Second Corinthians chapter seven
and I do. Earnestly cover your undivided
attention and your careful. Consideration. And thoughts. Concerning this message. As I
said also I would even welcome your comments afterwards. Second Corinthians seven. Let's
look at one verse here. A very difficult verse. I don't
ever recall hearing anybody preach on this verse. Verse one. Having therefore these promises,
dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness
of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God. That's a difficult passage, isn't
it? Let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh
and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God. Now, it's quite obvious that the Apostle
Paul had foremost in his mind the glory of God in all that
he did. No doubt about it. God's glory,
His person, His Word. He wanted to be faithful and
true to this book, to God's Word, in everything He did and said.
And look back at chapter six. Paul had an undeniable love for
God's people, undeniable. He said, oh, he said, I wish
I could, I wish that myself were accursed for my brethren, my
kinsmen, according to the flesh." He said, "...my heart's desire
and prayer to God." It's undeniable that Paul loved the people to
whom he preached. Undeniable. And I don't believe
he... He was a man, of course, but
the tenor of his message and his ministry was the good of
the people. He never said anything to further boost his own ministry
or his own name. It's for the glory of God and
the good of the people, according to this book. He loved God's
people. Look at verse 11 of chapter 6.
He says, Oh, you Corinthians, our mouth, Paul and his fellow
brothers, apostles, our mouth is open unto you, our heart is
open. In other words, my heart beats
for you. I love you, he said, and my heart
goes out to you. And he says, verse 12, you're
not straightened in us. In other words, Your problems
and difficulties and so forth, you're not in a straight or in
a fix and so forth because of anything we've said and done.
We've nurtured you in one place. He said we've nurtured you like
a nurse, you know. But you're straightened in your
own bowels, he said to the Corinthians, you've got problems of your own
making. Now, look at verse 13, for a recompense in the same,
in other words, I wish that your heart was so as burden for me,
for the ministry, for the gospel, for your own spiritual well-being
as ours is for you, for a recompense in the same, I speak unto you
as my children." Even John said that, didn't he? Oh, little children.
He says, be you also enlarged. Open your heart. Receive the
engrafted Word with meekness as little children. So Paul's
desire and love for God's people and his desire to glorify God,
edify God's people, undeniable. Undeniable. And Paul desired
that they might enjoy and experience all that is to be enjoyed and
experienced in knowing God and being a son or a daughter of
God Almighty. As Brother Bell always says,
we live far below our privileges as sons of God. We studied one
Wednesday night how Christ said, if you had faith, as your grandfather
must have said, you could just ask what you will. Oh, how far below that privilege
we live, don't we? We're afraid to ask anything,
and when we ask, we don't think we're going to receive it. But Paul's preaching, Paul balanced
his preaching with solid, clear, definitive, expositional declaration
of the gospel of how God saves sinners in Christ. Nobody preached
the gospel of justification by faith more clearly than Paul
the Apostle, nobody. And he balanced it with practical
instructions on how one who has received the grace of God salvation
is to grow in grace and enjoy and experience this abundant
life that Christ promised to His people. God promises to His children
an abundant life, a joyful experience, even in the face of trial. Paul
did, didn't he? He said, I rejoice. What was
the word he used? Glory in my infirmities. The Lord has promised to his
children who walk before him in faith, love, and obedience.
Isn't that word scary? It's a biblical word. We read
it in 1 Peter, didn't we? Obedient children. God has promised
joy and fulfillment. And what does it mean to be saved?
Turn back to chapter one of 2nd Corinthians. What does it mean
to be saved? Well, the word saved quite simply
means to be delivered, right? To be delivered. To be delivered
from danger. When somebody is saved, someone's
drowning, you deliver them from danger. Or if they're really
drowned, drowning, You deliver them from death, right? They're
going down. And you deliver them from certain
death. And to be saved, spiritually
saved, means to be delivered from eternal death, condemnation
and destruction. Because the Scripture says the
soul that sinneth must surely die. The soul. The body is already
dying because of sin. And the soul will die because
of sin unless something's done about it, unless somebody saves
us. The Scripture says the wages
of sin, or what we've earned for our sin, is what? Death. Death. So that's what we've got
coming to us. But God, because God is merciful, He's chosen
to save some people. Look at verse 10, 2 Corinthians
chapter 1, verse 10. It says, God who delivered us,
past tense, to be saved means past tense, saved. You are saved. Beloved, now are you the sons
of God. If you believe on Christ, now,
right now, you're saved. You're saved, and not because
you made your silly decision like old Falwell and these guys
said, but you are as sure for heaven as if you're already there.
