Well, it is indeed my honor to
be with you this evening, see so many friends that I've known
for 30 years. First time I stood before many
of you, I looked much different. Some of you made comments on
my hairdo. And 30 years ago, I was just
30 years old. And many of you were my friends
of many, many years. And I appreciate you so much,
your faithfulness to the gospel, your commitment to the gospel
of God's saving, sovereign grace in Christ. Let's take our Bible
and find 2 Corinthians. 2 Corinthians chapter 1. 2 Corinthians chapter 1. And I do pray the Lord be pleased
to Give me strength and wisdom to deliver this message. I've
got the message. There's no doubt about that.
The message is Christ. I've got the message. I pray
the Lord to give me strength and wisdom to deliver it this
evening unto you. 2 Corinthians chapter 1, notice
verse 20. Verse 20. For all the promises of God in
him that is in our Lord Jesus Christ. All the promises of God
in Him are yes. They are true, certain, and sure
because they're in Him. They're in Him. Amen. So be it. It is true. Amen. And it's unto, unto the glory
of God by us. Now, I'm taking the title for
the message from verse 20, and we'll mainly spend our time on
verse 20. All the promises of God. All
the promises of God. Now, if you go back for a moment
to verse 15, when Paul closes that first epistle in chapter
16, he mentions about coming back to preach the gospel to
them again. He had spent the first time there
18 months. But he said, the Lord willing, I'll come back. Look
at verse 15 now, and in this confidence I was minded to come
unto you before, that you might have a second benefit, or having
the privilege of hearing the gospel again. And to pass by
you into Macedonia, and to come again out of Macedonia unto you,
and of you to be brought on my way toward Judea. When I therefore
was thus minded," that was his mind, that was his want to, that
was his longing and desire to be back with these believers.
He said, was I speaking with likeness and levity? Did I use
likeness or the things that I purposed? Do I purpose according to the
flesh that with me there should be? Well, I said yes, but really
in my heart, really I meant no. Is that what you thought? But
as God is true, verse 18. As God is true, and He is, our
Word or our preaching, our doctrine toward you was not yes and no,
yea and nay. For the Son of God, Jesus Christ,
who was preached among you by us, even by me and Silas and
Timothy, it was not yea and nay preaching. It was not yea and
nay, but in Him, that is, in our Lord Jesus Christ. God has
put in the Lord Jesus Christ all spiritual blessings. In Him
was absolutely true. Yes. All the promises of God,
in Him. I like that phrase, in Him. In
Him are yes. And in Him, so be it, true. Unto the glory of God by us. Paul had spent 18 months in Corinth. You remember early on, he thought
about leaving that town, and God said, don't leave. I've got
much people in this city. And the Lord used this man's
ministry in calling out his people. He had one message. He said,
I'm determined not to know anything among you but Jesus Christ and
Him crucified. Look at chapter 4, verse 5. Chapter
4, verse 5. For we preach, not ourselves.
But Christ Jesus the Lord, and ourselves your servants for Christ's
sake, for his sake, for God who commanded the light to shine
out of darkness, has shined in our hearts to give the light
of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ."
His message was the Lord Jesus Christ, his person and his work.
He said, I'm determined to know nothing among you but Christ
and him crucified. Although Paul was desirous, come
back and preach to these people and to see them and to fellowship
and worship with them one more time. In the purpose of God,
in the providence of God, as far as we know, he never did
come back. And because he never returned, some of the enemies
of the gospel began to slander Paul, accuse him of not being
true to his word or even questioning whether he did preach the truth. As he says in verse 17, as he
defends himself against their baseless charges, do you think
I make decisions so carelessly, so lightly, according to the
flesh, without praying unto God and seeking God's purpose, without
asking the will of God in the matter, telling you yes, when
in my heart really I knew that I wasn't going to come. He desired,
you know he had a desire to see them again and to be with them
again and to preach the gospel again unto them. As he says in
verse 18, as surely as God is true and faithful, he is faithful
that promised, unchanging in his purpose. As God is true and
faithful and unchanging, it means exactly what he says. Even so,
our preaching was not yea and nay preaching. Our preaching,
our message, Paul said, I've never changed my message. It's
one message, Christ and Christ alone, Christ and him alone. is all of our message, all of
our hope. Notice over in chapter 3 verse
12, saying then that we have such hope. Our hope is a good
hope through grace in Christ. We use great plainness, plainness
of speech, plainness, plainness of preaching Christ and Him crucified
as all of salvation. Look down at verse 19, for the
Son of God Jesus Christ. Who is the Lord Jesus Christ? He's God Almighty who was preached
among you by us, Silas, Timothy. It was not yea and nay preaching. The gospel of the Lord Jesus
Christ that we have here in God's Word is not a deceptive gospel. It's not a misleading message.
