Open your Bibles if you would
tonight to Ephesians chapter 4. Ephesians chapter 4. The name of the message is, For
Christ's sake. For Christ's sake. Now in this chapter here, Paul
has been writing to the Ephesians. And he is giving them a little
instruction. And he comes across here and look at verses four.
We won't read them all the beginning verses, but I'd like us to look
at verses four to six here. Actually, we can start in three.
Endeavoring to keep the unity of the spirit and the bond of
peace. Look at this. There is one body, that's Christ.
That's the body of believers, but that's the body of Christ.
And one spirit, the Holy Spirit. Even as you are called in one
hope of your calling. So we have one hope. one Lord,
one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is above
all and through all and in you all. Let's read from verses 17, and
we'll read down to verse 32. And verse 32 will be our text,
where our text will be found, but I'd just like to read the
verses preceding this. This I say therefore, in verse
17, and testify in the Lord that ye henceforth walk not as other
Gentiles walk, in the vanity of their mind, having the understanding
darkened. That's the natural state of man
right there. all brings it forth, having their
understanding darkened. And I can remember being in that
state. And I'm sure, I'm sure those
of you who, well, we were, every believer was taken from a state
of being dead to being made alive or regenerated by the Holy Spirit
of God. But all we have to do is think back of how we used
to think before the Lord saved us. Our understanding of God
was darkened. We didn't understand who he was.
And this is a natural state. Look at this, being alienated
from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them
because of the blindness of their hearts, who being past failing
have given themselves over into lasciviousness to work all in
cleanliness with greediness. But ye have not so learned Christ. If so be that ye have heard him
and have been taught by him as the truth is in Jesus, that ye
put off concerning the former conversations of the old man,
which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts, and be renewed
in the spirit of your mind, and that ye put on the new man, which
after God is created in righteousness and true holiness. Wherefore,
putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbor,
for we are members one of another. Be ye angry, and sin not. Let not the sun go down upon
your wrath. Either give place to the devil. Let him that stole
steal no more, but rather let him labor, working with his hands
the things which is good, that he may have to give to him that
needeth. Let no corrupt communication
proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use
of Edify, and that it may minister grace unto the hearers. And grieve
not the Holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed until the day of
redemption. Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor
and evil speak and be put away from you with all malice. And
B, here's our text. Our text is found in here, but
this is the key verse here. And be kind one to another, tenderhearted,
forgiving one another, even as God, for Christ's sake, hath
forgiven you. And there's our text. Even as
God, for Christ's sake, hath forgiven you. I want to look at these three
words, for Christ's sake. May we let these words sink into
our souls. God has forgiven us, we who are
his people, for Christ's sake, for Christ's sake. That's what
the scripture says, even as God, for Christ's sake, hath forgiven
you. Now, I often heard these words
spoken as I was growing up, but they were used in a blasphemous
way. And you know what? I didn't even know they were
in the Bible. I was thinking about that as I was preparing
this. I had heard these words uttered in blasphemy and had
no idea that it was scripture. Had no idea at all and had no
idea of the connection, the beautiful connection, even as God, for
Christ's sake, hath forgiven you. My. What a verse. What a verse. So often these
words, at least when I was growing up, were spoken in wrath and
blasphemy. But these words are precious
to the believer. They're powerful to the believer.
Powerful. They're instructive to God's
blood-bought people. Because they proclaim the foundation,
beloved. They proclaim the foundation
of the gospel in these three words. God has forgiven us for
Christ's sake. for Christ's sake, through our
substitute. Not because we are any better
than anyone else, because we're not, are we? We know we're sinners
just like everyone else. But God has forgiven us for Christ's
sake. Now, some people do all kinds
of silly things to supposedly gain merit and favor with God,
right? But all these different things
that people do, walk over hot coals and crush glass and all
this stuff. But we see right here, all the
merit and favor we have with God comes through Christ. Comes
through Christ. Even as God, for Christ's sake,
hath forgiven you." Again, not because we belong
to any denomination of churches, but for Christ's sake, God hath
forgiven you. Not for our deeds or decisions,
which religion tells you it's all about what you do. No. No,
the believer proclaims, I am forgiven in Christ and Christ
alone. in Christ and Christ alone. So
may we let these words sink into our souls. May we get a hold
of it, like the old timers used to say. God, for Christ's sake,
I've forgiven you. All the reasons, think of this,
all the reasons for our salvation, all the reasons for the forgiveness
of all our sins, are in Christ, are in Him, beloved, are in Him,
the one we worship, the one we adore. Mercy, and He is the head of
the body, the church, who in the beginning, the firstborn
from the dead that in all things, or who is the beginning, the
firstborn from the dead that in all things He might have what?