Yeah, you are. Why? Why are you sure for heaven? You got a surety, right? Huh? Now, these fellows base
their sureness for heaven on the fact that they made their
decision or mama prayed them through it, right? Well, we base
our assurance for heaven with the fact that my Lord prayed
me through it. right so I'm a sure for heaven
as if as Christ is on the throne. And we have been say how are
you say what is it to be say how is one say. Can you think
of one word that sums up from the scriptures how the scripture
says you say you say by what's the word by. Grace you're saying
by grace you're saying we have been saved The wages of sin are
death, but the gift of God, grace of God, the free gift through
Jesus Christ our Lord, the grace of God, you're saved by the grace
of God. This is how somebody is saved
in a nutshell. A man or a woman is delivered from this judgment,
this condemnation of God Almighty by Jesus Christ coming to this
earth. And living a perfect life is
called establishing a righteousness that God demands of every human
being. And then He takes that righteousness
and what? Gives it. We don't earn it? We didn't even ask for it. He
gives it to us. He gives us that righteousness
we need, okay? 100% grace. We didn't have anything
to do with working out that robe of righteousness. Christ did
it all. He worked it all by the works of his own hand, his life. Secondly, a man or a woman is
delivered from judgment and condemnation by Jesus Christ dying that death
that God demands that we die for our sins. The soul that sinneth
must surely die. Well, I've sinned, Terry. I've
got to die. Christ said, I'll take your place.
I'll die for you. So he died that I might live. And he gives, it's called, you
might know the word for all this, starts with a J, justification. Justification by his righteous
life and by his Just a satisfying death. That's how a man or woman
is saved. One hundred percent by the grace
of God Almighty in Christ. His doings, His dyings. His person,
His work. One hundred percent. Do I make
myself perfectly clear? As Rich Dickey would say, let
me make myself perfectly clear. One hundred percent grace. Justification. We're justified. We're declared
innocent. Why? Because God just doesn't
forgive. Let bygone be bygone. Forgive
and forget? No. Sin's paid for. The justice
of God demands we go free. Why? They've been paid for. Okay? Bernard, you say God doesn't
forgive sins. God doesn't forgive. He punishes them. God can't just
forgive your sin. There's a sense in which God
does forgive you. He has to, daily. But those sins
have to be covered, atoned for. Those sins have to be put away,
propitiated. All right? By grace, that's how
it's done. This act of justification, we
pass it. John, we sit back. He does it
all. We do all the sin and he does the saving. All right? You
have been saved. Who delivered us? Who delivered
us? Us. No, who delivered us? He delivered us. All right? Now, this is the reason Jesus
Christ was the Lamb slain before the foundation of the world,
too. You ever wondered about that? Because all the Old Testament
saints were saved the same way you and I are, by the blood of
Jesus Christ. They weren't saved by the blood
of bulls and goats. It's impossible. So Christ, Barbara, as it were,
was the lamb slain before the foundation of the world. He had
to have already shed his blood for Abel. Right? It had to have been put on the
altar. Abel couldn't stand. Human being couldn't live unless
that atonement was there. That make sense? Lamb slain before
the foundation of the world. Why? It's a whole bunch of sinners
to come before Christ was to come, and they're saved the same
way. Well, look at this. What does
it mean to be saved? It means that we have been delivered,
verse 10 again, from so great a death, and I can't even enlarge
upon this at this time, a greater death. Hell is about the most
mysterious doctrine in all of Scripture, right? The worm dies
not. Weeping, wailing, gnashing of
teeth. They'll know people in heaven, but they won't see you.
You'll see everything that's going on in heaven. So, ah, it's
this mysterious doctrine. It's horrible. Horrific, as it
were. Great death. Great death. Eternal
death. Dying, but never dying. All right? What does it mean to be saved?
