Series:
Exodus
Title: Sanctification
by the Hearing of Faith
Text:
Exodus 13: 1-10
Date:
June 3, 2018
Place:
SGBC, NJ
Most of
what we read in our text, we have read in chapters before this. It is our tendency to think, “Well, this is
just a repeat of what I’ve already read so I will skip over it.” But God repeats it because it is of utmost
importance. So don’t ever skip over a
passage simply because it is repeated; remember it is repeated because it is vitally
important.
Our text
today concerns the sanctification of God’s elect by God. Sanctification is of God, apart from man’s
works, in and through redemption by Christ the Lamb. No flesh shall glory in God’s presence. But as it is written, he that glorieth, let
him glory in the Lord. We glory only in
the Lord, declaring the truth that sanctification is of God, apart from man’s
works, in and through Christ the Lamb.
Exodus 13: 1: And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, 2: Sanctify unto me all the firstborn, whatsoever openeth the womb
among the children of Israel, both of man and of beast: it is
mine.
The LORD
said, “Sanctify unto me all the
firstborn,…it is mine.” And the LORD said this to Moses. Moses is God’s prophet and mediator. But he
is typical of that Prophet that was to come like unto Moses—that now has come
and arisen to the Father—Christ Jesus who is “Head over the church, who filleth all in all.” Moses is typical of that one Mediator between
God and men, the man Christ Jesus.
Christ is
preeminently the Firstborn Son of God. Before the world was made, God the Father
set his Son apart and sent him to sanctify his people. (John 17:19; Romans
8:29)
Christ Jesus is the FIRST born of a virgin: he truly is the first
who opened the womb—the first begotten Son of God. He is the FIRST born from
the dead.
Christ is the FIRST born among
many brethren. And all those Christ sanctifies are “the
Church of the firstborn” (Hebrews 12:23).
But why
when told to sanctify the firstborn, did Moses begin by declaring God’s word concerning
the Passover and the feast of unleavened bread?
Proposition: It is because sanctification is through the preaching of
the gospel of Christ crucified, the hearing of faith, by which we are
continually reminded that God delivered us, apart from any contribution we
make.
SANCTIFICTION BY THE HEARING OF FAITH
Exodus 13: 1: And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, 2: Sanctify unto me all the firstborn,…3: And Moses said unto the people, Remember this day, in which ye
came out from Egypt, out of the house of bondage; for by strength of hand the
LORD brought you out from this place: there shall no leavened bread be
eaten.
God
commanded Moses to sanctify the firstborn and the way Moses sanctified them was
by declaring to them the Truth of God’s word. That is how God sanctifies his
people, through the hearing of Christ’s faithfulness.
Galatians 3: 1:
O foolish Galatians, who hath bewitched you, that ye should not obey the truth,
before whose eyes Jesus Christ hath been evidently set forth, crucified among
you?
How was
Christ and him crucified set forth among them? He tells us next.
Galatians 3: 2:
This only would I learn of you, Received ye the Spirit by the works of the law,
or by the hearing of faith?
Christ
crucified was set forth by the preaching of the gospel, the hearing of the faithful
works of Christ. Christ ministered the
Holy Spirit, sanctifying them, through the hearing of faith.
Galatians 3: 3:
Are ye so foolish? having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect by the
flesh?
Will we
now preach works and return to the law of Moses? Or will we keep hearing the
gospel of Christ preached?
Galatians 3: 4:
Have ye suffered so many things in vain? if it be yet in vain. 5: He therefore that ministereth to
you the Spirit, and worketh miracles among you, doeth he it by the works
of the law, or by the hearing of faith?
Christ
ministers to his people the Spirit. He prays the Father and the Father
ministers to his child the Holy Spirit by which we are sanctified. Does he do
so through the preaching of man’s works or through the hearing of God’s
faithful works?
Galatians 3: 6: Even as Abraham believed God, and
it was accounted to him for righteousness…8: And the scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the
heathen through faith, preached before the gospel unto Abraham, saying,
In thee shall all nations be blessed.
Abraham
was sanctified through the gospel. He was brought to faith in Christ 430 years
before the law was given at Mt. Sinai. God sanctified Moses through the hearing
of Christ’s faithfulness the same as God sanctifies all his people. The only way God’s people experience the free
justification of God is by God sanctifying us by ministering to us the Holy
Spirit. Whereby “ye are sanctified
through faith that is in Christ”; “whereby our souls are purified in obeying
the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren.” And God only sanctifies through the hearing
of faith. So once we begin by hearing of God’s works, God continues to keep us
set apart and consecrated to him through the same message, the gospel of Christ
his Son.
THE PURPOSE OF BEING SANCTIFIED THROUGH THE
HEARING OF FAITH
Exodus 13: 3: And Moses said unto the people,
Remember this day, in which ye came out from Egypt, out of the house of
bondage; for by strength of hand the LORD brought you out from this place: there shall no
leavened bread be eaten.
