wherefore remember that ye being
in time past Gentiles in the flesh who are called uncircumcision
by that which is called the circumcision in the flesh made by hands that
at that time you were without Christ being aliens from the
Commonwealth of Israel and strangers from the covenants of promise
having no hope and without God in the world. But now, in Christ
Jesus, you who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the
blood of Christ. I want you to notice right off
the bat now, there was what you were and there is a but now. There's then and now, and the
difference is in the beginning of verse 13, that in Christ Jesus. The difference is not that you
turned over a new leaf or you made a decision. Christ is the
difference. Let me ask you some questions
this morning. Are you proud? Are you a proud person? Are you self-righteous? Do you
always have to have your way about everything? Do you think you know more and
know better than everybody else? Is your opinion always right? Do you look down on other people?
I'm not talking about as a matter of doctrine. I'm not asking you
do you think it's right to look down on other people. I'm saying
in your everyday conversation, do you ever make fun of anybody?
and look down on them for anything, think somebody's less than you
are for any reason. Do you know what the cure for
that is? And you need to be cured of it, because you know what
God does to proud people? He breaks them. He's gonna break
you in mercy, Or he's going to break you in wrath, but he's
going to break you. You see, he has no rivals. There's no
boasting in salvation. Pride is excluded. And there's
none anywhere in God's universe, not ultimately. You remember
what we studied not long ago? The Lord alone shall be exalted
in that day. What's going to happen to everybody
else? They're going to be in the dust. And they're either
going to be glad to be there, or they're going to be crying
to the mountains and the rocks to cover them up and hide them
from the face of him that sits on the throne. But they're going
to be in the dust. Everybody else. You know what
the cure is? If you're a believer, here's
the cure. Wherefore, remember. Remember. Do you remember? Do you remember what you were,
where you were? Do you remember how it was? I'll tell you this, it'll take
the stuffing out of you if you can remember. And now this is a message for
believers. It's for unbelievers by proxy, but you can't remember
something you don't know, you see. You can't recall something
that you haven't experienced. If you don't know God, you don't
believe the truth of God, then you just need to know what you
are. You need to know what you are. And if you do know God and
know what you are, you need to remember. That's what Paul is exhorting
us to here this morning, remember, remember. Remember two things,
not just you, But remember him, too. Remember the difference. There's a difference between
now and then if you're his. And the difference is a person. Remember that you were Gentiles. That's how he starts it. Remember
that you were Gentiles. Consider dogs, the uncircumcision,
unclean. He describes us now verse 2 you
remember that this is the context we got to always see the context
never take any scripture just rip it out of the Bible and consider
it by itself it's always there's always the immediate context
and then there's the general context of all scripture scripture
sheds light on scripture this is this is what he's talking
about we're in time pass verse 2 you walked according to the
course of this world You look at this world and you say, oh,
the world's going to hell in a handbasket. You're talking
about yourself, but for his grace. According to the course of this
world, according to the prince of the power of the air, according
to Satan. Oh man, we don't like to hear
about that, do we? You can't ignore it though,
can you? The Lord told the Pharisees who
were proud. They were known for their pride,
weren't they? Proud of their religion now. Proud of being,
you know, sons of Abraham. God is our father. He said, no,
God's not your father. The devil's your father. How
about you? Are you proud? Are you proud? Our Lord became
of no reputation. And even being found in fashion
as a man, he humbled himself. You know whose daddy you are
if you're proud? I will be like the most high
God. You're of your father the devil. And that's what the Lord told
them. He said to Peter, get behind me Satan. When Peter, in his
own interests, he said, you savor the things that be of man and
not of God. denied the truth wherein you walked according
to the prince of the power of the air. You know, demon possession
in Hollywood, what it looks like, you know, in the movies and what
it actually is, it's two different things. Paul said, if you believe not
Christ, if you haven't submitted to him, If he hasn't opened your
heart and come in, you're taken captive by the devil at his will. All right now, the spirit that's
still working in the children of disobedience, what's wrong with them? Among whom also we all had our
conversation, our conduct, we all acted that way in times past. And here's why, in the lust of
our flesh, all we cared about was our flesh. Fulfilling our
flesh, promoting our flesh. Fulfilling the desires of the
flesh and of the mind, and we're by nature the children of wrath. Even as others, there's no difference
in the believer and the unbeliever by nature. That's why we say
things, and we say what we are by nature. We use Bible language
in that. By nature, we're dead in trespasses
and sins. By nature, we don't know God
and can't know God. By nature, we're subject to his
wrath. Remember that. Remember what
you are. Remember what you are. And remember that you were without
Christ. Does that mean anything to you?
