Now this morning we're looking
at 2 Corinthians chapter 9. I have one verse to look at,
verse 15. 2 Corinthians 9 verse 15. Thanks be, thanks be unto God
for His unspeakable giving, for His unspeakable gift. No one gives like our God. He opens His hand and all things
are fulfilled. I'm entitling the message from
that verse, the unspeakable gift of God. What or who is the unspeakable
gift of God? Now you know who it is, don't
you? No doubt about who that is. The Lord Jesus Christ He
truly is the unspeakable gift, the indescribable gift, the inexpressible
gift of God. The Lord Jesus Christ is that
gift that really does truly keep on giving, because His gift is
a perfect gift. Remember from the book of James,
every good gift and every perfect gift come down from God, with
whom there is no variableness, neither shadow of turning, His
giving never changes in the least bit. He said, I am the Lord,
I do not change. The Lord Jesus Christ is that
perfect gift from God unto His people, unto His elect, unto
His church. What a gift! Think of it. God gave himself for us. What a gift. What a charity we
have. The charity of the everlasting
covenant. What a substitute we have. who
died in our place. What a Savior we have that actually
accomplishes salvation. What great salvation we enjoy
in the Lord Jesus Christ. We can say with the Apostle Paul,
Christ is all And in all, what a gift, what a gift. Now in these
two chapters, 2 Corinthians 8 and 9, the apostle has been writing
unto the churches of Corinth about the joy of giving, the
privilege of giving, and the blessings of giving unto the
Lord. Notice if you will, I'll just
point out three of them. In 2 Corinthians 8 verse 7 through
verse 9, we are to give with a motive of love, considering
how the Lord loved us and gave himself for us, no greater motive
than love. Look what it says in 2 Corinthians
8 verse 7, therefore as you abound in everything, in faith, utterance,
knowledge, and all diligence, and in your love to us, see that
you abound in this grace also. Talking about the grace of giving.
I speak not by commandment, but by the occasion of the forwardness
of others, and to prove the sincerity of your love. Now here's the
essence of love. For you know the grace of our
Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sakes
he became poor, that you through his poverty might be rich. You cannot give too much. You'll
never go broke giving unto God. And the motive of giving is gratitude,
thanksgiving, and love. Secondly, in In 2 Corinthians 8 verse 12,
we are to give willingly. Look at verse 12. For if there
be first a willing mind, it is accepted according to a man hath,
not according to what a man does not have. You can't give what
you don't have. Don't ever sign a pledge card
and say, I'm going to give this. if you don't sign a plague card,
period. You give as unto the Lord. We
don't pledge to do anything. We give as unto the Lord as He
blesses us. We give willingly. Believers
don't give out of a sense of duty, out of a sense of debt,
out of a sense of obligation. We give because the Lord makes
us willing and wanting to give unto Him. Right across the page,
2 Corinthians 9, verse 7, Every man according as he purposeth
in his heart, so let him give, not grudgingly or of necessity. God loves a cheerful, cheerful
giver. You see, it's a blessing, giving.
It's more blessed, it's more blessed to give than to receive,
cheerfully. Thirdly, another description
the apostle gives here in 2 Corinthians 9, verse 11, he says give, Generously Generously look at
verse 11 2nd Corinthians 9 being enriched and everything at all
bountifulness Which causes us through the thanksgiving to God?
for the administration of this service, not only supply it to
the want of the saints, but is abundant also by many thanksgiving
unto God, whilst by the experience of this service they glorify
God for your professed submission unto the gospel of Christ, for
your liberal giving, distribution unto them and unto all men. You see, believers are blessed
to give generously, willingly, lovingly, but all our gifts and all our giving
can be measured and counted, can't they? You probably filed
your tax return, and if you did that one form where you're allowed
to take the deduction to charitable giving, you probably know exactly
how many dollars you gave because you turned it in on your taxes.
