Salvation is From Our Creator

PART 1

With all the Spirit has been teaching us about the Gospel, Salvation, and Sanctification, we have seen the flow and continuity of God’s plan for mankind.

We have seen the unity of Salvation and Sanctification, and how being sanctified is really an inevitable continuance of being saved, and how they are inseparable according to the scriptures, two sides of the same coin for the true believer.

We have seen that Deliverance is a movement by God, from one thing to another, in particular, from salvation to sanctification, and from sin to righteousness.

The saved individual, who is born again by the Spirit of Christ, WILL be sanctified by God His Savior, and God WILL complete the good work in him, the true believer. It’s simply what God does for all His children. Phil 1:6, 2:13, 1Th 2:13, 5:23-24

Phil 1:6
For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus.

Phil 2:12-13
So then, my beloved, just as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your salvation with fear and trembling; (why? Look at the next verse)
13 for it is God (your Creator!) who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure.

You have been called by the Creator of the universe!

What other than fear and awe are the proper responses to this?!

1 Thess 2:13
For this reason we also constantly thank God that when you received the word of God which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men, but for what it really is, the word of God, which also performs its work in you who believe.

By the way, if you really believe the Bible is the Word of God, you would read it every day, wouldn’t you?

And the more you do that, the more the Word is able to work in you.

1 Thess 5:23-24
Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you entirely; and may your spirit and soul and body be preserved complete, without blame at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. 24 Faithful is He who calls you, and He also will bring it to pass.

God is delivering us every day, bringing us to righteousness.

For the true believer, the one who has surrendered his heart to Christ, he is promised the glorious results of sanctification as part of his salvation gift.

We have also seen that if a so-called believer has NO obedience, or NO love for God and his people, or NO evidence of following Christ in his life, he is probably not saved; yet it’s between him and the Lord. John 10:27

And we also know this by now, from reading our Bibles in context…

There is an unavoidable continuity in the life of the true believer. A changed heart will live a changed life, otherwise the heart hasn’t been changed by God.

As Jesus said, you will know them by their fruits. Mat 7:16-20

All that being review of what we’ve seen for many lessons now,..

The Lord and His plan for saving, and delivering, mankind can be seen in His roles as Creator and Redeemer.

That’s what we will explore in this series. We see this pattern in the Word of God.

God’s will for mankind is that all men be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth. 1Ti 2:4

We might call that out as salvation and deliverance (we are saved daily by the Word).

God’s plan of salvation, and the fullness of the Gospel, calls on man to repent towards God and trust in Christ to be saved, which again is two sides of the same coin.

You can’t give someone ONE side of a coin. Try it!

Saving knowledge of Christ comes through a conversion process, which each person must go through, and is unique to each.

Although it’s unique for every single person in some way, it’s also the same pattern for everyone, in terms of the need for a repentant heart towards God about one’s sin, and a turning to Christ in faith to be saved.

Turn to Acts 20:21

As Paul said in :

Acts 20:21
“solemnly testifying to both Jews and Greeks of repentance toward God and faith in our Lord Jesus Christ.”

Notice this was Paul’s way of preaching the Gospel, to both Jews and Gentiles.

This was not just for one group or the other, and it was not just for the early church.

To be saved, every man, in his short time on earth, must first humble themselves before God as their Creator, and then agree that God is their Redeemer as well, in the Person of Jesus Christ.

In fact, Acknowledging God as Creator and as Redeemer is a wonderful analog of repentance and faith. Acts 20:21

Look again at Acts 20:21:
“solemnly testifying to both Jews and Greeks of repentance toward God and faith in our Lord Jesus Christ.”

Notice repentance is towards God, our Creator, and faith is towards Christ, our Redeemer.

Salvation and Deliverance come from acknowledging the Creator and Redeemer, as we will see more of.

Repentance & Faith (as a pattern)

This is also how we live the spiritual life, after our day of salvation. This is how we are saved and sanctified in our daily lives, living in the Gospel reality, by repentance and faith towards our Creator and Redeemer.

As we’ve seen, it’s only when we believers forget about our victory in Christ, and our unchangeable position as His child, that we forget to live in the Gospel reality.

The very act of living in the Gospel reality, that I am saved and already victorious in Christ; that is the very means of sanctification.

When you live like that, you are actually living the life set apart for God.

We are called to live in our position in Christ, to live life for Christ, because that’s where we are.

Again; The very act of living in the Gospel reality, that I am saved and already victorious in Christ; that is the very means of sanctification. (living a life set apart for God)

In conjunction with the Word of God, we are more and more sanctified. We are able to live out the Gospel reality more and more.

The Spirit helped me recently, He helped me change my perspective.

I was in a rut spiritually, and not sure why my faith wasn’t more pure and trusting of God.

And He reminded me of this simple truth:

Life is temporary, so live it for God, in fear of your Creator.

Let’s remind ourselves; He could take us Home any day He wants! Literally today, you’re heart could give out. You might get in a deadly car accident.

You’re life might be required of you today, or tomorrow, or the next, and that is TOTALLY dependent on God’s sovereign decision.

This helps me “live in the now”, and not take any day for granted, to realize how temporary life is.

Life is temporary, we are all just passing through. When we forget that reality, we start living for ourselves, questioning why our own comforts aren’t being met. We start focusing on our life as though it were our own. But when we remember life is temporary, we acknowledge the pure gift that “life” is, and we see the big picture, of which we are a very small part.

When we remember that life itself is only temporary, for each and every one of us, that should snap us back into place; into the reality that is the sanctified life, set apart for Him, because we have no choice in the day of our death.

James 4:13-15
13 Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, and spend a year there and engage in business and make a profit.” 14 Yet you do not know what your life will be like tomorrow. You are just a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes away. 15 Instead, you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we will live and also do this or that.”

The first guy left Someone out.

The second guy acknowledged God when making plans.

And in between is the vapor that is your life. Which guy will you be before it’s all over?

How about right now?

And so, we should be set free by that. Set free from bondage to this world system, and bondage to self, thinking life is all about us.

Don’t have expectations in this world. Expectations, if you think about, really come from arrogance (as though we deserve anything good at all).

We can live one day at a time by His grace, knowing that it’s ONLY His grace that keeps us alive.

We can take advantage of today and live it for Him, as long as it is today, because it may be our last, and we will be face to face with the Lord very soon, each and every one of us.

And so, we are set free from the entrapments of this world, from the TV shows that show us a different story, from movies that entice us to build a life for self, as though we are going to be here on earth forever!!

What foolishness the devil has deceived us into. What a lie he has sold us, from childhood.

But the truth is: Life is temporary, so live it for God your Creator. Allow this to change your perspective, if you need it.

Snap out of the malaise that keeps you confused in your thinking.

You are a child of God, and you do not belong here on earth, not for long. So live the Gospel reality to which you were called, live saved and victorious, do good to all men, and swing freely in the game of life, one day at a time. You are already victorious, being in Christ! Live like it!

And that’s the perspective that sanctifies us, some faster than others due to how much we let our flesh get in the way.

But living in the salvation He purchased for us, that’s how we become sanctified in this life, for God’s glory.

If you have not trusted in Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, then you are not saved, and I’m here to tell you that you do not possess this same life to count on.

You are separated from God, because you are not in agreement with God, your Creator, and one day, whether you believe it or not, you will face God and His judgment.

You, my friend, need to first acknowledge God as your Creator, and that you’ve sinned against Him and will be accountable to Him one day very soon.

You need to repent towards God, humbly admitting that as a sinner you need His mercy, and that He is the founder of your life.

And turn to Christ your Redeemer to be saved!

