Pray with me, please. Gracious, merciful Father, Lord,
we praise You for Your goodness and Your love, that love which
You've shown to Your people in Christ. It's a marvelous state
that You have put us in, Lord, when You took us as sinners and
You justified us in Christ. And so we praise You and we thank
You for the blessings that You have given to us. in Christ our
Savior. I pray, Lord, that You might
open our eyes today, that we might see Christ more clearly
in His death as He became sin, when His body was broken and
His blood was shed, that we might have life in Him. O gracious
Father, might we each one see Him so clearly as dying in our
place for our sin. For in that we see His love.
It's in Jesus' name that we have come to You today, Lord. Come
in worship and come in prayer. Amen. Open your Bibles, please,
to Romans 5 if you've closed them. The Apostle opens this
chapter of Romans by showing us some of the immediate blessings
of a soul which is justified before God in Christ. In the
preceding chapters of Romans, Paul had clearly stated and proved
to those that God had given grace to see it that justification
before God is not of works, but justification is by faith. And
so now in Romans 5, Paul proceeds to show us the blessings that
are ours through Jesus Christ. So this morning it's my prayer
that as we prepare to come to this Lord's Supper table, but
the Holy Spirit will show us some of the blessings of justification
which are ours by the faith of Christ. In Romans 5, Paul said,
therefore, being justified by faith, we have peace with God
through our Lord Jesus Christ. What a blessing it is for every
sinner to have peace with God through Christ. When we come
to Christ by faith, One of the blessings, marvelous blessings
that we get is peace in Christ. We are justified and we are accounted
as righteous before God by faith in the Lord Jesus Christ when
we believe Christ as He is revealed to us by the Holy Spirit in the
Scriptures. And as His death for our sin
is revealed to us, this morning it's being revealed to us on
this Lord's Supper table. It's revealed to us in the broken
bread and the poured wine, which is a picture of Christ's death. Therefore, being justified in
Christ, we have peace with God. This marvelous peace with God
comes from the fact that in Christ we are made righteous because
all of our sins are forgiven. And so in Christ, we are made
holy and unblameable. Who can accuse us when Christ
died for us? As Paul said in Ephesians 1,
verses 3 and 4, 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. And as Colossians 1, verses 20-22
says, And having made peace through the blood of His cross by Him
to reconcile all things unto Himself, by Him I say, by Christ
I say, whether they be things in the earth or things in heaven.
And you that were sometimes alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked
works, yet now has He reconciled. in the body of His flesh through
death, to present you holy and unblameable and unreprovable
in His sight." I pray that you can hear this. You see, all of
those people, all of those people who are outside of Christ, or
at war, or they are at enmity with God, and He's at war with
them, without a Savior to take away their sin. All men are under
the wrath of God. But you don't need to be under
the wrath of God. God has sent us a Savior. As
the Apostle said in John 3, verse 36, He that believeth on the
Son has everlasting life. And he that believeth not on
the Son shall not see life. but the wrath of God abideth
on him." And in Romans 8, verse 7, it tells us why. It says,
"...because the carnal man is enmity against God. For it is
not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can it be." So
that's why we need a Savior. We need a Savior because when
we are in Christ, when Christ is our Savior, we are reconciled
to God, and so we enjoy a marvelous peace with God. As Isaiah 32, verse 17 says about
Christ, the work of righteousness, the work of Christ our righteousness,
shall be peace. And the effect of righteousness
is quietness and assurance forever. As Paul said it in 2 Corinthians
5.19, he said, that God was in Christ, reconciling the Word
unto Himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them, and has
committed unto us the Word of reconciliation. Then going back
to our text in Romans 5 and verse 2, Paul says that it is in Christ
by whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein
we stand and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. It is only
by Jesus Christ that we have access into God's grace or into
a state of favor and sonship and acceptance with God. And
both peace and grace are clearly distinguished from one another
when you're in Christ. As 1 Corinthians 1.3 says, grace
be unto you and peace. They're distinguished one from
another. Grace be unto you and peace from God our Father and
from the Lord Jesus Christ. Because of God's grace in Christ
that we have peace with God. Peace is a result of God's grace
to us. That grace that comes to us in
Christ. I pray that you know how important
peace with God is. Because the peace that a believer
has in Christ carries with it a very particular and unique
blessing. Without being reconciled to God,
we have no access to God. Access into God's grace or access
into a state of favor with God through Christ implies that you
have all of the blessings of God which are in Christ. As 1
Corinthians 3, verses 21 to 23 says, therefore, Because you're in Christ. Because
your peace is in Christ. Let no man glory in men, for
