The Baptist Bible Hour now comes to you under the direction of Elder Lacerre Bradley Jr. Oh, for a thousand tongues to sing, my great Redeemer's praise! Thou forest of my God and King, thou triumphs of his grace! This is Lacerre Bradley Jr. inviting you to stay tuned for another message of God's sovereign grace. Worthy of praise is Christ our Redeemer, Worthy of glory, honor, and power, Worthy of all our souls at oration, Worthy of love, worthy of love, Worthy of riches, blessings, and honor, Worthy of wisdom, glory, and power, Worthy of birth and heaven's thanksgiving, Worthy of love, worthy of love. Lord, may we come before thee with singing, Filled with thy spirit, wisdom, and power, May we ascribe thee glory and honor, Worthy of birth, worthy of love, worthy of love, Worthy of riches, blessings, and honor, Worthy of wisdom, glory, and power, Worthy of birth and heaven's thanksgiving, Worthy of love, worthy of love. Today we bring you the second part of a message entitled Limited Atonement. This is a part of our series that we refer to as the Tulip Doctrine. I hope that the message will stir your heart to praise our great Redeemer, Jesus Christ, that He gave Himself at Calvary, paid the price that was necessary to deliver us from the guilt and condemnation of sin.
Apart from that sacrificial death, we'd all be lost and ruined forever, so it's something for which we should praise Him every day that we live, and we will praise Him for it forever when we're finally with Him in glory. Now I hope that you will write us and let us know that you've listened. Our mailing address is Baptist Bible Hour, Box 17037, Cincinnati, Ohio 45217. Also, you can make a donation by going to our website at baptistbiblehour.org.
There you can read the Baptist Witness and also hear our programs, both the Sunday and daily editions. Just again, I'll ask you to remember sin prayer, that the needs will be supplied, that we can continue sending out the good news of salvation by the grace of God. Every Sunday, every first day of the week is designated as a time to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ. But today is a Sunday to which special attention is paid, and it's acknowledged Jesus Christ arose from the dead. If that were not the case, these doctrines we've been talking about would be empty, meaningless, but because He arose, His sovereign grace is being freely bestowed on fallen, ruined sinners. We read in Hebrews chapter 9, verse 11, But Christ, being come an high priest of good things to come, by a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of its building, neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by His own blood, He entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us. You could not argue that He obtained eternal redemption for an individual who ultimately would be lost.
If He obtained eternal redemption, that means the soul that was redeemed is secure. They are delivered from the curse and condemnation that was upon them. And then look at the 22nd verse, And almost all things are by the law purged with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no remission.
It is therefore necessary that the pattern of things in the heavens should be purified with these, but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these. For Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands, which are figures of the truth, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us. Just as the priest in Old Testament times would kill the beast, take the blood, and sprinkle it upon the altar, Jesus Christ offered Himself without spot to God, was the Lamb that laid down His life. And so it says, For then must He have often suffered since the foundation of the world.
It was going to go according to the pattern of the Old Testament times. But now once in the end of the world, He hath appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself. Like His sacrifice, He put it away. So all of those for whom Christ died have their sin put away.
It's not going to be laid to their charge. And it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment. So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many, and unto them that look for Him shall He appear the second time without sin unto salvation. Hebrews chapter 10, reading in the ninth verse. We looked previously at verse 9, but we continue the context following.
Then said He, Lo, I come to do Thy will, O God. He taketh away the first that He may establish the second, by the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. And every priest standeth daily ministering and offering oft times the same sacrifices which can never take away sin. But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sin, sat down on the right hand of God, from henceforth expecting till his enemies be made his footstool. For by one offering he hath perfected forever them that are sanctified.
There was no chair in the tabernacle where the priest might sit down and rest because his work was never finished. When the sacrifice of one day was completed, there was another sacrifice to be made the next day. When the sacrifice on the great day of atonement was made, there would be another great day of atonement come. And so the work was never done.
