Catechetical Sermon: What Shall Be Done To The Wicked At The Day Of Judgment?, Baptist Catechism 43

Baptist Catechism 43

Q. 43. What shall be done to the wicked, at the Day of Judgment?

A. At the Day of Judgment, the bodies of the wicked, being raised out of their graves, shall be sentenced, together with their souls, to unspeakable torments with the devil and his angels forever. (Dan. 12:2; John 5:28,29; 2 Thess. 1:9; Matt. 25:41)

Scripture Reading: Revelation 20:11–15

“Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. From his presence earth and sky fled away, and no place was found for them. And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Then another book was opened, which is the book of life. And the dead were judged by what was written in the books, according to what they had done. And the sea gave up the dead who were in it, Death and Hades gave up the dead who were in them, and they were judged, each one of them, according to what they had done. Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. And if anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.” (Revelation 20:11–15, ESV)

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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.

Introduction

Talk of hell is weighty. It is a very heavy and serious subject. Every Christian does feel this heaviness within their soul when they think of someone being sentenced to hell, and it is right that they do. It is similar to the heaviness that fills a courtroom when a criminal is tried, convicted, and finally sentenced. Everyone in the room can feel the weightiness of the moment. Everyone knows that something serious is happening. And even if all agree that the man is guilty and the penalty is just, those who have love in their hearts will feel a sense of sorrow even for the condemned, knowing that a life has been ruined by sin. And how much more is the weightiness of the final judgment, and eternal damnation?

I think it is right to say that the Christian should never take pleasure in the thought of someone going to hell. The Christian should feel a sense of sorrow at the thought of even their worst enemy coming under God’s condemnation. Just as it would be concerning if a courtroom erupted in jubilant celebration when the sentence of death is pronounced upon the condemned, so too it would be concerning if someone rejoiced in their heart concerning the thought of a man going to eternal punishment. Only one who is consumed with anger and a desire for vengeance could feel such a thing in their heart. As I have said, it is right that we feel a sense of sorrow for those condemned, for this is a weighty matter.

But let us be sure not to err in another direction, and that is, to consider the judgments of God to be somehow unnecessary or unjust. While it is true that the thought of men coming under the judgment of God is weighty and ought to produce a sense of sorrow within us, it is also true that we ought to say this is right and even good.

If we go back to the courtroom you’ll see what I mean. If when the guilty murderer is sentenced to death the courtroom erupts in jubilant and cheerful celebration, that shows that men are very angry and vengeful — this cannot be the disposition of the Christian. But will anyone dare to say that it is wrong for them to rejoice in the fact that justice has been served? Will anyone dare to say that those who have lost a loved one at the hands of the murder are wrong to consider the judgment to be fitting, right, and even good? And so you see that justice will always produce a mixture of thoughts and emotions. It is right for us to grieve over the destruction that sin brings, but it is also right for us to rejoice when justice is served. 

If we rejoice in this way over the just judgments of men, how much more should we rejoice over the just judgments of God? And brothers and sisters, rest assured God’s judgments are always perfectly just.

For one, God is not driven by a passion for vengeance, as we sometimes are, so he is moved to overdo it.  In fact, the scriptures reveal that he takes no pleasure at all in the death of the wicked. Listen to Ezekiel 33:11: “ As I live, declares the Lord GOD, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way and live; turn back, turn back from your evil ways, for why will you die, O house of Israel?” (Ezekiel 33:11, ESV).

And when God judges, he does not judge with limited knowledge as we do, for he is all-knowing. Human judges and juries do their best to judge according to what they know. They rely upon evidence and testimonies. But they cannot see for themselves whether or not the crime was committed. Not so with God. The Judge of all the earth sees everything with perfect clarity. He even knows the thoughts of man and the intentions of his heart. He does not struggle with the issue of limited knowledge when he administers justice. 

And when God judges he will get it perfectly right, for he is just. The punishment will fit the sin, and perfectly so. Psalm 96:10 speaks to this: “Say among the nations, ‘The LORD reigns! Yes, the world is established; it shall never be moved; he will judge the peoples with equity” (Psalm 96:10, ESV). Equity means rightness or fairness. God’s judgments will be perfectly right and fair. And this is why Paul says in Romans, “Now we know that whatever the law says it speaks to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be stopped, and the whole world may be held accountable to God” (Romans 3:19, ESV). At the judgment, every mouth will be stopped. No one will say, God, you got it wrong. 

In our prisons, there are men and women who insist that they are innocent. Some of them probably are! For we are flawed in our judgments. But many of them are guilty. They know it, but they lie. There will be none of that at the judgment on the last day, for God will judge with perfect equity, and all will see it. Every mouth will be stopped before him who judges justly (Romans 3:19).

This truth should bring a kind of comfort to the people of God. This world is filled with sin, wickedness, and injustice. We long for justice because we are made in the image of God who is just. And so it is comforting to know that on the last day God will right every wrong. 

And isn’t it interesting how even those who do not believe in God or in the Christ whom he sent will comfort themselves with the idea of justice in the afterlife when faced with some great evil? “This predator will get what is coming to him”, they say. Or “this terrorist who killed thousands of innocents will pay in the life to come.” These same people may deny that hell exists for the common folk, but they hope that it exists for those who are particularly heinous. They assume that hell is sparsely populated, I guess. They assume that it is for Hitler, Mussolini, Stalin, and other characters like these. But when it comes to the common man, hell is a myth to them. Those who think in this way are right to take some comfort in the fact that wrongs will be made right in the end and that justice will be served. But they are terribly wrong to minimize their own sin and the sin of others.  

The scriptures teach that “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23, ESV), and “the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 6:23, ESV). Yes, there are particularly heinous sins. But all sin is truly heinous and will be punished on the last day, unless we are found in Christ, washed in his blood. 

Do not believe the lie that your sin is not serious. It is truly terrible for humans to live in the world that God has made, to enjoy his blessings in this life, and to partake of his mercy, but fail to give him honor and glory. How ungrateful we are by nature. And not only do we fail to honor our Creator, we worship the creature instead. We rob him of the glory due to his name. This is a heinous sin deserving of God’s just condemnation. And add to this the disrespect we have shown to mother and father and to others with authority over us, the hatred we have shown to our fellow man, our sexual immorality, our thievery, and dishonesty. We are ungrateful sinners by nature. Do I really need to convince you of this!? It is strange how we read the news and say, look at all the wickedness in the world! But we are unable to see the wickedness in our own hearts. We see it in the lives of others while convincing ourselves that we and those who are close to us are basically good. 

Brothers and sisters, God would be just to send us to hell for all eternity for our sin against him –  for failing to love him with all of our heart, soul, mind, and strength, and our neighbor as ourselves –  But he is merciful and kind, as you know. He has provided a Savior, Christ Jesus the Lord.    

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Catechism Explained

Question 43 of our catechism helps us to understand these things. It asks, “What shall be done to the wicked, at the Day of Judgment?” Answer: 

“At the Day of Judgment” 

“At the Day of Judgment…” When will this day be? It will be on the last day when Christ returns. Christ came the first time to pay for sins and to accomplish our salvation. And the scriptures teach that he “will appear a second time, not to deal with sin but to save those who are eagerly waiting for him” (Hebrews 9:28, ESV), and to judge. Christ himself taught this when he said, “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne. Before him will be gathered all the nations, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. And he will place the sheep on his right, but the goats on the left… Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels”(Matthew 25:31–33, 41 ESV).

“The bodies of the wicked, being raised out of their graves” 

“At the Day of Judgment the bodies of the wicked, being raised out of their graves…” Notice that the resurrection day is the Day of Judgment. On the last day when Christ returns, the dead in Christ will be raised, and so too will the dead who are not in Christ. Question 41 of our Catechism taught us that on that day those in Christ, “being raised up in glory, shall be openly acknowledged and acquitted in the Day of Judgment, and made perfectly blessed, both in soul and body, in full enjoyment of God to all eternity.” Here we learn that those not in Christ will be raised bodily too.  

John was shown a vision of this as recorded for us in Revelation 20:12-13: ​​“And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened…. And the dead were judged by what was written in the books, according to what they had done. And the sea gave up the dead who were in it, Death and Hades gave up the dead who were in them, and they were judged, each one of them, according to what they had done” (Revelation 20:12–13, ESV).

“Shall be sentenced, together with their souls” 

So then, or catechism is right to say that the wicked will be raised and “shall be sentenced, together with their souls”. Just as the righteous will be openly acknowledged and acquitted in the Day of Judgment, and made perfectly blessed, both in soul and body, in full enjoyment of God to all eternity”, so too the wicked will be judged in body and soul, that is to say, as whole persons.

 “To unspeakable torments with the devil and his angels forever.”

Lastly, our catechism says, “to unspeakable torments with the devil and his angels forever.” Three things should be noted. One, hell is described as a place of torment. And this is clearly the teaching of scripture. Two, hell is also a place of torment for the devil and his angels. It will be a place of punishment for all who have rebelled against their maker, the exception being those to whom God has shown mercy in Christ Jesus (see Revelation 20:10). Three, our catechism is right to say that this punishment is forever. The Matthew 25:41 passage that was cited earlier teaches this. There Jesus says to the goats, “Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels”(Matthew 25:31–33, 41 ESV, emphasis added).

Some have questioned if eternal punishment fits the crime of a lifetime of sin and rebellion. Though there is some mystery concerning what heaven and hell will be like, we must believe and confess what the scriptures teach. Hell is eternal, and God is perfectly just. Perhaps we need to adjust our view concerning the severity of sin instead of standing in judgment over God’s justice. 

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Conclusion

Let me conclude with three suggestions for application. They will sound familiar to you because they are similar to the points of application that were made last week.

One, this teaching should move you to ask the question, where will I go when Christ returns to judge? Will I be openly acknowledged and acquitted by him and invited to experience the glories of heaven, or will I fall under his just condemnation and be cast into the torments of hell? What makes the difference? Answer: faith in Christ! We are all born in sin. We all violate God’s law in thought word in thought, word, and deed. We all deserve the torments of hell. But God has provided a Savior for us, Christ the Lord. We must be found in him, and so I urge you to turn from your sins, trust in Christ as Savior, and confess him to be your Lord.  

Two, this teaching should move us to pray for those who do not believe in Christ and also to tell them about Jesus. These are the means that God uses to bring his people to salvation: the proclamation of the gospel and prayer. 

Three, this teaching should increase our gratitude for the mercy and grace that God has shown to us in Christ Jesus. In questions 35 through 41 of our catechism, we were taught about what Christ has saved us to. There we learned about the benefits that come to those who have faith in Christ in this life –  justification, adoption, sanctification, and the several benefits which in this life do either accompany or flow from them, namely, assurance of God’s love, peace of conscience, joy in the Holy Spirit, increase of grace, and perseverance therein to the end. There we also learned about the blessings that come to believers at the moment of death and at the resurrection. But here in questions 42 and 43, we have learned what Christ has saved us from, namely, eternal judgment in hell. 

Thanks be to God for his mercy and grace shown to us in Christ Jesus. 

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Catechetical Sermon: What Shall Be Done To The Wicked At Their Death?, Baptist Catechism 42, Luke 16:19–31

Baptist Catechism 42

Q: But what shall be done to the wicked at their death?

A: The souls of the wicked shall, at death, be cast into the torments of hell, and their bodies lie in their graves, till the resurrection and judgment of the great day. (Luke 16:22-24; Ps. 49:14)

Scripture Reading: Luke 16:19–31

“There was a rich man who was clothed in purple and fine linen and who feasted sumptuously every day. And at his gate was laid a poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores, who desired to be fed with what fell from the rich man’s table. Moreover, even the dogs came and licked his sores. The poor man died and was carried by the angels to Abraham’s side. The rich man also died and was buried, and in Hades, being in torment, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham far off and Lazarus at his side. And he called out, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus to dip the end of his finger in water and cool my tongue, for I am in anguish in this flame.’ But Abraham said, ‘Child, remember that you in your lifetime received your good things, and Lazarus in like manner bad things; but now he is comforted here, and you are in anguish. And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been fixed, in order that those who would pass from here to you may not be able, and none may cross from there to us.’ And he said, ‘Then I beg you, father, to send him to my father’s house— for I have five brothers—so that he may warn them, lest they also come into this place of torment.’ But Abraham said, ‘They have Moses and the Prophets; let them hear them.’ And he said, ‘No, father Abraham, but if someone goes to them from the dead, they will repent.’ He said to him, ‘If they do not hear Moses and the Prophets, neither will they be convinced if someone should rise from the dead.’” (Luke 16:19–31, ESV)

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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.

Introduction

Baptist Catechism questions 35-43 are about the benefits that come to those who are effectually called by God’s word and Spirit to turn from their sins and place their faith in Christ. 

What benefits do those who believe in Christ enjoy in this life? In Baptist questions 35-39 we are taught all about justification, adoption, and sanctification, and the “several benefits which in this life do either accompany or flow from them, namely, the .assurance of God’s love, peace of conscience, joy in the Holy Spirit, increase of grace, and perseverance therein to the end.” These are all blessings (or benefits) that come to the believer in this life.

Question 40 then asks, what benefits do believers receive from Christ at death? That is a good question, don’t you think? We experience many benefits in this life through faith in Christ Jesus, but what about when we die? Are there blessings that come to the believer then? Yes. Here is the answer: “The souls of believers are at death made perfect in holiness, and do immediately pass into glory, and their bodies, being still united to Christ, do rest in their graves till the resurrection.” This is very comforting, is it not? Though death is an unpleasant thing for all people, for the believer there is a sense in which it is a blessed thing because of what Christ has accomplished for us. 

Question 41 then asks, what benefits do believers receive from Christ at the Resurrection? Answer: At the resurrection believers, being raised up in glory, shall be openly acknowledged and acquitted in the Day of Judgment, and made perfectly blessed, both in soul and body, in full enjoyment of God to all eternity. We considered this question and answer last Sunday, so I will not comment on it now. 

