Address—Josh Costron
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Alright, let's just ask the Lord's help tonight.
Our God and loving Father, we, uh, look up and we're so thankful, uh, for this beautiful day. Uh, thy mercies to us today and for the week, umm, we think of all that has gone before us already by way of ministry and activity. And, uh, we reflect on it and we just thank you so much for answering our prayers for, uh, giving us, uh, a wonderful time. And, uh.
We just looked to the now for this, uh, uh, short time before us as we would open up thy word, pray that thou, uh, help us to take it in and that the audience and speaker alike would be edified and instructed and that we'd be encouraged in our path of faith and service for the Lord Jesus. Uh, we just commit this now to thy care and ask for the help.
We do so with Thanksgiving and Thy worthy and precious name, Lord Jesus.
Just, uh, maybe by way of introduction, I'd like to read a portion of a verse in Psalm 51.
This has been something that's, uh, been on my heart for a little while. Been pondering it.
And, uh, Psalm 51.
And verse the first part of verse 12.
Restore unto me the salvation.
I suppose that it's times like these that really.
Stimulate that joy, if you know what I mean. We get together with the Saints of God. We're over His word. We feel refreshed and there's a a newness of spirit, you might say, that kind of comes over us and we get that joy rekindled in our life as reflect upon the things of God and we enjoy them in our souls and we enjoy them with one another.
And, uh, that's certainly true.
My purpose tonight is not to speak necessarily of.
Uh, what this verse means in the context of this song, we're familiar with this song, we know what it's, uh, referring to, but in particular I'd like to really focus in on salvation. And, uh, I think as we look into it tonight, I trust and I hope, uh, that, uh.
It'll renew that joy within our hearts as we consider God's salvation for you and me. And this isn't going to be a gospel meeting. What I wanna do is, umm, well, with the Lord's health, look at what I would might term. 4 main tenants of salvation, 4 main tenants of salvation.
And each one of them kind of run together. You can't have one without the other.
It's like this gift that God has given us, and you children know, excuse me, you children know what it's like when you know you get a gift and you unwrap it and within it there's not just one thing, but there's multiple items. But yet it's one gift. You can't have one without the other. It's one and you know God has done the same thing for us.
And it's quite incredible. So there's four things I'd like to look at.
Forgiveness, justification, redemption, and reconciliation. And now I know I'm mindful of the fact that we've got a lot of kids here. And before your eyes bug out and think, oh, I'm just gonna tune him out right now. I'm hoping with the Lord's help we can keep this very simple because these aren't things that are very complicated.
God would have us as young children to young people, to older ones too, to enjoy these things.
And as I say, you know, the more we focus in on this and we realize that my salvation is so full free and it's, it's incredible, you know, it. We just can't help but praise the Lord. I think of that how the psalmist put it over that men would praise the Lord for his goodness towards the children of men. And, uh, you know, as we go through these verses too, I'll just note that, you know.
We'll read the verse and these things come together and you'll see, you'll see what I mean. And also joy is typically associated with it. I appreciate it with our brother Mark said the other night that as the next generation, we're responsible to pass the truth on. And uh, I have, uh, I must say I, I've benefited much from not only written ministry and oral ministry in times like this and sitting in addresses like this.
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And so the things that I'm going to bring out tonight are certainly nothing.
Uh, new, it's not something that is original to me, but these are all things that have been passed on to me and that I've enjoyed and has helped helped me to get a better grasp of these, these certain terms. So, uh, without further ado, let's turn to Acts chapter 13. I just want to read a couple verses here to, uh, to.
Uh, set the table Acts chapter 13, verse 38.
Be it known unto you, therefore, men and brethren, that through this man is preached unto you the forgiveness.
OK, let's turn to 1St, John.
Chapter 2.
And verse.
12.
I write unto you should read, children. He's talking to the whole household of faith, not those who might be babes in Christ, The whole household of faith from the new translation. I write unto you, children, because your sins are forgiven you for his name's sake.
Incredible, isn't it, that God?
Has forgiven us.
I don't know about you, but the more I, the older I get, uh, the more I realize how bad my heart really is and, umm.
It's, it's just, you know, you, you think about it that God has forgiven you as a Christian has forgiven you your sins. And I maybe just, let's look at, uh, a couple passages and I'm going to turn to a few verses here just to illustrate the point. Umm, and I'm not gonna make a lot of comment on it, but let's look at Matthew 18 briefly here.
