you would please turn to first
Peter chapter 2 First Peter chapter 2 and I want to begin reading in verse
21 For even here unto were ye called
and because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example
that ye should follow his steps. Who did no sin, neither was guile
found in his mouth, who when he was reviled, reviled not again,
when he suffered, he threatened not, but committed himself to
him that judgeth righteously. who in his own self bear our
sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins,
should live unto righteousness, by whose stripes ye were healed. For ye were a sheep going astray,
but now are returned unto the shepherd and bishop of your souls. I've got absolutely nothing new
today Walter sent out a text yesterday
reminding everybody of the dinner and Asking for prayer for himself
and for me that we preach Christ I Said last week and I'm in it. I don't want to preach at anyone,
but I also said We have a message here And Walter's exactly right. That message is Christ, and that's
not gonna change. I don't wanna preach at anyone,
but I do wanna preach Him. And if you feel like that's being
preached at, I agree. The problem's with you. I don't know what else to say. Because I only got one message,
and that message is Him. Anything else is my fault. but
his message is his. And by his grace, I won't change
that. But here in 1 Peter, this is
coming after, I'm not gonna go into it a great deal, where Peter's
writing for what glory, verse 20, if when you'd be buffeted
for your faults, you take it patiently. It's no big deal if
you take punishment that you deserve. But if when you do well, you
suffer for it and you take it patiently, this is acceptable,
what? With God. For our Lord suffered
with us, all right? But here's the point right here
that I wanna speak to. Christ also suffered for us,
what? Leaving us an example that you should follow his steps.
We have an example. and that is singular. There's
only one, there's only one. Jesus is our example. Okay, for
what? For everything, for everything. For our life, because believers
do have life in him. And that includes faith, that
includes works, that includes love, and here in particular,
first Peter two, grief and suffering. We are to take it all patiently. Now yes, I am very aware it's
hard to do. And yes, I am guilty of grumbling
and complaining. And then I feel guilty about
grumbling and complaining. Because I should. All things work together for
good to them that love God, to them that are the called according
to his purpose. And I don't care what's his name,
that primitive Baptist preacher said on the radio, that's not
all good things. Although it includes all good things. It
includes all bad things as far as we see them. Thank God for where you are and
what you're going through. He's done it for a purpose. And
that purpose is your good. And I fully understand that is
a hard thing to keep in mind, but let it be back there in that
background, eating away at your grumbling and complaining. And
maybe we'll do less, but he's our example. I'm not your example,
Walter's not your example. Jesus Christ is our example. That's preacher and not preacher.
That's apostle and not. Preacher, elders, all are to
follow in his steps. Because there's no need for another
example. You got a perfect example. There's no sense in me being
an example because we've got him. And then Peter describes him. Who did no sin. I can't even imagine what that
is like. Neither was guile found in his
mouth and I know I don't know anything about that And this is the strange thing In the scriptures we have Jesus
Christ walk His incarnation his prophecy before that But then
his growing up and walking in this world, we have accounts
of his life on this planet, and he did no sin. Absolutely none. Not even a little white lie to
spare somebody's feelings. Now I've done that, and I will
probably do that again. But he didn't. Not ever, not
once. In the scriptures, we see Jesus
Christ awake, asleep, pleased, angry, angry. Walking, talking,
preaching, and speaking to religious people and to others. And throughout all that, he did
no sin. No sin. None. He came in the likeness
of sinful flesh. He came in the flesh and did
no sin. He had an encounter with Satan
and did no sin. He dealt with who he called the
children of the devil and he did no sin. And that means what? That means that everything he
did was well-pleasing to the Father. The Father above. That's what the Father says.
This is my beloved Son in whom I'm what? Well-pleased. Well-pleased
in what? Everything he did. Because he
did no sin. We can't grasp that. I can't
grasp it. Walter, I don't even know what
that would feel like. But we have it here as a fact,
in this book, that God, manifest in the flesh, was on this planet,
in the flesh, and he did no sin. That's who our example is. That's
who our example is. Our example is the man, the God-man,
Jesus Christ. How can I say that he pleased
the Father? Well, to not please God. Understand, to not please
God is sin. Well, is that simple? Yeah, yeah,
it is. and that deadly. The only way not to please God
is to not sin. I can't do it. But he did bless
God. He did. Neither was any guile
found in his mouth. God is pleased by every good
thing. And this is the one right here
who was all good. He said, I'm the good shepherd.
