Welcome to Reign of Grace. This
program is brought to you by Reign of Grace Media Ministries,
an outreach ministry of Eager Avenue Grace Church in Albany,
Georgia. It is our pleasure and privilege
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now for today's program. welcome to our program now today
i'm going to be preaching from the book of second corinthians
chapter five the main text that i want to deal with this verse
twenty one second corinthians five twenty one and the title
of this message is christ made sin christ made sin let me read
verse twenty one second corinthians five twenty one it 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." Now my friend, that
verse there is the heart of the gospel. It speaks of the very
foundation and ground upon which a holy God who must punish sin,
a just God, who must deal justly. It deals with the very ground
upon which a holy God can be just and still justify a sinner. How God can bring a sinner into
fellowship with himself, how he can save sinners, justify
sinners, forgive sinners, bless sinners, and commune with sinners
and still be just in doing so. He must be just. And that verse
tells you how. It's a verse of substitution. It speaks of the substitutionary
work of the Lord Jesus Christ to save his people from their
sins. His name shall be called Jesus
for he shall save his people from their sins." How will he
do it? This verse right here tells you.
Now there seems to be a lot of controversy about this issue
of Christ being made sin. and his people being made the
righteousness of God in him. And I think most of the controversy
is just over the pride and egos of men who want to say something
new or claim to have something deeper, a deeper knowledge than
what most people have. The fact of the matter is, is
that the natural man, whoever he is, cannot and will not receive
the things of the Spirit of God. Neither can he know them, for
they are spiritually discerned. Man by nature doesn't have ears
to hear and eyes to see the glorious truths of God and the salvation
of sinners by Christ. But God the Holy Spirit does
give life, spiritual life, a new heart, ears and eyes, spiritual
ears and eyes for his people to hear these things. And I'll
tell you the solid rule that I believe that we should all
go by when we're studying the scripture is simply this, when
the scriptures speak, let's speak. When the scriptures don't speak,
let's shut up. But I wanna show you something
about this. this issue of Christ made sin. Was Christ really made sin? Absolutely. Yes, He was really
made sin. There's no argument there. The
issue is how was he made sin? Some people go too far. Some
people, I believe, actually contaminate and corrupt the scriptures and
even the gospel itself, and especially go as far as denying the person
and work of Christ. Are his people, the people of
God, sinners saved by the grace of God, are they really made
the righteousness of God in him? Oh, yes. They are really made
the righteousness of god in him this verse here is not speaking
of anything fictional you know a lot of people say well if you
don't believe it like i believe it then you don't really believe
it's real oh yes this is real christ he was made sin i say
made sin because if you look at it in verse twenty one if
you have a king james version the words to be are in italics
It says, for he hath made him to be sin. That to be is in italics,
means that the translators supplied it and it could just as easily
be read this way, for he hath made him sin for us. Christ who knew no sin, that
we might be made or become the righteousness of God in him.
Now another thing you need to see in the context here is this
verse, in fact this whole section of scripture, is talking about
reconciliation. That's the subject. And what
that means is how God and sinners are brought together on some
common ground. It's how God is reconciled to
his people and God must be reconciled in that sense because we're sinners. The people of God are sinners
saved by the grace of God and God cannot commune with sinners
except that issue of sin has been dealt with. It must be dealt
with. And the scriptures teach us God
must punish sin. The wages of sin is death. So
how can a holy God, a just God, save and bless and commune with
me, a sinner, and still be true to himself? He must be reconciled
to me, and then I must be reconciled to him. And that's what this
passage is talking about. Reconciliation. How God and his
people, sinners, are brought together in salvation, in communion,
in blessedness, on some common ground. And what is that common
ground? Verse 21, Christ, for He, God
the Father, hath made Him, Christ, the Son of God incarnate, sin
for us. Christ, who knew no sin, that
we might be made the righteousness of God in Him. That's the common
ground upon which God is reconciled to His people and His people
to Him. This passage here is not talking about regeneration. Now, regeneration is the work
of the Holy Spirit within the heart of God's people. It's the
new birth. It's necessary for salvation,
but it is not the ground of salvation. It's not the cause of salvation.
