Let us open our copy of the scriptures to Hebrews chapter 10, and we'll read verses 10 through 23 of Hebrews 10. Let us read the word of the Lord together. By this will we have been sanctified through the offering of all the body of Jesus Christ, once for all. And every priest stands daily ministering and offering time after time the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. But he, having offered one sacrifice for sins for all time, sat down at the right hand of God, waiting from that time onward until his enemies be made a footstool for his feet. For by one offering, he has perfected for all time those who are sanctified. And the Holy Spirit also bears witness to us, for after saying, this is the covenant that I will make with them. After those days, says the Lord, I will put my laws upon their heart and upon their mind, I will write them. He then says, in their sins and their lawless deeds, I will remember no more. Now where there is forgiveness of these things, there is no longer any offering for sin. Since therefore, brethren, we have confidence to enter the holy place by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way which he inaugurated for us through the veil that is his flesh. And since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith. Having our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water, let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful. And let us all pray together. Oh, righteous Father, we've read your word, And we've sung Psalms, and we've sung your Word. And so we pray to you now, O Lord, as we've come to this time, after the reading, to now the preaching of that Word, and thinking of the last thing we read, He who promised is faithful. Oh Lord, Sarah laughed in her heart, yet she knew ultimately you who promised would be faithful, and she did bear a son. Oh Lord, it is written throughout your scriptures that you are faithful. We think of Deuteronomy chapter 7, It is you, God, you, Lord, the faithful God who keeps his covenant. And so we bow before you, the one in whom we are dependent. And so we ask that you would give to us, we pray, hearts and minds to understand your scripture, that we have a better grasp of what you have done in the person and work of our Lord Jesus Christ, that He, being forever Second Person of the Godhead in bodily form, would come here, born in a stable, in a feeding trough, yet sinless His entire life. So we praise you and thank you In Jesus' name, amen. Well, the title of the sermon this morning, The Eternal Son and Holy Transformation. So many times I've experienced the gathering together of the saints to rejoice in the incarnation of God, the Son. Many times it's been a very sentimental type exercise or something with great music and great joy and a warm and certainly a time filled with peace and joy. However, I think it's important that we understand the teaching of the scriptures that touch on these matters that also deal in a broader way and perhaps a deeper way in what is being described historically. When we look at the historical narratives and some theological explanation in, for example, Matthew 1 or Luke 2, then, of course, it is rich and it is something that we always desire to ponder and to apply. There's more that we need to dig into the matter. And so today, I would like for us, I hope, as we've looked at Jesus as Emmanuel, or that is to say, fully God and fully man, who did a once for all sacrifice in our place, and they're recorded in this portion of scripture, I wish, and how that's related to the new covenant, I wish today to consider the incarnation, especially as we think of the covenant promises culminating in that new covenant. Furthermore, by union with Christ in this incarnation and how he is our great high priest, as well as the sacrifice, is central to the thinking. And not just any priest. Furthermore, a priest after the order of Melchizedek, a king priest. both of which are mentioned, of course. And then finally, New Covenant worship and how all of these things are transformed from the Old Covenant into the New Covenant, and how we see that these things cause us to worship Him. in greater heights, in greater depths, and with greater breadth, certainly with in his spirit and truth. And so let us look first of all at the Divine Son and the everlasting covenant, here incarnation by promise and design. If you were to look here at chapter 10 of Hebrews verse 5, through 7. We did not read that, and I will now. It says in 10.5, Therefore when he came into the world, he said, Sacrifice, an offering you did not desire, but a body you have prepared for me. In burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin you had no pleasure. Then I said, Behold, I've come. In the volume of the book it is written of me to do your will, O God. You see, when we look at this, first of all, therefore, he came into the world. You'll notice the idea here being pre-existence. We've mentioned in John 1, you all know it by heart, in the beginning was the word, that was an imperfect tense, was and was continuing to be the word, and the word was and was continuing to be, you know, as it goes on in that text, several times uses the imperfect, he was the word and the word was with God, that is to say face to face with God, and was God. And it goes on to talk about nothing was made