You can go ahead and turn with
me to Genesis chapter 1, if you would, verse 1. That's where
we'll begin. I began working on a message
this past Thursday, and I woke up about 3 a.m. Friday morning
with one word going through my mind. That word was made. M-A-D-E. what Christ was made for me,
what I was made in Christ. Made, made. That word made is
the past tense and participle of the word make. The word make
means many things. It means to bring into being
by forming or shaping. It means to lay out and construct. It means to compose or write. It means to cause to happen. It means to cause something to
exist, to carry out, produce and perform, to ensure the success
of something or someone. It means to build, to assemble,
put together, manufacture. It means to compel. Create, bring
about, to execute, accomplish, achieve, appoint, designate,
select, elect, devise. It means many things. When we attempt, you and I, when
we attempt to make things happen, our inability is always a factor. We have good intentions. But oftentimes we're not able
to do what we would like to do. But when God makes something
come to pass, it's always a success, always. He can do anything and
he can do everything. And I grow tired of preachers
and in particular, that claim God to be someone who's trying
and wanting to accomplish something. When the scriptures are clear,
He can do anything. He can do everything. Whatever
He purposed, He accomplishes. Our God's in the heavens. He's
done whatsoever He hath willed. That's the God of the Bible. Whatsoever the Lord pleased,
that did he in heaven and in earth and in the seas and all
deep places. The Lord of hosts has sworn,
saying, surely as I have thought, so shall it come to pass. As
I have purposed, so shall it stand. That's God. Our great God's the only one
who can claim such a favorable outcome and result. This makes
him the first cause of everything, as I said in the first hour.
That word cause means to make something happen. These words
are almost synonymous with one another, to bring about an effect
or a result, meaning the cause is the source, the root, the
origin, the first cause of the basis, the author, the originator. These all describe our God. He's the one that makes things
happen, all things. He's the first cause. He's the
creator, the producer, the maker of something or someone. God
is able to use anything at His disposal as a second cause to
accomplish His sovereign will and purpose. Well, the psalmist
said, even the wrath of man, the wrath of the wicked and all
their evil intentions are at God's disposal. The scripture says to Pharaoh,
for this same purpose have I raised you up that I might show my power
in thee and that my name might be declared throughout all the
earth. Satan, the devil himself, is nothing more than God's puppet
on a stream, who does the Lord's bidding. And anyone who reads
the first two chapters of Job, the book of Job, knows that to
be so. Now, look here with me in Genesis
chapter one, verse one. The first words from the pen
of Moses, who wrote this book, says, in the beginning, God created. the heaven and the earth. Now
that word created means chose to make. The first verse in the Bible
could have just as correctly been translated, in the beginning
God chose to make the heaven and the earth. In verse seven it said God made
the firmament. In verse 16 it says God made
two great lights. In verse 25, it says, God made
the beast of the field, and God made every creepy thing. In verse 31, it says, God saw
everything that he had made. What about it? He was very good.
He was very good. Everything God does is good,
very good. In Genesis chapter two, Verse
four, God made the trees, including the tree of life. In Genesis
2, 7, God formed, God made man out of the dust of the ground,
and he breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and he became
a living soul. In verse 22, God took a rib from
the man and made he a woman. God made these things. God created
these things. He's the first cause of all these
things. And in Genesis chapter three, verse one, look at it. We see that God made the subtle
serpent that deceived the woman. God used that serpent that he
made. According to John 1, it was Christ,
the Word, who made all these things to come to pass. It says
all things were made by Him. Who? Christ. The One who was
with God, the One who was God, the One who was the Word. And
all things were made by Him, and without Him was not anything
made that was made. Made. What a special word that
is. Especially when it comes to God's
making. God made and it was very good.