Think about that for a minute. Without Christ. Without life. He said, I am the
resurrection and the life without light. I'm the light of the world.
To be without Christ is to be without everything good and necessary. Better to be without food or
water or breath than to be without Christ. You have one need. I say this to you all the time.
Have we learned it yet? Have I learned it yet? There's
a lot of things we think we need. We only have one need. One thing
is needful, the Lord said to Martha. And Mary hath chosen
it. Where's Mary? She's sitting at
the feet of the Savior, hearing his word. Christ is the one thing
needful. Well, I got to breathe. No, you
don't. You don't need your next breath. But you need Christ. I need a drink. Well, I know
what you mean by that, but you don't. You need Christ. I hope that's clear. You were
without, do you remember what it is to be without him? You
know what's interesting is you don't know what it is really
to be without him until you aren't without him. But do you remember
now when you were without him? No, to be without rest. Christ
is our Sabbath. He's our rest. People quote that
verse, you know, and they relate it to hard labor. And it's where
you see somebody working hard out in the sun and they're sweating.
They say, no, there's no rest for the wicked. That's not in
the Bible, but I'll tell you what is in the Bible. The wicked are like the troubled
sea when it cannot rest. whose waters cast up mire and
dirt. Do you remember? Do you remember back before you
heard his loving, kind, gracious, beautiful voice say to you, to
your heart, come unto me, all you that labor and are heavy
laden. And I will give you rest. Do you remember that? Our Lord wasn't talking about
physical labor when he said that. Do you remember when you had
no rest? When you were trusting in your flesh and you were trying
to please God in your flesh, you were trying to keep the law
in your flesh, even though, as Paul said, without According
to the deeds, the works of the law, no flesh will be justified
in God's sight. That's why you had no rest, because
you could never get there. You could never measure up. You
couldn't give up enough stuff and you couldn't turn over enough
new leaves. But then you heard his voice. We didn't know how tired we were
until we rested, did we? Strangers from the commonwealth
of Israel. The people of God. Strangers.
This is spiritual Israel now. They're not all Israel which
are of Israel. This is talking about spiritual Israel excluded
from God's people. Think about what this represents.
Do you take for granted your brothers and sisters in Christ?
Do you remember when you had none? Do you want to go back
and be friends with the world? Anybody? You think the world
gives a hoot for you, do you now? What would you give for
your brothers and sisters in Christ? Can you even imagine
what it would be like without them? It's good to think about
it, isn't it? Remember, when you were out in
the cold. Oh, but now, strangers from the
covenants of promise You think about that now. Strangers from
the covenants of promise. You had no reason whatsoever
to believe that God had anything for you except condemnation and
wrath. No reason whatsoever to believe.
Strangers from the gospel, the covenants of promise. If you hate God this morning,
if you hate God, whether you know it or not, You may love
your God and hate God. But if you hate God this morning,
I would no more tell you that God loves you and has a wonderful
plan for your life than I would tell you that I have a spaceship
in my backyard. I could say it, but it wouldn't
make it true. You're strangers from the covenants of promise.
