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. I am going to be speaking to
you today from 2 Corinthians chapter 10, the 10th chapter
of 2 Corinthians, and I would like to look at the last two
verses in this chapter. And the reason is because they
get to the heart of the truth and they get to the heart of
the gospel. that get down to the heart of
whether or not we truly believe what God has written in his word,
are we true believers of the word, true believers on the Lord
Jesus Christ, true followers of him. Our response as we look
at these verses and understand what they're saying, our response
to these two verses will tell us whether or not God has performed
a saving work in our heart, caused us to see the reality of our
condition. That's the first question when
it comes to this issue of salvation. Do we see the reality of our
own condition before him? Now it's very sad to say, It
is honestly very sad to say, but when it comes to religion,
religion, religion in general, there are men and women all over
this world. who are very, very sincere in
what they believe. Very sincere in what they think
about God. They have a strong conviction
in what they think about God and what they think about themselves.
Very sincere, but sincerely wrong. Sincerely wrong. They are constantly thinking
and dwelling on things that are contrary to God's word. Countless
men and women all over this world who believe that God looks on
them and is happy with what they see, happy with what he sees. They believe as they look at
themselves that before God they are happy with what they see.
Very sincere, but sincerely wrong. Wrong on what they believe God
expects out of them. Wrong on what they believe God
expects from them. They have this strong conviction
that they are living, walking, talking, believing in a way that
fulfills that expectation. But sadly, They are sincerely
wrong. Very sincerely wrong. That belief
that God looks on a man or a woman and is happy with what he sees,
that's a common belief in religion. That's a very common belief.
Most people believe that God's happy with them. Yeah, I'm a
good person. God looks at me and I'm not perfect
but I'm all right with God. That's a common belief in religion. Here's the problem with that
thought process. Here's the problem with it. It
steals the glory away from the Lord. It steals God's glory from
him, and that's a dangerous thing to do. If you look with me at
verse 17, 2 Corinthians 10, verse 17, it says, but he that glorieth
Let him glory in the Lord for not he that commended himself
is approved but whom the Lord commended. He just told us who
is going to be saved and who is not going to be saved. He
said he that glorieth let him glory in the Lord for not he
that commended himself is approved. Not the one who commends himself. God does not approve. God does
not approve of men and women who try to commend themselves
to him, which is what everybody's doing. All flesh by nature. Trying to commend themselves
to God. When the question is asked. Why
does God approve of you? If someone were to ask both you
and I that question, why does God approve of you? If the answer
that's given sounds anything like this, well, it's because
I, and then fill in the blank with something. It's because
I decided. It's because I obey. It's because I'm kind. It's because I'm generous. It's because I'm not like I used
to be. If we at all in our answer commend
ourselves, it's because I If we at all commend ourselves,
God will not approve. God will not approve. Verse 18
says, for not he that commendeth himself is approved, but whom
the Lord commendeth. Whom the Lord commended. Now
let's prove this by the word. I have quite a few scriptures
for you. And you're welcome to turn with me and read them for
yourself. I encourage you to do that, but
if you want to write them down and look at them later, that's
fine too. The first one is in Matthew chapter seven. If you
want to turn to Matthew chapter seven, it says in verse 22, many
will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not? Haven't we? Commending self. Have we not prophesied in thy
name, and in thy name have cast out devils, and in thy name done
many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto
them, the Lord says, I never knew you. Depart from me, ye
that work iniquity. Why will he say that to them? They said, we're preachers. These
are preachers saying that. Preachers standing before the
judgment throne saying, but Lord, Why will he say that to them?
It's because they commended themselves. It's because they commended themselves. Luke 18 verse 10 says two men
went up into the temple to pray the one a Pharisee and the other
a public sinner. The Pharisee stood and prayed
thus with himself, God, I thank thee that I'm not as other men
are extortioners, unjust adulterers, or even as this publican. I fast
twice in the week. I give tithes of all that I possess. He's commending himself. You
see that he's commending himself. Verse 13 and the publican. It's his turn to speak. Standing
afar off would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven
but smote upon his breast saying God be merciful to me a sinner
I'm just a sinner the Lord said in verse 14 I tell you this man
this publican the sinner went down to his house justified rather
than the other and For every one that exalteth himself shall
be abased and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted. This is important to know, isn't
it? This is critical to know. This is life and death, eternal
life and eternal death. But so many people are blind
to this. So many people are blind to this. They believe they are supposed
to commend themselves. That's what everybody thinks.
I'm supposed to commend myself to God, put on my best front
for him and commend myself to him. People believe that not
realizing that self-commendation is the thing that will lead a
soul to eternal damnation, self-commendation. That's what leads a man or a
woman to eternal damnation. Now our text is quoting Jeremiah
chapter nine. If you'd like to turn with me
there, I'm going to Jeremiah chapter nine and we'll see what
our Lord has written right here. Jeremiah nine verse 23. Thus
saith the Lord, let not the wise man glory in his wisdom. People are so proud of what they
know. And you know, that's the case.
