Let's take our Bibles and turn
with me to the book of 2 Corinthians chapter 5. 2 Corinthians chapter
5. In the first service, I was in
Proverbs and continuing in that blessed book and I preached on the subject of look not thou
upon the wine when it is red. So if you get a chance and want
to hear that one, Lord Will and Linda will have it online, I
say, this afternoon. But this morning, in this service,
I'd like for us to consider verses 16 and 17 out of 2 Corinthians
5. 2 Corinthians 5, verses 16 and
17. Now the Apostle Paul, last week,
just to bring us right up to where we are, declared the heart,
And the motivation, I guess I'd say it if I can, like that of
a believer, in his desire for faithfulness unto the Lord Jesus. And here's the issue. The love
of Christ constraineth us. That is, it arrests us, compels
us, holds us. Because we judge, or conclude
that the Lord who died for all His people died for them because
they were all dead in trespasses and sins. And so God's love for
His people is the reason that He sent the Lord Jesus Christ
into this world to save them from their sins. The Scripture
says this, a verse of Scripture that I love what Mr. Spurgeon
said. He said this scripture, John
3.16, is the great canon of Arminianism. And he said, I'm here to tell
you today that he said that canon was not forged in their foundry
of man's works. And so we read this blessed scripture,
though it's so distorted by the word, for God so loved the world. Jew, Gentile, male, female, bond-free. He loved the arrangement that
He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him. There's the key to this scripture.
Believeth in Him. Has faith to give Him. All the honor, glory, and praise,
and not ourselves, believeth in him, not him and us, whosoever
believeth in him, and not in me at all, should not perish,
but have everlasting life. A believer is constrained by
the love of Christ to faithfulness unto the Lord. So therefore,
the loving obedience of God's elect to the Lord Jesus Christ
is actually our duty, our willing and joyful duty, our owe, our
debt. Somebody says, well, I don't
believe that we're doing what we're doing out of duty. Well,
this is what the Lord said. Luke 17, 10. So likewise ye,
when ye have done all those things which are commanded of you, you
say this, we are unprofitable servants, we have done that which
was our duty to do. It is our duty and we do so by
the grace of God, lovingly, thankfully. I stand before you as one with
you. I just happen to be standing
in this pulpit. And my duty, my duty called of
God is to faithfulness, faithfulness. He's called me to this ministry. He called you to this ministry. And we've done all that we can
do. We're unprofitable servants. What does that mean? We didn't
add anything to His glory. We've done that which was our
duty to do. So that joyful duty, motivated
by love, worship, which is from the heart, is that which moves
us to deny ourselves, follow after Him. Philippians 3.3. I was looking at this passage of scripture.
I've prepared a message and Lord willing I plan to preach this
message out of Philippians 3.3 this next Wednesday. And I've
entitled it, True Worship. Here's worship. So many people
talk about worship. We worship the Lord. We worship
the Lord. What is that? What is worship? This scripture right here, this
is the very heart of worship. For we are the circumcision,
circumcised of the heart, which worship God. Alright, now here's
how we do it. We worship God. in the Spirit
as directed by the Spirit, led by the Spirit, taught by the
Spirit. Now what does the Spirit of God teach us, Mark? What are we taught? How do we
worship God? Here it is. We rejoice in Christ
Jesus. We rejoice in Him. That which
He's done. That which He's accomplished.
And we have no confidence in the flesh. Now that's worship.
That's the heart of worship. He gets all the honor, all the
glory, all the praise, and we get none. We get none. What are we deserving of? None.
