Let's open our Bibles again tonight
to 2 Corinthians chapter 5 and verse 21. And I want to take
up right where I left off this morning. You'll find my subject,
the title of my message, in the last part of our text. 2 Corinthians
chapter 5 and verse 21. For he hath made him, that is,
God the Father, has made his darling son, the
Lord Jesus Christ, sin for us. He made him sin for us who knew
no sin. He's born holy, harmless, undefiled,
and separate from sinners. He knew no sin. He is the incarnate
God, the seed of woman who came into this world without the depraved
nature of our father Adam. He knew no sin. He could not
sin. He is the Holy One of God. Yet
he hath made him sin for us who knew no sin for this reason,
for this wondrous cause, that we, sinners like you and me, that we who are nothing but sin,
and can do nothing but sin, who are from the inside out sin,
that we might be made the righteousness of God in him. Made the righteousness of God. What a subject. Now, there are
two words translated made in this one verse. The first word
refers to Christ being made sin. This word made is where it carries
with it the idea of create. It's in the past tense. It implies
that he who was made sin for us was personally involved in
the work. He was made sin, but not passively. He was personally involved in
the work. By one act together, God the Father with the Son made
him, caused him to be sin. Paul's telling us that this great
mysterious act of God is that by which God gathered together
in one horrible heap all the sins of all his people in all
the world in all the ages of time and made them to be his
sons. Martin Luther suggested rightly
so. Christ was made to be the greatest
of sinners, made to be the blasphemer and the murderer and the adulterer
whom he forgave. He was made to be what David
was, a murderer and an adulterer and a blasphemer. Made to bear
all the guiltiness, all the guiltiness, all the guiltiness of his people
in his body on the tree. All that we are by nature, all
that we do in time, All the sins of all his people were made his. Made his. That's more hideous,
more corrupt, more vile, more reprehensible to say he was made
sin. than to say he was made the greatest
sinner who ever lived. For sin is what he was made,
sin. Not just made to be as though
he were one who had committed sin, but he who is the holy lamb
of God was made that thing which is most obnoxious to God, sin. Made that thing which he most
loathes, sin, and he is involved in the work. But when Paul tells
us by divine inspiration here that we are made the righteousness
of God in him, another word is used altogether. The word made
is totally different. When he speaks of us being made
the righteousness of God, Paul uses a word that is a present
tense, passive verb. It implies total passiveness
on our part. No activity performed by us.
Our Lord Jesus was made sin because he voluntarily assumed all responsibility
for us as our charity. He made himself under the law. He made himself a sacrifice for
sin. But when we are made the righteousness
of God in him, there's nothing done by us. When we are made
the righteousness of God in Him, that's totally passive on our
part. We are made the righteousness
of God in Him. Now, get this. If you don't get
anything else I say, get this tonight. Sinners are made the
righteousness of God in Christ without doing anything. Without a prayer, without a good
work, without a good thought, without a good disposition. Sinners
are made the righteousness of God in him by a work that God
himself performs all together without us doing a thing. Be
sure you understand what the Holy Spirit here teaches us.
Christ was made exactly what we are, sin. He was made sin
for us that we might be made exactly what He is, righteousness,
the very righteousness of God. He is, as Brother Larry mentioned
in his prayer this morning, our absolute substitute. He became
all that we are that He might justly endure all the wrath we
deserve as our penal substitute. And he makes us to be all that
he is that we might just enter into everlasting glory in perfect
righteousness, the very righteousness of God in him. So that the Lord
Jesus took our persons and our condition and stood in our stand
before God. We take his person and his condition
and stand in his stead before God. What God beholds Christ
to be, he beholds us to be. As God sees his son, he sees
us in his son always. Never otherwise except in his
son. He does not look on us. He does
not think upon us. He does not deal with us. He
does not speak to us. We who have made the righteousness
of God in Christ, except in his son, he speaks to us only in
by and one with his son, the very righteousness of God in
him. Now, let me show you this thing
first. Turn to Philippians chapter two. What I'm talking about tonight
is not just good doctrine. This is a very, very practical
thing. First, I want you to see this.
