Good morning again. Before I
start, let me first say thank you to Stan and Sherry for taking
me in last night. I bring you greetings again from
my family and the congregation at Hurricane Road. I was reminded
to wish Audrey a happy birthday while I was here as well. And
let me say this, how thankful I am for your pastor. It's a
pleasure. It's an honor to be here. I rarely speak to him without,
in fact, I don't think I've ever spoke to him without coming away
knowing his love for this congregation. I'm just thankful for him and
Hannah and the girls, just the whole family. Again, I appreciate
the opportunity to be here this morning. Open your Bibles with
me to 2 Corinthians chapter 5. 2nd Corinthians chapter 5. We'll look at one verse of scripture. 2nd Corinthians 5 verse 21. The title of the message is the
gospel in one verse. The gospel in one verse. My desire this morning is twofold. First, I pray the Lord would
enable me to preach. Truly no man is sufficient to
stand and speak from God's word, but I pray that he would enable
me to preach his gospel in the power of his spirit. And second,
that he would enable us Each one of us assembled here this
morning, you and me alike, to hear that gospel. Preach the
gospel and to hear that gospel. You know, driving down yesterday,
I was thinking, what if this was the last opportunity? We don't like to think in terms
like that, but what if this was the last opportunity I had to
hear this gospel? Would I be more attentive? Would
I be more inclined to maybe put off some of those things I'm
thinking about doing this afternoon or places I need to be this week?
Would I be more inclined to set those things aside and just listen
intently? to the word as it's preached. God's word declares the gospel. It's the power of God unto salvation. It's the means by which God is
pleased to give life to a dead sinner. To open the eyes of the
blind. to reveal his son, to reveal
the Lord Jesus Christ, and declare this, that salvation is in, by,
and through the Lord Jesus Christ. If this was my last opportunity,
would I be more inclined to hear it? Would I hang on every word? Or would I be like Felix of old? Paul preached to Felix. Paul
reasoned of righteousness, of temperance and judgment to come.
And Felix, he trembled. He must have heard something.
He trembled. But then he said this. He said
this to God's messenger. Go thy way for this time. And when I have a more convenient
season, I'll call for thee. Another thought occurred to me.
What if this was the last time the Lord enabled me to preach
the gospel? Could I say as Paul did to those
elders in Ephesus, I take you to record this day. I'm pure
from the blood of all men. I've not shunned to declare unto
you all the counsel of God. It's such a serious matter, this thing of preaching and hearing
God's word. I want to be faithful to preach
the gospel to you this morning, the gospel of God's sovereign
grace in the Lord Jesus Christ. And let's all be conscious of
our responsibility to hear, to listen, Do you have 2 Corinthians
chapter 5? Look at verse 21. Again, here
we have, I believe, the gospel in one verse of Scripture. Follow along with me. For he
hath made him to be sin for us who knew no sin, that we might
be made the righteousness of God. in him. Now, many of you, I remember
being taught this in school, maybe they still teach this,
but the five W's, five basic questions that we ask when we're
trying to get information about something, right? Who? Does this
ring a bell? Who? Where? When? And the ones our kids always
like to ask, why? Right? Those five questions. And I'd like to use those this
morning to look at this passage of scripture. The first one is
this. Who? Who is mentioned in this verse
of scripture? I see three people. Are you looking
at verse 21? He. He. Well, who is he? It's God Almighty. It's the true
and living God. The holy God that sits upon the
throne of his holiness. God who back in the book of Exodus,
he appeared to Moses there at the burning bush. And he told
Moses, he said, take your shoes off your feet. for the place
whereon you're standing is holy ground. And Moses hid his face. He tried to hide his face for
he was afraid to look upon God. The same God that spoke to Moses,
listen, he said this. He said, I've seen the affliction
of thy people. I've heard their cry. I know
their sorrows. And I have come down to deliver
them, to bring them up out of a land to a land flowing with
milk and honey. If we're going to know anything
about the gospel, we're going to have to be taught who God
is. Because by nature, we have way
too high an opinion of ourselves and far too low an opinion of
Him. God is holy. Habakkuk said in
the book of Habakkuk, we read the art of purer eyes than to
behold evil. We drink it like water. But he
said, pure eyes than to behold evil. The God of the Bible is
absolutely sovereign. He's absolute power, absolute
authority. He's not controlled or influenced
by man's will. He's not controlled by faith. He's not like you and me. Scripture's
plain about that. Psalm chapter 50 verse 21 says
this, Thou thoughtest I was altogether such a one as thyself. Remember what Nebuchadnezzar
said? He said, I blessed the most high and praised and honored
him that liveth forever and ever, whose dominion is an everlasting
dominion. His kingdom from generation to
generation. All the inhabitants of the earth
are reputed as nothing, nothing. And He, this same He that we
read of here in 2 Corinthians 5, verse 21. He doeth His will in the armies
of heaven, and among the inhabitants of the earth, and none can stay
his hand or say unto him, what doest thou? He, almighty God, the sovereign
God, sovereign in all things, sovereign in creation. Sovereign
in providence, sovereign in salvation, the salvation of his people.