apart from him, et cetera. And so anyway, we talk about God the Son, the second person of the Holy Trinity, who is pre-existent, that is to say, exists before all worlds. Existed. And here it says he came into the world. At the beginning of verse 5, at the end of verse 5, a body you have prepared for me. So when we think then of what has taken place here is this was that which was according to God's covenant purpose and plan. The preexistent Lord came into this world and a body was prepared for him in verse seven. Then I said, behold, I have come. You see, once again, he's come to do what? And it says, in the body of the book it's written of me. In other words, to fulfill all that was prophesied, all that was promised, all that was pictured, and everything that you find in scripture concerning the Son. You've prepared a body for me. I've come. And at the beginning of verse nine, and he said, behold, I've come to do your will. Oh God. He takes away the first, that is the first covenant, old covenant, then may establish the second or the final. And so he takes away, as we'll see in a moment, types and shadows, and fulfills it in Christ, the preexistent Son. If we were to look in Hebrews chapter 1, and we did last week, In verses 2 and 3, remember it talked about in the first verse how all of the ways in which God had revealed in scripture of the Old Testament and prior to this time of the Son who was to come. And then it goes on in verse 2, remember, it says, but he has spoken to us in these last days in a son. In other words, there is this sense of having arrived. There is this sense of the goal of all of that prophecy. has been reached in the arrival of the Son, in the incarnation, this preexistent one in the incarnation. If I may ask you to turn to chapter 1, look at verse 8 with me. To the Son, he says, your throne, O God, is forever and ever. A scepter of righteousness is the scepter of your kingdom. You've loved righteousness and hated lawlessness. Therefore, God, your God, has anointed you with the oil of gladness above that of your companions. It goes on about the Son in verse 10. And you, Lord, quoting the Old Testament, In the beginning laid the foundation of the earth, heavens are the works of your hands, etc. He calls him Lord. You say, well that's a common term. Yes, but look it's a quotation out of the Old Testament. It's all caps. If you were to go to Psalm 102 and you look at the quote, it's their Yahweh. The one who is the I am. The one who is a self-existent one, the source of all things. In John 8.58, we'll repeat that another time, but it says there that Jesus said that before Abraham was, past tense, I am. And so the preexistent Lord is the one about whom we speak. In chapter 2 there, in verse 9, it says, but we see Jesus. who is made a little while lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honor, that he, by the grace of God, might taste death for everyone." You see, there's the purpose, there's the covenant goal, there it is that this preexistent one would come into the world to do this. If you were to ransack the New Testament, and you could, you find these things all through the New Testament. It's ubiquitous, it's important. In Philippians 2, it says there, you know, have this mind in you, which is also in Christ Jesus, that although he existed in form as God, he thought it not to robbery or something to cling to, to hold on to these exhibitions of his glory. And he goes on to talk about the Incarnation. He was existing, again in imperfect tense, as God in the form, God. You look in John 17, 5, remember, some of you know this prayer, and he was praying the high priestly prayer, and he's praying to the Father, and he says, Father, glorify me with the glory I had with you before the world was. Now grasp that and think of that. When you think of a little baby in a manger, think of this one who is a preexistent God. It's the one we're talking about. You have in your bulletin, Colossians chapter one. In Colossians chapter one, it talks about the son, doesn't it? And there, as it describes him in chapter one, verses 15 and following. He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For by him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, where the thrones and dominions or principalities or power, all things, now listen, were created through him and for him. We're pleased the Father that in him that is the Son all fullness should dwell and by him that is in the Son. Now listen to the wording, to reconcile all things to himself by him where the things on earth are things in heaven where he made peace through the blood of his cross. And so, beloved, when we look at this preexistent one, the incarnation of promise and design, the preexistent Lord. But furthermore, it is a covenant of redemption that is involved here in chapter 10. In chapter 10, verse 7, as it talks about in the volume of the book, it is written of me, it is certainly talking about the covenant promises of God that are made that lead to that new covenant. a covenant of redemption. In verses 7 and 9, it says, I have come in the volume of the book written of me. And as you go on there in verse 9 of chapter 10 of Hebrews, it says, then he said, behold, I have come to do your will. He takes away the first, establishes the second. And so here we see this covenant order, a