This morning I'd like us to look at the ninth verse, particularly the first part of it, the second epistle of John. I'll read the whole of the verse again. Whosoever transgresseth and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ hath not God. He that abideth in the doctrine of Christ, he hath both the Father and the Son. If we go back to verse 7 we see somewhat more of the context of this verse. For many deceivers are entered into the world who confess not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist.

That's why I chose the hymn 1149. What think you of Christ is the test. The test of our faith. If we have faith. at all now as we look just briefly at verse seven we look at that concerning who confess not that jesus christ is come in the flesh we have the title of christ jesus he will save his people from their sins and christ the anointed one excuse me the messiah that before we look into any depth concerning that we need to speak about what we are the necessity of a saviour whenever we speak about the lord's dealings with men the imperative i believe is that what we are in God's sight, not what we are in our own sight.

I often have heard the words, nobody's perfect. And it's true, those words are so true. But often I feel that they're used to sort of diminish the fact that what we are is sinners. We should be in no doubt that wrongdoing is sin in the sight of God. The soul that sinneth it shall die. That may seem extreme in many people's eyes.

I mean that was part of Satan's subterfuge with Eve. Thou shalt not die. That's what Satan said to Eve.

But God's word is true. In the day thou sinneth thou shalt die. didn't literally fall to the ground in that moment but became subject to death and every man since has under the same condemnation, the curse, the curse for the breaking of God's word. so we need to think as believers that though we are saved from death we have no high ground to look down upon people but rather we should see ourselves as the Lord sees us and how does the Lord see us? well he sees us with penetrating vision Jeremiah chapter 70 many of you will know these verses well jeremiah 17 verses 9 and 10 the heart is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked who can know it and then it goes on to say i the lord search the heart i try the reins the most innermost parts of us even to give every man according to his ways and according to the fruit of his doings. Note in the previous verses 7 and 8. Blessed is the man that trusteth in the Lord, and whose hope the Lord is. For he shall be as a tree planted by the waters, and that spreadeth out her roots by the river, and shall not see when heat cometh nor her leaf but her leaf shall be green and shall not be careful in the year of drought neither shall cease from yielding fruit very similar to psalm one i won't turn to psalm one but it certainly comes to mind but what does this deceitful and above all what does desperately wicked mean well deceitful we know it's full of deceit confusion no deceit prevarication, putting up smoke screens something pretending to be something that it is not and we could do that with ourselves but desperately desperately in this context is woefully incurable woefully incurable the implication is it's lacking in any alternative but to be sinful It cannot be anything else.

It's our human nature. It's like the nature of a dog. The nature of a dog is to be a dog. A cat to be a cat. For dogs to chase cats sometimes, not all the time. But it's also the implications looking into this.

It has no alternative because of force of circumstance. Now what does that mean? The circumstance is that we are sinners. because we have walked contrary to God's word. There is no alternative but to be sinners because that's what we are by nature. I can often, I often remember many years ago in a church we used to go into Krakow that the minister, he was an elder, stood and he was talking about those who give appeals give your heart to Jesus and his next words what does Christ want with your heart? what does he want with your heart? seriously it's a sinful heart and he went on to say what the scripture said it's a stony heart he takes away your heart and gives you a heart of flesh when people say give your heart to Jesus I know what they mean I've said it myself but he's wrong The Lord Jesus Christ gives us a new heart, the heart of flesh. We must be very mindful of what we are, what the nature is.

It is to be sinful above all things, because that's what our souls, our certainly made my ears prick up when i heard those words it made everybody sit up but it's so true we have to look at ourselves carefully even as the lord's people to examine ourselves constantly before the word of god i make this want to make this point that historically where have many people or congregations started if you go back through history you might look at the books and the Testimonies of certain congregations over the years.

But where are they now? Where do they stand according to God's truth? Where do many people stand now who started started well as Paul said to the Galatians? In Galatians chapter 3 again words that we should know should know quite well. O foolish Galatians, who has bewitched you that you should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ had been evidently set forth, crucified among you? They started well, but now they've gone back to being seeing themselves not being under law but seeing themselves as under the law and Paul deals with that problem the Holy Spirit through Paul deals with that problem that has occurred in the church.

So as we come to consider the doctrine of Christ we are speaking of the only one who can deliver us from sin Jesus Christ not just Jesus not just Christ Jesus the Christ because he is the only one who can save because he's a holy God a righteous God and a just God He's the only one who can save man from their sins because He's the only one who is anointed to do so.

He cannot look upon sin. God cannot look upon sin. That's why He sent His only Son into the world to save us from our sins. I mentioned it before. He is God. He is of purer eyes than to behold evil. and canst not look on iniquity. Habakkuk 1 verse 13. Holiness is the nature of our God.