All our gifts that we've ever given can be measured and counted,
right? Because they're finite, they're
limited. But the gift of God's love and
grace and mercy unto us is infinite, abounding, endless love, endless
grace, eternal mercy. You see, God's gifts of love
are not finite, they're infinite, unlimited, unnumbered. in every aspect. The whole gospel
message of our Lord Jesus Christ is the gift of God, the gift
of God unto His people. Remember John 3, verse 16, God
so loved His own that He gave His only begotten Son. He so loved that He gave Himself. God gave Himself. The Lord Jesus
Christ is God. We read in Ephesians 5 that husbands
are to love their wives even as Christ loved the church and
gave himself for it. What a gift! He gave himself. We read this recently in Romans
chapter 6 verse 23. The wages of sin is death, but
the gift of God. The gift of God is eternal life
through Jesus Christ, our Lord. The gift of God. You see, our
Lord gives eternal things, eternal blessings. He's blessed us with
all spiritual blessings in the heavenlies in Christ Jesus. In
Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily, and in Him
you stand complete. Of His fullness have we all received
grace for grace. He's given us all things eternal
life. in the Lord Jesus Christ. All
these things are His free, sovereign giving. The gospel of the Lord
Jesus Christ is founded upon the principle of giving, isn't
it? Giving. Buying and selling are
unknown when it comes to the gospel. I read this last week
when Isaiah 55 where it said, Ho everyone that thirsty, come
ye, come buy wine and milk without money and without price. It's free. Free, free grace. In Acts chapter 8, hold your
place there and turn to Acts chapter 8, there was a man in
the early church who thought he could buy salvation with some
money. You remember what happened to
him? In Acts chapter 8, his name was Simon Magus, thought he could
buy salvation with some money and it brought condemnation on
his head. In Acts chapter 8, verse When Simon saw that through laying
on of the hands, the apostles' hands now, the Holy Ghost was
given, he offered them money, saying, Give me also this power
that on whomsoever I lay hand may receive the gift. Peter said,
In him thy money perish with thee, because thou hast thought
that the gift of God may be purchased with money. Thou hast neither part nor lot
in this matter, for thy heart is not right in the sight of
God. Therefore repent, therefore,
of this wickedness, and pray unto God, that perhaps the thought
of thy heart may be forgiven thee. For I perceive that ye
are in the gall of bitterness and in the bond of iniquity."
He thought he could buy his way in. by the gift of God. Aren't you glad salvation is
by grace? Salvation is free. All spiritual
blessings in the gospel are freely, sovereignly, and eternally given.
We had last week, remember Romans 3.24, justified freely by His
grace? Romans 8.32 says, God spared
not His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all. How shall
He not with Him also freely give us all things? Look at verse 15. And I want
to camp here for a few moments and talk about God's unspeakable
gift. Thanks be unto God for His unspeakable,
unspeakable gift. Now Paul was thankful for their
giving. But one comes right down to the bottom line. We're going
to talk about true giving and God giving. We have to give thanks
unto God for the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. Now I have
a confession to make and I'm willing to admit I feel totally
helpless to speak upon about the unspeakable gift. Now you
put yourself in my shoes this morning. How does one speak about
something that's unspeakable? But that's my task. That's my
job. May God help me to do so. That's my calling, to do so. The apostle over here writes,
don't turn, let me just read it to you, over here in 2 Corinthians
3, he said, not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think anything
of ourselves, but our sufficiency is of God. God enable me to speak
about Christ, who also has made us able ministers of the New
Testament, not of the letter, but of the spirit. For the letter
killeth, but the spirit giveth, giveth, giveth life, life, life. Thanks be unto God for the unspeakable
gift of God, giving the Lord Jesus Christ to accomplish our
salvation. In Isaiah 9 we read, unto us
a child is born, unto us a son is given. His name shall be called
Wonderful, Counselor, the Mighty God, the Everlasting Father,
the Prince of Peace. That is unspeakable love, isn't
it? Now, four points this morning.