All of us have fallen short of the glory of God, Rom 3:23. The first step to eternal life is to admit your need for God’s mercy, and it’s between you and God.

Therefore, let’s talk about the Creator/Redeemer, because that’s who God must be acknowledged as, by both unbeliever and believer.

Salvation and the Gospel cannot be captured by a short, neat little definition.

In fact, I believe it’s a story to be told;

Salvation is the story of the Creator and Redeemer and what He’s done for us unworthy sinners.

We saw this in the books of Acts, watching how Peter and Paul gave the Gospel, describing repentance and faith in great detail.
(remember Acts ch. 2, 3, 10 and 17, for example, where they told the whole story, a little bit different each time, but with the same basic pattern)

It’s not one memorized sentence. It’s a conversation, a story to be told. (remember Stephen in Acts 7?)

Although there is accountability to God as our Creator, and therefore the necessary judgment of sin, there is also grace and mercy available to those who turn to Christ as Redeemer. (think about that pattern, it holds true before and after the day of salvation)

And this begins by understanding your accountability to your Creator.

Understanding God as your Creator can do many things, before and after your day of salvation. It leads to a proper fear of God, as He is sovereign. As King of the universe He can do as He pleases, and that should give every man pause, that he is not in control of his own life whatsoever.

We’re not talking about having a king ruling your country, and if you don’t like it you could leave and go live under another government.

NO. God is the Sovereign Creator of all mankind, and all will be judged by Him as the King of the Universe. There is no escaping Him, for all eternity.

Acknowledging God as your Creator can set you free from your own standards, and from trying to please God on your own.

You realize that can’t be done, no matter how moral or religious you might be.

You realize your need for repentance before a holy and righteous God that has the power and right to judge you, and to take your life from you any time He sees fit.

And so, you change your mind, you repent and turn towards God, and this attitude continues after the day of your salvation. (that’s why the Bibles tells us to confess our sins when necessary)

Living in the Gospel reality, being saved every day, includes this attitude of repentance and humility. Being sanctified includes this as well. In fact, they are intimately tied together.

As we try to cast our little religions out from our souls, the reminder of your Sovereign Creator and a healthy fear of Him is often the only thing that can help us.

And so we humble ourselves before Him, again and again, day by day, and the Gospel reality increases in our souls, and we live the life of freedom that He died for, more and more.

One of the little religions that fear of God can help cast out for us is sexual idolatry. We should not be foolish and think there are not consequences for rejecting God in this matter. 1Th 4:1-8

1 Thess 4:1-8
Finally then, brethren, we request and exhort you in the Lord Jesus, that as you received from us instruction as to how you ought to walk and please God (just as you actually do walk), that you excel still more. 2 For you know what commandments we gave you by the authority of the Lord Jesus. 3 For this is the will of God, your sanctification; that is, that you abstain from sexual immorality; 4 that each of you know how to possess his own vessel in sanctification and honor, 5 not in lustful passion, like the Gentiles who do not know God; 6 and that no man transgress and defraud his brother in the matter because the Lord is the avenger in all these things, just as we also told you before and solemnly warned you. 7 For God has not called us for the purpose of impurity, but in sanctification. 8 So, he who rejects this is not rejecting man but the God who gives His Holy Spirit to you.

If we get out of our own way and humble ourselves before our Creator God, we will live the sanctified life.

And as we can see in vs. 6, there is a proper place for fearing God’s punishment, as He is a good Father who will discipline His children, even harshly if necessary, by grace.

Here it is more directly stated in the NIV…

1 Thess 4:6 NIV
“and that in this matter (sexual immorality) no one should wrong his brother or take advantage of him. The Lord will punish men for all such sins, as we have already told you and warned you.”

God as our Father loves us so much, and He has great, noble plans for his children. But when we repeatedly violate His noble plans, He will discipline us when needed, to help us get out of our own way, so we don’t just waste our life away.

As verse 4 says, His plans are for us to possess our own vessel in “sanctification and honor”.

We would all do well to remember this:

God is not a puppet. You’re not entitled to anything!

That’s a shock to some of us in America. “I thought I was due these things. I thought I should expect these things.” (well, ask yourself, who taught you that??)

“And if I’m not getting what I want, well, I’m going to force it!” And that might include sexual idolatry.

Well, here’s a news flash:

You are here for God, not for yourself. We need to fear God properly, and realize all blessings He gives us are from Him, and FOR HIM!

We have no problem with the first part, but the second part?

All the good things our Father gives us are ultimately for HIS glory.

To show Satan how gracious our God is to us sinners, and how God can turn sinners into sanctified creatures who can live sanctified lives.

We are to give God glory for His gifts, and realize a divine purpose in them, not selfish purposes that come from a false attitude of entitlement.

Our humility can only grow as we learn more about God as our Sovereign Creator, and that’s what the Spirit wants us to delve into first.

The more we see the Lord’s sovereignty and omnipotence, the more we will remember our place, and that is extremely valuable in living a life of humility, and ultimately true freedom.

And knowing that life is so temporary, resting in His hands alone, we will develop a proper fear of the Lord, which will help save us every day.

Because that’s what He is and will always be; LORD.

We need to have a growing realization throughout our whole lives of Him as Lord and Master, and Creator and King. This is part of being sanctified, or set apart for Him. This is part of being set apart to a life of righteousness.

Just think about the title “Creator of the heavens and the earth”.

This implies there is no one anywhere that can interrupt His authority and power, and that is what the Bible reveals about our God and Savior.

And yet this Almighty God wants to be our God!

Isa 43:1
But now, thus says the Lord, your Creator, O Jacob,
And He who formed you, O Israel,
“Do not fear, for I have redeemed you;
I have called you by name; you are Mine!

Jer 31:33
“I will be their God.”

Dwell on that: the Creator of heaven and earth, and of you and your very life, wants to be your God forever.

And He makes this promise to those who will turn to His Son in humility, from their own free will.

Humility from God’s Sovereignty

As you look into the sky on a clear, starry night, step back and fathom that our God and Creator spread out the infinite universe with His fingers, Isa 40:12, AFTER He created it all by just saying a word, Gen 1, Psa 33:6,9, 148:5.

Ps 33:1-9
Sing for joy in the Lord, O you righteous ones; Praise is becoming to the upright. 2 Give thanks to the Lord with the lyre;Sing praises to Him with a harp of ten strings. 3 Sing to Him a new song;Play skillfully with a shout of joy. 4 For the word of the Lord is upright,And all His work is done in faithfulness. 5 He loves righteousness and justice;The earth is full of the lovingkindness of the Lord.
6 By the word of the Lord the heavens were made,And by the breath of His mouth all their host. 7 He gathers the waters of the sea together as a heap;He lays up the deeps in storehouses. 8 Let all the earth fear the Lord;Let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of Him. 9 For He spoke, and it was done;He commanded, and it stood fast.

There again we see a proper fear and awe of God our Creator.

When we have that, in humility, we can then grow spiritually, by His grace.

Ps 148:1-5
Praise the Lord!
Praise the Lord from the heavens;
Praise Him in the heights!
2 Praise Him, all His angels;
Praise Him, all His hosts!
3 Praise Him, sun and moon;
Praise Him, all stars of light!
4 Praise Him, highest heavens,
And the waters that are above the heavens!
5 Let them praise the name of the Lord,
For He commanded and they were created.

He commanded, and they were created.
Boom! Done!

Some of you are afraid of storms, or earthquakes. Those are NOTHING compared to what took place at Creation!

That’s my God, and by His grace I am fearfully and wonderfully made. And so are you.

