Kingsport Sovereign Grace Church,
located at 905 Yadkin Street in Kingsport, Tennessee, would
like to invite you to listen to a message of sovereign grace
by their pastor, Gabe Stoniker. And now, Pastor Gabe Stoniker. If you would like to follow along
with me in your Bible today, you can turn to Romans chapter
8. Romans chapter 8. I have a message
for us that is very urgent. Very urgent, very critical. This is something that I pray
the Spirit of God will reveal to all of us and cause us to
truly understand and truly enter into. We're gonna read a few
verses of scripture here in Romans chapter eight, and then we're
gonna turn over to another verse that will perfectly summarize
what's being said right here. And again, I want to stress to
us, let's try to enter into what the Word of God is saying, because
this is so critical. Every soul needs to know this. Every soul needs to understand
this. In Romans 8, let's read verses 32 to 34. It says, he
that spared not his own son but delivered him up for us all,
how shall he not with him also freely give us all things? Who shall lay anything to the
charge of God's elect? It is God that justifieth. Who
is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea,
rather that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of
God, who also maketh intercession for us. He said in verse 32,
God the Father spared not his own son. And I wish we could
enter into that the way it deserves to be entered into. God the Father
spared not his own son. God the Father, it says, delivered
him up. In verse 34, he said, it is Christ
that died. It is Christ that is risen again,
he said. And he said, it is Christ who
is right now at the right hand of God. And He said, it is Christ
who is currently making intercession for us, currently making intercession
for His people. Now, this is an urgent, urgent
message, an urgent message. I pray God will reveal this to
us today, today. I pray that today is the day
He reveals this to our hearts. One verse of scripture perfectly
summarizes what we just read, and that verse is in 1 Timothy
2. If you wanna turn with me there,
we'll read 1 Timothy 2, verse 5. It says, for there is one
God and one mediator between God and men, the man, Christ Jesus. There is one God
and one mediator between God and men. The man, Christ Jesus. Now first, we need to get a hold
of the fact that there's one God. Men have all of these gods
made up in their minds. of who they think the true and
living God is, but they've made him up in their mind and it's
not in agreement with his word, therefore it's a false God, it's
another God. Even this man Jesus that a lot
of people talk about, they talk about Jesus, but the Jesus they
talk about is not in agreement with the Lord Jesus Christ of
scripture, therefore he's another Jesus. There is one true and living
God and he has declared who he is in his word. And the only
way that we can worship the true and living God is if we worship
the God of the scripture. The God as he has declared himself
to be in his own word. So that's where we start. There's
one God. And then there is one mediator
between the holy God and sinful man, only one mediator. And that is the man, Christ Jesus. Now, what is a mediator? We say there's only one mediator
and our Lord Jesus Christ is that mediator. What is a mediator?
Well, it's a person who reconciles two people who are at odds with
each other. You know how it is, two people,
you know, they were friends, but something happened and they
became separated. They became at odds with each
other. A mediator is a person who brings two people who are
in a conflict, two people who are in a disagreement with each
other. Two people who are severed from each other, severed from
fellowship with each other, severed from communication with each
other, severed from unity with each other. A mediator is a person
who brings those two people back together. That's what a mediator
does. He brings those two people back together. He restores their
love for each other. He restores their fellowship
with each other. He restores their oneness. He restores their happiness together. That's what a mediator is. Now,
every person on this earth is a sinner. And I know that that
is a shocking thing to hear, especially if you don't hear
that too often. I'll start with me. I'm a sinner. You're a sinner. Whether we realize