In Isaiah chapter 6 verses 1 to 3, if i can turn to it quickly, we In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw also the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple. Above it stood the seraphims. Each one had six wings, with twain he covered his face, and with twain he covered his feet, and with twain he did fly. And one cried unto another and said, Holy, holy, Holy is the Lord of hosts. The whole earth is full of His glory.

Personally, I see this as one of the verses that speak of the Trinity in the Old Testament. Holiness is the nature of God. He cannot look upon sin. Sin is no slight matter in the sight of God. When we look in the New Testament, we see the Lord Jesus Christ himself addressing the Father in the Lord's, what is called properly, the Lord's Prayer. John 17 verse 11.

And now I am no more in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to thee. Holy Father, keep through thine own name, those whom thou hast given me, that they may be one as we are. Holy Father, Christ is the Holy Son and yet he still addresses in reference for the Father, Holy Father, keep through thine own name.

What's the name of God? I am that I am. I believe, correct me if I'm wrong, it was Moses who said to, before the Lord when he was told to go back to the people of Israel, who shall I say sent me? And the Lord said to him, I am, that I am. And as I'm reading this, I'm remembering the Lord Jesus Christ on two occasions used those very words, I am.

Once when the talking to the Pharisees and that's why they wanted to stone him because he said I am but also when they came to arrest him and he said who seek you and they said Jesus of Nazareth and he said I am and they all fell back the only reason is because they heard the name of God Christ was using the name of God what I'm trying to say is he is a holy God He has a name that should bring fear, reverence in our hearts before him.

It's a huge subject, but if I could speak of just three quickly, three aspects of God, then His holiness, His justice, And we can see that from several verses in the scripture. You could think of Romans 3, 26, but I'll just turn to 1 John 1 verse 9. if we confess our sins he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness faithful and just that term comes up often just justice he can forgive us our sins but only because the penalty of the law breaking by men has been met by Christ and Christ alone not by our good works by Jesus Christ alone. We shall reference this a bit later on. He's a just God, faithful and just, but also he's a God of love. That's the characteristic also of God.

Love. John 4 verses 7 to 11. Beloved, let us love one another for love is of God, And every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God. He that loveth not knoweth not God, for God is love. In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only Son into the world, that we might live through him. here in his love not that we love god but he loved us and sent his son to be the propitiation for our sins beloved if god so loved us we ought also to love one another now it's important when we look at that term love that we that we that we don't think god loves everybody it's just not true we see in here that Those he loved, he gave his son to be a propitiation for their sin.

Again, I shall come to that.

But it's important for us to stand. God's love is constrained by his justice, his mercy, his holiness. He's not a God who can overlook sin. He does not overlook sin. when he sees us he sees us in christ and that's the only way he can see us i must move on when the lord looks at us then he sees us in christ he sees us in christ doesn't see us as ourselves i just give one reference for that then I say it's a passage I often turn to because it gives me great encouragement to see where my salvation rests it's not in myself Ephesians chapter 1 Verse 3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who has blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ according as he has chosen us in him that is in Christ before the foundation of the world that we should be holy and without blame before him in love notice that holy without blame there's justice that's because we are in Christ and we are seen in Christ his righteousness is ours and in love in love because God loved us and gave himself gave Christ to be propitiation for our sins and if so if we diminish any of the things I've mentioned I'm going to mention a few more here in a moment we're not just diminishing Christ we're diminishing our eternal inheritance if we think less of Christ as the hymn intonates we're thinking less of the provision that God has made for us and this provision is made for us for our good not for his good for our good And he's given us this testimony, this witness of himself, that we might have confidence in Christ, that we might sing praises to God, for he's worthy to receive all our praise. and the fact that we are in Christ as it says there in Ephesians is backed up in Colossians 1 verse 27 whom God to whom God would make known that's us who make known the riches of this mystery among the Gentiles which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.

This mystery has been revealed. I remember somebody came to our house on one occasion. I'd invited them, but it turns out they were in a cult. He said, there's only certain members of their church who this mystery of Christ. It wasn't Christian, but they thought they were. has been revealed it's only these people but this contradicts it it was a mystery generally to the world but in these last days the mystery of Christ is revealed and that mystery is Christ in you the hope of glory it's the ministry of the Holy Spirit in the souls of men there's a lot to be said and yes it is a mystery It's a mystery that you can't fathom without coming to the Word of God. Reason doesn't show you where this mystery comes from. Because today's reason is devoid of truth.