Isa 40:12
Who has measured the waters in the hollow of His hand,
And marked off the heavens by the span (His fingers),
And calculated the dust of the earth by the measure,
And weighed the mountains in a balance
And the hills in a pair of scales?

Awe and respect and praise for God as our Creator is essential in surrendering to Him as Redeemer as well.

Our God and Creator wants to save us from sin, and deliver us to righteousness.

In fact, that’s what Christ did for us on the cross. He died for sin, and rose for righteousness!

His death and resurrection is the literal deliverance from sin to righteousness!

Rom 4:19-25
Without becoming weak in faith he (Abraham) contemplated his own body, now as good as dead since he was about a hundred years old, and the deadness of Sarah’s womb; 20 yet, with respect to the promise of God, he did not waver in unbelief but grew strong in faith, giving glory to God, 21 and being fully assured that what God had promised, He was able also to perform. 22 Therefore IT WAS ALSO CREDITED TO HIM AS RIGHTEOUSNESS. 23 Now not for his sake only was it written that it was credited to him, 24 but for our sake also, to whom it will be credited, as those who believe in Him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead, 25 He who was delivered over because of our transgressions, and was raised because of our justification.

We are saved from sin, and delivered over to righteousness.

We’ve been saved and sanctified, as believers in the Lord Jesus Christ. And He continues to perform a good work in those who believe.

PART 2

Today I suggest you sit back and relax, as the first part of our lesson will be review from Sunday.

Phil 2:12-13
So then, my beloved, just as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your salvation with fear and trembling; 13 for it is God (your Creator!) who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure.

You have been called by the Creator of the universe! What other than fear and awe are the proper responses to this reality in vs. 13?!

If you saw God right now, in all His glory, what might you do?

What did they do in the Old Testament when they had a glimpse of God?

They fell flat on their faces, in fear and awe.

And it is that same God and Creator that is in work inside of us.

The Lord and His plan for saving, and delivering, mankind can be seen in His roles as Creator and Redeemer.

That’s what we will explore this week. We will see this pattern in the Word.

As Paul said in :

Acts 20:21
“solemnly testifying to both Jews and Greeks of repentance toward God and faith in our Lord Jesus Christ.”

Notice this was Paul’s way of preaching the Gospel, towards both Jews and Gentiles.

To be saved, every man, in his short time on earth, must first recognize God as their Creator, and then that God is their Redeemer as well, in the Person of Christ.

In fact, Acknowledging God as Creator, and then as Redeemer, is a wonderful analog of repentance and faith. Acts 20:21

Salvation and Deliverance come from acknowledging the Creator and Redeemer, as we will see more of.

Repentance & Faith (as a pattern)

This is also how we live the spiritual life, after our day of salvation. This is how we are saved and sanctified in our daily lives, living in the Gospel reality, by repentance and faith towards our Creator and Redeemer.

As we’ve seen, it’s only when we believers forget about our victory in Christ, and our unchangeable position as His child, that we forget to live in the Gospel reality.

The very act of living in the Gospel reality, that I am saved and already victorious in Christ; that is the very means of sanctification.

When you live like that, you are actually living the life set apart for God.

We are called to live in our position, to live life in Christ, because that’s where we are.

But how can one live in the victory, fully, unless he knows all about the victory?

In conjunction with the Word of God, and dependent on how much attention we give it, we are more and more sanctified. We are able to live the Gospel reality more and more. Heb 4:12, Joh 17:17

How does the righteous man live by faith? He needs the Word of God as his guide, and for his encouragement.

After all, isn’t it the Word we are having faith IN?

When the Lord Jesus was praying for us all, before His crucifixion, He said to the Father:

John 17:17
“Sanctify them in the truth; Your word is truth.”

That short statement from our Lord says a whole lot.

Heb 4:12
For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.

I also shared with you, what has helped me recently to live in the Gospel reality is this:

Life is temporary.

Let’s remind ourselves; He could take us Home any day He wants.

You’re life might be required of you today, or tomorrow, or the next, and that is TOTALLY 100% dependent on God’s sovereign decision.

There are people that try to commit suicide and it doesn’t work. Why not?

There will be people in the Tribulation that will try the same, to escape the torture of that time, but they won’t be able to die.

Why not? Because the time of one’s death is God’s Sovereign decision.

Remembering how temporary life is helps me live in the now, and not take any day for granted.

Life is temporary, we are all just passing through. When we forget that reality, we start living for ourselves, questioning why our own comforts aren’t being met. We start focusing on our life as though it were our own. But when we remember life is temporary, we acknowledge the pure gift that “life” is, and we see the big picture, of which we are a very small part.

When we remember that life itself is only temporary, for each and every one of us, that should snap us back into place; into the reality that is the sanctified life, set apart for Him, because we have no choice in the day of our death.

James 4:13-15
Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, and spend a year there and engage in business and make a profit.” 14 Yet you do not know what your life will be like tomorrow. You are just a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes away. 15 Instead, you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we will live and also do this or that.”

In Jam 4:13-15…
The first guy left someone out. Are you done with that guy?

The second guy acknowledged God when making plans.

And in between is the vapor that is your life. Which guy will you be before you ‘vanish away’?

And so, we should be set free by that. Set free from bondage to this world system, and bondage to self, thinking life is all about us.

Don’t have expectations in this world. Expectations, if you think about, really come from arrogance (as though we deserve anything good at all).

We can live one day at a time by His grace, knowing that it’s ONLY His grace that keeps us alive.

It’s a change of perspective.

We can take advantage of today and live it for Him, as long as it is today, because it may be our last, and we will be face to face with the Lord very soon, each and every one of us.

And so, we are set free from the entrapments of this world, from the TV shows that show us a different story, from movies that entice us to build a life for self, as though we are going to be here on earth forever.

What foolishness the devil has deceived us into. What a lie he has sold us, from childhood.

But the truth is:
Life is temporary, so live it for God your Creator.

Allow this to change your perspective, if you need it.

Snap out of the malaise that keeps you in a confused cloud in your mind.

You are a child of God, and you do not belong here, not for long. So live the Gospel reality to which you were called, live saved and victorious, do good to all men, and swing freely in the game of life, one day at a time. You are already victorious, being in Christ! Live like it!

And that’s the perspective that sanctifies us, some faster than others due to how much we let our flesh get in the way.

But living in the salvation He purchased for us, that’s how we become sanctified in this life, for God’s glory.

Therefore, let’s talk about the Creator and Redeemer, because that’s who God must be acknowledged as, by both unbeliever and believer.

Isn’t it interesting, here’s another thing we’ve been learning that’s for believer and unbeliever.

That’s been a theme if you’ve been paying attention.

We’re back to Rom 1:16-17, what’s gives us the power to live as a righteous man? The Gospel!

The righteous man shall live by faith in the Gospel… in the promises of God, especially regarding salvation and eternal life.

The very same gospel that saved us, continues to be the method of saving us daily, and even sanctifying us.

Thus the term, “living in the gospel reality”.

This shows us even more, it’s not about us, it’s about God and His solutions. It’s always His ways, by grace through faith, and therefore He gets all the glory, even as we grow up spiritually.

As Pastor Collins has mentioned, salvation and the gospel
cannot be captured by a short, neat definition.

In fact, I believe it’s a story to be told;

Salvation is the story of the Creator and Redeemer, and what He’s done for us sinners.

We saw this in the books of Acts, watching how Peter and Paul gave the Gospel, describing repentance and then faith, in great detail.

(remember Acts ch. 2, 3, 10 and 17, for example, where they told the whole story, a little bit different each time, but with the same basic pattern)

Salvation is not one memorized scripture, or sentence. It’s a conversation, a story to be told. (remember Stephen in Acts 7?)

