What a day, indeed. For our scripture reading, let's
turn to the book of 1 Corinthians, chapter 1. I was thinking this
week, as I think a lot of us do over the past year, things
that have transpired, those loved ones that we've lost. But I got thinking even further
back than that, back about 52 years ago. when God saw fit to
establish a grace church in Danville, Kentucky. And I think too often we take
for granted how blessed we've been in this assembly. How God
sent us a faithful pastor who was with us for 40 years. How
he introduced us to numerous, numerous gospel preachers, many
who have gone on to be with the Lord. But it amazes me as I contemplated
how this church has been used to reach literally tens of thousands
of people in various countries around this earth. Earth's population is now exceeded
eight billion people. About a quarter of those are
Muslims who follow the teachings of the devil named Mohammed. Hindus, other religions, and
even under the umbrella of Christianity, we have Catholicism and free
will worship. And I don't think we actually
understand just how blessed we are in this assembly. We use
the term sometimes, he's one in a million. And that probably
more than applies to the saints that are sitting here today that
I'm looking at. Many have come through those
doors, sat with us a while and left. The scriptures tell us
they went out from us because they were not of us. And there's
only one reason that this group of people is sitting here today.
It's not because we're so much smarter than somebody else. It's
simply through the grace of God. People use the term so-and-so
won life's lottery, meaning they had good luck. They got a good
job, made a lot of money, have a beautiful wife and family,
a big house. And I know what they mean by
that. But if anybody has won life's lottery, It's God's saints. And I hope that as this year
comes to a close, that our God will teach us and remind us of how blessed
we truly are, how rare this thing of free and sovereign grace bestowed
upon sinners actually is. First Corinthians chapter one,
we'll begin reading in verse 17, For Christ sent me not to baptize,
but to preach the gospel, not with wisdom of words, lest the
cross of Christ should be made of none effect. For the preaching
of the cross is to them that perish foolishness, the majority
of this world. But unto us which are saved,
it is the power of God, for it is written, I will destroy the
wisdom of the wise and will bring to nothing the understanding
of the prudent, Where's the wise? Where's the scribe? Where's the
disputer of this world? Has God not made foolish the
wisdom of this world? For after that, in the wisdom
of God, the world by wisdom knew not God. It pleased God by the
foolishness of preaching to save them that believe. For the Jews
require a sign and the Greeks seek after wisdom. but we preach
Christ crucified unto the Jews, a stumbling block and under the
Greeks foolishness, but under them, which are called both Jews
and Greeks, Christ, the power of God and the wisdom of God,
because the foolishness of God is wiser than men and the weakness
of God is stronger than men. For you see your calling brethren,
how that not many wise men after the flesh, Not many mighty, not
many noble are called. But God has chosen the foolish
things of the world to confound the wise. And God has chosen
the weak things of the world to confound the things which
are mighty. And base things of the world and things which are
despised hath God chosen, yea, the things which are not to bring
to naught things that are. For this purpose, that no flesh
should glory in His presence. But of Him are ye in Christ Jesus,
who of God is made unto us wisdom, righteousness, sanctification,
and redemption, that according as it is written, he that glorieth,
let him glory in the Lord. I want to concentrate on this
verse 30 of our text today. But of Him are ye in Christ Jesus,
who is of God is made unto us wisdom, righteousness and sanctification
and redemption. Today, I want to concentrate
on this word that we find so often in Holy Scripture, this
word made. And there are many places in
the scripture that speak of Christ being made something many places
where it speaks of his people being made to be something. And
when we read that, it doesn't mean that God made Christ to
do something that was against His will, like one would force
someone to do something that they didn't want to do. The same
applies to God's elect. God never forces us to believe
against our will. As Don used to say, He works
on our water to where we have to have Christ. And when it comes to Christ being
made something, it means that he became what was necessary
to satisfy a need or a requirement. So first, Paul tells us here
in our text in First Corinthians that Christ Jesus is made unto
us wisdom. Which is the ability to discern
what is true and right, the sum of accumulated knowledge through
the ages. We in and of ourselves don't
have any corner on wisdom. We're not smarter than anybody
else. We just read that God chooses
the foolish things, the weak things of this world, the peons,
the nobodies. A bunch of folks that I'm looking
at today and what I see when I look in the mirror, a bunch
of nobodies. But God has given us a gift,
the gift of faith and the gift of wisdom to know and to believe
the truth as it is in Christ Jesus. Christ here is called,
in verse 24 of our text, the wisdom of God. So first our text says that Christ
has made unto us wisdom. Except for the Lord Jesus Christ,
no man that ever lived had as much wisdom as Solomon. God gave
him that wisdom. And through his writings in the
book of Proverbs, he shares that wisdom with us. Proverbs tells
us this. Wisdom is the principal thing.
