Sermon #172
Series: Isaiah
Title:
SIN LAID UPON CHRIST
Text:
Isaiah 53:6
Subject:
Substitutionary Redemption
Date:
Sunday Morning - January 9, 1994
INTRODUCTION:
"All we like
sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord hath
laid upon him the iniquity of us all."
In this passage of
Holy Scripture the prophet Isaiah speaks as the representative of God's elect.
And in this one verse of scripture he plainly states three gospel truths
experienced, believed and confessed by every person who is born again by God's
almighty grace. Here are three doctrines held in common by all true believers.
Original Sin -
"All we like sheep have gone astray." This is the doctrine of
original sin. It is called original sin, because it was the first sin. We all
went astray from God in the sin and fall of our father, Adam.
Psalm 14:3 -
"They are all gone aside, they are altogether become filthy: there is none
that doeth good, no, not one."
Romans 5:12 -
"By one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death
passed upon all men, for that all have sinned."
I Corinthians
15:21-22 - "By man came death...in Adam all die."
Illustration:
"I've seen better days!"
This is the
doctrine of original sin as it is set forth in the Word of God.
·
Adam was the federal
head and representative of all men.
·
Adam's sin was imputed
to all men.
·
Adam's depraved nature
is imparted to all men by natural generation.
Personal Depravity
- In Adam we suffered a great fall and a great loss. We fell from God's favor into
condemnation. We fell from sinlessness into sinfulness. We lost original
righteousness, fellowship with God, access to God, and all spiritual life. We
fell from life into death, from liberty into bondage, from peace into enmity,
and from light into darkness. But that is not all. We are sinners by
imputation, by birth, and by nature (Psa. 51:5; Matt. 15:19). But we are all
sinners by personal choice too.
This is the
doctrine of personal depravity. " We have turned everyone to his own
way." Because the heart of man, at birth, is desperately wicked (Jer.
17:9; Gen. 6:5), we are all "estranged from the womb" and go astray
as soon as we are born, speaking lies (Psa. 58:3). "We have turned
everyone to his own way." God's elect are like Sermon #172 Sin Laid Upon
Christ Page - 2
all other men by
nature, ever going astray from God. Like sheep, foolish and ignorant, we ever
stray from the Good Shepherd and the fold of grace, ever stray from the path of
peace and the way of life. Until we were looked up, sought out, and brought
back by the Shepherd, we would never return. We had neither the will nor the
ability to return to our God. Rather, we "turned everyone to his own
way," the way of his own choosing. We would never turn to the good way,
but always to the dark, crooked, slippery way. Some turn to this way of sin,
and some to that, but all to his own way. Sometimes it is the way of
profligacy, and sometimes the way of morality, and sometimes the way of
self-righteous religion. It is always "a way that seemeth right unto man,
but the end thereof are the ways of death." Whatever the way is which you
choose, "destruction and misery" are in your way. None will ever
return from "his own way" until Christ, the Good Shepherd, the
Shepherd and Bishop of our souls, by an act of almighty, efficacious grace
causes him to return. Only omnipotent grace will cause a sinner to turn from
"his own way" to Christ, "the Way, the Truth, and the
Life." May God be pleased today to lay hold of some straying one by his
almighty grace, and cause you to turn to Christ.
This is original
sin - "All we like sheep have gone astray." This is personal
depravity - "We have turned every one to his own way." Yet, there is
hope. There is hope for straying sheep! There is hope for helpless, ignorant
sinners. Our text gives hope to the hopeless, because it reveals the glorious
gospel doctrine of...
Substitutionary
Redemption - "And the Lord hat laid on him the iniquities of us all."
Can you grasp this glorious truth? God the Father, against whom we have sinned,
from whom we have strayed, whose law we have broken, whose justice must be
satisfied, has laid upon the Lord Jesus Christ, his own dear Son, all the sins
of all his elect. The Son of God was made to be sin for us, so that he might be
justly punished for sin in our stead, that we might be made the righteousness
of God in him (II Cor. 5:21).
PROPOSITION: Our sins have all been laid upon Christ, by whose
death justice has been satisfied and our sins forever put away.
Now, I want to show
you six things from this verse of scripture, for the comfort and edification of
all who believe and for the conversion of you who yet believe not. May God the
Holy Spirit speak by me to your hearts. What do those words teach us: "The
Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all"?
I. OUR INIQUITY
ITSELF WAS LAID UPON CHRIST.
Not only was the
Lord of Glory punished for sin, he was made to be sin. Not only did Christ bear
the wrath and indignation of God against sin, he was made sin. The Son of God
was made to be sin for us because there was no possible way in the world for
God's elect to be discharged of their sins, but for Christ to be made sin.
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A. God's Eternal
Determination To Redeem Was A Matter Of Pure, Free, Sovereign Grace.
1.
