Let's take our Bibles again and
turn with me to the book of Colossians. Colossians chapter 1. Colossians 1. I'd like to read verses 21 to
23. Colossians 1. The scripture says, that were sometime, and aren't you glad for that,
you that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked
works, yet now hath he reconciled in the body of his flesh through
death to present you holy and unblameable and unreprovable
in his sight if you continue in the faith, grounded and settled,
and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel, which ye
have heard, which was preached to every creature which is under
heaven, whereof I, Paul, have made a minister." When Adam fell in the garden, All mankind was ruined in that
fall. Romans 5 verse 19 says, "...for
as by one man's disobedience..." One man. Many were made sinners. It was one man on this earth. One man. And that one man, through
the one man's disobedience, all men died spiritually. That means there was no spiritual
life. There was no knowledge of God
in mercy. And there was no care that there
was no knowledge. Now left in that state, God leaves
all men to themselves to do what they want to do. You know what
they want to do? They want to perish. They want
to disobey God. That's what Adam did. If God
Almighty left all men to themselves, every man, all of mankind, would
eventually lift their eyes up out of hell. Oh, but God who
is rich in mercy for His great love, wherewith He loved us. That is His people, His elect,
His chosen. The Scripture bears out God has
a people that He loves. And listen to this. when we were
dead in sins. Rightly so, I've heard someone
say it. I can understand how God would
hate Esau. I understand that part of it.
But oh, the indescribable thought that God would love Jacob. Even when we were dead in sins,
hath He quickened us together, that is, reanimated us in union
with Christ by grace. You're saved. Found within the mass of fallen
humanity. God has a people. He has an elect. People that He has everlastingly
loved and has chosen unto salvation through sanctification of the
Spirit. The Spirit of God is going to
set them apart. They are God set apart in God's
love and mercy. And the Spirit of God is going
to set them apart and give them a heart to believe.
Chosen to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the
truth. They are going to believe the
truth. They're going to believe the truth. A people predestinated
unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to Himself. God Almighty has a will. He's got a purpose. And His purpose
and His will is that all that He's everlastingly loved and
chosen in Christ are going to be the recipients in the knowledge
of His mercy and compassion to them. A remnant, the Scripture
says, going to be saved, Romans 11, 5. A remnant that is at this
present time in this world and in every time since this world
has been. God has had a people in that
time, in that period, a people. But we've got a problem. The
problem is sin. There is alienation between God
and men. Between God and His people. They
are alienated. And the scripture says, and you
that were sometime alienated, and enemies in your mind. Enemies against God. What's the problem? Isaiah 59
says, but your iniquities are separated between you and your
God, and your sins has hid His face from you that He will not
hear. He will not hear. Here's the
problem. Man by nature is a rebel against
God. He's dead in trespasses and sins. He's dead. And because of his
iniquity, someone says, well, if a sinner, just call on the
Lord. Just call on the Lord. Just call on the Lord. God is
not going to hear you. He will not hear. Your iniquities
have separated between you and your God. Your sins have hid
His face from you. I will not hear you. Boy, that puts man in a predicament,
doesn't it? But found within the declaration
of the gospel, there is pardon and mercy and redemption and
everlasting salvation that is going to be known. Yes, man is guilty. Dead, blind,
deaf to any hope in himself. Turn to Job 33. See, this is
where you come to that point to where you're starting to ask
yourself, what hope can a man have? He's dead. His sins have
separated between him and God. God is going to hide His face
from a rebel. And he will not hear him. See,
men are preaching that if you just come to the Lord, He is
not going to hear you. He's not going to hear. Oh, but
look at Job 33, 23, 24. Oh, verse 23, Job 33, 23. But if there be a messenger with
him, an interpreter, one among a thousand, to show unto man
his uprightness, that He is gracious unto him, and saith, Deliver
him from going down to the pit, I found a ransom." If there is
a messenger from God, if there is an advocate from God for man,
an interpreter, an interpreter of the Father's mind, an orator
that reveals foreign language, that's what that means, Mitch.
