Isaiah 62:2 "And the Gentiles shall see thy righteousness, and all kings thy glory: and thou shalt be called by a new name, which the mouth of the Lord shall name."   This prophetic word finds its fulfillment in the finished redemptive work of Christ, Who has brought in everlasting righteousness for His people—both Jew and Gentile. No longer identified by national or ceremonial distinctions, God’s elect are now called by a new name —Christians—those who are in Christ, justified by His blood, and made glorious by His obedience. This verse celebrates the gospel age ushered in by the cross, where the Righteousness of Christ is revealed and made known to the nations, not as an offer, but as an accomplished reality for all whom the Father gave the Son. Here, the Spirit of the LORD directs Isaiah to prophecy of the church of the LORD Jesus Christ, which was to be called by a new name.    Who are her members?   Gentiles: Nations (Jew and Gentile)- sinners whom the LORD has redeemed to God out of every tribe, nation, and tongue- Revelation 5:9, 10.   By what name is she called? Just as in a traditional wedding, the bride takes the name of the husband, so here, prophetically, it is declared that the church, as the bride of Christ, would be given a new name (i.e. her married name, as in Christ’s church, or the church of the Redeemed ones).  She is here spoken of in the singular ‘Thou’ although she is made up of many members that the Father chose, and Christ redeemed, and the Spirit has called and is yet calling out. In Revelation 21:9 she is called Christ’s body, and the bride, the Lamb’s wife.  These have been loved from eternity and for eternity, and are built on a covenant that can never be broken by the LORD Himself- John 17:23, 24.   What love!  What unconditional love! I John 4:10 . Christ, her living Head, most certainly and definitively purchased her, in a way of strict justice, with His most precious blood.  Although having been born with the maiden name of sinner, she is now called by a new name… ’RIGHTEOUS,’ v. 2 (Him Who is thy Righteousness).  The effect of the LORD Jesus’ death is that the church is called Holy, Redeemed and Not Forsaken, Isaiah 62:12 .  Regardless of the earthly denomination, the one common denominator that every one of the LORD’S redeemed ones share is that HE sought them in the lost ruins of sin and the fall, perhaps in religion. Although HE found them in a most miserable and damnable condition, YET, He calls them by ‘a new name’ and their sins and iniquities neither He nor His Father can/shall ever remember any more - “For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more”, Hebrews 8:12.   Who is her Founder and Maker? ‘Which the mouth of the LORD shall name’ Whosever's name the bride bears speaks to the glory of the One who has taken her to Himself. While many women today are keeping their maiden names, so as not to have to change back when the marriage goes awry, and the spouse has not been what he pretended…'to have and to hold so long as we both shall live,’ such is not the case with the LORD Jesus. He has been faithful unto death, and He ever lives now to intercede on behalf of His own, Hebrews 7:25. Here is how we see the glorious fulfillment of God’s redemptive purpose in Christ, Who has called His elect out of every nation and named them with a new name—His own. This was not a promise left suspended in time, but a prophecy fulfilled in the finished work of the cross and the establishment of the true Zion, the Church, composed of believing Jews and Gentiles made one in Christ. The “new name” speaks of the new identity and righteousness given by grace, not earned by law, but bestowed through the merit of Christ alone. No longer forsaken, no longer hidden, the people of God shine forth with the righteousness of Christ imputed to them, declared openly before all nations. In Him, the prophecy is not merely hope for a distant future—it is the realized glory of God’s covenant fulfilled. Let every believer rest in the assurance that we are known, named, and kept by the LORD our Righteousness, Who has made us His own. There is no name so sweet and precious than the Name of the LORD Jesus, and no privilege so great as to be called by that Name.  The wedding is celebrated with the new wine of Gospel peace and love that is put into new bottles, not the old. There is a new song being sung as well, that is ‘Salvation to the Lamb that was slain,’ Revelation 5:9. ‘If any man so be in Christ, he is a new creature; old things are passed away, behold all things are become new,’ (2 Corinthians 5:17).

Romans 8:33 " Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justifieth." This scripture stands as a towering declaration of the believer's unshakable salvation in the LORD Jesus Christ: "Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justifieth."   Amid life’s accusations—whether from Satan, the world, others, or our conscience—this verse brings the soul to rest in the sovereign grace and will of God in how He justifies chosen sinners by His grace alone in Christ. It speaks not of a hope founded in self, but in the unchangeable verdict of the Almighty Judge, who has already justified His elect by the perfect righteousness of Jesus Christ. Here we are reminded that no charge can stand against those whom God has chosen, redeemed, and declared righteous by His Son's death on the cross. May we consider the glory of God's complete justification of the elect and the triumph of Christ's finished work! God's chosen, redeemed, and regenerated sinners know and understand that by Christ they are justified from ALL things, from which they could not be justified by the law: "And by him all that believe are justified from all things, from which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses"  (Acts 13:39).  Justification is the sovereign act of God whereby He has declared His elect to be righteous by the perfect obedience of the LORD Jesus Christ as their Representative: “For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous”  (Romans 5:19). The LORD Jesus Christ came in the flesh as God and earned and established perfect righteousness by His obedient life, to the satisfaction of God the Father's law and justice, by His perfect obedience unto death: "And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross"  (Philippians 2:8).  Thereby, by the LORD Jesus' perfect obedience unto death, the Father has once, for all and forever, justified (declared righteous) every child of God that the Father gave Him from before the foundation of the world. Their sins are not only put away, but the very righteousness of God was imputed to their spiritual account when Christ had shed His blood unto death. Stop and consider further how, in ALL things , the child of God in Christ is justified before God. No one can even bring an accusation against any of His redeemed and justified children. The answer to any charges of conscience, Satan, or the world is: " Who shall lay anything to the charge of God's elect?"   To "lay a charge against"   literally means: ‘to call in or summon into judgment.’ None can call the believer before God with any charge against him without the LORD Jesus Christ taking his defense. Believers are ‘blameless’   before Him: "Who shall also confirm you unto the end, that ye may be blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ"  (1 Corinthians 1:8), or ‘above reproach’ : "In the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his sight:"  (Colossians 1:22).  They are declared righteous, not because of any inherent righteousness in them, but in their Representative Head, Who is their righteousness before the Father. The child of God's hope and assurance is that this standing is not affected by what he or she does or doesn't do. God's attitude toward them is not based upon any goodness or weakness in them. Because of the LORD Jesus Christ, the Mediator and High Priest, the believer has a permanent standing in the love, grace, and mercy of the Father. At no time will any believer ever be called into God's court of justice to defend his position, because that position is always one of blamelessness because of the LORD Jesus. It is because of this that all who are in Christ will be found blameless before Him at His coming (1 Corinthians 1:8). Therefore, the believer in Christ, according to God's Word, enjoys this 3-fold blessing: NO CONDEMNATION : " There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit"  (Romans 8:1); NO SEPARATION : "For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord"  (Romans 8:38–39); NO ACCUSATION : "Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justifieth" (Romans 8:33). In light of this scripture, we rest in the unshakable assurance that no charge can ever be laid against God’s elect. It is God that justifieth —His verdict is final, His righteousness is perfect, and His purpose is eternal. Let every accusation fall silent before the cross of the LORD Jesus, where the Justifier of the ungodly obtained our eternal standing. Herein is our peace: we are accepted in the Beloved, clothed in His righteousness, and forever beyond condemnation.

