The Fulness of the Godhead Dwells — Don Fortner
(Tune: The Doxology — LM)

There’s not a ray of glory known,
Around the great Jehovah’s throne,
Which our Redeemer does not wear,
Proclaiming His own Godhead there.

The Father’s glories, all divine,
In Jesus meet — in Jesus shine!
Eternally and truly one,
Is God the Father and the Son.

All pow’r and wisdom, love and grace,
Are seen in Christ our Savior’s face;
Glorious in Jehovah’s view, —
The brightness of His glory too!

The fullness of the Godhead dwells
In Jesus Christ! — Our praises swell,
With hallelujahs to His name,
The Lamb Who bore our sin and shame!

Vital Christianity, all true religion, all true spiritual life is set before us by the Holy Spirit in these seven words: — “Christ in you, the hope of glory.” Vital Christianity is real Christianity. Anything less than this is a satanic, religious delusion. Christ in you is salvation. Until you are made a partaker of the divine nature, until Christ is in you, you have no hope of glory.

“But even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not therefore: ye are of more value than many sparrows.” (Luke 12:7)

With these words our Lord Jesus Christ assures us that none of God’s elect shall ever be in any real danger or suffer any real harm, for we are under the special care and protection of God himself. I see six things in this sentence, which are a constant source of peace and encouragement to me.

l. The Blessed Fact of Divine Predestination. — The text might be better translated “the very hairs of your head have all been numbered.” Before the world began, our heavenly Father counted up and ordained the number of hairs that were to be upon your head at this very moment! This is meticulous predestination. What does it tell us? God’s sovereign purpose of grace in predestination includes all that we do and all that we experience.

2. A Comforting Assurance of Divine Providence. — The primary intent of the text is to show us our Father’s constant rule of all things. The sparrow cannot fall to the ground, and a hair cannot fall from your head without your Father’s eternal decree in predestination and his direction in providence.

3. Our Heavenly Father’s Perfect Knowledge of All Things Concerning Us. — Our God, who predestinated all things and rules all things, knows all things. We are so well known by God that he has even numbered the hairs of our heads. — “Your Father knoweth.” We need no other comfort. The Lord’s knowledge of us is constant and entire. His knowledge of us is the knowledge of a tender, sympathetic Father.

4. Our Father’s Constant Care. — He who takes the trouble to number the hairs of our heads must surely care for us. We are the apple of his eye. Cast all your care upon him. — “He careth for you!”

5. The Honor and High Esteem our God has for His Elect. — God has numbered our hairs because he values them. He holds us in honor and high esteem above all the people of the world because of his gracious purpose toward us in Christ, because he has made us one with his darling Son (Isaiah 43:3-5; 1 John 4:9-11).

6. The Promise of Divine Protection. — The hairs of our head are all numbered because our God intends that, “There shall not an hair of your head perish.” Trials are certain. Temptations are sure. Tribulations are constant in this world. But there is no cause for fear. — “The very hairs of your head are all numbered!”

Without question, there is only one true gospel. Every other gospel is a false gospel. Those who preach a false gospel are false prophets; and those who believe a false gospel are yet lost, under the wrath and curse of God (Read Galatians 1:6-8). Serious as that charge is, it cannot be ignored or denied.

That one true gospel, the gospel of God, is the gospel of salvation by grace alone. By that statement I mean that salvation comes to helpless, depraved, lost and justly condemned sinners only by God’s sovereign, eternal election (Ephesians 1:3-6; 2 Thessalonians 2:13-14; John 15:16), Christ’s particular, effectual, substitutionary redemption of his people (Isaiah 53:8-11; John 10:11, 15; Galatians 3:13; Hebrews 9:12) and the Holy Spirit’s irresistible, effectual call and omnipotent, regenerating grace (Psalm 65:4; 110:3; John 6: 63; Romans 9:16). Salvation is the free, unconditional gift of God’s eternal, immutable grace. It is not in anyway determined by or dependent upon the will, works or worth of the sinner (2 Timothy 1:9-10; Ephesians 2:8-9; Romans 9:11-16).

I once received a letter from a lady who asked, “How can I be sure the gospel you preach is the only true gospel?” That is a fair, honest, and reasonable question. It is a question you would be wise to ask and a question every preacher should be required to answer. This is my answer: I know that the gospel of salvation by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone is the only true gospel because...

This is the only gospel revealed in all the Holy Scriptures (Luke 24:44-47; Acts 13:38-39).
This is the only gospel that glorifies God in all his holy attributes (Romans 3:24-26; Psalm 85:10-11)
This is the only gospel that honors, magnifies and satisfies all the demands of God’s holy law (Romans 3:31).
This is the only gospel that offers hope to helpless, guilty sinners who can do nothing for themselves (Ephesians 2:1-5).
This is the only gospel that gives all the glory of salvation to the triune God alone (1 Corinthians 1:29-31).
This is the only gospel that completely forbids the boasting of the flesh (Psalm 115:1).
This is the only gospel that compels saved sinners to consecrate themselves to God with grateful, devoted hearts (1 Corinthians 6:9-11, 19-20).

This is, as Paul put it, “my gospel.” It is the gospel I believe, the gospel by which I am saved and the gospel I preach incessantly. — “Though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed!”