The preeminent. Is it any wonder why we give
Him all the preeminence? Because we are totally forgiven
in Him. Christ loves His people from
eternity. Christ dies for those people He's loved and still loves,
and right now He intercedes for us. Christ is the Father's own
Son, and God, for Christ's sake, hath forgiven you, beloved, you
who are His blood-bought people. Really, there's no other reason,
is there? For Christ's sake. My, it's wonderful, wonderful. The Lord Jesus Christ is our
high priest. He's the only way, too, we know,
right? He's the only mediator between God and man. See, man
thinks that, well, I'm, like Brother Matt bought out, they
think, well, I'm not too bad. I'm not too bad. No, yeah, you
are. Yeah, we're dead in trespasses
and sins, every one of us. That's how we come into this
world. And there's no amount of money,
there's no amount of deeds that can justify us before God that
we do. Nothing. There's one mediator
between God and man, though. The man Christ Jesus. The Lord
himself said, I am the way, the truth, and the life. Now think
of how Narrow, that is. And he's the one who proclaims
it. God himself, incarnated in the flesh, says, I am the way. In John 14, 6. The way. That means there's no other ways,
doesn't it? The way. Singular. I am the truth. The truth. He's truth incarnate. And the life. There is no life
outside of Christ. No eternal life outside of Christ.
None. Absolutely none. And then he
says, no man cometh unto the Father but by me. Those are easy words for us to
understand, isn't it? He didn't speak in four and five
syllable words, did he? Notice that. I am the way, the
truth, and the life. No man cometh unto the Father but by
me. My, my little children, these
things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin,
we have an advocate. We have an advocate, don't we?
The believer has an advocate. We have an advocate. Jesus Christ,
the righteous, the righteous one. Christ is our high priest. We looked at that today. But
Christ being common high priest of God, of good things to come,
by a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands,
that is to say, not of this building, neither by the blood of goats
and of calves, but by his own blood, he entered in once into
the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us. Hebrews
9, verses 11 and 12. He did this. And it's because of what Christ
has done that God has forgiven us. And only through Christ can one
receive mercy from God. God shows mercy to his elect
in and through Christ alone. Based upon absolutely nothing
in us. Nothing. Turn if you would to Titus chapter
3. Titus chapter 3, look at this. Do you know that the kindness
and love of God has been manifest towards His people in and through
Christ? Titus chapter 3. And we who are
the receivers of this mercy and grace, we proclaim that too,
don't we? Oh, what mercy God has showed
me. Oh, what kindness God has showed me. Oh, what love God
has showed me in and through Christ and Christ alone. Titus
chapter 3, verses 4 to 7. But after that, the kindness
and love of God, our Savior, toward man appeared. Not by works of righteousness
which we have done. Again, very plainly stated, isn't
it? Not by works of righteousness
which we have done. That's because all our righteousness
is like filthy rags in the eyes of the Lord. We cannot redeem
ourselves. We cannot produce a righteousness
ourselves that will please God. Not by works of righteousness
which we have done. But according to what? His mercy. He saved us. He saved us. Praise God, He saved
us. Praise God, He didn't leave us
where we were. He saved us. By the washing of regeneration,
we're born again by the Holy Spirit. In renewing of the Holy
Ghost, which He shed on us abundantly. How? Through Jesus Christ, our
Savior. That being justified by how?
