It's good to be together again
tonight. What a blessing, as always, to be in the house of
the Lord, to fellowship with His people, to fellowship around
His Word. Nowhere else I want to be. Colossians
chapter 1. Colossians chapter 1. Tonight
we'll be looking at verse two. Last week we began our study
and we saw that Paul was an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of
God, and also that we're saved, and if anyone is saved, it's
by the will of God. It's by his will, not our will,
but by his will. He makes us willing. Tonight,
we'll be in Colossians chapter one, verse two. In the name of the messages in
Christ, in Christ. Colossians chapter 1, we actually
read the first three verses. Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ,
by the will of God and Timotheus, our brother, to the saints and
faithful brethren in Christ, which are at Colossus, grace
be unto you, and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus
Christ. We give thanks to God in the
Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you. And actually,
let's read verse four, too, because it ties in with verse three.
Since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love
which you have to all the saints. In Christ, in Christ, two little words with so much
meaning. Again, a little background to
this book. Paul is battling works-based salvation, and also Gnostic attacks,
and also worshiping of angels, which we
see in verse 18 of chapter 2. It said, let no blind beguile
you of your reward and of voluntary humility in worshiping of angels,
intruding into those things which he has not seen, vainly puffed
up by his fleshy mind. vain traditions. This is where
the receivers believe that they have greater knowledge or thought because they carried on these
traditions through philosophy. So let us look at these two verses. But we're gonna key on verse
two, but again, we need to read always in context, Paul, an apostle
of Jesus Christ by the will of God. So again, we're reminded
that Paul is an apostle by the will of God, and Timotheus, our
brother, to the saints and faithful brethren in Christ, which are
at Colossus, grace be unto you and peace from God our Father
and the Lord Jesus Christ. This is the second half of Paul's
salutation to the church at Colossus. And notice here it says, to the
saints. To the saints. Well, God's elect,
his chosen people are called saints all through the scripture.
All through the scripture. Paul here calls imperfect sinners
saints. Imperfect sinners, saints. There's a certain sect that believes
they have the power to make men and women saints. Only God can make a person a
saint. Only God. And beloved, if you believe in
Christ, you're a saint. You're a saint, and you weren't
made that by anything you did. You're made that by God, by his
free grace. It's wonderful. The Greek word
for saint means a most holy thing. We don't feel holy, do we? Most holy thing, a saint. And
it's translated in the New Testament 168 times. This word, the same Greek word,
is translated 168 times holy. And then it's translated 60 times
as saints. Only God can make a sinner a
saint. No man has the power to do that. And these here before us who
are called saints, they're not saints by their birth, right? Their natural birth, because
we come into this world, we've looked at it multiple times,
we come into this world dead in trespasses and sins. So the
person is not made a saint by their natural birth. And they're
not made saints by baptism, which certain sects believe, in what's
called baptismal regeneration. The Catholics believe that, and
also the Church of Christ believes that. Different times they believe
that. The Catholic Church believes
that in infancy that you baptize a baby and they become a saint.
And the Church of Christ doesn't believe you are saved unless
you're baptized, which is another gospel. Because no man has the
power to make anyone a saint. So these believers who are mentioned
in Colossians chapter two are not made saints by their doing. These who are called saints are
not a saint by an outward reformation. A lot of folks will outwardly reform and say, I'm good. I'm good. Well, that's like cleaning
the water pot on the outside, but inside it's still filthy.
It's still filthy. The ones here are not called
saints by their good works. Or what they've done, and they're not, Paul doesn't make
them saints. He calls them saints. But he doesn't make them saints.
