God's Unspeakable Gift

Q: What does the Bible say about God's unspeakable gift?

The Bible teaches that God's unspeakable gift is Christ Jesus, who brings redemption and spiritual blessings to believers. In 2 Corinthians 9:15, Paul gives thanks to God for His unspeakable gift, which refers to Jesus Christ. This gift is so precious that it transcends human words; it is through Christ that believers receive redemption, grace, and access to spiritual blessings as highlighted in Ephesians 1:3-7. He is the culmination of God's plan for salvation, serving as the perfect substitute who fully satisfied God's justice by paying the penalty for sin.

Q: How do we know Christ's sacrifice was sufficient for salvation?

Christ's sacrifice was sufficient because it fulfilled God’s righteous demands and provided perfect atonement for His people. Christ's sufficiency is rooted in His role as the substitute for sin, which is emphasized in Romans 5:8 where Paul states that God demonstrated His love by having Christ die for us while we were still sinners. Additionally, Philippians 2:8 confirms that Christ humbled Himself and became obedient to death, thus meeting the requirements of the law. Through His death, believers are justified and saved from God's wrath, affirming that Christ's sacrifice was not just adequate, but perfect, allowing those chosen before the foundation of the world to be reconciled to God.

Q: Why is understanding total depravity important for Christians?

Understanding total depravity helps Christians recognize their need for God's grace and the sufficiency of Christ for salvation. Total depravity indicates that every aspect of humanity is affected by sin, as outlined in Romans 5:12 which states that sin entered the world through one man, Adam, and death through sin. This doctrine reveals humanity’s inability to achieve righteousness on their own and underscores the necessity of reliance on God’s grace. As illustrated in Jeremiah 17:9, the human heart is deceitful and wicked, leading to the recognition that salvation cannot come from human effort but solely through faith in Christ, who fulfills all righteousness on behalf of His elect.

Q: What does it mean to be chosen in Christ before the foundation of the world?

Being chosen in Christ before the foundation of the world signifies God's sovereign election of His people for salvation. The concept of being chosen in Christ before the foundation of the world, as declared in Ephesians 1:4, speaks to God's sovereign purpose in salvation. It emphasizes that before creation, God selected certain individuals to be holy and blameless before Him. This doctrine of election affirms God's initiative in salvation, contrasting with the notion that humans can earn their standing before God. It highlights the incredible grace and mercy of God, as He predestines believers to be adopted as His children through Jesus Christ, according to His will and pleasure.

If you have your Bibles this morning, if you would, please turn to 2 Corinthians chapter 9. 2 Corinthians chapter 9. And we're going to look at verse 15. I've titled this message, God's Unspeakable Gift. And our text is going to be taken from verse 15. It says, Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift. I think most of us know this morning that we're talking about Christ Jesus, our Lord. In Hebrews, Our Lord said, I lo, I come in the volume of the book. It is written of me to do thy will, O God.

You know, the gift of Christ to believers is so precious and beyond human description that it's beyond words that a man could ever come up with. For Christ Jesus, he is the giver of every gift. He is the fountain of all blessings. And he is the sinner's only hope.

In Revelation, Christ says, I am Alpha and Omega. I am the beginning and the end. I am the first and the last. It says in Hebrews, God's word says, looking unto Jesus, the offer and the finisher of our faith. Christ finished the work of redeeming his people. And the Bible says that we are complete. in Christ.

You know, when the Apostle Paul speaks of the unsearchable rarities of Christ in Ephesians 3.8, he is describing an infinite, inexhaustible spiritual blessings, grace, and the worth that is found in Christ Jesus, our Lord. And they are beyond human comprehension and capacity to fully measure or understand, and they are all given freely to the believer. We're going to look at who he is and why God sent him into this world. But before we look at the fall of man and God's unspeakable gift to redeem man, let's look just for a while at the beginning.

You know, the Bible says, in the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. In John, it says, that the word created all things, the one and the same God. And the word became flesh and the royal among us. And we beheld his glory, the glory as it only begotten of the Father. full of proof and grace.

But the reason I'm speaking is, in today's world that we live in, natural man has no regard for God, and there's no fear in him for a holy God, and in our hearts. And false religion has man helping God to accomplish his will. During eternity's past, before the beginning, God, in the unity of his nature, equal in three divine persons, he dwelt all along, and this is a God that we worship. He was self-contained, self-sufficient, self-satisfied, and he was in need of nothing. Hebrews, the Bible says, Jesus Christ the same yesterday, today, and forever. God was under no constraint, no obligation, no necessity to create.