Jeremiah 6:10  " To whom shall I speak, and give warning, that they may hear? behold, their ear is uncircumcised, and they cannot hearken: behold, the word of the Lord is unto them a reproach; they have no delight in it." The prophet Jeremiah, under God's sovereign commission, delivers God’s indictment against Judah for their persistent rebellion and spiritual deafness. Though outwardly religious, the people despised the Word of the LORD and trusted in false peace. This verse laments their hardened condition. It exposes the utter inability of man, in his natural state, to receive or respond to the truth of God. Spiritual deafness is not a mere weakness—it is a willful rejection rooted in a corrupt nature. Only by the Spirit of God's sovereign intervention can the heart be opened, the ear unstopped, and the soul made willing in the day of His power. The uncircumcised ear points to the need for a circumcised heart—a work that Christ alone accomplishes for His elect through the Spirit and by the power of His finished work on the cross. This passage magnifies the necessity of sovereign grace, for it is only in Christ that the Word of the LORD becomes precious, life-giving, and effectual to save. This sobering lament from the prophet Jeremiah reveals the spiritual condition of a people hardened in unbelief. It is not merely a historical indictment against ancient Judah—it declares the universal plight of fallen sinners by nature: deaf to God’s Word, dead in trespasses, and hostile to the truth of God's grace in Christ (Romans 3:23). Jeremiah’s cry is more than that of a frustrated preacher; it is a divine lament from the LORD Himself, speaking through His servant. “To whom shall I speak, and give warning, that they may hear?”  This is not a question of needing to inform God, because God knows all things in His sovereign omniscience. He does not ask the question for information but rather as an expression of grief. It is as though God is saying, “Where are those who will listen? Who has a heart prepared to receive My Word?” But the answer is devastating: “their ear is uncircumcised, and they cannot hearken.” To be uncircumcised in heart and ear means to remain in the flesh—unregenerate, unresponsive, and unmoved by the truth. As Paul echoes in Romans 8:7 , “the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.”   There is no neutral ground. Man in his fallen state does not merely refuse God’s Word—he cannot  hear it. It is not a matter of volume, clarity, or intellect. The issue lies in the heart. Until God's Spirit changes the heart, there is no hearing the Voice of the Shepherd. But why such rejection of the Word? The text tells us: “ the word of the LORD is unto them a reproach.”  The Word that brings light and life to God’s elect is to the natural man offensive, foolish, and intolerable. Why? Because it strips him of self-righteousness. It exalts Christ alone. It declares salvation to be of the LORD—not of man, not of merit, not of effort—but by grace alone, through faith in Christ alone. And that, to the unconverted flesh, is unbearable. Yet here is the glory of God's sovereign grace in Christ. Even though man cannot and will not hear, God is not hindered. The same LORD Who speaks in Jeremiah is the same Who, through Christ, makes the deaf to hear and the dead to live. Jesus declared in John 10:27, “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.”  How? Not by their natural ability, but by sovereign power. He gives ears to hear and hearts to believe. This is all by the grace of God alone. When God the Holy Spirit circumcises the heart, the Word is no longer a reproach but a delight. What was once hated becomes precious (1 Peter 2:7). What once condemned now comforts. Christ crucified, risen, and reigning becomes the soul’s Joy and Righteousness. This verse, then, drives us to dependence, not on man’s response, but on God’s regenerating grace. It reminds the preacher to cast the seed, but look to God to give the increase (Ecclesiastes 11:1). It warns every hearer not to trust in fleshly efforts or empty profession but to seek that true hearing which comes only by the Spirit of God. May we pray with humility: “Lord, give us ears to hear Your Word. Let us not despise the voice of Christ, but receive it with joy and trembling. Make our heart receptive to Your truth and our soul hungry for Your grace. For it is only by Your sovereign grace in Christ that any sinner ever hears and lives. Amen.”