Matthew 18 verse 23. We will just look at this quickly. Therefore it is the Kingdom of heaven likened unto a certain king, which would take account of his servants. And when he had begun to reckon, one was brought unto him, which owed him 10,000 talents.
But for as much as he had not to pay, as the Lord commanded him to be sold, and his wife and children, and all that he had, and payment to be made, the servant therefore fell down and worshipped him, saying, Lord of patience with me, and I will pay thee all. Then the Lord of that servant was moved with compassion.
And loosed him, and forgave him the debt. But the same servant went out and found one of his fellow servants, which owed him an 100 pence. And he laid hands on him, and took him by the throat, saying, Pay me that thou Ost. And his fellow servant fell down at his feet, and besought him, saying, Have patience with me, and I will pay thee all. And he would not, but when went and cast him into prison until he should pay the debt. So when his fellow servants saw what was done, they were very sorry, and came and told unto their Lord all that was done.
Then as the Lord, after that he had called him, said unto him, O thou wicked servant, I forgave thee all that debt, because thou desirest me. Shouldest not Thou also have had compassion on thy fellow servant, even as I had pity on thee.
Stop there, you know, forgive, uh, forgiveness is spoken of and I, I think about 5 different ways in the scripture. You know, there's eternal or judicial forgiveness, there's governmental forgiveness, there's administrative forgiveness, there's restorative forgiveness and brotherly forgiveness. And so I just want to encourage everybody as you read through your Bible and young people get a hold of this every time you read a certain word like forgiveness, it may not be, you know, meaning.
Forgiveness in the eternal sense of things every time we need to rightly divide the word of truth and so the the aspect of forgiveness here, it moves into like a brotherly forgiveness, but.
But what I wanted to focus in on is the eternal aspect of forgiveness. That's what I want to focus in on. That is what makes up our salvation. And I, I was thinking of this 10,000 talent debtor. That's you and I.
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And, you know, sometimes we.
Get into a heated situation, perhaps with our brother or sister, and we have a hard time forgiving. You know when we trace back, we go back to the cross.
We think of what God has done and how much he's forgiven us. How can not we forgive our brother or our sister who's offended us?
But you know, it's it's the the the the mountain of sin is enormous unite begin to count as individuals how many sins we've committed God does.
And it's he that has offers free forgiveness through through the work of his son.
So I suppose in this chapter, what strikes me is, is is it gives us a comparison of the measure of our forgiveness. We could not pay the debt. We know this. Only the Lord Jesus God manifests in the flesh, gone to the cross, laying down his own life in three hours of darkness, paid the debt for all our sins.
You and I could not have done that and.
We this 10,000 talent, I don't know what that works out to in today's money, but the point is, is that he could never pay it. It was impossible. It was impossible.
If we look over I think in Luke Chapter 7, just briefly.
And uh, verse 36 one of the Pharisees desired him that he would eat with him, and he went into the Pharisee's house and sat down to meet and behold a woman in the city, which was a Sinner.
When she knew that Jesus sat at meat in the Pharisees house, brought an alabaster box of ointment.
And stood at his feet.
Behind him weeping, and began to wash his feet with tears, and did wiped them with the hairs of her head, and kissed his feet, and anointed them with ointment. Now when the Pharisee which had been bitten him, saw, he spake within himself, saying, This man, if he were a prophet, would have known who and what manner of woman this is that toucheth him, for she is a Sinner. And so Jesus answering, said unto him, Simon, I have somewhat to say unto thee. And he saith, Masters say on.
There is a certain creditor which had two debtors, the one owed 500 pence and the other fifty. And when they had nothing to pay, he frankly forgave them both. Tell me therefore, which of them will love him most? Simon answered and said, I suppose that he to whom he forgave most? And he said unto him, Thou straightly judged. And he turned to the woman, and said unto Simon, Seest thou this woman? I entered into thine house.
Thou gavest me no water for my feet.
But she hath washed my feet with tears, and wiped them with the hands of her head. Thou gaveest me no kiss. But this woman, since the time I came in, hath not ceased to kiss my feet. My head with oiled out. It's not annoyed. But this woman hath anointed my feet with ointment. Wherefore I say unto thee, her sins, which are many, are forgiven. For she loved much, but to whom little is forgiven, the same loveth little.
And he said unto her, Thy sins are forgiven.
