord is my shepherd I shall not want he makes me to lie down in green pastures he leads me beside the still waters he restores my soul he leads me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake yea though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death I will fear no evil for you are with me your rod and your staff they comfort me you prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies you anoint my head with oil my cup runs over surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever amen let's stand and sing as a church our first him in the Trinity hymnal is him 13 let's stand in saying 13 you Oh you you let's go to our God in prayer let us pray Heavenly Father we rejoice again as a church we can gather together in this place to worship Father Son and Holy Spirit again we would ask that you would help us to hallow your name that you would receive all honor and praise by the lips of your gathered Saints here tonight we thank you again that we can gather and freedom in the name of our Savior to sing your praises to worship you to hear the word of God preached we thank you that we can sing hymns unto our God and approach you in prayer we truly rejoice in this and we do know that we can only do so by virtue of the perfect work of our Lord Jesus Christ the fact that you and your appointed and in your accepted time brought us forth from death to life by grace we have been saved and we rejoice in our Savior a king of kings and Lord of lords and we thank you that we can again now gather for your worship and for your praise we do pray that you would help us to do so by your spirit that our hearts would be lifted up from normal things to the contemplation of high in sacred things that we might rejoice in you are God and sing the praises of our Christ we would ask again that you would tend to those with physical problems bless those who are sick and unwell and injured we do pray for each and every one Lord God that you would strengthen them and uplift them you would tend to their bodies and grant them healing and we pray whether with us or away from us this evening that you would cause them to rejoice in you to sing your praises we pray we praise you and we thank you for the recently born children in our midst Lord we thank you for these gifts from on high we pray that you would bless mothers fathers and children that these young ones would be watched over by your sovereign hand that you would grant daily growth and strength and we do look forward Lord daughter we we pray unto the end that in due time you would bring them forth by your grace they would own our Savior and sing the praises of our God we would pray Lord for those still pregnant that you would strengthen them we pray that you attend to all pregnant mothers that they would know the the a in the strengthening of their God and again that in due time without issue these babies would be brought forth to the the praise of parents and unto the praise of God we do pray Lord God that you would help us to be always and ever in prayer for those around the world who suffer the violence of the enemies of Christ we think of our persecuted brothers and sisters Lord and we pray that you would be near to them you would be their God of all comfort they would know the strength that the triune God affords those afflicted Saints and we do just pray that in the midst of very difficult situations you would uplift them and that you would watch over them we would ask yet again that you would attend to those who rule over us cause them to do so in righteousness and in proper equity and we can cast our eyes upon the landscape the political landscape and we see many bad things and we see the government's acting after a manner of much wickedness and we do pray Lord God we would ask that you would intervene that you would turn things for the better knowing that you are the sovereign of the nation's we do pray that you would do such an act that would see wicked rulers cast down and good rulers put in place who would execute properly justice in the land and who would uphold good things we would ask God that you would be with any and all still worshiping throughout the earth those who are gathered together on the Lord's Day in their churches seeking to worship Father Son and Holy Spirit we pray that you would strengthen your people that you would strengthen ministers in pulpits that you would affect much good in the Churches of Christ Lord God around the world that the sinners would be saved that your people would be lifted up and edified and that you would receive all honor and glory we would ask now that you would be with us as we worship here we do know that we can do nothing outside of the strength and the grace that the triune God afford so we do pray for that now that you would help us that you would help us to be focused help us to be attentive help us to worship you in spirit and in truth not to have brought anything of our blind and lame sacrifices but that we would pro approach you accept ibly with godly fear and that you would be the recipient of reverent worship do be with us now the Father Son and Holy Spirit bless our time together that you might receive all honor and glory and we do pray in the name of our Savior the Lord Jesus Christ amen well let's stand again and sing this time we're going to sing a hymn 133 o for a thousand tongues to sing let's stand and sing 133 Oh Oh Oh our Old Testament scripture reading is out of the Book of Ezekiel chapter 20 Ezekiel 20 beginning in verse 33 pastor Butler read from verse 12 verse 32 last Lord's Day evening so Ezekiel 20 beginning in verse 33 once again the Word of God as I live says the Lord God surely with a mighty hand with an outstretched arm and with fury poured out I will rule over you I will bring you out from the peoples and gather you out of the countries where you are scattered with a mighty hand with an outstretched arm and with fury poured out and I will bring you into the wilderness of the peoples and their I will plead my case with you face to face just as I pleaded my case with your father's in the wilderness of the land of Egypt so I will plead my case with you says the Lord God I will make you pass under the rod and I will bring you into the bond of the Covenant I will purge the rebels from among you and those who transgress against me I will bring them out of the country where they dwell but they shall not enter the Land of Israel then you will know that I am the lord as for you o house of Israel thus says the Lord God go serve every one of you his idols and hereafter if you will not obey me but profane my Holy Name no more with your gifts and your idols for on my holy mountain on the mountain height of israel says the lord god they're all the house of Israel all of them in the land shall serve