Sovereignty of God

All Sins Put Upon Our Redeemer

Sherry Attributes of God, Character of Jesus, Christian Life, confession of sin, promises, salvation, Sovereignty of God Leave a comment

…and the LORD hath laid on Him the iniquity of us all. – Isaiah 53:6

Sin I may compare to the rays of some evil sun. Sin was scattered throughout this world as abundantly as light, and Christ is made to suffer the full effect of the baleful rays, which stream from the sun of sin. God as it were holds up a burning glass and concentrates all the scattered rays in a focus upon Christ. That which was scattered abroad everywhere is here brought into terrible concentration; upon the devoted head of our blessed Lord all the sin of His people was made to meet. Before a great storm when the sky is growing black and the wind is beginning to howl, you have seen the clouds hurrying from almost every point of the compass as though the great day of battle were come, and all the dread artillery of God were hurrying to the field. In the center of the whirlwind and the storm, when the lightnings threaten to set all heaven on a blaze, and the black clouds labor to conceal the light of day, you have a very graphic metaphor of the meeting of all sin upon the person of Christ; the sin of the ages past and the sin of the ages to come, the sins of those of the elect who were in heathendom, and of those who were in Jewry; the sin of the young and of the old, sin original and sin actual, all made to meet; all the black clouds concentrated and brought together into one great tempest that it might rush in one tremendous tornado upon the person of the great Redeemer and substitute. As when a thousand streamlets dash down the mountain side in the day of rain, and all meet in one deep swollen lake, that lake the Savior’s heart, those gushing torrents the sins of us all who are here described as making a full confession of our sins… the Lord made to meet on Him the debts of all His people so that He became responsible for all the obligations of every one of those whom His Father had given Him whatsoever their debts might be. ~ C.H. Spurgeon

https://www.blueletterbible.org/Comm/spurgeon_charles/sermons/0694.cfm

Praise the Redeemer of Israel

Sherry Attributes of God, Character of Jesus, Christian Life, promises, salvation, Sovereignty of God Leave a comment

Remember these, O Jacob and Israel; for thou art My servant: I have formed thee; thou art My servant: O Israel, thou shalt not be forgotten of Me. I have blotted out, as a thick cloud, thy transgressions, and, as a cloud, thy sins: return unto Me; for I have redeemed thee. Sing, O ye heavens; for the LORD hath done it: shout, ye lower parts of the earth: break forth into singing, ye mountains, O forest, and every tree therein: for the LORD hath redeemed Jacob, and glorified Himself in Israel. – Isaiah 44:21-23

Wherever saints are they ought to praise God for redeeming love, whether they climb the Alps or descend into the plains; whether they dwell in the cities or walk in the quietude of the woods. In whatever state of mind they feel themselves they still should praise redeeming grace and dying love; whether on the mountain top of communion, or in the valley of humiliation; whether lifted up by prosperity or cast down by adversity. They should leave a shining trail of praise behind them in their daily course even as does the vessel when it ploughs the sea.

The text calls upon all classes and conditions of men to praise God for redemption. Ye that are lifted up like mountains, -magistrates, princes, kings, and emperors; and ye who lie beneath like plains, ye who eat bread in the sweat of your faces, ye children of poverty and toil, rejoice in redeeming love. Ye who dwell in the midst of sin as in a tangled forest, ye who have transgressed against God and plunged into the deep places of vice, be glad, for ye may be restored. All ye of woman born, together praise the Redeemer of Israel, for He has accomplished the salvation of His people! ~ C.H. Spurgeon

https://www.blueletterbible.org/Comm/spurgeon_charles/sermons/1240.cfm

Creation Sings the Praises of Redemption

Sherry Attributes of God, Character of Jesus, Christian Life, promises, salvation, Sovereignty of God Leave a comment

…shout, ye lower parts of the earth: break forth into singing, ye mountains, O forest, and every tree therein… – Isaiah 44:23