all things are yours. Whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas,
or the world or life or death, or things present or things to
come, they're all yours. And ye are Christ's and Christ
is God's. And so Colossians 1 verse 12,
Paul says, because we have peace in Christ, we are continually
giving thanks unto the Father which has made us meet to be
partakers of the inheritance of the saints of light. And as
Paul says in Hebrews 10, verses 19-22, it is because of Christ
that we are having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into
the holiest of the blood of Jesus by a new and living way. which
He has consecrated for us through the veil, that is to say, through
His flesh. And having a high priest over
the house of God, let us draw near with a true heart in full
assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil
conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. And so it's
only by Christ that we have access by faith into this grace wherein
we stand. and we rejoice in hope of the
glory of God. It's only by the faith of Christ
that we can rejoice in the hope of eternal salvation, the hope
of being like Christ, the hope of beholding His glory, just
as a joint error will produce joy because there can't be any
true joy without a hope that is in Christ. As David said to
God in Psalm 17 and verse 15 about this hope in Christ, David
said, as for me, I will behold Thy face in righteousness. I
shall be satisfied when I awake with Thy likeness. David's hope
was to be righteous like Christ. His hope was the righteousness
of Christ. And in 1 John 3, verses 1-3,
the Apostle said to us, Behold what manner of love the Father
has bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of
God. Therefore, the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not. Beloved, now are we the sons
of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be. But we know
that when he shall appear, when Christ shall appear, we shall
be like him. For we shall see him as he is.
And every man has this hope in him, purified himself, even as
he is pure." And it was Martin Luther not the Scripture, but
Martin Luther who said, Although I am a sinner, yet I despise
not, because Christ, who is my Redeemer and my righteousness,
liveth. In Him I have no sin, no fear,
no sting of conscience, and no fear of judgment, because in
Him there is no condemnation. I am indeed a sinner as touching
this present life, but I have a righteousness of God which
is above this life, who is Christ my Lord, and in Him I rejoice."
And so our peace, our hope is only found in Jesus Christ. Then looking back to our text
in Romans 5, this time in verse 3, Paul says, and not only so,
but we glory in tribulations also, knowing that tribulation
works patience. Not only does the believer Rejoice
in the hope of the glory of God. Not only does the believer find
his peace in Christ, but he even rejoices in tribulation, trials,
and afflictions when he's in Christ. As James 1, verses 2
and 3 says, my brethren, count it all joy when you fall in diverse
or into various temptations, knowing this, that the trying
of your faith works patience And as Paul said in 2 Corinthians
12, verse 10, therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches,
in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake. For when I am weak, then am I
strong. We're strong in Christ, aren't
we? Now please don't misunderstand what Paul is saying here. We
don't rejoice in the suffering of the trial itself. because
most trials are grievous. Most trials are very difficult.
Trials are painful things, aren't they? But we do rejoice in the
effect of the trial. All of the believer's trials
are appointed by God, our Father, and they are all for God's glory
and for our good. The effect of our trials for
a believer is that they always draw him closer to Christ. They draw the believers closer
to Christ. As Paul said in Romans 8, 28,
And we know that all things, including our trials, all things
work together for good to them that love God, to them who are
called according to His purpose. And in Hebrews 12, verses 9-11,
Paul said, And furthermore, we have had fathers of our flesh,
which corrected us, and we gave them reverence, Shall we not
much rather be in subjection unto the Father of Spirits and
live? For they, our earthly fathers,
for they verily for a few days chastened us after their own
pleasure, but He, but God, for our profit, that we might be
partakers of His holiness. Now no chastening, for the present
seems to be joyous, but grievous. Nevertheless, afterward it yielded
the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised
thereby." So in our trials we say, as the psalmist said in
Psalm 119, verse 71, it is good for me that I have been afflicted,
that I might learn thy statutes. And so also in Romans 5.3 it
says, the trials were patience. You know what Paul means by saying
that trials work patience. Patience is submission to the
will of God. Patience is to be content to
wait on the Lord. In Hebrews 13.5, Paul said, and
I think he's talking about patience, let your conversation be without
covetousness and be content with such things as you have For he
has said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee." David
certainly had many trials. And so he must have had patience. Because in Psalm 27, verses 13
and 14, David said, I would have fainted unless I had believed
to see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. Waiting
on the Lord. Be of good cheer. Be of good
courage. and He shall strengthen thy heart.
