My watch is covered up. Somebody once asked, what does
this mean? Nothing at all. Nothing at all. Turn to Paul's epistle to the
Galatians chapter 4. We want to follow along. I will
probably not be turning to too many texts. There'll be a few
that I will actually read from throughout the message, but let
me just read a couple verses. Galatians chapter four, I want
to read verse four and five. But when the fullness of the
time was come, God sent forth his son, made of a woman, made
under the law, to redeem them that were under the law, that
we might receive the adoption of sons. If I were to give this message
a title, and I did, my title is The Son Sent Was Made. The son was not made, the Son
was sent. The Son who was sent was made. When the time of Messiah's advent
had reached its absolute zenith, God sent forth His Eternal Son. And I say Eternal Son because
God declares Himself to be the Eternal Father And you can't
be an eternal father if you don't have an eternal son. I'm not
that stupid to know different than that. Yet the son's advent was not
invisible manifestation of his resplendent deity. That's why
the tabernacle of old, that old badger skin tent was such a perfect
picture of Christ. On the inside was all of this
resplendent glory of gold and silver and embroidered work,
but on the outside, what did you see? Badger skin. Exactly what that was, I don't
know. And for our, for us today, it really doesn't matter exactly
what that was. Other than when you looked on
that tent, You've seen that tent look like every other tent sitting
on the plains in those deserts. Oh, but on the inside, that tent
was far different. Deity sent, and he was sent,
he was sent. Deity sent was made of a woman,
made under the law. And I am persuaded that Paul,
being moved by the Spirit of God, was not allowed to write
made under the law without first writing made of a woman. Because
the Son is God Almighty and no else. And He's not under law. He's not under law. He's the
giver of the law. He gave the law to show us what
we are by nature. True, the law to some degree
is a manifestation of God's glory, but it's a manifestation of God's
glory in declaring what we truly are by nature. The law does not
reveal the resplendent glory of God Almighty. As a matter
of fact, only Jesus Christ reveals the resplendent glory of God
Almighty. So, Deity sent was made of a
woman, made under the law. Think of it, the condescension,
the coming down of God made flesh. God Almighty made flesh. God Almighty made bone. God is spirit. But God Almighty was made flesh. God Almighty was made bone. God
Almighty was made a living human soul with human spirit. He said, now is my soul troubled,
right? made a living human spirit. Such was this, as some of the
old writers used to call it, and some still do, I suppose,
this hypostatic union of God with human flesh, that according
to Acts chapter 20 and verse 28, Luke recording what Paul
said, that the blood of human nature is said to be then, in
Christ, the blood of God Almighty himself. Now listen to what I say. What
I'm saying is the truth from God's book. God was not, no,
hold on, Christ was not God in a human body. It's much more than that. I am
not denying the human body of Christ, oh no, but God, Christ,
was much more than just simply God in a human body. Nor was
Jesus merely a man endued with deity. He wasn't just a man and then
some sense of place or some shekinah of God kind of shut off of God
went into this man. No, according to holy rite, God
was made flesh. Jesus Christ is said, and in
our passage, my text this morning is one of them, Jesus Christ
is said in the pages of Holy Scripture to have been made at
least 13 things. There are actually a few others,
but they are incorporated into all these other 13. And I'll
give them to you and then we'll look at them. He was made 13
things. One, he was made a little lower
than the angels. That's what the book says. Made
a little lower than the angels. Think of it, in the same chapter
in Hebrews 1 where it says, or in chapter 1, in chapter 2 where
it says he's made a little lower than the angels, chapter 1 the
apostle writes and says, let all the angels of God worship
him. And they did, still after he
was made a little lower than the angels. Those two unequal
things are still true at the same time. Do you see that? Do you see that? It's not about
trying to make them fit together so that my carnal mind can wrap
its sense around it. It's bowing to the authority
of God's revelation in his word. Here is the God of all glory
that even the angels worship, and always worship, and still
worship, and yet he was made a little lower than the angels.
It also says he was made like unto his brethren, made of the
seed of David. He was made flesh, made of a
woman. That's the first five things.
And I put these all together for a reason. But he was made more than that.
According to the Apostle Paul in our text, he's made of a woman.
That's the fifth thing of the first set, but he's also made
under the law. And then in Hebrews, it says
he was made priest and made surety. That's the next three things.
Made those things, made those things. That's what the book
says. But also says that he was made
a curse. And it says he was made sin.