It means to be, that we are, being say he has delivered us
from so great a death. He does deliver us. He does deliver
us. We have been saved by eternal
everlasting covenant mercy. And we are being saved right
now by the same grace. And we're going to dwell on this
in a minute. Thirdly, and we will yet be saved. We trust that
he will yet deliver us. Joe, Paul said it. He said, I
haven't arrived yet. Now, if Paul said that, the eminent,
great Dr. Paul, if you want to call him
that, the Apostle Paul, a great man, if he said that, boy, I
ain't even close. Are you? We're not there yet,
John, are we? We're not there yet. Not as though I've already arrived
or we're yet perfect. But it says here, I like this,
He will yet deliver us. He will. We'll get there. Paul
said, Who shall deliver us from this body of death? Someday we
will be delivered body, our soul and our body. God's going to
raise these vile bodies that are corrupt and they'll be put
on incorruption and be fashioned after His likeness, His perfect
body. I don't know what that's all
about. But I just know it's so. Even bodies that have been cast
on the ocean, and microscopic particles by now are all over
the world. Somehow God, in all His power, just like He spoke
Adam into existence from the dust, He's going to do the same
thing again. Oh, Jim Blow, Joe Blow, He's going to take his
body and bring it together and raise it up and join his soul
with it someday. live happily ever after with
the Lord. We will yet be saved. Someday, like one of the old
writers said, when I get there, he said, I believe I'm just going
to just hang on the portals of heaven there and just breathe
a big, long sigh of relief. Made it. Made it. That's speaking as a man, you
know. We're sure because Christ is
there. Now, this second point is what I want to enlarge on,
though, this thing of being saved. who doth deliver us. What does
it mean to be saved? It means we are being saved.
How is one being saved? By grace. The same way. We are being delivered by the
grace of God. What does it mean to be saved?
It means to be justified. I think we clearly described
that, right? There should be no doubt in by anyone what justification
is. It's the person and work of Christ.
There's another term. Anybody know what comes after
justification? Justification and sanctification. All right? Sanctification. This is the actual
purification or making holy. The word means a couple of things.
Hagiazo is the Greek word. It means to make holy. And the
other word, I didn't write it there, that leads to be set apart
for holy use. Remember when God sanctified
the vessels of the tabernacle and so forth for his holy use?
He set them apart. He separated them from the common
vessels and set them apart for his use, for the worship, the
glory of God, his service, okay? Sanctification. Sanctification. The Scripture says, for whom
he did foreknow, that's covenant mercy and election, ordination. He did predestinate to what? To be conformed to the image
of his son that Christ might be the first born or first lovely,
most altogether lovely son of a whole bunch of boys just like
him. what Barnard used to say. God loved his son so much, he
said, I'm going to make a whole bunch just like him. That's what
sanctification is. That's what predestination is
all about. Barnard said this, too. One of
the best descriptions or definitions of salvation I've ever heard.
You can write this down. Barnard said, Salvation. Salvation is
reproducing the character of Jesus Christ in a human being. Salvation is reproducing the
character of Jesus Christ in a human being. Reproducing the
character of Jesus Christ in a human being. In other words,
making Deborah Huff to be the woman God intends her to be. I mean a real woman. A woman. Making me a man. Now, what's
a man? There's only one ever lived,
Joe. Right? Only one real man. We think we're
men, don't we? Why? Because we can arm wrestle.
We can whatever. Light a fire with sticks. You
know, all these simple to silly, foolish, macho reasons for being
a man. I'm a man. Why? I'm not too red-maned. Of all the things. Manhood is
being like Christ. Christ said, take my yoke upon
you and learn of me. What's he like? The only real
man ever lived. He said, I'm me completely, in
heart, in heart. Perfection. Salvation is reproducing
the character of Jesus Christ in a human being, making a woman
like Eve only better, making a man like Adam only better,
like the second Adam. Salvation is not only being saved
from destruction, from hell. That's what this generation
is all for. If I escape from hell, just accept
Jesus, you won't go to hell. That's a good deal. You'll live
like a devil after that. That's not salvation. Salvation is being saved from
what? Sin. Sin. It's curse. One of the curses,
which is death. Saved from that. It's guilt.