covenant plan. You've heard of the plan of salvation? Here's the real plan of salvation. And it is that God ordained this in the persons of the Godhead. In chapter 13, remember 20, verse 20, and just to mention it, and it says there that Christ is the one by His blood sealed the everlasting or the eternal covenant. The eternal covenant. And so when we saw him in all his pre-existence, when we see him in his eternality, when we see him as the I am the Lord, the self-existent one, who is being itself, you see there we see him working. In chapter 9 of Hebrews verse 14, it talks about this redemption that occurs and it talks about how the son is both the high priest and the sacrifice and by through the eternal spirit notice eternal through the eternal spirit he offered himself unto God the father here within the persons of the Godhead you have there is where salvation really takes place. Let me ask you to turn if you would quickly to Ephesians 1 A lot of you are very familiar with divine election or predestination. But sometimes I hear people speak of it and they miss this important point. Let me start with three. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, Ephesians 1, 3, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ. In union with Christ, here we see in decretal, or by his decree, in union, in God's decrees, in union with Christ, he views us, he sees us, as these are they whom he's chosen in him. Verse four, just as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him. In love, having predestined us to what? Unto the adoption of sons by Jesus Christ to himself according to the good pleasure of his will. In other words, within the persons of the Godhead especially, You're the Father and the Son, but also the Holy Spirit. We see here that, as Jesus said, John 6, verses 37 to 40, write it down. Jesus said, those whom the Father has given unto me will come unto me, and the one who comes unto me I will by no means cast out. When did he give us to him? It just said, before the foundation of the world. an eternal covenant, you see, beloved. And so when we're looking at this, it's unfolding. It is at the decree of God. It mentions predestination here. And we think of union with Christ, and it's transformative, right? Let me just wrap it up in a nice little bow with you. And in Romans 8.29, it talks about those that he's called, he says. Effectually, those he's predestined, these are the ones he's called. And we are called and justified and glorified. But what are we called to be? were predestined to be conformed to the image of Christ. That image that was marred and distorted and poisoned, if you will, with sin in the fall in the old Adam is restored and made new in Jesus Christ. Thirdly, the incarnation, it says, is a body We read it in verse 5 and 7 and 9. We're not going to read it all over again. Remember, it says, a body I have prepared for you. And so in other words, a real human body. And so just as we were seen as in Christ and promised in Christ before the foundation of the world, he's prepared a body. And so when the preexistent son, the everlasting son, came into the world, he came to be embodied. and we'll see a real human nature, yet without sin, and that he might be the one that he would rescue us. Let me ask you to turn to Hebrews 2. Hebrews 2, verses 9 through 11. We see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honor that he by the grace of God might taste death. Verse 10, it was fitting for him for whom are all things and by whom are all things in bringing many sons to glory to make the captain of their salvation perfect through suffering. For both he who sanctifies and those who are being sanctified are all of one. We are of one nature, his sinless, of one body, a reasonable soul. And so it says that we are of one. He goes on to say in verse 14, inasmuch as the children have partaken of flesh and blood, he himself likewise shared in the same, that through death he might destroy he who had the power of death, that is, the devil. So that in chapter two, verse 17. Therefore, in all things, he had to be made like his brethren, that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in the things pertaining to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people." You see why the Incarnation. All of that what God had ordained. I come to my second major point. Union with Christ through His Incarnation. Union with Christ, in verses, chapter 10 of Hebrews once again, verses 14 through 16. For by one offering has perfected forever those who are being sanctified. Notice being sanctified. But the Holy Spirit also witnesses to us, for after he has said before, this is the covenant I will make with them after those days, says the Lord, I will put my laws into their hearts and into their minds, I'll write them. Then he adds their sins and laws, these I will reveal no more, remember no more. So notice the image of God. Remember, as I mentioned, marred and distorted in the Garden of Eden. It says here that the new covenant is that there's a transformation that takes place as we're in union with Christ as he changes us not just outwardly but inwardly. It says he writes his law on our hearts, the affections, the desires, the motives on our hearts and on our minds, the things that direct our steps, our understanding, the worldview, the worship and everything