Therefore, get wisdom, and with all thy getting, get understanding. The principal thing, the most
important thing that you can obtain is wisdom, because it
is the gift to know truth from error when it comes to the things
of God. The fate of your eternal soul
hangs on your ability to discern truth from error. The eternal
father who chose us in his son sees to it that his people are
given wisdom, the wisdom that is needed to know truth from
lies. And we're given this promise that he will keep us from error.
When our Lord was speaking of the end times in Matthew 24,
24, he said this, for there shall arise false Christ and false
prophets and shall show great signs and wonders in so much
that If it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect.
But thank God it is not possible because God has given us the
wisdom to know truth from error. But Solomon tells us that there
is a downside to wisdom. He says in Proverbs 118, for
in much wisdom is much grief. And he that increases knowledge
increases sorrow. The old saying, ignorance is
bliss, applies here. Before our God awoken us, awoken
our dead hearts to our condition, we cruised through life carefree.
We were sure that everything between us and a holy God was
just fine. We're taught from the time that
we're little that God loves us, so everything's good. We teach
our kids that song. Jesus loves me, this I know,
for the Bible tells me so. Little ones to him belong. He
is weak, but they are weak, but he is strong. Yes, Jesus loves
me. The Bible tells me so, but in fact, it does not. So when our merciful God begins
a work of grace in us, when he increases our knowledge of his
holiness and our inability to meet that standard, it increases
sorrow. We sorrow over our sin and we
sorrow over our impending doom. before our gracious God eventually
shows us that we have been given a substitute, we have been given
forgiveness in and through the work of Christ, who stood in
our place and endured the wrath that was due our sin. But that
increased sorrow comes to an end when our increased wisdom,
or I should say, when our God gives us increased wisdom and
speaks peace to our troubled hearts. But we still sorrow every day
because of sin, but we no longer carry the sorrow of impending
damnation that has been removed. Next, here in our text, Paul
tells the Corinthians that Christ Jesus is made unto us righteousness. But how does that come about?
By substitution. Romans 8 or Romans 5 19, for
by one man's disobedience, many were made sinners. So by the
obedience of one shall many be made righteous, because Christ
became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. We are
now made righteous by the imputing of his finished work on our behalf.
His obedience is now our obedience. His holiness is now our holiness. His righteousness is now our
righteousness. Paul said much the same thing
to the Corinthians when he said, for as in Adam all die, even
so in Christ shall all be made alive. We didn't become righteous
by anything that we do. We didn't go through some spiritual
evolution where we morphed from being a wretched sinner and we
got better and better until we eventually became a saint. No, we are made righteous by
the works of another. Gospel preachers are to declare
only one righteousness. They like to flatter folks and
talk about their righteousness. But the scriptures teach us clearly
that there is only one righteousness that should be observed and worshiped. Paul made this clear to the Romans
when he wrote this, whom God has sent forth to be a propitiation
through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for
the remission of sins that are passed through the forbearance
of God. And in case you missed it the
first time, Paul repeats this, to declare, I say at this time,
his righteousness, that he might be just in the justifier of him
that believeth in Jesus, which is what Paul was talking about
when he wrote, for he hath made him to be sin, he who knew no
sin, that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.
