That's our hope, isn't it? He
is in us and we are in Him. Let's turn to the book of Colossians.
I want to continue and finish up our study on these words,
in Christ Jesus. I've titled this, In Christ Jesus
Part 3. We've previously looked things that we find that are
in Christ. And I want to continue that theme
today, that all things are in Him. Colossians 1, verse 15,
speaking of Christ, who is the image of the invisible God, the
firstborn of every creature. For by Him were all things created
that are in heaven and are in earth, visible and invisible,
whether they be thrones or dominions or principalities or powers,
all things were created by Him and for Him. And He is before
all things, and by Him all things consist. He is the head of the
body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from
the dead, that in all things He might have the preeminence.
For it pleased the Father that in him should all fullness dwell. Then chapter two, verse one,
for I would that you were that you knew what great conflict
I have for you and for them at Laodicea. And for as many as
have not seen my face in the flesh, that their hearts might
be comforted, being knit together in love and under all riches
of the full assurance of understanding to the acknowledgement of the
mystery of God and the Father and of Christ, in whom are hid
all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. Now, before we get
into this third part of this theme of all God's blessings
being in Christ Jesus, let me just briefly review what we've
looked at so far. We have seen that our redemption,
our freedom from condemnation, the love of God, our sanctification,
our hope, Our life, our triumph, our liberty, God Himself, are
all in Christ Jesus. We find that we are also established
in Him, and that the veil that was in place in the Old Testament
is done away with in Christ. That the simplicity of the Gospel
is in Him, the new covenant we find in Christ. Our faith, the
unity of the members of God's true church, the faithfulness
of the saints, and all spiritual blessings and the power of God
are all found in Christ. So let us begin today by turning
to the book of Ephesians. And I've tried to put these in
the order they're found in the Scriptures, so I don't have you
flipping back and forth all day. And I hope as you sit and listen
as believers, you'll rejoice in the fact that all things are
found in Christ Jesus. And for those of you that are
sitting here that do not know the Lord and saving faith, or
those that may hear this message sometime in the future, I would
pray that our God would show you that outside of Christ, there's
only condemnation. But if you are in Christ, you
are in the safest place in the universe. So in Ephesians, Chapter
2, verse 10, For we are His workmanship created in Christ Jesus unto
good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk
in them. Now with all things in this universe,
we were created by Christ and we were created in Christ. Before
time ever was, we were in Him. This world was ever spoken into
being. We were in Christ. As long as He had been, we have
been in Him. This is something, of course,
that we cannot comprehend. The finite us cannot begin to
comprehend the infinite and almighty God. We think of all things happening
in time. We put dates to events and list
them in the order in which they happen throughout history. This
is the only way that we can truly understand any occurrence. But
our God sees all things in the present. That's why He referred
to Himself as I Am. For an eternal being, there is
no such thing as time. Now further, this text tells
us that we were created unto good works. Yet, the Scriptures
tell us that the works of our hands are nothing but filthy
rags. So how is it then we are seen as doing good works. Hebrews 13 tells us, Now the
God of peace that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus,
that Great Shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting
covenant, make you perfect in every good work to do His will,
working in you that which is well-pleasing in His sight, how? Through Jesus Christ, to whom
be glory forever and ever. All things that we see and all
works that we do that are looked upon by our God as good works
are done in and through Christ Jesus. Next, in just a couple
verses down, Ephesians 2.13, we read this, but now in Christ
Jesus, Ye who were sometimes far off are made nigh by the
blood of Christ. We who at one time were far from
righteousness, far from goodness, far from anything pleasing in
the sight of a holy God, are now brought into the very family
of God, made heirs of God, and join heirs with Christ. Made
to be near the heart of God. We who are by nature the children
of wrath, are made to be the children of promise, delivered
from the wrath to come by that efficacious blood of our blessed
Savior, made nigh by the blood of Christ. But before we were
made nigh by the blood of Christ, we were in a most woeful condition.
