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We turn in your Bibles to Genesis, 
chapter three. Genesis, chapter three, this 
morning, we looked at. Petition, the fifth petition 
of the Lord's Prayer, forgive us our debts, we noted there 
that Jesus in verses 14 to 15 is not saying that the condition 
for our forgiveness with reference to our acceptance with God, our 
justification, is our forgiving of others. Rather, he is highlighting 
the fact that we are to be not hypocritical when we pray there. 
When we ask God for forgiveness, we ought to be in the posture 
of forgiving others as well. I noted that the basis of the 
believer's forgiveness is the blood of our Lord Jesus Christ, 
and that's what will develop this evening. We'll look at several 
texts, some in the Old Testament and some in the New Testament, 
just under that general framework of the basis of the believers' 
forgiveness. The petition this morning, I 
quoted Watson and Manton just to get a reminder of the whole 
idea of verses 14 and 15 there. Watson says it is a sign of God's 
forgiving us. It is not a cause of God's forgiving 
us, but a sign. We need not climb up into heaven 
to see whether our sins are forgiven. Let us look into our hearts and 
see if we can forgive others. So we're dealing with something 
a bit different this evening, rather the basis, the groundwork, 
the reason why we have been declared not guilty. That is by virtue 
of the blood of Jesus Christ and him alone. I'll just pick 
up reading in Genesis chapter three at verse one. Now, the 
serpent was more cunning than any beast of the field which 
the Lord God had made. And he said to the woman, has 
God indeed said you shall not eat of every tree of the garden? 
And the woman said to the serpent, We may eat the fruit of the trees 
of the garden, but of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst 
of the garden, God has said, You shall not eat it, nor shall 
you touch it, lest you die. Then the serpent said to the 
woman, You will not surely die, for God knows that in the day 
you eat of it, your eyes will be opened and you will be like 
God, knowing good and evil. So when the woman saw that the 
tree was good for food, that it was pleasant to the eyes, 
and a tree desirable to make one wise, she took of its fruit 
and ate. She also gave to her husband 
with her, and he ate. Then the eyes of both of them 
were open, and they knew that they were naked, and they sewed 
fig leaves together and made themselves coverings. And when 
they heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in 
the cool of the day, and Adam and his wife hid themselves, 
I'm sorry. And then they heard the sound 
of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day. 
And Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord 
God among the trees of the garden. Then the Lord God called to Adam 
and said to him, where are you? So he said, I heard your voice 
in the garden and I was afraid because I was naked and I hid 
myself. And he said, who told you that 
you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree 
of which I commanded you that you should not eat? Then the 
man said, The woman whom you gave to be with me, she gave 
me of the tree and I ate. The Lord God said to the woman, 
What is this you have done? The woman said, The serpent deceived 
me and I ate. So the Lord God said to the serpent, 
Because you have done this, you are cursed more than all cattle 
and more than every beast of the field. On your belly you 
shall go, and you shall eat dust all the days of your life. And 
I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your 
seed and her seed. He shall bruise your head, and 
you shall bruise his heel. To the woman, he said, I will 
greatly multiply your sorrow and your conception. In pain 
you shall bring forth children. Your desire shall be for your 
husband, and he shall rule over you. Then to Adam he said, Because 
you have heeded the voice of your wife, and have eaten from 
the tree of which I commanded you, saying, You shall not eat 
of it, curse it as the ground for your sake. In toil you shall 
eat of it all the days of your life. Both thorns and thistles 
it shall bring forth for you, and you shall eat the herb of 
the field. In the sweat of your face you shall eat bread, till 
you return to the ground, for out of it you are taken, for 
dust you are, and to dust you shall return. And Adam called 
his wife's name Eve, because she was the mother of all living. 