Oh, the unfathomable depths of those two things. But yet that's what God's book
says about the son that was sent. Made a curse, made sin. But thank
God it doesn't remain there. It also says, number 11 and 12,
he was made Lord, and in the same verse, the same sentence
by the same man, he's made Lord and made Christ. That's what
Peter said. What is it, Acts chapter 2, I
believe it is. Think of the degradation of those
last two, curse And sin, being made a curse and made sin, the
degradation of those last two were followed by the exaltation
of these two. But then lastly, He is made unto
us. And note those two words, because
if you miss those two, you miss all the rest of it, as glorious
as it is. He was made unto us wisdom, righteousness,
sanctification, and redemption. That is a glory unto us. I better look, Neil. I have five
observations concerning these 13 maids. But do not misunderstand me.
I'm not saying that you can separate these 13 things out into five
distinct and absolutely opposed categories because they all blend
together. But before I give you these five
observations first, let me make it clear. While the word made
in the Greek, there are many different words. I know I preached
somewhat along this line several months ago and some of you from
chapel will remember that, but there are over 50 words in the
Greek that are translated made in the New Testament. And often
as a preacher, we're always looking for those distinctions, you know,
but sometimes it's the similarities that are the glory. And all of
these 50, I can't speak for all of these 50 words, yet every
one that are used of these 13 made still mean basically the
same thing. It means caused to undergo. caused to become, caused to experience,
or fully manifested in the capacity as. That's what it means. All 13 of these times when these
writers speak of Christ being made, these 13 things, they are
all of equal force. They are never pretend. When
it says he was made flesh, God didn't pretend like he was just
flesh. I mean it means real flesh, real bone, real blood. Never phantom. That was an old
heresy back years ago. The Christ body was actually
phantom. It wasn't real body. That's a
lie. Never mirage. It wasn't just
what he appeared to be, but he really wasn't that. Never mirage,
never virtual. That's probably a word years
ago we really wouldn't have understood, but we know what that is now.
Anybody that plays these games, you're looking at something,
it's almost like you're in a real world, but guess what? It ain't
a real world. These things are never, these
words, these phrases, and what Christ was made to be is never,
ever theoretical. And all 13 of them, either I
bow to all 13 or I bow to none. That's the way it is. As I told some earlier this morning
and I've said before, the Constitution of the United States may give
you the freedom of religion, but God doesn't. You will worship Him in His Son
as His Son is, or you don't worship Him at all. So then the first observation.
The first five things declare Christ as our kinsman. Think
of it, a little lower than the angels. Look at the context.
What does it mean? He's made man. The angels are of a higher order
than we are. And even some of the angels failed. But God didn't even save any
of them, let alone even offer them anything. They either were,
or they originally were, or they failed, and they are not anymore
in that state. Period. And there are beings
who can still suffer. Remember the demons? Are you
come to torment us before? the time? Made a little lower than the
angels, made like unto his brethren, made of the seed of David, made
flesh and made of a woman. These things declare him as our
kinsman. But listen, and please I hope no one misunderstands
me, but I'm not, I'm not talking about running back to Ruth and
just talking about some type. I'm talking about the reality
Hebrews said a lot of those things not everything but a lot of those
things were shadows and figures But when you have the real thing
you don't need the shadow anymore I'd rather sit and most some
of you know this especially this week I'd rather sit in my air-conditioned
than I would under just the shade of a tree and Now that's neither
here nor there when it comes to God's truth, but that's just
a fact. Why made a little lower than
the angels? Why made like unto his brethren?
Scripture says to taste death. To taste death. Because otherwise
he could not have. He could not have. But do not
think Well, his humanity died. The God-man died. The God-man died. Some scientists
say, explain that. I don't have to. The book says
so. To taste death. The same chapter,
Hebrews 2. To sanctify and reconcile the
people of God. And he's already done so. To what? Bring many sons unto
glory. I'm glad he brought me and is
bringing me. Because had he only offered me
that, I would have never took it. I would have never took it. In bringing many sons unto glory. But with the rest, a little lower
than the angels, likened to his brethren, of the seed of David,
made flesh, made of a woman. These things declare who he is
personally. Go back and look at the genealogies
of Matthew chapter 1 and Luke chapter 3. And you can trace
his genealogy all the way back to who? Adam. Right? And as men, the population of
the earth expanded, God concerning the Messiah began to restrain
the gene pool. Did he not? Did he not? Go back and read the Old Testament,
all those boring begats and begats. That's what they're there for.