He's the God of eternal predestination. Over in Ephesians 1, verse 5,
it says, having predestinated us unto the adoption of children
by Jesus Christ to himself according to the pleasure of his will. He chose us in Christ from before
the foundation of the world. Chose us in Christ out of Adam's
sinful race. Chose us in Christ. Predestinated
us to be made like unto his son. And he accepts us in Christ. Do you still have 2 Corinthians
chapter 5? He, still looking at this question of who, okay? He, Almighty God hath made him,
him. He made him who knew no sin,
him, the Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ who is one with
the Father. He said that, he said, I and
my father are one. Jesus Christ who is God. Over in John chapter 10, he asked
that group of Jews, he said, many good works, many good works
have I showed you from my father. For which of these do you stone
me? And their reply was this, the
Jews answer saying, for a good work we stone thee not. We love
good works, right? We love those good works. For
a good work we stone thee not, but for blasphemy. Because of
thou being a man, make us thyself to be God. It wasn't blasphemy, was it?
No, he thought it not robbery to be equal with God. He is God. He's very God of very
God. This one who is over all, God
blessed forever. And yet he's a man. He's a man. He was made flesh and dwelt among
us. Bone of our bone, flesh of our
flesh, a man of sorrows. Scripture said a man of sorrows
and acquainted with grief. He knew what it was like to be
hungry. He knew what it was like to thirst. He grew tired. He wept. He was a man, yet he's
God. I think it was Scott Richards
that said this, he was as much a man as if he was never God,
and as much God as if he was never a man. He's the God man. And our text declares this, that
he knew no sin. I can't explain that to you.
And we can't understand that because we have no idea what
that means, to not know sin. Imagine this. He had no thought
of sin. He had no actual sin. No sin
at birth, no original sin, no sin. He's sinless, pure, perfect,
spotless. The lamb without blemish and
without spot. In Hebrews chapter 4 verse 15
we read, for we have not a high priest which cannot be touched
with the feeling of our infirmities. He was in all points tempted
like as we are, but here's the kicker, yet without sin. Who is this hymn in our text?
He's the savior of sinners. Call his name Jesus, for he shall
save his people from their sin. Again, look at 2 Corinthians
5, verse 21. Still asking the question, who? Here's the third person, us. Who's us? Sinners. Sinners. How do the scriptures
describe us? And I'll warn you, it's typically
not a way we like being described, is it? Huh? We don't like to
hear the truth about man. Our nature does not like to hear
the truth about man. In Romans chapter 3 verse 10,
we read, there's none righteous. None? That'd be the follow-up
question we'd ask, wouldn't it? There is none righteous. And
then he follows with, no, not one. There is none that understandeth. There is none that seeketh after
God. You know, we'll seek after our
own pleasure. We'll seek after our own comfort. We'll seek our own glory. We'll
seek our own will. Christ said this, you have not
the love of God in you. What else does the word say about
man? It says there's none that doeth good, no not one. And if we read on in Romans 3,
turn there with me, turn back just a few pages to Romans chapter
3. Look, go back to verse 10 of
Romans chapter 3. As it is written, verse 10, Romans
3, as it is written, there is none righteous, no, not one. There is none that understandeth. There is none that seeketh after
God. They are all gone out of the way. They are together become unprofitable. There's none that doeth good,
no, not one. Their throat is an open sepulcher,
an open grave. With their tongues they use deceit.
The poison of asps is under their lips, whose mouth is full of
cursing and bitterness. Their feet are swift to shed
blood. The way of peace they have not
known. No fear of God before their eyes.
Why is that? Because by nature we don't know
God. By nature we don't know ourselves. We don't know the wickedness
in this heart. You know, if men truly feared
God, They wouldn't curse him. They wouldn't question him. They
wouldn't question his power, wouldn't question his sovereignty,
wouldn't question his will, wouldn't make jokes about him, use his
name in vain. If they did, if we truly knew
something about him, we'd do one thing, and that's fall at
his feet and beg for mercy. John said that over in the book
of Revelation. He said, when I saw him, I fell
at his feet as a dead man. When Isaiah saw him, he cried
this, woe is me. I am a man of unclean lips. God's word declares the gospel. It declares the truth about man. From the sole of the foot to
the top of the head. No sound in the center. Nothing
but wounds and bruises and putrefaction. They haven't been bound up, they
haven't been closed, they haven't been modified with ointment. Who? Who? He, Almighty God. Him, the Lord Jesus Christ. Us,
the center. Here's my second question. What? What did he do? It says here that he made him to
be sin for us. Made him to be sin. Our Lord had no sin. He knew
no sin. He did no sin. He was perfect
before the law of Almighty God. He redeemed us He redeemed us from the curse
of the law, being made a curse for us. Our substitute, one who
stands in the place of another. Turn to Isaiah 53. Isaiah chapter 53 beginning with
verse 4. Surely he hath borne our griefs
and carried our sorrows, yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten
of God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions. He was bruised for our iniquities. The chastisement of our peace
was upon him, and with his stripes we're healed. All we, like sheep,
have gone astray. We've turned everyone to his
own way, and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all. The sin debt must be paid. God's
justice must be satisfied. He made Him. Almighty God the
Father made Him. He made the Lord Jesus Christ
who knew no sin. God the Father made Him to be
sin for us. I can't explain it. It's not
up, but it's not something that's up for debate. It's declared
in God's Word. God made Him to be sin for us. In 1 Peter chapter 2 verse 24
we read, who his own self bore our sins in his body on the tree. He paid the ransom price. He
gave his life a ransom and no other sacrifice will do. Do you still have Isaiah 53?