That he chose to do so was purely a sovereign act on his part, caused by nothing outside of himself, and was determined by nothing outside of himself. And he did it for the pleasure of his own good will. It says, for he worketh all things after the counsel of his own.

That's in Ephesians 111. Psalms 90, it says, before the mountains were brought forth, or were eaten ever, thou hast formed the earth and the world. And listen to this, even from everlasting to everlasting thou art God. Nehemiah says, stand up, speaking of our Lord, stand up and bless the Lord your God forever and ever, and blessed be thy glorious name, which is exalted above all blessings and praise. You know, we're just scratching the surface of who the unsearchable gift is that God provided for his elect. But before we get to our message of God's unspeakable gift and why it was necessary for God to provide him, we want to look at one more verse of scripture that describes our Lord.

If you would, turn to Romans 11. Romans 11, verse 33. And like I said before, we cannot even begin to understand the wisdom in the death of the riches. It says here in verse 33, over death of the riches, both of the wisdom and the knowledge of God, how unsearchable are his judgments and his ways past finding out. For who hath known the mind of the Lord?

For who hath been his counselor? For who hath first given to him, and it shall be repented unto him again? And listen to this. For of him, and to him, and to him are all things, to whom be glory forever and ever. You know what this is saying here is, it's impossible to bring the Almighty God under obligations to the creature. God gains nothing from us, for He is glorious all by Himself. That He did create was simply for a demonstration or a visible reality of His glory.

We want to look at who this man is. If you will, turn to Ephesians chapter 1. And we're just scratching the surface of it. Look at verse 3 through 7, Ephesians 1. It says, blessed be the God and the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. who have blessed us, and let's notice how many times the word us is spoken of in these verses.

He's speaking of his elect, those that he, the Father placed in Christ before the foundation of the world. But he says, blessed be the God and the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who have blessed us with all spiritual blessings in the heavenly places in Christ, according as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love, having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself according to the good pleasure of his will, to the praise of the glory of his grace wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved. and whom we have redemption through his blood for forgiveness of sins according to the riches of his grace." It's unspeakable, his love is. But it says here, speaking of Christ here, Did he accomplish the will that the father sent him to do? And that was to save his people from their sins. You know, all the seed of Adam has sins in them, even the elect.

But if you will, look for a minute here at Philippians, speaking of Christ Jesus again. Did he satisfy, when he come as a substitute, did he satisfy God and his work? that he died for the salvation of his people in Philippians 2, verse 5. Philippians 2, verse 5.

It says here, Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God, but made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men. And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.

Wherefore, God hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow at things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father.

What that is saying here, What that is saying here is that it is impossible to bring God under obligation to the creature. God gains nothing from us, as I said before. But you know, speaking of Christ, we're going to look at one more place right here as to who he is and how gracious he is, how loving he is, how powerful he is, and who he is. In Colossians chapter 1, look at verse 16. I was in false religion for most of my life. And you wouldn't believe it, the ridiculous things that man would say that he was able to help God with.

But in verse 16 it says, for by him were all things created that are in heaven and that are in earth visible and invisible. Whether they be thrones or dominions or principalities or powers, all things were created by him And who for it? They were created for him. And he is before all things, and by him all things consist.

You know, back in the 90s, Scientists sent a telescope into outer space, a space telescope called Hubble. And for the last 30-some years, it's been sending back information about outer space. Well, you know, according to scientists, we live in the Milky Way galaxy. And there's billions of stars in the Milky Way galaxy. And outside the Milky Way galaxy, it's been determined that there are trillions of more galaxies.

And our Lord looks down from all of them, because he created all of them. You know, God is God. And God's word says in 1 John, verse 33, that by our heaven, by a record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost, and these three are one." So we see that God is absolute sovereign, and that he chose to create, and it was caused by nothing outside of himself. but was determined by nothing more than his own good pleasure. Now we're going to look at just one of the creatures that he created, and that creature is man. The Bible says in Genesis, after God had created all that was upon the earth, God said in Genesis 1, let us make man in our image after our likeness, so God created man in his own image. And the image of God created he him. Male and female, created he them. Then God took that man, he placed him in the garden, digressed it, and he had full access of everything in the garden. But God placed only one commandment upon him. He said, but a decree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it. For the day that thou eat of it, thou shalt surely die.