If we could learn that all believers, every believing center, every
believing center is to be looked upon by us as God looks upon
him, that would put an end to bickering and strife and envy
among God's people. That put an end to it. You remember
what the Lord asked Peter when he came to him after he denied
him three times. After the resurrection, he asked
him three times, love is thou me? The third time he used a
very strong word for love. And he asked Peter, now Peter,
let's get right down to the heart of this thing. Do you really
love me? Peter looked at the Savior and
said Lord, you know all things All that James and John and my
brothers can know is what they've seen me do That's all they can know You
know all things You know that in spite of what I do You know
that I love you You know this is real. And that's how we ought
to look on Peter and all our brethren as perfect, righteous,
and pure before God. Look at this, Philippians chapter
two. If there be therefore any consolation in Christ, if any
comfort of love, if any fellowship of the spirit, if any bowels
and mercies, deep feelings of mercy, deep eruptions of mercy
Fulfill ye my joy that you'd be like minded having the same
love being of one accord of one mind Let nothing be done through
strife or vainglory Don't say or do anything With pride and
strife don't do it bite your tongue Well, just telling the
truth, you don't need to. You don't need to. Ham, the cursed,
the reprobate, he exposes sin. Shem and Japheth, God's elect,
they cover it. Don't do anything through strife
and vainglory. Don't speak ill, don't even think
it. Don't even think it. From your
pride and your strife. For the strife comes from your
pride. The strife comes from your pride.
The strife comes from your pride. That's where it all comes from.
That's where it all comes from. Don't do that. Don't do that.
Not if you're gods. Not if you belong to Christ.
Watch this. But in loneliness of mind, In lowliness of mind,
let each esteem other better than themselves. Not on the same
level, better, better, better than themselves. How can that
be? How can that be expected? I was
studying, preparing this again this evening, working on it before
I came over here. Perhaps the best way I can illustrate
it is to use an illustration by someone most of you know,
Brother Tim James. Pastors down in Cherokee, North
Carolina. Tim and I grew up on the south side of Winston-Salem.
And I knew his family then. I went to school with his brother.
He went to school with my sister. His brother went to school with
my other sister. His sister went to school with my younger sister.
So we all kind of intermingled with one another. And I knew
him. I knew him. Knew his family.
And now I know him. Now I know him. But I don't know
him now as I knew him then. All I knew of Tim James then
was flesh. I knew he was a neighbor. I knew
he lived in the same section of town. I knew his mom and daddy
were. I knew where they worked. I knew
he was a DJ at one of the radio stations in Winston-Salem when
he got out of school. I knew him after the flesh. Knew him
after the flesh. Now I know him after the spirit. Now I know Him in Christ. And
as I think of Him, I'll never think of Him except in Christ. When I look on Him, I ought to
always think of Christ. I ought to always picture Him
in the perfection of righteousness with no sin. He's in Christ. Now that's the way He really
is. That's the way He really is. Did you get that? That's the way he really is.
That's the way I think about it. That's the way I think about
it. And I know myself. I don't know the passions of
his heart. I know mine. I don't know the evil of his
deeds. I do know mine. I don't know the corruption of
his soul. I do know mine. And it is only
reasonable, therefore, that I should be expected to esteem him better
than myself. And if you really do esteem someone
better than yourself, have a tough time fighting with them. You
have a tough time speaking ill of them. You have a tough time
thinking ill of them if you really esteem them better than yourself.
Turn to Romans chapter 6. Here's another thing. This is very practical. God the
Holy Spirit tells me that I'm to think of myself the same way.
In spite of all that I know myself to be by nature, even when the
corruptions of my heart are most vile and manifest in my deeds,
I am to look upon myself as one with Christ completely righteous
before God. I am to look upon myself if I
trust the Son of God. If I trust Him, I am to look
upon myself when I look in the mirror in the morning. I'm looking
at perfection. Now that's either the greatest
thing I can tell you in this world, or it's the boldest lie
I can tell you. One of the two. One of the two.
Absolute perfection. With his spotless garments on,
I am as holy as God's own Son. Let's see if that's what the
book teaches. Romans chapter 6. This is what we confess in
believers' baptism. And the Lord tells us this is
how we ought to think. What shall we say then? Shall we continue
in sin that grace may abound? God forbid. How shall we that
are dead to sin live any longer therein? Know ye not that so
many of us, as we're baptized into Jesus Christ, were baptized
into his death? That is, we were baptized with
reference to his death. Therefore, being buried with
him by baptism into death. That's what we did. Confess Christ
and believe His baptism, we were buried in that watery grave.