There’s your homework, since there’s no Bible study tomorrow night. 🙂

Part of the salvation story is that, although there is accountability to God as our Creator, and therefore the necessary judgment of sin, there is also grace and mercy available to those who turn to Christ as Redeemer. (think about that pattern, it holds true before and after the day of salvation)

But this begins by understanding your accountability to your Creator.

Understanding God as your Creator can do many things, before and after your day of salvation. It leads to a proper fear of God, as He is sovereign. As King of the universe He can do as He pleases, and that should give every man pause, that he is not in control of his life, whatsoever.

We’re not talking about having a king ruling your country, and if you don’t like it you could leave, and go live under another government.

NO. God is the Sovereign Creator of all mankind, and all will be judged by Him as the King of the Universe. There is no escaping Him, for all eternity!

You realize your need for repentance, before a holy and righteous God that has the power and right to judge you, and to take your life from you any time He sees fit.

And so, you change your mind, you repent towards God, and this attitude continues after the day of your salvation. (that’s why the Bibles tells us to confess our sins when necessary)

Living in the Gospel reality, being saved every day, includes this attitude of repentance and humility. Being sanctified includes this as well. In fact, they are unified.

As we try to cast our little religions out from our souls, the reminder of your Sovereign Creator, and a healthy fear of Him, is often the only thing that can help us.

And so we humble ourselves before Him, again and again, day by day, and the Gospel reality increases in our souls, and we live the life of freedom that He died for, more and more.

One of the little religions that fear of God can help cast out for us is sexual idolatry. We should not be foolish and think there are not consequences for rejecting God in this matter. 1Th 4:1-8

1 Thess 4:1-8
Finally then, brethren, we request and exhort you in the Lord Jesus, that as you received from us instruction as to how you ought to walk and please God (just as you actually do walk), that you excel still more. 2 For you know what commandments we gave you by the authority of the Lord Jesus. 3 For this is the will of God, your sanctification; that is, that you abstain from sexual immorality; 4 that each of you know how to possess his own vessel in sanctification and honor, 5 not in lustful passion, like the Gentiles who do not know God; 6 and that no man transgress and defraud his brother in the matter because the Lord is the avenger in all these things, just as we also told you before and solemnly warned you. 7 For God has not called us for the purpose of impurity, but in sanctification. 8 So, he who rejects this is not rejecting man but the God who gives His Holy Spirit to you.”

If we get out of our own way, and humble ourselves before our Creator God, we will live the sanctified life.

And we would be wise to remember, God doesn’t hold the rod for nothing.

And as we can see in vs. 6, there is a proper place for fearing God’s punishment, as He is a good Father who will discipline His children, even harshly if necessary, all motivated by His grace and love for us.

If anyone has the big picture in mind, it’s God! And He’ll do whatever it takes to bring us to sanctification, to help us have minimal regrets when we meet Him once for all.

1 Thess 4:6 NIV
“and that in this matter (sexual immorality) no one should wrong his brother or take advantage of him. The Lord will punish men for all such sins, as we have already told you and warned you.”

God as our Father loves us so much, and He has great, noble plans for his children. But when we repeatedly violate His noble plans, He will discipline us when needed, to help us get out of our own way, so we don’t just waste our life away.

As verse 4 says, His plans are for us to possess our own vessel in “sanctification and honor”.

Pastor Collins :
God is not a puppet. You’re not “entitled” to anything!

That’s a shock to some of us in America. We might say, “I thought I was due these things. I thought I should expect these things.” (well, ask yourself, who taught you that??)

“And if I’m not getting it, well I’m going to make it happen!” And that might include sexual idolatry.

Why do we follow any idol? Because we are impatient for God’s blessings.

So we try to find a substitute to satisfy our desires.

If God says no, we’re likely “reaaaaally?”
And the fleshly mind starts wandering.

But if we truly fear God and His power, we won’t go there.

Don’t obey the flesh, you know when it’s from the flesh.

You’re Creator knows you perfectly, and therefore He knows perfectly the right time to bless you with certain things.

So if He says no, for now, then it’s for your best. You must need to grow up first.

So we say “OK Dad. I’m good, I trust you.” And then live freely in your salvation, and be content in all things.

Here’s the news flash:

YOU ARE HERE FOR GOD, NOT FOR YOURSELF.

Our flesh cringes just reading that, doesn’t it?! Because our flesh is out for self.

But maybe we should make that into a neon sign, and have it blinking right outside our bedroom windows.

Kind of like the Kenny Rogers Chicken sign outside Kramer’s apartment window. 🙂

If there’s something good to become obsessed about, it’s God’s truth.

We are here for God, not for ourselves.

We need to fear God properly, and realize all blessings He gives us are from Him, and FOR HIM! Col 1:16, 1Co 8:6

All the good things our Father gives us are ultimately for HIS glory.

Since we’ve been talking about acknowledging God our Creator…

Col 1:15-16
He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. 16 For by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities — all things have been created through Him and for Him.

1 Cor 8:6
yet for us there is but one God, the Father, from whom are all things and we exist for Him;

FOR HIM
All good things the Father gives us are ultimately to show Satan and the fallen angels how gracious our God is to us sinners, and how God can turn sinners into sanctified creatures who can live sanctified lives.

But if we choose to bring ourselves glory, or live selfishly with His gifts, then we fall into the trap of the Galatians, who didn’t use their freedom for His glory, but fell back into bondage.

We are to give God glory for His gifts, and realize a divine purpose in them, not selfish purposes that come from a false attitude of entitlement.

Our humility can only grow as we learn more about God as our Sovereign Creator, and that’s what the Spirit wants us to delve into first.

The more we see the Lord’s sovereignty and omnipotence, the more we will remember our place, and that is extremely valuable in living a life of humility, and ultimately true freedom.

Knowing that life is so temporary, that our life rests in His hands alone, we will develop a proper fear of the Lord, which will help save us every day, including saving us from ourselves.

What God will always be is LORD. Sovereign Lord. We would be very foolish to forget that.

We need to have a growing realization throughout our whole lives of Him as Lord and Master, and Creator and King. This is part of being sanctified, or set apart for Him. This is part of being set apart to a life of righteousness.

What humbled Joseph so much that he was a great man of God? He said “how can I even think about sinning against my God?!”

He had proper fear and respect for the Lord, His Creator and Redeemer.

Gen 39:6-9
Now Joseph was handsome in form and appearance. 7 It came about after these events that his master’s wife looked with desire at Joseph, and she said, “Lie with me.” 8 But he refused and said to his master’s wife, “Behold, with me here, my master does not concern himself with anything in the house, and he has put all that he owns in my charge. 9 “There is no one greater in this house than I, and he has withheld nothing from me except you, because you are his wife. How then could I do this great evil and sin against God?”

We would probably do ourselves good to memorize the end of vs. 9, but it also needs to become a heart issue, which the Lord will do for us if we humble ourselves before Him.

“How then could I do this great evil and sin against God?”

In other words, look at all that God has blessed me with! This is all from Him, and for Him. How can I now sin against Him??

And we, as believers, need to follow his example, and possess awe and respect for our Creator as motivation.

Just think about the title “Creator of the heavens and the earth”.

This implies there is no one anywhere that can interrupt His authority and power, and that is what the Bible reveals about our God and Savior.

And yet this Almighty God wants to be our God.

Isa 43:1
But now, thus says the Lord, your Creator, O Jacob,
And He who formed you, O Israel,
“Do not fear, for I have redeemed you;
I have called you by name; you are Mine!

Jer 31:33
“I will be their God.”