His grace. We should be made heirs according
to the hope of eternal life. Even as God, for Christ's sake,
has forgiven you. Mercy. Mercy. Boundless mercy. The Old Testament
is the story of salvation through the Lord Jesus Christ in picture.
The New Testament is the story of God's mercy and grace and
God's salvation to sinners in person, in person. In the Old
Testament, when Abel offered the sacrifice, the blood of the
Lamb, it was a picture of Christ being offered. When Abraham offered
up Isaac, that was a picture of Christ being offered. In Exodus,
we see the Jews in Egypt, and when they put the blood on the
door, the Lord said, when I see the blood, I'll pass over you.
All pipes and pictures, beloved. All types and pictures. Turn,
if you would, the first Corinthians chapter five and then put your
finger in chapter 10 as well. In Exodus, when they that that
Passover lamb was sacrificed and the blood was put on the
levels, it pictured Christ. How do we know that? Look at
this. First Corinthians, chapter five, verse seven, purge out,
therefore, the old leaven that she may be a new lump as you
are unleavened for even Christ, our Passover is what? Sacrificed
for us, for us. Christ was sacrificed for us,
for his people, beloved. He died and bled for his people
upon Calvary's cross. He was sacrificed. He was a sin
offering, sinless, but he was a sacrifice for us to God. And
God is satisfied with that sacrifice, beloved. He's our Passover lamb. perfect, spotless lamb of God. He sacrificed for us. And remember,
when I see that blood, what? When I see the blood, I'll pass
over you. God sees the blood on his children.
His blood bought people. He passes over us. There is therefore
now no condemnation to those in Christ Jesus. Praise God.
Praise God. Let's go over to chapter 10. Look at verses 1 to 4. Moreover, brethren, and here
we see the rock which Moses struck in the wilderness and water came
forth to quench the thirst and satisfy that rock is Christ.
This is the picture of Christ. Look at this. Moreover, brethren,
I would not that you should be ignorant how that all our fathers
were under the cloud and all passed through the sea and all
were baptized unto Moses in the cloud and the sea and did eat
the same spiritual meat and did All drank the same spiritual
drink, and they drank of that spiritual rock that followed
them, and that rock was Christ. See, a picture. And then the
person in the New Testament. Christ. We know when Moses lifted
up the serpent in the wilderness, we know what that represented,
right? John chapter 3. It says, when Moses lifted up
the serpent in the wilderness, even so what? Must Christ be
lifted up? The Son of Man be lifted up?
The man bought that out in Sunday school. He must be lifted up.
Came down from heaven, he must be lifted up. He must die upon
the cross. He must. He must redeem us from
all our sins. He must. There's no way for us
to redeem ourselves. No way at all. That whosoever
believeth in him, do you believe in him? There it is. That whosoever
believeth in him should not perish. Shouldn't perish, should not
perish. They will not. What? But have eternal life. Again,
the question comes, what think ye of Christ? What think ye of
Christ? Whosoever believeth in him should
not perish, but have eternal life. And all who looked to that serpent
were saved, weren't they? But all who didn't perished.
