Title: Sovereign in Salvation
Text: Isaiah 44: 24-28
Date: December 18, 2011
Place: SGBC, New Jersey
God is sovereign. It means God has the prerogative (right) and power to do as he will in heaven and in earth, using all men, good and evil, all things, good and evil, all powers, principalities and rulers of the darkness, seen or unseen, good and evil. God turns all in the way which pleases God for the purpose of bringing the gospel to chosen sinners whom he has purposed to bring out of spiritual death to eternal life in Christ Jesus his Son. There is no one and no thing that God is not all-powerful to use as he will.
Proposition: Our text shows us three ways God is sovereign.
Divisions: 1) God is sovereign in creation 2) God is sovereign in providence 3) God is sovereign in salvation—And it is particularly the sovereignty of God in salvation, that God is directing our attention in this passage. Notice how this word of his sovereignty is right away connected with his redeemed.
Isaiah 44: 24: Thus saith the LORD, thy redeemer, and he that formed thee from the womb,
The Lord is speaking to you who he has formed in divine election, redeemed in Christ Jesus his Son and formed by his sovereign regenerating grace. This is for the comfort of his people.
I. GOD IS SOVEREIGN IN CREATION (V24)--I am the LORD that maketh all things; that stretcheth forth the heavens alone; that spreadeth abroad the earth by myself;
God had no help and needed no help from man in the making of all things. v24:…that stretcheth forth the HEAVENS ALONE; that spreadeth abroad the EARTH BY MYSELF;
Where was man when God stretched forth the heaven and the earth? God did it.
Illustration: The solar system—all the heavenly bodies God made revolve around the sun.
That was by the design of the Creator. Every time we see the sun go up and the sun go down we are reminded that everything God has made revolves around the Son of God and his full complete accomplishment of his people’s salvation. Even the history we are observing in this passage.
Notice God says, “I am the LORD that maketh all”
Proverbs 16: 4: The LORD hath made all things for himself: yea, even the wicked for the day of evil.
God’s elect remnant in Israel were taken captive by Babylon. God made Babylon and God made Israel.
When it served God’s purpose to make his glory known, God took his restraints off of Babylon allowing them to take his elect remnant captive. It was the wicked hands of the Babylonians who did it, but only when God took his restraint off.
Isaiah 37: 26: Hast thou not heard long ago, how I have done it; and of ancient times, that I have formed it? now have I brought it to pass, that thou shouldest be to lay waste defenced cities into ruinous heaps.
Habakkuk 1:6: For, lo, I raise up the Chaldeans, that bitter and hasty nation, which shall march through the breadth of the land, to possess the dwellingplaces that are not theirs.
But how would God show his glory by allowing his elect to be carried away captive into Babylon?
By God alone delivering his elect remnant out of Babylon through his choice Shepherd.
It was for the same purpose that Satan was allowed to take God’s elect captive in sin in the garden. So that God might manifest his sovereign name in the salvation of his elect by the blood and righteousness of his Son.
Believer, there is no one and no thing that God is not all-powerful over. If he is not, then some one or some thing would be more powerful than God, and such a god as that is no god at all.
Isaiah 45: 7: I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace, and create evil: I the LORD do all these things.
How the believer finds rest in the absolute sovereignty of our God! Does it seem like your taken captive by some trial in your life? The God whose hand was big enough to stretch out heaven and earth declares he is big enough to deliver you from all your sin and to keep you trusting him alone. God will not be frustrated in providing all for his sheep any more than he was frustrated when he by himself made all things in heaven and earth. Over and over when he makes us to behold the goodness of his sovereign hand he makes us to rejoice saying:
Revelation 4: 11: Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.
II. GOD IS SOVEREIGN IN PROVIDENCE
First let’s understand the meaning of “providence”. It is everything that comes to pass in this earth. Everything that comes to pass in this earth in time is what God purposed in heaven before time.
Does that include things? Yes.
Matthew 10: 29: Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing? and one of them shall not fall on the ground without your Father.
God is not exaggerating.
Psalm 104: 27: These wait all upon thee; that thou mayest give them their meat in due season. 28: That thou givest them they gather: thou openest thine hand, they are filled with good. 29: Thou hidest thy face, they are troubled: thou takest away their breath, they die, and return to their dust. 30: Thou sendest forth thy spirit, they are created: and thou renewest the face of the earth.
But in verse 25, God declares he is sovereign in providence over men—This is even better than showing us he is sovereign over things because since the fall, it is man who really believes Satan’s lie that “ye shall be as gods.” We need to find out we are not!
Concerning liars, false teachers (diviners) and all self-ascribed wise men (those extra crafty and subtle.)
God makes their signs and miracles to come to nothing—(v25)…That frustrateth the tokens of the liars. God does not remove liars or their signs and wonders from the world—but God brings them to nothing to protect his people from them.