Number one is this. Think for a moment of the condescending
Love in the Lord Jesus Christ taking our place and dying for
our sin. Let's read about it. Find over
here in Philippians chapter 2. The condescending love. Love like no other love in the
Lord Jesus Christ coming and dying for our sin. In Philippians
chapter 2 verse 5, Let this mind be in you, which was also in
Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery
to be equal with God. He is God, but made himself of
no reputation, took upon him the form of a servant, and was
made in the likeness of men. This is almighty, eternal God
who inhabits eternity, inhabits a body of a man. And being found
in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, became obedient unto
death, even the death of the cross. That's love. Unspeakable. That's the gift
of God. The infinite God-man, think of
it, became an infant of a day old. The infinite God became
an infant a day old. God who made the law and gave
the law became subject unto his own law to redeem us from the
curse of the law. He who made woman, created woman,
was made of a woman. In the fullness of time, God
sent forth his son made of a woman. made under the law to redeem
us. The Word was made flesh and dwelt
among us. The Son of the Highest had nowhere
to lay His head. Mary gave birth to the incarnate
God in a cow stable. And they put his body in a manger,
a cow trough full of hay. The Son of Man had nowhere to
lay his head. We deserve no favor like that,
do we? We deserve no such favor, but
out of love for his people, the Lord came to rescue us. The Lord
came to redeem us. The Lord came to regenerate us.
The Son of Man has come to seek and to save the lost. He said,
I didn't come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentant. That's
love, isn't it? This is a faithful saying and
worthy of all acceptation that the Lord Jesus Christ came to
save sinners. This is love unspeakable. Turn over here to Romans chapter
5. Romans chapter 5 for a minute. Romans chapter 5 verse 6. Romans 5 verse 6. For when we
were yet without strength and due time, Christ died for the
ungodly. For scarcely for a righteous
man will one die, yet peradventure for a good man some would even
dare to die. But God commended his love toward
us." There's God commended love, the unspeakable love of God.
His love toward us in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died
for us. Much more than being now justified
by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him. 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. Oh, the love of God, how rich,
how free, how high, how infinite. Turn to Ephesians chapter two. Ephesians chapter 2 Ephesians chapter 2 you remember
what he talks about here what we are by nature children of
wrath even as others Ephesians 2 verse 4 but God who is rich
in mercy for his great love wherewith he loved us even when we were
dead in trespasses and in sin O love of God How high? How vast? How measureless? How
strong? That's indescribable love. John put it this way, herein
is love. Here it is. Not that we loved
him, but that he loved us and sent his son to be the sacrifice
for our sin. Unspeakable, indescribable love. Sovereign, holy love. It indeed is unspeakable, but
by the Lord's grace, we're gonna keep speaking about it. His love,
high above. So infinite, so free, so full. Here's the second point. Let
us also declare His unspeakable sacrifice. His unspeakable sacrifice. The Lord Jesus Christ gave the unspeakable sacrifice
to accomplish our salvation. Did He get the job done? Did
He actually accomplish salvation? Or did He make it a possibility?
Did He make a mere attempt to put away sin or did He accomplish
salvation? The Lord Jesus Christ gave Himself
as our substitute and sacrifice for our sin that did accomplish
all our salvation. The just one died for the unjust
that he might bring us unto God. That's the sacrifice that's effectual,
satisfying unto God. No one can declare the infinite
worth of his sacrifice, the infinite pain and agony he endured to
put away our sin, wounded for my transgression, bruised for
my iniquity with his beating, the chastisement of our peace
was laid upon him, and with his stripes I am healed. He appeared once in the end of
the age to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself." His sacrifice,
effectual atonement unto God is unspeakable. Think for a moment
about his suffering. The incarnate God, having sin
charged to his person. He bear our sin in his own body
on the tree. Our transgressions and iniquities
laid upon him. That's unspeakable, is it not?
How can you speak about that? It's a great mystery how He can
be made sin for us. How He can bear our sin in His
own body on the tree. This too is unspeakable, is it
not? But we're going to keep on speaking about it. His suffering
unto death, His sacrifice, the shedding of His blood that actually
accomplishes salvation for His covenant people. Not one sheep
for whom Christ died can ever perish. Because He obtained for
them eternal redemption with His own blood. His blood cleanses
us from all our sin. Unspeakable, isn't it? It's infinite,
isn't it? It's indescribable, isn't it?