If there's an interpreter that can relate a foreign language
that I cannot understand, if there's an interpreter that can
tell me about God's eternal counsel of peace, one among a thousand,
the chieftess among ten thousand, to show unto man His uprightness,
Christ's uprightness, The uprightness and righteousness that is required
by God's holy law. If there's one, if there's a
messenger from God that speaks the language of God that I can't
hear because I'm dead. If there's one that can give
me new ears, Pat, and new eyes to see, and tell me what God
Almighty has done for me in Himself, If Almighty God will send a prophet,
God's prophet, and relate to me that He has satisfied God
on my behalf, that He has done all that was demanded of God's
law, that I broke. If there's one among a thousand,
and if He gives me a new heart that believes Him, and trust Him. And I call upon
Him now with a new heart and a new will that God will hear
for His sake, for His interpreter's sake, for His messenger's sake,
for that wise servant. Then, He's gracious unto him,
that sinner, in Christ, for Christ's sake, according to the merits
of Christ alone. The Father who has everlastingly
beheld the messenger, the interpreter, the servant. And if that servant
has stood for me, and answered for me, and satisfied God on
my behalf, on my part, and all that he's done is charged to
me, then, God says, to the law, deliver him. From going down
to the pit, I found a ransom. I found the
atonement. He's always found Him. He trusted
Him. I'm talking about reconciliation
now. I'm talking about a return to
favor. I'm talking about stepping now before God in Christ. being accepted of Him. We need
reconciliation. There's got to be a reversal.
There's got to be a change in standing between God and men
for man to have any hope. Because your sins is separated
between you and your God. He's hidden His face from you.
And he's not going to hear. And you, who were sometime alienated
and enemies in your mind, man left. Man, by his sin, alienated
himself before God. And as soon as he left, he died. Dead. You know, we think of reconciliation
as you've got a couple of people that are at odds with each other,
and then they're going to come together, and they're going to shake hands,
and they're going to work it all out. Let's get this thing
right. Between us, that's right. But we've got a deeper problem
than that. Man's dead, and he has no power
as far as reconciliation. I've got five quick questions
for you. What party must be reconciled? The scripture says back in Colossians
121, and you that were sometime alienated
and enemies in your mind by wicked works. You, me, who left God
and were haters and despisers of Almighty God, And dead. You know, I think sometimes we
hear that dead trespasses and sins, and by nature, Neil, we
don't believe that. We don't believe that. Dead. Dead in what? Dead in will. Dead
in power. The reconciliation must be man
changing his attitude. Because God doesn't change. So
who changed? God doesn't change. So there's
going to have to be a change on either God's part or man's
part. And God doesn't change. What party must be reconciled? Well, let me ask you this. Who
left? Who left? The prodigal or the
father? Who must be reconciled? Who's
got to come back? The rebel or God? Again, God
doesn't change. Man by nature has one desire. To run farther and farther away. This is man's thought. I hate
you. That's what the Lord said. He
said, they hated me before they hated you. Man by nature hates
God. He hates God's sovereignty. He
hates God's presence. What did Adam do in the garden?
He hid from God. I don't want to be where you
are. I hate your will. Man by nature
wants to have his own will. If man wants to have a will,
that means I don't want you to have it. I hate your ways. Enemies in your mind by wicked
works. Which party has to be reconciled?
Man has to be reconciled back to God. And man is dead in trespasses
and sins. Here's my second question. Then
who must purpose and accomplish the reconciliation? Man's dead. Man doesn't want to come. Man
will not come. You will not come to me that
you might have life. Who must purpose and accomplish
the reconciliation? The Scripture says back in Colossians
1.21, you that were sometime alienated and enemies in your
mind by wicked works, yet now hath He reconciled. He reconciled. God Almighty must
and has for His people, those in His Son, the body of His Son,
His Son's bride, established peace between Himself and His
people. But here's the third question. Here's a grand question. How? How has he accomplished it justly? He's a just God. How? Look at verse 22. In the body
of His flesh through death. How has he accomplished reconciliation? The just God. How can God be
just? and justify a sinner. How can
God reconcile a sinner that hates Him, that will not
come to Him? How? In the body of His flesh,
Christ's flesh through death. Those that have alienated themselves,
they've got two problems. Number one, they've got sin.
