Good morning, good morning to
everyone. Turn back again to. Ephesians,
chapter two. Ephesians, chapter two. I have,
I believe, a message from the Lord that will help us. I know it has helped me help
me, this gospel of God's grace in Christ Jesus himself. That's the title of this message.
Christ Jesus himself or Jesus Christ himself. Ephesians chapter
two. Notice verse 19. Ephesians chapter
two, verse 19. He says, Now, therefore, now,
therefore, you are no more, no more strangers. What happened in Adam, a strange
And Adam all died and Adam all sinned. Now, no more strangers. One with God in Christ. God was
in Christ reconciling us unto himself. No more strangers. No more foreigners. No more. No more. He said we are fellow
citizens. Fellow citizens with the saints. Who are these saints? Saints
of God, every believer in Christ Jesus is sanctified, chosen of
God, sanctified in Christ Jesus. By the one offering hath he perfected
forever them that are sanctified in Christ. Fellow citizens, no
longer strangers, saints. Boy, what a contrast. What a
contrast. No longer strangers, saints,
one with God in Christ Jesus. And we are of this household.
We are his household, the family of God, sons of God, sons of
God by adoption. In the fullest of time, God sent
forth his son made of a woman made under the law to redeem
them that were under the law, that we might be sons of God
by his adoption, his grace. That's love. When you adopt a
child, I tell you, that's a real expression of your love and gratitude. And God so loved that He gave
Himself for us. Here in His love, not that we
loved God, but that He loved us. And He sent His Son to be
that sacrifice for our sin. We're of the household of God.
Beloved, we are sons of God. Sons of God. And, verse 20, are
built upon The foundation. Now, there's just one foundation,
one rock, one refuge, one gospel, one Lord, one faith. There's
just one. There is one foundation. And
this household of God, when you build a house, you better have
a good foundation. This household of God and these
saints of God, they're fixed upon a certain secure foundation. And notice it says here, it's
the foundation of the apostles. Now, it doesn't mean here that
the apostles are our foundation. That's not what he's saying.
But he's saying here that the foundation of the apostles, all
the apostles, Peter and John and Paul, all the apostles had
one foundation. And that foundation, it says
here, is Jesus Christ himself. And all the prophets, all the
prophets, what's the foundation of the prophets? The foundation
of the prophets, same thing as the apostles, same thing as believers
today. We have but one foundation and
it's found here. And underscore this. If you have
a pen or pencil. Jesus Christ himself. Now, that's
the sum and subject of the gospel, Jesus Christ himself, that sums
it all up. Jesus Christ himself being the
chief. He is Lord. to the glory of God
the Father. He is chief in all things. He must, will, shall have all
glory, all preeminence now and forever. He's the chief cornerstone. He is the love of God that knits
and cements this building, this household of God together. In
whom all the building, notice it fitly frame it fitly who who
fits us in there in this building. He does. He fits us in by his
grace. We don't wiggle our way in. He
fits us in. He sets us in the way. Fitly
frame together groweth. That which is alive grows and
believers grow in grace and in the knowledge of the Lord Jesus
Christ. We groweth Together groweth unto
a holy temple in the Lord. A holy temple. In whom also you
are builded together. You're builded together for a
habitation, a dwelling of God, Christ in you, the hope of glory
through the Spirit of God. Now, let's look back at this
phrase here. If you're taking notes, I have
six things that the scriptures declare unto us that Jesus Christ
himself is. The first one is found in this
verse here. He is our only foundation. Jesus Christ himself is all of
our foundation. He's all of our salvation. upon which any sinner can build
and put in place all his trust, all his hope on this one foundation. You see, it's certain and sure.
God said, behold, I lay in Zion for a foundation, a tried stone,
certain and sure, it's a precious cornerstone. He that believeth
on that foundation, remember what it says, will never make
haste. Isaiah 28, 16, and then it's
quoted in the New Testament two times, shall never be confounded,
shall never be ashamed. That is, that sinner who rests
on this foundation that God has provided, this chief cornerstone,
the Lord Jesus Christ, will never be forced out, will never be
moved. You know why? To move the believer,
you've got to move the foundation. You've got to move the rock.