Oh, beloved. One is made a saint by being
separated by God, by being set apart by God, by being set apart
by him. By an act of eternal election
in Christ, God chose a people, and he set them apart. And they're the elect of God. He chose to do that of his own
free grace. And every single believer in
Christ, every single one of the elect of God is a saint. He is a saint. These saints, God's elect, are
chosen by God the Father, redeemed by the Lord Jesus Christ, and
drawn by the Holy Spirit of God. These who are called saints here
in our text to the saints and faithful brethren are made saints
by God and by his will and by his decree. Turn with me if you
would, the first Corinthians chapter one, verse two. So when the word saint is used
in scripture, for believers, we can conclude then that it
means no more than sinners who have been regenerated and made
saints in Christ Jesus. Sinners, made saints. It's marvelous. 1 Corinthians
1, verse 2, it says, unto the church of God, which is at Corinth,
not the building, right, the people. unto the church of God,
which is at Corinth, to them that are sanctified in Christ
Jesus, called to be saints. So set apart in Christ Jesus,
called to be saints. They're called with an effectual
calling, an invincible calling. They can't resist it. With all
that in every place, call upon the name of Jesus Christ, our
Lord, both theirs and ours, called to be saints. Back to our text. To the saints
and faithful brethren in Christ, which are at Colossus, grace
be unto you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus
Christ. Brother Henry Mahan says about this phrase, faithful brethren,
saints and faithful brethren. All believers are saints and
all believers are faithful brethren. We are sanctified by the Father,
the Son, and the Holy Spirit. We are brethren because first
we have the same Father, We saw that last week. We have the same
father. And in one body and family, and
third, we have all the elder brother, Christ Jesus. The key
word is in Christ. We are saints and brethren because
we are in Christ. That's the only reason we're
saints and brethren is because we're in Christ. We're in him,
we're in him. So in Christ is a key statement
in this verse, to the saints and faithful brethren in Christ,
in Christ. We are saints and we are brethren
in Christ and we only have grace and peace in Christ, right? Think
about, think about, think about before the Lord saved you. Did
you have any peace? I didn't. Not real peace, maybe
temporary peace, but I didn't really have peace. And I know I didn't have grace
because I was always saying how bad everyone else was. And then when the Lord saves
you, you realize, Oh my, you just look inward. So our
main focus tonight will be in this phrase, in Christ, in Christ. And think of this, beloved of
God, think of this. This is a reality. Believers are in Christ. And I want us to look at some
of the marvelous, marvelous things about being in Christ. We are
secure in Christ. We're secure in Him. We who believe
and have trusted in Christ are secure. We're in Christ. We're in Him. It's a reality
for those who have believed. We're united to Christ. He's
the head and we're the body. He's the head and we're the body. So let's look at a few, points of what it means to be
in Christ. Turn with me, if you would, to
2 Timothy 1.9. In Christ, in Christ, the believer
is given grace, in Christ, before the world began. Before the world
began. We're given grace in Christ. Think of this world. Think of
the universe. Before all that, we were actually
given grace in Christ. And that predetermines before
anything we do, doesn't it? So it's not based on our doing
then. We know that. Look at this marvelous verse.
who has saved us and called us with an holy calling, not according
to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace. His purpose, His grace. The only reason we're saved is
because of His grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before
the world began. Before the world began, in Christ. in Christ. Turn with me, if you would, to
Ephesians 1.4. This is a verse that we're all very familiar
with, but before the foundation of the world, so we were given
grace before the world began, and we were chosen in Christ.
Before the foundation of the world, the elect of God, the
called ones, were chosen in Christ, set apart by God. Chosen in Christ. According as He had chosen us
in Him, in Christ, being Christ, Ephesians 1.4, before the foundation
of the world, that we should be what? Holy. Sinners. Holy in Christ. We don't feel that way, do we?
Oh, we struggle with our flesh so much. Holy, and without blame. There's a mountain of sin in
our lives, isn't there? Without blame. Without blame. Before Him in
love. Turn with me, if you would, to
Romans 8. 38 and 39. Now, folks sometimes can love
someone and then they say, well, I don't love them anymore, and
then all this, right? You hear that. You hear that
happening all the time. I want us to just rest in this,
beloved. Oh, this is balm to my heart. In Christ, we are loved of God
with a love that can never, ever be taken away. He will always love his people,
no matter what. Look at Romans 8, 38 and 39.
For I am persuaded that neither death, nor life, nor angels,
nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things
to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature shall
be able to separate us from the love of God which is in, there's
a phrase again, Christ Jesus, our Lord. God will never stop loving his
people. Never. This is wonderful. Never. He will never forsake us. He
will never leave us. He will never stop loving His
people. His love is set upon them from
everlasting to everlasting, right? It never, and God doesn't change,
does He? We do, but God never does. What a wonderful, wonderful Savior. Turn with me, if you would, to
Ephesians 1, 7. In Christ, in Christ, we are redeemed and purchased
by the blood of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Ephesians
1, 7. In whom we, and we know that's
the elect of God. We know from studying this passage
of scripture, that's the elect of God they're talking about.
