Sermon #6 Hebrews Notes

Title: “What is Man,

That Thou Art Mindful Of Him?”

Text: Hebrews 2:6

Readings: Lindsay Campbell – Bobbie Estes

Subject: God’s Mindfulness of Man

Date: Tuesday Evening – November 30,1999

Tape # V-57b

Introduction:

God is great. Man is nothing, less than nothing and vanity. God is holy. Man is sin. God is our rightful King. Man is a treasonous rebel. God is light. We are darkness. God is purity. We are corruption. God is love. We are enmity. Yet, though we are ever unmindful of him, God is mindful of us. Does that not astonish you? It astonished David; and it astonished the inspired author of the Book of Hebrews. Tonight, I want us to consider just one question. It is found right in the middle of Hebrews 2:6.

“What is man, that thou art mindful of him?” Let every heart be humbled and every mind attentive as we seek to know something of God’s mindfulness of man. “What is man, that thou art mindful of him?”

When Elizabeth, the mother of John the Baptist stood before Mary, she said, Who am I “that the mother of my Lord should come to me?” (Lk. 1:43).

When Mephibosheth bowed before David, he cried, “What is thy servant, that thou shouldest look upon such a dead dog as I am?” (2 Sam. 9:8).

How much more shall God’s elect, prostrate themselves before his throne, astonished by his grace, overwhelmed with his love, ask, “What is man, that thou art mindful of him?”

This is a subject too big for my puny brain to fathom, or for my heart to comprehend. Certainly, my tongue cannot begin to describe it. But let me just show you that God is mindful of us. If you leave here knowing that “the Lord hath been mindful of us,” I will have accomplished, by the Spirit of God, what I came here to accomplish. My message will have been blessed of God to your heart. This is all I want to accomplish tonight. I want you to see, rejoice in, and be overawed by the fact that…

Proposition: The God of glory is ever mindful of us. He has his mind fixed upon his people, fixed from eternity upon his elect.

God’s mindfulness of his people to do them good is not something that began yesterday. There never was a time when he did not have our interests at heart. God’s mindfulness of us is co-eternal with himself (Psa. 103:17).

Psalms 103:17 "But the mercy of the LORD is from everlasting to everlasting upon them that fear him, and his righteousness unto children's children."

It did not begin yesterday. And it will not end tomorrow. God’s mindfulness of us to do us good is eternal, immutable, unconditional, and indestructible. God has been mindful of us, he is mindful of us, and he shall forever be mindful of us, to do us good. He says, “I will not turn away from them to do them good” (Jer. 32:40).

I. God’s mindfulness of us is seen in the decree of election.

We were chosen of God in Christ to be the heirs of grace, salvation, and everlasting glory before the world began (John 15:16; Eph. 1:3-6; 2 Thess. 2:13; 1 Pet. 1:2).

John 15:16 "Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you."

2 Thessalonians 2:13 "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."

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."

Oh how I rejoice in electing love! This act of God’s sovereign love is the source and fountain head of every other blessing of grace. Redemption, justification, regeneration, faith, perseverance, and glorification are the fruits of election.

Augustus Toplady wrote, “Election is the tree of life, whose leaves and fruit are for the healing of the nations.” (See Romans 8:29-30; Eph. 1:3-6).

Romans 8:28-30 "And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. (29) 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 1:3-6 "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."

II. God’s mindfulness of us is revealed in the everlasting covenant of redemption and grace (Heb. 8:8-12; 10:15-17; 13:20-21).

Hebrews 8:8-12 "For finding fault with them, he saith, Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah: (9) Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day when I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt; because they continued not in my covenant, and I regarded them not, saith the Lord. (10) For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, saith the Lord; I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts: and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people: (11) And they shall not teach every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord: for all shall know me, from the least to the greatest. (12) For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more."

Hebrews 10:15-17 "Whereof the Holy Ghost also is a witness to us: for after that he had said before, (16) This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, saith the Lord, I will put my laws into their hearts, and in their minds will I write them; (17) And their sins and iniquities will I remember no more."