The new birth is the fruit and result of what Christ accomplished
on Calvary when he was made sin. and died for the sins of his
sheep. Drank damnation dry, paid our debt in full, brought in
everlasting righteousness. Those who have been reconciled
to God through Christ by his blood on the cross will be regenerated. They'll be born again. In fact,
let me read another verse here. And 2 Corinthians 5.21 is talking
about reconciliation. 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. Now back over in 2 Corinthians
4.6, this verse is talking about regeneration. where it says,
for God who commanded the light to shine out of darkness hath
shined in our hearts, our mind, our affections, our will. That's
the new heart, the new spirit, you see. Spiritual life, spiritual
ears, spiritual eyes, spiritual mind. This is a sinner being
brought to Christ by faith given to him by God. and in repentance. This is the love of God shed
abroad within our hearts. For God who commanded the light
to shine out of darkness has shined in our hearts to give
the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face
of Jesus Christ, the person and finished work of Christ. That's
regeneration. Back up here in 2 Corinthians
chapter 5 and verse 17, it says, therefore if any man be in Christ,
he's a new creature, literally a new creation. all things are
passed away behold all things are become new what he told me
that centers reconciled to god god will not charge him with
the scenes look here verse eighteen and all things are of god nor
salvations of the lord is not of me is not of you it's of god
who have to reconcile us to himself by jesus christ See God's people
the church his elect Christ sheep have been Reconciled to him how
by Jesus Christ and have given to us the ministry of reconciliation
That's what a gospel ministry is Telling sinners how God can
be just and justify the ungodly through Christ and he says in
verse 19 to wit or namely that God was in Christ and Bible says
in Christ dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead bodily and you're
complete in Him. God engaged, the Godhead engaged
everything that He is, every attribute in the person of the
Lord Jesus Christ, reconciling the world unto Himself. Now who
is this world here? Is that all without exception?
No. Everyone without exception is
not reconciled unto God in Jesus Christ. He tells you exactly
who it is. He says, not imputing, not charging
or accounting their trespasses unto them. This is a group of
people in the world throughout all generations that God does
not charge with sin. Isn't that amazing? In other words, if I'm in Christ,
there is absolutely no sin charged against me in the books of the
accounts of God's books. My sins are all washed away. We sing a little chorus at our
church, did you hear what Jesus said to me? They're all taken
away, away. Your sins are pardoned and you
are free. They're all taken away. You see, they're wiped clean. They're washed clean. How? By
the blood of Jesus Christ. They're not washed clean by my
tears or even by my faith or my repentance. They're not washed
clean in the waters of the confessional baptism. They're washed clean
by the blood of Jesus Christ. and Him alone. And God cannot
charge me with my sin in His law books. Who shall lay anything
to the charge of God's elect? It's God that justifies. God
has justified me based upon the blood of Christ, based upon His
righteousness charged to me. So God wouldn't justify me and
then still charge me with sin. That would be a sham. And this
is no fiction. This is no playground here. This
is not God acting as if I'm sinless when I'm really not. Oh yes,
I'm a sinner in myself, but in God's courts, in God's eyes,
I'm perfect, righteous in Christ. And that's the way it is. One
day, I'll be perfect in myself, but not yet. I'll be perfect
when I go to be with Him, when I'm glorified with Him. But God
does not charge me with my sins and trespasses. That doesn't
mean that God is acting as if I'm not a sinner when I really
am. No, sir. It means he doesn't hold them
against me. He doesn't hold me accountable
for those sins. He held Christ accountable for
them. That's what it means when it
says Christ was made sin. It doesn't say he was made a
sinner. A sinner is one who sins. Christ
did no sin, knew no sin. He's the perfect, spotless Lamb
of God. When he was on that cross, he
was guilty. Look over in Galatians chapter
3. It says it this way in verse
13. of Galatians chapter three, Christ hath redeemed us from
the curse of the law. How did he do that? Being made
a curse for us. Christ was made a curse under
the eyes of his father. He said, my God, my God, why
hast thou forsaken me? He who is spotless and uncontaminated
in himself was made a curse, an actual curse. And that wasn't
God pretending that Christ was something that he was not. He
was charged with the sins of his people. All of the sins of
God's elect in each successive generation were made to meet
on the head of the Savior. He became legally responsible
and accountable for those sins. He's the charity of His people.
