In the past few evenings we have seen how God manifested His grace and accomplished His righteousness. We have also seen how God through His Son Jesus died for us and for our sins, thus accomplishing the work of redemption (Rom. 5:8; 1 Cor. 15:3). His work of redemption justifies us before God through faith in His blood (Rom. 3:24-25). His resurrection from the dead becomes the assurance of our faith. Through this resurrection we know that God has accepted the sacrifice of the Lord Jesus. The work of the Lord Jesus has satisfied God's requirements. His resurrection is a proof to us of this fact. All who believe in the blood of His Son and who come to Him through His redemption are now justified.
Tonight I will not cover the other aspect of the Lord's work, which is His ascension. Since many brothers and sisters already know about this, I will just mention it in brief. The ascension of the Lord Jesus is His appearing before God on our behalf, that we might be accepted in Christ. What is ascension? In the Bible ascension means only one thing objectively, which is for one to be accepted before God. Today the Lord Jesus has appeared before God (Heb. 9:24). We also appear before God in Him. In this way God accepts us in the same way that He has accepted Christ.
Tonight we must mention another matter. The gospel is inadequate if it mentions only the work of the Father and the Son without mentioning the work of the Holy Spirit. There must be the mention of the Holy Spirit also. The work of the gospel is of three aspects. Luke 15 shows us three parables. On the one hand, we see the loving Father waiting to receive the sinners. On the other hand, we see the good Shepherd coming to the world to seek for the lost sheep. One sees the Father waiting at home for the repentant and saved sinner, and one also sees the Son coming to the world to save sinners. But after the Lord's work was completed and before the sinner reaches home, there was another parable, which is the woman patiently and carefully seeking the lost coin with a lighted lamp.
First, one sees the Lord Jesus coming to earth to seek for the sinners. Second, one sees the woman lighting the lamp to enlighten, sweep, and seek for the lost coin. Hence, the Holy Spirit is working together with the Father and the Son to seek out the sinner for the accomplishing of the gospel work. The Son came to die for the sinner; the Father receives the sinner home; and the Holy Spirit works to enlighten man's heart and to show man his real position.