Sermon #1246
Title: The Pre-eminence of Christ in
Salvation
Text: 1 Corinthians 1:30-31
Subject: Christ’s Pre-eminence in Salvation
Date: Tuesday Evening -
Tape # S-86
Introduction:
Sunday before last,
I tried to preach to you on the pre-eminence of our Lord Jesus Christ from that
passage in Colossians 1:18 in which we are told that it is the purpose and
pleasure of the Triune God that in all things the Lord Jesus Christ might have
the pre-eminence. When I made the statement that “The Lord Jesus Christ, as our
Savior, is pre-eminent in the whole affair of our salvation,” I just briefly
mentioned the fact of Christ’s pre-eminence in salvation and promised to come
back to it later. Well, now it is later and I want to preach to you tonight on The Pre-eminence of Christ in Salvation.
My text is 1 Corinthians 1:30-31. Read it with me.
"But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and
righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption: (31) That, according as it is written, He
that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord." In this verse the Holy Spirit
distinctly teaches three things. See that you understand them. They are vital.
1.
Salvation is God’s work. If you and I are in Christ we are in him by the
work and operation of God almighty, not as the result of our own effort or
decision.
2.
The whole of God’s salvation is in and by the
Lord Jesus Christ.
He is made of God unto every believer, Wisdom, Righteousness, Sanctification,
and Redemption. Everything we need is in Christ. Everything we need done for us
Christ has done. And everything God gives to sinful men he has given to his
elect in Christ (Eph. 1:3)
3.
The reason for this is that we might glory in
Christ alone. If our
knowledge of God, righteousness before God, sanctification in the sight of God,
or redemption as the sons of God were in any measure, to any degree determined
by or dependent upon us, we would glory in ourselves; and it would be right for
us to do so. God has made Christ alone our Savior and has given him all
pre-eminence in the whole affair so that he might have all the glory for it.
And so it shall be!
I remind you again
never to think of salvation as one thing. When you think of God’s salvation,
never limit it to your experience of grace. Salvation is the whole work of
grace by which we are brought from the gates of hell into the gates of glory.
It includes far, far more than any of us have ever imagined. But of this we are assured...
Proposition: In the whole work of salvation Christ is
pre-eminent.
As I said, none of
us has ever imagined all that is involved in the saving of our souls. But there
are at least ten things clearly revealed in the Scriptures as different
aspects of salvation. And in all ten of these things Christ is pre-eminent.
Let’s look at them each briefly.
I. Election - We were chosen in Christ unto salvation.
John
Ephesians 1:4 "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:"
2 Thessalonians
2:13-14 "But we are bound to give thanks alway
to God for you, brethren beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the
beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and
belief of the truth: (14) Whereunto
he called you by our gospel, to the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus
Christ."
1 Peter 1:2 "Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the
Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of
the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace unto you, and peace, be multiplied."
II. Predestination - In love God predestinated us to be conformed
to Christ.
Romans 8:29-30
"For
whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the
firstborn among many brethren. (30) Moreover
whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also
justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified."
Ephesians 1:5 "Having predestinated us unto the adoption of
children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his
will,"
III. Redemption - We have redemption through his blood
Galatians
Ephesians 1:6 "To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein
he hath made us accepted in the beloved."
Hebrews
1 Peter
1 Peter
IV. Justification - We are justified freely by God’s grace
through the redemption that is in Christ.
Romans 3:23-28
"For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; (24) Being 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. (27) Where is boasting
then? It is excluded. By what law? of
works? Nay: but by the law of faith. (28)
Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of
the law."
V. Forgiveness - Redemption, justification, and forgiveness go
hand in hand. It is impossible to have one without the other two.
Ephesians 1:7 "In whom we have redemption through his blood,
the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace;"
Colossians
1 John 1:7 "But if we walk in the light, as he is in the
light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his
Son cleanseth us from all sin."
1 John 1:9 "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just
to forgive us our sins, and to
cleanse us from all unrighteousness."
