Turn with me if you would to
2 Corinthians chapter 1. 2 Corinthians chapter 1. The Apostle Paul is writing this
second letter to the Corinthians, 1 Corinthians and then 2 Corinthians.
And he's writing it to them for a number of reasons. One of the
reasons is because he said in his first letter, that he was
going to come see them on his way to Macedonia. He told them
that at the end of the first letter and now here it is a year
later and he still hasn't come. And the false prophets were using
that as a way to undermine his character and that's the way of our adversary through
his false prophet is he tries to plant a seed in his messengers,
or should I say about his messengers, trying to undermine their character
as a man, as a person. It's the way, it's just the way
it's always been, and it's a shame, but that's what they were doing,
and in doing that, trying to undermine the message he preached.
And they were telling the believers here in Corinth that he's a liar.
He's a liar. He said he was coming and he
didn't come. And if he lied about that, there's
no telling what all he's lied about. You cannot trust him.
I wouldn't listen to anything he says. I would completely cut
that man off. I just wouldn't listen to him.
Well, verse 15, 2 Corinthians 1 verse 15, Paul said And in this confidence, I was
minded to come unto you before that you might have a second
benefit." The word benefit means grace. The first time he came,
he preached the gospel and the Lord opened their eyes to the
truth and the Lord called them out of darkness. And his desire
was to come to them again and preach the gospel to them again
so that they could grow in grace. They had their eyes opened. But
it's through the preaching of the gospel that these things
become confirmed to us. And he wanted them to be grounded
and settled and grow in grace. So verse 15, he said, In this
confidence I was minded to come unto you before that you might
have a second benefit, and to pass by you into Macedonia and
to come again out of Macedonia. I was going to stop on my way
to Macedonia and also on my way back out of Macedonia. And of
you to be brought on my way toward Judea. I was going to have you
help me on my way to Judea. When I therefore was thus minded,
did I use lightness? Or the things that I purpose,
do I purpose according to the flesh? that with me there should
be yea, yea, and nay, nay. He's saying, did I just flippantly
say this is what is going to happen, period. This is what
I'm going to do. He's asking them, do you believe
and did I insinuate that I make all my own purposes, whatever
I say goes, that's it. My yes is yes and my no is no. Verse 18. But as God is true,
our word toward you was not yea and nay. I didn't say one thing
to you not intending to fulfill it. I never intentionally lied
to you, never. Now if you'll look back one page
to 1 Corinthians 16 verse 5, this is where he said,
now I will come unto you. when I shall pass through Macedonia,
for I do pass through Macedonia, and it may be that I will abide,
yea, and winter with you, I might spend the whole winter with you,
that you may bring me on my journey whithersoever I go. For I will
not see you now, by the way, but I trust to tarry a while
with you, if the Lord permit." That's what he said. If the Lord
permit. If it's the Lord's will. That
ought to be ingrained in the vocabulary of a child of God. Everything we say. We all the
time say, I tell you what I'm going to do. Is my yay yay and my nay nay? if the Lord wills. We're not
going to do anything unless God wills it for us. And if we ever
really get a hold of that, if that ever really sinks in, we'll
understand why things happen and why things don't happen.
It either is or it is not the will of God for us. That's the
simple answer, isn't it? It is or it is not. Well, back
in the text, 2 Corinthians 1 verse 18, He said, But as God is true,
our word toward you was not yea and nay. We haven't lied to you
in conversation. And he's about to tell them we
have not lied to you in our message. Verse 19, For the Son of God,
Jesus Christ, who was preached among you by us, even by me and
Silvanus and Timotheus, at the mouth of two or three witnesses,
he's saying, by me, Silvanus, and Timotheus, it was not yea
and nay, but in him was yea, for all the promises of God in
him are yea, and in him amen, unto the glory of God by us. Now for some reason, Man falsely
preaches that the promises of God in his word are yea and nay. That's how man preaches the promises
of God. Ask a false prophet or ask somebody
who believes a false prophet. Did Christ accomplish salvation
on the cross? Oh yes. Right? You've got to do this.
What they're saying is, yes and no. That's what they're saying.
Did Christ do this? Well, yes and no. That's the
answer. Yea and nay. Yes and no. For
some reason, and we know what the reason is, we're dead in
sins, but the natural flesh cannot see, cannot believe, cannot preach. yea and amen. It's amazing how clear it is
and how simple it would be and man can't do it. It won't come out of their mouth.
It won't come out of their mouth. They can't preach yea and amen. Can't do it. The truth of God's
promises and this is the good news of the gospel. This is the
centerpiece of the gospel. This is the hope of the gospel.
