Turn with me to 2 Corinthians chapter 5. 2 Corinthians 5, look at verse 21. This passage is a passage of scripture we refer to often. We often hear it quoted in messages. We see it in articles in the bulletin. Many can likely, as Brother Dave said, many can likely quote it. But I'm confident of this. As much as we read it, as much as we refer to it, We rarely give it the attention that we should. Now that being said, that's likely true of most, if not all scripture.

But what if this was the last opportunity we had to worship together? I try not to dwell on things like that, but occasionally I do wonder, what if this was the last time we were able to worship together? If that were the case and we knew it, would we be a little more attentive to the word? A little more attentive to what's being said? Would we hang on the words, God's word, just a little closer and be less taken up with the things of this world? Back in Luke chapter 12, our Lord told a parable. Luke 12, beginning with verse 16, He spake a parable unto them, saying, the ground of a certain rich man brought forth plentifully.

And he thought within himself, what should I do? I have no room to put all my fruits. And then he said, this is what I'll do. I'll tear down my barns and I'll build greater ones. That there I'll bestow all my fruits and all my goods, and I'll say to my soul, so thou has much goods laid up for many years, take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry. That was that man's plan. That's what he thought he was going to do. But God said to him, thou fool, this night, this very night shall thy soul be required of thee. And then, then whose things will all that be which thou hast provided? What if this was the last time we gathered to hear his word? Another thought occurs to me. What if this was the last time I was enabled, and I pray he'll enable me this morning to preach his word, but what if it was the last time? Well, if it were, if it were, I believe I would want this to be the text.

In this one verse that we have here, in this one verse, the entire gospel of God is declared. The hearing of God's word, the preaching of God's word, what a blessing. What a blessing to hear it preached. But I fear there are times, and I certainly include myself in this, that again, we take it for granted.

I want to be faithful to preach his word. I want to be faithful to declare his word. Paul told that to the Corinthians. He said, let a man account of us as the ministers of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God. It's required in stewards, this one thing. that a man be found faithful.

Truly, who is sufficient to declare these things, to declare the truth of God's word? Well, again, I don't know of a passage of scripture that declares the gospel any clearer than this passage. Again, we hear it often, but do we truly listen? Again, here we have the entire gospel, the whole gospel of God in one verse of scriptures. Do you have 2 Corinthians? Look at chapter 5, verse 21. It says, He hath made him to be sin for us who knew no sin. that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him.

And there's a few people mentioned in this passage. And we should ask this question, who? Who's mentioned? Who's mentioned? Who are these three people mentioned in this passage of Scripture? If you remember the eunuch, When the Lord sent Philip to preach to him, he said this, he'd read that over and over and he said, he asked one question, who's the prophet speaking of? Who is this about?

Is he talking about himself or is he talking about some other man? Well, there's three people in this verse. There's he, There's Him, and there's us. Just three people mentioned the simplicity. Isn't the gospel, we just overcomplicate everything. Not only is the gospel found in this verse, the simplicity of the gospel is found here. Are you still looking at verse 21?

The first one mentioned, It's He. He. This is very important, who He is. Who is this He spoken of in God's Word? Well, He's God Almighty. Almighty God. And this passage begins with Him. Isn't that appropriate? All of salvation, all of everything begins with Almighty God. Go all the way back to Genesis 1, verse 1. What do we read?

In the beginning, in the beginning, God. In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. God Almighty, the Creator of all things. The true and living God. He that sits upon the throne and rules over all, and that throne is a throne of holiness.

Back in the book of Exodus, God appeared to Moses in that burning bush and he spoke to Moses and he told Moses, he said, he said, put your shoes off your feet. You're standing on holy ground. You're standing before a holy God. And Moses must have listened because he said he hid his face. He was afraid to look upon God. The same God who spoke to Moses and said, I've seen the affliction of my people.

Whose people? He said, they're my people. They're a peculiar people. He knows his people. He knows his people and he's known of them. He said, I've heard their cry. Not only does he know us, think about that. he hears the cry of his people. And not only that, not only does he hear it, he said, I know their sorrow. And I have come down for this purpose. I have come down to deliver them. He is going to deliver his people and bring them up into a land flowing with milk and honey Listen, if we're going to know anything about the gospel, we must be taught to know something of who he truly is.

Again, he's absolutely holy. Habakkuk said, he said, thou art of purer eyes than to behold evil. He's holy. He's sovereign. He rules and he reigns over all things. He has absolute power, absolute authority. He's not controlled by man's will. He's not dependent upon man's will. As God, he orders and he directs all things. Now that's foreign. That's foreign to the natural man. By nature, we think everything tends to revolve around us. We tend to think that everyone, including God, is just like us. Psalm 50, 21, thou thoughtest, and listen, we thought wrong. Thou thoughtest I was altogether such a one as thyself.