The
purpose for preaching the faith of Christ is to keep us in remembrance that we
are saved by God’s works. The gospel,
like the ordinance of the Lord’s supper, is to keep us remembering that Christ
is our Righteousness and our Sanctification.
The apostle Peter said, “I will
not cease to put you in remembrance of these things though you know them and
are established in the present truth.”
We are
constantly reminded that “By strength of
hand the LORD brought you out.” The whole of Israel’s deliverance was the
work of God alone. It was the Lord God who brought them out of Egypt, and the
Lord God who brought them into Canaan! So it is with us! Every step in our
salvation is of the Lord (Ephesians 2:1-10).
The strength
of God’s hand was in the lamb God provided to die in place of the firstborn; it
typified Christ Jesus our Passover. God
the Father sent Christ his Son to sanctify all his people. Christ does it
through the word of truth, the gospel which declares Christ is our Righteousness
and our Sanctification.
John 17: 17:
Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth. 18: As thou hast sent me into the world, even so have I also sent
them into the world. 19: And for
their sakes I sanctify myself, that they also might be sanctified through the
truth.
When
Christ walked this earth, he sanctified
himself—as holy and separate from sinners he gave himself for God’s elect
on the cross—that he might be the Truth which his ministers preach, that through
the gospel he might sanctify his people by his blood through regeneration of
the Spirit and belief of the truth.
Ephesians 5: 25:…Christ
also loved the church, and gave himself for it; 26: That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of
water by the word, 27: That he
might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or
any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.
Next
time, we will see the subject of our gospel. In the next passage, the
sanctification of the firstborn was through the blood of a lamb by which the
firstborn was redeemed—Exodus 13: 13:
And every firstling of an ass thou shalt redeem with a lamb; and if thou wilt
not redeem it, then thou shalt break his neck: and all the firstborn of man
among thy children shalt thou redeem. 14: And it shall be when thy son asketh
thee in time to come, saying, What is this? that thou shalt say unto him, By
strength of hand the LORD brought us out from Egypt, from the house of bondage:
God’s
justice had to be satisfied: either Christ the Lamb had to die for God’s elect
or our necks had to be broken in divine justice. Thanks be to God, he sent his Son who laid
down his life for his people accomplishing justification for us. Through this truth, God sanctifies us when of God, Christ is made unto us Wisdom, and
Righteousness, and Sanctification, and Redemption that as it is written, he
that glories let him glory in the Lord.
SANCTIFICATION NOT OF US
Exodus 13: 3: no leaven shall be eaten...6: Seven days thou shalt eat
unleavened bread, and in the seventh day shall be a feast to the LORD. 7: Unleavened bread shall be eaten
seven days; and there shall no leavened bread be seen with thee, neither shall
there be leaven seen with thee in all thy quarters.
We are
sanctified by the hearing of faith that we might remember that our
sanctification, like our justification, is not by any contribution made from
us.
Why no leavened
bread? Leaven is a type of the sinful works of the flesh whereby vain religious
sinners try to make themselves righteous and holy by their works.
Matthew 16: 6: Then Jesus said unto them, Take heed and
beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees… 12: Then understood
they how that he bade them not beware of the leaven of bread, but of the
doctrine of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees.
God made
it clear that Israel contributed nothing to their redemption or sanctification
by delivering them before they had time to make any provision for themselves.
Exodus 12: 39: And they baked unleavened cakes of the
dough which they brought forth out of Egypt, for it was not leavened; because they were thrust out of Egypt, and could not
tarry, neither had they prepared for themselves any victual.
So to keep
them remembering that they contribute nothing, for seven days, they were to eat
no leavened bread because there is not the slightest work of man mixed with the
work of God. Before and after conversion, in our flesh, “All our righteousnesses are as filthy rags.”
Paul called it dung.
Not only
was Israel forbidden to mix leaven with their offering, none was even allowed
to remain in the house—because there is no place for works in the house of
grace!
So the
word from God that Moses preached to them through these ordinances is the
message we preach—“all flesh is grass and
thy God reigneth.” God justifies and sanctifies us through Christ the Lamb and
we contribute nothing. Therefore, like
as God gave them the Passover and the feast of unleavened bread to remember that it was God who brought
them out, apart from their works, God’s saints have come here today to partake
of the preaching of the gospel and the Lord’s Table, feasting on unleavened
bread and wine, because Christ says to all those he sanctified, “This do in remembrance of me.”
THE WHOLE SANCTIFIED STATE OF GRACE
Exodus 13: 8: And thou shalt shew thy son in
that day, saying, This is done because of that which the LORD did unto me when
I came forth out of Egypt. 9: And it shall be for a sign unto thee upon thine
hand, and for a memorial between thine eyes, that the LORD’S law may be in thy
mouth: for with a strong hand hath the LORD brought thee out of Egypt. 10: Thou shalt
therefore keep this ordinance in his season from year to year.