God made and it was perfect. Perfect. What did God make? Everything
that he made was perfect, I know that. And he made everything. What did man make? Well, he made
a mess out of everything. Made a mess out of everything
that God made. You know, man, I think about
this often, man couldn't keep one commandment, much less ten. I hear people talking about,
well, I'm working on the eighth commandment, or I've got the
first seven down pretty good, or I'm struggling a little bit
with this one. Man couldn't keep one commandment
that God gave him. God said, you can eat of all
the fruit of the trees in the garden except for one. And the
day you eat of that, when you shall surely die. And man ate
of it. Couldn't keep one commandment.
And man's gotta keep the whole law. And man's gotta keep the
whole law perfectly. But man couldn't keep the one
law that God gave him. But here's the good news. For
the Lord will not forsake His people for His great name's sake,
because it hath pleased the Lord." Now listen, it hath pleased the
Lord to make you His people. As the psalmist echoed, know
ye that the Lord, He is God, it is He that hath made us and
not we ourselves. We just looked at that in Psalm
100 in our Bible study. It says, we are His people. and the sheep of his pasture.
Now, turn with me to 2 Corinthians 5. 2 Corinthians 5, verse 21. Most of you know this verse by
heart. It's the heart of the gospel. When it comes to what God made,
we must consider this verse of Scripture, 2 Corinthians 5, 21. I'll give you a moment to get
there. It says, for He, God, hath made
Him, Jesus Christ, to be sin for us. Now those two
words there in your Bible, you'll see they're italicized. That means they were added for
the verse to read easier. But really what this is, is for
He, God, hath made Him Christ to be sin. And who knew no sin? He didn't know any sin. That
we, that being us, the chosen sinners, might be made the righteousness
of God in him. You know, I was thinking as I
worked on this message, if I had but one message, one sermon to
preach before I died, this would be it. It's the rock upon which
our hopes as believers are built. It's the only true joy and comfort
and assurance that a believer has. It speaks of the holy and
just and great transaction of substitution. God lifting the
sin from the chosen elect sinner and putting it on Christ, the
sinner's surety. It declares the punishment of
the surety in the place of the sinner to whom the punishment
was due. And it proclaims the great exchange
of the surety's righteousness to the one who had no righteousness. It's here that God illustrates
to us the pouring out of His wrath on the head of Christ,
our substitute, that punishment that was due to us, the transgressors. That's the most amazing thing
I've ever heard. Especially when you consider
who and what these transgressors are. It's here that God gives to us
the glorious freedom and everlasting life found only in Christ's perfect
righteousness. It's got to be perfect to be
accepted. God won't accept anything less
than perfection. We have no perfection. Matter
of fact, the scripture says there's none that doeth good. No, not
one. There's none righteous. No, not a single one. We have
no goodness by nature. We have no righteousness by nature.
It's got to be given to us. You're saved by grace through
faith that's not of yourselves. It's a gift of God. Not by works
lest any man should boast. And what a gift it is. A spotless Savior stands in a
guilty sinner's place. God lays the guilty sinner's
sin on the sinless Savior. Then he takes from the sinless
Savior his perfect righteousness and puts it on the once guilty
sinner. It just gets better. It just
keeps getting better. What's it called? Substitution. Christ was punished for the guilty
sinner's sin. In exchange, the guilty sinner
is honored and glorified in, by, and through Christ's perfect
righteousness. Are you following me? And only
because God made it so. Who made it so? God did. Christ
was punished for the guilty sinner's sin. In exchange, the guilty
sinner is honored and glorified. Only God can make that happen. Jesus Christ was made sin for
us that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him. Oh, I've come to love that little
four-letter word, made. Haven't you? the heart of the
gospel substitution. This verse is a clear declaration
of it. Substitution is Christ being
made what we are so that we may be made what he is. That's not
hard, is it? But you'll never ever believe
it unless God divinely reveals it to you. You'll find every
reason not to believe it until God makes you believe it. Now, I found this very, very
interesting. The word for sin here in the
Greek is hamartia. It means guilty of an offense.
