GRACE BAPTIST CHURCH


THE CAUSE OF OUR REDEMPTION BY CHRIST

The Cause of Redemption

2 Corinthians 5:18

Don Fortner


Introduction:

Writing to the saints at Corinth on the subject of redemption and salvation by Christ, the Apostle Paul tells us…

2 Corinthians 5:18 "And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation;"

As in all other aspects of salvation, our redemption by Christ is attributed to the Lord God alone. As we read the Scriptures, we cannot avoid being confronted with the fact that in this matter of salvation, nothing is ever ascribed to us, caused by us, or dependent upon us. But "all things are of God." That is the language of the Bible.

Deuteronomy 7:6-9 "For thou art an holy people unto the LORD thy God: the LORD thy God hath chosen thee to be a special people unto himself, above all people that are upon the face of the earth. (7) The LORD did not set his love upon you, nor choose you, because ye were more in number than any people; for ye were the fewest of all people: (8) But because the LORD loved you, and because he would keep the oath which he had sworn unto your fathers, hath the LORD brought you out with a mighty hand, and redeemed you out of the house of bondmen, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt. (9) Know therefore that the LORD thy God, he is God, the faithful God, which keepeth covenant and mercy with them that love him and keep his commandments to a thousand generations;"

Psalms 106:8 "Nevertheless he saved them for his name's sake, that he might make his mighty power to be known."

Psalms 115:1 "Not unto us, O LORD, not unto us, but unto thy name give glory, for thy mercy, and for thy truth's sake."

Our subject tonight is The Cause Of Our Redemption By Christ.

Proposition: I want you to see at the outset that which I intend to driver home to our hearts in this message. - The cause of our redemption by Christ is to be found in the Lord God himself, and in him alone.

From whom and from whence does redemption spring? By what means is it accomplished and obtained? For what purpose was this great work performed? These are the questions I want to answer in this message and in the messages which shall follow in the weeks ahead. The question tonight is - What is the cause of our redemption. Look with me into the Word of God. The answers to this question are plain as the nose on your face, but as precious as rubies, as sparkling as diamonds, as deep as the mines from which they come, and as profound as God himself.

Divisions: The cause of our redemption by Christ must be found in…

THE REDEMPTION OF OUR SOULS BY THE PRECIOUS BLOOD OF CHRIST ORIGINATES IN, RISES, AND FLOWS TO US FROM THE EVERLASTING LOVE OF GOD FOR US.

John 3:16 "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life."

Romans 5:6-8 "For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. (7) For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die. (8) But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us."

1 John 3:16 "Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren."

1 John 4:9-10 "In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him. (10) Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins."

1 John 4:19 "We love him, because he first loved us."

The of our redemption, the original source from whence it springs and flows is the everlasting love of God for his elect. Indeed, this is the source and spring of every blessing of grace: election and adoption, regeneration and effectual calling, and redemption, justification, sanctification, preservation, and glorification.

Ephesians 1:3-6 "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ: (4) According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love: (5) Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, (6) To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved."

The gift of Christ to be our Redeemer of his people flows from God’s everlasting love.

Christ was given to be a Redeemer before he was sent into the world to redeem us. When he was given for a covenant to the people he was given in covenant to be the Redeemer of them. This gift of Chris by the Father was the effect of his love. To this Christ himself ascribes it; "God so loved the world (the world of his elect), that he gave his only begotten Son."

God He gave his Son to be our Redeemer long before he came to redeem us.

1. In those earliest days of time before the flood, Job knew the Son of God as his living Redeemer.

2. All the Old Testament saints waited for Christ to come as the Lamb of God to redeem his people from their sins (Gen. 22:8).

The mission of Christ in the fulness of time, to be the propitiation for our sins, and to redeem us from them, is given as a manifest, clear, and undoubted instance of his everlasting, free love for us. "In this was manifested the love of God." "Herein is love."

"God's not sparing his Son, but delivering him into the hands of justice and death, to die in the room and stead of sinners, while they were such, is a full demonstration and high commendation of his great love unto them." John Gill

WE TRACE OUR REDEMPYION BY CHRIST TO THE FREE AND SOVEREIGN GRACE OF GOD IN CHRIST.