He, he, he asked a question of a rich young ruler one time who
coming to some said, good master, what must I do to be saved? He
asked that man, he said, why do you call me good? There's
none good, but what God, are you calling me God? And the man
didn't repeat it. But he went away and Christ loved
him, so I have good thoughts for that man. Not that it's gonna
do him any good, but I have good thoughts about that man because
of what Christ said. Because there is no one that Jesus Christ
loved that is not saved. I'll say that just for free right
now. But neither was any guile found in his mouth. Now here's
the strange thing. In the day we live in, and well,
actually in his day while he was here, The more people hear
what Christ said, the more they hated him. But there was no guile in his
mouth, Mason. Not a word. You mean that men, religious
men, not religious men, are offended by the truth of God? That's exactly
what I mean. and they were offended by the
truth of God spoken by the voice of God. And I'll tell you what, the only
reason more people aren't mad with him now is they don't know
what he said. They got no idea. You understand Jesus Christ called
people, religious people, a bunch of snakes. And he said, you're
just like a tomb. You're white on the outside where
somebody painted you, but inside you're just dead men's bones.
There's no life in you. You understand? There should
never be and will never be, as far as I'm concerned, a Christian
book called How to Win Friends and Influence People. Because if you speak the truth,
they're gonna hate you. They hated our Lord. and they'll
hate you. And all you gotta do is read
the words that he said. That's all it takes. He called
them snakes. He told some, you are of your
father the devil. That's what he said. And you
know what he meant? That they were of their father
the devil. That's what he said after that.
And the lusts of your father, you're gonna do. And you know
who those people were? That was religious Jewish leaders.
Big time muckety mucks. It wasn't no piddling preacher.
It wasn't a publican. He was telling that to religious
people. He chased men out of the temple
with a whip that he made himself. And he told them, he says, make
not my father's house a Walmart. A house of merchandise. That's
what it is. My father's house is not a store. He's not merchandising and you
are not to be merchandised either. Manipulated by some preacher. And guess what? There was no
guile in his mouth in any of those things. And you know what
else? When he said all that stuff,
and offended all those people. 5,000 of them left him one time. 5,000 people quit following after Jesus
Christ because of what he said and he did no sin. Isn't that
something? When you think about it, when
you think about it, he spoke and people left by the thousands. And guess what? That was a good
thing, pleasing to the Father above. That was according to
the will of the Father. Because that's what he said.
I do everything according to my Father's will. What I see
my Father do, that I do. And that goes with running people
off as much as it goes with quickening those whom the Father has given
to him. There's no guile in his mouth
either way. Only truth. And it says this, who when he
was reviled, reviled, not again. I have a problem with that one. I'm sorry. I have a tendency
to mouth off. Well, I mean, seriously, if you
want to get into an argument, I'm your guy. I can do it. When he suffered, he threatened
not, but he committed himself to him that judgeth righteously.
What does all that mean? Three words, he humbled himself. He humbled himself. He came down. He left heaven
and came here, what? To be reviled. to be reviled. And he didn't spout back. He didn't spout back. Now when he was here and when
he was preaching, he was preaching. And he said, you're nothing but
a bunch of snakes. You're a whitewashed sepulcher. You're an empty tomb
full of death. And he said, get out of my father's
house. But when the fullness of time came, He humbled himself
to death and to being reviled and to suffering
and he threatened not. The creator of all the universe
was reviled by his own creation. The one that has all the power
suffered and didn't reply. Before they took him is when
he said, I called 10 legions, 12 legions angels. He didn't. Like he said, Walter, they're
ready. If he'd have said the word, they'd have been there
that fast, just like that and even quicker. That's not why he came. We are told why Jesus Christ,
God manifest in the flesh, did not respond when he was reviled,
did not threaten when he was suffered. Why? He committed himself
to him. Who's that? The father. But that
judgeth righteously. I came to do the will of my father. And what's that mean? The will
of his father is what he did. He did no sin, there was no guile
found in his mouth, and he was reviled by man. And he reviled
not back. And he suffered, and he threatened
not. But he committed himself to what?