What offense? Guilty of the whole law of God.
We're guilty of the whole law. Because if we offend in one point
of the law, the scripture says that we're guilty of the whole
law. Offense means transgression. It means a fall. It means fault.
It means trespass. This is our offense against God's
holy law. We've transgressed against the
holy law of God. We've fallen and failed to keep
it. We're at fault. We've trespassed against God.
Against him and him only have we sinned. That's what David
said. Against thee and thee only have I sinned. And done this
what? Evil in thy sight. Well, I'm
not evil, brother. God you are. Maybe not compared
to another sinner, because we're all evil. There's none that do
it good. There's none. There's none that
seek it after God. There's none righteous. No, not
a one. My, we need to look in this book and see what God declares
us to be. God's going to be justified when
He declares us guilty. Psalm 51, 4. God's going to be
clear of any injustice in and with if He ever sends one to
hell. He's going to be clear of any
injustice. We go to hell because we deserve
to go to hell. Christ was not a sinner. It says
right here. Folks won't argue. Were you saying
Jesus Christ was a sinner? No. Not saying He was a sinner.
He knew no sin. It says right there. He knew
no sin. He had no acquaintance with sin.
He had no sin in which to be blamed for. He was made to be
sin. Our sin was put upon Him. His righteousness was put upon
us. We were made the righteousness
of God in him while he was made sin in our place. That word no
there, no sin, in this verse is an absolute denial of sin
in Christ. You know what it means? It means
never, no never. It means God forbid. For He,
God, hath made Him, Christ, to be sin. Who knew no sin, it gets
better. That we, this is why, that we
might be made the righteousness of God in Him. This is the reason
the child of God can be given Christ's righteousness. This
is the proof that the believer has been given it. That being
the fact that Christ knew no sin, He was sinless. And by taking
our sin upon Himself, God punished our sin on Him, and yet Him not
having any sin of His own, death couldn't hold Him, the grave
couldn't hold Him, and God raised Him from the dead. God said,
that's enough. He's exhausted my justice. He's paid it in full and he's
got to rise. And here's the good news, Sharon,
we rose in Him. Isn't that good news? He made
us rise with Him. If Christ was not made sin, if
he had not been compelled, caused, created, appointed, ensured,
made certain to be successful at taking his people's sin, then
his people could have never been made the righteousness of God
in him. That's what that word means,
made. I found this very interesting.
The two words translated made here in verse 21 are two different
Greek words. When it says that Christ was
made sin, the word there, we translate made, means appointed. And when it says that we were
made righteous, the word means caused to be. Christ was made,
appointed by God to be sin for His people, that His people might
be caused, made, caused to be the righteousness of God. And
don't leave this out, in Him. No other what? In Him. I love
the thought that we were appointed and caused to be saved in the
substitution of the Lord Jesus Christ. The assurance of this
is found in those last two words, in Him. It's called a new birth. It's called a new creation. Look
up at verse 17 here in 2 Corinthians chapter five. It says, therefore,
if any man be where? In Christ. He is what? A new creature. And what happens? Old things are passed away and
behold, all things are become new. You see in the new birth,
the new creation, everything about our nature, our fallen,
depraved nature has become new. We're made perfect, holy, unblameable,
unreprovable. Boy, those are good words to...