And that rock ain't moving. That rock is crying. You see
how certain and secure the believer is resting on that foundation. It's not sinking sand, it's a
solid rock. Turn to the book of Psalms, Psalm
62. Christ himself is all our foundation. You see, this is the foundation
that God has provided for us. Jesus Christ himself. There is
salvation in no other. You see, all the prophets of
the past, all the prophets of the past, they all pointed to
this foundation. David, Isaiah, read the record. David, Isaiah, Moses wrote of
Christ the foundation, Christ the foundation. Psalm 62, read
what David says here. Psalm 62, verse 5, My soul wait
thou only upon God for my expectation is from him. He only is my rock,
my salvation. He is my defense. I shall not
be moved. And God is my salvation and my
glory. The rock of my strength and my
refuge is in God. Trust in him at all times, ye
people. Pour out your heart before him.
God is a refuge for us. All the prophets of the past. They all give witness to and
all rest in this foundation. We read in the book of Acts,
chapter 10, to him give all the prophets witness. All the prophets
have but one message, and that is Jesus Christ and him crucified. All the prophets of the past,
all the apostles of the early church. You remember when they
brought Peter and John before that council, when they healed
that cripple? And he went leaping and praising
God. And they brought Peter and John
before that council and said, but what means? Is this man made
whole? You remember what he said? Let
it be known unto you that there is salvation in no other. Neither
is there any name under heaven given among men whereby we must
be saved. Christ himself is it. He's everything
in salvation. And he's all the believers. All
the prophets of the past pointed to Jesus Christ himself. All
the apostles of the early church pointed to Jesus Christ himself. And all of God's servants today,
all of God's servants today, if I'm God's servant, God's servant,
son of God, with God's message, it's my business to point you
to Christ, the Lord Jesus Christ. We can say, was the apostle determined
to know nothing among you but Jesus Christ and him Crucified,
we proclaim that salvation is of the Lord and in the Lord Jesus
Christ alone. Grace alone, faith alone, the
word of God alone, Jesus Christ himself is that foundation. That's the first point. Secondly,
the Lord Jesus Christ himself is the theme of all holy scripture. Jesus Christ himself. Now, here's
my text. Find Luke 24. Luke twenty four. He is the theme of all Scripture
Christ himself. Abraham rejoiced to see my day
I Lord said he saw and was glad Luke twenty four this is a resurrected
Lord walking on the road and these two men come along and
they say unto him. We thought that. verse 21, but
we trusted that it had been he which should have redeemed Israel.
Besides this, besides all this, today is the third day since
these things were done. Yea, and certain women also of
our company made us astonished, which were early at the sepulchre.
And when they found not his body, they came saying that they had
also seen a vision of angels which said that he was alive.
And certain of them which were with us went to the sepulchre
and found it even as the women had said. You know, they didn't
believe the women. They had to go look and see for
themselves. But they saw him not. Then he said to these old fools,
slow of heart, slow of heart. You know, the Lord knows our
frame. He knows that we're but dust. I confess I'm slow of heart. I'm slow of heart to believe
all that the prophets have spoken. Ought not Christ to have suffered
these things and enter into his glory and beginning of Moses
and all the prophets? He expounded unto them in all
the scriptures the things concerning, what does that say there? Himself. It's all about Christ. This book
is a book of redemption. Book of Redemption, the grand
design of God's redemption is a glory of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Jesus Christ himself is a message of this book. Therefore, he must
be the subject of our preaching. The apostle, when he wrote second
Christians, wrote to those believers and said, We preach not ourselves. But Jesus Christ, the Lord and
ourselves, your servant for his sake, for it's God who commanded
the light to shine out of darkness, has shined in our heart to give
us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face
of Jesus Christ. And we have this treasure in
an earthen vessel. Don't expect much, nothing from
this vessel. But I have a treasure in Christ
Jesus. He is my treasure. And I point
you to him. One preacher of the past said
this, when we are done preaching Christ as all our salvation,
all our hope, we had better be done with preaching. And that's