Whenever I speak of the grace of God, I commonly use the adjectives free and sovereign to describe it because few in these days of religious darkness and delusion understand that grace is of necessity both free and sovereign.

It is the free grace of God because grace, if it is not altogether free is not grace. This is, like the love of God, unmerited, clear of all conditions, merit and motives in the creature.

It is sovereign grace because it is bestowed entirely according to the will of our great, Divine Benefactor.

Romans 9:13-18 "As it is written, Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated. (14) What shall we say then? Is there unrighteousness with God? God forbid. (15) For he saith to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion. (16) So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that showeth mercy. (17) For the scripture saith unto Pharaoh, Even for this same purpose have I raised thee up, that I might show my power in thee, and that my name might be declared throughout all the earth. (18) Therefore hath he mercy on whom he will have mercy, and whom he will he hardeneth."

The foundation and basis of our redemption by Christ is God’s free and sovereign grace. We are…

Romans 3:24-26 "Justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: (25) Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God; (26) To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus."

That redemption that is in and by Christ is of free grace! The gift of Christ is a free grace gift.

2 Corinthians 9:15 "Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift."

His being sent and delivered up to death are owing to the grace of God.

It was "by the grace of God he tasted death for everyone," for everyone of the sons of God (Heb. 2:9).

This cannot be attributed to any merit or desert in those for whom Christ died; since we were without strength, ungodly wicked sinners, the chief of sinners, and enemies in our minds, by wicked works.

We do not contribute anything to the work of Christ in redemption, even by our faith.

Our faith in Christ is the fruit and effect of redemption, not the cause! We receive the atonement by faith; but we do not make atonement by faith!

Romans 5:10-11 "For if, 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. (11) And not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement."

WE TRACE OUR REDEMPTION BY CHRIST TO THE MERCY OF GOD.

Mercy, which is no other than the love and grace of God, exercised towards miserable creatures, gives rise to this blessing of redemption: God first resolved to have mercy on sinful men; and then determined to redeem and save them by his Son; and it is through the tender mercy of our God, that Christ, the dayspring from on high, visited and redeemed his people; and so performed the mercy promised to men, #Lu 1:68,69,72,78 hence God is said to save men according to his mercy; and mercy is glorified in their salvation and redemption by Christ; and they are under obligation to sing of mercy, to praise the Lord, and give thanks unto him, on account of it, #Tit 3:5 Ps 107:1,2 Ps 136:23,24 it is now, by the love, grace, and mercy of God to sinful men, that his will is determined, and his resolution fixed, to redeem them; for redemption is according to an eternal purpose he has purposed in Christ; who was foreordained before the foundation of the world, to redeem men from a vain conversation, with his precious blood: he was set forth, in the decrees and purposes of God, to be the propitiation for sin; God appointed him to be the Redeemer and Saviour; and appointed men, not unto wrath, which they deserved, but to obtain salvation by him; even the vessels of mercy afore prepared for glory; and being moved, from his love, grace, and mercy, within himself, to determine upon the redemption of them, his wisdom was set to work to find out the best way and method of doing it: upon this a council was held; God was, in Christ, forming a scheme of peace, reconciliation, and redemption; in which he has "abounded toward us in all wisdom and prudence", in fixing upon the most proper person, and the most proper means, whereby to effect it: and hence the scheme of redemption, as formed in the eternal mind and council of God, is called "the manifold wisdom of God", #Eph 1:7,8 3:10. But of the wisdom of God, as it appears in redemption by Christ, I have more largely treated when on the attribute of Wisdom. All these workings in the heart and will of God, issued in a covenant between him and his Son; in which he proposed to his Son, that he should be the Raiser up, Restorer, and Redeemer of his people, both among Jews and Gentiles; and to which he agreed, and said, "Lo, I come to do thy will!" which was no other, than to work out the redemption of his people, #Isa 49:5,6 Ps 40:7,8. Hence this covenant is by some called, the covenant of redemption, in which this great affair was settled and secured. Now upon all this, the love, grace, and mercy of God, the good will and purpose of his heart, his council and covenant, the plot of man's redemption is formed; this is the source and spring of it.


Don Fortner, Pastor
Grace Baptist Church
Danville, Ky.


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