But it's true. And by His grace, we're going
to keep on speaking about it. Then two, thirdly, consider this. Think about the blessing given
unto us through His coming, through His doing, through His dying
for us. It's unspeakable. Now, turn to
1 Corinthians, 1 Corinthians chapter 3. 1 Corinthians chapter
3. You see, he's given us all things. 1 Corinthians chapter 3, verse
21. 1 Corinthians 3, 21, Therefore
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, all are yours. And you are Christ, and Christ
is God's. You see, we have all spiritual
blessings in Him. Blessings, all blessings given
unto us through the Lord Jesus Christ. The blessings are infinite,
eternal, therefore unspeakable. Think about this. We have in
the Lord Jesus Christ complete and total forgiveness of all
our sin. Original, actual, past, present
and future. Blessed is a man to whom the
Lord will not impute sin. That's a blessed man. Blessed
is a man to whom his sins are covered, his transgressions are
covered, his sin is put away. We have that in Christ right
now, in whom we have redemption, in Christ. Not only do we have
redemption, but I need something else too, and all these are found
in Christ. I need righteousness. I need
righteousness. I need a justifying, perfect
righteousness before God. Blessed is the man to whom the
Lord imputeth righteousness without work. No wonder the apostles
said, I count all things lost, dung, and ruined, that I might
win Christ and be found in him, not having my own righteousness,
which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of
Christ. We have complete redemption,
deliverance from all sin. We have complete righteousness,
the righteousness of Christ. Christ is our righteousness before
God. And we've been given the gift
of faith to receive all these blessings. How are these blessings
received? By faith? We've been given the gift of
faith to receive Christ as all of our salvation. No wonder it's
called a precious gift. It's an unspeakable gift. For
by grace are you saved, through faith, and that not of yourselves.
It is a, what? Gift of God, not of works, lest
any man should boast. That's why faith is called precious.
It's given of God. Saving faith lays hold of the
Lord Jesus Christ. Not only that, but we've been
adopted into His family and made heirs of God and joint heirs
with the Lord Jesus Christ. Behold what manner of love the
Father hath bestowed upon us that we should be called sons
of God. You, a son of God? That's unspeakable. And me too. You too. That's unspeakable. That's unspeakable grace, unspeakable
love. We've been made sons of God,
we've been made heirs of God, and joint heirs with Christ.
We have in Him an inheritance that's incorruptible, unbefiled,
that does not fade away, that's reserved in heaven for you who
are kept by the power of God through faith. That's an unspeakable
inheritance we have in Him. You see, this is all the unspeakable
gift of God in the Lord Jesus Christ. Unspeakable! That's why
Paul said that he went and preached or attempted to preach the unsearchable
riches of the Lord Jesus Christ. We read that in our Bible study
this morning from Ephesians chapter 3. Now, look back to the text
again. You see, this is the unspeakable,
unspeakable gift of God. Now, what conclusion does that
leave us to? Does that cause us to boast in
the flesh? Does that cause us to joy or rejoice in the flesh? Not at all. We have no confidence
in the flesh. We are the true Israel which
worship God in the spirit, that rejoice in Christ Jesus, and
we have no confidence in the flesh. Look what the text said,
verse 15. Thanks be unto God. David wrote this in Psalm 115.