true. Brother Scott Richardson, I remember
something he said years ago, he said a sermon without Christ,
the Lord Jesus Christ himself is a mistake in its conception,
a crime and an execution. It's worthless and lifeless to
the children of God. I say amen. Amen. The preaching of Christ and him
crucified is a command of God. Mark 16, he said, go into all
the world and preach the gospel to every creature. Paul, when
he was in prison in Rome and wrote in Rome, wrote back to
young Timothy and said, I command you before God and the Lord Jesus
Christ to preach the word, preach the word, the living word. The
Lord Jesus Christ, the incarnate word, the written word, preach
Christ and him crucified. You see, my friend, the preaching
of the gospel is a very means that God has ordained to call
out his people. How did you hear about the gospel? God sent you a preacher. God
sent this man, a preacher who had God's message, God's word,
who told me to look. to the Lord Jesus Christ and
be saved. You see, God has ordained the
preaching of the gospel to call out his people. He said, my sheep
hear my voice, his word and his servants faithfully declare his
word. The preaching of the gospel of
the Lord Jesus Christ is the means God uses to call his sheep
to quicken them born again, not of a corruptible seed, but an
incorruptible by the word of God, which liveth and abideth
forever. of his own will, begat he us
with the word. It has to be the word, the preaching
of the gospel. God has ordained the gospel and
preaching of the gospel to call his sheep to quicken them to
life. You have to be quickened who
were dead and to feed them. He said, desire the sincere milk
of the word that you might grow thereby. You see, we feed upon
The milk of the word, the meat of the word. How sweet are thy
words, David said, unto my taste? Yea, sweeter than honey unto
me. Oh, it's sweet, sweet. I've never
heard a believer complain. I've heard some people complain.
Don't get me wrong. I've never heard a believer complain
that we preach Christ too often, too earnestly, too joyfully or
exalt him too highly. I'd like to be guilty of preaching
Christ. too often, exalt him too highly. I like to be guilty of that.
I could be found guilty of honoring the Lord. God forbid the apostle
wrote to the Galatians. God forbid we should glory saved
in the cross of the Lord Jesus. We are the true Israel which
worship God in the spirit that rejoiced in Christ Jesus and
have no confidence in the flesh. Jesus Christ himself is the theme
of all Holy Scripture given of God given of God thirdly is this
Jesus Christ himself turned to Galatians chapter one Jesus Christ
himself. Jesus Christ himself. I'm not
talking about this peanut counterfeit. Jesus that people talk about
today. I'm talking about the Lord Jesus Christ. And all it is, all it has done
is God Almighty who said, I have power over all flesh to give
eternal life to as many as the Father hath given me. This is
the one I'm talking about. The one who is Lord and God,
who rules and reigns, who is a sovereign, who has all power
in heaven and in earth. Galatians chapter one. Jesus
Christ, this is my third point, Jesus Christ himself is all our
redemption. He's all our deliverance. He's all of our putting the way
of our sin. He's all of it himself. Now, Galatians chapter one, let's
look at some scripture here. Galatians chapter one, look at
verse three. Grace be unto you. Peace from God the Father. And
from our Lord Jesus Christ, who, who, who are we talking about
here? Our Lord Jesus Christ, who gave,
what did he give? Gave himself. He gave himself. Now you think of everything he
could have given. He could have given a lot. Gold and silver,
it's all his. Could have given worlds, universes,
stars. No, my friend, himself. He gave
himself. He gave himself who gave himself
for our sins, that he might deliver us from this present evil world. And it's all according to the
will of God, our father, to him to whom be glory forever and
ever. Amen. Now, Galatians chapter
two, verse 20. I am crucified with Christ, nevertheless
I live, yet not I, but Christ liveth in me, and the life which
I now live in the flesh, I live by the faith of the Son of God,
the faithfulness of the Son of God, the Lord Jesus, who loved
me and gave himself for me." He gave himself. Himself. How is our sin put away? As my
pastor used to say, sin's hard to put away. The blood of bulls
and goats that flowed on Jewish altar for hundreds and hundreds
of years, never put away sin. Not possible for the blood of
bulls and goats to redeem, to atone for the sin of a man. It
pictured substitution. It pictured and pointed to the
Lamb of God, the Lord Jesus Christ. How is sin put away? Well, not
by our works, not by our deeds, not by the deeds of the Lord.