It plainly states the problem. We just read it a moment ago.
In Adam, all sinned. In Adam, all died. It clearly
states the problem. We have a sin problem. Born in
sin. Shaken in iniquity. But thank
God the Gospel message doesn't leave us there. It defines the
problem. But thank God it gives us the
remedy. The only remedy for sin. Clearly
pointing out the remedy. is the Lord Jesus Christ. God
made Him sin for us who knew no sin, that we might be made
the righteousness of God in Him. Yes, we know the problem, S-I-N. Yes, we know the remedy, the
Lord Jesus Christ, putting away our sin by the sacrifice of Himself. Our preaching of the gospel,
Paul says, was not questionable preaching. It wasn't yea and
nay. It wasn't a maybe or perhaps or could be. and sure, and it
is a gospel to be preached, and my friend, it is a gospel to
be declared, and it is a gospel to be believed before God. All the promises of God in Christ
are amen, certain, and sure. You remember what David said
in his last words concerning the gospel covenant? God hath
made with me an everlasting covenant, ordered in all things, And this
is sure, this is all my hope, this is all my desire, Christ
and that everlasting covenant of grace. In 2 Peter chapter
1, Peter writes about the word of God. He says, we have a more
sure word of prophecy. You do well to take heed as unto
a light that shineth in a dark place. Salvation is a Faith,
salvation is by the grace of God received by faith that it
might be by grace that the promise might be sure to all the seed,
all the elect. Look again at verse 20. For all
the promises of God in Him are yes. All the promises of God
in Him are yes and in Him, amen. All the promises of God in Him. I like what we read just over
across the page from where we read in Romans chapter 5, don't
turn back, let me just read it in Romans 4, talking about Abraham
and the promise of God. He staggered not at the promise
of God through unbelief, but was strong in faith, giving glory
to God, being fully persuaded. This is my persuasion. Being
fully persuaded what he had promised, what God had promised, he's able
to perform, able also to perform all things. I'm persuaded he's
able. He's able to save the uttermost,
all that come to God by Him. He's able to keep us from falling
and to present us faultless before the presence of God's glory with
exceeding joy. All these precious promises we
have. Hold your place there and find 2 Peter 1. 2 Peter chapter 1. I love to read
the promises of God. You know, His whole book is His
promise to His people. I mean, we don't just have to
pick and choose. All the Word of God is His promise unto His
people. 2 Peter 1, verse 3, according
as His divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain
unto life and godliness through the knowledge of Him that hath
called us to glory and virtue, whereby are given unto us promises. Promises. I like the words that
precede that. and precious promises, that by
these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, the sinless
nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through
lust." Oh, I tell you, the exceeding great and precious promises we
have in the blessed Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. All the promises
of God in Him are yes. What kind of promises are we
talking about? Let me remind you of a few and ask you these
questions. Is there salvation? Now, I need
salvation. Is there salvation in the Lord
Jesus Christ? Is that a yea or nay question
to you? Huh? Is there salvation in the Lord
Jesus Christ? What do you say? Yes. Yes. Neither is there salvation in
any other, for there's no other name under heaven given among
men. whereby we must be saved. Whatever salvation is, I know
what it is. I know who it is. It's in the
person, the Lord Jesus Christ. So is there salvation in Him?