it or not, every person on this earth is a sinner. Some know
that and will admit it. I do. I admit it to you. Some know that and will admit
it. Some know that but won't admit it. They know it in their mind. They
know what goes through the mind. You know what goes through your
mind. You know what is in your heart when somebody wrongs you
and you want to lash out at them. Some people know they're sinners,
but they won't admit it to people. And when the question is asked,
are you a sinner? Really, are you a sinner? They'll
say, well, no, not really. So some know it and will admit
it. Some know it and won't admit it. Some in absolute ignorance
and blindness. They don't know it. They just
can't see it in themselves. They just don't see any sin in
themselves. They don't see any wrong in themselves. Still there, whether they see
it or not, it's still there. God's word says so. So every
person on this earth is a sinner. According to the Word of God,
according to the flesh, according to fact, the scripture says,
all have sinned and come short of the glory of God. All. None are exempt. None are excused. All. All have sinned. And that
sin has severed every person on this earth from God This is what's so critical that
we need to understand. By nature, in the flesh, as we
are born into this world, we are severed from God. We are
severed from God in this sinful flesh. We are severed from the glory
of God. This is how we come into the
world. We are severed from His love. I know that people say
God loves everybody, but God's Word does not declare that. I
know people say that God is for everybody and God has a wonderful
plan for everybody, but God's Word does not say that. Men may
say that, but God has not said that. What God says in his word
when we read his word is, all flesh enters the world severed
from God. Severed from his love, severed
from his fellowship. Adam and Eve had fellowship with
God. They walked in the garden with
God until Adam sinned and Eve sinned. And God cast him out,
and at that moment, fellowship was severed. We are severed from
his way. Man has his own way now, and
it's not God's way. Our sin has severed us from a
heart and a desire for him, as he has declared himself to be
in his word, not the way we have him made up in our mind. BUT
IT SEVERED OUR HEARTS AND OUR DESIRE FROM THE GOD THAT IS DECLARED
IN THE WORD. THE SCRIPTURE SAYS HE CAME UNTO
HIS OWN, HIS OWN PEOPLE. AND IT SAYS HIS OWN RECEIVED
HIM NOT. THE SCRIPTURE SAYS EVERY SOUL
ON THIS EARTH, INCLUDING US, WE'RE SOULS ON THIS EARTH. EVERY
SOUL ON THIS EARTH IN THE FLESH DESPISED HIM AND REJECTED HIM. THAT'S HOW
THE FLESH IS TOWARD GOD. SINFUL FLESH TOWARD A HOLY GOD. THE SCRIPTURE SAYS SINFUL FLESH
HATED HIM, HATES HIM. SINFUL FLESH IS WHAT SPIT ON
HIM AND CURSED HIM. YOU WANT TO TALK ABOUT BEING
AT ODDS WITH GOD, BEING IN A CONFLICT, BEING IN A SEPARATION. MAN IS
SEPARATED SO MUCH SO THAT THE SCRIPTURE SAYS, EVEN CONCERNING
GOD'S PEOPLE, ESPECIALLY CONCERNING GOD'S PEOPLE. IT SAYS ALL OF
THEM IN THE FLESH BECAUSE OF SIN, THE WAY THEY CAME INTO THIS
WORLD, ungodly." Think about that, ungodly. That's what Romans 5 says, Christ
died for his people even when they were ungodly. Now that's
at odds. And here's what all this means.
You see why I'm saying this is so critical. Here is what this
means. Whether we realize it or not,
we may not realize it. Some watching right now may have
no idea of this. I'm here to tell you that this
is what we need. We need a mediator. That's what
I need and that's what you need. WE NEED A MEDIATOR, OUR ONLY
HOPE OF BEING SPARED GOD'S WRATH AGAINST OUR SIN AND HIS PUNISHMENT
OF US FOR THIS CONFLICT THAT WE HAVE CREATED WITH HIM. THIS
REBELLION THAT WE HAVE CREATED AGAINST HIM. THIS SEPARATION
THAT WE CHOSE TO HAVE AGAINST HIM. THAT'S WHAT THE FLESH CHOOSES.
Our only hope of being spared God's absolute wrath against
us and being reunited back to Him is we need a mediator. We need a mediator. If we're
gonna have fellowship with Him for an eternity to come in His
love and in His favor, we need a mediator. We need a mediator
who will appease God's wrath for us appease him, satisfy him. We need a mediator who will make
peace with him for us. We need a mediator who will go
to him on our behalf and standing right there in his presence will
plead for us, plead on our behalf and make intercession for us.
crying, Father, forgive them for they know not what they do.
