Tune "I SING THE MIGHTY POWER OF GOD" CM/DOUBLE Words by JIM BYRD
1. Consider this amazing truth, For sinners Jesus died. To save them from unending woe, The Son was crucified. Their cause the Savior undertook, From old eternity; To save the chosen of the Lord, From sin to set them free.
2. The Father laid upon His Son, Their sinfulness and blame; And in their place He bled and died, To purge them from all shame. ‘Twas by His bloody sacrifice, The law was satisfied; "Tis finished," was the Victor’s cry, Then bowed His head and died.
3. He rose, the Savior ever lives, The King and Advocate; For sinners Jesus intercedes, The mighty Potentate. How safe the souls for whom He died, They never shall be lost; He reconciled them unto God, And paid their ransom cost.
4. But how can I assurance have, To know when Jesus bled, He put away my guilt and sin, And suffered in my stead? If by the Spirit of His grace, On Christ I have believed; Then all is well for in the Son I am by God received. *****
"It is of the LORD’S mercies that we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is Thy faithfulness." (Lamentations 3:22-23) *****
A BLESSED PEOPLE "Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD; and the people whom He hath chosen for His own inheritance" (Psalm 33:12). This nation is the chosen generation, the holy nation and peculiar people, both among Jews and Gentiles. The Lord is the God of these, not only as the God of nature and providence, but as the God of all grace. These are happy since He is their portion and exceeding great reward, nor shall they lack any good thing nor need they fear any evil. They are on the heart of God, and cannot be separated from His love. They are engraven on the palms of His hands and shall be helped, strengthened, and upheld with the right hand of His righteousness. All things work together for their good, and this God of theirs will be their God and Guide unto death. They may expect every needful good thing now, and all glory and happiness hereafter. The Lord has chosen these out of the world to be His possession, and they are His jewels and peculiar treasure. These are happy, being the Lord’s portion, and the lot of His inheritance; and He chooses an inheritance for them, adopts and begets them unto it, and makes them meet to be partakers of it. –John Gill *****
ETERNAL, EXTERNAL, INTERNAL The Scriptures set forth each Person of the Godhead as having a distinct function in the salvation of sinners.
1. THE WORK OF THE FATHER WAS ETERNAL. In old eternity, the Father chose a remnant to be saved and gave them to the Son, trusting Him to "save His people from their sins" (Matthew 1:21) and bring them safely home to God, robed in His righteousness and washed in His blood. The Father elected the Savior (Isaiah 42:1) and ordained "a multitude which no man could number" (Rev. 7:9) unto eternal life in Him (Acts 13:48). "He hath chosen us in Him before the foundation of the world" (Ephesians 1:4).
2. THE WORK OF THE SON WAS EXTERNAL. The Son accepted the chosen ones as a gift and assumed full responsibility for their eternal safety. He became accountable for their debt of sin, imputed to Him, and agreed to satisfy the justice of God which demanded death for sins. Christ, according to His covenant promise, redeemed His people from the curse of the law when He died for their sins. The iniquities of the elect were charged to Him and He fully paid their debt by His death. His was an external work, that is, a work that was fulfilled outside of the sinner. The death of Christ was "a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savor" (Ephesians 5:2).
3. THE WORK OF THE SPIRIT IS INTERNAL. The Holy Spirit comes at the appointed time, using the gospel, and causes the chosen, ransomed ones to be born again. His is an inward work of regeneration and illumination resulting from the redemption Christ accomplished. Sinners made alive by His power repent of their dead works and idolatry and look to and rely on Christ and Him crucified for life, salvation, righteousness and acceptance before God. Quickened souls are made to see that He died to enable God to be "a just God and a Savior." The Spirit effectually brings them to embrace the truths that salvation is by grace alone, in Christ alone, accomplished by His death and resurrection alone. –Pastor Jim Byrd *****