I am going to be in 1 Corinthians
1 and verse 30 to start with. Actually, I'll be there for most
of the time. 1 Corinthians 1 and verse 30. But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of
God is made unto us wisdom and righteousness and sanctification
and redemption. When I read this passage and
where it says, but of him are ye in Christ Jesus, It reminds
me of another passage, Colossians 3, verses 1 through 3, it says,
if ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above,
where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. Set your affections
on things above, not on things on the earth. For ye are dead,
and your life is hid with Christ in God. And I remember an analogy
that Earl gave, and I'm gonna do it like this. I don't know
if he did it exactly this way, but I'm gonna do it this way. Christ the head, us the body,
in God. Head with Christ, in God. It also makes me think of those
Russian nesting dolls, one inside of the other. to be hid with
Christ in God. That is what my hope is. That
I am found in Him because if I am in Him, then I'm also in
God. There is no more secure place
than that. I want to go through this verse
and look at what Christ has made unto us. Us being in Him if we
are in fact in Him. But I want to look at it this
way. What do we have when it comes to these things in and
of ourselves, and what are these things in Christ? So it'll be
wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption, and that's man's
wisdom, Christ's wisdom, and so on. So first, wisdom. Wisdom here means wisdom of any
kind, and is what this word means. So man's wisdom. Man's wisdom
is of no saving value. Man in his wisdom does not seek
after God. He cannot know God by his wisdom.
Verse 21 tells us that very thing of our text here. For after that,
in the wisdom of God, the world by wisdom knew not God. It pleased
God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe. Man's
wisdom says to him, I stand on my own and can make my own decisions. There is none beside me that
can do such a thing. There is no one to find me wanting
and I will use my free will to decide what my fate is. This
is what man's wisdom teaches us. Now if you would be turning
with me to Isaiah 47, Isaiah 47. Isaiah 47, and I'm going to read
verses 7 through 10. But as you're turning there,
Isaiah 47, 7 through 10, this passage I'm about to read are
words of God against the Chaldeans. These were enemies of God's people. These are they that God gave
His people into their hands, and now God is telling them,
these Chaldeans, He will take vengeance on them for how they
have treated His people. I know some of this world might
think, but how could God do that when he purposed that they take
his people? The answer is because he is God. It is this God that by man's
wisdom they cannot know. If they could, they would bow
down to him as sovereign of the universe. So now we have Isaiah
47, seven through 10. And thou saidst, I shall be a
lady forever, so that thou didst not lay these things to thy heart,
neither didst remember the latter end of it. Therefore, hear now
this, thou art given to pleasures that dwellest carelessly that
sayest in thy heart, I am, and none else beside me. I shall
not sit as a widow, neither shall I know the loss of children.
But these two things shall come to thee in a moment, in one day,
the loss of children and widowhood. They shall come upon thee in
their perfection for the multitude of thy sorceries and for the
great abundance of thy enchantments. For thou hast trusted in thy
wickedness. Thou hast said, none seeth me. Thy wisdom and thy knowledge,
it hath perverted thee. And thou hast said in thine heart,
I am and none else beside me. Man thinks he has wisdom. We
can even see today still man is trying to build a tower to
God on their wisdom and might. Man has went to the moon, he's
trying to get to Mars. Man thinks God is out there somewhere,
but God is all around us. Man and his wisdom and what he
is trying to do, it will all fall to the ground and be crumpled
to powder by the breath of God's nostrils. Just like that, that's
it. What else do we read in 1 Corinthians
1.20? Where is the wise? Where is the
scribe? Where is the disputer of this
world? Hath not God made foolish the
wisdom of this world? The answer to that question is
a resounding yes, Joe. Because we also read in 1 Corinthians
3.19, for the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written, he taketh
the wise in their own craftiness. Man will no more get to God by
his wisdom than he will ascend to the throne of God by his own
power. If we are going to be at God's throne, it will only
be in Jesus Christ, and that is all by his power and choice. So what about Christ's wisdom?
We read in Job the wisdom of God. His wisdom comes with power. Job 12 verses 11 through 14 reads,
doth not the ear try words, and the mouth taste his meat? What
with the ancient is wisdom, and in length of days understanding.
With him is wisdom and strength. He hath counsel and understanding.