This is how Christ Jesus is made unto us righteousness. He became what we are, sin, so
that we could become what he is, righteousness. That righteousness which must
be ours if we are ever to see the shores of heaven or to behold
the face of the Savior, a legal transaction that allowed him
to be both just and the justifier. And only the mind of an omnipotent
God could create and devise such a thing. The scriptures make
it abundantly clear that we cannot provide any sort of righteousness
on our own merits. As it is written, there is none
righteous. No, not one. The previous verse
tells us that all Jews and Gentiles are under sin by nature under
the curse. But thank God there is one who
is righteous. He whose righteousness makes
his people to be seen as righteous as Christ himself by the all
seeing eye of God. He whose very name is called
Jesus Christ, the righteous. He whose name is declared in
Jeremiah as the Lord, our righteousness, the Lord who is our righteousness. We are possessors. And this is
an astounding fact. We are possessors of the very
same righteousness. Of the most righteous being. In this universe. the God man
creator by whom all things were made and who upholds all things
by the word of his power, not similar righteousness, but the
exact same righteousness as Christ himself. That to me is amazing. That righteousness, which is
ours by imputation is as solid as the very rock of ages himself,
firmly settled and unmovable. Isaiah assured us of this, he
said in Isaiah 54, 14, in righteousness shall thou be established. When
something is established, it is considered to be firmly and
unconditionally settled, rooted, permanent, and unshakable. This is a promise that we have
from him who holds all power, who holds the reins of this universe
and every being in it. Now, I don't know how many of
you have ever had the experience of seeing the Rocky Mountains,
but if you have, you know what I'm talking about when I say
they are beyond description, majestic and massive. But our God declares that that
entire mountain range, which stretches through several states,
will be uprooted and cast into the sea before his kindness,
mercy, and righteousness shall ever be taken from those chosen
in Christ. The scriptures tell us this,
for the mountain shall depart and the hills be removed, but
my kindness shall not depart from thee, neither shall the
covenant of my peace be removed, saith the Lord, who hath mercy
on thee, Isaiah 54 10. This is the promise that we have
from the God, man, savior, the one who Paul declared to be found
in him, he wanted to be found in Christ, not having mine own
righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through
the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith, a righteousness
which begins with God and ends with God will forever be ours. David declared in Psalm 119,
thy righteousness is an everlasting righteousness. Once you have
this righteousness, it is yours for eternity. People say, do
you believe in once saved, always saved? As Don used to tell us,
it depends on who does the saving. But this righteousness has been
ours from eternity. We just weren't aware of it until
God gave us faith in his blessed son, that son who himself is
called the Lord, our righteousness. Now the next thing that Paul
tells us that Christ has made unto us is sanctification. Now this place, this verse here
in 1 Corinthians 30 is one of only five places where the word
sanctification is found in Holy Scripture. But the word sanctify,
sanctified, and sanctifyeth are found another 127 times. So this
is a subject that is well covered and explained throughout the
Word of God. So we're not left to wonder what this sanctification
is, which Christ is made to be unto us. Sanctify means to set
apart for a holy purpose, which is precisely what our God does
for his people. He sets him apart from all others,
as I said earlier, from the vast majority of this world to be
the recipients of his special divine favor. But how is it that this sanctification
takes place? What is it that causes us to
be sanctified or to be set apart to begin with? Hebrews 13, 12
tells us, wherefore Jesus also that he might sanctify the people
with his own blood suffered without the gate. The death of Christ
purchased our sanctification as it did all other blessings
that we have in Christ Jesus. and especially the unimaginable
blessings that we will enjoy when we leave this life. In John
17, in his high priestly prayer to the Father, John 17, our Lord
prayed, sanctify them through thy truth. Thy word is truth. And in two verses later, he prayed
this, for their sakes, I sanctify myself. that they also might
be sanctified through the truth. And as we just saw how the righteousness
of God is everlasting, so also is this sanctification. For by
one offering, he hath perfected forever them that are sanctified. Those that are set apart to be
the vessels of mercy shall be the vessels of mercy forever. Further, the sanctifying work
of Christ does for us the same thing the imputed righteousness
of Christ does for us. It makes us one with him, as
holy and as sinless as a God-man himself. For both he that sanctifieth
and they who are sanctified are all of one, for which cause he
is not ashamed to call them brethren. The most holy being in this universe
is not ashamed to call a bunch of worthless maggots his brethren.