Wait, I say, on the Lord." Patience is submission to the Lord. Patience is the opposite of covetousness,
complaining, and haste. Patience involves not only our
submissive attitude towards God, our submissive attitude towards
His providence, but also Patience is our attitude towards others
during the trial. As Romans 5, verses 3 and 4 says,
we not only have peace and hope in Christ, but we glory in tribulations
also, knowing that tribulation worketh patience, and patience
experience and experience hope. When we're in Christ, we have
tribulation which is good for us. because patience works experience
or maturity of character. And that maturity of character
is proof of a genuine faith. Trials don't produce faith, but
they reveal the faith that God has given us if we're in Christ. But I stress to you that to glory
in tribulation is only possible, it is only possible for those
who have the faith of Christ. If you don't believe Christ,
then actually your trials may reveal to you to be a hypocrite. In an unbeliever, a trial may
only harden his heart and cause him to drop his profession of
Christ. But true faith is made stronger as the result of trials,
and so experience works hope. Let me see if I can make it more
clear to you. When faith in Christ is exercised
in a trial, Faith is then revealed to be genuine. You can't act
on faith that isn't there. And when the genuineness of our
faith is revealed or it's confirmed by the trial, then it is by our
faith that we look to Christ. We look to Christ, trusting Christ
in the trial. We grow in grace and we grow
in the knowledge of Christ. And so our hope of enjoying the
glory which is promised to Christ is strengthened. Our faith, in
other words, is strengthened. So experience works hope. And
as Romans 5, verse 5 says, and hope make it not a shame because
the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost
which is given unto us. How can a sinner possibly experience
the goodness and the mercy and the love of Christ and then not
continue to hope in Christ? when you've been given the faith
to believe that Christ died for your sin, then you know something
about the love of God. And if you're in your trials,
Christ continues to be faithful, then you're going to love Him
more. As the Apostle said in 1 John 4, verse 10, hearing His
love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent
His Son to be the propitiation for our sin. Those who possess
a good hope in Christ will always love Christ, and they will never
be ashamed of that relationship, nor will they ever have cause
to be ashamed of that relationship with Christ, because in Christ
they are perfectly righteous, and in Christ they will never
be put to shame. A vain hope and a false profession
will eventually fail. And in a trial of their faith,
they will soon be proved to be empty and the result will be
an eternal loss. As Paul said in Romans 9.33,
speaking, I think, not only by the inspiration of God, but by
his own experience with the faith of Christ. He said, as it is
written, Behold, I lay in Zion a stumbling stone and a rock
of a fence. and whosoever believeth on him
shall not be ashamed." But let me be very clear so that you
won't misunderstand. It isn't our love of God that
produces in us a strong hope and a comfort in Christ. That's
not what love does. Although the grace and the fruit
of our love for God and for others is quickened in us by the Holy
Spirit, But it's only because the Holy Spirit reveals God's
love for us in Christ that with the knowledge of Christ's love
for us comes the effect of His love, which are peace, access
to the presence of God, and rejoicing in the hope of eternal life.
So in Romans 8, verses 35 to 39, Paul asks, who shall separate
us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress,
or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written, for thy sake
we are killed all the day long. We are counted as sheep for the
slaughter. Nay, in all these things we are
more than conquerors through him that loved us. For I am persuaded
that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities,
nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height,
nor depth, nor any other creature shall be able to separate us
from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord." And
in 1 John 4 verses 9 and 10 it says that this was manifest,
the love of God towards us, because that God sent His only begotten
Son into the world that we might live through Him, hear in His
love, Not that we love God, but that He loved us and sent His
Son to be the propitiation for our sins. We do see God's love
for us in His faithfulness to us in our trials. We do see God's
love for us as He continually provides all that we need in
Christ. But it impresses me very much
that we see God's love best for us when, as sinners under the
conviction of our sin, God enables us to see that Christ died for
the ungodly. We see that God loved us so much
that He sent His only begotten Son to save us from our sin.