Without God and without what? Without hope. Outside of Christ,
there is no hope for you. Is that clear? If you're not
in the ark, there is no hope for you. It didn't say on the
outside of the ark, smile, God loves you. And it don't say it now. Anywhere
in the word of God. If you have not Christ, you have
not life. That's what it says. There's
no hope for you outside of him. That's the message of the gospel
now. Oh, but in Christ, in Christ. Can you remember what it was
like to have no hope from God, no glimmer, to be a stranger
to the gospel? And that's the next line of our
text. To be without Christ and without the truth of his covenant
grace in Christ is to be without hope, without hope, without God
and without hope in this world. Do you remember what that would
be like? David said, Now you think about
this, strangers of the covenant of his promise to his people. David said that God hath made
with me an everlasting covenant is all my salvation and all my
desire. Do you know what it's like to
be without that? Can you remember that? I can't hardly imagine being
a stranger to that, can you? Because even when I was, I didn't
know what that meant. I didn't know what that meant,
but I can remember. I can remember when I was. Remember this, you
were without hope. Who then can be saved? With men,
it is impossible. No hope. Dead, in this very context, dead
in trespasses and sins. Dead men don't need to decide
something. They need a miracle of God's
grace and love. That's what they need. That's
what salvation is. No understanding. Lydia had no
understanding, and then what happened? God opened her heart. Salvation's of the Lord. They
didn't have any idea what the Lord was talking about on the
road to Emmaus, did they? They were sad that he had died. And
then opened he their understanding, that they might understand the
scriptures. And they rejoiced and said, Lord, don't leave us.
Stay with us a while. But in ourselves, left as we
are by nature, dead, Lusting for everything evil and curably
vile and wretched When you get to feeling good
about yourself Remember You think Peter ever remembered
he ever thought back on that time that he was walking on the
water You think he got to thinking wow, you know Look at me. I'm walking on the water And
then all of a sudden he was until he wasn't, wasn't he? And it says he got to looking
at the waves. You know how you look at something?
You look away from something else. You know what he looked
away from, don't you? He got to looking at the waves
and the winds and he began to sink. You think he ever thought
back on that? When you get to thinking good
about yourself, that you're something, somebody, getting a little self-righteous,
remember when you were sinking in the waves and the only thing
between you and hell was the master's hand. Can you remember
that? Remember your issue of blood
and how you had spent everything that you had and was just getting
worse. Do you remember that? Remember your leprosy and cry
with the leper, Lord if you will. Can you remember that? When everything,
everything, all the marbles, hung upon the will of Jesus Christ. Lord, if you will, you can make
me clean. Everything hung on his will,
not your will. Can you remember that? If you
don't know it, you can't remember it. And even if you know it,
you may have forgotten it. Remember, and remember this,
you're no better now than you were then. Do you realize that? Now you think about that with
me for a second. Are you better now than you were then? Oh, when
we're a new creation in Christ Jesus, I didn't say you weren't
better off. You're a whole lot better off,
but you're not better. Paul said, as a believer, in me that is
in thy flesh dwelleth no good thing. Do you remember who God
told Hosea to love? When God said I'm going to teach
you a sinner something about my love for my people. He said
to Hosea go and love a woman who is a harlot. He didn't say
go and love a woman who used to be a harlot. He didn't say go and love a woman
that would have been a harlot if it wasn't for my grace. He
said you go love a harlot. Do we know anything about the
love of God? We're not any better now than
we were then. I'm a whole lot better off though. But don't just remember what
you were. Don't just remember the condition
you were in. Don't just remember the hopelessness
of your case, but remember what God did about it. Remember what
he did about it. What he did about it. Not I made
my decision for Jesus or I got saved or I did Remember the grace
of God you read Ephesians chapter will read the context of our
Lesson this morning and you tell me you did something for God But God We find out about us
in this you remember where we read while ago that Children
of wrath, lusting after everything evil, by nature under the wrath
of God, subject to his wrath, without hope. Without God, without
hope. Dead, dead in trespasses and
sins, but God who is rich in mercy. For his great love wherewith
he loved us, even when we were dead in sins. He didn't love
somebody that used to be nasty and disgusting and unfaithful.
even when we were, hath quickened us together with Christ. He gave
us life. He said, Lazarus, come forth.