Well, the first mention of forgiveness here is really, uh, the, the force of the original is to show grace to he frankly forgave them. He showed grace to them. But this woman who came in faith, he said her sins, which are many, are forgiven.
Here, technically speaking, it's more the governmental aspect of forgiveness because the Lord Jesus hadn't gone to the cross yet, died for sins and made predation for sins, and opened up the floodgates of blessing and offered free forgiveness to all. But the point is, is that this word forgiven illustrates the point. Remitted, gone, done, away, removed. That's the point. That's the force.
And God has done the same for us. I know this is simple and this is something that we all understand, but have we grab? Have we grasped?
In a little measure at least how much we've been forgiven. I believe if we have this more before us on a daily basis. Bread and I feel that it's going to change our life. I really do and so here in Luke seven, I think it's more the character of sin. Matthew 18 you have the measure of sin a 10,000 talent debtor that you and I but now we have a woman who is a Sinner a woman of ill repute. She's likely a a harlot.
And so you have more probably here in Luke's Gospel, the character of sin.
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And this Pharisee in his self righteousness, disgusting before God, he hates that. He hates that inward, uh, that, that, uh, outward exterior, but with no reality inside. We've talked about that at these meetings. And he couldn't believe that here the Son of God would touch this woman.
She was a woman of ill repute.
And so you and I not only have committed sins that are as high as a mountain and beyond, but we are repulsive by nature to the holiness of God, but yet in his matchless grace and love came into this world and extended His hand of mercy to us, and came because He loved us anyways.
That's divine love. He loved us when we were unlovable.
So the measure and the character of sin illustrated in these two chapters only illustrate to me at least, the death to which God's grace and love would go and the Lord Jesus would die so that he could offer us free forgiveness of sins. So we need forgiveness, as another has said, because of our guilt. Because of our guilt, we need forgiveness. Like to look briefly here at.
Justification and if we could turn to Romans chapter, No actually let's go back to Acts 13 because as I said.
These things tend to run together because they're all connected. Acts chapter 13, verse 39. Notice this. Acts 1339. And by him, again, by our Lord Jesus, all that belief are justified from all things from which He could not be justified by the law of Moses.
We're justified from all things.
Justification. That's a big word, but it really means that God has cleared us.
Of every charge of sins, and not only has He forgiven us, but he has cleared us of all charges.
It's a legal term.
You know, sometimes we hear that, that expression.
Just as if I couldn't have sinned.
And you know that's true.
But justification goes far beyond that. You know, if we if we let, if we left it there, that would take us back to the Garden of Eden and would put us in a in a position of innocence. But that doesn't mean that I couldn't sin again. So what does the Scripture say about that? Well, let's turn to to Romans chapter 5.
Romans, chapter 5.
In verse UH-15, but not as the offense, so also as the free gift riff through the offense of one many be dead, much more the grace of God and the gift by grace which is by one man, Jesus Christ.
Hath abounded unto many, and not as it was by one that sin, so is the gift. For the judgment was by 1. To condemnation. Notice condemnation. But the free gift is of many offenses unto justification. For by one man's offense death reigned by one much more. They which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by 1 Jesus Christ.
Therefore, as by the offense of one, judgment came upon all men to condemnation.
To condemnation, Even so by the righteousness of one, the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life.
That takes us, brethren, further from justification, from all things, but to a standing in which God looks upon us as if we couldn't have sinned, not that we haven't sinned, but as though we couldn't sin. We're in Christ, we thought about. That thrills my heart. We're in Christ, and because we're in Christ place before God and all of his.
We stand in a position in which God can look upon us as though we could not have sinned.
And so in the one with forgiveness we lose our sins, and justification we gain righteousness.
We are brought into a position of righteousness, His righteousness which we are clothed with.
Because of our faith in our Lord Jesus work.
There's beautiful illustration, and maybe I won't turn to it for the sake of time, but in Numbers chapter 23, there you have Balaam and Balak. You remember Balak being the wicked king of Moab, and he wanted to hire Balaam the false prophet to curse the people of God. And so he tries the first time and he couldn't do it because God wouldn't allow Balaam to do it. And then he tries the second time. And what does Balaam say? Well, maybe let's read it so I don't misquote it.
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This illustrates what I'm what I'm trying to get across.
See if I can find it here.
Says that he hath not beheld perverseness in Israel.
Where's that verse now?
Somebody shout it out if you see it.
OK, umm.