And we see Christ's love because He died for our sin. In the preceding
verses, the Apostle writes about the believer's hope of the glory
of God and the fact that those who have that good hope in Christ
will never be ashamed of that relationship, nor will they ever
have cause to be ashamed, nor will they ever be put to shame.
The truth of God's love to us in Christ, the reality of that
love, has been put in our hearts by the Spirit of Christ. And
so in the next verses, Romans 5, verses 6-11, Paul proceeds
to give us the proof and the evidence of God's love for us.
Our text in Romans 5, verse 6 says, For when we were yet without
strength, In due time, Christ died for the ungodly. This is
the sum and the substance of our Gospel. And it's the great
article of our faith. Jesus Christ died for the ungodly. And so this morning as we come
to the Lord's Supper table, I would like for you to think about several
questions that I'm about to ask you. In Sunday school this morning,
Craig suggested that we should ask ourselves these very same
questions. First, who is it that died? Well, it was Jesus Christ, the
Only Begotten, the well-beloved Son of God, who, in His assumed
human nature, died. And then He rose again. In Romans
8, verses 34, Paul asks, 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. And in Matthew 3, verses 16 and 17, it says, And Jesus,
when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water.
And, lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit
of God descending like a dove and lighting upon him. And, lo,
a voice from heaven saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I
am well pleased. And how did he die? Jesus Christ
our Savior died a death of shame, under the wrath and of the judgment
of God. As Paul said in Philippians 2
verse 8, and being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself
and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.
And why did he die? Jesus Christ died for, in the
place of, and as a substitute for all of God's elect. so that God might be just and
justifier of those that believe. As Romans 3 verse 24 to 26 it
says, 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 sin that are past 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 Jesus. And for whom did He die? I pray
that you know that He died for you. Jesus Christ died for the
ungodly. Not for righteous men, but He
died for the ungodly. Not for religious men. Not for
deserving men. but Christ Jesus died for those
who are ungodly in their nature and in their practice. As Paul
said in Ephesians 2 verses 1 to 5, and you hath he quickened
who were dead in trespasses and sin, where in time past you walked
according to the course of this world, according to the prince
of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the
children of disobedience. among whom also we all had our
conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling
the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature
the children of wrath, even as others. But God, who is rich
in mercy, for His great love wherewith He loved us, even when
we were dead in sins, has quickened us together with Christ. By grace
are you saved." When did He die for us? Christ died for us when
we were without the strength to obey Him, without the strength
to keep His law. He died for us when we were without
the ability to help ourselves. Jesus Christ died for us when
we were in bondage to the law, in bondage to our sin, and when
we were unable to change our condition. In Jeremiah 13, verse
23, the prophet of God asks, can the Ethiopian change his
skin? or the leopard, his spots, then may ye also do good that
are accustomed to do evil." Jesus Christ died for us in due time. Or He died at that time which
was appointed by the Father for Christ to die. In Galatians 4,
verses 1-5, we have Paul's words. Paul says, Now I say that the
heir, as long as he is a child, differeth nothing from a servant,
though he be Lord of all, but is under tutors and governors
until the time appointed of the Father. Even so we, when we were
children, were in bondage under the elements of the world. But
when the fullness of the time was come, God sent forth His
Son, made of a woman, made under the law, to redeem men that were
under the law that we might receive the adoption of sons." And in
1 Timothy 2, verses 5 and 6, Paul said, for there is one God,
for there is one mediator between God and man, the man, Christ
Jesus, who gave Himself a ransom for all to be testified in due
time. And so as we come to this Lord's
Supper table this morning, it is my prayer that you'll be thinking
about these questions that I've asked you. Who do you believe
this man was? whose death is pictured on this
table by the bread and the wine? How did He die and why did He
die? Do you believe that He died for you? And if you do, then
what was your condition before God when He died for you? In
other words, do you believe that Jesus Christ died for your sin? I pray that you can see and that
you can understand that Christ did die for your sin. Because
if God has enabled you to see that Christ died for you, making
you righteous in Him, then you can also see the love of God
for you as you look at the death of Christ as your substitute.