Not only
is the Lord’s Table pictured in these feasts, they also portray the whole,
complete, perfect state of grace enjoyed by every sanctified soul as we partake
of this gospel feast throughout our lives.
They were
to declare the truth of God’s works to their children generation after
generation just as we continue preaching the gospel to our children. The
purpose is that they/we might continually remember salvation is of the
Lord. And by constantly being put in
remembrance that our justification and sanctification is of God, Christ rules
in our hearts so that we live by faith.
Remember
the law at Mt Sinai was not given yet. The word “law” here means the gospel of
God’s works—“for with a strong hand hath
the Lord brought thee out.” The rule
every sanctified child is under, which constrains us continually, is not the
law of Mt. Sinai but the gospel of God’s free and sovereign grace in Christ
crucified.
The gospel constrains our hands to do all by the love of Christ who gave himself for us.
The gospel constrain our eyes to look
only to Christ and to show mercy and forgiveness to others. The gospel is in our hearts from which
our mouths speak the gospel to our children continually. The subject of the gospel
by which every sanctified child is ruled in our hearts is “with a strong hand hath the LORD brought thee out of Egypt.”
Galatians 3: 10: For as many as are of the works of the
law are under the curse: for it is written, Cursed is every one that continueth
not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them. 11: But that no man is justified by
the law in the sight of God, it is evident: for, The just shall live by
faith.
Remember,
we only experience God’s free justification and begin living by faith by
sanctification of the heart. Then we begin living our lives by faith rather
than by the compulsion of law and works.
Galatians 3: 11:…The just shall live by faith. 12: And the law is not of faith: but,
The man that doeth them shall live in them. 13: Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made
a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a
tree: 14: That the blessing of
Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ; that we might receive
the promise of the Spirit through faith.
Through
the gospel of Christ, the blessing of Abraham comes on us in that God gives us
the Spirit that he promised. He sanctifies us so that we begin living unto God by
faith—ruled by the faithfulness of Christ in our heart—that is the blessing of
Abraham, he was able to live unto God by the gospel, apart from the law.
Galatians 2: 19: For I through the law am dead to the
law, that I might live unto God. 20 I am
crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me:
and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of
God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.
That is
what is meant by the just shall live by
faith—we live by the faithfulness of Christ abiding in us, ruling our
hearts, continually reminding us that he gave himself for us.
The
adding of God’s law did not change this blessing of Abraham which God worked in
his heart, neither does the law change our blessing.
Galatians 3: 18:
For if the inheritance be of the law, it is no more of promise:
but God gave it to Abraham by promise.
If any
part of our salvation—justification or sanctification—is by law, by our
contribution, then it is no more of God’s grace, no more of God’s promise. But
God gave it to Abraham 430 years before the law, by free grace, by writing the law,
the covenant promise, on Abraham’s heart in sanctification of the Spirit.
So once
God has sanctified us, forming Christ in our new heart, he brings us to rest in
the blood of Christ our Righteousness and we go through our whole lives living
by the faith of the Son of God ruling our hearts—constrained by his love who
gave himself for us.
1 Corinthians 5: 7:
Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are
unleavened.
The
Corinthians did not outwardly possess what most consider holiness but Paul said
ye are justified, ye are sanctified. How so?
1 Corinthians 5: 7:…For even Christ our passover is
sacrificed for us: 8: Therefore
let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, neither with the leaven of malice
and wickedness; but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.
SANCTIFICATION PERFECTED
Exodus 13: 6: Seven days thou shalt eat unleavened
bread, and in the seventh day shall be a feast to the Lord—
Christ
sanctifies his people entirely the day we are born of the Holy Spirit. We are holy.
You either are holy or you are not holy.
We grow in grace in the state of a sanctified, holy child of God but we
do not grow more holy. When scripture
speaks of perfecting holiness it means coming to the end.
Every
sanctified child of God shall be kept sanctified by God in Christ through the
Holy Spirit throughout our lives and our gospel feast shall end in perfect
rest, with every single elect child of God feasting unto the Lord at the
marriage feast of the Lamb.
Revelation 19: 5: And a voice came out of the throne, saying, Praise our
God, all ye his servants, and ye that fear him, both small and great. 6: And I heard as it were the voice of
a great multitude, and as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of mighty
thunderings, saying, Alleluia: for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth. 7: Let us be glad and rejoice, and
give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath
made herself ready. 8: And to
her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for
the fine linen is the righteousness of saints. 9: And he saith unto me, Write, Blessed are they which are
called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb. And he saith unto me, These are
the true sayings of God.
Next,
time we see that sanctification is wrapped up in our redemption by Christ the
Lamb.
Amen!