God did not have to redeem anyone.
2.
There was nothing in us to compel God's favor.
B. But Once God
Determined To Redeem And Save An Elect People, He Could Do It Only By The
satisfaction Of Justice, Only By Making Christ To Be Sin For Us.
Illustration: Darius' Delimma (Dan. 6:4-17).
God looked upon
Christ as the Surety of his elect in the covenant of grace, and said,
"Deliver him from going down to the pit: I have found a ransom" (Job
33:24). And he "Laid on him the iniquity of us all."
All the sins of all
the elect were gathered together as one huge hideous, obnoxious load, and made
to meet upon Christ. He was made to be sin for us and punished as the sinner in
our place (Psa. 40:12; 69:5; Zech. 13:7).
By this means
"the law and justice of God had full satisfaction and our recovery from
ruin and destruction is procured" (John Gill).
II. OUR INIQUITY
REALLY BECAME OUR SUBSTITUTE'S INIQUITY BY DIVINE IMPUTATION.
Speaking as our
Substitute, the Son of God cried, "Mine iniquities have taken hold upon
me...My sins are not hid from thee" (Psa. 40:12; 69:5). Jesus Christ never
knew sin. Yet, he died as the greatest sinner who ever lived, for he was made
to bear all the sins of all his elect.
Christ really did
bear all our sin. Just as a Surety is really the debtor, when he willingly puts
himself in the room of another.
Illustration: Grider's Experience.
Christ gave his
bond as our Surety. God, having accepted Christ as our Surety, cannot look for
payment from us. If he will have payment for sin, he must have it from him upon
whom the debt has been laid (II Cor. 5:18-21).
Payment God cannot
twice demand,
First at my
bleeding Surety's hand,
And then again at
mine!
III. IT IS THE
LORD GOD HIMSELF THAT MADE CHRIST TO BE SIN FOR US.
"The Lord hath
laid on him the iniquity of us all" (See v. 10). The triune God agreed in
covenant love to lay all our sin upon the Sermon #172 Sin Laid Upon Christ Page
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Son. Sin, the
greatest burden in the world, the most loathsome thing in the universe, the
load that must have crushed our souls into hell's eternal misery, has been laid
upon the God-man by God's own hand!
This great, mighty
transfer of sin, from the sinner to the sinner's Surety was...
·
Sought by infinite Love.
·
Conceived by infinite
Wisdom
·
Ordained by infinite
Grace.
·
Executed by infinite
Justice.
IV. NONE BUT GOD
COULD DO IT!
Who but God could
lay sin upon God? Who but God could punish God for sin? Who but God could
dispose of sin for the salvation of his people?
Some think we lay
our sins upon Christ! You cannot even lay your hand upon him, much less your
sin! If you imagine that your prayers, tears, mournings, fastings, and
confessions can lay your sins off yourself and on Christ, you do but beat the
air. To lay iniquity upon Christ is the work of Jehovah alone.
·
God the Father laid sin
upon Christ for the satisfaction of his own justice (II Cor. 5:21).
·
God the Son laid sin
upon himself for the redemption of his people (I Pet. 2:24).
·
God the Holy Spirit lays
sin upon Christ in the revelation of the gospel (John 16:8-11).
We do not lay our
sins upon Christ by faith. We see our sins laid on him, punished in him, and
removed by him.
V. I want you to
see that THIS IS THE MOST SOUL COMFORTING TRUTH IN ALL THE WORLD.
"The Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all."
Blessed are those
people who have this gospel published to them. Blessed are those who have ears
to hear this good news. The transfer of sin from you to Christ is not something
that must be done. It is something already done. The text does not say,
"The Lord shall lay the iniquities of us all upon Christ if we will meet
certain conditions and terms." It says, "The Lord hath laid on him
the iniquity of us all!" (Read Rom. 10:6-8!). The Lord has done it! There
is nothing for you to do! Faith simply receives, believes and rejoices in what
the Lord has done. It adds nothing to it.
Illustration: A Prisoner Receiving Pardon.
When did the Lord
do this? It is true, God applies the pardon of Sermon #172 Sin Laid Upon Christ
Page - 5
sin at conversion.
But our sins were laid upon Christ and put away by him long before we believe.
A. God Laid Our Sin
Upon Our Surety In His Eternal Decree (Rev. 13:8; I Pet. 1:18-21).
B. God Executed His
Decree, Laying Sin Upon His Son When He Hung Upon The Cursed Tree.
C. God Will Never
Make Another Transfer Of Sin!
There is not a
moment in time, or a condition possible, in which God will transfer sin back
from Christ to his people. Sin, once laid upon the scapegoat, is carried away
into the land of forgetfulness, never to be seen, or brought back, again!
"Nothing,
either great or small, Nothing, sinner, no;
Jesus did it, did
it all, Long, long ago.