We're given a new nature. We're made a new creation. And
that word creature there means just that, creation. We're a
new creation. And it took the same power of
God speaking this world, this universe into existence to do
that as it is to save sinners like me and you. Saved by the
power of God, kept by the power of God. Man, we've got a new
nature. We're a new creation. If God
put all my sin on Christ and gave me his perfect righteousness,
oh, I'm brand new. Turn with me to Romans 7. I think this is the last place
I'll turn you. Romans chapter 7. Verse 18. Here in Romans chapter 7 verse
18 with Paul, the believer says, for I know that in me, that is
in my flesh, dwelleth no good thing. He says, for to will The
will to do good is present with me, but how to perform that which
is good, I find not. You know, we have a tendency
to tell our children as they're growing, well, that's a good
boy. We ought to quit lying to them. Nothing good about them. You don't have to teach a young
child how to lie and cheat and steal. It comes natural to us. There are some that would argue
the fact of the two natures of man. How else can we explain
the way that we are? In verse 19, Paul said, for the
good that I would, I do not, but the evil which I would not,
that I do. Verse 20, now, if I do that,
I would not, it's no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth
in me. Well, now, is that just a way
to excuse your sin? No, no, he's telling us something
here. Paul said, it is no longer the
new me that sins, it's the sin that dwells in the old me. Talking
about two different men here, old man and new man. Paul distinguishes
two identities here. He speaks of the man that doesn't
sin, referring to the new creation within that God has made us. And he speaks of the old nature,
which still sins. It's the same in verse 21. Look
at it. Paul said, I find then a law
that when I would do good, evil is present with me. Has that
ever happened to you? For I delight in the law of God
after the inward man, but I see another law in my members warring
against the law of my mind and bringing me into captivity to
the law of sin, which is in my members." Paul felt the force
and he felt the power of the inbred corruption working in
him. And so do we. It was another
law which was opposite to the law that God delighted in. The one is good, the other's
evil. That's a war within. Paul talked about that war within
the members of our body. You ever feel that war? Yes,
sir. Of course you do. A war that Paul could not deliver
himself from, and friends, neither can we. We can't. But we should try. We sure want
to, don't we? We hate our sin. We hate ourselves.
And what do we declare? The same thing that Paul did.
Oh, wretched man that I am. Paul's a saved man here. He's
not saying, oh, wretched man that I used to be. He said, oh,
wretched man that I am. I'm still wretched. Until I lay
down this body in death and breath leaves me, the breath of life,
the breath of God leaves me, I'm gonna struggle. I'm gonna
war with this old man, old wretched man that I am. There's only one
who can deliver us from the body of this death, Jesus Christ our
Lord. In verse 25, Paul reveals, so
then with our mind, that's talking about the intellect, the understanding,
the heart, we serve the law of God, but with the flesh, our
fallen human nature, we serve the law of sin. Now, turn back
just a page or so to Romans chapter 6 with me, verse 6. Paul says, knowing this, that
our old man is crucified with him, that being Christ, that
the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not
serve sin. Now, our old man is crucified
with Christ. that the body of sin might be
destroyed. But it's not destroyed yet. It
says that it might be. It's not destroyed yet. Not until
we lay down in death. Not as long as this flesh, this
body is living, we're gonna sin. But henceforth, or going forth,
we should not serve sin. See the difference? We don't
serve sin. And that's called our old man
because it's been our, Ours since birth, we received it from our
father Adam. It consists of parts and members
such as the will, the mind, affection and actions. Now let me read
just a couple of verses, three, four verses out of Ephesians
4 for you. Pay attention to these words,
Paul wrote. If so be that you have heard
him, God, and have been taught by him, as the truth is in Jesus,
that you put off concerning the former conversation, the word
means way of life, the old man, put him off, which is corrupt
according to deceitful lust, and be renewed in the spirit
of your mind, and that you put on the new man, which after God
is created in righteousness, that righteousness that Christ
gave us, and in true holiness. That's the war, putting off the
one and putting on the other. And to the Colossians, Paul wrote,
lie not one to another, seeing that you've put off the old man
with his deeds and have put on the new man, which is renewed
in knowledge after the image of him that created him. God
is conforming his people to the image of the Lord Jesus Christ. The old man, the old nature can
never be improved, it's gotta be destroyed. But it remains
with us until our physical death. And listen, that is why the physical
death of a believer is called a departure. It's not the end,
it's just a departure. We depart this body of death.