It's subject to man's understanding, which is fallen. But it is reasonable if we consider God's words. God's words are logical. Not the logic of the Greeks or the Romans, but the logic of God. it doesn't surpass logic it may go beyond what we can understand that's fair comment but it's only because we're not God if we were God we would understand everything we're not but blessed be God that he's given us this revelation and we have then this mystical union which again is spoken of not just in Colossians but in those other verses I've just picked a few 1 John 3 verse 24 and he that keepeth his commandments dwelleth in him that is in Christ and he in him that's by the Christ being in us And hereby we know that he abideth in us by the Spirit which he hath given us. The Holy Spirit testifies with our spirit that Christ is the Son of God. It is a mystery to the world and it may seem like mysticism. It's not mysticism.

It's revealed. It's the new birth of what John speaks of in John chapter 3 where Nicodemus and the Lord have that wonderful conversation where the Lord explains to Nicodemus the new birth. So what is the teaching concerning to Christ? What is the doctrine of Christ? Well I've got a somewhat of a list but I thought it was be good to look at the several aspects of the doctrine of Christ. Notice I don't say the doctrines of Christ, it's the doctrine.

It's all linked together. We might think of a diamond, many facets of a diamond. Look at it from a different angle, we might see different colours. Or one of my favourite illustrations is the wheel, a spoked wheel. You've got the hub, you've got the spokes, and you've got the rim. The hub I consider is the Trinity. The spokes I would consider in this light, the various aspects of the doctrine. And then we have the rim, which is the Church of God.

People. And if you take one spoke out of that wheel, eventually it will buckle, it will become weak. And that's what I believe has happened in many congregations. in many people as individuals they've taken a spoke out they've taken out one aspect of the doctrine of Christ and the wheel has become unbalanced the wheel has become weak and eventually it will break so just to look then first comment that is that Christ is God how many people deny that Christ is God many probably I don't know I don't walk in those circles not in the church but we have some references and the easiest one is Matthew chapter 1 verse 27 where the angel is speaking to joseph in a dream got that one wrong It says verse 23, my mistake. Behold a virgin shall be with child and shall bring forth a son and they shall call his name Immanuel.

And then we have the interpretation which being interpreted is God with us. God with us. And that indeed he is equal with God. John chapter 5 verse 18. Bear with me a moment. John chapter 5 verse 18 therefore the Jews sought the more to kill him because not only had he broken the Sabbath but said also that God was his father making himself equal with God Philippians chapter 2 also mentions in John 5 verse 50 no leave that he's being in the form of God thought it not to be robbery to be equal with God and then we have Micah chapter 5 verse 2 where it speaks of the Lord's beginnings it's not his beginnings but he's from from of old, from everlasting, Micah chapter 5. He's also the son of God at his baptism we have the Holy Spirit descending on him and John the Baptist saw this As the Lord came up out of the water, the Holy Spirit descended on him. Mark chapter 1 verse 10 and 11. And straight away coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens opened and the Spirit like a dove descending upon him.

And there came a voice from heaven saying, Thou art my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased this is God the son or the son of God mentions him in Psalm 2 Psalm 2 verse 7 I would declare the decree the Lord hath said unto me this is Christ speaking thou art my son this day have I begotten thee he is of God he is the son declared by God the father to be the God the son begotten of God from God doesn't mean he was born as we might consider it but he's The term is eternally coming from God.

It's something again that we might find difficult to understand, except when we deal with God we must understand. We have not a good understanding. Our understanding is subject to our own frailty, our fleshliness. But God says, I have begotten thee. That means he's from him. And being as God is eternal, God the Son is also eternal. Constantly. I don't even know if that's the right way. Let's just take it that he is from God. Hebrews 1 verse 5.

And again, I will be to him a father and he shall be to me a son. And again, when he bringeth in the first begotten into the world, he saith, and let all the angels of God worship him. And of the angels he saith, who maketh his angels spirits, and his ministers a flame of fire.

But unto the sun he saith, thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever, a sceptre of righteousness, is a sceptre of thy kingdom. we have the two natures of Christ. He is truly God and he is truly man. Philippians chapter 2 verse 8 and being found in fashion as a man he humbled himself and became obedient unto death even the death of the cross found in fashion as a man this is the word of the holy spirit through Paul to the Philippian church telling them and us in these last days whom Christ is found in fashion as a man 1 Timothy 3 16 without controversy great is the mystery of godliness notice the word there again great is the mystery of godliness God was manifest in the flesh, shown in the flesh, justified in the spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up to glory. We have in those two verses, that one verse, the two natures of Christ, the human nature and the fact that he is still God.

