Sermon #1443[1] Miscellaneous Sermons

Title: Christ Pre-eminent in Salvation

Texts: Colossians 1:18 and 1 Corinthians 1:30-31

Reading: Psalm 21:1-13 and Luke 2:1-40

Subject: Christ’s Pre-eminence in Salvation

Date: Sunday Morning -- December 17, 2000

Tape # W-15b

Introduction:

I am preaching to you on the pre-eminence and glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. The text from which I take my subject is Colossians 1:18.

(Colossians 1:18) "And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence."

It is the purpose of the triune God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, that our Lord Jesus Christ shall have the pre-eminence in all things. God has given God-man, our covenant Surety, Substitute, and Mediator the pre-eminence in…

· The Purpose of God,

· The Creation of God,

· The Providence of God. And in

· The Book of God.

So, too, Christ our Savior has been given the pre-eminence in the whole affair of salvation. Look at Colossians 1:19.

(Colossians 1:19) "For it pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell."

All the fulness of the Godhead is in him and all the fulness of God's salvation is in him. In fact, he is God's Salvation (Luke 2:30).

No wonder the psalmist sang, -- "His glory is great in thy salvation: honour and majesty hast thou laid upon him" (Psalms 21:5).

Read 1 Corinthians 1:30-31, with me. Here we see just how fully all the fulness of God's salvation is in him. -- "But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption: That, according as it is written, He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord."

In these two verses 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, work, will, choice, 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, our righteousness before God, our sanctification in the sight of God, or our 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 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."

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 3:13 "Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree."

Ephesians 1:6-7 "To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved. In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace."

Hebrews 9:12 "Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us."

1 Peter 2:24 "Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed."

1 Peter 3:18 "For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit."

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 1:14 "In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins."

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 kingdom of God. (6) That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. (7) Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again. (8) The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit."

Colossians 1:27 "To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory."

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 Calvary.

Hebrews 10:10 "By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all."

Hebrews 10:14 "For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified."

C. And we have our Savior’s holy nature imparted to us in the new birth.

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 17:22 "And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one."

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 10:31 "Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God."

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."

“Behold the glories of the Lamb Amidst His Father’s throne.

Prepare new honors for His Name, And songs before unknown.

Let elders worship at His feet, The church adore around,

With vials full of odors sweet, And harps of sweeter sound.

Those are the prayers of the saints, And these the hymns they raise;

Jesus is kind to our complaints, He loves to hear our praise.

E-eternal Father, who shall look In-to Thy secret will?

Who but the Son should take the Book And o-pen every seal?

He shall fulfill Thy great decrees, The Son deserves it well;

Lo, in His hand the sovereign keys Of heaven, and death, and hell!

Now to the Lamb that once was slain Be endless blessings paid;

Salvation, glory, joy remain Forever on Thy head.

Thou hast redeemed our souls with blood, Hast set the prisoner free;

Hast made us kings and priests to God, And we shall reign with Thee.

The worlds of nature and of grace Are put beneath Thy power;

Then shorten these delaying days, And bring the promised hour.”

The glory of God our Savior is paramount. Let us make the glory of Christ our God paramount with us in all things.

· In Our Faith.

· In Our Worship.

· In Our Preaching.

· In Our Homes.

· In Our Lives.

1 Corinthians 10:31 "Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God." Amen!