Saved From Wrath - Part 2 of 2

The Baptist Bible Hour now comes to you under the direction of Elder Lacerre Bradley, Jr. O for a thousand tongues to sing, my great Redeemer's praise, Thou the wisdom 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. Show me Thee, Lord, O Lord, forgive. Let all repenting, revel in.

Are not Thy mercies large and free? May not a sinner trust in Thee. My crimes are great, but don't surpass The power and glory of Thy grace. Great God, Thy nature hath no bound, So let Thy pardoning love be found. Should sudden vengeance seize my breath, I must pronounce thee just in death. And if my soul were sent to hell, My righteous law proves it well.

O death of mercy, can it be That mercy still reserved for me? O can my God, His wrath forbear, And be the chief of sinners fair. I'm glad that you've joined us for the broadcast today and hope the message will prove to be a blessing to you.

If you want the program to stay on your station, I hope that you will consider making a donation to help us at this difficult time. Our address is Baptist Bible Hour, Box 17037, Cincinnati, Ohio 45217. The subject of today's message, Saved from Wrath, the text, 1 Thessalonians, chapter 1, verse 10. And to wait for His Son from heaven, whom He raised from the dead, even Jesus, which delivered us from the wrath to come. In the first part of the message last week, we considered the fact that God is holy and hates sin. And the fact is that since God hates sin, He punishes sin. And there is a hell where the wicked shall be punished.

Now we had to look at the dark side of things to understand what this wrath is from which we are delivered. But we will come in the latter part of this message today to see the marvels of God's grace in delivering us. Well, so often if I've asked somebody, what is your hope if you were to die today? If you came into the presence of God, what would you say?

What would be your expectation that God would let you live in heaven? And 98% of the people I've asked, and that's a lot of them, I've asked them in a variety of settings and circumstances. And most of them will say something along the line, well, I think I'll be okay. I'm not all that bad. I've got a good heart. I do the best I can.

Well, I want to tell you right now, you flunked the test. Because doing the best you can is not good enough. God doesn't reward you for effort in an attempt to save your own soul. You're a sinner. You've sinned and come short of the glory of God, and God's standard is perfection. The only one He's going to receive into His kingdom in heaven are those that are perfect. And the only ones that are perfect are those who by faith have believed in Jesus Christ, and His righteousness is imputed to them. Isn't that wonderful to think that you as a sinner can appear in the presence of God without sin, without any sin at all, cleansed by what Jesus Christ has done. So, then 2 Thessalonians, once again, chapter 1, talks about that coming by Lord Jesus Christ, and speaks of those that obey not the gospel. It's coming in flaming fire, taking vengeance, and it's on those who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power. And I want to talk about everlasting destruction.

I admit I have a hard time comprehending that. I have a difficult time even comprehending eternity when it comes to the saints living with the Lord forever. You know, everything we know here has a stopping place. And so we think about going to heaven and being with Jesus, and our initial reaction is that we would just pay a short visit there and it would all be over.

But that's not the case. You go to heaven to be with Jesus and it's forever. And we sing the hymn, when we've been there ten thousand years, bright shining is the sun, we've no less days to sing God's praise than when we first begun.

And I don't know about you, but my little mind fizzles out when I get it past ten thousand years. I just can't imagine what it's going to be like. But on the other hand, think of what a horrible situation it is for one to be cast into the lake of fire, and know that's for eternity. There's no relief, there's no second chance, there's no deliverance, there's no salvation. They're going to suffer God's wrath without end.

Difficult to fathom. I admit that from a human standpoint, it troubles me. But I know that God in His holiness does what's right. And it's His purpose to establish that He is just.

He's not going to treat anybody unjustly. We can be thankful that He treats us according to mercy if we come through Jesus Christ. But He's not unjust when He casts somebody into hell. While I can't vision that punishment that justice beyond me, I know that with God it's the right thing to do, or that wouldn't be the case. Jude, verse 14, And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these, saying, Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousand of his saints, to execute judgment upon all, and to convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed, and of all hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against them.