That is a wonder of wonders. Join heirs with Christ, his very
brothers and sisters, because of the adoption that took place
before time ever was. Lastly, Paul tells us here in
our text that our Savior is made unto us redemption. We were, by nature and practice,
guilty of breaking God's holy law. We're told in Hebrews that
we were all our lifetimes subject to bondage from the very moment
of our birth under the sentence of death for our sin. The scriptures plainly tell us
the soul that sinneth it must die. We were by nature, Paul
tells us, the children of wrath, even as others. Under the curse
of the law, guilty of breaking every commandment found therein. But thank God there was a ransom
found. The price of our redemption was blood. Two verses tell us
this. In whom we have redemption through
his blood, even the forgiveness of sins. Colossians 1 14 and
Ephesians 1 7 says much the same thing. In whom we have redemption
through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches
of his grace, the redemption that was pictured day after day
after day as countless animals were slain on Jewish altars,
picturing the death of Christ for his people, the pouring out
of his precious blood, because the word tells us that without
shedding of blood is no remission, no redemption. Neither by the blood of goats
and calves, but by His own blood He entered once into the holy
place, having obtained eternal redemption for us. Our redemption came at a price
that we are not capable of understanding in this life, not until we see
our blessed Savior in all His splendor, in all His glory, will
we even begin to understand what this verse teaches us. how the
Scriptures tell us how He that was rich became poor for our
sakes, that we might become unimaginably rich in Him. Those riches that
were purchased at the price of His precious blood. So in order
to redeem us from the curse that we were under, we're told that
our Lord became that curse so that He might free us from the
curse that was upon us. Christ hath redeemed us from
the curse of the law, the scriptures tell us, being made a curse for
us, for it is written, cursed is everyone that hangeth on a
tree. So along with being made our wisdom, righteousness, sanctification,
and redemption, our Lord was also made a curse, not because
of anything he had done, but rather because the Lord hath
laid on him the iniquity of us all. But along with being made
our wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption, God the Father
also made Christ to be some other things as well. First Peter 2
7. But unto you, therefore, which
believe he is precious, but unto them which be disobedient, the
stone which the builders disallowed, the same is made the head of
the corner, made by God to be the sure foundation upon which
his people's salvation is built. God the Father also made his
Son the sovereign, unquestioned ruler of this universe. Peter told those Jews in Acts
2.36, Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly that
God hath made this same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both
Lord and Christ. Which is what our Lord told his
disciples before he ascended into glory. All power is given
unto me, in heaven and in earth. Turn over to the book of Hebrews,
chapter 5. Hebrews 5. Hebrews 5, starting in verse
7. Who in the days of His flesh,
when He had offered up prayers and supplications with strong
crying and tears unto Him that was able to save Him from death,
and was heard in that he feared. Though he were a son, yet learned
he obedience by the things which he suffered. And being made perfect,
he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that
obey him, called of God and high priest after the order of Melchizedek. And as he was called of God and
priest after the order of Melchizedek, Hebrews 620 tells us, that he
was made a high priest forever after the order of Melchizedek.
You're in Hebrews already. Look at chapter seven. As our
great high priest, since he lives and reigns forever, is ever interceding
on behalf of us before the Holy Father, as we're told in Hebrews
chapter seven, beginning of verse 24. But this man, speaking of
Christ, because he continueth ever 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. For such an high priest
became us who is holy, harmless, separate from sinners, and made
higher than the heavens. who needeth not daily as those
high priests to offer up sacrifice, first for his own sins and then
for the people's. For this he did once when he
offered up himself. God the Son humbled himself beyond
anything we can understand. He agreed to have himself made
to be a flesh and blood human being. And He did that for the
express purpose of becoming a sacrifice for His people, for His chosen,
for His elect. Hebrews 9 says this, But we see
Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels, to what
end? For the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honor,
that by the grace of God He should taste death for every man. And
in verse 17, in that same second chapter of Hebrews, wherefore,
in all things, it behooved him to be made like unto his brethren,
that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in all things
pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of his people, made
like unto his brethren, suffering every pain, every heartache,
every temptation that we suffer yet without sin. He did not come
to succumb to these temptations as we do. He was indeed holy,
harmless and undefiled. And there are some things that
Christ has made his people to be in the first chapter of Revelation. Verses five and six, Jesus Christ,
who is the faithful witness and the first forgotten of the dead
and the prince of the kings of the earth, unto him that loved
us and washed us from our sin in his own blood, and hath made
us kings and priests unto God and his Father, to him be glory
and dominion forever and ever. Amen. Made to become people of
royal blood. They talk about the monarchy
in England and other countries being of royal blood. But they're not, they're just
flesh and blood human beings, or of any blood, they're of sinful
blood. But there are people that walk
this earth that are indeed of royal blood. Christ has made us fit to be
partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light, to become
part of that royal family of God Almighty. God's elect are
also made to be the recipients of all the manifold blessings
which are found in the person and the work of our blessed Redeemer.