Notice that here in questions 42 (and 43), the blessings that will be enjoyed by those who have faith in Christ at death and at the resurrection are contrasted with the awful destiny of those who die in unbelief and in their sins. I do believe that questions 42 and 43 are still about the benefits that come to those who trust in Christ. Whereas in questions 35-41 we learn about what the believer has been saved to, here in questions 42 (and 43) we learn about what the believer has been saved from.  

Listen again to question 42: “But…” That word is important. It is a word indicating contrast. “But what shall be done to the wicked at their death?” Answer: “The souls of the wicked shall, at death, be cast into the torments of hell, and their bodies lie in their graves, till the resurrection and judgment of the great day.” 

Let us now briefly consider the catechism piece by piece. 

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Catechism Explained

“But what shall be done to the wicked at their death?” 

Notice that question 42 asks, “But what shall be done to the wicked at their death?” 

I suppose some might be thinking, but aren’t we all sinful? Aren’t we all wicked? Well, by nature, yes. But when our catechism speaks of “the wicked” it is referring to those who remain in their unbelief and die in the guilt of their sins. Though it is true that we are all born in sin, when a person is drawn to faith in Christ it is because they have been born again. No longer are they “wicked”, for when they turn from their sins and trust in Christ they are, at that moment, washed and forgiven. And though it is true that we all continue to struggle with sin, those who have faith in Christ have been justified (declared not guilty), adopted (as children of God), and are being sanctified further with each passing day. For these reasons, those in Christ cannot be called “wicked”. They are instead called “saints”. And this is by the grace of God alone. So then, this catechism question is asking, what happens to the wicked, that is to say, to those who do not believe in Christ, and are therefore still in their sins, when they die?     

Here is the answer:

“The souls of the wicked” 

“The souls of the wicked…” Notice that a distinction is being made between the body and the soul. This should sound familiar to you. In an earlier catechism question, we learned that believers have a body and soul. And here we are taught that non-believers have a body and soul too. In other words, all humans have a body and soul. A soul is not unique to those who have faith but is an essential part of human nature. 

“Shall at death”

Back to the answer: “The souls of the wicked shall, at death…” Here we are talking about the moment of physical death. Question: what happens to the souls of those who have faith in Christ when they die? We have learned that at the moment of death “the souls of believers are… made perfect in holiness, and do immediately pass into glory…” (BC 40), that is to say, into the blessed presence of God.  

“Be cast into the torments of hell”

But this is to be contrasted with the destination of the souls of the wicked. What will happen to the souls of those who do not have Christ as Lord and Savior when they die?  “The souls of the wicked shall, at death, be cast into the torments of hell…” What is hell? I suppose we might say that it is the opposite of heaven. While heaven is a place of eternal blessedness in God’s glorious and gracious presence, hell is a place of eternal torment wherein God’s perfectly just wrath is poured out on the unrighteous.

Earlier I read from Luke 16:19–31. I will not take the time to explain that text in detail now, for that is not the purpose of this sermon. But I would encourage you to go back to that text later today or later this week to reflect upon it. In that passage, Jesus tells us about the destinies of two people at the moment of death. There was a rich man who prospered in this life. But where did his soul go when he died? To Hades. This is what the place of hellish torment was called prior to the resurrection of Christ from the dead. The rich man suffered in Hades because he was wicked and unbelieving. But where did the poor man go? The text says his soul went to “Abraham’s side”, or “Abraham’s bosom”. Before Christ from the grave, that is what the heavenly and pleasant portion of Hades was called (Hades is a general term referring to the place of the dead before the resurrection of Christ. And within Hades, there was a place of torment and a place of comfort. By the way, why do you think the place of comfort was called “Abraham’s side” or “Abraham’s bosom”? It is because it was those who had the faith of Abraham who went there. It was those who believed in the promises concerning the coming Messiah that were entrusted to Abraham who went to be with him in paradise to be comforted there. Now that Christ has accomplished our redemption through his life, death, resurrection, and ascension, there is no longer Abraham’s bosom, but only “heaven” and “hell”, for through Christ the way into the heavenly holy of holies has been opened up. All who were in Abraham’s bosom before Christ’s resurrection are in heaven now. And all who have died in Christ ever since his resurrection and heaven too. They went there immediately and in their soul. In so too will we if we have faith in Christ and die before he returns. 

Though there are some things that require explanation in Luke 16:19–31 because of the fact that Jesus spoke these words before his resurrection, the text does illustrate the point, doesn’t it? When people die, their souls go either to a place of torment or a place of blessedness and comfort. Now that Christ has risen, we call these two places heaven and hell. 

“And their bodies lie in their graves till the resurrection and judgment of the great day.”

What happens to the bodies of those who do not believe in Christ when they die? The same thing that happens to the bodies of believers. “[T]heir bodies lie in their graves till the resurrection and judgment of the great day.” This mention of the “resurrection” day, which is the “day of judgment”,  anticipates the next question, which is this: “What shall be done to the wicked, at the Day of Judgment?” The answer to this question will have to wait until next Lord’s Day.

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Conclusion

Let me conclude with three suggestions for application.

One, this teaching should move you to ask the question, where will I go when I die? Will I go to experience the glories of heaven, or will I go to experience the torments of hell? What makes the difference? Answer: faith in Christ! We are all born in sin. We all violate God’s law in thought word in thought, word, and deed. We all deserve the torments of hell. But God has provided a Savior for us, Christ the Lord. Listen to John 3:16-18: “For 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)

Two, this teaching should move us to pray for those who do not believe in Christ and also to tell them about Jesus. These are the means that God uses to bring his people to salvation: the proclamation of the gospel and prayer. This is why Paul wrote, “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)

Three, this teaching should increase our gratitude for the mercy and grace that God has shown to us in Christ Jesus. This teaching concerning what Christ has saved us from should cause us to wholeheartedly agree with the apostle Paul, when he says, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places… In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, … In him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will, so that we who were the first to hope in Christ might be to the praise of his glory. In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory.” (Ephesians 1:3–14, ESV). May our gratitude towards God increase. May our love for him grow and grow. May we, like the Apostle, be moved to praise. 

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Sermon: Blessed Is He Who Comes In The Name Of The Lord, Luke 13:31-35

Old Testament Reading: Psalm 118

“Oh give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; for his steadfast love endures forever! Let Israel say, ‘His steadfast love endures forever.’ Let the house of Aaron say, ‘His steadfast love endures forever.’ Let those who fear the LORD say, ‘His steadfast love endures forever.’ Out of my distress I called on the LORD; the LORD answered me and set me free. The LORD is on my side; I will not fear. What can man do to me? The LORD is on my side as my helper; I shall look in triumph on those who hate me. It is better to take refuge in the LORD than to trust in man. It is better to take refuge in the LORD than to trust in princes. All nations surrounded me; in the name of the LORD I cut them off! They surrounded me, surrounded me on every side; in the name of the LORD I cut them off! They surrounded me like bees; they went out like a fire among thorns; in the name of the LORD I cut them off! I was pushed hard, so that I was falling, but the LORD helped me. The LORD is my strength and my song; he has become my salvation. Glad songs of salvation are in the tents of the righteous: ‘The right hand of the LORD does valiantly, the right hand of the LORD exalts, the right hand of the LORD does valiantly!’ I shall not die, but I shall live, and recount the deeds of the LORD. The LORD has disciplined me severely, but he has not given me over to death. Open to me the gates of righteousness, that I may enter through them and give thanks to the LORD. This is the gate of the LORD; the righteous shall enter through it. I thank you that you have answered me and have become my salvation. The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone. This is the LORD’s doing; it is marvelous in our eyes. This is the day that the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it. Save us, we pray, O LORD! O LORD, we pray, give us success! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the LORD! We bless you from the house of the LORD. The LORD is God, and he has made his light to shine upon us. Bind the festal sacrifice with cords, up to the horns of the altar! You are my God, and I will give thanks to you; you are my God; I will extol you. Oh give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; for his steadfast love endures forever!” (Psalm 118, ESV)

New Testament Reading: Luke 13:31-35 

“At that very hour some Pharisees came and said to him, ‘Get away from here, for Herod wants to kill you.’ And he said to them, ‘Go and tell that fox, ‘Behold, I cast out demons and perform cures today and tomorrow, and the third day I finish my course. Nevertheless, I must go on my way today and tomorrow and the day following, for it cannot be that a prophet should perish away from Jerusalem.’ O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it! How often would I have gathered your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you were not willing! Behold, your house is forsaken. And I tell you, you will not see me until you say, ‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!’” (Luke 13:31–35, ESV)

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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.

Introduction

As we enter into our text for today, it is important to remember the scene. Jesus is now journeying towards Jerusalem. He was determined to go there. And he had made it clear to his disciples that he would suffer and die there. Despite this, great multitudes had flocked to Jesus to hear his teaching and to see the miraculous deeds he performed. This multitude was mixed. Some who followed after Christ were devoted disciples of his. Others wished to be healed by him. Some were curious about him. And some were his enemies. 

Our passage for today begins with these words: “At that very hour some Pharisees came and said to him, ‘Get away from here, for Herod wants to kill you.’” The words, “At that very hour” connect this passage with the previous one. If you remember, near the end of the sermon on the previous passage, I attempted to demonstrate that that passage and this one go together thematically. In the previous passage, Christ warned the crowds about waiting too long to enter the narrow door of the kingdom. The narrow door is faith in Christ. That door will close to every individual at death. It will close permanently at the return of Christ. But I also said that there was a sense in which this warning had special relevance to the Jews, covenantally speaking. The kingdom of God was prefigured amongst them on earth from the days of Moses onward. The gospel of salvation through faith in the Messiah was proclaimed and entrusted to them from the days of Abraham onward. But the Scriptures are clear. When the Jews rejected Jesus as the Messiah and crucified him (through their leadership), a partial hardening came upon Israel (see Romans 11:25). The kingdom was taken from them and given to a people producing its fruits (see Matthew 21:43). 

The previous passage has something to do with this great transition from the Old Covenant to the New when the gospel of the kingdom would no longer be largely confined to ethnic Israel but would go to all of the nations of the earth. The previous passage concluded with this warning from Christ to the unbelieving Jew: ​​“In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth, when you see Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God but you yourselves cast out. And people will come from east and west, and from north and south, and recline at table in the kingdom of God. And behold, some are last who will be first, and some are first who will be last” (Luke 13:28–30, ESV). This same theme continues in the passage that is open before us today. Here Christ speaks condemningly of the earthly city of Jerusalem and declares the temple in Jerusalem to be forsaken. But he spoke this way to draw our attention to the fact that something greater than Jerusalem and the temple is here. We will come to this main point eventually. For now, by way of introduction, I simply wish to remind you of the scene and the connection between the theme of this text and the previous one. 

Let us now work our way through this passage, verse by verse. 

Concerned Pharisees?

In Luke 13:31 we read, “At that very hour some Pharisees came and said to him, ‘Get away from here, for Herod wants to kill you.’” Most of the Pharisees were opposed to Jesus, remember? How are we to understand this warning from these Pharisees? Were these Pharisees genuinely concerned for Jesus’ well-being? Were they concerned that Herod, the ruler of the region of Galilee that Christ was in, would do him harm? After all, this was the Herod who had John the Baptist beheaded not long before this. Were these Pharisees genuinely concerned for Jesus? That is the question. Most commentators say, no. Instead, it seems that these Pharisees were attempting to drive Jesus to Jerusalem where they planned to have him killed. They could not drive Jesus by force. The multitudes surrounding him were simply too large. And so they attempted to drive him by fear. 

Dear brothers and sisters, it is not good to be driven by fear. From time to time it is right for us to be driven by instinctual fear. If the house is on fire, it is good for the emotion of fear to rise within us to move us to run. But often men and women are driven by unholy fear – a fear concerning the future and the unknown. Some are paralyzed by unholy fear. The fear keeps them from doing what God has called them to do. Others are driven into foolish decisions as they attempt to avoid the things they fear in their minds.       

The Evil One often uses fear to derail or debilitate God’s people, and that is what these Pharisees attempted to do with Jesus. When they spoke to him, saying, “Get away from here, for Herod wants to kill you”, they were attempting to use fear to control Jesus and to drive him in the direction they wanted him to go. But Christ would not be driven by unholy fear. He was resolute in fulfilling God’s purposes for him. He was driven by the fear of God. Those who fear God supremely will not easily succumb to the fear of man. 

Consider Christ’s response. It is found in verses 32 and 33: “And he said to them, ‘Go and tell that fox, ‘Behold, I cast out demons and perform cures today and tomorrow, and the third day I finish my course. Nevertheless, I must go on my way today and tomorrow and the day following, for it cannot be that a prophet should perish away from Jerusalem.’” (Luke 13:32–33, ESV)

When Christ called Herod a fox he drew attention to the fact that he was a shrewd and cunning ruler. Foxes are cunning creatures. They are not strong like lions. They do not hunt and survive by brute force. Instead, they employ shrewd and cunning tactics. Herod was known for being a cunning ruler and a shrewd politician, and so Christ called him a fox.

When Christ called Herod a fox and told the Pharisees to go deliver a message to him, it also suggests that Herod was behind what the Pharisees said to Jesus. Herod and the Pharisees likely wanted Jesus out of Galilee (Herod’s jurisdiction) and in Jerusalem but for different reasons. The Pharisees wanted Jesus killed. Herod did not want to be troubled politically by Jesus and the great multitude that followed him. 

The important thing to notice is that Jesus would soon leave Galilee and go up to Jerusalem, but Herod or the Pharisees did not drive him there. He would go up to Jerusalem willingly knowing that he would suffer and die there. 