me there i will accept them and there i will require your offerings and the first fruits of your sacrifice of your sacrifices together with all your holy things i will accept you as a sweet aroma when i bring you out from the peoples and gather you out of the countries where you have been scattered and i will be hallowed in and i will be hallowed in you before the gentiles then you shall know that i am the lord when i bring you into the Land of Israel into the country for which I raise my hand in an oath to give to your fathers and there you shall remember your ways and all your doings with which you were defiled and you shall loathed yourselves in your own site because of all the evils that you have committed then you shall know that I am the lord when I have dealt with you for my name's sake not according to your wicked ways nor according to your corrupt doings o house of Israel says the Lord God furthermore the word of the Lord came to me saying son of man set your face toward the south preach against the south and prophesy against the forest land the south and say to the forest of the South hear the word of the Lord thus says the Lord God behold I will kindle a fire in you and it shall devour every green tree in every dry tree in you the blazing flame shall not be quenched and all faces from the south to the north shall be scorched by it all flesh shall see that I the LORD have kindled it it shall not be quenched then I said I Lord God they say of me does he not speak parables amen one of those blessed attributes of God that we have among many others that we can consider when we seek to know and to understand our God is seen in verse 44 then you shall know that I am the lord when I have dealt with you for my name's sake not according to your wicked ways nor according to your corrupt doings o house of Israel says the Lord God the the infinite mercy of the living and true God exercised in the forgiveness of sins elsewhere in the Book of Isaiah consonant with Ezekiel he says he says he says I even i am the lord who blata thout vine own transgressions from my own namesake we have this attribute in the face of depravity in the face of the wickedness of the nation of Israel in the face of Israel offering up vain sacrifices following after the idols of the Gentiles nevertheless the Lord says I will deal with you for my own namesake not according to your wicked ways or your corrupt doings the infinite mercy the Blessed mercy of our God in the face of iniquity through Jesus Christ our Lord ultimately and the promise of the new covenant let us pray Heavenly Father we thank you for your word we recognize you're right Justice and the infinitude of your holiness and we thank you that you nevertheless condescend Lord God to exercise mercy among the sons of men we thank you that this comes to us by virtue of the Lord Jesus Christ and the perfect Shin of his saving work we do pray that you would cause us to rejoice in you that one for for his own namesake blots out the transgressions of wicked sinners we thank you for your mercy for your forgiveness and we thank you for the shed blood of the Lord Jesus Christ who secures that bless of reality we just pray that you'd be with us now as we continue in worship lord help us to genuinely enjoy Phylly approach you in that worship and might you receive all honor we pray in the name of our Savior the Lord Jesus Christ amen well our last him that if you'll stand again with me this time we'll sing in our Trinity Salter the red Salter it'll be Psalm 135 the entirety of 135 to a familiar tune let's stand together is you can turn back to the book of Galatians Galatians chapter one this morning we looked at verses 1 to 3 the brief identification of the author and the addresses to the churches of Galatia and then we looked at verse 3 the benediction grace to you and peace from God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ tonight we'll look at verses 4 and 5 where the author Paul further identifies this Lord Jesus Christ the speaks of the will of the Lord God Almighty in the gospel and then finishes with a call to doxology I'll read from verse 12 verse 10 again and then we'll pray and have a look at verses 4 and 5 once again the Word of God Paul an apostle not from men nor through man but through Jesus Christ and God the Father who raised him from the dead and all the brethren who are with me to the churches of Galatia grace to you and peace from God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ who gave himself for our sins that he might deliver us from this present evil age according to the will of our God and Father to whom be glory forever and ever amen I marvel that you are turning away so soon from him who called you in the grace of Christ to a different gospel which is not another but there are some who trouble you and want to pervert the gospel of Christ but even if we or an angel from heaven preach any other gospel to you than what we have preached to you let him be accursed as we have said before so now I say again if anyone preaches any other gospel to you than what you have received let him be accursed for do I now persuade men or God or do I seek to please men for if I still pleased men I would not be a bondservant of Christ amen let us pray Heavenly Father we thank you for your word we thank you for what your word discloses concerning Christ our Savior and the salvation of men we do pray that you would bless this time together in your word we pray again that you would help preacher that you would be with hearer we pray that you would strengthen me Lord God in the pulpit help me to preach well the things of your revelation to men and we do pray Lord God that your Saints would leave this place rejoicing well equipped and Lord God that sinners would be saved by your victorious grace and that this would all yet again be unto the praise of Father Son and Holy Spirit we pray in the name of our Savior the Lord Jesus Christ amen while you'll remember this morning we looked at the author at the audience and the benediction this is the Apostle Paul that one who once was an enemy of the church of christ but by God's grace was placed into Christian apostleship was saved and given divine Commission to proclaim the riches of Christ unto the Gentiles unto Jew and Gentiles but primarily unto the Gentiles we have this Paul writing to the churches of Galatia remember those churches found in in acts 13 1 through 14 28 pacinian Antioch Iconium Lystra Derby those churches that constitute southern Galatia and he writes to these churches and he writes with a great urgency because there were those coming in seeking to trouble them seeking to steal away their liberty that they had in Christ Jesus and they were proclaiming a perverse gospel which is not a different gospel only but not even