And what does Adam do? He breaks God's commandment. And as soon as Adam broke his commandment, he died spiritually. You know, God's commandment to Adam, he died spiritually, and then physical death would follow, because it says that the penalty for sin is death. You know what happened in the garden? Man became a dying creature. He lost fellowship with God. At one time, he had fellowship with God. He walked with God. He was holy until he transgressed. God's word says that he was cast out of the garden. Man lost his righteous nature.

Adam, eaten from the crib of knowledge of good and evil, was a direct violation of God's command, incorporating a breaking of divine law. Well, you know, someone may say, well, he just broke one law. He just broke one commandment. And you know, but in James it says, but whosoever shall keep the whole law and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all of it. So man became an ungodly creature, a transgressor, a lawbreaker, a sinner.

Romans 5 explains that Adam's disobedience introduced both sin and death to all of humanity. For a minute, let's look at Romans 5. Look at verse 12. It starts out, therefore, but we're gonna look at the therefore here a little bit later. Then it goes on to say, as by one man, sin entered into the world, and death by sin, and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned.

And then in Jeremiah, when he talks about man, he says that the heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked, who can know it? God can know it. What does Jesus Christ himself say about man? If you will, look at Mark 7, chapter 7. And this is Christ himself speaking. And this is why God the Lamb thanks God for His unspeakable gift. Look at verse 21 of Mark 7.

It says, for from within, out of the heart of man, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fortifications, murderers, thieves, covenants, wickedness, deceit, deceiveness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness. Christ goes on to say, all these evil things come from within, and they defile the man. You know, all of God's sheep that has been called out are not without sin, because it's who we are. It's our nature. Isaiah says that we are all as an unclean thing, and all of our righteousness are as filthy rags.

And one might say, well, no, I think I'm a pretty good old guy. I take care of my family. I have a good job, and I help people, and I help the poor people and all that. I don't know. I think I'm all right. But you know God's word says in 1 John, if we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. And it goes on to say that if we say that we have not sinned, we make him, we make God a liar, and his word is not in us. And David himself said in Psalms 51, David said, behold, I was shapen in iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceive me. And all of God's sheep that has been called out, they can relate to what Paul says in the book of Romans. Let's look at Romans 7 for a minute. Just turn over a few pages. Verses 18 and 19. And this was after Paul's conversion. And we all can relate to this.

He says, for I know that in me, that is in my flesh, dwelleth no good thing. For the will is present with me, but how to perform that which is good I find not. For the good that I would, I do not, but the evil which I would not, that I do. Now if I do that, I would not, it is no more I that do it, but it is sin that dwelleth in me.

You know, man has changed. Man is not holy anymore. You know, God's word says that there is none good, no, not one. But you know the God of the Holy Scriptures, he demands that if a man is going to have fellowship with a living God, he has to keep the whole law perfectly, all of his commandments perfectly. Just for a second, let's look at the book of Deuteronomy. Like I said, God has not changed. Deuteronomy 10. Deuteronomy chapter 10. As I said, God is not changed.

Look at verse 12. And this is what God demands of men. And now, Israel, beginning in verse 12. And now, Israel, what doth the Lord thy God require thee but to fear the Lord thy God, to walk in all his ways, and to love him, and to serve the Lord thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul, and to keep the commandments of the Lord and his statutes which I command thee this day for thy good?

You know, God's law hasn't changed. His attributes, his promises, his purpose. God doesn't change. For it plainly says in the Bible, it says in Malachi, for I am the Lord, I change not. And then it says in Isaiah, the grass withereth and the flower fadeth, but the word of our God shall stand forever.

You know, according to God's word, I've got to live a whole lifetime of perfect obedience, perfect holiness, perfect righteousness, and total submission to a holy God that is righteous in all of His ways. And we know that there is no way that a man, because we look at ourselves and we see the sin that is in us, there is no way that any man that has been born of the seed of Adam can do that.

So what can we do about our salvation? I sum it up in one word, nothing. We can't do a thing. We can't do a thing. You know, the disciples of Christ Jesus, they asked him in Matthew. He said, who can be saved? And our Lord Jesus Christ, what was his reaction? What did he say? He said, with man, it is impossible.

