I'd like to deviate for this
evening from looking in Genesis. I'd like for you to take your
Bibles and turn with me to the book of 2 Corinthians chapter
5. 2 Corinthians chapter 5. I'd like to look at two verses
of scripture. Verse 17 and 18. 2 Corinthians 5. We all know, according to the
word of God, this is set forth in Malachi
3, 6. The Lord has declared, for I am the Lord. He said, I change not. Therefore,
you sons of Jacob are not consumed. You know, it is a blessing of
almighty God that he would tell us that. Because man by nature
makes up a God. The Lord said, I'm the Lord.
I am the Lord. I don't change. Now here's the
answer to a man's hope. Here's the only answer to a man's
hope, right here. God Almighty doesn't change. He purposed and
promised to show mercy to a people of His choosing. He said, I don't change. I'll
have mercy. on whom I'll have mercy, whom
I will, I'm gonna pardon, forgive, keep. God Almighty has chosen a people,
and these chosen people are His, and He's purposed that they're
gonna be holy and without blame before Him in love. I know something else, though. God himself does not change unless
there's a change in us. There's got to be a change. Something's
got to happen in us. Without a change in a man's state
before God, that man, that sinner is going
perish before Almighty God's judgment, justice. The wages
of sin is death. And we're all sinners. We're
sinners by birth, sinners by practice, by choice. We're sinners. And the soul that sinned is going
to die. So I know this, something has got to happen. Almighty God
is the only one that can do anything for an unworthy sinner. Well, our text is going to set forth
the only acceptable change before God. God is going to have to
create a change. I was looking at this passage
of scripture just before I got up here. And I got to looking
at a couple of words. Found in verse 17. I'd like to
look at 17, 18. I'm gonna look first at verse
17. Now listen to this. 2 Corinthians
5, 17. Therefore, if any man be, now look at this
next word. I in, in Christ. If any man be in Christ. Now, how many times have we heard
that? If a man be in Christ. And if
we'd be honest about it, if somebody asked you, said, now what do
you mean when you say in Christ? Let me tell you what you're gonna
do. You're gonna do just exactly what I did. Your mind's gonna
go a million miles an hour and you're gonna try to think, okay,
I know that I should know what this means. I've sat under preaching
virtually all my, most of all my life, at least. What does
it mean to be in Christ? Therefore, if any man be in Christ, Here's what it means. I looked
it up. If any man be with Christ. If any man be fixed in place. If any man be among. There's
the first word. If any man be in Christ. If any man has been fixed in
place. He is a, here's the next word,
new. He's a new creature. What does
that mean? Oh, how I thank the Lord that
he would reveal these things to us, tell us what they mean.
And not leave us to our imagination because we're gonna try to imagine. What does that mean? If any man
be in Christ, he is a new, here's what this word new means. recently
made. If any man be in Christ, among,
with, fixed in place, he is a recently made creature. He is a creature
of a different nature than he was before. That's what it means. Old things, that is, that condition
prior to that change, that recent change,
old things are passed away. And behold,
all things become new. Now, as far as the apostle's
statement concerning being in Christ. I know that we were chosen
in Him by the Father before the foundation of the world. But
this, that statement being in Christ, if any man be in Christ,
any man be fixed in place, it refers to being united to Him
by by the grace of God, through faith, in regeneration. God does something for people
of His choosing. He does something for them that
they could not, they cannot do for themselves. They cannot make
themselves new. I cannot create a new me. Only God can make a new man. Make him. Make a new creature. If any man be in Christ, fixed
in place, he is a recently made creature. Truth. Refers to him being united
to Almighty God by the grace of God through faith. in him. It's actually being grafted in,
as a branch is grafted in to the vine. The scripture says
in 1 Corinthians 12, 12 and 13, for as the body is one and hath
many members, and all the members of that one body being many,
are one body, So also as Christ, so also, oh, I'm sorry, so also
is Christ. For by one spirit are we all
baptized into one body, whether we be Jews, Gentiles, whether
we be born free and have been all made to drink into one spirit. The human body has many parts,
realize this, all these different parts, But it's one body that
makes one body, one and the same body. And likewise, whether they
be Jew, Gentile, bond-free, male, female, whether they've died
in the faith, there's one body of the Lord Jesus Christ. And
they were made, they were created by Almighty God. All that the
Father has given the Son shall, in time, be spiritually baptized,
joined into, in regenerating grace into that one body. So, therefore, if any man be in Christ, he is
a new creature. That man has a new heart. It's not stony. It's not a stony
heart. It's not a reworked heart with
which he was born. It's a new heart. It's a new
nature. He's a new man. There's a new
spirit. There's a new man created in
righteousness, in true holiness. There's been a new creation formed
with him. He's a brand new man. God has made something brand
new. There's been, by the divine power
of God, a creation has happened. God has made a new man. He's made him a new one. He's
just not the same man. He's a new creature. If any man be in Christ, he's
a new creation. He's got new views and new principles. And he seeks and lives after
the Lord who loved him and gave himself for him and still while
he's in this body, flesh. There's that new man's there.