Isaiah 59, 11, we roar all like bears and mourn sore like doves. We look for judgment, but there
is none. For salvation, but it is far
off from us. That was our state before our
God gave us mercy in Christ. But now that we're made nigh
by the blood of Christ, that which would have dragged us down
to the lowest pits of hell, is made to be far off from us. That
verse we're so familiar with in Psalm 103, as far as the east
is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions
from us. Now, this is the most blessed reversal of fortunes
that can be imagined. We who were once far off from
God because of our transgressions are now made nigh by the blood
of Christ. How is this possible? Only by
the hand of an Almighty God. Psalm 65 verse 3 tells us, Iniquities
prevail against me. As for our transgressions, thou
shalt purge them away. And I especially love that verse
in Isaiah 42 verse 25. I, even I, am he that blotteth
out thy transgressions for mine own sake, and will not remember
thy sins. How our hearts ought to leap
when we read such a promise. Also in Isaiah, he tells us,
I have blotted out as a thick cloud thy transgressions, and
as a cloud thy sins. Return unto me, for I have redeemed
thee. Next, in Ephesians 3.6, we read
this, that the Gentiles should be fellow heirs of the same body
and partakers of his promise in Christ by the gospel. This promise. that we find in
Christ. But what is His promise? Hebrews
8 tells us, for I will be merciful unto their unrighteousness and
their sins and iniquities, for I remember no more. This is the
Gospel. This is the Good News that's
spoken of here in this verse in Ephesians 3, 6. Many times in this life, we make
promises. And those of us who regard our
word as our bond, Never make promises, or we try not to, that
we feel like we can't keep. But being just feeble men that
we are, many times, the good intentions we have don't materialize. Something prevents us from keeping
those promises. Not so with our God. Nothing
sneaks up on His backside. Nothing takes Him by surprise.
He never utters a word. I didn't see that coming. And
why is that? Because our God controls all
things. Therefore, nothing takes Him
by surprise. There's an old saying, men plan
and God laughs. And one of my favorite texts
speaks of that very thing. In chapter 2, it tells us this,
Why do the heathen rage and the people imagine a vain thing?
The kings of the earth set themselves And the rulers take counsel together
against the Lord and against His anointed, saying, Let us
break their bands asunder and cast their cords from us. And
what's God's reaction to this? He that sitteth in the heavens
shall laugh. He shall have them in derision. There's very few places in the
Scripture that's speaking of God laughing. But each time it
does, it is speaking of Him laughing mockingly at lost men and women
who have spit in His face all their lives. But that describes
us as well. But indeed, there is a group
of people to whom God shows mercy. And how is it that this God who
makes it clear that He will by no means clear the guilty, promises
to be merciful to our unrighteousness. Does He reward our unrighteousness?
Absolutely not. Now how is it then that an all-knowing,
all-seeing God can no longer remember the sins and iniquities
committed by His chosen elect people? Only one way. You can't remember something
that doesn't exist. And the blood of Christ was so
effectual in annihilating our sins that in the mind of God,
they never existed. When our blessed Savior became
that blessed scapegoat and carried our iniquities into the wilderness
of God's forgetfulness. When He bore our griefs and carried
our sorrows. And we're one in Christ now as
holy as He. These are the better promises
spoken of in Hebrews 8, which we're told on which that better
covenant was established. And of all the many promises
that we find in God's Word, there is one that is found in 1 John
that exceeds them all. And this is the promise that
He hath promised us even eternal life. And we know that promise
is with all of God's promises are found in Christ Jesus. Now drop down a couple more verses
in Ephesians eight. Or I'm sorry, Ephesians three
verse eight unto me, who am the less than the least of all saints,
is this grace given that I should preach among the Gentiles the
unsearchable riches of Christ and to make all men see what
is a fellowship of the mystery which from the beginning of the
world have been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ,
to the intent that now under the principalities and powers
and heavenly places might be known by the church the manifold
wisdom of God, according to the eternal purpose which He purposed
in Christ Jesus our Lord. Now, all of God's eggs are in
one basket. And that's His Son, our Lord
Jesus Christ. Every one of these purposes that
we read of of God are dependent on and found in the work of our
Savior. This word purpose means something
that is set up as an object or an end to be attained. An intention. A design. A desired end. A goal. Now, the book of Isaiah
has much to say about the purpose of our God, how it is solid,
sure, steadfast. Isaiah 14 tells us, the Lord
of hosts has sworn, saying, Surely, not maybe, surely as I have thought,
so shall it come to pass. As I have purposed, so shall
it stand. Also in Isaiah, this is the purpose
that is purposed upon the whole earth. And this is the hand that
is stretched out upon all the nations. For the Lord of hosts
hath purposed, and who shall disannul? His hand is stretched
out, and who shall turn it back? Daniel tells us, None can stay
his hand, or say unto him, What doest thou? And in Ephesians