The only thing that will purge your guilty conscience is the
blood of Christ. It's power! Whoa, now, I want that, too,
don't you? It seems like at times it has
to be undirected power. Doesn't it? Remember Paul said,
don't you know who you're a servant to, and him you're a slave, or
whatever you succumb to, you're a slave to it? I want to be a
bondslave of Christ, not Satan. Salvation finally from its presence.
It's present. An undeniable mark of God's work
in a person. An undeniable mark. It's to take
somebody who once loved sin, loved it, and to turn them around
where they hate it. That's what salvation's all about.
It's a 180-degree turn. Uh-huh. Changing. It's to take
a person who once loved sin, and turn their affection, their
thoughts, their mind, their life, everything about them Godward,
to love God, and not ever be satisfied until they're just
like Him. For as before, they think, hey,
I'm a pretty good fellow, you know. Oh, he could be the worst
scoundrel on the face of the earth. He's a good old boy, they
say. He don't give a flip for nothing, you know. That's their
idea of a man, too, isn't it, Jeff? Well, he can belly up and
drink You're under the table and he don't give us nothing
for nothing, you know. Boy, what a man. Look at him
puking in the street. Like a dog. And he'll go right
back and do it the next night and return to it like a dog with
his vomit again. Boy, what a man. No, a man is taking an animal,
a beast like that and turning him toward God. Love God. Love the things of God. and not
be satisfied. Oh, wretched man that I am, not
be satisfied. That's the way I want to be,
just like that, and I'm not be satisfied until. That's what
this salvation is all about. How are we sanctified? How is
a person made like Christ? How is a woman, a man made holy? How are we set apart for God's
use? How are we made acceptable, even
well-pleasing to God? Scripture says we are. Turn with
me to Hebrews chapter 10. Hebrews chapter 10. How are we
sanctified? Same way you saved. By grace. Same way. By grace you say. That means he starts it out by
grace and then he ends it with words. No. No. By grace you say. Start the last. And everything
in between. It's by grace. It's by grace.
It's by grace. Out of works. By the same gracious
gift of God's Son. See, God has begun the separating
work, the calling out of a people to be conformed to Christ's image,
making a people fit to be partakers, the Scripture says, to be inhabitants
of glory. We're not going to inhabit God's
heaven unless we're like Christ. Okay? Now, let's read this in
Hebrews 10, verse 7. Hebrews 10, verse 7. Christ says,
Lord, I come. They need to save it. How are
they going to be saved? I come. Here I come. Here it
comes. Isaiah 25 says, this is our God. We've waited on him. He'll save
us. We can't do it. We've tried. The law can't do
it. Moses, he tried. He can't do
it. Here it comes, though. The law was given through Moses,
but grace, the gift of God, eternal life, and truth comes through
Jesus Christ. Lo, I come! In the volume of
the book from Genesis 1 all the way through Revelation 22, it's
written of me to do thy will, O God. Now, when he said up there,
sacrifice and offering and burnt offering, offering for sin, thou
wouldest not, neither hath pleasure therein, which are offered by
the law, then Christ said, Lo, I come. to do thy will, and he
takes away the first, that he may establish the second." And
it's by the which will, the will of God in sending Christ, we
are sanctified, saved, set apart, made holy through how? The offering of the body of Jesus
Christ. See, the people were sanctified
back then with a sprinkling of blood, right? All things by the
law are purged by what? Blood. You're purged the same
way, Terry Kendall, but not by animal blood, by His perfect,
sinless blood. Sanctified by the body of Jesus
Christ once for all. Now look down at verse 14. And
by one offering, His offering, His precious blood, He hath perfected. forever, them that are sanctified,
are sanctified. And Christ said in John 17, 19,
for their sakes I sanctify myself. I've set apart myself. Christ,
for the sake of saving a people, sanctifying, setting apart, making
holy a people for God's use, he said, I'm going to set myself
apart, apart from God, rip himself from the throne of heaven and
come down in this cesspool. I'm going to set myself apart.