that's done heart and mind and soul before God. He writes His will there. In 2 Corinthians 3, verse 18, it describes how, you know, that you and I are in Jesus Christ again. And it says, this is the ministry of the new covenant in verse 6. And there Paul is saying that by the Holy Spirit, that it's not by the tables, the stone that are written with a finger of God in stone, but that God has written his law in your hearts on tables of flesh within by the Holy Spirit. And he goes on to develop this whole thing. And he says that in verse 18, but he says, what is the goal of all of this? Remember, we were created in the image of God, right? To reflect, to show forth, to demonstrate the righteousness, the holiness of God. It says there that God did this in this new covenant era that we might show forth the image of Jesus Christ conformed more and more from the inside out into His image. Isn't that glorious? All of you know a verse that's found in 2 Corinthians elsewhere in chapter 5, in verse 17. Remember it? They're talking about union with Christ, too. If anyone is in Christ, what does it say? You are a new creation. All things have passed away. Behold, all things have become new. It's a transformative union and covenant with our Lord. There are two ways in which you and I are shown here in this text, and we don't have time, I'm going to abbreviate it. So real simple. Christ is our representative. That would be that he is the one who is a new Adam. In Adam, we all died. In Christ, we are made alive. In Adam, we were all constituted sinners. In Christ, we're made righteous. In Adam, we're all condemned. In Christ, we are justified. And so, a new Adam. A representative, though, in another way that's emphasized here, and that is our great High Priest. One who mediates between us and God. Remember a priest would be one who came representing all of the people of God and came to God with those sacrifices in the blood that he offered there on their behalf. That's the substitutionary aspect, the sacrifice. But the priest has the representative. Christ is both. And so as our representative, he functions as a high priest, one who's worthy. And I want back to that transformation, you know, writing the law on our hearts. Just write down, read it later. But in Colossians chapter 3, verse 10, It talks about how in union with Christ, remember we died with Christ, buried with Christ, were raised in Christ Jesus. It says there in that verse that there we're being renewed after true knowledge. You compare it with Ephesians 4, and righteousness, and holiness, and dominion over the creatures. That God is renewing us all of these things after the image of God. Restoring that image, that's what this is about, where we are reflecting more and more from the inside out this renewal that God by His covenant mercy and grace in Christ performs. By the way, if you look in the future, 1 Corinthians 15, you start around verse 42 and go through I think for 47 or so. It says that you and I all came into this world bearing the image of Adam, the earthy or earthly man. But it says in God's power and grace that we are being or will be conformed to the heavenly man, Jesus Christ. When, here's the point, our representative and our substitute, we are bound or identified with or in union with him, not just in this life, but in eternity. At the resurrection of Jesus Christ, when He comes again, we will be raised. And as it says in 1 John 3, it doth not yet appear what we shall be, but we do know that when He comes, we will be like Him. Not gods, but certainly rescued and conformed to Him. And so, beloved, we have here an image of God and, as we think of verses 11 and 12, a transformed priesthood. You know, here in verse 11, notice the contrast between priests. Chapter 10, verse 11, every priest, thinking of the old covenant, every priest, ministers daily, thinking of daily sacrifices, and offering repeatedly the same sacrifices, notice, which can never take away sins. Never. Standing continually, never take away sin. Now contrast verse 12. But this man, that is to say Jesus, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down at the right hand of God. Now, why would he do that? How could he do that? What does that mean? Well, there are a lot of things that means. First of all, in contrast to continually, his is once for all time. Secondly, as those cannot take away sin, this has brought about everlasting forgiveness forever. Thirdly, he sat down rather than standing because it cannot be repeated. As it says, it is forever. At no time in the future will it ever be repeated. It is once for all time. It says it repeatedly in the text, doesn't it? Forever. once for all, once for all, forever, for all time. As it says in chapter seven about the priesthood, it says, he is the one who is a priest with the power of endless life. That is the kind of priest we need, wouldn't you agree? And so the transforming priesthood of Christ, he sat down, but what I also sitting down at the right hand of the father, Well, let's turn to chapter 7 of Hebrews. You say, are you going to teach the whole book of Hebrews? No, I am not, but I'd like to, again. But get this part. It's key. Hebrews 7, verses 12 through 16. The priesthood being changed of necessity, there's also a change of the law. For he of whom these things are spoken belongs