The greatest single proof of someone's love that I could possibly
imagine would be for someone to give his life for you or for
me. As the Apostle said in 1 John
4, verse 10, hearing his love, Not that we loved God, but that
He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our
sins. And in John 15, verses 12 and
13, Jesus said unto us, shortly before He went to the cross to
die, He said, this is my commandment, that you love one another as
I have loved you. Greater love hath no man than
this, than that a man lay down his life for his friends. Then
looking back at our text in Romans 5, verse 7, Paul says, for scarcely
for a righteous man will one die, yet perventure, yet perhaps,
for a good man some would even dare to die. There are two types
of men who are mentioned by Paul here in Romans 5, 7, and they
both need a Savior to die for them. First, there's a righteous
or a just man. That's a man who's very moral
and strictly obedient devoutly religious. He appears to be righteous
before all men, and he demands that everyone else be like he
is. Could be that some people might love a man like that, but
I think it's very unlikely that they would be willing to die
for such a man as that. And there's a second kind of
a man who is a good and a benevolent man. He's gracious and kind and
considerate to everybody that he meets. And so among other
men, He's both well-beloved and He's well-respected for His gracious
and kind acts towards others. Maybe it wouldn't be many, but
I'm pretty sure that some would certainly be willing to die for
a man like that, a man so beloved by everyone. But listen to what
Paul says about those that Jesus Christ was willing to die for
in Romans 5, verse 8. Paul says, But God commended
His love towards us in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died
for us. Jesus Christ was willing to die
for the ungodly. Christ came to earth to die for
sinners. He became sin and He died that
sinners like you and me might have life. I'm a sinner. And I believe that
Christ died for me. He took my sin. He died in my place. He died
for me. Real love, Paul is saying, is Christ and seeing Christ die
for you. But God manifested His love for
us. God gave clear proof and clear
evidence of His love for us, so that there is no room to doubt
it, and that while we were yet in our sin, while we were yet
sinners, Christ died for us. This is absolutely true in respect
to all that are saved. Because every natural man, from
Abel to Paul, down to you and me, we are all sinners and Christ
died for sinners. In Isaiah 53, verse 6, it says,
All we like sheep have gone astray, We have turned everyone to His
own way. And the Lord has laid on Him
the iniquity of us all. And Jesus Christ not only died
for sinners as their substitute, He became sin for them so that
they might have life in Him. That's the greatest love, I think,
that we can ever know or ever imagine. And it's the love that
we should see and remember when we look at the death of Christ,
which is pictured here on this table. pictured by the broken bread
which represents his broken body, the poured wine which represents
his shed blood. Christ died that we might have
life. And that is a marvelous love.
When Christ Jesus loved us, died for us, and redeemed us, we were
sinners by birth. We were sinners by choice. We
were sinners by practice. And we had no love for God. Oh,
we might have thought we did. But in truth, we had no love
for God. We only loved ourselves. In Romans
8, verses 7 and 8, Paul said that because the carnal mind
is enmity against God, for it is not subject to the law of
God, and neither can it be. So then that they that are in
the flesh cannot please God. But I want you to look at the
good news. It's in verse 9. That good news in Romans 5, verse
9. Paul says, much more than being
now justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through
Him, through Christ. Paul, listen to me please. If
God's love to us is so great, if God's love to us is so rich
that He gave Christ to die for us, when we were nothing but
ungodly sinners, it is much more certain and sure that being righteous,
justified and free from sin in Christ, we should be delivered
from God's future wrath and punishment. In Romans 8, verses 31-34, Paul
asks this question. He asks, what should we then
say to these things? If God be for us, who can be
against us? He that spared not His own Son,
but delivered Him up for us all. How shall ye not with Him also
freely give us all things? Who shall lay anything to the
charge of God's elect? It's God that justifies. Who
is He that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea,
rather, is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God,
who also maketh intercession for us. And going back to our
text in Romans 5, verse 10, it says, For if when we were enemies,
we were reconciled to God by the death of His Son. Much more,
being reconciled, we shall be saved by His life. If while we
were enemies of God, as Ephesians 2.3 says, among whom also we
all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh,
fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were
by nature the children of wrath even in others. If while we were
enemies of God, as Colossians 1.21 says, and you that were
sometimes alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works,
yet now hath He reconciled. If while we were enemies of God,
as Romans 8, 7 says, because the carnal mind is enmity against
God for it is not subject to the law of God and neither can
it be, if while we were enemies of God we were reconciled to
God through the death of Jesus Christ, then we would praise
God for all eternity who has taken away our sin. who has given
us life eternal in Jesus Christ. And as 2 Corinthians 5, verses
18-21 says, And all things are of God, who has reconciled us
to Himself by Jesus Christ, and has given to us the ministry
of reconciliation, to wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling
the world unto Himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them, and
has committed unto us the word of reconciliation, Now then,
we are ambassadors of Christ as though God did beseech you
by us. We pray you in Christ's stead,
be ye reconciled to God, for He has made Him sin for us who
knew no sin, that we might be made the righteousness of God
in Him." That's why believers come to this Lord's Supper table.