and learn to live by faith, learn to live obediently as a son for
these people. For their sakes I sanctify myself
that they also might be sanctified." And then he said in one verse,
he said, Father, sanctify them through thy truth, thy word is
truth. Now one is made holy, to be no
mistake about it, one is made holy, set apart, made holy for
God's use, accepted by God as righteous in Jesus Christ. In Jesus Christ. All right? Is that clear? Now, that's the legal aspect
of sanctification. All right? That's the legal aspect
of sanctification. There is a literal or actual
change that takes place in a human being whereby they are, or he
or she, is recreated, reborn. Are you staying with me? A new creature, a new creature. Old things have passed away and
are passing away and will completely pass away. And all things have
become brand new. Brand new thoughts, desires,
ways, actions, life, a new man, like Christ, like Christ. And this is an ongoing work. Use the word progressive, if
you will, or growing. It's a growing, ongoing work. And this work will be carried
out. It will be carried out to its
Perfection. Assured, made certain by the
grace of God, not by us now, it's made certain by the grace
of God, the scripture says it. Being confident. Or certain that
he which hath begun a good work in you. Will perform it, will
perfect it, will finish it until the day that Christ comes and
says it's time. Come on. And make no mistake
about it. Now, this is God's work from
the beginning to end. It's not of works, lest any man
should boast. OK? We are whose workmanship? His workmanship, created in the
Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained,
hath ordained that we should walk in them. And the Scripture
goes on to say things like this. It is God that worketh in us. both to will and to do of His
good pleasure. And we don't make the mistake
like the Galatians of beginning in the Spirit and then try to
be made perfect by the flesh either. All right? All right? God starts the work,
and then He gives us some... No, wait a minute. I got this
wrong. I put this in the negative here. God does not start the
work. then give us some rules and leave
us alone hoping everything come out all right. Does it? God does not start the work and
then say, well, now here's some rules and you live by these and
I sure hope you make it. No, no way. Because Christ said,
without me you can do nada, nothing, zero. With man, it is what? Say it, ladies. What are you,
ladies? Impossible. With women, too. But with God,
it's possible. Well, then. Now, look back at our text again,
2 Corinthians 7, verse 1. Then why or how is it that Paul
tells us here in 2 Corinthians 7, verse 1, let us cleanse ourselves
from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness
in the fear of God." Huh? You're puzzled, man. Why does he say that? Perfecting
holiness. Wait a minute. Let us cleanse
ourselves. Turn with me to Titus chapter
2. Titus chapter 2. You see, Believers are no longer
dead in trespasses and sin. They are no longer dead in trespasses
and sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ. Peter said this,
let me read this real fast to you. He said in 1 Peter chapter
4 verse 3, he said, Now the time past would have sufficed for
us to, in our conversation, our past lives, would have sufficed
for us to wrought the will of the Gentile. We walked in lasciviousness,
lust, excess of wine, reveling, banqueting, abominable idolatry,
and so forth. That would have sufficed because
that's what we were. We're dead. Sinner. Bonafide, ungodly, wretched,
in the gutter sinners. Such were some of you, Paul said.
Drunkards, extortioners, all of these things. Murderers. Such
were some of you. But you're washed. Right? Sanctified. We once were
dead, unable, unwilling. Now alive, enabled, made willing. Right? We ain't no dead rock
anymore. Right? We ain't no pit rock.
dead stones, living stones. Now, we are made alive unto God
by the same grace, the same grace that purposed our salvation,
the same grace that sent Christ to be propitiation, a bloody
sacrifice for us. The same grace that imputed the
righteousness of Christ to us, look at this, look at what this
grace does. Titus chapter 2 verse 11. The
grace of God that bringeth salvation, now didn't we just see how clearly
that grace, man saved man. The same grace that bringeth
salvation hath appeared to all men, or that is all, every nation,
tribe, kindred and tongue and so forth, teaches us. is teaching us. Okay? God, Nancy Park, God is our Heavenly
Father now. He's so gracious, kind, tender,
compassionate, long-suffering. Oh, I'm so glad He's long-suffering.
His loving kindness, tender, gentle. I'm glad He's tender.
I'm glad He knows my frame and remembers I'm good. He teaches
me. Just like you do your own children. If you didn't love
them, you wouldn't teach them. You don't teach other people's children,
you teach your own, right? And you correct them too, don't
you? You teach them in every area
necessary for their life and their good. As Peter said in
1 Peter 1, life and godliness. God graciously gives his, and
this is the job of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit, Rick, is called
a teacher, right? Teacher. The Holy Spirit is to teach,
to lead, to guide, to keep, to instruct all his new little children,
little baby, newborn baby. All of us are like Sarah, and
Hannah, and Catherine, and Deborah's their teacher. We're all babies. And she does such a good job. She's to be commended. What a
wonderful teacher. I used the word, didn't I? What
can you say? What a good teacher. A God-given
gift. I thank God for you, Deborah.