a gospel at all as Paul says in verse 6 and so Paul with great urgency rights to them and he gives them this benediction that we spent some time opening up a little bit this morning grace to you and peace from God our Father or God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ now notice what we find following after that which will be the focus this evening very simply two things the gospel and the doxology the gospel and the doxology notice how he identifies her immediately after the benediction he further identifies who this Lord Jesus Christ is by speaking concerning his work and we read in verses 4 and 5 who gave himself for for our sins that he might deliver us from this present evil age according to the will of our God and Father to whom be glory forever and ever amen now before we get into looking at the gospel as its presented by Paul here we need to note that verse 4 is delivered in order to counter the false gospel that was being preached by the error ists in Galatia error again simply mean those bringing error there were those bringing error perverting the gospel of Christ in Galatia and verse 4 is a summation if you will of the true and saving gospel of God's grace over and against the perverse gospel that was being propagated by wicked men who gave himself for our sins that he might deliver us from this present evil age according to the will of our God and Father notice first under the gospel from verse for this language who gave himself the text says in verse 4 concerning our Lord Jesus Christ it says in verse 4 who gave himself we need to take pause there for a moment and appreciate the weight of those three words who gave himself first off we want to observe the free act of the Son of God in the redemption of sinners that notice the language who gave himself the Lord Jesus Christ gave himself he was under no compulsion he was under no duress from the father he was under no obligation no natural necessity to come and to give himself a ransom for many but rather he gave himself he freely offered himself up he freely came he voluntarily submitted to the eternal plan taking upon himself man's nature to live a perfect life to die a perfect death to rise again to grant salvation two men the free act of the Son of God in the redemption of sinners notice what Owen says with regards to this we may behold the glory of Christ in His infinite condescension in taking this office on him that is the office of mediator we may behold the glory of Christ in His infinite condescension and taking this office on him and taking our nature to be his own it did not befall him by lot or chance it was not imposed on him against his will it did not belong to him by any necessity of nature or condition he stood not in need of it it was no addition to him but of his own mind and accord he graciously condescended to the assuming and discharge of it he freely came the Son of God to give his life a ransom for many that language is blessed for the Christian who gave himself the free act of the Son of God was one text if we were to talk about the free act of the Son of God in the redemption of sinners the salvation of men one text that may come to mind and that is in Philippians 2 the preacher of the gospel in a pulpit in Christ's Church ought often to come to this passage in Philippians 2 why because it is a gospel encapsulated in fact it is the intention the purpose of the Bible encapsulated Galatians 2 beginning in verse 5 notice at this particular point but notice the glory of everything else there but at this particular point the free act of the Son of God and verse 5 of Philippians to let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus who being in the form of God did not consider it robbery to be equal with God but made himself of no reputation taking the form of a bondservant and coming in the likeness of men noticed the language of the free act of the Son of God continues 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 you see that free act the voluntary act of the Son of God coming into the world sinners to save this language that we fly if you're reading the New King James or the King James you have this language here did not consider it robbery to be equal with God that simply carries the meaning that Christ did not consider equality with God something to be selfishly grasped or held onto but rather humbled himself and came taking on the form of men in order to redeem them he didn't grasp onto his divinity but came in the Incarnation in order to bring salvation to the sons of men he made himself of no reputation he humbled himself that is the language of Galatians 14 who gave himself the free act of the son of man there's a very interesting set of verses in John chapter 10 where I in the span of only eight verses the Lord Christ speaks to this very reality setting forth the the sovereignty of his will the free act of his own will and the salvation of sinners notice in John 10 five times in the span of eight verses the Lord Jesus Christ speaks to this reality the free act of the Son of God in the salvation of sinners notice in John 10 beginning in verse 7 John 10 beginning in verse seven then jesus said to them again most assuredly I say to you I am the door of the Sheep all who ever came before me are thieves and robbers but the Sheep did not hear them I am the door if anyone enters by me he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture the thief does not come except to steal and to kill and to destroy I have come that they may have life and that they may have it more abundantly now notice in the span of just eight verses five times Christ speaks to the free act of his will in Redemption I am The Good Shepherd verse 11 the Good Shepherd gives his life for the Sheep but a hireling he who is not the Shepherd one who does not own the sheep sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees and the wolf catches the sheep and scatters them the hireling flees because he is a hireling and does not care about the Sheep I am The Good Shepherd and I know my sheep and am known by my own as the father knows me even I know the father and I lay down my life for the sheep and other sheep I have which are not of this full of them also I must bring and they will hear my voice and there will be one flock and one Shepherd therefore my father loves me because I lay down my life that I may take it again no one takes it from me but I lay it down of myself I have power to lay it down and I have power to take it again this command I have received from my father you know if we were to continue that John chapter 10 is a chapter of the greatest peace and repose to the soul of a Christian because it is it finishes with the Father and the Lord Christ having an impenetrable grasp upon Christians upon those who are