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Christmas Series: The One Who Brings Us To God, 3

Delight in Grace / Grace Bible Church / Rich Powell
The Truth Network Radio
December 25, 2024 10:00 am

Christmas Series: The One Who Brings Us To God, 3

Delight in Grace / Grace Bible Church / Rich Powell

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December 25, 2024 10:00 am

As an illustration of the corrupting power of sin, let us consider a pitcher of pure, refreshing water. If we were to add even the slightest bit of sewage to that container, none of us would have any interest in drinking it. The entire pitcher is completely contaminated. Sin completely contaminates and corrupts our human nature. In the Old Testament, the sacrificial system became a picture, a foreshadowing of the only one who could cleanse us from that corrupting force wrapped around our souls. In that sacrificial system, animals were killed and their blood spilled out onto the altar, year after year. But Jesus would pay our debt once for all then sat down at the right hand of the Father, the ultimate and final sacrifice complete. This series from the beginning of the letter to the Hebrews unpacks all that Christ’s sacrifice and resurrection mean for us.

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Welcome to Delight in Grace, the teaching ministry of Rich Powell, pastor of Grace Bible Church in Winston-Salem. As an illustration of the corrupting power of sin, let us consider a pitcher of pure refreshing water. If we were to add even the slightest bit of sewage to that container, none of us would have any interest in drinking it.

The entire pitcher is completely contaminated. Sin completely contaminates and corrupts our human nature. In the Old Testament, the sacrificial system became a picture or a foreshadowing of the only one who could cleanse us from that corrupting force that wraps itself around our souls. In that sacrificial system, animals were killed and their blood spilled out onto the altar year after year after year. But Jesus would pay our debt once for all.

Then he would sit down at the right hand of the Father, the ultimate and final sacrifice complete. This series from the beginning of the letter of Hebrews unpacks all that Christ's sacrifice and resurrection mean for us. You're listening to part three of a message first preached on December 8th, 2024 at Grace Bible Church in Winston-Salem. He raised us up with him and seated us with him in heavenly places in Christ Jesus.

Stop right there. Who's he talking about? He's talking about you and me. We are raised with Christ. We are seated with Christ. You want to know God's perspective of you? You are seated in that rest and in that honor right there next to Jesus Christ, next to the very throne of God. That's God's perspective of you.

Isn't that mind-blowing? Who is like our God? There's nothing like this in the universe of faith systems.

There's nothing like this. It's unique. That's why we celebrate it. 1 Peter 3 verse 18, Christ also suffered once for sins the just, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might what? Bring us to God, being put into death in the flesh and made alive in the spirit. Bring us to him.

That's the whole point. God was in Christ reconciling the world to himself. Christ died in our place, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God. It was Jesus who said, no one comes to the Father but through me. He had the authority to say that. It's an exclusive claim, isn't it?

And that's something that gets the world all riled up. But you find me another person that can match this, then we might consider it. But he stands alone in this category.

He stands alone. And so with this, now with the work that he has accomplished, there is an expected glory for those of us who belong to him. Those who are to inherit salvation, it says in the last verse of the first chapter. It's speaking of the angels, they're all, are they not, the angels, all ministering spirits, sent out to serve for the sake of those who are to inherit salvation.

That's us. We who are in Christ, we who have received his righteousness by faith, making us acceptable to holy God and therefore reconciled to God. We who are to inherit salvation. We who are with Christ, we who are in Christ, we who are sons.

Look again at chapter two, look at verse 10. For it was fitting that he for whom and by whom all things exist, in bringing many sons to glory, should make the founder of their salvation perfect through suffering. John 1 12. But as many as believed in him, but as many as received him, who believed in his name, to them he gave what? The right to become children of God.

The right to become children of God. And John says later on, behold, it's like saying, look, look at this, look at the love the father has lavished on us, that we should become children of God. It's like John is saying, wow. And we should also think of it in terms of, wow.

