Sermon Tone Analysis

Intro

Amen!

I asked Pastor Steve to do the opening prayer for the message, for I feared I would only be able to utter the words, “God Help Me!” But I know that in that utterance, there is more than enough words.

Intro

Good morning.

Hopefully you all are staying cool during this nice warm weather we are having.

This is my favorite type of weather and am very glad for it.

My name is Daniel Carter, and I have the great honor and privilege to be able to give the communion devotion this morning.

I would like to thank you, the church, for allowing me to be here this morning; and I would like to thank you, Pastor Steve, for granting me this gracious opportunity to share what’s on my heart; and I want to thank my wife, Fernanda.

Without your steadfast love and support, I would not be able to devote myself to the reading and studying of the Word.

The Lord has blessed me more than I could ever have deserved for giving me a wife as lovely and strong as you are.

A couple things I learned from my time in service about speaking in front of people is that you should always introduce yourself and not to think that those you are speaking to know who you are.

A second thing was that one shouldn’t just get right down to the business at hand, but to allow your audience and yourself adjust by giving a short antidote.

Well I don’t really have one, but I will try.

While preparing for this study we have this morning, which will be on the topic of Justification, I began to think about qualifications.

We put qualifications on almost everything, thinking that it will make something more desirable to have.

We have qualifications with banks, need to have a certain type of credit score to be able to purchase a house, for jobs, you need to have a certain type of resume and background to qualify for a certain type of job.

Even amusement parks, such as Disneyland and Knott’s Berry Farm has a certain height requirement for certain rides.

What did this random trial of thought lead me to?

I am very glad that God does not put a height requirement on Justification.

What will be doing this morning:

What we will be looking at this morning will be partly expository and mainly topical on Justification.

I am very aware that before me is a well trained well educated church and I am sure that what will be said many if not all of you are well informed.

So what I will be doing is just simply trying to convey to you what I have learned in my studies.

Please be gracious towards me in my attempt.

Since we will be looking at what Justification is, I think it would be very important to look at the cross.

And in looking at the cross we first look to who was on the cross.

Then we will end with what was purchased on that cross.

We will begin with the famous Christological Hymn found in then the rest of our time will be spend looking at the book of Galatians.

Please turn with me to

Since I know you are all very familiar with this passage we will briefly go through it making some points of note.

We see here a very beautiful hymn, whether it was penned by the Apostle Paul or already established makes no difference.

We have here in beautiful language a picture set for us of Christ.

And no I will not attempt to sing this passage, trust me that is best for everyone.

We read in God’s Word:

Starting at chapter 2 verse 1

Christ’s Example of Humility

2 So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, 2 complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind.

3 Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves.

4 Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.

5 Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, 6 who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men.

8 And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.

9 Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, 10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Notice in verse 6 who Jesus is: It says He was in the form of God, and and equal with God.

This means Jesus is God.

And although He is God and equal with God, Christ Jesus, does count His equality with God, which is rightfully His to be grasped.

That being said, to mean He did not see His status a thing to be used for His selfish pleasure but rather selflessly gives that up we see in verse 7, The first Adam sought for a higher honor than was was bestowed on him, and Christ the Second Adam willingly gives up His greater Honor for us.

Now we know that when it says Christ emptied Himself, we know that He did not give up any of His Deity or attributes, but what He does do is take on human flesh and human nature, taking the form of a servant or slave by being born in the likeness of men.

The Holy Bible: English Standard Version.

(2016).

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Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles.

This is Christ, The very Son of God, Who is God and equal with God the Father, He is the Second Person in the trinity.

And what does Christ do, Christ Humbles Himself by becoming man, fully man fully God, and He was obedient to the point of death, but not just death but death on a cross.

And this was not a one time obedience, but by being born of a virgin, He was born under the law and as man and as God, He was subjected to the very law He purposed for us.

Why? we see in verse 10 and 11.

It was by His active perfect obedience through His daily life under the law, and by His perfect passive obedience of the death on the cross that He has secured Salvation for us, which we receive by Faith.

Now let us turn to and see what Christ on the Cross reveals to us:

Here we will see that this passage reveal 4 things about the cross:

We read in God’s Word starting in verse 3:

3 gGrace to you and peace hfrom God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, 4 iwho gave himself for our sins to deliver us from the present jevil age, according to the will of kour God and Father, 5 to whom be the glory forever and ever.

Amen.

Point Number 1: Who gave Himself

This shows the WILLINGNESS of Jesus to go to the Cross:

It was a voluntary self sacrifice:

says: He gave Himself up

says: He gave Himself for us

We see that no one takes His life away from Him; but He freely gave it away

Point Number 2: For our Sins

This shows the PURPOSE of the Cross.

It was for our sins that He gave Himself up:

There was a legal transaction that took place on the cross.

We, the guilty party, standing before God in His Court Room, deserve the death penalty.

We deserve the death on the cross that Christ died on.

This is because we owe God an infinite debt, for our sins, that we can never repay.

But what we see here, is Christ, the Mediator, coming forth as our substitute, taking our place, taking God’s full wrath.

This is not a mere example of supreme sacrifice, but an actual atonement for sin.

What we learn from the substitutionary atonement is how impossible it is for us to pay this legal price.

For the price cost nothing less than the blood of our precious Saviour Jesus Christ.

And from this we find our confident hope rests.

A quote that I love from Martin Luther regarding this confident hope says:

“When the devil accuses us and says: You are a sinner; therefore you are damned.

Then we can answer him and say: Because you say I am a sinner, therefore I shall be righteous and be saved.

No says the devil, you will be damned.

No I say, for I take refuge in Christ, who has given Himself for my sins.”

Point Number 3: To deliver us from the present evil age

This shows the EFFECT of the Cross:

Christ was crucified to deliver us from the present evil age.

Christ here is rescuing us and setting us free from the bond of Satin, from the enslavement to sin.

says: For Freedom, Christ has set us Free.

Stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery.

This present evil age, simply means, “the totality of human life dominated and opposed to God”

We see here not only the terms of our own personal Salvation, but also God’s redemptive purpose for our lives.

Philip Ryken in his commentary on Galatians states:

“Galatians is the epistle of the soul set free.

It proclaims that Jesus died on the cross to deliver us from evil.

Deliverance is the keynote of this epistle.”

Lastly, Point Number 4: According to the will of our God and Father

This shows the ORIGIN of the Cross:

Christ died, according to the will of our God and Father:

This was not an unforeseen tragedy.

It was a part of God’s plan before the foundation of the world.