So, Christ responded to the Pharisees saying, “‘Go and tell that fox, ‘Behold, I cast out demons and perform cures today and tomorrow, and the third day I finish my course.” This must mean that Christ planned to remain in Galillie a bit longer. He would continue his ministry there (without fear) today, tomorrow, and on the day after that, his course – his work or activity – in that region would be finished. And then Christ said, “Nevertheless, I must go on my way today and tomorrow and the day following, for it cannot be that a prophet should perish away from Jerusalem.” 

As I have said, Christ was determined to go to Jerusalem to suffer and die there for he knew it was the will of God for him. Christ went to the cross for you and me and for all of God’s elect willingly. He laid down his life for sinners. His life was not taken from him. Christ spoke of this very directly. In John 10:15-18 we hear Christ say, ​​“I lay down my life for the sheep. And I have other sheep that are not of this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd. For this reason, the Father loves me, because I lay down my life that I may take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This charge [order; command] I have received from my Father” (John 10:15–18, ESV).

Jerusalem Condemned And The Temple Declaired Forsaken

Now we come to the strong and condemning words that spoke against the city of Jerusalem and his declaration that the temple was forsaken. 

Listen again to verse 33: “Nevertheless, I must go on my way today and tomorrow and the day following, for it cannot be that a prophet should perish away from Jerusalem” (Luke 13:33, ESV). When Christ said, “it cannot be that a prophet should perish away from Jerusalem”, he drew attention to Israel’s sad history, namely, their propensity to listen to false prophets and to persecute the true prophets sent by God, even to the point of death. 

This sad history is not hidden. It is plainly recorded for us in the Old Testement Scriptures. A good summary is found in Nehemiah 9. There we are told about the people reading God’s law as they celebrated the Feast of Booths after returning to the land after 70 years in exile in Babylon. We are told that they spent a quarter of the day reading God’s law and a quarter of the day confessing their sins corporately. They recounted the history of God’s dealings with them beginning with Abraham and they confessed the sins of their forefathers beginning with the Exodus. When they come to the time after the conquest, the time after Israel was settled in the land that God had promised to give to them, they spoke to God, saying, “Nevertheless, they [their forefathers]  were disobedient and rebelled against you and cast your law behind their back and killed your prophets, who had warned them in order to turn them back to you, and they committed great blasphemies. Therefore you gave them into the hand of their enemies, who made them suffer. And in the time of their suffering they cried out to you and you heard them from heaven, and according to your great mercies you gave them saviors who saved them from the hand of their enemies. But after they had rest they did evil again before you, and you abandoned them to the hand of their enemies, so that they had dominion over them. Yet when they turned and cried to you, you heard from heaven, and many times you delivered them according to your mercies” (Nehemiah 9:26–28, ESV). This is a summary of Israel’s sad history. And if we remember that history, then the words of Christ, “for it cannot be that a prophet should perish away from Jerusalem” (Luke 13:33, ESV), will make sense to us. 

In verse 34, Christ mourns over the city of Jerusalem: “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it! How often would I have gathered your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you were not willing!” (Luke 13:34, ESV).

Here Christ mourns over Jerusalem. He cried out, “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem…” I do believe it is right for us to hear sincere grief in the voice of Christ concerning Jerusalem. Jesus the Messiah, the eternal Son of God incarnate, mourned over Jerusalem. This anticipates what we will encounter in Luke 19:41. When Christ finally enters Jerusalem, Luke tells us that he wept over the city and the people within. 

Some of you may know that those opposed to the doctrines of predestination, effectual calling, and limited atonement will sometimes try to use the words of Christ, “How often would I have gathered your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you were not willing!”, to say, see! Jesus desired that all of Israel would be saved. He wanted to gather them. But they were unwilling to come.  He attempted to call them, but the call was not effective. The people resisted the will of Christ. 

Please allow me to say a few things about this. 

One, this text is not about the predestinating purposes of God or the doctrine of effectual calling. It is, however, about the earthly ministry of Jesus the Messiah. Jesus preached the gospel of the kingdom freely to all Israel. Like every prophet and every preacher, Christ called men and women to repentance and faith externally. Some believed in him. They ran to him like baby chicks run to a hen to take refuge under his wings. If we wish to speak in terms of predestination and effectual calling, those who came to Jesus were God’s elect. These were called, not only in an external way by the word of Christ but inwardly and effectually by the working of the Holy Spirit.  When Christ said, “How often would I have gathered your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings”, he was speaking of his preaching ministry wherein he delivered an external call to faith and repentence to all who would hear.

Two, it is important to note that Christ did not say, how often would I have gathered you together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you were not willing, but rather “How often would I have gathered your children… and you were not willing!” When Christ said, “How often would I have gathered your children” he was referring to the common people. When he said, “and you were not willing” he was speaking of the leaders of Israel – the Pharisees and others. This comports with the reality of the situation. The vast majority of those who followed Christ were from amongst the common people. Very few of the leaders within Israel followed after him.  

Three, when Christ confronted the leaders of Isarel for their unbelief, saying, “and you were not willing”, this in no way contradicts the doctrine of effectual calling. I find that people are often confused about this. We who are Calvinists agree that men and women have free will, that is to say, they make real and free choices. The problem is not that men and women lack free will. The problem is that our wills are by nature fallen and in bondage to sin. When a sinner hears the gospel of Jesus Christ, he or she will always be unwilling to turn from their sins and to trust in him, that is, unless the Spirit works upon them inwardly to make them willing and able to believe.    

The point that I am making is that the words of Christ, “How often would I have gathered your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you were not willing!”, in no way contradict the doctrines of predestination, effectual calling, or limited atonement as some Arminians claim. Here we find Christ speaking as the Messiah, the God-man, concerning his public preaching ministry. And what he says agrees with the reality of the situation. Christ preached the gospel of the kingdom freely to all. As the great prophet of God, he was faithful to callen men and women to repentance and faith in himself. This was an external call – the kind that every preacher of the gospel delivers. Some from amongst the common people did believe, but the vast majority of the leaders of Israel persisted in unbelief, for they were unwilling to follow after him. 

What Christ said next would have shocked many. He spoke of the temple in Jerusalem when he said, “Behold, your house is forsaken.”  To forsake is to leave. To forsake a house is to abandon it and leave it empty. Under the Old Mosaic Covenant, the temple was God’s house. As you may know, after the tabernacle and temple were built, those structures were filled with the glory of God. Concerning the Tabernacle, the last verse of the book of Exodus says, “For the cloud of the LORD was on the tabernacle by day, and fire was in it by night, in the sight of all the house of Israel throughout all their journeys” (Exodus 40:38, ESV). Concerning the temple, 2 Chronicles 7:1-3 says, “As soon as Solomon finished his prayer, fire came down from heaven and consumed the burnt offering and the sacrifices, and the glory of the LORD filled the temple. And the priests could not enter the house of the LORD, because the glory of the LORD filled the LORD’s house. When all the people of Israel saw the fire come down and the glory of the LORD on the temple, they bowed down with their faces to the ground on the pavement and worshiped and gave thanks to the LORD, saying, ‘For he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever’” (2 Chronicles 7:1–3, ESV). The temple was built as a house for God. Of course, God is omnipresent. Heaven and earth cannot contain him. But under the Old Mosaic Covenant, God showed that he was in the midst of Israel by manifesting his glory in the temple. 

When Christ said, “Behold, your house is forsaken”, he meant, it is abandoned by God. And how could God abandon the house he commanded Moses and later Solomon to build? How could he abandon Jerusalem as the place of his habitation and worship? He abandoned Jerusalem and the temple because he did not design them to be his permanent residence. A man who buys a piece of land may build a small dwelling to live in while he constructs his permanent residence. But what will he do when his home is finished? He will abandon the small dwelling to take up residence in his new home. And so it was with the temple in Jerusalem. It functioned as God’s home on earth for a time. But it was not designed to be his permanent dwelling. 

The tabernacle and temple of the Old Mosaic Covenant foreshadowed greater things to come. And the Prophets of Old spoke of greater things to come. Ezekiel was shown a vision of a temple of ginormous proportions (see Ezekiel 40). Isaiah spoke of a new heavens and earth (see Isaiah 65). These prophesies find their fulfilment in the temple of the New Covenant, which is not made of stone, but of living stones, that is to say, of God’s people, and in the temple of God’s new creation. Again, there will be no temple of stone in the new hevens and earth. All will be the temple of the living God, for God will dwell in the midst of us and his glory will illuminate all like the light of the sun. 

When Christ spoke to the unbeliving Jew’s saying, “Behold, your house is forsaken”, he was indicating that the temple and the city of Jeruslaem had served their purpose in God’s plan of redemption. To state things very simply, the tabernacle and later the temple, had served their purpose under Old Covenant order. But now that the Christ has come, and now that the New Covenant has been instituted, the temple, the city of Jerusalem, and the nation Israel are no longer central. This is what Christ meant when he said, “Behold, your house is forsaken.” 

Blessed Is He Who Comes In The Name Of The Lord

Jesus then concluded with these words, “And I tell you, you will not see me until you say, ‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!’” (Luke 13:35, ESV). This is an interesting statement. At first, it might seem as if it does not fit the context, but it certainly does. 

To understand the meaning, we must look forward in Luke’s gospel. Jesus would minister for a bit longer in Galilee and then he would go up to Jerusalem. Luke tells us about what happened when Jesus entered the city. In Luke 19:37 we read,  “As he was drawing near—already on the way down the Mount of Olives—the whole multitude of his disciples began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice for all the mighty works that they had seen, saying, ‘Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!’ And some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to him, ‘Teacher, rebuke your disciples.’ He answered, ‘I tell you, if these were silent, the very stones would cry out’” (Luke 19:37–40, ESV). So then, the words of Christ, “And I tell you, you will not see me until you say, ‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!’”, pointed to the future. . 

But they also pointed to the past. The phrase, “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord” comes from a very important Psalm – Psalm 118. That Psalm is glorious. It celebrates God’s covenant faithfulness. Interstingly, it urges men and women to take refuge in the LORD. This agrees with what Christ has just said about desiring to gather the children of Isarel as a mother hen gathers her chicks under her wings.  In this Psalm, the Psalmist cries out to God for salvation. “Open to me the gates of righteousness, that I may enter through them and give thanks to the LORD. This is the gate of the LORD; the righteous shall enter through it” (Psalm 118:19–20, ESV). This should remind us of what Christ has just said about entering through the narrow gate before it is too late. In verse 21, the Psalmist gives thanks to the LORD for the salvation he has provided: “I thank you that you have answered me and have become my salvation” (Psalm 118:21, ESV). 

As it pertains to our passage in Luke, things get really interesting starting in verse 21. There we read, “The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone” (Psalm 118:22, ESV). You will likely recognize this verse. It is cited or alluded to often in the New Testament (see Matthew  21:42, Mark 12:10-11, Luke 20:17, Acts 4:11, Ephesians 2:20, and 1 Peter 2:4–7). Who is this cornerstone? Jesus is the cornerstone. And what is he the cornerstone of? He is the cornerstone of the foundation of the New Covenant and the New Creation temple of God.  Paul the Apostles picks up this theme in his letter to the Ephesians. Most of them were not Jews but Gentiles. And so he wrote to them, saying, “So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord” (Ephesians 2:19–21, ESV). And what does it mean that “the stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone”. Who are the builders? The builders represent the leaders of the Jews. They rejected Jesus as the Messiah. They crucified him! But this rejected stone became the cornerstone in the foundation of God’s eternal temple. Are you beginning to see why Jesus cited Psalm 118 immediately after saying, “Behold, your house is forsaken.”

Let’s go on. In Psalm 118:23 we read, “This is the LORD’s doing; it is marvelous in our eyes.” (Psalm 118:23, ESV). So then, this rejection of the cornerstone by the builders was according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God (see Acts 2:23). 

I’ll pick up the pace substantially now in our reading of Psalm 118. But as I read, be sure to think of Jesus Christ on his way to Jerusalem to be crucified. “This is the day that the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it. Save us, we pray, O LORD! O LORD, we pray, give us success! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the LORD! We bless you from the house of the LORD. The LORD is God, and he has made his light to shine upon us. Bind the festal sacrifice with cords, up to the horns of the altar! You are my God, and I will give thanks to you; you are my God; I will extol you. Oh give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; for his steadfast love endures forever!” (Psalm 118:24–29, ESV).

When Christ cited Psalm 118:26 he was not only anticipating the reception he would recieve in Jerusalem, he was also claiming to be the fulfillment of all that Psalm 118 says. He is the Savior God has provided. He is the door of rightousness. He is the rejected stone that became the cornerstone. He is the festal sacrifice offered upon the horns of the altar. All of this is the LORD’s doing; it is marvelous in our eyes. And so, we “give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; for his steadfast love endures forever!” (Psalm 118:29, ESV).

Conclussion

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Catechetical Sermon: What Benefits In This Life Accompany Justification, Adoption, And Sanctification?, Baptist Catechism 39

Baptist Catechism 39

Q. 39. What are the benefits which in this life do accompany or flow from justification, adoption, and sanctification?

A. The benefits which in this life do accompany or flow from justification, adoption, and sanctification, are, assurance of God’s love, peace of conscience, joy in the Holy Spirit, increase of grace, and perseverance therein to the end. (Rom. 5:1-5; 14:17; Prov. 4:18; 1 Peter 1:5;1 John 5:13)

Scripture Reading: Romans 5:1-5

“Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.” (Romans 5:1–5, ESV)

*****

Over the past few Sundays, we have considered the main, fountainhead benefits enjoyed by those who have faith in Christ in this life. Those main benefits or blessings are justification, adoption, and sanctification. Much more could be said about these great, fountainhead blessings, but today we move on to consider the several benefits which in this life do accompany or flow from them.   

We should remember the progression. 

Baptist Catechism 35 ask, What benefits do they that are effectually called, partake of in this life? A. They that are effectually called, do in this life partake of justification, adoption, sanctification, and the several benefits which in this life do either accompany or flow from them.