He passed by that dead baby that was in its blood and said, it's
the time of love. Live. You remember that? That's what we're trying to remember. But God, who is rich in mercy,
he loved you. He loved you. And so he gave
you life with Christ. We have no blessings that aren't
with Christ, by Christ, through Christ, for the sake of Christ,
because of Christ. By grace are you saved and hath
raised us up together and made us sit together in heavenly places
in Christ Jesus. Remember that you were dead.
and how that even when you were dead in trespasses and sins and
vile and wretched and hopeless, God loved you and was rich in
mercy towards you. Mercy's not just a doctrine that
we agree with. Have you experienced the mercy
of God? Can you remember? He quickened you, he saved you
by his grace, and he raised you up and made you sit together
in heavenly places in Christ Jesus. He lifted the beggar from
the dunghill, the psalmist said, and set him among princes. Don't forget that. Don't ever
forget that. Now here's my other question
for you this morning. Are you cast down? Are you discouraged? Are you weak? Are you heavy laden? Are you sad? Are you worried about anything?
Wherefore, remember. Remember the love and mercy and
grace of God. It's good and profitable to remember. I have another question for you.
Are you growing cold? Indifferent to the things of
God? Do the things of God mean less to you than they have at
one time? Turn to Revelation chapter 2
verse 1. I want to read you the context
of this. We'll look particularly, I believe, at verse 5. But look
at it. Unto the angel of the church of Ephesus write, These
things saith he that holdeth the seven stars in his right
hand, who walketh in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks,
I know your works and your labor, your patience, and how you can't
bear them which are evil. And thou hast tried them which
say they are apostles, and are not, and hast found them liars. I hope the Lord could say that
about us, that we can't bear that which is evil. Let's put
down all self-righteousness and pride and error in our midst. If we find it in ourselves or
in anybody, even in the person we love the most, let's put it
down. Can't stand it. And you've borne and have patience. And for my namesake, you've labored
and haven't fainted. I pray that's true too. What's
this for? What's this about? Is this a
social club for us? Are we actually doing something
for God? For his namesake? And you know, as I always say
to you, I gotta say it because it's just true. It's not really
us doing something for him. It's him doing something for
us. If we're in on this, But he says, you're laboring for
me. That's gracious of him to say that, isn't it? Because we
really don't do anything. You know that, right? You've
labored and not fainted. Nevertheless, I have somewhat
against thee because thou hast left thy first love. You don't love me like you did.
That's just simple language for what he said now. What do you
think he's talking about? Who do you think we love? Do
we love things or do we love him? You've left your first love. You know what we need to do about
that? About God's grace? About his
strength and power? You know what we need to do?
Look at the next word. Remember. That's all I'm saying to you
this morning. We're full of remember. Remember Remember what you were
And remember him That's what we do when we come to the table,
isn't it? Look at what he said in verse
13 of our car. Let me just read it to you if
you're not there, but now in Christ Jesus you Who at one time
that's what that word sometimes is you were at one time a far-off
Your maiden I by the blood. That's what God did. This is
just another way of describing it. What he said earlier, God
who is rich in mercy for his great love. The reason he did
it is because he loved you and his love is great. It's not like
yours. We say we love God. Well, there's not much worth
talking about, is it? Our love, but his love now, his
love is great. and he's rich in mercy and he
loved you and so he gave you life. He quickened you together
with Christ. It's just another way of saying
that. How did he do that? How does he quicken us? Where
is life to be found? How are we going to have life?
By the blood, the precious blood of Christ. God never has since the fall,
he never has been approachable except by blood. We're talking
about being made nigh to God and how that happens. He's never
been approachable except by blood. You know why God rejected Cain?