Dwell on that: the Creator of heaven and earth, and of you and your very life, wants to be your God forever.

And He makes this promise to those who will turn to His Son in humility, from their own free will.

Humility from recognizing God’s Sovereignty

As you look into the sky on a clear, starry night, step back and fathom that our God and Creator spread out the infinite universe with His fingers, Isa 40:12, AFTER He created it all by just saying a word, Gen 1, Psa 33:6,9, 148:5.

Ps 33:1-9
Sing for joy in the Lord, O you righteous ones; Praise is becoming to the upright. 2 Give thanks to the Lord with the lyre;Sing praises to Him with a harp of ten strings. 3 Sing to Him a new song;Play skillfully with a shout of joy. 4 For the word of the Lord is upright,And all His work is done in faithfulness. 5 He loves righteousness and justice;The earth is full of the lovingkindness of the Lord.
6 By the word of the Lord the heavens were made,And by the breath of His mouth all their host. 7 He gathers the waters of the sea together as a heap;He lays up the deeps in storehouses. 8 Let all the earth fear the Lord;Let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of Him. 9 For He spoke, and it was done;He commanded, and it stood fast.

There again we see a proper fear and awe of God our Creator.

When we have that, in humility, we can then grow spiritually, by His grace.

Ps 148:1-5
Praise the Lord!
Praise the Lord from the heavens;
Praise Him in the heights!
2 Praise Him, all His angels;
Praise Him, all His hosts!
3 Praise Him, sun and moon;
Praise Him, all stars of light!
4 Praise Him, highest heavens,
And the waters that are above the heavens!
5 Let them praise the name of the Lord,
For He commanded and they were created.

There probably was a “big bang” when He spoke the universe into existence!

That’s my God, and by His grace I am fearfully and wonderfully made. And so are you.

Let’s take a detour to remind us the Creator of the infinite universe is the Creator of your delicate body and soul.

Ps 139:13-14
For You formed my inward parts;
You wove me in my mother’s womb.
I will give thanks to You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
Wonderful are Your works,
And my soul knows it very well.

Same God! Same Creator!
Now that’s perspective, isn’t it?

Then add to that the fact that there are microscopic cells in the human body that are more complex than modern day computers.

And for God, this was easy. Our God truly is an awesome God.

Isa 40:12
Who has measured the waters in the hollow of His hand,
And marked off the heavens by the span (His fingers),
And calculated the dust of the earth by the measure,
And weighed the mountains in a balance
And the hills in a pair of scales?

Awe and respect for God as our Creator is essential in surrendering to Him as Redeemer as well.

Our God and Creator wants to save us from sin, and deliver us to righteousness. In fact, that’s what Christ did for us on the cross. He died for sin, and rose for righteousness! Rom 4:25

His death and resurrection is the literal deliverance from sin to righteousness!

Rom 4:19-25
Without becoming weak in faith he (Abraham) contemplated his own body, now as good as dead since he was about a hundred years old, and the deadness of Sarah’s womb; 20 yet, with respect to the promise of God, he did not waver in unbelief but grew strong in faith, giving glory to God, 21 and being fully assured that what God had promised, He was able also to perform. 22 Therefore IT WAS ALSO CREDITED TO HIM AS RIGHTEOUSNESS. 23 Now not for his sake only was it written that it was credited to him, 24 but for our sake also, to whom it will be credited, as those who believe in Him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead, 25 He who was delivered over because of our transgressions, and was raised because of our justification.

We are saved from sin, and delivered over to righteousness.

We’ve been saved and sanctified, as believers in the Lord Jesus Christ. And He continues to perform a good work in those who believe.

PART 3

Salvation and deliverance can only come from the Lord, and His roles as Creator and Redeemer represent who He must be acknowledged as, for any person to receive salvation and deliverance. Acts 20:21

Acts 20:21 AMP
But constantly and earnestly I bore testimony both to Jews and Greeks, urging them to turn in repentance [that is due] to God and to have faith in our Lord Jesus Christ [that is due Him].

The righteous man shall live by faith in the Gospel, and in the promises of God related to the Gospel, as he travels the road of sanctification. Rom 1:16-17

The very same gospel that saved us, continues to be the method of saving us daily, and even sanctifying us.

Thus the term, “living in the gospel reality”.

This shows us even more, it’s not about us, it’s about God and His solutions.

It’s always His ways, by grace through faith, and therefore He gets all the glory, even as we grow up spiritually.

Living in the Gospel reality, and being saved daily, requires an attitude of repentance and humility. Being sanctified includes this as well. In fact, they are unified.

As we try to cast our little religions out from our souls, the reminder of our Sovereign Creator, and a healthy fear of Him, is often the only thing that can help us.

If anyone has the big picture in mind, it’s God!

And He’ll do whatever it takes to bring us to sanctification, to help us have minimal regrets when we meet Him once for all.

God as our Father loves us so much, and He has great, noble plans for his children. But when we repeatedly violate His noble plans, He will discipline us when needed, to help us get out of our own way, so we don’t just waste our life away.

He cares too much to sit there and watch us destroy ourselves, so He will use His power and authority to correct us and discipline us.

Why do we follow any idol? Because we are impatient for God’s blessings?

So we try to find a substitute to satisfy our desires?

Following Idols
If we truly fear God and His power, we won’t go there. Fear of God is vital to denying ungodliness and living in humility.

Don’t obey the flesh, you know when it’s from the flesh.

You’re Creator knows you perfectly, and therefore He knows perfectly the right time to bless you with certain things.

So if He says no, for now, then it’s for your best. You must need to grow up first.

So we say “OK Dad. I’m good, I trust you.” And then live freely in your salvation, and be content with all things.

Here’s the news flash:
YOU ARE HERE FOR GOD, NOT FOR YOURSELF.

The reason our flesh cringes when reading that is because our flesh is out for self.

But our spirit rejoices within us, because we know only He gives us true purpose in life.

If there’s something that’s good to become obsessed about, it’s God’s truth.

We are here for God, not for ourselves.

We need to fear God properly, and realize all blessings He gives us are from Him, and FOR HIM! Col 1:16, 1Co 8:6

All the good things our Father gives us are ultimately for HIS glory.

Since we’ve been talking about acknowledging God our Creator…

Col 1:15-16
He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. 16 For by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities — all things have been created through Him and for Him.

Most of the time, we think of God the Father as Creator, and Jesus as the Redeemer, yet the Bible also assigns these titles interchangeably to each.

In the Old Testament, God is called the Redeemer, and in the New Testament, Jesus is acknowledged as the Creator, as we just saw in Col 1.

This is another picture of the perfect unity of the Trinity, and how God is One.

1 Cor 8:6
yet for us there is but one God, the Father, from whom are all things and we exist for Him;

FOR HIM
All good things the Father gives us are ultimately to show Satan and the fallen angels how gracious our God is to us sinners, and how God can turn sinners into sanctified creatures who can live sanctified lives.

But if we choose to bring ourselves glory, or live selfishly with His gifts, then we fall into the trap of the Galatians, who didn’t use their freedom for His glory, but fell back into bondage.

We are to give God glory for His gifts, and realize a divine purpose in them, not selfish purposes that come from a false attitude of entitlement.

The more we accept the Lord’s sovereignty and omnipotence, the more we will remember our place, and that is extremely valuable in living a life of humility, and ultimately true freedom.

Knowing that life is so temporary, and that our life rests in His hands alone, we will develop a proper fear of the Lord, which will help save us every day, including saving us from ourselves.

What God will always be is LORD. Sovereign Lord. We would be very foolish to forget that, even as those who are already saved.

