We Shall See Him - Part 1 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.

Man of sorrows, what a name! For the Son of God, who came, ruined sinners to reclaim. Alleluia, what a Savior!

Bearing shame and scoffing brood, in my place condemned he stood. Sealed my pardon with his blood, Alleluia, what a Savior! Guilty, violent, helpless we, startless them of God was he. Full atonement can it be, Alleluia, what a Savior! Lifted up was he to die, it is finished was his cry. Now in heaven exalted high, Alleluia, what a Savior! When he comes, our glorious King, all is ransomed home to bring.

Then anew this song we'll sing, Alleluia, what a Savior! We're thankful for the blessing we have to be able to send out the good news of salvation by grace on these several stations every week, Sunday and our daily broadcasts. And I want to thank all of you who consistently help us by your support so that we can stay on the air. We appreciate your prayers and your help. Our mailing address is Baptist Bible Hour, Box 17037, Cincinnati, Ohio 45217. And I encourage you to go to our website at BaptistBibleHour.org. There you can read the Baptist Witness, you can hear the programs both Sunday and daily.

And if it's convenient for you to do it this way you can make a donation at the website. Again we thank you for your help and ask for your prayers. I know that my Redeemer lives, glory, Alleluia! What comfort this sweet sentence gives, glory, Alleluia!

Shout on, pray on, we're gaining ground, glory, Alleluia! The dead's alive, the lost is found, glory, Alleluia! He lives to bless me with His love, glory, Alleluia! He lives to plead my cause above, glory, Alleluia! He lives my hungry soul to feed, glory, Alleluia! He lives to help in time of need, glory, Alleluia! He lives all glory to His name, glory, Alleluia! He lives my Jesus still the same, glory, Alleluia! O thus we join this sentence gives, glory, Alleluia!

I know that my Redeemer lives, glory, Alleluia! The title of our message, We Shall See Him, and the text is 1 John 3 beginning with verse 1. Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us that we should be called the sons of God. Therefore the world knoweth us not because it knew Him not. Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be, but we know that when He shall appear, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is. As we look at this text, we're going to consider where we were, where we are, where we're going, and what we're doing. So as John begins with this word behold, he's using it because he is amazed at what he's about to say.

This is something special, this is something incredible that demands our close attention. Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us. And we come to appreciate what that means when we look first at what we were. By nature, we are born in sin. David expressed it very well in Psalm 51 verse 5, Behold, I was shapen in iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceive me.

Romans 3 12 says, They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable, there is none that doeth good, no, not one. Verse 18, There is no fear of God before their eyes. This describes man and his fallen state, born with a sinful nature, a rebel by nature, desiring to do what he wants to do without regard to what God has commanded. And furthermore, he is blind to spiritual things. Ephesians 4 18 says, Having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through ignorance that is in them because of the blindness of their heart. I notice particularly three words in that passage, alienated, ignorance, blindness. So by nature, man is alienated from God, he's God's enemy, he's against God.

He is in ignorance, he many times considers himself to be wise, but he is ignorant, he is blind. 1 Corinthians 2 14 says, But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness unto him, neither can he know them because they are spiritually discerned. Where we were, we were dead in trespasses and in sin, we were in a low state far from God, not seeking God, not fearing God, not submitting ourselves to him, but in our rebellious state going on, doing basically what we wanted to do. Now many times a person will say, Well, you know, I've got faults, I'll admit that, but I haven't done anything real bad, I think I'll be all right. Let me tell you this, when the Holy Spirit of God moves upon one convicting them of sin, showing you what you are, you change your tune. You don't try to make any defense as though you're not all that bad, you know I'm a sinner.

I've violated God's law, I have sinned in action, I've sinned in my mind, I've sinned in my thoughts, I've sinned in my motives, and therefore I am in desperate need of help. So, seeing where we were, we can understand how amazing it is when we consider where we are. By God's amazing love, you are now his child. Who would think it to be remarkable that one so deep in sin would be pardoned, would be forgiven. But to think that then that individual is brought into the family of God, and now can call God Father, is indeed amazing. It's amazing God's love, we are his by election and adoption. Ephesians 1 5-6, having predestinated us under the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, to the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved.

By election, by adoption, and also by redemption. 1 John 3 verse 5, and you know that he was manifested to take away our sins, and in him there is no sin. My, what a blessing that truth is to the one who now knows I am a guilty sinner. I have no righteousness, I have nothing to plead before God, I am justly condemned, but Jesus Christ was manifest, he came here that he might take away our sins.