Yes. Is there pardon? Is there pardon in the Lord Jesus
Christ? We read in that prayer of Nehemiah,
Nehemiah 9, verse 17, where it says, Thou art a God ready to
pardon. Is there pardon from all sin?
Yes. in Christ Jesus. Is there pardon
from sin? Yes. Listen to this promise,
Isaiah 55. Let the wicked forsake his way,
the unrighteous man his thoughts. Let him return unto the Lord,
and he will have mercy upon him. To our God, for he will abundantly,
he will, what? Abundantly pardon. God is gracious. He delights to show mercy. Is
there pardon in the Lord Jesus Christ? Yes. Yes. Is there salvation in Him? Yes.
Is there justification in Christ? It's not a yea or nay question.
Not to a believer. Is there justification in the
Lord Jesus Christ? Absolutely yes. One of my favorite
verses in Scripture, Romans 3, 24, being justified freely by
His grace through the redemption of the Lord Jesus Christ. So
there is justification from all sin in Christ. There is therefore
now no condemnation to those who are in Him, being justified
by His grace freely. Is there forgiveness of sin in
the Lord Jesus Christ? To the believer, it's not a yea
or nay question. Yes, yes, there is forgiveness
of sin. Ephesians 1 says, in whom we
have redemption. through his blood, the forgiveness
of sin according to the riches of his grace. Is there righteousness
in the Lord Jesus Christ? Oh, my soul, yes. He's the Lord,
our righteousness. Blessed is the man whom the Lord
imputed righteousness without, I like that part, without work,
saying, blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, whose
sins are covered. Blessed is the man whom the Lord
will not impute. saying, is there righteousness
in Christ? Absolutely. He is the Lord, our
righteousness. I could go on and on with this.
It's an endless subject. Is there reconciliation in the
Lord Jesus Christ? My soul, God, was in Christ reconciling
us unto Himself. Is there regeneration in Him? Yes. If any man be in Christ,
he's a new creature. Old things are passed away. Behold,
all things have become new. You see, the point is, yes, God
hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in the heavenlies in
the Lord Jesus Christ. He's made unto us, but of Him
are you in Christ Jesus, who is made unto us wisdom, righteousness,
sanctification, and redemption. All in Him, yes, and in Him,
amen, and to the glory of God by Christ Jesus. Now, here's
four things. That's my introduction. Here's
four things. Number one, look at the text
again. Look at verse 20 carefully. All
the promises, where they originate from, where they come from, of
God. You see that? Of God. Point number
one. The promises are of God. They originate can come from
and proceed from the throne of grace under His covenant people. They proceed from Him. Romans
11 says this, covers all the bases. Of Him and through Him
and to Him are all things to whom be the glory both now and
forever. And then that next word is the
same word here, Amen. Amen unto the glory of God. Now,
all these promises are of God. They are according to His eternal
will, according to His eternal purpose, which He purposed in
Christ Jesus before the foundation of the world. It says, "...in
whom we have an inheritance, being predestinated according
to the purpose of Him, who worketh all things after the counsel
of His own will." He does according to His will in the army of heaven
and among the inhabitants of this earth, and you know what? Nobody can change His will. Nobody can stay His hand. He's
Almighty God, Sovereign, Absolute, Eternally. He never changes.
He's always been that way. These promises are according
to His eternal will and purpose that cannot change. Secondly,
they display the qualities of our God who gave them. They are
true as God Himself is true. You know, it is impossible for
God to lie. All the promises of God given
in the Word can be trusted and believed because they are from
Him. God is true. Of His own will
beget He us with the Word of truth. His Word can be trusted,
believed, received, relied upon at all times. Trust him. He is a refuge for us. Something
else about these qualities of the promises that God has given
unto us. They're true and they're unchanging. They're unchanging because God
never changes. He said, I'm the same yesterday,
today and forever. He said, I'm the Lord. I've changed
not. Therefore, you sons of Jacob, you're not consumed. They're
unchanging. Not only that, they're powerful. It shall never be said that God
failed to keep his promise." Now, he's made a lot of promises.