saved by grace through faith in Christ this text that precedes it speaks to the reality that the Lord Jesus Christ lays down his own life he gives himself for sinners and verse 11 verse 15 verse 17 and then twice in verse 18 he speaks to that very reality the free apt of the Son of God in the redemption of sinners secondly we want to note well actually even under this we ought to know because you might be asking well we have in the very book of Galatians the language in chapter 4 of the Father sending the Sun notice in Galatians 4 for a very familiar verse that we often pray at the outset of worship but when the fullness of the time had come God sent forth his son we have this reality in Galatians 4 that the father sends the Sun so by what propriety then can the Sun say that he lays down his own life that he may take it up again that no one takes it from him he lays it down of himself how can we read here the son who gave himself for our sins we must recognize with regards to the triune God with regards to the Trinity that the the outward acts of God are the undivided acts of Father Son and Holy spirit there is one God there is one will there is one essence there is one divine will and yet we have three persons Father Son and Holy Spirit their outward acts of creation Providence and redemption are all the undivided acts of father son and spirit yet they correspond with a there is a manner of working peculiar to Father Son and Holy Spirit that follows after the manner in which they exist in the Godhead if you want to talk to me about that afterwards come and talk to me but because the Sun has equality with the Father and because there is a unity of purpose in the triune God to effect the salvation of men we can with propriety say and read that the father sent the son and that the Sun lays down his life of his own accord Christ gave himself and notice it is as well seen in this who gave himself is also seen in the assumption of our nature in order to be the suffering servant so first if this who gave himself pertains to his free act as the Son of God affecting the redemption of men secondly we need to recognize that that scene in the assumption of our nature in order to be the suffering servant Christ takes to himself humanity that's what the Philippians 2 text says said didn't it he humbles himself and comes in the form of a bondservant he takes to himself the likeness of men not some sort of fake appearance as a man but the actual humanity saved for sin that you and I have Christ takes to himself humanity to effect the salvation of sinners blessèd Gospel who gave himself the Son of God condescends from such a height to our lower world of shame in order to take on our nature and affect the salvation of men our Christian regenerate hearts ought to skip ought to be immensely warmed by the reality that the son of god came sinners to save taking upon himself our nature as our confession says with all the essential properties and common infirmities thereof yet without sin what does that mean he has the same temptation the same weaknesses not with sin but with regards to the fact that we read of our Christ that he was weary he was hungry he was tired he needs to lay his head down upon that boat and in many other instances our Lord Jesus Christ the Son of God the the one who enjoyed the the one the one who is eternal and unchangeable and all of those divine perfections takes to himself our nature in order that he might save us from our sins again you scan the world search the earth research well don't really do that you'd probably would you know it wouldn't it would be a burden in laborious to research all the religions and and that sort of thing but to see to read about the various religions out there none of them have our Redeemer Christ a blessed thing it is to be found within the number of those called from darkness to light who by God's grace can own the triune God and the savior of men no other religion has God taking upon himself humanity in order that he might alone save us from the wrath of God from the condemnation the power in the guilt of sin blessèd Gospel he assumes our nature in order to be the suffering servant that is also wrapped up in this language who gave himself what else is the taking on of the whole course of a vicarious obedience what does that mean vicarious kids maybe you've heard that before adults maybe you've heard that before when we read who gave himself and we say that that includes the taking on of the whole course of a vicarious obedience what does that mean it simply means that Christ vicariously that is in our place was obedient to the law of the father so that we might have a righteousness that avails with him that's why we can have peace with God because our righteousness does not come from ourselves from a slavish obedience to the law of God from from even if we could even manufacture a reality the joyful obedience to the law of God in order to merit salvation there is no universe such as that but an obedience to the law of God in order to win our own salvation is a piece 'less religion because it can never happen we're sinful we're depraved we're dead in our trespasses and in our sins until the grace of God makes us alive in Christ and then the righteousness that avails with the divine magistrate is not our own righteousness heaven forbid but the righteousness of another the Lord Jesus Christ and so when we read who gave himself we are to understand among many other things this reality that he took on the whole course of a vicarious obedience he was obedient to the law at every place in our place so that we might be justified before God therefore being justified by faith we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ through him not through our own righteousness which is from the law but through the righteousness of Christ imputed to us and received by faith alone lastly under who gave himself we see that as well in and of course the giving of himself sacrificially upon the cross don't all things converge there at Golgotha Calvary the giving of himself is seen in the giving of himself sacrificially upon the cross when we read who gave himself we are to contemplate many things but we need to arrive at the cross because that's where he affects the salvation of sinners that's where he perfectly secures the multitude of sinners that no man can number the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ beautiful glorious cross and these considerations of the things wrapped up in who gave himself for our sins never to never depart a consideration of these things without recognizing the love of Christ the love of Christ what do we have in Galatians 2 if we flip a page over do we find resting behind foundationally under the giving of himself notice in Galatians 2 beginning in verse 19 