All who look to Christ are saved. And all who don't look to Christ
perish. perish. Moses lifted up the serpent in
the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up,
that whosoever believeth on him should not perish, but have eternal
life. All those Old Testament sacrifices, they were but pictures
that pointed right to Christ, pointed right to Christ. Let's
look at our text again, it says, and be ye kind one to another,
tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God, for Christ's
sake, hath forgiven you." For Christ's sake. What does it mean? It means first
for the sake of the great atonement which Christ has offered. Oh,
what a great atonement Christ offered. The Lord Jesus Christ
offered up himself, God incarnate in the flesh. the sinless one,
offered himself up to God for his people. He offered himself
up of ransom for his people. He purchased us, redeemed us
with his precious blood. And again, when God sees that
blood, here at Passover, safe, safe under the precious blood
of Christ. The Lord Jesus Christ died on
Calvary's tree for His people, that they might be made the righteousness
of God in Him, and all our sins were imputed to Him, and His
perfect, spotless righteousness is imputed to us. 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. God has forgiven us because of
the representative character of Christ, because of who he
is. God incarnate in the flesh, the
perfect, spotless Lamb of God, the great substitute for sinners. Think of this, two million people
followed Moses out of Egypt, 300 men followed Gideon, thousands
of men followed David. And who can describe, though,
the excellency of the Lord Jesus Christ? All those men pale in
comparison to Christ. They pale in comparison to him
who is the God-man mediator. Turn if you would to Isaiah chapter
9 and put your finger in Philippians chapter 2. Isaiah chapter 9 and
Philippians chapter 2. The Lord Jesus Christ outshines
all men. All men. He is the God man. Isaiah chapter 9 first and then
we will read Philippians chapter 2. Isaiah chapter 9. For unto us a child is born,
verse 6. Unto us a son is given. And the
government shall be upon his shoulder. He has all power and
all authority. All of it. This is our Savior. And his name shall be called
Wonderful. I ask you who are his blood-bought
people? Is this title not so fitting
for our Savior? Is He not wonderful to us? Is
He not wonderful? Counselor. Is He not our counselor,
beloved? Is it not He who we go to with
all our cares and all our concerns? Humans, our fellow humans, we
can comfort each other to a limit, but we cannot ever comfort each
other like God can comfort us. Never. Never. He's our counselor. And then look at this. He's the
mighty God. He's God incarnate in the flesh.
The everlasting Father. The Prince of Peace. That's our
God. That's our Redeemer. And think
of this. Remember, even even as God, for
Christ's sake, hath forgiven you." That's for every believer. Now think of how Christ, for
each one of us, is the Prince of Peace. How do we have peace
with God? Only in Christ. Only through
Christ. Nowhere else. Outside of Christ,
there's no peace, no matter how people Have a supposed peace and say,
oh, things are going great. They're going great. I'm doing
wonderful. What happens if God requires
your soul tonight and you breathe your last breath? And you go
into a Christless eternity. Outside of Christ, there's no
peace. Then you will meet a God who is a God of wrath and a God
of justice. The believers have tasted mercy,
tasted that the Lord is absolutely gracious. He's so gracious. And Christ has been so exalted,
beloved. Turn, if you would, to Philippians
chapter two. Christ has been so exalted that God has given
him a name above all names. This is why we say, flee to Christ,
flee to Christ, flee to Christ. He's the only hope for sinners.
And when we say that, we know that God must make a sinner willing. But when he makes us willing,
we run to him. We run to Christ. Look at this
in Philippians chapter 2, verses 9 and 10. Wherefore God has also
highly exalted him, that being Christ, and given him a name
which is above every name. Every name. that at the name
of Jesus, every knee should bow of things in heaven and things
in earth and things under the earth. Do you know, do you know
that even people who hate God right now and they go into a
Christless eternity and even they say, oh, there's no God.
Do you know that they're all going to bow their knee to our
great King? They're going to bow their knee
to Him. He's real. He's real. And one day, every knee should
bow of things in heaven and things in earth and things under the
earth, because Jesus Christ is Lord. And they will proclaim
that. Every tongue shall confess that
Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. And you know
that He's the only one worthy to be called Lord. He's the only
one worthy of all our praise. The only one, the only one. What did the dying thief say?
Lord, remember me. The leper that we looked at on
Wednesday night said, Lord, if thou will, thou can make me clean. The centurion, Lord, Lord. Oh, may we look at the glory
of the Lord Jesus Christ. God. God. God incarnate in the flesh. Don't ever let it become commonplace,
beloved of God. God incarnate in the flesh is
the one who redeemed our eternal souls. Who purchased us with
his own blood. who gave His life a ransom for
His people. God did this. Even as God, for Christ's sake,
has forgiven you. And God, for Christ's sake, has
accepted us in Christ. In Christ. God, for Christ's
sake, has forgiven us for all our sins. And God has a love that is infinite
and changeless for His people in Christ. When we read, for Christ's sake,
it surely means also about the deep love which the Father bears
for Christ. God forgives sin for the sake
of glorifying Christ. Turn, if you would, to John chapter
17. John chapter 17. Christ took the shame that He
might magnify His Father. And now his father delights to
magnify him by blotting out all the sin of all the elect, of
all the ages, by the great sacrifice of the substitute, the just one
dying for the unjust, the sinless one dying for sinners. John 17 in the High Priestly
Prayer, verses 1 to 3. These words spake Jesus and lifted
up his eyes to heaven and said, Father, the hour has come. Glorify
thy son. That thy son also may glorify
thee, as thou has given him power. How much power over all flesh. over everyone in this room, over
everyone in this world, over everyone who has lived in this
world, and over everyone who will ever live in this world.
