Let's take our Bibles and turn
with me to the book of 2 Corinthians chapter six. 2 Corinthians chapter
six. I'd like to deal with verse one
this morning. And the verse Verse 1 is actually
a continuation of Paul's last statement, the last verse found
in chapter 5 in verse 21. He says in verse 6, verse 1 of
chapter 6, we then, we therefore, we moving the thought forward,
is what he's saying. Well, what thought had he set
forth? Well, the Apostle Paul was moved
by the Spirit of God to declare an unimaginable, indescribable
truth of God's grace to his elect people concerning the person
of the Lord Jesus Christ. And it was concerning God's grace. He penned in verse 21 of 2 Corinthians
5, he said, He, for He, that is the Father, hath made, that
is to make or to do, it's the same word, that was used when
the Lord made water to become wine. It actually was wine. As Brother Scott would say, it
wasn't water with a post-it note on it. You've heard him say that.
It said wine. No, you look at that and say,
no, that's water. No, He hath made Him that is the Lord Jesus
Christ, sin. The word there is hamartia, it's
a word, again, I've told you I don't speak Greek and I don't
speak Hebrew, I don't speak, you know, these, but I have a
concordance and I can look them up. And what the word, when it
said, He hath made him sin. Hamartia is the word, and actually
what it means is, to miss the mark or to err. He made him to miss the mark. He made him to err. For us, that is all that the
Father hath given him. He hath made him a curse. That's what Galatians
3.13 says. He hath made him a curse, who
knew no sin, holiness himself, who was of pure eyes than to
behold iniquity. He was made to err, that we,
His elect, who are nothing but sin, whose righteousnesses are
as filthy rags, that we might be made, that is, that we might
become something that we were not in ourselves. What is that? The righteousness
of God in Him. Not as if we were the righteousness
of God. Not virtually. That means it almost was, or it looks like
it was, or it's a great facsimile. No. We were made in Him the righteousness
of God. eye hath not seen, ear hath not
heard, neither hath entered into the heart of man, that which
God hath prepared for those that love him." And to have the scriptures
declare that here is, this is the grace of God. He who knew no sin was made sin. As I've said before, and I cannot
help but say this every time I say this, I hold my breath
when I say this, but it's the truth. Hanging thread upon that
cross was sin. And God dealt with him. God dealt
with him. indescribable justice and judgment
and wrath of Almighty God where the law found sin, it dealt with
it. That we, God's elect being born
in Adam, polluted from the crown of our head to the sole of our
feet who have no soundness in us Nothing spiritually healthy
about us might be made the righteousness
of God in the Lord Jesus Christ. That truth that Paul had dealt
with, verse 21, the actual grace of God toward the vessels of
His mercy, that verse of Scripture sets forth the grace of God. Romans, I'll read this for you,
8.3, says this, For what the law could not do, in that it
was weak through the flesh, God sending His own Son in the likeness
of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh. Now, in 2nd Corinthians 6.1,
we then, being, that truth being set forth, we then, as workers
together with Him, beseech you also that you receive not the
grace of God in vain. Now I want you to notice something.
I'm going to just deal with this verse of scripture for a few
minutes this morning. I want us to look and notice
if your Bible has italicized words in it. The word as, the
words with him, and the word you are all in italics. That means that they were added
by the translators to try to be a help. As I've heard it said
often, a lot of times the word, they do help, but sometimes they
don't give you the exact. Here's what was actually said.
