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Emmaus is a Reformed Baptist church in Hemet, California. We are a community of Christ followers who love God, love one another, and serve the church, community, and nations, for the glory of God and for our joy.
Our hope is that you will make Emmaus your home and that you will begin to grow with us as we study the scriptures and, through the empowering of the Holy Spirit, live in a way that honors our great King.
LORD'S DAY WORSHIP (SUNDAYS)
10:00am Corporate Worship
In the Emmaus Chapel at Cornerstone
26089 Girard St.
Hemet, CA 92544
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Sunday School For Adults
9:00am to 9:45am most Sundays (Schedule)
In the Chapel
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43430 E. Florida Ave. #F329
Hemet, CA 92544
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Learn MoreEmmaus Reformed Baptist Church is committed to the fullfilment of the Great Commision given by our Lord when he said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age" (Matthew 28:18-20 ESV), through the planting of local churches, both at home and abroad.
Nov 22
6
QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION AT HOME OR IN GOSPEL COMMUNITY GROUPS
Sermon manuscript available at emmausrbc.org
Nov 22
6
“Moses said to all the congregation of the people of Israel, ‘This is the thing that the LORD has commanded. Take from among you a contribution to the LORD. Whoever is of a generous heart, let him bring the LORD’s contribution: gold, silver, and bronze; blue and purple and scarlet yarns and fine twined linen; goats’ hair, tanned rams’ skins, and goatskins; acacia wood, oil for the light, spices for the anointing oil and for the fragrant incense, and onyx stones and stones for setting, for the ephod and for the breastpiece. Let every skillful craftsman among you come and make all that the LORD has commanded: the tabernacle, its tent and its covering, its hooks and its frames, its bars, its pillars, and its bases; the ark with its poles, the mercy seat, and the veil of the screen; the table with its poles and all its utensils, and the bread of the Presence; the lampstand also for the light, with its utensils and its lamps, and the oil for the light; and the altar of incense, with its poles, and the anointing oil and the fragrant incense, and the screen for the door, at the door of the tabernacle; the altar of burnt offering, with its grating of bronze, its poles, and all its utensils, the basin and its stand; the hangings of the court, its pillars and its bases, and the screen for the gate of the court; the pegs of the tabernacle and the pegs of the court, and their cords; the finely worked garments for ministering in the Holy Place, the holy garments for Aaron the priest, and the garments of his sons, for their service as priests.’ Then all the congregation of the people of Israel departed from the presence of Moses. And they came, everyone whose heart stirred him, and everyone whose spirit moved him, and brought the LORD’s contribution to be used for the tent of meeting, and for all its service, and for the holy garments. So they came, both men and women. All who were of a willing heart brought brooches and earrings and signet rings and armlets, all sorts of gold objects, every man dedicating an offering of gold to the LORD. And every one who possessed blue or purple or scarlet yarns or fine linen or goats’ hair or tanned rams’ skins or goatskins brought them. Everyone who could make a contribution of silver or bronze brought it as the LORD’s contribution. And every one who possessed acacia wood of any use in the work brought it. And every skillful woman spun with her hands, and they all brought what they had spun in blue and purple and scarlet yarns and fine twined linen. All the women whose hearts stirred them to use their skill spun the goats’ hair. And the leaders brought onyx stones and stones to be set, for the ephod and for the breastpiece, and spices and oil for the light, and for the anointing oil, and for the fragrant incense. All the men and women, the people of Israel, whose heart moved them to bring anything for the work that the LORD had commanded by Moses to be done brought it as a freewill offering to the LORD. Then Moses said to the people of Israel, ‘See, the LORD has called by name Bezalel the son of Uri, son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah; and he has filled him with the Spirit of God, with skill, with intelligence, with knowledge, and with all craftsmanship, to devise artistic designs, to work in gold and silver and bronze, in cutting stones for setting, and in carving wood, for work in every skilled craft. And he has inspired him to teach, both him and Oholiab the son of Ahisamach of the tribe of Dan. He has filled them with skill to do every sort of work done by an engraver or by a designer or by an embroiderer in blue and purple and scarlet yarns and fine twined linen, or by a weaver—by any sort of workman or skilled designer. Bezalel and Oholiab and every craftsman in whom the LORD has put skill and intelligence to know how to do any work in the construction of the sanctuary shall work in accordance with all that the LORD has commanded.’ And Moses called Bezalel and Oholiab and every craftsman in whose mind the LORD had put skill, everyone whose heart stirred him up to come to do the work. And they received from Moses all the contribution that the people of Israel had brought for doing the work on the sanctuary. They still kept bringing him freewill offerings every morning, so that all the craftsmen who were doing every sort of task on the sanctuary came, each from the task that he was doing, and said to Moses, ‘The people bring much more than enough for doing the work that the LORD has commanded us to do.’ So Moses gave command, and word was proclaimed throughout the camp, ‘Let no man or woman do anything more for the contribution for the sanctuary.’ So the people were restrained from bringing, for the material they had was sufficient to do all the work, and more. And all the craftsmen among the workmen made the tabernacle with ten curtains. They were made of fine twined linen and blue and purple and scarlet yarns, with cherubim skillfully worked. The length of each curtain was twenty-eight cubits, and the breadth of each curtain four cubits. All the curtains were the same size. He coupled five curtains to one another, and the other five curtains he coupled to one another. He made loops of blue on the edge of the outermost curtain of the first set. Likewise he made them on the edge of the outermost curtain of the second set. He made fifty loops on the one curtain, and he made fifty loops on the edge of the curtain that was in the second set. The loops were opposite one another. And he made fifty clasps of gold, and coupled the curtains one to the other with clasps. So the tabernacle was a single whole. He also made curtains of goats’ hair for a tent over the tabernacle. He made eleven curtains. The length of each curtain was thirty cubits, and the breadth of each curtain four cubits. The eleven curtains were the same size. He coupled five curtains by themselves, and six curtains by themselves. And he made fifty loops on the edge of the outermost curtain of the one set, and fifty loops on the edge of the other connecting curtain. And he made fifty clasps of bronze to couple the tent together that it might be a single whole. And he made for the tent a covering of tanned rams’ skins and goatskins. Then he made the upright frames for the tabernacle of acacia wood. Ten cubits was the length of a frame, and a cubit and a half the breadth of each frame. Each frame had two tenons for fitting together. He did this for all the frames of the tabernacle. The frames for the tabernacle he made thus: twenty frames for the south side. And he made forty bases of silver under the twenty frames, two bases under one frame for its two tenons, and two bases under the next frame for its two tenons. For the second side of the tabernacle, on the north side, he made twenty frames and their forty bases of silver, two bases under one frame and two bases under the next frame. For the rear of the tabernacle westward he made six frames. He made two frames for corners of the tabernacle in the rear. And they were separate beneath but joined at the top, at the first ring. He made two of them this way for the two corners. There were eight frames with their bases of silver: sixteen bases, under every frame two bases. He made bars of acacia wood, five for the frames of the one side of the tabernacle, and five bars for the frames of the other side of the tabernacle, and five bars for the frames of the tabernacle at the rear westward. And he made the middle bar to run from end to end halfway up the frames. And he overlaid the frames with gold, and made their rings of gold for holders for the bars, and overlaid the bars with gold. He made the veil of blue and purple and scarlet yarns and fine twined linen; with cherubim skillfully worked into it he made it. And for it he made four pillars of acacia and overlaid them with gold. Their hooks were of gold, and he cast for them four bases of silver. He also made a screen for the entrance of the tent, of blue and purple and scarlet yarns and fine twined linen, embroidered with needlework, and its five pillars with their hooks. He overlaid their capitals, and their fillets were of gold, but their five bases were of bronze.” (Exodus 35:4–36:38, ESV)
“Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. For what partnership has righteousness with lawlessness? Or what fellowship has light with darkness? What accord has Christ with Belial? Or what portion does a believer share with an unbeliever? What agreement has the temple of God with idols? For we are the temple of the living God; as God said, “I will make my dwelling among them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. Therefore go out from their midst, and be separate from them, says the Lord, and touch no unclean thing; then I will welcome you, and I will be a father to you, and you shall be sons and daughters to me, says the Lord Almighty.” Since we have these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from every defilement of body and spirit, bringing holiness to completion in the fear of God.” (2 Corinthians 6:14–7:1, ESV)
Please excuse any typos and misspellings within this manuscript. It has been published online for the benefit of the saints of Emmaus Reformed Baptist Church but without the benefit of proofreading.
Brothers and sisters, as you know, the Lord Jesus Christ accomplished salvation for all who were given to him by the Father nearly 2000 years ago. Jesus came to live for his bride, the church, to die for her, to raise for her, and to ascend for her. This work of redemption has been accomplished. There is nothing more to do. It is finished.
And as you also know, this redemption that Jesus Christ has earned is applied to sinners in due time when the Holy Spirit of God draws the elect of God to faith and repentance through the preaching of the gospel. If you have turned from your sins and have believed in Christ and in his finished work, then you have experienced this. At some point in time you were called externally by the preaching of the gospel, and inwardly by the regenerating power of the Holy Spirit. That is how the salvation that Christ earned so long ago was applied to you. You received it by faith, through the preaching of the gospel, and the internal working and wooing of the Holy Spirit. This is ordinarily the means that God uses to apply the redemption purchased by Christ to his elect.
Indeed, this is the way that sinners come to be saved who live now after Christ’s life, death, burial resurrection, and ascension. And as you know, this is also how sinners were saved before Christ came into the world to do the work the Father gave him to do. Listen to our Confession of Faith on this point. Chapter 8, Paragraph 6 says, “Although the price of redemption was not actually paid by Christ until after his incarnation, yet the virtue, efficacy, and benefit thereof were communicated [given or applied] to the elect in all ages successively from the beginning of the world, in and by those promises, types, and sacrifices wherein he was revealed, and signified to be the seed of the woman which should bruise the serpent’s head; and the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world, being the same yesterday, and today and for ever.” Our confession is absolutely correct. People were justified (or saved) in Adam, Abraham, and Moses’ days in the very same way that they are saved today. They were justified by faith as they believed in the good news that was delivered to them concerning the Messiah, and this ability to believe was made possible by the working of the Holy Spirit. The good new that they received and the good news that we have received is the same in substance. The only difference is this: The gospel that was delivered to them came in the form of a promise concerning what would be done. The gospel delivered to those after Christ comes as an announcement concerning what has been done.