Also for Adam and his wife, the Lord God made tunics of skin 
and clothed them. And the Lord God said, Behold, 
the man has become like one of us to no good and evil. And now, 
lest he put out his hand and take also of the tree of life 
and eat and live forevermore forever. Therefore, the Lord 
God sent him out of the Garden of Eden to till the ground from 
which he was taken. So he drove out the man and he 
placed cherubim at the east of the Garden of Eden and a flaming 
sword which turned every way to guard the way to the tree 
of life. Amen. Well, let us pray. Father, 
we thank you for this account. We thank you for the great deal 
of theology in these verses in this chapter. We just thank you 
as well that it announces the coming of Jesus Christ, our Lord. And we pray that we would have 
a fresh appreciation of him, of his work on behalf of sinners. 
that we would again realize that without the shedding of blood, 
there is no remission of sin. And you sent the Lamb of God 
to take away the sins of the world. We thank you for his blood, 
how we thank you for his death, his resurrection and for all 
that he has purchased on our behalf. We just pray tonight 
that we would love him, that we would adore him, that we would 
honor and glorify him. And we ask in his most blessed 
name. Amen. Well, Genesis chapters one to 
three are foundational for all the rest of the Bible. I think 
that if you spent an adequate amount of time, or a lifetime 
rather, in Genesis chapters one to three, you would not exhaust 
all that is there. But I read this because it is 
the first announcement of the one who would come to save us 
from our sins. You remember the particular scene? 
God places Adam in the garden. God creates Eve to be a helper 
to Adam, and He gives them dominion over the creatures. As soon as 
we get to Genesis chapter 3, there is an inversion of the 
created order. Immediately we see it absolutely 
backwards. Now we have the creature, the 
serpent, talking to Eve, addressing her, and then she eats and gives 
the fruit to Adam. Just the opposite of what the 
Lord God had intended. And so, when God comes now to 
deal with each one, he goes accordingly. He starts with the serpent, and 
then he moves on to Eve, and then he moves on to Adam. Well, 
it's the words given to the serpent that should concern us, or that 
does concern us this evening. Notice, the Lord God said to 
the serpent, verse 14, because you have done this, you are cursed 
more than all cattle. and more than every beast of 
the field, on your belly you shall go, and you shall eat dust 
all the days of your life. And I will put enmity between 
you and the woman, and between your seed and her seed. He shall 
bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel." This is the 
first promise of a deliverer, the first promise of a champion. 
The first promise of one who would come to save his people 
from their sins. It's called the proto evangel, 
the first gospel promise. We learn at least three things 
from verse 15. We learn first that the deliverer 
would be a man. he would be born of a woman. 
So, as we continue throughout redemptive history, as we continue 
throughout the Old Testament, there was this hope of a coming 
man, one that would be born of a woman in order to conquer Satan 
and to drive this wedge of enmity even further. We notice, secondly, 
the deliverer would accomplish redemption through suffering. He would accomplish redemption 
through suffering. He says in verse 15, I will put 
enmity between you and the woman, between your seed and her seed. 
He shall bruise your head and you shall bruise his heel. His 
heel would be bruised in the process of crushing the serpent's 
head. Again, I believe this is a type. 
It looks forward to the death at Calvary. The one born of a 
woman would ultimately conquer through suffering. It is through 
the redemptive crosswork of our Lord Jesus that he brings this 
salvation to his people and this judgment upon the kingdom of 
darkness. And then thirdly, the deliverer 
would accomplish glorious conquest and victory. Though in this transaction 
his heel would be bruised, what does he do to the head? the seed 
of the serpent. He crushes it. He destroys it. He devastates it. He deals the 
death blow. This helps us when we get to 
those New Testament passages which speak to Christ dismantling 
and destroying the kingdom of darkness. So, this is one of 
the first, or it is the first statement concerning our Lord 
Jesus and that basis of the believer's forgiveness. It would come through 
one who would be born of a woman. It would come through one who 
would accomplish a victory through suffering, and it would be through 
one who accomplishes a decisive and total victory. You can turn 
over to Genesis chapter 15. Again, just looking at some of 
the Old Testament anticipation passages before we look at the 
New Testament fulfillment passages. Remember our thesis. We're looking 
at the basis of the believer's forgiveness. A very helpful thing 
for the Christian. If I were to ask you what's one 
of the best things about being saved, I trust you'd say being 
forgiven. Right? That's a boon. That's a great thing. Confucius 
or Socrates or Plato or Buddha or whoever, the world's philosophers, 
can teach us a thing or two about living, I'm sure. Teach us a 
thing or two about how to be in harmony with others. They 
certainly can't remove our sin. They don't bring pardon of iniquity. 