That's the only way you can baptize anybody. Sprinkle a little water
on somebody, doesn't baptize them. Pour some water over their
head, doesn't baptize them. That just gets them a wet head.
You must be buried with Christ to be baptized. We're buried
with Him as He was buried in the heart of the earth. We were
baptized into death with reference to death. That like as Christ
was raised up from the dead, by the glory of the Father, even
so we also should walk in the newness of life. The Lord Jesus
was raised up from the dead by the glory of God. What's that
talking about? The glory of God is revealed
in the sacrifice of his son. The glory of God revealed in
the accomplishments of Christ. He was raised up from the dead
because God's glory has now been revealed in the earth by his
obedience unto death. Now, what's this? We were raised
up to walk with him in the newness of life. Watch verse five. For
if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death,
we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection. Knowing
this, that our old man is crucified with him. Quite literally, our
old man died when he died. Our old man was crucified with
him on the tree. that the body of sin might be
destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin. For he
that is dead is freed from sin, justified from sin. Verse 8. Now, if we be dead with Christ,
we believe that we shall also live with him, knowing that Christ
being raised from the dead dieth no more. Death hath no more dominion
over him. For in that he died, he died
unto sin once. But in that he liveth, he liveth
unto God. Now watch verse 11. Watch verse 11 and shout God's
praises forever. Likewise, God says to you. Likewise, God the Holy Spirit
says to you who believe his son. Reckon ye also yourselves to
be dead indeed under sin. but alive unto God through Jesus
Christ our Lord. He says, look at your brethren,
perfect in Christ, and be sure you look at yourself that way
too. Look at your brethren, righteous in Christ, be sure you look at
yourself that way too. Look at your brethren without
sin, dead to sin. And be sure you look at yourself
that way, too, in Christ, in Christ. The Lord God would have
all who are his always to reckon ourselves in Christ, one with
Christ, and the very righteousness of God in Christ. Now, I can't
tell you how much I want you to trust the Son of God. And
I want you who trust the Son of God to see and live in the
sweet experience of this blessed gospel revelation. Be sure you get it. Until God
in heaven finds a sin in his darling son again, for which
he would rightly deserve again to be crucified. until God in
heaven finds a sin again in his darling son for which he fully
would deserve to be crucified, he will not find sin in me. Blessed. David understood this. David understood when Nathan
said the Lord hath put away thy sins David clapped his hands
and he said blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute
sin Look at Romans chapter 8 Verse 33 Who shall lay anything to the
charge of God's elect? It is God that justifies Who
is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea,
rather that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of
God, who also maketh intercession for us. Paul's challenge is as
much as to declare nobody can condemn us. Nobody can lay anything
to the charge of God's elect. God has justified us because
Christ died for us, and now our Savior appears in heaven for
us. He who was made sin without sin,
seated at the right hand of the majesty on high, making intercession
for us by the will of God. I'm here tonight to proclaim
this sweet good news to every sinner who will hear my voice. to every sinner who believes
on the Son of God. If you trust Christ, the God
of glory, who made His dear Son to be said, makes us the very
righteousness of God in Him. And He would have you to reckon
it so. Perhaps you're thinking, well,
Brother Don, I'd give anything to know what you've said to me
so, but surely We can't carry those words, made the righteousness
of God in him that far. Well, does the word of God really
warrant such a full, confident assurance of absolute righteousness
before God? Let's see. Turn to Jeremiah 23. Jeremiah 23. I want you to turn
there. Most of you can quote it, but
I want you to turn there. Don't look at it yet turn there and
fold the page of your Bible over to chapter 33 so you look at
these two texts together Jeremiah chapter 23 and verse 5 Jeremiah
chapter 33 and verse 15 The prophet here is speaking
to us about this blessed gospel day in which the branch of righteousness
has grown up under David and his seed, and that branch is
Christ. And now David is Christ our king,
seated upon his throne in glory, having grown up in righteousness
by bringing in everlasting righteousness. He now executes justice and judgment
in the earth. Now watch what it says in verse
five, Jeremiah 23. Behold, the days come, saith
the Lord, that I will raise unto David a righteous branch, and
a king shall reign and prosper, and shall execute judgment and
justice in the earth. Look at chapter 33, verse 15.