That's why to die is gain. Because we depart from this life
in sin to a new place without sin. That's why to be absent
from the body is to be present with the Lord. No sin. No sin there. We're departing
to a better place where there is no sin. No sin to plague us. And because of that, Chris, no
tears, no pain, no more death. But the believer who's still
in this body of death, having had their sin put away and given
the perfect righteousness of Christ, they're not going to
indulge their sin or make provisions for it. What are we going to
do? We're going to crucify it daily.
Paul wrote, and they that are Christ have crucified the flesh
with the affections and lust. Galatians 5, 24. We serve Christ,
we don't serve sin. Romans 6, verse 7, for he that
is dead is freed from sin. It's not speaking of physical
death. When we die physically, we will be free forever from
the presence of sin. But the reference here is to
right now in Christ. Now this'll bless you. This'll
bless you if you'll get a hold of this. Right now in Christ, we are dead
and totally clear of any penalty, curse, or charge of sin. Right
now. While alive, we're not free from
the presence of sin, but we're free from the burden of sin.
We're not yet finished with our war with sin, but we're free
from sin's dominion. We're free from the guilt of
sin. We're free from the punishment
of sin right now. Why? How? Because God hath made
Christ sin for us. How? He made Him. who knew no sin, was made sin,
that we might be made. caused to be the righteousness
of God in him. What good news? Through the sacrifice
of Christ, God is able to justly pardon. In the death of Christ,
divine justice was executed on the innocent who was made guilty,
and pardon was justly given to the ones who were made innocent. Have I told you that I really
like that word made? Don't you? This is how God can be just and
justify the ungodly. For, means this is how. Here's the message of redemption.
For God hath made Christ sin, for, this is why, or how, God
has made us righteous and healed. That's the greatest trade for
the sinner that was ever made. There are three persons spoken
of here. God the Father, God the Son, and us, who are sinners. And God the Father and God the
Son made a way that God could justly save us, and God's law
be fulfilled, and God's holy justice be satisfied. Mm-mm. Our Lord praying in the
garden said, this is eternal life that they, us, sinners,
might know thee, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom thou
hast sent. This is the true God. This is
the creator. This is the God of scripture,
not the God preached from the average pulpit. This is speaking
of the true and living God. This is not the God of men and
women's imagination. I hear people describe their
God sometimes, and I want to say, where did you make that
up at? It's not based on the scriptures. It's not based upon,
it's man's traditions. It's man's doctrine, but it sure
ain't God's. This is the book, and in it contains
the words of life. God has made, this God, has made
His Son sin. And this God has made His people
the righteousness of Christ. He's a sovereign God. He's not
subject to any will but His own. He does all things by the counsel
of His own will. There's no God besides Him. He
does all His pleasure. Now men will argue with an equal,
and men will argue with an equal. They'll debate with an equal.
But man will use and abuse an equal. But not with the sovereign
God of the Bible. Not gonna do it. With Him, you're
gonna bow or you're gonna perish. With Him, you're gonna worship
or forever be lost. In the only place a man or a
woman will find sure mercy, true grace, real forgiveness is in
and at the throne of a sovereign God. Is your God sovereign? Well, if He's God, He is. How did he do so? Justice requires
perfection and he provided that perfection. How did he do it?
By putting the sin of his people on Christ and by putting Christ's
righteousness on them. Well, you sure are being repetitive. I mean to be. Do you know this
God? Is this your God? His justice
can't be compromised. He must punish sin. His holy
justice demands it. If He sweeps our sin under a
rug without dealing with it and receiving payment for it, then
He's unjust. Sin, when it's finished, bringeth
forth death. The soul that sins, it shall
die. Now, is your sin going to be punished on you? Or is it
going to be punished on a substitute? Well, there's only one substitute.
There's only one mediator between God and man, the man, Christ
Jesus. God in His sovereignty has determined
to save. How? He hath made Christ to be
sin for His people. Oh my, God provides for us all
that He requires of us. What's it called? Substitution. And the substitution of his son
provides satisfaction. The scripture has several questions.