God maketh diviners mad (shine)--God does not remove them but he makes them to shine as madmen before his people.
God turneth wise men backward, and maketh their knowledge foolish; (wise men are the extra crafty and subtle)
Matthew 24: 24: For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect.
God makes the knowledge of the wise to be foolishness to his people so that the believer is not carried about with their craftiness wherein they lie in wait to deceive.
1 Corinthians 3: 18: Let no man deceive himself. If any man among you seemeth to be wise in this world, let him become a fool, that he may be wise. 19: For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written, He taketh the wise in their own craftiness. 20: And again, The Lord knoweth the thoughts of the wise, that they are vain. 21: Therefore let no man glory in men.
God is sovereign in providence over men for the direct preservation and protection of his sheep. O,
1 Chronicles 16:31: Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice: and let men say among the nations, The LORD reigneth.
III. GOD IS SOVEREIGN IN THE SALVATION OF HIS PEOPLE (Vv26-28)--That confirmeth the word of his servant, and performeth the counsel of his messengers; that saith to Jerusalem, Thou shalt be inhabited; and to the cities of Judah, Ye shall be built, and I will raise up the decayed places thereof: 27: That saith to the deep, Be dry, and I will dry up thy rivers:
The messengers of God are his witnesses whom God sends to bear witness of him alone. Those that God sent before Christ walked this earth as well as those after Christ walked this earth are his messengers.
Isaiah and the prophets declared the captivity of Israel in Babylon as well as their deliverance. God confirmed every word by performing every word—Jerusalem was inhabited again, the cities of Judah built, the decayed places built up.
The Lord’s apostles preached the gospel and the Lord confirmed their word by performing miracles and converting sinners.
Hebrews 2: 3: How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation; which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him; 4: God also bearing them witness, both with signs and wonders, and with divers miracles, and gifts of the Holy Ghost, according to his own will?
The Lord confirms his gospel in our day performing his operation of grace in the hearts of sinners dead in trespasses and in sins.
Ephesians 2:1: And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins;
Application: There is absolutely no power to quicken or make the word effectual in God’s messengers—o—but there is absolute power in God who sends his messengers.
God sovereignly performs the counsel of his messengers because God’s messengers only declare what God says in his word—that is that our triune God in Christ Jesus has and shall sovereignly accomplish the salvation of his people. We counsel needy, poor and bankrupt sinners, not to try to save themselves but to believe on him who is our Wonderful Counselor the mighty God.
By his operation of grace in the hearts of his people:
· Heavenly Jerusalem shall be inhabited
· His local assemblies shall be built
· As the gospel goes forth his dead and decayed elect are each one raised up in regeneration by the Spirit of God
The Salvation of God’s Elect is Sure Because Christ Jesus the Great Shepherd of his Sheep is our Sovereign Savior. We see a picture of Christ in Cyrus--v28: That saith of Cyrus, He is my shepherd, and shall perform all my pleasure: even saying to Jerusalem, Thou shalt be built; and to the temple, Thy foundation shall be laid.
As Cyrus was chosen and foretold 200 years before—Christ Jesus is that One whom God chose and of whom all the prophets bore witness.
Hebrews 1: 1: God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, 2: Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds;
Like Cyrus came down from the distant mountains to Babylon to free the elect of God captive in Babylon—Christ came down from heaven into this earth—made of a woman made under the law to redeem them that were under the law
As Cyrus name signifies “sun”—Christ is the Light, the Sun of Righteousness, our Life.
As Cyrus was called of God, “My Shepherd”—so God the Father chose and anointed his Son Christ Jesus to shepherd his elect out of the captivity of our sin.
As God said Cyrus “shall perform all my pleasure”—
· Christ Jesus fulfilled all righteousness
· Laid down his life for his sheep
· He has put away the sins of his people by the sacrifice of himself.
· Making full satisfaction to God for the sin of his people according to God’s good pleasure.
Is 53: 10: Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the LORD shall prosper in his hand.
v28--Even saying to Jerusalem, Thou shalt be built; and to the temple Thy foundation shall be laid
· Christ is our Foundation our Solid Rock
· Our Wall, our High Tower, our Bulwark
· It is Christ who goes forth on his White Charger, out of his mouth goes the two-edged sword
· Conquering and to conquer the Babylon of our flesh——even saying to Jerusalem, Thou shalt be built.
· The Lord addeth to the church daily such as should be saved
· Every living stone—his children who are his holy habitation.
· And not one shall be left in Babylon
BECAUSE OUR GOD IS:
1. SOVEREIGN IN CREATION,
2. SOVEREIGN IN PROVIDENCE,
3. SOVEREIGN IN SALVATION!
Isaiah 45: 6: That they may know from the rising of the sun, and from the west, that there is none beside me. I am the LORD, and there is none else.
Amen!