to another tribe from which no man is officiated at the altar. In other words, what tribe was Aaron from? What tribe was the priestly line? Levi, the Aaronic priesthood. And so it's showing the change of law because there's a change of tribe, it's indicated there. And in verse 14, it's evident that our Lord arose from Judah, of which tribe Moses spoke nothing concerning the priesthood. And it is yet far more evident in the likeness, if in the likeness of Melchizedek, there arises another priest who has come not according to the law of fleshly commandment, but according to the power of endless life, there it is. So why did he sit down, waiting for his enemies to be made a footstool for his feet? All through here it says that Jesus Christ is a priest after the order of Melchizedek. What does Melchizedek mean? Melech means king. Tzedekh means righteousness, king of righteousness. But he's a priest because he's a king priest. And so when we see the kind of priesthood we have, a king, Jesus Christ, king-priest, after the order of Melchizedek. That's the point that it's driving home. And so in verses 24 and 25, up chapter 7 still, it says, but he, because he continues forever, has an unchangeable priesthood. Did you get that? Not only is it an unrepeatable and unchangeable sacrifice, but he has an unchangeable priesthood. Therefore he is able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them everlastingly. Beloved, you see the key point here. Our representative, is the sacrifice, yes, once for all. We developed that last week, but here we see the priesthood of Jesus Christ, that he ever lives to make intercession. That means eternally. That means unceasing. That means effectually. And that means also he's the one who rules at the right hand of the Father on high. And so our mediator, king, priest, is at the right hand of the Father, and he's the one through whom we worship. And we come. And so this king and priest. Now why? What's so unique about this? Well, look at chapter 8 of Hebrews. Look at the first couple verses, it says, now this is the main point of the things we're saying. We have such a high priest who is seated at the right hand of the throne of the majesty in the heavens, a minister, now listen, in the sanctuary of the true tabernacle, which the Lord erected, not man. It goes on to describe, what are you talking about true tabernacle? Verses five and six. These serve the copy and the shadow of the heavenly things, as Moses was divinely instructed when he was about to make the tabernacle. He said, see that you make all things according to the pattern shown you on the mountain. But now he, that is Jesus, has obtained a more excellent ministry, inasmuch as he is a mediator of a better covenant, which is established on better promises. So at chapter 9, verse 9 and following, let me just jump to 24. All those types and shadows, all of the symbolism, all of that finds its terminus, its fulfillment in Jesus Christ. No longer are there shadows. Christ entered into what the temple merely represented. The Holy of Holies, remember, was the throne room of God. Remember, the Ark of the Covenant was a type, a symbol of the throne of God. And remember that the way in before Holy God was only by satisfying that broken law with a death of a sinless substitute. All of that wrapped up in Jesus Christ. He had to be God. carnate, this preexistent one. And he has to live everlastingly to make intercession for us on the basis of that everlasting sacrifice. And he enters in, not to an earthly temple that's merely a type and a shadow, a pattern that's obsolete. Read chapters 8 and 9 of Hebrews. And it says time and again, it's annulled, it's obsolete. He's done away with it. It's gone. And Christ has entered in once for all time. and to the holy of holies in the heavenly places themselves. You know, beloved, it tells us in chapter four, let me just mention, well, chapter four of Hebrews, it says this. Verse 14, it talks about our high priest. It says this about him. If you were to read in the Hebrews, it talks about, it says, those priests in chapter nine, it says they have a special problem. Number one, they have to make sacrifices for themselves first because they're sinners. Secondly, it says that these are they which have to make sacrifices year after year after year because they can't take away sin. And furthermore, they cannot cleanse the inside, the conscience. And it says, but Jesus Christ, once, 926, I mentioned it last week, that Jesus Christ has appeared once, not repeated like he would have had to done since the beginning of the world, year after year if he were like them, but he's not. Because he is who he is, God incarnate, he appeared once now at the end of the ages. Listen to the wording. There's a finality of it. There's the ultimacy of it. There's the goal of the covenant promise. But listen to the finality is appeared once now at the end of the ages to put away sin. That's why that verse, that last verse in the section there of Hebrews 10 verses 17 and 18, let's put them together. He adds, their sins and their lawless deeds, I will remember no more. Now where there is remission of these, there is no longer an offering for sin. When Jesus said, to tell us thigh on that cross, it is finished. That's what he meant. It's done. You cannot add to or take away from what