Put them away entirely. Now even when you have had an experience of grace, you've been born again, and you know in fact that in believing on Jesus, your sins are put away, yet Satan is called the accuser of the brethren. So sometimes he comes accusing you. Sometimes it's just the ramblings of your own mind, but sometimes Satan indeed comes to bring up the sins of the past as though they're not gone. But the truth is, Jesus Christ came to put them away. Makes us think in the Levitical order in Old Testament times, they had what was called the scapegoat. The priest would lay his hands on the head of the goat and confess the sins of the people, and then a man would take that goat out into a land not inhabited where it could never find its way back. The scapegoat was gone, and so symbolically they could see the sins of the people are gone, and Jesus Christ in putting away our sin has removed them entirely.

They're gone, never to be laid to our charge again. We're his then, not only by election and adoption and by redemption, but by calling. First Peter 5, 10 says, But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that he hath suffered a while, make you perfect, established, strengthened, settle you. The God of grace who has called you.

How does he call? He calls you affectionately with the power of the Holy Spirit, working in that one who is alienated from God, convicting him of sin, drawing him to the Savior, opening his eyes so that though he was formerly blind and could not see spiritual things, he's now able to see them. So, as a child of God, you now can see. First Peter 2, 19 says, You were called out of darkness into his marvelous light. One passage of scripture says you not only were in the dark, you were part of the darkness. But by grace you've been called out of the darkness. Now you can see what you could not previously see. First Corinthians 13, 12 says, For now we see through a glass darkly, but then face to face. And now I know in part, but then shall I know even as I am known. How wonderful that you now can see. Marvelous things that you see about Jesus Christ. By the eye of faith. The birth of Jesus.

Oh, everybody knows something about the historical fact that Jesus Christ was born. But to some it means nothing. They don't have the eye to see it. They don't have the heart to receive it.

They don't have any joy in it. Luke chapter 2 says the angel said unto them, Fear not, for behold I bring you good tidings of great joy which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior which is Christ Jesus the Lord. What good news is brought from heaven to earth by this angel. Verse 13, And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace, goodwill toward men. Can you imagine what it might have been to have been there? And here this host of angels from heaven singing, lifting up their voices and bringing the good news.

They were praising God, glory to God in the highest. Now when you see it, it's not just a historical fact. It's a beautiful scene. You see it by the eye of faith.

You find joy in it. You find comfort in it because you know the Savior has come. God has come as a man. The God-man is here. Now when Jesus was yet just a little child, there was an old man named Simeon who had had it revealed to him that he would see the Christ before he died. So he came to where the parents were, picked up Jesus, held him in his arms and said, Thy salvation, I hold thy salvation. When he said thy salvation, what was he looking at?

Look at Jesus. My eyes have seen thy salvation. Now let us thy servant depart in peace.

I'm ready to go. The promise has been fulfilled. I've seen thy salvation. And then when Jesus embarked upon his ministry, he came where John the Baptist was preaching. And John the Baptist saw him in the audience and he points him out and says, Behold the Lamb of God which saketh away the sin of the world. Now when you hear that, you can rejoice in it.

You can appreciate it. But there were multitudes in that day that had no eye to see his greatness, his glory. They accused him of being a wine bibber and a gluttonous man. They sought his death and ultimately nailed him to the cross. And then we see when he was baptized, there was a voice that was heard from heaven that said, This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased. What a time that must have been for those who were there and heard that mighty voice, the voice of the Father from heaven. This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased. And then when he entered upon his ministry, we see that he goes to the synagogue and picks up the scripture, Isaiah in particular, and begins to read a passage, a prophecy that concerned himself. He hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor.

Aren't you glad of that? If you're one who is poor in spirit, you might have been rich in self-righteousness at one time, but if the Lord has humbled you and brought you to the place that you recognize your poverty, I'm in great need. I have nothing to pay.

I can't rectify my situation. You're thankful that the gospel is preached to the poor. He hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted. If you have been convicted of your sin indeed with the Holy Spirit, your heart is broken. You realize I have offended the Holy God of heaven. I have disobeyed him. I've dishonored him. I'm guilty.

Your heart breaks. But Jesus was sent to heal the brokenhearted and to preach deliverance to the captives. What a beautiful sight to see Jesus in the synagogue reading a prophetic reference from the Old Testament that concerned himself. Here he is.

They're not waiting any longer. This one has arrived. And then we hear him as he speaks and he says, I am the bread of life. We feed upon him. He says, I am the light of the world. He says, I am the way, the truth and the life.

No other way. I am the way. People discuss that there must be various ways to get to heaven.