He said in the everlasting covenant of grace before the foundation
of the world, when the Father gave His elect to Christ, He
said, I will take their place. I will be accountable for their
sins. But when He went to that cross,
When he was made sin, sin was imputed to him, he still remained
perfect in himself. He had no sinful thoughts. He
had no sinful motives. He had no sinful impulses. He's the perfect Lamb of God
who was made sin. You say, well, I can't wrap my
mind around all that. Well, join the club. We don't
have to wrap our minds. In fact, if we can wrap our minds
around it, it means it's not true. but he was made a curse
for us for it's written cursed is everyone that hangeth on a
tree the bible says in first peter that he bore our sins in
his own body that in his human body he went to the cross on
the tree having our sins bearing down upon him he bore our iniquities
isaiah fifty three says He was made sin so back here in 2nd
Corinthians 5 18 it says in all things are of God He says in
verse 19 that God was in Christ Reconciling the world unto himself
Not imputing their trespasses into them and hath committed
unto us the word of reconciliation now. That's the gospel It's the
gospel of God's grace in Christ It's the gospel of peace with
God through Christ. Now he says in verse 20, he says,
now then we are ambassadors for Christ as though God did beseech
by us, we pray you in Christ said, be ye reconciled to God. Now that's the command and call
of the gospel. We go out and preach the gospel
of reconciliation, the gospel of peace with God through the
blood of the cross of Christ. The gospel that Paul said in
Romans 1, 16 and 17, he said, for I'm 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 then to the Greek, for therein
is the righteousness of God revealed. What is that righteousness of
God revealed from faith to faith for as it is written that just
shall live by faith? What is the righteousness of
God revealed in the gospel? The Bible says in Romans 10 and
verse 4, for Christ is the end, the fulfillment, the finishing,
the completion, the perfection of the law for righteousness
to everyone that believe it. So we preach that Christ has
finished the work. He's put away the sins of his
sheep. He has washed them clean. in the law books of heaven so
that god does not charge them with sin even david before this
actually took place in time said in some thirty two blast is the
man to whom the lord imputed not iniquity that's what he's
talking about and what we tell people what ground will god forgive
you what ground will god save you want dot ground will god
accept you Well, I better do this. You better do that. We
bet. No, sir. It's not by works Not by works
of the sinner here. It is for he verse 21 hath made
him sin for us It's the substitutionary work of the Lord Jesus Christ
period How was he made sin by imputation the context tells
you that what did it say back up here in verse 19? To wit that
God was in Christ Reconciling the world unto himself Not imputing
their trespasses unto them. Now if he doesn't charge me with
my sin, where did the charge go? Because I'm gonna tell you
something now God must deal with sin. He cannot just look over
it and forget it. He cannot deny Himself in dealing
with it. If He doesn't charge it to me,
who did He charge it to? He charged it to Christ. And
my friend, don't let any preacher tell you that that's a legal
fiction or God acting As if Christ were sin, but he really wasn't.
No, sir, they don't understand imputation. They don't understand
substitution, those who say that. The Bible says Christ was numbered
with the transgressors. That word numbered is the same
word as imputed. In other words, he identified
with his people in our name and in our nature, not to be made
a sinner, but to be made sin. And in being made sin, he who
knew no sin died for the sins of his people. He satisfied the
justice of God for all my sins. Every sin has been wiped away,
even my future sins, past sins, present sins, and future sins.