All power over things visible and over things invisible. All
power, all dominion, all might, that He should give eternal life,
look at this, to as many as thou hast given him, even as God, for Christ's sake,
hath forgiven you." Notice there it says that he should give eternal
life. In religion, they tell you to
walk the aisle and make a decision, don't they? It's all up to you. But look what the scriptures
declare, that he should give eternal life
to as many as thou hast given him. Think of that, beloved. God, you who are the blood-bought,
born-again saints of God, God has given you and me eternal
life. And where is it? It's in Christ. Even as God, for Christ's sake,
hath forgiven us. What a gift. What a gift. No one could ever
give us a gift like this, could they? No gift even comes close
to this, that a human can give another human. Oh my. that he should give eternal
life to as many as thou hast given him. And this is eternal
life, that they might know thee, the only true God, and Jesus
Christ, whom thou hast sent. Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ,
and thou shalt be saved. That he should give eternal life
to as many as thou hast given him. Those who believe are the
ones who have been given eternal life. It's a gift of God. Faith is
a gift of God, not of works, lest any man should boast. What is it that has been done
for us for Christ's sake? Well, it says here back in our
text, God, for Christ's sake, hath forgiven you. Forgiven you. A pardon is not a prize to be
run for or to be earned. It's a blessing to be received. To be received. For he saith
to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I'll have mercy. And I'll
have compassion on whom I'll have compassion. So then it is
not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God
that showeth Mercy. Bring that right home, beloved.
God has shown you and I who are born again, who are redeemed
by his blood, God has done this. He showed mercy to us. He showed
mercy to us. And I believe we'll spend the
rest of our lives here on earth in awe of that. And I believe
even in glory, we'll be in awe. Because we know what they sing
in glory. Worthy is the Lamb. Worthy is
the Lamb. My. God showed mercy to me, the
believer says. That's what the scriptures say.
So it's not of him that willeth. It's not the will. It's not your
free will. Because our will's tied to our nature. Or of him
that runneth. That means works. You can't buy your salvation,
you can't earn your salvation, neither can I. But of God that showeth mercy.
Mercy, what a word. Mercy. That's Romans chapter
9, verses 15 and 16. Turn if you would to 1 Peter
chapter 1. 1 Peter chapter 1. This inheritance, this forgiveness,
beloved, will never be defiled. Never be defiled. It's incorruptible. It's incorruptible. It'll never
fade away. It'll never fade away. Ever.
Ever. We've talked about this before.
We can receive an inheritance and squander it. We can receive
different things and use it up. But this forgiveness, this pardon
that the believer has in Christ, as our text says, even as God,
for Christ's sake, hath forgiven you, the aspect of being forgiven
is a total forgiveness. It's not a partial, it's not
based upon us at all, it's not conditional. Isn't that wonderful? Isn't it wonderful that it's
not conditional? Like, oh well, if you do this, you're done.
We'd all be done. It's not conditional because
it's not based on us. But it's based upon Christ and Christ
alone. It's based upon His work, not
our works. It's based upon what He's done,
what He's accomplished. 1 Peter 1, verses 3 to 5. Blessed be, no wonder Peter writes,
blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which
according to His abundant mercy, Our salvation through Christ
is according to God's abundant mercy, beloved. Hath begotten
us again, that's born again, unto a lively hope. We have a
living hope. We have a living hope, beloved,
and that's Christ. Christ is our hope. He's a living
hope, a lively hope. By the resurrection of Jesus
Christ from the dead to an inheritance. Now think of this in light of
our forgiveness in Christ. Incorruptible. Incorruptible. What in this world is incorruptible?