That's what we need. That's what we need. We need
a mediator who will do that and can do that, is able to do that. One who is both willing and able
to do that. to reconcile us back to God. Well, listen to this, all right? Here's the gospel. The gospel
means good news. Here's the good news. 1 Timothy
2, verse five says, there is one. There is one. There is one. There is one. 1 first timothy 2 verse 5 says
there is one god and one mediator between god and men the man christ
jesus the apostle john wrote my little children these things
write i unto you that you sin not And he didn't say, but he said,
and knowing that we're all sinners, all have sin. He said, and if
any man sin, we have an advocate with the father, Jesus Christ,
the righteous. There is one, one advocate, one
mediator, only one. And it is the man, Christ Jesus. LOOK WITH ME IF YOU WOULD AT
EPHESIANS CHAPTER 2. OVER IN EPHESIANS 2 THIS IS WHAT
VERSE 11 SAYS, WHEREFORE REMEMBER THAT YOU 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. And I'm a Gentile. I'm not even
a Jew, just even physically speaking. I have no claim on God. There's
nothing that gives me any right to his favor. I'm a heathen.
I'm an outcast. Verse 12 says 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. Verse 13 says, but now
in Christ Jesus, in this one man, you who sometimes were far
off are made nigh by the blood of Christ, by the blood of the
Lord Jesus Christ. You who were so far off, so separated,
YOU ARE NOW BROUGHT NEAR AGAIN, MADE NIGH, MADE NEAR BY THE RECONCILING
BLOOD OF THE LORD JESUS CHRIST. VERSE 14 SAYS, FOR HE IS OUR
PEACE, WHO HATH MADE BOTH ONE. WHAT DOES THAT MEAN, THAT HE
HAS MADE BOTH ONE? THAT MEANS HE HAS JOINED HIMSELF
TO US made Himself to be one with us, and that's how He brought
us back to God, and He's made us to be one with Him. Verse
14 says, He is our peace who hath made both one and hath broken
down the middle wall of partition between us, having abolished
in His flesh the enmity. That word enmity means the hatred,
the rebellion, HE ABOLISHED IT. HE BROKE DOWN THAT WALL BETWEEN
GOD AND HIS ENEMIES, THOSE WHO TRIED TO BE THE ENEMIES OF GOD
AND WERE BY NATURE THE ENEMIES OF GOD. VERSE 15 SAYS, HAVING
ABOLISHED IN HIS FLESH THE ENMITY, EVEN THE LAW OF COMMANDMENTS
CONTAINED IN ORDINANCES FOR TO MAKE IN HIMSELF OF TWAIN, one
new man, so making peace by uniting himself with our enmity, our
sin, and taking the punishment for us that all of God's chosen
enemies, sinners, people, everything they were owed, everything they
were supposed to receive, by Christ uniting Himself with our
enmity. In doing that, He united us with
His peace. He is in perfect peace with the
Father. We, by nature, are at enmity,
at odds, separated. He is in unity, in peace, in
favor. with God the Father, and in being
united with Him, He made us to be in perfect peace with the
Father. As He is, so are we. As we are, He made Himself to
be. So was He. AND BECAUSE OF THAT
AS HE IS NOW, SO ARE WE. VERSE 15 RIGHT HERE SAYS, HAVING
ABOLISHED IN HIS FLESH THE ENMITY, EVEN THE LAW OF COMMANDMENTS
CONTAINED IN ORDINANCES, FOR TO MAKE IN HIMSELF OF TWAIN ONE
NEW MAN, SO MAKING PEACE, AND THAT HE MIGHT RECONCILE BOTH
UNTO GOD IN ONE BODY BY THE CROSS. and he came and preached peace
to you, which were a far off into them that were not." That
is a mediator. That is our mediator. That is the only mediator that
there is. The only mediator. Man thinks
that he can be his own mediator. Now let me bring up the criticalness
of this message again. Let me remind us how critical
this is because men and women naturally believe, people naturally
believe that they can be their own mediator to God. They believe
they can go to God on their own behalf. THEY BELIEVE THEY CAN
PLEAD TO GOD ON THEIR OWN BEHALF. THEY BELIEVE THEY CAN APPEASE
GOD ON THEIR OWN BEHALF. MAN THINKS THAT HE CAN GO RIGHT
HIS OWN WRONGS. MAN THINKS THAT HE CAN RECONCILE