Having determined to have a people for the glory of his own great name, God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit entered into a solemn compact of grace, each pledging to the other all things necessary for the recovery of the chosen from the fall.

Let me talk to you, now, about the everlasting covenant. It is important that we understand the teaching of Scripture regarding it, because everything God does, has done, or will hereafter do is because of this covenant.

· It is not a family covenant.

· It is not a church covenant.

· It is not a national, political covenant.

· It is not a works covenant.

· This everlasting covenant is a covenant of grace, pure, free, sovereign grace.

· And it is a blood covenant.

Hebrews 13:20-21 "Now the God of peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, (21) Make you perfect in every good work to do his will, working in you that which is wellpleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ; to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen."

A. This covenant of grace was made in anticipation of the fall.

Now, hear me carefully. The sin and fall of our father Adam did not take God by surprise. For reasons known only to himself, God decreed to permit the fall. Yet, God’s decree to permit the fall in no way suggests or implies that he caused it, or that he is the author of sin (James 1:13-14).

James 1:13-14 "Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man: (14) But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed."

Many say, “If you believe that God predestinated everything that comes to pass and works all things after the counsel of his own will, then you are saying that God is the author of sin.” You may make such a conclusion if you dare, I do not. I never heard or read a statement like that from a gospel preacher. The only people who talk so foolishly are ranting, free-will Arminians who would rather charge God with sin than bow to his sovereignty! I believe exactly what is written in the Scriptures, no more and no less.

1. Are all things predestinated by God? Without question they are (Rom. 11:36; 2 Cor. 5:18; Eph. 1:11; Jude 4).

Romans 11:36 "For of him, and through him, and to him, are all things: to whom be glory for ever. Amen."

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."

Ephesians 1:11 "In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will."

Jude 1:4 "For there are certain men crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness, and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ."

2. Is God the cause and author of man’s sin, unbelief, and eternal condemnation? He absolutely is not (Jude 1:13-14; John 5:40; 3:18, 36; Matt. 11:25-30; 23:37-38).

3. Does God use and overrule the sin and unbelief of men and demons for the good of his people and the glory of his own name? He most certainly and wisely does (Psa. 76:10; Rom. 8:28).

Illustrations

· God did not make Pharoah pursue Israel; but he used it and ordained to use it.

· God did not make Satan torment Job; but he used it and ordained to use it.

· God did not make the Jews crucify his Son; but he used it and ordained to use it.

· God did not make Adam sin and fall; but he used it and ordained to use it.

We must not and will not second guess our God. We simply bow before him in reverent adoration of his wisdom, justice, sovereignty, and goodness, and worship him. Neither will we alter his Word to please men and women who despise his glorious sovereignty.

B. This blessed covenant of grace was ordered in all things and sure from eternity (2 Sam. 23:5).

2 Samuel 23:5 "Although my house be not so with God; yet he hath made with me an everlasting covenant, ordered in all things, and sure: for this is all my salvation, and all my desire, although he make it not to grow."

It was in anticipation of the fall, grace was given us in Christ, the Surety of the covenant, before the world began (2 Tim. 1:9).

· The fall was as sure and certain as the recovery of God’s elect from the fall (Gen. 2:17).

· The crucifixion of Christ was as sure and certain as the redemption accomplished by it (Acts 2:23).

· And the eternal ruin of unbelievers was as sure and certain as the salvation of believers (Rom. 9:21; 1 Pet. 2:8; Jude 4).

· But the cause of the fall is in Adam. The cause of our recovery is God.

· The cause of Christ’s crucifixion is in the Jews. The cause of redemption is God.

· The cause of unbelief is in man. The cause of faith is God.

· The cause of eternal ruin is the sin of man. The cause of eternal salvation is the grace of God.

You can argue with that and fuss about all you want to. The fact still stands – “The wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Chris our Lord.” Sin is my fault. Salvation is God’s fault. Misery is my fault. Mercy is God’s fault. Guilt is my fault. Grace is God’s fault.