They don't bring cleansing through their precious blood. This is 
the boon of the supernatural redemptive religion, which is 
called Christianity. This is our hope. This is our 
basis. This is our acceptance with God. 
Not our works, not our harmony with others, not what we do, 
but the deliverer who was born of a woman. the Deliverer who 
accomplishes His task through suffering and who accomplishes 
His task decisively and victoriously and crushes the head of the seed 
of the serpent. Genesis 15 points forward. Genesis 15 highlights this reality 
that Jesus will come to save His people from their sins. Genesis 
15, remember, is God's covenant with Abraham. Verse 6, He believed 
in the Lord and he accounted it to him for righteousness. 
Then he said to him, I am the Lord who brought you out of out 
of her of the Chaldeans to give you this land to inherit it. 
And he said, Lord God, how shall I know that I will inherit it? 
Remember, what follows is based on this particular question. 
Abraham asks a question of God, and God, in His grace and kindness 
and condescension, answers him. And the way that He answers him 
is absolutely incredible. It is beautiful. It is typology. It is pointing forward. It is 
looking ahead. It is showing us the redemptive 
benefit that we receive in the Lord Jesus Christ. Says in verse 
nine, God said to him, bring me a three-year-old heifer, a 
three-year-old female goat, a three-year-old ram, a turtle dove, and a young 
pigeon. Then he brought all these to him and cut them in two down 
the middle and placed each piece opposite the other. But he did 
not cut the birds in two. And when the vultures came down 
on the carcasses, Abram drove them away. Now, when the sun 
was going down, a deep sleep fell upon Abram and behold, horror 
and a great darkness fell upon him. Then God said to Abram, 
no, certainly that your descendants will be strangers in a land that 
is not theirs and will serve them and they will afflict them 
400 years and also the nation whom they serve. I will judge 
afterward. They shall come out with great 
possessions. Now, as for you, you shall go to your fathers 
in peace. You shall be buried at a good old age. But in the 
fourth generation they shall return here, for the iniquity 
of the Amorites is not yet complete. And it came to pass when the 
sun went down and it was dark, that behold, there appeared a 
smoking oven and a burning torch that passed between those pieces. 
On the same day, the Lord made a covenant with Abram, saying, 
To your descendants I have given this land, from the river of 
Egypt to the great river, the river Euphrates, the Kenites, 
the Kenizzites, the Kadmonites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, 
the Rephaim, the Amorites, the Canaanites, the Girgashites, 
and the Jebusites. Now, interesting for our purposes 
here this evening, God makes a promise to Abraham that he 
is going to bless. There would be seed, there would 
be land, there would be blessing. That is the specifics with reference 
to the Abrahamic covenant. But what's really interesting 
is this particular ceremony that God engages in with him. This 
was not unique in Israel. This was not unique among the 
people associated with Abraham. This was pretty consistent, the 
way that one would cut a covenant. In fact, that's the language 
very often used with reference to covenant making. It's to cut 
a covenant. Some say that it refers to the 
cutting of the animals that is part and parcel of the ratification 
of this covenant ceremony. So what does God do? He enters 
into this covenant agreement with Abraham. He says, cut these 
animals and put them into two places or two sides. See, the 
covenant was supposed to be ratified this way. Both parties agreed. or that were making this covenant 
would walk between the pieces. The stipulation or the significance 
of this was simply this. If we fail to carry out our covenant 
obligations, then may what has happened to these animals happen 
to us. It was a malevolent oath. You 
all know what a benevolent oath is. That's a good word. The benediction 
at the end of a service, the pronouncement of a good word. 