Every promise that God has made to sinful man is yay and amen. Every single one of them. Now,
I want to show you something in the scriptures so we can fully
understand yay and amen. There's something we need to
understand about this. Go with me over to John 12. John chapter 12, and look with me at verse 47.
Let's see if we can understand what he's saying in this verse.
Our Lord said, And if any man hear My words, and believe not,
I judge him not. For I came not to judge the world,
but to save the world. We understand what he just said?
I came not to judge the world. Alright, we got a hold of that?
Came not to judge the world. Turn with me to Luke chapter
12. Luke chapter 12, verse 49, our
Lord said, I am come to send fire on the earth. Judgment. I am come to send fire on the
earth, and what will I if it be already kindled? Verse 51,
He said, Suppose ye that I am come to give peace on earth,
I tell you no, but rather division. Is that yea and nay? Is that yea and nay? Look with
me over at Romans 10. Romans 10 verse 13 says, for whosoever shall call upon
the name of the Lord shall be saved. Do we understand what
he said right there? Whosoever, isn't that what he
said? Whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be
saved. All right, now go with me to
Matthew 7. Matthew 7 verse 21 says, Not
everyone that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into
the kingdom of heaven, but he that doeth the will of my Father
which is in heaven. Is that yea and nay? Is that yes and no? Don't turn over, but doesn't
1 Timothy 1.15 say, this is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptation. That means this is so true, everybody
ought to believe it. That Christ Jesus came into the
world to save sinners. Isn't that what it says? And Isaiah said, he shall not
fail. Isn't that right? All right,
we'll look right here in Matthew 7, verse 13. Enter ye in at the
straight gate, for wide is the gate, and broad is the way that
leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat."
Many are going to die in their sins. Many, many. Is that yea and nay? He told whole cities that. He told entire cities that. Look
at Matthew 11. Matthew 11 verse 20, He said,
Then began He to upbraid the cities wherein most of His mighty
works were done, because they repented not. Woe unto thee,
Chorazin! Woe unto thee, Bethsaida! For
if the mighty works which were done in you had been done in
Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth
and ashes. But I say unto you, it shall
be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon in the day of judgment
than for you. Tyre and Sidon is going to be cast into hell,
but it's going to be more tolerable for them than for the rest of
you cities. That's what he's saying. In verse
23, he said, Thou Capernaum which art exalted unto heaven, you're
going to be brought down to hell. For if the mighty works which
had been done in thee had been done in Sodom, it would have
remained until this day. But I say unto you that it shall
be more tolerable for the land of Sodom in the day of judgment
than for thee. Sodom is going to hell, and so are you, but
it will be more tolerable for Sodom than for you. Everybody's
going to die in their sins. That's what he's saying. Everybody's
going to die in their sins. Well, didn't he say there was
forgiveness with him? Yes. Well, then is all of this yea
and nay? Is all of this yea and nay? The
answer is absolutely not. Absolutely not. Every promise
of God is yea and amen, but there is one key to the whole thing. All right? There is one key. that everything hinges on. One factor that everything hinges
on. Not one of His promises shall
fail. Not one. But every single one
of them hinges on this one thing. Now go back to our text and we'll
see it. 2 Corinthians 2 Corinthians 1 verse 19 says,
For the Son of God, Jesus Christ, who was preached among you by
us, even by me and Silvanus and Timotheus, was not yea and nay,
but in Him was yea. For all the promises of God in
Him are yea. And in Him, amen, unto the glory
of God by us. God didn't make all these promises
to the world, did He? Who is He talking about? Verse
19, the Son of God, Jesus Christ. God has not given one promise
to sinners outside of Jesus Christ. Not one promise. Every blessing,
every grace, every ounce of mercy is only found in Him. John 1
verse 4 says, In Him was life. In Him. That commandment, I think
about Moses, all those serpents were deadly serpents, biting
the people, killing the people. God told Moses, you take a serpent
of brass and put it on a pole and you tell the people to look
and live. You look and live. You look, you'll live. Where
do we look? In Him. in Him. Without Him, outside of Him,
there is no life. None. It's only in Him. Go over. We know it well, but go to Ephesians
1. We know this, but see if we...
is clear to us, how many times it says, in Him, in Christ, okay? Ephesians 1 verse 3, blessed
be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who hath blessed
us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ. In Christ. That's where the blessings
of God are found. God blessed Christ. God blessed one man. God blessed one man. He chose
one man. He was happy with one man. Only one man. One man I'm well
pleased in. One man. That's it. Only in Him. If we want the spiritual blessings
of God, those great promises, we have to be in Him. We just
have to be in Him. No blessings outside of Him.