Not unto us, O Lord, not unto us. But unto thy name do we give
glory, for thy mercy and for thy truth's sake. Christ is the
gift to be very much spoken of, and to be thankful for, and everything
give thanks. This is the will of God in Christ
Jesus concerning you. We are not half as thankful as
we should be, as we ought to be. But every believer is thankful. Not like we ought to, not like
we should. We are thankful, though. The psalmist put it this way,
from the rising of the sun until the going down of the same, the
Lord's name is to be praised. When you wake up in the morning,
oh, give thanks. When you go to bed at night,
when you pillow your head at night, oh, give thanks unto the
Lord. Not only to praise the Lord and
be thankful in our talk, but also in our walk. The Apostle
put it this way, whatever you do, do it heartily as unto the
Lord. We show our gratitude and thanksgiving
to the Lord by believing the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ,
by holding to the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ, for contending
for the faith once delivered unto the saints. You see, believing
the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ gives all honor and glory
unto Him. He's worthy of it. My soul shall
make her boast in the Lord, the humble shall hear thereof, and
be glad. Worthy is the Lamb that was slain,
to receive all honor, glory, and power." The Gospel of the
Lord Jesus Christ, from top to bottom, is all of grace. Grace, grace, and grace alone. Aren't you thankful that grace,
as it's said down here, God is able to make all grace abound
towards you? We believe through the grace
of the Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved. And again he says over
here in verse 14, For the exceeding grace of God in you, Christ in
you is a hope of glory. You see the gospel of the Lord
Jesus Christ begins with grace, continues with grace, and will
end in grace. Grace, grace, grace alone. You can't say too much about
the grace of God. So, we show thanksgiving by believing
the gospel, by contending for the gospel. Now, listen to this. Have nothing to do with a false
gospel that gives man room and opportunity to boast. Have nothing
to do with that. Have nothing to do with that
at all. Have nothing to do with the ministry where salvation
by God's grace is denied or made little of or made fun of. Because
that ministry that denies salvation by grace can never say, can never
say, thanks be to God. for that unspeakable gift. Can
they? They'd have to say something like this, well, thanks to the
church. It's all up to the church. You know, we can't spell church
without you. They would have to say something like this, well,
thanks to the preacher. Preacher got me in. Preacher
got me saved. You see, they can't say thanks
being to God for His unspeakable gift. Or maybe they would have
to say thanks to the sinner for letting God save him. have nothing
to do with a ministry where the grace of God is denied. You see, they can't sing, to
God be the glory, great things He hath done. They'd have to
say, to me be the glory, great thing, look what I've done. You
see how contrary that is to the gospel? Have nothing to do with
a ministry that denies the saving sovereign grace of God. David
prayed this way, I'll cry unto God most high and the God that
performeth all things for me. Not most things, He performed
all things for me. Another Psalm, Psalm 66, Come
and hear all you that fear God, and I will declare what He had
done for my soul. You see, David could say thanks
being to God for his unspeakable gift. Now can't you say that
in your heart? You wouldn't dare pat yourself on the back, would
you? And say, look what I've done. Our Lord told that wild
Gadarene that was healed. Do you remember that wild man
in the tomb? Go home and tell how great things, how great things
God has done. It's not like, look what I've
done. No, not at all. You see, we hold to an infinite
almighty God who may complete an infinite atonement, unspeakable
atonement for all our sins. You see, God bought us with His
own blood. We hold to and preach an infinite
love that cannot fail. The love of Christ never fails.
We hold to and preach infinite grace that can save the lowest
sinner to the highest heaven. God is able to save to the uttermost
all that come to God by Him. We hold to an everlasting covenant
of mercy ordered in all things that is sure. This is all our
hope in all of our salvation. Covenant mercies, orders in all
things, sure. You see, Christ is all and in
all, and we are complete in Him. Thanks be unto God for His unspeakable
giving, His gift, Christ Himself. Now, let's turn and read something
here in John chapter 4. You remember the woman at the
well, the woman of Samaria who met the Lord Jesus Christ one
day? And he said unto her in verse
10, If you knew the gift of God,
there's that unspeakable gift, and who it is that saith to thee,
Give me to drink, you would ask him, and he would have given
thee living water." If you knew the gift of God and who it is,
you'd ask him, Lord, give me this gift. And the woman saith
unto him, Sir, thou hast nothing to draw with, and the well is
deep. From whence then hast thou that living water? Art thou greater
than our father Jacob, which gave us this well, and drank
thereof himself, and his children, and his cattle? Now listen carefully,
verse 13, whosoever drinketh of this water, speaking about
that H2O that comes from the faucet, shall thirst again, but
whosoever drinketh of that water, that spiritual living water that
I shall give him shall never thirst. But the water that I
shall give him shall be in a well in him, a well of water springing
up, springing up. This is the gift that keeps on
giving. This is the well that keeps on giving, springing up,
springing up into everlasting life. And you know what she said? Sir, give me this water that
I may not thirst. Oh, may God be gracious unto
us and cause us to thirst after
Him and ask of Him of that living water. If you ask of me, I'd
give it to you. Ask and you shall receive.