Last Sunday I attempted to show you that the gospel of Jesus Christ was not only delivered to God’s people who lived before his coming by way of promises and prophesies but also through types and shadows. I especially focused on the shadows of Christ – that is to say, on those ways in which Jesus Christ was revealed in the laws that were given to Old Covenant Israel through Moses, especially those laws which governed their worship. Those ceremonial laws regulated worship under the Old Covenant, but they were a shadow of Christ. Christ is the substance, and his shadow was cast backward in the history of redemption in the ceremonial laws that God gave to Israel through Moses. And so, last Sunday, we considered how the seventh-day Sabbath revealed the good news of Jesus Christ in a shadowy way. I wish to do the very same thing today with the tabernacle. The tabernacle of Old Covenant Israel revealed the good news of Jesus Christ. Or to put it another way, the tabernacle, and later, the temple, of Old Covenant Israel, preached the gospel of Jesus Christ in a shadowy, symbolic way.
I’ve already warned you that the book of Exodus is repetitive. If when I read this text you thought, this sounds familiar, that is because it is. What is recorded for us here in our text regarding the actual building of the tabernacle was said earlier in Exodus, but there it was delivered as instruction. First, God told Moses what Israel was to do, and here we have a description of Israel doing what God commanded. It would be a mistake for us to disregard the repetition as if it was accidental or wasteful. No, the repetition is intentional and significant. It stresses the extreme importance of what is being described here, namely, the obedience of Israel to build God’s tabernacle according to God’s command. Also, it provides us with an opportunity to consider this text (and the texts which follow) in a different way than before. We have already considered the details of the tabernacle that God commanded Israel to make. Now we will step back from the details and consider the broader significance of the tabernacle.
God commanded that a tabernacle be built by Israel. Think about that for a moment, and consider the significance. YHWH redeemed Israel from bondage. He led them into the wilderness. He entered into a special covenantal relationship with them and instructed them to build a tabernacle. Why did he do this? What was the significance or meaning of the tabernacle that God gave to Israel?
One, the gift of the tabernacle signified to Israel and to the world that YHWH did not redeem them to stand afar off from them but to dwell in the midst of them.
Two, the gift of the tabernacle signified to Israel and to the world that YHWH redeemed them so they might draw near to him in worship.
Three, and here is the thing that I wish to focus on this morning, the gift of the tabernacle signified to Israel and to the world that YHWH was doing something in them and through them to restore what was lost in the beginning when Adam fell into sin through the breaking of the covenant that God made with him.
I have taught you that the garden of Eden was a tabernacle or temple, and so it was. In the beginning, God made the heavens and the earth. He formed the earth to make it a place suitable for man to dwell. And after this, “the LORD God planted a garden in Eden, in the east, and there he put the man whom he had formed” (Genesis 2:8, ESV). The garden was not a common place. It was a holy place. It was the place on earth where God dwelt with man, and where man enjoyed communion with God. Adam was to function as God’s prophet, priest, and king in that special place. He was to protect, expand, fill, and subdue that realm. There he was to worship and serve the LORD perfectly and perpetually. The garden of Eden was a temple. It was not a temple made of stone, but a temple of God’s creation. It was the place where the God of heaven met with man on earth. As God says in Isaiah 66:1, “Heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool; what is the house that you would build for me, and what is the place of my rest? All these things my hand has made, and so all these things came to be, declares the LORD” (Isaiah 66:1–2, ESV). And what would have happened if Adam had kept the covenant that God made with him in the beginning? What would have happened if he passed the time of testing? He would have been invited to eat from the tree of life. He would have entered into God’s eternal Sabbath rest. Heaven and earth would have become one. In other words, all would have become God’s eternal and glorious temple.
You say, how do you know this, Pastor? Really, it is quite simple. We see this clearly when we pay attention to how the theme of the tabernacle or temple is developed in the Holy Scriptures from Genesis 2 to Revelation 22. You see, there are certain themes that run throughout the pages of the Holy Scriptures. Sabbath is one such theme. The tree of life is also found at the beginning and end of the Bible. As you know well, the theme of the kingdom of God is pervasive. And here I want you to recognize that the theme of the tabernacle or temple runs throughout as well.
Brothers and sisters, please hear me. It is a terrible mistake to contemplate the tabernacle that Israel built in the days of Moses in isolation from all of the other references or allusions to God’s tabernacle or temple found throughout the pages of Holy Scripture. Are you following me? The tabernacle must be considered up close and in detail, and the tabernacle must also be considered from a distance and in general. If we only consider it up close and in detail, we run the risk of missing its significance.
As we consider the details of Israel’s tabernacle we must look back to Eden to consider what was offered to Adam but lost. And not only that, we must look ahead (from the perspective of Exodus 35) to the temple that David dreamed of and that Solomon built. We must also think of the massive and strangely placed temple that the prophet Ezekiel saw visions of (Ezekiel 40-48). And do not forget the way in which the scriptures speak of Jesus Christ. John 1 tells us that the eternal Word of God took on flesh and dwelt, or tabernacled amongst us. And do you remember how Jesus spoke concerning his impending death and resurrection? He spoke of his body when he said, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up” (John 2:19, ESV). Of course, we cannot forget that the church is called the temple of the Holy Spirit in the New Testament. Peter says that we, “like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ” (1 Peter 2:5, ESV). And of course, we cannot forget that wonderful description of the new heavens and earth in Revelation 21. After describing the new heavens and earth as a new Jerusalem, John says, “And I saw no temple in the city, for its temple is the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb” (Revelation 21:22, ESV). That chapter began with these words, “Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, ‘Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away’” (Revelation 21:1–4, ESV).
The point is this: when we step back from the details of the tabernacle of Old Covenant Israel and consider the development of the tabernacle/temple theme that runs from the beginning of Genesis through to the end of Revelation, a story emerges. And what is the story? In the beginning, after God created the heavens and earth, and after he made man in his image, he planted a garden-temple. It was a place where God would dwell with man, and where man would enjoy the presence of God. The garden was to be expanded, protected, and ruled by man to the glory of God. Had Adam passed the time of testing, he would have entered into eternal life, glory, the eternal Sabbath-rest of God, and the eschatological temple of God. Stated differently, the heavenly realm and the earthly realm would have become one. But Adam fell. He passed from the state of life and innocence to death. He fell short of the glory of God. He did not enter into God’s rest but would now toil in his work. Nor did he enter into the eternal temple of God, the new heavens and earth in which righteousness dwells, but was banished from the garden-temple which he had failed to keep.
At that juncture in the narrative, the looming question was this: was their hope? Answer: Yes, for God did promise to send a Redeemer, one who would arise from the offspring of the woman. The serpent who tempted Adam and Eve would bruise his heel, but he would bruise his head.
This promise that God made concerning a coming Redeemer was preserved in the world along a particular line. In due time, it was entrusted especially to a man named Abraham and to his offspring. God entered into a special covenant with Abraham wherein he promised to make a great nation of him, to give him the land of his sojournings, and to bless the nations of the earth through him. And in the days of Moses, many of those promises made to Abraham began to be fulfilled. God redeemed the offspring of Abraham (the Hebrews) from Egyptian bondage, and afterward, he entered into a special covenant with them. The Old Mosaic Covenant was not unrelated to the covenant that God made with Abraham. No, it was an expansion of it. And it especially was given to govern the Hebrew people – their worship and their society – as God brought them into the land of Canaan in fulfillment to the promises made previously to Abraham. Some of the promises made to Abraham were spiritual and eternal and would find their fulfillment, not in the Old Covenant, but in Christ and the New Covenant ratified in his blood. But some of the promises were fulfilled in the days of Moses and Joshua with the Exodus and the conquest. The Old Mosaic Covenant was added to these older promises to govern the nation of Israel for a time, until the promised Christ, the Seed of the Woman, the Seed of Abraham, and the Seed of David was brought into the world. And as you know, the laws that were given to Israel under the Old Covenant did not only govern them, many of them served to prefigure the Christ. In other words, “These are a shadow of the things to come, but the substance belongs to Christ” (Colossians 2:17, ESV; see also Hebrews 10:1).
The question here is, what did the tabernacle that God commanded Israel to make signify? What was its meaning? What was its message? It preached the gospel, brothers and sisters. It communicated to Isarel, and through them, to the world, that God had not abandoned his temple-building project. Adam failed to build God’s temple, but God would build it in another way. He would build it by his grace. He would build it through though Eve’s offspring. It would build it through the Son of Abraham and David, the second a greater Adam, Christ the Lord. The presence of the physical tabernacle and the more permanent temple in the midst of Israel under the Old Covenant preached that message. It preached the gospel in a prophetic and shadowy way. To use the language of Revelation 21:3, the tabernacle of Old Covenant Israel proclaimed, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is [will be] with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God” (Revelation 21:3, ESV). That glorious reality was promised and pre-figured on earth in Old Covenant Israel. It was earned and inaugurated by Christ at his first coming. It will be brought to its full and consummate state when he returns. That is what I mean when I say that the tabernacle of Israel proclaimed the gospel.
Now that we have considered the basic significance of the tabernacle, I wish to speak briefly about its expansion.
Someday, Lord willing, we will come to consider in detail the temple that King Solomon, the son of David, built. Clearly, the temple he built was a permanent and glorious version of the tabernacle. It was much larger, and much more grand. Note this: As the kingdom of God which was prefigured in Israel was established under King David and his sons, the tabernacle was established in one place, namely Jerusalem. So then, the kingdom of God and the tabernacle of God advance together. With the advancement of the kingdom there comes advancement with the tabernacle.