We're the recipients of His mercy. Mercy. So then the Apostle, and
now I'll take up where we are today, 2 Corinthians 5. So then
the Apostle says in verse 16, Henceforth know we no man after
the flesh. Yea, though we have known Christ
after the flesh, yet now henceforth know we Him no more." Now the
Apostle Paul is saying that as a consequence of our union with
the Lord Jesus Christ, having been given a new heart, in regenerating
grace, the Lord having died at Calvary, on Calvary's tree. And we died in Him. A great mystery. But we're in the Lord. We're in Christ. And when He
died, God who had put all of God's elect in Christ, that mysterious
union with Him was very real. When He died, we died. We died in Him. What did we deserve? We deserved judgment. We deserved to die. And here,
being found in Him, in the haven of rest, the city of refuge,
the cleft of the rock, He suffered He was the ark Himself, Neil,
in whom we were put. And all the judgment of God fell
on the ark. And the ark took the brunt. The
ark took the blow. And we were in Him. Noah was
in that ark. The judgment of God fell on Noah.
Why? Because Noah was just like all
the rest of them. There was none good. God saw that every imagination,
thoughts, or heart was evil continually. Did Noah deserve judgment? Yes! He was a creature of the dust.
He was a creature born in Adam. All of sin had come short of
the glory of God. God in mercy. Noah found grace
in the eyes of the Lord and it was in there. So here we are.
The Apostle Paul is talking about this. Henceforth now, in regenerating
grace, we've got a different attitude. He said, henceforth
know we no man after the flesh. Now here's what he's talking
about. As a consequence of being found in the Lord Jesus and regenerated
from above, died with Him, Paul says, I see now and I know men
differently than I did before. Well, what did he mean by that? Hold your place, turn to 1 Timothy
5.21. 521. 1st Timothy 521 says this, the Apostle Paul speaking
to Timothy, 1st Timothy 521, I charge thee before God and
the Lord Jesus Christ and the elect angels that thou observe
these things without preferring one before another, doing nothing
by partiality. Before conversion, you can turn
to James 2. I'm going to read out of that
in just a second. Before conversion, this is for everybody. This is
all of us. We're all like this. Men know, that is, approve of
or esteem or regard others by carnal reasoning, earthly, external
judgments according to appearance, according to rank, education,
some other fleshly consideration. And that's a bondage. That's
a snare unto men. Look at James 2 verse 1 to 4. My brethren, have not the faith
of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, with respect of
persons. For if there come unto your assembly
a man with a gold ring, goodly apparel, there come in also a
poor man in vile raiment, and ye have respect to him that weareth
the gay clothing, and say unto him, Sit thou here in a good
place, and say to the poor, you stand there. Stand thou there,
or sit here under my footstool. Are you not then partial in yourselves,
and have become judges of evil thoughts? The thing is, we're
all prone, and we've all got the same nature. That old nature
that thinks that is still with us. We got it. I mean, don't
think that if the President of the United States walks in here
and sits down, on the back, you know, back row back there, that
I wouldn't say, oh, Mr. President, why would I do that? I got an old nature that's going
to just automatically just go to something that I think deserves
more honor. But the thing about it is, the
Lord has commanded us, don't, don't, don't look, don't judge
him. Therefore Paul says back in 2
Corinthians 5, 16, Wherefore, henceforth know we no man after
the flesh. There's a new man here that recognizes
that rank, position, job, this, that, and the other. And there's
a battle that still goes on. Don't let me think that, oh no,
we never think it. We do too. Yes we do. We war
with that old man. We do the same thing. But there's
a new man that knows that just because the Lord has been pleased
to not give one man as good a job as another man. He's made this
man over here, or this lady, sick. And this one over here
is not sick. And somehow this one over here
that's not sick, or the one that's wealthier, is better, or more
to be esteemed. Paul said we don't know men like
that. Souls are souls. We're all dug
out of the same pit. And so he says, henceforth know
we no man after the flesh. Then he says, yea, though we
have known Christ after the flesh, yet now henceforth we know Him
no more. Now just like the men looked
at other men naturally and set an esteem on them higher or lower
based on what we thought they deserved. Paul said, here's the
thing, we don't We have known Christ after the flesh. Now here's
what he's meaning. Some did see him in his state
of humiliation and had different views of him. Some heard him. Some saw him. Some said, ain't
that Joseph from Mary's Boy? I grew up with that kid. My kids
played with that kid. They had different views of him.