To prove exactly who he is personally. And were we Had we been able
to, we're not, but had we been able to take his blood sample
and put it through a DNA test, you would have found human DNA. Oh really preacher, come on now,
really? He was made flesh. And as the
gene pool continually begin to be shrunk down and shrunk down
and shrunk down, we can finally come into the middle and say
of the seed of David. This man was a Jew, full-blooded
Jew. But yet go back and read those
genealogies and I find God peppering even that Jewish genealogy with
a bunch of Gentiles. Both of them were women. One
of them was a whore. You talk about a kinsman. I can
relate to that. I can relate to that. They declare
who he is personally. They declare who he is prophetically.
I won't spend much time here. But Luke chapter 1 verses 26-33,
the angel Gabriel was sent to Mary and told her, here's eight
things about this child. Now listen to me, because I'm
not here to try to make fellowship with anybody. I'm here to declare
the truth of thus saith the Lord. All eight things are exactly
physical and literal. The first five are clearly literal.
Don't come and tell me the last three are not. Because who says
so? Who says so? Go back and look
at them sometimes. They declare who he is personally,
they declare who he is prophetically, but one last thing here, they
declare who he is theocratically. Go look at Colossians chapter
1 verses 13 through 17. He has a kingdom. And there are men and women by
the free and sovereign grace of God right now being moved
out of the realm of darkness and being translated into the
kingdom of God's dear Son. And right now, He reigns over
everything. In other words, it goes on to
say it this way, and by Him, that's by this God-man, all things
consist. They're held together. The chaos
we see in this world is not chaos before God. The chaos in my mind is not chaos
before God. And he holds it all together.
Men talk, and I wouldn't argue with him about it. Men talk about
he's going to come and reign one day. He reigns now. He reigns
now over everything, everything. But these last couple here on
this first five, lastly was made flesh. That's a true kinsman. Here's what a kinsman is. You
can go back, look at Ruth, look at Boaz. And rightfully so, I'm
not saying it's wrong to preach from those things. But what I'm
saying is this, a kinsman is more than going back and looking
at a type or a symbol. A kinsman is one who can lay
his hand on God and not be destroyed and lay his hand on man and not
be defiled and do so at the same time and bring the two together. And he's not doing this for us. He's doing this for us. We are
brought to God in him. He's not doing this. He's doing
this. He did this. Made a little lower
than the angels. Made like unto his brethren.
Made of the seed of David. Made flesh and made of a woman.
That's a true kinsman right there. That's a kinsman. But think about
this. Just think about it. He and Adam
were the two only true representative kinsmen that ever came into this
world. Yet Christ is closer to us than
even Adam was. Because Adam was not made of
a woman. Was he? Was he? No, he was made
right out of the dust of the earth. And that body lay there,
Jay, and God breathed into his nostrils the breath of life,
and then man became a living soul. But go back and look at
1 Corinthians 15, 45 through 47. Yes, you will see correlations
because they are both representative federal heads, but you also see
absolute clear distinctions. He is the last Adam. and the
second Adam. I thought there was thousands
of Adam's men, that's the word, before him. Oh no, just the first
one and just the last one. Now just think about what I said
there. That's a true kinsman, but no mere kinsman. A mere kinsman
will not do. Hear me? Because if that's all
that it took, then that's all he would have done. And he could
have ascended right on back to glory, and he'd have been done
with it all. Right? A mere kinsman will not
do. The next three declare Christ
as our substitute. Made under the law, made priest,
made surety. Made under the law, why? To redeem
them that were under the law. Now is that the truth or not?
It's what I just read, right? Listen, he was made under the
law to redeem them that were under the law, to bestow adoption. Read the passage. He took my
place under law, not to bestow upon me legalism, not to bestow upon me a mere
legal righteousness. In Christ, I am righteous before
God's law, but not because I have some mere legal righteousness. I stand in Him. Why was He made
under the law? Not to bestow legalism, but to
bestow adoption. That's what it says, right? That we might receive the adoption
of sons. We've always been God's children.
If you've ever been God's child, you've always eternally been
God's child. But God purposed in time to place
the children as sons. That is a legal standing, but
not a Sinai standing. Hear me? That is a legal standing,
but not a Sinai standing. I stand in Christ the Son. What is a priest but one who
goes to God on my behalf? We're talking about Christ, our
prophet, priest, and king. And we preachers say and write
a lot about that, but it's that simple. What is a priest? Somebody
that goes to God on my behalf. Right? He did. And he is not going there now.