A malevolent oath is the pronouncement of a curse. That's what this 
symbolized. The two parties walked between 
these animals and they testified that if they reneged on their 
covenantal obligation, then may what happened to these animals 
happen to us. In other words, cut us in half, 
destroy us to the uttermost. Now, what's unique about this 
ceremony? Both parties don't walk through these animals, do 
they? Both parties don't walk through these animals. God puts 
Abraham to sleep. Abraham wakes up long enough 
to see the smoking torch passing between these animals. What's 
God saying to Abraham? The obligations of this covenant 
fall solely and wholly and completely upon him. When you get to the 
book of Galatians, where the Apostle Paul develops covenant 
theology and he appeals to Father Abraham, he tells us something 
interesting about the Lord Jesus. He tells us in Galatians 3.13 
that Jesus became a curse to redeem those who were under the 
curse of the law. I believe what Paul has in mind 
is this particular ceremony. I can't say I know that for sure, 
but it certainly seems to make sense. In other words, Jesus 
represents us. We fail in our covenant obligations. We deserve death. We deserve 
to be carved up like animals. We deserve destruction. But God 
made Christ a curse. Jesus became a curse, so that 
those who were under the curse could be freed. Genesis chapter 
15 preaches the gospel to us. Again, I think Abraham is understanding 
these things, because when we get to Mount Moriah in Genesis 
chapter 22, he gives this piece of instruction to Isaac. In Genesis chapter 22, we don't 
have time to develop it, just looking at these passages hopefully 
causes our jaws to fall to the ground as we marvel at the redemptive 
work of our Lord Jesus Christ. Genesis 22, you remember the 
scene? God tells Abraham, take your son, your only son, the 
son whom you love. Sounds just like the way the 
father describes his son. His only son, the one whom he 
loves. Abraham is to take Isaac up to 
Mount Moriah. The site of the future temple 
would be built there. Isaac is to be strapped down 
and Abraham is to sacrifice him. God, of course, stops him in 
this particular transaction. But it's very interesting in 
the midst of this. Abraham is teaching his son theology. Notice in verse six, Abraham 
took the word of the burnt offering and laid it on Isaac, his son. 
And he took the fire in his hand and a knife. And the two of them 
went together. But Isaac spoke to Abraham, his 
father, and said, my father. And he said, here I am, my son. 
Then he said, look, the fire. and the word. But where is the 
land for a bird offering? And Abraham said, My son, God 
will provide for himself the land for a bird offering. So 
the two of them went together. Beautiful. Abraham knew theology. Abraham knew Christ. John chapter 
eight, Abraham rejoiced to see my day. He saw it and he was 
glad. Abraham knew that God was going 
to provide for himself. God was going to send one to 
die in the stead of guilty sinners. That's the language used throughout 
the narrative substitution. Notice in verse 13 that Abraham 
lifted his eyes and looked and there behind him was a ram caught 
in a thicket by its horns. So, Abraham went and took the 
ram and offered it up for a burnt offering instead of his son. And Abraham called the name of 
the place. The Lord will provide, as it is said to this day in 
the mouth of the Lord, it shall be provided. You see, there is. There's plenty of evidence in 
the Old Testament Scriptures that they expected a coming one, 
a lamb that would be slain, one who would die in the stead of 
others. The prophet Isaiah, specifically 
in chapter 53, which we read at the outset, shines further 
light upon this particular figure. There's four service songs in 
the prophet Isaiah, songs celebrating the redemptive work of our Lord 
Jesus. In this fourth servant's song, we see these words in verse 
four. Surely he has borne our griefs 
and carried our sorrows. Yet we esteemed him stricken, 
smitten by God, and afflicted. But he was wounded. Notice, for 
our transgressions. It's conspicuous throughout this 
passage. What we have in view is penal 
substitution, not example. It's not a governmental theory 
of the atonement. It's not a moral influence theory 
of the atonement. It is penal substitution. One 
stands in our place. The wrath of God falls on him. He takes the punishment. He drinks 
the cup of God's wrath. He drinks it to the utter dregs, 
and it is for a specific purpose. We esteemed him stricken, smitten 
by God, and afflicted. He was wounded for our transgressions. He was bruised for our iniquities. The chastisement for our peace 
was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed. You see, when 
we pray, forgive us as we forgive those who sin against us. The 
issue isn't, I have forgiven you, now God forgives me. That's not the point of the fifth 
petition. We are saved, we are forgiven, 
based on the finished work of the Lord Jesus. So that in the 
life of sanctification, as we pray to God, forgive us, it is 
assumed that as those who have received forgiveness, we will 
be extending forgiveness to others. But the ground, the basis, the 
framework for the believer's forgiveness is right here in 
the servant of the Lord. He was bruised for our iniquities. 