Exodus 12:11 "And thus shall ye eat it; with your loins girded, your shoes on your feet, and your staff in your hand; and ye shall eat it in haste: it is the Lord's passover." This pointed and solemn verse marks the moment when God was about to deliver His chosen people from the bondage of Egypt—a moment not only of historical significance, but one rich in spiritual meaning and Gospel typology. The instructions were clear: the lamb must be eaten in haste, with full readiness to depart. Why? Because the LORD Himself was passing through the land in judgment, and only those sheltered beneath the blood of the lamb would be spared. Here we behold a vivid picture of God’s saving grace in Christ. Every detail—the girded loins, the blood-smeared doorposts, the eaten lamb—foreshadows the person and work of the LORD Jesus, the true and greater Passover Lamb. This was not man’s invention, nor Moses’ command, but “the LORD’s passover” (Exodus 12:11). He ordained it, He provided the Lamb, and He delivered the people. In every part, Christ is set forth as the One in Whom God’s wrath is satisfied and from Whom redemption flows. As we reflect on this passage, we do so not merely to recall a distant event, but to behold Christ in the Scriptures—our Substitute, our Redeemer, our Deliverer. His blood speaks peace. His death obtained eternal redemption. His voice still calls sinners to flee from the wrath to come. The command to eat in haste was not arbitrary. It signified the urgency of divine deliverance and the immediacy of God’s intervention. The people were to be ready— “your loins girded, your shoes on your feet, and your staff in your hand” (Exodus 12:11). The LORD would pass through the land in judgment, yet for His people, there was a covering: a lamb slain, its blood applied, and its flesh consumed. In this one verse, the Gospel of God’s saving grace is Christ encapsulated in type and promise. This was not Israel’s Passover, nor man’s religious rite—it was “the LORD’s Passover.” It was His provision, His initiative, and His means of deliverance for a people enslaved and powerless. Israel did not deliver itself. They were not spared by foresight, merit, or obedience, but by the blood of a substitute—the lamb appointed and provided by God. Historically, this moment inaugurated the exodus. Prophetically, it pointed to Christ: “For even Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us” (1 Corinthians 5:7). As the lamb was without blemish (Exodus 12:5), so Christ was “a lamb without blemish and without spot” (1 Peter 1:19). As the lamb’s blood turned away wrath, so the blood of Christ redeems from sin and removes from judgment. “And when I see the blood, I will pass over you” (Exodus 12:13). In Christ crucified, God has passed over the sins of His elect—not by ignoring them, but by judging them in the body of His Son. And what of the urgency? That, too, is fulfilled in the LORD Jesus. The believer is called to flee from the Egypt of this world, from the bondage of sin and self-righteousness, not trusting in personal reformation, but resting wholly in Christ’s redeeming work. We feed on Him in haste—not carelessly, but earnestly and by faith—for judgment draws near, and only Christ has satisfied divine justice. The blood was shed and applied to the doorposts of the heart, and the lamb was eaten. There is no neutrality. Salvation is not a negotiation, but a divine act of grace to be received with believing haste. This is salvation by God’s sovereign grace alone: He provided the Lamb, appointed the time, executed judgment, and passed over His people—all in perfect righteousness and mercy. At Calvary, this glorious type was fulfilled. The true Lamb was slain, the blood was shed, wrath was turned away, and God's people were delivered—not by their works or will, but by the effectual power of sovereign grace in Christ. Thus, we behold more than a memorial of Israel’s deliverance—we behold Christ, our Passover, sacrificed for us. The urgency, readiness, and posture of the Israelites reflect the heart of every believer who feeds upon Christ by faith. With loins girded in truth, feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace, and the staff of God’s promises in hand, we press forward as pilgrims—not lingering in a condemned world, but hastening to that better country, a heavenly one, “whose builder and maker is God” (Hebrews 11:10,16). The LORD’s Passover is not merely an escape from judgment, but a setting apart unto Himself—a people redeemed by the blood of the Lamb and brought out to worship and serve Him in the liberty of grace. In Christ, we see the fulfillment of it all. Let us then eat in haste—not with indifference, but with faith and urgency, trusting wholly in the finished work of our Redeemer, the LORD Jesus Christ. For we are strangers and pilgrims here, and our redemption draweth nigh (Hebrews 11:13-16).

Leviticus 17:10,11 "And whatsoever man there be of the house of Israel, or of the strangers that sojourn among you, that eateth any manner of blood; I will even set my face against that soul that eateth blood, and will cut him off from among his people. For the life of the flesh is in the blood: and I have given it to you upon the altar to make an atonement for your souls: for it is the blood that maketh an atonement for the soul." In these inspired words, God reveals the divine necessity of blood for the remission of sins. Every sacrifice under the law was a shadow—ordained by God—not to take away sin itself, but to point to the One true Sacrifice that could. The blood of bulls and goats could never cleanse the conscience nor reconcile a sinner to God (Hebrews 10:4), but they prefigured the Lamb of God, the LORD Jesus Christ, Whose blood alone has infinite worth and effectual power to put away sin. The Father gave His Son as His Lamb, Who was without spot or blemish, being sinless in His Person and work. By His once-for-all death, He obtained eternal redemption for every soul chosen in Him by God the Father (Hebrews 9:12). The blood of Jesus Christ, not our works, is God’s appointed means of reconciliation—and it alone makes peace (Romans 5:1,2). Until Christ came and fulfilled the animal sacrifices, God ordained a constant flow of the blood of animals as a type and picture of the death that He should come and accomplish in the fulness of the time predetermined by God the Father, (Galatians 4:4-6). It is no accident or happenstance that God gave this law, and it was certainly not merely for culinary reasons.  The blood shed of a dying animal reminded of the curse of sin, and bore witness to the appointment to death that is the lot of all creatures in this fallen world, even animals, " For the creature was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of him who hath subjected the same in hope," (Romans 8:20). Therefore, God instituted a law whereby the blood of innocent animals (never having sinned, yet giving their lives for sinners) should prepare the way for the true remission that would come through the ONE true Lamb of God, in HIS blood shed unto death. He was truly innocent and righteous never having sinned, and yet in fulfillment of the Old Testament animal types, gave His life for sinners. In sanctifying it in the Old Testament, God was thereby setting it apart as a type of the blood of His Holy Son Who would come, live and die for His people, and for whom that death would be their meat and drink spiritually, " For my flesh is meat indeed, and my blood is drink indeed" (John 6:55).   Sanctified blood, then, pointed to the Substitute of Calvary's cross. Its very nature proclaimed Christ. It shadowed forth the wrath-sustaining death of God's Eternal Son. It introduced the LORD Jesus shedding His blood unto death, that souls might live. Blood was a full symbol of the price of Redemption. Paul in Acts 20:28 declared the blood of the LORD Jesus to be the very blood of God, " Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood."   Just as those of the Old Testament were not to treat the blood of animals as a common thing, so those chosen, redeemed, and called of God cannot so treat His shed blood, " Of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden under foot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace?" (Hebrews 10:29). Any that do are not only blind, but in rebellion against the ONE means whereby God has once for all, in ONE Sacrifice, redeemed, sanctified and justified His people forever, (Hebrews 10:14). How beautifully, then, these Scriptures point us directly to the cross of Christ, where the shadow of blood sacrifices finds its glorious fulfillment. The life of the flesh is in the blood, and God required it upon the altar for atonement (a covering) until Christ should come and put away the sin of the elect (Romans 3:25,26). This was never about the blood of animals, but a divine picture of the precious blood of Christ, the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world in type, picture, prophecy, and promise. In His death, the LORD Jesus fully satisfied God's justice, making propitiation for the sin of His people once and for all (1 John 4:9,10) . Through His shed blood at the cross, the elect of all time were redeemed, reconciled, and justified. Here is the heart of the Gospel! Salvation was accomplished by Christ alone, for sinners chosen in Him, that they might live through Him.