Behold, he breaketh down, and it cannot be built again. He
shutteth up a man, and there can be no opening. Our God has
purposed all things. Everything we read in scripture,
everything we see down through history, everything we see going
on around us today, God has purposed it all in his own wise counsel. It has all and is all being done
to his honor and glory. If we find ourselves in a situation
that might not seem good to us, if we are in Christ, we should
be thankful for it. For it is for our good. Job preached
from Job last week, as I was mentioning, and we see those
who are God's people worship him in good times and in bad
times by his grace. What do we read in Job 2.10?
What does Job say? He says, what? Shall we not receive
good at the hand of God, and shall we not receive evil? I
read in Psalms 119.71, it says, it is good for me that I have
been afflicted, that I might learn thy statutes. All that
is done for his people is done in wisdom by God. It is done
so that they might turn to Him in all things, good or bad, as
man sees it, if you will. His honor and glory is paramount,
not our comfort and happiness. However, He does care for us
in these things, and He must get all the honor and glory for
all of it. Psalm 119.14 says, I will praise
thee, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Marvelous are
thy works, and that my soul knoweth right well. Again, Psalms 104.24,
we read, O Lord, how manifold are thy works. In wisdom hast
thou made them all. The earth is full of thy riches. And one more, Proverbs 319. The Lord by wisdom hath founded
the earth, by understanding hath he established the heavens. Now
can some of this wisdom come to man? It can, but only in Christ. Because only in Christ will you
then become to know what it is or who it is that you should
fear, because that is the beginning of wisdom. Proverbs 9.10 says,
the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge
of the holy is understanding. So if you have no fear of God
before your eyes, you have no wisdom, because that is just
the beginning of wisdom. The fear of the Lord is not going
to come by your wisdom. It is not going to come by your
strength. It is not going to come by man. God will send his
wisdom. He will do this by his gospel.
That gospel that points us to Jesus Christ is all these things
unto us. Job 28, 28 says, and unto man
he said, behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom, and
to depart from evil is understanding. So our cry should be, God calls
me to fear you, and God calls me to depart from evil. Then
shall I have the beginning of wisdom. So with God is all wisdom,
real wisdom, but what else do we have here? Righteousness.
This word means justified or right, equity. What are we dealing
with is being justified or right before God because that is the
only thing that matters is before God. We are talking about works
here, that which is done before God being right. Man may think
he is right before other men, but it is not other men who need
to be satisfied. It is the thrice holy God who
must be satisfied. So man's righteousness. Man does
have a righteousness. You could probably go ask a lot
of people and they would tell you so. God Almighty, that is
Christ himself, tells us, for I say unto you, in Matthew 5
20, for I say unto you, that except your righteousness shall
exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall
in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven. So the scribes and Pharisees
had righteousness, but not enough to enter the kingdom of God.
Does your righteousness exceed this? Do you want to trust in
that? That is your own righteousness.
Our own righteousness will never achieve such heights. Romans
10 three says, for they being ignorant of God's righteousness,
and going about to establish their own righteousness, have
not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God. This
is Paul talking about his brethren after the flesh, Israelites.
It is not that man is not zealous of righteousness. They are zealous
of it. The problem is it is their own
righteousness they are trying to establish, and this says here
that it is not the righteousness of God. In fact, you put all
of man's righteousness together, and there is not enough righteousness
before the thrice holy God to make anyone acceptable before
him. We read in Isaiah 64 6, but we
are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are
as filthy rags, and we do all fade as a leaf, and our iniquities,
like the wind, have taken us away. Man's righteousness is
not fit to be brought before God, but what about God's righteousness? We have already read where there
are those who are zealous but not according to knowledge. I'm
afraid that was me one time. I'm not afraid, I know it was
me at one time. We go about to establish our
own righteousness, but we do not submit ourselves to the righteousness
of God. So what is the righteousness
of God? Romans 3 verses 25 and 26 we read. whom God hath set
forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare
his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through
the forbearance of God, to declare, I say at this time, his righteousness,
that he might be just and the justifier of him which believeth
in Jesus. In Romans 5.18 we read, therefore
as by the offense of one, judgment came upon all men to condemnation,
even so by the righteousness of one, the free gift came upon
all men unto justification of life. It is Jesus Christ who is the
righteousness of God. I say righteousness and I mean
his works were right in the sight of God. Ours are filthy rags
in His sight, but not His Son. They are absolute righteousness.