The chastisement for our peace was upon him. By his stripes 
we are healed. And I often just assume everybody 
understands that language. You know what the stripes mean, 
kids? You know what that means? Yes? 
No? Never? Never heard it? Yeah? 
What happened? when Jesus was on trial. They 
whipped him, right? What happens when you get whipped? 
Hopefully this doesn't happen to this degree, but it leaves 
a mark, doesn't it? It leaves a stripe. When you 
get to the passion narrative of our Lord Jesus, the type of 
scourging that they gave him is barbaric and brutal. They 
take the leather, the whip, and they put in it pieces of bone 
and jagged rock, so that when it buries itself into the flesh 
and they yank it out, what happens? The flesh comes right off of 
the subject being whipped. I think sometimes we forget the 
gruesome nature of atonement. We forget that it's a drippy, 
bloody, gory mess. We forget the stripes of the 
Lord Jesus, and yet this is what the prophet Isaiah says, by his 
stripes we are healed. He says in verse six, all we 
like sheep have gone astray. We have turned everyone to his 
own way, and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all. 
So he would be bored of a woman. He would conquer, he would suffer 
rather in his conquering activity. We see the ultimate cause here. 
Yes, the devil was certainly a means. Yes, the devil was certainly 
a second cause. But who ultimately delivered 
up the Son? Who ultimately sent the Son on 
this task of redemption? You know, we often hear that 
statement, you know, it was my sins that put the Savior there. 
And to a degree, that's right. He wouldn't have gone there if 
we were a sinless people. But who does Isaiah ascribe the 
act to? Who does Isaiah say is behind the atoning work of Jesus 
Christ? Who does Isaiah attribute the 
work of redemption to? He attributes it to the Father. It says, all we like sheep have 
gone astray. We have turned, every one, to 
his own way. And the Lord has laid on him 
the iniquity of us all. Kind of helps you understand 
2 Corinthians 5.21. God made him who knew no sin to be what to 
be said that we might become the righteousness of God in him. 
Now, the reason I highlight this important piece of data is simply 
that your salvation is of the Lord. You haven't learned to 
fully appreciate that fact. Let me encourage you. Your salvation 
and the final analysis isn't ultimately up to you. It's up 
to God. The one who walked between those 
pieces of animal, the one who promised to provide the one of 
Isaiah, the prophet. Notice verse 10. Yet it pleased 
the Lord. We might see this better if we 
translate this way. It pleased Yahweh to bruise him, 
Jesus Christ, the servant of the Lord. He has put him to grief. When you make his soul an offering 
for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and 
the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hand. You see, 
the father is responsible. The father sends the son. In 
the fullness of the time, God sent forth his son. born of a 
woman, born under the law, to redeem those under the law. Jesus 
willingly submits himself to the Father. That is a theme replete 
in the Gospel of John. He is the sent one. His will 
is to do, or his meat rather, is to do the will of the Father 
who sent him. I always do what the Father says. That is what Jesus Christ testifies 
to. So you see, you've got Father, 
Son and Spirit working in perfect harmony and beautiful unity to 
save our guilty, vile, helpless souls from hell. And we can all 
stop for a moment and do a backflip, sit back down and say, praise 
be to Jesus. Right? It's not what it should 
do. How do we look at these things and not get fired up? Our sins are forgiven based on 
this person, based on this servant of the Lord. We get to the New 
Testament. It's fulfillment. It's brought 
out in the broad daylight. It's Christ, Matthew 26, 27. He took the cup and gave thanks 
and gave it to them, saying, Drink from it, all of you, for 
this is my blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many. For what? 