Baptist catechism questions 36, 37, and 38 then ask and answered, what is justification, adoption, and sanctification? Now we come to Baptist Catechism 39 which asks, What are the benefits which in this life do accompany or flow from justification, adoption, and sanctification?

The idea behind this question is that the main blessings of justification, adoption, and sanctification bring many other blessings with them. Those who are justified are blessed in many ways because of their justification. Those who are adopted are blessed in may ways because of their adoption. And those who are being sanctified are blessed in many ways because of their sanctification.  

 So, what are the benefits that in this life accompany or flow from justification, adoption, and sanctification?  No doubt, our list could be very long. Our catechism mentions five. They are assurance of God’s love, peace of conscience, joy in the Holy Spirit, increase of grace, and perseverance therein to the end. With just a little bit of reflection, I trust you will be able to see how each of these five benefits are related to the main benefits of justification, adoption, and sanctification.  

*****

Firstly, those who are justified and adopted, and are being sanctified by God’s grace through faith in Christ, may be assured of God’s love.  To be assured of God’s love is to be confident and convinced that God loves you.  There are a few things about assurance you should know.  One, obtaining this sense of the assurance of God’s love is possible in this life. Two, this sense of assurance does not come to the Christian automatically.  In other words, true Christians might sometimes doubt if God loves them.  Three, Christians should pursue this sense of assurance.  Four, this sense of assurance might sometimes be strong and at other times weak.  Five, the reasons for a lack of assurance are many. The Second London Confession Of Faith devotes an entire chapter to this doctrine of assurance.  I would encourage you to read it sometime soon.  In chapter 18 paragraph 3, some reasons for the lack of assurance are listed.  There we read, “True believers may have the assurance of their salvation [in a variety of] ways shaken, diminished, and intermitted; as by negligence in preserving of it, by falling into some special sin which woundeth the conscience and grieveth the Spirit; by some sudden or vehement temptation, by God’s withdrawing the light of his countenance, and suffering even such as fear him to walk in darkness and to have no light, yet are they never destitute of the seed of God and life of faith, that love of Christ and the brethren, that sincerity of heart and conscience of duty out of which, by the operation of the Spirit, this assurance may in due time be revived, and by the which, in the meantime, they are preserved from utter despair.”  That, I think, is a very good and helpful summary of the reasons this sense of assurance may sometimes be lost or diminished.  Six, the ways to grow in your sense of assurance concerning God’s love for you are many.  One, it is important to start, not by looking at yourself, but at Christ who lived, died, and rose again for you.  God loves you in Christ, remember?  Two, it is important to meditate on the promises found in God’s word.  For example, John 3:16 says, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16, ESV).  And in John 6:37 we hear Christ say, “All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will  never cast out” (John 6:37, ESV).  Three, it is good and right to pray to God and to ask him to give you this sense of assurance by his Holy Spirit.  For it is the “Spirit himself [who] bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God” (Romans 8:16, ESV).  Four, Christians should strive to obey God and avoid sin.  Sin wounds the conscience. Obedience to God is evidence of our salvation.  This is what John meant when he wrote, “And by this we know that we have come to know him, if we keep his commandments” (1 John 2:3, ESV).  That verse is about assurance.  When we turn from sin and keep God’s commandments, it is powerful evidence that we have been reborn, justified, adopted, and are being sanctified.  Stated negatively, when a Christian lives in unrepentant sin, it is no wonder they begin to doubt whether they are saved and loved by God.  Though true Christians do sin, they will not continue in it.  Instead, they will struggle against it and will experience progress in their sanctification over time. We are not saved because we are sanctified.  Instead, we are sanctified because we are saved.  Our growth in holiness is a powerful testimony to our true salvation in Christ Jesus.  Again, I do encourage you to read Second London Confession chapter 18 sometime soon.

For now, I hope you can see how a proper understanding of the doctrines of justification, adoption, and sanctification will help you to grow in your sense of assurance of God’s love for you.  First, these doctrines, when properly understood, should cause us to look away from ourselves to God and Christ to consider what God has done to save us from our sins.  Only after this should we look at ourselves to consider the progress we have made in our sanctification as evidence of God’s redeeming work within us.  And do not forget, your sanctification is by the grace of God, too. 

Secondly, those who are justified, adopted, and are being sanctified by God’s grace through faith in Christ, should have peace of conscience.  We should be at peace knowing that our sins have been forgiven and that we are clothed in Christ’s righteousness. 

Thirdly,  those who are justified, adopted, and are being sanctified by God’s grace through faith in Christ, ought to have joy in the Holy Spirit.  Psalm 32:1-2 comes to mind.  There David says, “Blessed is the one whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered.  Blessed is the man against whom the LORD counts no iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no deceit” (Psalm 32:1–2, ESV).  To be blessed is to be truly and deeply happy or joyous. Those who are justified and adopted and are being sanctified in Christ have every reason to be joyous.  

Fourthly, those who are justified, adopted, and are being sanctified by God’s grace through faith in Christ, will increase in grace.  This means they will, by God’s grace, grow in maturity and holiness over time.  This is one of the wonderful blessings that flows from justification, adoption, and sanctification in this life.  In 2 Peter 3:18 we are exhorted to “grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ” (2 Peter 3:18, ESV).  And in 1 Thessalonians 5:23, we find a kind of benediction wherein the Apostle Paul blesses the Christians in Thessalonica, saying, “Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Thessalonians 5:23, ESV).   

Fifthly, those who are justified, adopted, and are being sanctified by God’s grace through faith in Christ will persevere to the end.  God will preserve his elect, and this he will do by graciously enabling his elect to persevere.  Brothers and sisters, we must persevere in the faith.  We must trust that God will preserve us.  To quote again Philippians 1:6, we trust “that he who began a good work in [us] will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ” (Philippians 1:6, ESV). 

If it is true that all who are justified, adopted, and sanctified will persevere to the end, how are we to understand those who profess faith in Christ and then fall away?  I do believe that 1 John 2:19 addresses this question.  There John speaks of those who have abandoned the faith, saying, “They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us.  But they went out, that it might become plain that they all are not of us” (1 John 2:19, ESV).  There is such a thing as a false profession of faith.  Those who abandon the faith are to be regarded as false professors.  It is not that they lost their justification, adoption, and sanctification, but that they never truly had these things.  Their departure from the faith reveals that their religious profession was merely external all along. 

*****

I’ll move this little sermon to a conclusion by asking, do you have a sense of assurance of God’s love, peace of conscience, and joy in the Holy Spirit? Are you growing in grace and persevering in the faith? If the answer to any of these questions is “no”, there are many possible reasons. One reason I would ask you to consider is that you have not rightly understood or fully appreciated the good news of Jesus Christ, that all who come to him by faith are, by God’s grace, justified, adopted, and sanctified.  

These wonderful gifts cannot be earned but must be received. They are offered to us, not because of anything we have done, but because of what Christ has done for us. And these gifts are truly marvelous. Those who understand what the gifts of justification, adoption, and sanctification are believe that they have truly received them in Christ Jesus, by the grace of God alone through faith alone, are bound to enjoy a sense of assurance of God’s love, peace of conscience, and joy in the Holy Spirit? And we know that those with true faith in Christ will indeed grow in grace and persevere in the faith, for “he who began a good work in [us] will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ” (Philippians 1:6, ESV).

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Sermon: Will Those Who Are Saved Be Few?, Luke 13:22-30

Old Testament Reading: Malachi 1:6–14

“A son honors his father, and a servant his master. If then I am a father, where is my honor? And if I am a master, where is my fear? says the LORD of hosts to you, O priests, who despise my name. But you say, ‘How have we despised your name?’ By offering polluted food upon my altar. But you say, ‘How have we polluted you?’ By saying that the LORD’s table may be despised. When you offer blind animals in sacrifice, is that not evil? And when you offer those that are lame or sick, is that not evil? Present that to your governor; will he accept you or show you favor? says the LORD of hosts. And now entreat the favor of God, that he may be gracious to us. With such a gift from your hand, will he show favor to any of you? says the LORD of hosts. Oh that there were one among you who would shut the doors, that you might not kindle fire on my altar in vain! I have no pleasure in you, says the LORD of hosts, and I will not accept an offering from your hand. For from the rising of the sun to its setting my name will be great among the nations, and in every place incense will be offered to my name, and a pure offering. For my name will be great among the nations, says the LORD of hosts. But you profane it when you say that the Lord’s table is polluted, and its fruit, that is, its food may be despised. But you say, ‘What a weariness this is,’ and you snort at it, says the LORD of hosts. You bring what has been taken by violence or is lame or sick, and this you bring as your offering! Shall I accept that from your hand? says the LORD. Cursed be the cheat who has a male in his flock, and vows it, and yet sacrifices to the Lord what is blemished. For I am a great King, says the LORD of hosts, and my name will be feared among the nations.” (Malachi 1:6–14, ESV)

New Testament Reading: Luke 13:22-35 

“He went on his way through towns and villages, teaching and journeying toward Jerusalem. And someone said to him, ‘Lord, will those who are saved be few?’ And he said to them, ‘Strive to enter through the narrow door. For many, I tell you, will seek to enter and will not be able. When once the master of the house has risen and shut the door, and you begin to stand outside and to knock at the door, saying, ‘Lord, open to us,’ then he will answer you, ‘I do not know where you come from.’ Then you will begin to say, ‘We ate and drank in your presence, and you taught in our streets.’ But he will say, ‘I tell you, I do not know where you come from. Depart from me, all you workers of evil!’ In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth, when you see Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God but you yourselves cast out. And people will come from east and west, and from north and south, and recline at table in the kingdom of God. And behold, some are last who will be first, and some are first who will be last.’ At that very hour some Pharisees came and said to him, ‘Get away from here, for Herod wants to kill you.’ And he said to them, ‘Go and tell that fox, ‘Behold, I cast out demons and perform cures today and tomorrow, and the third day I finish my course. Nevertheless, I must go on my way today and tomorrow and the day following, for it cannot be that a prophet should perish away from Jerusalem.’ O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it! How often would I have gathered your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you were not willing! Behold, your house is forsaken. And I tell you, you will not see me until you say, ‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!’” (Luke 13:22–35, ESV)

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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.

Introduction

In the previous sermon, I labored to demonstrate that Luke’s Gospel is about the arrival (or inauguration) of the kingdom of God along with the arrival of the Messiah, Christ the King. Jesus is the King of God’s everlasting kingdom. Christ the King brought with him the kingdom! Furthermore, in the previous sermon, I argued that Luke 13:18 marks a shift in emphasis. While the first half of Luke’s Gospel is most concerned with demonstrating that the kingdom of God was present with power in the days of Christ’s earthly ministry, the second half of Luke’s Gospel (from 13:18 onward) is more concerned with teaching us about the nature or character of Christ’s kingdom. In other words, while the first half of Luke’s Gospel emphasizes that the kingdom was at hand in the days of Christ the King’s earthly ministry, in the second half, Christ teaches us what this Kingdom is like. In Luke 13:18 we hear Christ say, “What is the kingdom of God like? And to what shall I compare it?” And again in Luke 13:20, Christ says, “To what shall I compare the kingdom of God?” As you will probably remember, Christ compared the kingdom of God to a mustard seed and leaven in that passage. But I do believe that as Christ continued his journey towards Jerusalem, where he would soon be crucified, buried, and rise again on the third day, he continued to teach his disciples and the crowds that followed him about the nature, quality, or characteristics of this kingdom he came to establish. Here in the passage that is open before us today, Christ teaches us who will enter his kingdom and how.

The Question: Will Those Who Are Saved Be Few? 

What prompted this teaching from Jesus? Well, someone from the crowd asked him a question. 

In Luke 13:22 we are told that Jesus, “went on his way through towns and villages, teaching and journeying toward Jerusalem.” It was back in Luke 9:51 that we read, “When the days drew near for [Jesus] to be taken up, he set his face to go to Jerusalem.” So Christ is here continuing his journey towards Jerusalem. And do not forget that Christ had sent  72 of his disciples into this region ahead of him to heal and to say, “The kingdom of God has come near to you” (Luke 10:9). It is no surprise, then, that as Jesus journeyed from the north towards Jerusalem in the south that crowds of people flocked to him. Why did they flock to him? Because they were excited about the possibility that God’s King and kingdom had arrived. They wished to see it for themselves and to know more. 

Friends, though I will not take the time to demonstrate this to you today, you must know and remember that the Old Testament Scriptures have a lot to say about the eventual arrival of the kingdom of God. Those who have sat under my preaching for some time will recall what I have said many times before, that the Bible is all about God’s kingdom. The kingdom was offered to Adam in the Garden, but forfeited when he fell into sin. By God’s grace, God promised to Adam and Eve that he would establish his kingdom in another way and through another king (see Genesis 3:15). This promise was reiterated to Abraham (see Genesis 12). And in the days of Moses and Joshua, this kingdom began to be prefigured on earth through Israel. The prefigurement of the kingdom of God on earth reached its climax in King David and in his reign, for he was a type of the Christ to come. It was to King David that the Lord promised, saying, “When your days are fulfilled and you lie down with your fathers, I will raise up your offspring after you, who shall come from your body, and I will establish his kingdom. He shall build a house for my name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever” (2 Samuel 7:12–13). I remind you (yet again) of this Old Testament history of the kingdom of God offered (but lost), promised (even to Adam), and prefigured (in Old Covenant Isarel), so that you might understand the excitement of the crowds who flocked to Jesus at this point in his ministry. Not only had the 72 disciples of Christ traveled through these towns proclaiming the nearness of the kingdom of God, but these people also knew the Scriptures and they were eagerly awaiting the arrival of the King and Kingdom that had been promised by God to Adam, Abraham, and David long before. They were longing for the arrival of the Kingdom of God, but as I have said before, misunderstandings abounded. And so Christ taught them about the nature of his kingdom. 