And someday, Lord willing, we will consider the book of Ezekiel together. It is interesting that the book of the prophecies of Ezekiel concludes with a very grand vision of a greatly expanded temple. Some believe that this time will be built in a future millennial reign of Christ. I believe this is a very flawed interpretation. Instead, the vision of Ezekiel 40-48 points, in a prophetic and symbolic way, to the time when God’s temple would be greatly expanded. A careful reading of the New Testament reveals that this greatly expanded temple-building project began at his first coming. It is taking place in these last days, that is to say, in the days between Christ’s first and second coming. The temple is not a physical building but is more akin to the temple of Eden. There, God did not meet with Adam in a building, but in the midst of his creation. And so it is under the New Covenant. Now that the kingdom God is here in power. And now that the new creation has broken into human history (you are a new creation), God’s true and eternal temple has begun to be built (you, church, are the temple of the Holy Spirit). And God’s temple is not isolated to one nation or to one city under the New Covenant but is expanding to the ends of the earth. This is why Christ said, “And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age” (Matthew 28:18–20, ESV). With the inauguration of the kingdom of God (behold the kingdom of heaven is at hand), comes also the inauguration of God’s eternal temple, built by God’s Messiah, the Son of Abraham and David, the second and greater Adam.
The point is this: Ezekiel revealed that one day the temple of Solomon would be greatly expanded, and it has. If you fail to see the true significance of the tabernacle and temple of Israel, then you will not be able to see this, for you will be looking for a temple of stone. But if you understand that, from the beginning, the tabernacle and temple of the Old Covenant had reference to Eden, to heaven above, and to new heavens and earth which the Christ would earn for his people, then you will see how Ezekiel’s temple is present now. It is not made of stone. Christ is the builder, and he is also the cornerstone. The apostles and prophets make of the rest of the foundation. And you, dear brothers and sisters, as “living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ” (1 Peter 2:5, ESV).
And where will God’s temple-building project find its ultimate fulfillment? In the new heavens and earth. When Christ returns, the heavenly realm and earthly realm will be made one. And there will be “no temple in [that eternal] city, for its temple is the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb.” (Revelation 21:22, ESV)
As I move this sermon towards a concussion, I would like to say a few words about God’s tabernacle, or temple, in the here and now. Where is God’s temple now? God’s eschatological, new creation temple is present on earth now (in an inaugurated form), and you, Christian, are that temple. You, church, are the temple of the Holy Spirit. “Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.” (1 Corinthians 6:19–20, ESV). And in another place, Paul says, “Do you not know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in you?” (1 Corinthians 3:16, ESV). What are the implications of this for the believer and for the church? So many things can be said. Here are eight very brief points.
One, if you are in Christ, then you are God’s Spirit-filled temple, and you have been called to worship.
Two, if you are in Christ, then you are God’s Spirit-filled temple, and you have been called pray.
Three, if you are in Christ, then you are God’s Spirit-filled temple, and you have been called to assemble.
Four, if you are in Christ, then you are God’s Spirit-filled temple, and you have been called to build his temple.
Five, if you are in Christ, then you are God’s Spirit-filled temple, and you have been called to holiness – personal holiness, and corporate holiness. God’s temple must be kept.
Six, if you are in Christ, then you are God’s Spirit-filled temple, and you have been called to expand.
Seven, if you are in Christ, then you are God’s Spirit-filled temple, and you have been called to communion with God.
Eight, if you are in Christ, then you are God’s Spirit-filled temple, and you have been called to long for the consummation, for the new heavens and earth, and to persevere in Christ until the end.
These are eight very brief and simple reflections on the church as the New Covenant, new creation temple of God. In fact, I think there is a great deal of insight to be gained concerning the nature, purpose, and mission of the church when we consider that she is God’s tabernacle or temple. Who is to be admitted into the church? What is our purpose when we assemble? What is our mission in the world? What is our future hope? Rich answers to these questions and many others emerge when we remember that the church is “God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in [us]”. Indeed, the good news is that Christ came so that we might be God’s temple, and so that we might enter into his eternal temple, where it is said, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God” (Revelation 21:3, ESV). Indeed, the tabernacle and temple of Old proclaimed these truths in a shadowy way until Christ, the eternal Word of God, and the substance of these shadows tabernacled amongst us to accomplish our salvation and to usher in the new creation (2 Corinthians 5:17; Galatians 6:15).
Oct 22
30
Q. 38. What is sanctification?
A. Sanctification is the work of God’s free grace whereby we are renewed in the whole man after the image of God, and are enabled more and more to die unto sin, and live unto righteousness. (2 Thess. 2:13; Eph. 4:23,24; Rom. 6:11)
“Now this I say and testify in the Lord, that you must no longer walk as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their minds. They are darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, due to their hardness of heart. They have become callous and have given themselves up to sensuality, greedy to practice every kind of impurity. But that is not the way you learned Christ!— assuming that you have heard about him and were taught in him, as the truth is in Jesus, to put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness. Therefore, having put away falsehood, let each one of you speak the truth with his neighbor, for we are members one of another. Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, and give no opportunity to the devil. Let the thief no longer steal, but rather let him labor, doing honest work with his own hands, so that he may have something to share with anyone in need. Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.” (Ephesians 4:17–32, ESV)
Oct 22
30
QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION AT HOME OR IN GOSPEL COMMUNITY GROUPS
Sermon manuscript available at emmausrbc.org
Oct 22
30
“Moses assembled all the congregation of the people of Israel and said to them, ‘These are the things that the LORD has commanded you to do. Six days work shall be done, but on the seventh day you shall have a Sabbath of solemn rest, holy to the LORD. Whoever does any work on it shall be put to death. You shall kindle no fire in all your dwelling places on the Sabbath day’” (Exodus 35:1–3, ESV).
“O foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? It was before your eyes that Jesus Christ was publicly portrayed as crucified. Let me ask you only this: Did you receive the Spirit by works of the law or by hearing with faith? Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh? Did you suffer so many things in vain—if indeed it was in vain? Does he who supplies the Spirit to you and works miracles among you do so by works of the law, or by hearing with faith— just as Abraham ‘believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness’? Know then that it is those of faith who are the sons of Abraham. And the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel beforehand to Abraham, saying, ‘In you shall all the nations be blessed.’ So then, those who are of faith are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith. For all who rely on works of the law are under a curse; for it is written, ‘Cursed be everyone who does not abide by all things written in the Book of the Law, and do them.’ Now it is evident that no one is justified before God by the law, for ‘The righteous shall live by faith.’ But the law is not of faith, rather ‘The one who does them shall live by them.’ Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us—for it is written, ‘Cursed is everyone who is hanged on a tree’— so that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles, so that we might receive the promised Spirit through faith.” (Galatians 3:1–14, ESV)
Please excuse any typos and misspellings within this manuscript. It has been published online for the benefit of the saints of Emmaus Reformed Baptist Church but without the benefit of proofreading.
Last Sunday I preached a sermon entitled, What Is The Gospel? In that sermon, I told you that the word gospel means good news. The gospel of Jesus Christ is an announcement, therefore. It is the good news that forgiveness from sin and salvation is available through faith in Jesus Christ. But in that sermon, I did also try to convince you that the gospel is not a simple announcement, but rather a story about God’s good creation, man’s fall into sin, the redemption that Christ has earned through his obedient life, sacrificial death, and victorious resurrection, and the consummation of all things when he returns. If you wish to proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ in a way that makes sense, you must (to one degree or another) tell the story of creation, fall, redemption, and consummation. The story of God’s good creation and man’s fall into sin through the breaking of the covenant of works is the backstory that makes the story of our redemption in Christ Jesus comprehensible.
And now I ask, how does this redemption which Christ has earned through his obedient life and sacrificial death come to benefit sinners? In other words, Christ has accomplished our redemption. This he has done nearly 2,000 years ago. He lived a life of righteous obedience so that sinners might be clothed with his righteousness, and he died in the place of sinners to atone for their sins and to bear the wrath of God in their place. This work has been accomplished. There is nothing more to do. It is finished! But here I am asking, how is this redemption which Christ has earned applied to sinners – even to those of us who live now 2,000 years after the fact?
Answer: it is received by faith through the preaching of the gospel as the Spirit works.
What do I mean when I say, as the Spirit works? Here I am talking about the fact that, because we are dead in our sins, blind to the truth, at enmity with God, and bent towards evil, the Spirit of God must work upon fallen sinners inwardly if we are to turn from our sin and to God through faith in Jesus the Christ. The Spirit of God must work. He must give new life to the sinner. He must open blind eyes so that the sinner can perceive the truth of the gospel with the mind. He must subdue the rebel sinner to make them submissive to the will of God. He must renew the sinner’s heart so that he or she desires God and the gospel. We call this regeneration. We call this new birth. We call this effectual calling.
Questions 32 through 34 of our catechism say it well.
Q. 32. How are we made partakers of the redemption purchased by Christ? A. We are made partakers of the redemption purchased by Christ, by the effectual application of it to us, by His Holy Spirit. (John 3:5,6; Titus 3:5,6)
Q. 33. How doth the Spirit apply to us the redemption purchased by Christ?
A. The Spirit applieth to us the redemption purchased by Christ, by working faith in us, and thereby uniting us to Christ in our effectual calling. (Eph. 2:8; 3:17)
Q. 34. What is effectual calling?
A. Effectual calling is the work of God’s Spirit, whereby, convincing us of our sin and misery, enlightening our minds in the knowledge of Christ, and renewing our wills, He doth persuade and enable us to embrace Jesus Christ, freely offered to us in the Gospel. (2 Tim. 1:9; John 16:8-11; Acts 2:37; 26:18; Ezekiel 36:26; John 6:44,45; 1 Cor. 12:3)
That is what I mean when I say that the redemption that Christ has earned is applied to sinners when they receive it by faith through the preaching of the gospel as the Spirit works.
The Spirit must work. The Spirit must call sinners inwardly. This is what Jesus meant when he said, “No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him. And I will raise him up on the last day” (John 6:44, ESV). But the gospel must also be proclaimed! And that is our work. The preaching of the gospel of Jesus Christ is the means that God uses to bring sinners to faith and repentance. This is why Paul said, “For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek” (Romans 1:16, ESV). And a little later in Romans, he says, “For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, bestowing his riches on all who call on him. For ‘everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.’ How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, ‘How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!’” (Romans 10:12–15, ESV, emphasis added). You see, it is through the preaching or proclamation of the gospel that men and women are ordinarily saved.