Apostle Paul was saying, we then, workers together, beseech also
that you receive not the grace of God in vain. The words, as
workers together, is really just one word, and this is what it
means. This is what that definition,
those three words, one word, means. It means to work together,
it means to help in work, and it means be a partner in labor. Well now, with that being the
true definition, and trying to apply those words and their definitions
as Us, being workers together with God, helping in the work
or being partner in labor, is really giving us more honor than
we're due. So, that the Spirit of God did
send forth and commission heralds of the gospel is absolutely true. Matthew 10, 16, behold, the Lord
said, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves. He said
in Matthew 28, 19, go you therefore and teach all nations, baptizing
them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy
Ghost. And even the Apostle Paul declares in 2 Corinthians right
here Chapter 5 and verse 20, now then, we are ambassadors
for Christ as though God did beseech you by us. But the work is totally His. And we are not assistants in
being the Lord needing us as far as the proclamation of the
gospel. Now even in, I looked at this
passage of Scripture, 1 Corinthians, you just hold your place there,
turn back to 1 Corinthians chapter 3 and just look at this verse
of Scripture for a second. 1 Corinthians chapter 3 and verse
9, now that says we are laborers together with God. Ye are God's husbandry, ye are
God's building. It says we are laborers together
with God, but now we miss exactly what the apostle is saying if
we fail to read the verse prior to verse nine. Look at verse
eight. Here's what scripture says. Now
he that planteth and he that watereth are one, and every man
shall receive his own reward according to his own labor. Now, we, the ones planting and
the one watering are laborers together. The scripture says
with God, but actually when you look at the, I looked up the
meaning of that, the literal, Young's literal translation states
this, for we are of God, fellow workmen. So, God's people, called
of the Lord, ordained of God, commissioned of God, sent of
God, are actually instruments in God's hands. Called and commissioned
and actually responsible as laborers and servants of the Lord to do
His bidding, His direction. But when it comes to us being
co-with the Lord, You know that we're not. There's one God and
we are His workmen, His servants. So the Apostle is not declaring
that God Almighty and His creatures, His servants, His people are
cooperating in bringing about His eternal will and purpose
as though the Lord's will couldn't be done without us, but the truth
that the Lord does use men and these laboring together as instruments
in the hands of God is absolutely true. But we don't deserve any
praise. We don't deserve any honor. We
don't deserve a pat on the back. The scripture says in Luke 17
verse 10, so likewise ye, when ye shall have done all those
things which you're commanded to do, this is the Lord speaking,
say, We are unprofitable servants. What does that mean? No merit
due. Unmeritorious is the word. We
have done that which was our duty to do. So as being workers
together in that first part, I want to get to that part about
receiving not the grace of God in vain. That's what I'm going
to actually focus on for a moment. But I wanted to deal with that
we then as workers together with Him We are His workman service,
not cooperating with as though He needed us. So the Apostle
Paul is stating that we as workers together, concerning the Lord,
concerning His commission, he said, I beseech you also that
you receive not the grace of God in vain. There's some things
that I know for a fact that that doesn't mean. Receiving the grace
of God in vain. The apostle is not insinuating,
and you know this but I'm going to bring it out, that the grace
of God as meaning the regenerating grace of God could be received
in vain. or that God's grace could be
repelled or resisted by a man who, according to his own will
and power, could just say, no. No. I grew up, I told you that,
talking about, you know, well, this was an old brother, so and
so. I know the Lord's dealing with him, because, man, I could
just see the whites of his knuckles. He was hanging on to that. like
he was resisting God, like he had some kind of power. Listen.
Receiving the grace of God in vain does not mean that man or
woman possesses the ability or the will to resist Almighty God
whenever the Spirit of God is pleased to come in regenerating
grace. He comes in power. He comes and
he quickens that sinner that before was dead in trespasses
and sins. A sinner that can't do anything. He has the ability to resist
God? He's dead. He's dead. That seems to be something that
the world and its religion misses. I'm missing that. What do you
mean you're dead? I mean, you're unable. I mean, you're incapable. I mean,
again, the only thing I can relate it to that we can understand
is that if we're sitting here preaching, if I'm preaching a
funeral and there's a corpse here, what can that corpse do? Nothing. I can talk to it, I
can encourage it, I can admonish it, I can beseech it, I can do
whatever. I can sing 97 verses of Just
As I Am, I can do all that. But it's not going to do anything.