In those days, and at that time, I will cause the branch of righteousness
to grow up unto David, and he shall execute judgment and righteousness
in the land. I believe he's talking about
the same day and the same work, isn't he? All right, back to
chapter 23 again, verse 6. In his days, Judah shall be saved,
and Israel shall dwell safely. And this is the name whereby
he, the righteous branch, the Lord Jesus, shall be called the
Lord our righteousness. Now look at chapter 33, verse
16. In those days, Judah shall be
saved, and Jerusalem shall dwell safely. Talk about the same people.
And this is the name wherewith she shall be called. This is too good to make it up.
This is the name wherewith she shall be called. Called by who? By God. Called by who? Called by all who know God. The
Lord, our righteousness. Now that's not a mistranslation.
That's an exactly accurate translation of both passages. This is what
God tells us about the work of Christ in this day of grace in
which we live. Judah, the tribe of God's choice,
shall be saved. Israel, God's holy nation, his
chosen generation, his royal priesthood, shall dwell safely.
And this is the name whereby the righteous branch, our king,
shall be called Jehovah Zedkinu, the Lord, our righteousness.
And this is the name wherewith every saved sinner shall be called
Jehovah Zedkinu, the Lord, our righteousness. So Bobby Estes,
God Almighty, says your name is Jehovah Zedkinia, the Lord
our righteousness. God says that. God says that. So it doesn't much matter what
anybody else says, does it? This is the name whereby God's people
are called the Lord our righteousness. All right, let's go back to our
text, 2 Corinthians 5. 2 Corinthians 5, 21. He hath made him sin for us,
that we might be made the righteousness of God in him. The righteousness
which the Lord God makes redeemed sinners to become, the righteousness
by which we are accepted with and blessed with and by which
we are made worthy of heavenly glory is always called the righteousness
of God. the righteousness of God. That's
not talking about the righteous character of God. It's not talking
about that. It's not talking about God's
attribute of righteousness. The righteousness of God refers
to the obedience of Christ by which he brought in everlasting
righteousness. The Jews go about seeking to
establish their own righteousness. Paul tells us in Romans chapter
9, and thereby stumble over the stumbling stone. Christ, the
rock of foundation on which we are built, is to the reprobate
a stone of stumbling by which they're tripped up and go to
hell because they go about to establish their own righteousness.
How is that? Because they will not submit
themselves unto the righteousness of God. Now here's the problem
with everyone here who does not believe the gospel. Here's the
reason you're going to hell unless God stops you. Here's the reason.
Because you keep trying to make yourself righteous before God. You keep trying. You will not
submit to the righteousness of God that's in Christ Jesus. For
Christ is the end, the fulfilling, the conclusion, the termination
of the law for righteousness to everyone that believeth. According
to this book, it is the life of obedience that Christ lived
on this earth that constitutes this righteousness with which
we are clothed and that which we are made to become in Christ
Jesus. Yes, the scriptures speak of
us, his people, God's saints being robed in righteousness,
having on the garments of salvation, wearing linen garments in heaven.
That's true. We are robed in his righteousness,
like that particle son given the best robe when he came to
his father's house. But that's more than just having
a righteous garment put on us. God's people are made righteousness. so that Christ is formed in you. Christ comes in you. Christ takes up his abode in
you. Christ lives in you. And Christ living in you is the
hope of glory. The basis of our hope is all
together outside ourselves. But there's no hope until Christ
takes up residence in you, giving you faith in himself. It is Christ
in you that makes us meet to be partakers of the inheritance
of the saints in light. Christ is that new man created
in you in righteousness and in true holiness by which we are
made to be partakers of the divine nature in the new birth. His
death washed away our sins. His death satisfied the justice
of God for us. But in his life, by his obedience
unto God, Jesus Christ, our Mediator, lived for us in this world, the
full age of a man, with infinite worth, because this man is God
in perfect righteousness, not for himself, but for us. And
the righteousness of Christ, his obedience in life is just
as necessary for our everlasting salvation as his death upon the
cursed tree. The Lord Jesus completed his
life of obedience on the earth. And when he did, he said, I have
finished the work thou gavest me to do. But he said that, Bob,
back in John 17, four. And he's still on the earth.
He hadn't died yet. When we get to John chapter 19,
verse 30, he hangs his head before God and says, It is finished. And he bowed his head and gave
up the ghost, saying, Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit.