See, this is what Christmas is for. Having received his righteousness through surrendered trust, there is an expected glory. And the word inherit that he uses in verse 24, to inherit salvation. It means to gain possession of. In other words, the promise becomes realized. The promise becomes realized. It's no longer a promise.

It's actual, it's fact. We're experiencing it. No longer need for hope and faith. And do you see how this should inform us in our day-to-day experience with all the brokenness and corruption that's not only in ourselves, but that surrounds us? What kind of hope does this give us? Romans 8, 18, I consider the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us.

Or that could be translated revealed in us. Did you know that God has promised us glory? You say, Rich, that sounds blasphemous. I thought glory was only a God thing. It is if we are in Christ. It is only a God thing. But if we are in Christ and Christ is glorious, then there is a glory that's waiting for us. Not because we become gods. That's false doctrine.

So don't go there. We don't become gods. We can't, you don't become a god because God is infinite and no created being can become a god.

It's not possible. It's a contradiction in terms. But we become like him. We become like him. We receive a glory that he has for us. 2 Corinthians 4, 17, for this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison. This expected glory that we have in Christ. What is this glory of which I speak? Here it is.

Write down this definition. This is our glory. This is what's waiting for us. Our glory will be to fully enjoy the perfections of God without the presence of any corrupting agent. Our glory will be to enjoy the perfections of God without the presence of any corrupting agent. Consider Revelation 21, 27. The Lord has given us a glimpse of this. Nothing unclean will ever enter it.

Speaking of the new heavens and the new earth, right? Nothing unclean will ever enter it nor anyone who does what is detestable or false but only those who are written in the Lamb's Book of Life. Who's written in the Lamb's Book of Life? Those who have surrendered in trust to Jesus Christ. That's why it's called the Lamb's Book of Life. He was that sacrificial lamb who took the blow of God's judgment in your place.

Do you trust Him? You cannot redeem yourself. It's not possible, not even close. And then consider Revelation 22, 3. No longer will there be anything accursed, but the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it and His servants will worship Him. It's a beautiful, beautiful hope that is ours.

Let's live in that hope. Let's remember the big picture. Let's not let our circumstances allow us to become fixated on the hurt of the right here and right now.

We don't deny that hurt, but it doesn't define us. Søren Kierkegaard was an 18th century Danish theologian and I love what he said in this statement. God creates out of nothing. Wonderful you say, yes to be sure, but He does what is still more wonderful. He makes saints out of sinners. So as I said at the beginning in verse three, two statements that describe this one that we celebrate. He upholds the universe by the word of His power and He makes purification for sin. Which do you think was harder for Him?

Exactly which one do you think is a more awesome work? We can be in awe of the one who upholds the universe by the word of His power, but you know what's really impressive? That same one came to us and He made purification for sins and He makes saints out of sinners. What do I mean by saints?

A set apart one. Remember we talked about the holiness of God and if you are in Christ and you have His righteousness in Christ, you are set apart. You are a holy one because you are in Christ. That's the biblical use of the word saint or holy one. So you don't have to perform two miracles to achieve.

All right, you clear on that? We are made holy. Get this, we are made holy in order to commune with and enjoy the holy one. That's why.

His most awesome work was done through the frailty of His Son. Let's remember that. Let's celebrate.

Let's not forget that. Let's keep that right on the front of our minds because that is not only something we just celebrate at Christmas time, it is the truth that defines us all the time. It's who we are. It's who He is and that's why we do this. It's why we do care groups so that we can walk with each other in a God-ward direction.

It's why we speak truth into each other's lives lovingly. It's why we are a culture of grace. Thanks for joining us here at Delight in Grace. You've been listening to Rich Powell, the lead pastor at Grace Bible Church in Winston-Salem. The Delight in Grace mission is to help you know that God designed you to realize your highest good and your deepest satisfaction in Him, the one who is infinitely good. We hope you'll join us again on weekdays at 10 a.m.
Whisper: medium.en / 2024-12-25 10:12:49 / 2024-12-25 10:17:08 / 4

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