But know this: though the Spirit must draw sinners, and though the gospel must be preached if men and women are to be saved, faith is the instrument whereby we lay ahold of Christ and the gift of the gospel that is freely offered.
How do you receive food into the body and benefit from all of the nutrients it contains? Is it not by way of the mouth and through the process of chewing and the means of digestion? And how do you receive a gift offered to you by a friend? Do you not receive it with the hand and express your gratitude with your lips? Just as the mouth is the instrument by which we receive the blessing of food, and the hand is the instrument by which we receive a gift from a friend, faith in Christ is the instrument by which we receive salvation and all of the spiritual and eternal benefits that accompany it.
Listen to Paul in Galatians 2:16: “yet we know that a person is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ, so we also have believed in Christ Jesus, in order to be justified by faith in Christ and not by works of the law, because by works of the law no one will be justified” (Galatians 2:16, ESV, emphasis added). The words “through” and “by” speak to the means or the conduit through with salvation is received. When you turn the faucet on in your home, water comes out. How does that happen? How do you come to have the water in your glass or pot? It is through or by the pipes. And how do you come to have the salvation that Christ accomplished so long ago along with all of its various benefits in your soul? It is received by faith. And we know that faith, that is to say, the ability to believe, is itself a gift from God. This is what Paul so clearly says in Ephesians 2:8-9: “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast” (Ephesians 2:8–9, ESV).
How is this redemption which Christ has earned received by sinners? Answer: it is received by faith through the preaching of the gospel and by the effectual calling of the Holy Spirit. Sinners come to be saved by Christ and forgiven all of their sins when they turn from their sins, believe in Christ, and trust in his works – and even this ability to believe is a gift from God.
Now, here is yet another question. How were sinners saved and forgiven prior to the life, death, burial and resurrection of Christ? Christ lived, died, and rose again nearly 2,000 years ago. It was at that time that he accomplished our redemption. Ever since then, sinners have been saved through faith and by hearing the good news about what Christ had done, as the Spirit works. But what about before that time? What about those who lived in the days of Abraham, some 2,000 years before Christ was born? And what about those who lived in the days of Moses, some 1,600 years before Christ was born? How were those people saved from their sins? Answer: In much the same way that sinners are saved after his life, death, burial, and resurrection.
The scriptures are very clear that Abraham (along with everyone who lived in his era) was justified (saved) through faith, by the hearing of the gospel, and the working of the Holy Spirit. Listen again to Galatians 3:3-9: “Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh? Did you suffer so many things in vain—if indeed it was in vain? Does he who supplies the Spirit to you and works miracles among you do so by works of the law, or by hearing with faith— just as Abraham ‘believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness”? Know then that it is those of faith who are the sons of Abraham. And the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel beforehand to Abraham, saying, “In you shall all the nations be blessed.” So then, those who are of faith are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith” (Galatians 3:3–9, ESV). In this one passage, Paul insists that Abraham was justified (forgiven, declared not guilty, saved) in the very same way that those who live after Christ are saved, namely, through faith, by the hearing of the gospel, and by the working of the Spirit, and not by the keeping of the law.
There is one difference though: the gospel that is preached after the life of Christ looks back, whereas the gospel that was preached before the life of Christ looked forward. Do you see the difference? It is the same gospel but from a different vantage point. The gospel preached in the days of Adam, Abraham, Moses, and David said, here is what the Lord will do! But the gospel that is preached after his life, death, burial, and resurrection, says, here is what the Lord has done! It is the same gospel but proclaimed from a different perspective. The gospel under the old covenant was delivered as a promise – God will provide a Savior! God will send his Messiah to defeat the evil one, to overthrow his kingdom and his works, to set the captives free, to pay for sins, and to make all things new! The gospel under the new covenant is delivered as an announcement – the Savior of the world has come, he has paid for sins, etc, and it is finished! Under both the Old Covenant and the New sinners are called to do the same thing: then and now they must believe this gospel, turn from their sins, and trust in this Messiah for the forgiveness of sins and the hope of life everlasting. It is the same Messiah! But the details concerning his person and work were a mystery before he came. Those who lived before his first coming could see him dimly through promises given to them. Now the veil has been lifted. We see him clearly now, for he has come to accomplish the work the Father gave him to do.
As we continue on in our study of the book of Exodus I will attempt to show you how the gospel of Jesus the Messiah was delivered even to those who lived in the days of Moses. You have probably heard me say in previous sermons that the gospel was delivered to them in the form of promises, prophesies, types, and shadows. Those are important terms. And they are biblical terms.
The word promise appears throughout the New Testament. It is often used to speak of the guarantees that God gave to Abraham concerning the Messiah he would bring into the world through his offspring to bless all the nations of the earth. The language of promise is found throughout the New Testament, but it is especially concentrated in Romans, Galatians, Ephesians, and Hebrews. For example, Hebrews 11:17 says, “By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac, and he who had received the promises was in the act of offering up his only son, of whom it was said, ‘Through Isaac shall your offspring be named’” (Hebrews 11:17–18, ESV). The good news concerning the Messiah – his person, his work, and his reward – that was delivered to those who lived prior to the life of Christ is referred to as “promise” because it was, one, guaranteed by God and, two, its fulfillment was in their future. Promises have to do with the future, don’t they? If I promise to do something I am giving you my guarantee that I will surely do it in the future. And so it was with the gospel of Jesus Christ from the days of Adam to Christ. The gospel was proclaimed to those who live in those days in the form of a promise. God guaranteed that he would accomplish redemption through the Messiah, the seed of Eve and of Abraham, in the future. And according to 2 Corinthians 1:20, “all the promises of God find their Yes in him. That is why it is through him that we utter our Amen to God for his glory” (2 Corinthians 1:20, ESV).
In addition to the precious and very great promises made to Adam, Abraham, and entrusted to Israel, the gospel of Jesus Christ was also communicated through prophecies. Here I am thinking of those declarations that were made by God to and through the prophets of Old concerning the coming Messiah. Moses himself spoke to Israel saying, “The LORD your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you, from your brothers—it is to him you shall listen—” (Deuteronomy 18:15, ESV). Indeed, there were many prophets who arose within and ministered to Israel. Under the inspiration of the Spirit, they spoke of many things, one of them being the coming Messiah. But when Moses said, “The LORD your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you, from your brothers—it is to him you shall listen—”, it had ultimate fulfillment in Christ himself. He was a prophet like no other, being the eternal Word of God come in the flesh (see John 1:21, 25, 45; Acts 3:22; 7:37).
So then, the good news of Jesus Christ was delivered to those who lived prior to the life of Christ in the form of promises and prophesies. Let us also consider the revelation of the gospel through “types”. Types are people, places, events, and institutions that have a prophetic, forward-looking quality to them. In Romans 5:14 Adam is said to have been a “type” of Christ. Adam and Christ share this in common: they both were appointed to live as representatives of others. We may also say that Isaac, the only begotten son of Abraham, was a type of Christ. The Hebrews 11:17 passage that was read a moment ago suggests this. Just as Abraham offered Isaac up on the altar and received him back from the dead, metaphorically speaking, so too God the Father offered up his eternally begotten Son to die as a substitute for others and to raise from the dead in victory.
Now, what about shadows? Shadows are similar to types. But it seems that this word is used more exclusively to refer to those aspects of the law given to Israel through Moses which pointed forward to the coming Messiah and to his work. Listen to Colossians 2:16-17: “So let no one judge you in food or in drink, or regarding a festival or a new moon or sabbaths, which are a shadow of things to come, but the substance is of Christ” (Colossians 2:16–17, NKJV). The same word is also used in this way in Hebrews 8:5 and 10:1. Hebrews 8:5 says, “Now if [Christ] were on earth, he would not be a priest at all, since there are priests who offer gifts according to the law. They serve a copy and shadow of the heavenly things. For when Moses was about to erect the tent, he was instructed by God, saying, ‘See that you make everything according to the pattern that was shown you on the mountain’” (Hebrews 8:4–5, ESV). And Hebrews 10:11 says, “For since the law has but a shadow of the good things to come instead of the true form of these realities, it can never, by the same sacrifices that are continually offered every year, make perfect those who draw near.” (Hebrews 10:1, ESV)
What do these New Testament texts mean? Well, they clarify that when God gave Israel the law through Moses (the moral law, the civil law, and the ceremonial law which regulated Israel’s worship) they were designed to indicate truths about God in heaven, and truths about the Christ who was to come.
I’m sure you understand how shadows work. When light hits something of substance, like your body, or a tree – it casts a shadow. The shadow itself is not the material thing but is an image or a copy of the material thing. In Hebrews 8:5, the law that was given to Israel through Moses is said to have been a shadow and copy of heavenly realities. Clearly, this was the case with the tabernacle. The tabernacle was built according to the pattern shown to Moses on the mountain. In other words, the physical tabernacle was a shadow of heavenly realities. In Hebrews 10:11 the law is said to have been a shadow of the good things to come. In this text, the law is not a shadow of heavenly realities, but of future realities (from the vantage point of those who lived under the Old Covenant). The Colossians 2:16-17 passage says something similar. Paul wrote to Christians living after the life of Christ, saying, “So let no one judge you in food or in drink, or regarding a festival or a new moon or sabbaths, which are a shadow of things to come, but the substance is of Christ.” The festivals, new moons, and sabbaths of which Paul speaks were those holy days that Israel was commanded to keep under the Old Covenant – for example, the Passover and Day of Atonement, and all of the sabbath or rest days associated with these holy days. Paul says they were “a shadow of things to come”. So then, these holy days of Old Covenant Israel were forward pointing. They were a shadowy picture of something future. And what was that future thing? Paul says, “but the substance is of Christ.” Jesus Christ was the substantial thing whose shadow was cast back into the Old Covenant.
Brothers and sisters, I present this teaching to you regarding the gospel of Jesus Christ being proclaimed to those who lived prior to the life of Christ in the form of promises, prophesies, types, and shadows, because you cannot properly read the Old Testament or the New apart from this truth. The gospel of Jesus Christ was proclaimed back then. It was not an announcement of what Christ had done, but of what would do, for the redemption of his people and the forgiveness of their sins.