They come praising God. It's absolutely certain that
because God has reconciled Himself to us, and has reconciled us
to God in Christ, then we shall be daily kept, we shall be daily
delivered and daily sustained by the resurrected intercessory
life of the man Jesus Christ. If you can comprehend even a
little of what God has done for us while we were yet His enemies,
then try to comprehend the blessings that are ours as His friends
and as His sons who are joint heirs with Christ. In Romans
8, verses 16 and 17, Paul said that the Spirit itself here beareth
witness with our spirit that we are the children of God. And
if children, then heirs, and heirs of God and joint heirs
with Christ. If so be that we suffer with
Him, that we may be also glorified together. Oh, what a glorious,
marvelous, everlasting love that God has shown to us. and sending
His dear Son to die for us. And that Christ is shown to us
in His death as our Savior. And as if death for our sin wasn't
enough of a blessing to us, as Romans 5.11 says, and not only
so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ by whom
we have received the atonement. Not only do we rejoice in the
hope of the glory of God, not only do we glory in tribulations,
Not only did Jesus Christ die for us while we were yet sinners,
not only are we saved from wrath through Him, not only are we
reconciled to God by His Son, but we rejoice in God through
Jesus Christ. We rejoice in God Himself as
our covenant God, as the God of all grace, peace, and salvation.
We rejoice in His perfections and His providence and His presence.
And the means by which we come to this joy the means by which
we glory in Christ is through our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. As Colossians 2, verses 9 and
10 says, For in Him dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead
bodily, and ye are complete in Him which is the head of all
principality and power. Oh, that we might know and understand
that all things are in Christ. It is by, in, and through Christ
that we have received the atonement or the reconciliation with God.
Full redemption, satisfaction, and expiation is made by Christ's
blood for sinners, and it is received by faith. And so we
come to this Lord's Supper table, and I pray that when you come,
you will come looking to Christ that you'll come seeing the love
of God who sent His only Son to die for your sin, which is
pictured by the elements that are on this table. Can you see
the love of Christ, whose body was broken for you and whose
blood was shed for you, so that you might have eternal life in
Christ? Can you see Him that way? Can you see the love of
Christ because you believe that He took your place on that cross,
taking your sin on Himself, and being made sin, He died for you
while you were yet in your sin? If you can, then I invite you
to come to this table. Come in fellowship with those
others of this body who can also see the love of God in Christ.
Would you all pray with me, please? Gracious and merciful Father,
Lord, we confess to You that we are sinners. And so because
we so desperately need a Savior, we praise You and thank You that
You have sent Your only Son to die in our place for our sin.
We praise You, Lord, that Christ willingly went to the cross to
die so that we might have life in Him. Lord, could it be that
all who are here this morning might look to this crucified
Christ, this resurrected Christ, that's pictured here on this
table, and see Your love in the death of Your Son, that You might
give us all the faith of Christ, that we might believe and trust
Christ, not only for our salvation, but that we might trust Christ
for all things and for the blessings that You have given to us in
Christ our Savior, in whose name we pray. Amen.