So even by what He does, He is our righteousness. Jeremiah 23,
6 says, In His days Judah shall be saved, and Israel shall dwell
safely. And this is His name whereby
He shall be called the Lord our righteousness. So what is it
that Paul the Apostle tells us in the word of God? This is what
our cry should be above all other things, especially our own wisdom
and righteousness, Philippians 3.9. And be found in him, not
having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that
which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which
is of God by faith. We through Christ will be made
the very righteousness of God, who is Christ. That is all in
him. Second Corinthians 521 says,
for he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin, that
we might be made the righteousness of God in him. And again, Matthew
5, 6 says, blessed are they who do hunger and thirst after righteousness,
for they shall be filled. What are you thirsting after?
Jesus Christ the Lord. Sanctification. Sanctified, the
word used here means to be purified, but it also means to be a purifier. Man sanctification. Now, as I've
been going through these things and I have been giving these
things in this form, man's wisdom, righteousness, and now sanctification,
I think from the context it is quite clear none of these have
anything to do with man in this sense. If man is to be any of
these things, it will not be of their own doing. It will not
be of them. Men, as we are born into this
world, are all alike. There is nothing unique about
us. There is no pureness about us.
There is no set-apartness about man as he is born in nature.
There is total separation from God in this state, but there
is no set-apartness from this. If you think there is, then you
think very little of God. In God, and by saying God, I
mean Jesus Christ, there is nothing but purity. He in fact is the
only one pure enough that could make anyone else pure, being
the purifier. He is totally set apart by God
as the glory of God because all he is and all he has done. It
is not just who God is, although that is certainly worthy of praise. But God, being as perfect and
set apart as he is, was pleased to do the work in a pure heart,
and he has done this intrinsically. He did the work that being accepted
of God the Father, he then makes pure those to whom he came to
do this work of salvation for. Man's sanctification is this. He sets himself apart from other
men, or above other men, if you will. We toot our own horn for
to be seen of men. We pray before men in public
places, making ourselves out to be something when we are nothing.
This is man's sanctification. It is a man setting himself above
other men. That is as high and separate
as they can make themselves, or we can make ourselves. But
this so-called set-apartness is of no value before God. Man
in this state is not meet for the master's use because the
master has not set him apart. So to make it short, man has
no sanctification of his own. So what about Christ's sanctification?
Christ's sanctification because he has made this unto us. All of this is because of who
he is and what he has done. Jesus Christ is all these things
to us because he is so intrinsically. But he also did the work which
shows he is all these things to us. Hebrews 10.10 says, by
the witch will, we are sanctified through the offering of the body
of Jesus Christ once for all. What will are we talking about
when it says here, by the which will? We go back to the previous
verse, Hebrews 10 and verse nine. Then said he, lo, I come to do
thy will, O God. He taketh away the first that
he may establish the second. Jesus Christ willed to do what
he did. He was in fact the only one who
could have done it. By Him doing this, He totally
sanctified us once for all time. That is what it says right here.
He was always about the Father's business. Christ was set apart
specifically for this purpose. He is the elect of God. He was and is the only one who
is pure intrinsically. Hebrews 10, 14 says, for by one
offering he hath perfected forever them that are sanctified. I started out with this message,
your life is hid with Christ in God. We are his body. It's hard for me to wrap my head
around that truth sometimes. This little puny mind of mine.