He is there now, seated. What is a surety but one who
stands good before God on my behalf? It's that profound and yet that
simple. He, listen, He stands good before
God on my behalf. He says to the father, not as
though or for reason of that the father is opposed to it,
the father purposed it. But he stands before the holy,
righteous God and says concerning corrupt, fallen sinners, you
take me instead of them. And you receive them. because
of me. That's what he does. That's what he does. That's a
solid, sure substitute, ain't it? But the God of heaven and earth
is absolute holiness. God of heaven and earth demands
absolute justice. Sin, what I am, And it's even
more than that, but I just don't know how to define it. Sin, what
I am, and sins, what I do, whether it's in thought or overt deed. Sin and sins constitute my very
being. According to the Apostle Paul
in Romans 5 verse 19, and you ought to turn to that one. Romans
5 verse 19, for as by one man's disobedience, many were, now
Christ was made these 13 things, look what we're made. For as
by one man's disobedience, many were what? Made sinners. Is that what the book says? Do
you believe we're pretend sinners? If you think you're a pretend
sinner this morning, I hope God changes your outlook on that. I'm not a pretend sinner, I'm
a real sinner. Just ask my wife, she can tell you that. It don't
even take God to show you that. But God Almighty says by one
man, one man's disobedience, many were what? Made sinners. Now I don't mean to shock anybody
here. But there are some things that we've been taught, even
in sound gospel religion, sound gospel churches, we're taught
things where phrases are used that just do not cut the muster
of scripture. We're told, well, we're imputed
Adam's righteousness. You look at that chapter, you'll
find out that ain't so. Are you denying original sin?
No, I'm confirming true original sin. I wasn't just imputed Adam's
sin. I was made a sinner. You can impute something to somebody
and it doesn't affect them personally at all. As a matter of fact,
Paul says it this way. Verse 13, for until the law,
sin was in the world, but sin is not imputed What does the
book say? Sin is not imputed when there
is no law. So until the law came, sin was
not imputed. There was no imputation of sin
until the law came. But nevertheless, death reigned.
Why? Because many were made sinners.
Now folks, that is the doctrine of scripture. Folks, I have said it. And other
men behind this desk have said that the three great imputations,
it's not so. It's not so. Look at the book. Don't think
about everything you've been told. Look at what God says. Now, am I denying the imputation
of Adam's sin? No, but that didn't happen until
the law came. Do you see what I'm saying? No. Do you see what God says? I'm not too bright. I barely
graduated high school. I was not cum laude or whatever
it is. I was down on the bottom end
of the totem pole. But you don't learn these things
by education. You learn these things by one
revelation. But that revelation is founded
upon this book right here. And not what men think about
it, but what the book says. Go no further, but dare not take
it all as it says it. Does that shock anybody? It ought
not, even if you just realize, you know what, I've misunderstood
some things. Huh? Don't be shocked. Be glad. Thank God for it. Because it's better to believe
what God says than what the preacher said. Even if your preacher is
a God called gift of God to your assembly. Preacher, you're undermining
your authority. I ain't got no authority! God is the authority. That's the way it stands. That's
the way it is. Original sin? Yeah, real original. Imputation can be a legal thing
only, Cody. It can be a physical thing. If
you put $100 in my bank account, that's the imputation. But you
know what? That's going to affect me. You
know what I'm going to do? I'm going to go get that $100,
and I'm going to spend it. So I will, no, I ain't going
to give you my account number. You'll be taking stuff out instead
of putting it in there, won't you? I shouldn't say things like
that. Think of the criminality of not
only what we do, but what we are. Because we were made sinners. We weren't just made sin, David.
We were made sinners. That constitutes all of our being. Right? But oh, the glory of these next
two. These next two declare Christ.
Remember I already said he's our substitute. But let me tell
you, even free will religion talks about Jesus being our substitute.