You just talk to somebody long enough and we'll all find out
that men and women are just so proud of what they know, want
to tell everybody what they know, proud of what they've learned,
their education. He said, let not the wise man
glory in his wisdom. A man named Nebuchadnezzar, a
king in the Old Testament here, Nebuchadnezzar, he did that.
So proud of what he'd done. He said, would you look at everything
I've done? The city I've built, great Babylon. I did this in
all my wisdom. That's what Nebuchadnezzar said. And God took his mind. He was
so proud of his wisdom and God just took his mind. He fell down
on all fours and ran out into the field like a beast, his hair
matted out like feathers and his nails became like bird's
claws. At the end of that appointed
time, God gave him his mind back. God restored him to the king
of that kingdom. And this is what he said, he
said, now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and extol and honor the
king of heaven, not myself. The king of heaven, all whose
works are truth and his ways judgment and those that walk
in pride, he is able to abase. He's able to. Verse 23 says,
thus saith the Lord, let not the wise man glory in his wisdom,
neither let the mighty man glory in his might. It doesn't matter
how strong a man thinks he is. It doesn't matter how proud he
is of his work ethic. All God has to do is just send
him one little germ that can take a mighty man down. Verse
23, thus sayeth the Lord, let not the wise man glory in his
wisdom, neither let the mighty man glory in his might. Let not
the rich man glory in his riches. Job knew something about that.
He said, the Lord giveth and the Lord taketh away. The Lord
gave it to me, the Lord took it away. What do we have that
we have not received? There is no room to glory in
any of these things. Verse 24 says, but let him that
glorieth glory in this. that he understandeth and knoweth
me." That's what the Lord said. If you're going to glory in something,
glory in this, that we understand and know him. The Lord told his
apostles, he had given them some gifts to perform miracles to
confirm their word. They were going out declaring
the word of God and to prove it, he gave them the ability
to perform miracles. And they came back just so thrilled
that they could do these miracles. And he told them, don't rejoice
because I've given you the ability to perform miracles. Don't rejoice
over that. He said, rejoice because your
names are written down in heaven. Rejoice because I know you and
you know me. That's it. That's it. Verse 24, let him that glory
in this, that he understandeth and knoweth me, that I am the
Lord which exercise loving kindness, judgment, and righteousness in
the earth. For in these things, I delight,
saith the Lord. He said, I don't delight in you
commending yourselves. I delight in the fact that I
will exercise loving kindness and judgment and righteousness
in the earth. And I'll do it through my Son,
the Lord Jesus Christ. I delight in what I have done
and will do in Him. Verse 25 says, Behold, the days
come, saith the Lord, that I will punish all them which are circumcised
with the uncircumcision. Circumcised and uncircumcised. He said, don't glory in the fact
that you've been circumcised. People do that today with baptism. People do that today with baptism.
They say, well, buddy, I'm a born again, baptized, rededicated
Christian. They glory in that. Glory in
that. The Lord said, don't glory in
that. Don't glory in anything that pertains to this flesh. He said, I will not approve of
it. And I'll punish the circumcised right along with the uncircumcised.
I'll punish the baptized right along with the unbaptized. Verse
26, he said, Egypt and Judah and Edom and the children of
Ammon and Moab and all that are in the utmost corners that dwell
in the wilderness. For all these nations are uncircumcised,
they're all heathen, they're all outcast. He said, and all
the house of Israel. I'm gonna punish them too. Because
even though they're circumcised in the flesh, he said they're
uncircumcised in the heart. in the heart. They're glorying
in themselves for what they see in their flesh and they're not
giving the glory to the one that is due. Salvation hinges on Christ. This is the thing we need to
understand. It does not hinge on what this flesh does. Any
decision this flesh makes, what I see in this flesh, it all hinges
on Christ. Every bit of it. Our Lord asked
this question. He said, what think ye of Christ? That's it. Who is he really? What has he done? What has he
left for us to do? Is there anything left for us
to do? Where does all the glory need to go in all things? That's
the question. Well, doesn't salvation have
something to do with a sinner turning and repenting to the
Lord? Doesn't salvation have something
to do with that? Coming to Him, loving Him, believing
on Him. Isn't all of that a part of salvation?