1 John 5:1 "Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God: and every one that loveth him that begat loveth him also that is begotten of him." This verse stands as a clear testimony to the sovereign work of God in salvation. Believing that Jesus is the Christ is not the cause of the new birth but the evidence of it. The apostle John speaks not of a potential or cooperative birth, but of a decisive, divine act: “is born of God.” This birth is not of the will of man, nor the flesh, but of God alone. It is God's sovereign grace that grants the sinner life in Christ and causes him to believe. Faith is the fruit, not the root, of regeneration. In this scripture, we are brought to rejoice in the glorious truth that all who truly believe in Christ do so because they have already been made alive by the Spirit of God, made partakers of the divine nature by God's sovereign mercy and grace. Adam was the first man made in the image and likeness of God-  " This is the book of the generations of Adam. In the day that God created man, in the likeness of God made he him;" ( Genesis 5:1). Man is not his maker, and therefore is not his own master. We live and move and have our being in HIM as Creator and Sustainer. God made Adam in His likeness, upright, albeit finite and fallible! Yet sons of Adam are not born now in the likeness of God’s image. Because of Adam’s fall, they are born in the likeness of Adam, " And the days of Adam after he had begotten Seth were eight hundred years: and he begat sons and daughters:" (Genesis 5:4) - rebels, fallen creatures, spiritually dead in their sin, " Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:" ( Romans 5:12). Such is the state of every creature born into this world. Although some are begotten sons of God by the electing grace of God, there is only one true Begotten Son of God. Christ is so described in Scripture, not that He is a created being, for He is eternal. Rather, this is to describe His place of glory as God’s Only Son by nature, and because of the work that He came to accomplish.  As the Only Begotten Son of God, He is also called the Last Adam , “ And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening spirit,” ( 1 Corinthians 15:45). Even as the first Adam had an earthly race, so the last Adam has a spiritual race. Scripture declares that Christ’s spiritual race was begotten of Him when He died and rose again, 1 Peter 1:3- “Blessed be the God and Father of our LORD Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.” When He died and rose again, their adoption as sons was complete. All legal obligations of redeeming and justifying them are complete, and now released from the curse of the first Adam and attributed a Righteousness greater than that of the first Adam, His chosen race has an everlasting Righteousness (Daniel 9:24). The phrase “born again” is rich with grace and filled with glory. Yes, it speaks of the sovereign work of the Holy Spirit in regenerating the sinner. Every soul dead in trespasses and sins must be made alive by divine power. This is not a work of man’s will, effort, or religion, but of God’s Spirit giving life where there was none. Begotten of God by the Spirit-   " Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God"  (John 3:3) . A sinner must be born again to see/perceive the kingdom of God in Christ and their salvation in Him. Those in whom the Spirit so works are born  “not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God,” (John 1:13).   But the phrase also finds its highest and fullest expression in the resurrection of the LORD Jesus Christ. He is “the first begotten of the dead” (Revelation 1:5) , raised by the glory of the Father. His resurrection was, in a real sense, His own “new birth” from death to life, not as a sinner but as the Surety Who bore our sin and satisfied divine justice. In rising, He emerged as the Head of a new creation (His Church), the Firstborn among many brethren (Romans 9:29). Thus, believers are said to be “begotten again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead” (1 Peter 1:3). Being born again points both to regeneration by the Spirit but also to the elect sinner's union with Christ in His resurrection. As He was raised, we are raised in Him—justified, sanctified, and destined for glory. Blessed be God for the miracle of the new birth, both in the tomb and in the heart.