The work of the father. The purpose of the father. He
committed himself. I came to do my father's will. What's the next verse say? Who? Who? His own self bear our sins
in his own body on the tree. That we being dead to sins should
live under righteousness by whose stripes ye were healed. who his
own self bear our sins. Now right here is the answer
to a couple of questions, real quick. How are our sins forgiven? By God. He bore them in his own
body. On the tree. It's the answer to another question.
How can God be just and justifier of them that believeth in Jesus? He himself bore our sins in his
own body on the tree. Where are your sins now if you
believe him? They're gone. They are absolutely,
completely, and totally gone. If he bore them in his body on
the tree, your sins are gone. They don't exist anymore. They have been punished by what? Him that judgeth righteously. And what does that righteous
judgment say? If there's no sin on you, there's
no sin on you. You understand? If he bore him on
the tree, he suffered that judgment, that righteous judgment against
sin. And the judgment against sin
is death. And if he did that with your sins in his own body,
your sins are gone. They don't exist anymore. What? In God's sight. In God's sight. In God's sight. Cursed is everyone
that hangs on a tree. That's Jesus Christ. He was cursed,
not for his sins. He did no sin. He did no sin. He had no sins. He committed
no sin. He was cursed for my sins. And he was cursed for every sin
of every one of his people. And I won't go any farther than
that. Because see, that is salvation. Coupled with his life, If you have no sin, God is not
condemning you. God, wait a minute, I'll say
it this way. God cannot condemn you. Now is that too strong? What do you mean? I mean God
cannot condemn you because you have no sin if his son took him
in his body on the tree. In front of God and everyone,
he hung on a tree. And Apostle Peter is saying here
that he bore our sins in his body, okay? That's not imputation. I'm not
gonna go into a great deal of stuff on that, but that's not
imputation. That's reality. Peter said they were in his body.
I'll believe Peter. Paul said the same thing. I'll
believe Paul. and everybody else can stand
in line. They can go away. I don't mind. I'll stand with
this word right here. He bore our sins in his body
on the tree and they were in his body when he was on the tree
and he suffered the what? Righteous judgment of him that
judges righteously and there is no more judgment for those
sins. Now, that we being dead to sins. Very clearly, let me say this
first, being dead to sins, and it is plural, does not mean that
I no longer commit sins. Being dead to sins means that
he bore them on the tree and they're gone. Our sins were in his body. That's what it says. And his
body was on that tree. And it says here, he committed
himself. I mean, committed himself deliberately,
aforethought, predetermined, ordained, whatever word you wanna
use. This was not a surprise, this
was the plan all along. Read the Old Testament. Sacrifices
galore, all of them point to this sacrifice. Offerings galore,
all of them pointed to this offering. Condemnation against sin, all
of them pointing to this condemnation. He who did no sin became sin. And we became dead to sins because
he bore them in his body on the tree. It's not because of anything
we've done. And it never will be. And I'll
tell you this, it never will be in the future. Because I know some people, oh,
well, that's the sins that are past, Walter. Well, just for
a second. Let me look at Romans chapter
6, I think it is. It won't take but a little bit.
Because this is one of the greatest things I think in the world. Except for I'm in the wrong place. That's what happens when I don't
write things down. Sorry, Romans chapter 3 and 4. Just back one
page for me. Let's see, verse 25. Whom God,
speaking of Christ, whom God has set forth to be a propitiation,
a mercy seat, a third party, through faith in his blood to
declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are
past through the forbearance of God. Now there are people
who will jump right on that. Do a little bit of that chicken
theology thing where this is it. Oh, yeah, you're forgiving
sins that are past, but now you gotta take care of the future
sins. I couldn't take care of the ones in the past. I can't
take care of the ones now. Look at Romans chapter four and
verse eight. I'm not gonna go through it,
but I do wanna read this because this is one of the greatest verses
of the Bible, and this is quoting Psalms. Blessed is the man to
whom the Lord will not will not impute sin Guess what that's
future So the remission of sins that are passed guess what their
mission? No, the non imputation of sins
in the future. Why? He bore them in his body
all of my sins All of your sins are there, past, present, and
future. We weren't even alive when this
happened, folks. But we are dead to sins. Why?