We need to have a growing realization throughout our whole lives of Him as Lord and Master, and Creator and King. This is part of being set apart to a life of righteousness.

What humbled Joseph so much that he was a great man of God? He said at one point “how can I even think about sinning against my God?”

He had proper fear and respect for the Lord, His Creator and Redeemer.

Gen 39:6-9
Now Joseph was handsome in form and appearance. 7 It came about after these events that his master’s wife looked with desire at Joseph, and she said, “Lie with me.” 8 But he refused and said to his master’s wife, “Behold, with me here, my master does not concern himself with anything in the house, and he has put all that he owns in my charge. 9 “There is no one greater in this house than I, and he has withheld nothing from me except you, because you are his wife. How then could I do this great evil and sin against God?”
We would probably do ourselves good to memorize the end of vs. 9, but it also needs to become a heart issue, which the Lord will do for us if we humble ourselves before Him.

“How then could I do this great evil and sin against God?”

What a heart for God, Joseph had.

In other words, look at all God has blessed me with! This is all from Him, and for Him. How can I now sin against Him??

And we, as believers, need to follow his example, and possess awe and respect for our Creator as motivation.

Just think about the title “Creator of the heavens and the earth”.

This implies there is no one anywhere that can interrupt His authority and power, and that is what the Bible reveals about our God and Savior.

And yet this Almighty God wants to be our God.

Isa 43:1
But now, thus says the Lord, your Creator, O Jacob,
And He who formed you, O Israel,
“Do not fear, for I have redeemed you;
I have called you by name; you are Mine!

Jer 31:33
“I will be their God.”

Dwell on that: the Creator of heaven and earth, and of you and your very life, wants to be your God forever.

And He makes this promise to those who will turn to His Son in humility, from their own free will.

Humility from recognizing God’s Sovereignty

As you look into the sky on a clear, starry night, step back and fathom that our God and Creator spread out the infinite universe with His fingers, Isa 40:12, AFTER He created it all by just saying a word, Gen 1, Psa 33:6,9, 148:5.

There again we see an appropriate fear and awe of God our Creator.

When we have that, in humility, we can then grow spiritually, by His grace.

Let’s take a detour to remind us the Creator of the infinite universe is the Creator of your delicate, intricate, body and soul.

Ps 139:13-14
For You formed my inward parts;
You wove me in my mother’s womb.
I will give thanks to You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
Wonderful are Your works,
And my soul knows it very well.

Same God that created the heavens and the earth by a word!

Now that’s perspective, isn’t it?

Then add to that the fact scientists now say the microscopic cells in the human body are more complex than modern day computers.

And for God, this was easy.

Our God truly is an awesome God.

Isa 40:12
Who has measured the waters in the hollow of His hand,
And marked off the heavens by the span (His fingers),
And calculated the dust of the earth by the measure,
And weighed the mountains in a balance
And the hills in a pair of scales?

Awe and respect for our Creator is essential in surrendering to Him as Redeemer as well.

Our God and Creator wants to save us from sin, and deliver us to righteousness. In fact, that’s what Christ did for us on the cross. He died for sin, and rose for righteousness! Rom 4:25

His death and resurrection is the literal deliverance from sin to righteousness!

There we see the “coin flipping” in our Lord’s life.

He became a sin offering on our behalf, but then rose victorious in righteousness.

2 Cor 5:21
He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.

We are saved from sin, and delivered to righteousness. We’ve been saved and sanctified, as believers in the Lord Jesus Christ. And He continues to perform a good work in those who believe.

But until one acknowledges God as his Creator, he is stuck in deception.

This is why scriptures tell us to have repentance towards God (Creator), and faith in Christ Jesus (Redeemer). Acts 20:21

Until one recognizes his guilt before a holy and righteous God, he will not turn to Christ for redemption.

Roman 1 speaks about God consciousness being the first step in the conversion process.

If one doesn’t even believe in or acknowledge God as his Creator, there is nowhere they can go. Humility is not there, there is no good soil in which the fruit of righteousness can grow.

The conversion process begins with repentance towards God, a sorrow for one’s sin against Him. 2Co 7:8-11

In sharing the fullness of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, this is essential, as we have seen in our studies.

Rom 1:18-23
For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, 19 because that which is known about God is evident within them; for God made it evident to them. 20 For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse. 21 For even though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God or give thanks, but they became futile in their speculations, and their foolish heart was darkened. 22 Professing to be wise, they became fools, 23 and exchanged the glory of the incorruptible God for an image in the form of corruptible man and of birds and four-footed animals and crawling creatures.

Rom 1:28
And just as they did not see fit to acknowledge God any longer, God gave them over to a depraved mind, to do those things which are not proper,

Fear of God is a good thing. I think in the past I have underestimated the importance of that statement.

We think because there is ‘no fear in love’, 1Jo 4:18, we should not fear God. But ‘no fear in love’ refers to having no fear in this world, because you know you are perfectly loved by God.

1 John 4:15-18
Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God. 16 We have come to know and have believed the love which God has for us. God is love, and the one who abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him. 17 By this, love is perfected with us, so that we may have confidence in the day of judgment; because as He is, so also are we in this world. 18 There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves punishment, and the one who fears is not perfected in love.

This is clarified in the scriptures when Jesus told us to not fear man who can only destroy the body, but we should fear God who can destroy both body and soul in hell.

In other words, there is no fearing man if we know how we are loved by God, but the one we rightly fear is God Himself.

Our Lord Jesus Himself instructed his disciples towards this proper fear of God:

Luke 12:4-5
“I say to you, My friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body and after that have no more that they can do. 5 “But I will warn you whom to fear: fear the One who, after He has killed, has authority to cast into hell; yes, I tell you, fear Him!

I remind you, in context, Jesus said this to His disciples, not to a bunch of unbelievers.

Here are a couple on interesting perspectives on this verse:

Adam Clarke on Luke 12:5
“[Fear him] Even the friends of God are commanded to fear God, as a being who has authority to send both body and soul into hell. Therefore it is proper even for the most holy persons to maintain a fear of God, as the punisher of all unrighteousness. A man has but one life to lose, and one soul to save; and it is madness to sacrifice the salvation of the soul to the preservation of the life.”

John Calvin on Luke 12:5
“Christ must be viewed as saying, that when we give way to the dread of men, we pay no respect to God; and that if on the contrary we fear God, we have an easy victory in our hands, so that no efforts of men will draw us aside from our duty.”

Then Jesus goes on in Luke 12 to tell them they are more valuable to God than many sparrows, and the very hairs of their head are all numbered.

But don’t forget the One you serve! Don’t forget His power and authority! That reality will keep us humble, and give us courage to serve Him without hesitation, even in the face of the threats of man.

Now, as believers, we are being perfected in the love of God, and because we abide in Him, we can have confidence in the day of judgment, as John said.

But let’s not forget where we came from, nor the sovereignty of God.

Even after our day of salvation, we are called to keep an appropriate fear of God our Creator, as we’ve seen in Phil 2.

We must remember our place.

Our lives are temporary, and totally in His hands.

“You only come this way once”… as Pastor Collins has often said.

We have only one life to live, so what will we make of the rest of our days?

Just look at Ananias and Sapphira in Act 5!

We can live for ourselves and possibly be taken home early, or live in fear of God and bring Him maximum glory with this one chance we have called “life”.

And as we saw last week from Pastor Collins;

We are to have fear for Christ, and also fear God. Eph 5:21, Ecc 12:13

Eph 5:21
and be subject to one another in the fear of Christ.