And they, we talk about that. You think, what is happening?
Why, why am I thus? That's what old John Newton says.
I love the Lord. If I'm His, why, why do I act
like I do? There's a, there's two men there. There's two natures there. And
being found in Him, being found united with him, joined with
him. Old things, the scripture says.
Therefore, if any man be in Christ, he's a new creature. Remember
that, recently made. He's a new creature, recently
made. You say, well, I've been a believer for X amount of years. Well, in light of eternity, you
were recently made. God made you new. Just, he's
a new creature. And old things, old things. What are these old things? Hold
your place right there. Turn over to Ephesians 2, 13.
Ephesians 2, 13, 15. Old things. Ephesians 2, 13,
15. I just, I was reading over this
scripture just a minute ago and these words, in Christ, just
keep jumping out at me, in Christ, in Christ. I'd read these words
and it's so easy to pass over them, they're just so, you know. Verse 13, but now, in Christ Jesus, ye who sometime
were afar off, oh, I think about You know, I
just look at these scriptures, these words, you know, I think
about how far, how far we are. When we're born in Adam, how
far are we from him? Far, far. So far that we couldn't
get back by ourselves, I can tell you that. But now, in Christ
Jesus, ye who sometimes were far off or made nigh by the blood
of Christ. For he is our peace, who hath
made both one and hath broken down the middle
wall of partition between us, having abolished in his flesh
the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances. for to make in himself of twain
one new man. So make in peace. Oh, if any
man be in Christ, old things, these old things, old beliefs
of worthiness, old beliefs of selfishness, old beliefs of being
and found where everybody is loved of God and God wants to
save everybody if they'll let Him, the old thoughts of man's
free will and self-righteousness, being able to come to God to
be accepted of Him by the works of the law, like Paul formerly
thought himself, possessed and be worthy of, all these things
are passed away. They're not found in that new
man. For the believer, behold, all
things are become new. Behold, all things have been
recently made. They're fresh. That's another
word it means. Fresh. Behold, all things have become
new. The renewed man is the workmanship of God. God has made a new creature. Think about There's human beings
all over the place. But all these human beings being
born in Adam, they're all fallen creatures. They look like humans,
they sound like humans, they talk like humans, they think
like humans by nature. But God Almighty, by His grace
and power, He made some new creatures out of them, out of some of them.
And this renewed man, He is the workmanship, ye are
the workmanship of Almighty God, created in Christ Jesus unto
good works. He's living in the same body,
but he possesses a new character, a new desire for a new conduct. There's a new man there. A new
man that, as I said a moment ago, struggles. Struggle with
that old man that's still there. He's gonna be there. I've told
you before, brethren, this old man in which we were born, he
doesn't get better. Not getting any better. I'm telling
you, it's a struggle. It's a battle. That old man,
you know, He sees no beauty in the Savior. He doesn't desire
Him. But that new man, he loves God. He loves Him. I think how I see these things
in me, and you do too. I'm just the one standing up
here saying them. But if we were honest, we would
say, how often Do we see that old man raise his ugly head? How lazy is he? How hateful is
he toward the things of God? How hateful is this old man toward
this new man's love for Christ? Insinuates things to me that
I dare not even mention. Oh, before we saw no beauty,
before we had nothing but a carnal heart, and it was filled with
enmity, hatred, and resentment before God, and love being separated
from Him. I'll not have that man rule over
me. Oh, but being reconciled by the blood of the Lord Jesus
Christ, There's an amazing thing that's taking place. Now there's
a hungering and a thirst after righteousness. I want to be found
in Him. I love being found in Him. I
love hearing the things of His mercy and grace and compassion.