I really do. We're blessed to have her. She
puts so much time into it. My, so she has our children's
well-being at heart. I thank God for you. I do appreciate
it. She's hanging her head, but I
do thank you. And our Heavenly Father is a
million times more tender and kind and gracious and merciful,
compassionate and instructive to his children. He leads us
and guides us in instruction. And we're alive now. We're not
dead. We're alive. Children, little
children, when they're little babies, oh, they ask the most
interesting questions, don't they? Their little eyes are so
bright and cheery and they're listening every word about these
new stories and so forth. And a child of God is alive under
God. If he's not, he's dead. He can't
be half alive, can he? He's alive, and he looks like
Christ. Is there any doubt who that little
girl looks like? Maybe she'll grow out of it,
Rick. Looks just like her daddy. And every one of God's children
look like Christ. If they don't, they're none of
His. Right? That's what the Scripture says.
Amen and have not the spirit of Christ is none of his and
the spirit of God teaches them. We need instruction far more
than even she does that little four-year-old girl. We need instruction. We need perfecting know it huh,
but touring the word is we need to be more well-rounded. And
God's people are living, responsible sons and daughters, commanded
to be obedient disciples in a school of Christ, commanded to be good
listeners. You expect every one of your children to listen to
you, don't you? They're not going to get a thing if they don't,
right? You've worked hard, you've prepared. God prepared this before
the foundation of the world. It took millenniums for God to
perfect this book. We ought to be good listeners,
right? God expects it, doesn't he? He expects it. You expect
them to, if they don't learn and if it's not applied what
you teach them, then they haven't profited one bit in it. If they're
not doers of what you've taught them, of what they've heard,
they haven't profited one bit in it. Be ye doers of the word
and not hearers only. That's what God expects of his
children. And like every wise, loving, heavenly father, he teaches
us how to live. Yeah, he does. He teaches us
how to live. Look at verse 12. He teaches
us to deny ungodliness. Now that means doctrine. Certainly. It's ungodly doctrine, a doctrine
which is not according to Christ. Deny it. Fight against it tooth
and nail. Stand strong. Stand in the grace
of God. Deny this This free will Arminian
heresy that's going around. Deny it. With all vehemently
oppose it. Ungodliness and practically speaking. Ungodliness in your life. Worldly
lust, he said. Deny it. The worldly lust will
stunt your spiritual growth. Don't they? Yeah, they do. Lust
after this world and everything else stunts your spiritual growth.
You think, If I wasn't such a turkey, I could fly like an eagle. Don't
you imagine? If I wasn't such an earthbound,
if I wasn't an earthworm, if God would just mortify my
memory, put me in a cocoon, and make me like Christ, I'd fly
like a butterfly. Right? But I'm an earthworm.
Worldly lust stunts your growth, hinders your spiritual progress.
And he says, denying, denying these things. We're to deny ourself. Christ said, if any man will
come after me, let him deny his self. Everything has anything
to do with me. My thoughts, my ways, my desires,
my affections. It's all wrong. It's out of order,
right? Deny me. Take up my cross and
follow Christ. And it means it entails a literal
suppressing or mortifying of the old man. A literal. Yeah,
it does. By the means that God has given
us. Mortifier, remember, we just read that. Read Colossians chapter
3 when you go home. Read it. God has given means
whereby this may help us. Teaching us, verse 12, live soberly. What does that mean? Not like
a fool. A fool has said no, God, and
the fool ain't looking for him. But we're to live soberly and
righteously. We're to live soberly or seriously, waiting for the
coming of Christ expectantly. Ain't got time for that foolishness. Ain't got time for that. Paul Speck said in the order
of Ephesians chapter three, speaking yourselves in psalms and hymns
and spiritual songs and so forth. Ephesians 5. Lives righteously, holy, good,
Christ-like lives, godly lives in this present world. See that?