Shall no flesh be justified? His blood. The blood of Jesus
Christ, God's Son, cleanses us from all sin. How effectual is
the blood atonement of Christ? How effectual is it? It's so
effectual that God Almighty, who knows all things, said their
sin and their iniquity I remember no more. Why can't he remember
them? They're gone. As far as the East
is from the West, he appeared once in the end of the age to
put away sin by the sacrifice of him. So Hebrews 927, he put
away sin by the sacrifice of himself. Talk about our great
high priest, that book of Hebrews talks all about the better covenant,
the better sacrifice, the better way. The better covenant. The Lord Jesus Christ, our great
high priest, did not bring the typical animal blood sacrifice.
You know what he brought? It says in Hebrews 9, verse 12,
that the Lord Jesus brought his own blood. God bought us with
his own blood. You see, my friend, if you ever
settle that question in your mind, who died, what he accomplished,
Having put away the sin of his covenant, people with his own
blood will never come up in your mind again. He says who he is
that gives infinite value to what he did. God bought us with
his own blood. I'm saying that Jesus Christ
himself is our Redeemer who came and lived and died and put away
our sin forever. Call his name Jesus. He shall
save his people from their sin. Good news, no condemnation to
those who were in Christ Jesus, the Lord Jesus Christ gave himself. Now, listen to this. To purge
our sins, Hebrews 1 3 says by himself, he purged our sin when
he by himself purged our sin, he sat down. Why did he sit down? He's done. He said it finished. Done. Done. He sat down at the right hand
of God Hebrews nine twenty seven he appeared once in the end of
the age to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself. Just one
offering for sin one sacrifice for sin Christ himself in Ephesians
chapter chapter five turn over there Ephesians chapter five
let's read this together. Ephesians chapter five I'm saying
that Jesus Christ himself is all our redemption. All our remission
of sin, all of our deliverance from the curse of the law. He
redeemed us from the curse of the law being made a curse for
us. Notice, if you will, Ephesians
chapter five, verse one, the therefore followers of God as
dear children and walk in love as Christ also loved us and have
given himself. Now watch it as an offering and
a sacrifice to God for sweet smelling. Satisfying. You see the sacrifice
of the Lord Jesus Christ and offered on the man. Does it need
my approval to make an effect. No. The blood on the altar before
the Lord. You see, this is his sacrifice
for sin. This sacrifice that the Lord
Jesus gave on our behalf is a sacrifice unto God, satisfying unto God
a sweet smelling savor. He smells the aroma of it. Satisfied,
the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hand, Jesus Christ
himself. Stay right there in Ephesians,
Ephesians chapter 5, look at verse 25. Husbands, husbands
here, love your wives. Can a man love his wife too much?
Nope. Impossible. Try it. Do it. Do it. Do it. Husbands, love
your wives, even as Christ also loved the church and gave himself
for it. that he might sanctify and cleanse
it with the washing the water by the word that he might present
it to himself. A glorious church not having
spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that it should be holy and
without blemish. Jesus Christ himself is all my
acceptance before God. Accepted in the beloved. Jesus
Christ himself. He gave himself to ransom us. It says in Matthew chapter 20
that he came up to be ministered unto, but to minister and to
give his life a ransom for many. Deliver them from going down
to the pit. God said, I have a ransom. And I know this. Now,
I'm not real smart, but I know this. When the ransom's paid,
the captive goes free. He paid my sin debt and he sets
us free. free from the law, a whole happy
condition. Jesus had bled and there is remission. You know that old law of God
that thundered from Sinai? That law of God demands, it says,
run, run, the law demands, but gives me neither feet nor hands. The gospel bids a sweeter thing. It bids me fly and gives me wings. Jesus Christ himself is all our
redemption. Now, fourthly, is this. Jesus Christ himself, the Lord
Jesus Christ himself, is all our righteousness before God,
all our righteousness before God. Find 2 Corinthians 5, 2
Corinthians 5. Oh, you see, I need not only
my sin put away. But I need a righteousness that
justifies this sinner before God and I have that in Christ. Look what he says here. Second
Corinthians five. Twenty one or he that is God
Almighty made him. I like to leave these two words
out here because they've been added. God made him sin for us. God laid the sin of his covenant
people upon the Lord Jesus Christ, and this is the one who knew
no sin, who did no sin, who had no sin, that we might be made,
made the righteousness of God in him. That's my righteousness
before God. Now, find 1 Corinthians chapter
1. 1 Corinthians chapter 1. How righteous must a sinner be
to stand before God justified? as righteous as God. That's right. And I know this. I can't not
produce a righteousness satisfying unto God. But my substitute,
the Lord Jesus Christ, did. He honored every precept of that
law. There's more than just ten. There's
some 800 precepts of that law. And the Lord Jesus Christ, it
says in Isaiah 42, that He magnified the law on our behalf. That's
the sinner's righteousness before God. Look what it says here,
1 Corinthians 1, verse 30, But of him, but of him, of him are
you in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, righteousness. He is our sanctification. He is our redemption. You see,
it's all to him, him. That according as it is written,
he that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord. You see, throughout
Scripture, the Lord Jesus Christ is revealed to his people as
the Lord, our righteousness. He is the Lord, our righteousness. Jesus Christ himself is all our
righteousness. And he freely gives that to us.