But with God, all things are possible. Let's go back to Romans 5. With God, all things is possible. You know, we read that verse 12 earlier, but let's look at verses 8 to 11. I love it when it says, but God, you know, we're helpless creatures and there's nothing we can do about it. But God, in verse 8, but God commanded his love. What did he command?

His love toward us, and that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him. For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his son, much more being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life. And not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement. I thank God for that. You know, I thank God. The only mediator between God and man is Christ. You know, it says here, but God commanded his love toward us.

And when he says us, he's talking about his elect. He showed, he demonstrated his love while we were yet sinners. Also in verse six it says that Christ came to die for who? The ungodly. By his blood we are justified. Christ experienced the full wrath of God at Calvary for his alleged. And unlike the religious world says today, the false religious world, Christ died for only those whom the Father had placed in Him before the foundation of the world. The last time I was in an Armenian church, a preacher got up behind my pulpit and said that hell is full of people that God loves. That's ridiculous.

In John 6, 39, Christ said, 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 the last day. And again in John 18 our Lord says, of them which thou givest me have I lost none. And then here in verse 10, it says, we shall be saved by his life. You know, Christ said, I didn't come into this world to destroy the law.

I come in it to fulfill it. You know, in Christ, in his death, he became our substitute. And he satisfied God's justice by paying our sin debt. And then in his life, he became a representative, and Christ fulfilled and obeyed the law of God completely in every way. And we are kept, and I'm talking about those that are in Christ, we are kept and sustained by the intercessory work of a man, Jesus Christ, our Lord. In Christ, God's elected. They have a perfect obedience. They have a perfect righteousness. They have a perfect holiness. in God, because of God, in Christ Jesus.

You know, God's word says in the book of Jude, you know, sometimes, you know, we think, well, you know, I try to do good, I can keep myself, but we can't keep ourself. I heard a preacher say one time, and it applies to me too, if I had to keep myself, I'd fall a thousand times every day. We sin each and every day of our lives. But I love what it says in Jude, speaking of Jesus Christ, it says unto him, It is able to keep us. It is Christ that keeps us from falling.

It's not we ourselves. And it says to present you followers before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy, that the only wise God, our Savior, be glory and majesty, dominion, and power, both now and ever. Amen. You know, in Ephesians, It says, for by grace are you saved through faith and not of yourselves. And I know we all know it and we repeat it a lot. But there's something to think about. It's not grace in and of itself that saves. It is God acting in grace. And then it's not faith in and of itself that saves us, but it's the object of that faith. Faith didn't die for the elect, Christ did. It is God who saves, it is God who justifies, it's God who redeems. And how did he do that? He did that. by becoming a man.

God's word says in the book of Matthew, Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted, is God with us. And I thank God for that. You know, when we look at that verse, when we look at that verse, for by grace are you saved through faith, and that not of yourselves, it's a gift of God. You know, it would be appropriate to say this right here, for by Christ are we saved through Christ, and that not of yourselves, it is a gift of God. And I thank God for that.

I'm going to read a scripture here. You don't have to turn. But I want to read one more scripture here. I'm about done. It says, in the little book of Micah, listen to this. It says, who is a God like unto thee that pardoned iniquity and passeth by the transgressions of the remnant of his heritage? He's talking about his electure.

He retaineth not his anger forever, because he delighteth in mercy. He will turn again, and he will have all compassion upon us. He will subdue our iniquities, and he will cast all their sins into the depths of the sea. Now, if that don't bring joy to you, nothing will. You know, and in Romans, it says that nothing can separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. And all of God's people say thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift. You're dismissed.

God's Unspeakable Gift

Key Quotes

What does the Bible say about God's unspeakable gift?

How do we know Christ's sacrifice was sufficient for salvation?

Why is understanding total depravity important for Christians?

What does it mean to be chosen in Christ before the foundation of the world?

Sermon Transcript

Comments

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God's Unspeakable Gift

Key Quotes

What does the Bible say about God's unspeakable gift?

How do we know Christ's sacrifice was sufficient for salvation?

Why is understanding total depravity important for Christians?

What does it mean to be chosen in Christ before the foundation of the world?

Sermon Transcript

Comments

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