Eccl 12:13-14
The conclusion, when all has been heard, is: fear God and keep His commandments, because this applies to every person. 14 For God will bring every act to judgment, everything which is hidden, whether it is good or evil.

The pattern remains the same.

Fear God, and live. Fear your Creator, and turn to your Redeemer for true life. Repent and believe. Confess and press on. We are saved from sin and delivered to righteousness our whole lives, when we stay living in the gospel reality.

PART 4

Let’s bask in the glory of God’s Word, as we would bask in the sun on a warm day.

We’ve spent a lot of time last week seeing the importance of acknowledging God as the Creator.

In fact, it’s a part of the fullness of the Gospel, which includes repentance towards God.

Our main passage, which brings out acknowledgment of both Creator and Redeemer, has been Acts 20:21.

Acts 20:21
“solemnly testifying to both Jews and Greeks of repentance toward God and faith in our Lord Jesus Christ.

This was Paul’s pattern when giving the gospel, to any man.

In fact, it was the same pattern of our Lord Jesus, and the other apostles.

Acts 20:21 AMP
“But constantly and earnestly I bore testimony both to Jews and Greeks, urging them to turn in repentance [that is due] to God and to have faith in our Lord Jesus Christ [that is due Him].

Up to this point, we’ve been talking about man humbling Himself before His Creator, both before and after the day of salvation.

Humility from recognizing God’s Sovereignty;

As you look into the sky on a clear, starry night, step back and fathom that our God and Creator spread out the infinite universe with His fingers, Isa 40:12, AFTER He created it all by just saying the word! Gen 1, Psa 33:6,9, 148:5.

Ps 33:8-9
Let all the earth fear the Lord; Let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of Him. For He spoke, and it was done; He commanded, and it stood fast.

There again we see the appropriate fear and awe due to God our Creator.

When we have that, in humility, we can then grow into sanctification, by His grace.

Awe and respect for our Creator is essential in surrendering to Him as Redeemer as well. In fact, its two sides of the same coin, as in Acts 20:21.

As we saw this week, they are One and the same God.

Our God and Creator wants to save us from sin, and deliver us to righteousness. In fact, that’s what Christ did for us on the cross. As our Redeemer, He died for sin, and rose for righteousness! Rom 4:25

His death and resurrection is the literal deliverance from sin to righteousness!

Rom 4:25
He who was delivered over because of our transgressions, and was raised because of our justification.

There we see the coin flipping in our Lord’s life, so to speak.

He became a sin offering on our behalf, and took our judgment upon Himself, but then He rose victorious in righteousness.

2 Cor 5:21
He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.

We are saved from sin, and delivered to righteousness. We’ve been saved and sanctified, as believers in the Lord Jesus Christ. And He continues to perform a good work in those who believe.

But until one acknowledges God as his Creator, he is stuck in deception.

Until one recognizes his guilt before a holy and righteous God, he will not turn to Christ for redemption, not from the heart.

Roman 1 speaks about God-consciousness being the first step in the conversion process.

If one doesn’t even believe in or “acknowledge” God as his Creator, there is nowhere they can go. Humility is not there, there is no good soil in which the fruit of righteousness can grow. Rom 1:28

The conversion process begins with repentance towards God, admitting one’s sinfulness before Him.

In sharing the fullness of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, this is essential, as we have seen in our studies.

Rom 1:18-23
For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, 19 because that which is known about God is evident within them; for God made it evident to them. 20 For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse. 21 For even though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God or give thanks, but they became futile in their speculations, and their foolish heart was darkened. 22 Professing to be wise, they became fools, 23 and exchanged the glory of the incorruptible God for an image in the form of corruptible man and of birds and four-footed animals and crawling creatures.

The Bible predicted 2000 years ago the folly men would enter into with the theory of evolution today.

But only God can change the heart of a man.

Rom 1:28
And just as they did not see fit to acknowledge God any longer, God gave them over to a depraved mind, to do those things which are not proper,

Fear of God is a very good thing, even essential, both before and after salvation.

We might think because there is ‘no fear in love’, 1Jo 4:18, we should not fear God. But ‘no fear in love’ refers to having no fear in this world, because you know you are perfectly loved by God.

1 John 4:15-18
Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God. 16 We have come to know and have believed the love which God has for us. God is love, and the one who abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him.
(God’s love is as steady as the sun. It never stops shining.)
17 By this, love is perfected with us, so that we may have confidence in the day of judgment; because as He is, so also are we in this world. 18 There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves punishment, and the one who fears is not perfected (matured) in love.

This is clarified in the scriptures when we are told to NOT FEAR MAN who can only destroy the body, but we SHOULD FEAR GOD who can destroy both body and soul in hell.

In other words,..

Who to fear.
There is no fearing man if we know how fully we are loved by God, but the one we rightly fear is God Himself, who has authority over life and death and eternal judgment. Luk 12:4-5

Our Lord Jesus Himself instructed his disciples towards this proper fear of God:

Luke 12:4-5
“I say to you, My friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body and after that have no more that they can do. 5 “But I will warn you whom to fear: fear the One who, after He has killed, has authority to cast into hell; yes, I tell you, fear Him!

I remind you, in context, Jesus said this to His disciples, not to a bunch of unbelievers.

Here are a couple on interesting perspectives on this verse:

Adam Clarke on Luke 12:5
“[Fear him] Even the friends of God are commanded to fear God, as a being who has authority to send both body and soul into hell. Therefore it is proper even for the most holy persons to maintain a fear of God, as the punisher of all unrighteousness. A man has but one life to lose, and one soul to save; and it is madness to sacrifice the salvation of the soul to the preservation of the life.”

John Calvin on Luke 12:5
“Christ must be viewed as saying, that when we give way to the dread of men, we pay no respect to God; and that if on the contrary we fear God, we have an easy victory in our hands, so that no efforts of men will draw us aside from our duty.”

Then Jesus goes on in Luke 12 to tell his disciples they are more valuable to God than many sparrows, and the very hairs of their head are all numbered, illustrating the perfect love and care the Father has for them.

So why such a harsh statement to His disciples in vs. 5?

But don’t forget the One you serve! Don’t forget His power and authority! That reality will keep us humble, and give us courage to serve Him without hesitation, even in the face of the threats of man.

Now, as believers, we are being perfected in the love of God, and because we abide in Him, through the love of Christ, we can have confidence in the day of judgment, as John said.

But let’s not forget where we came from, nor the sovereignty of God.

Even after our day of salvation, we are called to keep an appropriate fear of God our Creator, as we’ve seen in Phil 2.

We must remember our place.

Our lives are temporary, and totally in His hands.

“You only come this way once”. as Pastor Collins has often said.

We have only one life to live, so what will we make of the rest of our days?

Just look at Ananias and Sapphira in Acts 5!

We can live for ourselves, and possibly be taken home early, or live in fear of God, and bring Him maximum glory with this one chance we have called life.

And as we saw last week from Pastor Collins,

We are to have fear for Christ, and also fear God. Eph 5:21, Ecc 12:13

Eph 5:21
and be subject to one another in the fear of Christ.

Why should we have a “fear” of Christ? Doesn’t He love us so much that He died for us? Doesn’t He treat us in grace?

Yes. And yet we are told to live our lives in a proper fear and respect for Christ, simply because of Who He really is, our God and Savior and Redeemer.

Eccl 12:13-14
The conclusion, when all has been heard, is: fear God and keep His commandments, because this applies to every person. 14 For God will bring every act to judgment, everything which is hidden, whether it is good or evil.

The pattern remains the same. (2 sides of the same coin)

Fear God, and live. Fear your Creator, and turn to your Redeemer for true life. Repent and believe. Confess and press on. We are saved from sin, and delivered to righteousness our whole lives, when we stay living in the Gospel reality.