But Christ's church is his body. We are a part of Him. Folks, this can bring great peace
in the midst of trials, knowing that we are with Christ, and
actually the passage we read is we are with Christ in God. Hebrews 2.11 says, for both he
that sanctifieth and they who are sanctified are all of one,
for which cause he is not ashamed to call them brethren. Next we
have redemption. The word redemption used here
means salvation, deliverance, but more specifically liberation
procured by the payment of a ransom. Man's redemption. The only thing
we can say about man's redemption is that for which he does which
he thinks can gain him favor before God. Man, as he is born
in Adam apart from God, doing a work for him and to him, thinks
he can redeem himself to God by the works of his hands. Matthew
23 5 says, but all their works they do for to be seen of men. They make broad their phylacteries
and enlarge the borders of their garments. Man thinks he is making
a sacrifice by all that he does, that he says involves God. They
go to church every Sunday, every Sunday night, every Wednesday,
or maybe even Saturday. They witness to others, so they
say. They sing, do all these works
that they do. They are fervent in doing them,
even doing what I'm doing here today, preaching. They think
these things are somehow going to redeem them before a thrice
holy God. but these things are no sacrifice
meat for God, acceptable to God. God brings all of mankind into
contempt, that is, they that do them and the works that they
do. Titus 1.16 says, they profess that they know God, but in works
they deny him, being abominable and disobedient unto every good
work, reprobate. So what do I have to say about
man's redemption or that is the redemption that man thinks he
has done for himself to redeem himself to God? Nothing. Not one thing has man done nor
can he do to redeem himself. Now we know none of these things
when done by man is God worthy at any time. But all things done
by God for grace towards sinners is the only thing worthy of praise
and merit before a thrice holy God. Is this supported by scripture? It certainly is. Psalm 49 7 says,
none of them can by any means redeem his brother, nor give
to God a ransom for him. We cannot redeem ourselves, nor
can we redeem anyone else. We do not have what it takes.
But Psalm 49 goes on to say this in verse 15. Psalm 49, 15. But God will redeem my soul from
the power of the grave, for he shall receive me. Selah. Think about this. This is Jesus
Christ the Lord. So it is God's redemption that
I want to know about. So let's look at the redemption
that is in Christ Jesus. Psalm 137 says, let Israel hope
in the Lord, for with the Lord there is mercy, and with Him
is plenteous redemption. So we know that the word redemption
means salvation, deliverance, liberation procured by the payment
of a ransom. Jesus Christ is God. That means
He is creator of all things. So we are all His whether we
know it or not, or whether we like it or not, or whether we
believe it or not. But we are told in Scripture
a ransom had to be paid to redeem some people. The holy justice
of God demands that payment for sin. That payment is death, total
and complete death. That means total forsaking of
God. We know how this is done if God
is pleased to let us see just a little in scripture, and that
is throughout all of scripture. A sacrifice had to be made. Jesus
Christ had to be made a curse and sin for us. That is the only
way the holy justice of God would be satisfied. You and I are flawed,
so there is no way we can pay the debt. For us to do that means
we would have to die forever. Some men will. But God be thanked,
there are some, the elect of God, chosen of God in Jesus Christ,
where he sent his son to die the death of the cross in their
place. The ransom paid was himself. Ephesians 1.7 says, in whom we
have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins according
to the riches of his grace. Colossians 1.14 says, in whom
we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of
sin. Jesus Christ entered into the
holy place and he offered up himself. God offering up himself
to himself. This is the only way that God
could ever be satisfied for Jesus Christ was and is the only spotless
sacrifice that could ever do this. Hebrews 9.12 says, Neither
by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered
into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us. I've said this before, but this
means Christ obtained perpetual deliverance, salvation for us. We are liberated perpetually
by the payment of this ransom. Titus 2.14 says, who gave himself
for us that he might redeem us from all iniquity and purify
unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works. So in conclusion, we read here
in Jesus Christ was made unto us. He was not made these things. He was just made these things
unto us, it says. He is these things intrinsically
and is as the lamb slain from the foundation of the earth.
He is the elect of God, as I've already said. But we have wisdom,
all wisdom and knowledge. You know the old saying, with
knowledge comes power? Well, in this case, it is true
absolutely. Righteousness. Justification
or righteousness before God. He has and does all things right. Sanctification. Our purification,
him being the purifier. This is Christ being set apart
for a specific purpose of which he has accomplished. Redemption. Salvation, deliverance. He is
our liberation before God, having procured it by the payment of
a ransom. Now I want to look at our text
here, and I want to look at two little words. These two little
words will shed light on what this is telling us. The word
is of. The word for of in this passage
uses two different words for this word of. One is a little
different in its meaning, but I want to try and point this
out because it really makes a difference in the context when we read this.