VI. Regeneration - The new birth is having Christ formed in you
by the power and grace of his Spirit.
John 3:3-8
"Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee,
Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. (4) Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can
he enter the second time into his mother's womb, and be born? (5) Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I
say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the
Colossians
2 Peter 1:4 "Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and
precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature,
having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust."
VII. Sanctification - Christ is our sanctification.
A. We were set apart in him in divine election as the objects of
God’s grace, to be made holy.
Jude 1:1 "Jude, the servant of Jesus Christ, and brother
of James, to them that are sanctified by God the Father, and preserved in Jesus
Christ, and called:"
B. We were declared to be holy when Christ washed away our sins at
Hebrews
Hebrews
C. And we have our Savior’s holy nature imparted to us in the new
birth.
2 Peter 1:4 "Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and
precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature,
having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust."
1 John 3:5-9
"And
ye know that he was manifested to take away our sins; and in him is no sin. (6) Whosoever abideth in him sinneth
not: whosoever sinneth hath not seen him, neither known him. (7) Little children, let no man deceive
you: he that doeth righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous. (8) He that committeth sin is of the
devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of
God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil. (9) Whosoever is born of God doth not
commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is
born of God."
VIII. Preservation - Christ keeps and preserves his chosen,
redeemed, called sheep in the arms of his almighty grace. Our preservation by
him secures our perseverance in him.
John 10:27-30
"My
sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: (28) And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never
perish, neither shall any man pluck
them out of my hand. (29) My Father,
which gave them me, is greater than
all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand. (30) I and my Father are one."
Ephesians 5:25-27
"Husbands,
love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; (26) That he might sanctify and cleanse
it with the washing of water by the word,
(27) That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having
spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without
blemish."
Philippians 1:6 "Being confident of this very thing, that he
which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:"
Jude 1:24-25
"Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present
you faultless before the presence of
his glory with exceeding joy, (25) To
the only wise God our Saviour, be glory
and majesty, dominion and power, both now and for ever. Amen."
IX. Resurrection - When Christ comes again we shall be raised up
from the dead by the power of God. Every chosen, redeemed, regenerate sinner
shall be raised up to glory in the last day.
1 Thessalonians 4:13-18
"But
I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are
asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. (14) For if we believe that Jesus died
and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will
God bring with him. (15) For this we
say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord
shall not prevent them which are asleep.
(16) For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the
voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall
rise first: (17) Then we which are
alive and remain shall be caught up
together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we
ever be with the Lord. (18) Wherefore
comfort one another with these words."
X. Glorification - When we have been raised up from the dead all
God’s elect shall be glorified together, transformed into the very image of
Christ, and made to possess that very glory that he now possesses as our
glorified Mediator.
John 17:5 "And now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine
own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was."
John
A.
Christ
will be our Crown of Glory, of Righteousness, of Life, and of Rejoicing!
B.
Christ
will be our great Reward.
C.
Christ
will be our Satisfaction.
·
Total
Communion with Him!
·
Total
Commitment to Him!
·
Total
Conformity to Him!
Application:
Psalms 70:4 "Let all those that seek thee rejoice and be glad
in thee: and let such as love thy salvation say continually, Let God be
magnified."
Jeremiah 9:23-24
"Thus
saith the LORD, Let not the wise man glory
in his wisdom, neither let the mighty man
glory in his might, let not the rich man
glory in his riches: (24) But let
him that glorieth glory in this, that he understandeth and knoweth me, that I am the LORD which exercise
lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness, in the earth: for in these things I delight, saith the LORD."
1 Corinthians
Revelation 5:9-10
"And
they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the
seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood
out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation; (10) And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall
reign on the earth."
The glory of God is
paramount. Let us make the glory of God paramount with us in all things.
·
In
Our Faith.
·
In
Our Worship.
·
In
Our Preaching.
·
In
Our Homes.
·
In
Our Lives.
1 Corinthians