Not one word of his promise will ever fail. I can make good on
that. The last words of Joshua recorded
in Joshua 23, don't turn, let me just read it to you. He said,
I'm going the way of all the earth. And you know that in your
heart and in your soul, not one good thing has failed. of all
the good things which the Lord hath spoken, all have come to
pass." Everything God says, it's done. He said, I commanded, and
it stood fast. I spake, and it came to pass,
certain and sure. He said, I've spoken it, I bring
it to pass, I've purposed it, I will do it. Not only that,
but they're eternal. They're eternal. God, everything
He gives unto His people, He gives us eternal life. He's obtained
for us eternal redemption. He's clothed us with everlasting
salvation. Whatsoever God doeth, you remember
that promise over in Ecclesiastes? Whatsoever God doeth, it shall
be forever. No man can put anything to it
and no one can take anything from it. God doeth it that men
should fear before Him. I like that, don't you? Oh, it
gives me comfort. His word, his promise, his oath,
his covenant never changes. It's true, it's certain, it's
sure. He never fails in any aspect of any covenant promise. So they're
of God, right? These promises are of God. Can
they be trusted? Yes. Yes. Can they be relied
upon? Absolutely. Yes. Here's number
two. Notice the range and dimension
and scope of these promises. In this word, all the promises
of God. The range and scope and dimension
of these promises. There's not a need that this
center has that the promises found in the gospel don't completely
cover and provide for my every need that I have. This ought
to give every center great encouragement to look to the Lord Jesus Christ
to supply every need. You remember that promise in
Philippians 4 verse 19, but my God shall supply all your need,
singular, my God shall supply all your need according to his
riches in glory through, guess what, through the Lord Jesus
Christ. That's a precious promise. Of
his fullness have we all received grace for grace. He is Jehovah
Jireh, the Lord will provide. In Him dwells all the fullness
of the Godhead bodily, and in Christ we stand complete in Him. Nothing like it. He meets my
every need that I have. You say, well, preacher, you
just don't know how bad my case is. By nature, I'm ungodly. Well, I'd be encouraged if that's
what you really think of yourself. I'd be encouraged, because we
just read a moment ago, when we were yet without strength,
the Lord Jesus Christ died for the ungodly. Can you come in
there? Can you identify with that work?
Boy, I can. You say, well, preacher, you
just don't know how naked and guilt I am before the holy justice
of God. Boy, I hope you do know that. But do you know what the promise
of the gospel is in Isaiah 61? He clothed me with the garments
of salvation. He covered me with a robe of
righteousness. I like that. You say, well, preacher,
you just don't know how hard-hearted I am. Yeah, you're just like
I am, cut from the same cloth, born to the same fallen seed,
Adam. You see, I'm hard-hearted, hard
of unbelief. But in the gospel, he's promised
to take away our stony heart and give us a new heart. A new
heart, a heart that loves him, a heart that looks unto him,
a heart that sees in him that he's altogether lovely. You say,
by nature, well, you know, I'm dead in sin. By nature, that's
all of us. The promise of the gospel is
this, you happy quicken who were dead. in trespasses and in sin. But God, who was rich in mercy
for His great love, wherewith He loved us, even when we were
dead, hath quickened us together with Christ Jesus, and made us
sit together in the heavenly in Him." That's a good promise, isn't
it? Well, I can find comfort there. You say, by nature, I
don't have saving faith. You're right. Men by nature love
darkness, not light. But the Lord Jesus Christ is
exalted to give faith and give repentance unto His people. This
is the work of God that you might believe on Him. Faith is not
something that blooms in us naturally. It's the sovereign gift of God.
Arthur Fink called it something exotic. It doesn't bloom in your
heart by nature. God plants it there by His sovereign
hand. And when He does, it will bloom. I think of that verse over there
in 1 John 5, if I can think of it. Whosoever believeth that
Jesus is the Christ, born of God. You don't believe to be
born. You believe because you can't
help it. You've been begotten of God. Faith is the fruit of
life in Christ Jesus. Are you weary and heavy laden
with guilt and sin? Well, that's me. I, Lord Jesus
Christ, says, come unto me and I'll give you rest. Take my yoke
upon you. Oh, it's easy. You'll find rest
for your soul. Are you thirsty for the water
of life? The Lord Jesus Christ said, if any man thirst, let
him come unto me and drink. Isaiah 55, O everyone that's
thirsty, come ye to the waters. He that hath no money, come,
buy ye, yea, come. Without money, kind of strange
economics, isn't it? Come without money and without
price. And by, yes, it's a free gift of God. Everyone that's
thirsty, he said, come, come. Are you hungry for salvation?
