GRACE FOR TODAY Radio Message #447
THE SON OF GOD DIED
TO
REDEEM AND SAVE THE CHILDREN OF GOD
Pastor
Don Fortner
Grace Baptist Church of Danville
2734 Old Stanford Road
Danville,
Kentucky 40422-9438
According to John 11:52, the
Son of God died to redeem and save those chosen sinners who were adopted from
eternity as the children of God. He did not die in vain for those he never
chose to save. Our great, sin-atoning Substitute laid down his life and died
for the children of God. According to the prophecy of Caiaphas, Christ was to
die, not for the nation of the Jews only, but to "gather together in one the children of God that were scattered
abroad" throughout the Gentile world.
Redemption and adoption belong to the same people. Those who are predestinated
to adoption by Christ are said to have redemption in him through his blood (Eph
1:5,7). This blessing of adoption, in the full enjoyment of it, in the
resurrection, is called "the
redemption of the body". The resurrection is called the redemption of
our bodies because redemption, in so far as the application of it is concerned,
will not be complete until our very bodies are redeemed from all the
consequences of Adam’s fall (Ro 8:23; Eph. 1:14; 4:30).
Our all glorious Redeemer died for every sinner in this world who
believes on him as Savior and Lord. The fruit of redemption is the evidence of
redemption; and faith in Christ is both the fruit and evidence of redemption.
The children of God are a particular number of men, who were given by God to
his Son to redeem. They are the seed promised to him in covenant of grace that
he should see and enjoy, and with whom he shall be satisfied forever. These are
the people to whom he stands in the relation of the everlasting Father. They
are the people for whom and on whose account he became incarnate, took part of the same flesh and blood.
Thy are the many sons he shall bring to glory (Heb 2:10, 13, 14). They, and
only they, are the children of God who are openly and manifestly the children
of God by faith, who believe in Christ.
This faith in Christ is
owing to and the result of special grace and distinguishing love. It is a work,
operation, and blessing of grace conferred upon none but they who are the
objects of God’s election and Christ’s redemption., and is a favor that is only
conferred on some (Rom. 9:8; Gal. 3:26; John 1:12; 1John 3:1). Do you believe
on the Lord Jesus Christ? God help you to believe! If you do trust the Son of
God, he died for you. Your faith in him is the fruit and evidence of the fact
that he redeemed you with his precious blood.
Our great and glorious Savior died, made atonement for, and redeemed
with his precious blood his church which is his bride and spouse. The objects of redemption
are those people who are the church and spouse of Christ. It is the church
which he loved and for which he gave himself as a sacrifice and ransom price to
redeem. It is the church he has purchased with his blood, even the general
assembly, the church of the firstborn, whose names are written in heaven. That
church is all the elect of God, whose names are written in the Lamb's book of
life (Eph, 5:25; Acts 20:28). Of that church of which Christ is the head and
husband, he is the Redeemer. "Thy
Maker is thine husband; and thy Redeemer the Holy One of Israel!"
(Isa. 54:5).
That cannot be said of any
denomination, or of all bodies of men professing to be the church of Christ.
The great whore of Babylon is not the spouse of Christ. Those who are drunk
with the intoxicating wine of Babylon (Arminian, free-will, works religion) do
not belong to and have no part with this church which is the bride of Christ.
That church coming from Babel our Redeemer calls a whore. The church which is
his bride, he calls a chaste virgin! Though there may be "threescore
queens, and fourscore concubines" of Babylon’s sort; yet, says Christ, "my dove, my undefiled, is but one”
(Song 6:9). This is his Bride. This is his spouse
AMEN.