Turn with me if you would to
2 Corinthians chapter 5. 2 Corinthians 5, the Lord willing
we are going to look at verses 18 through 20 for our Bible study. And then we are going to look
at verse 21 for the morning message. Verse 18 here tells us three
things, three separate things. And then verse 19 expounds those
three things. And then verse 20 gives us an
exhortation because of those three things. Verse 18 starts
by saying, and all things are of God. What a comforting thing
to know that all things are of God. The verse before it says,
therefore, if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature. Old things
are passed away. Behold, all things are become
new and all things are of God. All rule, all authority is of
God. All things are of God. He uses instruments to do His
bidding. There is no doubt about that. He uses instruments to do His
bidding. But all things, all rule, all
power, all doings are of God. Look with me at Acts chapter
4. Acts chapter four. And I'll tell you, I was going
over this yesterday, going over this this morning, thinking how
blessed we are that our God has given us eyes to see his scripture. It is so sad to me, it's so disheartening
to me how so many people go to a place of what they call worship
And then they stand up and tell men about how God is trying to
do this and trying to do that. And everything goes wrong when
Satan messes up the plan and he has to make it right again.
It's just so sad to me. The Word is so clear. God has
opened our eyes to it, given us an understanding of it, and
it's a great blessing. Right here in Acts chapter 4, Peter and John right here, they
were on trial for preaching the gospel and they healed a man. And this council had them on
trial and verse 23 says, being let go. They let Peter and John
go. Being let go, they went to their
own company and reported all that the chief priests and elders
had said unto them. And when they heard that, the
disciples that believed on the Lord, when they heard what Peter
and John told them, they lifted up their voice to God with one
accord and said, they prayed to him, and this was their prayer,
Lord, thou art God, which has made heaven and earth and the
sea and all that in them is, who by the mouth of thy servant
David has said, why did the heathen rage and the people imagine vain
things? The kings of the earth stood
up, and the rulers were gathered together against the Lord and
against His Christ. For of a truth against thy holy
child Jesus, whom thou hast anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate,
with the Gentiles, and the people of Israel, were gathered together,"
now watch verse 28, "...for to do whatsoever Thy hand and thy counsel determined
before to be done. That's what happened. This was
their prayer to Him. Prayer to the Lord. We give you
such great thanks for being our God. Everything that happened
was according to your predetermined will. What you determined before
to be done. Look across the page, chapter
3, verse 18. But those things which God before had showed by
the mouth of all His prophets, that Christ should suffer, He
hath so fulfilled." What He showed at the mouth of all His prophets.
Look at Acts chapter 2 verse 23, it says, Him being delivered By the determinate counsel and
foreknowledge of God, you have taken and by wicked hands have
crucified and slain. Don't turn over there, but Proverbs
16, 33 says, the lot is cast into the lap. But the whole disposing thereof
is of the Lord." I cannot imagine anything more comforting than
that. The lot is cast into the lap. The decision. What do I
do? What do I do? You know, for the
rest of our time here, we're going to think on things. We're
going to. This mind is going to turn. We're
going to dwell on things. We're going to worry about things.
We're going to worry about the decisions we make concerning
things. In the end though, in the beginning,
in the middle, and in the end, the whole disposing thereof is
of the Lord. The whole disposing thereof.
All of these situations that are going on in our life, we
wonder, how's it going to end? How's it going to end? What's
going to happen? We know this, the whole disposing thereof is
of the Lord. There is no chance in it. There
is no possibility of bad in it for God's people. There's no
possibility that God will not receive all glory from it. It's all predetermined. And it's
all at His disposing, and that will give us rest. We worry about
so many things, and rightfully so. I mean, we don't see the
outcome in it, but that will give us rest. That will give
us rest. The Lord is going to do what He's determined to do,
and all we have to do is wait and watch. Just wait and watch. We will always say in the end,
just like all the disciples did in the Scripture, He hath done
all things well. That's what we'll say at the
end of it. Man, that was well. It is well with my soul. If it's well with my soul, everything
else doesn't even matter. Go with me back to the text.
2 Corinthians 5 verse 18 says, All things are
of God who hath reconciled us to himself By Jesus Christ, he
reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ. The fact that he reconciled
us to himself, that means we were at odds with him. That's
what it means. If he had to reconcile us, we
were estranged from him. We were enemies of him. If he
had to reconcile us, it means we hated him. That's what it
means. We provoked Him, we cursed Him,
we rebelled against Him, we denied Him. But verse 19 says, God,
to know that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto Himself,
not imputing their trespasses unto them. Not counting, that's
what imputing means. Counting, numbering. laying their
iniquities on them. We sing a song, it's Depth of
Mercy. Can there be mercy still reserved
for me? Can my God his wrath forbear
me, the chief of sinners bear? Can he do that? I have long withstood
his grace, long provoked him to his face, would not hearken
to his calls, grieved him by a thousand falls. But God, that's what it keeps
saying, but God, God in Christ reconciled the world unto himself. Not every soul in the world,
but souls from all over the world. God chose a people. He put them
in Christ. And this is the beauty of, of
our Lord. You think about this. God chose
a people and put them in Christ. And this verse of scripture says
God was in Christ. All parties were in Christ. All the parties involved met
up in Christ. That made Christ the middle ground. That made Christ the mediator. He was the only place that God
and sinners could come together. They met in Christ. God was in
Christ. His sinners were in Christ. And he made reconciliation for
them. He redeemed them back to God. Verse 18 says, All things are
of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and
hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation. 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. Now then, we are ambassadors
for Christ. As though God did beseech you
by us, we pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God."