Descending from heaven, the song charms the lower earth, and the prophet calls upon materialism to share in the joy; mountains and valleys, forests and trees, are charged to join the song. Why should they not? This round earth of ours has been overshadowed by the curse through sin; she has yet to be unswathed of all the mists which iniquity has cast upon her, for the creature was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of Him that subjected the same in hope, because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God. Therefore, let creation sing. What mountain is there that has not been defiled with idolatry? What valley is there which man has not polluted with sin? O ye green trees, under which men have polluted themselves, beneath your shade shall saintly spirits find retreats prepared for prayer and praise. Break forth into singing, ye mountains! Sing, O Moriah, on whose summit the patriarch drew his knife to slay his son, for the true Isaac has been offered up, God has provided for Himself a lamb! Sing, O Sinai, for the law proclaimed from thy awful summit has now been magnified and rendered honorable! Sing, O Olivet, for where Jesus groaned and bled He comes to plant His foot to establish for ever bliss and holiness! The text exhorts the lower parts of the earth to shout, and well they may, for in the hands of the redeeming Lord are the deep places of the earth. O ye wildernesses and solitary places, be glad, for redemption shall make you blossom as the rose! Let every tree in the forest bless the Lord, let each one yield boughs with which to strew the way before the lowly prince. Fruitful trees and all cedars, praise ye the Lord! Let not a single herb be silent, nor even the hyssop upon the wall be dumb. ~ C.H. Spurgeon

https://www.blueletterbible.org/Comm/spurgeon_charles/sermons/1240.cfm

The Lord Glorified by His Redeemed

Sherry Attributes of God, Character of Jesus, Christian Life, promises, salvation, Sovereignty of God 2 Comments

…for the LORD hath redeemed Jacob, and glorified Himself in Israel. – Isaiah 44:23

The Lord might have created myriads more of pure spirits like the angels, but He desired to be served and loved by beings who should be in part material, and yet should be akin to Himself: beings who should possess freedom of will and should know both good and evil, and yet should for ever choose good alone. Behold how such creatures have been produced! Not so much by creation as by redemption. The glorified ones once plunged deep into sin, but they were, without a violation of their free agency, recovered to their allegiance by the love of Jesus, and then lifted up into such a position that in Christ Jesus they are akin to God Himself, so that no order of beings intervenes between them and God; and yet they never will nor can presume, nor take ambitious advantage of their elevated position. If God were to create free agents, knowing both good and evil, and put them where men will be in heaven, without their undergoing any preparatory process, it would be a dangerous experiment; but for Him to let them know evil to the full, and yet be for ever bound to perfect holiness, because infinite love sways them with omnipotent obligations of gratitude,-this is to make creatures which bring exceeding glory to their Author. These are not merely fashioned on His wheel but dipped into the blood of His own suffering and indwelt by His own mighty power, and well may they be precious in His sight. “Glory, glory, how the angels sing”; but far louder are the notes of the redeemed. “Glory, glory,” thrice and sevenfold told is that which comes from those loud harps of ransomed ones, who have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. The Lord hath glorified Himself in Israel. ~ C.H. Spurgeon

https://www.blueletterbible.org/Comm/spurgeon_charles/sermons/1240.cfm

Victory Over the Evil One

Sherry Attributes of God, Character of Jesus, Christian Life, promises, salvation, Sovereignty of God Leave a comment

And the LORD God said unto the serpent, Because thou hast done this, thou art cursed…and I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her Seed; He shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise His heel. – Genesis 3:14,15