Because of his work. Because of what he did. Sins are never just forgotten.
Sins are never overlooked. And I read this the other day
in one of Tim James' bulletins. Sin is not reversed. It's not
reversed. No, it's paid. It's paid. Sin is punished. And God says
it's paid. What's the punishment for sin?
Death. Jesus Christ died. And if you are in Jesus Christ,
you ain't got no sins. Not in God's sight. You might
have them in my sight, you got them in your own sight. You better
have them in your own sight. But you have no sin in the sight
of him that's sitting on the right hand of the majesty on
high, and you have no sin on the majesty on high. He doesn't
see any sin. Because when he looks at you,
he sees his son having borne your sins in his body on the
tree. There is no more debt to be owed. It's paid. You understand? I'll tell you this right now. I have a credit card and I'll
use that credit card and the bill comes in, I'll pay that
bill. But you don't turn around and bill me again for the same
thing twice, because I ain't paying it. And that's just me. You understand, when God the
Father says Christ the Son paid that bill, it's paid. It's paid. What'd he say? Tetelestai. It is finished. It is paid in
full. The bill doesn't exist anymore.
Sure, I got records in my file cabinet, but I'm kind of retentive
that way. God don't keep no records. Not
when the bill's paid. He cast them out, what, as far
as the east is from the west. And what? Remembers them no more. No more. That's what it means to be dead
to sins. We are dead to sins. In God's
sight, we don't have any. Now he's still our example for
our walk. He's still our example for our life. He's still our
example for what we should do and what we shouldn't do. We're
not free from the commitment of sins, but we are dead to sins
in the sight of God Almighty. according to God in his son,
you are sinless. Believers are what? Dead to sins. All sins, past and future. But it doesn't stop there. Although that's why I was calling
this, Paul, we being dead to sins. Well, it says, should live. under righteousness. You understand
how that we are, how, how, how is it that you are dead to sin?
What live anymore? They're in living there any longer. Don't do it. Don't do it. We should live unto righteousness. What whose righteousness, our
example, Our example is our righteousness. Because our righteousness is
a person. What's that mean? We live in
him. That's living under righteousness.
We live in him and we live what? Unto him. Because he is our righteousness. He's the righteousness of God
and he is our righteousness. God has made him unto us wisdom
and righteousness and sanctification and redemption. Yes, we endeavor
to live, walk, and work in the truth. Yes, we endeavor to eschew
evil. Yes, we commit sins. But by his
grace, we are no longer under the bondage of sin. We live under
righteousness. You wanna do righteousness even
when you don't. I find the law in me. Whoa, what's he say? Paul
had a lot of stuff he said about that. Even when I would do good,
there's evil present. When I do evil, there's good
present. There's a battle. There is an old man and a new
man in one man. The believing man. But we live
under righteousness. We are no longer under the bondage
of sin. James two and verse 23 says this,
and the scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham believed
God. And it was what? Imputed unto
him for righteousness. And he was called the friend
of God. We live in his righteousness. In his son, our righteousness. And guess what? Blessed is that
man. Blessed is that man to whom the
Lord will not impute sin. Why? He's got the righteousness
of God already. How is it that my future sins
won't be? He's given you his son as your righteousness. By whose stripes ye were healed.
Literally, it's by whose bruise you were healed. Singular, not
plural, singular, I looked. And this is also, this word bruise,
basically means it's a mark on the body where, wait a minute,
where blood had been shed. Blood had been shed. That's what
that word bruise means. Because without shedding of blood,
there is no remission. It's not just by the stripes
on his back. That wasn't it. He was bruised by God. He was
bruised by God. I laid down my life that I might
take it up again. And he said, my God, my God,
why hast thou forsaken me? Why? He took in his own body our sins
on the tree. That's why the father forsook
him. I mean, I don't quite understand how God can forsake God. No way. But I just know he did. And I
thank God that he did. He had to forsake him because
our sin was in him. See, you understand? James said,
our righteousness is imputed. OK? We don't have a righteousness
except for his. But it says he took our sins
in his body on the tree. And our father, the father, forsook
him, his father. So without shedding of blood,
there is no remission. But I'm gonna tell you this,
also, the opposite exactly is true. With the shedding of his
blood, there is remission of sins. And guess what? It's guaranteed. Because that
was the agreement between the father and the son about us,
but not by us. It was between those two. It
was a transaction. Our sins, he took. Our sins,
he took our punishment for, for all of his children. The father is well pleased with
that. Now if you're in his son, you
know what that means? The father is well pleased with
you. Because he looks at you and sees
his son. For ye were as sheep going astray,
but are now returned under the shepherd and the bishop of your
souls. Ye were, but are now. Now there's
a juxtaposition, a difference shown here, and a similarity.