In whom we. Have redemption through His blood,
through the shedding of His blood on Calvary's cross. The forgiveness
of sins. And we know from studying, that's
all sins, isn't it? Past, present, and future. And
look at this, according to the riches of His grace. Oh, it's marvelous. Oh. It's according to the riches
of His grace. And that verse ties in to our study last week
of verse one, doesn't it? Where we know that we're saved
by the will of God, according to the riches of His grace. 2 Corinthians 5.21, if we could
turn there. In Christ we are justified, the
next point, in Christ we are justified before a holy and righteous
God and before his perfect law and
justice. We have the righteousness of
God imputed to us in Christ. In Christ. Nowhere else. In Christ. 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. In Christ. Nowhere else are we redeemed. Nowhere else. There's no righteousness
that's fit other than Christ's righteousness to stand before
God's law and justice. And we know that our sins were
imputed to him, and he bore them, and he paid the price that God
the man, and he did it in the room and
place of his people. according to the riches of his
grace. And by his will, right? It was
his will. Christ was on a mission. He must,
he must go to Jerusalem. 2 Corinthians 5, 17, just a few
verses up. Look at this. We are made new
creatures in Christ. The next point, born again by
the Holy Spirit of God. We can't make ourselves new creatures. We can't make ourselves born
again, although some believe that by praying a prayer or walking
an aisle, that they're regenerated. But that's not the case. Do you
know that God can save you in your seat without you moving
a muscle? Because it's a hard work. He
does the work. He regenerates. Therefore, if
any man, verse 17, if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature. Old things are passed away. Behold,
all things are become new. Think of this, beloved of God.
Can there be a greater change than this? We, being regenerated by the
Holy Spirit and by His power, is there a greater change than
this? No, we can't do it on our own. This is a change beyond human
ability or even human thought. It must be wrought by God. He
must make us new creatures. He must regenerate us. And like
I say, He could save you just like that. He can regenerate
you just like that. without even moving. It's the passing away of the
old and the making of all things new. And it can only be done
by the Holy Spirit of God. And it's only those who are in
Christ, those who were chosen in Christ, who will be regenerated.
We don't have a clue who those folks are, right? We preach the
gospel. Out it goes. And God, the Holy
Spirit, does the drawing and does the saving. And he gets
all the glory for doing it all. Think of this, we who are saved. Remember how we used to think
and how we think now. Brother Tim, I know you came
out with a lot of stuff. I didn't even think hardly of God at all
before I was saved. And now he's on my mind. And
through the day, you'll be thinking, and something will come to mind
about our king or about another believer. I never even thought
about those things before. I had no care. I only cared about
myself. But now, My thoughts have changed. Now, I'm still a sinner, but
my thoughts have changed. My desires. Think of this. Think
of your desires before you were saved. Now, we desire Christ, don't
we? The one who we wanted to have
nothing to do with before. And to our shame, I know to my
shame, the name that I took in a blasphemous way, now I praise. Praise his mighty name for what
he's done. I couldn't do that myself. I couldn't reform myself. I know
what I used to be. Is it not so with you, beloved?
Oh, what a change. What a change, he rots in us. And He gets all the glory. We give it all to Him. We give it all to Him. And think
of this. Think of how the love of Christ
now constrains us from sin. It never did before to us, right?
We didn't care, we didn't think about Him. Now, the love of Christ,
it constrains us from sin, Scripture declares. It restrains us. Think of how we used to act before
the Lord saved us. See the change that God has wrought
in you? You didn't do it yourself. And we don't even notice it in
ourselves. Now other folks will notice us
changing and growing, but usually we don't ever notice it in ourselves.
But just ponder the way you used to think, the way you used to
act, your desires before, and how do you, how do you, now I
know we're still sinful, I know that, but just, we're different. We're new creatures in Christ.
We're new creatures in him. And he does it all. The next
point I'd like to look at quick is in Galatians chapter 3. In
Christ, we who believe on him are the children of God. The
children of God. Spurgeon says this. Now, we may
hear a lot of folks talk about the universal fatherhood of God. Spurgeon said it's nonsense. And there's no scripture to support
that. These only are the children of
God who are the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus, he
says. Look at the scripture here in Galatians 3, 24 to 26. Wherefore
the law was our schoolmaster to bring
us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith. But after
that faith has come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster.
For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus. Adopted. It's marvelous. Children of God
by faith in Christ Jesus. Not that faith makes any of the
children of God, okay? Faith is a gift, remember, we
must always remember that. It's a gift and it has one object. It has one object, and that's
Christ. Folks make faith an idol. Faith is a gift of God. And it
has one object, and that's Christ. This adoption is God's own act
and deed and flows from His rich and free grace in Christ. In Christ. God the Father has predestinated
his chosen ones to the adoption of children based upon nothing
in ourselves. And what do we say? We say praise
his mighty name. Praise his name. Undeserving sinners made saints. Where and how? In Christ. Nowhere else. Nowhere else. And do you know that in Christ
all the promises of God are yea and amen? Turn with me if you
would to 2 Corinthians 1.20. I remember hearing someone that
we knew back in Oregon and they were troubled that someone had
told them that the promises of God were only for the Israelites.