They say he's a substitute for everybody. Right? But these next two, even bring
the truth down like a laser beam even further, here's where it's
at. These two declare Christ as our
penal substitute. There've been a lot of substitutes
in this world. You can die for somebody else. Yeah, there's
people that put their life on the line to save other people
all the time, do they not? It's not just about being a substitute. It's about being a penal substitute. And that's the made a curse and
made sin. The first one, made a curse,
reveals Christ and his penal sufferings in his material being. Cursed is everyone that does
what? Hangs on a tree. That's a physical, material thing. And the book means exactly what
it says. the torture, the malkings, the
shame, right? And he was made that. Was that
real? Was it real or was it pretend? Now see, some people think, well,
that's so deep. It ain't really that deep. When you forget all
the trash, you think you already know and bow to the truth of
God's word. Now when I say simple, I didn't
say simplistic. I said it is just that simple
though. The first reveals Christ and his penal sufferings in his
material being. The second reveals Christ and
his penal sufferings in his immaterial being, in his soul. Now turn
to Isaiah 53. Verse 10, yet it pleased the
Lord. That doesn't mean that God Almighty sat up there and
laughed when Jesus Christ suffered. Does not mean he sat up there
and mocked and made fun. It has the word with God is satisfied
with this. Yet it pleased the Lord to do
what? To bruise him. Now we know that's
metaphorical. Don't we? I mean, it's clear.
What happened to Christ literally? He wasn't just bruised a little
bit, Cody. They beat him to a pulp physically. They whipped. In
other words, you could not even tell who he really was once they
were finished with him physically. But this is going even further
than the material sufferings. Look, yet it pleased the Lord
to bruise him. He hath put him to grief when
thou shalt make his soul, and listen to me, the Hebrew word
means this. Everywhere else in multiple places,
you find this Hebrew word translated into English. It don't have an
offering for, it is he made his soul to be sin. They should have put those in
italics, Cody, but they didn't. I'm not gonna sit up here and
speculate as to why. He was not just an offering for sin. He
was made sin. Go to the New Testament, the
Apostle Paul says those very words. He, that's God the Father,
hath made Him, God the Son, to be sin for us. Who knew no sin? That we might be made the righteousness
of God in Him. Here again is two of those unequal
things which are equally true at the same time. Let me give you, let me illustrate
that with you, just hang tight a minute. We will eat, Lord willing. The Hebrews, I know, Hebrews
13 verse 8, you know the verse? Jesus Christ the same. Yesterday and today and forever. Was that true when he was in
his mother's womb? Yeah. Yeah, because whatever today
you're reading that verse, it applies to every day. If you
read it a thousand years ago, it makes it still Jesus Christ
the same yesterday, today, and forever. You read it today, read
it 5,000 years ago, it's Jesus Christ the same yesterday, today,
and forever. That is God's book. That's what
it means, right? You don't need me to explain
it to you. You just need me to proclaim
it to you, and you need God Almighty to open your eyes to it. But
now let me read you another one. Turn to Luke chapter 2. Now remember,
Jesus Christ, the same. Jesus Christ. Mason, not just
the Christ, but Jesus Christ. The same yesterday, today, and
forever. Now look at Luke chapter 2. Verse 49, you know the count,
he'd been left at Jerusalem. Mary and Joseph left and they
traveled quite a ways and they realized he wasn't with them. And he said unto them, how is
it that ye salt me? Wished ye not that I must be
about my father's business? This is that Jesus Christ the
same, yesterday, today, and forever. This is God made flesh. Right? And they understood not the saying
which he spake unto them. And when he went down with them,
he came to Nazareth and was subject to them." What? What? Him subject to them? Yes. And that's not hard to explain.
He was a child. He was Mary's son. He was a subordinate. Children don't rule the roost.
Do they? This one does. Unless and until
and in the time that he purposes to be subject to anything. Right? There's no other way as to explain
that. And was subject to them unless and... But his mother
kept all these things, sayings in her heart and Jesus increased
In wisdom and stature? I read that wrong. I read the
words right, but I put the emphasis wrong. Yes, he did increase health. In wisdom and stature, and in
favor with God and man. And yet at the same time, he
is Jesus Christ. The same yesterday, today, and
forever. I see you have some people who
when they read those kind of things they either take one to
deny the other or the other to deny the one or they somehow ruin the force of both by trying
to make them fit together. They both equally stand true
at the same time even if they be unequal things. Folks, I barely graduated from
high school. What I said is easy to understand,
but it takes the grace of God. No, don't say, oh, I don't comprehend
that. It takes the grace of God to
bow down on your face before God and believe it. Now, concerning
this made a curse and made sin, turn to 1 Peter. First Peter chapter, well, let
me just start. First of all, remember I said
these here are two unequal things, yet they are equally true of
Christ on that tree. Now you hear what I say? When
he was on that tree, when he was on that tree, he was made
a curse. It's when he hung on Calvary
that he was made sin. Now, according to Peter, 1 Peter
3, now we'll look at it, verse 18, for Christ also hath once
suffered for sins. So when was that? Jay, when was
that? On the tree. On the tree. No
other time. Right, Cody? That's right. For Christ also
hath once suffered for sins. Look at it. The just for the
unjust. Is that the truth of God or not?