for I through the law died to the law that I might live to God I have been crucified with Christ it is no longer I who live but Christ lives in me and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God who loved me and gave himself for me the infinite and unchangeable love of God rests behind the cross of Christ the infinite and unchangeable love of God rests behind this reality that the Lord Jesus Christ gave himself the love of Christ in the salvation of sinners before we move on to for our sins we need to remark ladies and gentlemen brothers and sisters that the cross of Christ in Christ giving himself is front and center in this epistle remember what's at stake what is at stake you see Paul is marveling verse 6 he's astonished he cannot believe that they are turning away so soon from him who called you in the grace of Christ to a different gospel why is he so astonished and why does he marveled because of the verse 21 reality again that if righteousness comes through the law then Christ died in vain the cross of the Lord Jesus Christ that doctrine of the perfect substitution ery sacrificial death of the king of kings and the Lord of lords is front and center and we ought to never leave a consideration of Christ giving himself without glorying in the cross secondly we need to note under the gospel the language here for our sins because you see the text continues beginning again though at our Lord Jesus Christ who gave himself for our sins for our sin you see if the if the language of our Lord Jesus Christ who gave him self wasn't enough the Apostle Paul amplifies it and gerdes it up with the additional language for our sins Christ gave himself for our sins what we ought to notice first at this point is the substitution ery nature of the giving of himself that's a long word substitution airy but it is unnecessary and an absolutely glorious word when we talk about the Lord Jesus Christ what does it mean Christ died in our stead he died for us whenever you read in the scriptures the language that Christ died for us we ought not to simply have some ambiguous idea of love that he did that as a gift to us though that is glorious Christ did it as an exercise and application and expression of that infinite and unchangeable love and it is a gift brethren it is a gift but when we leave when we read Christ died for us we ought to recognize that that carries the meaning of in our place in our stead instead of us he took upon himself the wrath of God at Calvary's cross glorious truth the substitution ery nature of the the cross work of Christ notice we have that in Galatians 3 in this book remember that the cross is front and center if righteousness comes through the law then Christ died in vain Galatians 3 13 notice what we read their Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law having become a curse for us for it is written cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree for Christ select for his people he bore that curse upon Calvary's tree for us the language of Isaiah 53 is appropriated that is taken on by Peter in his First Epistle notice the glorious language speaking about the substitution ery nature of the giving of Christ in 1st Peter to in 1st Peter to beginning in verse 24 what credit is it if when you are beaten for your faults you take it patiently but when you do good and suffer it will if you take it patiently this is commendable before God for to this you were called because Christ also suffered for us leaving us an example that you should follow his steps who committed no sin nor was deceit found in his mouth 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 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 in that glorious first in verse 21 because Christ also suffered for us but you see that language of substitution is brought more to clarity and more to the fore in verse 24 where we read who himself bore our sins in his own body on the tree substitution Airy sacrifice Christ bore our sins he became a curse for us there is much more wrapped up in Christ died for us then I think the modern Church attributes to those blessed words Christ died for us he died taking our sins in his own body on the tree that we having died to sins might live for righteousness o blessed gospel the substitution ery nature of the giving of himself not only was his obedience to the law of God vicarious that is for us in our place so was his death in his active and in his passive obedience Christ does these things for us for his people for all who believe in his name glorious glorious gospel again do you see what's at stake and following after any other gospel in preaching any other gospel any other gospel that does not find at the heart of it the free grace of God the salvation of sinners by the work of Christ alone steals from the glory of christ and the perfection of his work it is to do violence to the finished and perfect work of Christ to say that in part or in whole salvation can be affected by the doings of the sons of men that is why it is so vital that Paul launches immediately into a condemnation of the false gospel because it steals from the glory of Christ rendering it as vain and empty because of the deeds of men somehow availing before God as well what do we see in the language of for our sins we see that he saves us from the guilt and the condemnation of sin he saves us from the guilt and condemnation of sin who gave himself for our sins it was substitution airy and in so doing that or in so dying that substitution Airy sacrificial death Christ saves us from the condemnation and the guilt of sin death no longer has a hold on us Hades no longer has victory over us o death where is your victory o Hades where is your sting Christ Jesus has conquered death for us by virtue of his death a 6th century the 6th century Byzantine Emperor Justinian wrote a hymn and in it he penned these words oh Christ our God trampling down death by death save us it's in that glorious that's how Christ tramples down death by the death of himself he gives himself a ransom for sinners he dies that cross death and in so doing has victory for us all who believe over death and the condemnation of sin and as well he cleanses us from the guilt of sin it's that beautiful language and in Hebrews chapter one that speaks of the Lord Christ and his saving work and it uses the language of a thoroughgoing cleansing the language is who upholding all things by the word of his power our when he had by himself purged our sins isn't that beautiful he purged our sins do you know that that word is used by John the Baptist talking about the Lord Christ coming to thoroughly cleanse his threshing floor thoroughly purging all of the impurities Christ comes this one who upholds all things by the word of his power notice when he had by