The grace of God teaches us that. Isn't it? I'm not making this
up. Isn't it? Teaches us. The grace of God teaches us to
live godly in this present world. Verse 13 and 14. Looking for
that blessed hope. Blessed hope and glorious appearing
of the great God and our Savior Jesus Christ, who gave himself
for us to redeem us from all iniquity, all iniquity, all iniquity. Redeem us, save
us, deliver us, and purify unto himself. Purify your people. Boy, he's a strange dude. Yeah, God's people are. They're
different than the world. I want to be different. I don't
want to be transformed to the world. Do you? I want to be conformed
to the world. I mean, I want to be transformed
by the renewing of my mind and my life. A peculiar people, zealous
of good things. Now, he said to young Titus,
these things speak and exhort and rebuke with all authority.
Don't let anybody despise you. Well, I got to hurry. Bear with
me, please. This is a good study. 2 Corinthians
5. What's the motive for this service
thing? Grace. It goes right back to
grace again. Right back to grace again. Is
the motive law? Does anybody have the Ten Commandments
written on their wall at home? I'm not saying it's altogether
bad. It's God's law, isn't it? But do you have to refer to that?
Let's see here. What am I supposed to do today?
I'm not supposed to steal. Come on now. Do you need that
written on your wall? And I'm not making any flippant
remarks concerning what I'm saying. That's not your motive for service.
Let's see what am I supposed to do for my wife today? I'm
supposed to go to work. I don't want to, but I guess the way
I'm supposed to. Is that it? No. Duty? It is our
duty to serve, but that's not even our job. Look at verse 9.
We labor, he says, that we may, whether present or absent, we
may be accepted of Him. Now, we do want to be acceptable
and well-pleasing to God. Why? To get to heaven? No. A reward. I want a crown. I want a bigger one than so-and-so. No, no, that's not it. Verse
14. Verse 14, read this out loud
with me. For the love of Christ constrains us. The love of Christ. His unspeakable love. Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed upon
us. Greater love hath no man than this. And he lay down his
life for us. Perverts. Ungodly. The mercies, the love
of Christ constrains us. That great sacrificial love offering
that Christ made on our behalf. And the mercies and the promises
of God. Look at chapter 6, verse 18. Chapter 6, verse 18. Yeah, verse 18. God says, I'll be a
father unto you and you'll be my sons. Why should He do that? Oh, me? Who, me? Yes, you, Mephibosheth. Me? At the king's table? Yeah, you. Oh, then it's my reasonable
service, isn't it, to present my body and everything about
me a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable unto God. Isn't it?
Why? Because of this, the mercies
of God. That's what Paul said in Romans
12-1, when he beseeched you by the mercies of God. Why should
God do that? Well, then it's only reasonable
and right that I present myself, because God's my Father and I
love Him now. I love Him now. And because He
has so faithfully promised and ordered all things for my good,
and it doesn't even yet appear unto me what I shall be or what
God has prepared for me. Boy, someday, someday, if there
was regrets to be had, we're going to regret we didn't have
a thousand lives to give for the service of Christ. Now, he says, verse 1, having
therefore these promises, salvation, adoption, dearly beloved, let
us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and the
spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God. I want to be
perfect. Don't you? I want God's Holy
Spirit to make me more and more like Christ. Yeah, I do. I want... You remember when Mary
said to the disciples, Whatsoever he saith unto you, what? Do it. Is that what you want,
Terry? Huh? Whatsoever he saith unto you,
you want to reluctantly do it? You want to do it because you
have to? You're going to do it because you're supposed to? No,
you want to. Why? The love of Christ constrains
you. Whatever He says unto me, it's right, it's just, it's good,
it's holy, it's for my best. I want to do it. I want to do
it. I want to be perfect like my
Father in Heaven is perfect. Do you? Hmm? I want to be mature. I want to
be well-rounded in mind, heart, and life. Now, listen, let me
conclude. I quit. I am thankful and satisfied. I am satisfied
that Christ satisfied God's justice and his requirements on my behalf.
Oh, I'm thankful. That's the gospel in a nutshell,
and I'm so satisfied with it. I submit to this righteousness
which Christ has provided for my salvation. I submit to it.