Nebuchadnezzar was taught something of who God was, something of who God is. He said, I blessed and I praised the Most High. I praised and honored him that liveth forever and ever, whose dominion is an everlasting dominion. His kingdom is from generation to generation, and all the inhabitants of the earth, all of them, Individually, collectively, they are nothing. That's the God declared in our text. He, there's more to be said. He doeth according to his will in the armies of heaven and among the inhabitants of the earth and none can stay his hand. or saying to him, what doest thou?

He, almighty God. He, the holy God. He, the sovereign God, sovereign in all things. There's no limit. There's no limit to his power. He has all power. He's sovereign in creation. He's sovereign in providence. He's sovereign in salvation. He's the God of eternal predestination.

In Ephesians 1 verse 5, we read, having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself according. according to the pleasure of His will. God chose a people in Christ from before the foundation of the world, chosen out of Adam's sinful race, and He predestinated them. He determined to make a people just like His Son, just like the Lord Jesus Christ. And as such, we are accepted in Him. accepted in the Lord Jesus Christ, accepted in the Beloved.

Well, He, Almighty God, made Him. Here's the second person, Him. Him who knew no sin. This refers to the Lord Jesus Christ, that He's one with the Father. He said, I and my father are one. Him. Him. He hath made him. That one who is God, Jesus Christ is God.

In John 10.32, he asked the group of Jews, he said, many good works have I showed you. They were going to stone him. He said, many good works I've done. For which of those do you stone me? And those religious Jews, they said, for a good work, we stone thee not. We're not stoning you because of your good works, but for blasphemy. They accused him of blasphemy.

They said, because thou being a man, make us thyself to be God. Scripture says this, he thought it not robbery. The Lord Jesus Christ thought it not robbery to be equal. with God. How's that? Because He is God. Turn with me to John chapter 1. John chapter 1. In the beginning, John 1, verse 1, in the beginning was the word, and the word was with God, and the word was God. The same was in the beginning with God.

All things were made by him, and without him was not anything made that was made. In him was life, and the life was the light of men, and the light shineth in the darkness, and the darkness comprehendeth it not. He was with God and He is God. Very God of very God. Yet this one who is over all, God bless forever, was made a man. He was made flesh and He dwelt among us. Bone of our bone and flesh of our flesh. Scripture says this, that He He's a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. As a man, he identifies with his people.

Just think about this, the next time you're hungry, maybe you're hungry right now. Our Lord, the Lord Jesus Christ, he hungered. Isn't it just an amazing thought that Almighty God could be hungry? As a man, He hungered. When you're thirsty, the Lord grew thirsty. He grew tired. We weep sometimes, don't we? Our Savior, He wept. He was made a man. He thirsted, he grew tired, he wept.

He was in all points tempted as we are. But with this one big difference, he is without sin. He's a man and yet he's God. And though he was a man, our scripture declares this, though he was made a man, he knew no sin. Now that has to go just completely over our head because we know nothing about what it would be like to have no sin.

No thought of sin ever entered our Lord's mind. We've been here 40 minutes. I guarantee you, none of us could say that. I could have started the service with that and said that and been true, right? No thought of sin, no actual sin. He had no sin at his birth, no original sin. Sinless, pure, perfect, spotless. He's that lamb without blemish. and without spot.

What else does God's word declare about him? He's the savior of sinners. Call his name Jesus, for he shall save his people from their sin. Well again, 2 Corinthians 5 verse 21. Here's the third person. He hath made him to be sin for us. Us. You and I. Sinners.

In Romans 3 we read there is none righteous. No, not one. There's none that understandeth. There's none that seeketh after God. That's us. What else does God's word say about man? Well, it says there's none that doeth good. No, not one. There's none that understandeth. There's none that seeketh after God. They're all gone out of the way. They are together. All together become unprofitable. None that doeth good, no, not one.

Their throat is an open sepulcher. With tongues they use deceit. The poison of asp is under their lips. Our mouths full of kind and sweet things. No, our mouths full of bitterness and cursing. Feet swift to shed blood. The way of peace they've not known. There's no fear of God before their eyes. How can that be? Listen, if a man does not know God, if he does not know who he truly is, if he does not know his sin, he's not gonna fear God. If we truly feared God, if men truly feared God, we wouldn't curse him. We wouldn't be so flippant using his name. Wouldn't question him, wouldn't question his power, his sovereignty. Wouldn't question his will. Wouldn't make little jokes about him. If we truly knew who God was, if we truly knew who God is, there's but one thing we would do, and that's follow his feet and worship him.

John said this, when I saw him, I fell at his feet like a dead man. When Isaiah saw him, he said, I cried, woe is me. I'm a man of unclean lips. God's word declares this about man. There's nothing good in him, not one thing. Well, again, back to our text.