My brethren, the Lord has not only illustrated to every one His attributes in the great plan of redemption, but He has been pleased to show how the goodness of His nature triumphs over all the power of evil. Satan seemed to have gained a great advantage over God when he poisoned our race with his venom; the advantage was but temporary, and it ended in his greater defeat. Little did he know that by his craft and malice he was preparing a black background for divine love to lay its lovely tints upon that they might be the more conspicuous. How art thou baffled in thy dark designs, O Lucifer! How art thou vanquished, O thou enemy! How art thou spoiled, O thou spoiler! How art thou led captive, O captivity! Thou thoughtest that man would be thy weak and willing instrument with which to show thy spite against the Most High, but lo, man, whom thou didst disgrace and dishonor, triumphs over thee on God’s behalf. The Seed of the woman whom thou didst beguile has been wiser than thou; His bruised heel has been the breaking of thy head; while He hath all things under His feet, all sheep and oxen, yea, and the fowl of the air, and the fish of the sea, and whatsoever passeth through the paths of the sea. The man Christ Jesus is Lord of all, and at His name all creatures bow the knee. Even the devils are subject unto Him, and evil is overruled for good. See how the Lord “frustrateth the token of the liars, and maketh diviners mad.” Let the Lord be praised for ever and ever. ~ C.H. Spurgeon

https://www.blueletterbible.org/Comm/spurgeon_charles/sermons/1240.cfm

Rejoice in Your Redemption

Sherry Attributes of God, Character of Jesus, Christian Life, promises, salvation, Sovereignty of God, The Holy Spirit 3 Comments

And they sung a new song, saying, Thou … hast redeemed us to God by Thy blood, out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation … – Revelation 5:8

…the Lord hath done it… – Isaiah 44:23

Sinner, though you have not this redemption, yet I would have you sing about it, for it is precisely what you want. You are slaves to sin, and ought you not to bless God that there can be such a thing as redemption? …Many are redeemed, and are rejoicing in it; why should it not come to you? At any rate, begin to hope.

Rejoice, because salvation is a work done for you by another hand. “The Lord hath done it.” A redemption in which you had to find a part of the price would not make you sing, for you are too poor to contribute a farthing, but the Lord has found the whole cost to the utmost penny. If ever you are saved, it must be by power beyond your own, for you are weak as water; be glad, then, that the Lord has done it. If you can ever get that thought into your mind (and I pray the Holy Ghost to put it there), that your salvation was completed on the tree by the Lord Jesus, why, methinks, you will with joy shout forth the Redeemer’s praise.

Think again “the Lord hath done it,” even He whom you have offended. The God whom you have grieved has condescended to work out your redemption. Ought not this to make your soul say, “Would God it were for me”? and then begin to sing even at the bare possibility of such a thing. “Only trust Him now! He will save you. He will save you. He will save you now.” ~ C.H. Spurgeon

https://www.blueletterbible.org/Comm/spurgeon_charles/sermons/1240.cfm

He Has Finished the Work

Sherry Attributes of God, Character of Jesus, Christian Life, promises, salvation, Sovereignty of God Leave a comment

Sing, O ye heavens; for the LORD hath done it…for the LORD hath redeemed Jacob and glorified Himself in Israel. – Isaiah 44:23

We may lay peculiar force upon the word, “The Lord hath done it,” for He has finished the work. In the matter of the redemption of His people nothing remains to be done. There is no mortgage on the church of God to be ultimately discharged, the Lord has made us His unencumbered freehold, and we are His own portion for ever. There is not a little left of human merit for the sinner to work out for himself, or some little point in which the work of salvation is incomplete; but “The Lord hath done it.” No, brethren, even the fringe of the robe of righteousness is all there; you have not a thread to add to it, it is without seam, and woven from the top throughout, all of one piece. Consummatum est. “It is finished;” every type fulfilled, every commandment kept, every sin abolished, the wrath of God and everything that hindered put away.

A very important part of the song, however, lies in the fact that what God has done glorifies Himself. Infinite mercy and condescending love reflect glory upon God…In redemption you see all the attributes of God, blended in harmony, shining with benignant radiance, not with the flash and flame of Sinai, but with the soft beams of peace and love from Calvary. God is never so gloriously seen as at the cross; no, not even amidst the flaming seraphim do the saints above enjoy such a view of God as when they see Him in the wounds of Jesus and putting their finger into the print of the nails, exclaim with transport, “My Lord and my God.” ~ C.H. Spurgeon

https://www.blueletterbible.org/Comm/spurgeon_charles/sermons/1240.cfm