And number two, they have no righteousness. They're rebels and there's nothing
about them that's pure. In the body of His death, He,
the Word of God, was made flesh, humbled Himself, made Himself
answerable to the same law that his people broke and despised. A body was prepared him, a body
that was made like unto his brethren, yet without sin. No sin. It had the same feelings, yet
without sin. He hungered, he thirsted, he
felt pain. No sin. And he walked before
God's law, and the law of God scrutinized him. And had this
to say about him, this is my beloved son, and whom I am well
pleased." Now you hear what he has to say. Hear you him. That
body had no sin, was made sin. Great mystery. Great mystery. No sin personally, made sin. and all of the heinousness of
whatever. I know it's the transgression
of the law, and I still don't understand it. I can see something
of its effects, but I cannot tell you the depth of rebellion. You can't either. We know we
hate it. It was made sin. And Almighty God who found sin on Him, God's law,
That law that is good and right and holy. There's nothing wrong,
as we've said before, with God's law. We talk about God's law
as if that's evil. No, no! God's law is right and
just and holy. And God's law found on Him the
debt and the guilt of all of His people. And God's law in
absolute justice. spewed out vengeance and wrath. And by one sacrifice, He has
perfected forever those that are sanctified, set apart. Those that God set apart, took
their guilt and He was made sin. I lay down my life for the sheep.
He put their debt away. and paid an eternal debt in one
sacrifice. How has He accomplished this
reconciliation? He paid their debt in full. Scripture says, bore our griefs,
carried our sorrows, stricken of God, wounded for our transgressions,
bruised for our iniquities, and the chastisement of our peace. What was He going to take? He
bore. How much did he pay? All of it.
The chastisement of our peace was upon him and with his stripes
we're healed. The price of reconciliation paid. Paid in full. Finished, he said
at Calvary. And he robes us in his righteousness,
his people. Wraps us in what he earned. Absolute obedience before God. And now, here we are. No answerable
guilt. No answerable guilt. And in Him, holy. That's what
we're chosen unto. That we should be holy. Without
blame. Before God. In love. In Christ. The love of God. Here's my fourth question. Why did he do it? He said, I love you. I've loved
you with an everlasting love. Why did he do it? The Scripture
says in verse 22, to present you holy, sacred, and pure, and unblameable,
no blemish, And unreprovable, free from any accusation that
has any merit to it. Who shall lay in charge to God's
elect? God justified them. Why do you do it? To present
you. This is this, to present you.
You know what that means? To stand beside you. I'll take you to Him. I'll speak for you. I'll do all
the talking." That's what he says. I'll talk. Here's the great
high priest ever living to make intercession for his people. Father, I and the children which God
has given me. I answer for these. These are
mine. You gave them to me. I finished
the work that you gave me." His precious bride, the one who
ravishes his heart, the scripture says, with one of her eyes. She, according to His indescribable
love and mercy, compassion, she must be saved. She must be robed
in His righteousness. She must have no spot, no blemish,
prepared and presented to Himself a glorious church, standing before
God Almighty at His throne, standing before God's law, In Him, no
condemnation. No guilt justified. No record of guilt. No record
of guilt. No record of guilt. God Almighty
who justified His people freely by His grace eternally in the
Lamb who was slain from before the foundation of the world in
the eternal purpose and will of Almighty God, who saw it,
justified. No guilt. No guilt. Number five question. Do I have any part in this? What a glorious message. Do I
have any part in this? Verse 23 of Colossians 1 says,
if you continue in the faith, not in your work or your will
or your purpose, if you continue in the faith, grounded and settled
and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel, which you
have heard, which was preached to every creature which is under
heaven, whereof I, Paul, and made a minister. This faithfulness is not a prerequisite
to salvation. I'll tell you what it is. It's
an evidence of God's work in the sinner. It's the evidence. You who are kept by the power
of God through faith, Almighty God who causes His people
because He's kept them eternally in mercy and grace, they endure
to the end the same, the Scripture says,
shall be saved. What's the problem? Sin. How bad is it? Your iniquities
are separated between you and your God. and has hid His face
from you, and He won't hear you. They're going to have to be reconciled.
Who's going to have to do it? God's going to have to do it.
What's He going to do? How's He going to put away that
guilt in the body of His flesh? Why did He do it? To present
them holy and unblameable and unreprovable before Him in love. Can I know anything about this?
By the grace of God, you can. Look unto Him and be you saved,
all ye ends of the earth, for Christ's sake.