Our series title has been:

Salvation/Deliverance is from our Creator/Redeemer
Let’s close out this series today, by transitioning from the Creator to Redeemer, even though they are two sides of the same God.

Isa 44:24
Thus says the Lord, your Redeemer, and the one who formed you from the womb,
“I, the Lord, am the maker of all things,
Stretching out the heavens by Myself
And spreading out the earth all alone,

Isa 48:17-18
Thus says the Lord, your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel,
“I am the Lord your God, who teaches you to profit,
Who leads you in the way you should go.
18 “If only you had paid attention to My commandments!
Then your well-being would have been like a river,
And your righteousness like the waves of the sea.

The FREEDOM which the Redeemer purchased for us includes an ongoing deliverance, and the opportunity to live a life of righteousness, moving us from salvation to sanctification, and eternal life.

We are called to listen to our Redeemer, and His commands, and if we do so we can be sanctified and set apart for Him more fully in this life. (but will it be a push or pull model? Will we go along stubbornly, or willingly?)

And now that our Redeemer has walked the earth, and purchased our freedom once for all with His blood, we can follow Him, and live in the freedom He died for.

Gal 3:11-14
Now that no one is justified by the Law before God is evident; for, “THE RIGHTEOUS MAN SHALL LIVE BY FAITH.” 12 However, the Law is not of faith; on the contrary, “HE WHO PRACTICES THEM SHALL LIVE BY THEM.” 13 Christ redeemed us from the curse of the Law, having become a curse for us — for it is written, “CURSED IS EVERYONE WHO HANGS ON A TREE” — 14 in order that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles, so that we would receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.

The righteous man, in God’s eyes, is the one living by faith, and that’s faith in the Redeemer: faith in the one who saved us at the moment of salvation, and the one who continues to save us as we live in the eternal life He purchased for us.

The Greek word for ‘redeemed’ in Gal 3:13 is

Exagorazo; to buy up, i.e. ransom; figuratively, to rescue from loss (improve opportunity):

There we see the flipping of the coin, in redemption also. There’s a movement, out from slavery and into freedom.

Redemption doesn’t stop at the paying of a ransom, it gives opportunity for a new life.

And life is to be lived, by faith in the Son of God.

1 Peter 1:17-21
If you address as Father the One who impartially judges according to each one’s work, conduct yourselves in fear during the time of your stay on earth; 18 knowing that you were not redeemed with perishable things like silver or gold from your futile way of life inherited from your forefathers, 19 but with precious blood, as of a lamb unblemished and spotless, the blood of Christ. 20 For He was foreknown before the foundation of the world, but has appeared in these last times for the sake of you 21 who through Him are believers in God, who raised Him from the dead and gave Him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God.

Because our Redeemer was raised from the dead, we have an active faith and hope in God. We not only have salvation, but also an active deliverance/movement towards sanctification which we can enjoy.

He is making us pure.

He is making us righteous and holy, and that is a joyous thing to see when we step back and look.

1 Peter 2:24
and He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross, so that we might die to sin and live to righteousness; for by His wounds you were healed.

Our Redeemer, the Lord Jesus Christ, took us from sin and delivered us to righteousness.

When we place our trust in Jesus, He flips the coin in our life, and that is now the life we are called to, a life of deliverance to righteousness. Rom 6:18-23, 1Pe 2:24

Rom 6:18-23
and having been freed from sin, you became slaves of righteousness. 19 I am speaking in human terms because of the weakness of your flesh. For just as you presented your members as slaves to impurity and to lawlessness, resulting in further lawlessness, so now present your members as slaves to righteousness, resulting in sanctification. (our opportunity)
20 For when you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness. 21 Therefore what benefit were you then deriving from the things of which you are now ashamed? For the outcome of those things is death. 22 But now having been freed from sin and enslaved to God, you derive your benefit, resulting in sanctification, and the outcome, eternal life. 23 For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

There we can see the unity of salvation and sanctification. God will finish what He started, but at the same time, we do have the opportunity to maximize the freedom He has purchased for us, for the glory of the Redeemer.

As we saw in Rom 4:25, He died for our sins, and was raised for our justification, to declare us innocent and righteous.

Our Redeemer delivered us, and still delivers us. Deliverance is a movement by God in the lives of those who believe. 2Co 1:10

2 Cor 1:9-10
indeed, we had the sentence of death within ourselves so that we would not trust in ourselves, but in God who raises the dead; 10 who delivered us from so great a peril of death, and will deliver us, He on whom we have set our hope. And He will yet deliver us,

From the day of salvation, our very life is being rescued from the pit, each and every day. He saves us every day!

Ps 103:2-4
Bless the Lord, O my soul,
And forget none of His benefits;
3 Who pardons all your iniquities,
Who heals all your diseases;
4 Who redeems your life from the pit,

As the Redeemer, the Lord purchased our freedom from the slave market of sin, but He didn’t stop there.

Then what did He do?

He set us FREE. He gave us a new life to live.

“It was for freedom that Christ set us free”, Gal 5:1a. We can now live a life of deliverance; a life of righteousness, by ongoing faith in the Redeemer.

Our final passage today will be Ps 34, which is a good summary of everything we’ve been focusing on this week.

Ps 34:1 “I will bless the Lord at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth. 2 My soul will make its boast in the Lord; The humble will hear it and rejoice. 3 O magnify the Lord with me, And let us exalt His name together.
4 I sought the Lord, and He answered me, And delivered me from all my fears. 5 They looked to Him and were radiant, And their faces will never be ashamed. 6 This poor man cried, and the Lord heard him And saved him out of all his troubles. 7 The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear Him, And rescues them.
8 O taste and see that the Lord is good; How blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him! 9 O fear the Lord, you His saints; For to those who fear Him there is no want. 10 The young lions do lack and suffer hunger; But they who seek the Lord shall not be in want of any good thing. 11 Come, you children, listen to me; I will teach you the fear of the Lord. 12 Who is the man who desires life And loves length of days that he may see good? 13 Keep your tongue from evil And your lips from speaking deceit. 14 Depart from evil and do good; Seek peace and pursue it.
15 The eyes of the Lord are toward the righteous And His ears are open to their cry. 16 The face of the Lord is against evildoers, To cut off the memory of them from the earth. 17 The righteous cry, and the Lord hears And delivers them out of all their troubles. 18 The Lord is near to the brokenhearted And saves those who are crushed in spirit.
19 Many are the afflictions of the righteous, But the Lord delivers him out of them all. 20 He keeps all his bones, Not one of them is broken. 21 Evil shall slay the wicked, And those who hate the righteous will be condemned. 22 The Lord redeems the soul of His servants, And none of those who take refuge in Him will be condemned.

Isn’t that wonderful?!

We might want to read that again.

In closing, our Redemption through Christ is much like this story.
There is a story about a man who went down to the slave block to buy a slave girl. As she looked at the rich man bidding on her, she figured he was another selfish man who was going to buy her and then abuse her.
He won the bid, and as he was walking away with his new property, he said, “Young lady, you are free.”
She said, “What does that mean?”
“It means you are free.” He said.
“Does that mean,” she said, “that I can say whatever I want to say?”
The gentleman said, ” Yes, my dear, you can say whatever you want to say.”
“Does that mean,” she said, “that I can be whatever I want to be?”
He said, “Yes, you can be whatever you want to be.”
“Does that mean that I can go wherever I want to go?”
He said, “Yes, you can go wherever you want to go.”
The girl, with tears streaming down her face, said, “Then I will go with you.”