For the remission of sins. You ask what's the basis, the 
ground, the framework upon which God forgives you. It's the blood 
of Christ, His Son. That's the message of Matthew 
6.12. When that is true of you, you 
can't help but forgiving others. You can't help but exercising 
mercy. When you see that you've been 
forgiven this mountain of debt, And then somebody comes along 
and they do this tiny thing to you. Brethren, be able to forget 
that. Be able to extend that mercy 
and grace. Those who love much will serve 
much. They will extend back to the 
people of God. Acts chapter 10. Again, we're 
going to move a little quicker now, looking at some of these 
fulfillment passages. And again, this is a sampling. 
That's not preacher talk, for I don't know what I'm going to 
say here. This is just a sampling of texts. We can multiply data 
in the New Testament to highlight this reality that the basis of 
the believer's forgiveness is the blood of the eternal covenant. God made to save his people from 
their sins. Acts 10, Peter is preaching to 
the household of Cornelius. It's a blessed situation, a beautiful 
situation. God brings these two parties 
together and Peter preaches the word of truth. Notice in verse 
22 or 42, just summarizing, getting to the end here. And he commanded 
us to preach to the people and to testify that it is he who 
was ordained by God to be judge of the living and the dead to 
him. All the prophets witness that 
through his name, whoever believes in him will receive remission 
of sins. You know what that means to you 
tonight? If you have not tasted and seen 
that the Lord is good, if you have not had the forgiveness 
of sins, listen to the text. Whoever believes in him will 
receive remission of sins. Believe on the Lord Jesus. Believe 
on the gospel and you will receive the pardon of all your iniquity. 
It's a wonderful transaction. It is truly gospel. Acts 1338, 
the Apostle Paul is in a synagogue in Pisidian Antioch. He brings 
his sermon to a close. In Acts chapter 13, he traces 
the life, the death, and the resurrection of our Lord Jesus 
Christ. Notice in Acts 13, beginning 
in verse 36, for David, after he had served his own generation 
by the will of God, fell asleep, was buried with his fathers, 
and saw corruption. But he whom God raised up saw 
no corruption. Therefore, let it be known to 
you, brethren, that through this man is preached to you the forgiveness 
of sins. And by him, everyone who believes 
is justified from all things from which you could not be justified 
by the law of Moses. I think understanding the setting 
here makes it that much more awesome because Paul is in a 
synagogue, isn't he? He's preaching to Jews. He's 
preaching to Jews who would associate the forgiveness of sins with 
Yahweh of Israel. Didn't they do this when Jesus forgave the 
sins of the paralytic? Remember that? Son, your sins 
are forgiven you. Go in peace. What did the Pharisees 
reckon? Who does this man think he is? 
Only God alone can forgive sins. That's when Jesus says, which 
is easier to say to the man, your sins are forgiven or take 
up your bed and walk? Well, it'd be easier to say your 
sins are forgiven because we can't see them. That's why Jesus 
says, take up your bed and walk. So when he takes up his bed and 
walks, that is exhibit A, that Christ has the power to forgive 
sin. That just blew their minds. They 
were amazed. Paul is amongst Jews and he says, 
forgiveness is through Jesus. It shouldn't surprise us that 
when we get to the end, they either love him or hate him. 
Right? See, you just don't not respond 
one way or the other. You either love it or you hate 
it. You see, Paul preached forgiveness 
through Christ. Romans 4, 25. Romans 4, 25. Picking up in verse twenty three. 
Now, it was not written for his sake alone. This is Abraham, 
that it was imputed to him, but also for us. It shall be imputed 
to us who believe in him, who raised up Jesus our Lord from 
the dead, who was delivered up because of our offenses and was 
raised because of our justification. Why did Jesus come into this 
world? So that he could be a good example, so that he could show 
love, so that he could shine human harmony all over people. 