The difference is you were going astray, and now you're returned. The similarity is that you were
a sheep, and you're a sheep. You were a lost sheep, but now
you're a found sheep. Who found it? The shepherd. You
were a sheep gone astray, now you're a sheep found. You didn't
change being a sheep, just changed what kind of sheep you were. Oh, I love this stuff. Ye were and are now sheep. Because the difference is shown
between lost and found. And the difference is, the shepherd
and the bishop of your soul. That's the difference. That's
the difference. He calls his sheep by name, and
they follow him. We live now, and we live now
unto righteousness. How? Being dead to sins. What? In him. In him. We were lost
sheep and now we are living sheep. Al, in him, in him, the shepherd
and the bishop of our souls. What did Jesus Christ say about
himself? John 10, 11 and John 10, 15. He says, I'm the good
shepherd. And the good shepherd, what? Giveth his life for the
sheep. Verse 15 says, as the Father
knoweth me, even so know I the Father. And I lay down my life
for the sheep. Christ's words are very clear. In John 10, verses three, four,
and 14, Jesus Christ clearly states his own possession of
his sheep. He calls them his own sheep,
and he calls them my sheep. However, in these two clearly
written statements, where it talks about him laying down his
life, he says, I lay down my life for what? The sheep. And
that pricked my interest one day, because I didn't quite understand
why. And I think I've got a little bit of a hold on it. When I first
read it, I didn't quite get it. But I think I understand something
here by his choice of his words. Because let's be clear, before
I get started, all sheep are his. If you're a sheep, you're
his. Why? Because he's the good shepherd.
You read the Old Testament, the Lord says, I will judge between
what? Cattle and cattle. You understand? Because there's
other cattle that aren't sheep. There are goats, there are cows,
there are camels. I don't know whether they're
considered cattle or not. I have no idea. But there are other things, other
than cattle. And God's the one that judges between cattle and
cattle. And here he says, I am the good
shepherd, what? Of the sheep. I lay down, giveth
his life for the sheep. I lay down my life for the sheep. But you pay very close attention.
Let me go ahead and turn back there. When he says, the second
time, In verse 15, I lay down my life for the sheep. The next
statement is, and other sheep I have. What's that mean? He's gonna lay down his life
for the sheep that he has, but them I must bring. They're not
in the fold yet. Now I know a lot of people say,
well that's the Gentiles. Well, we're there. But I'm gonna tell
you something, that's anybody from the future right here. When
he said this 2,000 years ago, that's every one of his sheep
into the future. Because there is sheep, and he's
gonna lay down his life for the sheep. Guess what? Past, present,
and future. The sheep. All of his sheep. They're his sheep. But he didn't
want anybody to even think he was leaving out one of his sheep. If you're a sheep, you're his. And if you are a sheep, he laid
down his life for the sheep. He tells us here, there's only
one reckoning. There's only one life that he
gave for his sheep. One time. The sheep are all the sheep. I'm glad of that. I'm so glad
of that. Because his sheep are and will
be brought in by and to what? The shepherd and the bishop of
your soul. And the reason why they will
be brought in is because he bore in his body their sins on the
tree. He laid down his life, but he
took it up again. And he's not done yet. He is
still calling out his sheep and bringing them in. And guess what? Making them to know it by his
gospel. Bringing him in. And I would
not have you to be ignorant of that, brother. Heavenly Father,
thank you. This time, this place. Most of
all, thank you for our son, your son, our Lord. You have given us so much in
your son, given us everything in him. Thank you, Lord, for
your grace and mercy upon us. Be with Walter as he comes to
preach your gospel. Preach your son. In Christ's
name we pray, amen.