It's going to be there. It's dead. So when the Apostle
Paul said, receive not the grace of God in vain, that does not
mean that you have the ability to resist it. Whenever God comes
in power, He comes and removes a heart of stone and gives a
heart of flesh. He gives a new, a sensitive heart. He gives a new spirit, a new
will. And that man is now willing in
the day of God's power. Why? Because he's alive. Whenever
a believer believes Why does he believe? Because God gave
him faith. He doesn't believe in order to
receive faith any more than a child cries in order to become alive. Something has to be there first,
and so receiving the grace of God. in vain doesn't mean that
I have the ability to resist God. We are, 2 Peter 1, 4, we're
a partaker of the divine nature. God comes in regenerating grace
according to His eternal will and purpose before the world
began and in time when it pleased God through the preaching of
the gospel, the truth, this message right here. The declaration of
the grace of God, which if you come right down to it, the declaration
of the grace of God is the declaration of Christ. That's the declaration
of the grace of God. He comes in regenerating grace
and he births the vessels of his mercy from heaven. God Almighty gives them life
and they believe. And they have a heart for him
now. He made them new in Christ Jesus. And they were born from
above, not of blood. Just as I've said before, just
because my mom and daddy were believers doesn't mean I'm a
believer. God may be pleased to save, The child may be pleased
to save all in a home, but that's not necessarily so. Not of blood,
nor the will of the flesh. Again, that's what I've been
dealing with. Nor the will of man, but of God. So I know that
receiving the grace of God in vain doesn't mean that I have
the ability to resist God. I can hear His call. I hear the
message. I understand it. I perceive it,
but I just don't want to. I just don't want to come. I
just, I got some wild oaks to sow and I'm going to get saved
just before I die. I mean, I used to think that.
I did. I thought, you know what? Just before I die, I'm going
to give my heart to Jesus. And you know, I want to go to
heaven, but I just don't want to, you know, I'm just not ready
to make that commitment now. And somebody said, well, that's
the stupidest thing I'm telling you. That's the way I thought,
Chuck. Secondly, to receive not the
grace of God in vain doesn't mean that I can effectually receive
God's grace and then lose it. It doesn't mean I have the ability,
first of all, to resist it. It doesn't mean that I can receive
it. you know, and have it and be
regenerated and then lose it. John 10, 27, 28, my sheep hear
my voice. I know them and they follow me
and I give unto them eternal life and they shall never perish. Neither shall any man pluck them
out of my hand. Now, what does that mean? That
means that a sinner regenerated by the grace of God will not be lost. He will not be lost. You cannot get rid of it. You think, who would want to
get rid of it if you ever truly had it, but that's the mindset. Send away his day of grace. He
was just so bad, God took it away from him. No one can be
truly regenerated and then become unregenerate. Can you imagine
the slur upon the ability or the wisdom of God? They say God
desired that that sinner be saved. They say, you know, the scripture
says God's not willing that any should perish. No, they're only
quoting half a verse. God is long-suffering to us-ward,
Peter said. Who are the us-ward? Well, just
go back to the first part of that chapter and you'll find
out he's talking to God's elect. elect. God's elect. He's long-suffering
to usward, not willing that any of us should perish. That's what
he's talking about. He's talking about God's elect.
So when you quote a half a verse, you know, you give the wrong
impression. So if somebody could be converted and then lost, it
would mean God's not powerful. God's not all-powerful. He couldn't
keep you. Well then, if it doesn't mean
that I can resist it first, or it doesn't mean that I can have
it and then lose it, well then, what does it mean? To receive
not the grace of God in vain. Now, remember, He's talking about,
at verse 21, that glorious declaration of what God Almighty has done
for his people set forth concerning the person of the Lord Jesus
Christ, the grace of God that declares Christ the servant of
Jehovah concerning God's everlasting covenant of grace to send his
only begotten son into this world to seek and to save his people
from their sins. It was totally by the grace of
God that the Father made Him to be sinned. I was going to
say, can you imagine? I think you can't. I can't either.