He did those things, to be sure. The primary focus, the primary 
purpose, was that he was delivered up because of our offenses and 
he was raised because of our justification. I've already highlighted 
2 Corinthians 5.21, God made him who knew no sin to be sin 
for us that we might become the righteousness of God in him. 
Ephesians 1.7, Ephesians 1.3-14 is the larger context. What's Paul doing in Ephesians 
1, 3 to 14? He's celebrating God. He's praising 
the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit for salvation. Kids, 
do you realize that 3 to 14 is one long sentence? Next time 
you write an essay, write a sentence that long. And they break it 
up in the English translations. They put commas, and they put 
periods, and they put all that sort of thing in there for us 
as readers. But 3 to 14 is a sentence that 
starts here and ends up over here. Isn't that neat? I think that's 
cool. It's like reading John Owen. 
He starts over here and he ends up over here. I don't know that 
I always get everything in between there. It's not Owen's fault, 
it's my fault. He tried reading Owen, right? And fifthly, and 
eighthly, and twentiethly, where are we in this? I almost need 
a map to read Owen. Well, look at what Paul is doing. 
3 to 14, he introduces his theme. Blessed be the God and Father 
of our Lord Jesus Christ. who has blessed us with every 
blessing, every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ. 
In fact, this is a good model for essay writing. There's his 
topic sentence. Bless God for his goodness. That's his topic sentence. Now, 
he supports that with three categories. Supports it with the work of 
the Father, with the work of the Son, and the work of the 
Spirit. What's the Father did? Why do we bless the Father? Because 
He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world. In love, 
He predestinated us unto adoption as sons. We should praise the 
Father for that. We shouldn't argue and fight 
and polemicize, though there is a place for that. The first 
order of business with reference to sovereign grace, predestination, 
and election is worship, praise, and adoration. Then he moves 
on to the psalm. Notice in verses 7 to 10, in 
him we have redemption through his blood. The forgiveness of 
sins, according to the riches of his grace, which he made to 
abound toward us in all wisdom and prudence, having made known 
to us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure, 
which he purposed in himself, that in the dispensation of the 
fullness of the times he might gather together in one all things 
in Christ. both which are in heaven and 
which are on earth in him. In him also we have obtained 
an inheritance, being pregusted according to the purpose of him 
who works all things, according to the counsel of his will, that 
we who first trusted in Christ should be to the praise of his 
glory." There you have it. In verse 7, in him we have redemption 
through his blood. The blood of Jesus Christ that 
cleanses us from all sin. The book of Hebrews. Pastor Kim 
this morning needed a proof text. He said chapters one to ten. Where do we learn about blood 
atonement in the book of Hebrews? Chapters one to ten. Go home and study. Go home and 
meditate. Go home and marvel. Go home and 
think through it. I'll just give you one specimen, 
one sample here. For such a high priest was fitting 
for us, Hebrews 726, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate 
from sinners and has become higher than the heavens, who does not 
need daily as those high priests to offer up sacrifices first 
for his own sins and then for the people's. Remember that? That was a function of the priest 
in Old Covenant Israel. In fact, it's conspicuous on 
the Day of Atonement. Yom Kippur, the one day he entered 
into the Holy of Holies. What did he have to do first 
and foremost? He had to offer up a sacrifice for his own sins. One of the blessed differences 
between the Levitical priesthood and Christ's priesthood is he 
doesn't offer up sacrifice for himself, because he's not a sinner. That's the point. Verse twenty-seven, 
who does not need daily as those high priests to offer up sacrifices 
first for his own sins and then for the people's. For this, he 
did once for all when he offered up himself for the law appoints 
his high priest, men who have weakness. But the word of the 
oath which came after the law appoints the son who has been 
perfected forever. Peter T. O'Brien says, By contrast, 
Christ offered the definitive and ultimate sacrifice of himself 
once for all. He did not make an offering for 
himself, but of himself for the sake of others. He doesn't offer 
up sacrifice for himself. He offers up the sacrifice of 
himself for our sins. I hope that you see. Your forgiveness 
is grounded upon Jesus blood and righteousness. Several other 
passages we can turn to. Let's just finish it. Revelation 
five nine. I read Revelation one five this 
morning. Let's stop at five nine. Quick 
summary statement from our London Baptist confession. And then 
we'll move to the supper proper notice in Revelation, chapter 
five, the scene ultimately begins in chapter four. It's a view 
of the throne room. Beautiful sort of a transition 
or progression of thought here. You know, John starts in chapter 
one by greeting the churches in Asia Minor, pronouncing grace 
and peace to them from the God and Father of our Lord Jesus, 
from Jesus, from the Spirit. He then highlights certain things 
about the book itself and where he intends to go. And in chapters 
two and three, what does he deal with? He deals with the churches 
in Asia Minor. Pretty mixed bag, isn't it? Church 
life looked the same then as it does today. You ever say that? Oh, we need to get back to the 
early church. Where do you want to go? Smyrna? You want to go to Pergamos? You want to go to Corinth? Really? I mean, you had people in some 
of the churches there entertaining doctrines that were not good. 