Returning now to our text, Jesus “went on his way through towns and villages, teaching and journeying toward Jerusalem. And someone said to him, ‘Lord, will those who are saved be few?’” (Luke 13:22–23, ESV).

You understand the question, don’t you? The question is, how many will be saved? How many will enter into this kingdom of yours and be kept in it? Will many enter your kingdom, or will only a few?

Why did the man ask this question?  

Perhaps his question was simply driven by curiosity. With all of the thousands of people flocking around Jesus, and with Jesus heading toward Jerusalem, he simply wished to know how many would enter Christ’s kingdom and be saved.

Perhaps his question was biblical. By this I mean, that perhaps this man was aware of the many passages in the Old Testament that speak of an elect remnant within Israel being saved. Isaiah 10:22 comes to mind. This passage is quoted by Paul in Romans 9. It says, “For though your people Israel be as the sand of the sea, only a remnant of them will return. Destruction is decreed, overflowing with righteousness” (Isaiah 10:22, ESV). This theme of only a remnant within Old Covenant Isarel being saved is found throughout the prophets, and especially Isaiah. Perhaps this man had this biblical theme in mind when he asked, will those who are saved be few?

Or maybe this man’s question was personal. It could be that he was concerned to know whether or not he would be amongst those saved in the Messiah’s kingdom.

Whatever his motivation, Christ’s answer was bigger and better than the question he asked. Hear his question again: “Lord, will those who are saved be few?” I suppose Christ could have responded very simply by saying, yes or no, but an answer like this would have been very dissatisfying. “Lord, will those who are saved be few?” If Christ simply answered, yes, many other questions would have been raised. Few relative to what? Who will the few who are saved be? Will I be among the few? And the same questions would have lingered if Christ answered no.  The man: Lord, will those who are saved be few?” Christ: No, many will be saved. The crowds would have been left to wonder: Many relative to what? Who will the many who are saved be? Will I be among the many? As I have said, Christ’s answer was bigger and better than the question posed to him. 

Christ’s Answer: Strive To Enter Through The Narrow Door

Instead of simply answering yes or no Christ spoke to the man and the crowds, saying, “Strive to enter through the narrow door. For many, I tell you, will seek to enter and will not be able.” (Luke 13:23–24, ESV)

As you can see, Christ did not ignore or dismiss the man’s question. He answered in the affirmative. Yes, those who will be saved will be relativity few. This is the answer Christ gave when he employed the metaphor of a narrow door. The door by which a person enters the kingdom of God to the salvation of their souls is a narrow door – it is not designed to facilitate the passage of all who have ever lived. And Christ explicitly tells us that “many… will seek to enter and will not be able.” So then, many will not enter the kingdom of salvation, but some will. 

I have said, that those who will be saved will be relatively few because the answer given by our Lord does not contradict the fact that the total number of those saved will in the end be very large. Will those who are saved be few? Yes, few relative to the total number of people who have ever lived. But we know that the total number of the redeemed will be very large. The Apostle John was shown a vision of the assembly of the redeemed ones in heaven. It is recorded for us in Revelation 7:9. There we read, “After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands, and crying out with a loud voice, ‘Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!’” (Revelation 7:9–10, ESV). Will those who are saved be few? I suppose the answer is yes and no. Few, relative to the total number of people who have every lived. But this does not mean that Christ’s consummated kingdom in the new heavens and earth will be sparsely populated. On the contrary, the new heavens and earth will be filled with those who have trusted in Christ in every age and from every tongue, tribe, and nation when Christ returns to judge and to make all things new.   

The man’s question was, “Lord, will those who are saved be few?” Christ answered him in a very personal way. He responded to the man and the crowd with a command: “Strive to enter through the narrow door” (Luke 13:24, ESV). It’s as if Christ said, do not be so concerned with the question, how many will be in the kingdom of heaven? Instead, be concerned with the question, will I be saved in the kingdom of heaven? And strive to enter through the narrow door”

What does the narrow door symbolize? It must symbolize repentance and faith in Christ! You might be tempted to respond to me saying, but the text does not say that the narrow door represents repentance and faith in Christ. That’s true! But one of the most important principles of Biblical interpretation is that we must use Scripture to interpret Scripture. By this I mean, we must allow other passages of Scripture to help us in our interpretation of a particular text. In many other places, the Scriptures are abundantly clear that the way sinners come to be saved is through repentance and faith in Christ. Many Scripture texts could be piled up. For the sake of time, I’ll cite only 2 Timothy 3:15, for there Paul speaks of the  “sacred writings” or Scriptures and says that they are able to make us “wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus” (2 Timothy 3:15, ESV). So then, this is what the Scriptures reveal, that salvation is through faith in Jesus Christ. And this is what the narrow door symbolizes. When Christ commanded the man and the crowd to “strive to enter through the narrow door” it was a call to repentance and faith. 

Some might be bothered by the language of striving. Some might think, does this not contradict the doctrines of predestination and effectual calling? Not at all! While it is true that it is those who have been predestined and effectually called who will believe, this does not negate our responsibility to “strive” to enter heaven. In fact, in God’s word, we are called to do many things. We are commanded to repent. We are commanded to believe. We are commanded to mortify the flesh and to pursue holiness. We are commanded to abide in Christ and to work out our salvation with fear and trembling. Who will do these things? It is those who are predestined and effectually called who will do these things, being made able and willing to do them, by God’s grace. But these are things we must do, and so the Scriptures command them. We must strive to enter through the narrow door of repentance and faith in Christ. And neither does the command to “strive” contradict the doctrine of salvation through faith in Christ alone, and not by law-keeping. If the narrow door symbolized the law of Moses, then the command to “strive” would mean that we are to strive to keep the law of Moses to enter the kingdom of heaven. But if the narrow door signifies faith in Christ (which it does) then the command to “strive to enter through the narrow door” is simply a call to repentance and faith. 

Here is a very important observation to make: When Christ said, that “many… will seek to enter and will not be able”,  he did not mean that many will try to enter through the narrow door of faith in Christ and will be hindered. No, he meant that many will seek to enter the kingdom of God in the wrong way. In other words, when we imagine Christ’s metaphor we are not to imagine crowds of people frantically trying to enter the kingdom in the right way, that is to say, through the narrow door of faith in Christ, but being hindered. Rather, we are to imagine the narrow door standing open. Some see it as the way into the kingdom of heaven and walk through it. But many more pay no attention to it. Perhaps they think, how could such a small and narrow door be the entrance to such a glorious kingdom? And so they reject this narrow door as a door of entrance. Instead, they attempt to enter the kingdom in another way. Eventually, the narrow door will be shut and no other entrance into the kingdom will be found. 

Dear friends, all who strive to enter the kingdom of heaven through the narrow door of true repentance and sincere faith in Christ will be granted entrance into Christ’s kingdom. None will be turned away. “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16, ESV). And Christ has promised, “All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out” (John 6:37, ESV). But the narrow door of entrance into Christ’s kingdom will not remain open forever. Once it is shut, many “will seek to enter [the kingdom] and will not be able.”

What does the shutting of the narrow door symbolize? I believe the shutting of the narrow door may refer to two things: One, the narrow door of entrance into the kingdom of God will be shut to every individual at the moment of their death. It is in this life that we have the opportunity to repent and believe in Christ. After death, no opportunity for repentence and faith will be given. The door of entrance into the kingdom will be firmly shut.  Two, the narrow door of entrance into the kingdom of God will be shut to all humanity at the second coming of Christ. When Christ returns, this age, wherein sinners are called to repentance and faith, will be brought to a close. Then, all who die unbelieving and in their sins will be judged. 

This is what is described in verses 25-28. There Christ says, “When once the master of the house has risen and shut the door, and you begin to stand outside and to knock at the door, saying, ‘Lord, open to us,’ then he will answer you, ‘I do not know where you come from.’” Christ is the master of the house. I interpret the word “risen” to be a reference to Christ’s resurrection from the dead on the third day after his crucifixion – something that would happen not long after Christ spoke these words. I interpret Christ’s comment about shutting the door to the kingdom as I did before – as a reference to an individual’s death and especially the return of Christ and the final judgment. First, Christ would be raised from the dead and ascend to the Father. The narrow door to the kingdom would be left open. But eventually, Christ will shut the door. When men and women die in their sins or when Christ returns, sinners will wish to enter the kingdom of heaven, but no access will be granted. They will say, “‘Lord, open to us,’ then [the master of the house] will answer…, ‘I do not know where you come from.’” In other words, those who fail to enter the kingdom of God through the narrow gate of faith in Christ in this life will be treated like foreigners and strangers to Christ’s kingdom on the day of judgment. 

This is true for all who die in their sins, but to interpret this passage properly we must remember that Christ was speaking to Old Covenant Jews. The people lived under the Old Covenant. They were, under the Old Covenant, God’s chosen people. The kingdom of God was prefigured on earth in Israel, and every Israelite was a citizen of that earth kingdom. They were in. They were in based on their ethnicity. They were in covenantally. But here Christ warns them that if they fail to enter through the narrow door of faith in the Messiah, they will find themselves on the outside looking in. 

Look with me at verse 26. There Christ says, “Then you will begin to say, ‘We ate and drank in your presence, and you taught in our streets.’ But he will say, ‘I tell you, I do not know where you come from. Depart from me, all you workers of evil!’ In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth, when you see Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God but you yourselves cast out.” Why will Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and the prophets be in the kingdom? Because they believed in the Messiah who was promised to them. Or to use the language of our text, they entered the kingdom through the narrow door while it was still open. And why would these Jews be locked out? Because they did not turn from their sins (they were workers of evil) and they did not trust in Jesus the Messiah. On the last day, Christ will speak to all who die unbelieving and in their sins, saying, “Depart from me, all you workers of evil!” And they will be cast into hell. “In that place, there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”  

In verses 29-30, Christ says something that would have been most shocking and outrageous to the Jews: “And people will come from east and west, and from north and south, and recline at table in the kingdom of God. And behold, some are last who will be first, and some are first who will be last” (Luke 13:29–30, ESV). What is the meaning of this? The meaning is that many from the nations would enter the kingdom of God through the narrow door of faith in the Messiah while, ironically, many from amongst the Jews would reject the Messiah and be denied entrance into the eternal kingdom of God.  

This might be difficult for you and I to fully appreciate, but a great transition occurred when Christ died and rose from the dead to inaugurate the New Covenant. The kingdom of God which for generations was prefigured on earth in Israel was brought into the world with power and it spread to all nations. From the days of Abraham to the resurrection of Christ, God’s kingdom work was confined largely to Israel and the Hebrews. But from the resurrection of Christ to the consummation, God’s kingdom is spreading to all nations. In Matthew 21:43 Christ spoke to the unbelieving Jews, saying, “Therefore I tell you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people producing its fruits.” In Matthew 24:14, Christ said, “And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.” In Matthew 28:18 Christ commissioned his disciples, saying, “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.” 

The Apostle Paul reflected on this great transition away from Israel and to the nations when he spoke to his fellow Jews, saying, “Lest you be wise in your own sight, I do not want you to be unaware of this mystery, brothers: a partial hardening has come upon Israel, until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in. And in this way all Israel will be saved…” (Romans 11:25–26, ESV). As Paul reflected on the history of redemption he could see that for many hundreds of years, the Jews enjoyed privileges as it pertained to the advancement of God’s kingdom. In Romans 9:4-5 Paul reflected on those privileges, saying, “They are Israelites, and to them belong the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the worship, and the promises. To them belong the patriarchs, and from their race, according to the flesh, is the Christ, who is God over all, blessed forever. Amen.” But Paul could also see that under the New Covenant, a “partial hardening has come upon Israel”. He calls it “partial” because, under the New Covenant, some Jews will place their faith in Jesus the Messiah. Paul was one of these. But in general, under the New Covenant, there is a great reversal. Whereas under the Old Covenant God worked primarily amongst the Hebrews while the nations remained in darkness, now under the New Covenant, the kingdom has advanced with power amongst the Gentile nations while most of the Hebrews have persisted in unbelief. When Paul says in Romans 11:26,  “a partial hardening has come upon Israel, until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in. And in this way all Israel will be saved…”, he speaks of the fulness of the true Israel of God, that is to say, all who have the faith of Abraham from amongst the Jews and Gentiles. He does not say that attention will return to the Jews, as many imagine, but that in this way – through a time of focus upon the Jews followed by a time focus upon the Gentiles – all Israel (the true Israel of faith) will be saved. And this agrees with what Christ said in Matthew 24:14: “And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.”

Earlier, I said that the closing of the narrow door of entrance into the kingdom of heaven signifies an individual’s death and the second coming of Christ. Both of these events – one personal and the other redemptive historical – may be likened to the closing of the door of salvation, for they bring the opportunity that one has to repent and believe in Jesus to a definitive end.  Now, given what Christ has said in verses 28-30, I do wonder if the closing of the narrow door of salvation does not in some way also signify this great transition away from the Jews and to the Gentiles with the passing away of the Old Covenant and the inauguration of the New. In other words, I suspect that in this metaphor, the master of the house rising (from the dead) and closing the door to the kingdom, has something to do with this great transition. It has something to do with what Christ said to the unbelieving Jews in Matthew 21:43: “Therefore I tell you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people producing its fruits” and with what Pauls said in Romans 11:26: “a partial hardening has come upon Israel, until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in.” Metaphors and parables are somewhat flexible. They can have layers of meaning. And based on the context, I do believe this is one of the layers of meaning. 

You should know that I intended to go further in Luke when I started to write this sermon but I ran out of space. This has been happening to me a lot lately. As I write my manuscript I sometimes realize that I had better stop stop earlier in the text lest I frustrate you or rush through an important section of Scripture. Lord willing, we will carefully consider Luke 13:31-35 in a future sermon. But I would like to quickly show you why I intended to continue through verse 35. Notice that in Luke 13:34 Christ pronounces woes upon the city of Jerusalem. And notice that in verse 35 Christ speaks to the Jews regarding the Old Covenant temple in Jerusalem and says, “Behold, your house is forsaken.” These statements from Jesus indicated that the time wherein the kingdom of God was prefigured on earth amongst the Hebrews living in Israel and Jerusalem with the temple in their midst was coming to a close. The door was closing, if you will. Ffor something greater than the land of Isarel (Isaiah 65:17), Jerusalem (Revelation 21:2), and the Temple (Matthew 12:6) had arrived. The greater thing is the Messiah and the eternal reward he has earned. 