Yes, it is. And yes, it does have something
to do with those things. Well, who gets the glory for
those things? In all of those things, who gets
to take the credit for those actions? Let's go to some scripture
and find out. Can a sinner glory in turning
to the Lord? That repentance of turning to
the Lord, the changed mind, the changed heart. Can a sinner glory
in that? Well, look with me at Jeremiah
31. In Jeremiah 31, it says in verse
18, I have surely heard Ephraim bemoaning himself thus. Thou
hast chastised me and I was chastised. As a bullock unaccustomed to
the yoke, he said, turn thou me and I shall be turned. For thou art the Lord my God. You turn me and I'll be turned. He said in verse 19, surely after
that I was turned, I repented. After I was turned, I repented. After you turned me, That's when
I repented. Lamentations 5 says, Lord, if
you turn us, we'll be turned. Look with me at Romans chapter
2. In Romans 2, it says in verse
4, despises thou the riches of his goodness or forbearance and
long suffering, not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee
to repentance. The goodness of God led all of
his people to repentance. Sinners do not on their own naturally
repent toward God. It's not in the nature of a sinner
to do that. God in his goodness and in his
kindness leads that sinner to repentance. So the answer is
no. A sinner cannot glory in turning
to the Lord, cannot glory in repentance. That's a work that
God does for his people and he gets all the glory for it. All
right. Well, what about coming to Christ?
The command goes out, come to Christ, come to Christ, preach
the gospel to all the world and cry, come to Christ. Can a sinner
say, well, at least I came to Christ. Shouldn't I get some
credit for that? Well, in John chapter 6, it says
in verse 44, no man can come to me except the father which
hath sent me draw him and I will raise him up at the last day. So no, there's no room to glory
there. If a sinner comes to Christ, God gets all the glory for it,
the Lord himself. Somebody might say, well, you've
at least got to give me credit for choosing him. You at least have to say that
I, I decided I chose him. What do you choose? Even if I
didn't turn myself and even if I did not come on my own, I at
least get to take the credit for choosing him. Is that so?
Is that the truth? In John 15, it says in verse
16, this is the Lord Jesus Christ speaking. He said, you have not
chosen me, but I have chosen you and ordained you that you
should go and bring forth fruit and that your fruit should remain
that whatsoever you shall ask of the father in my name, he
may give it to you. So it's still him. Still him. Somebody will say, okay, well,
at least I believe. At least I believe he said, whoever
believes will not perish. That's what he said. Whoever
believes will not perish, but we'll have everlasting life.
And I believe, can I take the credit for believing? Ephesians
2 verse 8 says, For by grace are you saved, the free gift
of God, for by grace are you saved through faith. Faith is believing God, believing
on Christ, that's faith. For by grace are you saved through
faith and that not of yourselves, not of myself. It is the gift
of God. It's the gift of God. That means
no glory for anybody but Him. That's what it means. No glory
for anybody but Him. Every sinner that truly believes
must give him all the glory for it, must. He's the author of
that faith, the performer of the faith, the finisher of the
faith, the object of the faith, all the glory goes to him. Somebody
will say, okay, fair enough, fair enough. But I'll tell you
this, at least I love him. At least I love him. That has
to count for something, doesn't it? At least I love him. Well,
in 1 John chapter 4, it says in verse 19, we love him because
he first loved us. That's the only reason. That
is the only reason. It says in verse 10 of that same
chapter, herein is love. Not that we loved God, but that
He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our
sins. The bloody sacrifice for our
sins. We love Him only because He commended
His love toward us in that while we were yet sinners, He died
for us. Died for all of His people. The
Apostle Paul said, God forbid that I should glory save in the
cross of our Lord Jesus Christ. All the glory. All the glory
in our salvation is owed to the cross. All of it. The cross of
our Lord Jesus Christ. He did it all. He paid it all. He bore it all. He satisfied
it all. He finished it all. Therefore
he gets all the glory for it. All the glory over in first Corinthians
chapter one it says in Christ Jesus. In Christ Jesus of God are we
in him and in Christ Jesus he is made unto us wisdom. He's our all of our wisdom I
can't glory in any wisdom. He is made unto us righteousness.
Good works, good deeds, rightness before God. There's no glory
for me in that. He's my righteousness. In Him,
He has made unto us sanctification. That's holiness, perfection,
purity. I don't have any room to glory
in that. And He's made unto us redemption. He is my redemption. He's my payment. He's my payment. I took no part in the payment.
No room to glory. That it is written, he that glorieth,
let him glory in the Lord. That's the only place a sinner
can glory, in the Lord, in the Lord. The sinner who tries to
commend himself to God based on any quality that he thinks
he has. That is a sinner who is commending
himself to certain death and destruction. That's all that
commendation will bring. But the sinner who stands before
God truly believing in his heart that all the glory and all the
praise goes to the Lamb that was slain. All of it. The sinner
who can truly cry to God be the glory, great things He has done. I'm not commending myself. I'm
just begging you for mercy. That's all. I'm just begging
you for mercy because of who Christ is And what he has done
to that center, God said, I'll approve. I'll approve of that
center. That center is going to find
himself to be one blessed center, one greatly blessed center. There's a song that I love so
much. And one of the lines in that
song is, Oh, come to the father through Jesus Christ, the son. and give him the glory for the
great things that he has done. All the glory, all the glory. Do we commend ourselves? No,
we don't. God's people are constantly crying,
why me? There's nothing in me worthy
to be commended. There's nothing in me, no reason
in me at all for you to show mercy to me. Why me? All we can
say is to God be the glory, if any man glory, let him glory
in the Lord. 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.