Jude 1:3 "Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints." Here we have a solemn and urgent call to all who believe the Gospel of God's sovereign grace in Christ. In a time when truth was being compromised and false teachers were creeping in, Jude exhorted the saints to “earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints.” This faith is not of human origin, nor is it open to revision—it is the Everlasting Truth of salvation accomplished by the LORD Jesus Christ alone, given to His people by grace alone. Here we are reminded of the preciousness of this Gospel and the need to stand firmly and faithfully upon it in the face of all opposition. With tenderness, the apostle Jude writes to those who are beloved in the LORD. "Beloved" means to have the special favor of God, or loved above measure. Any that are believers are not so because of anything in them, but solely because God has purposed to save them and has set His love and affection upon them. In Romans 9:11-13 , it says, "For the children being not yet born, neither having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works, but of him that calleth. It was said unto her, The elder shall serve the younger. As it is written, Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated. What shall we say then? Is there unrighteousness with God? God forbid." This is just the opposite of what we would normally think. Typically, it is the younger that would serve the elder. So why the difference here? Verse thirteen answers, "as it is written, Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated." Some people have a problem with this doctrine, but it's the doctrine of Scripture. It's the doctrine that gives God all the glory in salvation. The "beloved" of God were chosen by Him, even before the foundation of the world, redeemed by Christ in the fullness of the time, and regenerated by the Spirit of God. They are beloved only in, through, and by the LORD Jesus Christ. All that Christ has redeemed as the Lamb slain are called the beloved. " Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved" (Ephesians 1:5,6). When Jude writes of the common salvation of those who are elected by God in Christ and called by the Sovereign Holy Spirit, we are not to think of it in terms of just being everywhere believed by everyone. No, there's nothing common in that sense about the salvation that is of the LORD. It's a glorious truth, and it's a glorious reality for those that God is pleased to save and not everyone. It's anything but common. It's a special grace of God. This is said to be "common" because it is the one salvation that all believers share. There's no difference. Jesus Christ is the common Savior. No matter where you go in the world, where God has been pleased to do a work of grace in the heart of a sinner, red or white, yellow or black, Jesus Christ is the Savior, and they all share Him and His finished work at the cross in common. They all have Him as their Righteousness. They all have Him as their Redemption. They all have Him as their Wisdom and their Sanctification. They've all been bought with the same blood, justified by the same righteousness, and called by the same Spirit. By God's grace, they'll enjoy and possess the same glory (1 Corinthians 1:30,31) So many today have this general perverted view of faith, that somehow it's something that everybody has, and that just by a determination of their will they can appropriate it to themselves. There's a difference between what man calls 'faith' and what the scriptures call "the Faith". The very first fundamental point is that God is absolutely sovereign in all things. " And all the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing: and he doeth according to his will in the army of heaven, and among the inhabitants of the earth: and none can stay his hand, or say unto him, What doest thou?" (Daniel 4:35). This verse gives a clear description of the one true God. Faith is Godward. " For in him we live, and move, and have our being..." (Acts 17:28). Without the will and authority of God, no human being or spiritual power may do anything. It's God Who upholds all things by His will and His Almighty Word. All men are sinners by nature and utterly depraved. Many think that men have "free will" and that they may, depending on what they choose, either come to Christ or reject Him. That's a very popular message today. Men indeed have a will, but the problem is with that word "free". Man is always going to choose according to his fallen nature. Being corrupt and dead in sin, he can only choose what is contrary to God. He cannot choose between good and evil. Left to himself, he will only choose that which is evil (Romans 3:10-18) . " No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day (John 6:44). Therefore we see the necessity of God doing the saving. That is why He has chosen a people unto salvation. The LORD Jesus Christ prayed in the garden before He went to the cross, " As thou hast given him power over all flesh, that he should give eternal life to as many as thou hast given him" (John 17:2) . Many today are ignorant of the truth of God's electing grace. Neverthess, this is the Faith for which every faithful preacher must contend. This doctrine of God's electing grace in Christ is fundamental to what the Bible teaches. The Bible teaches that from all eternity, God the Father entered into a covenant of grace with God the Son, to save every sinner that He had chosen and given to His Son. In Scripture, such sinners are called the elect of God. It's referring to those that the Father has chosen and given to his Son before the foundation of the world, Ephesians 1:4. This is no small number. God has chosen sinners to salvation out of every tribe, nation, and tongue throughout the world, and His choice was based on the good pleasure of His will, to the praise of His glory (Revelation 7:9). Therefore, "the Faith once delivered unto the saints" is that faith that sets the LORD Jesus Christ forth as the Savior of each chosen sinner for whom He died. This truth is also greatly misunderstood today, especially since the popular message is that Christ died to save everyone in the world without exception. The Word does not say that.  " And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name Jesus : for he shall save his people from their sins" (Matthew 1:21). In speaking with the Pharisees, the LORD affirmed that He came to "lay down His life for the sheep" , and at the same time He told them, "ye believe not, because you are not of my sheep," (John 10:11,26). In His high priestly prayer, Christ said, " I pray for them: I pray not for the world, but for them which thou hast given me; for they are thine" (John 17:9). The LORD Jesus Christ, according to the scriptures, did not die for everyone without exception. However, the Bible does teach that Christ died for all without distinction. That is, He died for all kinds of sinners, men and women, rich and poor, black and white, jew and gentile. This is the meaning of Christ giving His life as a ransom for all (1 Timothy 2:6). He did not come to try to save as many sinners as possible, but to accomplish the salvation of His elect as their Representative and Substitute. " And this is the Father's will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day" (John 6:39). The Faith for which every God-sent preacher must contend and all saints (redeemed and justified sinners) believe is this Faith that teaches that God effectively calls all whom He has chosen. The Scriptures present two kinds of divine calling: First, there's a general call that addresses primarily all mankind everywhere . The Apostle Paul spoke of this in his message to the Athenians on Mars Hill, saying, " And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent:" Notice the word commands. He's not inviting, He commands. Every faithful preacher of the Gospel makes this call every time they preach. Sinners everywhere are commanded to repent and believe on the LORDJesus Christ. To repent and believe are synonymous and simultaneous (Acts 20:21). Repentance is a change of heart toward God, and belief is toward the LORD Jesus Christ as the one Object of repentance and faith. Whether a sinner is elected of God or not, God commands everyone to repent, and not to repent means the wrath of God abides on that sinner (John 3:36). Second, there is that special, internal call of the Spirit of God Who makes the preaching of the gospel effectual to draw the elected sinners to Christ in faith, and this calling is completely of God. It is God Who works in the heart of His elect when He pleases. We know that a sinner was elected by God by the fact that he comes to Christ and continues in the faith until death. The special call of God is effectual, in that when God is pleased to draw anyone to Christ, they cannot continue in darkness and rebellion. Such sinners will renounce themselves as being worthy of condemnation, and will come to Christ by the Father's command (John 6:44). We who are the LORD's by His electing, redeeming grace are to “earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints.” This Faith is not a system of works or religious striving, but the Gospel of God's free and sovereign grace in Christ Jesus—the finished work of our Redeemer Who fulfilled all righteousness and obtained eternal salvation of His elect (Hebrews 9:12). Our contending is not with carnal weapons, but with the truth of Christ crucified and risen, holding fast to Him Who is the Author and Finisher of our faith. Let us, by grace, stand firm in this Gospel, boldly declaring the unchanging message of God's mercy, justice, and love in Christ alone.