I draw your attention to these things, briefly, so that you might recognize the theme that runs through our passage for today and into the next one. Christ commanded the crowds to strive to enter the kingdom of salvation through the narrow door. The narrow symbolizes repentance and faith in Jesus, the Messiah promised long before and brought into the world through Israel. But we must enter before the door is shut and it is too late.  

This door will be closed for every individual at the moment of death. 

This door will be shut permanently for all humanity when Christ returns to judge and to usher in the new heavens and earth.

And there is also a sense in which the door was shutting on the Hebrews in the days of Christ’s earthly ministry. I believe the way to speak about this is to say that the was shutting covenantally as the Old Covenant order was being fulfilled and the New Covenant order was about to be established. By this I do not mean to suggest that the door of entrance into Christ’s kingdom was in those days shut to all Jews. Of course not. Jesus is a Jew. The Apostles are Jews. Most of the first Christians are Jews. And Jews have come to repentence and faith in Christ throughout the history of the church, thanks be to God. But the fact remains, when the Jews crucified their Messiah at the hands of the Romans, and when the Messiah rose from the grave on the third day, a great transition occurred. The Old Covenant was fulfilled and taken away. The New Covenant was instituted. The temple in Jerusalem was declared by Christ to be desolate. It would be leveled to its foundation stones in 70 AD. A partial hardening did at that time come upon Isarel (Romans 11:25-26). The kingdom of God was taken from the Hebrews and given “to a people producing its fruits” ( Matthew 21:43). Who are the people to whom the inaugurated eternal kingdom of God has been given? They are the elect of God from amongst the Jews and the Gentiles (the dividing wall of hostility has been broken down, see Ephesians 2:14). The heavenly and eternal kingdom of God belongs to all who have faith in the Messiah in all times and from every tongue, tribe, and nation.

Conclusion

I’ll now move this sermon toward a conclusion by offering a few suggestions for application. 

One, instead of fixating on questions about the total number of those who will be saved, or questions regarding the timing of Christ’s return, let us strive to enter the kingdom of God ourselves. How many will be saved? God has not revealed to us the total number of his elect. When will Christ return? God has not revealed this to us either? But what has God revealed? He has revealed the way of salvation. He has revealed the way of entrance into the eternal kingdom of God. If we are to enter the eternal kingdom, it must be through the narrow door of repentance and faith in Christ. This is how things have always been. Under the Old Covenant and New, the way of entrance into the eternal kingdom of God is through repentance and faith in Christ. The door is narrow, friends. Not many will pass through it. And to pass through it we must repent – we must drop the baggage of our sin and self-rightous pride – and we must trust in Christ, for he alone the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through him (John 14:6). Christ is the door by which we must eneter (John 10:1-9). So let us stive to enter. Friends, I must exhort you to repent often and well. Do not toy with sin and do not delay in your repentance. And I must exhort you to cling to Christ Jesus by faith. You must abide in him. You must work out your faith with fear and trembling. Strive to enter the kingdom through repentance and faith in Christ. We must persevere in him. 

Two, let us do as Christ and his Apostles did and urge other to strive to eneter the kingdom along with us. Let us point others to narrow door of entrance. Let us urge other to repent and believe in Jesus. Friends, Christ preached the gospel of the kingdom freely, and so too did the Apostles. Yes, we know that it will be the elect who repent and believe, but we do not know who the elect are. And yes, we know that for someone to repent and believe the Holy Spirit must work upon them inwardly to make them them alive, able, and willing. But the Spirit works in  concert with teh word of God. And so we must preach the word – we must proclaim the gospel freely – trusting that God the Spirit will work according to the will of the Father to apply the redemption the Son has earned at the appointed time. We must preach the gospel of the kingdom, friends. 

Three, I would encourage you to continue pondering the kingdom of God as we progress in our study of Luke’s Gospel. I have told you that Luke teaches us a lot about the nature of Christ’s kingdom in this section of his Gospel. Let us ponder these truths. I would encourage you to think about how glorious the kingdom will be when Christ returns to bring it into its consummate state. For help in pondering the consummated kingdom, I would urge you to read Revelation 21 and 22. There you you find an account of the vision that was shown to the Apostle John of the kingdom in its full and final form. But I would also encourage you to ponder the kingdom of Christ as it is now. The eternal kingdom has been inaugurated. Christ the king is enthoned in heaven. All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to him. And especially rules over his church consiting of all who have repented and belived upon him, confessing him to be Lord. And where is Christ’s church made visable today? It is made visable in local congregations consisting of officers and members who assemble  together each Lord’s Day to listen to the word of the King and to sit at the King’s table. Dear brethren, let us grow in our appreciation for the local, visible church where the eternal kingdom of Christ is presently manifest. Strive to enter the kingdom, Christ says. Strive to enter it in the end! And to enter the kingdom in the end, one must enter it now in this life. To enter it now you must turn from your sins and trust in Jesus. And what are those who trust in Jesus to do? They are to be baptized? And what is the duty of those who are rightly baptized? “It is the duty of those who are rightly baptized to give up themselves to some particular and orderly church of Jesus Christ, that they may walk in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless” (Baptist Catechism 101). May the Lord deepen our understanding, love, and appreciation for the kingdom that Christ has inaugurated and our longing for its consummation. 

Posted in Sermons, Joe Anady, Luke 13:22-30, Posted by Joe. Comments Off on Sermon: Will Those Who Are Saved Be Few?, Luke 13:22-30

Catechetical Sermon: What Is Sanctification?,  Baptist Catechism 38

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Baptist Catechism 38

Question: What is sanctification?

Answer: 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.

Scripture Reading: Proverbs 3:1–12

“My son, do not forget my teaching, but let your heart keep my commandments, for length of days and years of life and peace they will add to you. Let not steadfast love and faithfulness forsake you; bind them around your neck; write them on the tablet of your heart. So you will find favor and good success in the sight of God and man. Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths. Be not wise in your own eyes; fear the LORD, and turn away from evil. It will be healing to your flesh and refreshment to your bones. Honor the LORD with your wealth and with the firstfruits of all your produce; then your barns will be filled with plenty, and your vats will be bursting with wine. My son, do not despise the LORD’s discipline or be weary of his reproof, for the LORD reproves him whom he loves, as a father the son in whom he delights.” (Proverbs 3:1–12, ESV)

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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.

Introduction

The question that is before us today is, what is sanctification?

Sanctification is the third of the three fountainhead blessings that our catechism identifies as belonging to those who have faith in Christ. I call them “fountainhead blessings” because there are other blessings — indeed many other blessings! — but these either accompany or flow from the three that are mentioned: justification, adoption, and now sanctification.  To be justified is to be pardoned, that is, declared not guilty and made righteous in God’s sight. To be adopted is to be received into God’s family as beloved children. It is not difficult to see that there are many other blessings that are attached to or flow from these benefits. But as I have said, sanctification is the third of the three fountainhead blessings. 

What is sanctification? The answer provided by our catechism is very good. It is carefully worded, brief, and a true summary of the teaching of Holy Scripture. 

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Baptist Catechism 38

What is sanctification? 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.

Notice a few things about sanctification.

Firstly, sanctification is said to be the work of God’s free grace.  Who is the one who sanctifies?  God sanctifies his people.  And why does he sanctify?  Our catechism is right to say that it is by his free grace.  Like with justification and adoption, sanctification is a gift that God freely gives.  It is not based upon anything deserving (meritorious) within us.  

But perhaps you noticed something a little different about sanctification.  Whereas justification and adoption are said to be acts of God’s free grace, sanctification is a called a work of God’s free grace.  This is an important observation.  Justification and adoption are acts of God because God alone justifies and adopts his people, and he does these things in an instant.  There is nothing ongoing or progressive about the act of justification or the act of adoption.  But sanctification is a called work of God.  I think we are to take this to mean that it is a work in progress and a work that God does in us, as we will soon see. 

Secondly, our catechism describes what God does in those who have faith in Christ when he sanctifies them.  Sanctification is the work of God’s free grace, whereby we are renewed in the whole man after the image of God.

This little phrase, whereby we are renewed in the whole man after the image of God, is loaded with meaning.  It should remind us of what Baptist Catechism 13 taught us about the original creation of man. How did God create man?  Answer:  God created man, male and female, after his own image, in knowledge, righteousness, and holiness, with dominion over the creatures.  This phrase should also remind us of what Baptist Catechism 21 taught us about man’s fall into sin and its effects.  Wherein consists the sinfulness of that estate whereinto man fell?  Answer: The sinfulness of that estate whereinto 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.  So, man’s nature was upright, perfect, and pure when God first made him, but when Adam fell into sin, human nature was corrupted.  We should also remember Baptist Catechism 34.  There we learned about effectual calling.  What is effectual calling?  Answer: 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. When God effectually calls sinners, he gives them new life (see John 3).  He enlightens the mind and renews the will.  Stated differently, when God effectually calls a sinner, he gives them new birth to make them willing and able to believe.  Without this regeneration or new birth, no one can turn from their sin and to Christ, for we are by nature, blind, deaf, and dead, spiritually because of sin (see Colossians 2:13).  All of this is true. But it would be a mistake to think that God’s work of renewal is completed in an instant.  No.  Although effectual calling and regeneration are completed in an instant,  God’s work of renewal is progressive and ongoing.  It lasts a lifetime.  This is what we call sanctification. 

All of this can be compared to physical birth and growth.  Effectual calling and regeneration can be compared to conception.  At conception, a new human life is brought into existence in an instant.  But there is a great deal of growth to take place after conception, and this may be compared to the spiritual process of sanctification.  Sanctification is a process of spiritual growth and renewal.  It lasts a lifetime. 

Thirdly, our catechism describes what those who are sanctified are enabled to do.  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.  So you can see that sanctification is not only an act that God does to us but a work that God does in us.  Stated differently, unlike with justification and adoption, we do have a role to play in our sanctification.  In sanctification, God, by his grace, enables us more and more to die to sin and to live to righteousness.  Who, I ask you, is to die to sin and live to righteousness?  We are.  This is a work that we must do. But it is a work that God, by his grace, enables us to do. 

This is precisely what the Scriptures teach. Listen to Philippians 2:12-13.  Here Paul exhorts Christians, saying, “Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure” (Philippians 2:12–13, ESV).  Who obeys?  Who is to work out their salvation with fear and trembling?  Who is to will and work for God’s good pleasure?  We are.  But all of this is made possible by God’s work in us.

From time to time in this study through our catechism I have made mention of our confession of faith, the Second London Confession. Our catechism summarizes our confession, remember?  Reading our confession alongside our catechism can be a very helpful exercise.  In fact, I would recommend that you read Second London Confession chapters 10-13 alongside Baptist Catechism questions 34-38.  Here in these sections, both documents deal with effectual calling, justification, adoption, and sanctification.  I appreciate what our confession of faith says about sanctification. I’d like to read it to you now. 

Chapter 13 of our confession is entitled Of Sanctification.

Paragraph 1 says, They who are united to Christ, effectually called, and regenerated, having a new heart and a new spirit created in them through the virtue of Christ’s death and resurrection, are also farther sanctified, really and personally, through the same virtue, by His Word and Spirit dwelling in them; the dominion of the whole body of sin is destroyed, and the several lusts thereof are more and more weakened and mortified, and they more and more quickened and strengthened in all saving graces, to the practice of all true holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord.

Paragraph 2 says, This sanctification is throughout, in the whole man, yet imperfect in this life; there abideth still some remnants of corruption in every part, whence ariseth a continual and irreconcilable war; the flesh lusting against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh.

Paragraph 3 says, In which war, although the remaining corruption for a time may much prevail, yet, through the continual supply of strength from the sanctifying Spirit of Christ, the regenerate part doth overcome; and so the saints grow in grace, perfecting holiness in the fear of God, pressing after an heavenly life, in evangelical obedience to all the commands which Christ, as Head and King, in His Word hath prescribed to them.

This is a wonderful description of sanctification.  If you have been effectually called by God’s Word and Spirit to faith in Christ, you are justified and adopted.  This is finished.  Your justification and adoption cannot be increased or diminished.  And if you are a justified and adopted child of God, God the Father is sanctifying you now, by his grace.  You are being renewed in the whole man after the image of God.  God is doing this work in you.  By his Word and Spirit, he is enabling you to put to death the deeds of the flesh and to live a holy life before him.  I do appreciate that our confession describes this as a war.  Sometimes we win.  Sometimes we lose. Sometimes the battle is really hard.  But we believe the promise of God’s Word, “that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ” (Philippians 1:6, ESV). Thanks be to God, he will finish the work he started in us, by his grace. 

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Conclusion

What is sanctification? Here is a fine answer:  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.