How can a man be just with God? How can he be clean as born of
a woman? Who can stand in God's presence? Who can ascend into his holy
heel? He answers that question, he
that hath clean hands and a pure heart, one who has never lifted
up his soul to vanity, or who has never sworn deceitfully. I hate to tell you this, but
that leaves all of us out. Or does it? If Christ took my
sin upon Himself and gave me His perfect righteousness, then
I'm included in those with clean hands and a pure heart. Look at Calvary's cross. What
do you see there? God's pouring out His wrath upon
His Son. And He's pouring it out upon
Him, shall we, as if there's no love at all for Him. Why? Because He's made Him to be sin
for us. God cannot and will not look
upon sin. May we always, always, always
look to our Lord's substitution with devout adoration. May we lowly and reverently adore
the justice of God. He cannot save you and tarnish
his justice. He would cease to be God. So
what makes this substitution something to adore? God killed
his own son to provide it for unworthy, wretched sinners. Isn't that good news? For when
we were yet without strength and due time, Christ died for
the ungodly. For scarcely for a righteous
man will one die, yet for a venture for a good man, some would even
dare to die. But God commended his love toward
us in that while we were yet sinners, wretches, Christ died
for us. But of him are you in Christ
Jesus, who of God is made. made unto us wisdom and righteousness
and sanctification and redemption, that according as it is written,
he that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord. May God enable us
this day, right now, to glory in the Lord Jesus, who loved
us and made himself of no reputation and took upon himself the form
of a servant. and was made in the likeness
of men. God was made a servant. God was made a man. And being found in fashion as
a man, He humbled Himself and became, made Himself, obedient
unto death, even the death of the cross. Let me tell you a
quick little story in closing. During the war in the 17th century
of Britain and France, Men were drafted into the French army
by a kind of a lottery system. You know, when I was in high
school, they had a draft, and you received a number, and if
they called that number, you were drafted. But in this particular
lottery system, when someone's name was drawn, he had to go
off to war. However, there was an exception
to this. A person could be exempt if another
was willing to take his place. On one occasion, the authorities
came to a certain man. His name and number came up and
they told him he was among those that had been drafted. And he
said, no, I refuse to go. And they said, what do you mean
you refuse to go? You can't refuse to go. He said, no, I've already
served. He said, I was shot two years
ago. And at first they questioned his sanity, but he insisted that
this was indeed the case. He claimed that the military
records would show that he had enlisted two years previously
and get this, that he had been killed in action. Now they're
really scratching their head and looking at him. And they
said, how can that be? You're alive right now." And
he explained that when his name came up two years previous, a
close friend said to him, you've got a large family, you've got
a wife, you've got young children. I'm not married. Nobody's counting
on me, depending upon me for support. I'll take your name
and your address and I'll go in your place. And that indeed
was what the record showed. It showed that this man, had
been drafted, had enlisted, been shot, and died. This rather unusual
case was referred to Napoleon Bonaparte. You remember Napoleon.
And Napoleon decided that the country had no legal claim on
that man. He was free. He had died in the
person of another. It's the same with our substitution
in Christ. the Savior willingly took our
place. Not because He had any less to
lose than we did, but because of His infinite love for His
people from the foundation of the world, He died in our room
instead and paid the penalty of sin. And the law which demands
the ultimate punishment, which is death, has no claim on us
because we died in the person of Christ. His finished work
is the basis of our salvation. He has made us, made us accepted
in the below. He has made Christ to bear our
sin. He's made Christ to pay our sin
debt in full. He's made the believer perfect,
righteous, and holy. He's made us to sit together
with Him in heavenly places. We are made nigh by the blood
of Christ. He's made us one with Christ,
having broken down the middle wall of partition between us. He has made us meet fit to be
partakers of the inheritance of the saints of life. Christ
was made like unto His brethren, and His brethren were made like
unto Him.