Well, which is true. Had he finished everything in
John 17, 4, or did he finish it in John 17 or 19, 30? Yes,
both are true. He finished a life of complete
manhood in perfect obedience when he lived the full age of
a man with no sin. He came into this world and he
opened his mother's womb and said, Lord, I come to do thy
will. Oh, my God. And he did his father's
will with every conscious act, with every breath he drew while
he walked on this earth as a man perfectly obeying God. his will,
his law, in all details. And he finished his life just
that way. So that by the full age of a man, he finished righteousness
and he finished sin by his death upon the tree. Throughout his
earthly life, our Savior was spinning the fabric of that royal
priestly garment in which we erode. And in his death, he dipped
it in blood. In his life, he was gathering
the precious gold. In his death, he hammered it
out to make for us garments of wrought gold. We have then as
much to be thankful for in his life as we do in his death. Christ Jesus rendered perfect
obedience to the law as our substitute. And then in his death, he satisfied
all the justice of God and has made us the righteousness of
God in him. Look at 1 Corinthians chapter
1 1 Corinthians chapter 1 Now this is the message that's set
before us in 2nd Corinthians 5 21 The Lord Jesus is our only
righteousness and it is our joy to confess him such Verse 30 of him of God Are ye
in Christ Jesus? If you're in Christ God put you
there Put you in Him before the world was. Put you in Him by
faith, giving you life and faith in Him. Of Him are ye in Christ
Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom and righteousness and
sanctification and redemption. He is made to us the revelation
of God. He is made to us the righteousness
of God. He has made to us in the new
birth, in regeneration, the holiness of God, sanctification. And he
has made to us redemption, deliverance, the complete salvation of our
souls by God. How? How is that done? Now remember, the word made in
our text speaks of that which is completely passive on our
part. How can a man be made righteous
with God? You hear people talk about, well,
I believe in atonement. I believe in redemption. I believe
in man being able to make things right. No, you can't. No, you
can't. I've told you this before, and
I don't know a better way to state it now. Many years ago,
we were still living in Junction City. My dad started to leave
the house one night, headed back down to Tennessee where they
lived. And he said to me with obvious sincerity, he said, son,
I hope someday to be able to make up to God for all that I've
done. And I said to him, dad, I keep
praying that God will give you grace to quit trying because
you can't make up to God. Will you hear me? You can't make
up to God. You make up to your wife, and
you make up to your children, and you make up to your parents,
and you make up to your husband, but you can't make up to God. Christ must do that for you.
There's no atonement but Christ, no reconsideration but Christ,
no acceptance with God but Christ. That righteousness which God's
people have in him is given to them without anything done on
their part. Let me show you five things that'll
be done. Five things, very quickly. How is it? It was done in eternity. It was done in eternity. The
works were finished from the foundation of the world. Now,
you won't need to turn there and look at it again. It's clearly
stated in Romans chapter 8. We were justified in Christ from
eternity. Somebody said, well, that means this, that means that.
I don't care what else it means. It means we were justified from
eternity. Well, that's hard-shelled doctrine. I don't care if it's
Buddhist doctrine. If it's written in this book,
it's so. It's so. Christ was our substitute from
eternity, and where we had our being with him from eternity,
one with him when he stood before God, and we were blessed of God
with all spiritual blessings in eternity in Christ, and accepted
in the beloved. Accepted because righteous. You mean, Brother Don, God looked
on us as though we were righteous. No, I don't mean that. I mean,
we were righteous. You mean God looked on us as
though we were one with Christ? No, he looked on us one with
Christ because he made us one with his son in covenant mercy. And when the surety was accepted,
we were accepted. When the surety was received,
we were received. The lamb slain from the foundation
of the world. That's that's talking about God's
purpose, you know, it is it really is the difficulty with us is
that God Condescends to speak to us in terms that puny brains
like ours can get hold of it God doesn't do anything in time
God doesn't step in and out of time zones. God doesn't think. That's confusing to think about.
God doesn't think. Now, believe it or not, I really
do think before I speak. When I called Annie Mindy this
morning, I thought to myself, don't call Annie Mindy. I thought
to myself, don't do that. You're prone to make that kind
of mistake. And I thought about it. And I got up here and called
Annie and Mindy. But God doesn't think. God knows. There's a huge difference. He
never learned anything. He never forgot anything. God's
eternal. He doesn't dwell in eternity.