John 1, 14. that speaks of the beginnings the word was made flesh and dwelt amongst us and we beheld his glory the glory as of the only begotten of the father full of grace and truth his glory as the only begotten of the father God will not share his glory with another he must be God to have the glory of God he's also the Messiah the anointed one that's the fact that we call him the Christ John 4 verse 25 this is the woman at the well where the Lord speaks to her of who she is basically and the woman says I know that Messiah's cometh which is called Christ when he is come he will tell us all things and Christ reveals himself to this woman did reveal himself to everybody Jesus saith unto her I that speak unto thee am he he's telling her he is the anointed one from God the one who has come to save his people from their sins they knew what the Messiah was well to a point but he reveals himself plainly and clearly to her that he is indeed the one who would save his people from their sins they won't save themselves this is the message of the gospel Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners also in the end of John few times but it's a good verse for us to to understand to help us in our spiritual journey many other signs truly did jesus in the presence of his disciples which are not written in this book but these are written this is the purpose of them that ye might believe that jesus is the christ jesus is the christ the messiah the anointed one Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you might have life through his name. He speaks of Christ as a mediator.

He is a mediator between men, man and God. Mediator, excuse me, of a better covenant, it speaks of in Hebrews 8, 6, and the new covenant. which is the covenant of grace mentioned in Jeremiah chapter 31 Hebrews chapter 9 verse 15 and for this cause he is the mediator of the New Testament that by means of death for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the First Testament they which are called might receive the promise of an eternal inheritance that's to do with the fact that he died for the sins of his people those sins which are denominated under the old testament the law there's no grace in the law it's the ceremonial law that speaks towards christ but it is the New Testament where the sins of his people not the blood of goats and bulls but the blood of Christ the Redeemer these are the things that Christ has redeemed us from under the New Testament that we might receive the promise of an eternal inheritance in Christ.

He's a high priest. What does a high priest do? He's an intercede between us and God. He stands in our place because we cannot stand there. He's the denominated the high priest by God. to be one who can intercede for us and it speaks a lot on these matters in these chapters we have in the book of Hebrews Hebrews 7 verse 24 this man became because he continueth ever eternally hath an unchangeable priesthood, wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them with his blood. He stands between us and God. Again, as God sees us, he sees us in Christ. Christ as the great High Priest who has shed his blood for us. And that's the only way that we can be redeemed to God. by his blood.

That's the necessity of him coming as a man to bear the sins of his people. Hebrews 2 verse 17, Wherefore, in all things it behoved him to be made like unto his brethren, that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of his people. For in that he himself hath suffered, being tempted, he is able to succour them that are tempted. There's so much involved with the reality of Christ coming as a man but this is part of it that he knows our weakness, he knows our frame he's a high priest who can identify with the problems that we have not that he was sinful, he was not but he understood temptation he understood what it was to be a servant that's my next point but he is an understanding in all things and he is merciful he's a God who knows us intimately I the Lord try the rains he knows what we are and sometimes we feel we are so sinful that we cannot come before God well read this passage he's a merciful and faithful high priest he knows what we are while we were yet enemies Christ died for us enemies not nearly friends not halfway along the road while we were in enmity towards God hatred enmity is a very strong word actively opposing God sinful doing those things which are wicked in God's sight and it says I think it's in Romans 1 having pleasure in doing them as well But here we see the nature of Christ as the man-god.

You see in many places, and I'll just go to John 6, where we talk about the obedience of Christ, how it was necessary for Christ to be obedient unto God in all things, even the death upon the cross.

There are those who have said, I'm aware of it, I'm not worried who says it, I'm concerned what they say, that there are two wills in God. Christ has one will and God the Father has another. Well, John chapter 6, verse 38 and 39. I came down from heaven not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me. And this is the Father's will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day. and this is the will of him that sent me that everyone which seeth the son and believeth on him may have everlasting life and i will raise him up at the last day if you can remember what i said a bit earlier from the end chapter of john these things these miracles all these signs were done that we might believe that jesus is the christ and that believing we might have life in his name we must also think of imputation the sins of his people those who he intercedes for in John chapter 17 how he takes their sins upon him how God put our sins upon him Romans chapter 5 speaks of it 2 Corinthians 5 verse 21 I'll read from verse 20.

