Hell on SermonAudio

Today our venue is James 3:13-4:6. Everything we do will be exegetically driven, which means that we draw it from the words God inspired, but we will not be handling every detail of the text. That means we need to know about the context. In short, James 3 is about the tongue and the sins of the tongue. James 3:6, 8: And the tongue is a fire, the very world of iniquity; the tongue is set among our members as that which defiles the entire body, and sets on fire the course of our life, and is set on fire by hell. . . . 8 But no one can tame the tongue; it is a restless evil and full of deadly poison. James didn't deal with the tongue directly because your tongue is only an instrument of your heart. You will never cease to gossip or to be bitter toward someone, or to say careless and hurtful things by just deciding not to do it any more. You can only tame your tongue and make your speech glorify God and spread His grace by filling your heart with good treasures (Matthew 12:34-37). No one can cause you to say wicked things unless you are letting those wicked things ferment in your heart already. To control your tongue requires choosing wisdom which only God can provide. We're going to major on that today, with special emphasis on relationships. 1 - The Pervasive Pondering (3:13) 2 - The Pesky Problem (3:14-16) 3 - The Peace Principle (3:17-18) 4 - The Pesky Predicament (4:1-4) 5 - The Greater Grace (4:5-6)

Text: Lord's Day 4 1. The Fearful Reality 2. The Divine Justice 3. The Only Hope

In this week's study of the creed, we examine the lines: The third day He rose again from the dead; He ascended into heaven, And sits on the right hand of God the Father Almighty; From there he shall come to judge the living and the dead.

The atonement of Christ does not constrain God to love us… It does not secure that eternal love… It does not purchase it, win it, cause it… Rather - The love of God demanded the atonement so that the people God had chosen from before the foundation of eternity itself could become His adopted, redeemed children! His love came first, the great first cause of all first causes - and the love of God in Christ that demanded the atonement is the same love of God THROUGH Christ that empowered it!! God loved us and sent His Son. Jesus loved us and CAME… but it does not end there, for Jesus loved the Father and obeyed the will of the Father so that His obedience becomes our redemption. And all this love comes to us WHILE WE STILL HATED HIM!!

This sermon explores the theological significance of Jesus Christ's descent into the pit of hell, arguing that this event was necessitated by the Father turning His face away from the Son when He was made sin for humanity. By weaving together passages from the Psalms, Job, and Isaiah, the message highlights the profound separation experienced by Christ as He bore the iniquity of mankind, fulfilling the requirement that the sinner be cut off from God. The preacher emphasizes that this suffering was not merely physical agony but a spiritual abandonment that secured the salvation of believers. The narrative concludes with the triumph of the resurrection, where the Father, satisfied by the travail of Christ's soul and the efficacy of His blood, raises Him from the dead to justify many. This exposition serves as a comforting reminder that the testimony of Jesus provides ultimate hope and assurance of redemption for those who believe.