1, 9 we read this, Having made known unto us the mystery of
his will, according to his good pleasure which he had purposed
in himself, that in the dispensation of the fullness of time he might
gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in
heaven and which are on earth, even in him in whom also we have
obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the
purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of His
own will. And this is the reason that we
should be to the praise of His glory who first trusted in Christ. 2 Timothy 1-9 tells us this,
Who hath saved us and called us with an holy calling, not
according to our works, but according to His purpose and grace, which
were given us, where? Again, in Christ Jesus, before
the world began. And our God never leaves us guessing
as to what His purpose is. He states throughout His Word
what His purpose from eternity. One of those places in Jeremiah
32, it said, Behold, speaking of God's people, I will gather
them out of all countries where I have driven them in mine anger,
and in my fury, and in my great wrath, and I will bring them
again into this place, and I will cause them to dwell safely. And that's not all. And they
shall be my people, and I will be their God. And I will give
them one heart in one way, that they may fear me forever, and
for the good of them and of their children after them. And I will
make an everlasting covenant with them, Everything God does, He does
forever. There's no need to look into
an extended warranty when it comes to the purposes of God. Everything He promises is eternal. And I will make an everlasting
covenant with them that I will not turn away from them to do
them good, but I will put my fear in their hearts that they
shall not depart from Me. Yea, I will rejoice over them
to do them good, and I will plant them in this land assuredly with
my whole heart and with my whole soul, all of which is purposed
in Christ Jesus our Lord. Next, in Philippians. Philippians 3.3, For we are the circumcision which
worship God in spirit and rejoice in Christ Jesus. and have no
confidence in the flesh. This word, rejoice, it means
to feel exceedingly great happiness about something, to be overwhelmed
with joy. This joy that takes place in
the heart and mind of a sinner who has now been made aware of
the forgiveness that is in Christ Jesus. Now that overwhelming
terror has been replaced by overwhelming joy, we can now rejoice in the
forgiveness that we have in the blood of the Lamb. Now, we have
so many things to rejoice over that to list them would take
hours. But we just looked at the main
one, which is forgiveness through the blood of Christ. But our
Lord told His disciples that there was one thing above all
else that they were to rejoice in. if you want to turn over
and look at it with me in Luke chapter 10. Luke chapter 10. As I said, we have many things
to rejoice over, but our Lord told His disciples this in Luke
10 verse 19, Behold, I give unto you power
to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the
enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you." Now that's indeed
pretty spectacular. Something certainly to rejoice
over. But in the very next verse, he
tells them that there is something infinitely more spectacular than
that in which they were to rejoice. He tells them this, Notwithstanding
in this, rejoice not, that the spirits are subject unto you,
But why is that? Because those things are only
temporary. Only temporary. But he tells them, the most glorious
reason of all to rejoice, but rather rejoice because your names
are written in heaven. This is why Paul exhorted the
Philippians to rejoice always. And again, I say rejoice. Why
he told the Thessalonians to rejoice evermore. And why David
wrote in Psalm 68, 3, But let the righteous be glad. Let them
rejoice before God. Yea, let them exceedingly rejoice. There's no such thing as taking
this thing of rejoicing too far. that someone might say, now you're
carrying this a little too far. You don't need to rejoice that
much. According to the Scriptures, that is an impossibility. You
cannot rejoice too much in the blessings of our God. And once
we drop this robe of flesh, all of the troubles that in this
life so break our hearts will be forgotten forever. That joyous
occasion is described in Revelation 19 where we read, as it were
the voice of a great multitude and as the voice of many waters
and as a voice of a mighty thundering saying, Hallelujah for the Lord
God omnipotent reigneth. Let us be glad and rejoice and
give him honor for the marriage of the lamb has come and his
wife hath made herself ready. 2 Timothy 2.1, 2 Timothy 2.1, Thou therefore, my son, this
is Paul writing to Timothy, Thou therefore, my son, be strong
in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. Now, we commonly refer
to grace as the unmerited favor of God, something that God gives
us that we truly don't deserve. The first chapter of the Gospel
of John tells us that our Lord Jesus is full of grace and truth. It tells us that grace and truth
came by Jesus Christ. Now, our salvation comes through
the grace of God. Acts 15.11 confirms this truth. It tells us this. But we believe
that through the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, we shall Be
saved. Romans 3.24 tells us that we're
justified freely through or by His grace through the redemption
that is in Christ Jesus. This redemption that is so well
described in 2 Corinthians 8.9, that verse that we so love and
rejoice in. For you know the grace of our
Lord Jesus Christ that though He was rich, Yet for your sakes
He became poor, that ye through His poverty might be made rich."