Well, that's dispensationalism at its finest. Because look at what scripture
says here. Look at this marvelous, marvelous. For all the promises
of God in him are yea, and in him amen. Unto the glory of God
by us, all the promises of God in him are yea, and in him amen.
Beloved, we have all the promises of God in Christ. In Christ. In Christ, Jesus our Lord, all
the promises are yes. In the Greek, it's truly and
assuredly. Amen in the Greek, being firm
and trustworthy. Firm and trustworthy. Truly and assuredly, firm and
trustworthy. All the promises of God in him.
And again, unto the glory of God. He gets it all. This is a constant vein in scripture. Religion wants all the glory.
Grace says He gets it all. He gets it all. Turn with me,
if you would, to Ephesians chapter 2. In Christ the believer is seated
in heavenly places. Christ is the forerunner. He
goes to prepare a place for us. And where the head is, the body
will soon follow. where the head is, the body will
soon follow. Ephesians chapter 2, verses 4
to 7, but God, and this is after he's told us that we're dead
in trespasses and sins, but God who is rich, rich, rich in mercy,
for his great love wherewith he loved us, even when we were
dead in sins, dead, remember we looked at graveyard dead,
can't do anything, no ability, hath quickened us together with
Christ, by grace you are saved, and hath raised us up together
and made us to sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus. In Him. In Him. That in the ages to come,
He might show the exceeding riches of His grace and His kindness
toward us through Christ Jesus. Turn with me if you go again
to Galatians chapter 3, verses 28 and 29. Do you know
that in Christ all the elect of God are united as one? United
as one. There's no color distinction.
There's no race distinction. We're one in Christ. This is
marvelous. And all the elect of all the
ages are united in Christ. It's marvelous. Galatians 3,
verses 28 and 29. Think, beloved, too, of what
mercy it is. What mercy it is. to be in Christ. What mercy God has had upon us
who are in Christ. And let us read this. There is
neither Jew nor Greek. There is neither bond nor free. There is neither male nor female,
for ye are all one in Christ Jesus. In Christ. One in Christ. All
the elect of all the ages are one. He's the head and we are
the body. And think of this, when you take
a picture, we take pictures of people's heads, don't we? Because
that's the most prominent part of the body. He gets all the
preeminence, he gets all the glory. He's the head, we're the
body. And if ye be in Christ, then
ye are Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise. Heirs
according to the promise. Think of this, in Christ we are
not seen anymore, but only Christ. And we're accepted in him. He must increase, John the Baptist
said, and I must decrease. He must increase and I must decrease.
Philippians chapter four. In Christ the believer has all
his need fulfilled. All his needs supplied. Philippians
chapter four, verses 19 and 20. But my God, my God, shall supply all your needs,
verse 19, according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus. And look at the next verse. Now
unto God, our Father, be glory forever and ever, amen. It's a constant thing we're seeing.
The glory always goes to God. All our needs, beloved, all our
needs. Think of this, we who are saved
are taught by God that we cannot save ourselves. We're showing
our desperate need for Christ. But think of this, all that a
sinner needs is in Christ. We're showing our sinfulness.
The Holy Spirit of God has drawn us in all that we need is in
Christ. All that we need. Redemption? Can't pay the price for one sin.
Christ pays it all in the place of His people. Sanctification? Can't make ourselves holy. We
saw that. In Christ, we're made holy. Forgiveness? No way we can pay one price. We need to be justified before
God. The believer is justified in
Christ. All that a sinner needs. All that a sinner needs. I don't
care how black your sin is. I don't care what you've done. All that a sinner needs is Christ. And I stand here a sinner saved
by the grace of God. And everything I need is in Christ. Now some folks may say, well
that's being weak. Well, I need them. I need them desperately. Do you? May God show you your need. That's
what he's done for those of us who are saved. He shows us our
need. Ephesians 1.3 says this, blessed
be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed
us. And remember, God shall supply
all your need, right? Who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings
in heavenly places in Christ. There it is again. All that a
sinner needs is in Christ. Oh my. And we have no peace without
Christ. No peace at all. None at all. Turn with me if you would to
Philippians chapter 4. but the believer has peace with
God through Christ. In ourselves, we have no peace
with God, but the believer has peace with God, peace. He was
at war with him. Now he has peace. Philippians 4, verses 6 and 7. Be careful for nothing. But in
everything, by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests
be made known unto God." Tell him how you feel. Tell him. In the peace of God, which passes
all understanding, we can't even fathom. Vicki and I often talk
about the peace we have now compared to when we were in religion.