he's done. All of it necessary to have, as it says, a high priest in chapter 9 who's holy, innocent, undefiled, and separate from sinners. The only one to satisfy those qualifications. Well, let me wrap it up. But the final thing, verses 19 through 23, new covenant worship transformed. When you look at this, it says, you and I, in verse 19, therefore, brethren, having boldness to enter the holiest of all by the blood of Jesus. Boldness to enter the holy of holies. No one on earth, even the high priest did it with great preparation. Once a year, one day a year he goes aloud, and under great fear and trepidation he did it. With the sacrifice of another to do it. It says, you and I are to come boldly before into the holy of holies. But not an earthly one, into the heavenly one. In chapter four of Hebrews, this is how. It says, by the blood of Christ there in verse 19, it says in 4.16, let me start with 14. Since we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the son of God, let us hold fast our confession. 4.15. But we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points as we are tested yet without sin. Let us therefore go come boldly to the throne of grace that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need. Why do we come boldly? Because of him. That's why. Because of his sacrifice, because of his mediation, as we look here in verse 19 of chapter 10, it says, to the holiest of all by the blood of Jesus. And secondly, it goes on in 20, by a new, not a dead way by those sacrifices that remain dead of animals, but by a new living way, which he consecrated for us through the veil that is hell, through his flesh, that is to say he's a mediator. that ever living to make intercession for us, he claims his blood, his righteousness in our behalf. That's why our faith is in him alone. Therefore, having a great high priest over the house of God, Let us draw near with a true heart and full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience. There's the work He does within. And our bodies washed with pure water. Baptism, the sign, the demonstration showing forth the reality that God does that He's the filth that we come into this world in Adam. The sin, the degradation. washed clean in Christ. Hold fast the confession, beloved. That's what it says. Hold fast. You know, in closing in Hebrews chapter 6, verses 19 and 20, it talks about Jesus Christ as our anchor within the veil. That is to say the anchor that is anchored into the holy of holies itself through that veil, the anchor that's in the ark of the covenant where his blood avails for us. That veil in the old covenant, Christ is pierced. Remember when Jesus died on the cross that that veil tore thick as it was some accounts about four inches, five inches thick. that it ripped from top to bottom, not bottom to top. God tore the veil because Christ has entered in, but not the earthly one, the heavenly reality itself. About that veil, let me just close in reading to you something that was written by a scholar by the name of F.F. Bruce. Some of you will be familiar with the name. He was talking about that veil, and Jesus Christ as God, man, as one who's a substitute for sinners, etc., and a high priest. He said this, The veil from one point of view kept God and man apart, can be thought of from another point of view as bringing them together, for it was one and the same veil. One side of it was in contact with the glory of God, and on the other side of the veil was the need of man. And so in our Lord, the Godhead and manhood were brought together, and he is the true umpire who can lay his hand on both because he shares in the nature of both. Christ, he is the eternal son, the holy transformation in him. May God be glorified in his truth. Let's pray together, shall we? Heavenly Father, when your love for mankind appeared, you saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to your mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit. Left to ourself, we have no hope. We are in a stormy sea with no anchor, but in Christ, as has been declared according to your word, we have an anchor behind the veil. We have a calmness in the midst of a stormy sea, Our Lord and our God, we pray to you, knowing that and being careful and pondering and thinking in our own minds and hearts, that we would place our faith and our trust in the One who is faithful, the One who is forever Second person of the Godhead came here and died for the sinner. Our trust is in Him. But we pray, thinking of what was said three different times in the book of Hebrews. Today, if you hear His voice, do not harden your heart. And so we pray that if any of us here today have a heart that has been hard against the truths, the promises of you, O God, we pray that today is the day of salvation. Today is the day that you renew by the Spirit of God, removing that heart of stone that Ezekiel talked about. and replacing it with a heart of flesh, that minds and hearts would be repentance towards you, O God, and faith in the one who died for us, the sinner. So we praise you and thank you for what you have done in him, him having said, as it has already been said, it is finished. And so may we rest in his work today as we pray to you in Jesus' name. Amen. Now receive the benediction of the Lord. Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. Amen.