Psalm 51:1 "Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy lovingkindness: according unto the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions." These are not the words of someone bargaining with God or claiming merit—they are the cry of a broken sinner casting himself wholly upon the mercy and grace of the LORD. This verse sets forth the very heart of the Gospel: that salvation is not based on human worthiness or religious effort, but entirely on the gracious, covenant love of God revealed in Jesus Christ. David appeals not to his repentance or sorrow, but to God’s lovingkindness—His electing grace and abundant mercy in Christ, the Lamb slain at the cross. There can be no salvation of sinners by any other means than the just satisfaction of God’s righteousness. God's righteousness satisfied is the cause, of which salvation is the effect. David, like all Old Testament believers, looked to and longed for the fulfillment of God’s righteousness in the death of the LORD Jesus, even as he declared   “Deliver me from blood- guiltiness, O God, thou God of my salvation; and my tongue shall sing aloud of THY RIGHTEOUSNESS.” (Psalm 51:14)       When the Spirit brought David to confess his guilt in the death of Uriah and his adultery with Bathsheba, Uriah’s wife, he used the plural form “bloods,” which denotes intensity and great guilt. He did not argue that it was a light matter because he was chosen by God or somehow justified by being elect. No! He cried unto the LORD to be his salvation, clearly placing no confidence in animal sacrifices " For thou desirest not sacrifice; else would I give it: thou delightest not in burnt offering" ( Psalm 51:16). He was uniquely looking to the One that those sacrifices represented, Who would come in the fulness of the time and lay down His life to redeem him, " But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons" ( Galatians 4:4-5).  That knowledge caused him to sing aloud of that righteousness that the LORD Jesus would earn and establish and that God would impute to his account once He had finished the work on his behalf at the cross.     The righteousness of God was satisfied in time at the cross on behalf of all those whom the Father chose before the foundation of the world, in a twofold manner. First, all the sins of all the elect—from the beginning to the end of time—were laid upon the Savior, Who stood in their place as their Substitute. Second, the perfect obedience of the LORD Jesus, which He earned and established as God in the flesh, was simultaneously imputed to their account when He laid down His life on the cross: “For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him”  (2 Corinthians 5:21). This righteous satisfaction at the cross was accomplished according to God’s eternal purpose and decree, and its effect is the actual salvation of all for whom Christ died when He paid their dreadful sin debt. Since law and justice were satisfied at the cross, all of the elect were then and there justified before God. Herein, God reveals Himself to be both a just God and a Savior.    Salvation is the sum of all the works of God in Christ—election, predestination, obedience, redemption, justification, sanctification. regeneration, and final glorification. “ And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified”  (Romans 8:28–30). All the benefits of salvation are the fruit of God’s covenant mercies in Christ—mercies that God the Father ordained, God the Son accomplished, and God the Spirit reveals in the heart of each elect sinner in His time .

Ephesians 2:8,9 "For by Grace are ye saved through Faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the Gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast." In religion today, people like to ask, "When were you saved?" Those who have been regenerated know the answer to that: It was when Christ paid the debt. That is it. It is not about walking an aisle or saying a prayer. They may say, "Yeah, but you know what I mean." "No, I don't know what you mean!" Those people think it is some sort of act that they decide to do that saves them, like repeating a so-called "sinner's prayer." The truth is that only the Gift of God's grace through Christ can save chosen sinners: "Jesus saith unto him, I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by Me" (John 14:6). God saved every one of His elect when the LORD Jesus shed His blood unto death on the cross at Calvary. The Gospel (Good News) declares the work is DONE, FINISHED, ACCOMPLISHED, FULFILLED: "And she shall bring forth a Son, and thou shalt call His name Jesus: for He shall save His people from their sins. Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the LORD by the prophet" (Matthew 21:22). "Behold, we go up to Jerusalem, and all things that are written by the prophets concerning the Son of man shall be accomplished" (Luke 18:31). "When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, He said, It is finished" (John 19:30). Any true confession of Christ is Spirit-born and is the result of the LORD Jesus Christ having already paid the debt as the Representative Head, having reconciled that sinner to God in Himself by His death on the cross. And when the Spirit reveals Christ in the chosen sinner, they look to Him alone as all their salvation. Their eyes are opened to the Crucified One. The experience of every child of God is that the LORD Jesus paid their sin debt long before they ever knew Him, and that the Spirit of Christ opened their eyes to see Him having paid their complete sin debt when He died on the cross. Many will make a profession because they are told that they must say a prayer or invite Jesus into their heart. They are told that God will save and pardon them when He sees their decision to accept Jesus and ask Him to forgive their sins, based on their profession. However, the testimony of Scripture is that when it pleases God to reveal Christ in you, that's when you trust in and rest in the LORD Jesus, Who finished the work already. Any whose eyes are opened by the Spirit know that it isn't anything in them, but only the LORD who has opened and turned their heart to Christ. "...turn thou me, and I shall be turned; for thou art the LORD my God" (Jeremiah 31:18). The Spirit will show you that everything in you is nothing but filth and dung. It is the Spirit of God that opens blinded eyes and turns you to look to Christ and Him crucified alone. "The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of His calling, and what the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints" (Ephesians 1:18). This is the only message that sinners must hear: Christ and Him crucified. People ask, "Don't you preach anything else?" NO! Someone once said, "When you are playing a guitar and it has only one string, it is tough to miss because you only have one string." Our one string is Christ and Him crucified, and that is the one message of Scripture. The apostle Paul declared, "For I determined not to know anything among you, save Jesus Christ, and Him crucified" (1 Corinthians 2:2) . The revelation of Christ and Him crucified is the exclusive Gift of God for the complete salvation of the sinner.