Nothing. Hey, in this physical world,
everything's everything eventually decays. But this salvation that
we have in Christ is incorruptible. In undefiled. Think of that in
light of undefiled, it was accomplished by the perfect sacrifice, the
Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, the salvation that
he wrought is perfect, undefiled. He's sinless. The sacrifice that
he offers before God is a sinless sacrifice. It's for our sins
and it's perfect. He's the perfect spotless lamb
of God, the perfect Passover lamb. Remember, if there was
any blemish in the Passover lamb, they could not offer that lamb. Therefore, the salvation in him
is incorruptible and undefiled. Undefiled. And look at this,
and that fadeth not away. It'll never fade away. Ever. Ever. Reserved in heaven for
you. Who are kept. Aren't you glad
it says we're kept? Who are kept, how? By the power
of God. By the power of God. Through
faith, see? Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ,
and thou shalt be saved. We keep believing, don't we?
We don't just, oh, well, we believed in Christ, now we're just gonna
live alive. No, we continue to believe, don't we? By faith,
we keep looking to Christ. That's why Paul says, set your
mind on things above, that being Christ. Set your affection, your
heart, your mind upon Christ. And the believer keeps believing
because we're kept by the power of God. You ever think of that,
what keeps you believing? Who are kept by the power of
God. Why? Through faith in the salvation
ready to be revealed in the last time. In this salvation, this
forgiveness that we have, turn if you would to Isaiah 55, this
forgiveness that we have, even as God for Christ's sake hath
forgiven you, you know it's totally free. Free for us. Totally free. Totally free. Isaiah 55. Verses one to three. Oh, everyone
that thirsted. Are you thirsty for the things
of Christ? I pray that if you're not, that God would make you
thirsty. Make you thirsty for the things of Christ. Oh, everyone
that thirsts, come to the waters and he that that have no money,
come you. Come with nothing. That's what
it says. Come with nothing. Come ye, buy and eat, yea, come,
buy wine and milk without money and without price. It's free. Wherefore do you spend money
for that which is not bread, and your labor for that which
satisfieth not? All the labors of man cannot
satisfy God's law and justice. Hearken diligently unto me, and
eat ye that which is good, and let your soul delight itself
in fatness. Incline your ear and come unto
me. Remember what the Lord says? Come unto me all ye that labor
and are heavy laden, and I'll give you rest. Incline your ear
and come unto me here, and your soul shall what? Live. Live. And I will make an everlasting
covenant with you, even the sure mercies of David. So this forgiveness
for us is free. Free. Turn over a couple chapters back
to Isaiah 53. This salvation is full. It's
a full it's a free and full salvation because it's in Christ. It's
in Christ. Christ paid everything that the
law demanded. For the sins of his people, Christ
paid it in full. So bring that home to each one
of us. Christ paid everything that God's law and justice demanded
for me. My. We couldn't even pay for one
sin, could we? Not one. But Christ's sacrifice was so
satisfying to God that it paid for every single one of our sins.
There's not one that's left out, beloved. Not one. He paid the price demanded by
the law of God. And what does the law of God
demand? A perfect life of obedience. And He lived a perfect life,
didn't He? As our substitute. Justice is satisfied. The law
demands the soul that sinneth it must die. Christ is our substitute.
What does he do? The sinless one dies for sinners. Look at Isaiah chapter 53 verses
10 to 12. In light of that, beloved, justice
is satisfied. The law of God is satisfied.