It's the truth of God. That He might bring us to God.
Remember one of the other maids? The bringing thing? That He might
bring us to God. How? Being put to death in the
flesh. You see, God in the Son is not
so much bringing us to God, He brought us to God back yonder
on that tree. That's when the bringing took
place. That's the bringing that determines
all other bringing. They might be put to death in
the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit. The whole point though
is this. Get back to it. When He suffered one time, was He
unjust? No. That says the just for the
unjust. Right? Jesus Christ never became
sinful. When he hung on that tree, he
was not sitting there lusting after the women that were in
front of him. He wasn't sitting there saying, boy, I wish I wasn't
here and I wish I was at the bar getting drunk. You understand what I'm saying?
But at the same time, this same writer, this same Peter, in this
same letter, even before he wrote this part, now look at chapter
2, verse 24, who his own self bear our sins, where? Where did he bear our sins? That
next Greek word, it looks like an E and a V. Epsilon, whatever,
I know the epsilon, whatever the other one is. You know what
that means? In. Where were my sins when he
hung on that tree? They weren't just on him, they
were on him, but they were also where? In him. At the same time. I say that because that's what
God just said. Now, while on that tree, Christ
was dealt the death blow. I know he gave up the ghost,
but he was dealt the death blow. And therein, the curse and sin
was dealt the death blow. Penal substitution? Yes. but
also penal satisfaction. Now go back and look. You will
see, if you go back to Isaiah 53, you see that when he hung
on that tree, was there imputation of our sin to him? I have to
say now, yes. A couple times I said, that's
not so. Yes, it was so. But at the same
time, he was also made sin. And I want you to go back and
look at the order of it. Let's go back some time. Look at him.
Not just penal substitution, but penal satisfaction. God the Father, the Holy One,
says that was enough. So much so that Christ had the
right to say, Tetelestai. Stamp it, paid in full. We read it in our English as,
it is finished. It is finished. Christ stamped
the bill paid because the bill was really, actually, literally
paid. Now, Penal satisfaction. So full, so complete was this
penal satisfaction that Christ by it earned his exaltation. That's right. Go back and read. Here's the next two. That God
hath made this same Jesus The one you crucified, both Lord
and Christ. I thought he was Lord and Christ.
He is, but you're thinking within your little peanut brain rather
than looking at, thus saith the Lord. God hath made that same
Jesus whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ. But pastor,
it doesn't say earned there. No, it doesn't say earned, but
I want you to turn to a passage where it doesn't use the word
earned, but it teaches the truth that he earned this exaltation. Look at it, Philippians chapter
2. Concerning Christ, Philippians
2, 5, let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus,
who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be
equal with God, but made himself of no reputation, and took upon
him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men,
and being found in fashion. That means everything he did,
he did just like everybody else. Mason, he had to eat just like
we did to sustain his physical body. Cody, he had to do that.
He had to eat. Well, what if he didn't? Don't
worry about, don't try to figure this out. It's just the way it
is. He sweat. He had to go to the
bathroom as we say. Get it? Now look. Being found in fashion as a man,
he humbled himself and became obedient unto death. Even the
death of the cross. Wherefore, because of that, he
earned it. Wherefore, God also hath highly
exalted him and given him a name which is above every name, that
in the name of Jesus, every knee should bow, things in heaven,
things in earth, things under the earth, and that every tongue
should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord. You see it? You see it? Oh, if you do, thank
God for it. To the glory of God the Father. The son was by default Christ
and Lord before his enfleshment, wasn't he? Yeah, the Son was
by default, that's a modern phrase. I know it may not be a theological
phrase. Cody, you ever write a theological
book, you may not only use the word default concerning Christ,
but He was nevertheless by default Christ the Lord before His enfleshment.