himself that language again of the free act of the Son of God in the redemption of sinners when he had by himself purged our sins he cleanses us from the guilt of sin remember that guilt isn't only isn't first seen in the psychological weight and stress of having violated the law of God and having sin though he helps us with that too it is the legal culpability that we have for having transgressed God's law just like a criminal guilty of a crime so too are all the sons of men guilty of violating the law of God and Christ comes for his elect for his people for all who believe and he by himself purges that is thoroughly cleanses the threshing floor of the hearts of his people purging us from our sins who himself for our sins blessed words by the Apostle Paul notices well continuing along with the gospel thirdly we have the language in verse 4 who gave himself for our sins that he might deliver us from this present evil age this language of deliverance applied to the Lord Jesus Christ he affects a deliverance for his people he delivers us you see that this in these sorts of passages never just roll through a reading without pausing and considering the weight of each Clause the weight of every word who gave himself for our sins that he might deliver us from this present evil age according to the will of our God and Father now what is this language mean this present evil age a few options at this present evil age does it kirtane alone to the contemporary time that Paul found himself in this this present time where he's writing to the Galatians in order to in order to issue a corrective against any perversion of the gospel is it only speaking this present evil age to the the trouble asst times there that they were going through when these Judaizers were perverting the gospel of saving grace probably not though that is something that they're delivered from is it perhaps speaking about their bondage to the bondage to the mosaic institutions and that that present evil age that they're being delivered from is it only in other words confined to the first century or does it speak to this present world system throughout the ages this is Ed on this the phrase the present evil world cannot therefore mean merely the mosaic institutions or the entire system of things defective and unsatisfactory connected with it an exegesis too technical and narrow and which comes far short of the meaning of the apostles pregnant words the meaning of the verse is that the purpose of Christ self sacrifice was to rescue believers out of a condition fraught with infinite peril to them the kingdom of darkness and bring them into a condition safe and blessed the kingdom of his dear son that's what we have wrapped up in that passage is that second option that ed brings out that he delivers us Christ does from this system of the world this system of depravity and sin the system of peril the kingdom of darkness bringing us from out of that kingdom of darkness by His grace to the kingdom of the son of his love he delivers us from this present evil age according to the will of our God and Father perhaps what is in view is the stuff of Ephesians 2 1 2 3 Ephesians 2 1 2 3 where we read these words and you he made alive 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 among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh fulfilling the desires of the flesh end of the mind and we're by nature children of Wrath just as the others this present evil world Christ by the giving of himself delivers us from that present evil world the blessed change comes in verse 4 but God who is rich in mercy because of his great love with which he loved us even when we were dead in trespasses made us alive together with Christ by grace you have been saved see we glory in that truth don't we that Christ delivered us from this present evil age delivered us from the the wounds of the devil falling into temptations by the the Father of Lies and murder himself no longer are we children of the devil but were children of God brought forth from darkness to light from out of the bondage to sin out of our own bondage to our own depraved wills Christ delivers us from the madness of that state and he delivers us from the allure of the world the world no longer has sway over us were no longer attached a fixed falling under falling under her allure but rather were free from the power of sin in that regard in fact the Apostle Paul in the book of Galatians in verse 14 of chapter 6 speaks to that where he writes but god forbid that I should boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ by whom the world has been crucified to me and I to the world you see by the saving cross work of our the Lord Jesus Christ we've been circumcised from the world we've been set apart we've been delivered we've been we've been crucified to the world in the world has been to us we have been delivered from this present evil age and notice lastly it is according to the will of our God and Father lastly under the gospel before we move on closing with the dock sala g that this is according to the will of our God and Father let's read the phrase again who gave himself for our sins that he might deliver us from this present evil age according to the will of our God and Father the sovereignty of god in the salvation of sinners the eternal purpose of God displayed in the saving work of Christ and in the salvation of his elect the glorious Bible that we have again this isn't a corpus of 66 books slapped haphazardly together that you know is constituted by some ancient truths this is God's revelation to men wherein contained is the true account of Christ who came into the world sinners to save it's the opening up of the eternal purpose of God in the saving work of the Son of God the Lord Jesus Christ affecting the salvation of a multitude that no man can number it is according to the will of our God and Father speaking of course again to the the free act of the Son of God in the redemption of sinners at this point Christ himself was resigned unto the fact that he was doing the will of God and that it was an eternal purpose in the Book of Luke in fact on the the night in which he was betrayed the Lord Jesus Christ with great diligence with great resolute confidence in marching to the cross speaks these words when he's betrayed by Judas in Luke 22 notice this wonderful language here beginning in verse 20 of Luke 22 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 betrayers with me on the table and truly the Son of Man goes as it has been determined but woe to that man by whom he is betrayed see the Lord Jesus Christ understood the sovereign purpose of God in the salvation of sinners he understood that he must march to the cross has that moment in the garden yes where he cries out father if it is possible let this