Paul said there was a time when he was looked at and He was known
after the flesh. But, yet now henceforth know
we Him no more. We don't regard men anymore by
that new creature within after the flesh was standard and attitude
as it once did. There's a difference too in the
way we as believers regard the Lord Jesus Christ. We don't regard
the Lord anymore. We don't regard Him from a fleshly,
carnal, human viewpoint like we once did before the Lord called
any of us out of darkness. What did you think of the Lord
Jesus Christ? Well, you thought He was just
like Nicodemus when the Lord came to Nicodemus, or when Nicodemus
came to the Lord that night. And Nicodemus said, We know that
Thou art a teacher come from God, for no man can do these
miracles that Thou doest except God be with him. We know, obviously,
you must be a great teacher or a prophet or something. Come
from God because the things you're doing, nobody... The Lord answered
him and said, Nicodemus, you must be born again. Why? Nicodemus looked at the Lord
after the flesh. That's how he judged Him. Look
at the reading there. Henceforth, know we no man after
the flesh, after that fleshly carnal viewpoint. Yea, though we have known Christ
after the flesh, we do know that He was here in the flesh and
we know that He was looked upon by men in that same way that
carnal men look at other men. They look at the Lord like that,
in that carnal heart. But Paul says, yet now henceforth
know we Him no more. We don't know Him like that.
How do we know Him, Lord? We don't think upon Him as one
who came from heaven to try to save His people from their sins.
We don't look at Him as one who came and died for all men with
that exception and made salvation possible for those who will exercise
their free will. That's how men view the Lord
Jesus Christ now. Just like they did then. Paul
said, we don't look at Him like that anymore. We don't know Him
like that. We don't behold Him in His character. We've been
given a heart to know Him. That's what he said in John 17. This is life eternal that they
might know Thee, the only true God and Jesus Christ whom Thou
hast sent. think upon the Lord anymore in
that carnal, fleshly nature of a fallen, depraved sinner. Again,
that old nature is still there. There's the battles going on.
There's a war going on. But we know Him now as the exalted
Savior, Redeemer of His people, the Lord of glory, the one sin
of God, to save every vessel of God's mercy who was given
unto the Lord Jesus Christ in electing grace. How do we know
Him? We know Him as the one mediator between God and men, the man,
Christ Jesus. We know Him as the great high
priest who ever liveth to make intercession for His people. I think about that scripture
when the Spirit of God... I'm going to do something. I'm
going to read something that I preached on in the last, because
this will make my point. He ever liveth to make intercession.
You know the scripture that talks about the great angel that had
much incense. Here's a picture of the Lord
Jesus Christ. Much incense, and he presented in the incense of
his merit the prayers of the saints unto the Father. That's back in Revelation. The
Spirit of God is given unto God's people for the earnest of their
salvation. The earnest, the down payment.
We have the earnest of our salvation. The Spirit of God. Now that earnest
of the Spirit is with us. He's with us. He's in us. And
the scripture says because we don't know what to pray for,
The Spirit of God prays, and here's what it says in Romans
8.6, Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities. For
we know not what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit
itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot
be uttered. Let me give you a scripture to
show you what I mean. Galatians 4.6, And because your
sons God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts,
and the Spirit Himself, crying, Abba, Father. The Spirit Himself,
because we don't know what to pray for. We don't know what
to ask for. I don't know what to say. I don't
know what I need. He's going to supply every need
according to His riches and glory by Christ Jesus. Neil, I don't
know what I need. What do I ask for? The Spirit
Himself helpeth our infirmities. And He maketh intercession with
groanings. And the Lord who hears the groanings
of the Spirit Himself, and knows the voice of the Spirit, who
is God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, is the one hearing the intercessions,
who's praying now according to the will of God, and the Spirit
of God prompts us to ask for things we don't even know what
to ask for. And the Lord who hears the voice of the Spirit,
takes the prayers of the saints, and in His merit, presents them
to the Father. That's what the Scripture says.