Judgment's coming. It's appointed unto men once to die, and after this the judgment. Oh, often when I talk to somebody they'll say, Well, I just never have really thought about that. I don't think there's a necessity of thinking about that. And so people can console themselves that there's no need to be concerned. Again, in the scripture, we are told what a serious matter it is.

Well, here comes the good news. Jesus came to deliver us from the wrath that is to come. Matthew 1 21, And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name Jesus, for he shall save his people from their sin.

That's what he came for. His name Jesus means Savior, and isn't that a precious name? We sang so many hymns in which the name of Jesus is praise, and we are thankful for his coming and for what he came to accomplish. Romans chapter 5 verse 6, For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. When we have seen ourselves as being ungodly in the sight of a holy God, and rejoice that the kind of people Jesus died for were the ungodly.

For scarcely for a righteous man will one die, yet pray adventure for a good man some would even dare to die. But God commendeth his love toward us, and that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more than being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved, what?

From wrath. Saved from wrath through him. For when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his son.

Much more being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life. We were enemies. Now very few people will admit that apart from God's work of art, I was an enemy. As Martin Luther said at one time, he hated God. He knew he hated him. He hated the fact that he was accountable to him. And down deep in the corrupt fallen nature of human beings, there is no love for God.

There's no desire for him. They're enemies, enemies of God. But while we were enemies, he reconciled us, how? By Jesus Christ. And so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement.

Yes, we rejoice. We have joy when we think about what has been done for us. When you think about being rescued from the fire. I saw on the television news just recently, there was a man whose car had wrecked, and he was trapped inside and the car was on fire. And it wasn't just a little fire, the whole car was ablaze and he couldn't get out. And several bystanders came and it took a lot of effort, but they tugged and tugged and finally got the door open and pulled the man out and he wasn't harmed. What an amazing rescue.

Oh, that man can be grateful for the rest of his life for those who risked their lives to come pull him out of that burning automobile. Jesus Christ has rescued us from wrath which would have meant eternal fire in hell itself. He has come to rescue us. 1 Peter chapter 1 verse 8, Whom having not seen ye love, in whom though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory. You can rejoice. First thing we've talked about, the holiness of God which caused Isaiah to say, I'm undone, or to read about the wrath of God that's going to be executed upon the wicked.

It's a sobering thing, it's a frightening thing. But he says, you can rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory, receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls, of which salvation the prophets have inquired and searched diligently, who prophesied of the grace that should come unto you, searching what or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them did signify, when it testified before the sufferings of Christ and the glory that should follow, unto whom it was revealed that not unto themselves but unto us, they'd administered the things which are now reported unto you by them that have preached the gospel unto you with the Holy Ghost, sent down from heaven, which things the angels desire to look into. Oh, how marvelous what has been given us in grace. And if ye call on the Father, who without respect of persons, judgeth according to every man's work past the time of your sojourning here in fear. For as much as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold from your vain conversation, received by tradition from your fathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, as it will have without blemish and without spot. Yes, you were rescued, you were redeemed, but you didn't contribute to it.

It wasn't your gold, your silver, your good works. Oh, I've talked to people who get so close to admitting salvation is of the Lord and by His grace, but they will work so diligently to find some little point where a man can take credit for it. Well, yes, God has done all this, but if I hadn't turned the final point, then I wouldn't have salvation more. You want to take some credit to yourself, but friends, this salvation is because of the precious blood of Christ, as it will have without blemish and without spot, who verily was forenamed before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you, who by Him do believe in God, that raised Him up from the dead and gave Him glory, that your faith and hope might be in God. Aren't you glad on this beautiful Sunday morning that though we can hear about the wrath of God that you believe, you've been rescued. If indeed you've come to Jesus Christ in faith and you have hope, you look forward to something glorious that is to come.