He's eternal. He's eternal. God, the infinite
God. chose us, blessed us, accepted
us in Christ, justified us in Christ, the lamb slain before
the foundation of the world from eternity. Well, how can it be
said that Christ is the lamb slain from the foundation of
the world? He hadn't been born yet. He hadn't come into the
world through the virgin's womb yet. He hadn't lived on this
earth yet. No, he hadn't. No, he hadn't.
But he stood before God as our surety. and the lamb slain from
the foundation of the world, either that or you can take this
book and throw it away. That's what it says. That's what
it says. It was done in eternity. Abraham
took his son Isaac up to Mount Moriah and he took a knife and
plunged it in the heart of that boy and sacrificed him there
to God. No, he didn't really. No, he
didn't. God stopped him. He stopped him
from the physical act, Alan, but he had already sacrificed
the boy. God said he did. God said he did. For that which
Abraham in his heart had done, God said was done. Just as a
man looking on a woman to lust after her has committed adultery
already in his heart. Now hear me. If I can use another
human term to speak of God in his heart. In his heart, God sacrificed
his son and accepted me in the blood of his son, the Lamb slain
from the foundation of the world. And God said the work was done
from eternity, Hebrews chapter 4. Secondly, how does God make
us righteous? Judicially. In due time, Christ
died for the ungodly. In due time, Jesus Christ, God's
Son, fulfilled the law for us, indicted our substitute at Calvary,
being delivered for our offenses and raised again for our justification. He was delivered to death, Romans
4.25, because of our offenses made his offenses. He was delivered
to death with reference to our offenses. Because he was made
sin for us, God punished him in our room instead. And he went
to the grave punished as a transgressor, punished as a sinner, punished
as one worthy of death before God. Why did Christ die? because he fully deserved to
die. Justice could not have slain
him otherwise. Now, that statement just cannot
be gainsaid. That just cannot be gainsaid.
That cannot be denied, not without denying God's justice. It cannot
be. Christ died at Calvary because
he was made sin, and when he was made sin, he deserved God's
wrath. just as I personally deserve
God's wrath. And Christ died because of our
sins. Well, did God accept the sacrifice? Is justice satisfied? He came
to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself. Did his sacrifice
do it? Let's wait. As the prophet said,
we would have to wait for three days. Let's wait. As the type said, we'd have to
wait for three days. Let's wait. On the third day,
he is justified in the spirit. He was raised again because of
our justification so that justice was fully satisfied and we were
made judicially righteous by our Savior's obedience unto death
at Calvary. But this matter of having been
made the righteousness of God in Christ, while it is something
with which we have no involvement, is not just a matter of law. Any more than Christ being made
sin is just a matter of law. I get more than weary. I hear
folks say, well, these are legal things. These are legal things. When the Lord Jesus cried, my
God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? There were no pretense in
it. Well, he wasn't just putting
on a show. God forsook him because he was made sin. And when believers
are made the righteousness of God in him, it's not just a matter
of records being changed. That's not it. That's not it.
It's not just a matter of God saying, well, I'm not going to
consider him sin anymore. He's not just putting on a show. Believers
are made the righteousness of God in the experience of his
grace. When Christ comes by the power
of his spirit in the new birth and sprinkles our consciences
with his blood, giving us faith in him so that Christ formed
in you is the hope of glory. We're made partakers of the divine
nature. In the new birth, Mark, God put
something in you that wasn't there before. He puts his son
in you. In the fall of our father Adam,
man died spiritually. In the new birth, God puts spirit
life in you. Spiritual life, everlasting life,
eternal life. This is the life of God in the
soul of the man. This is Christ in you, the hope
of glory. And it is this blessed gift of
Christ in you that makes the believer meet to be partaker
of the inheritance of the saints in life. It is this gift of Christ
in you that causes us to walk before God in the assurance of
faith, trusting his son. We look outside ourselves because
Christ is in us. We trust him because he's in
us. Faith is the gift of Christ in
us, living in us by his spirit. We're in Christ, and now in the
experience of grace, we look upon God in heaven and
lift our hearts and say, Abba, Father. I pray for grace to constantly
live in the awareness that God Almighty is well pleased with
me. God's well pleased with me. He smells his son as a sweet
savor in his nostrils. And he smells me in his son. This is my beloved son in whom
I'm well pleased. I don't have any reason to be
afraid of him. God's well pleased with me. Well pleased with me
in Christ. And because he's well-pleased
with me, he accepts our sacrifices, 1 Peter 2, 5. He accepts our
sacrifices as gifts well-pleasing to him. Ecclesiastes, the wise
man, said, you go now and enjoy life with your wife and know
this, God accepts your works. God in heaven. God in heaven
is well pleased with the totality of my life on this earth. He accepts me in his Son. Have you got that, Mark? He accepts
us, not because of something we do. This righteousness is
not what we do. It's Christ living in us. You
say, well, that's not really me. Brother Todd and I had a
long conversation a few months back. He said, And Paul says,
it's no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me. And
then we confess our sin. Which is it? And I said, yes,
when he says it's not me, that's not me. That's not really me.