2321 Thank you, thank you. 2321 There it is. Behold, I have. So this is Balin speaking here and this is what God had said. Uh, let's start at 19. God is not a man that he should lie, neither is the Son of man that he should repent. Uh, happy He said. And shall he not do it, or have he spoken? And shall he not make it good? Behold, I have received commandment to bless, and he is blessed, and I cannot reverse it. He is not beheld iniquity and Jacob.
Neither have he seen it. No, the Lord is God is with him, and the shout of the King is among them.
What you might say.
These stiff necked people who only rebel and God is saying that He has not beheld perverseness in Israel.
Neither it beheld iniquity in Jacob.
This illustrates God's vantage point upon us because of the work of His beloved Son. Do we sin? Yes, we do, and we fail. But God is taking care of those sins and those failures at the cross. He knew them well in advance, and He judged His Son for you and I and laid those sins upon His Son.
And so now, because of our standing in Christ, he can say, I do not see any iniquity or perverseness in these people.
That's justification.
We've been brought into a standing of righteousness.
Just briefly here, we'll just notice some of the effects of justification. I've enjoyed this. I got this from some another brother in chapter 5 of Romans.
You notice and I we won't read it all, but we'll skim through it and in chapter 5 verse one, therefore, being justified by faith what what has these are the results of justification. What we have peace with God. Amazing you and I stand not only in the favor all the favor of God, but we have peace with God we stand in.
This favor we stand in favor with God in verse 2. So we have peace, we have favor, we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. We have the promise of His coming.
Where the Lord Jesus has given us this hope and this promise that he will return to take us home. And that thrills our hearts. And we we we wait on the edge of our seat, moment by moment, day by day. And it could be tonight.
Says here in verses 345 that we've learned a more intimate relation. We we learn God in a more intimate way. I'm trying to say.
We learn his love in a deeper and fuller way as we go through life because of the things that He brings us through.
Because He loves us as His children, and He wants us to understand a little bit more of how much He loves us. God loves you, and the things that He may bring into your life, brethren, are only for your good. And may we never, ever forget it. And at the end of it all, we learn something about the richness of His love that we never experienced before.
Says in verse UMM 9 that we are saved from wrath.
Judgment free, as I said, all gone. Our sins are all gone and we are, we are saved and by his life in verse 10, or in the power of his life, he sits on high as the high priest and advocate of our life. And he's there with his hands upheld, interceding for us every moment of every day. He is praying for you and for me.
That's how much he loves us.
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And when we fail, these just kick us to the curb.
No.
He restores my soul.
He takes up with his advocacy to put us on the right track again.
What a savior we have.
So that's justification. And we need justification because as we read in Romans 5 of condemnation, that that lingered above our heads and threatened us, God brings in justification to clear us again. It means to clear us from every charge of sin.
Look now at redemption.
Redemption.
Here in Romans chapter 3.
Verse 24.
Being justified. See these things run together, being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.
The redemption that is in Christ Jesus.
What does it mean to be redeemed?
Simply, this means to buy back and set free.
Buyback and set free. I'll illustrate it this way and I've, I, I've received this illustration from another brother. I really enjoyed it. It's as though you, one of you small kids who likes dogs here, raise your hand. You guys all like animals. You like dogs Sure a lot of you have dogs. I like dogs too. My son keeps asking me, daddy, when are we buying a dog and uh not too sure yet, but it's another, another discussion another day. So let's suppose dude, we're going to buy.
Let's suppose, let's not assume we're, we're, we're going to buy a dog and we see that puppy sitting in the in the pet shop window and wow, that looks like a nice puppy. And we go in and we pet that dog and we realize that wow, this dog is really nice. He doesn't shed. My wife would really appreciate that. So OK, check Mark doesn't shed. He's a nice dog.
Let's buy him.
But wait a second, I forgot to bring the kennel for some reason. I purchased the kennel well in advance. So let's go home and let's get the kennel. Let's get the truck and we'll, we'll, but I've already purchased that dog. So in a sense, I bought him. He's mine. I've already paid the shop owner, but he's still sitting there. So I go back and we load that dog up and we put him into the back of the truck and we drive off, but he's still in his cage.
Has he been set free yet? Not yet, he's been purchased.
And you know the Lord Jesus, he's purchased this whole creation by his work at the cross and through his blood.
But we bring that dog home and we take that kennel out, we open the door and he just runs and he does laps around the yard and he's at liberty now. He's totally free.