And I thank you, Lord, thank you for that. I don't know what
to say. I don't know what to say. I don't
know what to ask for. Lord, help me. Help me. That's
all Peter knew how to say. I'm saying, help me, help me.
I'm not telling you how to do it. I'm not telling you how to
grab. Help me, I'm going to die. Lord, help me. Lord, teach me. Show me. Lord, this is how we
know you. We don't know you at the flesh
anymore. We know you as you've taught us by your Spirit. You're
God. You have taken me You've ever
loved me, and You've watched over me, and You've redeemed
me, and You robed me in righteousness. I don't see the effect of that.
Lord, thank You. Thank You. 2 Corinthians 5, verse
17, Therefore, if any man be in Christ, if any man be in Christ,
oh, if any man be in Christ. You know, that very declaration
right there immediately draws the believer's mind back to the
truth of God's electing grace, doesn't it? How could a man be
in Christ if God didn't put him there? The scripture says before the
foundation of the world we were chosen in Christ that we should
be holy and without blame before Him in love. So we know by faith
that God has chosen a people and that He's put those people
in Christ. That's a great mystery. And they've everlastingly been
answered for by the surety Himself who is their husband. And He
who would in time come into this world and live for us. establish
righteousness for us, die for us, putting away our debt to
the law and redeeming us from the bondage and guilt of sin,
robe us in that righteousness that He earned and He's going
to receive us into glory. Therefore, if any man be in Christ, how long Had God's people, before
they were converted, been in Christ? Always. They've always been in Christ.
They've always been in Christ. So, when we talk about being
in Christ, we've always been, just like with Saul of Tarsus,
while he was wreaking havoc on the church. Take them, put them
in bondage, take them to Jerusalem, throw them in prison, kill them,
beat them, Was He in Christ then? Yes. He was in Christ in electing
grace. He was in Christ. But I'm telling
you there's a sense also that when God's pleased to call one
of His own out of darkness, they're brought unto the sound of the
gospel. And without any works on their part, they're born from
above by the grace of God. In regenerating grace, something
changes. And when they're converted, it's
not that they're just a nominal professor, one that professes
the name of being a believer with the mouth and there's no
heart for it. The Lord truly does something
for them and they're changed. They're born again. There's a
new man put in there. And he hears in his heart the
voice of the Savior with new ears. New ears of faith. And he truly sees himself as
being a helpless wretch. He's taught that. I mean, it
just... The Lord teaches His people.
They know it, but always they sit under the gospels and they
know it. And then they know it, and they're growing in grace,
and they're more sure of it now, right now, Mark, than you were
before. Mitch, you know it. And every time you
hear it, you know, you say, you know what, that's right. That's
right, I know that. And you start hearing it, you
think, man, alive, did I ever know it really before? Did I
ever really know it before? John Newton, if I never did,
Lord, help me to do it today. Help me to know it today. If any man be in Christ, and
what this is talking about, being in Christ, is not only, which
he is, in electing grace, he's always been there, but there's
a point in time when he's irresistibly brought through the preaching
of the gospel by the power of God's Spirit, he's made willing
in the day of God's power, and he casts himself upon the Savior
for life. That one. That's a new creature. That's what he's talking about
there. If any man be in Christ, he's talking about here in regenerating
grace. Therefore, if any man be in Christ,
he is a new creature. A believer created by God. He's a new creature, a new creation. God only can create. at best can take that which God
has created and make something physical out of it. I've told
people this. I might be able to take a little
canvas or something, take a little few tubes of paint and a paintbrush
and try to smear something on it and call it something. You
know, that's art, you know. But I can't make paint. I can't
even create the canvas. I can't make a brush, I can't
create it, I can't make any of it. I might be able to take some
of it and, like I said, smear a little bit here and there,
but I'm telling you, I cannot create anything. Only God can
create out of nothing. Just like Almighty God spoke
this world into existence. When He said, let it be, let
there be light, there was light. God made it. It's an act of divine
power. If any man be in Christ, regenerated
by the power of God, a new creature, how does he remove that heart
of stone? I don't know how he does it. He said he did it. I
believe it, don't you? I believe it. I removed the heart
of stone. Sin doesn't have dominion. The
old man is still there. The presence of sin, I can see
the remnants of it. And it still grieves me. But
it doesn't rule anymore. And there's a new heart. I'm
going to give you a new heart. I'm going to write my law. The law
of the love of Christ on your heart. I'm your God. You're my
people. How does He do that? Because
He's God. That's a new creature. He made
something new that wasn't there before. There's a new man. A
new man. And he's got a new love. He's got a new love for God.