That's not really me. No, that's not. You know, that's
not me. You know, it's not me. That's
that old fellow. That's an old fellow of wonder
called Mary Fortner, Blaine County, North Carolina, 1950. That fellow
that came from Adam, that unrighteous one, that child of the devil.
That's who did that. And I looked to God and I said,
Lord, you know all things. You know that I love you. That's
not really you, that's Christ in you. Yeah, that's really me.
That's really me! That's that new man created in
righteousness and true holiness. so that the believer lives continually
in this world with these two opposing natures, flesh and spirit. And bless God soon, the flesh
will be put in the grave. Fourthly, this is a matter of
absolute righteousness. We are made the righteousness
of Christ absolutely. Absolutely. So much so, that
we are made meat to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints
in light. We're about to receive the Lord's
table. How can you be worthy to do that? Now, religion holds
this over you all the time. Now, you can't do that if you've
got any unconfessed sin in your life. When did you not have any? Tell me. When did you not have
any unconfessed sin in your life? When did you even know all the
sin in your life? Well, that can't be what it's
talking about. Well, you haven't been attending church like you ought
to. That's not your worthiness. Well, I, man, I lost my temper
with my son and smacked him the other day. I should have choked
him, but I smacked him instead. That's not your worthiness. That's
not your worthiness. What's your worthiness? We discern
the Lord's body. I know my need of a substitute.
And I know that Christ lived and died for me. I know it because
I trust Him. That means I'm accepted with
God. And I eat His flesh and drink
His blood. And I can eat this bread and drink this wine trusting
Him. There's not a man in this building,
not a man in this town, more unfit, more unworthy to stand
here and open this book and try to teach you about righteousness.
Who am I to talk to you about righteousness? Who am I to talk
to you about devotion to God? Who am I to talk to you about
faith and prayer? Who am I to talk to you about
walking with God? Who am I to talk to you about
loving Christ and loving each other. If I waited until I felt like
I ought to be here to preach, I'd never preach again. If I waited until I felt a worthiness
in me to stand to men and speak for God, I'd never open my mouth
again, never. Oh, but worthy? Yeah. Worthy. Worthy of God. In His Son! Because God's made
me worthy in His Son. Have you got that? That's our
worth before God. That's our worthiness before
God. And we are fifthly made the righteousness of God in Christ
everlasting lamb. You can read it for yourself
in the last two chapters of Revelation. No more curse, no more sorrow,
no more crying for the former things are passed away. I thought I'd finish preparing
my message late last night. and sat down this afternoon looking
at my notes again and got to think about that blessed estate
in glory. Heaven's a place of no more.
No more darkness, no more disease, no more disappointment, no more
death. No more sorrow, no more sighing,
no more sin. No more want, no more thirst,
no more sorrow, no more pining, no more desertion, but all Christ and glory, such
as perfectly righteous men and women
shall enjoy forever. on the basis of Christ's obedience
and blood as our substitute. And these bodies we shall be raised in immortality. These bodies of flesh now are
corrupted with the nature of sin and they must go to the earth
and rot and decay in the earth. That's only right. They're going
back to the dust. That's only right. Ah, but we're
going to be raised in his likeness. Sown a natural body. Now you
talking about, Mark was talking to me this morning about things
are just impossible. Sown a natural body, raised a spiritual body. Get somebody to explain that
to you. Sown in weakness, raised in power. Sown in mortality,
raised in immortality. Amen.