How does a sinner get in Christ? When I was a kid, I used to hear
my dad and all those men stand up and talk about being in him.
You've got to be in Christ. When I was a kid, I used to think,
how does a sinner get in Christ? That's got to be, looking back
on it, I wish everybody would ask that question. That's the
number one question men and women ought to be asking. How does
a sinner get in Christ? Don't turn, but 1 Corinthians
1.30 says, of God are you in Christ. Look right here at verse
4. According as he hath chosen us in him. He chose us in Him. God said, I'm going to choose
a people to show mercy to. We read about it in Exodus. He
told Moses. Moses said, show me your glory.
He said, I'm going to show mercy. We read about it all through
the scriptures. God said, I'm going to choose
a people to show mercy to. And that's a wonderful promise.
That's a glorious, that's, you know, we're not going to earn
it. It's mercy. It's just a promise. Right? Did he say he was going
to choose the entire world, every person in the world? God cast
a vote for you, all of you. The devil cast a vote against
you, all of you. Now you have to make a decision.
God chose everybody. Did he say he was going to choose
everybody in the world? No. He said he was going to choose
every person in Christ. Every single person in Christ,
I choose that person. Verse 4, according as He hath
chosen us in Him, He did it before the foundation of the world,
that we should be holy. Can you imagine that promise?
He said, I'm going to make you holy. And without blame? What a promise. As we stand before Him, as we
stand in His presence, before Him, He's going to look at us
and say, without blame. in love, having predestinated
us unto the adoption of children. He said, I'm going to adopt you.
What a promise. By Jesus Christ to himself, according
to the good pleasure of his will, to the praise of the glory of
his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted. I'm going to accept
you. Where? In the beloved. in the Beloved. Who is God's Beloved? This is
my Beloved Son in whom I am well pleased. He said He would accept
us but only on the condition of us being in Christ. I believe John Calvin got it
right. I believe it is unconditional
election. There are no conditions on our
part that make us desirable or worthy to be chosen, but election
is not unconditional. Election is 100% on the condition
of us being in Christ. We are only chosen in Him. Verse 7 says, In whom? Everything He is saying is, In
whom? We have redemption through His
blood. He gave the promise to us, the
forgiveness of sins according to the riches of His grace, wherein
He hath abounded toward us in all wisdom and prudence. He made
known unto us the mystery of His will. according to His good
pleasure which He purposed in Himself, that in the dispensation
of the fullness of times He might gather," now here's His promise
to us, "...in the dispensation of the fullness of times He might
gather in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven and
which are on earth, in Him." It's all in Him. "...in whom
we've obtained an inheritance." He said He's going to give us
an inheritance. What a promise. in whom we have obtained an inheritance,
being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh
all things after the counsel of his own will, that we should
be to the praise of his glory who first trusted in Christ."
How wonderful. How wonderful. The Apostle Paul said over in
Philippians 3, he said, I count all my religion, I count all
my self-righteous works, I count all my educated theology, everything
I thought would recommend me to God, I count it all dung that
I may win Christ and be found in Him. I just want to be in
Him. That's the only hope I have.
That's it. Only way I can obtain the promises of God. Colossians
2, he said, you are complete in him, only in him. Is there forgiveness with God
in Christ? Yea and amen. Outside of Christ? Nay. Is there hope for a sinner in
Christ? Yea and amen. Will God show mercy
and not judgment? All those cities, I'm damning
you to hell. Will God show mercy to us and
not judgment? In Christ, yea and amen. All the promises of God in him
are yea and in him amen unto the glory of God by us. Now,
we'll leave on this little word of exhortation, okay? We'll close
with this. Go over to 1 John chapter 2. Verse John 2, verse 28, it says, And now, little children, abide
in him. Stay right there. Just stay right
there. That's where all the promises
of God are. That's where safety is. That's
where salvation is. He said, And now, little children,
abide in him, that when he shall appear, we may have confidence
and not be ashamed before him at his coming. Just stay right
there. Stay right there. Abide in him. Abide with him. How can we do
that? He has to abide in us, right? He has to abide with us. Because of that, I selected the
song we're going to sing in a minute, Abide With Me. If God has purposed
to have mercy on us, He will abide with us. But yet we cry,
Lord, abide with me. Abide with me. Abide in me. We sing, Christ liveth in me.
I beg. Get that old tenant out of here.
Come in and take up residence in here. Spoil this house. Abide in me, abide with me. All
right, you're dismissed.