Posted in Sermons, Joe Anady, Posted by Joe. Comments Off on Catechetical Sermon: What Is Sanctification?,  Baptist Catechism 38

Sermon: What Is The Kingdom Of God Like?, Luke 13:18-21

Old Testament Reading: Daniel 4:1-28

“King Nebuchadnezzar to all peoples, nations, and languages, that dwell in all the earth: Peace be multiplied to you! It has seemed good to me to show the signs and wonders that the Most High God has done for me. How great are his signs, how mighty his wonders! His kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and his dominion endures from generation to generation. I, Nebuchadnezzar, was at ease in my house and prospering in my palace. I saw a dream that made me afraid. As I lay in bed the fancies and the visions of my head alarmed me. So I made a decree that all the wise men of Babylon should be brought before me, that they might make known to me the interpretation of the dream. Then the magicians, the enchanters, the Chaldeans, and the astrologers came in, and I told them the dream, but they could not make known to me its interpretation. At last Daniel came in before me—he who was named Belteshazzar after the name of my god, and in whom is the spirit of the holy gods—and I told him the dream, saying, ‘O Belteshazzar, chief of the magicians, because I know that the spirit of the holy gods is in you and that no mystery is too difficult for you, tell me the visions of my dream that I saw and their interpretation. The visions of my head as I lay in bed were these: I saw, and behold, a tree in the midst of the earth, and its height was great. The tree grew and became strong, and its top reached to heaven, and it was visible to the end of the whole earth. Its leaves were beautiful and its fruit abundant, and in it was food for all. The beasts of the field found shade under it, and the birds of the heavens lived in its branches, and all flesh was fed from it. I saw in the visions of my head as I lay in bed, and behold, a watcher, a holy one, came down from heaven. He proclaimed aloud and said thus: ‘Chop down the tree and lop off its branches, strip off its leaves and scatter its fruit. Let the beasts flee from under it and the birds from its branches. But leave the stump of its roots in the earth, bound with a band of iron and bronze, amid the tender grass of the field. Let him be wet with the dew of heaven. Let his portion be with the beasts in the grass of the earth. Let his mind be changed from a man’s, and let a beast’s mind be given to him; and let seven periods of time pass over him. The sentence is by the decree of the watchers, the decision by the word of the holy ones, to the end that the living may know that the Most High rules the kingdom of men and gives it to whom he will and sets over it the lowliest of men.’ This dream I, King Nebuchadnezzar, saw. And you, O Belteshazzar, tell me the interpretation, because all the wise men of my kingdom are not able to make known to me the interpretation, but you are able, for the spirit of the holy gods is in you.’ Then Daniel, whose name was Belteshazzar, was dismayed for a while, and his thoughts alarmed him. The king answered and said, ‘Belteshazzar, let not the dream or the interpretation alarm you.’ Belteshazzar answered and said, ‘My lord, may the dream be for those who hate you and its interpretation for your enemies! The tree you saw, which grew and became strong, so that its top reached to heaven, and it was visible to the end of the whole earth, whose leaves were beautiful and its fruit abundant, and in which was food for all, under which beasts of the field found shade, and in whose branches the birds of the heavens lived— it is you, O king, who have grown and become strong. Your greatness has grown and reaches to heaven, and your dominion to the ends of the earth. And because the king saw a watcher, a holy one, coming down from heaven and saying, ‘Chop down the tree and destroy it, but leave the stump of its roots in the earth, bound with a band of iron and bronze, in the tender grass of the field, and let him be wet with the dew of heaven, and let his portion be with the beasts of the field, till seven periods of time pass over him,’ this is the interpretation, O king: It is a decree of the Most High, which has come upon my lord the king, that you shall be driven from among men, and your dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field. You shall be made to eat grass like an ox, and you shall be wet with the dew of heaven, and seven periods of time shall pass over you, till you know that the Most High rules the kingdom of men and gives it to whom he will. And as it was commanded to leave the stump of the roots of the tree, your kingdom shall be confirmed for you from the time that you know that Heaven rules. Therefore, O king, let my counsel be acceptable to you: break off your sins by practicing righteousness, and your iniquities by showing mercy to the oppressed, that there may perhaps be a lengthening of your prosperity. All this came upon King Nebuchadnezzar.” (Daniel 4:1–28, ESV)

New Testament Reading: Luke 13:18-21 

“He said therefore, ‘What is the kingdom of God like? And to what shall I compare it? It is like a grain of mustard seed that a man took and sowed in his garden, and it grew and became a tree, and the birds of the air made nests in its branches.’ And again he said, ‘To what shall I compare the kingdom of God? It is like leaven that a woman took and hid in three measures of flour, until it was all leavened.’” (Luke 13:18–21, ESV)

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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.

Introduction

If I were asked to choose one word to summarize the message of Luke’s gospel, I would choose the word, “kingdom”. Many have noticed that the theme of the kingdom of God runs prominently from the beginning to the end of Luke’s gospel. In fact, the theme of the kingdom of God also runs through to the end of Luke’s second volume, the Book of Acts. 

As I was preparing this sermon, I took a moment to look up all the occurrences of the word “kingdom” in Luke and Acts. By the way, this isn’t difficult to do if you use a concordance. Either a print or online version will do. In the ESV, the word “kingdom” appears 53 times in Luke and Acts. The vast majority of the time, the word is used to refer to the kingdom of God. It is interesting to read each of the verses in which the word “kingdom” appears. When you do, a story emerges and the central importance of this theme becomes clear. (Occurrences of the word “kingdom” in the ESV in Luke & Acts – 53 results in 51 verses)

Consider what the angel Gabriel said about Jesus when he spoke to the young virgin, Mary, concerning the child she would carry. He spoke to her, saying, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end” (Luke 1:30–33, ESV). So, when Luke first introduces Jesus to us, he introduces him as the King of God’s eternal kingdom.  

When Jesus began his earthly ministry, he said, “I must preach the good news of the kingdom of God to the other towns as well; for I was sent for this purpose.” (Luke 4:43, ESV)

In the sermon on the plain, he spoke to his disciples, saying, ​​“Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God.” (Luke 6:20, ESV)

“Soon afterward he went on through cities and villages, proclaiming and bringing the good news of the kingdom of God.” (Luke 8:1, ESV)

After telling a parable to the crowds, he explained the meaning to his disciples, and said, “To you it has been given to know the secrets of the kingdom of God, but for others they are in parables, so that ‘seeing they may not see, and hearing they may not understand.’” (Luke 8:10, ESV)

When the time was right, Christ sent out his twelve disciples “to proclaim the kingdom of God and to heal.” (Luke 9:2, ESV)

After this, he sent out the 72 to do the same (see Luke 10:9).

When Jesus taught his disciples to pray, he said to them, “When you pray, say: ‘Father, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come.’” (Luke 11:2, ESV)

In Luke 11:20 we hear Christ say, “But if it is by the finger of God that I cast out demons, then the kingdom of God has come upon you.” (Luke 11:20, ESV)

In Luke 12:31, Christ commands his followers to be not anxious about the things of this life but to seek first the kingdom of God.

And in Luke 12:32, Christ speaks tenderly to his disciples, saying, “Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.” (Luke 12:32, ESV)

I trust you can see the importance of this theme in Luke’s Gospel. Clearly, Luke wants us to know that Jesus is the Messiah. And as the Messiah, he is the King of God’s eternal kingdom. Furthermore, Luke wants us to know that this kingdom – God’s eternal kingdom – was breaking into the world with power in the days of Jesus’ earthly ministry. If we were to trace this theme through to the end of Luke’s second volume, the Book of Acts, we would see this kingdom (which was inaugurated by Christ the King through his life, death, burial, resurrection, ascension, and session at the Father’s right hand) expanded from Jerusalem to Judea, to Samaria and to the ends of the earth through the preaching ministry of Jesus’ disciples after the Spirit was poured out upon them from on high (see Acts 1:6-8). Luke’s second volume, the book of the Acts of the Apostles, tells the story of the expansion of Christ’s kingdom to all nations. It begins with the disciples of Christ in Jerusalem (see Acts 1:4) and concludes with the Apostle Paul in Rome! Listen to the last three verses of the book of Acts. In Acts 28:28 we hear Paul speak to non-believing Jews, saying,  “Therefore let it be known to you that this salvation of God has been sent to the Gentiles; they will listen.” And then Luke reports that Paul “lived there [in Rome] two whole years at his own expense, and welcomed all who came to him, proclaiming the kingdom of God and teaching about the Lord Jesus Christ with all boldness and without hindrance” (Acts 28:28–31, ESV). As I have said, Luke’s two volumes are about Christ the King and the inauguration and expansion of his kingdom – the eternal kingdom of God – to all nations.

You might be wondering why I have provided you with this sweeping overview of the theme of the kingdom of God in Luke and Acts. There is a good reason. In the passage we are considering today, Jesus asks the question, “What is the kingdom of God like?” (Luke 13:18), and again, “to what shall I compare the kingdom of God?” (Luke 13:20). Here in our text, Jesus compares the kingdom to a mustard seed, and then to leaven. We will consider the meaning of these similes in a moment. For now, I wish to draw your attention to the fact that this passage marks the beginning of a large section in Luke’s gospel containing many teachings from Christ that clarify the nature of his inaugurated kingdom, how one enters into it, and how it will expand

Stated differently, while the first half of Luke’s gospel makes it abundantly clear that Christ is the King of God’s eternal kingdom, and that the kingdom was at hand, or near, in the days of Christ’s earthly ministry, the second half of Luke’s gospel is filled with teachings that clarify the nature or quality of Christ’s kingdom, who is in this kingdom and who is out, how one enters the kingdom, how it will expand, how it will relate to the kingdoms of this world, how leaders are to lead in this kingdom, as well as references to its eventual consummation

Here is a sampling of the “kingdom” passages we will encounter in the second half of Luke’s gospel. 

In Luke 13:29 Christ tells us that many who think they will enter the kingdom of God (because of their ethnicity or lawkeeping) will not. But “people will come from east and west, and from north and south, and recline at table in the kingdom of God. And behold, some are last who will be first, and some are first who will be last” (Luke 13:27–30, ESV).

In Luke 17:20, Jesus, being “asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come… answered them, ‘The kingdom of God is not coming in ways that can be observed, nor will they say, ‘Look, here it is!’ or ‘There!’ for behold, the kingdom of God is in the midst of you’” (Luke 17:20–21, ESV).

In Luke 18:16-17, we hear Jesus say, “‘Let the children come to me, and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of God. Truly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it’” (Luke 18:16–17, ESV).

In Luke 18:24 Christ says, “How difficult it is for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God! For it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God” (Luke 18:24–25, ESV).

In Luke 19:11 we read, “As they heard these things, he proceeded to tell a parable, because he was near to Jerusalem, and because they supposed that the kingdom of God was to appear immediately.” (Luke 19:11, ESV) What follows is the parable of the ten minas. 

There are other texts about the kingdom of God. I’ve presented you with these so that you might see, one, how prevalent the theme of the kingdom of God is throughout Luke’s gospel, and two, that our text for today (Luke13:18-20) does seem to mark a shift in emphasis. In the first half of Luke’s gospel, the emphasis seems to be on the fact that Christ is the King of God’s eternal kingdom and that this kingdom was present with power in the days of his earthly ministry. But in the second half of Luke’s gospel (from Luke 13:18 onward), special attention is given to the nature, quality, or characteristics of Christ’s kingdom. That the kingdom of God was present with power in the days of Christ the King’s earthly ministry should be clear to all! Now the question is, what is this kingdom like? Where is it found? How does one enter it? How will it expand? What will it be like in the end?

Before jumping into our text for today, I would like to ask you a question. When you think of the Christian faith and the gospel of Jesus Christ, how often do you think in terms of God’s kingdom? I would imagine that for many Christians the answer would be, not usually. If that is the case, I hope you can see the problem. 

When Luke presents Jesus to us in his Gospel and when he tells us about the Acts of Jesus’ Apostles, he presents the story to us as the story of the inauguration and expansion of God’s kingdom. And the same could be said for the Gospels of Matthew and Mark. Those two Gospels are also chocked full of references to the kingdom of God (see the occurrences of the word “kingdom” in Matthew and Mark). The word kingdom only appears five times in three verses in John’s Gospel, but these are powerful sayings. In John 3:3, Christ speaks to Nicodemus, saying, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God” (John 3:3, ESV). In John 3:5 Christ tells him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God” (John 3:5, ESV). And in John 18:36 we hear Christ say, “My kingdom is not of this world. If my kingdom were of this world, my servants would have been fighting, that I might not be delivered over to the Jews. But my kingdom is not from the world” (John 18:36, ESV). Friends, the good news of Jesus Christ is the good news about the inauguration, expansion, and eventual consummation of God’s kingdom through the victorious work of Jesus Christ the King. If you are not accustomed to thinking about the Christian faith and the gospel of Jesus Christ in terms of God’s kingdom, that needs to change, for Christ came to secure a kingdom. 

What are the characteristics of a kingdom? A kingdom consists of citizens living in a particular territory who are ruled by a king who rules through laws. If these are the characteristics of a kingdom, then the question becomes, who is the king of God’s kingdom? Answer: Jesus is. And who are the citizens of this kingdom? Answer: It is all who are born again. It is those who place their faith in Christ the King. And where is this kingdom? Answer: In the end, it will fill the earth. For now, it is present wherever its true citizens are. The kingdom of God cannot be drawn on a map, therefore. It is made visible, however, each Lord’s Day as the citizens of the kingdom of God assemble for worship and to sit around the Lord’s Table. What are the laws of this kingdom? They are the ever-abiding and unchanging moral law, summed up by the two great commandments to love the Lord our God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength, and our neighbor as ourselves. In addition to the moral law, Christ has given his church possitive laws about her government and laws about New Covenant worship. 

The main point I’m am here making is this: If you are a follower of Jesus Christ, you are a citizen in his everlasting kingdom. You should be deeply interested to know what his kingdom is like, and what Christ the King expects of you as one of his many subjects. 

The Kingdom Of God Is Like A Grain Of Mustard Seed 

Let us go now to our text. In Luke 13:18-19, Christ teaches us something about the nature or character of his kingdom by comparing it to a mustard seed. There we read, “[Jesus] said therefore, ‘What is the kingdom of God like? And to what shall I compare it? It is like a grain of mustard seed that a man took and sowed in his garden, and it grew and became a tree, and the birds of the air made nests in its branches’” (Luke 13:18–19, ESV).

The word “therefore” needs to be explained. There must be some relationship between the previous passage or passages and this one for Luke to have written the word “therefore.”