HIS OWN SIN. BUT HERE'S THE THING, IF A MAN
TRIES TO APPROACH GOD ON HIS OWN MERIT AND ON HIS OWN WORKS,
After he realizes that every righteousness that he brings,
that means good deed. After he realizes that God sees
it all to be filthy rags and will not accept it. After man
realizes that, not only will he not be able to mediate for
himself, but now he's standing before God without a mediator
at all. And the man who does that is
going to receive the same judgment from God the Father that Christ
received. What Christ received, going to
his Father as us, a man outside of Christ will receive on his
own, that same judgment. That same punishment. Christ
is our example that you do not want to go before God in your
own sin. You want a mediator to go for
you. You want a mediator to suffer that judgment for you. Well,
there is one. There is one mediator between
God and man, the man, Christ Jesus. If you turn with me over
to 2 Corinthians 5, It says here in 2 Corinthians
5, verse 17, Therefore, if any man be in Christ, he's a new
creature. Old things are passed away. Behold,
all things are become new. And all things are of God, who
hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given
to us the ministry of reconciliation. to wit or to know that God was
in Christ reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their
trespasses unto them, and hath committed unto us the word of
reconciliation." That means God did not acknowledge our sins
to be on us. God acknowledged our sins to
be on Christ instead of us, for every soul that He chose. Verse
21 right here says, for He hath made Him, the Father made Christ,
to be sin for us who knew no sin. He never committed it. And
God made Him to be that, that we might be made the righteousness
of God in Him. That's what it took for Christ
to be our mediator. That's what it took for him to
reconcile us back to God. He gave up his own standing with
the father so we could have it in his place. He took our standing
from us so that he could have it in our place. And he cried
from the cross while he was reconciling us, my God, my God, why hast
thou forsaken me? It's because he was our mediator.
He was our substitute. Now let's read in closing Romans
8 one more time. It says in Romans 8 verse 32
these are the verses we opened with. It says he that spared
not his own son but delivered him up for us all and who is
he talking about us all. He's about to tell us God's elect
every soul God chose all of them none of them shall be lost. He
that spared not his own son, but delivered him up for us all,
how shall he not with him also freely give us all things? Who
shall lay anything to the charge of God's elect? It is God that
justifieth. Who is he that condemneth? It
is Christ that died, yea, rather, that is risen again, who is even
at the right hand of God. That means the seat of honor.
who also maketh intercession for us. There is one God, and
there is one mediator between God and men, the man, Christ
Jesus. Now, let's all cry out to him. There's one mediator. And I'm
telling us right now, in our hearts, cry out to him. You have one hope. There is one
mediator. Cry out, Lord, mediate for me. Mediate for me. He said, all
who ask shall receive. He said, him that comes to me,
I'll in no wise cast out, cry out to the mediator. Till next
week, may the Lord bless his word to our hearts. You have
been listening to a message by Gabe Stoniker, pastor of Kingsport
Sovereign Grace Church in Kingsport, Tennessee. If you would like
a copy of this message or to hear other messages of sovereign
grace, log on to our website at ksgctn.org. If you would like to come and
worship with us, our service times are Sunday morning Bible
study at 10 o'clock a.m., worship at 1045 a.m., and 6 o'clock p.m.,
Wednesday evening at 730 p.m. Please tune in next week for
another message of God's free and sovereign grace.