And as long as you're sincere, that's what counts. But Jesus says there is but one way and he is the way. So throughout his ministry, he's pointing men to himself that their need might be met. And then we see him one day as he walks on the water. And Peter was in the ship. And when he saw Jesus walking on the water, he said, I want to do it too. And Jesus said, well, come on. So he jumps out of the ship. But when he looks down and sees the angry waves, he starts to sink. And he has to say, Lord, save me or I perish. That was a short prayer, but that's all he had time for.

He would have been underwater if he hadn't said something quick. Lord, save me or I perish. Well, how many times have we had some experience where the clouds of doubt came upon us?

The sky was dark. Discouragement was great. We felt like we were sinking in the mire, as the psalmist says, where there is no standing. And we had to cry out, Lord, save me or I perish. Lord, my case is desperate. I need thee.

I need thee now. I'm thankful to know that thou art a very present help in the time of trouble. And so you turn to him and you claim his promises. I will never leave thee nor forsake thee. You feel the burdens of life waiting you down. You just say, I don't know how I can cope with it, how I can keep going in this entangled mess.

But then you go to Romans 8 18. For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. The sufferings of this present time can seem to be tremendous during difficult, challenging days. But, he says, they're nothing to be compared with what's coming. The glory that is to come. On a dark day full of doubts and fears, you can't even envision glory. But glory is coming.

Therefore, he says, you've got something to look forward to with great joy. And then you see him another time when Jesus was asleep on the ship. And they ran into a great storm and the ship was being tossed about. And the disciples were afraid they were going to perish. And they said, Master, carest not that we perish. And Jesus arose and said, Peace, be still. And the wind ceased to blow and the waves ceased to lash the ship.

And the disciples who observed it said, What kind of a man is this that the winds and the waves obey him? Why do we look at this? Because we now can see. We can see not just the record of what happened, but we can see it with joy. We can see it because it's our Savior, it's our Lord that performed these great miracles. And then we think about the occasion when he fed 5,000.

Great crowds gathered to hear him and 5,000 were there that day. And the disciples had a solution. Send them away. And too often that can be the thought of the Lord's own people today.

That if we see a challenging, difficult situation, I don't know what to do about it. Just send them away. But Jesus said, No, we're going to feed them.

Well, what kind of resources do we have? Five loaves and two fishes. That's not going to go far with 5,000 people. Jesus says we'll separate them into companies of 50. So here they are, a group of 50 here, a group of 50 there. And I thought that must have been exciting to those disciples. When they got to the end of a line and said, I just fed 50 people. And the other disciples said, How much you got left?

I got as much as I started with. I'm ready to go to the next group of 50. So he goes down that row, feeds that 50, and he's still got plenty. And he keeps going. And the time is all finished.

They had 12 basketfuls left over. Jesus, the great provider. So if we get to the place, sometimes we're perplexed and disheartened and say, I don't know how I'm going to make it.

I have such great need. Maybe it's a need of physical food or it's certainly a need of spiritual food. He's the provider. So we turn to him that we might receive what we need. And then on another occasion, we see him go to visit Mary and Martha when their brother Lazarus had died. And it says, Jesus wept. And then they went out to the grave and Jesus said, Roll the stone away. And the sister says, Oh, master, he's been dead for three days. We mustn't do that.

There will be a stench come out. It's too late. But Jesus said, Roll the stone away. And then he said, Lazarus, come forth.

He said it with a loud voice. Lazarus, come forth. And Lazarus got up and came out of the grave. What a savior is this. Not only the great physician to heal the sick, but the one who was able to raise the dead. Do you rejoice when you read the scriptures and you see him healing the sick, cleansing the lepers, casting out demons, and now raising the dead? Oh, danger and sorrow stand round me on every hand. M is my common land.

M is my home. What a wonderful thing while we're seeing Jesus through the eye of faith and looking back to his life on this earth to see him raising the dead and know that the time is coming when the dead in Christ will rise first when our savior returns. He will bring all of those dead in Christ out of the graves alive, glorified to sing his praises forever. Oh, what a wonderful truth in this text that we shall see him. Now see him simply by the eye of faith, but then we shall see him as he is. We shall see him face to face.

I hope that you will write us center until next week at this same time. May the Lord richly bless you all. M is my home. What though love's atmosphere, M is my home. Short is my pilgrimage, M is my home.

Time's cold and wintry glass shall soon be overpass. I shall reach home at last, M is my home. There at my savior's side, M is my home. 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. There are the good and blessed, those I love most and best. Where to I serve shall rest, M is my home.