Now, as we continue on in our study of the book of Exodus, my intention is to show you how the gospel was put on display in the tabernacle of the Old Covenant. Yes, the people of Israel did really worship there. Yes, the people were really purified there – not in the soul, but in the flesh. And yes, the priests did really intercede between Israel and YHWH as his presence was manifest in that place. But the tabernacle did also point to the future to Christ and his finished work. It was a shadow of the good things to come. The substance was Christ. And so in the weeks to come I will talk about the good news of the tabernacle, the good news of the ark, the table, and the lampstand, the good news of the altar of incense and the altar of burnt sacrifices, and so on. We have considered the tabernacle and all of its accouterments in detail in previous sermons. But in the weeks to come we will have the opportunity to consider each of these aspects of the tabernacle that was given to Old Covenant Israel and to ask, how was Christ pictured there? How was Christ, his finished work, and his final reward foreshadowed in these things? The repetition of the book of Exodus concerning the instructions given for the building of the tabernacle and then the actual building of the tabernacle gives us the opportunity to consider the text in both of these ways – first, up close and in detail, and then second, from afar back and in a general way.
But before we consider the tabernacle, its furnishing, its priesthood, and its filling, let us consider the Sabbath. In Exodus 35:1-3 the people of Israel are commanded yet again to observe the Sabbath day.
Verse 1: “Moses assembled all the congregation of the people of Israel and said to them, ‘These are the things that the LORD has commanded you to do. Six days work shall be done, but on the seventh day you shall have a Sabbath of solemn rest, holy to the LORD. Whoever does any work on it shall be put to death. You shall kindle no fire in all your dwelling places on the Sabbath day’” (Exodus 35:1–3, ESV).
When we read that “Moses assembled all the congregation of the people of Israel” we are to remember that the Lord had graciously reinstituted the covenant that he made with them at Sinai which they had already broken by their corporate idolatry. Moses assembled them to recommission them to move forward with the building of the tabernacle according to the design that was shown to him on the mountain.
The very first thing that Moses commands is that the people observe the Sabbath day. Six days were to be devoted to work. The seventh day was to be a day of holy rest. This even applied to the work of building the tabernacle. Also, the tabernacle and the Sabbath day were intimately related things. The people were to worship corporately at the tabernacle on the Sabbath day. It was a day for assembling together. It was a day for rest. It was a day for worship. We should not be surprised, therefore, to see the instructions for building the tabernacle, and the command to observe the Sabbath day, closely related. If the Sabbath day was properly observed, the tabernacle would be properly used. If the Sabbath day was neglected, the tabernacle would be neglected too. Notice that the Sabbath day is here called a day of “solemn rest” and a day “holy to the LORD”. The Sabbath day is a special day. It is a day to cease from normal labor and normal recreation. It is a day set apart for worship with the people of God.
And then in verse 3 we find this law: “Whoever does any work on it shall be put to death. You shall kindle no fire in all your dwelling places on the Sabbath day.” In Old Covenant Israel, the civil penalty for Sabbath-breaking was death. The people of Israel were not even to kindle a fire in their dwelling places on the Sabbath day. This command takes us back to the first mention of the Sabbath in the book of Exodus when it was said “Tomorrow is a day of solemn rest, a holy Sabbath to the LORD; bake what you will bake and boil what you will boil, and all that is left over lay aside to be kept till the morning’” (Exodus 16:23, ESV).
I have said a lot about the Sabbath in previous sermons. Today I wish to draw your attention to the gospel of the Sabbath.
First, let me explain what I do not mean by this phrase.
One, I do not mean that men and women can be justified before God through Sabbath-keeping. I will simply site Galatians 2:16 to refute that idea: “yet we know that a person is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ, so we also have believed in Christ Jesus, in order to be justified by faith in Christ and not by works of the law, because by works of the law no one will be justified” (Galatians 2:16, ESV). Sabbath-keeping cannot save you.
Two, I am not denying the strictness of the law of the Sabbath under the Old Mosaic covenant. The penalty for Sabbath-breakers was death. Indeed, the law was a harsh schoolmaster and a strict disciplinarian for Old Covenant Israel.
So what do I mean when I speak of the “gospel of the Sabbath”?
One, I wish to emphasize that the Sabbath day was a gift to Israel. Indeed, it was and is a gift for all humanity, and the people of God in every era ought to see it as such. It is a day to cease from common labor. It is a day to worship God and to assemble with the people of God. It is a day to be refreshed in God, in the worship and contemplation of his glorious name. The Sabbath was a gift for Israel. It was something for them to enjoy and to delight is, just as it is for us.
Two, I want for you to see the good news communicated by the Sabbath day. In order to see the good news we must first understand what the Sabbath signified in the beginning. The Sabbath day was not first given to Israel, but to Adam in the garden even before sin entered the world. It communicated to Adam that through his faithful work he would enter into eternal rest in the presence of God. The Sabbath day was sacramental, therefore. It symbolized something similar to what the tree of life symbolized. Adam was alive in the garden. Indeed, we may call that garden “paradise”. But according to the terms of the covenant of works, it was a place of testing for Adam. Were he to have passed the test – were he to have obeyed God’s commandments faithfully and from the heart – he would have been permitted to eat of the tree of life and to enter into that which the tree of life symbolized, namely, life eternal – life in glory. The Sabbath day symbolized something similar. Were Adam to have obeyed God faithfully – were he to have accomplished the work that God gave him to do while resting and worshiping God from the heart according to the pattern established for him – then he would enter into the thing which the Sabbath day signifies, namely, eternal rest – God’s rest, that is to say, glory. In other words, the weekly Sabbath day communicated something to Adam. It communicated that eternal life and eternal rest were available to him. Through his faithful obedience under the covenant of works, he would enter into eternal life and rest.
Now we know that Adam broke the covenant of works. We know that all of the curses of that covenant fell on him. And not only did they fall on him, but on all who descended from him, that is to say humanity. Adam and Eve were banished from the garden and barred from the tree of life. All of Adam’s children were born outside of Eden and under the curses of that broken covenant of works.
That is bad news. The question is this: is there good news? Answer: yes, there is good news. Shortly after the fall, God promised to send a Savior, one who would be born of the woman who would crush the serpent’s head. And as you have learned today, this good news was not only communicated in the form of promise, but also through prophecies, types, and shadows.
We could spend a very long time talking about all of the promises, prophesies, types, and shadows through which the good news of Jesus Christ was communicated from the days of Adam to the days of Christ. Indeed, Christ taught his disciples that the “Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms” all found their fulfillment in him (Luke 24:44). But today I want you to consider the way in which the continued presence of the Sabbath day communicated good new.
Think with me. If there was no hope for humanity to enter into God’s eternal rest after Adam, our federal head, fell into sin, then there would be no Sabbath-keeping in the world after the fall, for the observance of the Sabbath day does not only benefit the people of God week after week, it also communicates something about our future hope. It told Adam that through his faithful obedience to God’s commands in the garden he would enter into rest. And when God’s people continued to observe the seventh-day Sabbath from Adam to Moses, it communicated good news – entering into the thing of which the Sabbath was a sign was still a possibility.
Now, not all agree that the Sabbath was observed by God’s people from Adam to Moses. I believe it was. And I have put Exodus 16 before you as evidence of this. The Sabbath was observed prior to the giving of the Ten Commandments, the fourth of which says, “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy” (Exodus 20:8, ESV). But it is clear to all and beyond all dispute, that in the days of Moses when God entered into a special covenant with the people of Israel at Sinai, he commanded his people to keep the Sabbath day holy. It has been commanded over and over and over again in the Exodus narrative. And we see the importance of Sabbath-keeping – those who violated the Sabbath in Old Covenant Israel were to be put to death.
What did this communicate to Israel, and through them, to the world? It communicated that God was doing something in and through Israel that would result in rest. Through obedience, there would come rest.
The question now is this: whose obedience and what rest?
First, whose obedience would bring about the rest? It should be clear to all that it would not be Israel’s obedience, for as soon as this covenant of works was made with them t Sinai, they, like their father Adam, broke the covenant through their corporate adultery. Instead of listening to the word of God, Aaron, the priest of Israel, listened to the voice of the people and led them into idolatry. Whose obedience would lead to rest? If we are following the storyline of Genesis and Exodus we will know. It will not be the obedience of Moses, Aaron, or Isarel, but of the Messiah whom the LORD promised to bring into the world through them to bless all nations.
And what rest did the seventh-day Old Covenant Sabbath signify? Did it signify the rest that the people of Israel would enjoy in Canaan once they took full possession of that land that was promised to them? Or did it signify the rest that Israel would enjoy under King David and the kings that would descend from him? Partially, yes. But not fully. The book of Hebrews makes this very clear in chapter 4:8 where it says, “For if Joshua had given them rest, God would not have spoken of another day later on” (Hebrews 4:8, ESV). Yes, Israel was given a type of rest through Joshua and even through David. By that rest was only a type. The weekly Sabbath day signifies something much, much greater than rest on this earth. From the beginning, the seventh-day Sabbath has signified eternal rest in the new heavens and earth.
Can you see it, brothers and sisters? The presence of the weekly, seventh-day Sabbath in the world from the fall of Adam into sin to the resurrection of Christ preached the gospel of Jesus Christ in a shadowy, symbolic way. As the cycle of six days of work followed by one day of rest repeated in world from Adam to Christ, it proclaimed something! And what did the Sabbath proclaim? In the beginning, God created the heavens and earth. He created in six days and rested on the seventh as a pattern for us. When he created, everything was good – very good. But man fell into sin. Here is the good news. The hope of entering into the eternal rest that was offered to Adam but forfeited by him remains. Therefore, the practice of Sabbath keeping remains for the people of God.
The seventh-day Sabbath did not find its fulfillment in Moses, Joshua, David, or in the victories that God worked through them. The seventh-day Sabbath found its fulfillment in Jesus Christ, the second Adam, the mediator and federal head of the Covenant of Grace, the seed of the woman who has bruised the serpent’s head. Jesus Christ obeyed the Father perfectly and perpetually. He finished the work the Father gave him to do in the Covenant of Redemption. He lived for those given to him by the Father. He died for these and rose again for these to reconcile them to the Father. And having accomplished his work, he ascended into glory and set down at the Father’s right hand. In other words, he entered into rest, and find our rest in him.