It's God who gave you a hunger. It's God who gave you a thirst.
The Lord Jesus Christ is the bread of life. He said, come
unto me. Those who come to me shall never
hunger. He that believeth on me shall
never thirst. Are you full of leprosy? Are
you a leper? I mean, through and through.
I hope you are, because salvation is for sinners. You see, He was
wounded for our transgression, He was bruised for our iniquity,
and the chastisement of our peace is upon Him, and with His stripes
we are healed. You see, there is not a need
that I have that the Lord Jesus Christ doesn't fully need. This
is a faithful saying and word of all acceptation. that the
Lord Jesus Christ came to save sinners, are you lost? God's going to save every lost
man, right? If I can ever find a lost man,
I've got good news for him. This other man has come to seek
and to save that which is lost, and he's not going to lose one
of them. He's going to raise everyone up at the last day.
You see the range and scope these promises are of God? The range
and scope of all promises? There thirdly is this, the sureness
and certainty of these promises in Him. Look at verse 20. All
the promises of God in Him are yes. In case you missed it, they're
in Him. Amen. It's a double, in Him,
in Him. The sureness and certainty of
these promises in the Lord Jesus Christ are yes. See that word,
Amen? I may have looked this up before,
but I didn't remember. I looked it up again today and
was putting this message together and studying it again. Do you
know that word right there, Amen? If you click on that word or
look that word up, if you use a computer, you can click on
it. Do you know it's the same word that's translated over and
over and over through the Gospels? How do we usually read that when
we read barely, barely? You remember the Lord says barely,
barely. We usually read that a lot of times. I do truly, truly,
truly. All the promises of God in him
are yes and they're true. They're barely, truly in him. You see the sureness and certainty
of all the promises of God. They're guaranteed. What's the
guarantee of these promises? They're guaranteed by the performance
of the Lord Jesus Christ, which is complete, perfect, satisfying,
and eternal. The last word in God's book,
Revelation 22, 21, you know what it is? Amen. It's true. You start in Genesis 1, in the
beginning God, it ends, amen. It's true. Everything but 20. He is the Alpha. He is the Omega. He is the beginning. He is the
end. He is the Amen. He is true. He is the true God. Beside Him, like what it says
over in Isaiah, Repeated Lamb, God beside me, there is none
other. I am the only true God. He is the just God and Savior.
You see, the sureness and certainty of these promises are guaranteed,
not by my doing. Not by my performance. Not by
my works. Listen to this scripture. One
of my favorites. Psalm 57, verse 2. I will cry
unto God Most High, unto God that performeth all things for
me. That's a pretty good promise,
isn't it? Well, I can rest my weary head
there on that promise. The Lord Jesus Christ performs
all things for me. Read through the book of John,
John's Gospel. Our Lord said He came to do the
Father's will and to finish the work of salvation the Father
gave Him to do. In John 4, He said, My meat is
to do the will of Him that sent Me and to finish that work. All that the Father giveth me
shall come to me, and those that come to me I'll in no wise cast
out. For I came down from heaven,
not to do my own will, but the will of him that sent me. And
this is his will, that of all that he hath given me I'll lose
nothing. Raise it up again at the last
day." You see, it's salvation based upon his doing, his dying,
his performance. And it's perfect. It's finished.
It's complete. And it's satisfying. Unto who? unto God Almighty. How do I know
that? Delivered for our offenses. Raised
again because He did justify us. In John 17, He prayed, Father,
I finished the work You gave Me to do. I glorified Thee on the earth.