He had not respect under Cain and his offering. No blood. Without
the shedding of blood, there's no remission. There's just not. We're far off spiritually. By
nature, we're enmity against God. Now, this is not complicated.
This is simple. We are enmity against God by
nature, the children of wrath, according to the course of this
world, according to the power of Satan. that works in us. But now, now we're near to God. Far off
by nature, but now we have fellowship with God. We have communion with
God. We have favor with God. We have
the blessing of God. How? By the blood of Christ. By his precious blood. Describe the Pharisees in Matthew
1580 said this people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth
and honoreth me with their lips But their heart is far from me.
That's all of us by nature. No difference by nature. It says
in our context This is part of what is taught in verse 13 of
our text. My heart is no longer far from
him my heart Your heart is far from me said not anymore Lord
not anymore. I My heart is near unto God. It's made nigh by the blood.
That's love, isn't it? That's love. My heart is nigh. And you know what else this is?
To be nigh unto God is reconciliation. To be nigh is to be reconciled.
Paul said in 2 Corinthians 5.17, Therefore, if any man be in Christ,
he is a new creation. Old things are passed away. Behold,
all things are become new. But now, You who were at one
time far off, you're a new creation. Old things are passed away, all
things new, and all things are of God, who hath reconciled us
to himself by Jesus Christ. It's just almost a parallel,
isn't it, to our birth. Verse 13 of our text. new creation and reconciled unto
himself by Jesus Christ and he's given to us Paul said the ministry
of reconciliation that's what we're going about telling sinners
that God was in Christ reconciling the world unto himself he didn't
come into the world condemned to condemn the world you were
already condemned already by nature a child of Israel but
he came into the world that the world through him might be saved
to reconcile the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses
unto them, and hath committed unto us the word. Now then, what
does that make us? We're ambassadors for Christ.
As though God did beseech you by us, we pray you in Christ's
stead, be ye reconciled to God. How can there be reconciliation
with God? How are we made nigh unto him?
By the blood of Christ. That's the next verse in 2 Corinthians
5. For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin,
that we might be made the righteousness of God in him. How did he do
that? the blood on the cross when Christ
bore the sins of his people. He was made what we are and he
was under God's wrath for my sin that I might be the very
righteousness of God in him. That's the only righteousness
that'll hold up before God, his righteousness. I stand in him. Be ye reconciled to God, for
Christ has died under our sin, with our sin on him. He laid
on him the iniquity of us all. He was made to be far from God.
You were at one time a far off, and he was made far off, wasn't
he? He said, my God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? Why? That you might be nigh, so that
God would never forsake you. Isn't that what he said? I'll
never leave you nor forsake you. Why? My God, my God. He forsook his son in my place. Remember, that's my message this
morning. Remember wherefore, remember.
This is what we do when we come to this table down here now.
This is not just a piece of furniture and it's not some religious ritual
we do. The Lord said this do why? to
remember in remembrance of me. When we hold the bread in our
hand, in the cup in our hand, we remember who he is and what
he did and we remember why he did it. We remember what he saved
us from. We think about what we were and
where we were and where by his precious blood we are now, now
unto God. That's a good word, isn't it?
Nah. Nah. When Moses asked God to show
him his glory, Moses said to God Almighty, show me your glory.
That's pretty bold, isn't it? I want to see your glory. And
God said, all right. There's a place by me. Nah. There's a place by me. And I'm
going to put your feet on a rock. I'm gonna hide you in the cleft
of the rock, and I'm gonna cover you there with my hand. And from
there, you'll see my glory. You'll see all my goodness standing
on Christ, in Christ, by the precious blood of Christ. We're
now unto God. We're in the place by him, beholding
his glory. Thank God. Don't forget. Don't forget. Lord, don't let
us leave our first love. May we love thee more and more.
If we love it all, I pray. And if we don't, help us to begin
today. He's worthy of our love and our
honor and our praise. Let's pray together.