Can you see that the seventh-day Sabbath which was observed in the world from Adam to Christ proclaimed the good news of Jesus? In a shadowy and symbolic way, it proclaimed that the promised Messiah would earn the eternal rest that was offered to Adam but lost. He would do the work that God gave him to do, he would enter into rest as his reward, and he would bring all who have faith in him into that rest in the new heaven and earth which he has earned.
I have one last question. Does the practice of Sabbath keeping remain for the people of God today? Yes, indeed. Why? Because the thing that the Sabbath has always signified, namely eternal rest in the presence of God, has not yet arrived. According to Hebrews 4, it is because we have not yet entered that eternal rest that the practice of sabbath-keeping remains for the people of God.
But do not miss this very important point. We do not observe the Sabbath day on the seventh day, but on the first day of the week. It is the Lord’s Day – the day on which Christ was raised from the dead.
You see, whereas the seventh day Sabbath reminded the people of God of the original creation, of Adam’s fall into sin (his failure to enter into rest), and of the hope that our rest would one day be earned by the Messiah, the first day Sabbath reminds us of the original creation, of Adam’s fall into sin, and of the fact that Jesus Christ, the Messiah, the second has finished the work of our redemption and has entered into his rest. We rest in Christ now, and we have this sure hope, that we will enter into the fullness of his rest when he returns to make all things new.
Observing the Lord’s Day Sabbath is so very important, brothers and sisters. It is important because God has commanded it. It is also important because it is good for our souls. When observing the Christian Sabbath, we remember that Christ has come to accomplish our redemption. We remember that he has entered into his rest, that we rest in him in an inaugurated sense now, and that we will rest in him in a consummate sense when he returns. In other words, by thoughtfully and faithfully observing the Lord’s Day Sabbath, we center our lives on the gospel of Jesus Christ.
So you can see then, that Sabbath day preached the gospel to those who lived prior to the life of Christ in a shadowy, mysterious, and symbolic way. The Lord’s Day Sabbath still preaches the gospel, brothers and sisters, but no longer in a shadowy way, for the substance which once cast the shadow back into the history of redemption has come. We see him clearly now. And so, when we honor the Sabbath day and keep it holy, we remember that Jesus Christ lived for his people, died for his people, rose for his people, and ascended for his people. And by this finished work of his, he has inaugurated a new creation. The old Sabbath reminded the worshiper of the original creation. The new Sabbath reminds us of the original creation and of the new creation. That new creation is here now in an inaugurated sense. It will be here in a full and consummate form when Christ returns. Until that day, a Sabbath-keeping remains for the people of God, and in this, the good news of Jesus Christ is proclaimed.
Oct 22
23
Q. 37. What is adoption?
A. Adoption is an act of God’s free grace, whereby we are received into the number, and have a right to all the privileges of the sons of God. (1 John 3:1; John 1:12; Rom. 8:16,17)
“See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. The reason why the world does not know us is that it did not know him. Beloved, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is. And everyone who thus hopes in him purifies himself as he is pure. Everyone who makes a practice of sinning also practices lawlessness; sin is lawlessness. You know that he appeared in order to take away sins, and in him there is no sin. No one who abides in him keeps on sinning; no one who keeps on sinning has either seen him or known him. Little children, let no one deceive you. Whoever practices righteousness is righteous, as he is righteous. Whoever makes a practice of sinning is of the devil, for the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil. No one born of God makes a practice of sinning, for God’s seed abides in him; and he cannot keep on sinning, because he has been born of God. By this it is evident who are the children of God, and who are the children of the devil: whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is the one who does not love his brother.” (1 John 3:1–10, ESV)
Oct 22
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QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION AT HOME OR IN GOSPEL COMMUNITY GROUPS
Sermon manuscript available at emmausrbc.org
Oct 22
23
“Now Paul and his companions set sail from Paphos and came to Perga in Pamphylia. And John left them and returned to Jerusalem, but they went on from Perga and came to Antioch in Pisidia. And on the Sabbath day they went into the synagogue and sat down. After the reading from the Law and the Prophets, the rulers of the synagogue sent a message to them, saying, ‘Brothers, if you have any word of encouragement for the people, say it.’ So Paul stood up, and motioning with his hand said: ‘Men of Israel and you who fear God, listen. The God of this people Israel chose our fathers and made the people great during their stay in the land of Egypt, and with uplifted arm he led them out of it. And for about forty years he put up with them in the wilderness. And after destroying seven nations in the land of Canaan, he gave them their land as an inheritance. All this took about 450 years. And after that he gave them judges until Samuel the prophet. Then they asked for a king, and God gave them Saul the son of Kish, a man of the tribe of Benjamin, for forty years. And when he had removed him, he raised up David to be their king, of whom he testified and said, ‘I have found in David the son of Jesse a man after my heart, who will do all my will.’ Of this man’s offspring God has brought to Israel a Savior, Jesus, as he promised. Before his coming, John had proclaimed a baptism of repentance to all the people of Israel. And as John was finishing his course, he said, ‘What do you suppose that I am? I am not he. No, but behold, after me one is coming, the sandals of whose feet I am not worthy to untie.’ Brothers, sons of the family of Abraham, and those among you who fear God, to us has been sent the message of this salvation. For those who live in Jerusalem and their rulers, because they did not recognize him nor understand the utterances of the prophets, which are read every Sabbath, fulfilled them by condemning him. And though they found in him no guilt worthy of death, they asked Pilate to have him executed. And when they had carried out all that was written of him, they took him down from the tree and laid him in a tomb. But God raised him from the dead, and for many days he appeared to those who had come up with him from Galilee to Jerusalem, who are now his witnesses to the people. And we bring you the good news that what God promised to the fathers, this he has fulfilled to us their children by raising Jesus, as also it is written in the second Psalm, “ ‘You are my Son, today I have begotten you.’ And as for the fact that he raised him from the dead, no more to return to corruption, he has spoken in this way, ‘I will give you the holy and sure blessings of David.’ Therefore he says also in another psalm, ‘You will not let your Holy One see corruption.’ For David, after he had served the purpose of God in his own generation, fell asleep and was laid with his fathers and saw corruption, but he whom God raised up did not see corruption. Let it be known to you therefore, brothers, that through this man forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you, and by him everyone who believes is freed from everything from which you could not be freed by the law of Moses. Beware, therefore, lest what is said in the Prophets should come about: ‘Look, you scoffers, be astounded and perish; for I am doing a work in your days, a work that you will not believe, even if one tells it to you.’’ As they went out, the people begged that these things might be told them the next Sabbath. And after the meeting of the synagogue broke up, many Jews and devout converts to Judaism followed Paul and Barnabas, who, as they spoke with them, urged them to continue in the grace of God.” (Acts 13:13–43, ESV)
Please excuse any typos and misspellings within this manuscript. It has been published online for the benefit of the saints of Emmaus Reformed Baptist Church but without the benefit of proofreading.
As you can see, we have taken a little break from our study of the book of Exodus. This break will not last long. We will return to Exodus next Sunday, Lord willing. And I do hope that today’s sermon will help to propel us forward through the chapters that remain.
The title of the sermon today is, What Is The Gospel? I decided to preach this sermon for four reasons.
One, I wish to clearly communicate the gospel message knowing that there may be some in our midst who have not yet heard the gospel. That would be surprising to me if a person has been attending for any length of time, for the gospel is indeed proclaimed here Lord’s Day after Lord’s Day as we make our way through various texts of scripture. But today I will proclaim the gospel in a very direct way, and perhaps the Lord would be pleased to use this gospel presentation to draw someone to salvation through faith in Christ.
Two, it is not only those who do not have faith in Christ who need to hear the gospel but Christians too. Those who have heard the gospel before and have believed it to the saving of their souls, need to hear to gospel message again and again. It is good for us to be reminded of what God has done for us. It is good for us to reflect upon gospel truth so that we might grow in our appreciation for what God has done. Indeed, as we contemplate the gospel our love and gratitude towards God and Christ will increase.
Three, I wish to clearly communicate the gospel message to you today so that you, Christian, might know how to do the same. Granted, not all Christians are called and gifted to preach and teach in the church. And not all are called and gifted to minister the word out in the world as evangelists (strictly speaking). But all Christians are called to be ready to give a reason for the hope that is in them. And what is the reason for the hope that is in us except the gospel of Jesus Christ? Brothers and sisters, if someone were to ask you the question, what is the gospel?, or if you had the opportunity to proclaim the gospel, would you know what to say? I do trust the majority of you know the Bible well. I’m confident that your understanding of and belief in the gospel is strong. But if you are not prepared to clearly and succinctly present the gospel when the opportunity arises, you will likely allow the opportunity to pass you by. Today, I hope to present the gospel of Jesus Christ to you clearly and succinctly as an example so that you might be ready to give a reason for the hope that is in you.
Four, I wish to clearly communicate the gospel to you today to prepare us for the remainder of our study of the book of Exodus. Chapters 35-39 of the book of Exodus describe the building of the tabernacle. Chapter 40 describes the glory of God filling the tabernacle. I’ve already warned you that these chapters are repetitive. Detailed instructions for the building of the tabernacle were given to Moses on the mountain and these are recorded for us in Exodus 25-31. Now here in Exodus 35-39, the building of the tabernacle according to the design shown to Moses is described to us. These chapters repeat what was said before, but the repetition is important. As we work our way through the repetition of Exodus 35-39 I will take the opportunity to back away from the tedious details of the text to talk about the biblical theology of the tabernacle. I hope to show you that the tabernacle of the Old Covenant proclaimed the gospel. In other words, the tabernacle of Old was very much about Jesus Christ and the good news that has come to us regarding the work he has accomplished and the victory he has won.
And so today I simply wish to answer this most foundational question, what is the gospel?
*****
The Gospel Is Good News
There are two things foundational things that you need to know before we get into the specifics.