So 1 Corinthians 1.30 where it says, but of him are ye in Christ
Jesus. The first of in this passage
is a preposition denoting origin. But of him. So the origin of
being in Christ Jesus is him. That is God. Easy enough, right? Because it's the nearest antecedent
to of him is God. We are in Christ if we are in
fact in Christ at all because of God. There is no other reason
that we are in Christ other than because of God. But then we have
the second of where it says who of God is made unto us. It's another preposition and
this of means where of a whole something is taken. I want to
be clear, this is not saying Christ is less than God. This
is not saying or meaning it diminishes God in any way. What this is
saying is that the focus or the focal point, the spotlight if
you will, is Jesus Christ and this is of God. God has made
him unto us these things, and it is the purpose of God to do
so, that all men bow down to his son. This is done through
the gospel, which is the whole context where this verse is found.
When I first read this passage, it just kind of seemed like a
little bit out of place to me. But when we look at this closely
in this passage, we can see what this is telling us. First Corinthians
117 we read, for Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach
the gospel, not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ
should be made of none effect. Just preach what God has said
in his word, Job. Then we have verses 18 through
21. For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish
foolishness. But unto us which are saved,
it is the power of God. For it is written, I will destroy
the wisdom of the wise and will bring to nothing the understanding
of the prudent. Where is the wise? Where is the
scribe? Where is the disputer of this
world? Hath not God made foolish the
wisdom of this world? For after that, in the wisdom
of God, the world by wisdom knew not God. It pleased God by the
foolishness of preaching to save them that believe. One sinner
proclaiming to another sinner the record God gave of his son. In 1 Corinthians 2 verses 1 and
4 we read, And I, brethren, when I came to you, came not with
excellency of speech or of wisdom, declaring unto you the testimony
of God. Then in verse 4 again it says,
And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of
man's wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power. The
man of God proclaims what God has said about his son. Then
we have, go on in verse 22, 1 Corinthians. For the Jews require a sign,
and the Greeks seek after wisdom. But we preach Christ crucified
unto the Jews a stumbling block, and unto the Greeks foolishness.
Why is it that the gospel is this to them? Because there is
no involvement of man anywhere in this gospel. The Jews are
looking for signs. They are not looking for words
spoken to have anything to do with their salvation. They need
wonders to appear. But the gospel is a more sure
word of prophecy than any sign or wonder. The Greeks seek after
wisdom. They are looking for something
complex, something that man must figure out and work out for themselves. They are not looking for a single
eye that looks unto one man for the salvation of souls. All this
unto both of these groups is foolishness. But let's read on,
verses 24 and 25. but unto them which are called,
both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom
of God, because the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and
the weakness of God is stronger than men. For ye see your calling,
brethren, how that not many wise after the flesh, not many mighty,
not many noble are called. But God hath chosen the foolish
things of the world to confound the wise. And God hath chosen
the weak things of the world to confound the things which
are mighty. And base things of the world
and things which are despised hath God chosen, yea, and things
which are not to bring to naught things that are, that no flesh
should glory in his presence. This is what the gospel culminates
in. It is ultimately to the glory
of God in the face of Jesus Christ. And what it will do is found
in our text. But of him are ye in Christ Jesus,
who of God is made unto us wisdom and righteousness and sanctification
and redemption, that according as it is written, he that glorieth,
let him glory in the Lord. The gospel will bring out these
things to us. It will put the spotlight on
Jesus Christ, if you will. If the message you are preaching
puts light on anything else as being all these things unto his
people, you are not preaching another gospel. You have a perversion
of the gospel. You are perverting the word of
God. The gospel is singular. It points to Jesus Christ and
Jesus Christ alone and what he has done. Romans 1, verses 16
and 17 says, for I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for
it is the power of God unto salvation to everyone that believeth, to
the Jew first and also to the Greek. For therein is the righteousness
of God revealed from faith to faith. As it is written, the
just shall live by faith. The gospel being spoken from
those sent of God will declare Jesus Christ the Lord. Him being
our wisdom, our righteousness, our sanctification, and our redemption. Oh, may he enable me only to
preach this message, but also to believe this message. Dear
Lord God, make Jesus Christ these things to me in your gospel. Amen. Dear old God, please use these
words to your honor and glory. May you bring your son into our view. May we always continually look
to you by your power and your grace. All these things that
we ask in Christ's name. Amen.