The justice of God is satisfied. The wrath of God has been appeased
for the believer in Christ. Just as not a drop of rain fell
upon Noah when he was in that ark, not a drop of God's wrath
will fall on one of God's blood-bought people. Not even a drop. Yet it pleased the Lord to burst
him. He hath put him to grief, when thou shalt make his soul
an offering for sin. He shall see his seed, and 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 shall be satisfied. You hear me say it all the time,
two words, substitution and satisfaction. God is absolutely satisfied with
the sacrifice of Christ. By his knowledge, shall my right
to serve and justify many. The believer can say, I'm justified
by Christ and Christ alone. He's done that for me. For he shall bear their iniquities,
and he did, didn't he paid it all in full, therefore, will
I divide him a portion with the great, and he shall divide the
small with the strong, because he hath poured out his soul unto
death. And he was numbered with the
transgressors, and he bare the sin of many. and made intercession
for the transgressors. Note there, he bore, he bore
our sin. He bore our sin. Turn now if you would, turn now
if you would to Colossians chapter 2. With that in mind, what we
just read, now let's see here. This price is paid in full. God
is absolutely satisfied. How do we know that? Let's look
at Colossians chapter 2. These are two of my, two verses that
just bring joy to my heart every time I read them. Colossians
chapter 2. Look at verse 13 and 14. And
Paul's writing to believers here. God's blood-bought, born-again
saints. And he says, And you, being dead in your sins, that's
our natural state, in the uncircumcision of your flesh hath He quickened
together with Him, that's born again by the Holy Spirit of God.
Heaven forgiven you what? All trespasses. How are our trespasses
paid for? In and through Christ alone. God is satisfied with the sacrifice
of Christ. Look at this blotting out the
handwriting of ordinances that was against us. They used to
they used to have a when they had criminals, they'd have ordinances
that were against them. Written ordinances that was against
them. Blotted out in the Greek, that means to whitewash. The
white to whitewash is gone. All those ordinances that was
against is gone. You know why? Because God's satisfied
with the sacrifice of Christ. Blotting out, and we can even
think of it as his blood just blotting out how it ain't. Paid
in full. Blotting out the handwriting
over ordinances that was against us. Oh, and how many there was. Which was contrary to us and
took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross. Oh my, substitution
and satisfaction. And this salvation, beloved,
is eternal. It's eternal. God will never
bring up past offenses and hold them against us because our sins
have been removed from us as far as the east is from the west.
We've talked about this. If you go east, you will forever
be going east. You'll never meet west. And if
you go west, you'll forever be going west. You'll never meet
east. Oh my. For as the heaven is high above
the earth, so great is his mercy toward them that fear him. As
far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions
from us. What a Savior! Even as God, for
Christ's sake, hath forgiven you. To wit, that God was in Christ,
reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses
unto them, and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation.
2 Corinthians 5, 19. Now we know the world in there
means the Gentile world, because anyone who was not a Jew was
considered to be part of the world. These are the other sheep,
which are not of this fold, which the Lord mentioned in John 10,
verse 16. In this salvation, This forgiveness
is divine forgiveness, beloved, divine forgiveness. It's eternal
life through the Lord Jesus Christ. It was planned in eternity past
in the everlasting covenant. Blessed be the God and Father
of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with all spiritual
blessings in heavenly places in Christ. According as he has
chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should
be holy and without blame before him in love. Chosen by whom? By the Father. When? In eternity. In who? In Christ. In Christ. All that the Father giveth me
shall come. Our Lord said that, shall come. Do you know the reason you came
to Christ, beloved? Because you were given to Christ
by the Father before the foundation of the world. That's so humbling,
isn't it? But it fills us with wonder and
awe. In him that cometh to me, all
in the wise cast out. Here never leave us or forsake
us. He's the Good Shepherd. Turn,
if you would, to John chapter 10. John chapter 10. He's the
Good Shepherd, beloved. He's the Good Shepherd. And what
does the Good Shepherd do? He gives his life for the sheep. He gives his life for the sheep.
John chapter 10, verses 11, to 16. And remember this verse
in John 17, 2, which we read, as thou has given him power over
all flesh, that he should give eternal life to as many as thou
has given him. Look at this then in John chapter
10, verses 11 to 11. And then we'll look at verses
14 to 16. He said in John 10, 11, I am
the good shepherd. The good shepherd giveth his
life for the sheep. That's who Christ died. Then
look at verses 14 to 16. I am the good shepherd, and I
know my sheep, and am knowing of mine. As the Father knoweth
me, even so know I the Father, and I lay down my life for who?