Matthew 21:9-11 "And the multitudes that went before, and that followed, cried, saying, Hosanna to the son of David: Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the LORD; Hosanna in the highest. And when he was come into Jerusalem, all the city was moved, saying, Who is this? And the multitude said, This is Jesus the prophet of Nazareth of Galilee." As the LORD Jesus entered Jerusalem that final time before His crucifixion, He did not come as men expected. No war horse bore Him, no royal parade preceded Him. Instead, He rode on a lowly donkey—fulfilling the ancient prophecy of Zechariah: "Behold, thy King cometh unto thee, meek, and sitting upon an ass” (Matthew 21:5). This was not the triumph of worldly power, but the triumph of meekness and divine purpose. The crowds cried out, “Hosanna to the Son of David,”  acknowledging, at least in part, the Messianic identity of Jesus. They lifted a phrase from Psalm 118 —a psalm that speaks of the coming salvation of the LORD. “Hosanna” means “save now,” a cry of deliverance. Yet they misunderstood the salvation He came to bring. They sought a deliverer from Rome; Christ came to deliver His people from their sins. They expected an earthly throne; He came to reign from the cross. We understand that this event marked the final declaration of the King to the people of Israel. He presented Himself as the prophesied Messiah— “Jesus the prophet of Nazareth of Galilee” —not merely as a teacher or miracle worker, but as the very fulfillment of the law and the prophets. Yet within days, the same city that shouted “Hosanna” would cry out “Crucify Him.” This entry into Jerusalem was not the beginning of a national revolution but the march toward the final and finished work of redemption. It was here that the sovereign purpose of God in Christ would culminate at Calvary. Israel’s rejection of Christ would bring judgment upon that generation—fulfilled in AD 70 when the temple was destroyed and the old covenant system ended. But even in that judgment, we see grace—for it made way for the everlasting covenant, the Gospel of Christ to the nations (Hebrews 8:13). The people asked, “Who is this?” —a question that echoes through every generation. This Jesus of Nazareth is more than a prophet; He is the eternal Son of God, the Redeemer of His elect, the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world. In Him alone is salvation, not from earthly oppression, but from divine wrath. He came to save His people, not by force, but by giving Himself as the Perfect and final Sacrifice for sin. To those taught of God, this lowly King is the exalted LORD. To the natural eye, He seemed weak, but through His humiliation came victory. He entered Jerusalem not to claim a throne of gold, but to bear the cross of shame—and by that cross He triumphed over sin, death, and the curse of the law. Let us then behold Jesus of Nazareth with eyes of faith, rejoicing not in what He might do for our outward lives, but in what He has done in satisfying divine justice and reconciling us to God. Blessed is He indeed Who came in the name of the LORD—for He came to “ save His people from their sins.”  May our cry be not merely “Hosanna,” but “My LORD and my God.” Here we behold the meek and majestic King entering Jerusalem—not with the pomp of earthly rulers, but in lowliness and righteousness, fulfilling my prophecy and revealing Himself as the true Messiah. The multitudes cried, “Hosanna to the Son of David!”, yet many did not understand the nature of His kingdom or the purpose of His coming. The Scriptures reveal Christ not as a political deliverer, but as the divinely appointed Savior Who came to redeem His people from their sins (Matthew 1:21). Though Jerusalem asked, “Who is this?”, the redeemed know: He is Jesus of Nazareth, the LORD of glory, Who came to fulfill all righteousness and accomplish salvation by His cross. May we bow to Him in faith, praising Him not for what men expected, but for Who He truly is—the King Who saves by grace, reigns in truth, and is worthy of all worship.

1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 "But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore comfort one another with these words." Most people don't think of hope in death. Natural minds don't want to consider it, because all they know is what’s going on in this life. But if the LORD has taught you of Christ and taught you His Gospel, then there is hope. That’s what Paul is writing about here under the inspiration of the Spirit. There’s so much confusion regarding the Lord’s coming again. It’s not confusion in the Word, but confusion in how men interpret it. A passage like this is written to bring comfort, not conflict, among the Lord’s people. You have to draw the line when it comes to the Gospel and Christ’s person and work. We stand firm there, but we must also confess that far more is being said today about Christ’s coming and what’s going to happen than ought to be said. This particular portion of Scripture, if we simply read it for what it says, gives us a clear view of who our Hope is! How is the state of those who’ve died in the Lord described? First, it refers to those who are asleep. That’s how it’s described throughout Scripture in reference to the Lord’s people. This was a widespread usage, particularly in Eastern cultures, to refer to death as sleep. “Multitudes who sleep in the dust of the earth will awake: some to everlasting life, others to shame and everlasting contempt”  (Daniel 12:2). What is the comparison between sleep and death? When you’re asleep, you’re not aware or sensitive to what’s going on around you. There’s a separation from the real world—and in death, that is certainly the case. When you go to sleep, you are completely isolated from what’s happening in the world, if you’re truly asleep. In death, the body is laid to rest. But the idea of sleep also carries the expectation of rising again. It could even be said of one who is not Christ’s that he sleeps, because the Scriptures say that all who die outside of Christ will be raised again on the judgment day and cast into hell. So, just like with sleep, death does not completely extinguish consciousness. There is a rising again, and existence continues. In that sense, death and sleep are comparable. Second, Paul deals in this portion with how we are to respond to the deaths of those who have gone on. Remember, there was much persecution. Some may have died as martyrs. So, this is not speaking only of natural death, but of death for the Lord’s sake. What is their hope of glory? He writes, “ that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope.”   He’s not saying we must be stoic. The sense here is that we draw a line, especially in contrast to excessive weeping and wailing. Remember, these Thessalonians were used to some pretty wild funerals. However, we do not sorrow as those who have no hope. If we have confidence that they were the Lord’s, we can rejoice. But what about those for whom we don’t have that confidence? Even then, we do not sorrow as those who have no hope. We don’t question God. We don’t question His justice. By God’s grace, we stand—like Aaron did when his sons were taken; he held his peace (Leviticus 10:3). Eli did the same (1 Samuel 2:34–36) . He was more grieved over the Ark of the Covenant being taken into captivity than by the announcement of his sons’ deaths. Particularly when it is one who has died in the Lord, though it is sorrowful, there is that quiet hope—that when Christ died, He died for them, and in the resurrection, they will be raised again. God will raise up the dead bodies of the saints. How? By Christ. He is the God-Man. He is the Mediator. God has put all judgment into His hands. So, when that time comes, it will be His voice that we hear. 1 Thessalonians 3:13 says, “To the end he may stablish your hearts unblameable in holiness before God, even our Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all his saints.”   How is that possible? That’s the imputed righteousness of Christ. He’s now coming with them. That confuses some people. They say, “Well, He’s coming for them.” No—He’s coming with  them, because they will be raised to be with Him. Imagine if our eternal salvation depended on our holding on to Christ or maintaining a lively faith until the end, like some preachers say. No—it’s not us holding Him; it’s Him holding us. Some have died under a dark cloud. We know there are those who think that if you’re the LORD’s, you’ll never die under a cloud. But read the stories of saints who have gone before. Many died under hard affliction—so much so that they could not even see the sunshine. David wrote in Psalm 130:1 , “Out of the depths have I cried unto thee, O LORD”   That is reflective of the cries of our Lord Jesus in the garden as He faced death on the cross. There will be dark days. That’s why we rest in the Hope that isn’t built on how we feel at the moment we die. Can you imagine if that were the case? But our hope is based on Christ’s blood and righteousness as our only plea. That’s why the death of Christ is so vital—His doing, His dying, and His rising again. That is the believer’s only Hope. There will be wavering in this old flesh. There will be clouds. But oh, to know that if He died for me, He will bring me safely through. And when I sleep, I sleep in Him. "Living, He loved me; dying, He saved me; Buried, He carried my sins far away; Rising, He justified freely, forever; One day He’s coming: O glorious day!"