Weary, working,
plodding one, Why toil you so?
Cease your doing;
all was done Long, long ago.
Till to Jesus' work
you cling By a simple faith,
"Doing"
is a deadly thing, "Doing" ends in death.
Cast your deadly
"doing" down, Down at Jesus' feet,
Stand in Him, in
Him alone, Gloriously complete!"
VI. CHRIST JESUS
OUR LORD, THE ONE UPON WHOM SIN HAS BEEN LAID, IS MIGHTY TO SAVE.
Read the text once
more, laying all the weight and emphasis of the text on one word. "The
Lord hath laid on HIM the iniquity of us all." This is of infinite
importance. That One upon whom sin has been laid must have a back strong enough
and shoulders broad enough to carry the horrible load of iniquity, without
sinking beneath it. Were it possible for our Surety to fail we would be utterly
without hope. The comfort and hope of the gospel depends entirely upon the
ability of Christ to bear our sins, satisfy justice and execute his gracious
will. Therefore, it is written, "The Lord hath laid on HIM the iniquity of
us all."
Psalm 89:19 - Then
spakest thou in vision to thy holy one, and saidst, I have laid help upon one
that is mighty; I have exalted one chosen out of the people." And of this
mighty One it is written, "He shall not fail, nor be discouraged, till he
have set judgment in the earth" (Isa. 42:4).
Who is this great
"HIM" upon whom iniquity has been laid? He is...
·
Jehovah's Servant
(52:13).
·
The Root Out of Dry
Ground (v. 2).
·
The Despised and
Rejected Man of Sorrows (v. 3).
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·
The Innocent, Holy
Substitute (vv. 8-9).
·
The Successful Savior
(vv. 10-11).
·
The Sovereign Lord (v.
12).
Here is the most
wonderful, astounding, amazing thing ever performed by our great God. "The
Lord hath laid on HIM the iniquity of us all." Sin is the most hateful
thing in the world to God. It is the only thing in the world God abhors. It is
horrible, abominable, hideous in God sight. Yet, God made his lovely Son to be
sin for us! I am amazed to think that God made his Son to be a man, to be a
poor man, to be a suffering man, to be crucified man. But when I read that
"he hath made HIM to be sin for us, who knew no sin," I am altogether
astonished! This is too wonderful, too sublime, too mysterious, too Divine for
our puny brains to apprehend. Surely, such extraordinary work as this is
designed to accomplish extraordinary things. What are they? Why is it that
"the Lord hath laid on HIM the iniquity of us all?
I cannot begin to
answer such a question. We will, I am sure, spend eternity discovering the
answers to this great question. But there are a few answers plainly revealed
for our comfort, encouragement, faith, and hope. God made his Son to be sin for
us...
A. That He Might Be
Satisfied!
·
To satisfy his purpose
of grace.
·
To satisfy his
inflexible justice.
B. That He Might
Show The World The Exceeding Horrid Loathsomeness Of Sin!
C. That He Might
Commend To Us His Infinite Love!
·
John 3:16
·
Romans 5:8
·
I John 3:16
·
I John 4:9-10
D. That We Might Be
Made The Righteousness Of God In Him!
God was determined
to have a people as pure, holy, clear, and righteous as himself, in whom to
show forth the glory of his grace (Eph. 1:3-14).
E. That Believing
Sinners Might Have A Strong Consolation In This World!
·
In the midst of trial.
·
In the midst of
temptation.
·
In the midst of sin.
F. That His Elect
Might Be Freed From All Fear Of Condemnation! (Rom. 8:1, 32-39).
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G. That At The
Appointed Time Christ And His People Might Eternally Enjoy The Purchased
Possession Of Heavenly Glory And Bliss!
There is no
possession laid up for God's saints in glory, but by the laying of our iniquity
upon Christ.
·
Not by our works!
·
Not by our faithfulness!
·
Not even by our faith!
Tobias Crisp wrote:
"No unclean thing can enter into the kingdom of heaven. When we attain to
the height of sanctification, we remain yet unclean, for there is pollution in
the best of it. When we die, suppose we are more holy in life than any that
went before us; yet, there is not so much holiness of life in us, but that
there remains still some uncleanness, and unmortification of life in thoughts
and practice, some deadness and indisposition in our hearts and affections to
holiness. And with this unholiness, we lie down in the dust, if all our
uncleanness were not laid upon Christ, that so we might enter into rest, as
perfect and complete in him."
APPLICATION:
I must stop, though
I have not yet begun to declare the depths of our text. "The Lord hath
laid on him the iniquity of us all." For whom was this done? "Us
all."
·
"Us all," to
whom it is revealed.
·
"Us all," who
were chosen by grace.
·
"Us all," who
are called by the Spirit.
·
"Us all," who
believe.
·
"Us all," who
are now made free from sin and death.