But that God the Father made Him sin for us who knew no sin
that we might be made the righteousness of God. That truth, that truth,
that declaration, of Christ's glory is that glorious declaration
of the grace of God that is not to be received in vain. Now basically,
let me come down to this. This is a warning. This is a
warning. It doesn't mean that man has
the ability to resist it. It doesn't mean that man can
possess it and then lose it. It's a warning. Warning. Receive not that truth when it
says, in vain, in an empty way, without faith. God commands all
men to repent. Now that's the truth. I'm going
to tell you something. Every person in this congregation
this morning is commanded to repent. I'm telling you right now, Almighty
God has declared every one of us to repent. You might say,
well, you're just trying to make this so narrow that only a certain
few. Let me tell you what I'm saying
right now. God commandeth every man to repent. God commands every man, I beseech
you that you receive not the grace of God. That declaration
of the grace of God, this is what God did. And the Apostle
Paul was moved by the Holy Spirit. Don't you receive that in an
empty way. Don't receive that in an empty,
vain way. Almighty God has saved His people. He saves His people the only
way they can be saved. The Lord Jesus Christ says, I
am Now the next word that's getting ready to come out of my mouth
qualifies this truth. The way. I looked up that word, the, Mark,
and you know what the first thing it says about it? Definite article. Definite article. I am the way. That means that there is no other
way. I am the way. How do you get
to Franklin, Tennessee from here? There's a bunch of ways. I can
tell you the closest way to get there, but I can tell you there's
a lot of ways. You can go by way of New York City if you want
to. You'd just be driving a long time. But if there was one way,
this is the only way you could go. This is it. I can get off
this pulpit in numerous ways. I can go that way. I can go this
way. I can try to go over this pulpit if I want to. But when
it comes to salvation, there's one way. This is it.
This is one way. I am the way. I am the way. I
am the truth. I'm the truth. I am the life. Now listen to this. No man cometh
unto the Father but by Me. He is exclusive. He's exclusive. And because of Him being the
only way, that means no other. No other. Well, I thought you
could... There's no other. I thought I
had to, there's no other. That congregation told me that
there's no other. There's no other. Hebrews 12, 14, 15 says, follow
peace with all men and holiness without which no man shall see
the Lord. Let me tell you the literal.
Follow by faith. after the Lord Jesus, our peace
and holiness before God. Without which, that is without
Him, no man shall see the Lord in peace or dwell with Him. Looking diligently, lest any
man fail of the grace of God, lest any root of bitterness spring
up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled. Now, looking diligent,
lest any man fail of the grace of God. Now, let me clear something
up in closing. No man can, when it says fail
of the grace of God, not that any can fall from the free grace
and favor of God, that's eternal. We already established that.
But what the apostle's talking about, some who profess to embrace
that gospel and later depart, looking diligently lest any man
fail of the grace of God. He just, he wasn't kept is what
he was saying. How can that be? 1 John 2.19,
they went out from us, they were not of us for him. If they had
been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us, but they
went out that they might be made manifest that they were not all
of us. So Paul is telling the church,
This is the truth. God the Father made Him sin for
us. Here's the grace of God. This
is the grace of God. I will be gracious to whom I'll
be gracious. He made Him sin for us who knew
no sin, that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him.
Now Paul says, or the Spirit of God says through Paul, you
receive not the grace of God in an empty way. Don't receive. Don't get. Don't have to yourself. God's people, when they hear
that right there, let me tell you what they do in their heart.
They fly to Him. Lord, keep me. Lord, don't let
me be found to be one like in the Song of Solomon, when Shulamite,
when the Lord Called her and she said, I'm already in bed,
I'm taking my shoes off. You know. Carnal men boast of
there being no ability that they'd ever walk away from Him. If God doesn't keep, save and
keep, those that profess to believe and have no heart for it, they
will. they will manifest that they
were not of us. Paul warns us, again, the Spirit
of God warns us, don't receive God's grace in an empty way. And a believer will say, Lord,
God forbid that I should receive in an empty way that which you've
said, Lord, I come. Lord, help me. Lord, save me. Lord, don't pass me by. Like
those apostles saw me, appeared as though he'd walk by, they
go, pass me not, O gentle Savior. Hear my humble cry while on others
you call. Don't pass me by. Lord, don't
leave me to myself. Lord, I know there's been others
that's left, and Lord, there's no difference in me or them if
you don't keep me. Don't receive the grace of God
in vain. I pray that God bless this to our heart, that He'd
quicken us, refresh us, and cause us to again call upon Him in
need concerning His mercy for His glory and our good.