ALL THINGS IN THE HANDS OF CHRIST

"The Father loveth the Son, and hath given all things into his hand. He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.” -- John 3:35-36

How I wish I could make all men see and understand that all things are in the hands of the Lord Jesus Christ. Multitudes are lost because they vainly imagine that salvation can be found somewhere else. And many of God’s saints miss the blessedness of comfort and peace because they fail to see all things in the Savior’s hands in times of trial, temptation and trouble. Let us learn the meaning of the Spirit’s words in this text.

“The Father loveth the Son.”

“God is love.” We rejoice to know that. But God’s holy love finds no object upon which it can be bestowed except his Son. The love of God finds satisfaction and delight only in his Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. The Father loves the Son as the Son, the second Person of the holy Trinity. That goes without saying. But here the Holy Spirit tells us that the Father loves the Son as the Mediator and Surety of the covenant of grace, as the Savior of his elect (John 10:17). And the Father loves us, his people, in the Son.

All the love of God is toward Christ, in Christ, and for Christ. His love can be seen, found, known, experienced, and enjoyed only in Christ. Without Christ, God is wrath, a consuming fire. In Christ, “God is love.”

“And hath given all things into his hand.”

Because of his obedience to God the Father as our Representative and Substitute, the Father has given to Christ, the God-man, all things: -- all the nations and peoples of the world (Ps. 2:8), -- all power and dominion (John 17:2), -- all his elect (John 6:39; 10:16), -- all the blessings of grace and salvation (Eph. 1:3; 2 Tim. 1:9), -- all pre-eminence and glory (Col. 1:18), -- and all the fulness of the eternal Godhead (Col. 2:9). All things are under the feet of Christ, ruled, used, and disposed of by him for the salvation of his elect and the glory of the triune God.

“He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life.”

To believe on Christ is to believe the record God has given of his Son (1 John 5:10), trust the merits of Christ alone for salvation and acceptance with God (1 Cor. 1:30), and willingly surrender to the rule of Christ as Lord (Mark. 7:34-35). To believe on Christ is to have everlasting life. Faith does not cause or secure life. Eternal life is the gift of God. Faith possesses life. Faith is the gift of God. Faith does not save us. Faith possesses salvation. Faith is the fruit, evidence, proof, and assurance of that life which God has given us in his Son.

Grace Baptist Church of Danville - Grace For Today Radio Message #818

2734 Old Stanford Road - Danville, Kentucky 40422-9438

Donald S. Fortner, Pastor -Telephone 606-236-8235 - Email grace@mis.net