It wasn't there before. He's got a new view of himself.
He's got a new view of the world and its cares and its lying deceptions. He's got a new motive about what
he does and thinks and desires. And he grows in grace and the
knowledge of our Lord. And now he seeks a new end to
be with Him. to be found in Him. Old things,
Paul says, are passed away. All the old loves of the flesh
and the cares of this world, they still plague Him. Anybody
gotten rid of those? I haven't either. Oh, but there's
a new creation. There's a new creature that detests
and neglects those old things that He once ran for, ran after. He doesn't love to pamper them
anymore. The old things are passed away
and that old legal righteousness and foolish thoughts of God that
still wars against his new mind and reminds the new man that
he is still there. The man knows it, but that new
man loathes that old self-righteous man. That's what Paul said, old
wretched man that I am. Believers, old things have passed
away and all things have become new. He's got a new principle. He's got a new attitude. He loves
the gospel. He loves God's people. He never
did love that before. I told you the first time I ever
heard the gospel. of God's grace, my very thoughts. That's got to be the most deceived
people I've ever seen in my life. Nobody in their right mind could
believe that. Not that, you know. He's got
a new name. He's got a new name. What's your new name? My name
is sought out. Sought out. That's my new name.
What's your name, Christian? What's your name? The bride of
Christ. The love of his life, of his
heart. He got a new name and he sees
the Bible now as a new book. When the Lord was pleased to,
during that time, I know some people can name the minute that
they were converted. June the 4th, 1152. There was a time frame in there
somewhere where I began to hear and there were some questions
that I began to have and some things. And by the grace of God,
in time, the Lord began to realize. I told him, I said, it's about
like conception. You tell me the moment that you
were conceived in conception. He said, well, I can't really
tell you that. But you're here, aren't you? Obviously you were. You're here. How does a believer
know that he was conceived by grace? Well, he's still here.
God still keeps him. In fact, salvation is the evidence
today. Today is the day of salvation.
But there was a time when I was reading this book, and the Lord
began to reveal Himself to me, and I began to see the truth
of God's electing, redeeming, irresistibly calling Grace, and
the next thing you know, it was not only in Ephesians, but it
was in 1st and 2nd Thessalonians, and in Exodus. I said, this is
a new book. Same book that I'd been reading.
But now all of a sudden, it's everywhere. It's throughout. It's the same message. The same
truth of the Lord Jesus Christ. It's a book that reveals the
sovereign grace of God. Old things pass away. Behold, all things become new. And the believer now realizes,
now that he's got an inheritance in glory, not an inheritance
that he earned himself, but an inheritance by God's good
pleasure. I'm going to have mercy and I'm
going to have compassion on whomsoever I will. What is your right? Marvin, what is your right to
enter into glory? What is your right? I don't have
a right. I'm not entering in on my right. I'll be there by
the grace of God on another's right. I'm in Him. The old thing passed away. All things have become new. I
got a new love. I got new fellowship. I sing
a new song of praise and thanksgiving from my heart for Christ. And
I have a desire, led by God's Spirit, to walk in a new and
living way that's been opened to me by the blood of Christ.
And every bit of this was all done by Almighty God without
my help. without my works and how thankful
I am for that. And he finished it. He's done
it. And he's been pleased to reveal
it to his people through the preaching of the Gospel of Christ. I pray that this message be honoring
unto him and a comfort to God's people. He teach us and give
us afresh some comfort for his glory and our good.