You say, well, how long will this happen? How is it that we're rescued? How is it that we're saved by the blood of Jesus Christ? 2 Corinthians 5 21 says, For He hath made Him to be sin for us, who knew no sin, that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him. Now we think about what Jesus suffered physically, what torment it was for this man to be nailed to the cross, spikes through his hands and his feet, in agony, horrible, horrible death. But there was something far beyond that regarding his suffering, because in those hours that he was upon the cross, the sins of all who ultimately believe on Jesus were put upon him. And he suffered the wrath of God. The wrath of his father was poured out on him. That again is beyond our ability to comprehend what wrath it was. That's the reason he was dreading to go and had prayed.

If it can be, Lord, let this cup pass from me. He knew something of what it was going to be like and then cried out, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? So in those hours upon the cross, God's wrath was poured out upon him. Oh, surely we can say what amazing grace that we've been delivered, that we would be justly condemned, we would be lost, ruined forever had it not been for the sacrificial death of Jesus Christ.

Well, then the question comes to mind, who are these that are delivered? And we can find an answer right in this first chapter from which our text is taken. Verse four, knowing, brethren, beloved, your election of God. He's talking to the elect of God. Oh, brethren, that you are God's elect. So it was for the elect of God that Jesus Christ went to the cross, laid down his life, shed his blood and made it possible for his righteousness to be credited to us. Well, then somebody says, all right, the elect of God. But I don't know where I stand. I don't know if I'm one of God's elect.

Well, let's see what follows. The next thing he says in verse five, that they were people who received the gospel when it was preached. For our gospel came not unto you in word only, but also in power and in the Holy Ghost and in much assurance, as you know what manner of men we were among you for your sake. All says, knowing, brethren, beloved, your election of God.

How do I know that? Because when I preached the gospel to you, you received it. You received it in the power of the Holy Spirit and in much assurance. And you received the gospel with much assurance to know this is the basis of my hope. This is my salvation. It's in what Jesus Christ has done.

Well, he goes on to describe them a little further. We're six and you became followers of us and of the Lord, having received the word in much affliction with joy of the Holy Ghost. The elect of God received the gospel and they became followers of us and of the Lord. I would ask you today, are you following the Lord? It's one thing to say, well, I believe, but are you following him?

Have you taken up your cross to follow him, to be identified with him, to make a public confession of your faith and to follow him in baptism? These followed the Lord. And then in verse 8 it says, they were people who proclaimed the gospel. After they had received the gospel, they wanted to share it with others. For from you sounded out the word of the Lord, not only in Macedonia and Achaea, but also in every place your faith to God were to spread abroad so that we need not speak anything. If you have received the gospel, the gospel has brought joy and comfort to your heart.

You acknowledge it's the best news you could ever have heard and you want to share it with others. You say, well, I'm a little intimidated. I don't want to offend somebody. I don't want to upset them.

Well, when you think about what Jesus suffered, and we're going to follow him, whatever we might encounter is mild compared even to the persecution that was suffered by the apostle Paul. The interesting thing to me, in all the long list of people that I have confronted and asked about where they stood as far as their destiny was concerned, I've never had anybody get upset with me. They might have been inside, but they controlled it because nobody has ever said an unkind word to me or backed off and said I don't want to hear it. I've had good conversation with people of all kinds of backgrounds and situations, people who are well educated, people who are very poor and down when there are circumstances, talked to people in prisons all over Ohio and, well, in Arkansas, a few other places, and asking that question.

Nobody has ever acted upset. They've acted indifferent. They didn't really want to talk about the subject necessarily, but nobody became angry at me. So, when the gospel has been received, we say it's the best news in all the earth and we want to share it. We want to tell somebody about it.

And I found one way that helps is if you pray, Lord, just open up an opportunity that I can share this message with somebody. I'm sure I may have told you this before, but I was visiting in a prison one day, and the rules are different from one prison to another. And this was one where the only person you could visit is the one you had signed up to visit when you came in. You weren't allowed to move around like I like to do and the ones that don't have that rule. So, I looked across the room and there was a lady with a little baby visiting this man who was a prisoner.