I have already demonstrated to you that the theme of “kingdom” runs throughout Luke’s Gospel, from beginning to end. I suppose there is a sense in which the “therefore” of verse 18 refers back to all that has been said about God’s kingdom. But it seems most natural to think back to Luke 12:1. There we are told that many thousands of people had gathered around Jesus. These people were enthusiastic about something, weren’t they? Yes, they were excited about the arrival of the Messiah and his kingdom! And consider especially the words that Christ spoke to his disciples in the presence of this multitude, as recorded in Luke 12:29-32: “And do not seek what you are to eat and what you are to drink, nor be worried. For all the nations of the world seek after these things, and your Father knows that you need them. Instead, seek his kingdom, and these things will be added to you. Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom” (Luke 12:29–32, ESV). Finally, do not forget what was said in the passage immediately before this one. A woman was healed. The hypocritical ruler of the synagogue, and all who agreed with him, were put to shame by Jesus, “and all the people rejoiced at all the glorious things that were done by him” (Luke 13:17, ESV). And so, we are to imagine a very large number of people following after Jesus. They are very enthusiastic. And what are they enthusiastic about? The arrival of the Kingdom of God.  

It is not difficult to see why Christ needed to teach about the nature or character of the kingdom he came to inaugurate. False hopes and expectations abounded! I’m sure that many expected the Kingdom of God to be earthly, militant, pro-Israel, anti-Roman, and for it to sweep in all at once life flood, as the kingdoms of this world typically do. I believe the word “therefore” refers back to the scene that has been set, beginning in Luke 12:1. “Therefore”, given the crowds, given their excitement, and given their many false expectations, Jesus spoke to them, saying, “What is the kingdom of God like? And to what shall I compare it?”

The comparison that Christ chose was the grain of a mustard seed. “It is like a grain of mustard seed that a man took and sowed in his garden, and it grew and became a tree, and the birds of the air made nests in its branches.” 

It is interesting to read the commentaries on this passage. Theories about as to what (or who) each aspect of this comparison  – the seed, the man who planted it, the tree that developed, and the birds that nest in its branches – represent. I believe we can be helped in our interpretation of this comparison by looking back in the pages of Holy Scripture, and also forward.

When we look back in the Scriptures for texts that can help us interpret this one, Daniel 4:1-28 stands out (see also Ezekiel 17). We read the passage earlier. It is about Nebuchadnezzar, the great and mighty king of the kingdom of Babylon. He and his kingdom were symbolized by a great a mighty tree. “The tree grew and became strong, and its top reached to heaven, and it was visible to the end of the whole earth. Its leaves were beautiful and its fruit abundant, and in it was food for all. The beasts of the field found shade under it, and the birds of the heavens lived in its branches, and all flesh was fed from it” (Daniel 4:11–12, ESV). 

When Christ tells us that his kingdom is like a tree and that the birds of the air will nest in its branches, it is to remind us of Daniel 4. And I think we are to compare and contrast the tree of Nebuchadnezzar’s kingdom with the tree of the Kingdom of God. What became of the tree of Nebuchadnezzar’s kingdom? It was cut down. Nebuchadnezzar was humbled. He was called to repent of his injustices. But the tree of Christ’s kingdom will never be cut down, for his kingdom is founded in righteousness. His rule and reign will never come to an end, for he was raised to an incorruptible life. When Christ tells us that his kingdom is like a tree and that the birds of the air will nest in its branches, it means that the kingdom of God will flourish and succeed under his reign. The kingdom will spread to the ends of the earth and bring blessings and life to all nations.

But notice that Christ compared the kingdom of God to a mustard seed. I’ve heard it said that the mustard seed is the smallest of all seeds. I don’t think that is true (I’ve planted carrots and basil before, and those seeds are very small!) But a mustard seed is small especially when compared to the relatively large tree that it becomes. 

The meaning of the parable is simple and clear. The kingdom of God will flourish. It will spread to the ends of the earth and bless all nations. But it will start small and grow slowly. Furthermore, it will have a humble quality to it. Here Christ does not compare his kingdom to a great oak or cedar, but to the humble mustard tree.   

 When we look forward in the Holy Scriptures, we see this play out. The kingdom of God began with the death of Christ, his burial into the earth (like a seed), and his resurrection on the third day (like a sprout). And the kingdom would spread through the witness of his church, which is his body, from Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and to the ends of the earth. Like a humble mustard tree, the kingdom of God would grow and grow, bringing the blessings of Christ, the Son of Abraham, the Son of David, the Son of God, to all nations.  

The kingdom of heaven was at hand in the days of Christ’s earthly ministry, but his followers were not to expect it to arrive in its full and final. No, the kingdom of God would grow, expand, and develop slowly, in a process comparable to that of mustard seeds development into a tree.

The Kingdom Of God Is Like Leven

Christ makes another comparison in verse 20. “And again he said, ‘To what shall I compare the kingdom of God? It is like leaven that a woman took and hid in three measures of flour, until it was all leavened” (Luke 13:20–21, ESV).

The meaning of this comparison is similar. Like a mustard seed, leaven is very small. And like the mustard tree, three measures of flour is quite a lot of flour! It would make a very large batch of dough. And so, like with the previous simile, there is a progression from small to large. But this simile about the leaven and the flour communicates something slightly different. It teaches us something about the powerful effect that the kingdom of God will have on the hearts of men and on the world.  

Leaven, as you might know, is a very small agent used in baking – think of yeast or baking powder. When mixed in a ball of dough, it has a powerful effect. It causes the dough to rise. Leaven is very small. Once it is mixed in with flour, you cannot see it. And yet it works powerfully. I so it is with the kingdom of God. 

Leaven, as you might know, is often used in the Scriptures to symbolize sin and the negative effects of sin in a person’s life or within the Christian community. But here Christ uses leaven to symbolize something good and positive, namely the positive effects that the kingdom of God will have within a person’s life and within the world.

As with leaven, the kingdom of God works in imperceivable ways. Yes, like with the rising of the dough, we can see the effects of it. We witness conversions. We hear people say, that Jesus is Lord. We see lives transformed. We witness the formation of local congregations. But as it pertains to the advancement of the kingdom of God, this work is imperceivable to us. The kingdom of God is advanced through the preaching of the word of God and by the inward and effectual working of the Holy Spirit. The Spirit of God works in concert with the word of God to enlighten minds, renew hearts, and transform the wills of man, to make them able and willing to believe in Christ and to confess him as Lord. The effect of this is powerful and perceivable. But the advancement of God’s kingdom is invisible to us. When worldly kingdoms advance, you can see it! You can see the armies mobilized and centers of power built. Not so with Christ’s kingdom, for his kingdom is not of this world. 

This principle will be restated later in Luke’s Gospel: In Luke 17:20, Jesus, being “asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come… answered them, ‘The kingdom of God is not coming in ways that can be observed, nor will they say, ‘Look, here it is!’ or ‘There!’ for behold, the kingdom of God is in the midst of you’” (Luke 17:20–21, ESV).         

Conclusion

If you have faith in Christ, you are a citizen in God’s eternal kingdom. Christ is your King!

And if Christ is your king, you ought to be concerned to honor him.

You ought to be concerned with obeying the laws of his kingdom – moral (unchanging moral precepts), civil (about the government of the church), and ceremonial (about New Covenant worship). 

You ought to be concerned to see his kingdom flourish. 

You ought to be concerned to see his kingdom advance. 

But to be faithful citizens of Christ’s kingdom, we must also know about the nature or character of his kingdom. What is it? Where is it? Who is in and who is out? What are its ethics? How does it flourish? How does it advance? What will it be in the end?

The two similies of Luke 13:18-21 are a great start. 

Like a mustard seed, the kingdom of God was inaugurated (planted) at Christ’s first coming, and it will grow and grow as it spreads to the end of the earth so that people from every tongue, tribe, and nation may nest in its branches, and then Christ will return to judge those not united to him by faith and consummate his kingdom. As the Scriptures say, “For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet” (1 Corinthians 15:25, ESV). “Then comes the end, when he delivers the kingdom to God the Father after destroying every rule and every authority and power” (1 Corinthians 15:24, ESV).

And like leaven, the kingdom of God will powerfully advance in ways that are imperceivable to us. We will see the effect of it! We will see conversions, baptisms, and the saints assembled at the Lord’s Table, as they are sanctified by God through the ordinary means of grace within local churches. But the battle for the advancement of Christ’s kingdom is invisible. The weapons of our warfare are not fleshly, but spiritual. It is through the preaching of the word of God and by the working of the Holy Spirit that sinners are “delivered… from the domain of darkness and transferred… [into] the kingdom of [God’s] beloved Son” (Colossians 1:13, ESV). And so we do not employ worldly tactics in our attempts to further Christ’s kingdom. No, we preach the word, we pray, and we seek to obey Christ the King’s commandments individually and corporately.   

May the Lord bless us with an increased understanding of the nature of Christ’s kingdom as we continue to study the Scriptures together Lord’s Day by Lord’s Day. May the end result be that God’s kingdom is strengthened and advanced, to God be the glory. Amen. 

Posted in Sermons, Joe Anady, Posted by Joe. Comments Off on Sermon: What Is The Kingdom Of God Like?, Luke 13:18-21

Catechetical Sermon: Baptist Catechism 37: What Is Adoption?

Baptist Catechism 37

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)

Scripture Reading: 1 John 3:1–10

“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)

*****

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)

In this section of our catechism, we are considering the many benefits that come to those who have been effectually called by God’s word and Spirit to place their faith in Jesus Christ, our great Prophet, Priest, and King. 

I want to remind you of the question asked in Baptist Catechism 35: What benefits do they that are effectually called partake of in this life?  Answer: They that are effectually called do in this life partake of justification, adoption, sanctification, and the several benefits which in this life do either accompany or flow from them.

I have called the benefits of, justification, adoption, and sanctification fountainhead blessings. They are the main blessings that come to followers of Jesus in this life. And from these main blessings, many other blessings flow. Or perhaps we can think of them as three rivers emanating from a single source. But if we were to follow those three main rivers downstream, we would find that each of them branches off into many other rivers and streams. Justification, adoption, and sanctification are like that. They are the main blessings that come to those who trust in Jesus in this life, but from these three, many other blessings flow. 

We have asked and answered, what is justification? Justification is an act of God’s free grace, wherein he pardoneth all our sins, and accepteth us as righteous in his sight, only for the righteousness of Christ imputed to us, and received by faith alone (Baptist Catechism 36)  

And now we come to question 37.  It asks, What is adoption?, and answers, 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. 

If justification should cause us to think of a courtroom with God as judge, adoption should cause us to think of a dining room with God as Father.  Justification is legal.  Adoption is legal, too, but in the end, it is familial.  God justifies sinners, not to send them away as pardoned orphans.  No, he justifies them so that he might adopt them into his family.  If justification seems somewhat cold to you, the doctrine of adoption will fix that.  Adoption is warm, loving, relational, and familial.  Those who have faith in Christ are not only justified, they are also adopted into the family of God. 

What is adoption?  Notice a few things.

Firstly, our catechism tells us who adopts.  Adoption, we are told, is an act of God’s free grace.  Like with justification, adoption is something God does.  We do not adopt ourselves or contribute to our adoption in any way.  And like with justification, adoption is an act.  When our catechism says that adoption is an act, it is to be understood that it happens in a moment.  In other words, adoption is not a work in progress.  Yes, it has lasting ramifications – wonderful ramifications! But it is something that happens in a moment of time, and so it is called an act. Also, adoption is said to be an act of God’s free grace.  This means it is a gift freely given by God.  In no way can it be earned. 

Secondly, our catechism describes adoption as being received into the number.  This means those who believe in Christ are numbered as one of God’s children.  Our catechism lists John 1:12 as a proof text.  It says, “But to all who did receive [Christ], who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God…” (John 1:12, ESV). Think of how wonderful it is to be numbered among God’s redeemed children.

Thirdly, our catechism tells us that those who are adopted by God and received into the number have a right to all the privileges of the sons of God.  Romans 8:14-17 is listed as a proof text.  There Paul wrote to the Christians in Rome, saying, “For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God.  For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, ‘Abba! Father!’  The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs — heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him” (Romans 8:14–17, ESV).  According to this text, those adopted by God through faith in Christ have the privilege of calling God, “Father”.  The Spirit comforts the believer by testifying to their spirit (or soul) that they are children of God.  And as children of God, we are heirs of God — co-heirs of Christ.  An heir inherits the riches of another.  Children are typically heirs of their parents.  If the parent is wealthy, the children will inherit the wealth of their parents when the parent passes away.  Here, Paul reminds us that we are heirs of God.  This is a metaphorical way of saying that God bestows his riches and blessings on his children. More precisely, God the Father blessed Christ the Son when he raised him from the dead and transferred him to glory.  And all who have faith in Christ are co-heirs with Christ. 

Some may wonder why adoption is necessary.  Are we not God’s children by nature?  Well, there is a sense in which God is the Father of all.  He is the Father of all in that he is the creator and sustainer of all.  But we cannot forget about man’s fall into sin. When Adam sinned, mankind’s relationship to God changed.  No longer are we by nature beloved children.  To use the language of Paul from Ephesians 2:3, we are now “by nature children of wrath”. This is why adoption is necessary.  When a sinner trusts in Christ, they are justified, forgiven, and cleansed, so that they might be adopted as God’s beloved children. 

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Conclussion

The doctrine of justification is immensely important. Last Sunday I said, that to get the doctrine of justification wrong means we get the gospel of Jesus Christ wrong. And that is true. But the doctrine of adoption is also very important. It helps us to remember that Christ did not merely live, die, and rise again to forgive our sins, pardon us, and wash us clean. No, he died to atone for our sins so that we might be reconciled to God the Father.

We will conclude with a reading from 2 Corinthians 5:17-21 which makes this very point. “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” (2 Corinthians 5:17–21, ESV)

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