Because of what God the Father and God the Son did. We God's
people have been given the ministry. He called it the ministry in
verse 18. He called it the word in verse
19, the declaring of the example of reconciliation. That's what he's given us. Reconciliation. God has made all of his people,
not just preachers, all of his people. He called them right
here ambassadors for Christ. And that is holy. And that is
fearful. That's holy. And that's fearful.
If God chose us. If Christ died for us, and if
the Spirit called us, then we have been made to be ambassadors
for the Lord Jesus Christ. Now, what is an ambassador? This country has them, right?
What is an ambassador? An ambassador is a diplomatic
representative sent from a sovereign state. That's what an ambassador
is. A representative sent from a
sovereign state. What does an ambassador do? An ambassador represents his
home country. Didn't our Lord say, we're not
of this world. I'm not of this world. Neither are they. An ambassador
represents his home country as a promoter of a specified activity
while working and living in the country to which he has been
appointed. I think that's an excellent definition. I think Webster got it right.
An ambassador. He represents his home country,
promoting a specified activity while working and living in the
country to which he's been appointed. If we're in Christ, if we are
in Christ, we are representatives sent from a sovereign state to
promote a specified activity while working and living in the
country we've been appointed to. What is the specified activity? What is that specified activity
that God has commanded us to promote? The answer is reconciliation. Reconciliation. We're to give
our life to it. We're to commit our all to it.
Reconciliation. It's also known as the gospel. The good news. Peace on earth
and mercy mild. God and sinners reconcile. How? By Jesus Christ. By Jesus Christ. Verse 20 says,
Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did
beseech you by us, we pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled
to God. He said we say this as though
Jesus Christ himself was standing here. That is so fearful. That's what the Apostle Paul
said. We're saying this as though Christ himself was standing here. We're saying this on all the
authority of God Almighty. Look with me if you would at
1 John chapter 4. Verse John 4. Verse 6. We are of God. He that knoweth
God, heareth us. He that is not of God, heareth
not us. Hereby know we the spirit of
truth and the spirit of error. This is how we're going to know
the spirit of truth and the spirit of error. He said, we are of
God, he that knoweth God hears us. Is that arrogance? That's obedience to the commandment.
Peter said, if any man speak, let him speak as the oracles
of God. We declare God's Word, not our
own. Not our own. We declare God's
Word. We represent, we minister. Nothing
but God's word. We're here on behalf of God's
word. That's the reason we're here.
We're here on behalf of God's word. We were sovereignly sent
by him. We speak by his spirit in his
name for his glory. God's people are ambassadors
for Christ. And this is what we've been sent
to say. God has reconciled himself to you. Be ye reconciled to God. Does that mean God started the
work? Now you finish the work. Is that what that means? Absolutely
not. God is reconciled. That's the
message. God is reconciled. We're ambassadors
for Christ to notify sinners that the war is over. That's
the first part. The war is over. God is reconciled. Be ye reconciled. Lay your arms
down. Dear enemy of God. Put the fight
down. We're not enemies of his anymore.
No longer. We were estranged from him, but
he reconciled that. He did it by uniting himself
to us. We were separate from him. He
reconciled it by uniting himself to us. We were enemies of him. He reconciled that by making
himself to be our friend. We hated him. He reconciled that
by loving us. WE CURSED HIM. HE RECONCILED
THAT BY BLESSING US. WE DENIED HIM. HE RECONCILED
THAT BY CLAIMING US, RECEIVING US, OWNING US FOR HIS OWN. GOD IS RECONCILED. AS HIS AMBASSADORS,
THE COMMANDMENT IS BE YE RECONCILED. BE YE RECONCILED. NOW HERE WE
JUST READ IT. 1 John 4 verse 6, HE SAID WE
ARE OF GOD, HE THAT KNOWETH GOD HEARETH US. Well, what do you
have to say, John? Verse seven. Beloved, let us
love one another for love is of God and everyone that loveth
is born of God and knoweth God. He that loveth not knoweth not
God for God is love. Those are. Those are wowing verses to me.