Philippians 2:6-11 "Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: but made Himself of no reputation, and took upon Him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: and being found in fashion as a man, He humbled Himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. Wherefore God also hath highly exalted Him, and given Him a name which is above every name:   That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. " Here we read, "Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him." What exaltation? In this context, it relates to His resurrection from the dead and His ascension into heaven upon completing the work of redemption that the Father gave Him to do while He was on earth. And now He is seated at the right hand of God the Father. In what sense has God exalted Christ? First of all, it is not concerning His Godhead, for He cannot be exalted above God the Father in the Godhead. The Godhead was not lower because He became a man, and so in His exaltation, He would not have been placed higher. But here it is in the sense not of His being God, for we know that He is God. Here in Philippians 2:6 Paul began with: "Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God." So the exaltation here is not of one of the Persons of the Trinity over the other. No, they are equal. The three are one. How then was the LORD Jesus Christ exalted as God come in the flesh? First, He's exalted in His titles. The name of the LORD Jesus Christ is to be magnified. For Him to be LORD, it means that He is magnified in His sovereignty. He is LORD, not only over heaven, but earth. " And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth" (Matthew 28:18). Scriptures say, in Revelation 1:18, " I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death." And it's this LORD to Whom knees must bow. The name is here put for a person. The LORD Jesus Christ, His name, has to do with His character. It has to do with His Person and that One to Whom every knee will bow. Bowing is put for subjection. All must be subdued to Him either as a son or as a captive. In other words, some will be brought to bow in grace, while others will be brought to bow in His sovereign judgment. But either way, every knee shall bow to Him as to the LORD by His sovereign grace or to Him as the LORD and Judge in condemnation. Second, we understand here that He is exalted in His office . God the Father has honored Him to be the Savior of sinners. In Acts 5:31 , We read, "Him hath God exalted with His right hand to be a Prince and a Savior..." He didn't come just to try to save and hope that that would be many. No! In Matthew 1:21 , we read, "" And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name Jesus: for he shall save his people from their sins." And so, this is a great honor that is placed upon the LORD Jesus Christ. Not that He attempts to save, but that He has saved. He said, " And this is the Father's will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day" (John 6:39). There's none that can pluck any out of His hand because of the Surety of His Person, His character, but also His work, having paid the sin debt for His people. They stand forever justified before a holy God, and there is therefore now no condemnation! Third, God has exalted Christ in His ascension . Every part of His work is vital. Not only His birth and coming as a man, but His life that He lived out before men and before God the Father. It had to be perfect. His death is that just satisfaction to Holy God and the just demands of His law, but also His raising again from the dead. Had He remained dead, there would be no salvation. He would simply have died as a martyr, but His resurrection is a testimony and a proof that God the Father accepted His sacrifice on behalf of sinners (Romans 4:25). Christ not only rose from the grave, but He ascended on high, and this is an evidence again of the victorious nature of Christ's work. When you hear of an ascension to a throne, you're thinking in terms of royalty. Certainly, that fits our LORD Jesus Christ. The manner of His ascension we read about in the Gospels, "And he led them out as far as to Bethany, and he lifted up his hands, and blessed them. And it came to pass, while he blessed them, he was parted from them, and carried up into heaven" (Luke 24:50,51) When Christ ascended, He blessed His disciples. He didn't leave them houses and lands, but He left them His blessing. That's because everything upon this earth is temporal. We're to set our affection on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. And so, His ascension was that of a Conqueror. " Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men" (Ephesians 4:8). He triumphed over the world, sin, Satan, hell, and death, and His triumph is the triumph of those elect for whom He died. Fourth, He is exalted in His being seated at God's right hand . " Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places," (Ephesians 1:20) . This verse speaks of His mighty power of God the Father working which He wrought in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and set Him at His right hand in the heavenly places. Fifth, for Christ to be exalted means that He continues there as the Judge of the world. For Him to be exalted and to be seated with that honor and majesty means that all power has been put into His hands. " For the Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the Son:" (John 5:22). At the day of judgment, Christ will be fully and supremely exalted before the nations. He will come, as the Scripture says, in the glory of His Father. He will wear those royal robes of majesty given to Him by the Father, and He will come with all His holy angels. It is a solemn and awe-inspiring scene to consider: that Christ shall judge those who once judged Him. Think of Pilate, who condemned Him. Think of Herod. All of these kings must now stand before His throne—His bar—in the highest court of jurisdiction, where there is no appeal. The matter of salvation is in the hands of this One. It required His blood to be shed. It required His absolute obedience before God the Father—obedience that must be imputed to, or put to the account of, the sinners He came to save. In light of Philippians 2:6-11 , we are brought to behold the matchless humility and glory of our LORD Jesus Christ. Though He was in the form of God, He humbled Himself to take on our flesh, to obey even unto death—the death of the cross. Yet, through His perfect obedience and finished work, God the Father has highly exalted Him, giving Him a Name above every name. May we bow the knee in reverent worship, confessing with joyful hearts that Jesus Christ is LORD, to the glory of God the Father. In His humiliation and exaltation, we see the full triumph of Christ in the salvation and condemnation of sinners! HE is LORD of ALL!