First of all, you should know that the word gospel simply means good news. Gospel means good news. In fact, the word itself is not uniquely Christian. The Greek word is εὐαγγέλιον. It can be used to describe any kind of good news. One Greek lexicon says that the word refers to “‘news that makes one happy’ or ‘information that causes one joy’ or ‘words that bring smiles’ or ‘a message that causes the heart to be sweet.’” (Louw Nida, 412). So then, in a general sense, gospel simply means good news. Our king has won the war and has repelled the invaders, is good news. Your lost son has been found, is good news. In just a moment we will come to consider the gospel of Jesus Christ, but before we come to that, do not miss this simple fact: the gospel is news. It is not a way of life. It is not good works. It is an announcement or proclamation. It is a message of joy. Yes, belief in the gospel will produce a certain way of life. And yes, we are to adorn the gospel with good works. But the gospel is a message – a message of joy that must be proclaimed.
The second foundational thing that you need to know is that the gospel is a story. In fact, this is true of all good news. It’s hard to imagine any kind of good news being received as good news without a backstory. You know, back in the olden days – before the invention of the internet, phones, the telegraph, and even the printing press – the news would be spread from town to town by heralds, or criers. If a king had a message to spread, he would send out his heralds or messengers. Now, imagine a herald standing in the middle of the town square saying, “I have good news, the king has won the war.” I think you would agree with me that that proclamation of good news would only be received as good news by the citizens of that town if it were set against the backdrop of bad news. The announcement, “the king has won the war”, would not cause the citizens to rejoice unless they knew there was a war. Without the backstory, the proclamation of good news would not make sense. Instead of rejoicing, the citizens would look at the hareld with confusion and bewilderment on their faces. Wait, what did you say? The king has won the war? What war? We did not know there was a war! But if the citizens of that land were first told the bad news that an enemy was approaching and was threatening the nation, their homes, and their families, and if the citizens were carrying within them angst regarding the threat, then the news, the king has won the war, would not bewilder them, but would immediately be recognized as good news – indeed, great news – and all would erupt in celebration. You see, for this reason, I have said, the gospel is a story. The gospel is not a simple announcement, but a story. And it is a story that begins with bad news. The good news of Jesus Christ can only be appreciated as good news when it is delivered as a story.
To approach a stranger on the streets and to say to them, Jesus loves you, is not the gospel. Or to say, Jesus died for sinners and the forgiveness of sins is available to all who have faith in him (though much better than the simple statement, Jesus loves you) is not really the gospel either, for you have not told the story! Do not be surprised, especially in our day and age (when so many are ignorant of the basic teachings of the Bible, when that person looks at you with confusion on their face! Jesus? Who is he? Why did he die? What do you mean by “sinners”? Am I a sinner? Are you saying that I need forgiveness? Etc. You see, when the gospel is presented as a mere announcement separated from the story that is told in scripture, it will not be recognized as good news. The king has won the war and has saved us? What king? What war? Saved us from what? Why should I care?
So then, we begin with these two truths. One, the gospel of Jesus Christ is good news – it is a joyous announcement or proclamation. Two, if the good news of the gospel is to be received as good news, a story must be told. The good news of salvation through faith in Jesus Christ can only be comprehended if the story of redemption that is told in the Bible is understood.
In the remainder of the sermon today I wish to tell you that story. I will tell it in four parts. And I want you to memorize these parts. The story of the good news of salvation through faith in Jesus Christ is the story of creation, fall, redemption, and consummation.
Can you repeat those words after me? Creation. Fall. Redemption. Consummation.
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*****
Creation
If we wish to proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ clearly then we must begin where the Bible begins, and that is with the story of creation. The very first verse of the Bible says this: “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth” (Genesis 1:1, ESV). So then, there is God, and there is his creation. Everything that exists falls into these two categories – God and creation – Creator and creature.
There is so much to say about God. What is his nature? What are his attributes? How does he relate to this world he has made? Indeed, the rest of the scriptures from Genesis 1:1 onward reveal God to us. In the scriptures, we learn there is only one God (Baptist Catechism, 8), that he is “a spirit, infinite, eternal, and unchangeable in His being, wisdom, power, holiness, justice, goodness and truth” (BC, 7), and that, “there are three persons in the Godhead, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit; and these three are one God, the same in essence, equal in power and glory” (BC, 9).
These truths about God are essential truths. In fact, I would argue that a person cannot be saved without believing these foundational truths about God. But I have a question for you: must we proclaim these truths about God – truths about his nature, his attributes, and his tri-unity – every time we proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ? I think not. Much of this can be reserved for later should a person desire to know more. The goal here is to tell the backstory so that the good news regarding salvation in Jesus Christ can be intelligible. So what does a person need to know in order to understand why the news that Jesus died for sins and rose in victory is good news? Well, first of all, they need to know that God exists and that in the beginning, he created all things seen and unseen, including mankind.
The second thing that must be said about creation is that when God created the heavens and earth everything was good. In the beginning, the heavenly realm, the earthly realm, and everything within them were good. These realms and the creatures placed within them were upright, pure, and without defect. Everything was as it should be. No sin, no sickness, no death. Everything that was brought into being by the word of God was good. Indeed, it was very good. The narrative of Genesis 1 makes this clear.
The third thing that should be said about creation is this: after God created the man Adam, he placed him in a special garden. That garden was a temple, for there man enjoyed communion with God. And in that garden, God entered into a covenant of works with man. I’m afraid this fact is often forgotten in our presentations of the gospel. But I think you would agree with me that it is a very important part of the story. One cannot really understand man’s fall into sin, redemption in Christ Jesus, or the idea of consummation, apart from the covenant of works that was made with Adam in the garden.
Now, please do not misunderstand me. I am well aware of the fact that your time with a person may be very limited and that you might need to present the gospel of Jesus Christ very quickly. When that is the case, I would not fault you at all for skipping over this detail or that in the hopes that you will have an opportunity to say more at a later time. But if possible, do not forget to talk about the garden temple and the covenant of works that was made with Adam there. It is an important part of the backstory.
After God created Adam and Eve, he entered into a covenant with them. Adam was to guard the garden-temple that God had placed them in. He was to expand its borders. He and his wife Eve were to fill it with their offspring. This they were to do with love for God in their hearts. They were to worship him as priests. They were to serve him as kings on earth. They were to proclaim his word as prophets. But this was a time of testing for them.
Two things were given to Adam and Eve to signify that this was a time of testing
First of all, they were given the weekly Sabbath. Six days they were to work, and on the seventh day, they were to rest. This they were to do in imitation of their Maker, who took six days to create the heavens and earth. He rested on the seventh day as a pattern for them. The Sabbath day was (and is) a sign. It signified God’s eternal rest. And it was an invitation to the man and women to enter that eternal rest through their faithful work and obedience.
The second thing given to Adam and Eve to show that they were in a time of testing were two trees: the tree of life, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.
What did the tree of life signify? It symbolized the reward that God would graciously give to Adam and Eve if they passed the test. They would pass from life to life, that is to say, from life in paradise to eternal life in glory. The tree of life was a symbol of this, and its presence in the garden of Eden was a sign of the test that Adam was under.
And what did the tree of the knowledge of good and evil signify? It signified rebellion, and the curse that would come upon the man, the woman, and all of their descendants should they fail to keep the garden temple, to expand its borders, and to fill the earth with worshipers of YHWH, the one true God, creator of all things seen and unseen.
When we proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ, we must tell the story of creation, for it is the backdrop against which the story of our fall into sin, our redemption in Christ, and the consummation of all things is set. When we speak of creation we must say, in the beginning, God created the heavens and earth and all things seen and unseen. Everything that came from his hand, including man, was good, indeed very good. But “when God had created man, He entered into a covenant of life [or works] with him upon condition of perfect obedience: forbidding him to eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, upon pain of death” (BC, 15). This story of creation, and of the covenant of creation, is the story that is told in Genesis 1 and 2. If people do not possess this foundational knowledge already, we ought to begin here when telling people the good news about salvation through faith in Christ.
*****
Fall
Now that we have discussed the creation, let us move on to the subject of man’s fall into sin. This is the bad news which makes the good news good. Christ came to solve a problem. He came to defeat an enemy, rescue captives, restore what was lost, and finish a work left undone. If people are to understand the good news of Jesus Christ, they must first know something about the problem, the enemy, the bondage, the loss, and the unfished work. It is the very bad news of man’s fall into sin that makes the good news of man’s salvation in Christ Jesus comprehensible.
So what needs to be said concerning man’s fall into sin? Two things: One, the fact of the fall ought to be proclaimed. Two, the effects of the fall ought to be explained.
The story of the temptation of man and of Adam’s rebellion against God is told in Genesis 3. I trust that you know that story well. A rebel from the heavenly realm approached Eve on earth in the form of a serpent and tempted her. And Eve in turn tempted her husband, Adam. The serpent claimed that God’s word was not true, that God was holding out on them, and that they could be enlightened and empowered, if only they would eat of the forbidden tree, the tree of the knowledge of good and evil – by the way, the evil one utters the same kind of lies even to this present day. Adam sinned against God when he listened to the word of the intruder instead of the word of God. With evil rebellion, discontentment, and pride in his heart, he took fruit from the forbidden tree and ate. As I have said, that story is told in Genesis 3. The doctrinal truths concerning man’s fall into sin are summarized in questions 16 through 18 of our catechism.
Q. 16. Did our first parents continue in the estate wherein they were created?
A. Our first parents, being left to the freedom of their own will, fell from the estate wherein they were created, by sinning against God. (Gen. 3:6; Eccles. 7:29; Rom. 5:12)
Q. 17. What is sin?
A. Sin is any [lack] of conformity unto, or transgression of, the law of God. (1 John 3:4; Rom. 5:13)
Q. 18. What was the sin whereby our first parents fell from the estate wherein they were created?
A. The sin whereby our first parents fell from the estate wherein they were created, was their eating the forbidden fruit. (Gen. 3:6,12,13)
Now, what were the effects of Adam’s sin? Truthfully, a lot could be said about this. The effects were truly devastating. I will present them under three headings:
One, the curses of the covenant of works (or of life, or creation) fell upon Adam and Eve
The wages of sin is death: Physical death. Spiritual death: alienation from God, wrath, depravity. .