III. God’s mindfulness of his elect is even seen in his actually permitting the fall of Adam.

We have a proverb that says, “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” But in this case the proverb is altogether wrong. Had it been best for sin never to have entered the world, God would not have allowed it. Had it been best for Adam not to fall, God would not have permitted it.

Satan did not sneak into the garden unnoticed. He did not overpower Omnipotence and snatch Adam from the hands of God. He tricked mother Eve, caught father Adam in a snare, and polluted our race. But he did not trick God, catch him in a snare, or disrupt his plans.

A. God was mindful of us when we fell.

He allowed us to fall because he had something better in store for us than we could ever known in Eden.

· Adoption

· Redemption

· Restoration

· Glory.

We could never have known the grace and glory of God in Christ as we now know it, and shall know it in heaven, had we never fallen in Adam. In the garden, in the first creation, in Adam, God made man a little lower than the angels. But in the new creation, in regeneration, in Christ, he has crowned man with glory and honor that can never be known by the angels.

· I might envy the angels of heaven, because they have never known sin.

· But the angels of heaven might envy me, because they have never known redemption.

B. So mindful was God of us in the fall that he would not expel our fallen parents from the garden until he first preached the gospel to them and showed them how he would redeem us (Gen. 3:15-21).

1st, The Lord sought and found the fallen pair.

2nd, He promised a Redeemer and Redemption.

3rd, He stripped them of their fig leaf aprons.

4th, He killed an innocent victim for them.

5th, He clothed them in the skins of the slain sacrifice.

IV. God’s mindfulness of us was proved by his patience and providential care of us throughout the days of our sin, rebellion, and unbelief (Jude 1).

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."

During the whole time of our unregeneracy, though we were not mindful of him, “The Lord hath been mindful of us.” He preserved us for Christ, by special providence, unto the appointed time of our calling and conversion by his almighty grace. Every elect sinner is immortal in this world until he is born again!

Illustrations

· The Jailor (Acts 16:27-31).

· Gomer (Hos. 2:8).

· Onesimus (Philemon 1-16).

· The Prodigal (Lk. 16).

V. And how God has been mindful of us since the time of our calling!

He was mindful of us in old eternity, mindful of us when we fell in Adam, mindful of us throughout the days of our rebellion, until the time of our calling from death to life by the almighty, irresistible power and grace of his Spirit. But since that day, our God has constantly been mindful of us. He declares, “I will not forget thee” (Isa. 49:15); and he never has!

God’s mindfulness of us is seen in his maintaining his work of grace in us and carrying it on, infallibly, unto the perfection of everlasting glory. Our faithfulness to God is the result of his mindfulness of us.

A. He preserves us amidst the corruption of our hearts, the temptations of Satan, and the allurements of the world.

B. He remembers that we are dust and gives us grace sufficient for every need.

C. He is ever mindful of us when we fall (Mk. 16:7). -- Peter - He restores!

Job 5:19 "He shall deliver thee in six troubles: yea, in seven there shall no evil touch thee."

Psalms 34:19 "Many are the afflictions of the righteous: but the LORD delivereth him out of them all."

Psalms 37:24 "Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down: for the LORD upholdeth him with his hand."

Proverbs 24:16 "For a just man falleth seven times, and riseth up again: but the wicked shall fall into mischief."

NOTE: There is only one thing God is not mindful of. He is not mindful of our sin, because he is ever mindful of the blood of his dear Son! (Rom. 4:8).

Application:

1. God is mindful of us, not because of anything in us, but for his own name’s sake. We love things because they are lovely. God loves us to make us lovely!

2. If God is so mindful of us, then let us ever be mindful of him.

· Mindful Of His Truth.

· Mindful Of His Love.

· Mindful Of His Word.

· Mindful Of His Ordinances.

· Mindful Of His Providence.

· Mindful Of His People.

· Mindful Of His Will.

· Mindful Of His Honor.

Psalms 115:12 "The LORD hath been mindful of us: (therefore) he will bless us; he will bless the house of Israel; he will bless the house of Aaron."

AMEN.