Look at verse 10. It says, it pleased the Lord.
to bruise him. He hath put him to grief. When
thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed,
he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the Lord shall
prosper in his hand. He shall see the travail of his
soul, and listen, shall be satisfied. By his knowledge shall my righteous
servant justify many, for he shall bear their iniquities." What happened? Almighty God made
him, made the Lord Jesus Christ to be sin for us. My third question,
where? Where did this happen? at Calvary, there on the cross. He was betrayed. He was bound. He was led away. He was denied
by Peter. He was judged by Pilate, refused by that crowd. Remember,
he asked, who should I release unto you? They cried out, Barabbas. You know, that alone ought to
teach us a lesson about us making decisions, huh? Because every
time we're going to choose the wrong thing. They chose Barabbas. Our Lord was scourged and mocked.
They shoved that crown of thorns down upon his head, put a robe
on him and mocked him. The chief priest and everyone
else there, they cried out, crucify him. Let his blood be upon us
and our children. And they led him to Golgotha's
Hill, where they crucified him between two common thieves. The soldiers parted his raiment.
And in the ninth hour, the time of the evening sacrifice, as
he hung dying on the cross, he cried out, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani. My God, my God, why hast thou
forsaken me? That sounds like a whole lot
more than just some legal transaction that some men talk about. He was made, he was made sin,
he bore our sin. Almighty God slew him. Luther once said this when he
was studying this verse. He said, God forsaken by God. Who can understand that? And then he cried again with
a loud voice and he yielded up the ghost. Where did that happen? It happened on the cross. My
fourth question, when? When did this take place? Now
men say 33 AD. They even come up with the exact
date. Well, I tell you this, this happened
in eternity past. This happened from before the
foundation of the world. Scripture says that. Scripture
said he was the lamb slain from before the foundation of the
world. This wasn't a, men come up with
foolish things. This wasn't a backup plan when
Adam fell. My friends, before there was
a sinner, there was a Savior. There was the Savior. My last
question and I'll close. Fifth question, why? Why? And I'm careful to answer this. No man knows why God does anything
other than what is revealed in Scripture. Why did He do it? Why did Almighty God make Him? Why did He make the Lord Jesus
Christ to be sin for us? Turn to Romans chapter 3. Romans chapter 3 verse 23, for all have sinned
and come short of the glory of God, being justified freely by
his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom
God has set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood to
declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are
passed through the forbearance of God, to declare, I say at
this time, his righteousness, that he might be just and the
justifier of him which believeth. in the Lord Jesus Christ. Why did he do it? That God might
be just and justifier of his people. Why did he do it? Because of sin. By one man sin
entered in the world and death by sin for all have sinned and
come short of the glory of God. In Psalm 14, the Lord looked
down from heaven upon the children of men to see if there were any
that did understand, if there were any that sought after God. And this is what he said, they
are all together become filthy. There's none that doeth good,
no, not one. Why did he do it? The love of
his people. His love for His people. For God so loved the world that
He gave His only begotten Son. Why did He do it? That He might
bring us to Christ. 1 Peter 3.18, For Christ once
suffered for sins, but just for the unjust, that He might bring
us to God. Back to our text. Why did he
do it? Why did he do it? Follow along
with me one more time. For he hath made him to be sin
for us who knew no sin. Why? That we that we, his people, the sheep
of his pasture, that we might be made the righteousness of
God in him. The Lord Jesus Christ was made
something that he could never be. He was made sin. Get a hold of this. His people are made something
that we could never be. Made the very righteousness of
God in him. Sanctified. Holy. Righteous. Completely and eternally
saved. Salvation by God's free and sovereign
grace in the Lord Jesus Christ. Now let me ask you, let me ask
you one more question. Who gets the glory in that? Huh? Who gets the glory in that? Let me read one more passage
of scripture and I'll quit. Jude chapter 1 verse 24, now
unto him that is able to keep you from falling and present
you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy. To the only wise God, our Savior,
be glory and majesty and dominion and power both now and ever. Amen.