And my friend, it's Christ himself. It's Christ himself that is our
righteousness before God. Blessed is that man to whom God
would impute, give righteousness. And my friend, that's a person. He gives me Christ, my righteousness. You see that? Christ himself
is all our righteousness. Turn to Philippians. Why? The
believer says with Paul. Philippians chapter three. This
is why the believer says with Paul. He said, I count, verse
Philippians 3, verse 7, but what things were gained to me, now
I count them all lost for Christ Himself. Yea, doubtless, I count
all things, verse 8, Philippians 3, but lost to see the knowledge
of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I've suffered the loss of
all things. And to count them but done, that
I might win Christ. Do you count all of your goodness,
so-called? Righteousness, so-called all
your religious baggage of the past that you think might recommend
you to God or or make you accepted somehow. My friend, the believer
counts everything we've done, thought, have or will do someday
as dumb garbage. Throw it away. Be done with it. And be found that may win Christ
and be found in him. Whatever salvation is, my friend,
is in Christ, the Lord Jesus Christ. Be found in him, not
having my own righteousness, which is of the law. Old Saul
of Tarsus thought he was a pretty good fellow, till he met the
master and put in the dust, which is of the law, but that which
is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of
God. Of God. This righteousness is
of God. Turn to Romans 10. Romans 10. This righteousness is of God,
and that's the righteousness that's of God revealed in the
gospel. Romans 10. Therefore, verse 3,
Romans 10, were they being ignorant of God's
righteousness, God's character? That's these old religious Jews. They were going about to establish
their own righteousness. They have not submitted themselves
unto the righteousness that's of God. And where does it come
from? It's of Him. For Christ is the
end of the law for righteousness. Everyone that believes in Christ
himself is all the believers. Righteousness before God, all
of our rights standing before God. Fifthly is this one. Jesus
Christ himself. is the only object of saving
faith. Turn to Hebrews chapter 12. Hebrews
chapter 12, Jesus Christ himself is the only object of saving
faith. The foundation of faith is a
word of God. The object of faith is saving
faith, the faith of God's elect that acknowledges the truth of
salvation in Christ Jesus. That object of faith is Christ
himself. Hebrews chapter 12. Verse one,
wherefore, seeing we are also compassed about with so great
a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight and the
sin which is so easily beset us. Let us run with patience
the race that set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author. You see, we look to the Lord
Jesus, who is victorious. He's the author, the giver, the
beginning, the end, alpha, the omega of salvation, the finisher
of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured
the cross. despising the shame and sit down
at the right hand of the throne of God, exalted, for consider
him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest
you be wearied and faint in your mind. Consider him. True saving
faith considers him. And we look to him alone. Isaiah, it's recorded there,
look unto me, the Lord says, and be ye saved. All the ends
of the earth, I am God and there is none else. In Matthew 11,
our Lord said, come unto me, all you that labor heavy laden,
I'll give you rest. You see, it all gets back to
Jesus Christ himself. He's a giver of it. He's a sustainer
of our faith and he's the object of faith. We look to him. And
you know, it says there in Hebrew 12, looking. You see, it's a
present ongoing process, it's coming to Christ, it's believing
Christ, it's repenting, it's looking to him. Looking to Christ
alone, not to the past, not to my feelings. Remember the song
by Martin Luther? Feelings come and feelings go
and feelings are deceiving. My warrant is a word of God.
