The apostle Paul tells us that God's reason for saving us by his grace in Christ Jesus is that in the ages to come he might show the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus" (Eph. 2:7). Just as the rich man saw Lazarus in Abraham's bosom, and knew the blessedness he enjoyed, by some means or other, Those who are forever damned in hell will be able to clearly see the blessedness of God's elect in heaven. Those who despised God's grace will be forever tormented by the realization of what grace has done for God's elect.
In Revelation 14 John sees the whole company of God's elect multitude, 144,000 gathered around the throne of God in glory. He describes them for us in verses 4 and 5. "Those are they which are not defiled with women; for they are virgins. These are they which follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth. These were redeemed from among women, being the firstfruits unto God and to the Lamb. And in their mouth was found no guile; for they are without fault before the throne of God." These are the characteristics of these men and women John saw around the throne of God. These characteristics describe all who are, or shall be, the heirs of eternal life. It is as though the apostle John, by Divine inspiration, anticipates that glorious day when God will show to wondering worlds the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus. Here the Holy Spirit, by John's pen, holds up all the hosts of God's elect as they shall be in glory, and says, "Look What Grace Has Done!"
That is the title of my message tonight. I want us to survey this glorified multitude around the throne and, as though we were already among them, say to ourselves and all who will hear, "Look What Grace Has Done!" It is my prayer that all who hear my voice tonight will, in the last day, be found in the number of those whom I shall now describe.
Proposition:You cannot avoid observing, as you read this text and others like it, that in heaven everybody ascribes the whole work of salvation to the free and sovereign grace of God in Christ. Nothing is said to the praise and honor of man, because no praise or honor is due to man.
Divisions:In these two verses the apostle John describes five distinct works of grace experienced and enjoyed by all who are found in heaven's glory and bliss around the throne.
I. Those whom John saw before the throne Are All Chaste Virgins Before The Lord.
"Those are they were not defiled with women; for they are virgins." This description of the Lord's people declares two things about the character of God's saints in heaven.
A. "They Were Not Defiled With Women."These words do not speak of sexual purity, or celibacy, as opposed to impurity, or marriage. John is describing the spiritual purity and chastity of God's elect. Actually, he is telling us that all who enter heaven have been preserved by the grace of God from the damning corruptions of fake religion. They have been preserved from defilement with the great whore and her daughters. While the people of the earth have been made drunk with the wine of their fornication, committing gross acts of idolatry, superstition, and will worship. God's elect were not. Idolatry is spiritual fornication. But God's elect are preserved from it by his almighty grace (II Thess. 2:10-14; I John 2:19-20).
Though persecuted by the beast and surrounded by the delusions of the false prophet, though all others embrace the religion of antichrist and persecute those who do not, these men and women did not become unfaithful to Christ. They were not turned away from the simplicity that is in Christ (II Cor. 11:3). Being preserved by the grace of God, they would not drink the wine of free-will, the liquor of good works, or the champagne of ritualism. They would not be enticed to the bed of the great whore. (Read Proverbs 7 and learn to avoid the strange woman.) God's saints cannot defile themselves with false religion…
B. "For They Are Virgins."Grace has made them chaste, pure and undefiled in the sight of God. They are naturally as vile and corrupt as any other children of Adam, but grace has removed all their sins and all the consequences of sin, so that God looks upon his elect as chaste virgins (I Cor. 6:0-11; Hosea 2:18-20; Song 2:10; 5:1, 2; 6:4, 9; Ezek. 16:8-14).
God's church, all his saints are compared to virgins for many reasons – (II Cor. 11:2).
1. They are betrothed and espoused to Christ as their husband, by their own voluntary profession.
Just as the Lord Jesus willingly espoused himself to us in eternal election, we willingly espouse ourselves to him in conversion. In our profession of faith at baptism, we publicly avow that we belong to Christ.
2. Like chaste virgins, all believers love Christ and cleave only to him.
With singleness of heart, we love him because he first loved us. And with devotion of love we adhere to Christ alone because he holds our hearts.
3. Like virgins adorned for their wedding, God's saints are clothed with the righteousness of Christ.
Their beauty and comeliness is his beauty and his comeliness. Their gay attire is the garments of salvation, that fine linen, clean and white, which Christ made for them and grace put upon them.
4. And like virgins, God's elect are chaste and pure – Grace has made them so.
This is what grace has done for us! Grace takes the filthy and makes it pure. Grace takes the wretched and makes it lovely. Grace takes the heart of the fornicator, adulterer and idolater and makes him faithful. Grace takes the naked and clothes him. Grace takes the godless and makes him godly. Grace takes the defiled and makes it undefiled. Grace takes the harlot and makes a virgin.
II. Secondly, All Of Those Whom John Saw In Heaven Are Followers Of The Lamb.
"These are they which follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth." It appears that, as John looked at the great multitude in heaven, he saw among them these saints he knew upon the earth. He recognized in them the characteristic of all Christ's sheep, they "follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth." (John 10:4, 5, 27). God's elect are all followers of Christ. They do not follow men. They follow Christ. They do not follow their noses. The follow Christ. They hear his voice and they follow him.
A. They follow The Example of Christ as The Rule of Their Lives – (John 13:15).
They do not live under the yoke of Moses, which is hard and rigorous. They live under the yoke of Christ, which is easy and light –
B. They follow Christ in All The Duties, Privileges And Responsibilities Of Worship.
With willing hearts and excited spirits those who are born of God follow Christ in their worship of God. We cannot follow him perfectly. But with sincere hearts, we strive to worship and serve our God as he did.
1. Like him, we live by faith.
2. Like him, we call upon God in prayer.
3. Like him, we find our place in the house of God.
4. Like him, we seek in all things to glorify our God (Eph. 4:17-21).
5. And all the saints of God follow Christ in voluntary submission to his ordinances.
C. The Believer also follows Christ's Word, The Direction of His Spirit and the Path of His Providence, Seeking to Do The Will of God in All Things with A Willing Heart.