It had to be perpetuated on and on. But when Jesus Christ offered himself without spot to God, he ascended back to heaven and he sat down. He sat down because the work was complete. Nothing to be added to the work of redemption. It's done once and for all. Finished the work.
A glorious success. What was accomplished with the death of Christ? He purchased a particular people.
He fulfilled the types and shadows of the Old Testament. He rescued his people. Galatians chapter 3 verse 13 describes it as being redeemed. To be redeemed, redemption means that you buy something back.
You pay a price. He redeemed a people. Matthew chapter 20 verse 28 says that he ransomed many. Romans chapter 5 verse 10 says that he reconciled them.
So in all of these expressions, there's no uncertainty. There's nothing left to chance. Nothing left to human effort. It's entirely by his grace that he redeemed a people, he ransomed a people, he reconciled them. He removed the cause of condemnation. What was it that condemned the human race? Sin. Man born of a sinful nature and it doesn't take him long to be able to manifest it. He begins to display it, demonstrate the fact that he is in fact a sinner, a rebel against God. So we are justly condemned because we're sinners. God passed by the whole human family and never saved anybody.
No one could claim that God was unjust. His holiness, his perfection, his justice demands that guilty sinners be condemned. What would you think of a judge in our city who had the reputation that every time a person came before him, the evidence is presented, it's clear, here is an individual that has violated the law, committed some terrible heinous crime and the judge says, well I'll tell you, I'm going to let you go.
I'm going to let you go. And that would be repeated time after time and year after year. Would you say that man was a good judge? Somebody might say, oh he's such a good man because he lets everybody go.
What would be the impact on our city? If people understood that you can violate the law as long as you go before the good judge, it doesn't matter. You're going to be let go.
No. A good judge is a just judge. God is good, God is holy, God is perfect and his justice, he will see to it that sin must be punished. Therefore, if any are going to be delivered from the punishment, the sin question must be addressed. We turn to Romans chapter 8, verse 32. He that spared not his own son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also free to give us all things?
Who shall lay anything to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justifies. God declares men to be just on the basis of the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. And they experience this in their own life as that faith which is the gift of God reaches out and believes on Jesus Christ. We're justified freely by his grace to the redemption that is given us in Christ Jesus. The cause of condemnation is removed because of his sacrificial death.
Now, what are some of the objections that are raised to this doctrine? There are those that object to every single part of this truth of grace. And those who will say, no man's not totally depraved, he's just injured.
He can recover with the right influence. And those who will say, well election is not unconditional, it is conditioned upon what God foresaw man would do. And would say, no, the death of Jesus Christ was not for a specific people, it was for all men in general with the hopes that some would benefit by it. Well, the person goes to John chapter 1, verse 29. John the Baptist says, Behold the Lamb of God which taketh away the sin of the world. Right there it is preacher, takes away the sin of the world.
So, that must mean that he died for the whole world. Well, if he takes away the sin of the world, the cause of condemnation is removed, then the only conclusion you can reach is that everybody is going to heaven. If that's the Adamic world and Jesus Christ took away the sin, then there is no reason for anybody to be condemned. Then we look at John, 1 John that is, chapter 2, verse 1.
My little children, these things write unto you that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. And he is the propitiation for our sins and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world. Now you must understand that the word world is used with several connotations. I believe in the gospel of John alone, there is probably at least 10 different ways in which the word world is used. In John chapter 1, verse 10, we are told that Jesus Christ created the world. In John chapter 12, verse 19, the Pharisees saw a great multitude following Jesus and they said, the world is gone after him. In John 15, 18, Jesus said, if the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you.
In John 16, 33, he says, I have overcome the world. John 17, 9, which we read earlier, Jesus prayed not for the world. So here in 1 John 2, 2, he is simply saying, not only for our sins, not only for the sins of the Jews, but for the sins of Gentiles as well, considered to be the world.