cup pass from me nevertheless not my will but thine be done he talked to me afterwards that is Christ speaking after his humanity after the fact that he took to himself man's nature it's not the Son of God with one will you know coming coming up against if you will the will of the Father both according to their divine nature's but rather it is the man Christ in the travail of the guard and the travail of soul crying out if it is possible let this cup pass from me but all that to come back to this Christ was resigned to the fact that this was the eternal purpose of God truly the Son of man goes as it has been determined as it has been a four handwritten as it has been eternally preordained you see Peter was listening on this day Peter was present and what does he say in his First Epistle that we have been redeemed not by corruptible things like silver and gold but by the precious blood of Jesus Christ as of a lamb without blemish and without spot he indeed was foreordained before the foundation of the world but was manifest in these last days for you Christ Jesus was resigned unto this reality that the giving of himself for our sins that he might deliver us from this present evil age was according to the will of our God and Father lastly then if we find our way back to Galatians we want to close with a recognition of the doxology notice back in Galatians 1 beginning in verse 3 grace to you and peace from God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ who gave himself for our sins that he might deliver us from this present evil age according to the will of our God and Father to whom be glory forever and ever amen it's a good it's a good way to close that portion of a the introduction to his letter isn't it it's always a good way to close anything with to whom be glory forever and ever amen when we're talking about God and His saving work to whom be glory forever and ever amen what does this mean what does this mean to whom be glory forever and ever amen well first off what it doesn't mean it doesn't mean that God stands in need of glory that is he doesn't stand in want or in lack of anything glory we're considering right now to whom be glory forever and ever amen it is a call for the Galatians to give unto the Lord glory so is it are we to understand that God is or does stand in need of glory to be added to him of course not our confession speaks this way we'll see where in the Bible it backs this statement up our confession says this with regards to God not standing in need of glory God having all life glory goodness blessedness in and of himself is alone in and unto himself all sufficient not standing in need of any creature which he hath made nor deriving any glory from them where where would the framers of our confession get that from well one place would be while they get it from the Bible but the one place in the Bible specifically that they would get it from is in job 41 this is a text that Paul picks up in Romans 11 but notice in job 41 job 41 at verse 10 no one is so fierce that he would dare stir him up who then is able to stand against me who has preceded me that I should pay him everything under heaven is mine that language of who has preceded me we could understand that as who has given to me who has given unto me that I should pay back to him everything under heaven is mine see the argument that God is making here he doesn't he doesn't have he doesn't he isn't he doesn't owe anybody anything he doesn't he doesn't have some onus unto anyone he isn't obligated to render unto anyone anything but rather everything under heaven is his what can we give unto God what can render unto him that he does not already have in the eternal blessedness of himself notice in acts 17 this language that speaks to the very thing and you see if God stood in want of anything if God stood in lack of something if men could give something to God that he stood in absence of he would then be a pagan deity a God of the Gentiles God is perfect in his eternal blessedness and this is one of Paul's arguments arguing against pagan deities in one sense in acts 17 beginning in verse 22 then Paul stood in the midst of the areopagus and said men of Athens I perceive that in all things you are very religious for as I was passing through and considering the objects of your worship I even found an altar with this inscription to the unknown God therefore the one whom you worship without knowing him I proclaim to you God who made the world and everything in it since he is lord of heaven and earth does not dwell in temples made with hands nor is he worshipped with men's hands as though he needed anything since he gives to all life breath and all things you see in an infinite and in a stark contrast to the pagan deities that surrounded God's people throughout the ages God does not stand in need of anything that he is made but rather you notice the language here nor is he worshipped with men's hands well wait a minute don't we serve God what what is Paul saying here nor is he worshipped with men's hands well the qualification comes as though he needed anything God doesn't need a ministering unto God does not stand and want glory blessedness or anything but rather is the eternally blessed God amen he does not stand in need of anything since he gives to all life breath and all things the very glory that we ascribe unto God is given by the strength that he affords unto us and the breath whereby we proclaim his glories is spoken by the very breath he gives us God does not stand in need of any creature he hath made nor does he derive any glory from them so then what does it mean then to whom be glory forever and ever it simply means that we are to ascribe unto the Lord the glory due his name it is a call to his creatures to ascribe unto the Lord the glory that he only ever and always eternally has as the one who is infinite eternal and unchangeable in all of his perfections so this Pauline doxology to whom be glory forever and ever amen is a call is imploring the Galatians to render unto the Lord glory and strength is that very interesting text in Psalm 20 some 29 very interesting because one of the interpretations of what the psalmist is saying is that he is mocking heathen deities mocking pagan gods which are no God's at all calling on them to render worship untrue unto the only living and true God notice Psalm 29 at this very point of ascribing to God the glory that is due his name Psalm 29 verse 1 give unto the Lord oh you mighty ones give unto the Lord glory and strength give unto the Lord the glory due to his name worship the lord in the beauty of holiness so what is Paul doing in Galatians then when he says to whom be glory forever and ever amen he is calling upon the Galatians to understand and to know their God and to reflect upon what