The believer's life is not ruled by his own will, but by the Word of God. God's people do not follow the direction of their own desires, but the direction of God's Spirit. We seek not the path of our choosing, but the path of God's making. The will of God is of paramount importance. Once the will of God is known, nothing else is to be considered. Oh, for grace to know and do his will, following Christ in All things!
D. Moreover, All Who Are Born Of God Follow The Lamb to The Place Where He Is Preached.
You will not find the people of God in just any church, sitting under and supporting any ministry. They have fined tuned ears. They always listen for the middle "C", Christ Crucified. If they do not hear it, the song that is sung, the message that is heard, has nothing for them. Christ's sheep have very sensitive palates. They love the taste of free-grace. But they will not swallow the poison of freewill, no matter how camouflaged it is. You will not find God's people in a house of worship where Christ is not preached. They flee the synagogues of Satan.
E. And you can be sure of this: All Who Are Born Of God Will Follow Christ The Lamb All The Way To Glory.
Not one of God's elect will draw back to perdition. They will all persevere to the end. Through water and through fire, through burning dessert and freezing night, up the hill of difficulty and through the slough of despond, every believer follows Christ all the way home.
We all went astray from the womb speaking lies. We all, like sheep, wandered far, following our own wills. But grace sought us, caught us and brought us to Christ. Grace made us followers of the Lamb. And grace will keep us as following the Lamb, until we are with the Lamb in glory. Grace put us in the way. And grace will keep us in the way – (John 10:27-29). All of God's saints are followers of the Lamb (Phil. 3:13-14).
III. Thirdly, John shows us that All Who Are In Heaven Are There Because They Were Redeemed By The Precious Blood of Christ, The Lamb of God.
"These were redeemed (were bought) from among men, being the firstfruits unto God and to the Lamb."
A. John tells us plainly that these in heaven Were Bought By an Act of Special, Particular, Effectual Redemption.
All men were fallen, but not all were redeemed. All were guilty, but not all were redeemed. The text does not say, "These were redeemed along with those who are in hell." Of course not? That would be blasphemy! The text says, "These were redeemed from among men." All who were redeemed are seen in heaven. None of those who are not with the Lamb in glory were redeemed by the Lamb of Calvary.
1. Christ redeemed us by paying the price of our ransom from the hands of God's offended justice; and that ransom price was his own precious blood (I Pet. 1:18-20; 3:18).
2. Christ's work of redemption effectually ransomed all for whom he died from the penalty of the law (Gal. 3:13; Heb. 9:12).
3. The price of redemption was paid for a particular people (Rev. 5:9; Isa. 53:8).
The matter of particular redemption is not a minor point of strict doctrine. It is a major issue. It is vital to the faith of the gospel. Universal redemption denies the power and efficacy of Christ's blood. Universal redemption declares that Christ did not really accomplish anything by his death on the cross; but only made redemption possible. Universal redemption makes man his own Savior, declaring that man's faith makes the blood of Christ effectual.
B. John specifically tells us that this redeemed multitude in heaven was bought from among men, Because They are God's Elect.
That is the meaning of the next phrase. "These were redeemed from among men, being (or because they were) the firstfruits unto God and to the Lamb." "In other words, there was a separation: the firstfruits were for the Lord. As such they were set apart from men in general… What does not belong to the firstfruits is not for the Lord, is not elect. These one hundred forty-four thousand are not firstfruits verses other believers, a group of super saints. They are the firstfruits 'purchased away from men'" (William Hendriksen).
In the Old Testament Israel brought the firstfruits to the Lord. That belonged to him. He had no interest in the rest. The Israelites could do what they pleased with that – (Ex. 23:19; Num. 15:20; 18:12; Deut. 26:2; Neh. 10:35, 37). In this chapter God's elect are the firstfruits. They are redeemed. They are called. They are gathered round the throne. The rest are cast into the winepress of the wrath of God as useless things (vv. 14-20). That which is not redeemed must be destroyed (Ex. 13:13).
Grace has redeemed us. Redemption is the work of God's grace alone. All who were chosen of God were redeemed by God, called by God and glorified by God.
IV. Fourthly, John tells us that All who Enter Heaven Are Without Guile.
"And in their mouth was found no guile." Grace has made them honest, sincere worshippers of God. They are not liars, deceivers, pretenders, hypocrites (Phil. 3:3).
God's people are not pretentious deceivers. Like Nathaniel, they are Israelites indeed. Grace has made them so. They draw near to God, not in word only, but in sincerity and truth, with believing hearts.
V. Fifthly, John shows us that All the Saints of God in Heaven Are Without Fault Before The Throne of God.
In themselves, by nature, God's saints have many faults. They have nothing but faults, wrinkles and blemishes. But "they are without fault before the throne of God."
A. We were chosen of God in Eternal Election that we might be Holy and without Blame Before Him (Eph. 1:3-4).
B. We were Redeemed by the Blood of Christ, so that All our Guilt, Sin, Fault and Blame Might Be Removed From Us (Eph. 5:25-27).
C. And We Shall Be Presented at Last, As Trophies of God's Almighty, Saving Grace Holy, Unblameable, Unreproveable, and Without Fault Before The Presence of His Glory (Col. 1:22; Jude 24-25).
Look what Grace Has Done! (Read vv. 4-5). Will you be in the number of those who are "without fault before the throne of God"? If you believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, you are among these "firstfruits unto God and to the Lamb." What grace has done for the rest it has done and shall do for you. Be sure you give God the glory for the great things he has done. Even in heaven our confession shall forever be, "By the grace of God, I am what I am."
*