No peace, peace. And I can't explain it. It passes,
as Scripture said, all my understanding, but He's my rest, and He's my
hope, and I have peace with Him, with God through Him. And look, she'll keep your hearts
and minds through Christ Jesus. This is why I say we need to,
we just need to keep our eyes on Christ. We just need to, I
do, desperately. And in Christ, we have eternal
life. Eternal life. And we're all going to die, every
one of us. But those in Christ have eternal life. Turn with me, if you would, to
Romans chapter 6. A lot of folks are trying to reach a place that
they call heaven, or whatever they call where they think by
their imagination they're going to be, right? trying to get there by their
works. But no amount of works, no amount of anything you or
I do, no amount of anything that anyone does will get us to heaven
or give us eternal life. This is why we proclaim as grace
preachers, cease from your labors. Just stop. And flee to him, the
only one who can give you rest. The only one who has eternal
life. For the wages of sin. And in this, this is talking like a
payment for a soldier. Several commentators said this
is like when a soldier receives his wages. The wages, the payment
for sin, is death. It's death. But the gift of God, the gift of God is eternal life. And it's through Jesus Christ,
our Lord. It's nowhere else. Sins, and think of this, we as
sinners, sins, wages, the wages of sin is death. Those are justly
earned. We justly earn those. And that
payment is death, spiritual, physical, and eternal. But God's
gift, God's gift to his people is unearned. It's unearned. It's unmerited. It's undeserved. And it's eternal life through
Jesus Christ, our Lord. We don't deserve this, but yet
he gives it to his people. In and through Christ. In Christ. In Christ. Saints are in Christ. Things come about in the world,
troubles and trials and tribulations, but those who believe are in
Christ. But those who don't believe are
not in Christ. Flee to the refuge. Flee to the refuge. Oh, may God
make you willing. Flee to the refuge. That's Christ. Colossians chapter 1, verses
Or Colossians 1, yeah, 2. We'll look at the latter part
of the verse now. So those who are saints, and he, to the saints,
this is what believers are. They're made holy by God. They're
faithful. And they're brethren. They're
brethren. And it's in Christ. Paul's salutation continues with,
Grace be unto you in peace. If you notice in scripture, grace
always precedes peace. Always. Always. And we saw we have peace with
God through the Lord Jesus Christ. A man outside of Christ has no
grace. and no peace. He may fool himself into thinking
he does, but he doesn't. Turn with me, if you would, to
Exodus chapter 33. God's people find grace in the
eyes of the Lord. they find grace in the sight
of God, and it's in and through the Lord Jesus Christ in him
alone. Look at Exodus chapter 33, verses 12 to 14. God's elect find peace and rest
from God the Father in and through the Lord Jesus Christ. It's nowhere
else. And Moses said, verse 12, and
Moses said unto the Lord, See, thou sayest unto me, bring
up this people, and thou hast not let me know whom thou wilt
send with me. Yet thou hast said, I know thee
by name. I know thee by name. He knows
every one of his people by name, every one of them. And thou hast
also found grace in my sight, every believer. finds grace in
the sight of God. Now therefore I pray thee, if
I have found grace in thy sight, he's not boasting about anything
he does. Oh, if I found grace in thy sight,
show me now thy way, that I may know thee, that I may find grace
in thy sight, and consider that this nation is thy people. And
he said, my presence shall go with thee. It'll go with you. And I will give thee rest. Rest. I need rest in this world. Turn
with me, if you would, to Matthew chapter 11. So we've seen in
the Old Testament, we're going to close with this, we've seen
in the Old Testament where God says, I'll give you rest, right?
I will give thee rest. And you know, this sinner, and
I know other sinners, have only found rest in Christ. It's nowhere
else. Look at this in the New Testament.
Come on to me. All ye that labor and are heavy
laden, are you weighed down by sin? And I will give you rest. Rest. Rest from your labors. Rest from your doings. Rest from
trying to work our way to heaven. Take my yoke upon you and learn
of me. Every believer is taught of God.
For I am meek and lowly in heart, and you shall find rest unto
your soul. Only in Christ, right? Only in Christ. For my yoke is
easy. Works is awful hard, isn't it?
Oh, for folks who are working their way or trying to work,
it's labor. But what freedom we have in Christ. What rest we have in a mighty
Savior who has forgiven us from all our sins. My yoke is easy. And my burden is light. Rest, it's only in Christ, it's
nowhere else. May God teach us this this week
just to look to Him and to rest, rest in Christ. I'll see you
when it's time.