He that loveth not knoweth not God. God is love. Verse 9, in this was manifested
the love of God toward us because that God sent his only begotten
son into the world that we might live through him. Herein is love,
not that we loved God. but that he loved us and sent
his son to be the propitiation for our sin. Beloved, if God
so loved us, we ought also to love one another. If God made
himself to be reconciled to us, then in turn, we ought to obey
his command and be reconciled to him. We ought to strive to
be a closer friend to him. We ought to strive to love him
more. We ought to strive to bless him
more, praise him more. We ought to strive to claim him
more. How do we do that? Wouldn't you
love to claim him more and praise him more? How do we do that? Verse 12. No man had seen God
at any time. If we love one another, God dwelleth
in us, and His love is perfected in us. If we love one another,
He said God dwells in us, and His love is perfected in us. Verse 16 says, And we have known
and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love, and
he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him. Verse
20, if a man say I love God and hate his brother, he's a liar.
He that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he
love God whom he hath not seen? And this is the commandment that
we have from him, that he who loveth God love his brother also. As ambassadors of the sovereign,
this is our platform, this is our Promotion. This is what we promote. That
he who loveth God loveth his brother also. For Christ's sake. That's the point. For Christ's
sake. For the love of God's sake. Reconcile. As God for Christ's
sake has reconciled, be ye also reconciled to God through his
people. Go with me to Galatians 5. Galatians 5 verse 13, For brethren, you have been called
unto liberty. Only use not liberty for an occasion
to the flesh, but by love serve one another. For all the law
is fulfilled in one word, even in this, thou shalt love thy
neighbor as thyself. It's amazing how many times the
scripture says that. All the law is fulfilled in this. Thou shalt love thy neighbor
as thyself. But if you bite and devour one
another, take heed that you be not consumed one of another.
This I say then, walk in the Spirit and you shall not fulfill
the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusteth against
the Spirit and the Spirit against the flesh. And these are contrary,
the one to the other, so that you cannot do the things that
you would. Don't we wish we could live in
such a way that we were truly ambassadors for Christ? Don't
we wish we could do that? The old man of this flesh, he
wars against the new man of this spirit. There's a war going on.
The apostle Paul said in Romans 7, I WANT TO DO THE THINGS THAT
THAT NEW MAN PRODUCES. I WANT TO. I DESPERATELY WANT
TO, BUT THE OLD MAN JUST KEEPS BEATING ME DOWN. And in the end,
this is all he could say about himself, O WRETCHED MAN THAT
I AM. But here's what Paul kept saying
all through the New Testament, DON'T GIVE UP THE FIGHT AGAINST
THAT OLD MAN. DON'T GIVE UP THE FIGHT AGAINST
THAT OLD MAN. Put on the new man. Promote the
new man. Let's be ambassadors for this.
Be an ambassador for this. Verse 22 says, Galatians 6, 22. But the fruit of the Spirit is
love, joy, peace, longsuffering, patience, gentleness, goodness,
faith, meekness, temperance. Against such there is no law.
Chapter 6 verse 1, he said, Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault,
ye which are spiritual, restore such in one in the spirit of
meekness, considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted. Bear
ye one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ. That's the law we promote. That is the law we promote. That's
the law we advocate for. The law of Christ. The law of
Christ. Our Lord said on these two commandments
hang all the law and the prophets. Love God and love each other.
As God has reconciled himself to you, as God has made an atonement
for you, made peace for you, he said be ye reconciled to God.
How? Through his people. through His
people. Over in, go with me, we'll finish
with this, Matthew 25. Turn over to Matthew 25. Matthew
25 verse 31. When the Son of Man shall come
in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then shall He
sit upon the throne of His glory. And before Him shall be gathered
all nations, and He shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd
divideth his sheep from the goats, and He shall set the sheep on
His right hand, but the goats on the left. Then shall the king
say unto them on his right hand, come ye blessed of my father,
inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of
the world. For I was in hunger and you gave me meat. I was thirsty
and you gave me drink. I was a stranger and you took
me in. Naked and you clothed me. I was
sick and you visited me. I was in prison and you came
unto me. That sounds like reconciliation
to me. You think about it. This is God saying, this is what
you did for me. That didn't sound anything like
rebellion and hatred and right. I was naked and you clothed me.
I was sick and you helped me. I was hungry and you fed me.
Verse 37, Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when
saw we thee and hungered, and fed thee, or thirsty, and gave
thee drink? When saw we thee a stranger,
and took thee in, or naked, and clothed thee? Or when saw we
thee sick, or imprisoned, and came unto me? And the king shall
answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, inasmuch as you
have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, you
have done it unto me." That's what he said. Inasmuch as you've
done it unto one of the least of my brethren, you've done it
unto me. As much as you've reconciled
yourself to them, you've reconciled yourself to me. As ambassadors,
this is our message we promote. Reconciliation. God is reconciled. Christ has reconciled us. Be
ye reconciled. Cover each other's faults. The
Apostle Paul said, I say that as though the Lord himself were
standing here. Ambassadors for the Lord Jesus Christ. May the
Lord make us to be that. All right, you're dismissed.