I wouldn't dare attempt to add anything to it or be saved any
other way. There's only one way. But I'll not be satisfied with me
or anything about me or my life until I awake with His perfect
likeness. You see, that's the point I'm
getting at here. I'm satisfied with Christ. I'm satisfied I'm
saved by virtue of Christ's blood and His righteousness. But I
sure ain't satisfied with this old gut dude. I want him dead
the sooner the better. Right? And I'm not going to be
satisfied until Christ is formed in me. Not doctrine in the head,
Christ in me. Like the little girl said, Daddy,
if Christ was in me, he'd stick out, wouldn't he? I'm not going to be satisfied
until I wake with his perfect likeness. And if you can be satisfied
with anything less, you're not a child of God. Let me give you an illustration.
I heard a preacher say, it shocked me when I first heard this, it's
going to shock you too. He said Solomon asked for the
wrong thing when God said Solomon, I'll give you whatever you wish
for. He said Solomon asked for the wrong thing. Does that shock
you? It did me when I heard it. Now listen, God blessed Solomon.
He blessed him. Solomon asked for wisdom to lead
the people, and he needed that. He sure did. He needed wisdom
to lead so great a people, so many a people. And God granted
him that, and God blessed him with riches because he didn't
ask for riches, okay? But God didn't say, That's the
greatest thing. Saul, you've asked for the best thing. Did
he? He gave him that wisdom. Solomon
played the part of a fool a little while, didn't he? He was wise
and able to lead the people, but Solomon sinned greatly. He fell into idolatry. Can you
imagine? This preacher said, you know
what I'd ask for? Holiness. God make me holy. You'd have perfect wisdom if
he's a holy one. Huh? Isn't that the thing to ask for?
Spurgeon said, he said, if God could give me anything, any wish
on this earth, anything, he said, I'd wish more than anything else
to be done with my sins. What gives us all the problems
in our life, huh? What is it that plagues us more
than anything else? What is it that Christ came to
put away? What are we being saved from? Sins. Sin and sins. Lord, I want to be a Christian
in my heart, in my life. Be like Christ, don't you? It's
the work of God from start to finish. God's given us means
whereby to grow thereby and diligently. search, study, show ourselves,
prove, work, and need not be ashamed, rightly dividing the
word of truth, perfecting holiness. You scared of that verse now?
I used to be scared to death of that verse. Cleanse ourselves
from all filthiness of the flesh, perfecting holiness in the fear
of the Lord. Where's that verse of Scripture?
Let me read this to you real fast. Paul said in Ephesians
chapter Let me read this to you. No, three. Yeah, four. He says
this whole thing, for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of
the ministry, for the edifying of the body of the Christ, till
we all come into the unity of the faith, the knowledge of the
Son of God, unto a perfect man, done to the measure of the stature
of the fullness I want to be like Christ, don't
you? It was said in the Pilgrim's Progress, yeah, that Christiana,
and what was the woman's name? Charity. They reached the other
shore and got across that river of death. And once they were
across that river of death, they were changed in a moment. The
twinkling of an eye, they were changed. And it says that Christiana and
And Charity just sat there and stared at one another. And Charity
looked over at Christiana and said, You're beautiful. And Charity looked at her and
said, Oh, no, you're beautiful. Why? They both looked like Christ. And that's the reason I think
some of you are beautiful right now. But you've got a lot more
work to do. There's a lot more work to be
done. A lot more work. Meet Drew. I'm the chief. So that's what I desire for you
and me. All right, stand with me. Dear Lord, we ask you, we thank
you first of all. for the glorious gospel of God's
grace, for the blood and righteousness of Christ that saves us from
eternal condemnation and death. And we thank you for the sanctifying
work of your Holy Spirit that takes us and works upon us, convicts
us, convinces us, reproves us of sin, righteousness, and judgment,
and teaches us and leads us and guides us in all areas of truth.
All things are necessary for life and for God's goodness.
We thank you. This is all your work from beginning to end. We
ask you to give us the strength. You give us the strength to use
the means that you've ordained for our good, for our growth,
our spiritual good, and for our life here upon this earth. We
might be someday conformed to the blessed image of Christ and
awake in His perfect likeness. We thank you. We thank you. And
ask all these things in the name of Christ for his glory and our
good. Amen. All right. You're dismissed.