I finished the work You gave Me to do. And then on the cross,
He said, It is finished. The Lord Jesus Christ is no failed
Savior. I love to talk about the victorious
Savior. I love to talk about the Savior
who cannot fail. Another one of my favorite verses,
I think last time I was here, I bought a message from Isaiah
42, 4, where it says that Christ shall not fail. He can't fail. Failure is not an option. Not
with him. He's gone. He can't fail. He's
a successful Savior. Now, wash your ears out with
this. His past performance. is a guarantee of future results. His past performance, based upon
his past performance, is a guarantee of future results. Thanks be
unto God who has given us the victory in our Lord Jesus Christ. Over here in 2 Corinthians 2,
verse 14 says, Now thanks be unto God which always causes
us to triumph in Christ Jesus. Because He's the winner. Don't
you want to be on the winning team? We used to choose up sides
and play Rover, Red Rover. Won't you come over? I always
wanted to be on the winning team. The Lord Jesus Christ, He's a
winner. He's victorious. He's not defeated,
frustrated. He's absolutely the conquering
king. When He by Himself purged our
sin, He sat down on the right hand of the throne of God in
victory and success, satisfying God's holy law, satisfying God's
holy justice. Lastly is this. Look at verse
20 again. See, there's a lot in these promises,
isn't there? All the promises of God in Him are yes, and in
Him And in Him, Amen. Now watch this. Here's the bottom
line. Who gets the glory? Unto the
glory of God by, don't forget these last two words, by us.
By us. Those who are object of His love,
those who are object of His mercy, They love the glory in the Lord
Jesus Christ. Can't you say with the Apostle,
God forbid we should glory, save in the cross of the Lord Jesus
Christ? And that Psalm over in Psalm, I think it's Psalm 34,
where it says, My soul shall make it boast in the Lord. The humble shall hear thereof
and be glad. Oh, let us magnify the Lord together. Let us exalt his name. And then that Psalm, all of you
know, Psalm 115, not unto us, O Lord, not unto us, but unto
thy name be glory, honor and glory for your mercy and for
your truth's sake. You see, it's all about his glory.
That's the bottom line. Salvation by the grace of God
in the Lord Jesus Christ rightly gives him all the honor and glory. That's the grand design of redemption.
That book that Edward wrote years ago, History of Redemption. If
I don't remember anything about that book, I remembered that.
The grand design of redemption is the glory of the Lord Jesus
Christ. Read Ephesians chapter one, God electing a people unto
Christ, making us accepted in the beloved, all to the praise
of the glory of his grace. In redeeming love, in whom we
have redemption, all to the praise of the glory of his grace. You
can't get away from his glory. Not in the gospel of Christ.
It's the gospel of God concerning the Lord Jesus Christ that gives
him all the honor and glory. And then when he talks about
it in Ephesians chapter one, in calling, quickening and regenerating,
again, it gets down to the praise of his glory. Now, this thing
of salvation by works increases your will. Who gets the glory
there? Well, God's done His part, and
then you've got to do your part, and we put the two together,
and we've got something cooperative working out. No, no, no, no.
That's another gospel. The gospel of God's grace gives
Him all the honor and glory, rightly so. What is the song
of the redeemed? Worthy is the Lamb that was slain
to receive all honor, glory, and blessing, both now and forever. You see His glory, His glory,
God's jealous of His glory. Moses asked, show me your glory. Okay. I'll make all my goodness
pass before you. I'll proclaim the name of the
Lord before you. I'll be gracious to whom I will
be gracious. I will show mercy to whom I will
show mercy. God's greatest glory. Showing mercies to sinners through
the Lord Jesus Christ. God's greatest glory. Being gracious
to whom He will be gracious. Loving whom He will. God's greatest
glory. My greatest need. How about you? Are you a sinner? In need of
mercy? Well, I tell you what. Look at that verse one more time.
Take this home with you. Read it again. Meditate on it.
Ask God to show you Christ. All the promises of God in him
are yes. And in him, amen. Unto the glory of God by us. By us. Okay. That's it. That's it. Well, I appreciate
you letting me come. And I pray the Lord will bless
His Word.