Now for further confirmation that this is a valid interpretation, you may remember in our studies of the gospel of John, we focused on a statement made by the high priest in John chapter 11, verse 51. And this spake he, not of himself, but being high priest that year, he prophesied that Jesus should die for that nation. Prophesied that Jesus would die for that nation, the Jewish nation. And not for that nation only, but that also he should gather together in one the children of God that were scattered abroad. This high priest, obviously speaking under the direction of the Lord himself, is saying that he not only died for that nation, for the Jews, but for the children of God that were scattered abroad.
Children of God by election, we referred to the hymn the other day, sons we are by God's election, who on Jesus Christ believe. Now we connect that with what we find in the book of Revelation. Revelation chapter 5, verse 9. And they sung a new song saying, thou are worthy to take the book and to open the seals thereof, for thou was slain and has redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred and tongue and people and nation. That's what we read about in the statement made by the high priest. That there would be the gathering together of a people from all nations. Chapter 7, verse 9. After this I beheld and lo a great multitude which no man could number of all nations and kindreds and people and tongues stood before the throne and before the lamb clothed with white robes and palms in their hands.
A confirmation then that God was not only redeeming Israelites, but also a multitude out of every nation under heaven among the Gentiles. One other objection that is sometimes raised is based on what we read in the book of 2 Peter chapter 3, verse 9. The Lord is not slack concerning his promise as some men count slackness but is long suffering to us-ward not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance. So the argument is made if that's the case then Jesus Christ surely died for the whole human family.
Once again it is vital that we look at the context. When we look at chapter 1 in the first verse of this book, Simon Peter a servant and an apostle of Jesus Christ to them that obtained like precious faith with us through the righteousness of God and our Savior Jesus Christ. Grace be unto you. Grace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. He's talking then to those who have obtained like precious faith.
Once again the emphasis is made throughout. Yes, God is sovereign. His purposes are going to be fulfilled and therefore the text cannot be construed to mean something that the rest of the scripture would not confirm. Finally, what is the value of this doctrine? All scripture is given by the inspiration of God and is profitable.
It's valuable. So what is the value of this particular doctrine? First of all, it confirms the sovereignty of God. That God is sovereign in executing his plan. Isaiah chapter 46, verse 9. Remembering the former things of old for I am God and there is none else.
I am God and there is none like me. Declaring the end from the beginning and from ancient times the things that are not yet done saying my counsel shall stand, I will do all my pleasure. This is a declaration concerning the sovereignty of God. I will do all my pleasure. Whatever has pleased the Lord, he has done it.
Calling a ravenous bird from the east, the man that executed my counsel from a far country. Yea, I have spoken it. I will also bring it to pass. I have purposed it. I will also do it. Now language couldn't be any stronger than that.
What I have purposed, I will also do it. God executes his plans. He is sovereign in bestowing mercy.
Romans chapter 9, verse 13 says, I will have mercy upon whom I will have mercy. It's not of him that willeth nor of him that runeth, but of God that showeth mercy. God was sovereign then in laying out a plan and a purpose that his son would come to execute. Sovereign in determining to bestow mercy on a multitude not being influenced by any outside force, but according to his own purposes he determined to save a people. And he was sovereign in sending his son.
Galatians chapter 4, verse 4, But when the fullness of time was come, God sent forth his son, made of a woman, made under the law. God sent him. It was God's purpose for him to come. God sent him.
And what was the purpose? Why did he send him? To redeem them that were under the law that we might receive the adoption of sons.
That's why he sent him. We believe he accomplished just that. He sent his son to redeem a people. He is sovereign.
And then in John chapter 10 once again, we find a further confirmation of his sovereignty. Verse 16, these are the words of Jesus, And other sheep I have which are not of this foal, them also I must bring. And they shall hear my voice, and there shall be one foal and one shepherd.
What are the key words there? I have other sheep, they are not of this foal, I must bring them. If Jesus says I must bring them, you can count on it, he is going to do it.
And what's the result? And they shall hear my voice. When God says I will and they shall, mark it down, that's done, that's settled.