That illustrates what redemption is and this is what God has done, done for us. You know, you think of umm, of, uh, an example of this in the Old Testament, Exodus 14, right, where the children of Israel are in ******* and they're in, they're in Egypt and they have a hard taskmaster named Farrell.
It's a picture of Satan and Egypt, a picture of this world, and God wants to pull his people out to deliver them from it.
And so they go through the Red Sea and they come out on the other side. The enemy is destroyed and they're safe. And then in chapter 15, there is a song that is sung, song of redemption. And that song we can sing the song of the redeemed. God has put a new song in my mouth, Even praise to our God. Think about it. We were holding with the chords of our sins. We were slaves to sin.
And God has come in.
Through the work of His beloved Son. And He not only has purchased us, but He has set us free. Set us free for what you may ask to serve Him. That's true liberty that we are then set, set free and put into a position whereby we can serve God.
And honor our Lord Jesus.
That's redemption. So we need redemption because of what? Because of our ******* to sin and the slavery that we were once held in to Satan?
OK, what's the last one? Reconciliation. It's a big word too, but uh, umm, let's look at, uh, Romans 5 again.
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And.
Verse 10 For if when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.
Ephesians, chapter one.
And.
Umm no, not a few, sorry. I'm looking for Colossians 1.
Uh, here we go, yes, Colossians, one verse, uh 19 For please the Father, that in him should all fullness dwell, and having made peace through the blood of his cross.
By him to reconcile all things unto himself, By him I say, whether they be things on earth or things in heaven.
And you that were sometimes alienated in enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath He reconciled in the body of his flesh through death, to present you wholly and unblameable and unreprovable in his sight.
Reconciliation.
It simply means to, uh, bring us who are once at a incredible distance from God and to bring us very close to Him.
You know one is illustrated it this way or set it this way. The reconciliation takes us deeper into the positive truths of the Gospel than even justification or redemption.
Forgiveness of sins. Amazing.
Justification cleared from every charge of sin, a credible, redeemed with the precious blood of Christ, as first Peter one tells us. Amazing.
But God now has gone so far as to bring us right to his very side.
The reconciliation, you know, it's not like how the world puts it where two who are at odds come in, kind of meet in the middle on the basis of, of some form of compromise and they are reconciled to one another. No, God's heart has always been towards man.
And it's us in our natural condition that we're alienated from God, and we set ourselves in a position that has put a distance from us and God.
It says here that we were, uh, enemies to him.
We're aliens. We're alienated from him. We're at this incredible distance that only God could measure.
And so, through the work of His Son, he's brought us back to him. It's unto God, reconciliation unto God.
No compromise on God's part.
He didn't make reconciliation for our sins as there's one verse that needs correction on that.
Umm, I believe, but uh, he has reconciled us through the death of his son.
So we need reconciliation because of alienation, so we have forgiveness.
Because of gilts.
We have his justification.
Because of condemnation, re of redemption, because of our ******* to sin and Satan, we have reconciliation because of alienation and being enemies.
This is what I might term the four main tenants of Salvation and Brethren, young people, children. Let's think about that.
That'll change our life.
You know, I haven't even touched on Sonship.
So I mean, this is just bringing us up to the, the, the the starting line.
Really, the privileged responsibility and the dignity that comes with sonship, we haven't even talked about that. There's far more. But what I've had it on my heart tonight is to think about His salvation, the joy of salvation to be saved. You know, different you are from this world.
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Saved by the grace of God.
Amazing.
And it's not anything that we've done.
It's all him.
It's all him.
We have to praise him for Brevin.
Because of what he has done, the length. This is what these things illustrate to me. It illustrates the length to which God has gone.
To bring us into favor with himself.
And it's all through the work of his beloved son.
Oh, that man might praise the Lord for his goodness to the children of men.
Let's just close in prayer.
A God and loving Father. We are so thankful today to be safe.
And to know that thou art for us.
And to think of what thou hast done in the gift of thy beloved Son and Lord Jesus to come lay down thy life to die for thine enemies, shed thy blood, that so that whosoever will may come and receive the gift of God, which is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. We think of the effects of salvation and the measure Lord Jesus, to which thou dost go to forgive, justify.
Redeem and reconcile us to thyself, and we're so thankful. We just give Thee the praise, the honor, the glory that's due to Thy holy and worthy name, in fact, thee Lord Jesus, Amen.