Two, the blessings promised under the covenant of works were lost.
Adam and Eve were expelled from the garden of Eden and the way to the tree of life and all that it signified was blocked off.
Three, the guilt of Adam’s sin, the loss of original righteousness, and the curses of the covenant were transmitted to all of Adam’s descendants, that is to say, to all humanity, for Adam was the head or representative of all humanity. All who were born of Adam and Eve (and that includes you and me) are born in Adam, in sin, under the broken covenant of works and its curses.
The story of the temptation of man and of man’s fall into sin is told in Genesis 3:1-13. The effects of Adam’s fall into sin are observed in Genesis 3:14 through to the end of Genesis 6. Indeed, the effects of Adam’s fall into sin are observable in all of the scriptures from Genesis 3:14 onward. Also, they are observable in the whole course of human history. That we are by nature fallen and sinful creatures should be evident to anyone with eyes to see.
The great doctrinal truths regarding the effects of Adam’s fall into sin are summarized nicely in Baptist Catechism 19-22.
Q. 19. Did all mankind fall in Adam’s first transgression?
A. The covenant being made with Adam, not only for himself but for his posterity, all mankind, descending from him by ordinary generation, sinned in him, and fell with him in his first transgression. (1 Cor. 15:21,22; Rom. 5:12,18,19)
Q. 20. Into what estate did the fall bring mankind?
A. The fall brought mankind into an estate of sin and misery. (Ps. 51:5; Rom. 5:18,19: Is. 64:6)
Q. 21. Wherein consists the sinfulness of that estate whereunto man fell?
A. The sinfulness of that estate whereunto man fell, consists in the guilt of Adam’s first sin, the want of original righteousness, and the corruption of his whole nature, which is commonly called original sin, together with all actual transgressions which proceed from it. (Rom. 5:19; 3:10; Eph. 2:1; Is. 53:6; Ps. 51:5; Matt. 15:19)
Q. 22. What is the misery of that estate whereunto man fell?
A. All mankind, by their fall lost communion with God, are under His wrath and curse, and so made liable to all the miseries of this life, to death itself, and to the pains of hell forever. (Gen. 3:8,24; Eph. 2:3; Gal. 3:10; Rom. 6:23; Matt. 25:41-46; Ps. 9:17)
As I have said, this bad news is the backdrop against which the good news of the gospel of Jesus Christ is set. Apart from at least a superficial understanding of the backstory of creation and man’s fall into sin, the story of our redemption in Christ Jesus would be unintelligible.
Let us now consider the work of redemption that Christ has accomplished. To redeem is to buy back. Or, if you prefer, we can talk about the work of salvation that Christ has accomplished. To save is to rescue. Whichever term you prefer, we need to talk about Jesus Christ and the work that he has done to rescue sinners from their sin and misery.
I’ll briefly talk about our redemption under three headings.
One, let us ask, what did Christ come to save us from?
Answer: He came to save us from all of the miseries that came upon the children of Adam when he fell into sin and broke the covenant.
Remember questions 21 and 22 of our catechism.
Q. 21. Wherein consists the sinfulness of that estate whereunto man fell?
A. The sinfulness of that estate whereunto man fell, consists in the guilt of Adam’s first sin, the want of original righteousness, and the corruption of his whole nature, which is commonly called original sin, together with all actual transgressions which proceed from it. (Rom. 5:19; 3:10; Eph. 2:1; Is. 53:6; Ps. 51:5; Matt. 15:19)
Q. 22. What is the misery of that estate whereunto man fell?
A. All mankind, by their fall lost communion with God, are under His wrath and curse, and so made liable to all the miseries of this life, to death itself, and to the pains of hell forever. (Gen. 3:8,24; Eph. 2:3; Gal. 3:10; Rom. 6:23; Matt. 25:41-46; Ps. 9:17)
What did Christ come to save us from? All of that!
Two, what did Christ come to save is to?
Answer: he came so save us so that we might have what was offered to Adam but forfeited. He came to pay for our sins so that he might cleanse us, and live a righteous life so that he might give us his righteousness. This is so that we might be reconciled to the Father and enter into the eternal Sabbath rest that was offered to Adam. Christ came to give us eternal life of which the tree of life was a symbol. Christ came to bring his people into the eternal and blessed presence of God in his eschatological temple wherein heaven and earth will be made one. All of that was offered to Adam in the covenant of works, but was forfeited. Christ came to save us to that.
Three, how did Christ accomplish this work?
Answer: Christ, the eternal Word of God took to himself a human nature. He accomplished our redemption by living in obedience to God’s law and by suffering and dying in the place of sinners. He endured God’s wrath in the place of those given to him by the Father. He atoned for their sins as he died as their substitute. He rose again on the third day in victory and ascended into heaven as the first fruit and forerunner of all who are united to him by faith.
Here is the thing that I want you to recognize: What Christ came to redeem us from, what he came to redeem us to, and the way in which he accomplished our redemption, is very much related to the story of creation, to the covenant that God made with Adam in the garden, and to the breaking of that covenant. Christ came to save us from the curses of that covenant. He came to redeem us so that he might bring us into that state of glory that Adam failed to obtain. And he accomplished this redemption in the flesh, as the God-man, the only mediator between God and man, the second Adam.
Stated differently, whereas the first Adam broke the covenant that God made with him as head or representative of the human race, the second Adam, Christ the Lord, was faithful to keep the covenant that God made with him as the head or representative of those given to him by the Father. What covenant was this? It was not the covenant of works that was made with Adam in the garden, but the covenant of redemption made between the Father and Son in eternity. There are many places in the scriptures where we are given a glimpse into the terms of that covenant (Isaiah 42:1-7, Isaiah 50:4-9, Luke 4:17–21). Perhaps the most famous is John 17 where Christ prays to Father and says things like this: “Father, the hour has come; glorify your Son that the Son may glorify you, since you have given him authority over all flesh, to give eternal life to all whom you have given him. And this is eternal life, that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent. I glorified you on earth, having accomplished the work that you gave me to do. And now, Father, glorify me in your own presence with the glory that I had with you before the world existed. ‘I have manifested your name to the people whom you gave me out of the world. Yours they were, and you gave them to me, and they have kept your word.’” (John 17:1–6, ESV)
As we consider texts like John 17, along with the so-called servant songs of Isaiah 42 and 50, it becomes clear that in eternity the Father covenanted with the Son (and the Spirit) to redeem a people from amongst fallen humanity, from every tongue, tribe, and nation, and to bring them safely into the new heavens and earth, which Adam failed to obtain. What would the Son have to do to accomplish this? First, he would have to take to himself a true human nature. He would humble himself by “being born, and that in a low condition, made under the law, undergoing the miseries of this life, the wrath of God, and the cursed death of the cross, in being buried, and continuing under the power of death for a time (BC 30). And after this, he would be exulted in victory by his “rising again from the dead on the third day, in ascending up into heaven, in sitting at the right hand of God the Father, and in coming to judge the world at the last day” (BC 31).
You see, Christ did not merely keep the terms of the covenant that was made with Adam in the garden. That covenant required perfect and perpetual obedience. And that covenant was broken! Christ kept the terms of, what we call, the covenant of redemption. Not only did he have to be perfectly and perpetually obedient to the law of God in the whole of life, he also had to suffer in the place of other, die for others, and endure the wrath for others. No such thing was required of the first Adam. But this was required of the second Adam, for he was sent to rescue fallen and hell-bound sinners. Thanks be to God for the redemption that is ours in Christ Jesus.
Please allow me to say just a word about consummation. To proclaim the gospel it is important for us to speak of creation, fall, and redemption in Christ. I would argue that it is also good to speak of consummation.
To consummate is to make a thing complete or final. And here I simply want to stress that though Christ accomplished the redemption of those given to him by the Father nearly 2,000 years ago, and though the Spirit has been applying the redemption earned by Christ to the elect in every age from Adam’s day to the present, the consummation of all things is still in our future.
The scriptures teach that Christ will come again. He will come, as Hebrews 9:28 says, “not to deal with sin but to save those who are eagerly waiting for him.” When comes, he will not atone for sin – for that work has been done – but to bring all who have faith in him into the new heavens and earth which he has earned. Also, he will judge those not in him with eternal damnation.
I say that it would be good for us to speak of the consummation of all things when we proclaim the gospel because it will help those we share with to fully understand what Christ has come to save us from and save us to.
Christ did not come to merely give you a better life on earth. In fact, for many followers of Christ, life on earth is made more difficult, not easier, because of their profession of faith. No, he came to redeem us so that we might be with him and in the presence of God’s glory forever and ever in the new heavens and earth which he has purchased by his shed blood.
And Christ did not come to merely wash your sins away and to renew you inwardly so that you might enjoy a clean conscience before God and walk in his ways on earth. No, he has cleaned of sin to save you from the wrath of God. He has cleansed you and renewed you to make you fit for the new heavens and earth.
Stated differently, when we speak of the consummate state – that is, of the second coming of Christ, the final judgment, and the new heavens and earth – the story of our redemption in Christ is completed. Notice, Christ will not take his people back to Eden. He will not place them under that covenant of works again, which was a covenant of testing. And neither will he set before them the two trees – tree of life, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. No, when Christ returnes he will bring them into the state of rest and glory of which the weekly Sabbath day and the tree of life are signs. What was offered to the first Adam but lost, the second Adam has won. And this he has done, not for himself only, but for all who are united to him by faith.
Creation, fall, redemption, consummation. Yes, I am away that you will not always have 45 minutes to proclaim the gospel to someone. In fact, you will often have 5 minutes or less. Find a way to tell people the good news of Jesus Christ. Tell them the back story of creation and of man’s fall into sin. Tell them that Christ has come to save sinners. If you have the opportunity, tell them about the consummate state – what Christ has saved us from and to. And urge them to turn from their sins, to place their faith in Christ, and to be baptized in the church, wherein they will be taught to observe all that Christ has commanded. In brief, tell them that “God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God” (John 3:16–18, ESV).
"Him we proclaim,
warning everyone and teaching everyone with all wisdom,
that we may present everyone mature in Christ."
(Colossians 1:28, ESV)