There's nothing new under the sun. The best of churches on 
God's earth still have a mixture of good and bad. Dear brother, 
the brothers in the 17th century recognized when they wrote confessions 
of faith. But chapters two and three deal 
with life on earth. What's the best antidote when 
we may be discouraged about life on earth, when we may be perplexed 
about life on earth, when we may be troubled about life on 
earth? The best antidote is a heavenly perspective. We move from chapters 
two and three where John is dealing with the situation among the 
churches, and then he's brought up into heaven and we get a view 
of God on his throne. We get a view of God, the creator. 
We get a view of God, the son as redeemer. This is what settles 
the church on earth. A right view of who God is. Theology proper in chapters four 
and five ought to be the antidote to settle the churches here on 
earth. Notice in chapter five, verse 
six, I looked and behold, in the midst of the throne and of 
the four living creatures and in the midst of the elders stood 
a lamb as though it had been slain, having seven horns and 
seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent out into 
all the earth. Then he came and took the scroll 
out of the right hand of him who sat on the throne. Now, when 
he had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the 
twenty four elders fell down before the lamb. each having 
a harp and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers 
of the saints. And they sang a new song, saying, 
You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals. For you 
were slain and have redeemed us to God by your blood out of 
every tribe and tongue and people and nation and have made us kings 
and priests to our God. And we shall reign on the earth. 
You want to know what's going to occupy you in heaven? praising 
God for the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. He's just going to revel in and 
delight in and glorify the Father and the Son and the Spirit for 
this wondrous work of redemption. On the Baptist confession, chapter 
11, paragraph 3 says, Christ by his obedience and death, did 
fully discharge the debt of all those that are justified, and 
did by the sacrifice of himself in the blood of his cross, undergoing 
in their stead the penalty due unto them, make a proper, real, 
and full satisfaction to God's justice in their behalf. It is upon that basis that you 
and I have the forgiveness of sins. That is rock solid. That is worthy to praise God 
over. And if you do not have that, 
come to the Lord Jesus, as we saw in Acts 10, 42 and 43. Believe and you will receive 
the forgiveness of sins. Well, let us pray. Our Father, 
we thank you for just this survey of a few passages dealing with 
the death of our Lord Jesus. We thank you that it's grounded 
in your eternal promise, your covenant, We thank you, Lord 
God, that in your timing he came and he satisfied all that you 
had given him in terms of obedience. in terms of the death on the 
cross and resurrection, and that You have made us the blessed 
beneficiaries of this great work. How we thank You that You did 
choose us in Him. How we thank You for predestination. How we thank You that it's through 
His blood we have redemption, even the forgiveness of our sins. 
We pray that more and more people would hear this gospel, and that 
more and more people would be saved, and more and more people 
would give all glory and all praise and all honor to You. 
And we ask, through Jesus Christ our Lord, Amen.