God has done through Christ according to his will through the giving of Christ for the salvation of sinners and to worship God to ascribe unto Him glory and strength to render unto God the glory due to his name why because he even he is the Lord who brought us out our transgressions for his own name's sake he is truly to be praised truly to be honored and truly to be glory din charnock rights he could not be the most blessed being if he were not always so and should not forever remain to be so he is blessed from everlasting to everlasting it's interesting if you read your Bibles from it from Genesis through to Malachi in the old test well actually if you read it from Genesis through to Revelation there's only five times where there is a double amen that is a phrase amen and amen there's one instance in numbers five that we won't refer to right now you can read it later at numbers 5 verse 22 in the English in the in the New King James and the King James I think it is amen so let it be or so be it but the others all in the psalms psalm 41 13 Psalm 72 19 Psalm 89 52 and then actually in Nehemiah 86 there is a double amen amen and amen in other words you know verily verily so be it so be it an exclamation of praise and recognition to the worshipers and unto God because of a certain truth that is a forehand mentioned before the amens and what is in view in every case is the eternal blessedness of God when there is a double amen in other words our Lord God does not stand in need of anything which he hath made having give to all life breath and all things but rather we ascribe unto Him glory and blessing blessed is he from everlasting to everlasting amen and amen so closing then with this three things and we pray first we should know the triune God Father Son and spirit hopefully just a simple reflection on five verses grace to you and peace from God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ the triune Benedict grace and peace coming from the spirit or by the spirit from God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ Christianity is a triune religion it is not Christianity where the Trinity is rejected Unitarianism is not Christianity any so-called religion that flies the banner of Christian while rejecting the deity of the Father Son and Holy Spirit specifically the Son and the spirit any such religion is no Christian religion at all but will incur the curse in the anathem of God our God is Father Son and Holy Spirit and is to be worshiped as that God one in three persons Blessed Trinity secondly we are to guard our hearts from false Gospels and rejoice in the true gospel that's what the point of Galatians is all about instructing aiding helping commanding exhorting the Galatian churches to reject to guard themselves against all false Gospels and to rejoice in the true gospel that's why he says I marvel that you are so soon turning away from the gospel of Christ unto a another gospel we are to guard our hearts from false Gospels and rejoice in the true gospel do not follow after any other so-called different gospel that you know that that wants to say I've got a new truth I've got a new gospel it's sort of like the Christian gospel it's Christian but you see for 2,000 years the church is misunderstood Paul the church is misunderstood what Christ meant here and there and in the other place now guard your hearts against such false Gospels Spurgeon has said something to the effect of we will have no new gospel and no new God if anyone comes to you and says AHA look at my new gospel he says that's a that is akin to marry coming up to you little Mary the seven year old and saying see my pretty new frock see my pretty new driver a frock is what does it address a hat you see introducing a new gospel is the same as a as a child coming up to you and saying look at this pretty little shiny thing there is new gospel there is no new gospel there is no new God we have the God who has ever and always been blessed forever and ever and the abiding gospel of the grace of Christ by the perfection of his saving work there is one gospel guard your hearts against false Gospels and rejoice in the true gospel because what is at stake it is to render the cross of Christ as empty vanity if we attach anything to his blessed and perfect work and lastly ascribe unto God the glory due to his name that is what we are to do as Christians we train ourselves for eternity here in this lower earth ascribing now as we worship to God the glory that is due unto his name we train ourselves for joining the angels in that bliss of a manuals land where we will exclaim forever the glory and the blessedness of God well let us close in prayer Heavenly Father we thank you for your revelation to men as we've read it tonight from Galatians and in various other places we rejoice in you disclosing the salvation through Jesus Christ disclosing your glory your holiness the perfections of your being in your Holy Word and the reality that man is sinful that man has transgressed your law but that blessed remedy that blessed salvation through Jesus Christ our Lord that you also disclosed in the Bible that one that only one given among given among the sons of men under heaven that only name by which we can be saved the Lord Jesus Christ we thank you that you have made us to know this we do pray that your Saints having made known this by your grace and for your glory would leave this place seeking to live in light of their calling we do pray that we would bring honor and glory to you in this lower world help us by your grace lord help us by those supplies from the spirit those growing's and those helps in grace to grow in the grace and in the knowledge of Christ that we might know you more and more Father Son and Holy Spirit we do pray that you would help us to guard our hearts that you would protect us from false Gospels and cause us daily to rejoice in the true and we do pray Lord God that you would just give us the grace to endure a day after day that we might give ascription zuv glory unto you that we might praise you that we might honor you that we might find Sunday after Sunday ourselves in this place ascribing unto you glory and strength and the honor that is due to your name go with us now and might in all that we do might we bring glory to you and might we it might we be able to do in this lower world those good works in accordance to your will that might show men the glory of our God the rightness of the gospel and that we might not bring reproach upon the Word of God and we may we pray in the name of our Savior the Lord Jesus Christ amen well let's stand and sing stands a one of him number 87 holy holy holy well sing that as our doxology holy holy holy stands a one Oh Oh presence of his glory with exceeding joy to God our Savior loans wise the glory you