I just, Lord, I just feel a burden. I'd like to talk to that lady. And so, in a little bit, they announced that visiting hours were over and we should line up double file at the door. And as we lined up, she came and stood next to me. And the next announcement was, there's been some kind of security breach and we're going to be delayed, but just please remain in line.

It'll probably be another 15 minutes before I can let you go. So, I had 15 minutes to talk to this young lady and I shared the gospel message with her and she said, thank you for talking to me. Well, you pray that the Lord will give you opportunities and it's amazing how opportunities can open up and you're able to share the gospel with somebody else. Now, the next way these people are identified is that they had truly repented. Verse 9 says, for they themselves show of us what manner of entering in we had unto you and how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God. That's evidence that you're one of God's elect, that you turned from your idol. So, you might say, I've never had an idol.

Oh, now let's wait a minute. It doesn't have to be an idol of gold or silver or stone, the idol of your own heart. You can make an idol out of material things. You can make an idol out of a person.

There's many ways that you can be guilty of idolatry. Well, these people turned from their idols to serve the living and true God. The next description, verse 10, waiting for his return and to wait for his son from heaven whom he raised from the dead, even Jesus which delivered us, what? There's a text, from the wrath to come. Jesus who delivered us from the wrath to come is coming back and while we read that he's coming taking vengeance upon those that know not God and obey not the gospel, the next verse after that says, when he shall come to be glorified in all his saints and to be admired in all them which believe.

Isn't that wonderful to think about? Yes, these who are the elect of God and received the gospel and rejoiced in it are people who are looking for the second coming of Christ. Are you looking for it? Do you keep that in mind? Do you rejoice in the anticipation of it?

Do you pray? Even so, come quickly, Lord Jesus. Yes, he's coming to be glorified and to be admired in all them which believe.

Oh, what a time that will be. We've been singing about Jesus, talking about Jesus, preaching about Jesus and think of seeing Jesus being in his presence and know we'll never have to leave him. It's going to be an eternal state to live with him in heaven. He delivered us from the wrath to come. We can't take any credit.

It's not anything that we have done. It's the mercy of God, the redemptive work of Jesus Christ at the cross to put our sins away and when we by faith have believed on him, his righteousness is imputed to us and we as fallen, ruined sinners stand before him perfectly. We ought to rejoice in that every day. We sing Amazing Grace and when you think about what the Lord has done and looking for his anticipation, no matter what trouble we're having, we ought to come back and say, Oh, how great is thy grace and I rejoice in it. And we look to that happy day when Jesus comes back. Let's look to the Lord in prayer. Heavenly Father, we thank thee for this wonderful truth that Jesus Christ, our Savior, has delivered us from wrath to come.

What a dreadful day that's going to be when he comes in flaming fire, taking vengeance on those that know not God. But we thank you for your sovereign grace by which you have drawn us and given us faith whereby we might believe and we rejoice to anticipate that we stand in your presence and perfection because clothed in your righteousness. We pray that any today who have not come to thee by faith will be moved upon by the Holy Spirit to believe on Jesus Christ and have the peace and assurance to know that they have eternal life.

We pray it for Jesus' sake. Amen. Amazing grace, how sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me. I once was lost, but now am found.

Was blind, but now I see. When we take a clear look at the wrath of God, we come to appreciate all the more what our text means when it says that Jesus delivered us from the wrath to come. Wrath is coming. There's going to be a day that Jesus Christ appears to take vengeance on them that know not God and believe not the Gospel.

It's going to be a terrible time. But for those who have come by faith to Jesus Christ, he is their refuge and their Savior. Oh, what joy he has saved us from the wrath to come, not because of our works, our effort, or any merit on our part, but by his free and sovereign grace. I hope that you will write us, and until next week at this same time, may the Lord richly bless you all. Through many dangers, toils and snares, I have already come.

His grace has brought me safe. 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. To sing in God's grace, then when we first begun.