In the same moment, grieved with the inconsistencies
that I see in my flesh, The things that I think, that
in my old man I love, and that old man I hate. I hate concerning
God, is what I'm talking about. Now being quickened to life by
Christ, by the importation of a new heart, there's a new creature
there that bows to the things of God. I bow and I struggle,
I bow and I resist, I bow and I hate. And though the new creation is
made new in Christ, I know this, I'm gonna live with
this old man until I die, but until I die, I'm gonna walk in
this world seeking after him and admitting I am what I am
by the grace of God. New man doesn't lay any claim
to what God's done in his life. Oh, I can remember years ago,
and if you've ever gone through any, you know, being raised in
free will, works, religion, I mean, I think how many times I would
find great comfort in rededicating Rededicating, you know. Which
is what I mean is this. I've recognized, I've slipped
a little bit, but I'm telling you, I just know this. I can
make this good. I can make good on this. I'll go down and rededicate my
life to him. A believer, he realizes he is
what he is by the grace of God, and he realized that Almighty
God has done something in him that he could not do for himself. called me out of darkness. He's
given me life. He's taught me of himself. He keeps me by his
grace. Back in 2 Corinthians 5, 17. Therefore, if any man be in Christ,
he's a new creature. Old things are passed away. Behold,
all things have become new. In verse 18, all things are of
God. who hath reconciled us to himself
by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation. All things are of God. Now, we
know that all things in creation, all things in providence, they
are of God. Who do you think sent this hurricane
that's coming? The Lord. The earth is the Lord's. Fullness thereof is the Lord's.
He doeth all things after the counsel of his own will. I know
that all things in creation and providence are of God, but that's
not what the apostle's talking about when he says all things
are of God, who has reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ. What he's doing here is he's
continuing to preach about the entire change that's been wrought
in the new creation. Everything that the law demanded
for justification, all that was demanded for righteousness before
him, all things are of God. and were given unto us in Christ
Jesus. Any act on our part bore nothing
toward that change. No choice of ours, nothing. All things are of God. It was
God Almighty who removed the enmity between Himself and His
people. Just imagine how much power does
a man have removing the enmity between himself and God. How much power does he have?
He has none. How much power do I have part to myself righteousness
or life. How much power does a man have?
Nothing. The Lord said without me you
can do nothing. You can't do anything. All things
are of God. Our sins that separated us from
God had to be made His sins. Well, he said, my sins, my sins. When he died, he died on Calvary's
tree because the scripture says he was made sin. He hath made him sin. That was of God. All things are
of God. Only God can take the guilt of
his people and truly make that guilt to be Christ. I told you, I thought about this,
about my mama. I told you that example, I know
you know. My mama had committed murder and I would, you know,
she was convicted. Execution is due, and if I said,
listen, I'm gonna just take her place, I'll die for her. I'll
die in her stead. So they take my mama and get
her out of the box of electrocution. They put me there. And they execute
me. That's not substitution. Because
it would come right down to this. Somebody would say, well, he
loved his mama. But really, she's the one that did it. No, no,
no, no. Only Almighty God could be made
what we are by nature. And it's God. All things are
of God. For He, the Father, hath made
Him sin. God the Father. made the Lord
Jesus Christ. He made Him sin. He made Him the guiltiness. He made Him. Only God could take
guilt and actually make it to be another's. As hard as you
want to, you can't do that. For us to be righteous, For us to be righteous in Christ,
God Almighty must make us the righteousness of God in Christ. He's got to actually make us
righteousness. I think about what Brother Scott
said. Wasn't a pasted on, didn't you? You've seen him do it. Took
that sticker. He said, you can't take a stick
and just put it on righteous. That's a sticker on there. He
said, no, you actually have to be made righteous. Only God can
do that. All things are of God who has
reconciled us unto Christ, not imputing.
their trespasses, verse 19 says, unto them, and hath committed
unto us the word of reconciliation. Everything that we need for acceptance
with him must come from him. Salvation is of the Lord, or
it's not gonna happen. We're not gonna add, we're not
gonna get any glory. Salvation is of God. Being reconciled
to God means that all the enmity has been removed. There's no
barrier left. He's received us into favor with
himself. Made us to be in harmony with
him. And only in Christ is this so.
Now this truth, God reconciling us to himself through the person
of the Lord Jesus Christ and how God has been pleased to do
that. That's the gospel. How can God be just and justify a sinner? How can
God be just and justify or say concerning a sinner? No charge. How can God do that? Only in
the person of the Lord Jesus Christ. The Lord Jesus has got
to be made He has got to be made what we
are. And Almighty God deal with Him
as us being the sinner. He has made Him sin for us. He who knew no sin that we might
be made the righteousness of God in Him. I pray God teach
us this afresh for God's glory