Nothing else is worth believing. Look unto Christ alone, not to
the past, not to my feelings, not to my experience, not even
to my faith. Not even to my faith. Saving
faith doesn't look to faith. Saving faith looks to the Lord
Jesus Christ himself. looking well actually number
six is Jesus Christ himself is the source of all joy and comfort
to the believer during the second Thessalonians chapter two. Second Thessalonians chapter
two. And we read beginning at verse thirteen but we are bound
to give thanks always to God for you brethren beloved of the
Because God has, from the beginning, chosen you to salvation. Who
did the choosing? God did. When? From the beginning.
2 Thessalonians 2.13. Through sanctification of the
Spirit. What is that? I'll tell you what
it is. It's a new birth. It's a new
birth. It's of God. Through sanctification
of the Spirit. Regeneration. And the fruit of
that is belief of the truth. Whereinto he called you by our
gospel to the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Therefore, brethren, stand fast. Hold the truth is a better word
there, which you have been taught, whether by word or by official.
Now look at verse 16 carefully. Now, our Lord Jesus Christ. Himself. Himself. You see what I'm trying
to get at today? Jesus Christ himself is everything. He's all our hope, comfort, joy,
and peace. And God, even our Father, who loved us and has
given us an everlasting consolation, that's comfort. It's everlasting
comfort. And good hope through grace. Now comfort your hearts. Establish
you in every good word and every work. The gospel of the Lord
Jesus Christ is the most comforting message to those who see their
need of him. To you who believe Christ is
all and in all. He's not something, everything. He's all and in all. In him dwells
all the fullness of the Godhead bodily and in Christ we are complete.
To you who believe he is precious. To you who believe our salvation
is determined, dependent, accomplished by him and applied by him. Salvation is of the Lord. Comfort
ye, comfort ye, my people. Speak ye comfortably to Jerusalem.
Tell unto her that her warfare is over. Done. The battle's over. That's comforting,
is it not? Comforting. Comforting. Now, I want you to consider this in
closing. Is Christ all your hope? Jesus Christ himself all your
hope, you know, you know in your heart. Christ in you, the hope
of glory. Is the Lord Jesus Christ all
your redemption from sin? Christ himself. Is Christ all
your righteousness before God? You still working on your own?
Or are you resting in the Lord, our righteousness? Is Christ
alone all your salvation before God? I hope so. I hope God has made
it so. And if it's not, if it's not,
if Christ himself is not all your hope right now, I pray God
would make it so. I pray God will make it so. He'll
have to do it. I can't do it. Salvation of the
Lord. Today is a day of salvation. Today is a day of salvation.
Let's pray together. We're going to have a closing
hymn. Let's bow in prayer. Then after we pray together,
Brother Gabe will close the service with a hymn. Our Father, we thank
Thee for Thy word and Thy truth, the gospel of Your grace, the
gospel of the power of God unto salvation. Lord, may we set our
affection on things above, in Christ Jesus Himself. He ever
lives to make intercession for us, able to save to the uttermost
all that come to God by Him. Lord, grant it to be so, to everyone
here right now, that we might look to Christ and rest in Him
by Thy grace. And Lord, for Your glory, in
the blessed name of our Savior, we give thanks for this day of
worship. May we honor Christ in all we say and do. In the
blessed name of our Savior, we pray. Amen. Thank you. Let's
turn to hymn number 268 and stand. We'll sing the first and last
verse. 268 So, How firm a foundation ye saints
of the Lord Is laid for your faith in His excellent Word What
more can He say than to you He hath said To you, who for refuge
to Jesus hath led. The soul that on Jesus hath leaned
for me most, I will not, I will not desert to his foes. That stole the whole hell should
endeavor to stay. Never, no, never, no, never forsake. Bye.