The sheep. And other sheep I have, which
are not of this fold, that's us. That's us, beloved. That's the Gentiles. Which are
not of this fold, them also I must bring, and they shall what? They
shall hear my voice. How do they hear? Through the
preach of the gospel. Made effectual by the power of
the Holy Spirit of God. And there shall be one fold and
one shepherd. One body, beloved. One shepherd. Oh, he's the good shepherd. Oh, what a pardon we have in
Christ Jesus our Lord from our great God. You'll never find a pardon like
this from man. Though a man should forgive all
you have done against him, he may not always forget it. But
the Lord says what? Their sins and iniquities will
I remember no more. Not only does He forgive us,
He forgets them. He forgets them. Turn, if you would, to John chapter
21. John chapter 21. And we see here quickly how the
Lord deals with His people. Look what He says to Peter here.
John chapter 21, verses 15 to 17. And remember, Peter had denied
the Lord three times. He said, I'll never do that.
He denied the Lord three times and he went off and wept, didn't
he? Like we all would too. He went off and wept. He's just
a man like you and I are. He struggled with sin just like
us. Look at this, look at... I always
marvel at these words here. John chapter 21, look at verses
15 to 17. And remember this too, remember
our text. Forgiving one another even as
God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you. Look at this though. So when they had dined, Jesus
saith to Simon Peter, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me
more than these? He saith unto him, yea, Lord,
thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, feed my lambs. Do you notice what the Lord hasn't
done here? He hasn't bought up what Peter did. He hasn't brought up what Peter
did. He saith unto him again the second time, Simon, son of
Jonas, lovest thou me? He saith unto him, yea, Lord,
thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, feed my sheep.
He saith unto him the third time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou
me? And Peter was grieved because he said unto him the third time,
lovest thou me? And he said unto him, Lord, thou
knowest all things. Thou knowest that I love thee.
Jesus saith unto him, feed my sheep. He didn't bring up. He
didn't bring up the fact that he denied the Lord three times.
Why? Because it's all under the blood. It's all under the blood. Now, let's look at here a point
of practice. It says here, lastly, let's look
at this real quick. A point of practice. Let's go
back to our verse quickly. It says, forgiven one another,
even as God, for Christ's sake, hath forgiven you. Observe how
the apostle puts it here. Does he say forgiving one another?
No, no, this is not the text. If you look at it, it is forgiving
one another, one another. And then that means if you have
to forgive today, it's very likely that your need to be forgiven
tomorrow. forgiving one another continuously.
Continuously forgiving one another. I'll close with this. If we were
to die tonight and face God, and God said, why should I allow
a wretch like you to enter into my glory? I would not plead my
works like the people on Matthew 7, who said, Lord, Lord, we prophesize
in your name and cast out devils in your name and did many wonderful
works. And Christ said to them, I never
knew you. I'd not plead my own righteousness because Isaiah
tells us our own righteousness is like filthy rags. I'd not
plead my faithfulness because I know if one of God's God's
sheep could fall away. We'd all fall away a thousand
times a day, but we can't. He keeps us. I wouldn't plead
baptism. I wouldn't plead any deeds. I
wouldn't plead morality. I wouldn't plead church membership.
You know what we'd plead? Christ. Christ. Christ. Even as God, for Christ's sake,
hath forgiven you. Mercy. What mercy. Heavenly Father, we thank Thee
for Your goodness and mercy and grace towards us in and through
Christ Jesus, our Lord. Lord, we pray that we would think
upon this message this week and the messages we've heard today.
Oh Lord, that we would carry them with us this week, that
they would encourage us. Oh, what a great Savior You are.
We're great sinners, but oh, You're a mighty and great Savior,
Lord. And when God sees Your blood, He passes over us. We
glorify thy name and praise thee and thank thee for your goodness
and mercy and grace to us in Jesus name. Amen.