Now then we are ambassadors for Christ as though God did beseech you by us. We pray you in Christ's stead be you reconciled to God 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. that's a two-way imputation our sins placed upon Christ upon the cross and his obedience to the law his obedience even unto death was imputed to us that's the term that we use he's our peace we have the gospel of peace but Christ is the gospel and in Colossians chapter 1 there are other verses i'm just going through these quite quickly now we have peace through the blood of his cross and having made peace through the blood of his cross by him that is Christ to reconcile all things unto himself by him I say whether they be things in earth or things in heaven and you that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works yet now hath he reconciled brought into fellowship with God reconciliation to bring two parties that were apart from each other it's a legal term two parties were divided because of the Lord condemnation of the Lord now brought together through the blood of Christ's cross and that blood of his cross leads us lastly to propitiation propitiation and atonement Romans 3 verse 25 speaks of a propitiation through his blood to declare God's righteousness but we have it also in 1 John chapter 2 verse 2 and here's the propitiation for our sins and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world and 1 John 4 verse 10 here it is love not that we love God but that he loved us and sent his son to be the propitiation for our sins.

Propitiation. The word means that there is an atoning sacrifice. It's not just atonement. It is atonement, but there's more to it. It means there is a victim. That's the necessary use of the word sacrifice. Somebody for the wrath of God to be poured out upon. That's a propitiation. God's wrath has to have an object to rest upon. and it was upon Christ who as we have seen was our representative he stood in our place in the place of his people at Calvary and God's wrath poured out upon him there's so much to be said about that.

I've covered it before to a limited degree. But I want you to think about this. Atonement means restoring to divine favour. That's the word atonement. And it's often used in the Old Testament. It's only once used in the New Testament. I think it's Romans 5 verses 10. But Propitiation means more, as I've just said. It means wrath. Wrath of God has to be dealt with. If it's not dealt with, then we're not free. But God is just. We've read about that from the scripture. God is just. His wrath has been dealt with. It's been atoned for.

It's been propitiated. those pictures we have of the Old Testament they couldn't save those people from their sins only Christ and that was in the ceremonial and it all pointed to Christ and they were Old Testament saints let's do not deny that we have that in Hebrews chapter 11 but they were all looking to what and they believed God as Abraham did Abraham believed God and it was counted to him as righteousness Daniel believed God and I will say this he believed God and it was counted to him for righteousness Noah believed God and it was counted to him for righteousness building the ark to save eight souls picture of Christ but it all pointed to Christ but it's only Christ who could be the propitiation for our sins and in all these things that i've gone through i've gone through them quickly and each one is a is a large subject in itself but can you see where where we're coming from from the scripture you think of those spokes well i've only got 10 12 spokes here but think of there are many more spokes of aspects of the doctrine of christ and how often how often is one of these spokes taken out Whosoever transgresseth and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ hath not God. How much do we take out of the wheel before it starts to collapse? But he that abideth in the doctrine of Christ hath both the Father and the Son.

Do you believe all these things? Do I understand them?

You may be a young believer. and some of these things you may have only heard of or a very limited understanding of but we're speaking here those who deny the doctrine of Christ deny that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh to deny these to be actively opposing them is to deny one of the aspects of Christ coming in the flesh and I trust that well maybe that you've seen as I've gone through them that they most of these in fact all of them hang together they're not all apart they're not separate things those spokes they make the wheel the hub the rim all make the wheel but to deny any of this as people do maybe it's because of ignorance they don't understand it well that's one thing but to be actively opposed especially when we come to the fact that Christ is God or the son of God or that he is a propitiation is a law keeper all these things to be actively opposed to that is to deny that Jesus is the Christ the phrase that people use the answer's on the tin, it's in the tin Jesus Christ is coming in the flesh these are all aspects of Christ coming in the flesh that we might have that is God's people we might have eternal life believing we might have life in his name but also that great blessing the knowledge of sins forgiven clear conscience before God may the Lord grant us understanding of these things and that we might look deeper into them they're a comfort for the soul to know that God has taken care of the sins of his people it means we have the liberty under the gospel not to sin but to worship God and to praise God to offer up as I've covered before that sacrifice of praise which is acceptable to God and which is one might say that is our main duty as the Lord's people is to worship God as God and Jesus Christ his son.

I haven't mentioned much of the Spirit, the Holy Spirit is just as much God as the other, but when he cometh, as said the Lord, he won't speak of himself but he will speak of Christ. Well, how does Christ dwell in us? By his Spirit. That's the That's the one who gives us the new birth, works in us, takes away our heart of stone and grants us a heart of flesh.

There's a lot to consider, I know, but may we all go on to have deeper understanding of these things. Not that we become theologians, that wouldn't be a bad idea at all, but that we might have greater knowledge of what God has done for us in Christ. and that should bring greater depth to our praise and to our prayers and to our understanding and also in our speaking of Christ to those who are still in their sins. May the Lord help us, may he help you to make sense of what I said this morning, but all to God's glory, not mine, to God's glory. sola dei gloria, solely to the glory of God and to our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.