The sermon by Eric Bechler examines paragraph four from chapter 11 of the Second London Baptist Confession, focusing on the doctrine of justification. The speaker addresses the timing of justification, arguing against the notions of eternal or cross-time justification by emphasizing that justification occurs when the Holy Spirit applies Christ to the individual. This perspective is supported by thinkers like Francis Turton and John Flavel. The sermon highlights the Trinity's role in redemption, where God the Father decrees, the Son accomplishes, and the Holy Spirit applies redemption. The speaker underscores that justification is a temporal event tied to faith and union with Christ, and emphasizes the transformative role of the Holy Spirit in granting faith and empowering believers to live a life of thanksgiving. The sermon concludes with a call to focus on Christ and rely on the Holy Spirit for spiritual growth and reassurance.

Reading today from the second London Baptist confession comes again from chapter 11 of justification. Today is paragraph four. God did from all eternity decree to justify all the elect and Christ did in the fullness of time die for their sins and rise again for their justification. Nevertheless, they are not justified personally until the Holy Spirit doth in due time actually apply Christ unto them. Okay, we continue today in our study of the doctrine of justification.

Last week our focus was on Christ and his work of substitutionary atonement in the discharge of our sin debt. This week our paragraph lays out the answer to the question, when are the elect justified? Is it from eternity? Is it from the cross? Or is it when the Holy Spirit personally applies Christ to them?

Are we justified from eternity? Francis Turton writes, the decree of justification is one thing, justification itself is another. The decree to justify certain persons is indeed eternal and precedes faith itself, but actual justification takes place in time and follows faith. Furthermore, John Flavel explains that the elect are not justified from eternity is clear because although their justification is purposed in eternity, it is not purchased and applied until time. We are justified by Christ's blood and by faith, Romans 5.9 and Romans 5.1.

The elect sinner is not freed from condemnation nor justified till he is united to Christ, which union is by faith and takes place during the elect's lifetime. It is both irrational and unscriptural to imagine that men can be justified before they even exist. God's purpose or intention to justify them is not the same as His actually justifying them. Besides, John 3, 18 expressly declares that only he that believeth in him, in Christ, is not condemned. Furthermore, in the great chain of salvation mentioned in Romans 8 30, the elect are first predestined and called before they are justified.

Lastly, it is highly derogatory to Christ to teach eternal justification for men had to be lost before he could save them. Justification is the fruit of his meritorious death and satisfaction given to justice. Justification is not therefore from eternity. These same arguments would apply for the promise or from the position, for the position that we are justified from the time of the cross. Again, it makes no sense that we would be justified before we were even born.

We would have trouble understanding Paul in Ephesians 2.1, and he made you, and you, he made alive who were dead in trespasses and sins. How could we ever be dead in trespasses and sins if we were born justified? In our paragraph today we can see the Trinity in the work of redemption. God the Father decreeing, planning for our redemption. God the Son accomplishing our redemption through His obedience, death, and resurrection, and God the Holy Spirit applying that redemption personally.

God the Father did from all eternity decree to justify all the elect, not justify all the elect. It is God the Father who chose us before the foundation of the world was laid in Ephesians 1, 3 through 6. It is God the Father who foreknew us and predestined us and called us and justified us and will glorify us. Jesus tells us it is the Father who draws us to Him so that we are saved in John 6 44. Jesus was delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, Acts 2, 23.

And it was the will of the Lord to crush him, from Isaiah 53, 10. Paul in Galatians 4, 4 tells us, When the fullness of time was come, God sent forth his Son made of a woman made under the law. He died for their sins and rose again for their justification. John Gill describes this time as the time agreed and fixed upon God and his Son from all eternity in the council and covenant of peace, when the Son of God should assume human nature. At this appointed time, Christ came into the world and died not for any sins of His, since He had none, but for the sins of the elect.

Their sins were imputed to Christ and He bore the punishment for our sins. He paid our debt when He died on that cross and gave Himself a ransom for all. By His blood we are cleansed and bought. For those who have faith in Christ, His righteousness is imputed to us and we are justified. But our justification doesn't come before eternity, before we existed, nor does it come at the time of the cross again before we existed.

We are justified only when the Holy Spirit actually applies Christ to you. It is the Holy Spirit that gives us the faith to believe in Christ. This happens in due time. It is an appointed time by the Father and it is personal. It is specific to each elect person.

It may be as an infant for some, perhaps John the Baptist. It may be on the deathbed like the thief on the cross or anytime in between. The timing is at God's good pleasure. From a 2009 table talk devotion, apart from the transforming power of the Holy Spirit, we are enslaved to the primal human sin of refusing to give thanks to God. Romans 1 21.

But when the Spirit gives us a new heart and the gift of faith, we are empowered to offer our whole lives as an expression of thanksgiving for our redemption. As such, we should be looking for ways to thank God, to thank the Lord in word and in deed. How are we going to, how are you going to make your life an expression of thanks to God this day? Do you feel the weight or the burden of trying to live up to the Christian life, to live that way on your own. Do you have doubts or are you struggling with sin?

Look away from yourself and focus on Christ. Look to Him. Peace with God doesn't rest on how well you behave or how strong your feelings are. It rests on the finished work of Christ applied by the Holy Spirit. Daily asks the Holy Spirit to refresh your heart, deepen your union with Christ, and help you bear spiritual fruit.

We say come Holy Spirit come earlier. Ask Him to revive your drooping faith. Ask Him to remove your doubts and fear. Ask Him to dispel the darkness from your mind and to cheer your desponding hearts. Ask Him to dwell in your heart and free your mind from bondage.

Then we shall know and praise and love the Father, Son, and Thee. Amen. You Thank you.