He, Almighty God, made Him, the Lord Jesus Christ, to be sin for us. Made Him to be sin. Made Him to be something He could never be. But in doing so, He makes His people something They could never be. Christ was made sin. He knew no sin. He did no sin. He was perfect before the law of God. The scripture says this, He redeemed us from the curse of the law. How? Being made a curse for us. He was made a curse. As my substitute, as the believer's substitute, He took my place. He bore our sin in His body on the tree. The Lord Jesus Christ is the sinner's substitute. He stands in that place where we deserve to be. Isaiah 53 verse 4, turn there. Isaiah 53. Again, Isaiah 53, look at verse 4. Surely he hath borne our griefs and carried our sorrows. Yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. Verse five, but he was wounded. He was wounded for our transgressions. He was bruised for our iniquities.

The chastisement of our peace was upon him, and with his stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray. We've turned everyone to his own way, and the Lord hath laid on him, the Lord hath laid on Christ the iniquity of us all. The soul that sinneth, it shall surely die. He was made sin for us.

That debt has to be paid. God's justice demands it. God the Father made him, made Christ the Son. Maybe you say, explain that. I can't explain that. I can declare it by the word of God. He made the Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord Jesus Christ who knew no sin. God made him to be sin for us. Scripture says this, who his own self bore our sins in his body, on the tree. He paid the ransom price. He paid the sin debt in full. No other sacrifice, no other sacrifice will do.

It pleased the Lord to bruise him. It pleased the Lord to bruise his son. And when God looked upon that sacrifice, when he looked upon the sacrifice of his son, he was satisfied. He shall see of the travail of his soul and be satisfied. By his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many, for he shall bear their iniquity. There at Calvary, the Lord was betrayed. He was bound. He was led away. He was denied by Peter. He was judged by Pilate. He was refused by that crowd. Refused by that crowd.

How does man's free will abound in that? They said, give us Barabbas. And they scourged and mocked him. Scourged him. Some of the old commentators say that there were many that didn't even survive that process of being scourged. But our Lord, he set his face like a flint. He finished the work the Father gave him to do.

So cruel and so wicked, they took that crown of thorns and they shoved it down on his head. put a robe on him and they mocked him. And the chief priests and the officers, they saw it. They all cried out together, crucify him. And then they led him to Golgotha's Hill where they did exactly that.

Crucified between two thieves. And while those soldiers looked on, They took his garment, and they parted it, and they gambled on it. And in the ninth hour, at the time of the evening sacrifice, as he hung there on the cross, our Lord cried out with a loud voice, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani. My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? because Christ was made sin.

And that's what He endured. Not just that crowd, not just everything that was going on. He endured being made sin. He hath made Him to be sin for us. who knew no sin, that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him. I pray the Lord would enable us to see this, to see the Lord Jesus Christ who had no sin, who did no sin, who knew no sin, perfect, perfect before the law of God. to see our sin, the sins of His people that were laid on Him. That's what we sing in that hymn. All my iniquity on Him was laid. And when God found that sin on His Son, He dealt with it. He dealt with it in justice. The Lord Jesus Christ died under the wrath of God.

Why? Why? That we might be made the righteousness of God in Him. We're one with Him. We're justified in Him. We're righteous in Him. Christ who knew no sin was made sin for us. And we, you and I who have no righteousness of our own, that we might be made, made righteous. Righteous in the sight of Almighty God. Christ made full and complete satisfaction before God's holy law. And in Him, we are justified. We're sanctified. Completely and eternally saved.

Christ, who knew no sin, was made sin. Made sin for His people. Christ who in holiness, who is of pure eyes and to behold evil. And yet He took all the sin of all His people upon Himself. That's a great mystery, isn't it? It's a great, great mystery that He was made sin for His people.

And we, who are nothing but sin, we who have no righteousness of our own, by the power of God are made the very righteousness of God in Him. He didn't just make us favorable. so that we could work on becoming righteous by ourselves. He didn't just make us savable, but he made us the very righteousness of God in him. Turn with me to Isaiah 45. Isaiah 45, look at verse 22. Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth, for I am God, and there is none else.

I have sworn by myself, the word is going out of my mouth, in righteousness, and shall not return that unto me. Every knee shall bow, and every tongue shall swear. Surely shall one say, Can you say this? Has the Lord enabled you to say this? In the Lord, in him have I righteousness and strength. Even to him shall men come and all that are sensed against him shall be ashamed. In the Lord shall all the seed of Israel be justified. and glory. Christ was made sin. His people made righteous. Justified. He's my wisdom. He's my righteousness. He's my sanctification. He's my redemption. Isn't that a glorious truth? A glorious promise. A glorious comfort. A glorious gospel. his people made righteous, and his son. All right. Ready to come, ladies, in the closing?