No possibility of any favor on his part. Secondly, not only does this doctrine emphasize the sovereignty of God, it magnifies his power. Jesus said I lay down my life for the sheep. These are the ones that were given of ever the father. No man can pluck them out of my father's hand. Let Satan launch all of the attacks that he might.
Let every demon of hell congregate and try to destroy one of these, they cannot get to them because they are secure in the father's hand. Demonstrates his power. He gave his son actually to redeem. Titus chapter 2 and the 14th verse, who gave himself for us that he might redeem us from all iniquity. That was his purpose, that's what he accomplished. He gave himself to redeem us, to rescue us, to secure us, redeem us from all iniquity and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.
And Hebrews 13-20 says that God brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great shepherd of the sheep through the blood of the everlasting covenant. So it demonstrates his power. He had power over all flesh, he had power to lay down his life, he had the right to do it, he could lay it down, he could take it again.
He said I lay it down on myself, I'm not forced to do it, he was willing to do it. He laid down his life, he paid the price, he got what he paid for, he was in the grave three days and three nights but then he was raised from the dead. He brought him forth by the covenant according to the everlasting covenant. It furthermore displays the justice of God. God is not requiring that the penalty be paid twice.
To have Jesus paying the penalty on the cross and men for whom he died and for whom he paid the price still to be lost and go to hell would be a contradiction of his justice. 1 Peter chapter 2 verse 24, who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree. Now if he bore our sins then we're not going to have to bare it. Any soul for whom he died, for whom he bore their sins will not have to bare them. That being dead to sins we should live unto righteousness by whose stripes he were healed. For we were a sheep going astray but are now returned unto the shepherd and bishop of our souls. Furthermore it exhibits the glory of God. That's the song of heaven that this redeemed multitude are happily singing glory to the lamb that was slain who has washed us with his own precious blood. It reveals the grace of God.
Paul said this is a faithful saying and worthy of all the acceptation that Jesus Christ came to save sinners of whom I am chief. What amazing grace it is that God would mark out a people who were not seeking him, who did not love him, who were going the wrong way, who were desperate in a sinful state and choose them and in the fullness of time send forth his son to go to the cross and redeem them, paid the price and got what he paid for. It reveals his grace. Jesus said in chapter 6 verse 39, And this is the Father's will which has sent me, that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day. What an expression of grace.
What a wonderful comfort. And this is the will of him that sent me, that everyone which seeth the son and believeth on him may have everlasting life and I will raise him up at the last day. The substitutionary death of Jesus Christ is the foundation of our hope.
It's the solid rock on which our salvation rests. Jesus is the savior that saves, the redeemer who redeems, not one just who attempts to do it, he does it. He is not a failure. He saves the greatest of sinners. There's hope for you in him. If you see yourself as a sinner, that's the kind of people he came to save. Trust him, believe on him today, and you'll know that you were redeemed with his own precious blood.
He paid the price, he bore my burdens, his life he gave up on the tree. Oh praise the Lord, he is my savior, he paid the price, the price for me. I hope this message on the redemptive work of Jesus Christ has been reassuring to you. To be reminded, to see from a biblical perspective the fact that he was a success. No favor, but a success. He accomplished what he intended to do when he went to the cross.
I hope that you will write us and until next week at the same time may the Lord richly bless you all. His life he gave up on the tree. Oh praise the Lord, he is my savior, he paid the price, the price for me. With cruel hands they killed my savior, they nailed his body to the tree. The crown of thorns they placed upon him, he paid the price, the price for me.
He paid the price, he bore my burdens, his life he gave up on the tree. Oh praise the Lord, he is my savior, he paid the price, the price for me. The Baptist Bible Hour has come to you under the direction of Elder LeSaire Bradley, Jr. Address all mail to the Baptist Bible Hour, Cincinnati, Ohio 45217.
That's the Baptist Bible Hour, Cincinnati, Ohio 45217. Oh how could I forget this savior who gave himself to set me free. I wish that I might better know him and know he paid the price for me. He paid the price, he bore my burdens, his life he gave up on the tree. Oh praise the Lord, he is my savior, he paid the price, the price for me.