This verse describes the greatest transfer of wealth that has ever
occurred in this universe. Now, before coming to earth,
our Lord knew no pain. But because of our sins, He was
made to suffer the unimaginable fury of a holy God. Our Savior knew no sorrow, and
yet in Scriptures He described as a man of sorrows and acquainted
with grief. Sorrow and grief were His constant
companions. Now throughout history, I read
a lot of history, and some of the things you read of things
that have occurred of man's inhumanity to man, It's unimaginable. And the sorrow that people have
experienced as a result of that through the ages cannot be put
into words. But as deep as those sorrows
were, there has never been anyone who has ever experienced the
sorrow that our Savior experienced. When He cried out, My God, My
God, why hast Thou forsaken Me? But He gives us a little insight
into this sorrow in Lamentations 112 where we read, speaking of
Christ, Is it nothing to you, all ye that pass by? Behold and
see if there be any sorrow like unto my sorrow. which is
done unto me. Wherewith the Lord hath afflicted
me in the day of His fierce anger." No other human being in history
has ever experienced the sorrow that our Savior experienced because
no other human being has ever fallen. No, I won't use that
word. Has ever voluntarily stepped
down from such majesty and glory to such lowliness. To go from
being the most holy being in the universe to being made sin. That thing that our God so despises. That's what our Christ, our Savior,
was made to be. And He was made to be that sin
for us that He might bring us to God. And all of this transpired
because of the grace of God toward sinners that is found only in
Christ Jesus. 2 Timothy 2.10, Therefore I endure
all things for the elect's sake, that they may obtain the salvation
which is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory. True salvation,
God's salvation, is found only in one place, or rather, I should
say, only in one person. Acts 4.12 tells us, neither is
there salvation in any other. For there is none other name
under heaven given among men whereby we must be saved. Salvation cannot be wrought by
the works of our hands, It is not obtained by a man or woman
deciding to give their heart to Jesus or to reform their lives. But before the Spirit comes to
a man and grants him peace in Christ, that man or woman learns this,
that salvation belongeth unto the Lord. Truly my soul waiteth upon God,
we're told. From Him cometh my salvation. And Jonah learned the hard way
this truth. Salvation is of the Lord. Salvation
is not only in Christ Jesus, He Himself is salvation. Now what did Simeon say when
he held the Lord, the infant Lord in his hands, when his parents
had brought him to the temple? that account that we find in
Luke 2. Simeon said these words, Lord, now lettest Thou Thy servant
depart in peace according to Thy word. And as he held the
Lord Jesus Christ, he said this, For mine eyes have seen Thy salvation,
which Thou hast prepared before the face of all people to lighten
the Gentiles and the glory of Thy people Israel. And as with
all the other blessings of God, salvation is found only in Christ
Jesus. And in 1 Peter 5.14, 1 Peter
5.14, Greet ye one another with a kiss
of charity. Peace be unto you, or peace be
with you all that are in Christ Jesus. Now, this word peace is
a pact or an agreement to end hostilities between those who
have been at war or in a state of enmity. And as I've said many
times, and as our pastor told us repeatedly over the years,
there have never been more mortal enemies than wretched sinners
and a holy God. We know that outside the person
of Christ, there is no true peace. There is no absence of hostilities,
no freedom from quarrels or disagreements between the sinner and the holy
God. But modern day religion, modern
day Christless religion tries to put the minds of men and women
at ease. They tell them that they just
need to reform their life and do better, and it'll bring peace
with God. And these are the false teachers
who were told, and Jeremiah spoke these words, peace, peace, where
there is no peace. Now, many times in Scriptures,
our God is called the God of peace. Our Savior was called
the Prince of Peace. Yet other times in Scriptures,
our God is called a man of war. Now, how can these two traits
exist in the same person? because it is talking about how
He deals with two different classes of men or women. To those who
have been given faith in Christ, He becomes a God of peace. But
to those who yet despise His grace, He is a God of war. He
is a God at war. That peace only comes to the
sinner's heart and mind by the Spirit when he is given faith
in Christ. Only then can he know the peace
that dwells in the Lord Jesus Christ. So we have seen what Paul meant
when he wrote to the Colossians and said, in whom are hid all
the treasures of wisdom and knowledge speaking of Christ. And as I
said at the beginning, being in Christ, you are in the safest place of
the universe. That place where you can enjoy
every blessing of God. Those blessings that are too
numerous to imagine, much less mention. But for those of you
that God has not yet given faith, for those of you outside of Christ,
for those of you not found in Christ Jesus, I cannot put into words the terror that awaits you. To be found outside of Christ is to have the very wrath of
God abiding on you at this moment, clinging to you like a second
skin. So I would pray that you could do the one thing
that a wretched sinner can do that might make the God of this
universe look upon you with favor. And that is this, to beseech
Him for that mercy which is only found in Christ Jesus. And if
you're able to do that from your heart, beseech our God for mercy, it is a sign that perhaps our
God has begun a good work in you and may yet snatch you from
burning. I pray that the Lord will bless
that to your hearts.