And in His enfleshment, He earned His exaltation. He earned it! He earned it! You disregard Him,
you insult God. Why I just don't believe like
you do, then you're in trouble. And I'm not saying that boastfully
because I wouldn't believe this were it not for the free sovereign
grace of God. I fought against it tooth and nail until God broke
my will, bowed me down. You disregard, I'm not asking
you, do you understand all these things? I'm saying, has God enabled
you to bow down to Christ as He is? And maybe you didn't know
it all in the beginning. Guess what? You didn't. Maybe
you're finding out that maybe I didn't understand a few things
right. That's okay. Sin and sins constitute our very
being, even still now. But do you see, oh God forgive
me of my vain thoughts about him. Bow me to him as he truly
is. I know y'all's hungry, I am too.
Believe the five points of Calvinism? I believe in total depravity,
unconditional election, limited atonement, irresistible grace,
perseverance to the saints. I'm in pretty good shape. There's
a whole lot more to it than that, folks. You don't have to know none of
this to be saved. But when God Almighty saves you,
you'll start to learn some of these things. And they'll all
begin to fall together, and when you go astray, He'll grab you
by the scruff of the neck, and He'll pick you back up and say,
we're right there, come right back over here. I just delivered you at least
four more points, didn't I? So now I've got to be a nine-pointer. Right, I told you five observations.
That was four of them. Now you're a nine-pointer. Sounds
like we're deer hunting rather than preaching Christ. Sorry
for being flippant. No, not really. But what about
this fifth observation? These first four things, folks,
are glorious, and I don't deserve the right to even stand here
and speak these things to you. Even right now, today, My lips do not deserve the right
to have said these things that I've been privileged to say to
you about him here this morning, but they are true in spite of
me. And if God left it right there,
we just have to say, that's enough. If he left it there, David, if
he did, we'd have to leave it right there. That's enough. But
there is another maid. This last maid reveals God's
grace directly unto us. Now turn to it, 1 Corinthians
1. So familiar yet, and I don't
say this. No, let's forget the excuse garbage. So familiar to us, but yet I
think most people really don't get what it's saying here. But, verse 30 of 1 Corinthians
1, but of him, that's of God the Father, but of him are you
in Christ Jesus. Now, first of all, are you in
Christ Jesus? Do you at least have some reason?
You think, I'm in Christ Jesus. I believe I'm in Christ. I've
got some reason to think I'm in Christ Jesus. If you are,
God did it. Period. Period. No adding on anything else. But of him are ye in Christ Jesus,
who of God is made, but notice it doesn't say wisdom, righteousness,
sanctification, redemption, does it? That's true. As a matter
of fact, you could say that's true of Christ positionally.
That's true of Christ personally, no matter what I think about
it, right? That's who he is, he's wisdom,
righteousness, sanctification, redemption, Joe. Even if I'm
deceived and I go to hell. But that's not what this is talking
about. But of him are you in Christ Jesus, who of God is made
unto us. And look at the context. He did
it based upon his choice. Right? God hath chosen. And He
didn't choose everybody. Look at what it says. Just read
it. You don't have to have me explain what it means. I'm just
here to declare what it says. He did it based upon His choice. He did it efficaciously wrought
in His call. God hath chosen. You see your
calling. And He did it by the gospel being
empowered by Him. The gospel is the power of God
unto salvation. Right? It's to us that are saved. It's the power of God. To everybody
else, it's what? Foolishness. Sum it up here. Let me sum it
up. You're supposed to do that when you preach a message. Put
all that in there, Mason. Sum it up. Christ is eternally
wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption. Christ is positionally
in himself, irregardless of me. Christ is positionally wisdom,
righteousness, sanctification, and redemption. Christ is personally
wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption. But there comes
a time when God in his free sovereign grace makes him unto us. Wisdom, righteousness, sanctification,
and redemption. There comes a time when you hear
the gospel preached and all of a sudden you get Him. You get Him. I see Him now as
wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption. Have you been
there? Now listen, if you have, If you
have, it explains if it's real for you. I mean, I'm using the
words, well, I've been there. Have you really? Now look, but
of him are you in Christ Jesus, who of God has made in us wisdom,
righteousness, sanctification, and redemption, that according
as it is written, he that glorious, where do people glory whom this
has happened to? They glory in the Lord. Do you like bragging about God? Do you like bragging about His
gospel? Do you like bragging about His
Son? Do you like being around other people who do? Now if you
don't, I don't care what you say you're in, you're not in
Him. Just be real. Quit playing games. You're being dangerous with your
soul. But if God ever lays hold of
you, you'll say enough of that trash. Enough of me. I'm fleeing to Him. And I'm going
to start hanging around some other people that's fled to Him. Amen. And let's eat now.