And somebody says, well, if I believe that, I just go out and sin the
more. My friend, you don't know the Lord. because the holy spirit's
work within us gives us a driving force the holy spirit himself
who indwells us who's given us a new heart drives us to be like
christ and to obey him not in order to be saved but because
we already are well he says now all that took place christ was
made sin In order that we, now who's the we there? It's those
to whom God does not impute iniquity. He's talking about sinners saved
by the grace of God. Those who become reconciled to
God by the work of the Holy Spirit in the new birth brought to Christ,
we might be made or might become the righteousness of God in Him. now how are we made the righteousness
of god the same way that christ was made sin by amputation my
sins were charged to christ and he became responsible for them
his righteousness is charged to me and i stand before god
in him washed in his blood clothed in his righteousness now that
is no that is not a legal fiction that is not god pretending that
is not god acting as if i'm righteous when i'm really not let me tell
you something based upon the righteousness of god in christ
imputed to me i am truly and really and actually righteous
before god i stand justified now i'm still a sinner in myself
my thoughts my my ways everything that i am in this life is contaminated
with sin but that doesn't deny the reality of imputation the
reality of how god sees me in christ you see one day as i said
i will be perfect in myself when i leave this vile body of flesh
or wretched man that i am paul called it who should deliver
me from the body of this day or this body of day one day i
will be perfectly holy in myself But I stand right now in Christ,
as He is, so are we in this world. John wrote in 1 John 4 and verse
17. We're in Him and we're washed
in His blood. We're made the righteousness
of God in Him. Now, all who are made the righteousness
of God in Him will be reconciled to Him. They will be born again. They will come to see the glory
of Christ in all that he accomplished in his glorious person and in
his finished work. This being made the righteousness
of God in him is not regeneration. but it is the foundation and
the ground and the insurance of regeneration. For if Christ
was made sin for you, and you were made the righteousness of
God in Him, you will as the result, as the fruit of His grace, be
born again and come to see Him and be reconciled to Him. This
being made the righteousness of God in him is not an infused
righteousness. It's nothing put within me. Christ
did this on the cross before I was even born. It's not an
imparted righteousness. Now some people use that term
to describe the work of the Holy Spirit. But my friend, that's
not what this is. Now again, those who have been
made the righteousness of God in him, who are justified before
God, they will come to see and believe in the Lord Jesus Christ. They will call on the name of
the Lord Jesus Christ, for whosoever shall call on his name shall
be saved. They will be, as verse 20 says,
reconciled unto God. God will be glorified in their
heart. They'll see the glory of God
in the face of Jesus Christ. They'll believe, they'll repent,
they'll come to love Christ and obey him and love his people.
This being made the righteousness of God in him is the grace of
God. Now, one of the ways that I always
show the reality of this when I teach it, especially to young
people, is to use the banking analogy. if you want to see the
reality of it. Somebody says, well, that means
God is looking at you as righteous, but you're really not. No, sir,
that's not what this book teaches. That's not what this verse teaches.
That's not what the doctrine of imputation teaches. Christ
was made sin. We are made the righteousness
of God in him by imputation. But let me give you an illustration
of that. Let's say that you got in trouble financially and you
were in debt. and you owe the local bank a
million dollars and you didn't have one solid cent to contribute
towards the payment of that debt. You'd be in trouble, wouldn't
you? Well, that's what a sinner is by nature before God. We're
spiritually bankrupt in debt, you see. We owe a sin debt that
we cannot pay. And nothing we do will pay it.
Our religion won't do it. Our obedience won't do it. Nothing
will pay that debt. We're bankrupt. And let's say
you go down to the bank and you say, well, I'm going to cast
myself on the mercy of the banker. Well, now, you know how far that
would get you in today's world, don't you? It wouldn't get you
very far. But let's just say, for the sake of the illustration,
you went down to the bank, and you were going to beg for mercy. And you went in, and you were
talking to the president of the bank, and you give him your name.
And he says, well, let's look into the account books of our
bank. And he looks up your name. and
he says okay here's bill parker my name here's bill parker and
he looks at me and says bill you don't owe a dime to this
bank in fact it says right here that your debt has already been
paid in full somebody else did it somebody came in here and
said put bill's debt on my account i'll pay it sounds like the illustration
paul used in the book of philemon When he said, if Onesimus has
harm, they put it on my account. Put that on my, and they paid
it in full. That debt was imputed, charged,
accounted to them, and they paid it. Now, how real is that? And
then you, think about the relief that would come over you. And
you get up to leave and the banker says, hold on, wait a minute,
you've got some money in the bank. That person who paid your
debt, he gave you a million dollars to the good. And it's been charged
to your account. You're a millionaire and you
didn't even know it. Well, my friend, those who have
been reconciled to God in Christ, we're millionaires and we don't
even know it until the Holy Spirit lets us in on it and shows us
that Christ took our debt upon himself and paid it in full.
But not only that, he gave us a million dollars to the good,
spiritually speaking, salvation and all that's included. Christ
was made sin, we're made the righteousness of God in Him."
Well, I hope that message has been helpful to your understanding
of the Scriptures. And if you'd like to receive
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you the information you need to order. The title of this message
is, Christ Made Sin. And I hope you'll join us next
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for another edition of Reign of Grace. This program is brought
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