Hebrews 3, 4. They're already in Hebrews. Hebrews 3, 14, I should say.
For we are made partakers of Christ if we hold fast the beginning
of our confidence, steadfast unto the end. Not we have become
partakers of Christ because our good works finally outweighed
our bad. Not because our decision to let Jesus become the Lord
of our life because we heard he had just a wonderful plan
for us. No, we are made by the sovereign choice of God Almighty
to be partakers of every good thing that God has to offer.
And that list of good things is infinite. Further, our Savior
made us free from the grip of sin and the penalty of sin. Galatians
5.1. Stand fast, therefore, Paul says. Stand fast, therefore, in the
liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free. And be not entangled
again with the yoke of bondage. In the book of Romans, chapter
6, there's two verses, 18 and 22, that say much the same thing. Romans 6, 18 and 22. Being then made free from sin,
ye became the servants of righteousness. Verse 22. But now, being made
free from sin and become servants of God, ye have your fruit unto
holiness and the end everlasting life. Two verses in Ephesians
tell us how we are now enabled to be part of the family of God.
to the praise of his glory, or the praise of the glory of his
grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved. And in Ephesians 2, 13, but now
in Christ Jesus, ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by
the blood of Christ. Through the goodness and mercy
of our heavenly father, we are made heirs of God, and joint heirs with
Christ. Titus three, seven, that being
justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the
hope of eternal life. But Paul tells Timothy two verses
before this, that this is definitely not by anything we have done. Paul writes, not by works of
righteousness, which we have done, but according to his mercy,
mercy, Hath he saved us by the washing of regeneration and renewing
of the Holy Ghost, which was shed upon us abundantly through
Jesus Christ our Savior. God, the Spirit shows us, reveals
to us the glory of Christ. He makes him to be manifest unto
us by the Spirit. Speaking of Christ, Paul wrote
in Romans 10.10, But Isaiah is very bold and saith, I was found
of them that sought me not. I was made manifest unto them
that asked not after me. Saving faith comes by a revelation
of Jesus Christ as the only hope of wretched sinners. It is given. It is revealed. Christ said to his disciples,
unto you it is given, and unto them it is not given. It is made
manifest that Christ is the way, the truth, and the life, that
no man can come to the Father except they come through Christ.
Paul writes in Romans 16, 26 of the mystery that was kept
secret from the beginning of this world,
but now is made manifest by the scriptures of the holy prophets
according to the commandment of the everlasting God made known
to all nations for the obedience of faith. When writing to Timothy,
Paul speaks of God's purpose and grace in Christ Jesus that
was given us before the world began. But Paul said, but is
now made manifest by the appearing of our savior, Jesus Christ,
who hath abolished death and have brought life and immortality
to light through the gospel. When something is made manifest,
it is made clearly apparent to the sight and understanding. It is obvious, indisputably true. So when God the Spirit makes
the merits of Christ clear to us as the only way to God, there
is no trace of doubt in our mind and in our hearts that we have
been given a clear understanding that Christ is the only name
under heaven given among men whereby we must be saved. Through the mercy, goodness and
grace of God the Father, Christ is then made unto us wisdom and
righteousness. and sanctification and redemption. He is made to be our all in all.